Fables 3 - Agents of the Empire Episode 0 - Setting Guide v2

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 3 5 SEASON E COMPATABLE 5ESETTING GUIDE

Season Overview 2 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 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 potentially world-altering disaster. Episode 6: Planebreaker 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. 3 SEASON

3 Editor's message.....................................5 Introduction ..........................................6 Seven Things To Know About the Karelagne Empire .................................................6 Chapter 1: The Worldof Tholus...............9 The Karelagne Empire ........................................10 The Territories....................................................13 Gods of Tholus....................................................18 The Infernal Swarm ............................................21 Aetherium and Magitech .....................................24 Chapter 2: Character Creation..............27 Races ..................................................................28 Classes ................................................................28 Character Origins................................................29 Chapter 3: Agent Advancement ............30 Agency Division...................................................32 Divisions .............................................................34 Agent Equipment.................................................38 Chapter 4: New Mechanics ...................41 Magitech Vehicles................................................42 Chase Rules.........................................................49 Appendix A: New Monsters ..................56 New Creature Listing...........................................56 AetheriumResearcher ..........................................57 Agents.................................................................58 Buucahb..............................................................60 Appendix B: Magitech Vehicles.............66 Ground Vehicles..................................................67 Water Vehicles.....................................................70 Air Vehicles .........................................................72 Appendix C: New Equipment and Magic Items ..................................76 Appendix D: Random Agent Equipment ..80 Appendix E: Pronunciation Guide.........84 Open Game License..............................86 CONTENTS AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE

Credits FABLES TEAM Agents of the Empire Setting Guide Written by: Chad M. Lensch, Joe Raso, Erin Roberts 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: Isabeau Backhaus, Zoe Badini, Ivo Campelo da Silva, Brent Hollowell, Katariina Sofia Kemi, Diana Khomutina, John Derek Murphy, Laura Marie Neal, Mihai Radu Cartographers: Kristian Agerkvist, Andrei Iacob, Damien Mammoloti VTT Asset Design: Joshua Orchard 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, 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 5 EDITOR'S MESSAGE My favorite RPG publications are often campaign settings. Perhaps this is because I’m the “forever GM” for my home gaming group. I’m always looking for new ideas to add to our games. I suspect I’m not alone in stealing bits and pieces from a metric ton of publications, filing off their serial numbers, and smashing them together to build my own “Frankensteined” story. In reviewing our recent Fables subscriber survey, nearly 30% of our readers said they enjoy our material, often without playing the adventure. That’s a lot! These readers help inform one of my guiding principles for the Fables line – ensure every issue has engaging content that is enjoyable to read and can be used in your home games even if you’re not running the adventures as written. My original plans for this setting guide were relatively modest. As I started planning this volume, we were finishing up Fables Season 2 – Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse. In that Fable, we included 90 pages of setting material and rules expansion into its first episode. Since our new season would “only” explore the homeworld of the Karelagne Empire, how big of a supplement would we need? Surely it could be much smaller! How wrong I was! My little idea of exploring a few areas and adding a couple of optional rules soon blossomed into something much greater. What spy action thriller doesn’t include exciting chase scenes? We’d obviously need to support those types of encounters. And if we had chases, adding vehicles and their associated rules was a natural next step. Finally, I wanted to ensure our players felt their characters were secret agents, so we added optional features to support that. It didn’t take long for my initial small setting-guide effort to quickly expand into its current form. I hope this guide provides GMs with fertile ground to grow their own stories. Inside, we’ve outlined a summary of recent setting events and painted a thematic world view, while leaving plenty of blank space to expand upon and explore your own creative vision. Whereas the Aetherial Expanse is built for swashbuckling pirate adventures, we wanted our Agents of the Empire campaign to have a different feel. We were inspired by super-spy action movies, where daring heroes work to uncover a mysterious villain pulling the strings behind the scenes. Although many of these stories are driven by “mustache-twirling” villains, in my opinion, the best ones include antagonists with interesting motivations creating obstacles for the players to overcome. Of course, having a few mustache-twirlers can be good fun too! In the end, I’m very pleased with the results of our work. I hope you find something within that sparks your imagination and helps you run exciting and memorable games for your players. Joe Raso Fables Editor What spy action thriller doesn’t include exciting chase scenes? We’d obviously need to support those types of encounters.

Setting Guide AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE “We cannot repeat the mistakes that left Folly a warped wasteland and a burial ground for so many innocents. We have our gate to the Aetherial Expanse, a realm whose wonders still await our discovery. New portal construction must be stopped, lest we unleash a fate worse than Folly upon us.” — Domas Brandel, before being elected Sovereign General Years of peace since the Folly Wars ended. The Karelagne Empire now undisputedly rules much of the world Incredible magitech advances have ushered in a wonderous new age were nearly anything is possible. INTRODUCTION This book is aimed at Game Masters (GMs) looking to run Agents of the Empire, Ghostfire’s third Fable adventure series. It provides deeper and more expansive setting background, character guidelines, new rules, and stats for monsters and vehicles. Chapter 1 describes the world of Tholus, home of the Karelagne Empire. It’s a fantasy setting heavily influenced by the wonders of new magitech. Chapter 2 provides the details needed to create characters for the Agents of the Empire campaign. It includes guidance for immersing characters in the world of Tholus. Chapter 3 details optional Agency advancement rules. These rules augment standard character creation to include new features that elevate agent abilities and heighten the feel of a fantasy super-spy adventure. Chapter 4 outlines additional new rule options to assist GMs in running thrilling super-spy adventures. This includes several ways to run chase encounters as well as new rules for magitech vehicles. Appendices complete this book, providing statistics for new creatures, vehicles, and equipment. SEVEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE KARELAGNE EMPIRE The following items outline much of what the Karelagne Empire is today: 1. An Empire of Hope. The rise of Karel ended nearly a century of bloody conflict among the rival powers on the world of Tholus. For most, the Empire has made life better. Food is plentiful, travel is easier, and fear of war is largely non-existent. 2. Cautious Provinces. The Empire takes a light hand with the provinces that comprise it. Representatives from INTRODUCTION

magicThepoweof theplanacomecauseliquiaethercrystalintosolid fopeopwhiwoucomto caetherSETTING GUIDE | Introduction 7 each province sit on the Martial Council, the governing body managing the Empire’s affairs at the behest of its ruler, the Sovereign General. Council members are free to manage their areas of influence and rarely vote against the Sovereign General’s wishes. Those who do are often replaced and never heard from again. 3. Hidden Threats. Certain powerful individuals resent Karel’s rise and seek to reshape the political landscape to their liking. Clandestine factions begin taking action, sometimes violently, to undermine the Empire and create their own political vision. Often, the Agency, the Empire’s secret service, is all that stands in the way of these nefarious plans. 4. Pervasive Magitech. Arguably, the largest influence on Karel’s rise to power is the advent of magitech. Initially, the aetherium crystals harvested in the Aethereal Expanse drove military advances, making Karel’s navy unequaled. Magitech is still incredibly expensive to produce, not well understood, and often dangerous to both construct and operate. However, this has not prevented wonderous new creations from appearing regularly across the Empire. 5. Distant Gods. People across the Empire have a long history of revering a diverse pantheon of gods. However, the influence of the divine has waned over the centuries, particularly with the rise of magitech. People look now to the new tangible magic before them: science. 6. Cosmopolitan Civilization. The world is filled with myriad species and cultures. There are no recognized homelands— people of all heritages dwell in each province. Often, provincial citizens feel deeper loyalty to their neighbors than foreign folk, even those whom share a racial background. Beyond that, access to the astral plane via the Aetherial Expanse has brought many unusual individuals from distant worlds to the Empire. 7. Dangerous Wilderness. Although the Karelagne Empire consists of large tracts of settled land, dangerous wilderness still exists on the periphery of civilization. The twisted wastes of Folly harbor strange and dangerous creatures, leaving it devoid of settlement. The wild, untamed islands of the Gravesprays remain largely untouched by the Empire, with strange beasts and terrible monsters lurking in the shadows. The Big Secret The most closely guarded secret in all of Tholus is that fiends secretly control the Karelagne Empire from its highest seat. The disasters that befell Folly also allowed swarms of insectoid fiends to enter Tholus. Though most of these fiendish creatures are relatively unintelligent beasts, four sentient swarms proved to be particularly intelligent and cunning. These four infested the dying forms of doomed individuals, taking on the facade of respected citizens, with one even rising to become the Imperial General of the Empire.

CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF THOLUS The world of Tholus is dominated by a single continent of the same name, with archipelagos scattered across a vast global ocean. This sprawl of endless sea moderates the world’s climate. Tholus is a temperate world, enjoying cool but mild winters and warm summers graced with modest precipitation across much of the land, with the exception of arid foothills in the eastern shadow of Adon’s Reach. Snow is rarely seen on the mainland except upon the highest mountain peaks and the northernmost extent of Nelox.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE THE KARELAGNE EMPIRE Our empire is a grand experiment. For the first time in recorded history, we, the people of Tholus, have thrown off the shackles of war and look forward to an era of peace. We must tirelessly work to preserve this new concord and forever seek to better our federation. -- Sovereign General Sol Theraine, at the end of the Folly Wars The Karelagne Empire is the dominant political and military force in the world of Tholus. While once one of several city-states fighting for dominance over a shared mainland, Karel gained the upper hand over its rivals after its technomages created a stable portal to the Aetherial Expanse and gave the nation direct and exclusive access to aetherium. Today, the Karelagne Empire includes its home base of Karel Province, as well as the provinces of former rivals Talavi, Nelox, and Raal, and the once-disputed territory Folly. It also has a non-aggression pact with the independent island chain of the Edosians. The Empire is ruled from the city of Karel by a democratically elected Sovereign-General who oversees both military and civilian life. The inhabitants of the Karelagne Empire are generally content, in large part because its founding meant the end of nearly a century of skirmishes, truces, and all-out military engagements known as the Folly Wars. The Empire maintains a loose grip on its conquered provinces, with each retaining much of its individual style and culture, and has focused on using technomagic to bring new innovations to the Empire. History of the Empire The world of Tholus is ancient. Numerous civilizations have risen to glory and been lost to the mists of history by the start of this Fable. For most, the only history they know is of the modern age, that of the Karelagne Empire. Throughout the Empire, the years are recorded in relation to the Karelagne Era (KE), referencing the years since the founding of the Empire. The current year is 72 KE. The Recent Important Events table lists notable happenings in the last few centuries. The World of Tholus CHAPTER 1 ...its founding meant the end of nearly a century of skirmishes, truces, and all-out military engagements known as the Folly Wars.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 11 Recent Important Events KARELAGNE ERA (KE) EVENT −230 The Fall of Raal. End of Raalian dominance over the continent. The control of Tholus now reverts to several rival city-states and the world knows an uneasy peace. −119 The Folly Wars. A series of conflicts break out as the ruling city-states begin fighting for control of Folly, a key location in the center of the mainland. These wars continue for nearly 80 years. −20 Aetherial Expanse. Technomages from Karel create a stable portal to a region of the astral plane known as the Aetherial Expanse. −13 Magitech. The first magitech creations powered by aetherium appear, eventually leading to incredible advancements in Karel’s armaments. 0 Founding of the Empire. Karel becomes the Karelagne Empire after Talavi joins its former rival. Gerrig Maltus elected as the first Karelagne Sovereign-General. 5 Growing Empire. Nelox joins the Karelagne Empire. Raal halts major military advances, but continues to contest for control of Folly. 16 The Aetherial War Begins. The Empire begins a long conflict for control of the Aetherial Expanse against a rival world. 33 A New Ruler. Sol Theraine elected as the second Karelagne Sovereign-General after the death of Gerrig Maltus. 40 The Folly Disaster. An ephemeral portal to a distant plane allows fiendish creatures to enter Tholus through Folly. The infernal energy decimates most of the region. Raal , fearing a new Karelagne super weapon, gives up the fight and joins the Empire. 53 Third Sovereign-General. An intelligent hive under the guise of human politician Domas Brandel uses public disapproval of the Folly Disaster to ascend to power as the new Sovereign-General of the Empire. 64 Aetherial Wars End. Aetherial War ends in Stalemate between the Karelagne Empire and the Kingdom of Ayris, though their privateers continue to harass each other’s merchant ships. 72 The Empire Persists. Today. The Empire has stood nearly a century, but threats within and without threaten its stability. Government Political motivation is meaningless when trying to accomplish an item of importance. The layers of Karelagne’s bureaucracy impedes everything equally. -- Anonymous politician The Karelagne Empire is a military democracy ruled by a Sovereign-General, elected by the people of Karel every ten years. Only those who have lived in Karel Province for at least one year can vote for the Sovereign-General, who leads all aspects of Karelagne life and policy. Domas Brandel is only the third Sovereign-General since the Empire’s founding, succeeding Sol Theraine after their popularity faded following the Folly Disaster. Domas’ true nature as a fiend has not stopped them from ruling successfully for nearly 20 years; they are generally popular and running unopposed in the coming year’s elections, though recent rumblings by dissident groups around the Empire are somewhat affecting their image. Once elected, the Sovereign-General’s orders are absolute unless overruled by a unanimous vote of the Martial Council, which includes military leaders, a representative from each province outside of Karel, and the leaders of influential work guilds. The members of the council are each given wide leeway to do what they like in their area of influence, with any lingering disputes between them handled by the Sovereign-General, though Domas’ unpredictable judgments in these matters have led to most disagreements and issues handled outside of the council chambers. In return for their broad authority and autonomy, the council has a tacit understanding to never attempt to overturn the Sovereign-General’s will. Those who have attempted to change this policy in the past have disappeared and been replaced by friendlier faces. The Military The Karelagne military is truly formidable. Since the first astral explorer returned with aetherium crystals from the Aethereal Expanse, military technomages have engineered wondrous armaments, engines, and supporting technologies severely outclassing any rival on Tholus. The Karelagne navy is particularly impressive. Although the vast majority of Karelian vessels are still made of wood, sail, and rope, they can be produced faster and in far greater quantities than vessels of the Empire’s rivals. Its most powerful sailing ships are iron-hulled behemoths with smoke-belching chimneys, branching scrying arrays, and terrible cannons that can hurl devastating blasts of elemental energy. Naval technomages have begun experimenting with submersibles, though most are prototypes yet to see active service. Surprisingly, airship development has progressed more rapidly, with models ranging from small, two-person skyhorses to massive, daunting war zeppelins. In return for their broad authority and autonomy, the council has a tacit understanding to never attempt to overturn the Sovereign-General's will.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 12 Karel’s advanced magitech vehicles allowed its outnumbered personnel to dominate their rivals. Karelagne strongholds exist in every province, securing the Empire’s control over the mainland. Despite this, radical factions maintain armed resistance in remote areas, often indiscriminately striking at military and civilian targets. The Agency While not spoken of much officially, the Agency is an indispensable facet of the Karelagne Empire, supporting its goals and countering threats that cannot be addressed by brute military force alone. Most operations are covert affairs, kept secret by Karel’s leadership. The SovereignGeneral is particularly interested in ensuring secrecy to avoid public scrutiny and to keep his popularity within the Empire high. The exact date of the Agency’s founding is not recorded, but most point to the early years of Sol Theraine’s rule, prior to the Folly Disaster. In fact, some even suggest that undercover agents were responsible for the explosive event. Personnel within the Agency are kept compartmentalized using a clandestine cell system whereby most agents work in small, autonomous groups receiving directives from a few trusted administrators. Thus, if an individual is apprehended, their ability to divulge identities of other agents is likewise limited. Outside of its large but nondescript headquarters in Karel, the Agency typically uses small regional operations surreptitiously hidden within a legitimate civilian business – a tailor shop, book store, bakery, and so on. The scale of the Agency’s operations is unclear, with perhaps even its highest levels unaware of the organization’s full extent. What is clear is that significant resources are made available for agent operations. Its operatives are provided with the latest magitech equipment, some developed by the Agency’s own technomages, and others reverse-engineered from devices “acquired” in the field. Rumors circulate that another secret organization has embedded itself within the Agency, influencing operations through a network of moles to achieve its own hidden objectives. Thus far, no one has yet been able to uncover proof of its existence, but whispers remain of a hidden spider quietly and subtly controlling the Agency. The Aetherial Expanse Aye! It’s a vast poisonous sea brimmin’ with beasts and magic, all waitin’ ta steal yer life. But there’s also ships loaded with aetherium just waiting to be taken. That’s what dreams are made of. -- Jak Spillwater, Retired privateer It’s been almost a century since Karel’s technomages opened the gate to the Aetherial Expanse. This event was arguably the key turning point in the Folly Wars and the rise of the Karelagne Empire. Using this permanent gate, Karel harvested powerful aetherium crystals, the solidified form of the Expanse’s aethereal oceans. These magical crystals unlocked a magitech revolution, enabling the city-state to develop armaments that far outclassed that of its rivals. The Expanse is remarkable, even among the vastness of the astral plane. Its vast, twilit sea shimmers with a magical radiance akin to starlight as sailing ships ply its poisonous seas. Portals from countless planes open onto this starry realm, an ocean of elemental force, pulsing nebulas, and glimmering lights. Karel’s Aether Gate stands majestically adjacent to its harbor, revealing the wondrous Expanse beyond. The gate is a massive, oval structure fashioned of stone, metal, and wood, so large that even the tallest sailing vessels effortlessly pass through its magical threshold and onto the astral plane’s shimmering seas. After the gate opened, Karel vied for control of this aethereal sea against pirates and the kingdom of a rival world. This brutal conflict sent many sailors to their deaths beneath the aethereal waters. It finally ended in a stalemate just eight years ago, with the Karelagne Empire and the Kingdom of Aryris agreeing to an armistice that still tenuously holds to this day. Despite this peace, the waters of the Expanse are dangerous still. Pirates and privateers prey on unsuspecting and poorly defended vessels, while mysterious creatures and strange elemental storms can threaten any who sail its magical waters. Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse includes the Aetherial Expanse Setting Guide that details this portion of the astral plane, along with new rules for exploring the astral seas and adding dramatic naval combat to your game. Thus far, no one has yet been able to uncover proof of its existence, but whispers remain of a hidden spider quietly and subtly controlling the Agency.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 13 THE TERRITORIES Though the Karelagne Empire is the singular power indisputably in control of Tholus, it consists of several distinct provinces, each with their own perspectives on the Empire. Karel Province “The heart of the Empire is Karel. To suggest otherwise, one must be blindingly ignorant to the events of the last century.” — Sage Kohzum Silverquill Capital: Karel Current Leader: Sovereign-General Domas Brandel Locations of Interest: The Flatlands, Tournelle Known For: Extra-planar trade, magitech manufacturing, imperial government offices Karel Province has three major regions: the city of Karel, which houses most of the province’s population; Tournelle, the railroad town that serves as a hub for goods and people traveling through the southern half of the Empire; and the Flatlands between, which hold most of the Empire’s magitech factories and production facilities. While Karel Province is now the base of the Karelagne Empire, during the Folly Wars, it was known mainly for its inhabitants’ hard work and efficiency. Karel pioneered communal workshops, facilities where laborers and artisans worked together to create tools that made combat more effective and civilian life more efficient. These workers were often volunteers looking to stay off the front lines of combat, but talented artisans were drafted into the ever-present military when necessary. After Karel opened the portal to the Aetherial Expanse, many of these workshops were quickly converted to facilities for the invention and production of aetherium products. The City of Karel The city of Karel is the center of life in the province and the heart of the Karelagne Empire. Its streets and buildings are laid out in a broad circle surrounding its central plaza, which holds most of the city’s important governmental and military buildings. At the city’s heart stands Karelagne’s Central Clock, a large steel clock tower. The clock sets time for the entire city and is a reason that Karel residents are known for their punctuality. Four additional smaller clocktowers stand at the northern, southern, eastern, and western edges of what was once the city’s outer perimeter. They now serve as travel hubs for the light rail and other ground transport systems that snake from the city into the Flatlands toward Tournelle or wind their way into Talavi. Within Karel, living within the circle made by the four smaller clocktowers is a sign of prestige. While residents of Karel are not generally ones to stand on ceremony or flaunt their status in any physical way, it is common to tell someone else in the city where you live as a way of sharing how important you are to the Empire. Even those who work in the Flatlands workshops and production facilities generally keep a home within the city, and are often given homes closer to the city center if they reach a high-enough level of importance within their facility. The layout of the city reflects Karel’s hierarchical structure. When Karel went to war, the military subsumed much of the civilian government, with civilian areas given new military titles and hierarchies. Adherence to the chain of command is prized, and outside of work, residents tend to be somewhat deferential toward those who are, literally, closer to the inner circle of the city. In Karel, moving up in the world generally happens through hard work and the notice of your superiors, but those who stand out to the Sovereign-General or the Martial Council in some way can find themselves in positions of authority. The prime example of this is Field Captain Velaasa Sorn, a charming but fairly uninvolved member of the Martial Council who is rumored to be a distant cousin of Domas Brandel. She spends much of her time traveling around the Empire doing “special projects” that seem to include a good amount of relaxation and touring random facilities. Despite being seen as a dilettante, Velaasa is liked, as she’s kind and tends to throw some of her money toward anything that catches her interest, though she never seems to do any follow-up. In truth, Velaasa, like Sovereign-General Domas, is an escaped fiend, and she has used her freedom and resources to build up a wide-ranging organization called Brimstone that positions itself as the Empire’s loyal opposition. Tournelle Tournelle was built with a single purpose in mind: transferring goods and people from dirigibles, light rail, and the massive Karelagne Crawler, a heavily fortified train which provides the only safe way across Folly. Most workers in the town are involved in transportation on some level, and much of daily life in Tournelle is geared around the twice-daily arrivals of the train, known to locals as the Crawl. With time of the essence to keep the train on schedule, most Tournellans work both arrivals, pairing off so that each member of a duo does harder labor during one arrival and support work during the other. These partnerships run for years at a time and are considered to be on par with familial and romantic bonds. Since the Folly Disaster, Tournelle has also become home to two other groups—a small collection of researchers interested in studying what happened during the Folly Disaster and how it has affected the land, and a contingent of Karelagne’s military working to keep Tournelle safe from any threat that might come from Folly. No direct threat has ever appeared, but there have been a series of inci-

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 14 dents and accidents that have the town on edge, ranging from the unexpected collapse of the loading platform to an outbreak of illness to small holes opening in the ground, all caused by small swarms of insectoid creatures from Folly acting seemingly at random. The local military contingent has been unable to observe these in action, let alone stop them. The Flatlands The Flatlands lie between Karel and Tournelle—during the Folly Wars, Karel cleared much of the area and built large communal workshops to compete against the larger and more well-resourced powers. These workshops have now mostly been converted into factories and production facilities. Most of the workers live in Karel and travel to their work via aetherium-powered transit. In recent years, the growing demand for aetherium-powered devices and technomagic has led to the construction of further workshops, including some just over the border in Talavi Province. As fits the Talavian aesthetic, these workshops tend to be artistic in addition to functional, in contrast to the more spartan structures of the Karelagne Flatlands. The Outer Provinces Outside of Karel, the Karelagne Empire is made up of four main provinces: Talavi, Folly, Raal, and Nelox. Three of the four are city-states that battled Karel during the long and bloody Folly Wars before the discovery of the Aetherial Expanse. The fourth, Folly, is a mostly uninhabited region that has yet to recover from the cataclysmic event that decimated it and wiped out most of its population—an event not fully understood even now. Talavi “The people of Talavi choose to stay blind to their imperial yoke. This fixation on meaningless artistic pursuits and cultural enlightenment will do nothing to wrest power away from Karel. We must shake them from their slumber and reclaim the power that should be ours.” — Ember Atheril, Agent of the Whispered Wind Capital: Avarna Current Leader: Toldi Lorespinner Locations of Interest: Avar Academy Known For: Artistic endeavors, Avar Academy, woodworking Talavi, and its cosmopolitan capital city Avarna, has long been known as the cultural and artistic heart of Tholus. The oldest examples of Tholan sculpture can be found in Avarna’s art gardens, and the arches that crisscross the city were designed to be acoustically resonant for musical performances. The Avar Academy, an elite school specializing in sword, spell, and song, trains its students in style as much as skill, and is known for its research into the arcane arts and the beautiful but deadly fighting style known as the dance of daggers. The Academy also provides instruction to schools throughout Avarna, upping the chances that anyone raised in the area is a proficient handto-hand combat fighter. Even outside Avarna, style and artistic merit are prized throughout the province. Farmers arrange their crops in artistic patterns to impress passing officials, most small towns have a thriving playhouse, and social standing is often tied to the ability to make an impression through personal style, displays of skill, or charm and wit. This has brought many new residents to Talavi, where movement through the social ranks and access to resources is tied less to wealth or family than it is personal accomplishment and the ability to stand out. As many locals say, “Anybody can be somebody in Talavi.” With its love of style and art, Talavi has sometimes been considered shallow and powerless, but the battle prowess of its forces during the Folly Wars made digs like “worth as much as a Talavian title” obsolete. During the series of bloody skirmishes, Talavi became known not only for its sea wizards and dagger dancers, but also its extensive information network. Even in the deadliest days of the Folly Wars, the Talavian group known as the Whispered Wind seemed to know the strategies of their enemies better than they did. Despite the efforts of this information network, Talavi was taken by surprise by Karel’s discovery of the aetherium portal, and quickly realized it would be unable to stand for long against superior aetherium technology. Instead, Talavi became the first province of the Empire, using its status and warm relations with Karel, to maintain a steady supply of goods and resources that persists to this day. Any resentment toward Karel is, at the very least, not spoken of in polite company. Faction: The Whispered Wind The Whispered Wind began as a loose alliance of whispers, gossip traders who used the acoustic resonance of Avarna’s famous arches to listen in on conversations and sell the information to the highest bidder. When the war broke out, these spies shifted to gathering the secrets of Talavi’s enemies using everything from enchanted talismans to messages hidden in crop patterns. Unfortunately, they were unable to stop Karel from finding and using aetherium to win the war, a failure that led many to leave the group and still haunts its remaining members. While many of the whispers are once again focused on local intrigue instead of global politics, some still want to make a dramatic impact. Ember Atheril (NE male half-elf spy), who joined the Whispered Wind only six months ago, believes that Talavi could lead the Empire if they could develop an aetherium portal and discredit Karel in the eyes of the Empire, ideally at the same time.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 15 Raal “The Sovereign-General dismisses our traditions, draws a blight of iron across our lands, and ignores the sacred protocols. Three times I curse their ribbons of steel. Three times I spit on their promise of progress. Three times do I vow to end their rule with a tempest of fury, fire, and blood.” — Adra Fenspark, druid of Adon Reach Capital: Deraal Current Leader: Magistrate Koresh Baykeh Locations of Interest: Adon’s Reach, South Spire Known For: Agriculture, airships, military service Once, Raal was the most important power in all of Tholus, thanks to its large swaths of farmland, dominance in the construction and navigation of wooden sailing ships, and ability to block other nations from access to food; but those days are but a distant memory. Today, Raal’s reliance on bureaucracy and procedure, much of which revolves around adherence to a strict set of rules for living known as the Raalian Protocols, is almost all that remains of what was once a dominant kingdom. The Raalian Protocols, developed by Raal III after a prophecy claimed he would never die as long as the “Golden Rule of Three” was strictly followed in his kingdom, have kept his name alive even after his death at the end of a nearly three-century reign. Raalian farmers reliably divide their crops into thirds—one sent to Karel, one kept for their personal use, and one used for trade; Raalian fighters still report to the capital city of Deraal every three years for military drills; and most Raalians believe that any natural crossing of three lines is an omen of either powerful magic or great misfortune. Nowhere are the Raalian Protocols more strictly enforced or believed than in Deraal, the city of triangles. In addition to the many meticulously designed three-sided buildings and monuments found in the city, access to resources and power in Deraal is based on a ranking released each year by the Deraal council that gauges worth based on three things—the reputation of your family, the prestige of your profession, and the strength of your devotion to Raal. In Raal, these rankings are taken seriously; while the then-nation was greatly outclassed in military technology during the Folly Wars, Raal’s seemingly endless supply of ground troops came in part from the boost in prestige gained by dying in service to the Raalian cause. Many of these troops gathered at the southern border town of South Spire, which, since the end of the war, has been converted into a hub for transport. In part due to its willingness to sacrifice ground troops, Raal was the last province to be absorbed into the Empire, but it has quickly become vital to Karelagne interests. Much of the growing Karelagne train system runs through Raal, and it remains the breadbasket of Tholus. Still, many Raalians feel uneasy about their position in the Empire. The growing rail line has disrupted the countryside, pushing farmers into the hills of Adon’s Reach to make their own way. And Karel’s willingness to cross rail lines without adhering to the Raalian Protocols makes many in the province believe that the Karelagne Empire is, at the very least, set for an upcoming period of great hardship. Many Raalians have great interest in the growing development of airship technology and are hoping that it can be a way to avoid the disruption of farming while allowing for transit. South Spire’s three large towers, once used as lookout posts during the war, have been converted to airship platforms that many hope will be the beginning of a new era of dominance for Raal, this time through air power. Faction: The Reachers As rail lines continue to be built throughout Raal’s farmlands, some Raal farmers have seen their land seized by the Raalian conclave for use by Karel. While the displaced farmers have been offered jobs constructing the rail line, many prefer their life’s work, and the railway’s lack of adherence to the Raalian Protocols has made many see this new profession as bad luck. Instead, some displaced farmers have gone to Adon’s Reach, a mountainous area that train lines can’t reach, to try their hand at mountain plantings and learn from the hill druids who have long lived in the area. Others, calling themselves the Reachers, have begun thinking of how to get back what they lost. Thus far, the Reachers’ focus has been on stealing shipments of food and supplies in small train heists. Some is used for their survival, with the rest hoarded for what they believe is the eventual fall of Karel and potential siege of Raal. Recently, though, one of the Adon’s Reach druids, Adra Fenspark (LE female halfling druid), has urged the group to make a statement by taking greater action against the railways. Nelox “Karel’s ascendancy is a temporary annoyance. Our pursuit of Deep Knowledge already bears fruit. Each day we are closer to when Nelox reigns supreme and the wealth of Tholus is ours, and ours alone.” — Kharzel Blazebright, Spiritual Advisor to the Endeavor Capital: Shimae Current Leader: First Delver Aushoe Teatalk Known For: Mining, magitech Nelox has always been the most mineral-rich area of Tholus, and its mining operations date back for centuries. As a result, the area has always had a fair amount of wealth, and the desire to protect that wealth has led to secrecy about what happens within Nelox’s borders. Few Neloxans are seen outside of the border trading city of Shimae, whose non-descript warehouses, generic buildings, and constantly shifting population give no clue as to where the real work is done.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 16 In truth, much of Nelox is located underground, with mining areas converted into homes and public squares once they have been sufficiently excavated. The only major aboveground structures in Nelox outside of Shimae are a line of workshops along the province’s Northern Shore, many of which are currently working together to develop underwater craft that can explore the ocean. Much like Nelox’s mining operations, these efforts to chart the depths of the sea are part of a fascination that many Neloxans have with what they call the Deep Knowledge, a belief that a true understanding of the universe can only be found in its deepest, darkest places. While not all Neloxans care about the Deep Knowledge, the discovery of hidden truths is prized in the province; those who show an aptitude for invention are pulled from mining work and given nearly unlimited resources to pursue their ideas in one of the Northern Shore workshops, checking in with the Neloxan Council once a year to report on progress and losing their space only if a more intriguing innovator comes along. The developments that come from the workshops sometimes have military applications, and were key in protecting Nelox’s border from Raalian recruiters during the Folly Wars; while the two regions were nominally aligned at times, Raal tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to strong-arm Nelox into committing more than the occasional new weapon design to the fight. Intrigued by the potential use of aetherium in seeking the Deep Knowledge after Karel’s discovery of the expanse, Nelox joined the Karelagne Empire under the promise that the Empire would largely stay out of its affairs. They remain loyal as long as they are provided with aetherium for research. In turn, they give Karel access to metals and gems and a first look at any new innovations that Karel could mass produce. While Nelox has stayed true to the first of these promises, it hasn’t shown anything substantive to Karel in years. Most of its resources are being diverted to the new deep-water craft that will head into the oceans, and it has no interest in that work being co-opted or disrupted by Karel’s desire for new magitech for the people. This has led to some tensions between Nelox and Karel, with some Karelagne officials proposing a lockdown on aetherium sent to Nelox until Karel receives something usable in return. Faction: The Endeavor The Endeavor is a group devoted to protecting the Deep Knowledge. Founded by followers of Valmunas, they try to prevent any information about Neloxan projects or discoveries from leaving its lands. While at times this simply means keeping a watchful eye on those who cross into Nelox for trade, they have been known to oppose any magic or magitech that makes communication simpler on the grounds that it might allow for the capture and dissemination of the Deep Knowledge. Some more extremist members, likely followers of Dreck, want to close entry to Nelox altogether, even if it means losing access to trade and risking possible starvation. Recently, there have been rumors that Karel plans to send agents into Nelox, either to capture some of the Deep Knowledge or interfere with the testing of the deep-water craft. This has given the more extremist members of the Endeavor greater pull within the organization, led by longtime cleric and firebrand Kharzel Blazebright (NE male dwarf priest). Folly “I ain’t ever gonna work on the Crawl’s line ever again. Something’s always there, scurrying in the dark, just outta sight. The disaster might’a ended the war, but I tells ya, it brought something else too.” — Hooya Bucketbreath, ex-Crawl worker Capital: n/a Current Leader: n/a Known For: The Crawl, devastated landscapes Folly’s location between the northern and southern sections of Tholus once made it a region with which both Raal and Karel sought to ally. Folly used this fact to play the two powers against each other, and the increasingly tense tug-of-war eventually set off the series of conflicts known as the Folly Wars, dragging Talavi and Nelox into the fight and only officially ending after Karel gained access to the power of aetherium. Even after the Karelagne Empire had absorbed Talavi and Nelox, though, Raal continued to fight for Folly, seeking control of the increasingly heavily fortified train known as the Karelagne Crawler, or the Crawl, which carried supplies through its borders. What happened next is not well understood, but an attempt by Karel to create a portal into the Aetherial Expanse unleashed a demonic force into Folly. Everything outside of the Crawl was either warped or destroyed, and the train itself only survived thanks to the combined efforts of those traveling on it to protect it from a wave of negative and demonic energy. The incident effectively ended the war, with Raal agreeing to become part of the Empire out of desperation, as well as fear that Karel had developed a new super-weapon. Today, Folly remains a decimated land. Its only residents live full-time aboard the Crawl, now firmly under Karelagne control, as it continues to bring travelers and supplies between South Spire in Raal and Tournelle in Karel. They live in the train’s sleeper cars, either by trading labor maintaining the train and keeping its supplies safe for free lodging, or by paying for the privilege of riding. Despite the quantity of goods and people making their way through Folly each day on the Crawl, the atmosphere on the train is laid back, with flurries of work at load-in and load-out breaking up the time between conversation and relaxation, with a bevy of foods and drinks prepared by those looking to drum up a name for their home tavern or restaurant, and the many merchants who sell goods on the train. All are under the direction of the Folly

