Bleu opens the door with one hand while holding his laser rifle with two others, his survival knife in another and another is used to hold his survival knife. With his last hand, he is just doing a countdown from 4 before opening the door.
The door opens revealing an immense circular room that is bare, except for several computer screens and databanks that line the inner walls. Chairs jut out from some of these computerized desks, while doors exit to the northeast, southeast, and southwest.
Near the door way of stands another pair of beasts similar to those that you had swiftly defeated earlier.
These creatures are some sort of summoned First World beasts, now serving as outpost security.
The spacious area they guard clearly once served as the command and control center for the entire outpost. Several of the computers have obviously short circuited or broken down, but about half of the terminals are still functioning.
Behind them, crouched behind a chair, is one of the natives, his coloring far bluer and more intense than those of the natives that you had encountered earlier. Pulses of light flash from his skin angrily, identifying him as the exile, 3pulsesthen2!
You identify the Exile as one of the bioluminescent, who can absorb energy. He also has some mystical training.
3pulsesthen2 is adorned in a suit of graphite carbonskin, which is formed in a style that, while outdated, is indicative of those among the Pact Worlds. The Exile holds a laser pistol in one hand and a small blade in the other!
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round One Begins!
Morbo
Blue
Max
Jacinth
Boris
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow)
Exile (blue)
Jacinth moves into the room and casts Mind Thrust at 3pulsesthen2
The exile grabs ahold of his illuminated head, emitting a series of rapid, pulsating light, before doubling over in obvious pain!
Bleu's shot goes wide as Morbo urges his allies.
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round One Cont'd!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth
Boris
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow)
Exile (blue) -15 HP
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Boris steps up to the door, aiming his computer towards the Exile for the flashing code of his language and also speaking, "What a sad example of your race you are. I am shocked you have survived out here!"
Dispiriting Taunt: Standard action, 60' Demoralize roll (intimidate) if fail, enemy off target (-2 attack rolls), if succeed enemy shaken (-2 attack, skill, ability checks) until end of my next turn.
Boris steps up to the door, aiming his computer towards the Exile for the flashing code of his language and also speaking, "What a sad example of your race you are. I am shocked you have survived out here!"
Shaken by the morlamaw's words, the exile's luminescent skin flickers a succession of tentative flashes.
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round One Cont'd!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth
Boris
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow)
Exile (blue) -15 HP
Max's shot strikes one of the mutt-like monsters.
One of the monsters rushes the nearest Starfinder and chomps.
The other leaps at the Starfinder that hurt it!
Enraged at the violation in his head, the exile turns his gaze to Jacinth. "Now," he pulses brightly, "you will "
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Two Begins!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth -6 SP
Boris
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow) -1 HP
Exile (blue) -15 HP
Blue moves out of range of the beast and to avoid shooting Jacinth, targets the other beast.
Bleu manages a grazing shot on the creature, nipping the beast.
Fire again at yellow
Max misses.
Morbo loops around and bats at the big bad with his tactical baton
The exile easily avoids the blow. "You shouldn't have done that, oaf!" he cries. "In your future, I see DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"
Oh snap! Jacinth is better at giving it than he is at taking it.
After forcing the induced headache down, Jacinth retaliates.
Jacinth takes it, then gives it!
The exile sees stars!
He, then, collapses to the ground.
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Two Cont'd!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth -6 SP | -6 HP
Boris
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow) -2 HP
Exile (blue)
As the morlamaw scoots into the room, each of the creatures goes for a bite!
The two creatures stand their ground, biting with abandon!
Jacinth falls.
The exile remains unconscious.
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Three Begins!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth
Boris -16 SP
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow) -2 HP
Exile (blue)
Because of Boris' Inspiring Boost, I have Jacinth at 3 hit points.
Jacinth full withdraws.
"Disobedient servant, I admonish you!"
Morbo's admonishment drops the beast.
Boris bares as Max misses.
The remaining beast tries to get more its maw around the morlamaw!
Then, the fallen exile rises to his feet. Pleased to see Jacinth down, 3pulsesthen2 turns his fury on Morbo!
"" he bellows with a furious display of lights!
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Four Begins!
Morbo
Bleu
Max
Jacinth
Boris -21 SP
Beast (red)
Beast (yellow) -2 HP
Exile (blue) -15 HP| -2 RP
Max makes his mark.
Morbo's mind melts and he misses.
Boris bashes the beast!
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Four Cont'd!
Morbo -14 SP
Bleu
Max
Jacinth
Boris -21 SP
Beast (red) -11 HP
Beast (yellow) -10 HP
Exile (blue) -15 HP| -2 RP
The skittermander shoots toward the blinking creature “If you like lights, I’ll give you some!”
The exile sees the light and then collapses from the shot.
BATTLE WITH THE EXILE! - Round Five Begins!
Morbo -14 SP
Bleu
Max
Jacinth -6 SP| -10 HP |-1 RP
Boris -21 SP
Exile (blue) -3 RP
The exile's eyes flash open. With his luminescent glow turning a dire red, the 3pulsesthen2 begins to rise to his feet. Putting a hand to his head, he turns his gaze towards the bulk of the party.
he screams with flashing and patterned effect that is both disorienting and terrifying. "With another mindthrust, I will INCAPACITATE another one of you and seal my inevitable VICT---!"
