"Well, I don't know what a merlon is. I'll just tie it to the railing!" Titaani shrugs, taking the rope and doing her best knot. 

Sleight of hand: 23

Ben:

”Excellent,” says Ben, “Now let’s get back to that door.”

Unless someone else has another course of action desired, Ben heads back to the door and opens it.

Titaani does an skillful job of tying the rope off.

Ben gives the door a try, only to find it firmly locked.

(How're everyone's accounts holding up today? Any further quirks from D&DB? Any resolution for Damian? I see the Notifications page is still frozen...)

( I will be posting on this account for the forseeable future. Can still access campaigns and sheets on my other one.)

Pud slinks over next to Ben. He leans in close and whispers “locked, eh? Lemme take a peek see if it’s trapped.” He looks over his shoulder to see if Matilda is in earshot, knowing she’s the more skillful at such a task.

”Might wanna step back, just in case.”

He investigates the double doors and the area surrounding the door jam for anything that looks remotely like a trap. He then listens for any other sounds behind the door  

Investigation check: 10

Perception check: 4

"Once you're done, we can use the chime again, if you'd like!" Titaani pipes up. "It's proven to be pretty useful so far."

Pud finds no sign of any traps on the double door. He listens, but where he had heard a small noise a few minutes earlier behind these doors, now he can hear nothing but the low roar of maelstrom behind him.  Identical to the doors to the sludge-filled tower, a marble cameo depicting a lion wearing a crown is mounted above them.

It is also quite locked. Do you wish to use the chime again?

Matilda waits impatiently....

Ben:

When Pud makes no response, Ben says, “Unless we have a key, let us go ahead with the chime.”

Booooonnnnnnnngggggg. The chime again issues a smooth, clear, reverberating tone that vibrates through you. *click* The door unlocks. (Chime use 3/10 expended.) The door opens.

Leather-bound tomes fill the tall shelves of a grand library. Rolling ladders anchored to rails above the topmost shelves allow easy access to the higher books. Appearing from behind a bookshelf is an elderly hunchbacked man carrying an open book. “This library is closed to visitors!” he says, snapping the book closed and making no effort to hide his surprise and his annoyance.

" YAY! Your not frozen!!"

" We have a lot of questions!", Matilda blurted ignoring the statement of closure.

"Please leave the library at once," orders the hunchbacked man. "No one may peruse the books without Zybilna’s consent."

"We're allies of Zybilna, don't worry!" Titaani cheerfully replies. "We're here to save her. Do you know where she is?"

Ben:

”Come now, Master Librarian, we have travelled far to rescue  Queen Zybilina from her temporal prison.  Surely you can spare the time to help us learn how to do so. If it makes you more comfortable, perhaps you can handle the books on our behalf,” says Ben.

“We have already fought the coven that is responsible for her condition, defeating two of their number and driving the third off,” adds Ben, trying to get their host to see reason.

Persuasion:  16

(Edited to try and force the roll to resolve)

"Madame Zyblina has been deposed. She is frozen in time. The League of Malevolence is now in charge of the palace. But I am still in charge of the library. These books are off-limits. If you want books, Zybilna keeps her most prized books in the upstairs library. Try exploring it instead. Not here. Now Get Out and Stay Out!"

These last five words are laced with magic. Ben, Titaani, Pud, and Elkhorn: Make a DC14 Wisdom Save or be compelled to obey the librarian's suggestion (unless you're immune to charms.)

Elkhorn DC14 WIS Save: 4

(Matilda and Horatio are still out of his view and are overlooked for now.)

Ben:

(As a reminder, if you are within 10 feet of Ben, you get +3 on saves versus spells and resistance to damage vs spells.)

Wisdom Save:  25

Ben:

”And we have already defeated two of their number!” implores Ben, “We will endeavor to defeat the rest and free the queen—if you would rather she be restored to power, you should be helping us!”

Persuasion try again:  12

Wisdom save (with advantage (gnome) and +3 from Ben): 26

Ben and Titaani resist the compulsion to leave. (Pud should still roll a DC14 Wisdom Save, with a +3 bonus thanks to Ben.)

"Two? Of whom do you speak? Kelek, Warduke, and Zargash are all here in the palace. I saw them this morning," he says, a bit of annoyance and skepticism in his voice. 

He lowers his voice. "Zybilna was betrayed by the Coven. The hags have entrusted the League of Malevolence with protecting Iggwilv’s Cauldron. So if you intend on freeing Zyblina somehow, you should know that the jabberwock has made its lair in the ballroom. Kelek is terrified of it." He waves you toward the door. "As he should be,” he adds.

Ben:

”We defeated Zarak days ago when the orcish assassin attempted to kill Lamorna the unicorn.  We defeated Zargash mere minutes ago in the room of sludge and cages,” responds Ben, “Kellek and Warduke we have yet to encounter, and we do not know the layout of the castle well-enough to know how to get to or avoid the ballroom.”

”We would like to know how to deal with the cauldron and free the queen should we succeed in overcoming the league of malevolence, and perhaps having a map of the castle and the location of the cauldron would aid our cause,” he adds, saying, “I am Ben, and these are my friends.”