The Void Hantu rushes after Ganon, dead set of preventing the dwarf from getting away with its prize. It faces his retreating form in the hall and creates another gravitic distortion. This one attempts to pull the dwarf back to the east...
... and drags him bodily through the air until he ends up right next to the incorporeal monstrosity! The only mercy is that Ganon manages to stay on his feet as the distortion ends. The Void Hantu remains at ground level.
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (63 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Ganon (Carrying Jadnura)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (41 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (102 dmg)
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Ganon laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole situation, a smile on his face as he heard the shots hit. "At least you guys aren't getting hit anymore! Almost there!"
He withdrew away from his pursuer, trying to at least position himself between the crystal and where the void hantu last hit him with the gravity ability in case it took a shortcut.
The Void Hantu passes directly through some walls on its path to catch up to Ganon, though in the process it leaves itself open to Rayraj . It emerges to face down with the slippery dwarf, thrashing its tentacles in anger and frustration. A silent roar emits from its odd mouth.
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (63 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Ganon (Carrying Jadnura)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (41 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (108 dmg, shaken 2 rd)
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The dwarf, not caring if he got attacked at this point, kept up his run to deposit the First Seeker outside of the range of the crystal and doubled back. A look of concern briefly crossed his face as he saw his teammate way too close to the crystal, but that didn't give him enough pause as he leaped for the crystal to intentionally trigger it. "Here's to serums!"
Having lured the Void Hantu to the crystal, Ganon touches the malfunctioning crystalline device and unleashes a psychic surge.
The tormented psychic screams wash over your group together with the Void Hantu, sparing only Ki and Jaqweh as they remain far away still. The Hantu writhes under the assault. You notice the imprints of shirren claws pressing down hard on its limbs - visible manifestations of the assault it is enduring.
Saryn suffers a psychic assault that leaves him unconscious on the floor, while Ganon and Ray remain injured and standing. The Void Hantu turns directly for Ganon and madly whips a tentacle through his chest. It seems it has just a little fight left in it.
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (72 dmg, 2 Wis dmg, prone, dying)
Ganon (42 dmg, 1 Wis dmg)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (78 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (145 dmg, shaken 1 rd)
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The dwarf withdrew, giving himself a little pep talk as he did so, not knowing who the creature was going to be focused on, but he knew enough that triggering the crystal again while everyone was around was a bad idea.
"Frick, frick, frick, frick, frick... Worked, but stay out of range if we can do this again. If I have it's attention, I can always circle around and we can try it again!"
It reaches the dwarf and delivers another shock of cold and pain with a tentacle.
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (55 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Ganon (53 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (78 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (145 dmg, shaken 2 rd, flatfooted)
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Ray moves to get a clear sight of the hantu, though his eye twitches the closer he gets to the gem. He comments to Jaqweh, "I'd be fine if we could finish this fight though one more hit from that beastie or another blast from this cursed gem and I'd be done for."
He turns back to the beastie and comments, "Cover your ears, Saryn. Not trying to add insult to injury."
He then aims for the ceiling above the beast,
He makes further comment to the two engaged, "Get out of there, mates!"
---
Rather than approach the crystal, the Void Hantu swings at an opportune target in the form of Saryn. Its tentacles whip through the lashunta's head and send him back to the brink of icy death.
The creature defiantly stands its ground in front of Jadnura, unwilling to give up the Starfinder.
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (71 dmg, 4 Wis dmg)
Ganon (53 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (78 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg) x2
Void Hantu (150 dmg, shaken 1 rd, flatfooted)
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Jaqweh groans as events unfold: Ganon comes barreling out of the side room without Captain Jadnura, the hantu fails to follow him, and Saryn drops from an incorporeal tentacle attack.
He telepathically sends to his remaining allies, Ki, Ray, please step away from the gem. The hantu is still inside its area of effect. Let me do this, but you need to be clear of it.
As he steps up to the gem, he stares hard at the hantu, "You fight alone. We do not."
