AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

EPISODE 2

KILLING
AETHERIUM 3
5E
COMPATABLE SEASON
 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE
This is a brief summary of the six episodes of this Fable.

Episode 1: Razorfin
The heroes thwart a rebel group's ill-conceived plans to
steal an aetherium-powered submarine.

Episode 2: Killing Aetherium

Magitech malfunctions in Talavi draw the heroes into
an investigation where they discover a mysterious figure
looking to disrupt the Empire.

Episode 3: The Smoking Coils

The heroes prevent several plots against the Empire and
learn they were all coordinated by Brimstone, a shadowy,
world-spanning organization.

Episode 4: Trace of Deception

3
Brimstone now recognizes the heroes as a threat and use
moles within the Agency to frame the characters and turn
the Empire against them.

Episode 5: My Enemy’s Enemy

Following the trail of a dirty bomb, the heroes uncover a
secret imperial project, and they must fight to stop a poten-
tially world-altering disaster.

Episode 6: Planebreaker
SEASON

With a potential doomsday approaching, the heroes must

infiltrate the Agency itself to uncover the fiendish plans that
could destroy the Empire. But information isn’t enough –
they’ll need to find allies, stay ahead of a trained killer, and
race against the clock to stop a world-wide catastrophe.

2
Season Overview
 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

CONTENTS
Editor's message......................................5 Appendix A: New Monsters................... 60
New Creature Listing...........................................60
Welcome to Fables!.................................6 Aether Elemental..................................................61
You are a Game Master..........................................6 Aether Mephit......................................................62
Running this Fable..................................................6 Aetherium Researcher..........................................63
Aethertouched Beasts...........................................64
Fabled Follies..........................................8 Andronicus...........................................................66
“Animated” Slot Machine.....................................67
This Fable’s Story....................................9 Buucahb...............................................................68
Introduction.........................................................10 Haywire Mech Suit...............................................69
Episode 2 Overview..............................................10 Headmaster Stremolus..........................................70
Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate........... 12 Master Agent........................................................71
Snow Leopard......................................................72
Mission Brief........................................................14
Thorvin Saltspray.................................................73
Rendezvous with a Rival.......................................15
On the Trail.........................................................17 Appendix B:
Putting the Pieces Together...................................19
Cathedral of Valmunas.........................................20 New Equipment and Magic Items.......... 74
Debrief.................................................................23
Appendix C:
Character Advancement.......................................23
Player Characters - Level 4..................... 76
Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi................. 25 Agent Advancement Rules....................................76
Mission Briefing...................................................26 PreGen Characters...............................................77
Power Grid Overload............................................29 Dach....................................................................78
The Avar Academy...............................................33 Fej........................................................................80
To the Casino!......................................................35 Hajuso..................................................................82
Jehpso..................................................................84
Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit..................... 36 Larc.....................................................................86
Headmaster’s Briefing..........................................38 Olen.....................................................................88
Entering the Grand Casino...................................41 Omair..................................................................90
Getting to Fenry...................................................47 Rein.....................................................................92
Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory...... 49 Appendix D: Pronunciation Guide............. 94
Welcome to Fenry.................................................50
The Aftermath......................................................59 Open Game License............................... 96
Debrief.................................................................59
Character Advancement.......................................59
The Story Continues.............................................59

3
 FABLES TEAM
Episode 2: Killing Aetherium
Written by: Carl Sibley
Head of Fables: Joe Raso
Story Design: Joe Raso
Art Director: Marius Bota
Agents of the Empire Writing Team: Leon Barillaro,
Chad M. Lensch, JVC Parry, Joe Raso, Erin Roberts,
Carl Sibley, Jeff C. Stevens
Managing Editor: Joe Raso
Editors: Matt Click, Shawn Merwin, Christopher Walz
Graphic Design: Martin Hughes
Cover Design: Martin Hughes
Interior Illustrators: Kristian Agerkvist, Isabeau Backhaus,
Zoe Badini, Ioana Elena Barbu, Kerstin Evans, Andrei
Iacob, Katariina Sofia Kemi, Diana Khomutina, Ona
Kristensen, Natasha Nanook, Elizabeth Peiró, Andreia Ugrai
Aleksandra Wojtas
Cartographers: Andrei Iacob, Damien Mammoloti
Comic: Brian Patterson
VTT Asset Design: Joshua Orchard
Special Thanks: Mitchell Brown

GHOSTFIRE GAMING
TTRPG TEAM
General Manager, TTRPG: Phil Beckwith
Communications and PR: Hannah Peart, Kathryn Griggs
Products Design: Simon Sherry, Josh Orchard
Game Designers: Shawn Merwin, James J. Haeck, Joe Raso
Art Direction: Suzanne Helmigh, Marius Bota, Ona Kristensen,
Kerstin Evans, Matt DeMino
Graphic Design: Martin Hughes
Media Team: Bern Byrne, Dante Szabo
Ghostfire Gaming Discord Community Managers:
Ian “Butters” Gratton, Nelson “Deathven” Di Carlo,
Tom “Viking Walrus” Garland, Caleb “Connendarf” Englehart,
CREDITS

Cameron “C4Burgers” Brechin

Special thanks to the creative wizards at Wizards of the Coast for

being the caring stewards of this game we love.

Special thanks to our playtesters and every one of the passionate

roleplayers of the Ghostfire Gaming community. Your feedback and
your love of storytelling and monster-slaying is what drives us to
create games.

Credits
 EDITOR'S MESSAGE
Welcome to our second Agents of the Empire episode. was nearly double the size of the Washington Monument,
Inside, you’ll find an exciting adventure crafted by the which was the world’s tallest structure at the time.
wonderfully talented Carl Sibley. This disbelief in the design’s feasibility was combined with
When we began designing the world of Tholus, we a disdain for its visual appeal. A petition signed by leading
wanted each region to feel unique, with its own culture that artists and architects was presented to stop its construction:
came through in the stories we would tell.
“We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate
The brunt of this adventure takes place in Talavi. Our
devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest
setting guide describes the province as “…the cultural and
with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name
artistic heart of Tholus.” It’s the place where learning and
of slighted French taste, against the erection … of this
creativity are a way of life. What better place to show the
useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower …
conflict between adopting new technology and staying true
to the learnings of the past? The hatred of the new design comes through clearly.
The headmaster of the Avar Academy, our final villain for Reading these words today seems remarkable, knowing
this adventure, is an academic desperately railing against how beloved the tower has become. How do we decide
the irrepressible advancement of technology. He detests the which innovation should be embraced versus shunned?
arrival of magictech, believing it an insult to what is true “Creative Destruction” is a term coined by a German
and beautiful – the study of pure arcane magic. This conflict economist in the 1950s to explain industry’s continual evo-
between traditional spellcasting and the arrival of magitech lution, describing how innovation rebuilt economic struc-
is an apt interpretation of the province’s cultural conflict. tures by “…incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly
But is this conflict enough to drive the actions of a creating a new one.”
villain? Why would a person who revels in the study of This idea describes well the turmoil caused as old methods
magic be so violently against magitech’s development? are discarded for a new way of doing things. At the start of
The clash of ideals between what should be celebrated and the 1900s, automobile mass production eliminated the horse
what should be discarded is something we struggle with in our and carriage trade in only a few decades. One can question
world. A real-world example is Paris and the Eiffel Tower. whether the arrival of motorized vehicles was ultimately
The tower was constructed as the centerpiece for good for society, but what cannot be argued is that this
the 1889 World’s Fair. Today, the elegant iron lattice advancement changed the world.
skyscraper is a world-recognized symbol synonymous with As a GM, how will you present the world of Tholus?
the French capital’s enchanting mystique. When presenting Though the lives of most citizens have improved thanks
the tower’s design to France’s civil engineering society to magitech, others have certainly suffered because of
(Société des Ingénieurs Civils), Eiffel described it as: it. Our episode 2 villain has decided what’s
acceptable and what’s not. How will your
“…not only the art of the modern engineer, but also the
players respond to the conflict, and how
century of Industry and Science in which we are living,
will their characters react?
and for which the way was prepared by the great scientific
Until next time,
movement of the eighteenth century...”
happy adventuring!!!
Yet reception by intellectuals of the day was less than
enthusiastic. Many derided the design. Nothing of its Joe Raso
height had yet been constructed, and its 300-meter height Fables Editor

Editor's message 5
 WELCOME TO FABLES!
You hold in your hands the second episode of Agents (NPCs), and play monsters and villains who long to
of the Empire, a story of intrigue and excitement evoking bring a swift end to the heroes’ adventures. The players
thrilling super-spy adventures but set in a fantasy setting. at your table are storytellers in their own right. Though
Each episode of this Fable contains about four game they embody a single character each while you embody
sessions’ worth of thrilling fifth edition adventure, enough many, the players have the power to make decisions
to entertain a weekly group of roleplaying game (RPG) that will change the world forever. The best GMs are
players until the next episode arrives a month later. willing to improvise, even ignoring the text of a Fable
when necessary, to ensure the characters’ actions have

YOU ARE A GAME MASTER

consequences — for both good and ill.
If you don’t plan to run this Fable, stop reading now.
What follows is for the Game Master’s eyes only.
As Game Master (GM) of a Fable, you have the power of

RUNNING THIS FABLE

a storyteller, spinning tales of heroism and adventure to
a rapt audience. Imagine yourself dressed in the clothes
of a traveling bard, your face cast in glowing firelight as
you weave a tapestry of words. Your words draw those Fables is an episodic adventure series using the fifth edition
who sit around the fire with you into another world — but of the world’s oldest roleplaying game. To play, you need
they aren’t just the audience of these tales, but actors and the free fifth edition System Reference Document, or the
storytellers themselves. books that make up the fifth edition core rules.
The GM’s role is to establish the setting of each scene in This Fable takes place in Tholus, the home world of the
this Fable, introduce and portray its nonplayer characters Karelagne Empire. Less than a century ago, the city-state

6 Welcome to Fables
of Karel established a stable portal to the Astral Plane,
from which they brought back aetherium, a rare and Running a Fantasy
Super Spy Campaign
extremely valuable magical crystal.
Access to aetherium rocketed Karel’s magical technology
ahead centuries. Their magitech advancements allowed
Agents of the Empire is a story about daring super-spies
Karel to conquer its rivals, ending centuries of bloody
working to protect the Empire from shadowy organizations
conflict, and creating the Karelagne Empire that now
threatening to destroy it. The villains use nefarious plans
effectively governs most of its homeworld.
to achieve their ends, and the heroes are often the only
This new setting is described in the Agents of the Empire
ones who stand in their way, often in seemingly impossible
Setting Guide, included with each episode of this Fable.
situations. Only through their daring and determination
Before beginning this Fable, familiarize yourself with the
can the heroes save the day.
locations, NPCs, and lore of the setting, as well as some
As the GM, consider it your role to communicate the
new super-spy themed rules found in the setting guide.
tone of this campaign to your players. Because this is an
Additionally, the following information will help you run
RPG campaign, you don’t need to be tonally consistent the
this Fable as GM.
way a book or a movie is, but playing this story as a dark

Episodes and Chapters

fantasy dirge when its tone is high-stakes heroic action
might make players feel awkward or confused.
Three major elements in this story inform its tone, and
A Fable is a complete story, released in six monthly
you and your players will probably have more fun if you
episodes. Each episode is an arc of this overall story. An
keep these elements in mind while prepping and running
episode is designed for a specific range of levels. As the
each chapter of this Fable:
GM, you’re empowered to run an episode for characters of
a higher or lower level than recommended, but be prepared Heroic Agents. The characters are heroic agents tasked
for a more challenging or easier session unless you alter the with protecting the Empire and its people. Regardless
challenges and monsters the characters face. of the characters’ individual views on the Karelagne
Each episode presents a self-contained adventure, typically Empire, the shadowy threats they face jeopardize the
organized in three or four chapters. Some episodes provide a well-being of everyone. Often the characters are the only
linear series of encounters that drive the plot forward, while ones capable of stopping this evil.
others present more of a sandbox approach allowing the Mystery and Intrigue. The heroes work for the Agency,
players to weave their way through the story. a well-kept secret of the Empire. It was founded to
discretely counteract dangers that military force alone

Monsters, Magic, and More

could not. When the heroes are sent on a mission, they
often must uncover clues that lead to the true threats
When you see text in bold, that’s the Fable’s way of telling endangering the Empire.
you a scene or location contains a monster or NPC that’s Dynamic Action. This Fable’s story was inspired by
ready to fight. New monsters and NPCs in Fables are usual- super-spy action-adventure films. These tales are filled
ly found in appendix A of the episode in which they appear. with over-the-top villains, outlandish world-threatening
If a monster’s name appears in bold but isn’t followed by plots, and thrilling high-stakes drama. The characters
“(see appendix A)” or a similar pointer, then that monster’s are remarkable heroes who must somehow find ways to
game statistics are found in the fifth edition core rules. narrowly escape seemingly impossible situations. As a
When you see text in italics, that’s the Fable’s way of GM, try to evoke the death-defying actions of the char-
telling you that you’re looking at the name of a spell (like acters and find ways to say yes to their outrageous plans.
hideous laughter) or a magic item (like winged boots).
Most spells and magic items are found in the fifth edition
core rules. New spells and magic items are described
in an episode’s appendixes as well, indicated by a “(see
appendix B)” pointer.
This Fable’s story was inspired
When you see boxed text like this, the characters have likely
by super-spy action-adventure
entered a new area or triggered an event such as an NPC films. These tales are filled with
entering the scene. This text is meant for the GM to read or
paraphrase aloud to the players to set the scene. over-the-top villains, outlandish
world-threatening plots, and
thrilling high-stakes drama.

Welcome to Fables 7
 FABLED FOLLIES
BY BRIAN PATTERSON

8 Welcome to Fables
 THIS FABLE’S STORY
This primer on the story and backstory of Agents of swarms of insect-like fiends poured, feeling an instinctive
the Empire will help you tell a compelling and cohesive connection to Folly’s landscape of arcane devastation.
narrative from episode to episode. Arriving with this fiendish deluge were several swarms
manifesting an exceptional communal intelligence. Among
Overview their infernal powers was the ability to infest the bodies of
the newly dead, animating them to appear as they had in
In this Fable, the characters are secret agents working for life. Four of these powerful fiendish swarms infested people
the Agency, a covert organization protecting the Karelagne who had died in Folly’s planar disaster. The fiends adopted
Empire from nefarious groups. the personas of these individuals and integrated themselves
The characters learn over the course of this Fable that a into the Empire.
criminal organization called Brimstone has embedded itself
into the highest levels of the Empire. Additionally, their inves- Fiendish Sovereign General
tigations uncover a dangerous project threatening not only the Two of these infernal infestations took on the forms of
Empire but potentially the entire world and planes beyond. Domas Brandel and Velaasa Sorn, a pair of Karelagnian
aristocrats with strong connections in the imperial
Backstory government. Domas was a naturally charismatic leader,
and with Velaasa’s support, the fiend rose to be elected as
The Karelagne Empire is the undisputed power controlling the third Sovereign General to rule the Karelagne Empire.
the world of Tholus. Its rise to dominance over most of its
world ended centuries of bloody conflict between the rival
city states that sought to dominate one another.
Infernal Weakness
Though the fiendish infestations are powerful, their
separation from their infernal home and others of their
Discovery of the Aetherial Expanse kind gradually weakens them. They will eventually die
The true rise of the Empire began when Karel opened unless they can again bathe in the infernal energies of their
a stable gateway to the Aetherial Expanse, a vast sea of home world. Unfortunately for them, their home plane is
magical aether on the Astral Plane. Access to this realm exceedingly difficult to access and is impervious to most
brought a wealth of magical aetherium and energized planar transportation.
the development of new magitech. Karel’s technomages To rectify this, Domas is secretly using the Empire’s
created wonderous and powerful new technologies. New resources to open a permanent gateway to their infernal
aetherium-powered ships and devastating weapons gave plane in hopes of flooding Tholus with others of his kind.
the Empire a huge military advantage over its rivals. He dreams of leading swarms of his fiendish kin to conquer
all of Tholus and worlds beyond.
The Folly Disaster
However, an attempt by Karel to create another portal
Brimstone and the Spider
into the Aetherial Expanse resulted in the terrible event Domas may be confident he can open a portal to their
most refer to as the Folly Disaster. Waves of land-twisting infernal realm in time to prevent their demise, but Velaasa
magical energy washed over the land, devastating Sorn has been working on a backup plan in case he fails.
everything in its path. The incident effectively ended all Velaasa secretly created Brimstone, to be a covert
resistance to the Empire’s ascendance, with the last region organization that positions itself as “the Empire’s loyal
agreeing to join the Empire out of desperation, as well as opposition.” It works to simultaneously undermine
fear that Karel had developed a new super-weapon. the Empire while also researching a means to forestall
Velaasa’s death. Her goal is to survive until Domas finally
succumbs to the prolonged separation from their kindred.
A Fiendish Legacy Once she outlasts the Sovereign General, she plans to finish
What few realize is that the Folly Disaster temporarily the infernal portal to their home plane and take control of
opened a portal to a fiendish plane, through which their infernal brethren when they arrive.

...a criminal organization called Brimstone has embedded

itself into the highest levels of the Empire.

Welcome to Fables 9
 INTRODUCTION
This adventure is designed for 4th-level characters. GMs
are encouraged to use the new agent advancement rules
found in the Agents of the Empire Setting Guide.

EPISODE 2 OVERVIEW
This episode begins with the characters hunting down
a pair of escaped criminals in Karel with a fellow agent
Episode Overview

named Adronicus. After investigating a seedy bar, a

suspicious alleyway, and a homey apothecary shop, clues
lead the agents to a temple where the criminals await a
contact looking to smuggle them out of the city.

The characters then investigate mysterious magitech

malfunctions in the Empire's Talavi province.

Disturbances in Talavi
The characters then investigate mysterious magitech
malfunctions in the Empire’s Talavi province. Shortly
INTRODUCTION

after their arrival, an incident draws the characters into

the sewers, where they discover a sabotaged aetherium
generator.

Trouble at the Casino

The characters arrive at the prestigious Avar Academy,
Talavi’s premier magic school. There they receive a warm
welcome from Headmaster Stremolus. The headmaster
warns the characters that he’s received an anonymous tip
of another potentially deadly sabotage event at the Grand
Casino of Averna.

True Target
After investigating several suspects, the characters discover
that the events at the casino are a red herring intended
to keep them occupied while the true target, an advanced
aetherium lab, is attacked.
The characters must rush to this lab in a nearby city
and deal with threats before learning the headmaster has
coordinated these events. They also discover Stremolus
was goaded by a mysterious figure known only as “Spider”
to initiate these attacks and that Spider’s web of influence
may span the entire Karelagne Empire.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 e
c hi g
learseaewnh
rsdteeis
Mission Urgency
Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of this adventure all take place during
a single day. Characters will have opportunities for short
rests during those chapters, but there will be no time for
long rests.

d r
Adventure Background

o t l l
Information about the province of Talavi and this episode’s

i
primary villains (Stremolus and Spider) are provided below.

e,m z aroc
Talavi
The province of Talavi is considered by most to be
the artistic hub of the Empire. The capital
of Avarna is home to some of Tholus’s most
glorious gardens, architecture, and greatest

h
artistic achievements.

l
The Avar Academy is renowned for training its students

edel
in sword, spell, and song. In addition to the study of the
arcane arts, it is famous for teaching the beautiful but
deadly fighting style known as the dance of daggers.

Stremolus and Spider

l
Spider is a mysterious figure whose existence is unknown

l
to the characters at the start of this Fable, though they
discover they have unknowingly aided Spider's aims.

u
In later episodes, they learn that Spider’s true identity
is Field Captain Velaasa Sorn, a Karelagne official
who secretly runs Brimstone, a powerful organization

.m
manipulating events across the world of Tholus.
Before the events of this episode, Spider exchanged
letters with Headmaster Stremolus, the overseer of Talavi’s
premier magic academy. Spider preyed on Headmaster
Stremolus’ fears of magitech and what it could mean for
the future of “pure” magic. Stremolus sabotaged aetheri-
um machinery across Talavi to sway public opinion against
the continued adoption of magitech. Spider provided
Stremolus with the contacts to the Whispered Wind, a
secretive faction looking for Talavi to take over the Empire.
Stremolus hopes to destroy all magitech research at Talavi’s
biggest aetherium lab by whatever means necessary, which
aligns nicely with the Whispered Wind’s goals of weakening
Karel’s grip on the Empire.

Character Advancement
The characters begin this adventure at 4th level and can
advance to 5th level at the end of this episode.
If the Agents of the Empire Setting Guide’s optional agent
advancement rules are used, characters can expect to gain
at least one agent milestone during this episode. If this is the
character’s first adventure working for the Agency, consider
allowing them to begin this episode as agents of rank 2.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Introduction 11

 CHAPTER 1:
THE CAT AND THE PIRATE
A pair of hardened criminals have escaped from Karel
Penitentiary. The characters must partner with a fellow agent to
track down the duo and bring them back into custody.
 MISSION BRIEF
Two dangerous criminals, Snow Leopard and Thorvin
Saltspray, have escaped Karel Penitentiary. The characters
must track them down and capture them alive. They are to
be brought back to the penitentiary alive.
Usually, the Karel constabulary would take point on this
sort of work, but these particular criminals are dangerous,
stealthy, and highly skilled, privy to secrets that could
jeopardize the safety of other agents. The Agency has
activated the characters to deal with the problem, and the
government has issued a reward for information leading to
the fugitives’ capture.
This time, there’s also a twist: the characters aren’t
embarking on this mission alone. They’re partnering with
a fellow agent who’s especially familiar with the ins and
outs of Karel City. They have instructions to meet this
agent—who goes by the name Andronicus—in Evergreen
The Cat and the Pirate

Park in the heart of Karel.

Operation Salty Snow

Mission Primer:
• Two dangerous enemies of the Empire—Snow
Leopard and Thorvin Saltspray—recently escaped
from Karel Penitentiary.
• They have extensive criminal connections across
Tholus and the Aetherial Expanse. Beyond that,
they have knowledge of Agency operatives that
could endanger agents in the field.

