This week’s encounter is based on King Killers, a mid-level adventure hook from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. This encounter embroils the adventurers in the political intrigue of Rexxentrum, capital of the Dwendalian Empire and cosmopolitan center of Western Wynandir. This encounter contains minor spoilers regarding the Dwendalian Empire up to Critical Role episode 88.  

Before running this encounter, the Dungeon Master should be familiar with Rexxentrum as it is described in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. This sprawling metropolis is filled with countless humans, a number of dwarves and halflings, and scattered members of other races. These myriad people are scattered amidst the city’s many wards—neighborhoods divided along socioeconomic lines. Knowing how wealth and social status affects the people of Rexxentrum is vital to improvising encounters and NPCs within the city if the characters deviate from the scenes presented in this encounter.

Intrigue Encounter: King Killers

This encounter is intended for characters of 7th level, and assumes that the characters maintain some loyalty to the Dwendalian Empire. The party can either be newcomers to Rexxentrum or natives of the imperial capital without changing the encounter too much.

Though Rexxentrum is distanced from the frontline battles with Xhorhas, wartime tensions still run rampant through the Empire’s wealthy capital. Spies from the Kryn Dynasty stalk the shadows, vigilant for any cracks within the empire’s armor. Such a weakness exists. Discontentment is brewing within the ranks of the imperial elite. As the war grows longer and costlier, many among the empire’s nobility fear that their ability to profit from the war has dwindled away.

Fal Kheiko, a doppelganger that serves the Kryn Dynasty, has been stoking this growing antagonism within the empire’s capital for the past couple years. Fal uses their shapechanging abilities to play the imperial elite for fools, manipulating both supporters and detractors of King Dwendal’s rule to work in Xhorhasian favor. Recently, Fal has used their contacts to convince King Bertrand Dwendal to make a public appearance at a grand debate forum in the Shimmer Ward, Rexxentrum’s wealthier district, in order to help bolster public opinion.

Unbeknownst to King Dwendal or his servants, Fal has also acquired the assistance of expert poisoner and crime magnate Kathrin Jakhel to assassinate the monarch and thrust the city into chaos.

Note: This map has an incorrect scale, which will be corrected in future printings of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. The correct scale is in feet, rather than in miles.

Important Figures

Though the web of political machinations sprawling across Rexxentrum is massive and dense, these individuals and their motives are most pertinent for this encounter in particular.

King Bertrand Dwendal

Burdened with the growing stress of the war, King Bertrand Dwendal understands that many of his opponents wish him dead. Every day, new rumors of assassination attempts worm their way into Castle Ungebroch, the headquarters of the monarchy’s operations in Rexxentrum, and every day, King Dwendal brushes them off. The way to win a war, he surmises, is to ensure your people believe in their leader’s resilience.

In order to help lift the morale of the city, King Dwendal has agreed to make a public appearance at the grand debate tournament in the Shimmer Ward forum—an annual event that delights members of the educated social classes of Rexxentrum. Unbeknownst to him, this event was planned by Kryn agent Fal Kheiko, who intends to use the event as cover for an assassination attempt.

Fal Kheiko

Fal’s numerous years spying in Rexxentrum for the Kryn Dynasty have led to this singular plan: assassinate the king, and by doing so, throw the Dwendalian Empire into chaos. Fal doesn’t know what the dynasty’s plan is after this mission of regicide is complete, but Fal is certain that they will strike quickly and decisively.

Fal is a doppelganger assassin, with the following changes:

• Fal is lawful neutral, and maintains an unshakable loyalty to the Kryn Dynasty.
• Fal can use their action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid they have seen, or back into their true form.
• As an action, Fal can magically read the surface thoughts of one creature within 60 feet of them. This effect can penetrate most barriers, but 3 feet of wood or dirt, 2 feet of stone, 2 inches of metal, or a thin sheet of lead blocks it. While the target is in range, Fal can continue reading its thoughts, as long as their concentration isn't broken (as if concentrating on a spell).

Currently, Fal resides at the Opal Dahlia, an upper-class tavern within the Shimmer Ward. They plan to use the vantage from their residence’s balcony to shoot King Dwendal during his scheduled appearance at the grand debate forum.

Kathrin Jakhel

Kathrin Jakhel is a chaotic neutral halfling blackguard that has risen to power within the criminal underworld of Rexxentrum. She has taken advantage of the growing unrest within Rexxentrum to further her criminal enterprise, which is an arm of the mighty Myriad crime syndicate. Her expertise lies in smuggling poisons and weapons to various Empire dissenters, and she has hired numerous other criminals to run her goods across the city.