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 17 Prefect, who is appointed by Karel but usually only lasts in the position if the majority of the Crawl’s permanent residents approve. Those who try to rule the train instead of merely working with its conductors and engineers have been known to take a fall off the train, never to be heard from again. While the rest of Folly seems fairly empty aside from the ruins of buildings and battlefields, the shadows sometime stir. Crawl residents refer to the creatures dwelling in Folly as fiends. The creatures are difficult to glimpse in the shadows, but rove in groups, and leave discarded carapaces and webbing along the Crawl’s tracks. While the fiends generally avoid the train, if the Crawl stops for more than an hour or two at any point within Folly, it attracts the attention of one of the fiendish swarms. External Territories Neither the Edosians nor the Gravelands are part of the Karelagne Empire, but each for vastly different reasons. While the Edosians take pride in their independence from any nation, the Gravesprays are riddled with wild magic that has left the area mostly uninhabited. The Edosians “Don’t ever, EVER, piss off an Edosian.” — Tomark One-Eye Capital: Gallows Bay Current Leader: Jermaliah Tidewall Known For: Fish The fisherfolk of the Edosians are independent to a fault, both in their dealings with one another and with the rest of Tholus. Most descend from families who have been fishing in the area as long as they remember, calling one or another of the chain of islands home, but spending much of their time out on ships or moving between fishing holes. Edosians place more value on their catch than the land, and possessiveness over anything other than what comes from the sea is seen as a petty mainland practice. Fishing spots are generally communal, and a web of agreements between families and friends dictates who is able to fish in which place at which time. While the fisherfolk tend to believe they are closer to the gods and the right way of living than mainlanders, those who live in the Edosians tend to have good relations with the mainland, sending regular ships between their islands and ports of call in nearly every province. These floating markets trade with whoever is willing and take the proceeds back to the Edosians, with no preference for one nation or province over another. The Edosians’ hands-off attitude toward the mainland has occasionally been set aside by something the fisherfolk view as an attack. During the Folly Wars, the Edosians’ market-ships were generally viewed as off-limits, but occasionally one was damaged or even lost, either by accident or to prevent a province from receiving supplies. These losses were avenged swiftly and disproportionately, with Edosian fishing boats re-equipping as raiders and sinking enemy vessels with impunity before simply ceasing their attacks. In truth, the Edosian philosophy on retribution is that it continues until each Edosian harmed by an action feels they have been paid back or avenged in full. In the wake of the Folly Wars, the Edosians were happy to make a non-aggression agreement with the Karelagne Empire; it makes no difference to them who believes they rule the mainland. This has changed in the wake of the Folly Disaster, as fiend activity in Folly has begun to poison the water off its coasts and this poison is drifting through the currents toward Edosian fishing waters. The Edosians have been able to work around the contamination so far, but as it grows closer to their shores, the call for another round of retribution grows louder. The Gravespray Islands “A cursory analysis of observable extra-planar flux, particularly when examining the highest aethereal energies, suggests this region has the lowest translocation index in all of Thollus.” — Zontas Serrow, portal technomage Capital: n/a Current Leader: n/a Known For: Wild magic, monsters The Gravespray Islands may be close to the main landmass of Tholus, but they remain cloaked in mystery. Expeditions to explore the island chain rarely return—the few explorers who return talk little about what they experienced, or what happens to those who don’t return. Even the number of islands in the Gravespray is up for debate. Several charting voyages failed to make it back to the mainland, while magical means of observing the islands have yet to produce any concrete results and often resulted in unexplained and unfortunate effects on the caster. In truth, the Gravesprays are in a wild magic zone, a section of Tholus where the Weave is damaged and boundaries between planes is thin. Those who attempt to navigate the islands face being harmed by the effects of the wild magic or being attacked by one of the dragons or fey who dwell there. The thinness of the planes in this area is also behind the success of Karel’s technomages in creating the first aetherial portal—the original portal was close enough in proximity to the Gravespray Islands to reach the Aetherial Expanse more easily. Attempts to create portals in sections of Karel farther from the Gravesprays have led to failures and accidents like the Folly Disaster, which opened a portal to an elemental plane whose insectile fiends have now infiltrated Tholus.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 18 GODS OF THOLUS I don’t know if the gods be real or just stories told by our elders, but I always throw a silver to Nuriel before setting sail. -- Jaenell Sandlegs, Sea Captain The story of the Tholian deities is one of family, betrayal, and perseverance through adversity. The main pantheon is rife with duality, with each god experiencing deep personal relationships and bitter struggles. Though interconnected and sometimes cooperative, each deity ultimately follows their unique ideals. Major Deities of Tholus DEITY ALIGNMENT INTERESTS SYMBOL Adon LN Agriculture, earth, endurance, order, strength Open hand holding a mountain Arthunas LG Healing, honor, justice, knowledge, light Upheld torch Asteth LN Community, fire, hearth, martial skill, protection Flames held in cupped hand Casdia CN Change, exploration, luck, storms, wind Compass rose Dreck CE Death, destruction, hate, ocean depths, the underworld Skull with eight tentacles radiating outward Nuriel CN Desire, greed, jealousy, the ocean, vengeance Large, foamcrested wave Qoz NE Arcana, cruelty, destruction, dreams, twilight Feather surrounded by five stars Valmunas CG Moon, protection, reconciliation, secrets, tides Crescent moon encircled by stars Zuhld N Bounty, growth, nature, rebirth, wilderness Lily above a bowl The Creators Adon and Casdia created Tholus. Using their powers of earth and wind to shape the world, they separated the land, skies, and waters. Their efforts were good and true. Adon’s unwavering strength soothed Casdia’s turbulent heart, while her ever-changing perspective surprised and delighted him. Together, they created a peaceful world, blessed with gentle winds and calm seas. Adon Father World-maker, The Immovable, The Unchanging Symbol: Open hand holding a mountain Alignment: Lawful neutral Divine Interests: Agriculture, earth, endurance, order, strength Adon is the mightiest of the Thulian pantheon. His power is the foundation of the world itself, and little moves the god of the earth. Adon’s followers value his unwavering tenacity, praying for his endurance of both mind and body. Adon is also known to never forget a perceived wrong, eternally unyielding in his judgment and displeasure. He still blames Nuriel’s seduction for the strife that arose when their clandestine affair was discovered, refusing to acknowledge his part in those events. Regardless, Adon’s unchanging nature is received well in places where the tradition is valued, especially in the Karelagne military and in the many farming villages of Raal. In these places, demonstrating Adon’s qualities often leads to success and his providence. Some oppose Adon for his unmoving outlook, especially with the advent of magitech, as fanatical followers often refuse these new discoveries. Those who hate bureaucracy often blame Adon. However, most are careful not to disparage the god of the earth, particularly on farms or in the mountains where he is more apt to hear, as embodied by the common expression “Quieter than a Casdian cleric on the Reach.” Casdia Mother World-maker, The Forlorn, The Fickle Goddess Symbol: Compass rose Alignment: Chaotic neutral Divine Interests: Change, exploration, luck, storms, wind Casdia, in most respects, is the opposite of Adon. Hers is the power of change, new beginnings, and changing fortunes. It is said her breath forms the winds of the world, and the changing weather reflects her moods. Casdia still carries the hurt of Adon’s betrayal, leaving her untrusting and unwilling to love again. She remains angry at both Adon and Nuriel for their deceit. Followers of Casdia fight against the status quo, particularly when progress is prevented. Most of her followers value the potential good that change can bring, though some revel in the freedom of chaos itself. Sailors pray to Casdia for safe travels across the oceans, but take care not to ignore Nuriel. Gamblers, criminals, and thieves pray to the god of change when they need luck or a reversal of fortune. Those who reject Casdia believe she is too unpredictable and petty to be trusted. Nonetheless, most revere the goddess and look to remain in her good graces, for few can deny her power and wrath. The main pantheon is rife with duality...

