Ozzigus

Ozzigus, fondly known as Ozzie, is a gnome inventor and the ship master of the Brine Blades. In the Western Provinces gnomes are rare, often mistaken for halflings and seldom seen on the fringes of the Empire; Ozzie is a peculiar one who dared to leave his home in the Underdark in search of adventure. He is described as adaptable, explosive and an inventor.¹

Joining the Brine Blades

When Ozzie came to Neptun, he carried a grave debt owed to a noble of the Empire, and merciless headhunters dogged his steps. His path crossed the Brine Blades in a tavern full of guild members, where the headhunters attacked him amid the crowd; his inventions dispatched three of them with ease. The display caught the eye of Isabeau Blackthorn, and after the fight she made him an offer: the Brine Blades would settle his debt to the noble and give him a safe haven where his genius could flourish, in return for his allegiance. Ozzie agreed at once, seeing in the pact a chance to use his skills, repay his debt and find belonging among comrades.¹

Friends and pupils

In the Brine Blades Ozzie became friends with Bartouk Hanneker and made him a pair of gloves that electrify whatever his spear strikes.²

Ozzie also taught Zherafinn about a stolen firearm. They first met at the Grand Gear, a gnomish workshop in Vansreik, where her attempts to understand the gun's workings drew his pity, and he spent a whole afternoon sharing insights and techniques with her. They met again at the Grand Gear for as long as Ozzie's mission lasted, and with his help she made the musket she still uses to hunt her targets from afar.³

He favours puzzles and naval combat, is versed in alchemy, physics and combat engineering, and will not destroy or harm anything used for science. He can be found in coastal cities and Tide Breaker Bay.⁴

In battle

Ozzie relies not on combat training but on the inventive chaos of his creations. Armed with his trusty pepperbox and a store of acidic concoctions, he avoids direct confrontation and deals with whoever comes near: he peppers foes within range with rapid shots and hurls sacks of acid with uncanny aim to make hazardous ground. His aim is an unpredictable battlefield where movement is restricted, and his unorthodox tactics often confuse his enemies and break their formations.¹