-Nate
Star
Wars: Age of Rebellion: Illumination
The jungles of Yavin IV are home
to many secrets, ones long since hidden by the rapid growth of plant
life. Although many of the moon's giant stone temples have already
been explored—the Rebel Alliance even used one as its base until it
was attacked by the Death Star—there are others that have not yet
been discovered. This mission involves one such, along with the lost
relics and lore that it still conceals, and various parties trying to
claim them.
Adventure
Summary
This mission begins as the PCs
arrive in orbit of Yavin IV. From there they can land close to the
cluster of Massassi temples, where the explorers' starship is
landed—and there is no sign of them. Tracks lead to a small,
vine-covered temple. As they approach, they're attacked by a probe
droid. Inside the temple are the missing Rebels, along with a pair of
gundarks. There's also an old puzzle mechanism that, if activated
correctly, opens a hidden cache. The PCs don't have much time to
study what they find inside it, however, because a member of the
Imperial Inquisitorius comes looking to steal their prize.
Planning
and Preparation
The PCs should have a chance
retroactively to requisition appropriate gear, such as jungle
camouflage fatigues, survival packs, a medkit, sensor pack and the
like.
Involving
the Player Characters
Once they've acquired the
equipment that they need, the action begins with the PCs in their
transport arriving in orbit of the fourth moon of Yavin.
Mission
Objectives and PC Duty
Presented below are some of the
ways in which this assignment can tie into different characters'
objectives.
- Combat Victory: As expected, there's plenty of chances to do battle with the Empire—and this time with one of its ranking agents.
- Counter-Intelligence: Keeping the Empire from discovering the temple's contents is a priority.
- Intelligence: In the same vein, gaining those secrets for the Alliance is also a victory.
- Internal Security: As always, it's important to make sure that everyone adheres to the mission.
- Personnel: Similarly, it's crucial to make sure that all team members are well protected.
- Political Support: Discovering the lore hidden in the temple, and thus helping a Force-sensitive character develop abilities—could be a means of winning popular support for the Alliance.
- Recruiting: In the same way, having such a paragon might win others to the cause.
- Resource Acquisition: The lore that can be acquired here is an important resource, indeed.
- Sabotage: This is also a good chance to damage the Imperial war machine.
- Space Superiority: Once the Inquisitor arrives, there's a chance to fight aboard the party's ship.
- Support: Given the wide variety of tasks involved in conducting this mission, there are ample opportunities to support fellows Rebels.
- Tech Procurement: The technological insight available from this mission could be a real coup.
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Massassi Temples
For a good map of the area around the Massassi temples on Yavin IV, please refer to Wookieepedia. |
Episode
1: In the Thick of Things
Refer to the map mentioned in the
sidebar above for a layout of the Great Temple and its surroundings.
The space in front of that structure is the only open ground for
landing a starship, but clever PCs may think to land their vessel
inside the temple so that it is harder for ships in orbit to detect
it (as detailed below).
The explorers' vessel, a
Ghtroc-720 freighter, is parked at the edge of the cleared area, and
covered with camouflage netting. While the ship is locked up tightly
and the explorers are not here, there are several ways in which the
PCs can learn more about what has happened here.
- An average Perception check reveals two different sets of tracks in the area; both are humanoid and wearing boots, and one is slightly larger than the other.
- From there, an average Survival check can follow those tracks northwest into the jungle.
- A hard Survival check, after entering the jungle, reveals tracks from medium-sized reptavian creatures; these are the chokus, detailed below.
- At the temple itself, another average Perception check reveals impact marks from blaster bolts, but the source of them is not yet apparent.
- Finally, a hard Computers check and the use of a scanner pack reveals an occasional burst of encrypted transmission, which an average Warfare check can identify as coming from an Imperial probe droid.
Chokus
En route to the temple, the PCs
are attacked by a trio of chokus that are looking for easy prey. If
two of them are incapacitated, then the third one flees.
Chokus: Refer to page 59
in Strongholds of Resistance for stats.
