Thistle leaves to unload the wagon. Ander helps Syzygy and Quinn with their purchases. Ander calls Barthen over to inspect the agates. "Very nice! Well, I'm no gemologist, but I'd take two of those nice agates for this lot of goods. Keep the third as a souvenir. Where'd you find those? You can throw in a pair of those beautiful shovels you just brought me, if you'd like to try your hand at prospecting," she declares. "Everybody has to try, right? Might make you rich, might give you blisters."

"As to healers and medicine, well Sister Garaele is probably your best bet. Don't you work with the sister?" She nods to Kimberly, who knows that Garaele indeed has a stock of healing herbs and even a few healing potions she's brewed recently. "I seen you over there. I've just got common herbs and spices here. You looking for arcane weird stuff, well, Mirna Dendrar used to sell that kind of alchemical stuff, but she went missing recently. Them Redbrands killed her husband, Thel, in the street. I seen it - right out here, about a tenday ago. Awful. Them brigands grabbed his body, and now Mirna and their daughter and son have all gone missing. Redbrands probably got them, too. Their leader, 'Glasstaff', is into that alchemical stuff I guess. He sometimes sends his goons in to try to bully me out of herbs and things.” 

Thistle starts carrying in armfuls of goods from the cart, soon joined by Ander. "Looks good," says Thistle to Barthen. Barthen nods, and reaching under her counter for a moment, begins to dole out your pay. (10 gp to each of you, except Kimberly – please update your sheets accordingly!) 

Once outside Kimberley nods, " Its true Sister Garaele has some healing supplies but its best we don't spend too much time there, I need to tell her that I'm moving out at least and why.....I don't want the Redbrands targetting her."

"It's a deal" Quinn hands over the two gems, looks at the third one and pops it back into his pouch. He gathers up his supplies and stashes them in his pack.

"And thank you for the information. Healing herbs are quite useful, though I am interested in procuring some...arcane weird stuff, too. Perhaps I'll have to pay this Glassstaff a visit then." Quinn leans in close and speaks in a low, hushed voice. "Tell me. What do you know of the Redbrands? Does anyone in town support them? Has anyone else gone missing since they arrived?" Quinn reaches in his pocket and jingles some coin loudly so the clerk can hear them. "If you need a little nudge to spill the beans, I suppose I can toss a coin or two your way."

Syzygy receives the coin and thanks Barthen. 

“As for Gundren: captured.” Syzygy pauses. “You probably know as well as I do that this is an inconvenience for the regular flow of business. It is our intent to rescue him. Answers to my colleague’s queries would be much appreciated.” 

"No need for the coins, I'm happy to tell you what I know," replies Barthen to Quinn. "The Redbrands are making it hard on everyone, shaking down local businesses and flouting the townmaster’s authority. They frequent the Sleeping Giant tap house at the east end of town, and they got some kinda hideout up by old Tresendar Manor. I don't know that anyone is supportive of them, exactly. Greska and Grista at the Giant keep 'em half-drunk most of the time, but I don't think they really support them. Harbin Wester, the current townmaster, is a nice guy but a timid leader. He's completely intimidated by the Redbrands, I think, and just makes excuses for them. But somehow the Redbrands keep finding new goons to add to their numbers. There's a lot of bad news types that wander into this town, ye' see. Gold fever, greedy folks - everybody diggin' for the Wave Echo Cave and the Forge of Spells. Attracts some bad folks, for sure. But it's gotten a lot worse these past few months, with this Glasstaff guy." 

"Captured?" remarks Barthen to Syzygy with concern. "By whom? Can he be rescued? I consider Gundren a friend. How can we help save him? Last time I saw Gundren, he was all excited by his talk of discovering the lost mine of the Phandelver Pact in the nearby hills. I tend to believe him when he says stuff like that. Two of his brothers, Nundro and Tharden, arrived just a tenday ago. They're camped somewhere outside town now. I expect they'll return any day now to resupply."

Bryony accepts her payment with thanks. "I've been in Neverwinter for the past two years, Barthen," she informs the shopkeep. "I joined the Adventurer's Guild." She says this last part a bit shyly.

As Bryony listens to talk of the Redbrands, she gets increasingly angry. "Someone really should do something about these thugs," she exclaims. "They can't just be allowed to trample over good people like this. This is my home, and these are my neighbors. We need to do something." She looks hopefully to Quinn and then the others to see if they are in agreement.

As her anger starts to deflate, she remembers Gundren. "And maybe we can tell his brothers what has happened. They may be able to help."

" Well, the Redbrands are going to want to kill us after what we...I...did, so at this point its kill or be killed.", Kimberley said with perhaps a little too much eagerness....

