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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greyhawk" data-source="post: 3858307" data-attributes="member: 40355">The Locksmith of CauldronReinhardt salutes the guards "Strength to your arm, and luck to your lives, my friends!""C'mom" says Col "Let's get on with it and see if master locksmith has information to share with us!""I'm with you Col." agrees Mercy "Why don't you & Talwin do the talking with the locksmith? Or Sorendal, as a local?" Mercy nods to the guards as the party pass by en route to Ghelve's house.Col's face lights up in a smile "I'll be happy to talk to the locksmith Lady Mercy" he says "And I'm deeply honoured by your trust!  It's nine o' clock so I'm sure he will be up and about tending his shop.  C'mom, the rest of you, let's get this done!" and with that he walks up to the locksmiths door beckons the others and then enters.Sorendal Nailo thanks the guards for their help and carries on to the locksmiths."Sorendal" Mercy murmurs to the young man as he joins her outside the locksmith's house "would you be able to ask Eddie to get a discreet sneaky peak into those windows at the top of the tower? Maybe not now, but once we have finished talking to Ghelve?" She continues "Everything we've heard lead me to think that the locksmith could be the key to this mystery, but I'm not sure that we'll get a full and honest account from him. We might need to dig around a little to find out what we need."The party enter Ghelve's locks.... This storefront smells of wood and pipe smoke, two padded chairs flank a hearth containing a small yet lively fire.  The fireplace's carved mantle bears a tinderbox, a small vase of dried smoking leaves, and a finely wrought collection of pipes.  One of the walls has many tiny hooks from which hang dozens, perhaps hundreds of keys.  The keys come in all shapes and sizes.  A handsomely engraved mahogany counter stretches along one wall.  Behind it hangs a red curtain that neatly hides the rest of the store. Behind the counter is a man.  He has salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed moustache and goatee.  His bushy eyebrows, creased face, and graven frown make him look frumpy and dour.  In fact on closer inspection, he looks like a gnome.... but he is about 6ft tall!!!."What an interesting place, all those keys" says Talwin looking round the shop."Is he a gnome? - you should know Talwin" whispers Col to Talwin quite taken aback by the huge gnome or whatever he is. "Good day to you sir, my name is Col, we are on an urgent matter for the temple of St Cuthbert" says Col politely.  When  the others to join him in the shop, he says in a low voice to Mercy "Notice the curtain, this could be the one mentioned in the prophecy".Unable to contain himself the halfling draws himself up to his full height and launches into conversation "Some children have been taken, abducted, from the orphanage in this town, where they trusted to your locks to defend them from the depravity of felons" he starts "We are seeking them urgently, for they will be cold, alone and terribly afraid.  Time is of the very essence of our search.  I plead with you to take pity on these four young children and tell us all you know of this matter and how the abductors could have so easily overcome your locks.""Well he looks like a gnome, or gnomish" concedes Talwin after eying the locksmith.Reinhardt takes his ease in a padded chair and looks on interestedly "Tell Him, Col! Remind him we are on a commission from the church of St Cuthburt, and we are not here as casual troublemakers!""As my friend Reinhardt has said - we are about the church's business.  This is your chance to save your immortal soul and to clear your conscience" says Col in response to the prompt from Reinhardt.The gnome looks startled at Col's outburst and he moves round to the side of the counter, as he moves he makes a strange thumping noise.  The party notice he is wearing very long trousers!Keygan he raises his voice and points at Col "How dare you come in here accusing me of fings!  My locks are the BEST in town, and I know nothing about the disappearance of those children..""Sorry for my friends tone Mr Ghelve" Talwin mutters keep to appease the angry gnome."Please excuse my friends abruptness, he is an excitable fellow and this venture we are on has gotten to him"  Silas says in a quiet and polite voice "We are not questioning the quality of your locks or indeed your honour. We would be interested if you would know of anyone who could circumvent locks of yours as such you installed into the orphanage""Yes" agrees Talwin, "We are here simply to make some enquiries regarding your locks as they are the best in the region - also are you the only person working here?""We do not mean to offend , just merely seek your help" Silas says with a slight bow of his head.. With his head bowed Silas glances to Keygan's legs and feet looking first to see if his knees bend forward or back and second to see if he can see shoes or hooves under those long trousersGrral stares suspiciously at the apparently huge gnome scrutinising him as he waits for him to respond to the questions of the others.  As Keygan moves, Grall spots something...it seems the gnome has wooden feet!!!!  