Norbus Ithermel

One of two dwarf prospectors from Phandalin who hired the party to clear the ochre jellies out of the ruined Temple of Abbathor. He is a miner, not a fighter, and says so freely.

• Rattled by the party’s dragon warning and the news of the nearby orc band — but refused to abandon the site (Session 5).
• Warmed to Dax after his formal introduction in Dwarvish (Session 5).
• Agreed to Thom’s 60/40 treasure split in the party’s favor, plus food and lodging, in exchange for clearing the jellies (Session 5).
• Came for his share, was given dead bodies and rubble, took Bean’s five gold pieces, and walked off the site with his brother (Session 6).
• Does not know about the coffer of gemstones, or the emerald.

The road, and after (Session 7)

The orc band caught the brothers on the road north — the same seven, he assumes, that went on to the temple. They killed Dazlyn before he could react. Norbus ran, lived, and had been sitting in the Phandalin inn ever since.

The party reached him first through his brother’s sending stone — Thom’s message ran out of its twenty-five words one short of his name, so all Norbus got was a stranger and bad news. His answer was five words longer than it needed to be: Bring my brother back to Phandalin. I will bury him. P.S. Pay me what you owe. They carried the body in and set it at his feet at the bar, and he broke down in front of the whole room.

We could have just settled this together. And then maybe my brother wouldn’t have died.

He gave up the second sending stone — the pair had been a gift from his and Dazlyn’s parents for the brothers’ new mining venture, and he had no use for half of it now. The party paid him 25 gp and 70 tarnished silver against the broken split; the gold came out of Thom’s and Dax’s own purses, and the bag sat up fat enough in his hand that he thought it was more than it was. He called it decent, thanked them, and asked to be left alone. They had more dwarves to swindle, he supposed.

Dax told him the orcs were long dead, if that gave him any peace. He was not repulsed by Rut’s orc eye either — he said it was good work, and hugged the gnome.

Dax’s arrangement

After the others had drifted toward the door, Dax went back alone and put down a second bag — 15 gp on top of what the party had paid — and told him that if he ever came across another job that needed a sword, to come find him.

What was your name again, sir?

Norbus has the name. The rest of the party has no idea any of this happened.