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As Gil approaches the cell with the android in it, you notice the four-armed silver creatures...
Them is jinsul for sure.
Status:Init, (and first round if you get 16 or higher)
Verrek
Gil-Oloth 10 SP damage
- couch 10 damage;
Officer Swizzers - 10SP damage
Vecro - 56/56SP 51/53HP; 5/6RP
Jinsul red
green
blue
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Charming. It seems this History Prime of yers is just sick. Having thus commented on the strange selection of enemies for us, as well as all this strange place in general, Verrek releases magical energy that spreads through the allies in thin streams of electricity, pleasantly pinching them. Go.
And then he himself, accelerated, retreats a little around the corner so as not to get shot at.
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The team quickly... speeds up, while Swizzers takes a shot at the silver-green jinsul, knocking a bit of it about. It dashes forward, and spurts flames from a flamethrower that grows out of its back.
But the hail of machine gun fire really put it off its aim. Really.
The red-silver jinsul charges toward Verrek.
The last of the silver jinsul hurries toward Gil and her floating couch, but doesn't quite have time to tear up the upholstery. Yet.
Status: bold may post
Verrek
Gil-Oloth 10 SP damage
- couch 10 damage;
Officer Swizzers - 10SP damage
Vecro - 56/56SP 51/53HP; 5/6RP
Jinsul red
green - 20 damage
blue
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Vecro's blow is strong, staggering the jinsul for a moment. SWizzers joins in, rocking the four armed horror, but not quite bringing it down Gil shows how it is done, blasting the blue hued horror into small pieces.
Status: bold may post
Verrek
Jinsul red
green - 20 damage
Gil-Oloth 10 SP damage
- couch 10 damage;
Officer Swizzers - 10SP damage
Vecro - 56/56SP 51/53HP; 5/6RP
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The Jinsul facing off against Verrek shows true dedication to the cause of facing off, as it has its face removed by him. It dissolves into another puddle of nanites which are rapidly reintegrated into the landscape.
The last remaining jinsul lashes out at Officer Swizzers
But without effect.
Status: bold may post
Gil-Oloth 10 SP damage
- couch 10 damage;
Officer Swizzers - 10SP damage
Vecro - 56/56SP 51/53HP; 5/6RP
Jinsul green - 20 damage
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Verrek finds a control panel and gets to work. A few seconds later the force-field comes down and the android looks around, blinking at them.
"Well, the weapons mean you might be with Historia-prime." he says, sounding a bit nonplussed. "But they are not actually pointed at me.. which gives me some hope." he adds with a grin.
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Hope-01 looks around. "We are inside Historia-Prime’s mobile fortress. The current iteration of Historia-Prime built all this out in the Vast. I never expected him to bring it here.”
He thinks a bit longer.
“The only way to reach Historia‑Prime is to hack into the network and take control of the nanites for long enough to create a doorway into a more vulnerable part of the structure. It’s a monumental challenge, but I’m confident I can manage. I’m familiar with the coding here.”
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"This whole structure is programmable. I think I can do it from right here, now I am out of the statis chamber." notes Hope-01.
"Are you all ready? Historia‑Prime copies himself. That’s how he’s lived this long, and you’re never going to defeat him by killing him over and over again. I’m going to break the cycle for good. If you can distract him for long enough, I think I’ve figured out how to override his permissions inside the network. If I hack in and delete his personality backups, you can fight him fair and square. Once all the copies are gone, Prime won’t stand a chance.”
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Ye can see just half hour ahead, elf. Verrek grins. If ye're asked if it's a good idea to sell yer soul to the devil for the best dinner in the world, ye'll say "yes", because the next half hour will be amazing. He turns to Hope-01. Either ye answer the questions right now, or ye stay here. So far, ye look more like a spy of History Prime, a cunning trap.
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"Well, there are lots of you and only one of me. But..." here Hope-01 looks around "this place does not seem to be especially full of allies for us. Turning one down on just the off-chance that they *might* be a spy."
Hope-01 shrugs. "Historia-Prime doesn't need a spy. I’m sure he can see us. He’ll soon know what we’re planning if he doesn’t already. He can’t stop us if we work together and act quickly…. At least, that’s my hope.”
