The Boil - Arcanum - GameBanshee

This guide will walk you through The Boil in Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura.

1 – Garrillon Bridge

2 – Bandit Attack

When you approach the bandits, they’ll attack you. You can use these battles as a test. If you find them difficult — especially the one in front of Caleb Malloy’s pub (#3) — then you’re probably not ready for the Boil yet.

3 – Caleb Malloy’s Pub

There are a few people of interest in the pub. Near the entrance are a halfling bandit and a half-orc bandit. If you speak to them (be assertive with the halfling), they’ll let you know a little about the Boil, and they’ll describe their respective gangs. They’ll also give you introductions to the contacts for the gangs: Miranda Tears for Pollock’s gang and Muggs for Maug’s gang. Both Tears and Muggs are in the pub, so pick the gang you want to join (it’s pretty arbitrary), and then speak with the contact.

Depending on the gang you join, you’ll get a couple quests.

For Pollock’s gang:

Tears will ask you to return a crate of ale from Maug’s warehouse (#6). After dealing with the two guys guarding the warehouse, you’ll find the crate sitting on the ground in the back. When you give it to Tears, you’ll earn 3100 experience, and Tears will tell you to speak with Pollock (#9).

To get to Pollock, talk to the door guard outside the compound building. When you mention Miranda Tears’ name, he’ll open the door and let you inside. Pollock will ask you to kill Damian Maug, but he’ll give you some help. If you say you have a technological aptitude, he’ll give you a Hand Cannon, an Explosive Grenade, and an Energizer potion. If you say you’re more magically inclined, he’ll give you Scrolls of Nightmare, Shrink, and Unlocking Cantrip.

You’ll find Maug at the Bentley (#7). A bunch of level 30 orc berserkers will be in there with him, but you should be able to attack them one or two at a time. The berserkers are tough, so rest between fights and don’t be afraid to use potions of Haste. If you have a problem with the berserkers, you can enter the Bentley from the closed sewers. That will bypass most of them, but there are three you’ll still have to fight. Maug himself is level 40, but he’s much easier than the berserkers.

After completing the deed and returning to Pollock, you’ll receive 4600 experience and 1500 gold. You’ll also lose some alignment.

For Maug’s gang:

Muggs will ask you to collect 200 gold from Larrs (#5). Larrs, of course, won’t have that much money, so you can either kill him or pay some or all of the debt for him. Larrs is good, so killing him will upset your good-aligned followers. When you return to Muggs, you’ll receive 3100 experience and 25 gold, and Muggs will tell you to go talk to Maug at the Bentley (#7).

At the door of the Bentley, you’ll meet a gnome named Milo. He’s Maug’s right-hand man, and he’ll ask you to perform a quest before he’ll let you inside to see Maug. You’ll have to kill a half-orc named Treat (#8), who is really a shapeshifter, but who will be easy to kill all the same. When you return to Milo you’ll receive 4600 experience and 500 (or more) gold, and you’ll be allowed to enter the Bentley and see Maug.

Inside the Bentley, Maug will ask you to kill Pollock, who is in his compound (#9) protected by several gang members. If you want to be sneaky you can get to Pollock through the closed sewers, but it’s easier just to fight your way to him. Once you kill him and return to Maug you’ll receive 4600 experience and 1500 gold.

Regardless:

Also in the pub is Caleb Malloy. If you ask him about work, he’ll tell you to meet a man named Biggs on the Garrillon Bridge (#1) and pick up some whiskey for him. At the bridge, after you get the whiskey from Biggs, Malek Nebbs and three other bandits will show up. If you joined the Pollock gang, then they’ll simply attack. Otherwise, Malek will let you know that you’re interfering with a Maug operation, and you’ll have the option of letting him take the whiskey or fighting him. Back at the pub, if you deliver the whiskey to Malloy, you’ll earn 3100 experience and 500 gold. If you gave up the whiskey to Malek, then Malloy will give you 100 gold for your trouble. But note: you can tell Malloy that you lost the whiskey as many times as you want, and every time he’ll give you 100 gold.

Finally, Sebastian might appear in the pub after you speak to Edward Willoughsby at Tarant‘s City Hall. He’ll ask you to kill both Maug and Pollock, and, if you do, he’ll offer to join you. It might be worthwhile to complete this quest just for Sebastian‘s equipment (which includes a Flow Disruptor Shield). The 6400 experience doesn’t hurt, either. Sebastian is level 30, is skilled at Firearms, and has knowledge of the Electric and Explosives disciplines.