Vexus dodges out of the way of the speeding buggy that, doesn't continue forward despite not hitting anything. His punch at the driver as he gets in close doesn't land but the later punch does clip the jinsul on the side of his head.
Requiem finally gets an good sound location to target onto and fires a shot that hits the jinsul in the mouth.
Wraith disappears and pops up right in front of the car, startling the jinsul as she pops a bullet into his chest carapace.
Basalt calls for everyone to pile down on the last remaining enemy, clearly intent on giving the jinsul it's final wish.
Finally, the two Vesk both fire their laser pistols at the jinsul and peg him in either eye, putting an end to his last stand, and leaving two buggies free.
Everyone piles into one of the two vehicles, Wraith at the controls of one and Rahdo behind the wheel of the other. With one last look back at the Maiden, safely docked with shields up, you race off towards the pit. There proves to be a massive crowd of jinsul feverishly dancing around the pit, but most of them jump out of the way of the speeding buggies, and the few who don’T are easily plowed down or plowed over. After a few 100 feet of dodging or flying spider legs, the buggies fly off the cliff and drop down into the pit below.
The buggies, having survived the fall, race forward into a miasma of golden energy, as it starts to obscure the ground. Up ahead blooms numerous stone columns and earthworks of an exposed chamber, that clearly was the target of the pit. Five bizarre devices stand embedded in the stone atop the monoliths, their sigil-ridden circuitry thrumming with energy seemingly extracted from the very soil beneath them. Several columns lie toppled in what seems to be the wake of a massive struggle. The limp form of what was once the divine herald Ailuros lies motionless against a mesa.
Requiem’s magical sixth sense, possibly sensitized with his time communing with the Maiden recognizes that these devices seem to be tapping into some giant consciousness, mayhaps a divine source, at the core of the planet. Much like cattle prods on an enraged bull, these devices seem to ‘shock’ the consciousness, creating a ire and confusion that seems to manifest physically as a huge dream like monster, a towering bulky figure with the wings of a nelentu, the
torso of an izalguun, and a head that resembles a complete jinsul. The creature babbles incoherently as it wanders confused around the battlefield. At each device stands a jinsul intent on running the devices.
As you pull up into the area, the monster babbles, ”Cats, chickens, shish kabobs, bananas, life, death…” It floats about, before running into a pillar that pokes it heavily in the side, it gives the pillar a glare for it’s defiance and lashes out at it.
The pillar, already near the breaking point topples over and crashes to the ground. A good look at the giant mesas and smaller columns shows they are all 30 feet tall, minus the central one and the one Ailuras is leaning against, which are 60 feet tall. There are plenty of hand and foot holds on the crumbling masonry, meaning it should be an easy feat of athletics to climb them . The toppled columns as well as Ailuros’s legs look like they could provide low walls to cover behind, and the toppled columns on the mesa and ramp to the center mesa are sharply angled, but walkable.
Everything but you in the area seems focused on their tasks or their insanity. You doubt they’d pay much attention to you unless you distract them.
++++++++++++++++
Basalt
Sergeants
Vexus
Wraith
The giant monster
Krara
Requiem
Rahdokama
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Rahdo starts glowing what must be an unhealthy almost radioactive looking green light, while pushing for attacking the giant monster!
Basalt tries to climb one of the tallest columns and gets 2/3rds of the way up, easily catching hand holds on both times his jets stop boosting him.
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Hearing the sickening thud of the column crashing down rather than seeing it, Requiem shys away from the large monster wreaking havoc, even on the mystic plane. Turning to Rahdo they shake their had sadly. "I fear that manifestation would be beyond us - the Pillars are they key - stopping them will prevent this from being awakened. It may be that we slay the Jinsul operating them to buy us some time to switch them off."
With that Requiem heads towards the centre of the bizarre ritual, avoiding the creature by going round the central pillar.
Requiem is quite some distance away from the central mesa jinsul, and starts climbing, making it about 1/6th the way up the mesa.
Rahdo makes it about half way up the mesa however.
Krara chases after Basalt who is trying to take on a jinsul alone. and makes it half way up the side of the mesa. She is soon joined by Vexus also climbing the same mesa and making it to the same place that the vesk did.
Wraith gets 2/3rds of the way up the column that Basalt, Krara and Vexus are all climbing as well.
The jinsul at the machines keep focused on them. The one wearing light blue almost doing a dance atop the device, hitting spots on the floor as they light up. The one with a red emblem is driving what almost looks like a flight simulator. The one with the green band seems to be almost riding a seesaw? One with purple eyes seems to be lifting throwing a three sided pyramid and checking the number that comes up. Finally the one with the fashionably yellow painted claws seems to be playing some kind of game.
Below the giant monstrosity babbles something about drinking a filing cabinet and getting the banana skins stuck in his teeth, as it flies around.