Tactical:
• Snow Leopard was a deadly assassin known for his
CHAPTER 1

speed and ability to kill targets with his bare hands.

• Thorvin Saltspray was a feared pirate whose axe laid
waste to many sailors on the Aetherial Expanse.
• Reports suggest the fugitives were seen at
three locations:
• Darkmantle Den Bar; see bartender Callie Alakiri
• An alleyway between 18th and Bell Street
• Salt & Sage, an apothecary shop

Agent Support:
• Agents will work with Andronicus, an Agency operative
with an extensive knowledge of Karel.
• Proceed immediately to Evergreen Park to rendezvous
with Andronicus to start your mission.

Primary Objective:
• Find and capture the fugitives.
• Return them alive to Agency headquarters.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

RENDEZVOUS while insinuating that he’s doing them a favor by gracing

WITH A RIVAL
them with his presence.
Andronicus and the characters know the following from
their briefing about escaped criminals Snow Leopard and
Each character received a mission scroll (see appendix B) Thorvin Saltspray:
containing the text of Operation Salty Snow. One charac- Who They Are. Snow Leopard was a deadly monk who
ter also possesses the team’s messaging plate (see appen- assassinated seven government officials in Karel before
dix B) for communicating with headquarters. being brought to justice. Thorvin Saltspray was a feared
The adventure begins with the characters waiting at a pirate on the Aetherial Expanse, known for sinking many
statue in Evergreen Park for Andronicus as directed by Karelagne ships. They are to be brought back to the
their mission scroll. Read or paraphrase the following: penitentiary alive so they can serve out the rest of their
sentences, and so the government can call upon them for
You stand beside a towering statue of Sovereign-General information about criminal networks across the Empire.
Domas Brandel, ruling leader of the Karelagne Empire. When They Escaped. Both criminals escaped Karel
His granite likeness cuts an imposing figure among the Penitentiary earlier this morning. Apparently Thorvin
trees and bushes of Evergreen Park. used smuggled explosives to blow a hole in their cell large
Here you were directed to meet with your partner for enough for Snow Leopard to slip through, at which point
this mission: a fellow agent named Andronicus. Soon, Snow Leopard knocked out a few guards and escaped with
you see someone approach — a man with chin-length
Thorvin in tow.
Where They’ve Been. According to the reports, the
blond hair and dark tinted glasses. He steps up to you,
pair were spotted together at three locations: a seedy bar
removes his glasses, and smirks.
called Darkmantle Den, an alleyway between 18th and Bell
“So, I take it you’re the agents assigned to tag along Street, and at an apothecary shop called Salt & Sage.
with me on this mission? Charmed.” Why Andronicus? The characters have been asked
to partner with Andronicus because of his extensive
This man is Andronicus (see appendix A). It was clarified in knowledge of Karel's City’s layout. He was born and
the mission brief that Andronicus and the characters were raised in the city and spent significant time studying its
to be partners on this mission: neither is of higher rank than every street and district. He can get the characters to any
the other. But Andronicus can’t stand sharing the spotlight destination they want by the most efficient routes possible.
with other operatives. He sees this up-and-coming team as a The Agency also thinks that Andronicus and the characters
threat to his success as an agent. He resorts to intimidation, could learn a thing or two from each other’s styles of
backhandedly congratulating the team’s previous efforts conduct (Andronicus doubts this).

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate 15

 leraecew h
i gT
rs e oa m
hatl fpo
sddteaesnm
t i u u a
zailrlaethqtielcopc
hr o
c o
f t s
n y r
edellpuiohedwiilocsa
lulaim o
o w p
Roleplaying Andronicus

c c
Andronicus accompanies the characters as they investigate
each of the three locations from the reports. He seems

reohtte
self-righteous and smug, but don’t have him take the
metaphorical front seat. The players should never feel like
Andronicus is taking narrative agency away from them.
By the end of this chapter, the characters should resent
Andronicus and see him as an insufferable rival. He’s a
recurring character who will return as an antagonist in

a
episode 6: so the more they dislike him now, the higher
the stakes will be later.
If Andronicus does fall unconscious during this
chapter, let him roll death saving throws like a player
character. If he dies, it’s not the end of his story: the “If
Andronicus Died” sidebar in chapter 2 provides guidance
on setting up for his return in episode 6.

...the characters should resent

Andronicus and see him as an
insufferable rival.

16 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 This bartender is Callie Alakiri (N female half-elf veteran).

ON THE TRAIL She’s the one who reported seeing Snow Leopard and Thor-
vin at the bar earlier that day. She’ll talk to the characters,
In this section, the characters and Andronicus visit each of but she’s not sure if they’re trustworthy. She doesn’t want to
the three places that Thorvin and Snow Leopard were last get tricked by any of Snow Leopard or Thorvin’s goons.
spotted. They can visit these locations in any order they If the characters can prove to Callie that they are work-
choose. Traveling from one location to another takes about ing to recapture the fugitives, then she tells them what
30 minutes on foot. happened. A convincing case followed by a successful DC
Characters can take short rests in this section if they feel 12 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check should
like it. But there’s no time for a long rest: they can’t let the be enough.
trail go cold.
Callie’s Summary
Callie saw Snow Leopard and Thorvin come in earlier
Optional City Encounter today at around opening time. Both were wearing
If you’d like another encounter to challenge your players, nondescript clothes that didn’t fit right: she figures the
the following can be used when they travel between the two of them probably knocked out the first poor suckers
three destinations. they could find after escaping, swapping prison uniforms
As the characters pass by a fountain, a young newly- for plain clothes. She only even recognized them because
engaged gnome couple calls out to them. Their names are Thorvin used to work here long before he became a
Anders and Janetta (commoners). Anders just finished pirate on the Aetherial Expanse. It seemed like he didn’t
proposing to Janetta, but as he was going to put the ring remember her, though. Thorvin ordered a drink at the bar,
on her finger he accidentally dropped it into the water. and Callie overheard the two planning to meet with an old
When they tried to retrieve the ring, the water formed friend in the Ocean Ward this evening.
into a face and snapped its teeth at them. Clues to Find the Fugitives. After chatting with Callie,
The couple begs the characters to retrieve their ring. the characters should know that they’ll find Snow Leopard
The ring was expensive, so the couple offers to pay 100 gp and Thorvin in the Ocean Ward. But there are too many
total for its safe return. buildings in the Ocean Ward to scour the entire area. If they
A water elemental lives in this fountain, which is haven’t already, they must narrow down their options by
littered with copper and silver pieces. The water elemental gathering more information from the other informants.
has “eaten” the ring. It’s visible through the water
elemental’s transparent body, but characters must defeat Greedy Patron
the elemental to retrieve the ring. The elemental attacks If the characters fail to convince Callie of their trustworthi-
anyone who tries to take anything from the fountain. ness, they can still get the information they’re looking for
The ring is worth 500 gold pieces. Its gemstone is a from someone else at this bar. But it’ll come at a price.
little diamond. A human man in a wide-brimmed hat sits at a corner
table, slowly drinking a mug of ale. His name is Raylis
Moining (N male human noble). He was recently laid off
from his job at the cartographer’s guild, and he’s been
Darkmantle Den wasting his days away at bars ever since.
Raylis Moining was here when Snow Leopard and
This bar has seen its fair share of shady deals and bar- Thorvin came through, and he heard everything that
fights. Darkmantle Den is nestled between two dishev- Callie did. But he wants some payment upfront, and not
eled apartment buildings, and it’s been around longer just any old payment: magic items. He knows that if the
than both of them. Instead of a sign above its door, the characters are working with the government, they’re
bar merely has a painted wooden cutout of a darkmantle bound to have some valuable loot. If the characters give
— a creature that looks like a cross between an octopus him a magic item or magitech item of uncommon rarity
and a stalagmite. or higher, he’ll tell them everything he knows. (Refer to
The characters know that their contact here is the Callie’s summary of events.)
bartender. Read or paraphrase the following when
characters enter the bar.

The day is still young, so this bar is mostly empty. The dim
purple lanterns hanging from the ceiling leave corners ...they'll find Snow Leopard and
of the room in light and others in shadow. A half-elf
bartender raises an eyebrow at you as she cleans a glass
Thorvin in the Ocean Ward.
behind the bar.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate 17

 • Weevil is Small and has 50 hit points.
18th & Bell Alleyway • He has these racial traits: He can move through the
space of a Medium or larger creature. He has advantage
This alleyway is filthy. It’s tucked far away from any main on saving throws against being frightened. He speaks
streets. A few rats meander across the cobblestones like Common and Halfling.
they own the place.
The informant who told the Agency about this place wanted
to remain anonymous. When the characters first arrive, they What They Know
seem to be alone. After the characters have been waiting for Weevil and his gang never saw Snow Leopard or Thorvin,
about a minute, read or paraphrase the following. but they heard the government was looking for the two and
they figured a false report would be the perfect opportunity
Soon, you see shadowy figures walk down the alleyway. to spring an ambush on some unsuspecting government
First two, then four, then too many to count. A window agents. They resent the government of Karel for cracking
opens above you and a wiry halfling man leaps out from down on their gang’s activity and want to teach them a les-
it, landing on the ground in front of you. He wears odd- son. They know nothing about the fugitives’ whereabouts.
looking boots on his feet.
The halfling stands up and cracks his knuckles as more
thugs fill in behind him. “Looks like these government
rats walked right into our trap. Get ‘em, boys.”
...a false report would be the
This man is Weevil, leader of a small-time gang called
the Knockbacks. The gang members behind him are perfect opportunity to spring
twelve bandits, comprised of a mixture of human, dwarf,
and halfling. Weevil is a halfling bandit captain who an ambush...
wears a pair of boots of striding and springing and has
these changes:

18th & Bell Alleyway

1 Square = 5 feet

18 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 Helena’s Secret
The truth is, Helena sells poisons out of this shop on the
down-low. Snow Leopard was one of her longtime custom-
ers before he went to jail. He bought three vials of poison
off her today before leaving the shop. Helena’s business is
struggling at the moment: so even though she herself is a
criminal, she took the risk of reporting his whereabouts to
reap the bounty.
If the characters discover the truth, they can decide what
to do about it. Selling poisons is illegal in Karel. But Hele-
na is also helping them catch a bigger criminal. Andronicus
pushes hard for her arrest, but ultimately backs down if the
players disagree.
Capturing Helena. If the characters try to take Helena
into custody, she whistles loudly and the plants in the shop
spring to her defense: twelve awakened shrubs and four
violet fungi.

Helena’s Wares
The characters can buy herbalism kits at this shop, as well
as many herbal spell components. Helena also has two po-
tions of healing in stock. She secretly has two vials of basic
Salt & Sage poison in stock too, but she doesn’t publicize those.

PUTTING THE
This apothecary shop is in a safe and somewhat affluent
part of town. It’s not just a shop: it’s also a greenhouse.
Read or paraphrase the following as the characters enter:

This shop smells strongly of incense and sweet-smelling PIECES TOGETHER

herbs. Plants and bushes grow between aisles of herbal After gathering information from the bartender and the
medicine, soaking up sun from the translucent ceiling. An apothecary, the characters know that they’ll find Thorvin
elderly human woman stands on a stool, stocking shelves. and Snow Leopard at a cathedral in the Ocean Ward. Any
character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (History
This woman is Helena Polk (N female human druid). She’s or Religion) check knows this can be only one place: the
the apothecary who runs this shop, and she’s also the in- Cathedral of Valmunas. If nobody in the party knows,
formant who reported seeing Snow Leopard and Thorvin. Andronicus gloatingly divulges this information for them.
Helena is happy to share the following information: It should take the characters about an hour to get to the
cathedral on foot.
Helena’s Story
She saw Snow Leopard and Thorvin come in earlier today.
They were dressed in baggy clothes that didn’t fit either of
them well. They perused the wares, and Helena overheard
The Goddess Valmunas
them planning to meet up with an old friend at a cathedral Anyone born in the Karelagne Empire knows about
this evening. They left without buying anything. Valmunas, one of the creator gods of the Tholian
Relaying this story makes Helena nervous. A DC 10 pantheon. Also known as the Rememberer, the Quiet
Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that she’s not being Sister, and the Peacemaker, Valmunas is the goddess of
completely honest when she says they “left without secrets and the night. Her symbol is a crescent moon
buying anything.” encircled by stars. Her other divine interests include the
Clues to Find the Fugitives. By the time they leave moon, protection, reconciliation, and tides.
the apothecary shop, the characters should know that Valmunas is the twin sister of Arthunas, god of light
they’ll find Thorvin and Snow Leopard at a cathedral. and truth. She is less fervent than her brother, but no less
But there are too many cathedrals in Karel to scour each. engaged in the welfare of Tholus. Anything said or done
If they haven’t already, the characters must narrow down at night or in dark places is known to Valmunas. Of all
their options by gathering more information from the the gods, she is most trusted by the rest of the pantheon
other informants. for her ability to keep information confided to her secret.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate 19

 s l
eucsotehdtearlslohizliiucdhldl
are
conrtmyo s ,a ww oc m a l.
o p leeetr o
i u
eaoem th
You see a ghost slowly circle the

CATHEDRAL OF VALMUNAS
perimeter of the cathedral...
The Cathedral of Valmunas sits in the Ocean Ward of
Karel, a few blocks from the docks. It is evening when the
characters arrive. Most dockworkers have cleared out of
this area by then, leaving it quiet and empty.
C1. Front Doors
Since the cathedral is closed to the public today, the ghost

Exploring the Cathederal

of an unnamed elf priest patrols the entire exterior of the
building. If he notices anyone trying to break into the
cathedral, he bellows “Intrude not upon the sanctum of the
Read or paraphrase the following when the characters
night!” and attacks.
arrive at the cathedral:
The front door is locked and can be picked with a
The Cathedral of Valmunas is small and unremarkable. successful DC 10 Dexterity check and thieves’ tools. It can
Its spires are short, its stained-glass windows are dull also be bashed down with a successful DC 20 Strength
(Athletics) check, but doing so creates enough noise to
shades of gray, and its outer walls seem persistently soiled
instantly alert the ghosts in areas 1 and 2.
with the excrement of seagulls no matter how many times
Any characters dressed as a priest can make a DC 15
they’ve been cleaned. Still, many Karelians come here to
Deception check. If successful, the ghosts ignore them,
pay their respects to the goddess Valmunas every week. presuming they are affiliated with the temple.
Today, however, is not a day of worship. The cathedral Characters with a passive Perception of 18 or more—
looks dark from the outside and its front doors are closed. or characters who inspect the cathedral and succeed on
a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check—notice that one
Andronicus—and characters who succeed on a DC 15 of the stained-glass windows is missing a pane (Snow
Intelligence (History or Religion) check—knows that the Leopard and Thorvin removed it when they snuck into
Cathedral of Valmunas is supposedly guarded by two the building). The resulting opening is large enough for a
ghosts. Fighting with these ghosts is ill-advised: better to Medium character to fit through. This opening is 20 feet
sneak past them. Anyone looking at the top of the cathedral off the ground. Climbing up to the opening requires a
notices one of them. successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. On a failure,
a character falls to the ground, taking 7 (2d6) bludgeoning
You see a ghost slowly circle the perimeter of the cathedral, damage, and automatically draws the attention of the
floating 15 feet in the air. patrolling ghost.

20 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

C2. Vestibule are sitting in front of the altar waiting for their mutual
contact to arrive. Read or paraphrase the following:
This small room acts as an antechamber to the rest of the
church. The ceiling in this room is fifteen feet high. Two Sitting on the steps in front of the altar are two men. One
doors lead north to the main area of the cathedral. Both is a bald tiefling with skin as white as alabaster. The other
are unlocked. is a bearded dwarf with a gnarly-looking scar across his
The ghost of an unnamed gnome priest floats back and
right eye. This duo is none other than Snow Leopard and
forth in this room in a consistent pattern. If she notices
Thorvin Saltspray.
anyone entering or passing through this room, she shouts,
“Trespassers shall be spared no mercy!” and attacks. This
ghost cannot exit this room or affect creatures outside this If the characters were noisy enough to alert Snow Leop-
room. (She is bound to the general area where she died, ard and Thorvin of their presence, the two criminals have
which is inside the vestibule.) hidden themselves behind pews on opposite sides of the
cathedral. Characters with a passive Perception score less
than 15 are surprised when they attack. Read or para-
C3. Nave and Sanctuary phrase the following:
This is the main area of the church, where ceremonies and
services are held. The ceilings in this room are 30 feet high. You hear a hair-raising yell as a dwarf with a nasty scar
Read or paraphrase the following when the characters across his right eye comes charging out from behind a
enter this room: pew. In the corner of your other eye, you see a tiefling with
marble-white skin rise from behind another pew. His hands
A modest number of pews are lined up in front of a small
are balled into fists. This duo must be none other than
sanctuary with an altar in the shape of a crescent moon.
Thorvin Saltspray and Snow Leopard.

If the characters were quiet enough not to alert Snow

Leopard and Thorvin of their presence, the two criminals

C5 C4

C3

C2

Cathedral of Valmunas
1 Square = 5 feet

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate 21

 Thorvin and Snow Leopard
Thorvin Saltspray and Snow Leopard (see appendix A)
If Thorvin is the brawn are waiting here for their mutual contact, a halfling nun
named Petra Patterfoot who promises to smuggle them out
of the duo, Snow Leopard of the city by boat. She has yet to show up.
is the brains. This duo won’t go down without a fight. Andronicus
takes it upon himself to remind the characters that the
Agency wants these criminals returned alive so they can
finish out their sentences. The characters shouldn’t be
aiming to kill.

Roleplaying Snow Leopard Treasure

Snow Leopard is a stone-cold assassin and a man of few Snow Leopard still has the three vials of basic poison he
words. If Thorvin is the brawn of the duo, Snow Leopard bought from Helena. He hasn’t used them yet.
is the brains. Snow Leopard lets Thorvin do most of the
talking, but he interjects if he feels Thorvin is saying
anything foolish. Petra Patterfoot
Snow Leopard knows Petra Patterfoot because she Petra Patterfoot (CN female halfling bandit) arrives
used to smuggle him weaponry from outside of Karel. at the church shortly after the characters encounter
Now, he wants her to take him out of the city so he can Snow Leopard or Thorvin. She enters through the back
lay low until the authorities stop looking for him. Once door since she’s a member of the clergy and has the
he’s maintained a low profile for long enough, he plans to mimic’s trust.
continue bounty hunting for the highest bidder. Petra used to be a shipmate in Thorvin’s crew, but has
since settled down to a quieter life as a nun in the Church
Quote: “It’s either hunt or be hunted.”
of Valmunas. She still works as a smuggler on the side,
bringing illegal goods from the sailors in the dock and
distributing them to her contacts in Karel.
If the characters try to arrest her, she concedes
without a fight.

Snow Leopard lets Thorvin C4. Back Room

The patrolling ghost from area 1 also passes around
do most of the talking, but the back side of the cathedral during his rounds.
Remember: this ghost cannot enter the cathedral or affect
interjects if he feels Thorvin is creatures inside.
The northern door to this room is a mimic. It only opens
saying anything foolish. for clergy members and cathedral staff. It attacks all others
who would try to open it, making good use of its Adhesive
trait. Perhaps the noise from the resulting scuffle is enough
to draw the attention of the patrolling ghost from area 1 on
round 2 of combat.
Vestments and other garb worn by the clergy of
Roleplaying Valmunas line the walls of this room. The ceiling in this
Thorvin Saltspray room is 15 feet high. The southern door is unlocked.
Thorvin is a pirate captain, through and through. He’s
gregarious with his allies and ferocious with his enemies. C5. Storage
It’s not that he had any vendetta against Karel back when The door to this room is locked. It can be picked with a
he was a pirate: He liked getting gold and treasure by any successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools or
means necessary, even if it meant sinking a few ships. bashed down with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics)
Thorvin knows Petra Patterfoot because she used to work check. The ceiling in this room is 15 feet high.
as a shipmate in his crew on the Aetherial Expanse before she The clergy of the Church of Valmunas use this room to
settled down in Karel. Thorvin wants her to take him to the store sacraments and all other materials used in religious
Edosians so he can resume a more low-key life of piracy there. ceremonies. Characters can find five vials of holy water, six
blocks of incense, and two censers here.
Quote: “If I had a plank, I’d make ye walk it!”

22 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 T h
g i e
c
r
DEBRIEF

mo a
w
e e
p l
e
p e so m
u s
As directed in their mission scroll, the characters are

c
t celitsqhtueao
h
expected to deliver the fugitives to Agency headquarters.

a
The characters may consult with a mission administrator
using their messaging plate (see appendix B).

If One or Both Criminals

Were Kept Alive

a y n t f
Andronicus is quick to handcuff the surviving criminals,

r
csoliw
hoping to take as much credit as possible for the successful

ipdehoo
mission. If one of the criminals were killed, he chides the
characters for letting them die, but ultimately remarks that
“one out of two isn’t so bad.”
The characters can return the criminals to Agency’s
headquarters without issue.

If Both Criminals Were Killed

w e
If both criminals were killed, Andronicus freaks out. He’s

e
never failed a mission before, and he can’t bear the thought

m h
of going back empty handed. He suggests they wait for

o t
the contact Snow Leopard and Thorvin were expecting to

cae
arrive. When Petra shows up, he handcuffs her and brings
her back to the Agency.
If Petra dies too, the characters at least can rest easy
knowing they prevented these criminals from terrorizing
the Karelagne Empire any further.

Rewards
The Agency rewards each character with 50 gold pieces for
every criminal they returned to custody (this includes Petra
if they stuck around and waited for her).

CHARACTER
ADVANCEMENT
If you are using the optional agent advancement
rules from the Agents of the Empire Setting
Guide, award an agent milestone under the
following outcome:
Captured Captives. The characters suc-
cessfully captured at least one fugitive
and brought them alive to Agency
headquarters.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 1: The Cat and the Pirate 23

 CHAPTER 2:
WELCOME TO TALAVI
Recently, malfunctioning magitech has caused havoc across
the province of Talavi. Most citizens of the region believe these
incidents to be mere malfunctions, but the Agency is concerned
that something—or someone—might be behind the events.
The agents are sent to investigate.
 MISSION BRIEFING
A few days after their hunt for Snow Leopard and Thorvin,
the adventurers are summoned to Agency headquarters
in Karel to meet with a mission administrator. For this
mission, they meet with Van Lazarin (NG male half-orc
master agent; see appendix A), normally referred to by his
Agency code name: “The Chair.”
On their way to their briefing room, the characters run
into Andronicus again.
Read or paraphrase the following:

You see a familiar man coming down the hall toward you:
Andronicus. He stops beside you and smirks, pushing a
strand of his long blond hair behind his ears. “Ah, we
meet again.”

