STAR WARS: DAWN OF DEFIANCE EPISODE 4 - Echoes of the Jedi

Echoes of the Jedi is the fourth adventure in the Dawn of Defiance campaign, which will take heroes from 1st level all the way through 17th level in a continuous storyline designed to give both players and Gamemasters a complete SW5e experience. This adventure begins the second act of the campaign, which consists of four adventures: Echoes of the Jedi, The First to Strike, The Core of Corruption and A Reckoning of Wraiths.

By now, the heroes have been on a series of adventures together and should be well acquainted with one another. Several months have passed since the last adventure, and the heroes should start Echoes of the Jedi at 7th level and reach 9th level by the conclusion. With some modifications, this adventure can also be used as a stand-alone scenario or as part of your existing campaign. Over the course of this adventure, the heroes will visit the ruins of a Jedi academy on the planet Almas in search of a Jedi holocron, and come face to face with Inquisitor Valin Callus.

Ship Images

• Lancer Ship Token
• Lancer Flight Deck

Adventure Background

Darth Rivan's fortress has been abandoned and buried in the sands of Almas for more than a millennium. When the Jedi arrived on Almas, they built the Almas Academy over the foundations of the ancient fortress, not suspecting that a nexus of dark power was still present there. The recent destruction of the Almas Academy during Order 66 has strengthened the evil energy in this region. This dark energy is responsible for the death of the world’s kaluthin plant—which Rivan himself engineered so long ago—as death and decay slowly spreads outward from his fortress. The spread of the dark side across Almas has left behind a blight of withered kaluthin that is visible from orbit. The power of the dark side in Almas has also attracted other creatures that feed on the Force, and they have followed it to its source in the bowels of the ravaged Jedi academy.

The residents of the city of Forard, still reeling from the destruction of the academy at its center during Order 66, made an effort to go on with their lives, but they couldn’t escape the impact of the dark side. Over a few short months, many local citizens inexplicably became violent, crime rose far beyond what local police could handle, and some people simply dropped dead. Fear and death quickly left the city deserted as residents relocated to other planets in the system.

After months of interrogating Force-sensitive prisoners, Inquisitor Callus learned of a holocron in the Cularin system that supposedly contained ancient Sith knowledge. The Inquisitor arrived at the academy ruins and was immediately entranced by an intoxicating surge of the dark side. Attempting to locate the source of this power, the Inquisitor went into the sublevels of the Jedi academy, where he chanced upon a fortunate discovery.

Adventure Summary

Echoes of the Jedi opens with the heroes being sent to the planet Almas, in the Cularin system, to retrieve an ancient holocron from the ruins of the Jedi academy that once stood there. The Cularin System, where Almas presides, is surrounded by a comet cloud preventing immediate access. The party must obtain a prototype sensor package from an imperial facility to allow their vessel to navigate the hazardous terrain. After retrieving the sensor they are ambushed by an old adversary- Igren Demos. After installing the sensor on their ship, the party can make their way to Almas. En route they are attacked by pirates, and eventually they make their way down to the surface of the planet. Delving deep into the ruined academy, they fight off evil dark side creatures, zealous followers of an ancient Sith lord, monstrous beasts, and the crumbling ruins of the academy itself. Finally they encounter the Valin Callus, who has found both a Sith holocron and a Jedi holocron amid the temple's ruins. After doing battle with the Inquisitor, the heroes should recover the Jedi holocron and escape the collapsing academy, returning with the artifact to the Resurgence.

Opening Crawl

If you wish to have an opening crawl before the adventure, consider using the boxed text below.

Video Link: Opening Crawl

Credit: zeldafreak6245

Part 1: Mission to Almas

Before starting the adventure, you should bring the players up to speed about what their characters have been doing since the end of Cloud City Royal. Afterward, read the following text aloud to them. It takes place in a briefing room aboard the Resurgence , where Master Denia briefs the heroes on a new mission.

Gilder steps forward, “Yes. We will need to fit an advanced sensor package to your ship. One specially designed to chart ever-changing routes through debris fields. Unfortunately, nothing is available commercially. But one of my past assignments was at a secret Imperial research station in the nearby system of Cirra. There is an asteroid belt in that system, and the station is hidden inside. The station’s specialty was creating prototype sensors, and being located inside an asteroid belt, it was geared heavily toward packages that could plot a safe route through ever-shifting obstacles.”

“Now, I don’t think it would be best to go in with a frontal assault against an Imperial installation, especially when you need something intact from within it. The Imperials don’t want to advertise their presence in the system, and as such, the station is not supplied via Imperial transports. Instead, the station receives weekly re-supply via a civilian ship, the Dreary Duty. It’s a Ghtroc 720. It receives its goods on the planet Aram, in the same system, the first day of every week. You will need to take control of the Dreary Duty, and take the ship to the Imperial research station in the asteroid belt. Posing as the normal crew, you’ll enter the station, acquire a prototype sensor package, and return here, so we can install it onto your ship. In my opinion, since the crew of the Dreary Duty are working for Imperials, they are every bit as expendable as those formally enlisted. But Master Denia and Captain Verana have a… more lenient point of view. They would prefer that you not kill the civilian crew. In my opinion, this jeopardizes the successful entry to the station. Alive, they could warn the station of your arrival. Dead, obviously, they could not. I leave that decision in your capable hands.”

“Do you have any questions?”

Likely Questions and Statements

Read-Aloud Text

When the heroes exit hyperspace, read the following text aloud.

Travel Time = (24 hours x Hyperdrive Class)

The alien will ask how many days the heroes plan on staying and collects the appropriate funds before leaving.

Locating the Dreary Duty

The party can go about locating the Dreary Duty in several ways- how they go about it is up to them and your judgement as a GM. The following information can be obtained:

• The locals know the crew (Niv, Scarlett, Gib, and Watcher)
• The Dreary Duty is in bay 32.

Obtaining the Dreary Duty

Allow the party to approach this situation however they see fit. Each crew member uses the "Crew Member" statblock if combat erupts. Crew's background: They were once successful, fringe adventurer types. Unfortunately they lost everything they had while gambling with a Hutt. Now, just to make ends meet, they are forced to do these weekly milk runs for the Imperial station.

• If offered a sizable sum of credits (at least 10,000cr) along with a convincing argument and subsequent successful charisma check the crew may be willing to allow the heroes to use the ship without the need of bloodshed.

Ghtroc 720 "Dreary Duty"

Tier 0 medium construct (starship), Freighter

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• Armor Class 11 (Deflection)
• Damage Reduction 3
• Hull Points 51
• Shield Points 45 (directional)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 8/round
• Speed 350 ft., turning 200 ft.
• Reactor 1/ round (Fuel Cell)
• Power Dice d2
• Power Coupling Hub & Spoke
• Central Capacity 2
• System Capacity 1

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (0)	13 (+1)

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• Saving Throws DEX +1, CON +2
• Senses passive Scan 11
• Minimum Crew 3

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MODIFICATIONS
Action: Tractor Beam (1/recharge)

Bonus Action: Navcomputer

Passive: Class 4 Hyperdrive, Living Quarters, Hardpoint, Turret Mounting, Direct Controller, Storage Compartment (3), Escape Pods

Piloted. The Dreary Duty adds its crew's proficiency bonus to its attack rolls and weapon save DCs, as well as its Dexterity and Constitution saving throws, as long as the crew has at least one rank in any deployment.

Armament

The Lancer Pursuit Craft can fire up to three weapons on its turn.

Attacks

Twin laser cannon. (fixed: front) Ranged Ship Attacks: +1 to hit, range 600/2400, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+2) energy damage.

Laser cannon. (Turreted) Ranged Ship Attacks: +1 to hit, range 1000/4000, one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+2) energy damage.

It takes several uneventful hours to reach the asteroid belt. As you approach, you receive a communication: “Dreary Duty, you are cleared for approach. Follow the transmitted waypoints.”

As you follow the transmitted waypoints, you see that you are being taken on a relatively clear path through the asteroid belt. Given the random movement of the asteroids, you suspect that this path will no longer be viable just minutes from now.

After a short flight you spot the station through your viewport. It is quite small for an independent station, with its width being only about 5 times the length of your ship. Your sensors detect only 2 quad cannons for its defense. The cannons fire every so often, breaking up any of the larger asteroids that approach the station. You can see smaller asteroids bounce harmlessly off of its shields.