Morbo readies to bap the prone native on the noggin if he gets up.
The bap brings the bad guy down--for good.
With the threat of the exile and the summoned security creatures abated, the Starfinders are free to explore the remainder of the facility.
Locations now indicated on Map
In this room, you can access the command-center computer and retrieve information on what happened to the outpost, including a map of the facility, and several interesting finds that the colonists discovered about nearby systems.
A corporation, Amiable, Inc., sought to colonize the planet after its intersystem probes revealed the planet to be a lush world full of life. Unlike other, more profit-motivated corporations known to make quick planet grabs in an effort to possess and exploit new resources, Amiable, Inc., though small in size, strove to act in an environmentally-conscience manner. The corporation reached out to the Xenowardens before setting about constructing its initial outpost on the planet. The Xenowardens, in turn, expressed interest in the life on the planet and agreed to partially fund the expedition in addition to providing monitoring of its ecological impact on the newly discovered world.
Once the outpost was established, the Xenowardens began taking account of the rare and spectacular creatures that dwelled on and around the planet, including a Besmaran whelp. It was not long before the Xenowardens realized that the forest near which the outpost was established included a sort of “thin space”, where the First World connected with the Material Plane and that the fertility of the First World flowed through the connection into the planet, often with unpredictable results.
Exploration into this connection perturbed some of the local fey that dwelled in the First World. Consummate tricksters, the fey used illusions and shape-shifting to cause discontent and strife among the colonists.
The fey’s efforts, conducting largely in secret without the colonists knowledge, led to distrust, infighting, and internal strife among the colonists. Soon, the joint venture ended. Amible, Inc., unable to make a quick enough return on their investment, withdrew from the venture and soon thereafter went bankrupt. Many of the Xenowardens departed as well, though a few remained behind with hopes of both continuing the exploration of the world and protecting its resources from outsiders.
Yet, the divisions and distrust among the Xenowardens, driven further by the fey’s actions, eventually turned violent. The remaining colonists were wiped out by internal strife along with many of their experiments, but not before one of colonists, distrustful of her colleagues, sought out the locals and entrusted them with the care of the eggs of the mother Besmaran whelp.
For centuries, the outpost remained abandoned until curiosity drove 3pulsesthen2 to explore the ruins. His knowledge limited, the exile experimented and guessed at how much of what he found in the outpost worked. One of his earliest efforts in summoning creatures from the First World, resulted in his binding some sort of living storm to the site. Although the elemental-like being was too large and powerful for him to either return or contain, its presence nevertheless urged him to continue his efforts.
Eventually, learning much of the Common tongue of the Pact Worlds, he was able to get some of the equipment working, summoning creatures from the First World as security and servants. Using the summoned creatures and those few loyal to him within the village, 3pulsesthen2 had clear designs to steal the eggs of the Besmaran whelp that are current in the care of the village. Having uncovered references to the Xenowardens' own use of living starships, 3pulsesthen2 planned to create an armada of his own.
Officer's Quarter
This tight room contains little beyond an imposing plastic desk and an nearby chair. A single exit door leads to the northeast. This room was once the private quarters for the commanding officer of the Xenowardens. The addition of luminescent moss and fungi indicates that 3pulsesthen2 had claimed the room as his personal lair. Inside, you discover a variety items the exile has stolen or hoarded over the years, not only operations manuals and translation equipment, but also a seed bank, containing seeds for many rare and unusual herbs and plants valued for medicinal and industrial purposes that 3pulsesthen2 undoubtedly hoped would allow him to colonize and control other worlds.
Armory
Supply lockers line the walls of this thirty-foot-wide circular room. Varied pieces of equipment are visible within some of the open lockers, while others are piled on the floor in front of hastily cleared units. Doors exit this chamber to the west and southwest.
Upon inspection, this room served as the supply room and arsenal for the former colonists before being mostly ransacked by the exile.
Mess Hall
An L-shaped plastic table and accompanying chairs are haphazardly shoved in the northwest area of this circular space. Doors exit to the south and east of this otherwise empty chamber.
The mess hall is mostly abandoned and rarely used, with randomly placed tables and chairs pushed against walls or carelessly overturned, likely by some of the security beasts as they patrolled or occupied the room.
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As soon as he got time, the blue skittermander gives a serum to Jacinth that wakes up in time to see the exile being killed by Morbo.
Bleu will definitely look in the Armory locker, in case there’s the kind of armor he is interested in. “Grenades and a big armor, that could be useful.”
After the team has visited all the rooms there, he tells them “I guess we can go back to the natives before going back to the society to tell them about what we found.”
With little incident, you are able to make the trip from the outpost through the dense forest to the awaiting Pegasus.
The return to Absalom Station is relatively quick and uneventful thanks to its Starstone acting akin to some form of supercharged Drift beacon.
Guidance debriefs you all when after your arrival on Absalom Station.
“Welcome back, Starfinders." Guidance intones. "The Xenowardens, the contracting organization that had reached out to the Society about the abandoned outpost, is quite eager to review the data you have recovered. I’ve prepared a list of subsequent missions that might appeal to each of you, once you’re each properly debriefed. There are a multitude of other lost outposts in Near Space, and with your experience, we hope you will take these assignments into consideration. Now, what have you to report?”