Desha completes her spell and the light in the room coalesces into the form of a lantern archon floating serenely behind Dhurus. The archon focuses its light and fires a beam at Dhurus to try and provide an opening for Desha and her allies.
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The eldritch jinsul takes damage from Krara, Desha, and Prototype x-17. (-75). Unfortunately the archon's rainbow laser isn't doing much harrying.
Before skittering next to Gordon, Dhurus uses it's ichor spew (line, 60ft) against Desha and Kait'lax.
Over the comms you hear:
[Jadnura] The jinsuls are pulling back to their command ship, attempting to pursue… by the gods, something massive is emerging between the fleets!
[Fitch] This is Fitch and the Master of Stars, coming in to assist. Let’s punch a hole in that jinsul line, shall we? Wait, Kirkath don’t press that button!!!
Everyone is up except Krara
Desha's archon ally moves in closer to Dhurus and fires its ray of dazzling holy light at the herald again.
The archon Desha summoned flies forward, weaving around the fallen jinsul crew and their terminals as it moves to get into position to provide some tactical support for Desha's allies.
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Desha and Prototype x-17 do more damage to Dhurus and Dhurus decides it's time to leave. (-173).
Before departing he says This was just a test of your abilities. I shall easily defeat you when we meet again: In the Scoured Stars, where Kadrical sleeps.
After this, Hierarch Kraaton’s body slumps to the floor and dissolves
into a pool of acidic sludge.
((out of combat))
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Desha finally lowers her rifle as Dhurus withdraws from the shell of Hierarch Kraaton. Even as the spirit of the herald presages their eventual clash for the fate of the Scoured Stars, Desha peers into the tapestry of time and magic and sees herself joining in the deadly fray and triumphing over her longtime foe.
When the vision fades, she shakes her head to clear her thoughts, then turns to her crew. "Is everyone alright? I doubt we have long to stay on this ship, though it sounds like the battle outside has turned toward our favor thanks to the arrival of our allies. Kait'lax, Gordon, see if you can take over the comm arrays aboard this ship to get a message to the Master of Stars or the First Seeker's ship to let them know we were successful and request orders. Personally, I'm inclined toward Gordon's suggestion."
She presses a hand to her chest and casts a quick spell to patch up some of her wounds.
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Gordon has a quick look and discovers several indicators and lights are indicating that this ship is in imminent danger of blowing up.
About the same time you receive an urgent message from Jadnura, requesting their immediate return to the Perfect Silence. Busy trying to avoid the allied fleet’s attacks, the remaining jinsul crew members aboard the command carrier offer no resistance when you return to the hangar bay and leave the carrier. Instead, the jinsuls fervently try to save the doomed ship, though the ongoing battle has irrevocably compromised the vessel, which is doomed to cinematically explode mere moments after you return to yout ship and leave the jinsul vessel.
After the carrier is destroyed, the jinsul fleet immediately exits the Kreiholm Freehold’s space, returning to the Scoured Stars for new orders. Meanwhile, you return to the [i]Perfect Silence[/], and the First Seekers call you to the bridge to attend a debriefing, along with the recently arrived faction leaders, Speaks Forgotten Words, and the mysterious android who brought in much-needed reinforcements, Iteration-177.
I want to thank you, begins First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo, You showed no hesitation when dealing with the jinsul hierarch despite facing such overwhelming odds. Infiltrating the jinsul command ship and defeating their hierarch was an amazing feat of skill and courage, and then standing to face this Dhurus figure and living to tell of it is nothing short of remarkable.
Jadnura waves one of his hands, and the view on the bridge’s tactical screens changes to show the map of the Scoured Stars trinary system. Jadnura nods respectfully at Speaks Forgotten Words, the android Iteration-177, and various other allied leaders in the room.
Today, we gave our help to the Kreiholm Freehold and also received help from unexpected allies. The battle showed that our combined strength is formidable. After today, the jinsuls may finally know a modicum of fear. After a pause, Jadnura continues, We now have a unified fleet, and more reinforcements are on the way. Now is the time to strike the jinsuls and stop Dhurus, once and for all, before they recover from this defeat.
Luwazi nods. I could not agree more—we cannot rest until we have defeated Dhurus. Otherwise, the jinsuls will doubtless rebuild and continue their efforts against us. After this, Luwazi’s expression suddenly grows concerned as she turns to regard Iteration-177. After a moment of uneasy silence, she speaks. Iteration-177, your timely arrival and the reinforcements you brought with you saved us from an almost certain defeat, and you have my deepest gratitude. However, your recent actions—today and in recent months—raise questions that demand immediate answers Luwazi declares.
In a calm voice, Iteration-177 replies: I knew it would come to this sooner or later. It is now time to reveal the truth of me.
There is a profound silence in the room as the leaders exchange worried looks in anticipation.
I was once, and perhaps still am to some, known as Ailuros. Like Dhurus, I am one of Kadrical’s four divine heralds. I only recently returned to galactic affairs when the Starfinder Society inadvertently earned Kadrical’s attention during its first mission into the Scoured Stars.