As you enter the hangar, which you see is empty, the comm crackles, “Crew of the Dreary Duty: as always, exit your ship and wait in the lounge while we unload the cargo. You will be notified when you are permitted to return to your ship.”

The hangar door leads into a corridor ending with a sparsely furnished lobby area. You see a small turbolift on the far end of the room.

Manufacturing

You exit the turbolift into some kind of lab and manufacturing area. There are all sorts of bits of electronics in the lab area, and tools stations make up the manufacturing area. Two crates are stacked near the turbolift door. Oddly, you don’t see a single person in the entire area.

Back to the Hangar

When you enter the hangar with your newly acquired sensor, you see half a dozen stormtroopers with blasters pointed at you. Behind them you see a jumptrooper with a captain's insignia on his armor, and a Neimoidian in black leather armed with a red lightsaber. You immediately recognize Igren Demos, Darga's Loyal Majordomo. He is glaring at (XXX). “Callus said you’d be here. I am no longer powerless. I swore to myself that I would kill you for destroying my life- and now I have you.”

The jumptrooper speaks up: “You are hereby under arrest –“, but Igren interrupts him. “No. None of that nonsense. Kill them all, but leave the (PC Race) for me.”

Setup

• Map: Imperial Hangar

Encounter

• Stormtrooper x6
• Stormtrooper Captain (Jetpack) x1
• Igren Demos

Loot

• Lightfoil [Red]
• T-Cycler Reinforcer [Basic] - (Standard, Minor)

Igren Demos (Dark Jedi)

Medium Humanoid (Neimoidian), Neutral Dark

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• Armor Class 16 (19 with battle precognition)
• Hit Points 91 (14d8+28)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	17 (+3)	8 (-1)

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• Skills Acrobatics +12, Athletics +6, Perception +7
• Senses Senses passive Perception 17
• Languages Galactic Basic, Gamorrean, Huttese, Pak Pak
• Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

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Surprise Attack (1/rest). If Igren Demos surprises a creature and hits it with an attack on his first turn, the attack deals an extra 2d6 damage.

Cunning Action. Igren Demos can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Relentless. Igren Demos has advantage on initiative checks, and gains a 10 foot bonus to speed on his first turn of combat.

Force Enhanced Attacks. Igren Demos's primary attacks are enhanced by precision and the Force, adding an extra 1d8 damage to melee strikes (included).

Forcecasting. Igren Demos is a 6th level forcecaster with Wisdom as his forcecasting ability (force save DC 15, +7 to hit with force attacks, 20 force points). He knows the following force powers:

At-will: saber reflect, force push/pull, force disarm, saber throw, burst

1st level: slow descent, battle precognition, force jump, phasestrike

2nd level: force blur, force throw

Actions

Multiattack. Igren Demos makes two lightfoil attacks.

Lightfoil. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) energy damage.

Bonus Actions

The Way of the Acklay. Igren Demos enters a destructive stance for one minute. While in this stance, he adds +1 to any lightfoil damage rolls. Additionally, when Igren Demos hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, he can move up to 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Back to the Resurgence

While the Resurgence’s tech crews install the sensor package, Master Denia enters the hangar. “Congratulations on completing the preliminary portion of the mission. Now, prepare yourselves for the true objective: finding the Qornah holocron. I don’t know what you will find when you reach the Almas Academy, but I sense that it will be your most difficult challenge yet. Thank you again for undertaking this mission, and may the Force be with you.”

Several hours after leaving the Corellian Run, your starship exits hyperspace at the calculated point just outside the Cularin system. Exactly as you were warned by Master Denia, you notice innumerable comets of all shapes and sizes occasionally colliding with each other, forming an enormous cloud around the system. Fortunately, the sensor you acquired works as promised and begins to analyze their erratic patterns and calculate a safe path through the deadly hazards. Several tense hours later you emerge from the cloud unscathed. With the immediate danger now behind you, the viewport becomes a streak of stars as you jump into hyperspace. An hour later, you again emerge from hyperspace and the planet farthest from Cularin’s twin suns comes into view, lambent and mysterious: Almas.

The first thing you notice from orbit is the strange luminescence that emanates from the planet itself. The twin suns are too distant to illuminate the planet, and you are approaching from the side facing away from them. Yet most of the surface emits a faint glow, except for one dark spot where the Jedi academy happens to be located according to your nav computer.

Almas

As soon as they near Almas, the heroes’ starship sensors start beeping, alerting them to a nearby ship. A modified consular-class cruiser was hiding in orbit close to planet’s moon Dorumaa and is now coming at them fast, with cannons and tractor beams trained on the heroes’ ship.

Since the destruction of the Almas Academy, the pirates of the Red Fury Brotherhood emerged as the dominant corsairs in the Cularin system. Inquisitor Callus cut a deal to have them patrol the orbit of Almas while he investigates the darkness saturating the planet. Policing duties have fallen to one of the Red Fury’s most hardhearted and arrogant swashbucklers, the pirate Reddjak. His menacing scarlet vessel, the Blood Brother, tries to ensnare and board the heroes’ ship within moments of its arrival.

Seeing Red

"The Blood Brother" Consular-Class Cruiser

Tier 2 large construct (starship), Corvette

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• Armor Class 10 (Reinforced)
• Damage Reduction 6
• Hull Points 85
• Shield Points 85 (directional)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 10/round
• Speed 350 ft., turning 250 ft.
• Reactor 1/ round (Fuel Cell)
• Power Dice d6
• Power Coupling Hub & Spoke
• Central Capacity 2
• System Capacity 1

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	9 (-1)	17 (+3)	11 (0)	14 (+2)	11 (0)

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• Saving Throws STR +6, DEX +5
• Senses passive Scan 12
• Minimum Crew 400

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MODIFICATIONS
Action: Tractor Beam (2/recharge)

Bonus Action: Navcomputer, Damage Control System

Passive: Class 3 Hyperdrive, Hardpoint (4), Turret Mounting (1), Escape Pods, Storage Compartment

All Hands on Deck. The Blood Brother can take up to 5 non-fire actions on its turn. However, only one of these actions may be a helm action.

Armament

The Blood Brother can fire up to four weapons on its turn.

Attacks

Heavy Laser Cannon. (fixed: left, right, front) Ranged Ship Attacks: +5 to hit, range 300/600, one target. Hit: 12 (1d12+5) energy damage.

Heavy Ion Cannon. (Turreted) Ranged Ship Attacks: +5 to hit, range 300/600, one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+4) ion damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or it is ionized for 1 minute. As an action by a crewmember on their turn, the ship can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect early on a success. Ships larger than you have advantage on the saving throw.

Blood Brother Tactics

Reddjak would like to be able to claim the heroes’ cargo as booty by boarding their ship, and if the heroes are caught by the Blood Brother’s tractor beam they may have no choice. However, he’s already receiving a handsome compensation from Inquisitor Callus, so Reddjak will not hesitate to blast the heroes’ ship into smithereens if they struggle.

A ship is only as effective as its captain, and Reddjak is both overconfident and anxious to make a name for himself, making the Blood Brother vulnerable to hero ingenuity. The first thing Reddjak does is try to get a tractor beam lock on the heroes. If they try to escape, he aims to disable their ships. If the heroes flee, a pair of the Blood Brother’s Z-95 headhunters gives chase to the planet below, again taking aim at the heroes’ engines and trying to force them to land.

Z-95 Headhunter

Tier 1 small construct (starship), Attack Fighter

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• Armor Class 12 (deflection)
• Damage Reduction 3
• Hull Points 18
• Shield Points 30 (directional)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 6/round
• Speed 400 ft., turning 150 ft.
• Reactor 1/ round (Fuel Cell)
• Power Dice d4
• Power Coupling Direct
• Central Capacity 4
• System Capacity 0

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	11 (0)	14 (+2)	11 (0)

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• Saving Throws STR +6, DEX +5
• Skills Scan +2
• Senses passive Scan 12
• Max Crew 1

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MODIFICATIONS
Bonus Action: S-Foils, Navcomputer

Passive: Class 5 Hyperdrive, Hardpoint (2)

Armament

The Z-95 Headhunter can fire one weapon on its turn.

