"In a sense. We delivered goods for him, but he's gone missing. Why do you ask?" Orro says to the visible one, squinting at the disembodied eyes.

"By Her Pale Bosom," blasphemes the man in front of Orro, under his breath.  With an exasperated sigh he pulls his ornate regalia over his head, stuffing it into his pack.  Stripped of the finery, he now looks much more like a traveler of the world - standing nearly six feet tall, too tall for a true elf, with dark green eyes and striking black eyebrows that don't match his pale, silvery hair.  Around his neck hangs a small metal reliquary, his tunic a fine white silk, his trousers a dark leather.  He seems unarmed, save for a dagger sheathed on his belt and a crossbow hooked on his pack.

"I was supposed to meet him for work.  I suppose he intended us all to do some work for him, if you're here too."  After a brief pause of thought, the half-elf continues, extending a hand to the stout warrior-priest. "I am Vulmar Ventoris, favored of Sehanine Moonbow.  Gundren has provided me some opportunities to prove myself worthy of that favor.  Was hoping to earn that, and some coin.  Any leads on where he's gone off to?"

Daphina steps closer to the group and pulls back her hood revealing her face. She has short black hair and a slim frame. “Gundren sent me as well” she whispers. As she talks you notice a gleaming dagger in her boot.

"Well, he's a cousin of mine, once or thrice removed. I'm Orro. Gundren apparently hires a lot of people. If you're looking for him, you can join us. Sildar will know more -- we got him out of a pretty pickle down the road, and he's off to get a drink in that tavern over there. Feel free to seek him out about your job. I'm going to ensure Barthen knows his shipment got here." Orro nods awkwardly, not used to speaking so much, and then walks into the store, ready to let the shopkeep, if not Barthen himself, know about the wagon of supplies being delivered.

Noticing that his companions didn't follow him, he turns back and exits the building. Seeing the strangers, he grips his maul and asks, "Is there any trouble?"

Kayassa shrugs as she looks to her maul toting companion. "They said they were also hired by Gundren to help with something. Other then that it was a lot about proving worthiness or something. Why is that people on the prime are so serious all the time?"

Entering Barthen’s Provisions, you come into a well lit single room with rows of tall shelves that hold numerous different adventuring materials and other goods. 

A middle aged man with work-tanned skin and a large bushy beard stands at the front counter. “Hello, welcome to Barthen’s Provisions. How can I help you?”

Seeing that his companions have everything under control, Ryzen enters the building again. Slightly uncomfortable with the shopkeeper's attention he says, "We're here to deliver some supplies for Gundren." He pauses a moment before saying, " We also need a map to Cragmaw Castle if you have any." He frowns slightly as he hopes he said the right place. His memory is a bit patchy. He looks to Orro to see if he was correct.

Orro nods, a bit confusedly, but attempting to be encouraging. "Yes, the shipment is outside -- Gundren got lost on the way, and we barely got Sildar back to civilization. I suppose you were expecting him. Have you heard anything funny happening in this town? He's my cousin, in a sense. I'd like to re-locate him."

“Ah, Gundren,” the man says. “I got word he was coming into town, but hadn’t seen him yet. Where is the old fellow?” He then holds out his hand over the counter. “Name’s Barthen. Elmar Barthen. I’m the proprietor of this fine establishment. Now, whats Gundren got for me today?”

(Daphina and Vulmar. In response to Orro’s question, you would know that for at least the time you have been in Phandalin, there has been a group of thugs called the Redbrands who have somewhat taken over the town. Nothing too bad has happened yet, but tensions between the thugs and the townsfolk is beginning to escalate.)

((Sorry, I was a little under the weather yesterday.  Only awake for five hours so didn't manage to clamber online.))

Vulmar considers chasing down this 'Sildar' individual, but decides these adventurers were more knowledgeable than a half-drunk dwarf.  He casually follows them into Barthen's and interjects himself further into the conversation, building off of Orro's question.

"I expected the Redbrands to try and shake down the local shops.  Have you had any issues with them, Barthen?  Think Gundren might have run into them?"

(Oh, I was going off Ryzen's post that he entered and mentioned the shipment and looked to Orro for support, and had Orro reply to Barthen. Though it'd be fine if the two newcomers followed the group inside, given they're looking for Gundren.)

(My bad there. Assume Barthen addressed Ryzen, then Orro and Vulmar both walk in and continue the conversation. Barthen is now responding to that.)

“If Gundren is missing, it would be my bet the Rebrands have something to do with it,” Barthen says. “Those bastards have been running amok around Phandalin, but everyone is too scared to stand up to them. Makes business hard y’know. Anyway, if you’ve got Gundren’s supplies, I’d be happy to pay you er... what is it? 10 gold pieces each?” He finishes.

Barthen then pauses listening to Ryzen’s request. “Sorry, pal. Cant say I’ve head of any ‘Cragmaw Castle’ before. Why ye’ askin’?”

"Redbrands? Where do they seem to spend time? And how do you keep an eye out for them? I assume they don't have red brands on their arms or anything. What do they seem to want, if they're maybe abducting good dwarves like Gundren? Anyhow, ten gold apiece makes sense to me."

“Most of ‘em loiter around the Sleeping Giant tap house,” Barthen says. “It’s a little farther down the road.”

Daphnia goes back to the wall of Barthens. She waits outside for the group. As she waits she plays with one of get daggers absentmindedly.

"A tap house, indeed," muses Vulmar.  Bandits, thugs, cutthroats.  Whatever these Redbrands wanted to be seen as, they were simple thieves and murderers.  And now Vulmar had a personal stake.  His green eyes turn to his new acquaintance(s).

"Seems we have a common task now.  Shall we go rescue our mutual employer?"

Kayassa watches the interaction with a bit of boredom as her eyes move to scan the small building for anything of interest. "Guess we should go to this taphouse then?" She asks as she tunes back into the conversation.

“Well whatever you do,” Barthen says as he bends down to grab something beneath the counter. “I wish you luck. Last I heard, Gundren’s two brothers, Nundro and Tharden, are camped somewhere outside town. Haven’t seen them in a tenday and they should be returning any day now to resupply. Maybe they could help?”

Barthen then reappears with five small pouches that clink as he holds them. ”Here’s yer gold. I’ll send me helpers out to get the supplies.” Barthen then turns to the back room and yells “Johnny! Jessie!” And you see two teenage children scurry out from the room. “Go out and take them supplies round back. Unpack em too, please,” Barthen says. Both children nod vigorously and the boy murmurs “Yes sir.”

(At this point, you have received your pay, and are good to go. Feel free to talk with Barthen any more, shop, rest, or do whatever you please. Barthen’s provisions carries everything under 25 gp on the basic adventuring gear list. It is about 6:30 and the sun is beginning to set.)

Ryzen takes his pay with a, "Thank you," and then turns to his companions. "I feel like we should sleep before we do anything with those trouble makers." He turns an eye to the provisions around him, but buys nothing. He feels like he has everything he needs.