Ben:

"Let me go check on them...If they need help, I'll do what I can.  Otherwise, I'll see if they can come down here and help us open up this dollhouse," says Ben.  He heads up the stairs and looks out the bedroom window to see if his allies need any help.

Pud leans in close and whispers “howza bout we back up slowly and head inside? The guys will be happy to see Titaani.”

He back’s up slowly and down climbs the log house with one hand on Boomershank and an eye on Cradlefall. 

"And I'm excited to see them!" Titaani nods gleefully, following Pud. "What happened to granny, by the way? You guys did defeat her, right?"

Cradlefall continues to slowly retreat; finally, it dives and disappears behind the tangled treeline.

Titaani, Pud, Matilda, and Will remain atop the massive log. Pud begins to try to lead them inside. (Through the aviary window (the bedroom balcony)?) The awakened tree remains grasping with its massive boughs, but the four of you remain just out of its reach, and it seems to be unable or unwilling to climb Loomlurch. 

Downstairs, Ben and Horatio have been magically messaged by Pud to be given the news that Titaani had been found. The oven door remains open; the eyes in the flame watch Horatio silently as he stands over the magically-unopenable dollhouse. Ben walks through the study and up the stairs to the bedroom to check on the rest of the party.

Tiny follows Ben upstairs. Squirt remains with Horatio. "I only have one dose of oil left! I'm saving it for Yon. So if you see any more boggles around here, grab 'em and squeeze 'em!" shouts Squirt at Ben as he departs. "Want me go in th' little house and look around? Bet I can squeeze in that front door!" offers Squirt to Horatio.

Ben:

Offering aid as the others climb onto the balcony and into the bedroom, Ben says, “We got the hag into the oven, but she vanished after saying something about going to visit her sisters.”  The stonemason turned adventurer bears fresh burns on his body showing the cost of such an effort.

”Horatio is working on getting some of the items out of that dollhouse that seem like they may be important.  I think we should carefully go through this place, room by room, and search for items of use and perhaps people and things we have lost.  Those paintings may actually be able to give us a clue about their location,” he suggests.

Ben has a new shield and Longsword on his person, and he offers the tiny magic Longsword and/or the redcap sickle he is carrying to anyone who might be able to make good use of the weapon.  He asks, “Other than the awakened tree below, what foes remain?  I feel confident that I could take on those tin soldiers if I got a bit of healing and some decent armor.”

" The dead girl should be around here somewhere and a bunch of those metal soldiers."

Matilda looked around at the others, " If her and her sisters turn up together I'm not sure theres much we can do to stop them."

Horatio, still trying to use tongs to extract things from the dollhouse, looks up and says, "I had a thought. Let's take over this place, then trap it heavily. We can use it to lure the Hag back. If we do it well, it won't matter if she brings her sister."

Titaani isn't really listening, instead she rushes over and gives Ben a hug, and then runs over to Horatio and does the same. 

"I'm so glad you guys are ok! We were so worried..."

Pud sits back giving the group some space as they reunite. Though he doesn't know these people all that well, it's clear that they're quite close. He can't help but smile at the sight. 

After a while he steps forward and clears his throat "uh...Matilda, maybe you should take one the sickles or the cool magic sword? You seem to like stabby things. I got my stick and my Boomershank, so I'm good. And uuuh...if anyone reeeeeally needs some healing. I could maybe help a little."

Pud stands by awkwardly looking at the group to see if anyone takes him up on his offer.

Quote from VosBeyond >>

Horatio, still trying to use tongs to extract things from the dollhouse, looks up and says, "I had a thought. Let's take over this place, then trap it heavily. We can use it to lure the Hag back. If we do it well, it won't matter if she brings her sister."

Matilda looks at Horatio agog, " Um...do you remember the last two times we fought Hags? Most of us almost died.....and then the next time you two were captured and another of us almost died."

" I mean if you think we can do it I'm in....I just wish I had your confidence."

Quote from richgonehiking >>

Pud sits back giving the group some space as they reunite. Though he doesn't know these people all that well, it's clear that they're quite close. He can't help but smile at the sight. 

After a while he steps forward and clears his throat "uh...Matilda, maybe you should take one the sickles or the cool magic sword? You seem to like stabby things. I got my stick and my Boomershank, so I'm good. And uuuh...if anyone reeeeeally needs some healing. I could maybe help a little."

Pud stands by awkwardly looking at the group to see if anyone takes him up on his offer.

 

 

Matilda laid out her suite of cooking utensils in front of her, " Sure. More stabby things the better."

( DM- What do I record them as?)

Quote from queen_of_ashes19 >>

Titaani isn't really listening, instead she rushes over and gives Ben a hug, and then runs over to Horatio and does the same. 

"I'm so glad you guys are ok! We were so worried..."

Matilda took out a tightly knitted loop of multicoloured wool out of her kit and looped it over Titaanis wrist, " You know....your the only sibling I have that I actually like."

Titaani turns to Matilda, shocked. "Thank you, but...what about your brother?"

Quote from queen_of_ashes19 >>

Titaani turns to Matilda, shocked. "Thank you, but...what about your brother?"

" Oh, I lpve him.....but he's too little to actually like.  He was mostly just really annoying."

(The wicked sickles are simple melee weapons that do 2d4 (+ your attack modifier) slashing damage. Record them however you wish, just remember that it's 2d4 base damage. I added one to Matilda's inventory - based on a regular sickle - to see what our customization options are, but it doesn't seem to let you change the base rolls other than a simple modifier.

(Sir Talavar's tiny sword is easier - it functions as a +1 dagger in the hands of a Small or Medium creature.)

Horatio finally manages to grab something with his tongs and pull it through the muntins of one of the tiny windows. It's a silvery, amorphous blob, like a bit of ethereal mercury. It latches onto Horatio's hand, and then appears to be absorbed by Horatio's body. It's now gone.

(Where is the party now? Did everyone rejoin Horatio in the kitchen? Or did Horatio lug the dollhouse upstairs and rejoin the party in the bedroom?)

( Horatio is in the kitchen )

"Uhh... guys!" Horatio calls out in alarm, staring at his hand.

( My understanding is the rest of us are in the bedroom. Thanks for the item info)

“Did you guys hear that?…Kinda sounded like Horatio calling out.”

Pud, knowing the creepy dead girl is still unaccounted for, pushes past the group and hobbles downstairs to check on Horatio. Pud bursts into the kitchen, wielding his gnarled wooden walking stick, looking for threats.

“Horatio! Wha…what’s goin’ on? Are you okay?”

Ben:

Returning Titaani's hug, Ben says, "Thank you for coming to rescue us.  I'm glad the children got away safely."  

As they all reconvene in the large bedroom, Ben answers Pud, saying, "I could sure use something for these burns if you have something available."

To Squirt, he says, "I haven't seen any boggles lately, but I'll try and catch one if I do see one.  Did I hear you offer to explore the dollhouse for us?  I think there might be useful items in the attic if you don't mind."

To Horatio, he says, "I think all of your ideas of what to do with this place have some merit, Horatio, from burning it down to fortifying it as a base of operations, to making it a trap for the hag when and if she returns.  First, though, I think we should search it carefully for the people and possessions we or others might have lost, as well as any useful items like those hidden in the dollhouse or in the clutter of all these rooms...And those pictures in the hallway may give us clues to the locations of those lost to us."

If Horatio is not in the bedroom, then I'll retcon my earlier action of hugging him. Instead, Titaani is going to run downstairs to see whether he is ok.

"Horatio! Are you alright? What happened?" Titaani eclaims. She hovers awkwardly, wanting to hug Horatio but scared of some hidden danger.