Matilda almost didn't wake in time but had no issue running out with a wave back to Tsu and threw herself into the water, swimming towards the tower.

As she approached she looked up at Ben up ahead, " What do you need?"

Tsu accepts Horatio's apology, but hustles them along, as the inn only stops for exactly ten minutes.
The party bids her goodbye and departs the inn in a rather unpleasant fashion: into five feet of murky water.

Tiny shores up the distance and shakes his fuzzy head at Tutaani – it's too far to jump to the island.
Cad seals up anything you want dry. (What's Cad's spell?)

Meanwhile, Ben calls up to the voice in the basket. 
“Shush!” the voice says sharply, cutting Ben off. “I’m in a bit of a bind, as you can observe," the voice says, just above a whisper. "I, Sir Talavar, as one of the Summer Queen’s loyal servants, ask that you free me. You see, I was in the midst of a daring escape from the vile Bavlorna Blightstraw when our balloon was set upon by an ill wind and sent plummeting to its current unfortunate location. My pilot, the honorable Wigglewog, did not survive. I’ve been trapped up here for a while now. Help me. I must tell my queen of the fall of Prismeer!”

There are no lines accessible from the ground, as they are wrapped around the top of the tower, where the balloon was snagged.
Matilda notices a door in the base of the tower. The open door is on the side opposite where the basket is hanging.

Matilda heads to the door and tries to open it.

Ben:

Calling back up, Ben says, “We can’t help you from down here, but we’ll try to get to you through the tower—unless you think you could cut loose a rope you could shimmy down.  Oh, and we’re here to stop Bavlorna ourselves…She has stolen from us while we were at the carnival.”

He follows Matilda over to the door and waves the others over as well.

Titaani sighs deeply, resigning herself to having to go through the water. Tiny paddles across, and makes his way onto the shore, with Titaani immediately jumping off of him and kneeling down once they reach dry ground. She lets out a breath, running her hands through her hair. 

"Thankyou, Titania, for safe passage across the waters," she murmurs, placing her hand over her crystal arcane focus. "Tiny was very brave, and he got us across ok."

She jumps up again, however, when she sees Ben waving her over. Her momentary fear forgotten, she excitedly goes through the door. 

“Shush!" urges Sir Talavar again to Ben. "Two serpents are asleep in the brambles, just outside the tower door. If you awaken them, they might put the squeeze on you, or worse, devour me. I can't climb down. I'm rather caged up, and I don't have the key,” he whispers. 

Meanwhile, Matilda, Titaani, and Ben find that the door is open – indeed, it is long missing from its hinges. Black brambles cover the ground around the tower, but cluster in a dense patch around the open doorway. (These brambles are difficult terrain.)  The interior of the tower is empty except for a flight of stairs that spirals up the inside wall to an opening in the ceiling that presumably leads to the crenelated roof. (There are no serpents apparent, although Matilda, Titaani, and/or Ben may make an Investigation or Perception check to look in the brambles.)

Matilda peered into the foliage as she entered the tower, her craft knife tight in her fist.

Perception: 20

Edgardo 

Roused from a fitful slumber by Ben's boot to his foot, Edgardo rolls over and let's one ear flop over both eyes. "Five more minutes?" It then dawns on him where he is. He jumps to attention almost immediately.  Looking on as Ben begins to swim across the murky swamp his nose crinkles. "Oh well, let's be on with it." At that he leaps from the doorway as far into the swamp as possible (using Racial Feature Rabbit Hop). In a peculiar fashion he swims the rest of the way, his ears mimicking his own arm movements. 

Ben:

Pulling out his small hammer, Ben looks carefully into the brambles for any lurking serpents.

Perception:  20

He holds his finger to his lips for the others to see in a shushing gesture, and he tries to be quiet himself.

Stealth:  11

Neither Matilda nor Ben can see any serpents, but the brambles are thick, dark, and widespread. They could hide a lot of things.

Matilda finds the 20' diameter tower completely empty except for the stone stairs spiraling up the inside of the ancient tower. They appear safely climbable, if rather unsettlingly cockeyed, and lead to an opening in the roof.

Matilda starts skipping up the stairs.

Ben:

Quite a bit more serious and grounded now that the seed’s magic has worn off, Ben keeps a wary eye towards the brambles, prepared to leap into action should threats arise.

He waves the others through as they approach and eventually brings up the rear after everyone else is through safely.

Matilda climbs to the top of the stairs and out onto the top of the tower. From here, she looks straight down into the dangling basket below.

In it, she sees the twisted body of a dead, frog-headed humanoid. Next to it, at the bottom of the basket, a silver birdcage lies on its side with a tiny purple dragon within, a tiny sword strapped to its waist. It looks up at Matilda and grins.

Titaani follows Matilda up to the top of the tower. 

"Hello!" She calls down to the basket, only to grimace at the sight of the dead frog headed humanoid. "Yikes, sorry about your friend. Do you need us to release you from that cage?"

" Um....why are you in a cage?"

She staunchly avoided looking at the body.

Horatio:

Horatio stays near the bottom of the tower to ensure no one - or nothing - sneaks up on the others. 

Bob follows Matilda up the stairs, keen to provide any assistance if required.  "Oh boy!" he exclaims as he sees the dead body with the frog head.  "Careful," he warns Matilda and Titaani, worried that the strangers may mean the party harm.

((Does Bob recognise the species/race of the frog-headed humanoid or dragon?))

Bob: Nature check: 14

 Bob recognizes one as a Faerie Dragon and the other as a Bullywug.

Cadwallader:

Cad also waits at the bottom with Horatio, not wanting to add unnecessary weight to the precarious structure. Besides, someone needs to guard the only means of exit, and Horatio’s fists and my magic are the best we have to hand. “You seem much calmer after a rest. Still committed to confronting this Bavlorna?“ 

Ben:

When the others arrive at the bottom of the tower, Ben says in a whisper, “Beware, there may be serpents about.”  As it become apparent that Horatio and Cadwallader are going to secure the exit, Ben heads carefully up the steps and assesses the situation.

Flexing is arms and shoulders, he tries to get an idea how heavy the basket and its occupants might be, as he might want to try and pull them up.