In the dusty aftermath of their showdown at the Tower of Engineering, the ragtag band of adventurers gathered ’round to chew the fat about their recent exploits and ponder their next move. It was then that Erdrik Marth, a rugged engineer from the tower, sauntered over, offering a hand after they’d put the hurt on a Centurion and wrangled up a few pesky gremlins. With a glint in his eye, he spun a tale about four hulking, armored wagons, each bristling with cannons and musket turrets, built to roll like mobile fortresses, powered by clockwork wonders.
Word had it that Vewslog, a Cyclops with a reputation as thick as molasses, had been spotted striding into the Western Ravage alone just the day before, returning before the sun dipped below the horizon. Suspicion hung in the air like the smell of gunpowder.
The captured gremlins, in their chattering way, spilled the beans about their master—a “big mitflit” that looked a lot like goblins or hobgoblins. This revelation sent the group down a rabbit hole, connecting the dots to the notorious “Leadsmiths” gang, known for their hobgoblin mischief. Erdrik Marth confirmed that a fella named Ibrium had ordered a heap of Pyronite Ooze components, hinting at a big-time project or even mass production. Tensions flared as Erdrik Marth and Della Sangrey, the overseer at the Tower of Metallurgy, squared off, accusations of sabotage crackling between them like a lightning storm.
When the conversation turned to the power source for those armored wagons, Fulminyx piped up with a wild idea—electric power. Erdrik Marth’s interest was piqued, and he gifted the crew an Erratic Cannon, a peculiar piece that dealt all sorts of random damage. As they roamed through the Gunworks, they learned of the Maw of Rovogug, a fearsome cannon with a reach of nearly 50 miles, built to keep Alkanstar safe from harm.
Upon reaching the Tower of Metallurgy, they encountered a weary Della Sangrey, who looked like she’d been through the wringer. She spoke of explosions that had been rocking her tower for a week, with the latest blast rattling her just the day before. In exchange for the party’s help in quelling the chaos in the Crucible Hall below, she promised to share what she knew about Angelique Loveless.
The group descended into the hall, greeted by the sight of two massive crucibles and the remnants of past explosions. Their encounter with a Pyronite Ooze was a real nail-biter; the creature was tough as nails, resistant to many attacks, splitting and rejoining like a bad penny. Scarlet’s Thunderstrike and Fulminyx’s Tempest Surge landed some solid hits, revealing the ooze’s weakness to cold. As the battle wore on, the ooze’s hazardous transformations turned the battlefield into a treacherous landscape, forcing the party to rethink their strategies. Fulminyx’s Electric Field and Jace’s Erratic Cannon proved to be the ace up their sleeves, ultimately bringing down the ooze as it slithered across a bed of razor-sharp crystals.
After patching up Stirmi, who’d taken a tumble during the ruckus, the party discovered remnants of Pyronite Ooze supplies scattered in the Crucible Hall. Fulminyx surmised that the gremlins’ bad luck had likely triggered those explosive chain reactions. They returned to Della with their findings, including Angelique Loveless’s scheme to hoard bulk chemical compounds stashed in the tower.
In light of their discoveries, Della Sangrey rewarded the party with a Blast Suit and proposed a meeting with Garrison Commander Loy Ayton. She urged the group to mend fences with Erdrik Marth to better coordinate their efforts against Angelique Loveless and Vewslog’s gang. With plans set to contact Erdrik Marth and arrange that fateful meeting, the party prepared to ride into the next chapter of their saga.