The barbarian points at Ghelve's feet and rumbles "You sure you not know about Skul-Dug-er-Ee, maybe that's how you lose your feet, it ett 'em up and made you give it key!"Keygan stares blankly at Grral... "Skull-what?" he asks"Big little gnome not fool Grral he see his wooden feet, maybe he not know Skul-Dug-er-Ee by name like Grral's clever friend Col.. but it ett up his feet""You can bluster about how good your locks are" interjects Col "But try explaining that to the little children who have been ripped away from the only warmth and comfort they know.  Don't you care about them are you completely heartless?" Col exclaims in disgust"I think that you know what I mean Mr Gnome" continues Col "And I don't know what skulduggery goes on in your back room beyond the curtains but be sure we will find out!""You think the Skul-Dug-er-Eee is behind the curtain!" exclaims the Barbarian as he strides forward toward it"Big little gnome will let Grral past to Skul-Dug-er-Ee or he will move him... Grral not let it eat any more little children!""Drat it" thinks Col and prepares to cast a spell"I ask you again sir - Are you only person working in this fine shop or do you have helpers or maybe an apprentice?" Talwin persists"He sure seems determined not to let Grral look in the back room!" mutters Col to Talwin as the locksmith moves to check Grral's passage into the rear of the shop"Keygan... why don't you get off those false legss, you look silly ..." Sorendal tells the gnome, as he looks at the locksmith, he is almost sure that he must be a gnome on stilts ." ... and I ssuggest you move out of Grral's way before he getss annoyed, he only wantss a look behind ya curtain and ya don't have anythin' to hide .. do ya ?" the wizard pauses for a moment "Oh, and good mornin' to ya , by the way " he adds with a smile.Col clambers onto the shop counter "Now calm down everyone" he says loudly "I'm sure Mr Keygan isn't going to be difficult.  Now if you would just step to one side sir and nobody need get hurt" he says pointedly staring at the over-sized gnomeSorendal calls over to Talwin, " Talwin, can you close the door please.... theress a terrible draft in here " he smiles then looks at the gnome, wondering what his intentions are"Get down from there Col, we are investigators not the watch and no rights to do anything other than ask questions" Talwin tells the Halfling tersely."We not only have rights, friend Talwin, we have a duty to find those children before it's too late and I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that we act on behalf of the holy church" replies Col, stung by Talwin's rebuke "Do not be swayed by the fact that the locksmith shares your racial background, we can not and will not be satisfied by anything less than the complete truth from him"Mercy strides forward quickly, holding her hands up, palms outwards. "Graal, Graal, just wait a minute. We must let Mr Ghelve answer Col's questions." she turns to face the gnome-on-a-stick.  She looks straight into Keygan Ghelve's eyes, trying to fathom whether he is surprised by the apparent attack on his good name.  "Please, Mr Ghelve, we desperately need your help to try and find out who is behind the kidnappings. Is there anything you can tell us?"Sorendal feels quite certain the gnome is hiding something, the small bead of sweat on his brow is a dead give away.  Keygan holds up his hands and then begins pointing behind himself, toward the curtains, he suddenly looks terrified, he puts a finger to his lips, and again points to the curtain..Talwin takes out his crossbow with a grim smile and quietly loads itMercy gestures to Ghelve to step forward from behind the counter. She quietly draws her sword and tries to move round behind the counter.Keygan moves back to the wall, and puts his hands up to his face.... and a small whimper emanates from his lips..Mercy slips past the gnome, and stands ready, with her back against the wall next to the curtain. She looks across the counter at her colleagues, flicks her eyes towards the curtain, and mimes a slashing movement with her sword.  She clicks her tongue, trying to catch Col's attention.Mercy's click brings Col to his senses and he notices what is going on, he quickly ad libs "Maybe we should come back again Mr Gnome when you've had time to think about what we've said" and winks at Mercy.Suddenly Grral leaps over the counter, and flings open the curtains!!!!More curtains partially obscure a window niche that faces the street.  Ornate locks and complex locking mechanisms are neatly displayed in the niche.  The room itself looks tidy, but lived in.  Carpets cover the stone floor, and a broom leans against the railing of a wooden staircase leading up to a second floor balcony.  Three wooden chests rest in the middle of the floor, their lids bound shut with sturdy iron padlocks.  Small tables, shelves, and benches hold various knick-knacks, and a framed portrait of a silver-haired gnome hangs next to a tall wooden box at the base of the stairs.  The wooden box contains an intricate array of ticking gears, counter weights, and cylindrical chimes, surmounted by a circular face that bears the numerals 1 to 12 on its circumference.  Otherwise the room beyond the curtains appears to be empty.</blockquote>

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