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In the Shadow of the Veil: Using the Aethernati in Your TTRPG Campaign

Working With, For, and Against Aether Skies’ Most Dangerous Organization

The floating cities of Aether Skies may soar above the cursed world, but they’re held aloft by more than just Aether coils and dreamtech—they’re kept safe by silence, secrets, and the unblinking eyes of the Aethernati.

Part espionage agency, part secret police, part myth, the Aethernati exists in the space between trust and terror. To some, they are guardians of stability in a fracturing sky. To others, they are a cabal of manipulators who sacrifice freedom for order. In your campaign, they can be employers, enemies, allies, or invisible puppeteers.

This post explores how to use the Aethernati from three different perspectives: working for them, working against them, and navigating them as a neutral party—offering story hooks, moral tension, and rich intrigue at every angle.

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🕵️ Working For the Aethernati: Agents of the Sky

Joining the Aethernati doesn’t feel like enlisting. It feels like being noticed. Maybe you received a sealed envelope after a job went too well. Maybe someone you trusted vanished, and their replacement had a new smile—and a new assignment for you.

What It Feels Like:

• You have access. You’re the person people don’t question.

• You have protection. You don’t get arrested—you get redirected.

• You have rules. Break them, and they’ll disappear you too.

Story Hooks:

• “Eyes on the Curtain” – Investigate a cult smuggling prophetic glyphs from Haven. Each glyph seems tied to your dreams.

• “Burn Notice” – A former Aethernati agent has gone rogue. You’re sent to kill them—until they reveal your next mission is a lie.

• “The Loyalty Virus” – A mind-affecting relic is turning politicians into puppets. Your team must root it out—without alerting the public… or your own handlers.

Roleplay Themes:

• Justifying questionable orders.

• Being the smartest person in the room—and still afraid.

• Watching your crewmates drift away from who they used to be.

Play it like: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy meets Le Carré by way of steampunk Blade Runner.

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🗡️ Working Against the Aethernati: Ghosts Among Wolves

Fighting the Aethernati is like stabbing fog. They’re never where you expect, and they already know you’re coming. But that doesn’t mean they’re invincible.

Maybe you’re a former agent turned idealist. Maybe you lost someone to a purge. Maybe you’ve seen what they’re hiding beneath Piatracas—and you refuse to let them win.

What It Feels Like:

• You’re always being watched. Even your memories might not be yours.

• You’re underpowered. But that makes you unpredictable.

• You’re dangerous. Because you know how they think.

Story Hooks:

• “The Archivist’s Teeth” – Aetherball broadcasts carry subliminal messages. You’re part of a pirate crew trying to intercept and decode them—before the players become puppets.

• “Silent Names” – Children in Granglehold are disappearing. All evidence leads back to a “ghost” bureau that doesn’t officially exist.

• “The Turncoat’s Shadow” – Your team is infiltrated by an Aethernati mole. The problem? You don’t know who it is—or if you were the mole all along.

Roleplay Themes:

• Paranoia and double-crossing your own assumptions.

• Morality tested under the weight of necessity.

• The fine line between hero and hypocrite.

Play it like: Mr. Robot meets The Resistance with fantasy knives and sky-hook drop points.

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🧭 Neutral Parties: Navigating the Aethernati’s Web

Most people try not to notice the Aethernati. They nod, they smile, and they keep their heads down. But sometimes neutrality is its own trap—and being between the gears means you’ll be crushed the moment they start turning.

Maybe your crew gets caught in a crossfire between Aethernati operations. Maybe you’re working on contract, blind to the consequences. Maybe you have a friend in the bureau—and a secret they’ll kill for.

What It Feels Like:

• You’re small—but useful. That’s why you’re still breathing.

• You know too much—but not enough.

• You’re running out of places to hide.

Story Hooks:

• “Courier of Coin & Code” – You’re hired to transport a box. It’s locked. The Aethernati and three rival factions all want it. It ticks.

• “The Fifth Watcher” – A neutral third party (like an Aetherball team or shipwright guild) is hosting diplomats. You’re bodyguards. The spies are already inside.

• “Trade of Names” – You’re offered freedom, fame, or fortune… in exchange for just one name. And the person whose name it is? They saved your life.

Roleplay Themes:

• Being morally neutral in a morally broken world.

• Navigating shifting allegiances without full information.

• Turning influence from both sides into leverage or self-destruction.

Play it like: Firefly meets Burn After Reading, with a touch of Call of Cthulhu paranoia.

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🎭 How to Portray the Aethernati as a GM

They should feel:

• Omnipresent, but never obvious. Let players suspect they’re involved long before it’s confirmed.

• Methodical. Clean. Cold. They don’t kill because they’re angry. They kill because it’s necessary.

• Fractured. Let your players learn the Aethernati isn’t a monolith. Some factions within it disagree violently. Use this for internal betrayals and rival agents.

Symbols & Flavors:

• Black gloves on stone desks.

• Names that vanish from census records.

• Aetherfire bullets that leave no wounds—but erase dreams.

• Rooms where the torches burn upside down.

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Final Thought: Don’t Make the Aethernati the Villain. Make Them the Mirror.

The Aethernati isn’t evil. It’s efficient. It believes the skies will collapse without control. Maybe it’s right. Maybe it’s already failed. The question is:

What are your players willing to become to survive in their shadow?

Let them decide—and watch the story twist accordingly.

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!