Sir Talavar flaps clumsily out of his cage before perching atop it. "Yes! Much better!" He stretches his wings and tail.

Jingle Jangle clenches her hand together in delight. "Oh, yes! Give those brigands a thumping! Their leader is Agdon Longscarf – he wears a bright blue scarf and moves as fast as lightning. Their headquarters is on the Tollway. Somebody ought to give him a thumping, too!"

Sir Talavar offers Jingle Jangle the cage, but she takes it only half-heartedly. "Perhaps you have some truffles or other tasty snack for poor Jingle Jangle, also?"

Cadwallader:

"Agdon Longscarf! Yes, that was what they named him! Oh, ah, hello there, Ms Jangle. I'm Cadwallader Vuitton. I don't have any treats, but I do have a few samples..." Cad rifles through his bag and comes out with several strips of leather of varied colors, widths, and textures. "Samples I used for my previous occupation. If there are any here that catch your eye, perhaps for displaying more of your keys, you are very welcome to them, along with our gratitude."

Ben:

”Well, we were at a carnival not too long ago,” says Ben, checking his pockets.  Finding little of use, he adds, “I don’t have any treats on me, but someone else here may have something.”

Looking to the others, he asks, “Anyone else have a carnival treat they are willing to part with?”

Jingle Jangle nods politely at the leather samples and accepts one gingerly. "Oh beautiful, beautiful. Perhaps you do Jingle Jangle one last favor someday soon, and pay that awful Agdon Longscarf a visit, and give him some of that thump-thump you do. Brigands’ Tollway is up on old wooden catwalks that circle a giant tree stump, you know. And the brigands camp atop the stump so they can attack from up high, so be careful!"

"Longscarf? Oh, we already thumped him good. We took his magic knob thing and released all of the happy thoughts he had been stealing from people for who knows how long." Horatio says with a look of pride. 

Matilda looked confused at Horatio, " Are you sure? I thought the bunny bandit was a girl.......to be fair...I'm not really sure how you tell with bunnyfolk if they are boys or girls except the voice..."

" But I wasn't really listening to their names..."

Titaani rummages around in her bag and produces the last of her remaining cookies. 

"Help yourself, Jingle Jangle! My mom Dianäe made them, so they're definitely better than any carnival treat," she says, passing them to the goblin. "Oh, and we'll happily deal with the rest of those nasty rabbit theives for you! I don't think we've encountered this Longscarf guy before though..."

Jingle Jangle helps herself delightedly to Titaani's cookies. "Longscarf has a long scarf," says the goblin between bites. "Bright blue."

Still perched on the cage, Sir Talavar stands up straight and points his chin into the air. "And it is time I must make my farewells. My errand is urgent. Should you want to find Bavlorna Blightstraw, the hag lives in a cottage on stilts at the heart of Downfall, a bullywug settlement. But beware: Bavlorna has the ability to conjure minions that look like tiny versions of herself. And Bavlorna has two sisters, although she loathes them. Using an artifact called Iggwilv’s Cauldron, this 'Hourglass Coven' has frozen time in Zybilna’s palace, trapping the archfey inside. I must report this news to my court with haste!" He flies into the air and hovers for a moment.

"For rescuing me from that awful tower and for freeing me, I am forever grateful," continues Talavar. He unbuckles his tiny sword from his belt and presents it with both hands to Ben, who is still holding the cage. He gives a little bow. “Your valor will not be forgotten!” The tiny sword is not much more than a dagger in the hands of medium-sized folk, but its workmanship is extraordinary. He begins to depart.

"Bavorna," mutters Jingle Jangle with a shiver. "Think twice before making bargains, though. If you're looking for the best guide in Hither, Jingle Jangle knows that it is a pincer-clawed scarecrow named 'Clapperclaw'. It hangs around Downfall and knows the way to the neighboring realm of Thither, which is ruled by a hag named Granny Nightshade. Dangerous folks. Jingle Jangle prefers to stay here, with her keys and her trees."

Ben:

”Thank you for this marvelous gift,” says Ben reverently, holding the tiny sword in his hand and bowing to Sir Talavar. “Before you go, could you point us in the direction of Downfall?” he requests.

