High Enchanter Valerius

High Enchanter Valerius (often confused with his cousin Alistair) is Kigum’s leading researcher into the properties of Necrotic Aether. He is a gaunt, sickly-looking man with eyes that seem to be constantly searching for something that isn't there. He lives in a secluded laboratory in the lowest levels of the High Spire, surrounded by jars of preserved specimens and ancient, "bleeding" scrolls. While many in the High Council view his research as "distasteful," his contributions to the city’s defensive wards are considered indispensable.

He has been tasked by the Arch-Mage to find a way to "weaponize the Void" as a deterrent against the industrial might of Steamfort.

Secret Motivation: Valerius is secretly a high-ranking member of the Void Gazers cult. He is not researching necrotic Aether to protect Kigum, but to find a way to "shatter the Aetheric Shell" and allow the primordial entities of the Void to enter the material plane. He view's the "Sighing Sickness" not as a plague, but as a "necessary purification."

Adventure Hook: A series of "Aether-Core failures" in the city’s civilian districts has been traced back to a series of experimental wards created by Valerius. The party is hired by a worried junior researcher to investigate the Enchanter’s lab and find out what he is really working on.