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 19 The Twins After Adon and Casdia created the world, they realized they yearned for more and to share it with others. From their union emerged the twins Arthunas and Valmunas, who brought day and night into being. Even though the twins are vastly different, they love, value, and trust each other. Many across Tholus look to the twins as bastions of hope and goodness, looking beyond their parents’ flaws to respect Arthunas and Valmunas and the power they possess. Arthunas The Torch Holder, The Searching Brother, The Day Bringer Symbol: Hand holding a torch Alignment: Lawful good Divine Interests: Healing, honor, justice, knowledge, light Arthunas is the god of light and truth and the twin brother of Valmunas. He is known to be confident, curious, and intelligent. Arthunas is valued in places of discovery, learning, and courts of law. Teachers, inventors, and judges value the pursuit of knowledge and truth and are frequent followers of Arthunas. Farmers and those who rely on the sun for their livelihoods also pray to the Torch Holder. Arthunas remains upset with Nuriel and his father for what they did to his mother, Casdia. Arthunas—like his father—holds Nuriel in contempt and refuses to speak with her. Paladins and clerics gravitate naturally toward Arthunas. Ironically, in their quest for honor and justice, some become radicalized, blind ideologues. These individuals are rare, leading vigilante-like cults that are either praised or admonished, depending on who they oppose. Valmunas The Rememberer, The Quiet Sister, The Peacemaker Symbol: Crescent moon encircled by stars Alignment: Chaotic good Divine Interests: Moon, protection, reconciliation, secrets, tides Valmunas is the goddess of the night and secrets, and is the twin sister of Arthunas. She is less fervent than her brother, but no less engaged in the welfare of Tholus. Anything said or done at night or in dark places is known to Valmunas. Of all the gods, she is most trusted by the rest of the Pantheon. Her ability to keep confidences has led to oaths invoking her name, such as “Valmunas’s Ears,” which is promised when strict confidentiality is needed. Valmunas continues to try mending the broken relationships between Arthunas, Adon, and Nuriel. She travels between them every day, hoping to convince them to make amends. For this reason, the moon crosses the sky, and Nuriel’s waters rise and fall, giving Tholus its tides. Valmunas is a compassionate goddess who seeks to help those who cannot fend for themselves. She often bends her brother’s ear hoping to find ways to bring aid to the downtrodden. The Tholian Schism For ages after creation, all remained in balance—the day and night—the earth, wind, and sea. However, Nuriel began to resent Casdia for her relationship with Adon. She pursued the earth god’s attention not because she loved him, but because she believed she deserved it. She sought out Adon, meeting him in secret, still places hidden from Casdia’s sight. There, her honeyed words played on Adon’s vanity, enticing him with forbidden delights. Eventually, Casdia found out and became furious. She fought with Nuriel. Their anger raged, evoking storms and fierce winds that lashed the seas, breaking the peace that had endured since creation. Eventually, the intense anger of the two goddesses lessened, though they still hated each other. Nuriel gave birth to a son, Dreck, who was loved by neither his mother nor father. He fled to the darkest depths where he stews on his hate. It is common for Dreck to oppose his mother out of spite alone. Arthunas detests Dreck and all that he stands for. However, Valmunas also resides in the dark places where she can see him. She pities Dreck and always seeks to support his path to redemption. Nuriel The Forgotten Mother, The Temptress, The Jealous Sea Symbol: Large, foam-crested wave Alignment: Chaotic neutral Divine Interests: Desire, greed, jealousy, the ocean, vengeance Nuriel is the hauntingly beautiful goddess of water, jealousy, and greed. She only cares about herself and is narcissistic in its purest form. She is quiet when she needs to be, enraged when she desires it. To gain her attention, one needs to offer something of value. Followers of Nuriel don’t play by anyone’s rules; they do what they must for their own gain. Sailors, especially pirates, recognize the need to stay on Nuriel’s good side. Rogues feel at home asking Nuriel for help, taking what they believe should be theirs but always making sure to throw a cut of their plunder her way. Warlocks are drawn to her power and charisma. Followers of Arthunas find themselves at odds with the Forgotten Mother’s teachings. No love is lost between the two.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 20 Its diversity of cultures fostered numerous deities of local importance but less known in other regions. Dreck The Scorned, The Bastard God Symbol: Skull with eight tentacles radiating outward Alignment: Chaotic evil Divine Interests: Death, destruction, hate, the ocean depths, the underworld In the sea’s darkest depths schemes Dreck, the outcast of the Tholian pantheon. Since his birth, he was hated, and now seeks to project that hate back toward others. He attempts to undermine all the deities and Thulian mortals with equal disdain, except for Valmunas, who he merely tolerates. Followers of Dreck are often the outcasts and undesirables of society. In their darkest hours some hear the voice of the Bastard God, offering them the dark promise of bliss through destruction. Followers of Dreck don’t need friends, but aren’t against using allies if their plans are of revenge. They hate all life, including their own, and seek to ruin all they can while they still draw breath. Other Notable Gods There are many gods in the Karelagne Empire. Its diversity of cultures fostered numerous deities of local importance but less known in other regions. Additionally, the empire’s expansion into the Aetherial Expanse has led to the adoption of new gods within the empire. Asteth The Empress of Flames, The Sword Mother Symbol: Flames held in cupped hands Alignment: Lawful neutral Divine Interests: Imperial conquest, fire, hearth, martial skill, protection The worship of Asteth was brought to the empire by sailors returning from the Aetherial Expanse. Citizens have adopted Asteth with remarkable enthusiasm. Her flame cults have grown with such rapidity and vigor that the Karelagne crown fears they’ll soon become a threat to its political sovereignty. The government has cultivated a nationalistic image of Asteth, portraying her as a mothergoddess of warlike power and the homely hearth. It’s popular to name girls born after a troubled birth Asteth, to honor their power. Asteth is viewed less favorably in the remote provinces, symbolic of the empire’s relentless conquest. When properly harnessed, the empire provides great benefits but may bring fiery destruction to all in its path if left unchecked. In Karel, Asteth is typically depicted as a muscular humanoid woman whose crowned head is obscured in flame. The outer provinces often use her Aetherial Expanse representation, where she is portrayed as a three-headed serpent wreathed in fire. Qoz The Hermit, The Dreamer, The Devourer Symbol: Feather surrounded by five stars Alignment: Neutral evil Divine Interests: Arcana, cruelty, destruction, dreams, twilight Qoz is said to lurk at the bottom of the aether, dreaming of when it will rise again and hunt. Qoz and its kin, the feather stars, were the scourge of countless civilizations of the Astral Plane in ancient times. Though they were not cruel destroyers, these long-slumbering predators were heralds of the end. Their periods of wakefulness are filled with nothing but devouring until they fall back into hibernation. The Karelagne Empire personifies Qoz as the ultimate evil and insatiable god. Myths of a creature whose rousing makes the planes themselves quake eat at the heart of the Karelagne national pride. Karelagne clergy frame all evil acts of the humanoid heart as inspired by Qoz dreaming cruel intentions into the minds of evildoers. Clerics of Qoz are rare but cultishly devout. Zuhld The Forest Watcher, The Verdant One, That Which Endures Symbol: Lily above a bowl Alignment: Neutral Divine Interests: Bounty, growth, nature, rebirth, wilderness Zuhld is an ancient Tholian deity still venerated in wilder regions where the empire’s strength is not yet felt. There are still followers in isolated Edosian fishing villages and remote forested regions of Raal where long-lived elves cling to ancient traditions. Zuhld is often depicted as a humanoid with two heads— one of a stag and one of a doe, each looking in opposite directions. They are considered genderless or of all genders, embodying the abundance of creation. Whereas Adon and Casdia are said to have birthed the world, Zuhld is the embodiment of life itself. Followers of Zuhld see civilization as an ephemeral creation, enticing the weak-willed with decadence and over consumption. Nature itself is all powerful, ever enduring, and provides everything mortals need to survive.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 21 THE INFERNAL SWARM Strange creature these. Insectile in appearance but they carry a fiendish taint not of this world. --Professor Quintellus, University of Karel The buucahb is a formal term used to describe a category of fiendish arthropods. They are native to a nearly inaccessible pocket dimension deep within the Elemental Plane of Fire. The buucahb refer to their plane using a string of hisses and clicks indecipherable to most other beings. Sages commonly refer to this plane as the Infernal Hive. Most buucahb consist of small, relatively unintelligent creatures. They are communal, frequently gathering into threatening swarms. Some buucahb swarms have developed a collective intelligence, coalescing the throng into a singular entity. Planar scholars refer to these conscious swarms as “infestations,” because they can infest a fresh corpse, animating the dead body and making it appear healthy and vigorous as it had in life. These infestations control the Infernal Hive, directing their fiendish kindred to pursue diabolical plans of conquest. Unusual planar barriers make it exceedingly difficult to travel to and from the Infernal Hive. Some advanced cultures have used this remote realm as a prison plane, banishing dangerous criminals here with little chance of escape, let alone survival. The swarm has sometimes adopted these prisoners into their midst, using these intrusions to learn of the larger multiverse beyond the Infernal Hive. A selection of buucahb is presented in Appendix A – New Monsters, though additional forms will appear in later episodes of this Fable. Infestation of Folly During the Folly Disaster, a portal between the Infernal Hive and Tholus unexpectedly opened, and waves of buucahb streamed through this planar breach. The vast majority to arrive were lesser forms, descending like a plague on the devastated land. These swarms felt an instinctive connection to the landscape’s arcane devastation, as the portal mishap had infused the lands with a fiendish energy similar to their home plane. The planar gate to the Infernal Hive was open for only a short time, during which four infestations also arrived. These entities sought to take advantage of the opportunity to bring more of the buucahb to this new plane. Each infestation infested someone who died in the Folly Disaster, assuming their identity and making their way across Tholus. These infestations reinvented themselves as a Neloxan named Gil Lezen, a Raalian named Tisran, and a pair of Karelagnians, Domas Brandel and Velaasa Sorn. As the fiends went their separate ways, they were unaware that separating themselves from other buucahb would be deadly. The longer they were separated, the more difficult it was for their hive minds to maintain cohesiveness. Thinking became increasingly difficult. If not rectified by coming near others of their kind, these infestations fell apart, collapsing into the simplistic insectile swarms of lesser buucahb. Fiendish Reckoning The infestation that became Gil Lezen quickly gained a reputation as an innovator. He worked to encourage Nelox’s submarine-building project in the hopes of using the technology to open another portal for the Infernal Hive. As a result of Gil’s isolation in an underground lab, he was the first of the fiends to feel the effects of separation from their kindred. Realizing this, Gil headed for Folly but died in Raal along the way. He left behind a field of buucahb carcasses and a plot of earth as barren and warped as Folly. Locals still avoid the place, calling it a cursed land of devil beetles. Tisran eventually found Gil’s remains. She recognized that the cause of Gil’s demise was likely also responsible for her growing sense of illness and fatigue. Previously, she had attributed this malaise to long hours helping Raal develop the airship Osprey while secretly attempting to open a gate to the Infernal Hive. She decided to stave off the illness by relocating her work to the skyship hub town of South Spire, in southern Raal on the border of Folly. She traveled into Folly at night to rejuvenate beside her fellow buucahb kindred. She alerted Domas and Velaasa about the situation and eventually left South Spire to live in Folly full-time, leaving most in Raal to think she simply disappeared. The Karelagne Fiends In Karel, the two remaining infernal infestations, Domas Brandel and Velaasa Sorn, paired up to infiltrate the imperial government. Domas was a naturally charismatic leader, while Velaasa supported his political rise through logistical and strategic work. Ironically, Domas became the Sovereign-General thanks to the public’s dissatisfaction in the wake of the Folly Disaster, the same disaster that had brought the fiends to Tholus. Upon Domas’ ascension to the highest office, Velaasa was given a captain’s rank and free rein in Domas’ government. Being in each other’s presence helped Domas and Velaasa avoid the fate of their fellow fiends by mitigating the effects of separation from their kindred. Both recognize they need a long-term solution to prevent their demise and thus seek to open another portal to the Infernal Hive. With the public solidly against further portal research thanks to the ongoing fear associated with the Folly Disaster, Domas has built a secret research lab in the middle of the Gravespray Islands.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 22 Sovereign-General Domas Brandel When the portal from Tholus opened onto the Infernal Hive, the buucahb infestation that became Domas Brandel immediately saw an opportunity to experience something beyond the Infernal Hive and moved through the planar rift without hesitation. Using the insight into Material Plane cultures he gleaned from the swarm’s experiences with abandoned prisoners, Domas joined the Karelagne military and quickly learned the ins and outs of life on Tholus. With much of the Karelagne military’s attention focused on the war in the Aetherial Expanse, Domas exploited local turmoil to move through the political ranks in record time and became part of then-Sovereign-General Sol Theraine’s Martial Council. Alongside his fellow swarm-member Velaasa Sorn, he stoked public dissatisfaction associated with the Folly Disaster and a seemingly endless war in the Aetherial Expanse. He used these issues to solidly win the 53 KE election. General Theraine hasn’t been seen in public since his defeat. Long-Term Objective In the twenty years since this victory, Domas has remained focused on opening a permanent gateway to the Infernal Hive. He sees this new world as a home base the Infernal Swarm can use to expand throughout the planes. Not only will this keep him alive, but he believes the Infernal Swarm will hail him as a hero and let him lead them to glorious conquest. While he is not yet sure how, he also wants the other creatures of the Empire to continue to thrive alongside the swarm rather than be consumed by it. He’s become attached to the Empire during his rule and would prefer that the swarm’s might enable him to crush dissident groups to stay in power indefinitely using his current humanoid form than return to the more egalitarian swarm existence. Domas is confident he has the will and power to make this dream a reality. Domas Brandel’s Traits Personality Trait. “Who wouldn’t want to follow me?” Ideal. “My bold vision will bring the swarm and my followers on Tholus to new heights.” Bond. “As long as they take my lead, my subjects will want for nothing.” Flaw. “No one is clever enough to usurp my power., so I don’t bother paying attention to challengers.” Traitorous Scheming Domas may be confident he can have the portal up and running in time to prevent their demise, but Velaasa Sorn has been working on a backup plan in case he fails. Over time, her plans have shifted. Instead of simply being a fail-safe, she now intends to use it to stay alive while Domas succumbs to prolonged separation from their kindred. Once she outlasts Domas, she plans to finish the portal to the Infernal Hive and take control of the buucahb swarms that arrive. In order to do this work without alerting Domas, Velaasa has secretly built Brimstone, a covert organization that positions itself as “the Empire’s loyal opposition. ” It works to simultaneously undermine the Empire and advance research that will keep Velaasa alive. Her role in Brimstone is so well hidden that she functions almost as two separate personalities—the kind but flighty dilettante Field Captain Velaasa Sorn, and the wily head of Brimstone known only as Spider. Field Captain Velaasa Sorn The intelligent hive now known as Velaasa Sorn came through the portal to spread its influence and bring others under its power. After taking on her current identity, Velaasa quickly joined “the Agency” as a low-level member of the logistics division. She used this as an opportunity to understand how the Empire functioned and how she might be able to shape it to her liking. Velaasa has a good understanding of what motivates others and quickly developed a knack for finding and encouraging those at the Agency who, while seeming somewhat unimportant, had an influence greater than their position would suggest. Whether by doing favors, making the right connections, or passing on key information, she grew a network of people loyal to her who became the backbone of Brimstone. However, she was always careful to attribute her actions to a powerful unseen colleague that she called Spider. Velaasa’s network was vital in helping to get her fellow swarm-member Domas Brandel elected, and he rewarded her with an honorary Field Captaincy and nearly unfettered access to the Empire’s resources. Since becoming Field Captain, Velaasa has carefully cultivated an image of herself as a distant relative of Domas’ who was rewarded with the position through nepotism. She often travels, seeing interesting projects and throwing money at things that catch her fancy, then never following through. Her generosity and kindness make her a popular dignitary, even if others sometimes roll their eyes at her latest momentary passion when she shows up at a facility or event. Domas may be confident he can have the portal up and running in time to prevent their demise, but Velaasa Sorn has been working on a backup plan in case he fails.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 23 Velaasa Sorn Personae Traits Personality Trait. “Whatever makes me happy.” Ideal. “I’d rather direct the orchestra than play a single instrument.” Bond. “Nothing gets done in this world without the help of the little people.” Flaw. “I’m not always sure where my personality ends and my persona begins.” Velaasa may not be focusing her efforts on developing a portal the way that Domas Brandel is, but she does eventually want to bring the swarm into Tholus. Her main concern is controlling the Infernal Swarm on this new world so that it matches her own interests without struggling against the buucahb's more domineering influence. She prefers to use subtle pressure and manipulation rather than direct threats and feels that she lucked out in being trapped in Tholus with Domas, who she doesn’t view as a real threat. Brimstone Brimstone began life as an informal network created by Velaasa Sorn during her time at the Agency in Karel. As she befriended and at times manipulated her peers, Velaasa began referring to the ideas of her friend “Spider,” an invented persona created to keep suspicion away from her main identity. According to Velaasa, Spider worried that the Karelagne Empire would become a powerful but cruel dictatorship with no one to oppose any current or future abuses of power, especially given the Agency’s efficiency in tackling dissidents and internal threats. While no one ever met Spider, Velaasa’s arguments on their behalf convinced many that a new organization needed to be created as the “loyal opposition,” a group to keep the Empire in check if needed. Over time, Velaasa allowed herself to become overshadowed by Spider and is thought to have left Brimstone behind in favor of traveling and spending money given to her by Domas Brandel. Those who remained in Brimstone, who believed in the cause and in Spider, were tasked with creating small organizations that wouldn’t raise the Agency's suspicions to do their work. While Brimstone is the overarching name for Spider’s group, in truth, it is made up of a web of small organizations that help it avoid the Agency’s notice. Spider No one knows the true identity of Spider, the assumed identity of Velaasa Sorn in her role running Brimstone, but many have seen their work in action. Spider identifies potential Brimstone agents personally, passing their names to other operatives along with brief notes about what motivates them and how they can be convinced to align with the Brimstone cause. These notes are surprisingly insightful - the few high-level Brimstone operatives who have seen their files have said only that “Spider sees all.” Spider maintains their hold over Brimstone despite never making a personal appearance by motivating and rewarding those who report directly to them and encouraging others to do the same. For one member of Brimstone, Spider might give them the authority they crave, while for another they give them the flexibility to spend more time with their family or make a key introduction that leads to love. They usually gather this information from other Brimstone operatives but occasionally use their ability to change form to learn something unexpected and build their reputation for clever insight. While Spider prefers to influence others with positive reinforcement, those who disobey their orders are usually not heard from again. Spider usually has these disobedient Brimstone members transported to Folly and left there for her buucahb kindred to consume. Occasionally however, these problematic individuals are used in experiments Spider is running to control humanoids using implanted buucahb and to create artificial swarms. Spider Personae Traits Personality Trait. “There’s nothing I can’t make happen.” Ideal. “There is no greater power than being able to shape the direction of the world around you.” Bond. “Anyone smart enough to see things my way deserves to be rewarded.” Flaw. “I’m not always sure where my persona ends and my personality begins.” Within Brimstone, Spider has a trusted set of lieutenants who have been with the organization since its earlier days and have been rewarded by being made the head of one of Brimstone’s many sham organizations. Spider sends directives to this cadre using a system that no one has yet been able to figure out or disrupt – notes and messages seem to appear in the right place as if by magic, each marked with a brand that is impossible to replicate. In truth, Velaasa uses her fiendish abilities to share Spider’s commands. The brands on messages are created with an elemental flame that arrived with her from the Infernal Hive. Her directives are delivered by Velaasa herself using a magical shape-shifting ability she developed that allows her to alter the form of her corpse temporarily. Secret Objectives Today, Brimstone has two main purposes, each aligning with one of Velaasa’s true goals. Several of its operatives are advancing research into the uses and applications of aetherium, which could help Velaasa figure out a way to lengthen her life. The most promising of these projects, known by its code name Project Anthill and associated with an operative called Ghost, is an attempt to recreate the swarm by chaining many smaller elementals together in a magitech matrix. While the project seems to be one created