(If you don’t have access to Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Kathrin Jakhel uses gladiator statistics, with the Spellcasting trait of a mage.)

Most recently, Kathrin has agreed to help Fal assassinate the king. This help comes two-fold:

• She has planted some members of her syndicate in the Shimmer Ward to distract the king’s guard during the grand debate.
• To guarantee a clean assassination, she has agreed to smuggle Fal a bottle of stonevein poison for their weapons. This poison, when delivered through an open wound, induces immediate paralysis in the target, and death from asphyxiation soon follows. This lethal poison ensures that Fal’s shot will prove to be fatal, no matter where it strikes the king.

Though Kathrin disdains King Dwendal, she is neither loyal to the Empire nor wholly against it. To her, it matters little who wins the war—so long as she keeps making money.

New Poison: Stonevein (Injury)

This rare poison is derived from the bile of swavain basilisks, a rare aquatic beast native to the Swavain Islands of the Menagerie Coast. Through an arduous and expensive alchemical process, this bile is refined into a poison that turns its target’s blood to stone in a matter of seconds, inducing paralysis and then swift death, if the poison is not cured. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, becoming poisoned on a failed save. The target is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. If the target is still poisoned after 1 minute, the creature’s blood turns to stone and the creature dies. Creatures that are immune to being petrified can't be poisoned in this way. 

The rarity of this poison’s ingredients and secret method of creation makes it difficult to procure, even on the black market. It tends to sell for 5,000 gp per dose, and can only be procured by powerful crime lords.

Encounter Summary

While walking through the Tangles (the central commerce area of Rexxentrum), the characters bump into one of Kathrin’s runners, pursued by Crownsguard. He mistakes one of the characters for Fal’s latest disguise and passes a coded note regarding the upcoming assassination plans before dying in front of them. Now risking accusations of treason should they fail to prove their innocence, the adventurers launch into a sprawling urban investigation, which ends in a confrontation with Fal as the king’s life hangs in the balance.

Encounter Start

Nestled towards the center of Rexxentrum, the Tangles is a ward that houses most working-class citizens as well as the city’s general commerce. Adventurers will most likely gravitate towards either the Vigil’s Circle, the primary marketplace towards the southern area of this neighborhood, or the Court of Colors, the trading up beside the Cobalt Soul’s archives in the western sect; this encounter can begin in either area. As the party mills about the bustling marketplaces, they overhear several passers-by talking excitedly about the exciting debate tournament scheduled for tonight at the Shimmer Ward. If questioned, many are eager to share rumors that the king himself will be making a rare public appearance at the event.

Unbeknownst to the characters, though, Fal is also present at the marketplace, awaiting a delivery from Kathrin’s syndicate. In order to maintain a low profile within the city, Fal switches their disguise every other day or so. Curently, Fal is impersonating one of the adventurers. Fal is currently perched in the bell tower of a church of Pelor the Dawn Father, scanning the back alleys for one of Kathrin’s flunkies, who is scheduled to deliver her important information for this evening. She spotted the adventurers in the market square and assumed one of their forms because the Crownsguard are used to seeing would-be adventurers lurking in strange places like bell towers.

At some point while they are in the marketplace, characters with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or higher spots Fal, disguised as one of their companions, in the bell tower. If approached by any of the party members, Fal does their best to keep their facade, but direct conversation makes it more difficult for the doppelganger to maintain the ruse. Fal tries to trick the party by pretending that the party member they are copying is the real doppelganger, adjusting their persona by scanning that character’s surface thoughts.

A character that makes a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check is able to see through Fal’s lies. Asking Fal and the impersonated character to answer a personal question that Fal’s ability to read surface thoughts can’t discern also reveals that Fal is an impostor. When their cover is blown, Fal leaps from the bell tower onto a roof below and hops into the tangle of alleys beyond, where they break into a sprint before disappearing from sight in one of Kathrin’s many safe houses hidden throughout the city.

As the characters give chase (or later in the day, if they choose not to pursue Fal), one of Kathrin’s runners—a scrappy frantic teenage human commoner—tears around a street corner. He is pursued by a trio of Crownsguard, two guards led by a veteran. He received a description of Fal’s disguise, and mistakes the party for the doppelganger’s contacts and dashes towards them. Read or paraphrase the following:

A loud crash suddenly echoes from around the corner, followed by the deep shouting of a member of the Crownsguard. “Hey, you! Stop, or I shoot!”

