Ben easily pulls the heavy cabinet off the angry old dwarf. Elkhorn stands and dusts himself off. "I hate this place," he declares.

You once again stand in Bavlorna's study. All remains quiet. Everyone is their normal size. Elkhorn continues to grumble, curse, and wipe grime off his pants.

Where to, next?

Matilda thought carefully, " Is that everything....except for whats still in the frog...?

Ben:

"There is still that door to the southwest--and we should check the balconies in case there are any more unfortunate prisoners hanging around," says Ben, adding, "There also might be more mouse holes that one has to be small to fit through.  Perhaps more is hidden behind one such hole--wasn't there a small door around somewhere?"

"I think the small door is the one we just went through...unless I'm mistaken, and I wasn't paying attention when we found another one," Titaani shrugs. "Checking the balconies is a good idea, but aren't some of them full of angry frogs?"

Quote from Ashemaker19 >>

"I think the small door is the one we just went through...unless I'm mistaken, and I wasn't paying attention when we found another one," Titaani shrugs. "Checking the balconies is a good idea, but aren't some of them full of angry frogs?"

Matilda held up her blades, " We can just kick them back into the swamp....you'd think they'd be happy now having the place to themselves."

"I don't know. I certainly wouldn't want to live here," Titaani replies to Matilda, shuddering a little at the thought of all she has seen in this place. "In fact, I reckon this is the worst of all the realms we've visited so far. I mean, it smells, it's full of water, and Bavlorna nearly killed us! This place definitely sucks the most, don't you think?"

"Indisputably," responds Elkhorn. "Are we done here yet?"

Looking back at the hole behind the now-toppled cabinet in the study, you can see that the mouse hole with the tiny door is indeed the one you spotted earlier and since passed through. As far as you've seen, there are no other mouse holes or tiny doors here.

Ben:

”Just a few more doors,” says Ben, heading off to the unopened one to the west.

Quote from Scott_R_Simmons >>

Ben:

”Just a few more doors,” says Ben, heading off to the unopened one to the west.

 Matilda follows Ben carefully.

The rickety balcony door off the dining room? Matilda remembers it well - she remembers climbing to the roof from here, just before they were all nearly killed by Bavlorna the first time. There is nothing to see there except ill-smelling fog.

Ben:

”Thanks, Matilda,” says Ben, “I am beginning to think we may not find my lost item here.”  Ben goes around checking the balconies in a clockwise fashion until every nook and cranny of the place is accounted for.  If he finds nothing, he sighs and agrees to leave on the balloon.

A quick survey of the floor reveals that the only remaining unexplored balconies are the two off the "Aviary" room full of now-fully-deceased zombie hybrid birds. The word “Thither” is scrawled above the window to the east balcony, while the word “Yon” is scrawled above the window to the north balcony. The small wooden balconies themselves are unremarkable.

"Do you know a good place to rest for a bit?" Titaani asks Morgort, fidgeting with her wand. "Maybe before we go on the balloon? I really want to test this thing out."

" Uh....those labelled windows....do they open? DO you think they could be portals of a sort?"

"I know an O’-well outside of town where I have some old friends," replies Morgort. "Not sure of the current water levels. Just remember your manners. Do you like a nice mud bed for sleeping? ...Of course the air might be the safest place for us, far from here. ...But I think the least safest place is here, I fear." She looks around nervously.

The labeled windows, Matilda notices, are the only access to the two small balconies off the aviary. (There are no normal doors to those two balconies.) But the windows are large, nearly reaching the floor, and may be used as doors.

“Matilda, that’s a good idea. Why would they be labeled? I’ll send Rizzo out to inspect.”

Pud calls his little mechanical bird and sends her to fly out one window and attempt to fly back in from the other. He’ll follow her and observe to see if he notices anything out of the ordinary. 

Investigation check: 19

Ben:

”Before we leave, I’d like to get this stag head to the helpful creature on the bridge of frog king heads…and go down to dismiss my horse since we plan an aerial route,” says Ben, “If you guys think that is safe enough.  Morgort, do you know where that bridge is from here?” 

Pud experiments sending Rizzo out one window and in the other... Nothing unexpected happens. They appear to be ordinary windows (if a bit large) and balconies (if a bit small and rickety.) 

"Well," replies Morgort to Ben, "the bridge of chattering heads? Sure. It's not too far from that balloon. But the bridge is perilously close to King Gullop's gazebo. We don't want to be anywhere remotely close to there - it'll be teeming with his knights. It's not safe."

Ben:

”A compromise, then—my horse is magically intelligent.  I can have him deliver the stag’s head for us, and perhaps be a distraction if needed as we head to the balloon,” suggest Ben.