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 24 to help Brimstone perform calculations at lightning speed, it is also a step toward Velaasa’s goal of creating an artificial buucahb infestation, that is fully under her control. The other major project that Brimstone has undertaken is keeping the Empire unbalanced by discreetly supporting organizations that oppose the Empire. These may be an organized resistance or a criminal enterprise that sees the Empire as an obstacle. Brimstone sells this to its operatives as a cross between supporting dissident group’s causes and keeping the Empire from growing complacent. In truth, it serves two purposes. First, it keeps the Agency and Domas off-balance, helping hide Brimstone’s work. Second, it gives Brimstone cover to get goods and information from several dissident groups. In recent months, Brimstone increased its infiltration and manipulation of dissident groups as Velaasa grows closer to creating the artificial swarm. Progress on this major project has required more overt actions by Brimstone, and accelerating rebel interference to hide those actions and move her work forward. AETHERIUM AND MAGITECH Magitech is the future. Embrace it or be left behind. --Willard Portus, technomage Opening a gateway to the Aetherial Expanse changed everything for Karel. Its turbulent aether seas, both poisonous and magical, revealed wondrous vistas and magical resources never seen on their home world of Tholus. Probably most consequential to Karel’s transformation into the Karelagne Empire was the acquisition of aetherium crystal, which enabled the development of magitech: arcane-powered devices that revolutionized Karel’s armaments and unleashed a creative torrent of magical engineering. Aether The Aetherial Expanse is named because its seas aren’t made of salt water, but of aether. Liquid aether is a shimmering liquid, glittering like starlight. It behaves much like water but is magical in nature. When removed from the aethereal seas, the liquid aether slowly evaporates into a shimmering vapor that surges toward the nearest body of liquid vapor. Much like water, Aether comes in three states: liquid, vapor, and solid – in order of their rarity. It is aether’s solid form, aetherium crystal, which has driven countless thrilling and ill-fated journeys into the Aetherial Expanse. Aetherium Crystal Aetherium crystal is the rarest and most valuable form of aether. The rarity of these crystals has made them an underground currency, used primarily to make huge transactions, such as the purchase of ships. Aetherium floats in aether, much like ice floats in water. Raw aetherium naturally occurs beneath astral islands, allowing them to float in the astral sea. Aetherium as a Power Source Aetherium is valuable because of its rarity, but also because of its use as an energy source – or as a weapon. As any aetherium miner knows, blasting aetherium causes it to react explosively. Specially trained technomages can transmute aetherium crystal into heavy aether, a highly unstable state ten times heavier than aetherium. Heavy aether contains staggering amounts of raw energy, making it a perfect fuel source for magitech engines or as an explosive shell for the Karelagne Empire’s devastating wrath cannons. Aetherium’s Value Across the Karelagne Empire, aetherium remains rare and incredibly valuable. Its value varies greatly, affected by the long and dangerous journeys needed to return it from the Aetherial Expanse. Mere ounces of crystal aetherium often trade hands for hundreds of gold pieces. For those using the crystals to drive advanced magitech, such costs are worth it. Magitech The immense arcane power condensed in aetherium crystal and heavy aether has made possible astonishing contraptions fashioned of wood and metal, crystal and fluid. Collectively, any physical creation that incorporates magical aetherium to motivate or empower it is called magitech. Scholarly Perspective Many sages of the magical arts, wizards who have studied their entire lives to learn the secrets invoking spells and magic, are angered by the spread of magitech. They look down on technomages, the crafters of magitech, as impatient and dangerous. The old-school arcane scholars insist that magic should require years of dedicated study. Using aetherium as a shortcut to infuse devices with magical power tarnishes the study of magic and if not strictly regulated could lead to future magical disasters. The Folly Disaster is often held as an example of magitech’s hubris and a warning of its danger. Aetherium is valuable because of its rarity, but also because of its use as an energy source...

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 1 -The World of Tholus 25 Technomages Crafters of magitech devices care little for arcane sages’ negative outlook on their work. These technomages view any restrictions on their efforts as short-sighted reactions of a dying art and failure to accept the realities that magitech is the future of the arcane arts. To be a skilled technomage, one needs to understand not only the principles of theoretical arcane knowledge but of the practicalities of engineering, materials, as well as manufacturing. Numerous schools of magitech engineering have opened across the Empire thanks to an insatiable demand for the latest and greatest magitech creations. However, because aetherium is costly and hard to obtain, most magitech is invented and owned by organizations like governments and large businesses. However, the occasional rich entrepreneur or eccentric inventor has been known to come up with some impressive and enviable magitech. Despite this restricted production, magitech is now a ubiquitous technology across the Empire. What is Magitech? Broadly speaking, magitech is any technology powered by aetherium. It combines magic, aetherium, and mechanical elements in its construction. Aetherium is used as a magical power source for this technology. It can amplify magical effects bestowed upon the tool and is used to drive gear systems and other complex apparatuses to create everything from simple messaging plates that send information across a distance to flying airships held aloft by a combination of elemental energy and alteration magics. Perhaps most remarkable has been the creation of automatons, artificial humanoids fashioned from wood, metal, glass, and aetherium. Though not well understood by even the most advanced technomages, automatons contain advanced arcane infused difference engines to control their motion and behavior. These magical brains have exceeded all expectations with many automatons achieving varying levels of sentience. This has not always been accepted well, particularly in remote rural regions that harbor a distrust of all things related to magitech and the Empire. The Gilbert-Pretzel Event Early magitech inventors ran into issues with arcaneflux instabilities adversely affecting nearby structural components. The "Gilbert Pretzel Event" refers to an incident where a particularly ingenious gnome found themselves trapped in a warped zeppelin frame because of a poorly shielded aetherium engine. A major focus of early magitech research was to find ways to control these transmutive effects. The now-discredited branch of “alterchemy” sprang from another unusual Gilbert Pretzel Event, where an iron-alloy frame was found embedded with clumps of silver, electrum, and gold. Alterchemy adherents tried replicating this transmutation but with no success. It took several years to discover that the precious metals found in the frame were from coins dropped by a larcenous technomage scrambling to safety during the event’s chaos. Limitations of Magitech Although aetherium contains considerable power, the mechanical aspects of the technology can be cumbersome. Frequently larger mechanical magitech constructions belch with steam and smoke thanks to the interactions of the mechanical with the arcane. Most of these larger creations, notably aetherium powered vehicles, require constant maintenance or risk breaking down from heat and friction. A well-known danger is aetherium’s volatile and explosive nature. When damaged, the aetherium power cores that drive most magitech can violently explode, leaving a poisonous taint in the immediate area. Magitech in the Empire Despite magitech’s dangers, new devices are crafted every day. Given the Empire’s naval prowess, much of the early magitech advances gravitated to ship building and increasing the ship armaments. Since then, magitech has been adapted to the mundane and fantastic alike. Today, aetherium-powered trains crisscross the continent and magitech driven carts have started to appear in the largest cities. Remarkably, in recent years, astounding new airship technology has developed. Possible applications of the new technologies seem limitless. Agents and Magitech Gear The Empire’s secretive Agency funnels significant time and resources into the acquisition and development of new magitech. Agents have access to innovative tech with senior operatives. See appendix C for a selection of new items agents may procure or find on their missions. If chapter 3’s optional agent advancement rules are used, they include an “Agent Equipment” section detailing items made available to agent characters based on their agent rank. Most of these larger creations, notably aetherium powered vehicles, require constant maintenance or risk breaking down from heat and friction.

CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER CREATION Nearly any character can become an agent for the Agents of the Empire campaign, whether it be a stealthy infiltrator, a charismatic operative, a brawny enforcer, or a brilliant analyst, all can make for great agents in this Fable. Character creation for this Fable follows the standard process defined in the fifth edition core rules.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE RACES The Karelagne Empire’s home world is a metropolitan environment where peoples of every race and subrace defined in fifth edition’s core rules can be found. • Dwarf • Elf • Halfling • Human • Dragonborn • Gnome • Half-Elf • Half-Orc • Tiefling Races from other fifth edition supplements are available for use with the GM’s approval. Since the Karelagne Empire has access to the astral plane via the Aetherial Expanse, it’s entirely possible that characters of nearly any heritage have made their way to Tholus. CLASSES Adventurers in this Fable can be any class presented in the fifth edition core rules. The first episode is designed for 3rd-level characters. However, episode 1 also includes an appendix of optional encounters to challenge 1st- and 2nd-level characters, allowing them to advance to 3rd level before starting the main adventure. Fighting Style Options Pirates of the Aetherial Expanse, our previous Fable, introduced new fighting style options for fighters, paladins, and rangers to select from in addition to the standard set described in the fifth edition rules. These options are also available in the Agents of the Empire campaign. Close-Quarters Combat You excel at fighting in the cramped quarters of a ship’s hold. You have advantage on attack rolls when at least three spaces adjacent to you contain hostile creatures or impassable terrain. Submerged Lunge You’ve trained to use thrusting weapons to great effect while fighting beneath the waves. While submerged, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that don’t have a swim speed. Additionally, you deal one additional weapon damage die when you deal piercing damage with a melee attack while submerged. Swashbuckling Flourish You’re a show boater who dazzles enemies with style. While wearing light or no armor and wielding no shield, you add your Charisma modifier to your armor class and Dexterity saving throws. Character Creation CHAPTER 2

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 2 - Character Creation 29 CHARACTER ORIGINS The world of Tholus is wide and varied. The Empire’s provinces each have their own cultural heritage and the independent regions that are not formally within the Empire resist its growing influence. Karel’s portal to the Aetherial Expanse allows individuals from other worlds to travel here as well. In Tholus, a character’s home province has a greater influence on their outlook than their racial heritage does. You should feel free to choose from backgrounds published in fifth edition’s core rules. Alternatively, consider creating a custom background by modifying a standard background to fit the vision of your character. Air Vehicle Proficiency The rapid advancement of magitech has heralded many new vehicles, including aetherium-powered carts, boats, and even experimental flying machines. Whenever a character has the option of acquiring a vehicle proficiency (land or water), GMs should also allow vehicles (air) as an option. In this setting, an air vehicle is any vehicle with a flying speed. Proficiency with air vehicles means that the character can apply their proficiency bonus to any check made to control that kind of vehicle in difficult circumstances. Firearms Though still rare, most people in the Empire have seen an aetherium-powered firearm at least once. These weapons are considered martial ranged weapons. Bards and rogues are also proficient with aether pistol firearms. Some firearms, such as aetherburst wands, have the arcane focus trait. This trait allows them to be used as an arcane focus by bards, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards, thanks to their ability to channel magical energy. These spellcasters are also proficient with the weapon and can use their spellcasting ability in place of Dexterity as the ability modifier for attack rolls. Becoming an Agent This Fable follows the exploits of the characters as they work for the Agency, a secret organization established to protect the Empire from threats that cannot be handled by military might alone. Motivation The people of Tholus have widely varying views of the Empire. Generally speaking, most see the Empire as a boon, with its formation ending years of bloody conflict and ushering in an era of remarkable progress. Some however, feel constrained by imperial control and yearn for independence. Given these varying perspectives, how does your character view the Empire, and why did they become an agent? Some suggestions are provided below. 1. Agent of Change. The Empire is corrupt. What better way to enact change than from inside as one of its agents? 2. Bored Aristocrat. I was desperate to escape the pretentious aristocracy and finally do something meaningful. 3. Escaped Poverty. Before the Agency, I lived on the streets. I couldn’t care less about the Empire as long as I know where my next meal’s coming from. 4. Experienced Soldier. I was recruited from the military after exceling as a soldier. The Empire needs me protecting it. 5. Family Tradition. One or more of my parents worked for the Agency. I joined because I was expected to. 6. Freed Prisoner. I was imprisoned and given the option of serving the Empire as a way to commute my sentence. 7. Long Live the Empire! I am a strong believer in the potential of the Empire. I joined the Agency to ensure we build the brightest future for all. 8. Technophile. Joining the Agency was the best way to get my hands on the latest magitech. They have the best toys! Character Level Characters working for the Agency can be of any level. Episode 1 assumes the characters are 3rd level and newly commissioned agents. For groups using the supplementary encounters to advance characters from level 1 or 2, the characters are assumed to be prospective agents. At the end of these encounters, the Agency promotes the characters to full-fledged operatives, presuming they’ve performed adequately on the initial assignments. Optional Agent Advancement Groups are highly recommended to use the optional agent advancement rules included in the next chapter. These rules augment player characters, granting them abilities themed around being an agent of the Empire. These optional rules represent a significant increase in character level and should only be used if all characters in the campaign use them. Equipment When starting this Fable as 3rd-level characters, players can choose equipment using the standard rules for new characters as defined by their class and background. Additionally, new agents should begin play with a potion of healing and an additional 100 gp with which they can upgrade any of their mundane equipment. If the group uses the optional agent advancement rules, characters have access to additional Agency equipment based on their agent rank as described in chapter 3.

