You two (and Barthrum too if he wants to) cross the stream and climb the trail up to the ledge. Right at the entrance to the cave, there are two hallways. One of them leads to the north, it is about 20 ft. long and ends in a hall, as far as you can see. The other one extends about the same length to the east before ending in a T shaped intersection. Currently, you can't see any of the place's occupants. The place seems to be hewn from solid rock. The ceiling, as far as you can see, seems to be a few feet taller than you. Maybe a foot taller than a tall human. The caves are illuminated by hanging oil lanterns attached to rope-and-pulley mechanisms.
As Barthrum leads north, he finds himself in a 10' by 30' hall. This room contains several dining tables and chairs sized for Small folk. A stout wooden cabinet against the east wall holds tin dishware and utensils. No one else is in the room. A second corridor leads out of the room from the centre of the northern wall.
He shrugs at the others and continues. (To make things easier and quicker - Barthrum will follow the principle of "left hand first" until they encounter people. As in he will always explore whatever is the leftmost un-explored path first)
Five feet into the hall there is an intersection. You can either continue straight to the north or take right to the east. The hall to the north ends in a corner that turns to the east. The hall to the east bends southwards moderately over a distance. Do you keep with the "left hand first" rule?
Over the corner, on rusty iron hinges, stands a wooden door. It is plain and simple. Its handle is rusty as well.
If you choose the open the door, you find a large room behind it that looks like a kitchen. Once you close the door behind you, the noise from the waterfall is immediately dimmed to a low murmur. If you speak normally, you'll be able to hear each other, you figure. Because opening the door let the waterfall roar in the room, everyone inside noticed that someone entered, but they don't bother looking who it is. There are five gnomes in the room.
Against the eastern wall stands an iron stove. One gnome is poking the hot flames underneath it with a poker. You can only see their back and long, brown hair. A gnome facing the northern wall uses a press-like contraption to squeeze what looks like oil out of a big red mushroom which is filtered into four flasks. He is completely bald. In the southeastern corner, a short - even for a gnome - one teeters on a stool as she stuffs a large purple mushroom into a barrel. She says something in Gnomish which none of you understands. In the centre of the room, with their back to you, two gnomes stand atop a low table. They're talking with each other, and by their voices, you can tell one is a female, and the other is a male, probably. The female is making some green dough and the male is shaping it into loaves like a master sculptor. Several caps of severed green mushrooms are laid beside them.
Ehm, I think we should knock next time whispers Dolgrim to his companions ((and while in the Gnomegarde, if Dolgrim goes first in the civilized parts of the town, he knocks before entering a room)). After that, he clears his throat and greets the gnomes, speaking loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Greetings, we are sorry to ambush you in a such impolite way. My name is Dolgrim and this is Thenmer and Barthrum.
Almost all the gnomes turn to face you when you speak. Dolgrim's dwarvish deep voice is unexpected and neither is the Common language. Now that you see her face, you know the one with the long hair poking the stove is a female, but she turns back to the stove almost as quickly as she looked back at you. The gnome on the stool almost falls over in surprise and only barely manages to retain her balance. "You almost killed me!" She exclaims in Common with an obvious hint of humour in her voice. The gnome making the dough turns back and looks at you curiously. "And who might you be? We weren't told that visitors are coming." The gnome shaping the bread is the only one still busy in his craft and doesn't even turn to face you. Even from behind you can sense that he's very focused. The last gnome leaves the contraptions he used to extract the oil-ish liquid out of the red mushroom and comes closer. He has a beard even a dwarf could take pride in, reaching below his waist. "Hello there! I'm Dimble. What are you three looking for?"
Themner steps forwards, he considers the situation and decides that a friendly smile and open gestures are rational for this exchange.
"Hello I am Thenmer, we are from Phandalin and we come at the request of the Townmaster. A dragon has moved in somewhere nearby and he asked us to come to see if you have any ideas for anything that might help people defend themselves from the threat."
"A dragon? We don't know of anything that could help you with one of those." Says the bald gnome. A few of the gnomes exchange some words in gnomish. "At least not the ones in this room. If there is any such invention here in Gnomengarde, surely Fibblestib and Dabbledob will know. You'll probably find them in the workshop." He strokes his beard gently. "If you're not sure how to get there, you'll have to cross the bridge to the other side after that it will be hard to miss."
Barthrum nods and is quite speechless the whole time.
As they set to go and are a bit away he whispers to Thenmer, "I thought gnomes were made up. Like owlbears or wyverns or zombies." He looks back over his shoulder, "But they are real! Fascinating!"