Andronicus is in a gloating mood. He’s been promoted and

given a critical mission at the heart of Karel itself, protecting
a high-ranking Karelagne government official. After he’s
Welcome to Talavi

done bragging, he stalks off, leaving the characters to

continue toward their appointment.

Important magitech's been destroyed: machinery that

keeps the cities running and its citizens safe.

On Andronicus
Andronicus might return in later episodes of this Fable.
What neither the Chair nor Andronicus know is that
Sovereign-General Domas Brandel has scouted out
CHAPTER 2

Andronicus as a particularly promising candidate

for a special experiment. Should the characters
encounter Andronicus in later episodes, he will be
considerably changed…

If Andronicus Died
If Andronicus died during the events of chapter 1, omit
the encounter with him at the beginning of this chapter.
Unbeknownst to the characters, underlings of Sovereign-
General Domas Brandel seek out and retrieve whatever
is left of Andronicus’ corpse. They then infest the corpse
with buucahb (see Agents of the Empire Setting Guide),
turning him into a fiendishly powerful secret agent under
the Sovereign General’s control and who the characters
may have to contend with in later episodes of this Fable.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 f o r
pceoomtm
po ,t
awasl l
o t
i z
l
aetheertwe o ho li
u
iucm
When the characters arrive at the Chair’s office, read or promised to provide any additional information he can to
paraphrase the following: aid the characters in their investigation.
Andronicus’ Mission. If the characters ask about
You've been summoned to meet with an Agency administra- Andronicus, the Chair explains the situation, much to his
tor codenamed “the Chair.” You meet in one of the Agency’s chagrin. Apparently, Andronicus made it seem like he did
meeting rooms where the grizzled half-orc waits. He wastes most of the heavy lifting during their mission to catch the
no time in starting the briefing. fugitives in chapter 1. The Chair saw through Andronicus’s
The Chair clicks a button on the table and a trans- boasting: but the Chair’s superiors unfortunately did not,
lucent image of the Karelagne Empire flickers across its so they promoted Andronicus and put him on a special
surface. He points to the eastern side of the continent, mission to protect a high-ranking official.
“Recently there’s been a string of incidents happening in
the province of Talavi,” he says. “Important magitech’s
been destroyed: machinery that keeps the cities running
and its citizens safe. We need you to investigate what’s Operation Broken Song
going on, hopefully find the culprits, and put a stop to it. Mission Primer:
I’ve already contacted an arcane academy in the capital • Agency analysis of numerous magitech failures suggest
city Avarna, and they’ve agreed to provide you with lodg- they may result from coordinated sabotage.
ing while you investigate the case.” • Talavi citizens grow increasingly skeptical of
magitech’s reliability.
The Chair provides the group with a standard issue mes- • Given Karel’s investment in magitech, ongoing incidents
saging plate (see appendix B) for the mission. The Chair are viewed as threat to imperial stability.
can provide the following information to the players
upon request: Tactical:
Previous Incidents in [Link] communities in • Accommodations have been obtained at the Avar
Talavi have had magitech shipments destroyed. Trains Academy. It’s central location in Talavi makes it an
have had their power cut off mid-journey, causing them ideal base from which to investigate.
to careen into crowds of innocents. Aetherium-powered
boats have had their supplies tampered with, causing them Primary Objective:
to sink at sea with few survivors. The Chair has reason to • Determine whether the recent magitech failures are
believe that these events are linked, as they all occurred accidents or the result of sabotage.
within the past month. • If caused by sabotage, find and capture the culprits and
Avar Academy. Avar Academy is the premier arcane return them to Agency headquarters for questioning.
college in Avarna, the capital of Talavi. The headmaster
there—an elf named Stremolus—is an old friend of the
Chair. They used to work for the same government official
when they were younger, the Chair as a bodyguard and
Stremolus as a clerk. The Chair is calling in a favor from Getting to Talavi
the headmaster, who’s agreed to provide the characters The Agency arranges transportation to Talavi via train for
with food, lodging, and essentially a home base at the the characters. They arrive at Avarna, the capital city of
academy for their investigation. The headmaster has also Talavi, after one day of travel.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi 27

 the Fabrics District’s generator must be malfunctioning.

POWER GRID OVERLOAD At best, it could shut down and leave the streetlights in this
district without power for a few days; at worst, it could
A friendly coach driver named Lyle Keverro awaits the explode and cost lives.
characters when they arrive at Avarna. He’s been hired by Lyle directs the characters to a maintenance hole in the
the Chair and Headmaster Stremolus to chauffeur them street and tells them it should lead to the sewers, where
to Avar Academy and give them a little tour of the city in they’ll find the generator. Meanwhile, Lyle runs off to go
the process. find his parents, who live in the district.
Lyle can answer questions the characters have about The maintenance hole cover reveals a metal ladder
the city. (See the Introduction of this Fable or refer to leading down to Talavi’s sewers.
the Agents of the Empire Setting Guide for more details

The Sewers
of this region.) He delights in pointing out scenery as
the characters pass: a beautiful garden, a respected
performance hall, or any of Avarna’s many architecturally Talavi’s sewer system comprises giant tunnels 40 feet in
stunning arches. diameter. Each tunnel has a 10-foot-wide metal walkway
Midway through their tour, the group’s messaging plate on each side, with the middle sloping into a channel
buzzes with a message from the Chair. that holds sewage water. Pipes connect these tunnels to
individual buildings in the city above.
Unlike the perfectly-perfumed city above, the smell in
Urgent intelligence received. these sewers is putrid. The player characters must each
Immediately proceed to Avarna’s Fabric District. make DC 10 Constitution saving throws upon entering
the sewers. On a failure, the smell bothers a character
Sabotage event may be underway with so much that they have disadvantage on initiative checks
malfunctioning power generators. while in the sewers.
Send update on findings. It would normally be dark within these sewers, but
the characters can see erratic light and hear a strange
The Chair
humming sound coming down the northern part of the
tunnel. This puts their part of the tunnel in dim light.
Should the characters follow the light, they find the
If the characters communicate this to their driver Lyle, it
generator: but first, they must deal with the terrors
worries him, as it's the district where his parents live.
beneath the city.
He agrees to take the characters there as fast as possible.

Mysterious Creatures
The Fabrics District Flattened to the ceiling of the tunnel up ahead are four
buucahb, harriers (see appendix A). They’re hungry and
The Fabrics District is the city of Avarna’s main produc- attack the characters as soon as they draw near.
er of fine textiles. Boutiques, fabric shops, and tailoring Characters with a passive Perception score of 13 or less
businesses line its streets. But when the characters arrive, are surprised at the start of combat. (Note that unless the
the district is in a state of disarray. Read or paraphrase characters are using their own light source, this part of
the following: the sewers is in dim light. That means characters without
darkvision suffer a −5 penalty to their passive Perception.)
The lights in this part of the city flicker brightly. Streetlights Upon defeating the harriers, the characters can take a
give off sparks, and fountains spurt water erratically. It closer look at the creatures’ corpses. Even highly skilled
appears the Fabrics District is suffering from a widespread characters do not recognize these strange creatures. A Char-
techno-magical malfunction. The ground rumbles slightly acter who succeeds on DC 15 Wisdom (Nature) check de-
every few minutes, and people come running out of their termines that these creatures, while insectoid in form, are
houses, taking their belongings and small children with not of this world. Spells or abilities that detect fiends work
them in fear of a potential earthquake. as normal on the buucahb, revealing their fiendish nature.

The state of the Fabrics district worries Lyle immedi- Electrified Walkway
ately. He explains that each of Avarna’s districts are When the characters walk 50 feet farther down the tunnel,
powered by underground aetherium-powered generators a sudden jolt of electricity shoots down the metal walkway.
While magitech is still new to Talavi, recently-installed Characters on the walkway must make a DC 10 Dexterity
streetlights and fountains across the city were meant to saving throw, taking a 5(1d10) lightning damage on a
show the promise of magitech. Unfortunately, it appears failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi 29

 The Generator This dwarf’s name is Feldspar. She’s an engineer for the
city of Avarna who came down into the sewers to fix the
Unless the characters try to travel stealthily, as they generator. Feldspar has the statistics of a guard, with
draw close to the flickering light, they hear a voice call these changes:
out to them:
• She has these racial traits: Her walking speed is 25 feet.
“Hello? Are those people I hear? Thank the gods! Can you She has advantage on saving throws against poison and
hear me? I need help, quick!” resistance to poison damage. She has darkvision out to a
range of 60 feet. She speaks Common and Dwarvish.
Rounding the bend toward the voice reveals the following
scene. Read or paraphrase the following: Fixing the Generator
Feldspar has been making decent progress fixing the
Seated in a large alcove just off the main tunnel is a giant
generator, but this next and final stage is the most danger-
hunk of aetherium crystal fastened to the ground by bulky ous. She’s about to put the generator into cooldown mode,
machinery. It flashes erratically and gives off hair-raising which takes 1 minute. However, during that time, the gen-
pulses of arcane energy. The machinery appears to be erator gives off a frequency known to irritate local wildlife.
overheating, giving off sparks and smoke. Because Avarna keeps aetherium generators in its sewers,
A dwarf engineer stands before the generator, looking technicians have noticed the creatures in these tunnels ex-
stressed but grateful to see you. hibiting strange aether-related mutations that make them
especially dangerous. Feldspar expects mutated beasts to
come forth while she’s putting the generator into cooldown
mode, and asks the characters to watch her back while she
completes her repairs.

30 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 What Happened to
the Generator?
Feldspar gives the following diagnosis of the generator Interrupting the Cooldown Process
to the characters. Characters can also examine the If one full round passes without someone successfully
generator themselves, arriving at these conclusions on a continuing the cooldown sequence, the machinery beeps
successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation or Arcana) shrilly as a warning. If two full rounds pass without suc-
check. Characters with a background in magitech have cessfully continuing the cooldown sequence, the cooldown
advantage on this check. sequence prematurely ends, and the generator becomes
This generator normally projects arcane energy even less stable. Otherwise, the cooldown succeeds at the
outward to smaller aetherium crystals spaced evenly end of round 5.
around the district, providing power to the streets above. When the cooldown ends (either via success or prema-
It does this by harvesting energy from the large crystal ture cancelation), the high-pitched frequency stops and all
via the machinery, then transmitting that energy through the aethertouched beasts become non-hostile, disengaging
a barely-visible blue aura. and slinking back into the sewer water. Play out the follow-
Unfortunately, someone appears to have fiddled with ing scenario according to whether the cooldown succeeded
the access panel and set the generator into overdrive, or was canceled.
causing it to siphon and distribute much more aether
energy than is usual or safe.
It takes no check to notice that there’s a magitech scrying
device mounted up in the corner, looking at the generator.

Once the characters are ready, Feldspar goes to work on

the access panel, and the steady hum of the generator turns
into more of a high-pitched whine. The first 30 seconds of
Feldspar’s 1-minute cooldown protocols go uninterrupted.
But halfway through the process, aethertouched
beasts attack.

Generator Cooldown Progression

Keep track of the number of rounds that pass in combat.
Note that combat may end early if Feldspar or the
characters fail to continue the cooldown sequence.
Round 1. Two swarms of aethertouched rats emerge
from the sewage water and attack.
Round 2. Three giant aethertouched rats emerge from
the sewage water and attack.
Round 3. No new developments.
Round 4. An aethertouched alligator emerges from the
sewage water and attacks.
Round 5. The cooldown succeeds at the end of this round.
Each round on her turn, Feldspar uses her action to con-
tinue the cooldown sequence. If she cannot complete this Sewer
action during her turn (for example, if she is incapacitated), 1 Square = 5 feet
a character can try to continue the cooldown in her place
with a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check as an action.

...swarms of aethertouched rats emerge from

the sewage water and attack.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi 31

 Cooldown Succeeded
The generator reverts to a faint, pleasant hum. Smoke no
The mini-quake from the generator
longer rises from the machinery. The crystal’s flickering explosion caused him to lose his
gives way to a soft and steady glow. Feldspar smiles as she
wipes sweat from her brow. “Thank you. We did it. The grip on the mechanism...
generator is stable.”

Feldspar answers the characters' questions to the best of

her ability, but suggests they make their way back to the
surface quickly—there’s no telling what kind of mayhem
Back on the Surface
the power outage has wrought on the surface. Upon surfacing, the characters find the Fabrics District in
Feldspar notes the magitech scrying device facing the a state of general disarray, but the lights are now shining
generator and tells the characters she should be able steadily, the fountains are at their usual pressure, and
to request access to that footage once she’s back on the overall things seem to be going back to usual. Avarnan
surface. If she can find that footage, she might learn the firefighters are putting out the last of the fires that erupted
identity of the saboteur. due to the overload.

Cooldown Canceled If the Generator Shutdown

Feldspar thanks them by giving them a pair of goggles of
The generator hums even louder than before. Smoke rises night. Before she leaves, she promises to track down the
from its machinery, while cracks appear on the surface of magitech scrying device footage from the sewers. She says
the aetherium crystal. “We failed…” Feldspar says. “And she’ll notify the characters at the Avar Academy if anything
we’re out of time. The generator is about to explode. We turns up.
need to get out of here, now!” Lyle finds his way back to the characters before long.
He explains that the power overload had left his parents
stuck in an elevator at their apartment. Luckily, Lyle
Feldspar breaks into a run and urges the characters to
got to the manual mechanism and brought them down
follow. Even if Feldspar is incapacitated, it doesn’t take
safely. Now he’s ready to take the characters to the Avar
much for a character to realize that standing around the
Academy as planned.
generator isn’t safe anymore.
Once the characters are a safe distance away, read or
paraphrase the following: If the Generator Exploded
Feldspar still thanks the characters and promises to track
There’s a bright explosion behind you, and you feel a rush down the security camera footage.
of heat course its way down the tunnel. The tunnel shakes Lyle finds his way back to the characters and explains
briefly as it echoes … then all is quiet, save the slow trickle that the power overload had left his parents stuck in a
of sewage. magitech-powered lift at their apartment. The mini-quake
from the generator explosion caused him to lose his grip on
The exact timing of the explosion is left to the GM’s the mechanism, resulting in his parents dropping faster than
discretion, but one or two rounds is suggested. Each he’d hoped. The injuries they sustained weren’t too bad—
creature within 60 feet of the generator must make a DC looks like his dad might have busted a hip—but they’re being
15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) fire damage taken to the hospital and Lyle must go with them. He leaves
on a failure or half as much damage on a success as the the characters in the care of a much less friendly taxi driver,
generator explodes. who takes them to the Avar Academy as planned.

The generator hums even louder than before. Smoke rises

from its machinery, while cracks appear on the surface of the
aetherium crystal.

32 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 t h pee
os w me a g i
caauecsoeem dp er
l a
t o
n c
f
f icn r
t ytsht e
a l
r i q
t su
pceooorm
mpol ,
eaw sl l
o
h ilzo
ied
aetheertw o o
c
iumal. i
u c
THE AVAR ACADEMY Meeting the Headmaster
Arcane schools aren’t uncommon in the Karelagne Empire, Anyone at the front desk happily takes the characters
but an arcane academy that combines the arts of music, to meet Headmaster Stremolus. Read or paraphrase
magic, and martial prowess? Such a place could only the following as the characters are guided toward the
exist in Talavi. And the Avar Academy is as prestigious as headmaster’s office:
they come.
Every arch, every balcony, every colorful stained-glass You pass through several arched hallways with stained-
window of the Avar Academy building was built with glass windows. The soundproof interior walls of the acade-
the help of magic. The yards are full of trees and foliage my make it quiet enough to hear a pin drop, but your guide
coaxed to grow big and strong by using enchanted music. assures you that all manner of arcane artistry is happening
The academy’s open windows project the cacophonous
behind every door.
sounds of students belting out arcane-infused arias,
Soon, you arrive at the headmaster’s office, where a
clashing swords against swords, or invoking enchantments
silver-haired elf sits at an ornate desk. A tall harp stands
using strange, syncopated rhythms. But on the interior,
the halls are dead silent. All the walls and doors of the behind him. “Ah, wonderful!” the elf says with a smile. “I
Avar Academy have been transmuted by magic to be was beginning to wonder if you’d gotten lost."
completely soundproof.
Upon arriving for their first year at the academy, all Around faculty and other adults, Headmaster Stremolus
students select a college to pursue. The most popular (see appendix A) is a regal steward of knowledge who
college is the College of Dancing Daggers, which teaches takes himself and the academy seriously. He believes the
a beautiful but deadly fighting style. academy to be the heart of Avarna—nay, of all Talavi.
Although the Avar Academy is famous for graduating Around students and youth, Stremolus is a headmaster
students skilled with spell and sword, many more who’s clearly trying too hard to be relatable. (He usually
graduates are skilled in fine arts, elocution, and fails spectacularly. His stilted mannerism and obvious self-
legal rhetoric. A host of successful arcane architects, importance give him away every time.)
spellbinding lawyers, and learned Talavi military leaders Stremolus knows and can relay any information on the
trace their education to these hallowed halls. following subjects.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi 33

 The Chair. Stremolus refers to the Chair by his real name, Once the conversation winds down, Stremolus encourages the
Van Lazarin. He knows Van Lazarin from decades ago, characters to drop anything they’d like at their guest rooms
back when they both worked for the same Karelagne and grab a late lunch from the faculty lounge. He also sug-
government official. Van Lazarin was a bodyguard, gests that they explore the academy’s halls to make themselves
Stremolus was a clerk. Van Lazarin saved Stremolus from at home. Specifically, he recommends they visit the sparring
being caught in the crossfire of numerous assassination room and the potions auditorium.
attempts—and for that Stremolus owes him his life. So,
when Van Lazarin called in asking if Stremolus could host
his agents while they investigated the recent aetherium
The Guest Rooms
malfunctions, Stremolus instantly obliged. Some empty dorm rooms have been cleaned up to prepare
The Aetherium Malfunctions. In the past few weeks, for the characters’ arrival. These are typical dorm rooms,
magitech has been malfunctioning across Talavi. Trains but with an Avarnan twist: each room comes equipped with
have broken down, zeppelins have dropped out of the sky, a music stand and an acoustically-sound arched alcove in the
cranes have dropped heavy loads on unsuspecting inno- corner for residents to practice their craft in.
cents. Though the Chair believes this to be the work of
sabotage, most Talavi citizens believe these to be ordinary
malfunctions of dangerous new magitech. Stremolus says
The Faculty Lounge
he isn’t sure which interpretation to believe, but that he This spacious room is full of beautiful couches and divans.
sways toward the latter. At any rate, Talavi officials have There are some delicately-crafted sandwiches sitting out for
only ever referred to these incidents in public documents anyone who wants them. They’re a little cold but still delicious.
as malfunctions. It’s late afternoon now, so most teachers have had their
The Fabrics District Sabotage. Avarna authorities have lunch and left, but two faculty members remain, chat-
been in close contact with Stremolus regarding recent ting together on a couch. Improvisational music professor
malfunctions, and the Fabrics District power overload Pierre Caldwell (CG male human noble) and enchantments
has been no exception. Stremolus has heard no details professor Donnum Rockshield (NG female dwarf mage)
from them yet about the malfunction, beyond that a are discussing the recent string of aetherium malfunctions.
generator overheated. They’re happy to involve the characters in this conversation
Avar Academy. The Avar Academy is Stremolus’ pride if the characters display interest.
and joy. He’s entering his sixth year as headmaster, Professor Caldwell is convinced that the accidents are
and the academy has flourished under his leadership. sabotage. Professor Rockshield is certain that they were
Despite Talavi now being a part of the Karelagne Empire, malfunctions of poorly-made magitech machinery. Either
Stremolus believes that the city must take care to never way, both agree that magitech cannot be trusted. They
lose its appreciation for music, the arts, and the wonder feel that pure magic has made Talavi what it is today, and
of pure magic. He believes that the Avar Academy helps that traditional arcane arts—not magitech and aetherium-
keep all three of these values alive and well. powered technology—will carry Talavi safely into the future.

Suspecting Stremolus
Headmaster Stremolus is the mastermind behind Talavi’s This might be cause for suspicion, but the characters have
recent string of aetherium sabotages. But players should no definitive proof that Stremolus is up to something.
not learn this until chapter 3 or 4. Stremolus seems If the characters still convince themselves that
trustworthy here. Stremolus is guilty and directly attack him, he tries to
If the characters go out of their way to discern his escape. As he escapes, or if he is captured or dies, he
motivations through Wisdom (Insight) checks, refer to mentions the Grand Casino of Avarna in his final words,
Stremolus’ statblock in appendix A: his high Deception implying that a deadly sabotage is scheduled to happen
skill should come in handy. If they manage to see through there tonight. This should lead the characters onto
his lies, they notice he’s hiding something from them. chapter 3.
If the characters try to interrogate him via a zone If Stremolus dies or is captured, a human faculty
of truth spell, Stremolus objects to this rudeness and member named Professor Edelgard carries out Stremolus’
refuses to answer questions on principle. He calls in some mission in his stead. This partner-in-crime also uses
professors, who escort the characters out immediately. Stremolus’ statblock.

