Travel back was uneventful, with Siax informing the party that it looked like it would be rain for the next good while. The party went by Umbrage Hill Windmill and found Adabra Gwynn still there, packing her herbs and about to head to town. Waiting for a bit, they accompanied her back to the town figuring that there was greater safety in numbers.
Idris grasped by the now revealed Mimic was pummeled by it's pseudopods, the brutal appendages landing hit after hit. If not for the blessed constitution Idris possessed he would have been slain on the spot. The creature tried to swallow him but he was able to resist, shout out for help and raise his holy symbol for aid. The others, now hearing what was happening rushed over, joined by Pogara and Ulla, the Gnomegarde guards and Brutus, the loyal Mastiff. By the time the others arrived the mimic had managed to swallow Idris and Brutus and was now streaming down the hall, more amorphous goo than barrel now. It grabbed Pine and Koraliki Verque but was unable to finish them off as the party struck blow after blow on the creature.
Siax's arrows especially landed in weak spots, grievously wounding the creature. The caverns of Gnomegarde kept flashing with any magic being cast, Siax being randomly teleported, Zenari's magic empowered beyond it's normal power and tragically a wounding spell by Pine being turned into a healing spell instead, saving the mimic and giving it enough time to activate something within it. Smoke started billowing out and the creature disappeared in a blast of fire. It apparently had teleported, somehow using the magical cape of the late Chief Artificer. Streaming forward Pine and Zenari we're able to heal and restore all the fallen (including Brutus!). The party now recovered were determined to find the mimic again.
Idris, shook by his near death and being dipped into wine rushed forward, past a group of scared Gnomes who had heard a massive noise in the west and straight into the Throne room where artificers Fibblestib and Dabbledob where investigating. Idris attempted to interrogate them and became forceful when the two gnomes lapsed into their usual arguing. The gnomes, already jumpy as hell, panicked and a magic missile spell knocked the young warrior out again. Siax was able to step in and calm things down, allowing Pine to bring Idris back to consciousness. Koraliki Verque and Idris then went through the hidden door that they had found in the throne room and confronted King Korbozoz. He seemed crazed and suspicious but didn't shoot either of them. King Gnerklilekli seemed pretty calm for someone being stuck on a chair against their will for a week and they both said they had not seen anything. That left one room that hadn't been explored. The Gnomegarde Treasury. 
Fibblestib opened the door and the party slowly walked in. The room contained a jumble of nonfunctional gnomish gizmos, as well as loose gears, twisted bits of metal, and other scraps that the gnomes use to cobble together new inventions, covered by a layer of gold coins. Idris walked in and started poking things and the mimic, which had been lying in wait as the gold coin hoard was revealed. The fight went on, magic behaving oddly and locking everyone in pure darkness but eventually the party slayed the creature, with Koraliki Verque scoring the final hit. The creature dissolved into goo and revealed the cape of the late Chief Artificer - proof that he had been devoured by the creature. Koraliki Verque scooped up the goo and emptied the contents over King Korbozoz's head, finally convincing him that the danger was passed, thus freeing Gnerklilekli. The mood shifting, the gnomes launched a festival of sorts and awarded the party with several gnomish gizmos such as the Collapsing Pole, a Clockwork Amulet, a Hat Of Wizardry and a Wand Of Pyrotecnics. While appreciated, none of these things seemed to be able to fend off a dragon. When the party enquired about such a thing the Kings actually pointed to Factoré, a young mechanic who instead of joining the feast had continued working overnight.
Heading there the party discovered that there's never a peaceful day in Gnomegarde as they found Factoré being trapped by her own machine, bashed from wall to wall as it spun her round. Approaching was difficult as the machine in question was an autonomous omnidirectional crossbow turret that was firing non stop. Koraliki Verque shot one of the mounts out of place, allowing Zenari to grab a gear with her magic. Seizing the opportunity Pine climbed up the wall but alas, slipped and fell to the floor, a bolt sticking out of his thigh. Thankfully, Siax rushed forward in a blur of speed and grasping the gear Zenari was trying to remove he wrenched it free and stopped the contraption. Factoré was grateful to be rescued and after hearing about the parties Dragon problems she granted them one of her prototypes, the Scoped Gnomish Automatic Crossbow, a device which could fire crossbow bolts rapidly and even allow a user to aim carefully through a pipe of lenses. She did caution the party that it was still unfinished and it could break but perhaps they could come back and she could have a look at it.
At that the party recomended to her to just join them and head back to Phandalin. Shocked at first, Factoré was enthusiastic at the idea and quickly informed the Kings and packed her things. She would prove to be a pretty chatty companion, especially towards Siax. It was time to leave Gnomegarde.
