S Dragon of Icespire Peak

“They letting us in?” Ketch will ask any and all the gnomes around.  Not speaking the language all he hears is dribble drabble.  “If you don’t want us breaking down the door we could always squish the creature til he fits under it...”

"A wonderful idea Ketch, its body is surely pliable enough! If the kings are excited to meet our new friend, perhaps we can slide it under the door!  Hopefully it will wake up, and can help us!"  The gnome rolls up his sleeves and gets ready to help.  "Now then!  Which end shall we start with?  Does it even have an end?  Perhaps it is 'endless'!"

John looks at Ketch and Chom with concern in his eyes, shifting his body and the way he holds the carcass, so that its out of either of their immediate reach.

"That would be messy." He insisted.   

"Please King's Korbolz and Gnerkli!  We've done as you asked!  The rug-barrel-teeth monster wont be a problem for you any more!  Your gnomish subjects can vouch for us, and if' you'll poke your heads out, you can see for yourselves." John pauses a moment before finishing with, "Maybe now we can discuss the business we came here for.. possibly over dinner?  It feels like it must be dinner time."  

Persuasion roll: 7

All the talking stops and the two gnomes look at John. 

There's a pause, then the sound of a door being unlocked. It swings open enough for one eye to be seen. It focuses on the two gnomes, then on John. There's a shout and the eye disappears, the sound of a body falling to the ground as the door opens more.

"IT! IT IS IT!!!! GNERKLI!!!! YOU ARE SAFE!!!" 

John can just see an older gnome pick himself up and go further into the room, a bottle tight in his grasp.

   At this point Ketch will stiff arm the door and shove that thing wide open.  There has been too many locked doors, too many times he's been stopped from knocking them down, he'll not be having this one shut again!  "Little gnomes, little gnomes, let us in!" Ketch'll shout as he comes striding into the room.  Then he'll remember his manners, look at the two inside, nod his head, and say "You're graces," and manners will be satisfied.

   "My friend here has something to show you....  Don't you, John?"

Following Ketch into the Kings chambers, he very quickly drops to one knee.  Then with his head bowed, he'll present the dead creature to the Gnomish Kings.

"Your highness-es!" He bellows, in his most ceremonial inflection.

Korboz is ignoring you, intent on pouring the contents of the glass bottle on the arms and legs of his husband. 

There is a rope around Gnerkli's chest, tying him to the chair. As the liquid is poured over him, he lefts his limbs one at a time.

But his eyes are focused on the dead creature.

"Korboz? Was that what you saw? No wonder you were frightened." 

When the rope is finally removed, he gets up and hugs Korboz. "Thank you for wanting to keep me safe."

"No, thank them." Korboz looks at the party. His voice is calmer than when he spoke before. He closes his eyes as he hugs Gnerkli back. "Thank you for doing what I could not."

"You...fixed him." Dabbledob and Fibblestib stand off to the side, their gaze going from you to the kings and back again. Their chins lift at the same time and in unison, "I would have done it if you hadn't come by."

"It is our pleasure to serve Gnomengarde. We are glad that the outcome was favorable."

Xel-Thoth will wait until the kings have settled down before mentioning the original purpose of the group's visit to Gnomengarde - to ask for anything they may have to help Phandalin fight the white dragon.

Ketch will look around the room waiting for things to calm down.  He’s never been in a King’s room before and is curious.  He’s also a bit thirsty and more than willing to help himself to any spirits or refreshments that his hosts surely intended to offer...

The bed is a double bed. There are a few blankets on it, in the colors of the mushrooms on the island. 

The chair that Gnerkli is tied to is part of a set, along with a table in the far end of the room.

You also see a couple of rusty crowns, with small but pretty bits welded to them, on the ground. It is easy to guess that they fell off the kings during the struggle.

"Fibblestib! Dabbledob! Get food and drink for our heroes. Get everyone to come celebrate!" Gnerkli smiles as he looks at Korboz. "I have my husband back. And our people are safe!"

"Hooray, now we can have cake and a party!"  Chom throws his hands up in the air and does a little dance.  "But wait!  Shouldn't we release it into the wild before we do?  It is sleeping after all, and I know I'd certainly be grumpy if I was trying to sleep while a party was going on nearby!"

“Ummmm...”Ketch says in reply, truly stumped about how to explain life and death and the role cake does or does not play in it.  “Ummm....  I think we need to bury it.  Like an acorn.  And then in  nine months it’ll grow and wake up....?”  

"Oh...Oh!"  Chom's eyes light up as this revelation is... revealed to him.  "You know, I've never met a toothy rug-barrel before, so it's good you are here to fill in the gaps in my knowledge!"  He produces a small notebook from his rucksack and starts scribbling in it, tongue sticking slightly out as he concentrates.  "Like an acorn... finished!  You never know when this information will come in handy, so it's good to note these things down sometimes, right Horace?"  The hawk stares at the corner of the room, hoping that one day he will be taught the power of invisibility by his master.

"Give us ten minutes."

"Twenty."

"Then the bridge."

"Do we want to do the long way?"

"I hate the short way."

Fibblestib and Dabbledob have a quick discussion in Gnomish, then turn to you and say in unison. 

"We'll come get you. Wait in our workshop."

Then they run out.

John let's the carcass fall from his outstretched hands to the floor with a splat.  Any thought of their original purpose for coming to see the kings escapes his brain at the mention of food and drinks.

"That sounds wonderful!"

He stands to his feet and turns on his heel, and follows the two gnomes out of the royal chambers. When he gets to their workshop, he passes the time nosing around, fiddling with things.  

“So...  you kingnesses... kinglys...  king guys?  Is all good now?  Everyone all calm and collected?  ‘Cause we did come to warn about a dragon and see if you could help””  Ketch is not used to dealing with royalty.

It takes a second for Ketch's words to sink in for the kings. But they stop and look at him, a little puzzled.

"Dragon?"

"Come here?"

"Are you sure?"

"There's not been one."

"Not that the history has ever said."

"Do you know the color?"

   Ketch turns to Chom, “It was...” Ketch quickly thinks better of it and turns to Xel instead.  “It was white, wasn’t it?  By Gruumsh I’ve plumb forgot, what with all the uproar and shenanigans.”

"White?"

"Here?"

"How strange."

"But we should be safe."

"Where did you hear this?"

"Where are you from?"

"How can we help?"

"White!"

"Not here with us. But round here, many sightings!"

"Everything here is strange!"

"Is anyone safe from a dragon??"

"Phandalin."

"Phandalin!"

"How can you help??  The town master thought perhaps some of your magical inventions....?" Ketch does his best to answer in the same rapid fire manner in which they pepper him with questions, but is quite flustered by the whole thing.