Attacks

Twin Laser Cannon. Ranged Ship Attacks: +5 to hit, range 300/600, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) energy damage. Alternatively, the Z-95 can have the target ship make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (2d8+3) energy damage on a failed save.

Concussion missile launcher (fixed: front) (8/refit) The Z-95 fires a single missile exploding in a 150-foot-cube area at one starship within 600 feet normal range and 2,400 feet long range. Each ship in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) energy damage on a failed save.

Red Fury Pirates (4)

The Red Fury Brotherhood is as cutthroat as they come. Reddjak has taken on many violent outcasts and turned the alien pariahs into stonehearted killers. These corsairs are trained to board in space with space suits or force their victims onto a planet surface where they can fight in the open. Complete with cybernetic eye patches, vibrorapiers, blasters, and a stench that could bowl over a bantha, these pirates are seasoned pros, anxious to loot their first catch of the day.

Red Fury Pirate Tactics

The Red Fury Pirates are cunning and opportunistic fighters, often employing hit-and-run tactics. They attempt to overwhelm their enemies with a barrage of blaster fire while closing the distance to engage in melee combat with their vibrorapiers.

They prioritize targeting weaker opponents first, attempting to incapacitate or eliminate them swiftly. If the tide of battle turns against them, they're not above using their stun grenades to create an opening for escape. The captain is a skilled leader, directing their crew to focus fire on high-priority targets or exploit weaknesses in their foes' defenses.

Reddjak, Pirate Leader

Medium humanoid, chaotic dark

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• Armor Class 17 (Combat suit, Medium shield generator)
• Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

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• Skills Athletics +5, Perception +4, Intimidation +6
• Senses Passive Perception 14
• Languages Galactic Basic
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Actions

Multiattack. Reddjak makes three attacks: two with his heavy blaster pistol and one with his vibrorapier.

Heavy Blaster Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 45/180 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 3) energy damage.

Vibrorapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 3) kinetic damage.

Electrostun Grenade (3/Day). Reddjak throws a stun grenade at a point he can see within 30 feet of him. Each creature within 10 feet of the point must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't stunned. The grenade deals 7 (2d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Reactions

Riposte. When the Reddjak is hit by an attack, he can use his reaction to add 2 to his AC against that attack. If this causes the attack to miss, Reddjak can make one Heavy Blaster Pistol or Vibrorapier attack against the creature that attacked him.

Loot

• 12,000cr
• Respirator x5
• Stun Grenade x4

Conclusion

When the heroes defeat the Red Fury pirates, they can take time to survey the damage to their ship and repair it if they have a mechanic. They should then proceed towards the town of Forard and the academy.

Note The Blood Brother requires a crew of at least 400 to function at full capacity. When the party defeats the boarding party, the remaining crew of the Blood Brother begin to muster reinforcements. Be sure to let your players know that a ship this size is well-staffed so they do not try to overstay their welcome.

Landing

The nav computer instructs the heroes to land near the abandoned cluster of buildings formerly comprising the city of Forard. There is no spaceport control to direct them—the landing beacons have been extinguished for close to two years. Landing the ship is not difficult, since the terrain around the town is flat for hundreds of miles. However, if the ship was damaged during the “Seeing Red” encounter, the heroes should make a few Intelligence (PIloting) checks to land without incident.

If you are using Switch as a re-occurring character in your campaign he will contact the party at this time. Read the below text aloud.

The party may be curious about how Switch knows so much about their plans and travels- this message gives a clue to just that. R5-27 is another one of Switch's associates and just so happens to be the same "familiar droid" that attends the mission briefings on the Resurgence.

The ship’s sensors detect only a few life forms in the vicinity. The planet’s atmosphere is cold and has a very high oxygen concentration. The air contains traces of toxins (such as methane and phosphorus), and a DC 15 Survival check reveals that the heroes should wear breath masks, at least while outside the ruins, to avoid being affected.

If they ignore this warning or fail the Survival check, have the players make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, if they fail they take 2d8 poison damage and take one level of exhaustion from the toxic atmosphere. In addition, due to the large amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere, players regain all their hit dice upon a long rest instead of only half.

The academy ruins are located in the city center, and since kaluthin doesn’t grow in the immediate vicinity, the heroes must use glowrods (or ignited lightsabers) to light the way. Heroes who are force sensitive automatically detect a strong presence of the dark side as soon as they get just over half a mile towards the academy. Due to the dark side interference, the Affect Mind, Mind Trick and Sense Emotion force powers do not function.

Squibs . . . Why did it have to be Squibs?

The nearly circular city of Forard escaped the fate of the Jedi academy around which it was built. Citizens of the urban sprawl watched in horror and awe as fire rained down from the sky with remarkable pinpoint accuracy, utterly annihilating the academy. But if the people thought they were safe after this precision strike, they were dead wrong. With the destruction of the academy, a series of mysterious calamities befell the city, and now it remains all but lifeless.

Whether the heroes land in this area as part of the encounter with the Red Fury Brotherhood or come to it afterward, read the following:

If a hero makes a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check with disadvantage, they notice that they are being watched, though he can’t determine who or what is spying on them. He catches only shadows or overhears noises of jostled metal and debris. These are Sith worshippers and their Dark Lizard pets that, up until the bombardment, had relegated themselves to Almas’ Sith fortress and its immediate vicinity, where the lingering presence of the dark side used to be strongest. The heroes will encounter a pack of Dark Lizards before entering the Almas Academy and the Sith “Believers” later within the ruins’ obscured depths.

As the heroes make their way to the city center, they reach the outer buildings that surround the Almas Academy—or what used to be the academy (see the map of the academy area on page 11). Extrapolated from the Coruscant Jedi Temple’s original design, only a few crumbling walls of the Jedi learning center are still visible.

As the heroes near what might have been the entrance to the academy grounds, a cacophony of barely intelligible voices assails their ears. When the heroes get even closer, they spot three rotund beings in space suits towering over five aliens that look like rabid canines with blue fur. A member of each group is engaged in a tug-of-war over what looks like the upper half of a tarnished silver protocol droid.

Scavengers. Given the scum that usually shows up in the wake of a battle or planetary catastrophe, these foragers seem relatively harmless. This should be evident to the heroes based on the exchanges they overhear. Based on the droid’s reference to his relationship with Jedi Master Lanius (whom Master Denia mentioned to the heroes), they should realize that the droid might have information that can help them with their mission. If the heroes do not catch on immediately, feel free to offer them other incentives to recover the droid for themselves, such as having the droid mention knowledge of the academy’s ruins (“This never would have happened if I’d stayed in the ruins!”) and so forth. When the heroes approach, all parties react with a degree of restrained but visible hope, each trying to share its side of the story before the others.

SplrMuck, the unicellular Ugor holding the droid’s left arm, explains that his group found the droid first, fair and square, dragging it out from the Almas Academy ruins. SplrMuck set the droid down in front of the academy entrance for just a second when he saw the heroes’ ship set down nearby. SplrMuck’s story, if true, seems to be news to Jiminaldomabbramsti (or Jimi)—the feisty Squib with a death grip on the droid’s right arm—and his furry compatriots. They work for the Squib salvager Squeerie, and Jimi insists that no Ugors were around at the time he found this “treasure” near the temple entrance. Possession is ninehundred-and-ninety-nine one-thousandths of High Squibbian Law, so if SplrMuck set the droid down, for whatever reason, it’s fair game. By contrast, Ugors have turned garbage gathering into a religion, and Ugorian Divine Law decrees that the first being to find a piece of junk consecrates it with his slime on contact, a mark of ownership instantly identifiable and respected by any other Ugor.

As for the half-droid himself, he explains respectfully that he is 7A39, or SevenAy, a former protocol droid for the Almas Academy. The heroes should not only feel inclined toward helping the hapless droid, but also recognize that SevenAy might have crucial information about the academy’s sublevels and perhaps the holocron they’re after.

The heroes have multiple challenges in their interactions with the scavengers, but only acquiring SevenAy or a special datacron is critical to the success of their mission. The heroes must negotiate with the Squib and Ugor parties for the droid. The following challenges show how the heroes can affect the outcome of the encounter.

