This fine late summer morning finds Redknop standing on the riverdocks in Archenbridge waiting to board the ‘Tinkerers Delight’. Though he has ridden aboard the ‘Delight’ a few times before down the River Arkhen to Selgaunt, he still marveled at the sight of this testament to gnomish craftsmanship. She stands three decks high with a massive paddle wheel on each side.

The fore ramp is unfolded and the passengers begin filing on while the crew loads cargo from the aft ramp. Redknop locates his small cabin (a cot, a small table and basin and that's about it) and stowes his gear. In less than an hour he hears the whistle blow two long signals and the ‘Delight’ is underway on her two day voyage south to Selgaunt. Perhaps there he will find some clues or better yet some answers about his outposts destruction.

Though not being over-fond of sea-travelling Redknop delights in travelling with this ship. He hears the whistle blow and quickly runs to the ships front and watches as the ship departs. He quickly goes though his pockets, looking for his pocket-knife/hammer/saw etc. (resembles an army knife, his own invention) and looks for some wood to carve.

His mind is focused on his new invention, arrows with black-powder charges. But how he would get the powder to blow was a mystery to him. Substance as fragile as black-powder really needed extra caring and precautions, yet the arrows had to be made of something that could easily break and ignite the powder.

As he wondered about this, a picture of his brother appeared in his mind and he couldn’t help but smile. His twin-brother had been far more genius than he and he would have certainly solved this dilemma in a couple of minutes. But Redknop had been wondering about this for days now.

Suddenly the thought came to him, as if his brothers spirit guided it. Using sheaf arrows, the kind of arrows that really stuck into you, he could just make a roll, using papyrus or similar product, and a small glass tube for the ignition-wire. The small glass would make sure that the wire would stay a flame and when the arrow would get stuck into the unlucky being, it would in seconds blow up and open up a great wound.

“Gond be praised! This is really something else, something that Redknop would have invented. The Great Artificer would have loved this one!”

Redknop runs down to his cabinet to write his invention down on paper and work out the details.

As Redknop sits in his cabin writing down his latest creation to honour Gond, he hears a soft clicking kind of noise at his door. Before he can react to the noise, the door opens and a short figure backs into the room, looking down the hallway as it enters. It turns as it closes the door, stopping when he sees Redknop.

In the door stands a fellow gnome, a bit shy of three and a half feet tall. He has curly white hair and green eyes, dressed in green pants and boots an ivory coloured shirt and a dark green cloak. After a moment he starts to speak.

Please excuse me good sir, I must have the wrong room. All these doors look the same you know and my eyesight isn't what it once used to be and all. Just an honest mistake that anyone could have made and if you'll pardon the intrusion I'll just be going now.

All the while he was talking he was fumbling around his pockets either trying to put something away or looking for something else. As he ends his rambling apology he finally produces a room key, flourishes it in an ‘aha’ manner, turns and tries to exit.

-Hold on there for a moment, sir. What’s your name? Meself is known as Redknop. Its always nice to see a fellow gnome around, someone you can look straight in the eyes without have to look up, if you catch my drift.

Redknop studies the gnome for a moment, thinking hard about what the gnome had been stuffing away. It was probably some thieving tools. Well, thievery was not an unusual profession for a gnome, for most part considered a honourable job. As long as the thieves only took what wasn’t nailed to the floor or ones live, they were tolerated and in some remote parts of the world, even respected.

-So, my dear gnome, why did you really stumbled through my door? And mind you, I can detect your lies, so you better tell the truth or I will call the captain. And if you do, then there’s no harm done, for we gnomes must stick together, right!!?

-Well then since you put it that way, I was just having a look around the boat. I've never been on such a thing as this before and I figured that since all the long legs are up on the deck watching the launch that now was as good a time as any to have a look around. You know see the sort of people I'll be travelling with, really get to know them and all that. But with you sitting in here being all quiet and writing and such stuff I didn't know you were in here when I decided to come and visit because if I had you can rest assured I would have knocked first.

He seems to run out of steam after that as he stands there with one hand on the doorknob.

-Yes sure, you would have knocked. And then you wouldn’t have bothered picking my door and wouldn’t have bothered to see if there was anything here worth ´borrowing´.

Redknop smiles and offers the other gnome his hand.

-My name is Redknop and I am called the Wonderworker. I didn’t quite catch your name?

The gnome exhales and walks towards you, hand out for shaking.

-Pleased to meet you Redknop. Wonderworker you say? You wouldn't happen to be one of those Gond fellas would ya? I've always had this idea see, it's for….. But where are my manners? They call me Bromley. Bromley Q Flangerhanger to be precise, and if you're going to do something might as well be precise I always say.

-Bromley you say? Uhm…Where have I heard that name before? And yes, I am one of these Gond fellas, therefore I call meself Wonder-worker. I am trying to develop new weapons with black-powder and with Gonds help I will be known and recognized as a great Artificer one day. But what about you? Where are you from and what do you do for a living?

Redknop sits down again at his table and waits for an answer.

-You could have heard my name from anywhere. I tend to travel a lot in my line of work. Speaking of which, my line of work that is, I am a problem solver. I hear about a problem, I go there and solve it for them. Been all over the Dalelands, doing work for some pretty well to do folk I might add.

During his speech, Bromley has taken a seat, pulled out his pipe and packed it and is getting ready to light it.
-You don't mind if I have a little bit of a relaxing smoke do you?

-Don’t mind at all, though I have never been able to learn to smoke meself. What was your latest ´problem solving-adventure´, if you don’t mind me asking?