"Thank you, we will go and talk with them and see if they have any ideas"
As he walks away with Barthrum he smiles at the whispered comment
"Well I could have said the same about dragons until one had its claws around me. I am beginning to think that all these things might be real, just that in a normal life you would never meet them. If you never see a thing does it truly exist in your world. Hmm, if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears....."
His words trail off as his thoughts go into a world of their own
"You're now in the northernmost part of Gnomengarde. The bridge connecting between the east wing and west wing is at the southern part. Go back the way you came and continue to the south or towards the waterfall. As long as you don't get lost, you should be fine." The gnome making the dough says all that before the other talkative gnome gets a chance. She returns to making more dough. Meanwhile, the small gnome who was stuffing a barrel with the purple mushroom earlier disappears behind a corner in the middle of the room.
(The room is shaped like two squares which partially overlap eachother. The corner of one is more or less in the centre of the other. From where you're standing, part of the room is hidden behind a wall due to its shape.)
"Looks like we go back the way we came then. Back and then South to get to them"
He walks off, heading back out and then looking to go South to follow the instructions as given.
The continuous power of the waterfall still intrigues him, as he waits for the others to catch up he tries to will a small recreation of it. He tries to see reality obey a new law that he has seen, but little happens, the spluttering of faint magic tells him that he cannot reproduce it so simply or directly. He sets the thought aside and puts his mind back on the task in hand.
(I think I was misunderstood earlier but nevermind that.)
You reach the ledge from which you climbed into Gnomengarde. The small trail leading down is still there and the waterfall is still deafening. Again, at the entrance to the cave, there are two hallways. One of them leads to the north - the one from which you came. The other one extends 20 ft. to the east before ending in a T shaped intersection.
Thenmer looks at the trail that Dolgrim points out.
"Aye, that seems the best way. If there is a trail that is how they would expect polite visitors to approach. Lead the way Dolgrim and I will follow"
You two (and Barthrum too if he wants to) cross the stream and climb the trail up to the ledge. Right at the entrance to the cave, there are two hallways. One of them leads to the north, it is about 20 ft. long and ends in a hall, as far as you can see. The other one extends about the same length to the east before ending in a T shaped intersection. Currently, you can't see any of the place's occupants. The place seems to be hewn from solid rock. The ceiling, as far as you can see, seems to be a few feet taller than you. Maybe a foot taller than a tall human. The caves are illuminated by hanging oil lanterns attached to rope-and-pulley mechanisms.
Varielky
Barthrum indicates they should head north and check out the hall. (I assume the noise is still about as deafening as it was outside)
He leads the way carefully.
As Barthrum leads north, he finds himself in a 10' by 30' hall. This room contains several dining tables and chairs sized for Small folk. A stout wooden cabinet against the east wall holds tin dishware and utensils. No one else is in the room. A second corridor leads out of the room from the centre of the northern wall.
Varielky
He shrugs at the others and continues. (To make things easier and quicker - Barthrum will follow the principle of "left hand first" until they encounter people. As in he will always explore whatever is the leftmost un-explored path first)
Thenmer calls out loudly "Helloooo"
Then carries on following Barthrum
Five feet into the hall there is an intersection. You can either continue straight to the north or take right to the east. The hall to the north ends in a corner that turns to the east. The hall to the east bends southwards moderately over a distance. Do you keep with the "left hand first" rule?
Varielky
Sure. It doesn't seem like we have a whole lot of additional information to go on.
Over the corner, on rusty iron hinges, stands a wooden door. It is plain and simple. Its handle is rusty as well.
If you choose the open the door, you find a large room behind it that looks like a kitchen. Once you close the door behind you, the noise from the waterfall is immediately dimmed to a low murmur. If you speak normally, you'll be able to hear each other, you figure. Because opening the door let the waterfall roar in the room, everyone inside noticed that someone entered, but they don't bother looking who it is. There are five gnomes in the room.
Against the eastern wall stands an iron stove. One gnome is poking the hot flames underneath it with a poker. You can only see their back and long, brown hair. A gnome facing the northern wall uses a press-like contraption to squeeze what looks like oil out of a big red mushroom which is filtered into four flasks. He is completely bald. In the southeastern corner, a short - even for a gnome - one teeters on a stool as she stuffs a large purple mushroom into a barrel. She says something in Gnomish which none of you understands. In the centre of the room, with their back to you, two gnomes stand atop a low table. They're talking with each other, and by their voices, you can tell one is a female, and the other is a male, probably. The female is making some green dough and the male is shaping it into loaves like a master sculptor. Several caps of severed green mushrooms are laid beside them.