34 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

The Sparring Room The Potions Auditorium
Here, dueling professor Handel Halfstep (LN male halfling This room is both a performance hall and a repository of
gladiator) is teaching two students to spar. Read or potions. Read or paraphrase:
paraphrase the following:
The aptly-named potions auditorium is a theater-sized
You watch as two students of the academy engage in a room full of ladders and balconies. Long, xylophone-like
mesmerizing duel, each wielding a dagger while singing in rows of colorful potions in differently-sized bottles line the
clashing melodies. A halfling professor spectates. Stabs are walls. An elf stands by the northern wall, carefully filling
punctuated with short staccato notes, while large swings one of the bottles.
are accompanied by long held notes. Finally, the duel ends
and the halfling professor offers the pair his compliments. The elf is Professor Moonblossom (NG female elven mage).
He then turns to you. “You must be Stremolus’ visitors. She assumes the characters are the headmaster’s visitors,
Welcome to Avar Academy. Would you like to try your and she wants to make a warm welcome. She hands the
hand at the dance of daggers?” characters mallets and invites them to play a tune on the
potions, and if she’s impressed, she gives them an option
Any character who succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence between two potions as a reward.
(History) check knows that the dance of daggers is the Each character can attempt to play a tune on the
signature fighting style of the Avar Academy. It origi- xylophone-like rows of potions with a Charisma (Perfor-
nated centuries ago and is still the academy’s hallmark mance) check. Use the Play Those Potions table to deter-
today. It involves drawing upon the magic of song to add mine a character’s prize.
precision and strength to one’s movements during com-
bat. Some bards have become so skilled at the practice Play Those Potions
that they’ve found themselves able to use their daggers PERFORMANCE RESULT POTION AWARDED
in place of spellcasting foci. 0-9 No potion, but an A for effort.
If none of the characters know the above, Professor
10-14 Potion of climbing or potion of healing
Halfstep will explain it to them, though he seems a little
irked to have to do so. 15-19 Potion of clairvoyance or potion of greater healing
Professor Halfstep engages with any willing character 20+ Potion of invisibility or potion of superior healing
in a trial of aptitude for the dance of daggers. He holds a

TO THE CASINO!
wooden dagger. If the character can dodge every swipe of
the dagger by the time Halfstep reaches the end of his song,
they earn his respect. You can represent this trial with a
DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check. Later that day (perhaps interrupting the characters’ further
The first time a character succeeds at this trial, Halfstep exploration of the academy), a pigeon soars over to the
congratulates the character and gives them a characters and perches on a surface before them. Then it
ring of the daggerdancer (see appendix opens its mouth and speaks in Headmaster Stremolus’ voice
B). Halfstep gladly practices with via the animal messenger spell, telling them to report to his
more characters, but he only office immediately: He’s received information from Talavi
gives out one ring. officials of a possible sabotage event.
The characters should head to Stremolus’s office for
further instructions. Proceed to chapter 3.

...the dance of daggers is the

signature fighting style of the
Avar Academy. It originated
centuries ago and is still the
academy's hallmark today.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 2: Welcome to Talavi 35

 CHAPTER 3:
DICE AND DECEIT
After being tipped off by the headmaster of the Avar Academy
about a supposed impending sabotage, the characters investigate
shady characters at Avarna’s Grand Casino. However, they
quickly realize that they’re not the only spies at the function.
 HEADMASTER’S BRIEFING
Once the characters arrive at the headmaster’s office,
he explains the situation. His contact from the Talavi
government apparently received an anonymous tip of a
possible sabotage event. According to the anonymous tip,
the sabotage will occur at the Grand Casino of Avarna this
evening. The official apparently dismissed the tip, but the
headmaster has taken it much more seriously, given the
characters’ recent investigations.
Stremolus has been in touch with the casino owner, a
former student at the Avar Academy, and he’s secured
access to tonight’s guest list.

Three suspects have been identified...

a duchess, a musician, and a businessman.
Dice and Deceit

Suspects
Three suspects have been identified at the casino: a duch-
ess, a musician, and a businessman. Each has a potential
motive to sabotage the casino, and each was also seen near
the location of an earlier sabotage event.
The Duchess. Lady Pilsworth is a well-respected member
of the aristocracy in Avarna. However, it’s a well-
kept secret within elite circles that her family recently
lost a great deal of wealth. Could a sabotage be the
perfect distraction for her to steal a fortune from the
CHAPTER 3

Grand Casino?
The Businessman. Kraxis Cophinthialor is a business
mogul from Karel who moved to Avarna a few years
ago. Rumor has it he has business stake in several
other casinos in Talavi, but none in the Grand Casino.
Could this be his chance to take out the competition
with a bang?
The Musician. Arpeggia is a newly famous singer and
lute player. Her tour across the Karelagne Empire has
taken her to Talavi. Her music often criticizes the elite
and their excesses of wealth: so why would she be at the
wealthiest casino in Talavi? Is she planning to make a
grand and deadly statement?

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

Getting In
Since the owner of the Grand Casino was a former student
Operation Broken Song
at the academy, Stremolus gets the characters on the VIP - Supplemental
guest list. This not only grants them admission, but also gets
them to the VIP wing of the casino where the three suspects Grand Casino Intelligence:
will be. He encourages the characters to come up with Anonymous tip identified this site as the target of an
false identities to send to the casino. The higher-class the imminent sabotage event.
characters present themselves, the more likely they are to get Three likely suspects identified who have motive
a chance to speak with the suspects. to target the casino:
A character without fine clothes must buy a set from one • Lady Pilsworth. Respected member of Avarna’s
of Talavi’s many clothing stores and boutiques. aristocracy, who has secretly lost much of her fortune
and may be looking to steal from the casino.
• Kraxis Cophinthialor. Businessperson with
investments in rival casino investments who might wish
Red Herrings to hurt the Grand Casino’s operations.
• Arpeggia. An upcoming performer whose songs are
None of the suspects Stremolus presents are actually
harshly critical of the wealthy and well-connected, many
guilty. In fact, the casino is under no threat of sabotage.
of whom frequent the Grand Casino.
Stremolus is merely creating a distraction for the
characters while he and his associates invade an Tactical:
aetherium lab later that evening. • Agents will be provided with VIP access to the casino.
Still, the characters can gather clues from each suspect
• Agents should adopt personas and attire to blend in.
that tips them off to the real culprit behind the string of
sabotages. Each suspect was present at a recent magitech Primary Objective:
incident, and each remembers seeing evidence of magic • Determine which suspect, if any, is targeting the casino.
used at the scene of the crime
• Prevent the sabotage event.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit 39

The Grand Casino
 T wh ee r m
r
ENTERING THE
GRAND CASINO a
ppcolaauanesate
The Grand Casino of Avarna stands four stories. Its sweep-
ing parapets and carved statues hunching on the balconies
make it look almost like a cathedral from the outside. But
there are no windows, and those inside worship coin, not
any particular god.

cwr y sot l
aohsuialcde
w l
In a place like Avarna, a casino is so much more than an

ca l
opportunity to get rich quick. It’s also a place to rub elbows
with the elite, flaunt your wealth and fashion sense, and
close on business deals. The Grand Casino is filled with
the crème de la crème of Avarna’s society, and patrons
are only allowed entry if they’re dressed to the nines.
Headmaster Stremolus has seen to add the characters’
names (or false names, if any of them went with a fake
identity) to the VIP guest list, but they must look the
part. Characters must be wearing fine clothes to enter
the casino.

Entering the Casino

The bouncer is a broad-shouldered, tuxedo-wearing dwarf
with a beard down to his knees. He gives each character a
glowing aetherium necklace to indicate their VIP status,
granting them access to the casino’s VIP wing. He also
gives them each a bag of ten casino chips, pre-paid for by
Stremolus. These three-dimensional chips, made from
brass to look like little aetherium crystals, act as currency
for the casino games. The characters can acquire more
chips with their own gold inside.
When the characters enter the casino, they’re imme-
diately guided to the VIP wing. Read or paraphrase the
following:

The VIP wing of the Grand Casino comprises four stories

connected by stairs and magitech lifts. The upper three
Spies for the Spies
floors consist of flat rings, forming central balconies that let Throughout this chapter, a trio of hired agents secretly
patrons look at the floors both above and below. Roulette watch the characters’ every move—three humans dressed
tables and other casino games cover the floors. Aetheri- in nondescript black suits. The characters don’t notice
um-powered lanterns illuminate the casino in a soft, golden them until either A) they finish investigating all three
glow. Crystal jewelry and shimmering sequins sparkle suspects or B) they try to leave the casino.
If a character tries to the leave the casino, one of
throughout the crowd, a constant reminder that everyone
these agents bumps into them on their way to the check-
here has more than a few platinum pieces to their name.
out desk and noticeably pickpockets something valuable
off them: coin pouch, spellcasting focus, or valuable trin-
After chatting with other patrons or scanning the floors, ket. The spy then disappears into the casino crowd. You
characters discover that Lady Pilsworth is on the second can either skip straight to the group chase there, or keep
floor listening to live music, Kraxis Cophinthialor is on the spy from reappearing until after all three suspects
the third floor playing poker, and Arpeggia is on the have been investigated.
fourth floor playing roulette.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit 41

 Lady Pilsworth
Lady Pilsworth (N female human noble) sits at a collection of
mostly-empty tables, sipping a cocktail and listening to a live
band on the second floor. She’s a human woman who wears a
rose-pink floor length dress. She’s taking a break from gam-
bling; her friends are still out on the floor trying their luck.
Unfortunately, Lady Pilsworth doesn’t seem too impressed by
the band. They’ve been playing for some time now, growing
increasingly out of breath and out of tune.
Bored as she is, Lady Pilsworth agrees to speak with
anyone under the condition that they entertain her first.
A character can try to entertain Lady Pilsworth with a
successful DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check, made
with advantage if the characters find some way to take
the stage. She particularly likes music and magic tricks.
A character that fails the check can repeat it if they find a
different approach.

What the Duchess Knows

m e
emweosoceh
Characters who speak with Lady Pilsworth may learn

T
the following:

pht
Why She’s Here. Lady Pilsworth is at the casino with
some friends for a night out. She had also heard that a few
other members of the Avarnan aristocracy would be here.
In particular, a handsome gentleman from a wealthy family
was supposed to be there, but he turned out to be a no-show.
Her Family Fortune. Lady Pilsworth denies that

dthsetyseruaac
her family’s fortune is any less than it has always been.
However, she notes that if her family ever were to lose
their fortune, it would be because her father blew it all
on unwise investments. A character who succeeds on a
DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check can easily tell from Lady

c
Pilsworth’s tone that this hypothetical situation is the

ae,lmoptornoeif
reality. Lady Pilsworth isn’t too worried about it, though—
she’s confident in her ability to marry into a family with a
more stable financial situation.
The Clocktower Sabotage. Lady Pilsworth is unaware
of any plots that might put the casino in jeopardy tonight.

p
However, she does recall seeing the famous clocktower of

e m
ehteoac
Avarna overheat a few weeks ago, causing the face of the
clock to explode and rain bits of metal and glass down
on bystanders below. From the angle she was sitting at,
she thought she saw a figure descend slowly from the
clocktower a few minutes before the explosion, as if under
the effects of a feather fall spell or similar magic. She
remembered relaying this to authorities, but nothing ever
seemed to come out of it.

Bored as she is, Lady Pilsworth

agrees to speak with anyone under the
condition that they entertain her first.

42 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 T h
p e
os wem e
p a
Kraxis Cophinthialor
Kraxis Cophinthialor (LN male dragonborn noble) plays
poker with a few other gamblers on the third floor. He’s
a copper dragonborn businessperson in gray formalwear
who loves a good competition, and he refuses to converse
t h ec o m
cacauresyteshdtea
a
with the characters unless they can beat him in poker.

i n t o
A character willing to join the next game of poker with

, w
Kraxis must put five casino chips in the pot. When the game

f o r m
begins, all players must roll one Charisma (Deception) check

e w
and one Wisdom (Insight) check to represent their ability to

e o p l
bluff and read others. The player with the lowest combined

pcaoem t
total is eliminated, at which point the remaining players

e
reroll until there is one winner. That winner then gets all the

ther
chips in the pot.
Kraxis uses noble stats but has a +6 to Insight and a +6
to Deception.
If a character runs out of poker chips, they can buy more
on the first floor for 2 gp per chip. They can also exchange
chips in the opposite direction, returning one chip and
getting 2 gp in return.

What the Businessman Knows

Characters who speak with Kraxis may learn the following:
Why He’s Here. Kraxis had a meeting earlier today
with the owner of the Grand Casino. They met to discuss
a business opportunity, in which Kraxis would invest in
building more aetherium-powered bells and whistles in the
casino to help bring it toward the forefront of technology.
Kraxis doesn’t want to discuss the details of the meeting,
but he feels it went well.
His Casino Empire. Kraxis has business stake in about
every major casino in Talavi. He’s a gambling man himself,
and nothing excites him more than the sound of casino
chips clicking together. The casinos have also all proven
to be sound investments. He hadn’t approached the
Grand Casino until today because he wanted to iron
out his renovation plans for it first.
The Explosive Sabotage. Kraxis was at a business
meeting last week when a bank in one of the local cities of
Talavi exploded a block away. Officials determined it was
due to malfunctioning magitech, but Kraxis remembered
seeing a little symbol on one of the bank’s walls as he
passed by the scene later that day: an undetonated glyph
of warding. He wondered if other glyphs of warding might
have caused the explosions as well … but ultimately, he
decided not to involve himself.

... and he refuses to converse with

the characters unless they can beat
him in poker.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit 43

 Arpeggia
Arpeggia (CN female half-elf spy) has long red hair and
dresses in a suit jacket and pants. She has been playing
roulette on the fourth floor while the rest of her band
watches. Luck hasn’t been in her favor—but she’s not
above tipping the scales. If the characters try to speak with
Arpeggia, she subtly indicates that she’ll talk to them if they
help her cheat first.
In this game of roulette, players can guess a number (or
more generally, guess a color or evens/odds). The dealer
rolls a ball on an aetherium-powered wheel until it lands

weosoeep hhT
on a specific number, and any player with chips on that
number wins extra chips in return.
Players can get creative on how to help Arpeggia cheat:
using magic to invisibly influence the ball, sneaking
underneath the table and manipulating the rotation of

t
the aetherium-powered wheel by hand, using divination

c
magic to predict where the ball will land, distracting the
dealer and other players after a roll and moving Arpeg-

e
hstoyseruacac
gia’s chips to the winning positions—all of the above are
valid techniques.
If a character is caught cheating, the dealer pulls them
aside and threatens to kick them out … but the dealer subtly
hints that they accept bribes to turn a blind eye. A sum of
10 gp buys the dealer’s ignorance, but the character can no

t
longer play at that dealer’s roulette table.

,elm n i
Once the characters help Arpeggia cheat at roulette

r
(she visits multiple tables if she must), she agrees to have

o f
an audience with them. If the characters refuse to help

p o
her cheat, they must bribe her with at least 200 gp to get

e p
her to talk.

m
hteac o
What the Musician Knows
Characters who speak with Arpeggia may learn the following:
Why She’s Here. Arpeggia is on the final leg of a
stressful tour, so she and the rest of her band are here
to blow off some steam. After this, they have a few more
shows in Talavi before Arpeggia heads back home to Karel.
Her Distaste for the Elite. Arpeggia’s lyrics often
criticize high society and its excesses of wealth. But Arpeg-
gia’s been raking in some large sums of gold pieces herself,
and she’s enjoying the high life. Though she never admits it
outright, her public persona of a plucky young songwriter
raging against the elite is mostly a façade.
If the characters try to speak with The Train Sabotage. Arpeggia knows nothing about
any sabotage planned for tonight. But she does recall being
Arpeggia, she subtly indicates that present when a train malfunctioned. The train went too fast
and careened off its rails, almost hitting her tour carriage.
she'll talk to them if they help her Luckily, she was unhurt. However, as she was being escorted
to safety, she overheard the train’s conductor swearing to
cheat first. officials he was charmed: he didn’t know how or by whom,
but it seemed magic was involved.

44 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

Special Delivery Taking the Bait
If Feldspar survived chapter 1, the characters receive a Presuming the characters go to speak with one of these
scroll delivered by one of the casino’s staff during their strangers, read or paraphrase the following.
suspect interviews.
As you approach, you get a better look at this mysterious
observer. He’s a man of nondescript height and build with
slicked-back hair, wearing simple black formalwear. But on
the nape of his neck, you can make out a silver tattoo in the
Special Delivery Scroll shape of a gust of wind. Before you can get any closer, he
breaks out into a sprint.
Hail Agents!
I reviewed imagery captured by the magitech scrying lens
near the sabotaged generator in the sewers. It showed The tattooed man is Hoyd Lansen (NE male human spy).
splashing in the sewer seconds before the generators He is one of three spies sent to keep the characters
switches and dials appeared to move on their own. A few occupied (and eliminate them if necessary). Hoyle’s flight
moments later, the sewage water splashed again. through the casino is intended to lure the characters into
I’m certain that whoever tampered with the generator an ambush (see Room Under Renovations).
was hidden by an invisibility spell. The Agents of the Empire Setting Guide provides several
chase rule variants that can be employed if the characters
Sincerely, give chase. GMs should use the chase mechanic that best
Feldspar fits the play style of their group.

Chase: Group Ability Checks

This chase mechanic provides a quick abstract

You’re Being Watched

representation of a chase. It’s great when you want a short
interlude and don’t want to worry about the minutiae of
Once the third suspect has been interviewed, that suspect calculating distance or character positioning.
asks the characters if they’ve noticed the people in black If you use this mechanic, consider requiring the group
suits who have been watching them. The suspect points one to complete three group ability checks. Success on each
out across the balcony. They’ve noticed these well-dressed check implies the characters keep pace with the fleeing
strangers quietly watching the characters; at first they agent, while failure suggests the tattooed man increases the
assumed they were the characters’ bodyguards, but now distance between them and the characters.
they’re not so sure. Check 1: Navigate the Crowd. The tattooed man sprints
through the crowd. The characters must succeed on DC
12 ability checks to give chase. Dexterity (Acrobatics)
and Strength (Athletics) are both good options; however,
the players can suggest alternate ability checks.
Check 2: Down the Stairs. The tattooed man slides
They’ve noticed these well- down a banister to the ground floor of the VIP wing.
The characters must succeed on DC 14 ability checks
dressed strangers quietly to follow. Again, Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength
(Athletics) are the recommended skills for this check.
watching the characters; at first Check 3: Grappling Hook! The tattooed man sprints
into the main area of the casino and uses a grapple gun
they assumed they were the (see appendix B) to pull himself straight up to the fourth
floor. The grapple gun’s winch is slow, so the characters
characters’ bodyguards, but can mount several flights of stairs to keep pace if they
succeed on a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check. Consider
now they’re not so sure. providing advantage to characters who can use the Dash
action twice a turn. Also, characters with their own
grapple gun automatically succeed on the check.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit 45

 Chase Results Multiple Dash Actions
If the group succeeds on at least two checks, they keep pace
Remember, Hoyle is a spy aand has the Cunning Action
with the fleeing agent.
trait, allowing him to use Dash as a bonus action on each
If the characters fail to get at least two successes, the
of his turns.
tattooed man sprints ahead and has a few moments to
To add a further challenge to the gap check chase,
prepare an ambush with his companions in the “Room
consider using the optional chase exhaustion rules
Under Renovations” encounter.
described in the Agents of the Empire Setting Guide.

Option: Keep the Fun Going?

If the characters are enjoying this chase sequence,
Presuming the tattooed man is not stopped, his route
consider adding additional checks using the following
through the casino is as follows:
as ideas inspiration:
• Round 1: Crowd. The tattooed man sprints through
• Gaming Tables. Several large pool tables block the
the crowd.
path. The characters must jump over, slide under, or go
• Round 2: Game Room. Hoyle runs through a game
around the obstacle.
room filled with various game tables.
• Kitchens. The tattooed man runs through a crowded kitch-
• Round 3: Kitchen. The chase passes through a busy
en. The characters must contend with kitchen staff carry-
kitchen. The tattooed man pushes over boiling pots in
ing food, boiling pots, and other culinary complications.
his wake.
• Spilled Drinks. The fleeing agent knocks over a
• Round 4: Down the Stairs. Hoyle slides down a
beverage cart, spilling ice and drinks, creating a
banister to the main floor of the casino. He drops a flask
slippery mess.
of goo (see appendix B) to hinder pursuit.
If you add additional checks to the chase sequence, adjust • Round 5: Grappling Hook. The tattooed man sprints
the number of successful group checks needed to succeed into the main area of the casino and uses a grapple gun
on the chase appropriately. (see appendix B) to pull himself straight up to the fourth
floor, The grapple gun’s winch is slow, so the characters
Chase: Gap Tracking can mount several flights of stairs to keep pace. Use
This chase mechanic allows players to showcase their Strength (Athletics) for those mounting the stairs.
character abilities more than the simpler group ability Be flexible with an escape timer for this chase. If the
check rules. characters are about to catch the tattooed man, adjust it
For this chase, use gap tokens of 30 feet and set the so they do so as they arrive in the following “Room Under
initial gap distance at three tokens (90 feet). Although Renovations” encounter, but are not surprised by the spies
a detailed map of the casino isn’t provided, use these waiting for them there. However, failing to catch Hoyle
guidelines to run this pursuit, using Dexterity (Acrobatics) results in his companions surprising the characters.
or Strength (Athletics) for end-of-the-round gap checks Alternately, the characters catch sight of a second spy
unless specified otherwise. who then leads them to the “Room Under Renovations”
encounter, but the characters should not be surprised if
this occurs.

Encourage Creative Play Ignoring the Bait

During a gap tracking chase, GMs are encouraged to
allow players to come up with creative reasons their If the characters ignore the well-dressed strangers, a hastily
characters can use an alternate skill when calculating the scrawled message on a napkin is delivered to one of the
end of the round gap check. characters by a casino worker:

Meet me on the 4th floor.

I have information you seek.

...failing to catch Hoyle results

in his companions surprising The agents hired by Stremolus are worried the characters
are about to leave and ambush them on the 4th floor. Pro-
the characters. ceed to the “Room Under Renovations” encounter below.

46 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 Room Under Renovations Spilling the Beans
1 Square = 5 feet
When combat ends, the characters notice the slot
machine still shaking. It turns out there was a fourth
Whispered Wind agent controlling the machine from the
inside. The agent fears for his life, and quickly announces
that he’ll tell the characters anything they want to know if
they only spare him.

“Please!” the agent shouts, holding up his hands. “I’ll tell

you everything you need to know. I’ll tell you why we’re
here, who we’re working for. I’m not getting paid enough to
die in a slot machine!”