Jaqweh waits with his hand hovering above one of the gem's crystal facets.
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With a concerned look for their downed nufriend, Ki takes another shot at the Hantu, hoping to weaken it enough that such a desperate move is not necessary. Unfortunately, their concern causes them to miss wildly, scoring a hole in the ancient temple. Sure that Jaq knows what they are doing, the Skittermander rushes back to the stairs behind them out of harm's way.
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Jaqweh watches the others step away and notes the concern on their faces. He looks at the gem and happens to see one of the tiles that he commented on when they tried to unlock it the first time. The pattern etched in this particular crystalline panel reminds him of an earring his mother used to wear occasionally. He focuses on the self-sacrifices she made while raising him and his brother and pushes the panel inward. As he slides it across the gem in the direction of the hantu his gaze shifts to the horrid creature.
"Just die, damn you!"
While Jaqweh's taunts continue to keep the Void Hantu shaken, the rest of the party retreats to a safe distance before taking a couple of quick shots. Ganon scores a hit with his lens pistol, but finds his excellent aim foiled by the creature's insubstantial nature . His shot strikes straight through its head, but the Void Hantu simply reforms around the hole punched through.
For once, Ray's expert feints don't seem to have any effect.
Jaqweh readies to activate the crystal...
|||| INIT ||||
Saryn (71 dmg, 4 Wis dmg)
Ganon (53 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (78 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (30 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (151 dmg, shaken 3 rd)
Saryn's swing doesn't manage to connect with the evasive monstrosity. Jaqweh activates the mental remnant crystal, releasing another catastrophic psychic surge.
The psychic agony of the minds trapped within the crystal manifests once more, lashing out at all nearby minds. The Void Hantu manages to partially resist the onslaught, as does Jaqweh. The mental attack proves too much for the envoy .
Beyond Saryn, you see the tattered rippling remnants of the Void Hantu, barely able to maintain cohesion. Shadowy orange tentacles shift in and out of focus and the rubble nearby vibrates in tune with the creature's convulsions. Rather than flee, it hovers obsessively over Jadnura's unconscious body. It looks to be on the verge of dissipating entirely.
|||| Final Round ||||
Saryn (71 dmg, 4 Wis dmg) (save needed vs. backlash)
Ganon (53 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Ki (40 dmg, 2 Wis dmg)
Rayraj (78 dmg, 6 Wis dmg)
Jaqweh (52 dmg, 3 Wis dmg)
Void Hantu (173 dmg, shaken 3 rd)
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As Jaqweh drops to the ground, he spots the creature still hovering above Jadnura. Seeing the Captain that he himself helped rescue from the Scoured Stars reminds him of the pain and suffering that those trapped there endured.
Those memories (and the anger at the hantu still taunting them) push him to hang onto consciousness just a little bit longer.
HP restored
He picks up his pistol from where it dropped as he began to pass out. He comments that their foe's decision to not move and continue to guard Jadnura may not be the most tactically sound on its part.
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The ridiculous of the encounter finally made the dwarf reach his breaking point as his teammates kept unnecessarily getting hit by the crystal and the void hantu still didn't go down. He stepped forward to take his shot at the hovering hostile since it wasn't within range of the crystal anymore. "Seriously?! It's still up? If this thing kills all of us, I'm shooting Jadnura just to spite it." He didn't give any indication whether he was joking or not.
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Almost falling into despair as the creature still stands after yet another punishing backlash, Ki rushes back into the courtyard and levels their Laser Cannon, desperately wanting to save the Kasatha that idolised and had tried (and failed) to model themselves after.
for
Once more seeing their shot pass harmlessly through the shredded creature, Ki sobs. "Ki not helpful..." as they watch Saryn perish.
The chorus of psychic screams overwhelms Saryn's mind, instantly slaying him. His body falls to the ground with a lifeless glassiness to his eyes.
