Orletia Arc: The Crater
After reluctantly spending a significant portion of their hard-earned gold to bail Lezeke out of custody, the party regrouped with Vaz in his underground casino. Vaz, ever the enigmatic figure, greeted them with a sly grin and casually tossed a glance at the captured Silent Mamba spy, who was still unconscious. "I’ll deal with him later," he said, almost dismissively, his focus entirely on the party and their marks.
When the group eagerly pressed Vaz about the meaning of the mysterious “M” symbol burned into their necks, he simply smirked. “Patience,” he said. “Before I spill the details, you’ve got one more job to do for me.” Groans of frustration laid among the party members.
Vaz explained the job: they were to intercept and break out a young girl named Jasmine, a member of The Men of the Night. According to Vaz’s intelligence, Jasmine was being transported south, across a stretch of land marked by a massive meteor crater—a location with a storied history, known locally as The Harrowed Basin. The girl, Vaz added, was barely even an adult, which only confused the party further. Why was she so important?
Eli, however, immediately recognized the name. Jasmine was the very girl he had seen in the orb—her silver hair and pale complexion had left a strong impression on him. While the rest of the party questioned Vaz’s reasoning for sending them after such a young target, Eli remained quiet, keeping his recognition of Jasmine to himself.
Despite their reservations, the party agreed to take on the job. It wasn’t like they had much choice; they were still tethered to Vaz and desperate for answers about the marks on their necks. Vaz handed them a satchel of gold as payment for the previous job, which somewhat lightened the mood. The prospect of gold and the hope of resolving the curse on their necks pushed them forward. As part of the operation, Vaz mentioned he would send a contingent of his own men to aid them in the ambush. Eli confronted Vaz, questioning why his men would risk their lives for someone they hardly knew. "Loyalty," he replied simply, his tone enigmatic.
Eli folded his arms, "Money doesn’t buy loyalty."
"I’ve bought many things in my life, loyalty is not one of them."
After a moment of silence, he shifted the topic, his curiosity getting the better of him. "In the end," Eli said, "money isn’t power. Knowledge is. That’s the only true power, and the only real goal worth striving for."
Vaz tilted his head and gave Eli a thoughtful look before shaking his head. "Power," he began slowly, "is not a goal. It’s a tool. A means to achieve your goals, not the end itself."
The words hung in the air, resonating with Eli in a way he hadn’t anticipated. He stood there, silently reflecting on what Vaz had said. For someone like Eli, who had always believed in the pursuit of knowledge and power as ends in themselves, this perspective challenged everything he thought he knew. It wasn’t often that someone shifted his outlook, but in that moment, Vaz did.
The Ambush
The ambush was executed flawlessly at first—the location was ideal. With the road cutting through dense trees on one side and the gaping, jagged expanse of the crater on the other, the party and Vaz's men had every advantage for a swift, devastating strike. Augustus opened the ambush with a perfectly-timed Thunderwave, the sonic blast sending one of the three wagons careening into the crater below. Louis, already transformed into his hulking werewolf form, burst out of the underbrush and flipped another wagon onto its side, leaving the final wagon still upright and intact. The cage holding Jasmine, however, had been on the wagon that tumbled into the crater. The force sent the cage spinning violently down the steep incline. The ambush had officially devolved into a brutal battle. Silent Mamba members scrambled to respond, drawing weapons and shouting commands. Their leader, Lovaz, the tattooed man with long hair and a goatee, barked orders while advancing toward the fray. His tattoos, intricate and full of extra details compared to his subordinates. Eli spotted him immediately and raised his gun to aim, but before he could pull the trigger, a volley of bullets from other Silent Mambas forced him to dive for cover. Lovaz remained untouched, striding confidently through the battlefield. The combat was fierce. Men on both sides fell rapidly, blood soaking into the ground as the clash grew more vicious. Vaz's men fought with reckless loyalty, matching the Silent Mambas’ ruthless precision. Dave, always the opportunist, tried to sneak away amidst the chaos to reach the fallen cage in the crater. However, he was intercepted by three Silent Mamba members who tackled him to the ground, grappling him to prevent his escape. With practiced precision, Dave stabbed one of them in the neck, blood spraying across his face as he kicked another away and broke free. He leapt into the crater’s, tumbling but managing to keep his footing. Lezeke, nearby, roared with fury and cut down the two remaining Mambas