Vanzaren wakes up early and decides to take a walk around town to see if he can find anything interesting.

Meanwhile, over at the Stonehill Inn, Marcon arrives late to the meeting between Sildar Hallwinter and Phandalin's townmaster, Harbin Wester. The door to the Inn is locked when he arrives, but Toblen Stonehill is standing near the door and let's him in. Marcon can immediately tell the meeting is not going well:

"What do you mean they killed three of them?!" exclaimed the townmaster. Marcon is not quite sure how both men already knew this. (OOC: After his conversation with Rigel late last night, Toblen woke early to inform Sildar about the Redbrand encounter in preparation for the meeting with Harbin Wester.) "Sir, these fine folk have done you and your town a great service! You owe them your gratitude and you should commit all the resources under your control to help them take the fight to the leader of this band of scoundrels!" 

"Bah! What resources?! The damn Redbrands have everything that ain't nailed down! Do you know how many more of them there are? And they let one escape to tell the tale? Oh, Illmater...god of suffering...surely ye hath chosen Phandalin to endure! Just what do you expect we should do now?!"

Ronk felt something poking him in his side. Not hard, but enough to wake him from sleep and cracks open an eyelid to see a small halfling boy nudging him with the end of a broom handle. Spit and Stopit are double-spooning with the giant bugbear, one on either side of him. "Hi!" says the precocious lad. "Are you awake? Hey do you want to see where the bad men go to hide? I know where it is!"

Confused but undaunted, a much more alert Marcon straightens out his back, folds his arms, and narrows his eyes at Harbin. "Well fer starters sir, maybe ya wanna take it down a notch? I know things ain't exactly been look'n all to well for Phandalin. And, well, this latest tidbit probably ain't make ya feel better. But, if'n ya take it easy fer a second, ya might realize that things are look'n up now that ya actually got folk here will'n 'n able to actually do somethin, Helm willing." He states firmly.

"Ya just gotta have a little faith, aight? We already got decent intel 'bout where they hide'n at, 'nd a tid bit on who's back'n 'em. Which speak'n of -- do you have anything on a Black Spider? Or more on this Glassstaff fellar lead'n the brands? Heck! Do you know anything at all that you've been relunctant or unable to speak of?"

Ronk sits up yawning before grabbing the goblins by the scruffs of their necks and moving them away from him. "Yeah... Yeah, I should probably see where their hideout... But my friends should too. We'll get them first." The bugbear rises and heads back to the inn, gesturing for the others to follow him... While also heedless of how  a bugbear, two goblins, and a halfing child walking through the morning streets might look.

Rigel browses the weapons, as he does he comments to Linene,

"Now that you mention it, I seem to remember your crest being on some of the goods we found stashed not far from here. After my companions and I take care of some current business I'd be happy to show you the location."

Rigel tries a couple short swords but the balance feels odd to him. Suddenly a hand axe with a wide curved blade and a tapered body wrapped around a hefty oak handle catches his eye. He decides that maybe his initial instinct was incorrect and he should maybe stick to a weapon he's more familiar with, besides twin axes should perform just as well as a sword and axe combination. Picking up the axe he turns to Linene and askes,

"I think I'd like to purchase this please and, since I'm a little short on funds at the moment, maybe we can work out a deal on a second as a finders fee for locating your commandeered provisions. Also what do you know of an abandon mansion on the east end of town?"

LINENE TO RIGEL: “Judging by the heft o’ that coin purse yer totin’, I’ll bet ye got enough to cover a couple of me handaxes...ten gold for the pair, no IOUs I’m afraid.” She taps the spot where Rigel has his coin purse stowed away with the handle of a short club causing it to give away a telltale jingle.

”But if ya give good directions to where the rest of me caravan load is, I’ll give you a ten percent finder’s fee, once I have it back safe and sound here in Phandalin of course.”

Rigel chuckles, "Deal", and hands over the 10 gp. 

"If you can wait a day or two I'm sure my companions and I will be glad to help you recover you materials." 

He proceeds to give her directions to the cave. 

"Now there's no telling if the rest of the gang has been back and moved the stuff but my guess would be that it's safe for a day or so. Good luck if you decide not to wait for us."

With that he gives her a nod of the head and a slight bow then abruptly turns and hurries off to locate the rest of the group. He looks in at the Stonehill to see who has arrived. 

(SCENE: STONEHILL INN)

HARBIN TO MARCON: "Son, I'll 'take it down a notch' when the gentle folk of Phandalin are no longer under threat by these thugs! This isn't some independent cell of bandits...I suspect they are just the enforcement arm of some much more powerful people. I don't know the name 'Black Spider,' but he doesn't sound like a very understanding and forgiving soul. Whatever you an' your friends are planning to do, ye better do it quick! Luckily, the Redbrands stay up half the night drinking, so I wouldn't expect to see any of them around town until at least noon. That gives you a few hours, before they start to piece things together." Marcon considers the man's words as he glances out a window where he sees some of the others beginning to gather in front of the Inn.

(SCENE: OUT AND ABOUT TOWN)

Vanzaren went for an early morning walk while Sildar and Marcon parley with the townmaster, Harbin Wester. Passing the site of their scuffle from the night before, he sees several blood stains in the dirt and drag marks leading north. Following the lane east, he comes to a winding drive leading up a hill to a once-elegant but now dilapidated looking old manor house.

Dusty footprints don't continue up the drive but rather turn southward off the road and into the grass. Turning to face north, Vanzaren sees the remnants of an old stone palisade that presumably once separated the town proper from the wilderness beyond. Looking south, he sees the continuation of the ruined wall and a small copse of trees with a neatly cultivated hay field just beyond.