Amidst the chaos, a teenager with a black eye and wearing ratty clothes picks himself up from the wreckage of a nearby stall—and makes direct eye contact with you. He barrels towards you, shoving a slip of paper and a small cold vial into your hands. “Kathy’s expectin’ you,” he whispers. “You gotta pay her after tonight.” Panicked, he glances over his shoulder at the pursuing guards, then moves to scurry away.

Stopping the runner requires a character to restrain him by making a successful Strength (Athletics) check contested by his Dexterity check. If the characters prevent the runner from fleeing, the Crownguard veteran levels his heavy crossbow and shoots him in the back. The runner has 1 hit point remaining; if the shot deals at least 5 damage, the boy dies instantly. Otherwise, he falls unconscious and starts bleeding out.

Into the Fire

Following the chaos of the disastrous hand-off, there are numerous threads the characters could pursue for answers.

The Crownsguard

The approaching two Crownsguard members are immediately suspicious of the party due to the scout’s apparent affiliation with them. One mentions noticing an individual who matches their description loitering around the Shimmer Ward a night ago. They demand that they hand the paper and the vial over.  A successful DC 10 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check convinces the guards to momentarily believe whatever alibi the characters provide, but they insist that they locate the true perpetrator in order to permanently clear their name.

If asked about the runner, the leader of this group of Crownsguard stonily explains that appeared suspicious and had a knife on his person. He fled the guards and refused to comply with their orders.

The Note

At first glance, the slip of paper appears like a long and oddly-specific grocery list. However, a character proficient with Thieves’ Cant notices that the first letters of each item on said list spell the phrase, “MEET ME BEHIND THE DAHLIA AFTER THE JOB. NO EXCUSES.” A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check also deciphers this pattern in the letters. 

This message is referencing the tavern in the Shimmer Ward named the Opal Dahlia, where Fal is currently staying. This tavern in particular is known for its prime position beside the Shimmer Ward’s magnificent forum for public discourse. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check recalls this information and makes the connection between the message and the tavern.

The Vial

This vial of translucent red liquid looks and tastes like a regular potion of healing; in fact, one can ingest the contents of this vial and suffer no adverse effects. However, should the liquid make contact with the bloodstream, it reveals its true nature—a deadly toxin called stonevein. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check discerns the faint alchemical smell about the vial, and a character that succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes it for what it is. Read or paraphrase the description of Stonevein in the “Important Figures” section.

The Runner

If the runner survived, the he likely disappeared into the alleyways of the Tangles. Characters that spend an hour searching can make a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check at the end of that hour. On a success, they find the runner skulking about in a back alley, trying to lie low until the Crownsguard lose his scent. If the check fails by 5 or less, they find traces of his trail and can make the next Wisdom (Survival) check to track him down with advantage.

The runner, a teenager named Ransom Feyth, is a rough-and-tumble boy from a poor family. If the characters try to get information out of him, he spins a tall tale about how he was trying to catch his mother’s pet dog, who had escaped. This story is meaningless to the average observer, but a character that knows Thieves’ Cant understands the story’s hidden message. It reveals that he’s a runner, helping to smuggle important cargo to a contact. Pressing the runner for more information requires a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation) check. On a success, his resolve weakens and he points the characters towards Kathrin’s base of operations in the Mosaic Ward. It’s a building covered with red ivy.

Kathrin’s Base

Hidden from the main thoroughfares of Rexxentrum by colorful banners and fences, the ragged Mosaic Ward on the outskirts of the city is rife with criminal activity. Kathrin uses one of the dilapidated storehouses here as the headquarters for her smuggling operations; her building is recognizable by a wall that is completely engulfed in red ivy.

Kathrin makes no attempt to hide her presence or the nature of her operations from the characters, should they choose to investigate. Instead, she maintains a confident and unflappable demeanor if questioned, happy to assist those both for and against the crown so long as they pay her well. A number of her gang back her up; four bandit captains and a dozen bandits hide in the smoke and shadows of her hideout.

She doesn’t listen to the characters at all unless they promise to do her a favor or bribe her with at least 500 gp. If they do so, Kathrin divulges Fal’s assassination plans and points them towards the assassin’s vantage point in the Shimmer Ward. A character that makes a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check gets her to lower her asking price to 300 or a small favor; succeeding on this check by 5 or more so enamors her to the plucky adventurers that she decides she’s feeling generous and gives the information away for free. If the characters attack her and reduce her to 20 hit points, she surrenders and offers them the information in exchange for her life.