So perhaps you can understand why I did not reveal my identity before or assume you would trust me. Kadrical’s awakening would have threatened me, so I did not know if you were friend or foe. Rest assured, you’ve proven yourself friends, and I hope my actions today proved I genuinely want to stop my wayward sibling as much as you do. We must put an end to Dhurus before it and the fanatical jinsuls cause more damage. I fear Dhurus, in its hubris, may even move against Kadrical in an attempt to usurp the deity’s divine energies.
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Desha bows her head as the First Seekers and their allies talk through the victory. When Iteration-177 reveals their true nature, she is nearly knocked off her feet--to think that the Society had been working alongside one of the divine heralds of Kadrical, even while another of the heralds had plagued the Society and threatened to invade the Pact Worlds just as the jinsuls had done to the Kreiholm Freehold! It was almost too much to take in!
Yet when she took a moment to absorb it all, she found peace in the moment, as she had so many times before, by coming back to the realization that it was the friendships and bonds among her crew and all the others assembled here that had brought them victory. "Hylax be praised," she whispered to herself in a quiet moment of relief.
For the moment, she is glad the battle is done, but she knows she will need to be ready for the final fight against Dhurus. Whenever Jadnura commands it, she will be ready. Ready to join the battle for the Scoured Stars and the Fate of the Scoured God!
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Kait'lax makes sure to get a good shot of the Jinsul ship exploding behind them as they escape.
They look somewhat ashamed when Luwazi talks about "no hesitation", but listen intently to the conversation. Perhaps with a demigod on their side, the Pact Worlds will continue to turn the tide of this war.
"You can count on us," they answer. "Just tell me where to point a ship and we'll be there."
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I could not say. Like the four as-of-yet undiscovered civilizations from the Scoured Stars, Kadrical imparted no information about the doings of my fellow heralds. I only know Dhurus thanks to the efforts of your Society.
When the Godshield rose during the first Scoured Stars mission, I realized Kadrical was stirring. Knowing that the overbearing deity would mean some trouble and an end to my rather enjoyable exploration of the galaxy, I did my best to stay aware of all activities around the Scoured Stars. I began to exert influence in helping the Starfinder Society so that Kadrical’s slumber would continue.
Kadrical. Hmmm .... So much time has passed, I do not presume to judge how a waking god would react to all that’s happened. If Kadrical remains as he was, then I would presume that he wishes to once again fill the Scoured Stars with loyal followers. To preserve them and their legacies for all time.
Dhurus is a wayward sibling of sorts and Dhurus always sought favour from Kadrical. I believe, with the veneration the jinsuls provide it now, Dhurus may believe itself superior to our guiding deity. As I said, Dhurus may, now that we’ve foiled its plans here, seek to usurp Kadrical and siphon the sleeping god’s energies for its own malign purpose. Regrettably, Dhurus and the jinsuls must be stopped by whatever means available.
Maybe. I'm not exactly sure
Not me. My task, as ordained by Kadrical, was to find the mentrasi—one of the eight civilizations that long ago fled from the Scoured Stars—and take them back home, but I found their civilization destroyed. Bereft of purpose, I decided to… explore the galaxy rather than return to Kadrical.
Nothing really. That was a cover story.
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Four heralds, but eight species. Krara thinks aloud. And you were sent to find one of them. From what I saw on Rax Dhurus got the same assignment. And given that the Izalguun and Kreiholm haven't had a Herald show up I'm guessing they didn't make the list. So why does your sleeping god care more about some of his former wards than others?
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"I was wondering what you were up to on the Mentrasi's planet. I must admit that when our crew found you there, we were quite alarmed, and I was rather suspicious. I'm glad to know you weren't there for any malevolent purpose.
I suppose the only other question I have now is what you will do next? Obviously, we will work together to thwart Dhurus's plan to usurp Kadrical's divinity, but that will almost certainly rouse the god fully. Will you try to prevent that, or will you return to your duties as one of Kadrical's heralds?"
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Once you finish asking Iteration-177 any questions, the assembled dignitaries and leaders depart. Eventually, only you and First Seekers Jadnura and Luwazi Elsebo remain. The Society leaders once again profoundly thank you for your achievements during the battle, but they seem distant as they ponder the startling revelations laid out by Iteration-177. Jadnura turns his back to the group and looks out a nearby window at the immense fleet gathering outside. Luwazi breaks this silence by observing the assembled fleet is ready to return to the Scoured Stars. She invites you to join in the coming fight, though she understands if after the brutal combat today you would rather take a ship home. Luwazi then bids you return to your ship, rest, and prepare yourselves for the coming conflict.
=== This ends the scenario ===
You have earned both the primary and secondary conditions being +1 xp, +2 fame and +2 reputation. Could I please have your dayjob rolls if not already done in the recruitment thread.
Thank you all for playing.