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Bold can act
Talek (-3, supercharged weapon)
Green
B-Bop
Red
Jax (-6)
L
Blue
Tiktik (-6)
Elliot (-6)
Bepo (-33)
Volter
The red statues' turns its head to track B-Bop's movement. It then stalks forward, rears back, and throws its spear at Jax.
The spear misses Jax comfortably. However, in a burst of light and smoke, the statue appears next to Jax, holding the spear it had just thrown.
L and Jax are up.
Bepo is going to full attack on Blue.
Tiktik crouches low, straining to see the statue on the other side of his massive ursine friend.
"Ok, I got a shot lined up... just... don't... move..."
"S+%+! I mean, umm, wow Bepo, I never noticed how scorched the underside of your fur his, ya know, from before... you should totally have that worked at."
Overhead his drone responded with some bleeps and boops.
"Yes, I know that, now shut up and aim high." he snapped back at Elliot as it hovered overhead and fired off a volley of shots over Bepo's head.
Talek takes a defensive step back and fires on red
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Bold can act
Talek (-3, seeking shot)
Green
B-Bop
Red (-14)
Jax (-6)
L
Tiktik (-14)
Elliot (-6)
Bepo (-29 SP, -1 HP)
Volter
Bepo and Elliot drop blue, although red gets an attack of opportunity on Tiktik.
Talek hits red, doing major damage.
Volter casts seeking shot on Talek's weapon.
Green takes a guarded step and attacks Bepo.
B-Bop is up!
Tiktik whimpered at the blow he provoked.
"Where the hell did you come from!"
He and Elliot carefully retreated a step, and then the drone popped off a shot.
After volters spell talek fires off a pair of shots the first at green the second at red.
Bepo will take a full attack on Green
"Unfortunate. Keep blasting this thing."
Tiktik will look around the room for interesting culture and loot.
Bepo is going to look to see if there is anything usable from the Statues.
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The statues don't seem to have anything on them, unfortunately.
As soon as the coast is clear Professor Solstarni rushes in and begins studying here, occasionally smacking Tiktik away from any interesting looking scrolls or wall carvings.
"This may take some time. Any of you who are of a more scholarly bend can help me if you wish."
i would be happy to assist you professor.
Bepo will spend a point of resolve and then search the room. Then also look and see if there is the item the statue had that made him teleport.
Tiktik furrows his brow at the mean professor swatting at him, but then quickly perks up at the invitation to show off his knowledge.
Tiktik pointedly reloaded his laser rifle while making eye contact with the professor. ”Yep, that’s certainly how I remember it looking when we got here.”
After the room is properly searched, Bepo will start to go through the rooms that we haven't went into yet.
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There are hundreds of books and scrolls here, all thousands of years old. It would take forever to search through all of them.
Luckily, you don't have to. Tahomen doesn't seem to have been very careful about putting things back when he was done, and the pile of scrolls and books he left behind makes research quick.
Exposition dump!!!!
The elves that lived here seem to have been a philosophical offshoot that spurned their families in Sovyrian and sought a new life of contemplation here in Ukulam. They studied the stars in worship of Desna, developing a complex religion around their burgeoning astronomical knowledge.
Through a combination of their advancing telescopic technology and divination magic, the elves discovered a strange constellation of 9th and greater magnitude stars that seemed to form a perfect circle. The more they studied this remarkable and unlikely constellation, the stranger their dreams became, and powerful scholar-priests began recording the odd language they saw and heard.
As the elves knowledge of and exposure to the galaxy expanded, they began parlaying with increasingly bizarre and powerful Alien minds, the most powerful of which was Ibra. (The notes seem to describe that Ibra was not a diety at this point, but something else entirely--a discovery that would make Solstarni's bow tie spin around, if she was wearing one).
Through Ibra's teachings, the elves studied the mysterious constellation, learning that it was not, in fact, a natural alignment of stars but the construction of an impossibly ancient and advanced species untold light years away. Casting their minds into the cosmos, the scholar-priests discovered that the ring pulsed with an unnatural energy, which led them to believe that it was a gateway of some kind. The elves named it the Gate of the Twelve Suns, and named this temple after it.
Some of the scholars believed that the Gate of the Twelve Suns held back some powerful army. Others postulated that it magnified the thoughts and dreams of another galaxy, and that it could be the key to untold knowledge. The most popular hypothesis, however, was that the Gate of the Twelve Suns represented such power that it could only be (or serve as the portal to) some cosmically powerful superweapon. One of the scholar priests even posited the existence of a so-called Stellar Degenerator, which could drain massive amounts of energy from a star, leaving it a type of hypothesized stellar remnant known as a black dwarf.
Unfortunately, there's no indication of where the Gate of the Twelve Suns is, as the elves seem to have a taboo about listing its location.
As interpretive disputes broke out among the elves, they agreed that from the confines of Loskialua, they could never confirm their theories, much less attain enlightenment through discovery under the inspired guidance of Ibra. They packed up what they needed, and then they performed a ritual that the texts referred to only as “the Celestial Voyage.” The implication is that the elves traveled to another system, though whether they succeeded or failed is uncertain from these records.