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Basalt 40' Basalt's mesa
Sergeants
Vexus 30' up _____? mesa
Wraith 40' up Basalt's mesa
The giant monster
Krara 30' up Basalt's mesa
Requiem 10' up Central mesa
Rahdokama 30' up Central mesa
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Rahdokama tries to climb further but the foot hold he rests his foot on crumbles uner his weight and leaves him hanging for a moment. He soon recovers and gets another 15' up the mesa.
++++++++++++++++
Basalt 40' up Basalt's mesa
Sergeants
Vexus 30' up _____? mesa
Wraith 40' up Basalt's mesa
The giant monster
Krara 30' up Basalt's mesa
Requiem 10' up Central mesa
Rahdokama 45' up Central mesa
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Basalt jets to the top of the mesa pulling out a grenade as he flies. He lands and tosses it at the sergeant in the flight simulator.
The jinsul does a barrel roll in the machine just in time to avoid the blinding blast. It growls at the dwarf in Jinsul "Don't interfere with my work! I have to keep this device running or risk Dhurus smiting me!"
It steps out of the machine and draws a few technomagical circles in the air in front of Basalt, causing a gout of flame to fire from the device and blast over the dwarf.
++++++++++++++++
Basalt 16/28 OR 22/28 SP DC 16 Reflex
Sergeants
Red - blasted fire.
Vexus 30' up _____? mesa
Wraith 40' up Basalt's mesa
The giant monster
Krara 30' up Basalt's mesa
Requiem 10' up Central mesa
Rahdokama 45' up Central mesa
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Requiem looses his grip and falls, landing safely due to his decent thrusters. But instead of getting discouraged he's back at the wall trying again and getting up some of the way.
Krara rushes as she sees the flames sweep out over the edge of the platform. She makes the top in time to see a moderately charred Basalt berating a jinsul in Jinsul.
The jinsul snarls back, oozing confidence, "No, I expect you to give a... whatever your short hairy brain just said over your OWN life. Cause I will end you! Oh, look you brought a scalie to balance your hairy. Lovely, more sacrifices for the majesty that is DHURUS!"
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Vexus 30' up _____? mesa
Wraith 40' up Basalt's mesa
The giant monster
Krara
Requiem 10' up Requiem’s mesa
Rahdokama 45' up Central mesa
Basalt 16/28 SP
Sergeants
Red
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Wraith tops the Mesa
She quickly fires a shot as she does, pegging the jinsul in the shoulder causing it to growl at her.
Vexus makes no headway at first, lacking handhold directly above him, but he soon finds there are a few if he shuffled a few feet to the right.
Red walks up to the dwarf casting a spell, it doesn't seem to leave any openings as it goes, before it lashes out at Basalt. It connects and the envoy can feel something pierce his armor and skin, being injected directly into his blood stream.
++++++++++++++++
Basalt 16/28 SP
Red - spell -2
Vexus 45' up Central Mesa
Wraith
The giant monster
Krara
Requiem 10' up Requiem’s mesa
Rahdokama 45' up Central mesa
Basalt 16/28 SP DC 17 Fort if failed DC 17 will or be confused.
Sergeants
Red
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
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Round 3
"You're the one that should worry over their life, ugly." Basalt uses Get'em against the jinsul as he punches it.
Round 4
attack nearest creature. I assume the Will save comes at the end of his turn.
Assuming I don't get to choose: Wraith= 1, Jinsul =2, Krara= 3
Basalt uses his power gauntlets.
+2 v spell
The energy emanating from Dhurus and its hierocrats ripples and wanes, indicating their vulnerability to elite Starfinders’ attacks.
Basalt gets a solid hit in on the jinsul.
Krara invokes everyone to get the red jinsul and takes a shot, but misses terribly. She does
Rahdo moves in and growls at light blue, it seems to ignore the vesk intent on dancing on the machine.
However the grenade from Vexus does get his attention! The grenade lands right next to him and on the machine. But explodes normally. However the jinsul, intent on dancing fails to dodge out of the way and takes the blast of the weapon. The machine seems made of sterner stuff and doesn't even seem scratched.
Requiem tries to climb the mesa and gets another 10' up but then slides back down to the bottom
Wraith distracts the jinsul but misses a hit on him.
Basalt gets confused, but very quickly recovers, And makes a strike at the jinsul, sadly missing.
The red jinsul prepares another casting of the same spell but misses Basalt, who has learned to see the signs and dodges out of the way.
The light blue jinsul tries to prepare the same spell to cast on Rahdo and hits the vesk solidly in the chest, forcing tiny nanobots into his bloodstream.
Wraith gets a brief, brief sensation from Ailuros that she should try using the device that the jinsul has left.