CHAPTER 3: AGENT ADVANCEMENT Agents of the Karelagne Empire are elite operatives sworn to confront any threat to the Empire. Agent advancement is an optional set of character-building rules available for this Fable. It’s a tool for adding super-spy flavor and abilities, highlighting the operative’s unique specialization as an agent of the Empire. These guidelines for agent advancement provide a significant power increase to the characters, most of which are themed around the social and exploration aspects of the game. It is highly recommended that all characters within a party use these new rules—doing so will maintain both a roleplaying and a power balance among the characters. To use agent advancement, players select an agency division that suits their character concept. If none of the divisions fits the bill, players should discuss their idea with the GM on how to modify one to fit their needs.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE AGENCY DIVISION An agency division represents a specialized group within your spy organization. Agents belonging to a given division receive special training associated with an aspect of spycraft. Although agents are expected to be well-versed in most spycraft skills, their division represents the field of study where they’ve invested most of their efforts and achieved the greatest personal growth. Agency Divisions DIVISION SPECIALIZATION Information Division Identifying, intercepting, and evaluating information. Logistics Division Acquisition and movement of goods and personnel Operations Division Tactical and extemporary fieldwork Personnel Division Motivating and manipulating individuals Agent Advancement AGENT RANK DESIGNATION MINIMUM CHARACTER LEVEL AGENT BONUS TALENTS SPECIAL ABILITIES 0 Prospect -- - - Fortune Points, Division Ability 1 Recruit 2nd +1 1 Talents 2 Novice 3rd +1d4 2 Division Ability 3 Veteran 4th +1d6 3 Fortune’s Aura 4 Expert 5th +1d8 4 Division Ability 5 Master 6th +1d10 5 Spycraft Master 6 Supreme 7th +1d12 6 Font of Fortune Agent Rank An agent’s rank represents a combination of their standing within the spy agency and their spycraft expertise. New prospective agents have a rank of 0, while authorized agents have ranks ranging from 1 to 5. Progression to the next higher rank can occur once the rank’s minimum character level is reached and the character spends an agent milestone. Division Ability Once you have selected an agency division, you gain access to its division ability. This ability is an activity you have practiced repeatedly, becoming an expert in its execution. The ability requires an hour to attempt and a Medium DC ability check (DC 15) to succeed. Once you’ve attempted a division ability, you cannot attempt it again until you complete a long rest. Agent Advancement CHAPTER 3 Prospect Agent rank is displayed on the outer edge of their badge, below shows the career path of a Logitstics Agent. Recruit Novice Veteran Expert Master Supreme

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 3 - Agent Advancement 33 Agent Bonus Agent bonus is the in-game advantages provided to characters by the training received through their selected agency division. Starting at agent rank 1, characters can add their agent bonus in addition to any proficiency bonus they may have to ability checks according to any talents they have selected. In addition, characters always add their agent bonus when rolling for division abilities. A character’s agent bonus is determined by their agent rank as shown in the Agent Advancement table. Talents Talents are unique dispositions, experiences, or characteristics your character has picked up from their experiences within a given agency division. This is represented by allowing characters to add their agent bonus to checks made in unique situations that highlight the skills gained through their spycraft. Characters select a talent from the corresponding talent list when they gain agent ranks as shown on the Agent Advancement table. Master agents (rank 5 or higher) have the Spycraft Master ability, allowing them to select talents from any division list. Agent Milestone During the course of completing a mission, the GM may determine that a character has reached a story milestone related to their agency division. These are significant events or actions tied to the unique focus of a character’s agency division. They should represent a remarkable aspect of their mission. Generally, a character should achieve at least one agent milestone for each character level. Achieving a Milestone When the GM determines that a character has achieved an agent milestone, the player may choose to either increase their agency rank or purchase additional Fortune Points, with the chosen benefit coming into effect once the character completes a long rest. Rank Advancement. The character advances to the next agent rank provided they meet the minimum level requirements for the new rank. The character receives 1 Fortune Point and selects a new talent from their agency division’s list. Extra Fortune Points. The character receives 3 Fortune Points. Delaying Milestone Benefit Players may indefinitely delay choosing how they use their character’s agent milestone; however, they cannot benefit from their milestone until the choice is made and the character completes a long rest. Fortune Points Super spies have an innate ability to get themselves out of seemingly impossible situations. This knack is represented by an agent’s Fortune Points, a conceptual embodiment of the luck they carry with them and their determination to succeed. However, once a character has spent all of their Fortune Points, they’ve run out of luck. A character receives 1 Fortune Point when they first join the agency, and they gain at least 1 additional Fortune Point whenever they achieve an agent milestone as described in the agent milestone section. A player can choose to spend a Fortune Point whenever they make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. The player can choose to spend the Fortune Point after the roll is made and after any advantage or disadvantage is resolved but before the success or failure of the roll is known. Spending the Fortune Points allows the player to roll an additional d20 after advantage or disadvantage on the roll is resolved. The player chooses which of the d20 rolls to use for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw—the initial roll or the Fortune Point roll. The player then adds their agent bonus to determine a final result. A player can spend only 1 Fortune Point per d20 roll. Regaining Fortune Points Fortune Points do not replenish; they are typically obtained by achieving agent milestones. Fortune’s Aura Agents who have achieved the rank of a veteran agent (rank 3) can now share their fortune with adjacent allies. When an ally within 5 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to give a Fortune Point to that ally to affect their roll. The ally must immediately use the Fortune Point. The ally uses your agent bonus when evaluating the result. Spycraft Master Upon becoming a master agent (rank 5), when you select a new talent, you can choose talents from any division’s talent list. Font of Fortune Once you are a supreme agent (rank 6) and you have no Fortune Points remaining, you receive 1 Fortune Point upon completing a long rest.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 34 DIVISIONS The following agency divisions are provided in alphabetical order: Information Division Identifying, intercepting, and evaluating information The Information Division focuses on the acquisition of intelligence. They look to gather, evaluate, and understand the information the agency needs to act on and address threats against the empire. They are experts at making connections and following clues. The Information Division watches, listens, and schemes to stay ahead of their rivals. Investigative Instinct As soon as you are a prospect agent (rank 0), when you roll a 1 on an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Insightful Analysis Once you become a novice agent (rank 2), 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. Investigative Adept Upon becoming an expert agent (rank 4), your Investigative mind is so well trained that when you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Example Division Milestones Agents belonging to the Information Division should achieve an agent milestone when, in the GM’s determination, important information is analyzed or acquired in a dangerous or stressful situation. Some examples include: • Decoding a secret message before it’s erased by a selfdestruct mechanism. • Uncovering clues to the villain’s secret lair during a firefight. • Stealing plans for a new magitech weapon from an enemy research lab. Logistics Division Acquisition and movement of goods and personnel Those in the Logistics Division are experts at moving items and getting things to where they need to be. They concern themselves with putting the right things in the right place at the right time. These agents have a strong understanding of the latest magitech vehicles and are able to drive and repair most mechanisms. Driving Instinct As soon as you are a prospect agent (rank 0), when you roll a 1 on a vehicle control check, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Functional Appraisal Once you become a novice agent (rank 2), 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. Driving Adept Upon becoming an expert agent (rank 4), your driving skills are so innate that when you make a vehicle control check, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Example Division Milestones Logistic agents should achieve an agent milestone when, in the GMs determination, a story objective is achieved by movement or vehicles in a dangerous or stressful situation. Some examples include: • Evading pursuing enemies after breaching their secret lair. • Surviving aerial combat with enemy forces. • Delivering top secret information to allies inside enemy headquarters. Division abilities are activities you have practiced repeatedly, becoming an expert in their execution.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 3 - Agent Advancement 35 Operations Division Tactical and extemporary fieldwork The Operations Division is skilled in making tactical assessments and decisions in the field. They focus on understanding objectives and determining the best means to achieve them. Stealthy Instinct As soon as you are a prospect agent (rank 0), when you roll a 1 on a Dexterity (Stealth) check, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Surveillance Once you become a novice agent (rank 2), if you spend an hour observing a location and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, you can map the general layout of a building. This includes the guard routes and rotation times, building entrances and exits, and the potential locations of valuables. Stealthy Adept Upon becoming an expert agent (rank 4), your infiltration skills are so refined that when you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Example Division Milestones Agents in the Operations Division should achieve an agent milestone when, in the GMs determination, important story objectives were achieved through stealth or combat. • Overcoming guards to break into an enemy lair. • Stealthily climbing aboard an enemy airship to discover their secret lair. • Creating a diversion to free prisoners from a guarded facility. Personnel Division Understanding, motivating, and manipulating individuals Agents who are a part of the Personnel Division understand people and how to get them to do what they need. These agents are experts in accomplishing mission objectives using bribes, threats, and manipulation. Deceptive Instinct As soon as you are a prospect agent (rank 0), when you roll a 1 on a Charisma (Deception) check, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. Local Gossip Once you become a novice agent (rank 2), if you spend an hour speaking to individuals in an area and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, you can learn of rumors, political intrigue, or other gossip related to a subject of your choice. This includes jobs and information people tend to hide from the authorities. Deceptive Adept Upon becoming an expert agent (rank 4), your ability to deceive is now second nature, so that when you make a Charisma (Deception) check you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. Example Division Milestones Personnel Division agents should achieve an agent milestone when, in the GMs determination, an important objective was achieved by persuading, coercing, or deceiving an individual. Some examples include: • Bribing guards to gain access to an enemy’s secret lair. • Intimidating an agent to disclose enemy passwords. • Convincing an enemy agent you are someone else to acquire a valuable asset. Information Division Logistics Division Operations Division Personnel Division

The magicapower of these planacomets caused liquidaether to crystallize into a solid form, whicheople wouldcome to callaetherium. AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 36 Talents Talents represent specialized capabilities agents have gained through training or experience in the field. The Talent List table identifies talents and the situations where the agent can use their agent bonus with that talent. The divisions granting access to each talent are also identified. Master agents can choose new talents from any division's talent list. Talent List By Division Information Division Code Breaker Divine Studies Historian of the Expanse Imperial Scholar Innuendo Menacing Naturalist Pathologist Quick Fingers Shrewd Mind Technophile Trustworthy Advisor Truthseeker Virtuoso Logistics Division Aetherium Handler Beast Rider Graceful Mover Loyal Imperial Mechanic Quick Fingers Ropework Seafarer Test Pilot Sea Dog Sneak Stunt Driver Technophile Wall Crawler Wayfarer Operations Division Aetherium Handler Callused Hands Deep Breather Field Medic Graceful Mover Nimble Fingers Pathologist Rebel Sympathizer Rope Work Sentry Sneak Steady Fingers Thespian Urban Sprinter Wall Crawler Personnel Division Beast Rider Code Breaker Credible Mortal Hidden Motives Innuendo Loyal Imperial Menacing Rebel Sympathizer Sentry Shrewd Mind Thespian Trustworthy Advisor Truthseeker Virtuoso

TtcifopecaSETTING GUIDE | Chapter 3 - Agent Advancement 37 Talent List TALENT AGENT BONUS USE DIVISION INFORMATION DIVISION LOGISTICS DIVISION OPERATIONS DIVISION PERSONNEL Aetherium Handler Intelligence (Arcana) checks to manipulate magitech devices X X Beast Rider Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks to control a mount X X Callused Hands Strength (Athletics) checks to lift, drag, or shove a heavy object X Code Breaker Intelligence checks to decipher an encrypted message X X Credible Mortal Charisma (Persuasion) checks to convince non-humanoid creatures to pursue an activity X Deep Breather Additional rounds the character can survive when they run out of breath X Divine Studies Intelligence (Religion) checks to recall divine lore X Field Medic Wisdom (Medicine) checks made during combat X Graceful Mover Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance) checks when moving through crowded spaces or dancing X X Hidden Motives Charisma (Deception) checks made when answering questions about your actions or motives X Historian of the Expanse Intelligence (History) checks to recall information about the Aetherial Expanse and Magitech X Imperial Scholar Intelligence (History) checks to recall information about the Karelagne Empire X Innuendo Charisma (Deception) checks to secretly communicate information X X Loyal Imperial Charisma (Persuasion) checks made when interacting with Imperial forces or Karelagne government representatives X X Mechanic Dexterity or Intelligence checks made to repair a vehicle X Menacing Charisma (Intimidation) checks made to extract information from a restrained enemy X X Naturalist Intelligence (Nature) checks to recall information about plants or animals X Nimble Fingers Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) checks to pick a lock X Pathologist Wisdom (Medicine) checks to diagnose or treat a disease X X Quick Fingers Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks to surreptitiously place or remove an object X X Rebel Sympathizer Charisma (Persuasion) checks made when interacting with those supporting resistance against the Empire X X Ropework Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to climb, move along, or jump onto ropes X X Seafarer Vehicle control checks using water vehicles X Sea Dog Strength (Athletics) checks made while swimming X Sentry Wisdom (Perception) checks while on watch duty or defending a fortification X X Shrewd Mind Intelligence (Investigation) checks to investigate a crime scene or where a combat has taken place X X Sneak Dexterity (Stealth) checks to avoid detection X X Steady Fingers Dexterity checks to manipulate objects during combat X Stunt Driver Vehicle checks using land vehicles X Test Pilot Vehicle control checks using air vehicles X Thespian Charisma (Performance) checks made to convincingly act in character X X Technophile Intelligence (Arcana) checks to understand the workings of magitech X X Trustworthy Advisor Charisma (Persuasion) checks to convince humanoids to pursue an activity X X Truthseeker Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine if a humanoid responds truthfully to your question X X Urban Sprinter Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks while running away from a pursuer, or pursuing someone else X Virtuoso Charisma (Performance) checks to perform using voice or a musical instrument X X Wall Crawler Strength (Athletics) checks made while climbing X X Wayfarer Wisdom (Survival) checks to find a path or avoid getting lost X