Stotkli Spray Stick

Weapon (electrostaff), prototype (requires attunement)

Originally created by the nomadic Stokhli species on the planet Manress, Stokhli spray sticks served as effective long-range stun weapons, and were first employed for big game hunting. These weapons had enough power to knock out large animals like gundarks, making them very popular among big-game hunters.

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon and this electrostaff's shocking DC increases from 13 to 15.

Additionally, this electrostaff comes with an integrated net launcher, the net launcher has a minimum range of 60ft and a maximum of 240ft, a reload of 5, and uses traditional power cells as ammunition.

A Large or smaller creature hit by a net is restrained and shocked until it is freed. A net has no effect on formless or Huge or larger creatures. A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. The net has an AC of 10, 20 hit points, immunity to all damage not dealt by melee weapons, and resistance to damage dealt by unenhanced melee weapons. Destroying the net frees the creature without harming it and immediately ends the net’s effects.

Salvager

Medium humanoid (Squib or Ugor), lawful neutral

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• Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (0)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (0)	10 (0)

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• Saving Throws: Int +3
• Skills Perception +2, Investigation +3
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic and Squib or Ugor
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Techcasting. The salvager is a 4th-level techcaster. Its techcasting ability is Intelligence(power save DC 12, +4 to hit with tech attacks) and it has 8 tech points. The salvager knows the following tech powers:

The salvager knows the following powers:

At-will: electroshock, mending, poison spray, ward
1st-level: tactical barrier, tranquilizer
2nd-level: cryogenic volley, infiltrate

Staunch. The salvager has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Actions

Heavy Shotgun. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) kinetic damage.

Heavy Shotgun Burst. Ranged Weapon Attack: 10 ft. cube, range 30/120 ft., DC 12 dexterity saving throw or 7 (2d4+2) kinetic damage.

Electrobaton. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 2) kinetic damage plus 3 (1d6) lightning damage.

Dark Lizards of the Sith

Immediately after the heroes resolve the conflict between the Squibs and the Ugors, all are besieged by dark side reptiles that emerge from behind the broken chunks of the academy tower. The heroes’ only warning before the assault is a spine-chilling snarl and SplrMuck’s gurgling vociferation, “Holy irrebducible garbágina!”

THe Believers' Pets

Dark Lizard

Large aberration, chaotic dark

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• Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 67 (9d10 + 18)
• Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

---

• Skills Perception +3
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
• Languages Can't speak but understands commands in Sith
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Amphibious. The dark lizard can breathe air and water.

Keen Sight and Smell. The dark lizard has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and smell.

Sith-born. Dark forcecasters and Sith (species) have advantage on Animal Handling checks against the dark lizard.

Pounce. If the dark lizard moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the dark lizard can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. The dark lizard makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) kinetic damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) kinetic damage.

Prehensile Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: The target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pulled to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the lizard. If the target is medium or smaller and fails the saving throw, the lizard can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Dark Lizard Alpha

Large aberration, chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 105 (14d10 + 28)
• Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

---

• Skills Perception +5
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
• Languages Can't speak but understands commands in Sith
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

---

Amphibious. The dark lizard can breathe air and water.

Keen Sight and Smell. The dark lizard has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and smell.

Sith-born. Dark forcecasters and Sith (species) have advantage on Animal Handling checks against the dark lizard.

Pounce. If the alpha dark lizard moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the alpha dark lizard can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. The dark lizard alpha makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) kinetic damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 4) kinetic damage.

Prehensile Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: The target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the lizard. If the target is medium or smaller and fails the saving throw, the alpha dark lizard can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Dark Lizard Tactics

The Dark Lizards might not be sentient, but they know a thing or two about hunting. They quickly try to corral the heroes and scavengers between them, making an effort to capture them with their prehensile tongues and if it succeeds, the lizards reel their victims in to attack them with their claws and bites. Alternatively, the lizards try to trample their victims and pin them to the ground, lashing at them with bite attacks.

Loot

• Blueprint: Flux Collimator - (Advanced, Minor)
• Blueprint: Medpac [Improved] - (Advanced, Minor)

Conclusion

After the Dark Lizards are defeated, the Squibs and Ugors are so grateful they offer a 10% discount on their wares. (They are business-beings after all!) In addition, each of the beings offers the PCs a rare blueprint as a sign of their thanks. (See above)

If the scavengers were receptive to the heroes before, they consider the heroes comrades now that they have shed dark side blood together. After killing the Dark Lizards, if the heroes had not already secured the items they wanted from the scavengers, all negotiations are now made at advantage.

Once the heroes have secured their prize (either the half-droid or the datacron), they can head directly into the Almas Academy ruins.

Entering the Ruins

If the heroes do some reconnaissance outside, they can see that the ruins of eight rectangular buildings surround the tower like ragged teeth. The grounds between them and the main building used to be gardens, but are now littered with ferrocrete hunks of blasted wall and the remains of a military ship that crashed into the north side of the tower. Read the following text aloud:

If the heroes go directly to the exit, skip to the next encounter. If at least one hero tries to touch the black substance, add the following:

Each hero in a square that is adjacent to the ooze is attacked by one tendril. The attack is considered a surprise attack and cannot act in response. Have any adjacent players make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw and deals 1d8 points of psychic damage. The creature is a t’salak and will be encountered in the lower levels of the academy. It has been lying in wait as a sort of sentry, but it doesn’t use its powers on the heroes just yet.

Cave-In

The right path on the ground floor is pretty clear-cut. The holomap contained within SevenAy or the datacron is useful only once the heroes reach the sublevels. Still, if the heroes ask, the droid reveals that the inaccessible rooms on the ground floor used to be offices and classrooms, the lightsaber training room, and the grand lecture hall. The only way downstairs is via an empty turbolift shaft located past the fountain chamber and to the left. But before they reach it, the heroes’ passing causes a wall to cave in—a wall that was sustaining the ceiling by a hairpin.

The falling debris causes the players to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw deals 4d10 points of kinetic damage with a successful save taking half damage. Any hero who fails the check by 5 or more gets caught beneath a lump of ferrocrete. A successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check will remove the debris.

If the heroes survive, they reach the turbolift shaft. It shows signs of recent activity, and heroes who make a DC 19 Wisdom (Survival) check will know that there were several humanoids who passed through here. If they succeed in a DC 22 Wisdom (Survival) check they also know that it was only in the past few days. There are no handholds inside the shaft. To descend, the heroes must climb down or use an item such as a fibercord rope. The turbolift shaft descends for 50 feet before reaching the first sublevel.

>> Surviving the cave-in and entering the first sublevel of the Academy is a level-up milestone. (Level 8) <<

Part 2: Domain of Evil

While the ruined ground floor above had at least some reflected light streaming in, the underground level is pitch black. As the heroes scurry down the empty shaft, they must rely on their own darkvision, glowrods, lightsabers or other sources of light to guide the way. Beneath the heroes is a rubble pile that fell inside the shaft, blocking the path north to the vehicle hangar, but the south exit out of the turbolift is clear.

• Map: Sublevel 1

Once outside the lift shaft, the heroes find themselves at the intersection of two corridors that form an “L” shape (see the map of sublevel 1). A thin coat of dust covers the floor, disturbed in places where several beings have recently traveled. The walls are constructed of reinforced white duraplast. The corridor going east leads to several small study chambers and the remains of a control room, before being blocked by a cave-in (see “Control Room,” below). The corridor going straight (south) has two blast doors (see “Generator Room,” below) and turns left about 75 feet down (see “Library,” below).

Generator Room

Halfway across the corridor, on the west side wall, are two blast doors. If the heroes turned on the power in the control room, the doors whisk open with the push of a button. If not, they need to be powered up using an external source or forced (see “Control Room,” above). Behind both doors, the rooms are of equal size, roughly 30 feet by 75 feet at its largest points. The first room used to be a repair and maintenance area. Salvagers have picked it clean, but some pieces of junk are still lying around, including empty fuel containers, damaged repair tools, and all kinds of nuts, bolts, and hull plates.

The second room houses the academy’s power generator, a huge cylindrical turbine. Close inspection reveals that it is damaged beyond salvation. A smaller turbine nearby is the backup generator, and it is mostly intact. It can be powered on from the computer in the control room or by connecting a datapad directly to it and issuing the activation commands. The backup generator has only enough juice to power one level of the academy at a time, and since the top floors no longer exist, the heroes can use it to power one of the two sublevels.

