Starfinder Encounter: Eclipse of Prophecy

By Chris Sims

The Haunter of the Dark, an aspect of the chaotic evil Outer God, Nyarlathotep, whispers to its loyal servants, the grioths (Starfinder Alien Archive 4 40–41), that something dire has awakened in the depths of the Pact Worlds sun. An elder being long imprisoned has broken free and moves toward the realm of mortals. Reading the portents, a grioth eclipse seer named Drenrika has determined that her raiders should be on Castrovel in the city of Candares during a springtime blood moon there in order to learn more about the burgeoning evil. And so, Drenrika enacted the eldritch rituals required to open a portal to Candares during the lunar eclipse.

Drenrika opened her gate in Candares’s Temple of the Dawnflower, an edifice almost as old as the city itself. Murderous grioth raiders mercilessly dealt with the temple’s clergy and poured into the city streets to murder and loot. They took out power substations to plunge parts of the city into darkness.

A survivor from the temple, a damaya lashunta mystic named Syell Yllsuoda, reports that the grioth leader remains in the sanctuary, awaiting something. Taking her down might close the grioth portal and strand the raiders without hope of reinforcements or retreat. The PCs are just the force for this decisive strike.

Grioths in the Sanctuary — CR 8

After fighting through the shadowy city streets, the PCs come to the Temple of the Dawnflower. Within its sanctuary, just beyond an ancient orrery, stands a lightless portal (represented with a “P” on the map) issuing a frigid wind. This portal is a powerful magical phenomenon of the conjuration school. A PC can suppress it for 1d4 rounds with a targeted dispel magic (dispel check DC 15) plus 1d4 rounds per 5 points by which the check exceeds the DC. If Drenrika dies or retreats through the portal, it closes 1 round later. To non-grioths, this portal is like a solid plane of stone.

From Starfinder Flip-Mat: Solar Temple.

Creatures: Drenrika (D) and her six grioth guards (G) wait in the gloom near the orrery, the eclipse seer perched on the device. They gaze up through the transparent dome, its apex 60 feet overhead, at the blood moon.

Grioths (6) — CR 1

XP 400 each

CE Medium monstrous humanoid

Init +4; Senses blindsight (sound) 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +10

DEFENSE HP 17 EACH

EAC 11; KAC 12

Fort +1; Ref +3; Will +6

Defensive Abilities void adaptation; Immunities cold; Weaknesses light blindness, vulnerable to sonic

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (Ex, average)

Melee bite +7 (1d4+2 P plus psychotomimetic saliva)
voidglass longsword +7 (1d8+2 S; critical demoralizeAR)

Ranged bruiser decoupler +5 (1d4+1 A; critical demoralizeAR)

Offensive Abilities mindshock

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
1/day—detect tech, lesser confusion (DC 12)
At will—daze (DC 11), detect magic

TACTICS

During Combat The grioths open with mindshock. Half the grioths engage the PCs in melee, while the other half keep aloft and mobile, engaging if their comrades fall. Their main goal is to keep the PCs off Drenrika.

Morale While Drenrika lives, the grioths fight to protect her. If she dies or flees, these raiders try to flee through the portal.

STATISTICS

Str +1; Dex +4; Con +0; Int +0; Wis +2; Cha +0

Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +5, Intimidate +10, Mysticism +5, Stealth +5

Languages Aklo, Grioth; telepathy 60 ft.

Other Abilities no breath

Gear second skin, bruiser decouplerAR with 2 batteries (20 charges each), voidglass longsword

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Mindshock (Su) Once per day as a standard action, a grioth can unleash a wave of violent psychic energy. Each non grioth creature within 30 feet takes 2d6 damage and is shaken for 1d4 rounds. A creature that succeeds at a DC 12 Will save takes half damage and negates the shaken condition. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Psychotomimetic Saliva (Ex) Grioth saliva is laced with psychotropic toxins that overload a victim’s neurological pathways, causing intense, rapid fire hallucinations, confusion, and violent seizures. Creatures that are immune to mind affecting effects are immune to this poison.

Psychotomimetic Saliva

Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 12

Track Wisdom; Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds

Cure 1 save

Drenrika. Illustration by Tom Ventre from Starfinder Alien Archive 4 Pawn Collection

Drenrika — CR 6

XP 2,400

Female grioth eclipse seer (Alien Archive 4 40)

CE Medium monstrous humanoid

Init +2; Senses blindsight (sound) 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +13

DEFENSE HP 75

EAC 17; KAC 18

Fort +5; Ref +7; Will +11; +1 vs. mind-affecting effects

Defensive Abilities void adaptation; Immunities cold; Weaknesses light blindness, vulnerable to sonic

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (Ex, average)

Melee bite +11 (1d6+6 P plus psychotomimetic saliva)

Ranged liquidator disintegration pistol +13 (1d10+6 A)

Offensive Abilities mindshock

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th)
1/day—hold person (DC 18), inflict pain (DC 18)
3/day—command (DC 17), detect thoughts (DC 17), lesser confusion (DC 17)
At will—daze (DC 16), psychokinetic hand (DC 16)

TACTICS

During Combat Drenrika flies and uses high perches to maintain distance from her attackers. She casts her spells to separate the PCs and throw their attack into chaos. While she fights, she barks at her troops in Grioth, saying things such as, “We must hear the prophecy! Drive these fools away!”

Morale When she falls to 19 or fewer Hit Points, Drenrika retreats through her portal.

STATISTICS

Str +0; Dex +2; Con +1; Int +2; Wis +5; Cha +3

Skills Acrobatics +13, Intimidate +18, Mysticism +18, Physical Science +13

Languages Aklo, Grioth; telepathy 100 ft. (150 ft. with voidglass armor)

Other Abilities no breath

Gear voidglass zeizerer diffractor IIPW, liquidator disintegration pistolAR with 2 batteries (20 charges each)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Mindshock (Su) As grioths, but the Drenrika can use this ability three times per day, and the DC is 16. A creature that succeeds at the save is immune to Drenrika’s mindshock for 24 hours.

Psychotomimetic Saliva (Ex) As grioths, but the DC is 16.

Treasure: The grioths have their gear. For more on voidglass equipment, see the grioth entry in Alien Archive 4.

Development:Moments after the grioth portal closes for good, a lumyr sombrian (Alien Archive 4 112) named Lashta manifests as the blood moon slowly brightens. Drenrika’s visions were right. The sombrian bears a prophecy…

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