Episode
2: The Temple
Refer
to the map below for the following location descriptions. The
temple is a smallish step pyramid; it sits on a small island in the
middle of a river. The grey stone is covered with moss and vines,
making it blend in with the surrounding terrain. Interested parties
must make a hard Perception check to find the removable slab at the
top of this pyramid. From there, it's a ten-meter drop to the floor
of the main chamber (see below for details). The center of this
temple (1) is filled by a single chamber, one that itself is
dominated by a broad ring cut from the stone, along with a structure
in the middle that resembles an altar. It is two meters in diameter,
with a small hole in the center and a series of twenty-four holes in
the surrounding edge. What is more, around the outside of the room
there is another circular structure, this one perforated by 201
holes. Surrounding the orrery chamber there are twenty-four smaller
rooms (2), each six meters square. They once provided space for
meditation when the Massassi still worshiped here. Now they are
filled with floodwater that has seeped into them.
Gundarks
One
of the flooded cells is now home to a couple of aquatic gundarks, who
have built a nest here.
Gundarks:
Refer to page 432 of the core rulebook
for stats.
The
gundarks' nest also holds the three gem-topped keys needed to open
the hidden niche, as detailed below.
Solving
the Puzzle
The
PCs can gain access to this room as long as they manage to solve the
aforementioned puzzle. The three keys are topped with gems that are
green, yellow and red; they represent the planet Yavin, this moon,
and the primary star. The latter needs to be inserted in the center
slot, while the red one goes into a middle slot and the yellow one on
the outside edge (representing how these bodies appear in the sky).
When
that happens, a circular staircase opens around the base of the
central altar, descending into the darkness below. At the bottom is a
round chamber ten meters in diameter. It contains an old codex of
bound paper, one that details the techniques for building and
repairing lightsabers, along with how different types of crystals can
be used in them. There is also a Jedi meditation focus; refer to the
Force and Destiny core rulebook to find rules for those items.
Episode
3: The Inquisitor
Just how much warning the PCs
have of the Inquisitor's arrival depends on what kinds of precautions
they've taken while exploring Yavin IV. If, for example, they left a
droid aboard their own vessel to operate the sensors and monitor comm
traffic, then they can be given ample notice. On the other hand, if
they haven't made any such preparations, then they could emerge from
the jungle to find the landing area occupied by a Lambda-class
shuttle, the Inquisitor, and two squads of stormtroopers.
Third Brother, the
Inquisitor: Refer to the Appendix below for stats.
Stormtroopers: Refer to
page 420 in the core rulebook for stats.
Stormtrooper Sergeants:
Refer to page 420 for stats.
Lambda-class
Shuttle: Refer to page 273 for stats.
Shuttle Pilot: Use the
stats for a TIE Ace from pag 423.
Development
This should be a challenging
fight for the PCs and one that they don't necessarily fight to the
finish. That is because Third Brother is meant to be an ongoing
opponent for the PCs, and as such should not be killed off during
their first encounter with him. In fact, the Inquisitor has already
called for backup, in the form of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer
and its full compliment of Imperial forces.
TIE
Fighters: Refer to page 270 of
the core rulebook for stats.
TIE
Pilots: Refer to page 423.
Victory-Class
Star Destroyer: Refer to pages
281-2.
Imperial
Gunnery Corps: Refer to page
418.
Epilogue
In addition to pulling the Rebel
explorers out of harm's way, success in this mission allows the PCs
to discover a valuable Jedi relic and some very useful lore. Of
course, it also earns them a dangerous enemy, one who is likely to
hound their activities in the future.
Rewards
for Risks
The PCs should earn 10 experience
points each for success, or 5 if they fought the good fight but were
unsuccessful. Additionally, those who played to their motivations
could earn an extra 5 experience points.
Appendix 1: NPCs
Presented below are stats for
some of the NPCs in this scenario.