Once activated, the backup generator will run for six hours before shutting down for a recharge. But the heroes won’t know this, so you can surprise them with this fact once the approximate time has lapsed (or at any particularly dramatic moment). The largely empty room also has a functioning repulsor sled, which the heroes can use to haul their gear around or as a battering ram to beat down doors.

Library

The southern corridor parallels the one to the north, where the control room is located, except that it is not blocked by debris. This corridor is 110 feet long. Along its left (north) wall are numerous doors that lead to more meditation rooms, and in the center of the opposite (south) wall is a single door. The heroes can ignore the doors, swing left around the outside of the meditation chambers, and go directly toward the stairwell (see “Storage Rooms," page 14). Each meditation room is 10 feet by 25 feet and totally empty aside from a few personal effects, now caked with dust, that were left behind in a hurry. These inexpensive items (not worth more than 5 credits) might include a personal groomer, a planetary landscape holo-mag, and a recording rod loaded with relaxing music.

The most important area of sublevel 1 is the library, located directly across from the southern meditation rooms. The blast door to the library is locked, but it must be forced or powered on (see “Control Room," above) before a DC 15 Intelligence (security kit) check can bypass the lock.

The library is 40 foot by 40 foot room. If the heroes expect to find hints about the holocron that Master Denia sent them to retrieve, they will be greatly disappointed. Half the library has been blown away by blaster fire, while the rest has fallen victim to looters, Sith cultists, Almasians, and, finally, the Twelfth Brother. The Inquisitor learned the specific hidden location of the Qornah Holocron by torturing Vin Thorla and took the ancient teaching apparatus down to the deepest sublevel.

When the heroes enter the Jedi library, read the following:

If the heroes inspect the bust of Master Qornah, they notice a hidden compartment that is in the shape of a cube 4 inches to a side—just the right size for a Jedi holocron, as described by Master Denia. Under torture, Vin Thorla told the Twelfth Brother exactly where to find the Qornah Holocron, and the Inquisitor cleaved the bust and claimed it.

The splintered east door leads into a study where older documents were held. Unlike datacards, flimsiplast burns easily (even more so in Almas’ oxygen-rich atmosphere), so the destruction here is worse. The study also served as the analysis room, and destroyed computers sit on collapsed desks.

If the players succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to search the east room, they discover one scrap of durasheet that hasn't been burned. If they try to get a closer look, read the following:

The page is written in Sith. If none of the heroes know the language, they can have SevenAy translate it for them. The scrap is all that's left of a tome that belonged to the Sith Lord Darth Rivan. It was referred to as Rivan as "the creed of ruin". SevenAy translates as follows:

The heroes can make of this text what they will. It is likely their first clue to the presence of the ancient Sith temple beneath the Academy's foundations.

Behind the west wall is another room, hidden behind a bookshelf, with no visible entrance. The heroes can determine the existence of the secret room by comparing the map (which combines the three rooms of the library into one large room with no walls or doors) to the size and shape of the actual room. The heroes might also notice the distance between the library door and either end of the corridor outside. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that a hidden room exists behind the west wall, but not how to gain entrance. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) or Charisma (Insight) check to sense surroundings with the force reveals the entrance. Otherwise, a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check to search the wall—coupled with a lot of patience—reveals the mechanism that activates the shelf.

The door has to be powered on or forced (see “Control Room," page 12). If the door is powered on, a successful DC 17 Intelligence (security kit) check allows the heroes to bypass the lock. Failing the check by 5 or more triggers a silent alarm, which alerts the Twelfth Brother on sublevel 2. Forcing the door automatically triggers the alarm.

Setup

The room is inhabited by two Force-sensitive parasites in the library archive room, where their telekinetic powers seemingly bring the corpses to undead life. These creatures are among the creations of Darth Rivan that have either hidden underground for centuries, or have recently been drawn back to the temple by the strengthening of the dark nexus there.

If any of the heroes fails a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, they are surprised as the encounter begins.

GUARDIAN SPIRIT (2)

Called guardian spirits due to primitive cultures’ belief that they were the spirits of the dead come back to life, these creatures are actually parasites with telekinetic abilities. The two parasites can each inhabit one corpse at a time (the Guardian Spirit statblock), giving the body a semblance of undead animation. Simultaneously, each parasite can also reanimate up to two other corpses without actually being in their bodies (the Animated Coprse statblock), but they do so less efficiently, and only to help kill the heroes.

The parasites cannot live outside of a host body for long. If the heroes kill a host body, its parasite inhabits one of the remaining animated corpses, turning it into a guardian spirit. If there are no animated corpses close enough to inhabit, the parasite has nowhere to go and is destroyed.

Guardian Spirit Tactics

Guardian spirits are very slow, so they use their numbers to their advantage. They flank the heroes, using the help action if necessary to guarantee hits on slippery targets. While they primarily will attack with whatever seems suitable at the time, they have no reservations about using their innate force abilities when appropriate. They keep attacking until they no longer have the limbs to do so.

Animated Corpse (4)

Conclusion

Once the corpses are eliminated, the heroes see small clouds of parasitic organisms rise out of them, searching for other host bodies nearby. If there are none within 30 feet, the parasites dissipate with a dying howl. Heroes need only wait a moment until the blast doors open to have easy access to the stairway leading down to sublevel 2.

After the heroes neutralize the infected corpses, they can proceed down the staircase. If some heroes were trapped outside the archive room during the encounter, the blast door becomes unlocked 10 minutes after the sensors were tripped. The stairway leads to the second sublevel of the Almas Academy. Once the heroes descend the stairs, proceed to sublevel 2, below.

If the heroes still have SevenAy with them, he tells them that he's had quite enough excitement for one day, and he would prefer to be left on the first sublevel until they return, if it's all the same to them.

Encounter Map

See the map of Sublevel 2.

Storage Rooms

At the end of the corridor, past the meditation rooms and library, the heroes can turn left. At the other (north) end of this corridor, another cave-in blocks the utility staircase leading down, which the heroes might have seen on the map or learned about from SevenAy. Unfortunately, unless they want to spend a lot of time digging through the rocks (It would take roughly 12 hours of hard labor), the utility staircase is not accessible. The heroes might give up or look for another way down (see “Library," above).

Along the corridor, halfway to the utility stairway, are two blast doors. They are unlocked but need to be powered on (see “Control Room," above). The first room was a storage space for supplies— anything other than food that was needed by a small, self-contained community such as the Almas Academy. This room was heavily pillaged by thieves and salvagers, who left little behind but empty containers. Describe various containers of soap and torn articles of clothing.

If the heroes make a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, they also notice two surprisingly light, tiny strongboxes with each strongbox is 8 cubic inches in size, can fit in the palm of most people's hands and are made of smooth, black iron. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Lore) check reveals that the containers are made of Mandalorian iron (beskar), which was believed to be impenetrable by the Force. If the check beats the check by an additional 5, the heroes also know that the claim is false— the iron cannot stop the Force, but the strong alloy is resistant to many types of energy. The boxes have a very strong lock, equivalent to an high security lock and opening them requires a DC 20 Intelligence (security kit) check.

The second room is where the Jedi received and kept their food supplies. Most food has been stolen; the rest spoiled long ago. In the southwest corner of the room is a small kitchen where the residents prepared meals and processed foods. Describe some unidentifiable blackened mounds of rubbish, leftover kitchen appliances, a heating unit, a broken-down refrigeration unit, various utensils, and small spice containers.

Sublevel 2

This sublevel can be reached only via the staircase in the library’s secret archive room. The other staircase down is blocked (see “Storage Rooms,” above). Upon reaching this area, the heroes immediately feel a deep unease that tempts them to turn back. Force-sensitive heroes must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or suffer the effects of the Curse force power when using Light aligned force powers. The effect lasts as long as they are on this sublevel. Expending 2 force points or a 1st level force slot will negate this effect. Also, the Force Sight and Sense Force force powers do not function within range of the dark side nexus that has developed here due to Rivan’s lasting influence. Species that rely on the force to see such as Miraluka are unaffected by the dark side interference for the purposes of vision.

Encounters are labeled on the map but don’t have to be followed in the sequence presented. The encounters marked “Crazed Believers” and "Dreambeast" can happen in any number of rooms at your discretion. You can decide that all unused rooms are empty or permanently locked, or you can detail them as you wish (see the note block below for suggestions).