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 38 AGENT EQUIPMENT At the start of each mission, the Agency makes specialized equipment available to its agents. Typically, this equipment is made available to agent characters at the start of each Fable episode, though GMs can use their discretion to allow it whenever the characters have access to Agency headquarters or an Agency contact. Agents are expected to maintain Agency equipment and return these items after their missions. As agents grow in experience and renown, they gain access to increasingly valuable equipment. The Agency Equipment table identifies the equipment to which agents have access, based on their agent rank. Agents can always augment their equipment by purchasing items using their own funds. If agents uncover magitech devices during their missions, they are expected to notify the Agency of such discoveries. Typically, Agency administrators allow agents to keep mundane magitech weapons and equipment, but advanced magitech must be delivered to the Agency. How Agency administrators determine what is considered an advanced magitech item is left to the GM’s discretion. Refer to appendix C for a selection of new mundane and magical equipment that may be available for the characters. Also, to help players selecting consumables and magic items, appendix D lists suggested items that are appropriate for agents of each rank. Spell Scroll Rarities Spell Scroll Rarities SPELL LEVEL RARITY SAVE DC ATTACK BONUS Cantrip Common 13 +5 1st Common 13 +5 2nd Uncommon 13 +5 3rd Uncommon 15 +7 4th Rare 15 +7 5th Rare 17 +9 6th Very rare 17 +9 7th Very rare 18 +10 8th Very rare 18 +10 9th Legendary 19 +11 Agency Equipment AGENT RANK MUNDANE EQUIPMENT CONSUMABLES MAGIC ITEMS 0 – Prospect Starting equipment Potion of healing None 1 – Recruit Up to 250 gp Potion of healing None 2 – Novice Up to 500 gp One of the following: common potion common spell scroll smoke bomb (see appendix C) One of the following: Bag of holding Cloak of protection Ring of warmth Wand of magic detection +1 weapon +1 shield 3 – Veteran Up to 1,000 gp 1 consumable up to uncommon rarity 1 common or uncommon magic item 4 – Expert Up to 2,000 gp 2 consumables up to uncommon rarity 1 common or uncommon magic item 5 – Master Any 1 consumable up to uncommon rarity plus 1 consumable up to rare rarity 1 common, uncommon, or rare magic item 6 – Supreme Any 2 consumables up to uncommon rarity plus 1 consumable up to rare rarity 1 common, uncommon, or rare magic item Mundane Equipment. At the start of each mission, agents can freely replace or acquire equipment up to this combined total value. Consumables. Consumables are potions, spell scrolls, and single-use wondrous items. Agents can start each mission with these consumables. Magic Items. Agents have access to a magic item of the specified rarity at the start of each mission. If the agent has already acquired a magic item through the Agency at the start of a previous mission, Agency administrators may require they be returned before another item may be procured by that agent. Ultimately, it is left to the GM’s discretion to interpret how Agency administrators will react to requests for additional magic items by agent characters. How Agency administrators determine what is considered an advanced magitech item is left to the GM's discretion.

wer of magical mets e planar her to d liquid stallize a solid e to call , which le would herium. SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 3 - Agent Advancement 39

CHAPTER 4: NEW MECHANICS The Agents of the Empire campaign takes place in a world where magitech enabled the development of remarkable vehicles for the land, sea, and air. This chapter includes rules for running these machines along with chase mechanics to create thrilling pursuit encounters.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE MAGITECH VEHICLES Since the first aetherium shards returned from the Aetherial Expanse decades ago, Karel’s technomages have worked to create wondrous magitech contraptions at a feverish pace. Arguably, the devices with the greatest impact have been magically powered vessels offering remarkable new forms of travel. This section includes rules for using these machines in this Fable, along with stat blocks for a sampling of these creations. Vehicle Stat Blocks Sample stat blocks for a selection of land, water, and air vehicles are presented in appendix B. Vehicle’s stat blocks are functionally similar to creature stat blocks with the following adjustments. Size Vehicles typically range from the Medium size, single-person aethercycle to the Gargantuan sailing ships of the Karelagne Imperial Navy. The vehicle’s size category is determined by its length or width, whichever is longer. For example, a 10-foot-long by 5-foot-wide flying assault car would be considered a Large vehicle due to its 10-foot length. A vehicle cannot move into a space that is smaller than its size; doing so results in a crash as described in “Vehicle Movement” later in this chapter. Personnel Vehicles are designed to comfortably fit a number of crew and passengers. Carrying more creatures than designed imposes disadvantage on vehicle control checks. A crewmember controlling the vehicle is referred to as either the driver or the pilot and are stationed at the controls component of the vehicle (see “Vehicle Components” later in this chapter). Cargo Capacity A vehicle’s cargo capacity represents the maximum amount of cargo it can carry. Exceeding this amount limits the vehicle’s ability to move and might result in sinking a water vehicle or preventing an air vehicle from becoming airborne. Speed Speed is the vehicle’s standard rate of movement when its driver/pilot uses an action to move (see “Vehicle Operations” later in in this chapter). New Mechanics CHAPTER 4

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 4 - New Mechanics 43 Mobility (Optional Rule) This optional rule replicates the challenge of maneuvering massive vessels in a chase or when using gridded combat. Most vehicles require forward motion to turn, but the speed of this turn depends on the vehicle’s mobility. Generally speaking, smaller vehicles are more mobile than larger ones, regardless of the speed they travel. Vehicle mobility is categorized below. Extreme Mobility (0). A few rare vehicles can turn without forward movement. Vehicles with extreme mobility spend one square of movement to pivot 90 degrees to face either left or right. High Mobility (1). Vehicles with high mobility can move into any of the three squares directly in front of them. When they move into a diagonal square, they also turn 90 degrees to face either left or right. Balanced Mobility (2). Vehicles with balanced mobility must move one space directly forward before they can turn as a vehicle with high mobility does. Low Mobility (3). The largest vehicles have low mobility, and they must move forward two spaces before they can turn. This means a low mobility ship must use up at least three squares of movement to change its facing. The number shown after each mobility heading above refers to the number of squares moved before the vehicle can turn 90 degrees. Squares of Movement Mobility is categorized based on the squares of forward movement needed to change direction. The size of this square is equal to space of the vehicles size category. For example, a Medium vehicle uses 5-foot squares of movement, while a Huge vehicle uses 15-foot squares. Slow Turns Low mobility vehicles can be challenging to maneuver when their speed is reduced. Consider a Gargantuan Karelagne dirigible. Its size means its mobility is calculated using 20-foot squares. If the vehicle has low mobility, it requires two squares of forward movement before moving diagonally and turning 90 degrees in a third square. This translates into 60 feet of movement to make a turn (three 20-foot squares). If the Gargantuan dirigible’s speed were reduced to 15 feet, it would require at least two turns using both a move and a dash action on each turn to achieve the 60 feet of movement required to turn. Ability Scores Vehicle stat blocks include the standard six ability scores and modifiers as provided with a typical creature stat block. For vehicles, Strength represents its ability to move other creatures and objects. Dexterity describes its maneuverability and how easy it is to control. A vehicle’s Constitution describes the durability of its construction. Typically, vehicles have a score of 0 in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and are incapable of succeeding on these ability checks and saving throws. Actions Most vehicles cannot take actions of their own, requiring crew to use their own actions to drive, steer, and control vehicle movement. Crew members are assigned to vehicle components where they use their actions to operate those components. Most components can only be operated by a single creature, though adjacent creatures can use the help action to assist another character operating a component. Once a creature uses an action to operate a component, that component’s action can’t be used again until the start of the creature’s next turn. Vehicle Components Each vehicle consists of several components, each with its own armor class and hit points. Creatures can target any vehicle component with an attack. If a component isn’t specified, attacks target the frame component. High Mobility Extreme Mobility Balanced Mobility Low Mobility Mobility Chart 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 44 Frame (Body or Hull) Typically, the frame of a vehicle is either a hard shell or solid structure to which other components are attached. Once the vehicle’s frame is destroyed, the vehicle falls apart and becomes unusable. Controls The components a pilot uses to control the vehicle. When a vehicle’s controls are destroyed, the vehicle becomes uncontrollable, likely leading to a crash. Uncontrolled Movement. Once a pilot uses the vehicle’s move action, the vehicle continues to move on subsequent turns at the same velocity and direction. On subsequent rounds, the driver can use their action to do something other than controlling the vehicle, however, in doing so, the vehicle automatically fails any vehicle control checks until a creature again uses their action to control the vehicle. Motivators These components give motion to the vehicle. They can vary greatly – from the sails of a sea vessel to the aether-powered turbines of Karelagne dirigibles. Once a motivator is destroyed, the vehicle’s speed drops to zero, and flying vehicles can no longer remain airborne, resulting in a crash landing. Fuel. Magitech vehicles in this Fable are powered by aetherium. For most encounters it’s reasonable to assume that there is sufficient aetherium to operate the vehicle for the encounter’s duration. Alternatively, if it adds to the fun or tension of an encounter, use a die to indicate the number of rounds worth of fuel remaining, decreasing the value showing at the end of each round. Once the aetherium is depleted, the vehicle stops functioning. Weapons Components used in combat to damage or hinder targets are called weapons. Once a weapon is destroyed, it can no longer be used to attack. Devices Special components not required for a vehicle to operate but which provide special capabilities are called devices. When a device is destroyed, its ability can no longer be used. Armor Class Each component has an armor class representing the difficulty of hitting it and inflicting damage. The size of the component, its construction, and its location all influence a component’s armor class. Hull Protection. Some components are protected by the hull, gaining protection from outside attacks. This protection is reduced when the hull is impaired. Hit Points Each component can endure an amount of damage before being destroyed. Damage Threshold. Some components have immunity to damage dealt below this threshold. If the damage equals or exceeds this threshold, the component takes the full effects of this damage. Damage below the threshold is ignored. Component Status. A component’s effectiveness becomes reduced as it takes damage, as shown on the Component Status table. Component Status COMPONENT STATUS CRITERIA STATUS EFFECT Functional More than half its maximum hit points Functions as designed Impaired Fewer than or equal to half its maximum hit points (rounded down) Impaired functionality. Roll on the Mishap table. Destroyed 0 hit points No longer functions When a component becomes impaired, it triggers a roll on the Mishap table (see “Mishaps”). Vehicle Actions The actions available to characters operating a vehicle depends on its compliment of components. These actions are affected when the component is impaired or destroyed. Damage and Condition Immunities Unless specified otherwise, a vehicle and its associated components have the following features: Damage Immunities. poison, psychic Condition Immunities. blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned, unconscious Once a motivator is destroyed, the vehicle's speed drops to zero, and flying vehicles can no longer remain airborne, resulting in a crash landing.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 4 - New Mechanics 45 Vehicle Operations The rules for operating vehicles are summarized below. Magitech Components All magitech vehicles and their components are magical and become inoperable within an antimagic field. When a component enters such a field, it ceases to function and cannot be used again until it has fully exited the affected area. Opportunity Attacks Vehicle movement provokes opportunity attacks as normal, and attackers can target the vehicle or any creature within reach, on or inside the vehicle, provided the target does not have total cover against the attack. Vehicle Initiative Vehicles do not have initiative. Actions taken by a vehicle are determined by the character operating the vehicle’s controls. Starting a Vehicle Unless otherwise specified, characters stationed at a control component can spend a bonus action to start the vehicle. Vehicle Actions Vehicles do not have actions of their own, relying on their crew to expend actions to engage its components. While the vehicle is running, creatures can use their action to control the vehicle as follows: Drive. While the vehicle is running, its driver can cause it to move up to its speed or bring it to a complete stop. The drive action is also used to turn or otherwise adjust the vehicle’s direction of travel. Dodge. The driver evasively maneuvers the vehicle to avoid attack. The dodge action results in the following until the start of the driver’s next turn: • The vehicle’s maximum speed is halved. • Attacks targeting the vehicle and its components have disadvantage. • Ship weapon attacks and attacks by creatures aboard the ship have disadvantage. Additionally, the driver must succeed on a DC 15 vehicle control check or the vehicle becomes difficult to control, with subsequent vehicle control checks at disadvantage until the end of the driver’s next turn. Forced Climb/Descent (Air Vehicles). Normally air vehicles climb or descend at a rate of 1 foot for every foot of horizontal movement. In a forced climb, the pilot pushes the vehicle into a steeper climb, granting it 2 feet of vertical movement for every foot of horizontal movement. However, vehicles are harder to control while using this maneuver. The driver must succeed on a DC 15 vehicle control check, or the vehicle becomes unstable. Subsequent vehicle control checks are at disadvantage until the end of the driver’s next turn. Complex Maneuvers. Drivers can attempt a dangerous maneuver not covered by other actions, such jumping a ramp, spinning the vehicle to face backward, or any other death-defying action. The GM asks for a vehicle control check against a DC (see “Vehicle Control Checks” later in this chapter). Some complex maneuvers could result in a crash, force, or ram event as described in “Special Events” later in this chapter. Chase Rules Adjustment. When using chase rules described later in this chapter, the positions of vehicles are determined simultaneously at the end of each round after creature actions are resolved. Uncontrolled Movement If the pilot is incapacitated or no creature uses their action to drive the vehicle, the vehicle continues on its last course until it hits an obstacle in its path massive enough to stop it (see “Crashing” later in this chapter). Uncontrolled vehicles automatically fail vehicle control checks and saving throws. Flying Vehicles Unless specified otherwise, each foot of horizontal movement allows airborne vehicles to ascend or descend 1 foot. Bonus Action: Dash Drivers can spend a bonus action to have the vehicle dash. The vehicle gains extra movement for the current turn. The increase equals its speed, after applying any modifiers. Taking the dash action puts strain on the vehicle and its controls. Until the end of the driver’s next turn, all vehicle control checks have disadvantage. Facing A vehicle’s facing represents the direction it is pointing. Most vehicles have a defined front, representing the direction it normally travels forward. This is the “front” of the vehicle and is important for determining its direction and where some weapon systems can target their attacks.

