DoA|Chapter 2|Part 1: Wilzor No More
General Summary
On their journey to Minde to find Wilzor Bree, the group encountered an unexpected sight in the snow: a purple-haired rock gnome, bound and gagged. As they moved to assist her, they were ambushed by bandits claiming allegiance to Slackjaw's gang. The skirmish was fierce, with the gang's leader, a greying kobold named Slackjaw, targeting Sidra with a barrage of bullets from his revolver. The confrontation was perilous, nearly costing Cafley and Erakhan their lives, but the group managed to fend off the attackers before any fatal blows were dealt.
In the aftermath, they untied the gnome, Orroe, and discovered she was on a similar mission to theirs, sent by the same employer to apprehend Wilzor Bree. Deciding to combine their efforts, they continued to Minde, navigating the challenging terrain until they reached the settlement. Once there, they inquired about Wilzor's whereabouts and soon located his residence.
The moment of truth arrived when they stood before Wilzor's home, and the true nature of their task was laid bare: they were not there to capture Wilzor, but to kill him. This revelation caused a rift within the group; Erakhan, Sidra, and Ava refused to partake in the deed. Wetzel, although not keen on the act of killing, joined Cafley, Medrekk, and Orroe out of a mix of concern and curiosity. Finding the house deserted, they broke in and began their search. Concerned by the prolonged silence, the rest of the group eventually decided to investigate as well.
Inside the desolate home, they stumbled upon unsettling evidence: Wilzor had amputated his own arm, likely due to an infection reminiscent of the one they encountered in the boar north of Doilea. Amidst the sparse furnishings, they discovered a letter and a mysterious metal cube imbued with abjuration magic. Opting not to tamper with the cube, they ventured into the basement where they found Wilzor, grotesquely transforming and chained to a beam. In a concerted effort, they ended Wilzor's suffering, though the battle took a toll on Ava, leaving her in a coma-like state.
The situation took a bizarre turn when Wetzel delivered the final blow to Wilzor, his demeanor abruptly changing to something more mechanical and resolute. He forcefully demanded space to examine the body, and when Medrekk intervened, Wetzel retaliated with a lightning blast. After extracting a tentacle from Wilzor's corpse, Wetzel collapsed, seemingly deactivated. The group hastily gathered Ava, Wetzel, and Wilzor's head, retreating to their inn.
Wetzel eventually came to, revealing a cryptic gnomish message in his eyes that Cafley managed to decipher. It indicated a "morality failure" in Wetzel, threatening self-destruction within 100 days unless he returned to his creator. This revelation added a new layer of urgency to their predicament. Moreover, Medrekk realized the mission was only half complete without the contraband, likely the mysterious cube they had left behind in Wilzor's house—a house now crawling with guards.
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