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Imik
Suum
Brawn 1 Agility
2 Intellect 2
Cunning
2 Willpower 3 Presence 2
Soak: 1 Wound
Threshold: 11
Strain Threshold:
13 M/R Defense: 0 / 0
Skills:
Astrogation 2, Computers 3, Cool 1, Core Worlds 2, Lore 1,
Mechanics 2, Outer Rim 2, Perception 2, Piloting—Planetary 2,
Piloting—Space 2, Ranged—Light 1, Vigilance 1
Talents:
Solid Repairs, Tinkerer
Abilities:
None
Equipment:
Datapad, Comlink, Blaster Pistol (Ranged—Light; Damage 6;
Critical 3; Range [Medium]; Stun setting), 200 credits.
Imik Suum is a
Sullustan who once worked for the SoroSuub Corporation on the
planet Genarius. He grew dissatisfied with being just a cog in a
company that produced material for the Galactic Empire, however,
and thus left his job. While not so rough-and-tumble as his Human
friend Seng Windrunner, he has good business sense and is skilled
at working with computers and fixing machinery, both abilities
that the Rebel Alliance has put to good use.
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Seng
Windrunner
Brawn 2 Agility
3 Intellect 2
Cunning
2 Willpower 1 Presence 3
Soak: 2 Wound
Threshold: 12
Strain Threshold:
11 M/R Defense: 0 / 0
Skills:
Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Charm 1, Cool 2, Coordination 1, Gunnery 1,
Leadership 2, Mechanics 2, Medicine 1, Perception 1,
Piloting—Planetary 3, Piloting—Space 3, Resilience 1, Stealth
1, Streetwise 2, Survival 2, Vigilance 2
Talents:
Full Throttle, Skilled Jockey
Abilities:
None
Equipment:
Comlink, Blaster Pistol (Ranged—Light; Damage 6; Critical 3;
Range [Medium]; Stun setting), 200 credits.
Seng Windrunner
was once a member of a swoop gang on the planet Cularin. He raced
in local competitions, and found means of getting into trouble
when he wasn't racing. A run-in with the Jedi—and some
bloodthirsty pirates—showed him the error of his ways. Now he
works on behalf of the Rebel Alliance, undertaking odd jobs in
which his piloting skills prove useful. He is fast friends with
Imik Suum, who shares his outlook regarding the New Order.
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Third
Brother, the Inquisitor
Brawn 3 Agility
3 Intellect 2 Cunning 3 Willpower 3 Presence 2
Soak: 4 Wound
Threshold: 17 Strain Threshold: 15 M/R Defense: 1 / 1
Skills:
Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Coercion 1, Cool 3, Coordination 2,
Discipline 2, Lightsaber 3, Lore 3, Melee 2, Perception 3,
Ranged—Light 1, Resilience 2, Stealth 2, Vigilance 3
Talents:
Grit x2, Insight, Sense Danger, Touch of Fate, Toughened x2,
Uncanny Reactions, Uncanny Senses
Abilities:
Adversary 1; Force Powers [Move—Magnitude, Range and Strength
Upgrades], [Enhance—Control Upgrade], [Foresee—Control
Upgrade]
Equipment:
Armored clothing, comlink, datapd, lightsaber (Lightsaber; Damage
10; Critical 1; Range [Engaged]; Breach 1, Sunder, Vicious 2).
Third
Brother lives for one purpose—identifying and eliminating any
Force-users who might pose a threat to Emperor Palpatine's New
Order. To that end, he is a relentless foe, but will not throw
away his life in a situation that cannot be won. Although he is
Human, he has a pale complexion, is shaved bald, and bears
numerous visible scars; it is not known if they come from damage
suffered in combat, some kind of punishment, or another means.
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Appendix
2: Opening Crawl
Presented below is
an opening crawl in the style of the Star Wars
movies for use with this scenario.
STAR WARS
AGE OF REBELLION
ILLUMINATION
It is a
time of civil war.
Seeking any
weapon that it can use to fight the Galactic Empire,
the Rebel
Alliance has sent a team to salvage material on the fourth moon
of Yavin.
They have found a previously unknown Massassi temple, however,
and
requested assistance in discovering its secrets...
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