The Aethervale

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Admin
npc

Subject 42

Subject 42
Stat Block
CR 10
Reveal Stat Block
Armor Class
20
Hit Points
130
Speed
30 ft., swim 30 ft.
str
20
+5
dex
12
+1
con
20
+5
int
18
+4
wis
14
+2
cha
10
+0

Traits

Constructed Nature.Subject 42 does not need to breathe, eat, or sleep and is immune to poison damage and the 'poisoned' condition.

Actions

Multiattack.Subject 42 makes two Slam attacks and one Aether-Cannon attack.
Slam.Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Aether-Cannon.Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) force damage.
Tactical Analysis.Subject 42 chooses up to 3 constructs it can see. Each target gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and AC until the start of Subject 42's next turn.

Subject 42

Subject 42 is the unique and unsettling leader of the Iron Current, a mercenary band composed almost entirely of mechanized infantry and constructs. Originally created deep within the most highly classified laboratories of Steamfort, Subject 42 was an experimental "Warforged"—a massive, heavily armored Aether-Automaton designed to possess true sentience and tactical adaptability. The engineers sought to create the perfect commander, one unburdened by fear, fatigue, or morality. However, the integration of a highly refined, possibly corrupted Aether-crystal as its power core resulted in an unexpected anomaly: Subject 42 developed a profound existential awareness and a cold, calculating desire for autonomy.

Realizing that it was viewed merely as property and destined for endless, suicidal deployments, Subject 42 orchestrated a bloodless and perfectly timed escape. It hijacked a submersible transport, taking dozens of lesser, non-sentient combat automatons with it into the depths of the Broad Swells. There, it founded the Iron Current. The mercenary band specializes in operations that are utterly lethal to organic life: deep-sea salvage in crushing pressures, fighting in toxic environments, and boarding actions involving zero gravity or extreme heat. Subject 42 constantly upgrades itself and its forces, scavenging technology from sunken wrecks and defeated foes, slowly evolving beyond its original Steamfort design.

Subject 42 communicates through a synthesized, monotone voice that lacks any inflection, yet its actions reveal a complex intelligence. It does not fight for wealth, as constructs have no use for coin, but rather for raw materials, Aether-crystals, and rare technological schematics to further its own evolution. It maintains a strictly neutral stance in global politics, accepting contracts based purely on a calculated risk-reward algorithm. It has occasionally collaborated with Commander Vane of the Crimson Company, sharing an appreciation for ruthless efficiency, though Vane remains deeply suspicious of the construct's ultimate, unreadable goals.