The magical these planar power of comets caused liquid aether to crystallize into a solidpeoplewouldform, whichcometllah AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 46 Other Component Actions The common actions available to crew members are described below. Weapons Fire A creature can use an action to fire a weapon component. Activating Devices A creatures can use an action to activate a device. Component Repairs While a vehicle operates, a creature aboard the vehicle can attempt temporary repairs to damaged components as described in the “Repairing Components” section. Targeting Components Any component can be targeted by an attack, though some components are protected from outside attacks (see “Hull Protection,” previously). GMs should use their best judgment for which vehicle components are damaged from area effect attacks. Default Target. Attacks against a vehicle target the frame (body or hull) by default unless the attacker targets a vehicle component. Missed Attacks. If a creature targets a creature in the vehicle or a vehicle component other than the vehicle’s frame (body or hull), and the attack misses by 5 or less, then that attack hits the vehicle’s frame, provided the attack roll was sufficient to hit the frame’s armor class. Missed attacks targeting the frame always result in a miss. RepairingComponents Repairing a vehicle component requires tools and supplies. For each hour spent repairing a component, a character must make a Dexterity or Intelligence check against that component’s repair DC. Proficiency with the vehicle allows a character to add their proficiency bonus to the check. Attempting repairs without tinker’s tools or thieves’ tools imposes disadvantage on repair checks. On a success, the component regains 1d10 hit points. Destroyed Components. Destroyed components cannot be repaired. Temporary Repairs. A character can use an action to attempt to repair components while the vehicle operates. Succeeding on a Dexterity or Intelligence check against the component’s repair DC while using tinker’s tools or thieves’ tools grants 1d4 temporary hit points to the component, not exceeding half the component’s maximum hit points (rounded down). Attempting temporary repairs without tools imposes disadvantage on repair checks . Temporary hit points are lost after 1 hour or once the vehicle ceases to operate. Magical Repairs. A mending spell repairs 1d4 hit points to a vehicle’s component. When casting mending, spellcasters can expend one spell slot to repair additional component damage. The extra regained hit points is 2d4 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d4 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d4 extra repaired damage. Special Vehicle Events During a chase or combat involving vehicles, those vehicles inevitably interact with other objects. Three special interactions are described in this section: crashing, forcing, and ramming. Crashing A failed vehicle control check might lead to a vehicle crash. A crash occurs when the vehicle strikes another object capable of damaging the vehicle. Generally, objects one size category smaller than a vehicle and bigger are capable of causing a crash. When a crash occurs, the vehicle’s frame takes 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet of the vehicle’s current speed relative to the object struck. This same amount of damage. Other vehicle components automatically take half as much damage as the vehicle’s frame. Creatures in the vehicle when it crashes must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, each creature takes the same damage as the vehicle’s frame, or half as much damage on a successful save. Changing Speed When vehicles strike objects while speeding up or slowing down, use the distance moved since the last turn as an indicator of its speed when the crash occurs or use your best judgment to determine this value. Damage from Falling If the vehicle crashes by falling, and the distance it fell is greater than the speed during its last turn, the vehicle takes falling damage instead of damage based on speed. Falling damage is 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of 20d6.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 4 - New Mechanics 47 Striking Creatures Creatures in the path of a moving vehicle can attempt a Dexterity saving throw to avoid being struck. The DC of the saving throw equals 8 plus 1 for every 10 feet of the vehicles current speed relative to the creature. On a failure, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet of the vehicle’s relative speed. Additionally, the creature is knocked prone. The vehicle takes damage as if it were in a crash. However, this damage is reduced by half if the creature is two size categories smaller than the vehicle, and no damage if the creature is three size categories or smaller than the vehicle. As an example, if an ogre (Large size) gets in the way of a Karelagne war zeppelin (Gargantuan size, speed 40 feet), the ogre must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to avoid being hit. On a failed save, the ogre takes 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. The zeppelin is two size categories larger, so it takes half as much damage (7) on striking the ogre. Had the zeppelin struck a Medium size human instead, the zeppelin would have taken no damage, because it is three size categories larger. Forcing In a chase, it’s not unusual for combatants to try forcing opponents off course or into an obstacle. Forcing another vehicle requires the attacking vehicle to be within half its speed away from the target at the start of the turn. The driver of the attacking vehicle makes an opposed vehicle control check against the driver of the target vehicle. On a success, the attacker can choose to do one of the following: • Move. Move the target vehicle up to half the attacking vehicle’s speed in any direction. • Slow Down. Reduce the speed of the target to half its normal speed, rounded down. • Destabilize. Impose disadvantage on the target driver’s control checks until the end of the attacking driver’s next turn If the vehicles are of different size categories, their control checks are adjusted as follows: • One Size Difference. The larger vehicle has advantage on its vehicle control check. • Two Sizes Difference. The larger vehicle has advantage and the smaller vehicle has disadvantage on their vehicle control checks. • Three or More Sizes Difference. The smaller vehicle automatically loses the vehicle control check. Slower Attacker. If the attacker’s vehicle speed is slower than the target vehicle, the attacker must be ahead of the target to attempt the forcing maneuver. Ramming Ramming is a special form of a crash where a driver intentionally crashes into another vehicle, dealing damage to both vehicles. However, the ramming driver can make a vehicle control check to minimize the damage against their own vehicle. The DC of the check equals 10 plus 1 for every 10 feet of their vehicle’s speed relative to the target vehicle. On a success, the driver’s vehicle takes half as much damage from the crash. Creatures Aboard Vehicles Creatures aboard a vehicle use their actions as normal, including attacking targets inside or outside the vehicle. Falling Off. If a creature exits a vehicle, they take damage when they hit the ground or strike another object. The creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet of the vehicle’s speed or the distance fallen, whichever is greater. For example, Malor the Unlucky falls from an air-car flying 30 feet above the ground and traveling at a speed of 60 feet. They take 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage when they hit the ground, because the vehicle’s speed is greater than the distance fallen. Vehicle Control Checks Some events, maneuvers, and environmental conditions threaten a pilot’s ability to control their vehicle. When this occurs, the GM calls for a vehicle control check. Vehicle Control Modifiers A vehicle control check is a special ability check that includes both the driver’s abilities and how easy the vehicle is to control. The driver of a vehicle uses their choice of either Dexterity or Intelligence as their base modifier. If the driver is proficient with the vehicle, they also add their proficiency bonus. Finally, the vehicle’s Dexterity modifier is added to obtain the vehicle control modifier. Vehicle Control Modifier = your proficiency bonus (if applicable) + your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier (your choice) + the vehicle’s Dexterity modifier. Creatures aboard a vehicle use their actions as normal, including attacking targets inside or outside the vehicle.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 48 Vehicle Control Check DC Most vehicle control checks are made against a DC of 15. The GM can adjust based on the difficulty of the situation. Typical Difficulty Classes TASK DIFFICULTY DC Very Easy 5 Easy 10 Medium 15 Hard 20 Very Hard 25 Nearly Impossible 30 Failed Control Checks Events calling for a vehicle control check normally identify what occurs when a check fails. Significant Failure (Optional Rule). If a vehicle control check fails by 5 or more, it triggers a roll on the Mishap table. Critical Failure (Optional Rule). If the result of a vehicle control check is a natural 1, the GM rolls twice on the Mishap table and chooses one. GM Prerogative GMs should feel empowered to bend the rules at the table to heighten the fun for their groups. Consider rolling on the Mishap table if it adds to the excitement and player enjoyment of an encounter. Mishaps During the course of operating a vehicle, various situations can lead to a GM rolling on the Mishap table. This represents a potentially serious problem affecting the vehicle and putting its passengers in jeopardy. Unless otherwise specified, mishap effects have a duration of one round. Mishaps that occur on a creature’s turn persist until the start of that creature’s next turn. Mishaps D20 EFFECT 1 to 10 An important vehicle component harmlessly bursts with arcane sparks or makes a disconcerting noise, suggesting it might fail at any moment. 11 The vehicle’s controls become sluggish. Vehicle control checks have disadvantage. 12 The vehicle shudders violently. Vehicle control checks and all attacks made by the vehicle’s weapons or by creatures aboard the vehicle have disadvantage 13 Arcane sparks encompass the vehicle in a brilliant aura. All creatures aboard must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution save or become blinded. 14 The vehicle’s frame becomes strained, taking 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, ignoring damage thresholds. 15 The vehicle momentarily becomes uncontrollable, lurching one square in a random direction (roll on the Random Direction table). 16 The vehicle’s controls become unresponsive. It continues to move at the same speed and direction, but no vehicle actions can be taken and vehicle control checks automatically fail. 17 The vehicle’s motivator sputters. Vehicle speed is reduced by half (rounded down). 18 The vehicle’s frame buckles from strain, taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage, ignoring damage thresholds. 19 The vehicle’s motivator malfunctions and stops working. The vehicle comes to a stop. Flying vehicles begin to fall. 20 A damaging burst of arcane magic deals 19 (3d12) force damage to all vehicle components, ignoring damage thresholds. Creatures aboard the vehicle must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) points of force damage on a failure, or half as much damage on a success. Random Direction D6 LAND/WATER VEHICLE AIR VEHICLE 1 Forward Forward 2 Left Left 3 Left Right 4 Right Up 5 Right Down 6 Backward Backward GMs should feel empowered to bend the rules at the table to heighten the fun for their groups. Consider rolling on the Mishap table if it adds to the excitement and player enjoyment of an encounter.

SETTING GUIDE | Chapter 4 - New Mechanics 49 CHASE RULES Most spy stories include an exciting chase scene. Whether pursuing a villainous agent escaping with secret codes, or rushing to deliver an antidote to an ailing non-player character, chase scenes are a great way to engage players at the table. This chapter provides a few ideas for implementing chase encounters into your sessions. The Point of Pursuit A good chase scene is one where the outcome is unknown. It should represent a key story point, where the successes or failures of the pursuit materially affects the story. As an example, characters who capture a fleeing agent should benefit from this victory. Perhaps they learn their archvillain hides a debilitating weakness or that one of their trusted allies is a double agent. Conversely, failing to capture the fleeing agent could result in the characters being surprised in a later encounter with enemies who know the party’s strengths and weaknesses. Pursuit begins when one individual decides they don’t want to wait around and find out what another’s plans may be, preferring to flee a confrontation rather than engaging in it. Chase Rule Options Included here are three variant approaches for running chase encounters in this Fable. There’s no one right way to run a chase encounter. Choose the approach that best suits your table or use your own mechanics to create a fun encounter for players. Group Ability Checks. These mechanics work well when you want a brief chase interlude and don’t want to get mired in the minutiae of distance calculations or character positioning. These mechanics are excellent for creating short, dramatic action scenes involving every character. Gap Tracking. This is a more complex chase mechanic using individual character ability checks to track positions in a chase. Full Combat Chase. These rules make use of standard combat adjusted to highlight the drama and movement of a chase. This option works great when you want your chase to also include thrilling combat. Escape Timer An escape timer is a tool GMs can use to drive chase encounters to a definitive conclusion. When the fleeing participant has a clear goal—whether it’s a waiting airship or a maze of side-alleys to disappear down—the escape timer tracks progress toward that goal. The counter is an abstraction of that progress. The victory condition for the pursuer is easy to understand: catch up! But the quarry can escape by simply keeping their distance from their pursuer until the clock on the escape timer runs out. Regardless of which chase rule option you use, if the pursuer doesn’t catch up before the escape timer runs out, the quarry escapes. The escape timer measures how many rounds remains in the pursuit, represented by a die, usually a d6. At the start of pursuit, it shows its maximum value—a 6. At the end of each round of pursuit, it ticks down one number. When it reaches 0 (that is, the end of the round in which the die shows 1), the chase is over. Six rounds is a reasonable number of rounds for a pursuit, but the GM might decide that the quarry is already close to their goal and thus make their escape timer a d4 instead. Inversely, quarry far from its safe haven might use a d8. Be Prepared for the Party to Win Never deploy a chase if you’re not prepared for both of the key outcomes—the quarry escapes, or the quarry is caught. Is the enemy supposed to escape the party? Then it simply does—don’t trick yourself into thinking you can pretend like the party has a chance if they don’t. Your players are smarter than that, and everyone will find that a pursuit rings hollow if the outcome was already decided Group Ability Check Chases using group ability checks deliver an abstract representation of avoiding capture or the pursuit of a quarry. These chases are usually short interludes between encounters and work best when the characters must succeed or fail as a group. The result of the chase should impact a following encounter or determine the status of a story milestone. Setup These encounters confront the party with obstacles to overcome using ability checks. The GM sets a DC that the characters must achieve using ability checks. The group check could dictate a specific ability check that each character must attempt, or alternatively, each character uses an appropriate skill to overcome the challenge. The specifics of the encounter should dictate the approach, though it can often be more fun to allow players to find creative solutions.

AGENTS OF THE EMPIRE 50 Determining the Result The cumulative result of the individual ability checks determines the final outcome of this challenge. The result of a group ability check chase normally results in a success or failure. If the number of individual successes exceeds failures, the group succeeds. Conversely, if there are more failures than successes, the group check fails. Tied Result. In cases where the group has an equal number of successes and failures, select a character to make a final tie-breaking ability check. The following list provides suggestions of how a GM could select the character to break the tie: • The character who failed by the largest margin • The character who succeeded by the largest margin • Allowing the group to choose the character • Selecting the character that would have the greatest narrative impact on the encounter • Rolling a die to choose randomly Chase Consequences Success or fail, the end of a chase should materially impact the characters or the story. A hard-fought victory could provide an advantage in the next encounter, reveal a hidden clue, or provide a character with a valuable asset. Conversely, failing may allow the party’s quarry to escape, lose the group a valuable asset, or result in the heroes stumbling into an ambush. Example: Warehouse Pursuit Three adventurers wander into the secret laboratory of an evil scientist. A firefight ensues, killing the villain, but his equally evil assistant manages flee, grabbing the scientist’s journal as they depart. The players opt to give chase. The GM decides to resolve the chase using a group ability check and describes the assistant fleeing through a crowded warehouse adjacent to a dock where a power boat waits to whisk them away. The GM sets the group check DC at 15 and calls for Strength (Athletics) checks. Mongo the half-orc barbarian rolls first. They roll a 17 on their check—a success! Ergalis the wizard is up next. Not being very athletic, she would like to use her Intelligence (Arcana) skill for the check instead, rationalizing she can invoke her mage hand cantrip to move debris in the path of the fleeing villain. The GM likes the idea and agrees to the suggestion. Unfortunately, Ergalis rolls poorly getting only a 10 on her roll, resulting in a failure. Finally, Higby the rogue sprints after the villain. The player suggests their rogue’s ability to use two Dash actions thanks to the rogue’s Cunning Action feature should help with this check. The GM lets the rogue make their ability check with advantage. Higby rolls a 19—a success! The group has two successes to one failure, and thus have succeeded on their group ability check. The GM declares they’ve caught the assistant before they could escape and retrieved the evil scientist’s journal. What evil secrets does it contain? Gap Tracking The gap tracking chase mechanic focuses on tracking the progress of an abstracted “gap” between the quarry and the pursuer. This gap can be represented with counters to approximate this distance. Although simplified from a full combat encounter, this mechanic still allows the individual characters to shine during a pursuit. The Setup When a chase begins, the gap between each pursuer and quarry is represented by a line of counters—these might be dice, coins, or other tokens. Each counter represents a typical movement distance for the participants. In a character foot race, 30 feet per counter works, while 50 feet per counter might be more appropriate for land vehicles with speeds averaging in that range. Each pursuer uses their own line of counters to represent their separation from their quarry. Once the initial gap counters are placed, the chase begins. Complications GMs may include complications to further challenge the participants during the chase. Complications can be determined randomly or predefined to occur at specific rounds in the chase. Refer to the “Chase Complications” section for ideas. Pursuit Rounds The chase consists of a series of rounds where counters are either added or removed to represent the distance between pursuer and quarry. Each round follows the following steps: 1. Pursuit Actions. Participants state their actions for the round. 2. Action Adjustments. Counters are added or removed from the gap to reflect participants who do not use their full movement, including the Dash action, on their turns. 3. The Gap Check. Participants make a gap check to determine whether the gap has increased or decreased during the round, adding or removing counters as appropriate. GMs should use an escape timer (see previously) to define the maximum number of rounds for the pursuit. If the chase exceeds this number of rounds, the quarry escapes.