As the wizard wanders around town, he sees several modest-looking homes, most of which seem newly built on top of stone foundations that are obviously much older. Near the center of Phandalin, Vanzaren sees a distinguished-looking, middle-aged human woman and a white-haired male gnome turning a set of large keys in the lock of a heavily reinforced door. The wooden sign in front of the building reads: "Phandalin Miner's Exchange"

"Good morning!" Vanzaren waves at them and approaches. "Lovely morning isn't it?"

"That ain't much to work with, but it'll have to do." Marcon finally admits. "And fer the record, sir, I am sorry things got out of hand last night. Didn't, uh, well, there was this other plan involving a circus act, 'cause we were already leaning towards deal'n with these folk one way or another. So, uh, on the one hand I'm glad things worked out the way they did. But don't tell the rest!" He glances back out the window one last time, seeming to guage the timing of folks arrival.

"A-and anyhow. What can ya tell us 'bout yer manor on the hill? 'cause it seems that got some secret hideout below there, if'n I recall correctly. And is there any brand in particularly we should keep an eye out for that's made a bit of name fer themselves?"

When Garet wakes up he moves close to Inn building and will wait there for the rest of the group

(SCENE: VANZAREN AT THE MINER'S EXCHANGE)

The woman turns to face the cheerful voice while the gnome glances briefly, but then continues to wrangle the key that is nearly twice the size of his hands. "Quite lovely," she responds, "I don't usually see anyone strolling around Phandalin this early..." The bolt finally throws open in the lock and the heavy door creaks open a bit. The gnome silently looks up at the woman, as if looking for permission to continue, to which the woman gives a barely perceptible nod before turning her attention back to Vanzaren.

"Judging by your brilliant cloak and marvelous purple pantaloons, I would guess I am speaking to Ringmaster of Goblins, hmm? You've found the Miner's Exchange here in Phandalin. I'm Halia Thornton, the uh...branch financeer. We manage the trade here, pay out coin in exchange for miner's gold, or whatever else they find of material value. I'm not sure what you are planning during you stay here in Phandalin, but if you want to make a little extra coin, I am looking for someone who can help me with a little problem...perhaps your troupe is interested?"

(SCENE: MARCON AT STONEHILL INN)

"Ye, did what ye had to do," grumbles Harbin Wester, "but now ye got to finish what ya started. Those Redbrands, they'll be looking for payback and they won't care who from. The old manor was sacked during the orc raids centuries back when the dwarves, gnomes and humans occupied Phandalin. It's mostly unlivable now and no one has the time or the coin to make the necessary repairs."

"Well then," Vanzaren chuckles. "How can I say no to someone who asks so politely. What can we help you with?"

"A street gang calling themselves the Redbrands is lead by a man known only as 'Glasstaff'...I need him eliminated, and I am sure no one in town would disagree with me. My sources have informed me that this group has made their lair in the basement of the Tresendar manor house up on the hill there. I will pay a bounty of a hundred gold pieces for all the correspondence in his possession and proof that he is dead...what do you say to that circus man?"

Ronk thumps on the door of the inn, then stoops down to pick the boy up, holding him up at the door. "Hey, this kid says he knows where a hideout is for bad guys."

Toblen snatches open the door and lifts the boy out of Ronk's grasp..."Uh, bugbear I'm sure your very nice...sir...but others in Phandalin may not think the same...best ye not be seen toting a halfling child about town, folks would probably assume you'd be planning to eat him. Sorry for askin' but if ye don't mind, why don't ye wait for yer other friends around back..." The innkeeper shuts the door rather abruptly and Ronk clearly hears the snap of a key in a lock from the other side.

"Uh... My name's Ronk," he shouts at the closed door. He stares at the door for a moment before giving a satisfied nod, sure the kid will inform the others of the hideout's location, then goes around to the back of the inn where he sits and closes his eyes to meditate.

Rigel watches the exchange with mild amusement. He follows Ronk around to the back.

"Come on, don't worry bout the boy. We don't want him around for what comes next anyway. I'm pretty sure the Redbrands are up at the manor house. Whats say you and I go see if we can find the rest. I left Garret sleeping over at Barthens. Didn't see a need to wake him till needed. Lets go see if he's up. I heard Marcon inside so we'll come back for him. Then we'll find Van and get this thing rolling."

Inside the Stonehill Inn, Toblen sets down Carp Alderleaf and stoops to address him directly: "Carp, please don't tell me you are not following that bugbear around town!"

"Okay," responds Carp, "I won't tell you that I'm following that bugbear around town..." Toblen stands and crosses his arms in frustration. "...and his name is RONK! And he is a good bugbear. I let him sleep in my mom's hayloft last night with his two goblin friends, and they didn't cause any trouble...outside of killing a chicken for dinner. But that's what WE do with the chickens, so it not really bad!" Toblen Stonehill slaps a hand to his forehead and swoons over Carp's revelation. 

"Alright son," says the townmaster, "now what can you tell us about The Redbrands and the old Tresendar place up on the hill?"

"I used to play there all the time before the Redbrands came...it's such a cool old place! They are using the catacombs under the house as their base...you can get in topside from the kitchen, but they have been going in an out using a secret entrance. There's a tunnel on the far side of my mom's plow field that goes all the way to the house basement. That's what the thugs have been using to get in and out so nobody knows where they hide...but I found out! I was gonna set some traps for them, but now we've got a whole army to go after them with! C'mon, let's go make our assault!"