Who He Is. His name is Vennis Tallowsong (N, male

human spy) and he’s a member of the Whispered Wind,
a spy network in Talavi that takes up odd jobs for anyone
who can cough up enough coin.
Why He’s Here. He and his Whispered Wind agents
were contacted by a masked elf earlier today. The
elf asked them to keep an eye on the characters and
make sure they stayed in the casino as long as possible.
Meanwhile, the masked elf took a few of the Whispered
Wind’s thugs-for-hire toward the nearby city of Fenry
with plans to destroy a magitech lab there.
Vennis believes the characters still have time to catch
the masked elf if they hurry to Fenry. The Whispered
Wind were supposed to keep the characters at the casino
for at least a few more hours, so the masked elf and his
lackeys probably aren’t done at the magitech lab yet.

Room Under Renovations

On the fourth floor of the casino’s main area, the tattooed GETTING TO FENRY
man hurtles down hallways into an unoccupied wing. The Fenry is still in Talavi, but it’s a substantial trip from Avar-
lights are off, and most of the slot machines are shut down na. The party must cough up about 5 gp to get someone to
and undergoing maintenance. transport them, whether a train ride or a cab. If they’re still
If the characters succeeded on the chase, in “Taking the on good terms with Lyle, they can also call in a favor from
Bait,” they catch up to him as he’s reuniting with two other him and get him to transport them there for free. He’s happy
tuxedoed and tattooed spies. to take them there after they saved the district his parents live
If the characters failed the chase, the spies have had in. (If the generator exploded in chapter 2, Lyle is still at the
time to hide themselves by the time the characters arrive hospital with his parents and cannot transport the characters.)
in the room, allowing the enemies to act during the No matter how the characters get to Fenry, the transit
surprise round. time is enough for them to take a short rest. They’re going
Read or paraphrase the following before to need it: the ruined magitech lab is full of perils.
beginning combat:

The three tattooed spies fall into trained battle stances. A slot
machine whirrs to life behind them, rolling forward on wheels
and lighting up the dark room with an eerie green glow. The slot machine shoots casino
These three spies are members of a secret Talavi spy chips at the characters at
network known as the Whispered Wind. They also have
an animated slot machine (see appendix A) on their side. bullet-like speed.
The slot machine shoots casino chips at the characters at a
bullet-like speed.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 3: Dice and Deceit 47

 CHAPTER 4:
THE MAGITECH LABORATORY
The characters rush to Fenry to explore a ruined magitech lab. There, they meet
the mastermind behind the recent string of sabotage in Talavi, and learn that
these incidents are just a small glimpse into a larger and more sinister plot…
 WELCOME TO FENRY
By the time the characters arrive in Fenry, it is early evening.
The city sparkles with aetherium-powered lights. Although
it lacks the tall buildings and grandiose scale of Avarna,
Fenry has all the hallmarks of a Talavian city. Its inhabitants
are far more fashionably dressed than most others in the
Karelagne Empire, and the city has historically been most
well-known for its traditions of visual art. Many a great
painter has come out of Fenry, and it houses the greatest
concentration of art museums in the Karelagne Empire.
However, Fenry forges a new reputation as a hub for
magitech advancement. A lab called FenTech spearheads
research and development of emerging aetherium-based
technology. It is one of the largest laboratories in Talavi,
quickly becoming a household name across the region.
The Magitech Laboratory

Accessing the Campus

FenTech Labs covers a few acres of land on the outskirts
of Fenry. It is surrounded by a 15-foot-tall fence of sheet
metal. The metal is slick, requiring a successful DC 18
Strength (Athletics) check to ascend.
Vehicles and visitors normally enter through a steel gate
at the front of the facility. An audio crystal is embedded
in the wall beside the gate. Visitors either wave a special
magitech pass in front of the crystal, or speak though the
crystal to a guard in the nearby security tower to gain
access to property.
Unfortunately, intruders have slain most of the security
guards. Only one guard remains in the security tower, and
he’s wary of letting anyone else into the facility after what
happened a few hours ago. Speaking into the audio crystal
elicits the following response:

There’s static-filled silence for a few seconds, then a quiet

CHAPTER 4

voice comes through the crystal. “H-hello?” You hear both

caution and hope in his voice.

The guard is named Rindle Paranin (LN male human

commoner), and it’s only his second week on the job. A few
hours ago, he and his fellow guards let in a group claiming
to be on delivery. The intruders stormed the security tower
and killed his three coworkers. Rindle hid under a desk.
The intruders then proceeded on toward the laboratory,
and Rindle hasn’t seen them since. Rindle has stayed in the
tower, partially because he wants to make sure no more
intruders enter the facility, and partially because he doesn’t
want to meet the same fate as his coworkers.
A matching audio crystal in the security tower allows
Rindle to speak with visitors at the gate. Rindle can
somewhat see the characters from his position in the
security tower, but not with any detail. The characters can
convince Rindle they mean no harm with a successful DC
12 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Otherwise, Rindle refuses
to open the gate for them.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

The Security Tower Laboratory Features
The security tower is a narrow, two-story building that Ceilings. Unless otherwise stated, the rooms in the lab
sits on the FenTech lawn, separate from the rest of the have ceilings 10 feet high.
lab building. The entrance to the tower is locked, but Doors. Unless otherwise stated, any locked doors can be
can be picked with thieves’ tools and a successful DC 18 opened by tapping an employee’s magitech pass against
Dexterity check. the reader on the right-hand side of the door. The
The first floor holds the corpses of Rindle’s three cowork- knock spell also works. These doors have no keyholes,
ers, along with a small table full of half-eaten food. A steep so they cannot be picked. A successful DC 20 Strength
stairway ascends to the second floor where Rindle hides (Athletics) check knocks a door out of its frame but deals
under a desk. 1d4 lightning damage to each creature within 5 feet
of the door.
FenTech Labs Illumination. Aetherium-powered light fixtures through-
out the laboratory shed bright light.
Read or paraphrase the following once the characters Corpses. All the employee corpses have magitech passes.
are past the front gate and within view of the Unless otherwise stated, these passes only have basic
laboratory building. level clearance and do not work on the basement eleva-
tor. Employees have little else of value on their corpses.
Sprawling grass surrounds the lab on all sides, perfectly
manicured. Rows of tall aetherium-powered streetlights lead
to the main laboratory building.
FenTech Labs is a wide, squat building that makes no It’s nighttime when the players arrive. Most employees
attempt to imitate the rest of Talavi’s elegant architecture. clocked out before Stremolus and his goons arrived, so
A geodesic dome atop its roof is the closest this windowless
there aren’t as many casualties in the laboratory as there
could have been. The engineers and corpses that the
building comes to making any sort of statement.
characters encounter are the few employees working late.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory 51

 Laboratory Ground Floor
1 Square = 5 feet F14

F12
F11

F9
F13
F6

F5
F10
F3
F2
F7

F4 F8

F1

F1. Lobby F2. Auditorium

The front doors slide open to reveal a lobby area. The The ceiling of this auditorium-like room slopes into a
room’s design is clean, sleek, and somewhat sterile, but the dome. A shining screen is mounted above a stage, cycling
two dead receptionists slumped at the front desk make it through images of smiling employees and flashy new
clear that something has gone terribly awry. magitech. Rows of chairs have been toppled, tossed
Another set of sliding metal doors leads northward. around, and in some cases crushed. Thin beams of red
light crisscross the entire room, emitting from tiny holes in
The northern doors are locked and can be opened the walls.
with an employee magitech pass (see the “Laboratory
Features” sidebar). This auditorium is where FenTech held company-wide
A DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that both meetings and debuted shiny new technology to the public.
receptionists were likely killed by psychic damage, since It also served as a line of defense in case of attack, though
their bodies bear no physical marks or wounds. The it clearly didn’t stop these intruders.
cause of death in both cases was, in fact, the vicious A character who wishes to pass through the laser-filled
mockery spell. room must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Each receptionist has a magitech pass in their pocket. On a success, they make it to the door of their choice
unharmed. On a failure, they still make it to the door of
their choice, but take 5 (2d4) fire damage as the lasers
graze them.
...the two dead receptionists The domed ceiling in this room is 10 feet tall at its lowest
point and 20 feet tall at its highest point.
slumped at the front desk make it
clear something has gone awry.

52 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

F3. Vehicles Division F6. Chemical Storage
The walls of this room are lined with illustrations of The smell of sulfur and lime hits your nostrils as you open
aetherium trains, cars, and blimps. Blueprints lie strewn the door to this room. A grayish purple gas fills the space,
across various worktables, some toppled over. making it impossible to see what lies inside or beyond.

A character who investigates the blueprints finds schemat- This room is where FenTech Labs stores its chemicals, from
ics for various vehicles. Some designs the characters might disinfectant to experimental solutions whose effects they
recognize, while others are new designs not yet seen by the intended to test on aetherium crystals. When Stremolus’
public, such as a helicopter-like machine and an hover- intruders came through this room, they smashed the vials
board-like device. It’s unclear if these designs are techni- against the walls and floor. This caused the chemicals to
cally sound. mix and produce a noxious gas.
A creature that passes through this room feels their eyes
F4. Prototype Vehicles water and their skin burn. One minute after passing through
the room, the creature must make a DC 10 Constitution
Prototypes of magitech vehicles sit ripped apart,
saving throw, taking 1d4 poison damage on a failed save and
half as much on a success. A character that showers or hoses
battered, and scorched in this room. The corpses of a
off in the rinse room (area F5) before the minute has elapsed
few technomages lie strewn across the floor. Above these
need not make the Constitution saving throw and takes no
corpses hovers a cloud shimmering like aetherium crystal. damage from the poison.
This room is heavily obscured. If a character enters the
The shimmering cloud is an aether elemental (see room without knowing where the doors are, roll a d4. On
appendix A). It was released in an unexpected arcane a 1-3, they stumble around for a few seconds before finding
reaction after Whispered Wind agents destroyed these the door opposite to the one from which they entered. On
aetherium-powered vehicles. The elemental attacks a 4, they find a vent and lever on the east wall. Flipping the
on sight. lever causes the vent to activate, sucking the gas out of the
One of the technomage corpses in this room wears an room and replacing it with clean air.
advanced-clearance magitech pass on a lanyard around Read or paraphrase the following if the characters clear
their neck. the room of gas:

F5. Rinse Room The eastern and western walls of this room are lined with
empty shelves. Glass vials lie shattered on the floor along
The walls of this room bear more than a few scorch marks. with a few puddles of indeterminate liquid.
Two shower-heads hang from the western wall, with
matching drains and hoses below. A closed metal cupboard The liquid on the floor is a mixture of all the chemicals that
stands between them. used to sit on the shelves. A DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine)
check reveals that it has the same properties as basic poison.
There is enough liquid remaining on the floor to fill ten vials.
The technomages of FenTech use this room as an
emergency rinse in the case of any chemical spills and to
quickly douse magitech that may catch fire. F7. Appliances Division
A DC 10 Investigation (Intelligence) check reveals that
the scorch marks on the wall aren’t recent. They were Floor-to-ceiling chalkboards cover the walls of this room.
accumulated from years’ worth of aetherium experiments They show diagrams and schematics of various magitech
going awry. appliances, along with scrawled calculations and notations.
Twisting a knob beneath a showerhead or hose makes it The corpse of a technomage lies on the floor in a pool of
spray a steady stream of water that washes down into the blood, a piece of chalk still in his hand.
drains on the floor.
The metal cupboard contains a healer’s kit and two jars
A DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check reveals that the
of restorative ointment.
engineer was killed via blunt force trauma. One of the
Whispered Wind thugs killed him with a mace.
The chalkboards on the wall depict magitech creations
for use in the home such as blenders, fans, and portable
lamps. Each design is bulky and visually unappealing.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory 53

 F8. Appliance Prototypes F11. Mephit Mayhem
This room is full of workbenches with prototype magitech A gaggle of imp-like elementals made of aether zoom
machinery in various states of assembly. There are a few around this room, cackling and flipping chairs and desks.
bulky wristwatches, as well as a large box that seems to Two large metal pillars hum with electric energy.
emit slightly cold air from its cracked-open door.
When Stremolus and his crew destroyed aetherium-
Of the six manacle-sized aether wristwatches on the powered machinery throughout the lab, some of that
workstations, two are functional. The remaining watches energy leaked and manifested in strange ways. Here, it
can be repaired using tinkers’ tools, an hour’s work, took the form of six aether mephits (see appendix A),
and a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation or who attack anyone who tries to pass through this room.
Arcana) check. The aetherium magic leaks also supercharged the metal
The large box is a prototype refrigerator. Among pillars in this room with electricity. A creature that passes
various food and drink, a potion of healing also sits inside. within 5 feet of a pillar for the first time on a turn or starts
Characters with a combined Strength of 30 can move the its turn within 5 feet of a pillar takes 1d4 lightning damage.
fridge around. A character who succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence
(Investigation) check knows that the electricity in the
F9. Café pillars can be neutralized with an opposite charge. Dealing
lightning damage to a pillar ends that pillar’s damaging
electric effects.
Couches, chairs, tables, and six technomage corpses lie
scattered in complete disarray. There’s wet rubble in the
middle of the room that appears to have once been a F12. Misting Nozzles
fountain. Shards of the aetherium crystal that powered the
The door to this room is locked and can be opened
fountain lie within the wreckage. with an employee magitech pass (see the “Laboratory
Features” sidebar).
Thanks to the magical emanations of the broken
aetherium, six corpses animate as zombies and attack the Three curious contraptions sit on a wide table. They look
characters on sight. On the second round of combat, any like potions filled with red liquid, but each has a nozzle
zombies remaining in area F10 join the fight. contraption screwed to the top instead of a cork. An open
notebook sits beside the gadgets.
F10. Cubicles
Any character who has seen a potion of healing before
Zombies dressed as technomages shuffle around the or succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check or
cubicles in this wrecked room. Papers stick to the floor, Intelligence (Arcana) instantly recognizes the red liquid as
stained red with blood. A magitech device on the wall three potions of healing.
has been ripped apart, exposing a large aetherium The magitech atop the vials were built to make it faster
crystal pulsing dimly. to administer a potion to someone. Anyone who reads
through the notebook sees that these prototypes have been
The broken wall-mounted device was a prototype air titled “misting nozzles.” According to the notes, pulling the
conditioner. The unpredictable magic of its damaged trigger on the misting nozzle causes the potion inside to
aetherium crystal has animated the four technomages in spray out as a light mist, bestowing the effects of the potion
this room into zombies. One wears an advanced-clearance in a fraction of the usual time.
magitech pass on a lanyard around their neck. A character that reads the notebook should make a
DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, they
know that the science behind this is not medically sound
and will simply waste the contents of the potion. On a
failure, the character is unsure whether the prototypes will
Zombies dressed as technomages work or not.
A character can try to spray a potion on themselves or
shuffle around the cubicles in this another willing creature with a bonus action. If they do so,
the potion is expended, bestowing no benefit.
wrecked room. The potions work as normal if unscrewed from the
misting nozzles.

54 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

F13. Supply Closet Basement Access
Evan explains to the characters that the basement elevator (area
An injured technomage cowers in this dark supply closet. F14) only works with an advanced access card. He knows that
He shuts his eyes and turns away from the bright hallway at least two advanced-clearance staffers stayed late that night:
light. His right leg is bleeding badly. one was working with him on the eastern side of the lab, while
the other was working on vehicle prototypes on the western
side of the lab. The head scientist also might have been on site,
This is Evan Omerin (N human male aetherium research-
but Evan’s not sure where he would be. These passes can be
er, see appendix A) who works as an technomage for Fen-
found on corpses in areas F4 and F10.
Tech. He’s in too much pain from his bleeding leg to speak
with the characters. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Med-
icine) check, a character can tend to Evan’s wounds and use F14. Basement Elevator
the supplies in the closet to bandage him up. A character
with a healer’s kit makes this check with advantage. A sign labeled "Basement" is mounted beside this elevator.
Once his pain has been addressed, Evan speaks with A special magitech pass reader sits below the buttons, with a
the characters. He and a few other staffers stayed late at small plaque that reads “Advanced clearance access only.”
the lab to finish a few projects. Evan was taking a break
in the café when a masked man accompanied by several If a character puts an advanced-clearance magitech pass
accomplices burst into the room. Arrows flew, maces were up to the reader, the elevator doors open and the elevator
swung, swords were slashed (one of which connected with becomes usable. (Advanced-clearance passes can be found
Evan’s leg), and the masked man hurled magical insults in room F4 and room F10).
that caused people to drop dead. Luckily, Evan limped Trying to activate this elevator with a regular magitech
away and drag himself into the supply closet where he’s pass only results in a beeping error noise. A knock spell will
been hiding ever since. He’s glad they found him—he was open the elevator doors, but it will not cause the elevator to
afraid he’d bleed to death. become functional.

Laboratory Basement
1 Square = 5 feet

F19
F20

F17

F22
F18 F21

F14 F15

F16

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory 55

 F17. Haywire Mech Suit
A giant mech suit rampages around this room, blindly
smashing lights and wrecking tables. Deep inside the mecha-
nisms of the suit, you glimpse a desperate-looking engineer.
A voice chirps from inside the mech: “Please!
Someone help! This thing’s gone haywire! The aetherium
battery is on its back: if you take it out, the mech should
stop moving!”

Technomage Terrence Glimmerbottom (N male halfling

aetherium researcher. see appendix A) is stuck inside
this haywire mech suit (see appendix A). The suit blindly
attacks any creatures near it and follows creatures if they
leave the room.
Characters can follow Terrence’s instructions and
disable the suit by taking advantage of the Battery-Powered
feature in its statblock. If they try to defeat it with damage,
Terrence protests: this suit took the technomages ages to
construct! He can’t bear to see it be damaged.
Freeing Terrence. Once the mech suit is disabled or
destroyed, Terrence can be removed from its constricting
inner mechanisms with a successful DC 13 Strength
(Athletics) check. Thankful for his rescue, he explains to
F15. Basement Landing the characters that this mech suit was designed by FenTech.
After a few seconds of slow descent, the Terrence was testing it when a masked man and a few of
elevator descends to the basement level. his minions came rushing into the room. The masked man
No magitech pass is required to go back waved his hand and uttered an incantation, frying the
up to the ground floor. mech’s circuitry and causing it to go haywire. Then he and
the others rushed into the next room. Terrence remembers
that they seemed to have FenTech’s head researcher held
F16. Experimental Weapons hostage with them.
Terrence recommends the characters visit the
Bulky weapon parts and hand tools hang from the experimental weapons room if they haven’t already
walls of this room. Three aetherium-powered weapons (area F18). There are a few weapons in there that, with
sit on different workbenches: a pistol, a scythe, and a a minute or two of assembly, could help them up ahead.
smoke bomb. Each item looks a few pieces from being Unfortunately, those weapons weren’t Terrence’s area of
fully-assembled. expertise, so he can’t assemble them any better than the
characters can.
The aetherium weapons on the table are an aether pistol,
an aether scythe, and a smoke bomb (see appendix B).
Each is still missing a few components. A character
looking to assemble a weapon can make a DC 15 Intelli-
gence (Arcana) check to determine which pieces go where, A giant mech suit rampages
followed by a DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check
to put those pieces in place and complete the device. A around this room..
character using tinker’s tools has advantage on the Sleight
of Hand check.

56 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

F18. Dissection Room F20. Battery Storage
A giant rat lies half-dissected on an operating table in The very air in this room hums with static. It looks as
this room. Various wires connect it to different gadgets. if the room stored dozens of aetherium batteries, which
A chalkboard on the eastern wall shows a collection of now lie battered and smashed on the floor, leaking magic
confused musings and theories. into the air.
The sliding door to the south appears to be
malfunctioning as it erratically slams open and shut with The first time each character passes through this room,
remarkable force. they must roll on the Aether Leak Side Effects table. A
character can be affected by the room only once, even if
If the characters fought aethertouched rats in sewers they pass through it again.
during chapter 1, they immediately recognize this rat to be
same type. Aether Leak Side Effects
The scientists of FenTech use this room to dissect the D6 RESULT SIDE EFFECT
strange aethertouched creatures found in the sewers of 1 Something about this room unsettles you. You refuse
Avarna. The chalkboard on the wall shows some of the to use magitech for the next hour. This fear can be
scientist’s questions about how the creatures in Avarna’s cured if you are the target of a lesser restoration or calm
sewers have been enhanced by aether magic: Does it affect emotions spell.
the brain? The nervous system? How long did the creatures 2 You feel some of the energy being sapped from your
have to be exposed to the generators for them to gain their body. Gain one level of exhaustion.
strange powers? Subsequent writing offers theories, but
3 You briefly hear the seas of the Aetherial Expanse
no answers. The gadgets connected to the rat measure its crashing loudly in your eardrums. You are deafened for
current temperature and aetherium levels. the next hour.
Passing through the malfunctioning door requires a
4 You feel invigorated with energy.. You gain the effects
successful DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a
of the longstrider spell for the next hour.
failure, the sliding door slams into the character as they
pass through, dealing 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage. 5 You feel your fingers crackle with magic. As an action,
you can cast magic missile once in the next hour.
6 The arcane energy here heals your wounds. You regain
4d4+4 hit points.
F19. Aethertouched Research Room
Smashed glass tanks sit against the northern and eastern
walls of this room. Each tank has a city map above it. Two F21. Door Control Panel
alligators prowl around in a giant puddle of water on the
floor, looking at you warily. Many desks and cubicles in this room have been pushed
aside to clear a path to the south. The sliding door to the
north is malfunctioning, slamming open and shut at an
These creatures are two aethertouched alligators
(see appendix A). They are aggressive and attack any alarming speed. A control panel crisscrossed with colorful
who approach. A DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) wires is mounted to the wall beside that northern door.
check prevents them from becoming hostile, but they
cannot be tamed. The wires on the control panel have been rearranged,
The alligators were brought here from the sewers of causing the door to malfunction (see area F20). On a
Avarna weeks ago for study. The maps above their broken successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check, a character
tanks each depict the city of Avarna, with red circles can rewire the control panel and cause the door to stop
indicating the district where that particular alligator was malfunctioning. Characters with magitech knowledge have
found. Notebooks and files in this room show that the advantage on this check.
scientists were observing the strange abilities of these A character can also narrate what they see to a character
aethertouched beasts. on the other side of the door and have that character make
the Arcana check for them, but that character will roll with
disadvantage, as some details may get lost in translation.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory 57

 T
ipegwam
m e soep
seuuhqailcc t
o h researcher, see appendix A). Stremolus found him on the

afttdnstyierac
ground floor and forced him to use his advanced-clearance
magitech pass to take them to the basement.
Characters who succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana)
check recognize that Morris is deleting the lab’s files on
aetherium research at Stremolus’ command. After Morris is
done, Stremolus plans to kill him and do a final sweep of the

i l
lab to make sure there are no survivors.

ioh o s
If the Whispered Wind agents notice the characters, they

w
immediately alert Stremolus.

e p
The Villain Revealed

o w
Stremolus is angered that the characters made it out of
the casino, but he also can’t help but gloat, given the

e m
opportunity. Stremolus takes off his mask, revealing his

ehteoac
true identity.
How He Did It. Stremolus was the mastermind behind
all the recent aetherium sabotages in Talavi. They were all
pulled off either by himself or by Whispered Wind agents.
He traveled to various locations in the region and caused
aetherium-powered machinery to malfunction either
manually or using his bardic magic.
Why He Did It. The Avar Academy has been losing
many a brilliant young mind to the study of “brutish”
magitech. Stremolus considers magitech to be crude and
dangerous, nothing like the beautiful forms of traditional
magic taught at the Academy. Stremolus worries that
magitech will bring ruin to the Avar Academy and render
traditional magic obsolete. So, he has sought to sow distrust
in magitech among the common folk by staging aetherium
“accidents” across Talavi.
What’s Happening Now. Stremolus wanted to destroy
FenTech labs to set back aetherium research in Talavi
and to sow more distrust in magitech. After the lead
technomage is done deleting the research files, Stremolus
plans to make it look like aether elementals rampaged
through the labs, destroying the facility in another
freak accident.

