"Worth a shot," Titaani sighs, dropping the illusion. "Maybe we should go back to the wayward pool and ask for Lamora's help? She might be able to get through to him."

" Um....so do we cancel the fire? Because old wooden head here doesn't seem aware enough to stay away from burning buildings."

"We can always just hold him back, right?" Titaani says, summoning flames to her hands again in preperation for casting create bonfire. 

"Question...where is this Lamorna and how far away are they? I ain't got nothin' better to do. I'm just curious. Any chance we can squeeze in a nap sometime soon? I could really take a load off. My hip is killing me!" 

Pud looks up to the sky, spots Rizzo buzzing around and commands her to land on his shoulder with a sharp whistle. 

Horatio manages to hold the wooden horse still for now, with Ben's help. It still has Ben's cloak over its head. Horatio can feel the wooden construct bucking to get loose.

Titaani's fingers dance with purple flames. Rizzo lands on Pud's shoulder.

What would you like to do next?

Ben:

"Maybe if we get it away from here, the compulsion will fade--or if the place burns, there may be no door to guard," guesses Ben.  "Are we sure we have searched everything, Pud?  I am still concerned that the items locked in the dollhouse might be needed.  And yes, the Wayward Pool will be a great place to rest, so I say we try and deliver Elidon there."

As he speaks, Ben keeps helping with the grapple and ties off the cloak securely around the horse's head, for what it's worth.

“Well we were heading to check out the textile mill. Pretty sure that’s everywhere in the house. Except for the parlor. Outside there’s the goblin market. But we could always check that place out on our war outta here.

And uh…yeah then there’s that dollhouse up in granny’s room. Maybe if we get up there we can just toss it out the window. If it fits.”

"So...what should we do now?" Titaani asks. "Go to the windmill or go back into granny's room?"

Matilda shrugs.....she is incredibly happy to have found the unicorn but wondering where his horn got to.....

(OOC: I realize now that I was mistaken about the location of the dollhouse. I forgot that Horatio brought it down to the kitchen and that’s the whole reason why Ben was trying to get into the kitchen door just now. I’d like to retcon Pud’s statement about the dollhouse.)

“I think the stuff in the dollhouse has to be important. So we should try to take that with us. Not sure if there’s anything in the I’ll, but it’s worth checking out.”

Pud eyes Ben and Horatio struggling with the rocking horse and he gets an idea. 

“Through that doors the quickest way to the the kitchen and the stairs leading up mill.  Guys, keep hold of the rocking horse. Im gonna try to pick the lock!”

Pud digs out his magical multi tool transforms it into a set of thieves tools. He approaches the door and attempts to pick the lock.

dex check: 17

Pud pops the lock open. It turns out not to be a difficult lock to pick. The door into the Family Tree room is now wide open.

The hooded wooden horse continues to buck and struggle. Horatio: make another DC1 Athletics check (with advantage, assuming Ben is still helping) to keep the horse from breaking free.

"Good idea!" Titaani immediately runs through the door after Pud unlocks it. "I'll see you guys at the mill!"

Horatio continues to wrangle the rocking horse (Athletics 17), "I got this thing, go on and have a look. Hey Ben, maybe hang back in case it starts to buck again?"

Ben:

”Let’s work together to find a way to lash this creature so it can’t wriggle free,” replies Ben, still helping Horatio and trying his best to bind up the movable bits of the rocking horse so it can’t move.

Horatio discovers that he can tie knots again, at least with Ben's cloak – something he hasn't been able to since he was a child. But they could really use some rope. (Does anyone have anything to bind and tie with?)

Meanwhile, Titaani rushes through the unlocked door. The Family Tree room is as they left it, with Matilda's image and those of her family squirming slightly in their root-and-bramble-encased frames. Climbing the stairs to the textile mill, Titaani finds it open and empty. Three large, freestanding looms lay still and silent in the center of this chamber, the window still open in the storeroom to the east.

"Hmm...what secrets are hidden here?" Titaani muses, looking around the room. 

Investigation: 6

Matilda holds up some wool and yarn, " This is not strong enough...."

" Maybe they have something at the market?"

“Yeah…all I got is some string too. Maybe Titaani might find some in the mill? I’ll send her a message.”

Pud points his magical multi tool into the open doorway, focusing is mind on Titaani and her location in the mill. 

Pud casts message in an attempt to contact Titaani. He says “Hey, this is Pud. Can ya hear me? If you find some rope, bring it out so we can tie up the rocking horse.”

Hearing Pud's message, Titaani searches the abandoned mill, still an oily mess after Matilda's fight earlier. There are spools and spools of yarn here, together with fabric and needles and other supplies. She finds a golden bodkin that looks like it could be worth something, and a pouch holding 35 sp (the coins’ mintage is unfamiliar.)

There's no rope to be found, but some of the yarn looks relatively tough, especially in large quantities.

Meanwhile – Horatio: make yet another DC 7 Athletics check (with advantage, assuming Ben is still helping) to keep the bucking Construct as your prisoner.

"By the archfey!" Titaani gasps. "I can hear you, Pud! That's incredible...oh, right, rope. There isn't any here, but I found some yarn that might work?"

As Titaani replies, she hurriedly races to pick up the bodkin, the pouch, and as much of the tough looking yarn as she can carry.