Redknop sits down in front of Bromley and is eager to hear about the other gnomes adventures.

Bromley makes himself comfortable, settling back in the more comfortable of the two chairs while lighting his pipe with a glow stone.

-Well, have you ever heard of the Hamiltons, Lord and Lady, over Harrowdale way? Seems their youngest son went missing and I was in the area having just finished retrieving some property for a local wizard. Nice enough fellow, but I never did get used to his pet wyvern. Thing still gives me the chills sitting there on the roof like that.

He stops and takes a puff or two.

-Where was I? Oh yes, Lord and Lady Hamilton. Seems they have a business rival down in Scardale. Anyway, it was all worked out in the end.

He takes another puff on his pipe.

-Scardale you say…. Meself is having though a bit of a problem, one that needs solving; and with Gonds blessing it will; one as you wouldn’t be interested in lending a helping hand, would you?

Redknop stands up and walkes to the other end of the room. There he whispers few words and prays to his god to bless him, and allow him to detect evil. A precaution to insure that Bromleys intentions are non-evil. He quite happy to find out, it isn’t.

-Well now, I wouldn't be adverse to helping out a fellow gnome. Tell me about your problem and we will see what there is to be done about it.

As Redknop sits down again he begins telling Bromley the sad story of his brother’s death. He takes a bit of time to describe as much as he can, like a good storyteller and tries not to reveal too much of the temples secrets.

-So, you see, dear fellow gnome, that I must seek out and find my brothers murderer. And with Gonds help I will. I could use all the help I can get and you strike me as a true and decent fellow. What do you say?

Bromley listens to Redknops tale, all the while puffing on the pipe and nodding his head. When he finishes, Bromley adds.

-A truly sad tale, truly sad. How long ago did this all happen did you say?

Redknop sits for a while and enjoys the silence.

-But lets not dwell on the story, how about we get up on the deck and have something to eat and drink?

Bromley enjoys the silence as well as he quietly sits puffing on his pipe. At your mention of food and drink he stands up and puts away his pipe.

-Ahhh, a splendid idea. I know that I could go for a bit of a mid morning snack.

The two of them head topside passing and greeting a few other passengers on their way to their own cabins. Once on deck Redknops notices that Archenbridge has faded from view and the crowd on deck has thinned considerably. He makes his way up to the next deck of the ship and into the main dining area, the ‘Floating Anchor’.

There is a long bar at the far end of the room and many tables of various shapes and sizes scattered about the room. The rooms many windows offer a good view of the passing countryside as he floats down the river while dining or drinking.

Redknop also sees several gaming tables set up on either side of the room, but they are currently not open for business.

Redknop finds a suitable table for himself and Bromley and sits down again. He waves to the service girls to come over and orders some snack for him and Bromley. He also orders two pints of ale. After the girl is gone with their order he stares out to the window for a while.

-Have you been to Selgaunt, Bromley? Meself has not travelled far and seen alot of the world but I intend on changing that.

Bromley sits down and leans back in the chair.

-Selgaunt? Aye, I've been there a few times. Always make a point of a voyage on the ‘Delight’ when I'm in the area. Selguant's not to bad a place. Nice enough people, some good shops a handful of good inns and taverns. Not a bad place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there mind you. Besides, staying in one place to long tends to make me a might nervous. I like moving around, a fortnight or three is about all I can stand of a place, after that my feet start to itch and the only thing to do is walk it off. Figuratively speaking that is, I'd much rather travel on a ship such as this or hire a coach or if there's nothing else at least buy a donkey or two. Well as I figure it, you'll be getting you fair share of travelling and probably a bit more tracking down who or what ever killed your brother. Anyone or thing that wipes out an entire temple tends to be a bit hard to track down.

-I’ve only been a couple of times to Selgaunt but I quite like the city. I like places that are throbbing with life and excitement. Besides, I can always sell my inventions there. No one out in the countryside can use most of them, for they are intended to help the adventurer, like my ‘clairvoyance-tube’.

Redknop reaches down under the table and produces a small tube with lenses in from his belt. It’s really small, only big enough to fit over one eye, but foldable and fits easily in ones pocket.

-This here helps one to see far distances. First one I created was pretty big, but it’s was not easy to handle. This one here I created. I got bored with having to take it apart every time I stopped using it, and putting it together again when I needed it, so I crafted a tube small enough to fit in ones pocket, yet strong enough it wouldn’t break easily. Though I cant see things as clearly as with my old tube, its quite useful. You just put this end against your eye and close the other one, like this, and the lenses in the tube magnify what you’re looking at. Therefore you can see things that are far away as clear as they were at a hands reach.

Redknop shows Bromley his invention proudly but beckons him to be careful.

-Why are you going to Selgaunt?

Bromley takes the device and has a look. He holds it up to his eye and looks across the room. He folds and unfolds it a couple of times, puts it in a pocket and quickly takes its out, slides it up a sleeve and flicks it back into his hand. After a breathless minute of this he hands it back to Redknop unharmed.

-Quite a nice little gadget you have there. It would come in handy for many situations.

He lapses into a thoughtful silence, watching the scenery pass by the window. He looks back to Redknop when he asks about Selgaunt.

-Hmmmm? Oh, Selgaunt. I'm meeting a friend down there. I have something for her, something I promised I'd bring to her. Shouldn't take long, not more than an hour or two. Then we can be on our way to figuring out what happened to your brother and the rest of your people.