WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: At the Spine of the World #2 by Aimee Garcia, AJ Mendez, Martin Coccolo, Katrina Mae Hao and Neil Uyetake, on sale now.
Warlocks are a unique class within the wide world of Dungeons & Dragons. Their magic comes from a unique source that differs significantly from that of the standard wizard or sorcerer. And because of this, it creates a certain stereotype that they are naturally untrustworthy. In Dungeons & Dragons: At the Spine of the World #2, Amos manages to prove that this unfortunate belief may be more accurate than people who play warlocks would like to admit.
Picking up where the last issue left off, the party was approaching a hike through the mountains in the hopes of locating an ancient city protected by magic. The idea is that if it's been shielded from the unnatural blizzard surrounding the mountains, then reverse engineering that magic could save the nearby settlement from starvation. This being a Dungeons & Dragons adventure though, it is easier said than done. And while stopping for a rest the party experiences its first real test of their solidarity.
While resting for the evening, they are attacked by Frost Giant skeletons. While Runa, Saarvin, and Patience fend off their gigantic aggressors, Amos was tasked with watching over Belvyre. Commenting on how opportunities just present themselves, Amos stole Belvyre's staff, having made his interest in it known in the previous issue. As he claimed, it would mean he walked away with something from all of this, hinting at his lost Chardalynn shipment. Amos then threw the other party members off a cliff before leaving them for dead.
Amos' betrayal of his teammates was both sudden and somehow not entirely unexpected. It was already revealed that he was working for someone to ship the Chardalynn in the first place. Whoever this shrouded figure is, he clearly does not accept failure and was confident Amos would return to him, claiming that he owned Amos' life. This might be why Amos took the staff, viewing it as a good consolation prize if he couldn't acquire the Chardalynn. And there is also the possibility that the strange mineral affected his mind like it did everyone else who came into contact with it. But Amos demonstrated none of the psychotic breaks that came with Chardalynn craze, so for now, that possibility can be discounted. It is far more likely he is acting of his own free will.
And this brings up the unfortunate amount of distrust held against warlocks. Unlike a wizard, who trains in the mystical arts, or a sorcerer, whose powers are innate to their bloodline, a warlock derives their magical talents by making a pact with another, more powerful entity. This entity usually has goals of its own and merely empowers its chosen warlock to act as their enforcer in the world. The motives may be good, neutral or evil, it depends entirely on the creature. But the warlock is bound to them and their whims and as such it is not always one hundred percent certain whose side they're on. And due to the figure in the shadows not being revealed yet, there is no way to tell for certain if Amos is obeying the demands of his pact master or if he is merely trying to repay a debt. Either way, Amos has betrayed the party and proved that his class is not one a player can put their faith in lightly.