" Oh, the frogs? We know the frogs."

Titaani, seeing things go south, decides to rely on her good old illusion tricks. She disappears behind the door or a shelf and uses disguise self to make herself look like a bullywug in a guard uniform. 

“Why hello there,” she says in a fake British accent. “I am…Mog. Mog the frog. I shall escort these individuals off the premises, but before I do - tell me, what do you have for sale?”

Deception: 19 + 3 = 22 (in game log)

"Remove these vagrants!" cries Bauble, ignoring Titaani's question. "They are harassing us. We have permission of the Soggy Court to tie up here and sell our wares. But this muddy gang of miscreants is bothering us!"

Ben:

”It is clear they have no interest in selling to us,” says Ben, suggesting, “Let us move on to more important tasks.”

Ben turns to leave, planning to return to his horse and explore the island a bit.

"Mog! Why are you always ruining our fun." He turns and sticks his tongue out at one of the Darklings. "Alright, alright, Mog! We're gettin' outta here."

"You are quite correct that we have no interest in selling to you,” retorts Bauble. "Rude! Bavlorna should swallow the lot of them. Please escort them far from here, Mog."

“Very well,” Titaani continues, a little disappointed at her inability to buy something. “Come with me, you bunch of…tadpoles. Out of this shop!” 

She marches out of the door, glancing back to see if the others are following her.

Matilda follows 'Mog'......she does however stick up a number of fingers and a tongue out as she does so.

Horatio shrugs, then follows the others. Once back outside he asks, "Did anywhere feel like the thing they lost was nearby in there? Let's not go away too hastily if so."

Ben, Matilda, Pud, and Titaani indeed feel a nagging sensation that the thing they lost is somewhere in this realm, but whether it's in the Charm's Wondrous Wares balloon, or somewhere else in this corner of the fey, you cannot tell.

At the other end of the dock, you see the back of a thatched wooden hut. Beyond it, through the thick fog, you just make out a mangrove tree standing in the middle of a patch of heavily churned mud, where what looks like bits of armor and weapons are scattered. The sharp-eyed among you spot a length of chain anchored to one side of the tree trunk, with an iron shackle on the end. Another much taller tree must loom beyond, as a few large branches can be seen overhead.

Convinced that what she's after is still in the Frog-Witches house Matilda marches towards the hut to get her bearings, heading around the southern side towards the door.

Matilda circles the wooden hut. Inside the open doorway, at the back of the hut, she finds two holding cells. Thick mangrove roots serve as bars, with a small round door closing off each cell. The floor of one cell is covered with several inches of stinking water. The other cell holds a figure in rags slumped against the back wall.

Horatio goes after Matilda, worried she will find more misadventure. 

Ben:

Ben follows along, watching for any trouble.  He answers, “Yes, I feel like what I lost is here somewhere.”

Seeing the prisoner, he moves into the hut and asks, “Who might you be, and why are you imprisoned?”

He casts light in the hut so everyone can see better.

“I don’t think it’s in that shop specifically,” Titaani answers Horatio, dropping her illusion. “I mean, maybe? I guess it could be? But probably not. I don’t know. I think Bavlorna is the key to regaining what we’ve lost.”

The warlock then follows Matilda into the hut and peers curiously at the figure in rags. Perception: 16 (in game log)

As the group heads for the hut, Pud ponders the bits and pieces of armor and such off in the muck. He wakes up Rizzo and sends her off the scout.

"Hey, Riz...go check that stuff out. See if there's anything dangerous lurking over there."

Rizzo's Perception check: 5 (1+4)

Matilda, Horatio, Ben, and Titaani enter the hut. A fine-looking glaive rests against the open doorway where you came in. 

The figure stands up and turns. It is a bullywug. She is dressed in the ragged and stained remnants of an orange surcoat that bears the sigil of a great helm fashioned to resemble a frog’s head. She bows, formally. "I am Morgort, the Knight of Warts. I am being unjustly imprisoned for 'treason' but my honor remains intact; I refuse to bow to King Gullop XIX or renounce my friends and companions. I have no regrets about helping them, for Bavlorna is my bitter enemy." She waves one finger in the air. "Indeed, moral clarity guides my every action, for honor is what makes a knight, even beyond duty or prowess with a weapon.” She bows a second time. "And with whom do I have the honor of speaking with? Will I be battling one of you in a trial by combat?"

Rizzo is mostly distracted by a school of small purple fish offshore, but Pud can see that the mangrove tree has not one, but two lengths of chain anchored to opposite sides of the tree trunk, each with an iron shackle on the end. The bits of armor and old weaponry are not salvageable. Much of it is deeply embedded in the mud.

" We share an enemy in Bavlorna.", Matilda blurts.

" Wanna come with us and kill her?"

Ben:

Smiling, Ben says, "Indeed, let us help you get out of this cell.  We can share stories of our run-ins with Bavlorna.  We believe she has in her possession things that have been stolen from us, and we are here to reclaim them."

Ben looks for any keys or other obvious ways to open the presumably locked cell door.  He also looks carefully at the bullywug, trying to intuit if the creature might be trying to deceive them.

Perception for keys:  9

Insight:  5

"Nothing would make me happier," exclaims Morgort. "I am a balloon pilot by profession. My friend, Wigglewog, and I helped the honorable Sir Talavar the Fairie Dragon escape. He is an esteemed member of the Seelie Court and a loyal vassal of the Summer Queen, you see. But to delay our pursuers long enough for Wigglewog and Sir Talavar to steal a balloon, I was forced to stay behind and got captured as a result. If you were to help me out of these bonds, I would be honored to assist you in your venture."

Ben sees no keys here. You could try to tear through its root walls with a successful Strength (Athletics) check, you suppose, or someone could try to pick the cell door’s lock with thieves’ tools and a Dex check.

"Bavlorna is a recluse who rarely leaves her cottage, so that's where we will undoubtedly find her. She enjoys making foul bargains with visitors, so I recommend no parley." Ben has no reason to doubt her sincerity.