Danak, Mella, Liarel, and Never wake at the Stone Hill Inn to find a note from Raslin explaining that he will no longer be travelling with them. The remaining members of the group make their way downstairs to find Sildar. Never approaches him and asks how he’s doing. He says he is feeling much better and that he plans to go speak with Phandalin’s mayor after breakfast. Danak sidles up and begins discussing plans for Phandalin’s development. Sildar reveals that he is here to establish order as part of the Lord’s Alliance. Sildar tells us to meet him back at the inn in the afternoon for our payment as he must first secure a loan.
Liarel and Mella ask Toblen about places to buy provisions and such in town. He recommends Barthen’s Provisions for most things and the Lionshield Coaster for weapons and armor. The group reconvenes to discuss what we’ve heard about the Redbrands. Ornella overhears and approaches us. She asks us if we know where they are and Toblen says they can most often be found at the Sleeping Giant tavern. Danak and Ornella exchange a few quick threats and it is agreed that we will face the Redbrands together.
Liarel slips out to visit the ox in the stables and runs into Pip, the innkeepers’ son. He is quite excited to meet a “real adventurer” and tells hr about his friend Carp, a halfling child who also wants to be an adventurer. Apparently Karp had found a secret passageway and almost gotten caught by the Redbrands. After they talk, Liarel takes the caravan around to the front of the inn.
Danak, Liarel, Mella, and Never head out, making their way to Barthen’s Provisions to drop off the caravan. Once there we are paid our promised ten gold each and Danak tries to negotiate for the sale of the goblin weapons we picked up along the way. We are told to try selling them to the Lionshield. We discuss selling the jade frog but Never examines it and notices a bright yellow aura, the color of conjuration. She says we should hold onto it for now but decides against saying more in front of strangers.
Barthen says that Gundren’s brothers should be coming back into town soon, they are camped out in the hills somewhere and have not stopped in for supplies in about a tenday. He is surprised to have not seen Gundren already. Danak asks about thieves and we told what we already know about the Redbrands. He also tries to subtly ask about Kragmaw Castle, but Barthen has not information for us. Liarel buys some rations and a healer’s kit and Never asks about buying ration ingredients. Barthen says to try Alderleaf farm (run by Carp’s family) for herbs and spices.
As we leave Barthen’s Provisions Never fills the group in about the frog (And pockets it?) and Mella wanders off to the Shrine of Luck. Once there they see a young elf, Sister Garaele dressed as a scholar who gives them Tymora’s blessing. Mella says they heard about her recent trip from Narth and decided to come see her because they do not know many other elves. As they talk she reveals that she was out looking for information about the location of the spellbook of the legendary mage Bowgentle. She says that a Banshee named Agatha (near Conyberry) should know where it is and would be willing to tell given enough flattery and the proper gift (which she indicates she has). Garaele would be willing to pay three healing potions for the information. Mella says they’ll think about it and Garaele says to come back before they leave if they decide to go.
The whole group meets up at the shrine (donating a silver each) before making their way to the Lionshield Coster. We recognize the shop’s symbol from the crates in the goblin caves. The woman behind the counter greets us brusquely. She seems thoroughly unimpressed when Danak tries to sell her the weapons, but she offers us ten gold for them regardless. She warms up to us when we tell her that we found some of her crates. She says she had had a shipment go missing and would pay us fifty gold for a map to the cave. We agree, asking if she would like some help retrieving her goods as there were still goblins there. She said to check back in a few days to see if she wanted our help.
We buy some weapons and ask about Cragmaw Castle. She says that Daran Edermath might know and we are directed to his orchard. Once at the orchard we are greeted by a half-elf who asks what we’re doing in town. Ornella says we came to deal with the Redbrands. After we are welcomed inside and go through a round of introductions Daran says he wants the Redbrands out of town (he is not particularly specific about how this is to be done). He tells us they seem to have a leader named Glasstaff and a safe-house under Tresendar Manor. He has seen six, but estimates that there may be about a dozen. He also asks us to check out the ruins of Old Owl Well after dealing with the Redbrands. He has heard disturbing reports of Prospectors being chased off by Undead near Old Owl Well and gives us directions to find it. It is a couple days march northeast of Phandalin.
