Grum, a tall half-Orc, whose natural stance speaks of an unexpected agility for someone his size, and whose expression seems permanently sullen, despite him making efforts to greet you warmly. "Good to meet you, Garr. I hear you're to join us in clearing out the Redbrands from this town. You'weve been scouting the Manor? We were told there's a way into the Redbrand hideout beneath the Manor via the kitchen. Did you see any patrols or other guards?" 

A dark-feathered Kenku with a tattered brown cloak and hood covering his leather armor and shield steps forward. <Grum's voice> "Good to meet you, Garr."  <Young female's voice> "Welcome aboard, darling!" He then gestures towards himself. <Young man's voice, slight lisp> "Yer name is that gross noise? Like, the sound? Well I can't do that. I'm just gonna call you Squelch. Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the crew."

Garr reluctantly shuffles towards the new group of adventurers, stopping maybe a metre away from anyone and makes an awkward smile. "Good to meet you too Grum. The outside of the manor as well as the interior areas are all clear, and it looks like the entrance to the hideout is through the cellar in the kitchen. No patrols or guards that I saw."

Garr looks towards Halia. "This is the group I'll be helping, then?"

Garr looks at <Squelch> and tilts his head a little, having never known a being such as a Kenku before. "Squelch, that's a cool name."

"Yes, this is them. And did you uncover any information about their leader perchance?"

Garr replies "Unfortunately not, I have not gone inside the base beyond the entrance."

"Very well. Let me know how it goes, and do your best not to get killed please. If any of you need anything else regarding town business or if you come across any precious materials remember to think of me." She turns around and heads back to her office (Unless you have any more questions/discussions with her) and Grista remains there at the counter. 

"Well, Garr, if there were no patrols or guards on the outside, I don't see much advantage of going by night to catch them off guard. Lead the way. You didn't see any other entrances?"

As they approach the Manor, Grum will keep an eye out for any animals nearby - squirrels, rabbits, etc. Perception: 24

(Also DM, Grum hasn't forgotten about the wolves they released from the goblins. It's highly unlinkely they'll be anywhere near Phandalin at this point, but any time Grum ever looks for animals around, or makes Perception checks in our near the forest, he's also keeping a particular eye out for the wolves.)

Callie, a young wood elf clad in leather over gambeson and standing a little straighter than is strictly necessary, gives Garr a bright smile and a wave. "Hello, I'm Callie, Callie Ballard. It's a pleasure to meet you, Garr."

With the party moving out, she takes up a position at the rear of the party, keeping an eye out for any unwanted attention or signs of them being followed.

Perception: 15

Garr smiles back, trying to copy your posture and smile a little. "Pleasure to meet you too, Callie"

"I didn't spot any more entrances but the one in the kitchen. There could be more but I basically just came here to confirm the information that Halia had."

Garr will point out the cellar entrance. "Through there."

Along the way you both don't see anyone following you or anything out of the ordinary in the forest right now, but you do see a small brown hare some ways away in the distance. A part of it looks like it's standing on snow, but its the middle of spring and definitely not snowing. As you look back you see people beginning their work day.

Inside the derelict manor the floor is spacious, but the floorboards are soaked and battered, the roof almost completely fallen apart and the stairs to the second floor wrecked beyond usage. The kitchen resembles more of a ruin than an area for food preparation, but there are some errant pieces of dirt leading to a cellar. The cellar door opens onto a five-foot-wide landing fifteen feet above a large cellar, with stone steps descending to the floor in two short flights. Another door stands beneath the first flight of stairs leading to the north and a second door is further inside the room, next to a rectangular cistern about 15ft long and 10ft wide filled with flowing water. The walls of the room are lined with various kegs and barrels, and the room is quiet besides the sound of the water flowing.

Grum whispers, "Callie, you're pretty sneaky.  Do you want to check the doors ahead of us, either for traps or for Redbrand voices on the other side of either of them?"

Grum will take a good look around the room (Perception: 14) as he goes, moving towards the water.  As he gets to the water (assuming he doesn't notice any traps or anything before he does so), he'll follow Callie's example from back in the goblin caves, take the Mariner's Dagger out and dunk his head under the water to see if he can see how deep it is, where it goes to or comes from, etc.  (Would I roll an investigation check for that?  The dagger just affects how far I can see clearly, right?  Removes the limitations that could potentially come from dim light or murky water?)

"Sure, this shouldn't take long." Callie takes a brief moment to stretch before she advances with a light step. She very carefully tests a few of the more weathered-looking floorboards, trying to make sure that the floor isn't going to collapse under anyone as they head in. Her eyes scan and re-scan her path as she creeps up to each of the doors, searching all the while for any and all signs of booby-traps or Redbrand activity...

Stealth: 27

Investigation: 15

Perception: 14

(Ooh nice rolls. If you want to investigate the room or make out any details about anything you can make an Investigation check, otherwise a perception check is fine to spot things)

Callie - You sneakily move forward, the floorboards not creaking despite their weakness. As you descend the steps, the floor transitions from wood to stone, and you test both doors for traps but don't find any. They are also both unlocked, and free of any other features.

Grum - You dunk your head into the water and feel the cold freshness of it. It feels much different than the one in the cavern, almost as if pure. There is a small drain at the base, so that the water is continually drained and replaced. Looking around the water you see in the bottom right corner, tucked away and secured around a large stone is a satchel, looking to be hidden away. As you take it up the water just flecks off of it, it is waterproof and slightly smaller than a regular backpack. Inside is a set of clean clothes, 50 gold pieces, a potion of healing and another bottle that looks similar. It looks empty, but as you open the top it looks filled with some gray liquid. (If you wish - you can identify a potion by tasting a drop of it without consuming it)

You both hear through the door to the north (next to the cistern) some snoring, and then a light slap as the snoring subsides. You don't hear any words being said but it sounds like someone/something was woken up on the other side of the door.

(Grum makes a mental note to always search around in any water source ever! Is there any kind of limit to only being able to carry a single bag at a time?)

Grum puts the gold and the potion of healing into his own bag, and will definitely taste a drop of the other unidentified potion, figuring it has to be a helpful potion since it's in a bag someone clearly planted to help them escape.

(There's no limit to what you can carry, and I don't use encumbrance but unless you're specifically carrying something heavy or large it'll be fine.)

As you taste a little of it it feels metallic, almost like licking a battery. You look down at your hands and suddenly they aren't there anymore. The rest of you watch Grum and everything on him entirely dissappear for a second and a half, then return. You now know this to be a potion of invisibility

 "Woah. What." Garr says, squinting at the area where Grum disappears and returns from.

Grum is amazed by what he's just found, and is about to pocket the potion, when he remembers seeing the way Callie moves in combat and the way she seemed able to inflict hurt on her enemies when they're caught unawares. He pauses for a moment, caught in two minds between being comfortable as a loner and learning to be a team player. "Callie, I know you rejected my offer of the dagger previously, but this I think would definitely be more effective in your hands." Grum holds out the potion of invisibility to Callie. 

Callie looks as though she's about to make another rebuttal, but she stops herself. If she's going to continue to be the party's scout and sneakthief, she can't afford to turn away every piece of assistance that comes her way. And having seen what the potion does... it may be immature, but Callie is secretly dying to try it out. Giving a small, but proper, bow to Grum, Callie takes the potion and whispers, "Thanks. I'll put it to good use."

Once the potion is safely stored away, Callie points towards the muffled voices and whispers, "Sounds like more Redbrands, do we want to go in, or try to find another way?"

Garr readies his crossbow and speaks softly. "The Redbrands are the enemies, but if being quiet is the better option here then I'm fine with what you all think is best."