Weapons Room

This room was visited recently, but the blast door controls were destroyed. Opening the door requires 1 hour and a DC 18 Intelligence (mechanic's kit) check.

If the heroes take the time to repair the door and open it, they find something surprising: a blaster shooting range. After all, lightsaber wielding Jedi have to practice their shooting skills, too. If the sublevel has power, several holographic targets appear when the heroes enter the room at the far end of the shooting range.

Another blast door leads to a back room. If the heroes have not restored power and unlocked the doors to sublevel 2, they must open the blast door manually (see “Control Room," above). If they do so, they find that the back room is an armory. Transparent plexi on the ground shields a small stream that runs along just under floor level. This room has 7 usable blaster pistols and 20 power cells. Everything else has either been stolen or rusted beyond use.

Refresher

This is a fairly standard washroom for both men and women. It contains effluvial rinsers as well as refreshers. Along the floor runs a narrow natural stream, covered by transparent plexi.

Crazed Believers

As the heroes approach the west arch leading to the underground park, they are attacked by the first of many crazed Humans who wander this level, looking for blood. Feel free to run this encounter more than once in any of the labeled rooms.

Critical Challenge: The heroes must defeat the Believers cultists, who have fallen under the influence of the nearby t’salak. Most cultists have killed each other already, but the few remaining groups (as many as needed, in your judgment) wander about and attack the heroes on sight. They have been exposed to the t’salak’s touch so many times that the rage it induces is effectively a form of permanent madness.

Auxiliary Challenge: The heroes might try to subdue one or more Believers without killing them. They can accomplish this by grappling them and tying them up, stunning them with blasters, or rendering them unconscious. However, this doesn’t cure their madness, and as soon as they recover, the Believers will attack again. They must be alleviated of their delirium to be of any use. To do this, the heroes must make a DC 22 Charisma (Persuasion) to have the followers calm down. If the players provide a convincing scenario through roleplaying, give them advantage. If the Restoration force power is used, the follower's delirium is also lifted while the Calm Emotions force power will also temporarily restore their sanity.

Award: Alleviating the raging madness in one or more Believers provides the heroes with some information. The grateful victims negotiate their release by giving up details on the t’salak. They know where it is and what it does, but they do not know how to defeat it.

Believers Cultists (3)

The Believers cult is a group of Sith worshippers that got its start in the Cularin system. They are males and females of different humanoid species, and they come from all walks of life. Some are even trained in the Force. They were aided in their organization by the Sith scholar Murk Lundi, and they had grown into a formidable force by the time of the Clone Wars.

The ones encountered on this sublevel have been driven mad by repeated attacks from the t’salak. They are encountered in small groups, though, since two large groups of Believers in the same room would kill each other. Many Believers have fallen victim to their crazed companions.

Believer Cult Leader (1)

Believer Zealot (2)

Believer Tactics

Believers zealots attack with little strategy. They simply charge at the nearest target in their line of sight and engage in melee. Believers cultists use more straightforward tactics, trying to swarm individual heroes with melee attacks. Their leader has Battle Precognition already casted and activates Dark Shear before engaging in combat, using force powers as they go.

Loot

The cult leader is wearing several pieces of expensive jewelry indicating that they may have once been a being of status before the t'salak eroded their sanity.

• Jewelry worth a total of 30,000cr
• A credit chip [Improved] containing an additional 65,000cr. (DC 21 Slicer's Kit)
• Ring of Apprentice Force Storing (Premium, Major)

(Only provide this reward one time!)

Conclusion

Once a Believer is incapacitated, the heroes can search him or her for items. Some of them might carry ID cards, datapads, or other personal items tucked in the pockets of their dirty and ripped vests. They carry whatever weapons they were able to find in their mindless wanderings.

Encounter Map

See the map of Sublevel 2.

Underground Park

All water on Almas is underground, so the academy’s Jedi custodians reasoned that building an underground park with a running stream would be in tune with the will of the Force. The stream was discovered while digging the academy foundations. Instead of diverting it, the Jedi requested that the architects integrate the stream into the design—it was they who had intruded on the water’s natural course, after all. The Jedi then planted local trees and kaluthin and created a garden around the stream. Occasionally, they took blind coboko fish out of the pond that formed in the park center, adding them to the academy menu.

Of course, all the park vegetation is now dead, blackened by the intense presence of the dark side. The park also contains several bodies of Believers who managed to find the secret stairwell in the library and turned viciously on one another after encountering the t’salak. At the center of the room, beside the pool, is a large pump used to force water to the levels above. It looks like it hasn’t functioned in a long time. The heroes don’t have much time to admire the scenery, however. When they reach the park center, read the following text:

You walk into the impressive chamber, crossing a bridge than runs over a clear and soothing stream. To your left is a large pond, beyond which is an artistic elevation made of simple mud and rock. Disharmoniously, dead vegetation and dead bodies surround it all.

As you take in your surroundings, your companions suddenly disappear from view, and you are alone. Solid walls seem to have materialized out of nowhere and separated all of you, at the same time blocking the entrance from which you came. You feel a deep sense of dread when a cruel figure from your past appears right in front of you—someone you never imagined you would see again. You look around for a way out, but your feet don’t respond. You try to cry out, but the attempt yields no sound. As if in slow motion, the heartless figure prepares to attack.

Encounter Example

Here’s an example of how this encounter could be run. Assume that the party contains five heroes, so four of the heroes fight each other, while the fifth fights a Believer.

• Vor’en the soldier (Init 20) versus Arani the noble (Init 14)
• Kelko the scout (Init 16) versus Sia-Lan the Jedi (Init 28)
• Deel the scoundrel (Init 24) versus a Believer (Init 8)

Round 2

Sia-Lan can’t believe it. Count Dooku just attacked and nearly killed her. Maybe “Dooku” is a clone, a doppelganger, or something else, but whatever it is, Sia-Lan was hurt for real and must defend herself. She ignites her lightsaber, preparing to attack Kelko . . .

Oozing Madness

Jedi Prisoner

At some point, the heroes reach the room where Master Vin Thorla is held. If they pass the room without entering it, they are attacked by the nighthunter that guards Thorla. The blast door is open, and the Twi’lek Jedi Master’s powers are kept in check inside a Universal Energy Cage designed to contain Force-users.

Callus' Best Friend

Conclusion

After defeating the beast, the heroes can enter the room it guarded. If they examine its body, they will discover an Imperial logo branded on its flank--possibly their first clue that agents of the Empire are present on Almas.

Having dealt with the Nighthunter, read the following:

This room also contains a thick plasteel table on which are scattered two yellow kyber crystals and an assortment of intricately carved keys. Thorla is in very bad shape, both physically and mentally. His body is emaciated, and he sports several burns and cuts. To run this dramatic encounter, you must understand the Jedi’s backstory (see the sidebar on page 32). The heroes might suspect that the prisoner is a Jedi and decide to free him. Thorla is, in fact, conscious, but will not respond to questions. He is suffering from severe survivor's guilt, and, having been tortured by the Callus for several days, has nearly fallen into despair.

The Universal Energy Cage was designed specifically to contain a Force-user’s powers. Casting Force powers while in the cage is impossible. The cage’s functions are controlled by a handheld remote that is currently in the Callus’ possession. The cage has no visible controls, and the only way to open it is to destroy it, which endangers the life of the prisoner within. The Universal Energy Cage has a damage threshold of 10 and 55 (5d10) hit points. The cage is also built with a contact shock field, and every time the cage receives damage from an attack that deals 25 damage or more, the Jedi inside receives a nonlethal shock that deals 9 (2d8) lightning damage (see Vin Thorla's stat block on page 32). This effect also occurs when an attack is below the damage threshold. When this happens, Thorla yelps in pain, but does not otherwise react.

Once the Jedi is free, whether he is conscious or not, the heroes notice that his skin is charred in multiple places, showing that he has suffered many shocks. He has three levels of exhaustion, which can only be removed by receiving extensive, long-term medical and psychological care. If Thorla is conscious, he does not run away or try to escape, but he won’t answer the heroes’ questions, either, wanting only to be left alone. He’s been fighting off the Inquisitor’s attempts at turning him to the dark side and has fallen into deep despair.