pursuing Dave, his heavy swings cleaving through armor and flesh alike. Meanwhile, Louis faced Lovaz directly. The Silent Mamba leader was every bit as dangerous as he appeared, effortlessly deflecting Louis' attacks and countering with brutal precision. Louis’ werewolf strength was undeniable, but Lovaz was keeping him at bay with relentless strikes that left Louis bloodied and struggling. Just when it seemed Lovaz had the upper hand, Tareeq, the tabaxi, lunged into the fray. With his claws and agility, he helped turn the tide, but Lovaz quickly called for reinforcements. More Silent Mamba members joined the fight, surrounding Louis and Tareeq. The odds were tipping back in Lovaz’s favor. Down in the crater, Dave reached the cage. Jasmine was still inside, dazed and clutching the bars as the world spun around her. Dave fumbled with the lock, working quickly to free her. A shadow fell over him as one of the Silent Mambas crept up from behind, dagger poised to strike. Before the blade could pierce Dave's back, the Mamba's body jerked unnaturally and collapsed, throat slit cleanly by an unseen force. Dave froze, his eyes widening as he realized Jasmine wasn’t alone. The air around her shimmered faintly, and the faint outline of a ghostly figure hovered near her. The ghost held the bloody dagger it had just used. Dave turned slowly, hands raised. "Easy... Vaz sent us," he said carefully, feeling the cold presence of the spirit behind him. The ghost seemed to hesitate, then lowered its weapon. Jasmine, now freed, clutched Dave’s arm tightly, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Leilatha, standing near Eli, struggled to keep it together amidst the bloodshed. The sight of so much violence—men killing and dying in savage combat—was too much for her. Aside from a few occasions, this is her second combat ever in her life. She had been doing her best to avoid lethal attacks, knocking her enemies unconscious rather than killing them, but her nerves were beginning to fray. She hyperventilated, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Eli, noticing her state, barked at her to calm down, but his words didn’t reach her. Lost in her panic, Leilatha blindly unleashed Burning Hands behind Eli, incinerating a Silent Mamba operative who had been seconds away from driving a dagger into Eli’s back. The attacker disintegrated into ash, but Leilatha remained oblivious, too far gone to register what she had done. Eli was horrified at how lethal Leilatha was, but kept it to himself. The battle above raged on. Augustus, trying to keep the fight manageable, cast spells from a distance to disorient the Silent Mamba forces, while Lezeke and Tareeq fought tooth and claw against Lovaz and his reinforcements. Eli, still pinned down by enemy fire, managed to pick off a few Mambas with well-placed shots, but he could feel the tide beginning to turn against them. Then it happened—a black flare streaked into the sky, trailing an inky, unnatural smoke. Every Silent Mamba in the fight seemed to react immediately, their movements growing more coordinated and precise. Eli’s stomach sank as he recognized the meaning of the flare. It wasn’t just a signal for reinforcements—it meant their capo, Celthin, was coming.Celthin Arrives
The rhythming of hooves were loud. He arrived. Celthin arrived on horseback, flanked by a small group of heavily armed men. His silhouette cut an imposing figure against the blood-red sky, his cowboy hat tilted forward and a rugged eyepatch covering one side of his face. His belt glistened with an array of firearms and ammunition, and his blonde hair—though graying—still retained its sharpness. He pulled his horse to a halt and scanned the scene with a predator's calm gaze before locking eyes with Eli. Or, as he called him, "Agnes." Celthin smirked. “Long time no see, Agnes,” he said in a tone that was almost mocking. Eli, trying to maintain composure and perhaps even some semblance of control, called out to him, asking how he had been. Celthin tilted his head, his grin widening. “Good,” he said curtly before his single eye shifted toward Tareeq, the man who took his eye. Tareeq glared at Celthin, the man who bit off his ear. Celthin’s smirk didn’t falter. Without warning, he drew his pistol and fired a shot at Tareeq, who barely managed to dodge the bullet, the sound of the gunshot reverberating across the battlefield. Celthin chuckled, finding amusement in the near miss, but Tareeq was livid. He turned to Eli—no, Agnes—and unleashed his frustration, accusing him of withholding the critical information that he was Celthin's former underling. It was clear that whatever loyalty Tareeq had for Agnes was now gone, Agnes was a silent mamba this whole time. Lezeke stood frozen near Celthin's horse, his hand gripping his weapon tightly as he considered attacking the infamous Silent Mamba capo. But as Celthin's cold, piercing gaze fell on him, Lezeke hesitated. For the first time, he chose to back down. Celthin wasted no time as he opened fire, targeting Vaz's men