A More Aggressive Incursion
As the party returned to the tunnels, they encounter some kobolds attacking from the shadows. The Men from The North are not surprised, quickly cutting the scaly lil' beast down. Pushing forward, the party finds a fierce orc hacking away at a group of giant rats. The party charges the rats, slaying a few and scaring the remainder down the hallway to the East.
The orc is wary, but he makes no move to attack the party. Fnu boldly acknowledges the orc, asking of him the essential questions; why are you here, has he seen a book here in the tunnels, and of course, what is your name?
Conveniently enough, the Orc speaks some decent common, answering the questions, but still wary of what the adventurers plan to do. Ru'gash, as he introduced himself, is quite taken by surprise at a generous offer from Fnu. As payment of hiring him under his service, Fnu gives the orc a valuable gem and promises more if he performs well. Ru'gash accepts this offer, feeling less threatened by his uneven odds.
Rats come running down corridor to the east squealing in fear. The straggler is struck by a magical missile launched by the Grumpy Goblin Shaman Schwee. Fnu shouts out at the critter in it's own language, which catches his attention, but only long enough for him to grumble and just walk off down the corridor to the south of the intersection he had stood in. The party spies a book and pursues the goblin to a door, that appears to be locked, and he turns and faces the party, obviously very uncomfortable with being within a hairsbreadth away from the Fearsome Northerners.
Fnu has the goblin roughed up a bit, and threatened furiously when he chooses to be uncooperative and answers the party's questions vaguely and without much enthusiasm. Growing tired of his shriveling lil' captive, Fnu forces the desired information out of the goblin. Further, the canny magic-user forces the goblin to swear servitude to him for 101 days. On pain of death. The goblin Schwee does as he is bid, and finds that it might not be so bad as Fnu offers up a softer side and rewards his minion with a secret gift.
Thus unified, the group continues into the depths of the dungeon...searching for a potentially disastrous magical Staff of Pestilence.