DMing Tip: Dead Ends

The characters’ investigation may grind to a sudden halt if none of the characters know Thieves’ Cant, if the runner was killed, or if they fail to satisfy Kathrin’s requests. The characters are 7th-level adventurers, however. Consider their allies, any NPC contacts in their backgrounds, or even rivals that they have made during their adventurers. One of these characters can enter this story, willing to provide help to the characters. Friends may offer what they know for free, while rivals may require they pay a steep price.

A Shot in the Dark

The trail of clues should lead the characters to the Shimmer Ward later that night, as the neighborhood prepares for King Dwendal’s appearance at the grand debate tournament.

Unfortunately, most members of the Crownsguard have heard their fair share of wild rumors threatening the king’s life and are thus hesitant to believe the adventurers. If any of the characters attempt to notify a member of the Crownsguard about the impending assassination attempt, they must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Else, the guards merely brush off their concerns, saying things like, “The king is guarded by a contingent of his best soldiers! No assailant could get through."

A character that surveys the houses plaza where people are gathering can make a Wisdom (Perception) check. They notice the following details, based on the result of the check:

• Survey the Scene (DC 10). While most houses have their windows shut to keep the cold night air at bay, one second-floor window of a tavern beside the forum remains wide open.
• Eavesdropping (DC 15). A pair of dark-clothed bandits are quietly arguing in a nearby alleyway. One insists, “I swear Kathy told me they’d be shootin’ from the Opal Dragonfly!” The other vehemently responds, “That’s on the other side of the city—she said the Dahlia!”
• The Best Vantage Point (DC 20). Above a creaking wooden sign with “The Opal Dahlia” painted in elegant script, a vaguely humanoid silhouette moves on the second floor, accompanied by the distinctive click of a crossbow being loaded.

Fal intends to shoot King Dwendal the moment he steps onto the forum’s stage. Without the successful delivery of the poison from Kathrin, Fal must rely on their own poisons. While Fal’s poisons are deadly, they lack the legendary lethality of Kathrin’s rare stonevein poison. After shooting, Fal plans to adopt a civilian guise and slip into the crowd unnoticed.

With so many factors in play, there are numerous ways the adventurers may attempt to interfere with the assassination. Here are just a few possible solutions:

• If the characters managed to convince the Crownsguard earlier of the assassination check, one of the guards takes the hit instead, saving the king’s life.
• A character may push the king offstage, which—while disgruntling the king and his guards—will cause Fal’s crossbow bolt to miss.
• The party may break into the Opal Dahlia and confront them directly. The inn has both a front door and a side door in a nearby alleyway; both doors are currently locked and require a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools to unlock. The rest of the building is empty, as most have left to attend the forum tournament.

Whether they confront Fal directly or chase the doppelganger after the assassination attempt, there remains a high likelihood that the characters will confront Fal in combat. Remaining staunchly loyal to the Kryn Dynasty, Fal refuses to surrender if given the option, instead choosing to fight until he is subdued and arrested—or killed outright.

Aftermath and Future Adventures

Regardless of whether or not the characters were successfully able to apprehend Fal, the evidence garnered from their investigation is enough to clear the party of any lingering suspicion from the Crownsguard, and the Righteous Brand increases security throughout the city.

However, their actions in this encounter will also earn the characters a valuable asset—the favor of King Betrand Dwendal himself. Impressed by the characters’ diligence and loyalty, the monarch of the empire may call upon their aid in the future to investigate more rumors of spies in the Empire and further the war effort against the Kryn Dynasty.

Wherever your adventures lead you next, you can continue your journeys with Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. You can also keep up with the adventures across Wildemount in Critical Role, every Thursday at 7:00 pm PST on www.twitch.tv/CriticalRole.

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 Did you like this encounter? If you want to read more adventures like this, take a look at the other encounters in the Encounter of the Week series. You can also check out some of my other content on the DMs Guild—including Knarl's Candy Compendium, a best-selling collection of fifty enchanted candies to implement into your D&D games, and Pneumamancy, a new wizard arcane tradition exploring the power of soulmates.

Makenzie De Armas is an independent tabletop game designer and writer. Known for her work as co-designer of MCDM Productions' Kingdoms & Warfare and co-host of the podcast One On One: A D&D Duet Campaign, Makenzie also serves as the lead writer for The Islands of Sina Una and appears in various streamed TTRPG campaigns on Scratticus Academy. You can usually find her screaming into the void on Twitter at @MakenzieLaneDA.