Moving up to the doorway, Solaria booms out her voice laughing, "You just barely have my minions to deal with, whilst your real enemy looks on in all my ancient might." And shows Tahomen her pistol in her hand.
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Tahomen clutches at his crumpled chest armor and wheezes painfully. "Even if I fall here, the Devourer will consume you all! Nyara's prophecies will come to pass! And the stars will all be reduced to ash!" There's a clear desperate fervor in his words. He likely recognizes the dire position he's in. He takes a guarded step back and towards the cliff .
Tahomen gathers another grey haze around his hand and this time tosses it accurately at Isu. Where it strikes him, his armor begins to melt and corrode, and the haze clings to him tenaciously!
Meanwhile the two other cultists continue to fire beam after beam at Arc and Isu! Arc is struck twice and Isu once as most of the corroding weapons find soft fleshy targets.
|||| INIT ||||
Isu (40 dmg)
Spectre
Arc (14 dmg)
Solaria
Ted
Sydney
Tahomen (51 dmg)
Cultist red
Cultist blue
Bold are up
Solaria rushes forwards towards the injured but bravely fighting on Isu. "The sun devours the darkness, the sun shines on you Isu." Solaria shouts at the warrior.
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Arc and Isu converge on the red cultist, each landing a solid blow. The cultist remains standing despite his heavy injuries and begins screaming defiantly. Spectre's shot misses the last cultist with a surprisingly small margin. Meanwhile Solaria's shout helps Isu pull himself back together... And just in time too, as the clinging cloud continues to slowly dissolve him.
The red cultist draws a jagged longsword and swings at Isu, though the kasatha's heavy armor deflects the slash. And the blue cultist fires twice at Solaria from behind his pillar. He scorches the ground once and hits Solaria with the second shot.
|||| INIT ||||
Isu (9 hp dmg, 25 sp dmg)
Spectre
Arc (14 dmg)
Solaria (7 dmg)
Ted
Sydney
Tahomen
Cultist red (27 dmg)
Cultist blue
Bold are up
Solaria shouts to the cultists, "If you want to breathe and live, then run now, otherwise your fate will be with Tahomen." With her pulsecaster pistol, she gives it a spin on her finger, trying to mesmerise the blue cultist that fired at her.
Sydney throws her static arc pistol into the air, catches it, then fires at the red cultist.
Ted's hail of magic missiles knock the red cultist out, brining the rest of the team to converge on the blue one. Isu, Sydney, Arc and Spectre each land attack after attack, pulverizing the final cultist. He falls with clothes on fire and electricity coursing through his body.
Combat Over!
Doctor Solstarni looks out from inside the building, mouth agape as she surveys the carnage. "Well! I see now why you had so little difficulty with the jungle. You certainly are efficient." Meanwhile, Ralkawi sways slightly as she grips the railing up in the tower. She peers down at the dead body of Tahomen with a conflicted expression. Finally, she just scowls and says "Well good riddance to that f#%@er. He was happy letting me die, so I can be happy with him dead too." She speaks seemingly for her own benefit.
Now that the combat is done, you can see off to the western side of the plateau a bulky mobile communications device. This free-standing unit appears to be an industrial model, capable of sending a signal out to the outer reaches of the Pact Worlds. This huge comms device wasn't here before. Most likely, the three cult members hauled it here from somewhere else while you were sleeping.
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Isu drags the bodies together and assesses what valuable they have on them. "The Devourer may consume your bodies, but either us or AbadarCorp will be the consumers of your equipment. Sir Ted Under, please tell this one that the thing has what we came for so we can get out of the jungle and back to shopping centers."
Solaria follows Ted over, pointing to the port and helping with accessing the device. She watches as Ted delves into the unit and asks, "So Ted, found anything interesting in the unit, did Tahomen use it already? What has he been up to, are there any messages we can find?"
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Arcalinte listens to Ralkawi's words and frowns sympathetically.
"You don't have to be happy he's dead if you don't want to, Ralkawi. He spoke to you in a dark time in your life, and told you what you wanted, maybe even needed to hear then. It's okay if it hurts. Sometimes we care for sh!tty people. Sometimes we ARE sh!tty people. But what's important is getting back up and learning from it. That's the core of Sarenrae's word. 'The dawn brings new light,' she says. And you could see this as a new dawn for yourself."