"Kimberley, I agree we need to 'stop' them" Jurgen says

"Yes, captured. By a gang of goblins along Phandalin Trail. Gundren has since been transferred. Where? We're unsure. Do you know anything about goblins with elongated heads?"

Syzygy then turns to Byrony offering some small assurance, "It appears the hunt for this lost mine has made the power-hungry discourteous towards the local folk. I too will help you clean house, so to speak."

It is late afternoon. You still have a few hours of daylight left. Where to?

" Well, I have to tell Garaele I'm moving out so if you want to buy from her your free to come along.", Kimberely said as she began walking towards the Shrine.

The Shrine of Luck (and Sister Garaele's tidy home next door) is just a couple of doors down the street from Barthen's Provisions, across from the inn, on the town green.
(Who would like to join Kimberly on her errand?)

The small shrine is made of stones taken from the nearby ruins –a striking cairn of colorful rocks and offerings to Tymora, the god of luck and good fortune. It sports a small chunk of obsidian as the centerpiece to the shrine’s archway, and contains a small statue of Tymora within. It's currently Phandalin’s only temple, and is run by a scholarly acolyte named Sister Garaele, a zealous young elf. Some flowers, copper coins, and fruit are among the visible offerings in front of the statue.

Garaele is currently weeding the small garden in front of her house and watching pedestrians pass through the square. She looks up to see Kimberly approaching. "Did you find me some paint, yet?" she asks Kimberly.

" Still working on it.....um, Garaele.  I wanted to thankyou for your patience, as you know I'm not very practiced at cross-faith activities. "

" Somethings come up and I need to move out rather quickly....I can pay the rest of my board for the month now but I'm afraid I had a bit of trouble with the Redbrands and I may have ended a few of them.   I don't want them coming here so I figure it best I openly move out so they know that I am not at your place any more."

Jurgen would have gone. 

Syzygy does not go to the Shrine but instead returns to the cottage and begins tidying the interior. 

Quinn would go with Kimberly. Before Syzygy splits off from the group, Quinn bids him farewell. "Syzygy, keep your wits about you. These dammed Redbrands will surely come back for revenge. If anything seems amiss or you see any brigands with a red sash, you come find us. We'll be at the shrine and then after that we'll head back to the cottage and get you."

As Kimberly and Sister Garaele chat, Quinn walks over to the offering bowl and drops in 5 copper pieces. Though he is not a follower of Tymora, he was raised in a village where all faiths were honored and he continues that practice to this day. 

Quinn posts up near Kimberly, he nods and smiles at Sister Garaele and then stands watch for any trouble.

Perception check: 18

"You take care of yourself," replies Garaele to Kimberly. She accepts any coins she is handed. "Best to get out of town for a bit. Maybe you can deliver that comb I told you about. Luck favors new surroundings. Those Redbrands will kill you."

Quinn sees nothing out of the ordinary. It's a bustling frontier town, home to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, prospectors, and sketchier types who follow tales of treasure, as well as the merchants and tradesfolk and opportunists who are drawn to new settlements. There are no red cloaks to be seen, nor obvious spies, nor anyone or anything suspicious right now.

Syzygy finds a depressing mess. The centuries-old cottage is in a bad state of disrepair. It's clear that squatters have been living here, but the roof has gaping holes, the floor is covered with debris, the windows gone, the furniture destroyed or pilfered long ago. It's a three-room hovel with a small hearth. It'll need weeks of work, and probably the help of a professionally-skilled carpenter, to make it truly habitable. On the west, a patch of bright sand marks where Sir Roderick lay. On the north, a pile of still-hot blackened bones. On the east, a dark void down into a forgotten cellar. There is nobody around.

" Or vis-versa.", Kimberley says to herself as she hands over her last 5 gold.

" Take care."

She looked about for the others, reluctant to seperate for long with so much danger in the offing, she pointed toward the cottage with a raised eyebrow.

Bryony nods to Sister Garaele. She recognizes the elven woman as she has been a staple of Phandalin for years. The halfling also deposits 5 copper into the offering bowl, and though she is not strictly a follower of Tymora, she quietly says a quick prayer for luck to the goddess.

"Let's return to the cottage. We should probably get some rest before we try taking on the Redbrands," says Bryony.

Unless you have any further business with Sister Garaele, we will assume that the party will regroup at the cottage, joining Syzygy. 

You may camp in the cottage tonight if you choose - there are three rooms – but the ruined home will offer little in the way of comfort until it is fully cleaned out and repaired. Fortunately, the weather has been quite pleasant lately.

It is late afternoon. Sildar was hoping to join you all for dinner at the Inn tonight, and to pay you for your protective services bringing him to town.

What would you like to do next?