You have gone past it once. It is abandoned and empty. Though it is on a slight hill so not underwater. The basket and fabric are new. The fabric is recognised by Barreknar as the balloon that was crashing. 

Fa'ame narrows her eyes and points up to the basket. "That's new." She turns to Barreknar. "Does it have anything to do with you and your friend of a friend?"

"Aye, is everybody alright? Anybody up there? Nasty fall that was." Barreknar will look around for evidence of anyone leaving the crash site.

Perception: 17 (-2 if using investigation)

Fa'ame turns to Barreknar and waggles her arms like a pantomime monkey... "Would you like me to alter my form to see if I can climb up there and untangle that fabric?"

"Uggg, OK, I was more asking those that were in the basket when it came down, but if we can check on you too if you want to go up there." Barreknar is confused why Fa'ame need help after crashing the balloon, maybe she was the one who was in it. They did meet her after the balloon went down, and she was pretty, matted as a wolf... "Uggg, were you in the basket when it went down?"

Quote from MAOShea >>

In response to Moneo's question, a breathless Fa'ame says. "...The old hag seems to be a person of some authority around here, yet she was taking a cut of the brigands stolen goods.

 "wait... She was taking a cut yet also wanted you to 'deal with' the leader?" Moneo ponders as they walk.

Quote from MAOShea >>

Fa'ame turns to Barreknar and waggles her arms like a pantomime monkey... "Would you like me to alter my form to see if I can climb up there and untangle that fabric?"

 "Oh that would be great. I have some dust I could use to float up there, but I'd rather save that for when it's really needed. If you can easily climb up to see if the pilot is still in the basket or not, please do so." Moneo says, straining his neck to look upwards.

Fa'ame starts to answer Moneo's question about the hag, then remembers the ballon.

"One moment." She says. "I'll be right back."

With that, the fungal "war-paint" smeared across her cheeks begins to spread little veins and tendrils that encompass Fa'ame's entire body, like a timelapsed film of an animal decomposing and reforming into the shape of a filthy baboon with muddy, matted hair. The baboon screeches and bares its teeth in a hideous mockery of a smile before attempting to scale the tower towards the dangling basket.

(DM, my baboon shape has a climbing speed of 30ft... Am I able to reach the basket without any trouble?)

Quote from MAOShea>>

(DM, my baboon shape has a climbing speed of 30ft... Am I able to reach the basket without any trouble?)

(there are brambles around the bottom half of the tower, except for the opening for the door, so no easy pain free access to scale up which you would see before transforming if you wish to backtrack, but also before we get to the point of your transforming....)

As you are discussing and approaching, you hear a whispered voice saying "Psst. You there, I need your help. And stay quiet" Looking up, Eliannore can't see who is talking (though it is coming from the basket), however she does notice in the brambles around the tower door are two giant constrictor snakes. It looks like there is a hole in the roof that you could access the basket from. No one else sees the snakes yet.

"I think you'll want to avoid that." Moneo says quietly pointing to the brambles. "If needed, I do have some powder that will let me float up there. Unless someone else has a suggestion?"

As Moneo speaks, Fa'ame does a double-take, hearing the voice. She points in its direction, pointing it out to the others. She moves closer to it to investigate, staying quiet as the voice suggests.

Dravos turns to  Moneo, "I think that's going to be the best course of action."

Turning to Dravos, Eliaanore's eyes remain on the snake. She stops her incessant curiosities and takes a soft breath. With an air caution, she taps him on the shoulder. 

"Out of curiosity, how big of a snake is too big?"

She quietly points to one such snake hiding amidst the  vegetation.

"Uhhhh.... are snakes friendly here, or you know, like people?" he whispers to Fa'ame. Barreknar likes to eliminate threats as quickly and easily as possible, but he's not one to harm something without having reason. Turning to the rest he whispers "Anyway to trap it?"

Fa'ame hears Barreknar's question but is too distracted to respond. She clears her throat, hoping to get the others' attention and points again toward the whispering voice. "Yes... So sorry, but there appears to be someone trying to get our attention."

"Yes. I heard it too," Moneo says, still quietly, and then pulls out a small pouch from his pack. "Guess we'll see how this works then eh?" 

Moneo then opens the pouch and pours the sparkling dust over him. Feeling himself get lighter, he immediately grins and leaps into the air towards the basket. Approaching it he almost whispers, "Hello? Who's in here?"

Fa'ame looks to Moneo, hearing his reply... Then back up toward the dangling basket where the voice came from.

She nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears Dravos speaking. Turning to look at the aasimar she asks... "Wait... Where did you... come... from..."

Just then she notices Moneo start to rise up into the air.  She turns back to the source of the whisper and calls back in a stage whisper of her own... "Yes. We hear. We're sending someone up to you right now. Hold tight." Then, unable to help herself, she whispers a follow up question to the unseen voice. "Is it terribly frightening, being stuck up there? Might I trouble you to describe the experience in vivid detail?""

As you look around the 50ft tall, 20ft diameter tower, you all notice how plain it actually is. 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 leads to the crenellated roof. The brambles extend over the floor near the tower (difficult terrain within 30ft of the tower, only relevant if you start to fight). Moneo, inside the basket, you see a dead froglike humanoid (first image in the spoiler for the generic image from the monster page), and a silver birdcage, lying on its side with a violet faerie dragon who is the one talking to you (second image, self explanatory).With the time for your floating, you are able to pick the cage up and bring it to the ground safely. 

 “I’m in a bit of a bind, as you can observe. 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 honourable 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!”"

"Well met Sir Talavar. I am Moneo, though not a Sir quite yet. Perhaps someday," Moneo says as he picks up the cage and floats quietly back down towards the others. Quietly he adds to the group, "I believe I saw some snakes in the brambles... let us be away quietly where this noble dragon can tell us his story."

As they make their way from the tower he then holds up the cage with their new companion in it and says, "Well then. How can we free you from this cage? Why does simple lock picking thievery seem such a useful skill today?... anyway... Let us deal with your cage and then perhaps you can tell us more of this Bavlorna and how Prismeer has fallen. I must admit, I was surprised to find Prismeer in this condition. Not that I knew what to expect exactly, but this certainly wasn't it." 

"Unfortunately for both of us, simple lock picking thievery will not do much good. And neither will a good old fashioned show of strength. This cage has been enchanted shut, and also blocks off my magical ability. I heard the key came into the possession of a goblin called Jingle Jangle who lives on Telemy Hill, which I saw not far from here while flying. If you are able to free me so I can go back to my queen, then as per the rules of this realm, I will repay you with a gift. You may have my magic sword, and my queen will hear of your bravery. And I will gladly tell you anything I can about Bavlorna and Prismeer. Do you have any specific questions?"

"Uhhhh.... who are the Bavlorna Blightstraw? How do we avoid them or are they an unavoidable threat? What is the fall of the Prismeer you mentioned." Barreknar continues to look at the basket. Somehow they had expected that contraption to get out of here, also he hated leaving a comrade behind, even one who had fallen. "Is Wigglewog meant to be left as snake food?"