D-suit I
Mk 1 thermal capacitor
Psychic booster
Survival knife
Tactical semi auto pistol
Detonator
Spell gem of Mystic Cure I
Personal comm (with no data stored on it)
Disguise kit
Food rations
Two assistants:
Liquidator disintegration pistol x2
Lashunta ringwear I x2
Longsword x2
Personal comms x2
Trail rations x2
Credsticks totaling 400 creds
Batteries x4
Engineering kit
Trapsmiths kit
Navigators tools
---
Ted, Solaria and Spectre boot the massive comms device back up. Its remaining battery doesn't look like it'll last very long. Thankfully the trio make quick work of the security.
You find that Tahomen has dutifully purged his correspondence history leading up to this expedition, but has not yet done so for the most recent exchanges. The comm unit logged a call and significant data upload about 3 hours earlier.
While the audio log has not been recorded, you're able to piece together the broad strokes of the transmission from what remains. In particular, Tahomen provided a written description for his primary data upload.
---
<<As Nyara's visions predicted, the wandering fragment became the key. We've found a lead here on Castrovel. The Devourer promises us a glorious unmaking, and we may have exactly the weapon needed to hasten that climax. The texts here talk in winding indirect fashion, but they are clear about the existence of a Gate of Twelve Suns. This device is definitely key to unsealing the Stellar Degenerator from Nyara's visions. I've managed to extract a partial set of coordinates. For some reason the idiot seers here couldn't record them all. But we might be able to work out the rest using the archive of Nyara's visions with you.>>
<<All in Ash. Tahomen.>>
---
The comm device holds a copy of the data transferred. Among images of the tomes from the library, you find a partial set of galactic coordinates. Its difficult to make heads or tails of where they might point to. Most likely you'll need the other half of these coordinates to work out where they point.
Furthermore, you're able to extract the location for the recipient of the message Tahomen sent. His target was an unremarkable asteroid out in the Diaspora.
Finally you also notice that this giant comms device had access to a Pact Worlds bank account belonging to this wing of the Devourer cult. With this access point, it may be possible to withdraw the funds out of the account. However, it'd take some deft hacking to bypass the account's protections without locking it out.
---
Meanwhile, Ralkawi comes down to talk to Arc. She spends more time eyeing him than listening, but as he delivers his conclusion she says "I guess I can try. But I don't know how. And uh, I could be wanted somewhere here on Castrovel. Maybe. Not sure."
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Meanwhile, Ralkawi comes down to talk to Arc. She spends more time eyeing him than listening, but as he delivers his conclusion she says "I guess I can try. But I don't know how. And uh, I could be wanted somewhere here on Castrovel. Maybe. Not sure."
"Wanted? Do you think there's anything out there showing you being involved with the Doctor's kidnapping? My understanding was this was your first major criminal undertaking. Considering the circumstances in aiding in her rescue as well, I don't think she'll be eager to press charges. If you really want to leave, however, we'd be happy to give you a lift to Absalom Station when we return there. There's a few places we could help you get started at: The Lorespire, the Cosmonastery of the Empty Orbit, The Holy Angel of Flame..."
Then he overhears Isu's words and barks over to him.
"Evil cultists NEVER leave their wealth unguarded, Isu. Better let our more technologically-inclined colleagues try first."
Then he turns back to Ralkawi.
"Isu's typical of a lot of novice Sarenites: heart's in the right place, and eager to fight injustice, but a LOT to learn."
Finishing his conversation with her, he goes over to Solaria, Ted and Spectre, and listens to Tahomen's broadcast. His eyes widen.
"Stellar Degenerator? Something with a name like THAT can't be a good thing. No wonder the elves here magically blocked knowledge of it for themselves and others. More importantly, it looks like this archaeological survey just turned dangerous. Tahomen's gotten some of the coordinates to this Stellar Degenerator to his Devourer friends. I imagine, as the ones most involved in investigating this stuff, we'll have to go after them, not just out of academic discovery but to keep this thing out of the hands of the Devourer's faithful!"
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"Flying off into the void without an idea of what to expect when we get there isn't a good idea, Isu. We should take this information back to Chiskisk for analysis. It'll give us an opportunity to restock and resupply after this expedition. And we should really get Dr. Solstarni back to Qabarat as soon as possible, first."
Solaria shrugs at Isu's words and sighs sweetly, before turning to Spectre, "Did you hear that Spectre, some financial reward for all our work here. I'll help you with the algorithms." She gets the datapad out and enters some firewall key values and algorithms to quicken the search to find a way in.
Spectre carefully spoofs Tahomen's digital keys and accesses the financial account, revealing a significant cache of funds: 6800 credits! He quickly transfers the money before any of the surviving Devourer cultists can think to lock the account or remove the funds.