”Thank you again, Jingle Jangle.  You have been most helpful.  Should you not wish the cage, perhaps I can take it with us.  If this Longscarf needs encouragement to return your truffles, perhaps locking him in the cage for which you have the only key would make him more amenable,” suggests Ben, “Though I do not know the way to the Brigands’ Tollway.”

"Of course!" booms tiny Sir Talavar, hovering in the air on his violet, butterfly-like wings. "If you look carefully from the hilltop, you should see Zybilna’s star above the palace. If you take a bearing a little left of the star – say one part in twelve – you'll come to the Brigands’ Tollway, or the planks that surround it. Be careful, as our friend here suggests! But if you bear left and skirt around the Tollway, head directly through the break in the Queen's Way, and you should arrive at Downfall. Do I have that correct, Jingle Jangle?"

"Oh, yes, yes," replies Jingle Jangle. "That's a top-rate description!" Turning to Ben, "...And yes, you may have the cage to stuff Longscarf into. He may be too large to fit, but that can't stop you from trying!"

Matilda smiles happily, finally they were making some progress.......she tried not to think about exactly how she was going to make the hag give her brother back and rather on possibly rescuing the fairy princess!

Ben:

”Right, thank you for the directions,” says Ben.  

…pause if anyone wants to act further in their company…

Once the party sets out in the direction of Downfall, Ben asks, “Do we want to go to the tollway and deal with Longscarf, or just head straight to Downfall and bypass it?  There was also mention of a guide available, so I am not sure exactly what to do next.”

With a worried look at Cadwallader, he suggests, “Perhaps we should rest here for a meal while we are above the swamp and let our friend recover from his snakebite injuries before we risk further danger.”

Horatio:

"I like that idea most - I vote we rest. It seems like just going after the Hags isn't going to be straightforward. This Longscarf fellow has a history in these parts, and if he isn't working for the Hags then he's found a way to survive them. If he does work for one of them, then either way we can get information out of him. Also, I wouldn't mind some armor. I suspect the more we look around the more resources we can find... things that might tip the balance in our favor?" Horatio shrugs, "I don't know, what do the rest of you think?"

Matilda tried badly to stifle a yawn, nodding to Horatio.

Cadwallader:

"I wouldn't argue with a rest. And there's something about this hill... I don't know but it just feels very restful. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll move in the direction we want to go." He sits in the soft moss and works on changing the dressing over his wound. "As for our destination, I agree with Horatio that we will need to better outfit ourselves before we go after a hag. Longscarf and his gang may have some armor or weapons that could prove useful."

((Hit dice: 8 + 5 -- Cad will also use his Arcane Recovery to get his spell slot back.))

You bid your goodbyes to Jingle Jangle, gratefully eating cookies in her den, as well as to Sir Talavar, who flies off into the skies. 

The group stops for a while (just a short rest unless you prefer a long one) on the slopes of Telamy Hill. You can make out the twinkle of a single star (or similar light source) hanging just above the horizon. 

The enormous, swaying willow trees dance around the party in high spirits. One of them gives Matilda an iron key. "Jingle Jangle dropped this one in the dirt," it says slowly. "Keep it! The key will be useful later on."

Matilda thanks the tree for the key.

( recorded on sheet)

After a short rest upon this uniquely scenic, mossy hillside, the party considers its options...

Should they:
1) Head to the Brigands’ Tollway and deal with Longscarf and his gang of thugs?
2) Skirt around the Tollway and head straight to Downfall to find the hag Bavlorna and/or find this guide, Clapperclaw.
3) ...something else?

You are also running short of food, and may need to soon forage again or otherwise find sustenance. 

Ben:

After discussion during the rest, Ben keenly feels the absence of his armor and shield, still packed away in a trunk under his bed at home, a world away.  Gripping his new sword/dagger, Ben says, “Are we ready to move on?  Shall we honor Jingle Jangle’s gift and deal with this Longscarf?”

"Yes, for sure!" Titaani pipes up. "We promised we would! Besides, he might know something about the hags."