"Monster. Bah!! No one from my pride would say it to my face, but I was called a monster on my back. I am sure it is just the scared imagination of these Redbrands." Droknin was starting to get bored when he heard about a secret entrance, then he stands up. "Bugbears going through secret entrance you said? Maybe finally I might face a worthy foe before the dragon." After the Townmanster's interjection. "Perhaps, now would be a good time to pay the Bugbears AND monster a visit?"

(Droknin recovers 2 HP)

"I hate to put it off, but I am fully drained. I don't think I could make a simple spell work right now. Many things could go wrong."

After saying so, she gathers herself and stands up, ready to leave.

(HP recovered: 4  ) 

Cassius nods and is about to suggest instead they lock Harbin in the basement for the crime of incompetence before deciding better of it and moving towards the door. "If we need to rest them perhaps we should do so and then meet up after to discuss a plan."

Garrin nods. "Perhaps someone could scope out this back door before we take our rest."

"I was not injured... I could take a look if anyone else can come with.", T'laren suggests.

Droknin pats "gently" T'laren on his back. "That's the spirit!! Investigate a secret back entrance it is then. Anyone else?"

(Actually Droknin would need to long rest to get his rage back, but his pride tells him to keep going...)

[Any who want to go snooping around the secret entrance this evening, say 'aye'.]

[To any who want to grab a long rest, it will be complete around 1:30am.  You could begin your incursion to the Redbrands' hideout then, or wait until dawn.  Also, any of you staying at the inn, it will be another 5sp for a room to sleep in.]

((Provisional aye, not looking to go alone.))

Keashirryl rummages in her backpack for a short while, producing the (regular) healing potion she had bought before, handing it over to whoever is willing to take it.

"I will join you later somewhere around the hill, but preferably at a safe distance. If anything goes terribly wrong, one of you come and find me at the inn."

On the way back, she keeps an eye out, and tears apart any 'evil cat-man' posters she notices (that is, if noone is nearby to cause her trouble).

(Aye for Droknin. The big cat-man shall never refuse a good adventure!!)

[Better idea... everyone going out to check out the secret entrance, give me Stealth, and one of Perception, Investigation, or Survival (please specify which) checks.]

Stealth: 11

Survival: 17

T'laren Stealth: 21

Perception: 22

Garrin stealth 13 

Investigation 19 

Halfling luck! 21 

Droknin, Garrin and T'laren make their way around the large hill east of town, while Kemp heads home for a nap and Keashirryl returns to the inn to rent her room for another night.  [Kemp and Keashirryl can both take long rests.]

The sun is low in the sky when they locate the entrance to the hidden tunnel.  It is a large sewer grate set into the back side of the hill.  Its a healthy walk into the woods from town, and it must be a long underground tunnel if it connects to the dungeons under the ruins.

Garrin investigates and finds the grate is actually hinged and can be pulled open with a modest amount of force.  He doesn't see any sign of traps set around it.  This is clearly nothing installed by the Redbrands... this looks ancient.  Most likely it was an escape tunnel for the long-ago nobles who dwelt in the manor.

Droknin examines the tracks in the forest soil around the grate.  Most prominent are bugbear tracks.  It looks like bugbears come and go from this entrance regularly, always in groups of three.  The freshest tracks are three bugbears returning to the tunnel, likely from last night.  There are tracks, most likely from Redbrand soldiers, but they are less numerous, older, and mostly trodden over by the bugbears' prints.  

T'laren keeps watch while the others are looking at the finer details, and warns them just in time of heavy footsteps coming down the pipe.  The three take cover in a nearby stand of trees just as the gate is thrust open, and three tall humanoids emerge covered in dirty, reddish brown fur - bugbears.  A fourth, smaller figure follows behind.  The last bugbear holds the gate open... but then lets it close at just the right moment to fall back and hit the goblin behind them square in the face.  The small figure is knocked backwards into the tunnel, while the bugbears slap their thighs and laugh.  This far from town, they seem unconcerned with stealth.  The goblin picks itself up and leans into the gate to slide it open.  The heavy gate is more of a problem for the smaller goblin, and the bugbears grunt in impatience.  One of them speaks:

If anyone knows the goblin language:

The goblin keeps its head down and replies in the affirmative, and from its pitch and tone, you infer that the it is a she.

The sun is setting as the four of them turn north and set a brisk pace away from the tunnel.

[Do the three of you take any action?  If not, I will pick up when the others arrive to meet you after midnight.]

T'laren likely has an arrow to bowstring, but doesn't draw it back... attacking and failing to prevent even one from running back down the tunnel means alerting those inside. He'll shake his head slightly if either of the others look at him.

((Don't want to presume, but what would T'laren's past interactions with goblins/bugbears have been like, if he's had any at all? Wasn't something I'd put into his backstory, so leave it at your discretion given their role in the world at large.))

T'laren:

Cassius goes back to his work after they split up and then heads to where he stays. He digs out things he had pit away years ago and not used for quite sometime before resting until they all meet up again.

Kemp and Keashirryl finish their rests and are able to find their own way to the hidden entrance between 1:30 and 2:00am.  The moon is high overhead on a crisp, clear night.  

The bugbears and goblin have not returned and the three waiting near the exit have not seen any other disturbance, other than a few deer that wandered near before senting Droknin and fleeing back into the forest.

Do you wish to make any preparations before breaching the Redbrands hideout?

@DM

 Would want to make sure we aren't leaving obvious tracks for the gobs to notice on their way back in.