Shondo Billin  

That quest concerning Vasty Deep Ale definitly exist. I could do the turn in even if I were threateningly to the gnome... Here's the log :

[Sun Aug 27 11:48:30 2006] Your Location is 600.04, 809.14, -31.12
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:31 2006] You say, 'Hail, Shondo Billin'
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:32 2006] Shondo Billin says 'Oh, Brell!! Help me get out of here. I did nothing wrong!! I did not know you could not take that [tonic] out of the city.'
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:35 2006] You say, 'what tonic ?'
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:36 2006] Shondo Billin says 'Oh, why did I have to try and help that Erudite in Qeynos? He was sick and vomiting and needed something called Erud's Tonic!! Now just because I wanted to help, I am going to be vomiting up my insides!! Oh, Brell!!! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!'
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Shondo Billin says 'Gulp.. Gulp.. Aaahhh!!! That hits the spot. All I can tell you is that the heretic's name was E'lial B'rook. He mumbled something about a rendezvous and he would be floating down a river, smooth sailing back to something called Paineel. That's all I know.'
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Your faction standing with Gem Choppers got better.
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Your faction standing with Merchants of AkAnon got better.
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Your faction standing with King AkAnon got better.
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Your faction standing with Dark Reflection got worse.
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] Your faction standing with Clan Grikbar got worse.
[Sun Aug 27 11:48:41 2006] You gain experience!!


EDIT :
gave nothing : Threateningly
1 stack : Dubiously
3 stacks : Apprehensively
3 and a half : Indifferently
4 stacks : Amiably
6 stacks : Kindly
7 stacks : Warmly
9 stacks : Ally
at 11 and a half, the Gem Chopper faction could not possibly get any better.
at 12 stacks, I was out of stock, but I kept getting "Merchants of AkAnon got better" and "King AkAnon got better" faction messages, so it is not the max, but the hits are fairly huge since I only needed a few stacks to grind the important factions.
I bought all the ale with rogue shroud and sneak, and went to the gnome with invis, but I wasn't kos to erudin (only dubious to merchants, and kindly with guards since I've hunt in the warren)

I decided to put this little wretch out of his misery. I hacked at him with my sword, and he said-
"Die by lava - Die by flame - Firepeak Goblins kill and maim."

This has to be about the most depressing thing I've ever seen in EQ : I have been looking for the last three years since I first discovered this little guy on how to set him free, and I have not been able to figure out a single thing =P. And if you ask the Warden in the room next to him "what is a hollow man" (the fate this gnome is about to meet for helping some Erudite schlub), you get to see what bastards the Erudites are and what this little guy has in store for him if someone doesn't free him. If anyone has ever figured out how to get him out of the cell (besides killing him =P), pass along the info to me!

This fellow is part of the Heretic Battle quest given by the Magician Guildmaster, Markus Jaevins. The heretic he speaks of is the escaped prisoner that Markus seeks.

Also, seems he is a mage. If youhail him first, he will summon a dagger, but if you attack him he casts no spells. If hailed you can loot the no drop, no rent dagger, otherwise I have not noticed any other loot from him.