Road to Phandalin

Otrov pipesnup about the barrels “You know, maybe we should check these barrels for anything inside. My uncle Trapspringer knew a guy who knew an orc who used to transport contraband in barrels like these.  Just saying!”  Otrov will look over and swipe the tools if possible. 

If you take the tools, add carpenter tools to your sheet.

As for the barrels 8n the other room, a basic examination reveals that they are filled with a liquid. The newer ones seam to be full, while older ones have more air in them. In general, the older a barrel, the more air is in them.

Dain takes a sniff of the content of one of the barrels. If it smells like dwarven ale he will try a cup of it, and have his tressym sniff it and see if it has any poison in it.  If no poison, Dain will drink from the cup.

There are three kegs with a tab. Two are marked as Gristas own brew a Dwarfen Ale and a ‚normal‘ brand. The third barrel you recognice as a comercial brand of Dwarfen Ale from Waterdeep. Your familiar doesn‘t detect any poison beside the alcohol in them. Gristas Ale is the strongest, followed by the Waterdeep one and her own standard brandy is the weakest.  You take a sip from all three. They are ok, nothing to write poems about, but decent. The Waterdeep Ale is more smooth, while Gristas brew has more character and a smokey note. You find her human brandy watery and flavourless.

(if you take more then a sip, roll a con save with advantage DC 5, on a fail you are drunk for an hour)

Dain just takes a taste from each, wanting to see for sure that they were what was expected.  "Not too bad of a brewer..." he says as he knocks his foot against the homebrewed barrel.  "Might have gotten actually good if she kept it up, but oh well..."

Otrov drinks the rest of her water from her flask and asks Dain for his recommendation. Then she fills her flask with whatever the dwarf recommends. 

She looks back at her companions.  “What?!!  Not for right now!  Obviously!  Jeez”

"I'll take your word for it"

She says still feeling woozy as a result not to jovial 

"I'm just worried there's a Killer on the loose. Is there a basement to this place? You know with that much blood, it seems there would be footprints"

she says with a frown and tries to remember what was mounted on the wall when her familiar was here she thinks it may of been an ax

"If we don't find anything here we may want to check on Hallia and the other people that patronized Gristas business."

You didn't see any trapdoors yet and Grista converted a lot of space into storrage area. If there is a basement, it would be well hidden and not used for the bar. 

When you had a closer look at the bloodsoaked cloaths, most of the blood was on the left arm and hip area, no significant amount splashed down to the feet. Also the weather the last two weeks wask sunny and dry, so the lack of footprints is not unusual. 

Depending on your choice of drink, mark it Grista Ale, Waterdeep Ale or Grista Brandy. For a whole flask the value will be around 2 gc (going to double check this later). 

"I'd go with the comercial one."  Dain says, nodding to that keg.  "The custom brew one is ok, but not quite up to snuff yet."

"I suppose she was going to start a brewery I guess this would be a good use of this place considering we killed off most of her business, from the manor"

 she temporarily goes into her Marco's senses to ask him what he's seen including when he was scouting the towns earlier 

It is maybe two hours after sunrise now. Marco didn‘t see anyone leaving, but he can not see everywhere at the same time. You have the feeling that there was a bigger moment, when you were digging in the backyard, where no one watched the front.

In general the village gets up and active, people are doing laundry, going to the fields or orchards, Marco also sees reconstruction work starting at the old school building.

"Well it looks like we have done all we can here." Dain says after the group has milled around a bit.  "Unless there is need I think I'll head back to try to get some grub at the inn."

"We need to talk to Hallia. If you will Dain my Owl can't see invisible things so please accompany me You me and Otrov lets go to the miners exchange we'll talk to Sildar first."

She starts heading to the door but waits for the two 

"Sure, let's go!"  Otrov cartwheels out the door.   Acrobatics - 18

After Otrov helps himself to some alcohol, you return downstairs to Sildar and Nobody who are waiting at the front door. You explain to Sildar that someone killed Grista and that you suspect there is a Grista imposer somewhere. Sildar is worried by the news, but it seams to be only a single point on a long list of troubles he has to deal with. He tells you that he will inform the village that there is a killer on the loose, but he will hide the fact that Grista is dead for a few days already. He tells you, that Grista was upset a few days ago that someone stole personal belongings from her, a book with her receipes and methods for brewing and some figurines of her ancestors. But after the first time being very upset, she left him alone and he admits that it kind of fall to the botom of his list of concerns.

He returns to the Townhall to organise more patrolls and  you go on your way to Hallia. 
You find her in her office behind her desc and she gives you a friendly greeting. „A hallo, how may i help you? Are you here for the job?“

Otrov says, "Hmmm, maybe we should copy out some of those recipes?  Or at the very least, I can take a sample of Grista's swill.  If we notice it being served anywhere else, we could have a lead."  She goes back and fills her flask with Grista's brew.  

Otrov gives Hallia a big grin, "Hi Hallia!  Long time no see!  Any news from the herbalist out there in the windmill?  What job are you talking about?"  Looking at the rest of her companions, Otrov winks, explaining, "Oh, yeah, we go way, back."

"She means the escort job to get Ratkins to the dwarven mine." Margret says 

then adds 

"Good Morning, Have you seen Grista? I know of something that might be of interest to her"

She thinks upon how to get it back after finding it at the Manor

(Course I'm more worried about the school house lol")

(Note the original party knows where the book is at 😜 Otrov Clue👺 )

Otrov blushes, “oh, ahem, yeah right THAT job. Of course, of course.”  Then she just listen....for a change. 

"Grista? I Would assume in her bar,... but then you wouldn't be here looking for her, would you?  Last i saw her was last night, i was over there and had a drink with Ratkins and your friend Ree'lyn."