first. His shots were precise, every pull of the trigger finding its mark. Members of the Men of the Night began dropping like flies, and the party scrambled to regain control of the situation. In the midst of the carnage, they managed to break Jasmine out of the crate. With Lezeke yelling from the wagon, the remaining party members fought through the chaos to pile in. Louis and Eli covered the rear as Tareeq provided some assistance, though the odds were rapidly turning against them. As the wagon began speeding away, Celthin quickly gave chase on his horse, his men following close behind. The situation spiraled into a high-stakes pursuit, with Celthin relentlessly closing the distance. From the back of the wagon, Eli exchanged shots with his old friend. It was clear Celthin had the upper hand, his superior marksmanship putting Eli and the rest of the party on the defensive. Louis took a shot to the shoulder and collapsed, while Dave was grazed so badly he was teetering on the brink of unconsciousness. Lezeke tried to keep the wagon moving, but Celthin’s aim was too sharp. One of his bullets struck Lezeke in the side, and the wagon came to a screeching halt. Celthin advanced calmly, his horse snorting and stomping the ground as the capo approached with a deadly aura of inevitability. In a last-ditch effort, Eli hurled a flask of oil, shattering it on Celthin’s horse and coating its sleek coat in a flammable sheen. He raised his firearm and pointed it at the animal, the implication clear. Celthin froze, staring at Eli with an unreadable expression. He wouldn’t dare. But Eli knew better. He knew Celthin’s reputation well enough to gamble on one critical truth—Celthin cared deeply for his horse. It was his pride, his partner, and perhaps the only thing he truly valued. The two stared each other down in a tense standoff. Finally, Celthin’s lips curled into a slow grin. “Well played, Agnes,” he said as he pulled back. The party quickly scrambled to get the wagon moving again, retreating as fast as they could while Celthin remained behind, watching them leave. As the distance between them grew, Celthin calmly reached for his gun, briefly aiming at the party’s retreating figures. He could end it all here with one well-placed shot. But he didn’t.Aftermath
Immediately after their escape, Tareeq turned on Eli, his anger simmering and sharp. He accused Eli of withholding crucial information—that he was a Silent Mamba member. "If I’d known," Tareeq growled, "we could’ve used your knowledge of how they work. It would’ve made this mission smoother." Eli, defensive, shot back, "If I told you, Vaz would’ve killed me on the spot. I’m not risking my neck for that." Tareeq scowled, unimpressed by the excuse. "No he wouldnt. Of all criminal groups you chose them?!" Eli, unable to back down, justified his actions further. "What do you expect? Poverty turns people to crime. People like me don’t have the luxury to stand on some moral high ground. If the people actually stood up—if they revolted—it’d be better than just sitting around or turning to crime. But no, they just suffer in silence. Not that I’m a Zorlin. He wasn’t exactly good at revolting either. Peaceful protests? They don’t work. Zorlin failed to understand that." At the mention of Zorlin, Augustus, who had been quietly listening, visibly stiffened. He looked away, his expression darkening as Eli continued to critcize him. Augustus kept his thoughts to himself, but the words cut deep. Zorlin wasn’t just a name to Augustus—he was his adoptive father. And hearing him dismissed so callously, even indirectly, weighed heavily on him. Augustus remained silent, though his gaze dropped to the ground, his usual jovial air evaporating. Augustus drops his lute and sits down to stare at the distance. The argument continued to spiral, voices growing louder and tensions rising. Eli’s pragmatism clashed with Tareeq’s righteous frustration, and it seemed like neither would back down. But then, Jasmine, the pale girl, gently tugged on Tareeq’s sleeve. Her soft gesture brought him back to focus, and he sighed, turning his attention to her. The shift in energy was felt. The party turned their attention to Jasmine, who stood quietly by Tareeq’s side. Tareeq explained that she couldn’t talk—she was mute. "She communicates with sign language or telepathically. Either way, she’s not one for words," he said softly. The party conversed with Jasmine as best as they could. Despite her silence, she exuded a sweetness and softness that quickly endeared her to them. They asked Tareeq what Jasmine was, her pale and ghostly appearance raising questions. Tareeq simply shrugged. "All I know is I care about her." After a moment of quiet reflection, Tareeq sighed deeply. He will take them to Linot, the celtic clan the party wanted to head to. However, after their escort was done, Tareeq is heading back and telling Vaz.
Completion Date
Normamut 3rd 4E 766
Normamut 3rd 4E 766
Plot type
Arc
Parent Plot
Subplots
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