---
As you contemplate what you've learned here, and what you've survived in these last two weeks, you look out from the plataeu the Temple of the Twelve rests on. The jungle stretches out towards the horizon, teeming with green life. And beyond it, the great cities of the elves, lashunta and formians. With what you've learned about the Gate of the Twelve Suns and the Stellar Degenerator, you realize that all of this - no, all the Pact Worlds - could be at risk. If the cult of the Devourer find the Stellar Degenerator, there's no telling how terrible a destruction will fall upon the galaxy.
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Spectre turns toward Isu, looking particularly contemplative for a straight-faced droid.
"I have found my relationship with Master to be profitable to this point--much more profitable than our endeavors to this point. But I have not heard from him in some time. Too long. Perhaps it is best for me to earn credits on my own. Still, I find our efforts much less profitable than they should be. We will need to optimize our efforts, though these credits are a good start."
Solaria winks at Isu, "Perhaps Spectre would like to follow Sarenrae as his new master. I'd suggest it to him, but it might be best if you ask him." She smiles and giggles slightly as she moves over to inspect the items treasures retrieved in the fight with the cultists.
Your moment of determined resolve is interrupted by Spectre's musings regarding more material concerns. While the droid runs calculations on whether or not sticking with this group is the most expedient means to great wealth acquisition, the rest of you pull your gear together for the trip back to Turhalu Point. Doctor Solstarni rushes back into the Temple and begins taking as many recordings as she can for study back at the University. Ralkawi joins her, but only to keep herself busy well away from Tahomen's dead body and those of her erstwhile allies in the cult.
It takes some coaxing to pull Solstarni away from the library and onto the trail back down the mountain, but once you do you find her to be eager to get through the jungle and back to civilization.
----
The return journey through the jungle proves surprisingly uneventful. Perhaps its your larger group, or the lack of Devourer cultists riling up the local wildlife. But either way, the renkrodas, sky fishers, kaukarikis and other jungle denizens leave you alone for the twelve day journey back to Turhalu Point. With aid from the medically trained individuals in your group, Ralkawi makes a slow recovery from the lingering effects of the ksarik's spores. On the eighth day, she emerges from her tent in the morning looking perfectly healthy.
A few days later, the eight of you emerge from the jungle into the grassy plains and catch sight of the old military buildings of Turhalu Point! After a quick check in with the old frontier researcher at the Point, Dr. Khair al-Nuaf (including a rather tearful reunion between him and Dr. Solstarni), as well as a much needed bath and recharge of your various batteries and other resources, you head back through the aiudara and to Qabarat City!
----
Stepping into the bustling Gateway Plaza is like traveling through time, moving from the ancient wonders and dangers of Ukulam, and back to the sights and sounds of a big, modern city. Doctor Solstarni lets out a happy sigh. "Ah, I'm always happy to be doing field work... but it certainly is good to be home."
You join the Doctor as she travels back to the University, with Ralkawi trailing a couple of steps behind Arc the whole way. Having been alerted by al-Nuaf, Professor Muhali is there to greet you. She steps forwards to wrap Dr. Solstarni in a fierce hug and then turns to address you all with a relieved smile. "I can't thank you enough! After the second week passed without news, I had almost given up hope. But now I have all of you back in one piece and Solstarni as healthy as ever! Thank you, so much, for saving my friend. Please, tell me everything! What happened? Did you truly reach Loskialua, as Halkueem Zan described?"
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Arcalinte spends most of the return trip talking with Dr. Solstarni, comparing notes and discussing the ruins, as well as helping where he can with Ralkawi's recovery. Once they're back in civilization, he takes Tahomen's old suit to get it refitted for himself, and has the suit he's been wearing refitted for Solaria, as per a request she'd made while travelling. He raises an eybrow at Solstarni's referring to her abduction and time as a hostage in the jungle as "field work."
"You'd make a great Starfinder, Doctor," he replies.
He smiles as they return to Qabarat and see Professor Muhali there to greet them.
"Loskialua was grander than even Zan described! The site was still largely intact and undisturbed, even with the cult's meddling. One of its ancient elven guardians, Panelliar by name, was even still present...but...we were forced to fight and kill him in order to access the Temple itself and save Doctor Solstarni. We didn't even get a chance to interview him. And we smashed some priceless ancient statuary when it became animate and attacked us, trying to defend the temple library."
He shows Muhali the pictures he's snapped on his comm unit.
