Oil To Flame

Episode 3 of Arzet

The Setup: It all begins with Arzet, avatar of The Chimera, in a tricky situation: in a five-foot bandit prison bit in the middle of the Deverkel Wastes, a day from Adov. Their three friends were outside in the woods, unaware that Arzet was captured. Things were not looking great for this Godling.
Luckily, the bandits did not anticipate that their new teen captive would be a wizard and did not confiscate their tools of the casting trade (Arzet's spellbook being an elaborate scarf). Arzet was able to summon a familiar, a spirit by the name of Ratticus to use for scouting - and Ratticus reported dutifully that there were six bandits in a small cave system (mostly one cave) between the prison pit and the forest. 
Arzet convened with their fellow prisoners and found that Mozler had established a brief dialogue with the bandit in charge of prisoner watching - a former Hainish outlaw by the name of Gendrick (or 'Gentle Genny'). Gentle Genny was not that gentle and had broken the foot of the most able-bodied prisoner, but seemed to be weirdly defensive about his own innocence in all this. 
Arzet was able to use the 'Message' Cantrip to covertly chat with Genny. They promised Genny to use their power and influence to clear Genny's name back home and to get them out of the wasteland and back to a normal life. Through luck, desperation, and rhetorical force, they were able to slowly persuade Genny to help them lead a prisoner's revolt. They also learned more about their situation: that this was a small band of bandits under the leadership of "The Bosswoman", who was a hardened warrior and veteran of the wasteland. Their band of bandits was only one of many that was capturing prisoners for a strange group of Kobolds in the Northeast. Only the Boss was actually skilled in the art of war, with everyone else being a motley crew of desperate survivors. 
Genny was able to slip the prisoners three daggers and left the door to the pit unlocked, and the conspiracy agreed to launch their attack at nightfall. Arzet sent Ratticus with a written note to deliver to their friends outside, to attack at night when they heard commotion. Ratticus was able to toss the note to them at the very edge of the magic's range, fading in the attempt to cross the line - but the message was sent. The trap was set. 
The Fight: When night finally fell, the prisoners moved quickly to scale the pit - and in a moment of great luck and effort, were able to lift up Mozler quickly and quietly. Arzet led their squad quickly and quietly down the hall and into the cave, and barreled into the cave spells a' blazin'. Four of the six bandits (all but Genny and The Boss) were gathered around the campfire, cooking dinner. Before they had time to react, Arzet summoned a 30-foot circle of grease around them, centered on the cooking fire. Three of the four bandits slipped in the grease as they scrambled for weapons - and as the fire was dead-center, the grease quickly became a grease-fire. Only the one bandit was able to escape this explosion of flame and oil - and she seemed determined to rescue her boyfriend (one of the other bandits) from the flames rather than fight. The three friends - Macha, Oglin, and Wedren - charged in through the front door, weapons ready. Arzet could have fled then and there with their friends, no problem, but decided to stay and fight - numbers were on their side. 
Mozler, Genny, and the others focused on killing the bandits that were trying to escape the fire. The Boss was not among them, though. She had noticed Genny's strange behavior prior to this betrayal and was staying with the group's loot - and she was armed and armored up. She rushed out of the back of the cave towards Arzet, and nearly killed the Godling then and there with her axe. Arzet disengaged and fled, encouraging the group to gang up on The Boss - but the seasoned warrior was not easily menaced by these poorly equipped, malnourished forces. One prisoner was slain on the spot, and Mozler was horribly injured as the Boss carved through Arzet's allies. The sight was enough to turn the tide: Genny seemed ready to double-cross Arzet, and the surviving bandits rallied and began to attack from behind. Arzet opened fire with magic missiles to wear her down and horribly injured her, but still she marched forward. She hadn't finished off Mozler, though, who came in from behind and tackled her into the greasefire. Stunned, stumbling, and on fire, The Boss was disoriented and unable to strike when Arzet's final spell stopped her heart. And the remaining bandits, terrified, surrendered immediately. 
The Cleanup: The dead were buried, the prisoners were tied up, and the cave was surveyed for loot. 504 gold pieces worth of treasure, the compiled loot and sales price of many months of prisoners taken, was taken and split among Genny, Arzet, and friends. Coded letters written by The Boss were found, good steel weapons acquired. And a strange amulet, depicting an eye with eight orbiting eyes, was found. 
While the group recovered from their wounds in the occupied bandit hideout, Arzet used their vestige (Darana) to speak with their fallen ally and freed prisoner - an old woman who had fatalistically been the first to volunteer to help lead the prisoner revolt. The old woman's corpse answered that she wanted to be buried near flowers, and that she had a niece in the nearby village of Hodov. But Arzet felt that they could use Darana's powers beyond the traditional scope of the spell 'Speak with Dead': to speak with the old woman's spirit in earnest conversation for a brief moment, not just this magical automaton. The old woman, Arzet realized, was trapped in Purgatory and was desperate to be saved. Arzet and their friends were horribly traumatized as the old woman clung to her unnatural part-life and begged to be returned to her family and delivered from torment. Arzet vowed to return her body to her niece and to speak with her again after the ten-day recharge was over, but had to let the spirit go. The powerful magic also caused physical disturbances, seemingly allowing bits of Purgatory to seep into reality - a dangerous thing to do for extended periods of time. 
Arzet and their troup miraculously returned to Adov without encountering any monsters, bandits, or problems. The prisoners were turned over to the town guard with Arzet's plea of clemency, and the rescuing teens were lauded as heroes. Arzet returned to the tower the next day rather than stay with their family - to experiment on the strange amulet, have Rekala magically preserve the old woman's corpse, and to train even harder. The amulet, when magically tested on, revealed that it was not cursed, but rather was a crude messaging device. Even stranger, it was also a covert observational device, as its eyes did actually see - but what was seeing through them was a mystery. Arzet wrapped up and hid the amulet to prevent it from spying on them and set to work on research. 
Mysterious amulets, Kobold hosts, strange monsters. Someone seemed to be coating the world in oil, preparing it for explosive disaster. Arzet knew what came next.

