Ben:

Bowing low, Ben says, “Thank you Elidon.  What can you tell us of the layout of the tower and the location of the throne room?  And what is in the tower lifted by that vine?”

"I have never been invited past these gates, so I cannot answer your questions. I am told a library on the second floor of the palace contains Zybilna’s most treasured tomes, for whatever value that information may hold. Zybilna was vainglorious and deceitful at times, but her magic kept Prismeer safe and isolated. Not any more," replies Elidon to Ben.

“It’s like something out of a bed time story,” Titaani gasps as she takes in the sight of the castle, then giggles as a thought comes to her mind. “Do you think we’ll have to wake Zybilna with true love’s kiss? Any volunteers? Ben, Horatio?”

However, her joking tone quickly disappears along with her smile as the Jabberwock appears in the sky. “Oh…the last dragon I met nearly killed me. I don’t know if I can face another…”

“Really? A gift? Thankyou!” Titaani replies to Elidon, immediately fishing in her pocket for the item and inspecting it. “What does it do?”

Titaani feels in her pocket and pulls out... Elidon's horn. You realize that he grew a new, slightly different horn when he regenerated from his rocking horse form. His original beautiful, spiraling piece of ivory has reappeared in Titaani's pocket. 

"The hags of the Hourglass Coven stole it from me, and used its magic somehow to imprison Zybilna here in her palace," explains Elidon. "Now I have my new horn. But the old one still might be needed to free Zybilna somehow. Its magic can be unpredictable, and I don't know how my horn's arcane nature interacts with this place's magic. Touching it to something or someone while speaking the correct words or names might have the right effect. You'll need to find out. I wish I could tell you more. But keep it safe and hidden, as they have already wrought great harm with it."

Horatio blushes as he blurts out, "A girl? I have to kiss a girl... on the lips?.." He looks at Ben, "Is that true?" 

Ben:

”It’s not so bad…if it is the right girl,” replies Ben to the worried Horatio.  “Let’s get moving,” he says, walking up towards the tall gate and looking for a way in.

"I would not – under any circumstances – attempt to kiss the archfey Zybilna, ruler of Prismeer," warns Elidon. "You would be brave to speak with her; quite foolhardy to approach her, let alone touch her."

Matilda had been dumbstruck by the sight of, well, everything....she regarded the dragon cockily having seen off the last one quite handily.......though this one was rather larger....

Then they were talking about kissing.....*blargh*....

She'd never want to do that......no...never.....probably.......maybe....she should likely talk to Titaani at some point....she was older and knew more about that sort of thing...

The scent of flowers drifts through the silvery bars of the gate. The garden beyond is silent save for the sounds of music and voices coming from a colorful pavilion not far beyond the gate.

Ben:

Moving up to the bars, Ben reaches out to touch them, considering how he might get the gate open.

Matilda moved up to see if she could slip between the bars....

Pud watches nervously as Ben reaches for the bars. He prepares to help him just in case anything goes awry. 

IF something bad happens that requires Ben to make a save or check, Pud will use his Flash of Genius feature to grant him a +3 to that roll.

“I can cast a spell to get two of us in there,” Titaani offers. “Do you think it opens from the inside?”

Ben touches the bars of the gate. They are cold in his hand. It appears to be real silver on the bars. The massive hinges suggest the doors swing inward.

Matilda seems just too large to squeeze between the bars, but Titaani seems small enough to slip through.

Ben:

Shrugging, Ben pushes on the gate to see if it is unlocked and will swing open.  If it isn’t unlocked, he looks for the locking mechanism.

Horatio grins, "You know, silver is an awful metal to use for a gate. It is just too soft, and it tarnishes something terrible in weather. I could file away a few lengths of bar in less than an hour. Faster if no one minds noise. Course, we could just as easy jump over."

The 20-foot-tall gate pushes open with ease.

Seeing Ben open the gate easily, Horatio adds, "...Forget I said anything...," as he stuffs his big file back into his bag. 

Pud agrees with Horatio’s assessment of the silver gate.

”Ya, silver is a sorta crappy material for a gate.  I think I read somewhere that some creatures don’t like silver. I wonder if it’s meant to keep something outside the walls…or in for that matter. Or maybe they’re just tryin’ to look all fancy.”

Pur shrugs and turns to Elidon. And sheepishly asks a question.

“Elidon…I mean Sir… how long will that enchanted you gave me work?”

"You and your companions will be somewhat protected from prying eyes for the next hour," answers Elidon, referring to his casting of pass without trace upon Pud. (And the Charms of Heroism bestowed upon everyone will give each of you the benefit of a potion of heroism for an hour, once you activate it as an action. It has no expiration date, but it vanishes after it is used once.)

As you step into the vast garden, you pick up the scents of roses, cowslips, and hyacinths permeating the air. Ahead, a ring of standing stones rises from the flower beds. Glittering streams divide the garden and connect with a large pond shaded by willows. Many of the trees bear glittering gold and silver fruit. The sounds of music and voices emanate from the colorful pavilion nearby, its entrance open.

But there is something wrong here. The garden is perfectly still, perfectly silent (except for the voices and music in the pavilion), as if frozen in time. You see pixies suspended in midflight. Forest gnome gardeners stand rigidly in flower beds, time-frozen water issuing from their tipped wooden watering cans, or frozen atop small ladders, taking shears to topiaries in need of trimming. Bees and pollen hang motionless in the air.