Ketch shrugs at the suggestion and tries the door.  

     If unlocked, Ketch barges right in and blurts out "Alrighty, which kind do I talk to about dragons??"

     If locked, Ketch shrugs again and tries to bust it open.  Strength / Athletics roll if needed: 6. If it opens, go back to dialogue above.  If it is still locked, Ketch shouts in frustration and yells "Little kings, little kings, let me in!!!"

There's a shriek as the doors give a hard shutter. But they hold and remain closed.

"A dragon? Korboz, tell them what it was. See if they will help. Please, help us! We have things we can give you."

"Tongue! Teeth! Rug? No! Was! Then it changed. Changed to...what? Round...wood...barrel? Barrel!"

"Orryn and Warryn? is that where they headed to the barrels last they were seen?" Fiddlestib looks at Dabbledob. 

"Think so. Think that's what the others said. Wasn't really paying attention."

"We don't want your things," Ketch shouts through the door.  "Well, maybe.  What things?  But what what is?  Teeth don't have rugs and rugs don't have teeth!  And it certainly wouldn't change into a barrel...  Or is this a riddle?  It's a riddle, that's it!  I guessed it!"  Ketch looks around the others hopefully...  "Did I win?"

"Please! We can reward you." The fainter voice is silent for a moment, then returns sounding a bit out of breath. "I can't get to the door. Please help us. If there's a dragon coming we need to be ready."

Xel-Thoth is really having difficulty keeping up with what the kings are talking about. 

"We are at your service my Kings.”

To the gnomes he asks: “Do you know how to open the door? Is there a spare key?”

If no spare key is forthcoming, Ketch will ask John to lend a shoulder and see if maybe the two of them together can bust the door open...

In all the back and forth, and door banging John did his best to hear what the little Kings were saying.  They sounded scared.  Growing up around humans, John had experience dealing with folk that were frightened beyond sense.  Mother had said it was inevitable, with his looks and stature.  Some people couldn't help but judge by looks.  In those cases, his mother had taught him to wield patience and M-pathy. He hoped those lessons would serve him now.

"Wait on kicking in their door."  John began quietly.  His brain working overtime to piece together the bits of information and what it meant.  

"They are scared of something.  Something that was a rug and then a barrel?"  He reached up with one large hand to scratch his chin.  

Facing Fiddlestib and Dabbledob now, "We we're in the barrel room i think.  With the mushroom drink.  There was no sign of other gnomes there... what did you call them?  Orion and War-rion?  There was no one."  

"Maybe they went to fetch the kings some of the mushroom wine?  But you are certainly correct, John, the room was empty!  Mysteries and riddles, how exciting!  I don't remember a rug wrapped round a barrel, do you Horace?"  Chom hops from one foot to the other as he tries to work out the riddle.  "May we have another clue please?  This is a very good riddle, don't you think?"

"Barrel! Wasn't! Then was! Extra one. But included. The screams! Mustn't happen to my love!"

Rastaris thinks out loud: "A barrel that wasn't. An extra one...an extra barrel."

"John, you're right that we were in the room with all the barrels. We should start our search there. Maybe check all the barrels one by one...carefully of course."

"Wait.  What?  Barrels?  Why we want barrels when we want kings?" Ketch asks, perplexed...

"I'm not fully sure, but i think it's never ok to kick down a kings door." John states his thought offhandedly to Ketch.

"If we find this teeth barrel... maybe they'll come out then?"

John spends another moment in thought before nodding his head in agreement with a decision made in his head.  

"I think I WILL go back to the barrel room.  Please leave the cake cutters off... I dont know how to do what Mr.Chomsky did to turn them off."

John then strides back out the way he came, in route to the barrel room. 

"Grrrr...  Don't let the kings leave," Ketch orders nobody in particular, then storms off after John.   "By Gruumsh, if you find a barrel with teeth I and going to kick them in!"

"An adventure within an adventure!  Come on everyone!  Barrels and teeth and mushroom wine for all!  Chom marches smartly after the two half-orcs, happy that they had all this figured out.

The two gnomes trail after you, looking around even as they continue a whispered version of their argument.  When you reach the room with the contraptions, they let you go first, then flick the switch on as they join you outside the cave.

"You've seen the barrels?"

"You know where they are?"

"Saves time."

The two of them walk past you and across the bridge.

"If they fail, it's my invention that will cure the king."

"It won't have the chance because I"ll cure him first."

Xel-Thoth tries to keep up with the group as they head towards the room with the barrels.

"Not to sound pessimistic but how do we find out which is the barrel with teeth."

"Look in it's mouth," Ketch offers, sarcastically.  

Having done so once before, Ketch will cross the bridge a little more recklessly this time, but still keeping his hands on the ropes while he crosses.  Assuming no incidents, he'll stomp right back to the room with the casks and wait for the others before opening the door.

John nods in agreement with Ketch, allowing him to fully cross before following suit.  

"That seems to me, the best place to start."

When across the bridge, he'll continue following Ketch to wait for the others by the door.  Instinctively taking his greataxe in hand.

Chom sticks a finger in the air as he comes up with ideas while they walk across the bridge.  "Perhaps someone dropped their false teeth in the barrel as it was sealed?  But we would waste all that delicious mushroom wine opening them up to find them!  Or it might be magical teeth, or a magical mouth?  Maybe it's a spell gone wrong!  Some masterful wizard has transformed themselves into objects, but only their mouth remains!  Maybe if we wave food in front of the barrels, the mouth will get hungry... but wait, it's my stomach that gets hungry, not my mouth.  Or is it my brain?  So many questions!"