"I'd love to return to conduct a proper archaeological survey there, especially since the last thing Panelliar asked of us was to ensure the Temple and Loskialua as a whole remained protected without him, but there's been a bit of a serious development. It seems that Solstarni's kidnappers were looking for information stored in that Temple, and from our investigations, they not only found it, but transmitted it to other cultists off-world. They're apparently trying to find something called a 'Stellar Degenerator,' and whatever it is, it's dangerous enough that the elves of Loskialua magically censored any mention of it in their texts."
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Isu nods along with all of the explanation, but several times he chuckles and shakes his head. "Oh ho! Arcalinte Soter is too modest. He left out the part where we shut down the illegal halfling gambling ring. It was quite the battle! This one had halflings hanging off every limb, but the Arcaline Soter blew himself up in a fireball and melted them all off! "
"And then-- Arcaline Soter is embarrassed of this-- this elven guardian we met was actually him! He must time travel back when he gets older. This one thinks he is a little embarrassed because we all saw how senile he gets at age 2000."
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"It was a sky fisher, there were no halflings or gambling at all, and his name was Panelliar, he was full-blooded elf who mummified himself, and he used a solar weapon while I use solar armor," Arcalinte replies. He knew Isu probably wouldn't listen, but he wanted to make the correction for posterity anyway.
Muhali's eyes widen at the descriptions from Arc and she laughs out loud at Isu's "alternative facts". "Halfling gambling ring or not, it certainly seems you found as much as we could have dreamed out there. An ancient undead creature... perhaps even one from before the Gap? Even if you were forced to destroy him, an inspection of the remains could prove an invaluable addition to the fields of necrocognitive physiology and pre-Gap cultural anthropology. We'll have to see what we can do about getting another set of visas and a proper group out to the site."
Her face turns more grave when Arc explains that the cultists discovered the information they were looking for. "Stellar Degenerator? I'm not familiar with the name. But if the Devourer Cult thought it worth such a perilous trip just to find more information on it, I can't help but fear they may have been onto something." She frowns at the thought. "I'll pass the information on to the authorities. Though I'd suspect as Starfinders you're in a better position to conduct any investigation."
Muhali stays silent for a moment longer as she contemplates the difficulties of bureaucracies before catching herself scowling. She turns back the you all. [b]"I'd like to thank you all again for what you did for us. The University doesn't have too much in the way of resources, but I can offer you all two things. One, unlimited access to our archives here in case you need to conduct any further research. And two, for those of you who are interested, I'd like to offer a full scholarship to study here at Qabarat University. You may not be able to take advantage of it right now, but we'd welcome you back to join our community at any time.
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Arcalinte breaks into an enormous grin when he hears Muhali's offer, his face almost LITERALLY lighting up thanks to his mote.
"I will EAGERLY accept your offer, Professor! I could never afford higher education back on Akiton, and when I studied at the Cosmonastery of the Empty Orbit, the majority of my studies were focused on physical conditioning, combat training and spiritual matters, both solarian and Sarenite. And without any strings attached to my father, so I can pursue it for my own merits rather than recently discovered connections.
Obviously the current crisis takes precedence, but I will definitely be returning to take advantage of your generous offer! Thank you so much!"
Then he hears Isu's request and his eye twitches as he tries to maintain his composure.
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"We left them in place to avoid damaging the archaeological integrity of the sites," Arcalinte says immediately after. "We did our best to leave the sites undisturbed so they may be properly studied and protected later."
"Those opals belong in a museum," Spectre responds.
"Sold to a museum," he adds quietly.
Upon learning about the scholarship, he asks "Is there a Criminal Studies program?"
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"We left them in place to avoid damaging the archaeological integrity of the sites," Arcalinte says immediately after. "We did our best to leave the sites undisturbed so they may be properly studied and protected later.""Those opals belong in a museum," Spectre responds.
"Sold to a museum," he adds quietly.
Upon learning about the scholarship, he asks "Is there a Criminal Studies program?"
Muhali smiles. "I did just say the University does not have much in the way of resources. This is a scholarship, not a stipend. Though in place of the scholarship, I suppose I can put in a request for an honorarium to be approved by the Dean. You've earned it a few times over by bringing Doctor Solstarni back to us."
At Arc's enthusiasm, she nods, pleased. "We have distance learning courses as well, if your path doesn't keep you around Castrovel. You may find it stimulating to maintain studies in between other work. I know a number of our graduates completed their degrees that way."
And at Spectre's question, she adds "Ah, we do have a xenocriminology program, studying alien law enforcement systems and their relative cultural footprints. A very narrow subject of interest, to be sure, but a fascinating topic nonetheless. Is that what you were thinking of?"