Varielky
Ehm, I think we should knock next time whispers Dolgrim to his companions ((and while in the Gnomegarde, if Dolgrim goes first in the civilized parts of the town, he knocks before entering a room)). After that, he clears his throat and greets the gnomes, speaking loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Greetings, we are sorry to ambush you in a such impolite way. My name is Dolgrim and this is Thenmer and Barthrum.
Almost all the gnomes turn to face you when you speak. Dolgrim's dwarvish deep voice is unexpected and neither is the Common language. Now that you see her face, you know the one with the long hair poking the stove is a female, but she turns back to the stove almost as quickly as she looked back at you. The gnome on the stool almost falls over in surprise and only barely manages to retain her balance. "You almost killed me!" She exclaims in Common with an obvious hint of humour in her voice. The gnome making the dough turns back and looks at you curiously. "And who might you be? We weren't told that visitors are coming." The gnome shaping the bread is the only one still busy in his craft and doesn't even turn to face you. Even from behind you can sense that he's very focused. The last gnome leaves the contraptions he used to extract the oil-ish liquid out of the red mushroom and comes closer. He has a beard even a dwarf could take pride in, reaching below his waist. "Hello there! I'm Dimble. What are you three looking for?"
Varielky
Themner steps forwards, he considers the situation and decides that a friendly smile and open gestures are rational for this exchange.
"Hello I am Thenmer, we are from Phandalin and we come at the request of the Townmaster. A dragon has moved in somewhere nearby and he asked us to come to see if you have any ideas for anything that might help people defend themselves from the threat."
"A dragon? We don't know of anything that could help you with one of those." Says the bald gnome. A few of the gnomes exchange some words in gnomish. "At least not the ones in this room. If there is any such invention here in Gnomengarde, surely Fibblestib and Dabbledob will know. You'll probably find them in the workshop." He strokes his beard gently. "If you're not sure how to get there, you'll have to cross the bridge to the other side after that it will be hard to miss."
Varielky
Barthrum nods and is quite speechless the whole time.
As they set to go and are a bit away he whispers to Thenmer, "I thought gnomes were made up. Like owlbears or wyverns or zombies." He looks back over his shoulder, "But they are real! Fascinating!"
Thenmer nods and smiles
"Thank you, we will go and talk with them and see if they have any ideas"
As he walks away with Barthrum he smiles at the whispered comment
"Well I could have said the same about dragons until one had its claws around me. I am beginning to think that all these things might be real, just that in a normal life you would never meet them. If you never see a thing does it truly exist in your world. Hmm, if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears....."
His words trail off as his thoughts go into a world of their own
The gnomes go back to their business as you leave the room. Do you go all the way back or do you try a different route?
Varielky
(Oops Derp)
Thenmer breaks out of his strange little world of thinking too hard just at the threshold of the room.
"Er, do excuse me but is there an easier way to get to them rather than having to go all the way back?"
"You're now in the northernmost part of Gnomengarde. The bridge connecting between the east wing and west wing is at the southern part. Go back the way you came and continue to the south or towards the waterfall. As long as you don't get lost, you should be fine." The gnome making the dough says all that before the other talkative gnome gets a chance. She returns to making more dough. Meanwhile, the small gnome who was stuffing a barrel with the purple mushroom earlier disappears behind a corner in the middle of the room.
(The room is shaped like two squares which partially overlap eachother. The corner of one is more or less in the centre of the other. From where you're standing, part of the room is hidden behind a wall due to its shape.)
Varielky
Thenmer shrugs and turns to the others
"Looks like we go back the way we came then. Back and then South to get to them"
He walks off, heading back out and then looking to go South to follow the instructions as given.
The continuous power of the waterfall still intrigues him, as he waits for the others to catch up he tries to will a small recreation of it. He tries to see reality obey a new law that he has seen, but little happens, the spluttering of faint magic tells him that he cannot reproduce it so simply or directly. He sets the thought aside and puts his mind back on the task in hand.
(I think I was misunderstood earlier but nevermind that.)
You reach the ledge from which you climbed into Gnomengarde. The small trail leading down is still there and the waterfall is still deafening. Again, at the entrance to the cave, there are two hallways. One of them leads to the north - the one from which you came. The other one extends 20 ft. to the east before ending in a T shaped intersection.
Varielky