At first, the freed Jedi merely slumps to his knees and remains still, ignoring the heroes' questions. If they prod him, attempt to remove his mask, or otherwise sufficiently annoy him, he looks up at them and sighs, "Why are you here? This place is cursed. I am doomed to remain here, but you should leave while you still can."

This encounter is a chance for heroes with investment in Charisma (Persuasion) to be very useful. The heroes will have to succeed on a DC 21 Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince Thorla to open up to them. However, there are a few things they can do to reduce the difficulty of this check. The DC cumulatively decreases by 2 if the heroes do any of the following:

• Return Thorla's lightsaber hilt to him (if they obtained it from the Squibs)
• Demonstrate that one of them is a Jedi (merely claiming to be one is not enough--they must activate their lightsaber or display Force powers in order to convince Thorla it's not a trick)
• Mention that Master Denia is alive
• Mention that the t'salak has been defeated
• Heal Thorla's injuries

On a successful check, Thorla becomes friendly to the heroes and answers their questions. See the sidebar for information about Thorla's backstory, which he conveys to the players if asked. He also tells the heroes that he suspects that Valin Callus and his apprentice are in the archives room in the southwest corner of the sublevel.

This is an opportunity for the heroes to roleplay and try to convince Thorla not to give up hope. It is up to the DM to determine how difficult this is, what checks are required, and whether the case the players make through their roleplay is convincing enough. Their goal should be to convince Thorla that they will help him to clear the temple of monsters and defeat the Inquisitor, and beyond that, that there is still hope for the Jedi to return (thanks to Denia's survival, and the presence of any Jedi players in the party).

If they succeed, read the following:

Vin Thorla, Jedi Temple Guard

Medium humanoid (Mirialan), lawful light

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• Armor Class 13 (16 with battle precognition)
• Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
• Speed 30ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

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• Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
• Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +4
• Senses Passive Perception 14
• Languages Galactic Basic, Mirialan
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Forcecasting. Thorla is a 6th level forcecaster. His forcecasting ability is Wisdom (force save DC 12, +4 to hit with force attacks, 18 force points). Thorla knows the following force powers:

At-will: saber reflect, turbulence, force push/pull, force disarm, sonic charge, burst
1st level: slow descent, battle precognition, phasestrike, force throw
2nd level: stun, phasewalk, force barrier
3rd level: Force Suppression, knight speed, sever force, force repulse

Actions

Multiattack. Thorla makes two attacks with his doublesaber.

Doublesaber. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (1d8+4) energy damage.

Reactions

Double Bladed Strike. Thorla can attack twice when making an opportunity attack.

Vin Thorla, Jedi Temple Guard

A green-skinned Mirialan, Vin Thorla studied at the Almas Academy as a Padawan. He wasn't trained by Denia, but he knew her, and the two were good friends despite their difference in age. Several years later Denia transferred to the jedi academy on Coruscant to assist with training an influx of younglings.

When Thorla was knighted, he chose to enter service as a Temple Guard, swearing to defend the Almas Academy with his life. He always took this sacred duty very seriously.

When Order 66 was called, a fleet of Republic cruisers in orbit over Almas unleashed a bombardment on the Jedi Temple, destroying it and killing nearly all the Jedi. Vin Thorla and SevenAy happened to be in the lowest sublevel of the temple at the time, and thus survived the attack. The Empire believed the job was finished, and withdrew from the system.

Thorla was too cautious to emerge from the temple and reveal himself to the locals, but he had SevenAy venture out a few times to gather news, and eventually learned of Order 66, the fall of the Jedi Order, and the rise of the Empire. Thorla felt that it was unfair that he had lived when all the others had died, but he decided that the best thing he could do with the opportunity the Force had granted him was to remain in hiding and uphold his vow to defend the temple, in the hopes that the Jedi would one day return to rebuild it.

As it turned out, he had his work cut out for him. The demise of the Jedi on Almas shifted the balance toward the dark, and dark creatures bred long ago by Darth Rivan, as well as Believer cultists and their pets, began to lay siege to the temple. Thorla fought valiantly to keep these dark invaders from defiling the temple's sacred ground, but it felt like a losing battle--no matter how many he drove back, more always came. Over the months, he began to lose hope.

A few days ago Valin Callus, the Twelfth Brother, came. He and his apprentice dueled the exhausted Thorla, defeated him, and imprisoned him in the Universal Energy Cage. Tortured by the Inquisitor, Thorla was close to breaking by the time the heroes finally freed him. Before he was freed, Thorla was compelled to reveal many of the Temple's secrets to Valin Callus, including the location of the Qornah Holocron. This only adds to his feelings of shame.

Part 3: Callus' Lair

As the heroes descend into the depths of the Jedi academy, they draw closer to the nexus of dark power surrounding Inquisitor Callus. You should emphasize the growing sense of dread the heroes feel, including a strong sense of danger for any force sensitive players.

Archives Room

When the heroes reach the archives room (whether they found it themselves or were informed by SevenAy or Vin Thorla), they find the door tightly shut. The door is warded with the Force, making it very difficult to force open. The only way to unlock it is using one of the keys found in the room with Vin Thorla (this prevents the heroes from wandering into the archives room too early).

If the heroes enter the archives room, read the following:

This chamber was forbidden to Padawans. It was where the Jedi Masters kept their most precious Force artifacts, as well as tomes of forbidden lore. It also contains the entrance to the underground caves where the Inquisitor is probing the Sith holocron. To keep intruders from interrupting his studies, the Inquisitor left behind some of the deadliest henchbeings in the galaxy to guard the cave entrance. Several creatures await the heroes here, as motionless as statues in their hiding places among the shadows. Masters of stealth, these steely, grayskinned warriors are all but undetectable in the dim light.

If players decide to investigate the room they will discover a stand with an open tome on it. The page it is open to describes how a Sith holocron can bond to a Force user and grant them additional power. It also explains that the only way to disrupt this connection is with the force suppression power.

As the heroes enter the archives room, have them roll Wisdom (Perception) checks against the creatures’ Dexterity (Stealth) checks, with disadvantage unless they have some form of light. If the heroes succeed, one of their light sources or pure chance illuminates what appears to be a five foot-high statue resembling a gargoyle in one of the corners. This is enough warning for the heroes to avoid being ambushed, and a second later, six repulsive “statues” pounce on them from all sides. If the heroes fail their roll, the players are affected by the surprise condition as combat starts.

If the players are not surprised and make a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Lore) or DC 25 Intelligence (Nature) check, they can identify the species of their attackers. These squat killing machines are called Noghri, aliens seldom seen away from their home planet. The entire room is considered to be heavily obscured unless the players bring light along from lightsabers or glowrods.

Death Commandos

Noghri Warrior

Medium humanoid (Noghri), lawful dark

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• Armor Class 14 (combat suit)
• Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)

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• Skills Stealth +6, Perception +3
• Senses darkvision 60ft, Passive Perception 13
• Languages Galatic Basic, Honorghran
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Assassinate. The warrior has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. Additionally, any hit it scores against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Stokhli Spray Stick. The Stokli Spray Stick has two modes. As a bonus action, the warrior can switch between modes.

Actions

Multiattack. The Noghri Warrior makes two attacks with its staff.

Staff Mode. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) kinetic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 lightning damage and become shocked until the end of its next turn.

Integrated Net Launcher Mode. Ranged Weapon Attack: Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: The target is shocked and restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on formless or Huge or larger creatures. A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. The net has an AC of 10, 20 hit points, immunity to all damage not dealt by melee weapons, and resistance to damage dealt by unenhanced melee weapons. Destroying the net frees the creature without harming it and immediately ends the net’s effects.

Noghri Warrior Chief (1)

Noghri Warrior tactics

The Noghri use the darkness to their advantage. First, they try to capture the heroes in a net from their Stokhli spray sticks. If they stun or incapacitate the heroes, they bring the prisoners before Callus. Otherwise, the Noghri fight fiercely to prevent intruders from interrupting Callus, but they will be reasonable if they see that they are outmatched. They prefer to fight in melee, using their stealth and martial arts to devastating effect. If the heroes try to escape by entering the tunnel, the Noghri give chase.

Loot

Each Noghri has 1000 credits each for a total of 6000 credits.