Jaqweh miraculously endures the assault, getting back into the fight in a flash. Then working as a team, you focus on sending two last shots at the tentacled horror. Ki's shot bends around the creature, gravitic lensing in full effect. Ganon's aim is right on target. He sends a beam right into the creature's core. Though the beam is hardly devastating, the hit proves to be the final straw.
The Void Hantu rips apart, smoky limbs and gravitational distortions scattering in all directions. Strange variations in gravity throw Jadnura and Saryn's bodies all over the room as the creature dies. But die it does, and soon there's no trace at all of the horror you faced.
Combat Over!
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Seeing the group in shambles and poor Ki making as desperate attempt to get to Jadnura, Ray gets on the comms to contact Captain Kahir, "Hey Cap, where in really bad shape here and could you immediate evac at these coordinates..."
After tapping in his datapad, he helps where he can to get the group out to where they are being picked up.
When Ki goes to check Jadnura's body, they find the First Seeker still breathing. After a moment, he stirs, shaking slightly as his consciousness is returned to him. His eyes snap open and he looks around, disoriented for a few moments, before pushing up onto his quartet of elbows.
"Ah, Ki'ren'nura, Rayraj. Thank you. Thank you all of you."
He rises to a sitting position. "I had been deep in meditation - too deep perhaps - when the creature fell upon me. In my trance, I was unaware of it assaulting my mind until it was too late."
He stares gravely off into the middle distance, recalling something "In my meditations here, I have seen many truths. Regarding myself. Regarding my role to play within the balance. It is past time that I return to the Society. I will not forget the service you've done for me in rescuing me from that shade."
"I am embarrassed to find myself in need of saving a second time..."
-----
Although Captain Kahir is unable to land near the Ibran temple, you're able to make it back across the asteroid to his ship without too much difficulty. With the Void Hantu destroyed, Jadnura gradually seems to recover en route. Sadly, the same can't be said of Saryn, whose still body you carry back with you.
The flight back is solemn. The Void Scholar takes to the Drift to make the journey back to Absalom Station. Jadnura, shaken once he realizes that Saryn gave his life to rescue him, remains in isolation during the trip, emerging from his quarters only shortly before the ship arrives at its destination. He gathers you and affirms his earlier words, that ultimately little will be solved through isolation and penitence. He announces that his inactivity in the aftermath of the Scoured Stars rescue must come to an end. He requests that you keep his return a secret for the time being and states that he’s likely to call upon you soon for a future assignment involving the fate of the Scoured Stars.
Finally, Jadnura indicates that he’s also spent time meditating during this trip regarding each of your own fates and he hopes to follow your continuing careers. He’s seen glimpses of potential futures based on your actions, and though his visions have not always proven true, he offers his services to your group by giving you short pieces of advice based upon these insights prior to any future missions you may embark on.
-----
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Slapping Jadnura on one side of his arms, Ray exclaims, "Good ol'Jad. We knew that you would make it out of this one. Leave it to a group of your own that pulls you out of the shyte for once."
He looks at the group and sticks out his hand, "Ready to stick out me neck for you all anytime. Let's just hope it's not some extraplanar beastie next time."
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Despite their hero returning to full health, Ki is still deeply affected by the passing of Saryn and tries to be their most helpful in seeing to their arrangements. Strangely, they find paperwork indicating that the Lashunta has made a deal with the Elebrians of Eox for their return to the society and so Ki makes sure that their body is sent to the Eoxian Embassy on Absalom station.
The Skittermander also arranges a send off drink with Jadnura and the group, keeping it quiet as per the First Seeker's request to be kept off the grid. "Of course Master 'nura! Ki here to help!"
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Jaqweh is also unusually quiet and introspective on the return flight. He takes the death of his fellow lashunta personally, having been the one to actually pull the trigger on the gem, so to speak. He plays his antique lashunta wire-bow listlessly. When he does focus on it, he plays dirges and other sad traditional songs of their shared homeland.
When Jadnura indicates that he'll likely call upon them again, he replies simply, "I go where the Stewards send me, Captain."
He shakes everyone's hands at the dock before departing, a much more subdued and solemn man than they met just days before.