Chapter 1-4: Exploring Phandalin

General Summary

The party (minus Clootie and Ramus) went to the Shrine of The FIve Gods and met Sister Garaele. She is impressed with the party taking on the Redbrands. She's a member of a network of information gatherers called the Harpers who work to undermine tyrants and despots. She asked the party to seek out and treat with a banshee named Agatha near the ruins of a village named Conyberry, 50 miles east of Phandalin. She's looking for information about a spellbook which used to belong to a mage named Bowgentle.
They then went to see Darath Edermath, a retired adventurer who used to be a Warden in Kildrasil before he took an arrow to the knee. He gave the guys some cider and asked them to look into strange lights and reports of undead at an ancient ruined watchtower, part of the forgotten empire of Netheril. They then spent an hour helping him pick apples. Cos they're nice like that...
They then went to Alderleaf Farm, where they proceeded to very rudely ask strange and vague questions of the halfling woman who lives there. She suggested looking for a druid friend of hers called Reidoth in the ruins of Thundertree, he might know where to find Cragmaw Castle and their captured friend Gundren.
Then they finally went to the Phandalin Miners Exchange. They started speaking to Halia Thornton, and Ryoko tried to sneak in the back as a mouse, but was attacked by Halia's pet crow Eido. Halia hired them for 100GP to deal with the leader of the Redbrands and bring her any correspondence in his quarters. She seemed amicable enough but they didn't fully trust her, so as Aetilius and Miaug lazed about in the guildhall drinking by the fire, mouse shaped Ryoko sneaked into the back office to spy on her. She didn't see anything exciting and they left.
Then - under cover of darkness they went up to the ruined manor. They sneaked into the barracks beside the cellar, Miaug slit a sleeping Redbrand's throat, then shot another. Ryoko caved in another's skull with her staff, and Aetilius hit one with his axe. Miaug then slid into the room, shooting him in the kneecap and taking the fight out of him. Ryoko then interrogated him and found out some useful info: Glasstaff is a human wizard, in the west of the complex. There's a secret door from the cellar leading to a chasm, guarded by some sort of "eye monster". The skeletons in the crypt don't seem to attack the Redbrands because of their cloaks. There are captives in a holding area next to the crypt. And the Redbrands are now working for the "Black Spider", who has also sent some bugbears to reinforce them.