Gilbenstock (323 AC -? AC) was a male gnome, who lived a large portion of his life in the Lordcity of Palanthas. The only known family that he had was a twelve-times great-grandfather Mulorbinello. Part of his full name was "Gilbenstockelburlindiosophamistilaliniar".
The gnome was originally born and brought up in Mount Nevermind, but decided in 354 AC to move to Palanthas in the hopes of making his fortune. The gnome was of the same miniscule height as the rest of his race, and bore a long white beard.
In Palanthas, Gilbenstock undertook creating the Iron Dragon, a digging machine that could burrow through mines when piloted. The gnome garnered a reputation for inventing things that actually worked (which was rare for a gnome), and became accustomed to the ways of humans. By 368 AC, Gilbenstock was near penniless and out of work, when three humans arrived on his doorstep to hire him to clear out a collapsed mine for them. Paid in diamonds, Gilbenstock readily accepted the job.
He soon received a visit from a strange man who queried the gnome on the job he had accepted. Gilbenstock supplied no information and then once more entertained his mysterious customers, who gave their names as Harbis, Klarmun and Skort. The strange man assaulted Gilbenstock shortly thereafter, until Klarmun came upon them. The man was identified as Zorlen by Klarmun, and Gilbenstock managed to flee. On fleeing, the gnome found he had lost his keys to the Iron Dragon, and returned to where he was assaulted to find the body of Zorlen.
The following day, Gilbenstock and his Aghar assistant Squib piloted the Iron Dragon out of Palanthas. After nearly running down the elven mage Dalamar and being spared from his wrath, the pair made their way to the mine eastwards of the city. On arriving at the mine, Gilbenstock started to have further suspicions about his employers on speaking with Harbis and Skort. Klarmun was missing however.
When the pair left to allow Gilbenstock to clear out the mine, Zorlen appeared from a crate in the Iron Dragon and advised the gnome that his employers were Sivak draconians. Zorlen was accidentally knocked unconscious, however the gnome continued to clear out the mine. His employers appeared again and vanished into the mine, leaving the gnome behind. Unable to sate his curiosity, Gilbenstock entered the mine and witnessed his employers’ change into draconians and converse with a trapped red dragon named Bloodglitter.
Gilbenstock fled the tunnel and ran into Zorlen. The human told the gnome that he was a mercenary hunting the draconians, before Harbis suddenly set upon the pair. After a struggle, Zorlen and Gilbenstock were injured but able to kill the draconian. They reached the entrance of the mine, before Zorlen collapsed and passed out. Gilbenstock set the Iron Dragon to explode, before getting himself, Zorlen and Squib clear. Skort reached the entrance just as the Iron Dragon exploded, incinerating the draconian and wiping the mine entrance from the face of the earth. The trio then prepared to return to Palanthas, as Gilbenstock begun to make plan for an Iron Dragon II.
References[]
- The Annotated Dragonlance Chronicles, Winter Night, p.786
- The Dragons of Krynn "A Dragon to the Core", p.93-146