(Ben and Horatio's adventures continue in a private thread until the party reunites again. What would Matilda, Titaani, and Pud like to try next?)

( Mostly just crying.)

" Wait....someone said that the old crone sleeps in the dollhouses didn't they? Pud, what can you tell us about the house that we might not already know? Its full of Bogles....so it might be quite flammable....and there are no innocents left inside after our search."

"Well, Ben and Horatio....but we'll get them before we set everything on fire."

"Let's go scout the outside of the house," Titaani suggests, jumping onto Tiny's back. "There's no point waiting around here - we can make a plan as we travel over." 

“I’m trying to think of anything that can help…but I can’t. I’m sorry guys. I’ll try to think of something. But we best get going.” Pud readies himself for hike. 

He chirps like a bird and his homunculus flutters over and hovers in front of him at eye level. “Rizzo, when we walk back to Granny’s, scout ahead and lookout for dangers. Stay out of sight. Let us know if you see anything. Remember, one long sharp trill means danger. Two quick, sharp chirps good news. Off you go!” 

(Hey gang, the next 10 days will be quite hectic for me. At work we’re having our biggest sale of the year and we’re really short staffed so I’m gonna be super busy, a little stressed and pretty worn out. I’ll try my best to post once a day.)

The new group begins to soberly trek back to Loomlurch. Will leads the way, as he is the most familiar with the paths here.

He stops the party about where he did last time. Rizzo scouts out ahead, returning after a few minutes. It chirps twice to Pud: no danger.

"Here's where we have to make some decisions," begins Will, quietly. "North into the garden? East and circle back toward the kitchen like before? Or directly in across one of the bridges? Do we make a distraction? Sneak in? Frontal assault?" He swings his stick in the air, swatting an imaginary enemy.

"Oh! That sounds like fun!" chirps Squirt, levitating near Will.

“No! Even I’m not reckless enough for a frontal assault,” Titaani exclaims, raising both of her hands. “Let’s sneak in instead, or I can cause a distraction of some kind.”

(on mobile so no cool text colours)

Pud dips and dodges trying to avoid Will’s swinging of his stick. ”No way, no frontal assault. We gotta get Ben and Horatio and get out. Unless they escaped already, they gotta be in that cell in the kitchen!”

Pud reaches into his pocket, digs out a single sling bullet and brings it up to his month. He looks at the group and says ”ignore this…” In an loud whisper Pud speaks into the bullet ”Will not that way! Come back Will!” Pud triggers his new tinker creation and it repeats the phrase he just whispered. He smiles at the group and says “There’s one distraction!”

Will beams. "That's good! Do you throw it? Does it yell that when it lands? How does it work?"

"Sling it! Sling it!" shouts Squirt excitedly, wanting to see it in action immediately.

"Think they'll fall for the same trick again?" continues Will, "Somebody can set off the scarecrows in the garden, while we sneak around to the kitchen door again?"

" It would be really helpful if she did put them in the kitchen as thats the easiest way in and out...."

" Lets go...maybe we can poison her stew..."

"OK - why don't you guys circle around to th' east to the kitchen the same we did before," announces Will. "Don't let Chucklehead see you this time, though. I'll take th' magic bullet and go north and set off the scarecrows again. Will the bullet talk for me?" he asks, looking warily at Pud's bullet. "Poison, yeah, that's good!" he adds, raising his eyebrows at Matilda.

”Nope it won’t work for you. Sorry, Will. Besides, I’m saving to help us get outta the place.”

"Ok, so then me, Matilda and Squirt will try to sneak in," Titaani says, attempting to understand the plan. "And Pud and Will are going to distract Skabatha? Where should Tiny go?"

" Tiny with Will, he can come back again if he gets in too much trouble."

Matilda crept with the others to the kitchen door and Helped Titaani get the door open.

Stealth- 17

Prior to heading off with Will and Tiny, Pud gave Matilda his alchemical elixir of Flight.  "Here Matilda, take this. It might come in handy. Drink it and you can fly for 10 minutes!" 

(Elixir of Flight: The drinker gains a flying speed of 10 feet for 10 minutes.)

Will, Pud, and Tiny creep through the ravine and into the tangled woods behind the garden, to the northwest of Loomlurch. 
Pud: make a Stealth check.
Will: 18
Tiny: 23

They can see the row of scarecrows, the pumpkin patch, the goat pens, a huge compost heap, and beds and beds of mushrooms, toadstools, and various plants (licorice, sugarcane, marshmallow, and more.)
~~

Meanwhile, Matilda, Titaani, and Squirt go in the opposite direction, before circling around through the muddy ravine again and sneaking parallel to the log on the southeast side.

Titaani: Make a stealth check.
Matilda: 17
Squirt: 17

"I'm stealthy!" announces Squirt, a little too loudly.

They can see the goblins selling candy at their market, although attendance is lackluster.

Pud tries his best to navigate through the woods as quietly as possible, trying not to knock his walking stick against one of the many gnarled roots. While they make their approach, Pud keeps an eye open for any open flames, like a torch or campfire. He’s also trying to spot Granny’s rocking horse.

Stealth check:  16

Perception check: 22

Try as he might, Pud stumbles through the woods catching his foot and shillelagh on woody debris. His mutters and curses under his breath along the way. “Dummy! Curse my stupid short leg! Ooof…that hurt!”

Will, Pud, and Tiny get into position in the treeline behind the garden. Will isn't the quietest, but even Pud's fumbling doesn't catch the attention of the tin soldiers they can see patrolling the two second-story balconies. Both Will and Pud know that the tin soldiers are rather profoundly oblivious, and indeed appear to be virtually blind to distant activity. Likewise, the scarecrows do not seem to be aware of their movement. The garden has no other inhabitants currently except a few goats in the pen. The section of the garden beyond the pumpkin patch where Granny emerged on her rocking horse is obscured by a large bough, but there is no sign of Granny nor her mount - or any fires, for that matter. "I'll set off the scarecrows with a rock. You ready?" Will pulls his arm back and prepares to throw a stone at the scarecrows.

~~

Meanwhile,  Matilda, Titaani, and Squirt clamber up the ravine and carefully pick their way through the scrub past the goblin market toward the kitchen door. Chucklehead isn't visible, but the other goblin merchants are present. (Titaani: make a Stealth check. The DC is 2; with the two other successes, only a natural one may catch their attention here!)

Stealth: 18

Titaani attempts to unlock the kitchen door, with Matilda's help. Sleight of hand: 15