22. Demo Room Battling Stremolus

After Stremolus is done explaining his grand scheme, read
or paraphrase the following.
A large screen with a complicated keyboard covers the
northern wall of this hangar-like room. Large, half- “It’s a shame that Van Lazarin–or “the Chair,” as you
constructed aetherium generators and vehicles sit at the call him–sent you poking around where you didn’t belong.
eastern and western ends. I can have no witnesses. I hope you enjoyed your visit to
A tall, masked elf looms over a technomage who hastily Avar.” He motions to his lackeys.
types at a panel of control crystals. A few lackeys with
familiar Whispered Wind tattoos stand guard beside them. With that, Stremolus and his Whispered Wind lackeys attack
the characters. The spies attack with their hand crossbows
The tall masked elf is Headmaster Stremolus (see appen- from a distance, while the thugs grapple characters to keep
dix A). He wears boots of elvenkind. He’s accompanied by them from getting close to Stremolus. The head technomage
two spies and two thugs, all agents of the Whispered Wind. runs to hide in the corner during combat.
The man hunched over the panel is FenTech lab’s lead Even if Stremolus is killed, the Whispered Wind agents
technomage, Morris Eventide (N human male aetherium continue to fight to the death.

58 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

THE AFTERMATH DEBRIEF
After dealing with Stremolus, characters can circle back The Chair is surprised and disturbed to hear that
through unexplored rooms of the lab if they’d like. If the Stremolus was the mastermind behind the various Talavi’s
head technomage survives, he thanks the characters and sabotage events. He remembered Stremolus as a good man
runs off to inform the Fenry police about the attack. In the and wouldn’t have ever thought of him being capable of
days that follow, FenTech Labs is shut down indefinitely. something like this.
The Chair resolves to look further into this “Spider”
Letters from Spider character. Spider’s comments about being a “friend to
those in the empire who feel voiceless” lead the Chair to
When the characters return to the Avar Academy, if they believe that Spider might still be influencing others across
search through the headmaster’s office, they find letters the Empire.
exchanged between the headmaster and a mysterious entity At any rate, the Chair recommends that the characters
who goes by “Spider.” await further instructions. This web of dissent may be
In the first few letters, Spider introduces themself as a much larger than they first expected.
great admirer of the Avar Academy and of Headmaster

CHARACTER
Stremolus’ work. But they lament that the Avar Academy’s
teachings are slowly being rendered obsolete by the rise of

ADVANCEMENT
magitech in Talavi.
Subsequent letters show the headmaster becoming
increasingly concerned and preoccupied with the threat
that magitech poses to his way of life. At this point, Spider At the end of this episode, the characters should advance
suggests the headmaster take matters into his own hands. to level 5.
Spider offers to introduce the headmaster to a spy network If you are using optional Agent Advancement rules
in Talavi that they’ve used in the past called the Whispered from the Agent of Empire Setting Guide, and you haven’t
Wind. According to Spider, the Whispered Wind will work already awarded an agent milestone at the end of chapter
for whomever gives them enough coin, no questions asked. 1, GMs should do so at the end of this adventure.
At one point in their correspondence, the headmaster

THE STORY CONTINUES

asks Spider who they are. The Spider merely replies, “I am
a friend for those in the empire who feel voiceless.”
If the characters choose not to return to the Avar
Academy, or they don’t think to investigate the This Agents of the Empire Fable continues with episode 3:
headmaster’s office, they receive these letters in the mail a The Smoking Coils.
few days later. The faculty sent them, hoping they might be
of use to the characters.

If Stremolus Was Taken Captive

If the characters took Stremolus captive instead of
killing him, he can tell them all of the above information
firsthand. He gladly offers whatever information he must,
as long as he thinks it’ll help him see less jail time.
Stremolus knows little about Spider’s identity. They seemed
to be someone who cared about the future of Talavi, and
the Karelagne Empire as a whole. They were a comfort-
ing figure to Stremolus: someone he could talk to about
the concerns he thought nobody else would understand.

He remembered Stremolus as a good man and wouldn’t have

ever thought of him being capable of something like this.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Chapter 4: The Magitech Laboratory 59

 APPENDIX A:
NEW MONSTERS
This appendix details the new creatures appearing in
this episode of Agents of the Empire. The creatures are
presented in alphabetical order.

NEW CREATURE LISTING

Aether Elemental. Large Elemental. Challenge 5
Aether Mephit. Small Elemental. Challenge ½
Aetherium Researcher. Medium or Small Humanoid.
Challenge ¼
Aethertouched Alligator. Large Beast. Challenge 1
Aethertouched Giant Rat. Small Beast. Challenge ¼
Andronicus. Medium Humanoid (Human). Challenge 1
New Monsters

"Animated" Slot Machine. Large Construct. Challenge 2

Buucahb, Harrier. Small Fiend (Devil). Challenge 1
Haywire Mech Suit. Large Construct. Challenge 6
Headmaster Stremolous. Medium Humanoid (Elf).
Challenge 3
Master Agent. Medium or Small Humanoid. Challenge 5
Snow Leopard. Medium Humanoid (Tiefling).
Challenge 4
Swarm of Aethertouched Rats. Medium Swarm of Tiny
Beasts. Challenge ½
Thorvin Saltspray. Medium Humanoid (Dwarf).
APPENDIX A

Challenge 4

GMs Prerogative
Every player group is different. Their characters, abilities,
strengths, and weaknesses can vary significantly from
table to table. This variance and a group’s tactics can
result in wildly different experiences. One group may find
a combat encounter unchallenging, while another group
could find that same encounter potentially deadly.
As a GM, you can adjust an encounter’s difficulty to
maximize the fun at your table. The strength of each
creature and the number of creatures your players face
are great ways to adjust the challenge of an encounter.
An easy way to adjust a combat encounter on the fly is to
modify a monster’s hit points. Creature stat blocks present
that creature’s average hit points along with their hit dice,
which describes a range of possible hit point values.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

AETHER ELEMENTAL
Aether elementals are pure aether given form, often through
a spell or other arcane ritual. They are often found in service
to powerful spellcasters, either as assistants or bodyguards.
Sometimes, mages conjure aether elementals to defend spe-
cific areas or items. This is not uncommon, as the elemental
requires no nourishment or rest and can watch over their
charge for centuries.

Aether Elemental
Large elemental, neutral

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
Speed 30 ft., swim 90 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from

nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Aetherian
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Magic Weapons. The elemental's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions
Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13
(2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Aether Spray (Recharge 4–6). The elemental creates a 40-foot-

diameter sphere of aether spray within 60 feet of it (the fog spreads
around corners). When a creature enters the spray for the first time
on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 15 Constitution
saving throw, taking 13 (2d8 + 4) poison damage on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one.
The spray moves 10 feet away from the elemental at the
start of each of its turns, rolling along the ground and through ... the elemental requires no
openings. The spray lasts for 10 minutes or until the elemental’s
concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). nourishment or rest and can watch
over their charge for centuries.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 61

 h e
o m
w e
p r
l
e a
t n
s u a i d
pe s em l i q
hucestehdtearlloitzloiecdh
o
c
nartyos ,awws ho ciu a l
l
. d
l
o
e r
omm
p leee t
r o
i u m
o
caet h Aether Mephit
Small elemental, neutral evil

Armor Class 11
Hit Points 21 (6d6)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

7 (−2) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 9 (−1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1)

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3

Damage Vulnerabilities force
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Aetherian
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

AETHER MEPHIT
Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes in a burst of ae-
ther. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 10 Constitu-
tion saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) poison damage on a failed save, or
When aether energy leaks from magitech or broken half as much damage on a successful one.
aetherium crystals, the arcane potential sometimes
False Appearance. While the mephit remains motionless, it is
coalesces into a minor elemental called an aether mephit.
indistinguishable from a cloud of aether gas.
These mephits delight in tormenting desperate creatures.
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit:
3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.
When aether energy leaks from Aether Breath (Recharge 6). The mephit exhales a 15-foot cone
of aether gas. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 10
magitech or broken aetherium Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed
crystals, the arcane potential save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Innate Spellcasting (1/day). The aether mephit casts faerie fire,

sometimes coalesces into requiring no material components. Its innate spellcasting ability
is Charisma.
a minor elemental...

62 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

AETHERIUM
RESEARCHER
With the advent of Magitech throughout the
Empire, numerous aetherium researchers exist
pursuing the latest technologies.

Aetherium Researcher
Medium or small humanoid, any alignment

Armor Class 12 (leather armor)

Hit Points 13 (3d8)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)

Skills Arcana +3
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages any two languages
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or
range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Aetherburst Wand. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 20/60

ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

Reactions
Aethershield (1/day). When the researcher takes damage from an
attack, they can engage a protective arcane shield, reducing the
damage by 5 (2d4).

Once properly shielded, aetherial

flux can effectively be channeled
through an arcane encabulator, but
watching a Gilbert-Pretzel event
evolve in real time IS more fun.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 63

 AETHERTOUCHED BEASTS Aethertouched Giant Rat
Aethertouched beasts resemble the aetherbeasts of the Small beast, unaligned
Aetherial Expanse. While aetherbeasts are creatures of
the Aetherial Expanse vaguely likened to animals on the Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Material Plane, aethertouched beasts are mundane animals
Hit Points 14 (4d6)
transformed by long-term exposure to the tainted magical
Speed 30 ft.
emanations of aether crystals.
The eyes of aethertouched beasts sparkle with the deep
blue and purple hues of the starry Aetherial Expanse. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (−2) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 2 (−4) 10 (+0) 4 (−3)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Swarm of Languages —

Aethertouched Rats Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned

Keen Smell. The aethertouched giant rat has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Armor Class 10 (natural armor)
Hit Points 28 (8d8-8) Actions
Speed 30 ft. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
(1d4+2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or contract a disease. Until
the disease is cured, the target can’t regain hit points except by
9 (−1) 11 (+0) 9 (-1) 2 (−4) 10 (+0) 3 (−4)
magical means, and the target’s hit point maximum decreases by 3
(1d6) every 24 hours. If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
because of this disease, the target dies.
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed,
petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Aethercasting (1/day). The aethertouched giant rat casts the
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10 blur spell.

Languages —
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Keen Smell. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom (Perception)

checks that rely on smell.

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice
versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough
for a Tiny rat. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary
hit points.

Actions
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the
swarm’s space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing
damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Aethercasting (1/day). The swarm casts the sleep spell.

64 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 t hpeoe w m
caaucssoeempealr
f i c
n re
pceooortmy
otsh d
t e e
l
r i
m p l ,a waslol
aetheeetw o h
riu Aethertouched Alligator
Large beast, unaligned

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)

Hit Points 26 (4d10+4)
Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

15 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 2 (−4) 10 (+0) 5 (−3)

Skills Stealth +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Hold Breath. The aethertouched alligator can hold its breath for
15 minutes.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
7 (1d10 + 2) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape
DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the
aethertouched alligator can’t bite another target.

Aethercasting (1/day). The aethertouched alligator casts the slow

spell (DC 13).

... mundane animals transformed

by long-term exposure ...

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 65

 icareysteh m
d e
ll a
t o
n
s f
a arl
f o n
pceoormt o s at e
a r
l i
l q
t
i ou i d
aem p l ,
e
theertw w s o
h l
izied
ANDRONICUS
o o u
[Link] h
Andronicus is a well-established member of the Agency,
having been an agent for years. He was the Agency’s
rising star — until the recent arrival of several new
Agents. He often presents an air of superiority and tries to
intimidate others to follow his lead, belittling colleagues
and taking more credit than he deserves.
Andronicus was born and raised in Karel and knows the
city like the back of his hand. He’s also visited every region
in the Karelagne Empire at least once.

Andronicus
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral

Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)

Hit Points 38 (7d8+7)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

13 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3

Skills Athletics +3, Deception +4, Sleight of Hand +5
Senses Passive Perception 11
Languages Common
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Evasion. When Andronicus is subjected to an effect that allows

him to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he
succeeds on the saving throw, and only half if he fails.

Actions
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Aether Pistol. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/90 ft.,

one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. He often presents an air of
Bonus Actions superiority and tries to intimidate
Cunning Action. Andronicus takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
others to follow his lead, belittling
Reactions
Fortune Favors the Bold (1/day). Andronicus can choose to have colleagues and taking more credit
advantage on an attack roll, ability check or saving throw. He also
adds 1d6 to the result. than he deserves.

66 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

“ANIMATED”
SLOT MACHINE
Magitech engineers, while brilliant, sometimes have odd
obsessions. This contraption is the work of an engineer
who spent far too much time at Talavi’s various casinos. He
was inspired to create a slot machine that could be steered
from the inside and engage in combat. Unfortunately,
very few people saw the use for combat-ready gambling
apparatus. Eventually, the Whispered Wind offered to take
the machines off his hands for a dirt-cheap price.
The slot machine seems to be an animated object, like
a rug of smothering or an animated armor. But it must
be manually controlled by a specially-trained driver. The
Whispered Wind had a few spies trained in the unlikely
event that a battling slot machine would be of use to them.
Luckily for them, that day has arrived.

...very few people saw the use for

combat-ready gambling apparatus.

False Appearance. While the machine remains motionless, it is

“Animated” Slot Machine indistinguishable from a normal slot machine.
Large construct, unaligned
Manually Controlled. Though it appears to be an animated object,
the slot machine is controlled from the inside by a specially-trained
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Medium-sized humanoid. The humanoid inside the slot machine
Hit Points 52 (8d10+8) has full cover and cannot be targeted by spells or effects.
Speed 15 ft.
Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Multiattack. The machine makes two Token Shot attacks.
16(+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 1 (−5) 3 (-4) 1 (−5) Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6
(1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC
Damage Immunities poison, psychic 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened,
Token Shot. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft.,
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 6
Lucky Sevens (Recharge 6). The slot machine’s screen lines up
Languages —
three sevens, and it sprays a blast of tokens while letting out an
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
earsplitting ring. Allies of the slot machine within 30 feet gain
advantage on their next attack roll, while enemies of the slot
machine within 30 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving
throw, taking 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage on a failure or half as
much on a success.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 67

 BUUCAHB Buucahb, Harrier
The buucahb are fiendish arthropods sometimes simply Small Fiend (Devil), Typically Lawful Evil
referred to as “the swarm,” native to a nearly inaccessible
pocket dimension hidden deep within the Elemental Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Plane of Fire. The swarm’s name for their home plane is
Hit Points 36 (8d6 + 8)
a string of hisses and clicks indecipherable to most other
Speed 30 ft, fly 30 ft.
beings. These fiends are naturally communal—when one is
discovered, more are almost certain to be found nearby.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Buucahb, Harrier 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)

These flying, fiendish cockroaches relentlessly pursue Damage Resistances cold

their prey, ferociously clinging to their victims with Damage Immunities fire, poison
hook-like claws. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands Infernal but cannot speak
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

These fiends are Fiendish Hold. The harrier has advantage on melee attacks
targeting creatures to which it is attached.
naturally communal—when one is
Inscrutable Mind. The harrier is immune to any effect that would sense
discovered, more are almost certain its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as to all divination spells.

to be found nearby. Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d10+3)
piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 6 (1d6+3)

slashing damage and the harrier attaches to the target. A creature
within 5 feet of the harrier, including the target, can use its action
to make a DC 13 Strength check, detaching the harrier on a success.

m e
emweoosceh T
pht
d e s
eaathsotyeruacac
e ,lmp t n
r oif
t emooecp
68 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6
 Unfortunately, most FenTech mech
suits go haywire as soon as the
conditions around them become
anything less than perfectly stable.

Haywire Mech Suit

Large construct, unaligned

Armor Class 18
Hit Points 104 (11d10+44)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

18 (+4) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (−5)

Damage Resistances lightning

Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened,
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 5
Languages —
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Battery-Powered. A panel on the back of the suit covers its

aetherium battery. A character grappling or climbing onto the suit
from behind can make a DC 15 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools
or a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to unscrew or pry open the
panel, exposing the battery. The battery is an object with an AC of
10 and 30 hit points. Removing the battery incapacitates the suit.
Destroying the battery causes it to explode as if a 1 was rolled on
its Death Burst feature.

HAYWIRE MECH SUIT

Death Burst. When the mech suit dies, there is a chance its
aetherium battery explodes. Roll a d6; on a 1, each creature within
10 feet of it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7
FenTech Labs’ research goes beyond just vehicles and (2d6) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
household appliances, they also have a burgeoning weapons successful one.
department that gets funding directly from the Karelagne
government. FenTech Labs has worked for years to build a Actions
powered suit of mechanical armor to help even the weakest Multiattack. The suit makes two Shocking Slam attacks.
soldier become a force to be reckoned with on the battle-
Shocking Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
field. They haven’t succeeded yet, but they’re getting close.
one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage, plus 5 (1d10)
Unfortunately, most FenTech mech suits go haywire as
lightning damage.
soon as the conditions around them become anything less
than perfectly stable. When this happens, they can no longer Whirling Arms. Each creature within 10 ft. of the suit must make
be controlled by the person inside the mech. Instead, the suit a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 15 (2d10+4) damage on a
flails around and attacks nearby creatures indiscriminately. failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 69

 stasecteahiwe
n rt
h o
oi c
m h.e
i
lowlrmozu ,ledr c
i u m
ae t h Headmaster Stremolus
Medium humanoid (elf), lawful evil

Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)

Hit Points 65 (10d8+20)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

10 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +4, Wis +3, Cha +6

Skills Acrobatics +4, Deception +8, Perception +3, Performance +8
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Fey Ancestry. Stremolus has advantage on saving throws against

being charmed, and magic can’t put him to sleep.

Actions
Multiattack. Stremolus makes two attacks. He can replace one
attack with a use of Spellcasting.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Spectral Daggers. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60 ft.,

one target. Hit: 10 (4d4) magical slashing damage.

Spellcasting. Stremolus casts one of the following spells, using

Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At will: dancing lights, mage hand, minor illusion
2/day each: charm person, faerie fire, feather fall, invisibility, silence
1/day each: hypnotic pattern, polymorph

Bonus Actions

HEADMASTER STREMOLUS
Wicked Words (3/Day). Stremolus targets one creature within 60
feet of him. If the target can hear him, the target must succeed on
a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next
Becoming the headmaster of the most prestigious magic
attack roll.
academy in all Talavi requires a great deal of knowledge,
cunning, and a passion for the job. Headmaster Galianndi
Stremolus possesses all three.
Stremolus believes in pure arcane studies and disapproves
of magitech’s rising influence. He’s seen many talented
students leave the academy to train under technomages.
Spurred on by correspondence with the mysterious figure Stremolus believes in pure
known only as “Spider,” Stremolus decided to take matters
into his own hands. By sabotaging aetherium-powered devices arcane studies and disapproves of
across Talavi and making the scenes look like accidents,
Stremolus hopes to incite public distrust of magitech with an magitech’s rising influence.
ultimate goal of getting all magitech banned. He doesn’t care
who he must kill to do it.

70 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

Master Agent MASTER AGENT
Medium or Small Humanoid, Any Alignment Agents are skilled individuals adept at
espionage and with a knack of succeeding
Armor Class 16 (studded leather) even when the odds are against them.
Those who’ve become master agents
Hit Points 84 (13d8 + 26)
have survived countless missions and
Speed 30 ft.
should never be underestimated.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

14 (+2) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex + 7, Wis +4

Skills Athletics +5, Deception +7, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Any three languages
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Actions
Multiattack. The agent makes three attacks.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

Tainted Aether Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/90

ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison
damage and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of
its next turn.

Escape Boots (1/day). The agent gains a flying speed of 60 feet for 1
minute. If the agent is still aloft after a minute, they fall unless they
can stop the fall.

Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The agent takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Goo-Patch (1/day). A patch of sticky, black goo covers a 10-foot

square that the agent can see within 60 feet. The goo is difficult
terrain and dissipates after 1 minute. When the goo appears, each
creature standing in its area must succeed on a DC 13 Strength
saving throw or become restrained by the goo. A creature that enters
the area or ends its turn there must also succeed on the Strength
saving throw or become restrained. Restrained creatures can use an
action to make a DC 13 Strength check, breaking free on a success.

Smoke Bomb (1/day). A burst of opaque smoke explodes outward,

centered on a point within 30 feet, creating the effect of the fog
cloud spell.

