The soldiers of Megalos regroup, and discuss briefly that they have been shrunk down to the size of ants. As they have now gathered close to the door leading to the stables, they pick that as a direction to go. It takes a few hours to make it to the frame. They notice large rats the (relative to the soldiers) size of rhinoceros moving beneath the floorboards, but the soldiers seem safe enough where they are.
On the way there, the gryphon rider spots humans (on the same diminutive scale as the soldiers) watching them from the doorframe. They have carved out hidden watch posts, ladders, and sentry towers into this frame, something that the Gryphon rider relays to the rest as they approach.
They parlay peacefully with the ragged watchers, who mention most people are killed by the goblins, and rarely make it out alive. Once the soldiers agree to hand over their weapons (mostly with amusement, as half the group don't use any) The humans lead them to their home. They explain that they are lead by the Mayor, and call themselves the people under the step.
They meet the mayor, who informs them that the goblins tend to get most of the good stuff, killing all visitors, and generally prevent the step people from finding food or leaving. The people under the step sometimes sneak to the rasberry bushes for food, and use the plentiful replenishing hay from the stables for fuel and building materials. The Mayor also mentions that people have been in this shrunken state for generations.
They mention the haypeople are dangerous, and that in the stables lives a witch who knows a great deal. They spend the night with the people under the stairs.
The soldiers decide to visit the witch. While traveling through the tangles of hay, carefully picking their way through the vast mounds of the stuff, they manage to avoid a garden snake the size ( to them) of a dragon.
After that, the trip to the witch is relatively easy. They find a rat hole in the witches stall, flanked on both sides by poles holding rat skulls, bleached white, and painted with crude and primitive nonsense runes. They journey inside, and are treated to an illusionary light show by the unseen witch, who asks them basically what they want.
The Michaelite explains they want to know how to escape this spell. The witch agrees only if the soldiers leave the contents of their backpacks behind. Some argument occurs among the players about this, but eventually two of the players agree to do so, and the witch tells them what she knows.
She explains that the fields effects center on the fountain, so something in the fountain must be causing it. She also has cast many auguries, and has learned that the object in the fountain is one of the thirty. It is being guarded by the mud people. She also explains that the rose bushes are dangerous, very dangerous, and it is better to go around than through them.
The soldiers leave, making it to the stables outside door before camping for the night. At this point the weretiger becomes very aware (by scent) that a house cat (as big to them as a cathedral) is out there, and patrols the grounds. He also scents ferrets.
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