nigel: This place here is located right at the base of Northwest Castle.

nigel: The Castle is so high above me that I can barely make it out from here.

nigel: What an enchanting view ...

nigel: ... and no one around to share it with. Sigh. Sometimes I fear I'm a hopeless romantic.

nigel: The crest above the gate bears the initials of the Northwest Family. The area behind the gate must have somehow been connected to the Barons of Northwest Castle once.

nigel: ... but it seems like this gate hasn't been opened in decades. It's all rusty and overgrown with thorny roses.

nigel: With these thorny roses covering the gate I won't be able to open it.

nigel: Not a bad idea, but the roses aren't dry enough to burn.

nigel: I will have to find another way to get rid of this thorny rose bush.

nigel: I wonder what happens when I unleash my hungry looking locust upon these roses ...

nigel: Now I understand why Mr. Caro didn't want this locust near his plants! It devoured the blossoms and left the rest of the plant to die ...

nigel: Horrible ... but useful.

nigel: As far as I know this might be the only Lonely Locust around here ... I should bring it to Mr. Caro.

nigel: This gate is so overgrown that I can't find the lock. I need to clear these vines.

nigel: I got rid of the roses, but the gate is still locked.

nigel: This rusty gate seems to be locked. It's not moving an inch.

nigel: The rusty key bears the same symbol as this metal gate. That should be a good sign.

nigel: It worked! If Mr. Caro is right, then this is the old workplace of the Castle's old master stone cutter, Timothy Caro.

nigel: Yes, this must be it ... the old statue quarry. It's located right at the base of Northwest Castle.

nigel: Mr. Caro believes the poem he gave me unlocks a forgotten access to the castle's cellars somewhere around here.

nigel: He could have accompanied me ... the woods are pretty dark and eerie in the middle of the night.

nigel: ... especially with these headless statues standing around.

nigel: This screeching bat statue looks pretty scary.

nigel: Like a giant bat frozen in time when it was about to jump up and flutter off into the night.

nigel: No. This bat looks like it might claw someone's eyes out just for whispering too loud. I'll keep my mouth shut.

nigel: There is a star—shaped symbol engraved in this metal plate.

nigel: Nothing happens.

nigel: That looks good so far ...

nigel: Uh oh. I think that was the wrong one. I think I have to start again.

nigel: It's a statue of a nun ... or perhaps a monk wearing a hooded cloak? I can't really say.

nigel: No, I'm not going to talk to any of these statues here ... if one of them answers here tonight in the middle of the woods I will surely die of fright.

nigel: There is a rose depicted on the base of this statue.

nigel: Stone.

nigel: Let's see ...

nigel: Look at that. There was another star plate hidden underneath the rose ornament.

nigel: A mallet alone won't get me far.

nigel: This chisel alone isn't of much use here.

nigel: I'll tap the chisel with this mallet.

nigel: Looks like that did the trick ... what now?

nigel: It's a statue of a headless knight.

nigel: Or a headless statue of a knight ... it's hard to tell now.

nigel: No, I don't want to. Besides, he couldn't hear me anyway. His head is missing.

nigel: No reaction.

nigel: That was the last one!

nigel: "... and the guard of stone will no more do his duty." Thank you, Timothy Caro.

nigel: I found the secret access to the castle! I need to be careful not run into Lowell Cain and his men.

nigel: I hope I can find the Baron ... or Dr. Coppelius.

nigel: I think that was the wrong one ... the star plates rotated back into position.

nigel: A statue of a woman setting free a dove.

nigel: This statue is headless too.

nigel: I think she is pretty busy setting her dove free ... I shouldn't disturb her.

nigel: Nothing.

nigel: I think that was the right one to press.

nigel: There is something hypnotic about the eyes of this owl ...

nigel: No. I don't want to ...

nigel: Okay, that was the right one!

nigel: Oh no ... I think the mechanism just reset itself again.

nigel: It's a stone cutters mallet.

nigel: I wonder if Mr. Caro's ancestor was the last one who used it ...

nigel: This mallet might be useful.

nigel: The dummy is entangled in the balloon's ropes... that looks pretty eerie.

nigel: Are ... are you okay?

nigel: ...

nigel: No answer. Boy am I glad... it really is just a dummy.

nigel: That's too high ... I can't reach the dummy.

nigel: Someone drove this chisel deep into a log of wood.

nigel: It's stuck. I can't pull it from this log.

nigel: Maybe I can find a way to weaken the wood so that it can be pulled out.

nigel: Burning the wood around the chisel is a good idea ... but the log won't ignite without some kind of flammable starter.

nigel: Now the log is covered with cheap whiskey.

nigel: I poured cheap whiskey on this log. Now what?

nigel: It's still stuck. I can't pull it from this log.

nigel: I'll set the whiskey on fire ... maybe that'll help to weaken the wood.

nigel: Now the wood around the chisel is burnt ...

nigel: It worked! That whiskey idea was pretty good.

nigel: Hey! That looks like one of the insignia rings I'm searching for!

nigel: Uncle Slappy must have put the ring on the dummy when he and his brother sent the balloon on its last test flight.

nigel: The dummy is hanging too high up in the tree.

nigel: I can't reach the ring.

nigel: Let's see if I can't shoot that ring down ...

nigel: Awe shucks ... the rock wasn't enough to knock the ring off the finger.

nigel: I guess I'll need some ammo that packs a bit more punch to dislodge the ring.

nigel: I'll just pull the fuse on this cherry bomb ...

nigel: Awe shucks ... the cherry bomb just bounced off the arm.

nigel: At least the finale was exciting.

nigel: Wow! That blew the dummy's whole hand off!

nigel: I feel diabolical saying it ... but that was oddly satisfying.

nigel: But ONLY because my target was a dummy, of course.

nigel: That still wouldn't extend the reach of my arm enough to get the ring down.

nigel: Sorry to say that, but I have a terrible throwing arm.

nigel: I made it ... this is one of the insignia rings I am searching for.

nigel: Another insignia ring! I will take it with me ...

nigel: It looks like that balloon must have crash landed here years ago.

nigel: There is a sign on the side of the basket ... it reads "Prototype LeMue—LaFayette III".

nigel: While I can't tell for sure, it looks like there's still something ...or SOMEONE... up there in the basket.

nigel: Creepy.

nigel: Hey! Is anyone in need of help up there?!

nigel: I don't think I'm in the mood to skin my knees and elbows just to get into that balloon basket.

nigel: I'm not twenty anymore ...

nigel: Let's see if the balloon reacts to Uncle Slappy's multi purpose remote.

nigel: Aaaargh!

nigel: Oh, man. That dummy almost gave me a heart attack!

nigel: The remote must have triggered the balloon's ejection seat ...

nigel: That's a good idea, but the remote doesn't seem to work. Maybe it needs batteries?

nigel: I've already triggered the balloon's ejection seat.

nigel: Are those statues behind the bushes? I can't really make it out from here. But I DID see a waterfall through the iron gate.

nigel: I'm afraid I will have to find a way to open the iron gate to get to the other side.

nigel: There is too much poison oak growing on the other side of this wall.

nigel: Why would anyone build a wall in the middle of the woods?

nigel: There must be something pretty interesting hidden behind it ...

nigel: No, I don't think that's a good idea.

nigel: These bushes growing over the wall look like white blossom poison oak ... and I hate to admit it but I am really allergic to that kind of poison oak.

nigel: The last time I touched that vile weed I was out on a date at a lake ... my soon—to—be—girlfriend decided to become a nurse after seeing what happened to me and moved away to another town to study there.

nigel: I never saw her again. True story. THAT's what poison oak does to me.