Reactions
Fortune Favors the Bold (3/day). The agent can choose to have
advantage on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, and adds
1d6 to the result.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 71

 SNOW LEOPARD Snow Leopard
For many years, Snow Leopard’s activities went unnoticed. Medium humanoid (tiefling), neutral evil
Some would report seeing a flash of white running across
a rooftop after finding a politician murdered, but nobody Armor Class 17 (unarmored defense)
connected the dots. After five years of assassinations, a
Hit Points 82 (11d8+33)
prominent newspaper in Karel ran an investigation and
Speed 45 ft.
drafted a front-page story on this mysterious character,
who they dubbed “Snow Leopard.” The name stuck, and
now Snow Leopard’s allies, friends, and employers use it. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Snow Leopard doesn’t care who he must kill, so long 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 11 (+0)
as the pay is good. He’s known for snapping the necks
of his victims or killing them with darts, often poisoned. Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +6
Two years ago, members of the Agency captured him Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +5, Stealth +6
during the failed assassination of a prominent Karelagne Damage Resistances fire
noble. He was kept in the Karel
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Penitentiary until his
Languages Common, Infernal
recent escape.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Evasion. When Snow Leopard is subjected to an effect that allows

him to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he
succeeds on the saving throw, and only half if he fails.

Leopard’s Stride. Snow Leopard can move along vertical surfaces

and across liquids on his turn without falling during the move.

Unarmored Defense. While Snow Leopard is wearing no armor and

wielding no shield, his AC includes his Wisdom modifier.

Actions
Multiattack. Snow Leopard makes three Unarmed Strike attacks or
three Dart attacks.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.

Reactions
Deflect Missiles. In response to being hit by a ranged weapon
attack, Snow Leopard deflects the missile. The damage he takes
from the attack is reduced by 1d10+8. If the damage is reduced to
0, he catches the missile if it’s small enough to hold in one hand
and he has a hand free.

Slow Fall. When Snow Leopard falls, he reduces any falling damage
he takes by 20 points.

Stunning Strike (Recharge 4-6). In response to hitting a creature

with a melee attack, Snow Leopard can force the creature to make
a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is
stunned until the end of Snow Leopard’s next turn.

72 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 T hpe e
o
s wem e
p
THORVIN SALTSPRAY
t h c o m
cacauresyteshdtea
i n t o a
For years, Thorvin was a small-time pirate in the Edosians.

, w
Then he made the jump to piracy on the Aetherial Expanse,

f o r m
building up a crew and quickly making a name for himself

l e
by pillaging Karelagne ships. It wasn’t until he came back

pceaooemp
to Karel to sell off some of his ill-gotten goods that he was

e t
captured and sent to Karel Penitentiary.
Thorvin is an archetypal pirate, through and through:

ther
bushy beard, “arrr”s and all. Alcohol is his vice, especially
rum. Luckily, his dwarf stomach makes him quite a
heavyweight drinker.

Thorvin Saltspray
Medium humanoid (dwarf), chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (hide armor)

Hit Points 90 (12d8+36)
Speed 25 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

18 (+4) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Str +6, Con +6

Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +5
Damage Resistances poison
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Dwarvish
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Dwarven Resilience. Thorvin has advantage on saving throws

against poison.

Buccaneer’s Fury. Thorvin deals an extra die of damage when he

hits with a greataxe attack (included in the attack).

Actions
Multiattack. Thorvin makes two greataxe attacks.

Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.

...he made the jump to piracy on the

Aetherial Expanse, building up a
crew and quickly making a name for
himself by pillaging Karelagne ships.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix A: New Monsters 73

 APPENDIX B:
NEW EQUIPMENT
AND MAGIC ITEMS
New Equipment and Magic Items

This appendix details the new equipment and magic items

appearing within this adventure.

Equipment
Aether Scythe
Weapon (magitech-glaive), rare
While not activated, this weapon resembles a 1-foot-long
metallic scroll tube. Clicking a button on the side causes a
rod to extend from the top and a glowing scythe-like blade
of solid aetherium to spring into existence.
An aether scythe uses the statistics of a glaive, but lacks
the heavy property.

Aether Wristwatch
Wondrous item (magitech), common
This wristwatch's bulky exterior contains all manner of
handy tools.
This wristwatch shows the time of day. It also doubles as
a set of tinker’s tools.

Flask of Goo
APPENDIX B

Potion, uncommon
This apple-sized crystal sphere is filled with a black tarry
substance. As an action, you can throw the flask into a
space within 60 feet of you. The sphere breaks on impact,
covering a 10-foot-square area with sticky goo. The goo is
difficult terrain and dissipates after 1 minute. When the goo
appears, each creature standing in its area must succeed
on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or become restrained
by the goo. A creature that enters the area or ends its turn
there must also succeed on a Strength saving throw or
become restrained. Creatures can use an action to make a
DC 13 Strength check, breaking free on a success.

Grapple Gun
Wondrous item (magitech), uncommon
This pistol-like device includes a spool of thin metal wire
wound on a spool connected to a dart in its muzzle.
As an action, you can fire the grapple gun at a target up
to 60 feet from you. A creature who succeeds on a DC 13

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

Dexterity saving throw avoids the dart. Targets struck by When a creature wearing this ring makes a Strength
the dart are considered grappled (escape DC 15). Until the (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, it can choose
grapple ends, the target is restrained. On subsequent turns, to use its Performance modifier instead. Once the ring has
you can use an action to reel in the dart at a rate of 20 feet been used, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.
per round. When reeling in the dart and for as long as you
hold on to the grapple gun, targets that weigh less than your Smoke Bomb
push, drag, or lift capacity are pulled toward you, otherwise
Wondrous item, uncommon
you are pulled toward the target. You can speak a command
word as a bonus action to disengage the dart from its target. This small crystal sphere measures 2 inches in diameter
and weighs an ounce. A black mist appears to slowly swirl
Messaging Plate within the sphere.
You can use an action to throw the sphere up to 30 feet.
Wondrous item (magitech), uncommon
The sphere breaks on impact. A burst of opaque smoke
The Agency’s technomages have recently crafted these explodes, creating the effect of a fog cloud spell centered on
remarkable magitech devices allowing limited communica- that point.
tions with their agents in the field. These devices come in
linked pairs, each consisting of a book-sized sheet of aetheri-
um-infused metal and a silver-tipped ebony stylus.
Firearms
You use the stylus to write a message up to twenty-five One of the early developments in magitech was the
words upon the metal sheet. Upon speaking a command creation of aetherium-powered firearms that unleash bursts
word, the message vanishes from the sending device, of arcane force, deal piercing damage to their targets.
immediately reappearing on its linked device, provided More advanced firearms are known to deal other types
it is on the same plane of existence. The receiving device of damage in addition to its normal bludgeoning or
momentarily vibrates and emits a brief sound when a piercing damage.
message appears. Firearms are considered martial ranged weapons.
The message on the receiving device remains visible Bards and rogues are proficient with aether pistols.
for up to 10 minutes or until someone holding it speaks
a command word. A creature holding the sending device Standard Firearms
knows if the message disappeared on the receiving device NAME COST DAMAGE WEIGHT PROPERTIES
because its command word was spoken.
Each device can send a single message to its linked pair, Aetherburst 75 gp 1d6 1 lb. Aetherium powered
Wand bludgeoning (range 20/60), arcane focus
after which it can’t send another message until the next
dawn. If one of the devices in the pair is destroyed, the Aether 150 gp 1d8 2 lb. Aetherium powered
other one becomes nonmagical. Pistol piercing (range 30/120)
Aetherlock 300 gp 2d6 8 lb. Aetherium powered (range
Mission Scroll piercing 80/320), two-handed

Wondrous item, uncommon

The Karelagne Empire’s spies developed these apparently
Weapon Properties
mundane scrolls to discreetly pass messages among its agents. Aetherium Powered. The embedded aetherium crystals
Parchment, paper, or other suitable writing material is in- in these ranged weapons hold 9 charges. Making a ranged
fused with magic to discretely protect any inscribed message. attack with the weapon uses 1 charge. The aetherium
Once a command word is spoken, any message written on crystal regains 1d8 + 1 charges daily at dawn. If you expend
the material is protected as if by an illusory script spell for up the crystal’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the crystal
to five days. For the duration, the material appears nonmagi- crumbles to dust and is destroyed.
cal to spells and magical effects, such as detect magic. Casting dispel magic or entering an anti-magic field
Once the reader speaks another command word, or the permanently drains the aetherium crystal and the weapon
duration of the scroll’s enchantment has ended, the material becomes inert.
holding the message crumbles into dust and is destroyed. A bonus action is required to load an aetherium crystal
into the weapon as does removing a crystal from it.
Arcane Focus. The weapon can be used as spellcasting
Ring of the Daggerdancer focus by bards, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. These
Ring, rare (requires attunement) spellcasters are proficient with the weapon and can use
This ring bears the symbol of three daggers on a musical their spellcasting ability in place of Dexterity as the ability
staff. The Avar Academy uses rings like these to train modifier for attack rolls.
prospective daggerdancers.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix B: Vehicles 75

 APPENDIX C:
PLAYER CHARACTERS -
LEVEL 4
This appendix provides a set of pre-generated characters (pregens)
ready for play with this Agents of the Empire Fables episode.

AGENT ADVANCEMENT RULES

Player Characters - Level 4

The pregens presented herein include optional agent advancement

abilities given in the Agents of the Empire Setting Guide.
These new abilities provide a significant boost to character
capabilities as compared to standard fifth-edition characters.
GMs are STRONGLY encouraged only to use the optional Agent
Advancement Rules if ALL player characters in the group use them.

New Agent Ability Primer

The following briefly describes some of the new features included
with each pregen character. Refer to the Agents of the Empire Setting
Guide for a full explanation of the optional agent advancement rules.
Agency Division. Each agent character belongs to one of four Agency
Divisions – Information, Logistics, Operations, and Personnel.
Agent Rank. An agent's rank represents a combination of
their standing within the Agency, the Empire's secret agent
organization, and the character's spycraft expertise. During an
adventure, GMs may award agent milestones allowing characters
APPENDIX C

to advance their agent rank.

Agent Bonus. Characters add their agent bonus when rolling their
agency division's abilities, ability checks associated with their
talents, and when they use a Fortune Point to roll a new d20 for an
attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
Talents. These are unique dispositions, experiences, or
characteristics the agent character has picked up during their
career. Characters may add their agent bonus to ability checks
associated with their talents.
Fortune Points. This represents an agent's innate ability to escape
seemingly impossible situations. A player can spend a fortune point
whenever they make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw,
but before the success or failure of that roll is known. By spending
the Fortune Point, the player rolls an additional d20 after any
advantage or disadvantage on the original roll is resolved.
The player then chooses either the initial roll or the Fortune
Point roll, adding their agent bonus to determine a final result.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 Tp h e
o wm a g i
thecsoempeerlaon
caauestehdelritqs PREGEN CHARACTERS

c t o
Eight different pregen characters are detailed in this appendix. These characters are not intended to be fully optimized but

r y
offer players a fun and exciting experience as they run through the Agents of the Empire campaign. Each episode of this

s t a l
Fable will include an appropriate level version of these pregens for players to use during their games.

i
f n
o rtmo a s l
o i z
l
peopl,e w w h i
caoem c
e t o o u
theriucma
An agent's rank represents a combination of their standing
within the Agency, the Empire's secret agent organization, and the
character's spycraft expertise.

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix C: Player Characters - Level 4 77

arp m e
o h
p T t
w h
AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

leme eo sce a c
DACH

s u
After a cave-in trapped her for days within one

e
of Nelox’s winding underground tunnels, Dach

d a
dedicated herself to the service of Arthunas,

irlleah e
god of light. Driven both by her faith and her

t
newly developed claustrophobia, she set out on a

c
pilgrimage across the Karelagne Empire, training

r
local healers to respond to even the unlikeliest

s y i
disasters. While her ability to always think of the

t n
absolute worst-case scenario in any situation often

toroefp
catches others off-guard, her friendliness and

lswa ,om
enthusiasm endeared her to many of the small
communities she visited along the way, eventually
causing the Agency to take note.

h e oc l p
Dach - 4th level (Life Domain) Cleric, Dwarf

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
13 10 14 10 18 13
20 35

u i r e
+1 +0 +2 +0 +4 +1
(Splint armor, Shield +1) (Hit Dice 4d8)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +1 INT +0 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

25ft
DEX +0 WIS +6 Wis Insight +6
Wis Medicine +6
CON +2 CHA +3
Cha Persuasion +3
Int Religion +2
SENSES
Passive Perception 14 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 10
Passive Insight 16
Darkvision 60ft Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light, medium, heavy armor and shields Splint armor, shield +1, warhammer, light crossbow (with
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, battle axe, warhammer 20 bolts), holy symbol (amulet), potion of healing, backpack,
Tools Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s supplies, Smith’s Tools calligraphy supplies, spell scroll (locate object)
Languages: Common, Dwarvish, Elvish

78 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Channel Divinity (1/short or long rest). Channel divine energy to
create one of the following effects.
Warhammer 5ft +3 1d8+1 bludgeoning damage
• Preserve Life. As an action, present your holy symbol to restore
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES
up to 20 hit points, divided as you choose among creatures of
Light Crossbow 80/320 ft +2 1d8 piercing damage your choice within 30 feet. This feature can restore a creature
to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can’t use this
feature on an undead or a construct.
• Turn Undead. As an action, present your holy symbol and speak a
prayer. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet must
succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be turned for 1 minute or
until it takes any damage.
AGENCY: PERSONNEL DIVISION A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far
Understanding, motivating, and manipulating individuals away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action,
it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect
Agent Bonus: +1d4
that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the
Deceptive Instinct. When you roll a 1 on a Charisma (Deception) creature can use the Dodge action.
check, you can reroll the die and you must use the new roll.
Disciple of Life. Whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher
Local Gossip. If you spend an hour speaking to individuals in an
to restore HP, the creature regains additional HP equal to 2 + the
area and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, you can learn
spell’s level.
of rumors, political intrigue, or other gossip releated to a subject of
your choice. This includes jobs and information people tend to hide Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saves against poison
from authorities. and resistance against poison damage.
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check
following situations: related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in
Hidden Motives. Charisma (Deception) checks made when the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check.
answering questions about your actions or motives.
Sentry. Wisdom (Perception) checks while on watch duty or
defending a fortification.

FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

SPELL SLOTS
1ST oooo 2ND ooo

Spell attack +6 Spell save DC 14

SPELLS
Cantrips: guidance, sacred flame, spare the dying
1st level: bane, bless*, cure wounds*, guiding bolt, healing word,
sanctuary, shield of faith
2nd level: aid, hold person, lesser restoration*, silence,
spiritual weapon*

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix C: Player Characters - Level 4 79

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leme eo sce a c
FEJ

s u
Fej’s artificer parents hoped that raising him on

e
the Karelagne Crawler train would broaden his

d a
horizons, but he mostly learned endless ways to

irlleah e
cause trouble. While his antics were generally

t
harmless, Fej’s attempt to pick the pocket of a

c
notorious thief put him in her debt and led to him

r
to move deeper into her crime ring. Frustrated

s y i
with his lack of options, Fej purposefully stole from

t n
an Agency higher-up to get a one-on-one meeting

toroefp
and pitch himself as exactly what the organization

lswa ,om
needed, failing to mention that after a lifetime on a
train, he’s still getting used to life on solid ground.

h e oc l p
Fej - 4th level Rogue (thief), Gnome

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
10 17 12 14 10 14
15 27

u i r e
+0 +3 +1 +2 +0 +2
(Studded leather armor) (Hit Dice 4d8)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +0 INT +4 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

25ft
DEX +5 WIS +0 Dex Acrobatics +5
Int Arcana +4
CON +1 CHA +2 Cha Deception* +6
Wis Perception +2
SENSES Dex Sleight of Hand +5
Passive Perception 12 Dex Stealth +5 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 12
Passive Insight 10
Darkvision 60ft Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light armor Shortsword, daggers (2), hand crossbow (with 20 bolts), studded
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, hand crossbows, leather armor, potion of healing, backpack, bag of holding, hempen
longswords, rapiers, shortswords rope (50 ft.), thieves’ tools, aetherium-powered hooded lantern.
Tools Proficiencies: Tinker’s Tools, Thieves’ Tools*,
Vehicles (land), Vehicles (air)
Languages: Common, Gnome, Thieves’ Cant

80 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Artificer’s Lore. Add twice your proficiency bonus to History checks
related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices.
Dagger 5ft +5 1d4+3 piercing damage
Short Sword 5ft +5 1d6+3 piercing damage Cunning Action. You can take a bonus action on each of your
turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash,
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Disengage, or Hide action.
Hand Crossbow 30/120 ft. +5 1d6+3 piercing damage
Expertise. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check
you make with Deception or Thieves’ Tools.
Fast Hands. You can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning
Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your
thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an
AGENCY: LOGISTICS DIVISION Object action.
Acquisition and movement of goods and personnel
Gnome Cunning. You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom,
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) and Charisma saving throws against magic.
Agent Bonus: +1d4
Second-Story Work. Climbing no longer costs you extra
Driving Instinct. When you roll a 1 on a vehicle control check, movement. In addition, when you make a running jump, the
you can reroll the die and you must use the new roll. distance you cover increases by a number of feet equal to your
Functional Appraisal. If you spend an hour examining a magitech Dexterity modifier.
device and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, you
recognize the general mechanisms behind how the device functions Sneak Attack. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d6 damage
and understand how to make it work. If the device is broken, you to one creature you hit with an attack with a finesse or ranged
have advantage on any checks made to repair the device. weapon if you have advantage on the attack roll. You don’t need
advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the within 5 ft. of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have
following situations: disadvantage on the attack roll.
Aetherium Handler. Intelligence (Arcana) checks to manipulate
magitech devices. Tinker. You are proficient with tinker's tools and can use them to
Quick Fingers. Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks to surreptitiously construct tiny clockwork devices.
place or remove an object

FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

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leme eo sce a c
HAJUSO

s u
While most in the Edosians were setting fishing lines,

e
Hajuso was tracking seabirds and drawing maps of

a
the hidden corners of the islands. After thoroughly

d e
documenting both, he headed for the mainland

irlleah t
in search of new natural wonders. He lived off the

c
land as much as he could, bartering detailed maps

r
and sketches of local wildlife (each paired with his

s y i
earnest attempts at poetry) for anything else he

t
needed. Only his family’s concerns about the growing

n
toroefp
contamination of their waters broke him from his

lswa ,om
solitude, bringing him first to Karel to complain and
then to the Agency to try to fix the problem.

h e oc l p
Hajuso - 4th level Ranger (Hunter), Half-Elf

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
12 16 12 14 14 12
15 32

u i r e
+1 +3 +1 +2 +2 +1
(Studded leather armor) (Hit Dice 4d10)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +3 INT +2 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

30ft
DEX +5 WIS +2 Wis Animal Handling +4
Str Athletics +3
CON +1 CHA +1 Wis Insight +4
Int Investigation +4
SENSES Wis Perception +4
Passive Perception 14 Dex Stealth +5 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 14 Wis Survival +4
Passive Insight 10
Darkvision 60ft Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light and medium armor, shields Studded Leather, shortswords (2), +1 hand crossbow (with 20
Weapon Proficiencies: simple and martial weapons bolts), back pack, hempen rope (50 ft.), forgery kit, potion of
Tools Proficiencies: Forgery kit, Vehicles (water) healing, smoke bomb (use action to throw up to 30 feet creating
Languages: Common, Dwarf, Elf, Giant the effects of a fog cloud spell)

82 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being
charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Short Sword 5ft +5 1d6+3 piercing damage
Favored Enemy (beasts). You have advantage on Survival checks
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES
to track beasts and Intelligence checks to recall information
+1 Hand Crossbow 30/120 ft. +8 1d6+4 piercing damage about them.
Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you make a
weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon
against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target
and within range of your weapon.
Natural Explorer (Coast). Your proficiency bonus is doubled when
AGENCY: INFORMATION DIVISION
you make Intelligence or Wisdom checks related to coastal terrain
Identifying, intercepting, and evaluating information with a skill you are proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) in coastal terrain, you gain the following benefits:
Agent Bonus: +1d4 • Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group.
• Your group can’t become lost except by magical means
Investigative Instinct. When you roll a 1 on an Intelligence
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling,
(Investigation) check, you can reroll the die and you must use the
you remain alert to danger
new roll.
• If traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
Insightful Analysis. If you spend one hour observing or examining • When foraging, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
a subject, and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check, • While tracking creatures, you learn their exact number, size, and
you can uncover the purpose and uses of any object, language, how long ago since they passed the area
cultural practice, or similar subject. The features of magic items you
investigate in this manner are revealed to you without you needing Fighting Style (archery). You gain +2 bonus to attack rolls you
to attune to them. make with ranged weapons (already included).
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the Primeval Awareness. You can use your action and expend one
following situations: ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you.
Code Breaker. Intelligence checks to decipher an encrypted For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense
message. whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile
Truthseeker. Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine if a humanoid of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain):
responds truthfully to your questions. aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.
This feature doesn’t reveal the creature’s location or number.
FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

SPELL SLOTS
1ST ooo

Spell attack +4 Spell save DC 12

SPELLS
1st level: cure wounds, hunter’s mark, speak with animals

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leme eo sce a c
JEHPSO

s u
Jehpso always thought she would be a farmer, but

e
when construction of the transcontinental railroad

d a
displaced her family, and her brother gambled

irlleah e
away the empire’s payout for their land, she turned

t
to competitive arm wrestling and brawling to earn

r c
money to help her family. Boisterous and fond of

y
trash-talk, she racked up an impressive win streak

s i
that brought her to the attention of the Agency.

t n
While Jehpso is somewhat resentful at working for

toroefp
a government that harmed her family, she believes

lswa ,om
that being closer to the seat of power will help her
prevent others from going through the struggles her
family endured.

h e oc l p
Jehpso - 4th level Fighter (Champion), Halfling

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
13 18 14 10 13 10
16 36

u i r e
+1 +4 +2 +0 +1 +0
(Breastplate) (Hit Dice 4d10)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +3 INT +0 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

25ft
DEX +4 WIS +1 Dex Acrobatics +6
Wis Perception +3
CON +4 CHA +0 Wis Medicine +3
Wis Survival +3
SENSES
Passive Perception 13 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 10
Passive Insight 11
Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light, medium, and heavy armor; shields Breastplate, +1 shortsword, shortsword, dagger, hand crossbow
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, martial weapons (with 20 bolts), potion of healing, backpack, hempen rope (50 ft),
Tools Proficiencies: Vehicles (land), Vehicles (water) grappling hook, aetherium torch (glow as light spell at will).
Languages: Common, Halfling

84 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Action Surge (1/short or long rest). On your turn, you can take one
additional action.
Dagger 5ft +6 1d4+4 piercing damage
+1 Short Sword 5ft +7 1d6+5 piercing damage Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being
Short Sword 5ft +6 1d6+4 piercing damage frightened.

RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any
creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Dagger 20/60 ft. +6 1d4+4 piercing damage
Hand Crossbow 30/120 ft. +6 1d6+4 piercing damage
Improved Critical. Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll
of 19 or 20.
Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check or saving
throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
AGENCY: LOGISTICS DIVISION
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are
Acquisition and movement of goods and personnel obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) Second Wind (1/short or long rest). Use a bonus action to regain
Agent Bonus: +1d4 hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level.
Driving Instinct. When you roll a 1 on a vehicle control check, you Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting,
can reroll the die and you must use the new roll. you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Functional Appraisal. If you spend an hour examining a magitech
device and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, you
recognize the general mechanisms behind how the device functions
and understand how to make it work. If the device is broken, you
have advantage on any checks made to repair the device.
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the
following situations:
Graceful Mover. Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance)
checks when moving through crowded spaces or dancing.
Ropework. Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to
climb, move along, or jump onto ropes.

FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

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leme eo sce a c
LARC

u
The son of a wizard and a craftsman who worked

s
together to craft mobility aids for veterans of the

e
Folly Wars, Larc grew up helping to create and test

d a
their new innovations. Intrigued by the battlefield

irlleah t e
stories his parents’ clients told him, he routinely

c
asked his favorites to train him or give him combat

r
advice. He sees any battle he participates in as an

y
homage to these personal heroes. Though Larc will

t s i
avoid a fight if at all possible, often defusing tension

n
with a quip while simultaneously disarming his

lswa ,om toroefp

enemy, his proficiency at unarmed combat made
him a perfect addition to the Agency.

h e oc l p
Larc - 4th level Monk (Way of the Open Hand), Human

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
14 18 13 10 14 12
16 27

u i r e
+2 +4 +1 +0 +2 +1
(unarmored defense) (Hit Dice 4d8)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +4 INT +0 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

40ft
DEX +6 WIS +2 Dex Acrobatics +6
Str Athletics +4
CON +1 CHA +1 Wis Perception +4
Dex Stealth +6
SENSES
Passive Perception 14 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 10
Passive Insight 12
Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: none +1 Shortsword, darts (10), potion of healing, aetherium torch (glow
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, shortsword as light spell at will), backpack, climber’s kit, hempen rope (50 ft.),
Tools Proficiencies: Dice Set, Pan Flute, Thieves’ Tools pan flute.
Languages: Common, Dwarf

86 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Deflect Missiles. You can use your reaction to deflect or catch the
missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do
Unarmed Strike 5ft +6 1d4+4 bludgeoning damage
so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + your
+1 Short Sword 5ft +7 1d6+5 piercing damage Dexterity modifier + your monk level.
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is
small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one
Dart 20/60 ft. +6 1d4+4 piercing damage hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point
to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition
you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this attack
with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the
missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack, which has a normal
AGENCY: OPERATIONS DIVISION range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
Tactical and extemporary fieldwork Ki (4 points, Ki Save DC 12). You can spend one Ki Point to fuel one
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) of the following ki features.
• Flurry of Blows – After you take the Attack action on your turn,
Agent Bonus: +1d4
you can make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
Stealthy Instinct. When you roll a 1 on an Dexterity (Stealth) • Patient Defense – Take the Dodge action as a bonus action on
check, you can reroll the die and you must use the new roll. your turn.
Surveillance. If you spend an hour observing a location and • Step of the Wind –Take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus
succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, you can map the action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.
general layout of a building. This includes the guard routes and Martial Arts. While you are unarmed or wielding only monk
rotation times, building entrances and exits, and the potential weapons and you aren’t wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can
locations of valuables. use DEX instead of STR for the attack and damage rolls, you can
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the roll your Martial Arts damage die in place of the normal damage,
following situations: and when you use the Attack action on your turn, you can make one
Ropework. Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to unarmed strike as a bonus action.
climb, move along, or jump onto ropes. Open Hand Technique. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the
Urban Sprinter. Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you can impose one of the
while running away from a pursuer, or pursuing someone else. following effects on that target:
• It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
FORTUNE POINTS: 1
• It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack up to 15 feet away from you.
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For- • It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
Unarmored Defense. While not wearing armor and not using a
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
shield, your AC equals 10 + DEX modifier + WIS modifier.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose Unarmored Movement. Your speed increases by 10 feet while you
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or are not wearing armor or wielding a shield (already included).
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

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leme eo sce a c
OLEN

e s u
Olen is a scholar at heart, and while they’ve been

d a
thrilled to see their research into aetherium used to

irlleah e
create practical tools, they’re still most comfortable

t c
in a lab, especially if given a chance to collaborate.

r
Their genuine thrill about knowledge and a tendency

y
to go on long but intriguing tangents about obscure

s i
magitech details have made them popular in the

t n
research community. To date, they are one of the

toroefp
few wizards to have worked on a project with a peer

lswa ,om
from notoriously insular Nelox. Rumor has it that
they primarily joined the Agency to get research
materials, though they fervently deny it.

h e oc l p
Olen - 4th level Wizard (School of Evocation), Tiefling

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
10 12 12 18 12 14
11 22

u i r e
+0 +1 +1 +4 +1 +2
(14 with mage armor) (Hit Dice 4d6)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +0 INT +6 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

30ft
DEX +1 WIS +3 Int Arcana +6
Int History +6
CON +1 CHA +2 Cha Persuasion +4
Cha Intimidation +4
SENSES
Passive Perception 11 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 14
Passive Insight 11
Darkvision 60ft Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: none Dagger, aetherburst wand, spellbook, potion of healing, aetherium-
Weapon Proficiencies: light crossbow, dagger, dart, powered hooded lantern, spell scrolls (fog cloud, illusory script),
quarterstaff, sling wand of magic detection, bottle of ink, ink pen, 10 sheets of
Tools Proficiencies: vehicle (air) parchment.
Languages: common, elvish, infernal

88 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Arcane Recovery. Once per day when you finish a short rest, you
can choose expended spell slots to recover - up to a combined level
Dagger 5ft +3 1d4+1 piercing damage
of 1, and none of the slots can be 6th level or higher.
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES
Evocation Savant. The gold and time you must spend to copy an
Dagger 20/60 ft. +3 1d4+1 piercing damage evocation spell into your spellbook is halved.
Aetherburst Wand 20/60 ft. +6 1d6+4 bludgeoning damage
Hellish Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
Innate Spell Casting. You can cast the following spells using
Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell attack +4, spell save DC 12)
1/day: hellish rebuke (at 2nd level)
AGENCY: INFORMATION DIVISION Sculpt Spells. When you cast an evocation spell that affects other
Identifying, intercepting, and evaluating information creatures that you can see, you can choose a number of them equal
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) to 1 + the spell’s level. The chosen creatures automatically succeed
on their saving throws against the spell, and they take no damage if
Agent Bonus: +1d4 they would normally take half damage on a successful save.
Investigative Instinct. When you roll a 1 on an Intelligence
(Investigation) check, you can reroll the die and you must use the
new roll.
Insightful Analysis. If you spend one hour observing or examining
a subject, and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check,
you can uncover the purpose and uses of any object, language,
cultural practice, or similar subject. The features of magic items you
investigate in this manner are revealed to you without you needing
to attune to them.
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the
following situations:
Historian of the Expanse. Intelligence (History) checks to recall
information about the Aetherial Expanse and Magitech.
Innuendo. Charisma (Deception) checks to secretly communicate
information.

FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20 SPELL BOOK
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose 1st level (burning hands, detect magic, disguise self, mage armor,
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or magic missile, shield, silent image, sleep); 2nd level (hold person,
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then invisibility, levitate, shatter)
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll. SPELL SLOTS
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
1ST oooo 2ND ooo
the GM after achieving agent milestones.
Spell attack +6 Spell save DC 14
SPELLS:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, message, minor illusion,
thaumaturgy

PREPARED SPELLS:
1.________________________, 5.________________________,
2.________________________, 6.________________________,
3.________________________, 7.________________________,
4.________________________, 8.________________________,

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix C: Player Characters - Level 4 89

arp m e
o h
p T t
w h
AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

leme eo sce a c
OMAIR

s u
Omair was once a part of the most impressive

e
worker pairs in the town of Tournelle, whose

d a
primary focus was loading and unloading the

irlleah t e
Karelagne Crawler. As the years passed, he grew

c
increasingly drawn to the Folly wasteland until he

r
finally walked off the job leaving his partner of 10

y
years to cross the fiend-blighted land

t s i
alone on foot. He emerged on the other

n
side alive but changed, refusing to discuss what

toroefp
he encountered during the experience. Omair

lswa ,om
also won’t say why he immediately signed up for
the Agency after his return, though he sometimes
speaks of omens that only he can see.

h e oc l p
Omair - 4th level Warlock (The Fiend), Dragonborn

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
14 13 10 13 10 18
12 23

u i r e
+2 +1 +0 +1 +0 +4
(14 with mage armor) (Hit Dice 4d8)
SAVING THROWS PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +2 INT +1 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

30ft
DEX +1 WIS +2 Int Arcana +3
Cha Deception +6
CON +0 CHA +6 Cha Intimidation +6
Dex Stealth +3
SENSES
Passive Perception 10 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Investigation 11
Passive Insight 10
Gold Pieces 25

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light armor Leather armor, dagger (3), +1 longsword, arcane focus (rod), potion
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons of healing, backpack, book of lore, bottle of ink, pen, 10 sheets
Tools Proficiencies: Vehicle (Water) parchment, small bag of sand, pen knife, spell scrolls (light,
Languages: Common, Draconic, Infernal disguise self).

90 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Breath Weapon (1/short rest). As an action, you exhale a 15 ft.
cone of fire. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 saving
Dagger 5ft +5 1d4+3 piercing damage
throw taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, and half damage on
+1 Longsword 5ft +6 1d8/1d10+4 slashing damage,
a successful one.
Versatile, Pact Waepon
Damage Resistance. You have resistance to fire damage.
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES

Dagger 20/60 ft. +5 1d4+3 piercing damage Dark One's Blessing. When you reduce a hostile creature to 0
hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma
modifier + your warlock level.
Pact Magic. You regain expended spell slots after a short or a long rest.
AGENCY: OPERATIONS DIVISION Armor of Shadows. You can cast mage armor on yourself at will,
Tactical and extemporary fieldwork without expending a spell slot or material components.

Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) Mask of Many Faces. You can cast disguise self at will, without
Agent Bonus: +1d4 expending a spell slot.

Stealthy Instinct. When you roll a 1 on an Dexterity (Stealth) Pact Boon (Pact of the Blade). You can use your action to create a
check, you can reroll the die and you must use the new roll. pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this
Surveillance. If you spend an hour observing a location and melee weapon takes each time you create it. You are proficient with
succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, you can map the it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose
general layout of a building. This includes the guard routes and of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and
rotation times, building entrances and exits, and the potential damage. Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away
locations of valuables. from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature
again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the following
situations:
Field Medic. Wisdom (Medicine) checks made during combat.
Thespian. Charisma (Performance) checks made to convincingly act
in character.

FORTUNE POINTS 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

PACT MAGIC
2ND oo

Spell attack +6 Spell save DC 14

SPELLS:
Cantrips (at will): eldritch blast, mage hand, minor illusion
1st level: command, hellish rebuke, unseen servant
2nd level: misty step, spider climb

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix C: Player Characters - Level 4 91

arp m e
o h
p T t
w h
AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

leme eo sce a c
REIN

s u
If Rein had focused on music instead of gossip, she

e
might be a renowned performer in one of Talavi’s

d a
many concert halls, but she’s always loved a good

irlleah t e
story and doesn’t mind embellishing for effect.

c
Unfortunately, after a few juicy rumors about

r
influential locals were tracked back to her, she found

y
herself unofficially blacklisted from any but the most

s i
rundown of venues and forced to go on the road with

t n
a group of traveling entertainers. Did she use the

toroefp
snippets of information she heard while performing

lswa ,om
to blackmail the Agency into hiring her? On that
question, her lips are sealed.

h e oc l p
Rein - 4th level Bard (College of Lore), Half-Orc

w t e m t e a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

o h
ARMOR CLASS HIT POINTS
16 12 12 10 10 17
14 27

u i r e
+3 +1 +1 +0 +0 +3
(studded leather armor, (Hit Dice 4d8)
cloak of protection)
SAVING THROWS* PROFICIENT SKILLS
STR +4 INT +1 MOD SKILL BONUS
SPEED

30ft
DEX +4 WIS +1 Wis Animal Handling +2
Str Athletics +5
CON +2 CHA +6 Cha Deception* +7
*includes cloak of protection Wis Insight +2
Cha Intimidation +5
SENSES Wis Perception +2 Proficiency Bonus +2
Passive Perception 12 Cha Performance* +7
Passive Investigation 11
Cha Persuasion +5
Dex Sleight of Hand +3 Gold Pieces 25
Passive Insight 12

PROFICIENCIES AND LANGUAGES EQUIPMENT

Armor Proficiencies: light armor Studded leather armor, longsword, dagger, flute, potion of healing,
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, hand crossbow, spell scroll (silent image), cloak of protection, back pack, disguise
longsword, rapier, shortsword kit, playing cards.
Tools Proficiencies: Vehicle (Land), Gaming Set (Cards), Flute,
Drum, Lyre
Languages: Common, Orc

92 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

ACTIONS FEATURES AND FEATS
MELEE ATTACKS REACH HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES Bardic Inspiration (2/long rest). As a bonus action, a creature
(other than you) within 60 ft. that can hear you gains an inspiration
Dagger 5ft +5 1d4+3 piercing damage
die (1d6). For 10 minutes, the creature can add it to one ability check,
Longsword 5ft +5 1d8/1d10+3 slashing damage,
attack roll, or saving throw. This can be added after seeing the roll,
Versatile.
but before knowing the outcome.
RANGED ATTACKS RANGE HIT / DC DAMAGE NOTES
Cutting Words. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of
Dagger 20/60 ft. +5 1d4+3 piercing damage you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can
use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration,
rolling a Bardic Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled
from the creature’s roll. You can choose to use this feature after the
creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the
AGENCY: PERSONNEL DIVISION attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature
Understanding, motivating, and manipulating individuals deals its damage. The creature is immune if it can’t hear you or if it’s
Agent Rank: 2 (Novice) immune to being charmed.
Agent Bonus: +1d4 Expertise. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check
Deceptive Instinct. When you roll a 1 on a Charisma (Deception) you make with Deception or Performance.
check, you can reroll the die and you must use the new roll. Jack of All Trades. You can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded
Local Gossip. If you spend an hour speaking to individuals in an down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include
area and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, you can learn your proficiency bonus.
of rumors, political intrigue, or other gossip releated to a subject of
Relentless Endurance (1/long rest). When you are reduced to 0 HP
your choice. This includes jobs and information people tend to hide
but not killed, you can drop to 1 HP instead.
from authorities.
Talents. You can add your agent bonus to activities in the Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit, roll one of the
following situations: weapon’s dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage.
Beast Rider. Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks to control a mount. Song of Rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your
Innuendo. Charisma (Deception) checks to secretly communicate performance regain hit points at the end of the short rest by
information. spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an
extra 1d6 hit points.
FORTUNE POINTS: 1
You can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever you make an attack
roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can choose to spend the For-
tune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvan-
tage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known.
Spending the Fortune Points allows you to roll an additional d20
after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. You choose
which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or
saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. You then
add your agent bonus to the determine a final result. You can spend
only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll.
Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically awarded by
the GM after achieving agent milestones.

SPELL SLOTS
1ST oooo 2ND ooo

Spell attack +5 Spell save DC 13

SPELLS
Cantrips: message, prestidigitation, vicious mockery
1st level: healing word, heroism, feather fall, silent image, sleep
2nd level: heat metal, invisibility

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix C: Player Characters - Level 4 93

 APPENDIX D:
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
This guide suggests pronunciations for many of the non-
English names and new terms found in this episode of
Agents of the Empire.

Culture in the Empire

Tholus, the homeworld of the Karelagne Empire and the
setting where this Fable takes place, is very cosmopolitan.
Peoples of many cultures live and work together in each of
Pronunciation Guide

the Empire’s provinces.

In this campaign setting, characters of varied racial
backgrounds often have a stronger affinity with one anoth-
er if they come from the same region. For example, a dwarf
from Karel would likely feel more comfortable hoisting
drinks with an elf who was also from the Empire’s capital
than a dwarf from the distant northern province of Nelox.

Make It Your Own.

The Agents of the Empire Setting Guide presents only a
fraction of the world’s history and cultures. Tholus was
intended to be a rich cultural patchwork where GMs and
players could freely imagine new characters, locations,
and cultures to add to their games. Players are encouraged
to explore this new world and add their own creations to
APPENDIX D

its tapestry.

NAME PRONUNCIATION DESCRIPTION

Adronicus a-DRAH-ni-kus A self-righteous fellow

agent.
Aether Pistol Ay-thur A small magitech firearm
Aetherburst AY-thur-burst A magitech powered
Wand wand
Aetherial AY-thee-ree-al A portion of the Astral
Expanse Plan accessible by a
permanent gate in the
Karelagne Empire
Aetherium AY-thee-ree-um A magical crystal used to
power magitech
Aetherlock AY-thur-lawk A rifle-like magitech
firearm
Arpeggia AR-pej-ee-ah A popular musician.
Arthunas ar-THOON-as God of light and truth
Avar Academy A-var A prestigious arcane
academy In Talavi

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

NAME PRONUNCIATION DESCRIPTION NAME PRONUNCIATION DESCRIPTION

Avarna A-var-na Capital of Talavi Omair oh-MAIR Dragonborn warlock

pregen character
Brimstone BRIM-stohn A secretive organization
within the Karelagne Petra PEH-tra pa-TUR-fuut A nun at the Church
Empire Patterfoot of Valmunas with a
checkered past.
Buucahb BOO-kahb Fiendish insect-like
creatures Raylis Moining RAY-lis MOYN-ing A laid off cartographer
and patron at the
Callie Alakiri KAL-lee a-LAK-i-ree Bartender at the
Darkmantle Den Bar
Darkmantle Den Bar
Rein RAIN Half-orc bard pregen
Dach DAWK Dwarf cleric pregen
character
character
Rindle Paranin RIN-del PAR-a-nin Gate guard at FenTech
Domas Brandel DOH-mus BRAN-dehl The current Sovereign
Labs in Fenry
General of the Karelagne
Empire Snow Leopard SNOW LE-pard An assassin who recently
escaped from Karel
Edelgard ED-el-gard Professor at Avar
Penitentiary
Academy and backup to
Stremolus Sovereign SAH-vruhn The leader of the
General Karelagne Empire
Evan Omerin EH-van oh-MAIR-in An aetherium researcher
at FenTech Labs. Spider SPEYE-dur A mysterious figure who
encouraged Stremolus to
Fej FEHJ Gnome rogue pregen
take action
character
Stremolus STREM-oh-lus Headmaster of the
Feldspar FEHLD-spar Dwarven engineer in
Avar Academy
Avarna
Talavi tah-LA-vee A province of the
Fenry FEN-ree A city in Talavi
Karelagne Empire
Folly FAWL-lee A province of the
Terrence TAIR-rens Aetherium researcher at
Karelagne Empire that
Glimmerbottom Fentech Labs
fell victim to a disaster
Tholus THULL-us The homeworld of the
Hajuso ha-JEW-soh Half-elf ranger pregen
Karelagne Empire
character
Thorvin THOR-vin SALT-spray A pirate from the
Handel Halfstep HAND-el Dueling professor at
Saltspray Aetherial Expanse
Avar Academy
recently escaped from
Helena Polk Heh-LEE-na POHK Apothecary owner of the Karel Penitentiary
Salt & Sage.
Valmunas val-MYOO-nas God of the moon
Hoyd Lansen HOYD LAN-sen An agent of the
Van Lazarin VAN LA-zuh-rin A half-orc Agency
Whispered Wind
administrator
Jehpso JEP-soh Halfling fighter pregen
Velaasa Sorn vel-AY-sa SOHRN A popular imperial
character
dignitary

g
Karel ka-REL The capital city of the

a
Vennis veh-NIS TA-loh-song An agent of the Whis-
Karelagne Empire

m
Tallowsong pered Wind and combat

e e r
Karelagne KAIR-el-eyen The dominant slot machine operator

h w l a
Empire government on Tholus

o
Weevil

p
WEE-vil Halfling gang leader.

T p t
Kraxis KRAKS-is KAW-fin- A business mogul in

s e e
Cophinthialor thee-a-lohr Avarna

tcahuecesoteh
m l i
Lady Pilsworth LAY-dee PILS-wurth A member of Avarna’s

d
aristocracy.

e r l
Larc LARK Human monk pregen

a l
character

a s t s
Lyle Kevarro LEYE-el KEH-var-roh Avarna coach driver.

c r y a
Moonblossom MOON-blah-sum Potions professor at

t o , w
Avar Academy

i n m w
Olen OH-len Tiefling wizard pregen

o r l e o
character

KILLING AETHERIUM | Appendix D: Pronunciation Guide f o

pe me rip t 95
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96 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 2/6

 AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

THE NEXT MISSION IS HERE...

EPISODE 3

THE SMOKING COILS

5E
COMPATABLE
FEBRUARY 3, 2023 3
SEASON