Looking through all the information gathered.
"Wow. This Gate of the Twelve Suns, well, it seems to be one heck of a discovery. These elves knew about it, but chose to keep it a secret. Probably a wise decision, but I for one must admit that I am exceedingly curious to learn even more about it. If it would be possible to travel near enough to that location, assuming we can locate such a thing, well... that would indeed make for the adventure of a lifetime."
Turning to each of his fellow Starfinders, his skin shifting to a bright shade of purple, almost the color of a blacklight, inside the hydrobody.
"If we're done here, we can return the professor to the college, and our new friend, mayhaps, if you're interested, the Starfinder Society is always looking for new recruits. While they dive into the past and learn things all the time, they can usually overlook minor transgressions by their members looking to start a new life."
”Absolutely! We gotta find that gate! It sounds awesome. And the stellar degenerator thingy sounds like exactly the kind of thing that those Devourer nutjobs—no offense, Ralkawi—would want to use to make their “star eating god” evilgasm over!”
”Oh and L isn’t kidding about the amnesty, professor, I used to be in charge of dissolving bodies for the Downside Kings!” Tiktik says with cheerful pride.
Tiktik checks the room for explosives.
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The various rooms here seem to have been private studying chambers. There is little of interest here.
At the top of the stairs is a broad observatory floor, nearly 100 feet above the plateau below. Most of the scientific instruments here are nonfunctional, but one appears intact: an aparatus containing a single, faintly vibrating crystal. Volter reports that it is magical and identifies it as a mk I ability crystal.
Now are we going to deal with this Tahomen guy or are we just going to return the professor?
we should attempt to find him. At least he may have more information on him, and we may be able to bring him in to the authorities. Though if he does not survive apprehension i will not be overly concerned. The problem will be solved one way or another.
That sounds good, where do we start on finding this Tahomen?
"I think I saw there was a path leading off to the Northwest of the temple. Maybe that leads further up the mountain? In the meantime, let's divvy up all these shiny new toys so we have them ready for any fights with"--snicker--"Tacoman."
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"A weapon that can drain the energy of a sun. I wonder if it powers something, like a planet scale laser cannon of sorts. Ugh, this is starting to sound like some cheezy space opera.
As for pursuing this Tahomen guy, they had been here before us right? It's possible they may have taken some literature with them and who knows if they dropped any along the way. I say we follow the paper trail." Jax stands and smirks a certain way as to show how proud he is of his pun.
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Sooo, we've been down here, messing around fer a good while with dese musty fart books while Taco Man and his flunkies have been goofin' around up on da top of dis here big hill. An' his other flunkies were supposed ta be doing up da explosives down here an' he's likely ta be thinkin' something might be up if dey ain't sent a signal dat da works all done. An' dis has got me thinkin' wut if he's waitin' fer us right outside da door in a nice lil' sprockin' ambush. Anyone wanna place a few creds on dat happenin'?
He looks across the room at Ralkawi and Solstarni.
'Ey, 'Kawi. We gots a few extra guns, whadda ya say? Perfessor, ya wanna pitch in, too?
Yeah it might be better if we head out for him now so Tahomen doesn't have time to setup an ambush or know anything has happened.
If everyone is ready Bepo is going to start heading in the direction that we think Tahomen is at.
Indeed, let us commence
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The professor isn't interested in fighting.
"I'd just get in the way."
Ralkawi, on the other hand, is willing to fight, and will gladly accept whatever weapon you'll give her.
Opening the doors, everything looks clear. However, as luck would have it () just as you are exiting the Temple of Twelve Suns, you see three Lashunta coming down the way, carrying a large, heavy looking system-wide comm unit.
The other two lashunta set down the comm unit while the lead speaks, gesturing vaguely with a strange pistol.
"Ah, the illustrious Starfinders! It took you awhile, but you finally managed to make it. I was beginning to think you'd given up."
He nods at Ralkawi.
"Coward. I knew you were too weak for the Great Work. Your disintegration will please the Devourer."
He pulls what appears to be a detonator from his pocket and presses the button.
Nothing happens.
"Ah. I see. Well, nevertheless."
Tahomen
BlueRalkawi
Red
Green
Overclock
Volter
Talek
Bepo
Jax
B-Bop
L
Tiktik scurries over behind a pillar and fires off an overcharged shot at the guy with the detonator, while Elliot fires a shot of his own. ”Haha, no kaboom for you! Eat this, Tacoman!”
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Bold can act!
Round One: -
Tiktik (-11, caustic conversion, 0/?)
Elliot (-6)
Tahomen (-10)
Talek (-3)
B-Bop
Red
Volter
Bepo
L
Jax (-6)
Green
Ralkawi(blue)
Elliot's shot hits Tahomen!
Tahomen holds his hand out and casts a spell, tossing a black cloud toward Tiktik.
A cloud of nanites convert water vapor in the air around Tiktik into acid, scalding him.
Talek and B-Bop are up!
Talek moves to cover as his weapon begins to glow with added energy