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El'zar easily climbs up and reaches the platform alongside Roddy. Elfa slips but instead of trying again runs over to Whiskey preparing to heal him.
Lexicor's shot goes a little wide and over the Jinsul's head.
---
The Jinsul sees the greater threat being the Starfinders now on the platform and changes targets but fails to score a hit on Roddy.
---
Bold
Roddy (10 feet up, FF)
Lexicor (-2)
Elfa (10 feet up, FF)
Whiskeybot (-14)
El'zar
Active Conditions:
Elfa finally reaches the peak of the current platform.
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The Jinsul isn't able to keep Elzar from probing deep within its mind, resulting in a final scream of pain, eyes bursting from the mental pressure. The eyeless face turns towards the device as it falls off to the ground below.
---
Bold
Roddy (+1 Standard)
Lexicor (-2)
Elfa
Whiskeybot (-14) x2
El'zar
Active Conditions:
Elfa eyes the device as the others rush up the ramp to the center platform. Knowing the creatures can be vicious she instead runs along with them.
"Perhaps the devices could use inspection after this...they seem rather focused on them." she says trying to keep up with the group.
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The Jinsul on the peak platform stays focused on continuing the ritual until a shot from Lex soars past the console.
"Nooo, you cannot stop the ritual. The manifestation is not stable yet. Die trespassers!"
With a clicking of mandibles the creature turns with surprise to see Roddy before reaching out to touch the pulsecaster pistol on his side.
The pistol surges with power and sends pulses of high voltage shocks to Roddy. The Jinsul then steps back towards the edge.
---
Bold
Roddy (-13)
Lexicor
Elfa
Whiskeybot 6/7 HP
El'zar
Active Conditions:
The features of the earthen terrain remain consistent across all subtiers. Standing columns are 30 feet tall, and creatures can share their spaces with no penalty; Medium or smaller creatures that share a square with a column gain cover. Each column has 100 Hit Points, and hardness 10; if destroyed, it topples away from the last source of damage. Toppled columns function as low walls. Ramps, including the bridge to the center mesa and columns leaning against mesas, function as difficult terrain. All mesas stand 30 feet tall except the center mesa and the one Ailuros leans against, which stand 60 feet tall. Climbing the side of a mesa requires a successful Easy Athletics check. Ailuros’s torso functions as a standing column, while their legs function as toppled columns. If Ailuros’s torso takes 100 damage, they topple over like a 20-foot tall column, unconscious but still alive.
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Roddy shakes off the convulsions, gritting his teeth so he doesn't bite down on his tongue. When the pain subsides a little, he steps up to the Jinsul and growls, "You'll pay for that, gimbo," before winding up with another Glasz Cannon. He instinctually flexes for the cameras before remembering there aren't any. He hopes nobody saw that, and just goes for the kill instead. No prisoners this time--these things are too dangerous.
The energy emanating from Dhurus and its hierocrats ripples and wanes, indicating their vulnerability to elite Starfinders’ attacks.
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As the Starfinders close in on the next Jinsul, they send an array of mental and physical attacks leaving it battered. Following the advice of Elzar, Elfa runs over to the device and attempts to look for a way to intervene.
As she places her hand on the device, a booming voice echoes in your minds. She feels that these are what is pulling the god Kadricals mind into the ritual.
"What are these monsters doing? My heralds, have the abandoned me and turned against me? Ailuros...Dhurus." the god asks.
After explaining the situation, Kadrical begins to calm. "Dhurus, an avatar of conquest...his ambition and love for chaos has corrupted his goals...this cannot be allowed."
As Kadrical begins to fight the ritual, the dream monster wails and begins to shudder...it continues to babble but fades in and out of reality.
---
Bold
Roddy (-13)
Lexicor
Elfa
Whiskeybot 6/7 HP
El'zar
Active Conditions:
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!”
And so the Starfinders head for home.
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 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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Roddy lounges in a medical bay on Absalom Station, watching holo-vids of news organizations smearing their accomplishments, teeth clenched hard enough to make his jaw ache. He grabs a napkin from his bland, flavorless hospital meal, balls it up, and tosses it at the vid-screen. "Na'aderoma-na!" he snarls, then winces as the scorched skin under his bandages cracks, and he feels the cold sliminess of the salving gel seep into it before it can bleed, as a medical SRO with absolutely no facial muscles still somehow manages to give him the universal Disapproving Nurse Look. "Ow," he grumbles irritably, lying back in his upright hospital bed.
"We saved their asses from a literal god, and this is how they repay us? Saba--!" He clamps his mouth shut to keep his language under control. "The Hells we do this for, anyway? Risk our necks for a galaxy that just wants to hate us? I ever find out who's behind this, they gonna taste xadai at the back o' their throat, ya?"
He scowls as he stares at the now-silent holo-vid. "For a galaxy steadily on its way out the door, sure do seem like this nonsense never ends, don't it?" He sighs, lying back and closing his eyes. "Just never ends..."
He lets his mind wander, expression softened to one of quiet anxiety rather than fury.
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El'zar makes an unseemly quantity of assorted tapas for consumption on the way back to pact worlds space.
"Yeah all this spin stinks. I'm not happy-happy over here, but the galaxy is where I keep my stuff so you know if we don't do something bout it who will? I'm sure whoever set this up will get theres."