He gestures to Gil-Oloth "Ask your stars. I hope that within half an hour we may have this whole unfortunate episode finished."
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Gil-Oloth lying deeper in her couch and puffing a little more quickly on her hooka, she concentrates and as her eyes turns like stars, she asks out loud in a disembodied voice My question is this, if we follow Hope-01 advice here and accept his help we will have a chance to destroy, once and for all Historia-Prime in the next 30mn.
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“All right, here we go.” Hope-01 mumbles under his breath, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders as if in preparation to perform a physical feat. A glimmering shield appears around him, reflecting silver in the light.
“I’ll keep the passage open until everyone’s in. When we emerge into Prime’s core, be ready for anything. Prime’s going to put up a fight.” Hope-01’s eyes roll back as he connects to the network, eyelids twitching as he inputs silent commands and overrides permissions.
“I’m in!” he exclaims as the nanite walls reconfigure into a new passage. “Hurry through.”
You emerge from the passage into Prime’s core, the twisted command center at the heart of the false Lorespire Complex. Here, the main floor is a shimmering expanse of boundless nanites that mimic liquid mercury. When touched or moved through, this floor ripples and splashes like a liquid yet retains its form and functions as a solid surface. The quicksilver floor reflects images of countless humanoid figures in shades of purple and blue. Each stares forward with lifeless, empty eyes.
All five previous Historias (excluding Prime and Celita) are among these figures, indicating that these images represent the people Historia-Prime has subsumed or destroyed.
To the northwest, a narrow ramp leads up and curls around a massive knot of nanite tendrils that glows red, rising to an elevation of 10 feet above the blue and purple floor.
Surrounding the central floor are six silver platforms, three in the north and three in the south, ripped from inside the Lorespire Complex and clutched in the air by nanite tendrils. Each of these platforms is 15 feet above the purple and blue floor. Nestled up against the glowing red node, a seventh platform is cradled in tendrils that form an elaborate back and armrests, as if the platform were the seat of a giant’s throne. This throne is 10 feet above the floor. At the southwest corner of the room is a large platform suspended 25 feet in the air by similar nanite tendrils. The pinnacle of the domed ceiling in this room is 90 feet high, and the entire room is bathed in normal light.
Historia-Prime stands upon his throne, backlit by a glowing knot of red nanite tendrils, and speaks. “Were you as old as I, you would thank me for everything I’ve done for the Starfinder Society. Unfortunately, that will never come to pass. You won’t cease your meddling, and so you won’t live beyond today. Know that I regret being forced to end the lives of such promising and dedicated agents.”
“Let him talk,” Hope-01 whispers. A moment later, his eyes roll up into his head, and he resumes his efforts to hack his way into Historia-Prime’s core.
“I see you’ve brought the inferior duplicate,” Prime remarks dispassionately. “I learned to silence that part of myself long ago. It’s how I’ve survived this long.”
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Vecro glimpses at the floor and the looks at Historia-Prime
"Greetings Historia-Prime, we came to discuss with you this misunderstanding. You have flewn to close to Lorespire Complex and triggered their defenses. I think it would be better if you could back away with this ship of yours and we could have a conversation."
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"A lamb? Hardly! But history is my thing, so I will indulge you. It really became a matter of succession planning. Why, do you wonder, is Guidance the only part of the Society that remains unchanging? All the leaders rotate, even we I was the best." The figure turns to Swizzers.
"I am a version the original Historia. Who is to say whether I am the original or a duplicate? It matters not."
The figure keeps talking... for the moment.. but perhaps is starting to get agitated. It will be hard to keep them talking much longer. But it appears that Hope-01 is still hard at work...
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"I have to confess, I don't know a lot about androids and I've always been confused about what happens when they die. I know you have souls, and everything, but you also sometimes seem to be able to download your memories and persona into new bodies? Apologies if my question is offensive."
Swizzers draws upon her Steward training, knowing that the longer she can keep Historia-Prime talking, the better the chances of resolving this matter without further casualties.