We have some cider with Daran and Danak asks bout the town master. Daran says his name is Harbin Wester and he is not much of a leader. Danak asks about any other people of note and Daran mentions Halia Thornton, who runs the Miner’s Exchange, and Qualina, who runs Aldreleaf Farm. We decide to go to Alderleaf Farm next.
Upon arriving at the farm we are greeted somewhat cautiously by Qelline. Never immediately launches into a conversation with her about herbs and ends up buying enough for fifty days of rations. Liarel runs into Carp, says she met Pip, and tells him of her adventures. He seems quite impressed and tells her about the secret passageway he found. After getting the directions to the passageway, Liarel turns into a mastiff and gives Karp a ride around the farm. Danak and Ornella decide we should try going to the Sleeping Giant before we meet the Redbrands on their own turf. When we ask about Cragmaw Castle we are told to try asking Reidoth in Thundertree.
We make our way to the Sleeping Giant. It looks fairly run down. Four humans wearing grimy scarlet cloaks stand outside on the porch. Never approaches them and says hi. They call us a pack of puppies and block the door. They ask us what we want and Ornella says we want drink. They say the tavern is private and we should try somewhere else, one of them spitting on the ground in front of us. Liarel turns back into an elf and glares at them. Danak punches the one who spit.
Never tries to charm one of them but fails. Ornella indicates her rapier and tries intimidating them, but this also fails and they all draw their weapons. Liarel attempts to hit one with her quarterstaff but strikes the porch’s support beam instead. Ornella slashes at one with her rapier.
Mella steps forward and unleashes thunderwave, slamming all four back into the tavern wall (breaking the railing in the process) and knocking the one Danak had punched unconscious. As the get us one of them slashes at Danak, grazing his arm, and another stabs Mella. Danak punches the Redbrand who attacked him and they collapse. Liarel strikes another with her quarterstaff, first in the knee and then again in the head. They also collapse. Ornella takes out the remaining Redbrand.
Ornella manacles the first to fall unconscious as Liarel notices that the rest are dead. Danak looks inside, seeing a surly female dwarf and no one else. We drag the bodies inside and Liarel stabilizes the bound Redbrand. Danak loots the bodies and gathers their cloaks while Never tries to talk to the barkeep, who gives only curt responses. Danak negotiates with the barkeep (Grista) to have her spy on the remaining Redbrands for us and we leave with the bodies.
After we make our way to a ruins outside of town, Mella buries the bodies to the best of their ability. Once the bound Redbrand comes to Danak, Ornella, and Never try to intimidate him into giving up information. This fails, but it is eventually agreed that he will tell us anything we want to know if we agree to let him go. He tells us there are ten others, that Thel’s wife and child are alive in the hideout, that Glasstaff is a wizard, and that someone known as the Black Spider told them to recruit members , frighten off adventures and intimidate the town.
We decide to take the Redbrand to Daran’s for safe keeping until we’ve dealt with the remaining Redbrands. Daran is surprised that we’ve already made some progress and agrees to watch him for us. We make our way back to the inn where Sildar has left payment for us. Danak rents a room for us to leave our things in if we so choose.
In the hallway, a forlorn Ireena kneels over Ismark’s body as Elgian examines the area. The rightmost door leads to a dilapidated bedroom and we drag Ismark’s body into it. The leftmost room is similar. There is no obvious way out besides the windows and Corrina, feeling claustrophobic, opens one. The room we are in is 25-30 feet off the ground. We decide to spend the night in this room and climb down in the morning. We close the door to the rightmost room and lock ourselves in the leftmost. While we rest we find a small coffer with four bottles each filled with a metallic smelling liquid the color of melted iron. Ireena talks a bit about Ismark but is otherwise quiet. Corrina and Elgian read. We piece together some old wood to tie our rope to in the morning.