++++++++++++++++
Vexus 38/40 SP
Wraith AoO on Red
The giant monster
Krara AoO on Red
Requiem At the bottom of Requiem’s mesa
Rahdokama
Basalt 0/28 SP 28/30 HP
Sergeants
Red -28
Light Blue -10
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Rahdo retaliates to the jinsul's spell with a hammer to the face. It reels some from the impact but stays standing.
++++++++++++++++
Vexus 38/40 SP
Wraith
The giant monster
Krara
Requiem At the bottom of Requiem’s mesa
Rahdokama 16/20 SP
Basalt 0/28 SP 28/30 HP
Sergeants
Red -28
Light Blue -22
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
Basalt lands another hit on the red jinsul doing some damage, but not as much as he could have.
++++++++++++++++
Vexus 38/40 SP
Wraith
The giant monster
Krara
Requiem At the bottom of Requiem’s mesa
Rahdokama 16/20 SP
Basalt 0/28 SP 28/30 HP
Sergeants
Red -34
Light Blue -22
++++++++++++++++
Current map (Slide 27)
The jinsul high command collapses as Kadrical’s blessing wanes, affording veteran Starfinders an opening to strike.
The tension in the atmosphere surrounding Bastiar-5 eases as the golden energy enveloping it withdraws into the immense pit. The receding light sweeps away the jinsul fortifications, restoring the planet’s natural, rugged terrain. The remaining jinsul forces scatter, soldiers scurrying toward the horizon and starships fleeing into the Drift. Across a battlefield strewn with dead and wounded bodies, Starfinders cheer at the sight of the retreating enemy.
As the Starfinder fleet regroups, the communication screens light up with the image of both First Seekers, the various faction leaders, and numerous venture-captains. Luwazi Elsebo, front and center, beams with pride. “Agents, we stand together in the midst of our Society’s most glorious victory to date! Today, we have risen from the ashes of our previous failures, stronger and more united than ever before! Not even an army of bloodthirsty jinsuls, with an armada and the power of a waking god at their backs, could defeat us!”
Jadnura nods. “We have indeed accomplished much, but there is more in our future. With Dhurus defeated, the Scoured Stars are safe, but only so long as others don’t seek to foolishly unlock their secrets. Coming here was my mission as First Seeker, and while I have succeeded, I intend to continue seeing this mission through. I shall remain in this system, communing with the waking Kadrical and standing sentinel over others who would disturb this site. My time as First Seeker has truly ended.”
Luwazi’s smile softens as she looks at Jadnura, and after a moment she speaks. “As for me, my only goal as First Seeker was to rebuild the Starfinder organization and rescue those we had lost. I can say that our organization is stronger than ever, boosted by powerful allies and friends. While I cannot think of a higher note to end on, I do not believe the time has come for me to step down, but instead I shall stay on a short while longer to ease the transition to a new First Seeker. I cannot wait to see where our remarkable society goes next under new leadership. Perhaps someone currently among our ranks will be the next to choose our heading? You’ve all certainly demonstrated that you have what it takes. But that can be our first order of business once we return home. For now, we tend to our wounded, we recover, and we celebrate!”
Days after its momentous victory in the Scoured Stars, the Starfinder Society fleet emerges from the Drift near Absalom Station. With their deeds relayed through Drift beacons, the crews of the returning vessels begin tuning into the local infosphere to hear the Pact World’s response to the Society’s victory in the Scoured Stars. The reactions flood in.
“I, for one, believe that an organization that can amass that many military-grade resources needs to be held on a tighter leash.”
“Didn’t the Pact Council vote not to interfere in the Scoured Stars? Who do these Starfinders think they are?”
“Yeah, the Strawberry Machine Cake concert rescue was pretty great… but what if it were a Starfinder setup, to help justify their little war?”
“Does anyone know what the jinsuls did to us? I mean, I heard that the jinsuls were a peaceful civilization, and the Starfinders just wanted to pillage their homeland.”
All over the Starfinder comm channels, pundits and social media stars relay similar questions and messages of dismay at the Society’s recent actions. Moments later, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo sends out a fleet wide broadcast. “Starfinders, it’s clear that we’ve not returned to the hero’s welcome we hoped for. In fact, it looks as though we’re the target of some sort of coordinated media attack, as organizations we’ve never had any dealings with are smearing our recent triumphs. Fear not, this is just another challenge for us to overcome, and perhaps the next few months will be well-spent polishing the reputation these hidden attackers have sought to so recklessly tarnish.”
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Sinking to their knees as Kadrical is bested and the psychic roar of a felled demi-god assaults their Empathic connection to all life. Glad that the Starfinders had managed to best their foe and put a stop to the Jinsul’s vile machinations and Warmongering ways.
When they finally have time to rest and recover from the ordeal Requiem takes Ziggy up on their offer and hopes the others do too. ”Cheers, to all our fallen friends!”.