The boatman dropped me off at the entrance to the Gnomish Caves. He gave me a small device that clips to the ear and mouth so I could understand what they would be saying and them me.

At first I was hesitant because I didn't know what to expect, but {edited by the boatman} said it would be okay and that the gnomes never hurt anyone who intended no harm. I trusted his word on this because I didn't really have any other choice. I entered the small exotic cave entrance and hoped for the best.

"Mmm greets me I do in time to looks upon you. Do-ist you mind me touch your skin we do?" A small dark gray creature was asking me. He was clad in dark leather patch-work armor. The armor had pockets seemingly everywhere. In those pockets were strange bulbs, tiny vials, cubes, and every sort of thing I would never touch on purpose.

"I do not mind if you inspect me. Your friends seem like they are going to anyway." I told them it was fine and I was okay with them touching me. They rubbed my bald head and poked my ribs and pinched my fingers. I was quite uncomfortable.

The gnomes, though very curious and a bit rough, treated me with kindness. Apparently they had not seen a human being in a very long time. They showed me books of detailed drawings of humans, orcs, trolls, and other Meridian creatures. Some of their information was off (and they corrected it as I offered them insight) but more or less, they had us down fairly accurate.

So I chatted with the gnomes for many days. I got to know some of them quite well and got to know a little bit about their customs. The food they eat can hardly be considered edible by our standards (at least my standards anyway) for it consists of smelly things that would turn the nose of even the most seasoned necromancer. They seem to only live for mining. They mine all sorts of precious gems and minerals. Actually, they have told me not to write about how they do it, but I can tell you this, they use very strange and wondrous machinery. It’s noisy, but effective.

{edited by the boatman} came to pick me up in the very same spot he dropped me off. He said that we would be traveling for another couple of days to a small city. He didn’t say much else, only that I should rest up and be prepared for more adventure. I decided to take his advice and sleep. I had forgotten, in my excitement, that I was fatigued. The gnomes are a strange people, I would say they are comparable to a network of ants (each having their own set of tasks) but are generally a good race of beings. I will write more about my travels later … as soon as {edited by the boatman} tells me where we’re going and what we’re doing.