Components

Goals

QUEST GOALS:

• Rescue Mozler and the other prisoners (complete)
• Investigate what is going wrong with the land
• Age Up and Get Ripped
• Return the Old Woman's Body to her niece in Hodov 

Relations

Allies

Mozler, a Prism that ages slower than the rest of the group but ultimately is the 'heart' of the gang. Friendly, loving, trusting, and kind, Mozler is a friend to all the children of Adov. Was taken prisoner when walking back home from the mines a few nights ago. Trusting, friendly, and optimistic as always, though.   The Prisoners: Other than Mozler and Arzet, three other prisoners were in the pit. All were bruised and malnourished.

• 'The Old Woman' (Arika Coppersmith), a mostly-human traveler of the Deverkel waste who has lived in several tribes and villages. Most of her family was butchered by bandits while doing a trade run to Hain; she was taken captive. At this point she just wants to help the others get out - and was willing to fight and die to see that happen. Did ultimately die during the prisoner revolt.
•  'The Starspawn Teen' (Omkin Squidface), A squid-faced pure Starspawn orphaned in the wasteland that has drifted for years seeking a home. Was trying to get to Adov when captured; was the most despairing and passive of the prisoners.
• 'The Injured Kobold' (Enzra Hunterzen), a Kobold woman from the neighboring village of Gurbek. Probably the most martially experienced of the prisoners, but the most brutally mistreated for it ('Gentle Genny' broke her foot two days prior to Arzet's arrival).

Arzet's Friends: Three of Arzet's friends decided to rescue Mozler while the trail was still warm. While Arzet got themselves captured, these three friends were armed and waiting for a signal outside

• Wedrin, an older human about Alba's age that is friends with Alba and Arzet. He works for the local ranchers acting as a tanner and apprenticed butcher. He is somewhat aloof, very opinionated, and ultimately quite nice once he warms up to you. Was very injured in the fighting but survived
• Oglan, a Half-Prism Kobold-born boy, who is quiet but seems to revel in moments of attention - a kind of shy class clown of sorts. Enjoys building things and has been learning masonry
• Macha, a dryad farmer with a chill personality and an open mind. Persistent, loyal, and curious.

Rekala: Rekala is an old Pearl Pangolin wizard and Arzet's mentor. Rekala is an old, cynical misanthrope that once studied in The Darzan University and has little care for the problems of local people. She cares for Arzet, but sees this little venture as a potential learning experience more than a dangerous situation.
Ratticus: Arzet's Familiar in rat form. Manic, dedicated, the bravest of us. A luxury few can afford.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Gendrick aka Gentle Genny: A bandit who claims to have been wrongfully convicted of roadside robbery back in the Kingdom of Hain after he was caught illegally hunting on the local noble's lands. Very self-convinced of his own innocence, but with a strong sense of his own self-preservation. Helped Arzet and the others escape.

Adversaries

The Boss (Mieza): A starspawn woman and veteran of the wasteland's conflicts, The Boss commands respect and deference. She is brutal but fair to her 'troops', disciplined even as she is brutal. Of all the bandits, The Boss is more of a threat than the rest of them put together. 
The Lovers (Ferenskr and Gruvenra): Two Dryad bandits of unknown background, but closest in terms of friendship to Gentle Genny. While they can be reasonable, The Lovers were brutal enough to prisoners to have The Boss ban them from prisoner duty. They claim to be doing this purely out of a desire to start a family - to one day retire somewhere out of the wasteland to settle on a nice farm somewhere and raise a kid or two. They were both captured by the Arzet squad. 
The Guarddog (??): The oldest member of the crew, a quiet starspawn with an undulating face that is dead-loyal to Mieza. Died unceremoniously in a fire. 
The Deadeye (???): The other original member of the crew, an old-timey Starspawn from one of the Starspawn cult-tribes of the wasteland. No one remembers him, since he's just weirdly normal. Died unceremoniously in a fire.

Plot type

Quest

Parent Plot

The World Adrift

Subplots

• The End of Innocence

Related Locations

• Adov
• The Deverkel Wastes