Arrigal slow claps sarcastically and asks if we’ve seen an elf. Elmer immediately tells him about Savid and notices that Arrigal looks oddly pleased with himself. Arrigal calls for Savid to join the Vistani on their ride home. Elmer thoroughly antagonizes Arrigal who them attempts to curse him. Elmer resists the curse and launches into a sermon as the other two Vistani try to curse him. The Vistani turn and begin to ride off. As they do we hear Arrigal say “That’s a fine sword you have there. I’m sure Strahd will be very interested.”
We build a pyre for Ismark. Ireena says it is not their custom, but it seems to be a wise choice. We heal as Ismark burns and wonder aloud what happened to Ismark’s resources. Ireena reveals that she took them. Olana asks if we have a base of operations and we all burst into laughter. Olana explains that she heard Argynvostholt was haunted and contained something that could be used to defeat Strahd. We decide to head to the chapel.
Mondross heals himself and we head upstairs, one stair collapsing under us as we do. On the top level of the tower there are windows facing every direction and ravens on the crossbeams. through the windows we can see a windmill, an abbey, Villaki, and the marshes we came from. Speaking to the ravens, Corrina discovers that bones have been rising from the graveyard since the raven was small, but not always. The ravens say there are elves in the forest to the east, we think they mean the dusk elves around the Vistani camp.
We proceed up a hallway to another, perpendicular hallway, one door at either end. As we approach one of the doors both fly open. A total of seven ghosts surround us. Their attacks hurt but do not cut and they can pass through us easily. When they are struck they begin to dissipate and when they are killed they vanish entirely. After several attacks Ireena collapses and we realize that the hallway we had entered from is closed off by a wall of stone. Elgian takes out one of the spectrals and Corrina, badly hurt makes her way to the rightmost door as there is nowhere to hide. Elgian and Ada each take out a spectral as Elmer heals Ireena. Elgian is struck and collapses, dropping the Sword by Ireena who kicks it over to Ada. Ada takes out another spectral as Ireena is struck and collapses again. Mondross and Ismark are both attacked and both collapse. Mondross manages to wake up and move to heal Ismark but notices that he has died and heals Ireena instead. Elmer is struck and collapses, the group takes out the remaining spectrals.
Ismark picks up the Sword and throws it to Ada. Ireena defends Elgian as he lies on the floor bleeding. Elmer casts burning hands and notices that his spell feels stronger than ever before simply by being in the chapel. The damage inflicted on the soldiers by the fire seems to delay the creatures healing of other damage from swords and arrows.
After a long time defending herself flawlessly, Ireena is finally struck by one of the soldiers, she resorts by stabbing the creature with her long sword. Corrina heals Mondross. Ada heals Ismark and gives him the Sword. The remaining soldier strikes Ireena then Elgian, both of whom fall unconscious. Ismark slashes at the soldier but misses and gives the Sword back the Ada. Mondras heals Elgian and Ireena wakes up on her own.
As we step onto the first step leading up to the door, the dragon statue’s mouth opens, releasing a cone of cool air. Ismark knocks on the door twice and after fifteen or twenty seconds we hear a faint noise inside, like a door creaking, but there is no response. We move around to the southern side of the mansion to discover that the wall and towers have completely fallen away. There are giant spiders on the first floor.
Looking at the elk-turned-wizard, Ada notices he bears a strong resemblance to Hayden. She calls out to him, but he only responds with “You think my magic has grown weak? Think again!” before beginning to chant. 
Once back to Vallaki, the group decides to take Ireena (still disguised) to Blinsky’s shop. As the group passes through town square they see Izek and two guards carrying a twelve year old boy toward the stocks. Isaac looks toward the group just as Ireena’s fake mustache falls off and, recognizing her, begins walking toward us. 
Finally reaching the Burgomaster’s residence the groups encounters a three people carrying bundles of twigs. We follow them inside to see that there are a large number of such bundles inside as well. A maid informs us that the twigs are for 