• 6,000cr

Conclusion

If the heroes defeat the Death Commandos, they are free to enter the tunnel leading down to Callus’s location. The heroes can retain the weapons wielded by the Noghri.

Encounter Map

See the map of sublevel 2.

Nearing the Nexus

When the heroes investigate the opening in the far wall, they see that the crumbled floor and wall have revealed a tunnel. It slopes downward into utter darkness, and the rocky ground is made slippery by the natural spring that runs across the second sublevel of the academy. The slope is 5 feet wide and 60 feet long, prompting two DC 20 Strength (Athletics) checks to get down. A player with a climbing speed only makes one check. A hero who fails a check by 9 or less suffers a minor slip but does not fall. A hero who fails a check by 10 or more also causes a rockslide, dealing 2d10 points of kinetic damage to himself and anyone below him. If the heroes have no light source, they must move even more cautiously and make an additional Strength (Athletics) check.

If the players have rope, they may use that to lower themselves down instead, avoiding the checks entirely.

Enter Callus

When the heroes arrive at the bottom, Valin Callus is waiting for them, literally surrounded by darkness. He holds a glowing blue cube in one hand and a glowing red pyramid in the other--the Qornah Holocron and the Sith holocron, respectively. As the heroes approach, read the following:

Hiding behind rocks on both sides of the Inquisitor are four black-armored Imperial shadow troopers. A player who manages to pass a DC 21 Wisdom (Perception) check can barely make them out in the darkness. Valin Callus has his apprentice flanking him, red lightsaber ignited.

Inquisitor Valin Callus is a methodical villain. His preferred method of dealing with his enemies is to convert them to his cause. The Inquisitor knows that to have reached this far, the heroes must have defeated challenges that would have sundered less formidable foes. He addresses the heroes as follows:

The players will probably have questions. Play the conversation out as naturally as possible, eventually leading to the Inquisitor's offer for the heroes to join him. If they try to attack immediately rather than waiting to talk, the Inquisitor can threaten to destroy the holocron if they don't hear him out.

• You trained with Denia/You were a Jedi?? "Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight, even a commander during the clone wars. "Valiant Blade" is the nickname my troops called me then. I, too, once believed that balance could be found by denying the dark...denying part of myself. I go by a different name now, The Twelfth Brother."
• Why did you join the Empire? "The Empire provides order, stability...balance. Is that not what we all want?"
• Give us the holcron!/What's that red pyramid? "Yes, you came here for this holocron, did you not? And perhaps you didn't know about this one. The Force has a funny way of maintaining balance. A Jedi Temple, built on the ruins of an ancient Sith fortress...the light and the dark, always keeping each other in check."
• You keep talking about balance. What do you mean? "The Jedi claim to care about balance, but they deny the darkness...deny something that is found in all of us, whether Jedi, Sith, soldier, smuggler, noble, rogue, or romantic. True balance can only be found if you know both the dark and the light."

The Inquisitor looks at you almost entreatingly. "We need not be enemies. I sense much imbalance in you...much fear and uncertainty. That is what comes of denying one half of yourself. Join me, and I will show you how to use both the dark and the light. You have my word, you will not be harmed if you accept my offer."

Shadows of the Empire

Inquisitor Valin Callus

Medium humanoid (Human), lawful dark

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• Armor Class 18 (battle precognition)
• Hit Points 200 (20d8 + 100)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)

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• Saving Throws Str +10, Dex +9, Con +10, Wis +8
• Skills Acrobatics +9, Athletics +10, Deception +10, Insight +8, Intimidation +10, Perception +8, Persuasion +10, Stealth +9, Survival +8
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
• Languages Galatic Basic, Bocce, Dosh, Honoghran, Huttese
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Aggressive. As a bonus action, the Dark Jedi can move up to its speed toward an enemy.

Form: Juyo/Vaapad (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, the Dark Jedi can designate one creature within 30 feet as its prey. For 1 minute, the Dark Jedi has advantage on all attacks against the creature.

Form: Shien/Djem So. When Valin Callus hits a creature with a melee attack, and another creature is within 5 feet of the original target, he can choose to deal 3 energy damage to the second creature.

Legendary Resistance (1/Day). When Valin Callus fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Sith Holocron. Valin Callus' body is charged with protective Force energy. Unless the damage from a single attack or effect equals or exceeds 15 points, the he takes no damage from it. If Valin Callus takes an amount of damage from a single attack or effect equal to or greater than its damage threshold, it takes damage as normal. A damaging Force power of Light alignment that exceeds this threshold deals double damage.

Forcecasting. Valin Callus is a 10th-level forcecaster. Its forcecasting ability is Charisma (force save DC 18, +10 to hit with force powers, 30 force points). He knows the following force powers:

Callus knows the following powers:

At-will: force push/pull, force disarm, mind trick, saber reflect, saber throw, seethe, shock
1st-level: battle precognition, dun moch, fear, force jump, force reflect, slow descent
2nd-level: affliction, animate weapon, force sight, improved saber throw
3rd-level: choke, force lightning, force repulse, plague
4th-level: drain life

Actions

Multiattack. Valin Callus makes three Greatsaber attacks.

Inquisitor Greatsaber. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 5) energy damage.

Reactions

Parry. Valin Callus adds 6 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Legendary Actions

Valin Callus can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Callus regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

At-will Power. Valin Callus casts one of its at-will powers.

Attack. Valin Callus makes a Greatsaber attack.

Forcecasting (1 legendary action per power level). Valin Callus can cast a force power by spending a number of legendary actions equal to the power level.

Shadow Troopers (4)

It’s believed that when the curse “Emperor’s black bones” was coined, it was at the sight of these ashen-armored soldiers. Imperial shadow troopers might be mistaken for regular clone troopers, except that their stealth armor and red visors give them the appearance of demonic silhouettes. They are trained for reconnaissance and occasionally serve as guardians to vital facilities and personnel. Inquisitor Callus reasons that if they’re good enough for the Emperor’s secret Utapau storehouse, they’re good enough for him.

Unlike that of other stormtroopers, shadow trooper armor retains its distinctive pre-Imperial appearance. There is talk of eventually streamlining shadow trooper armor, but for now, their scarlet T-visors remain a haunting reminder of Palpatine’s bloody ascension to the rank of Emperor. Like all other stormtroopers, shadow troopers cannot be bribed, blackmailed, or seduced. Any such attempt automatically fails.

Shadow Trooper Tactics

The Shadow Troopers attempt to remain hidden and shoot at the heroes, using their cunning actions to hide if the players manage to figure out where they are.

INQUISITOR ASPIRANT

The inquisitor Aspirant, a red-headed near-Human, wears plain black armor. Not being a full Sister yet, she's not permitted to customize her armor as true Inquisitors do. Neither has she earned the right to wield the Inquisitors' spinning doublesaber, instead making use of a plain red lightfoil. Violent and ambitious, she's determined to score a kill today.

Loot

• Lightfoil {Red}
• 2,800cr
• DC-19 Stealth Carbine x4 (Uses stats of a Nightstinger Rifle)

Conclusion

If Callus is reduced to fewer than half of his hit points, or if all of his allies are dead, he retreats to another cavern for the final encounter.

Encounter Map

Map: Callus' Final Stand

Behemoth from Below

At any point when Callus finds himself below half of his hit points, or if his apprentice and shadow troopers are dead, he retreats to a back entrance that opens into an immense cavern that is spectacularly lit by bioluminescent, multicolored lichen coating the walls. Callus retreats onto a natural rock overpass bridging a wide chasm that appears as bottomless as it is black. Even in while retreating, the Inquisitor still tries to push players off the ledge. He is prepared to make his last stand here as long as he deprives the heroes of the object they desire—the Qornah Holocron.

However, there is one factor the Callus hasn’t accounted for. The howl of rage produced when the Sith holocron is severed from him awakens the largest, darkest beast of all--the k'kayeh dragon, which has grown to a massive 200 meters (as big as some space slugs) since Darth Rivan first created the monster more than a thousand years ago.

The k'kayeh is much too large and too powerful for the heroes to kill. The best they can hope to do is drive it off before it devours them all.

Read-Aloud Text

Inquisitor Callus Tactics

The Inquisitor knows that, alone, he could easily be overwhelmed by a group of heroes. As such, he takes a much more defensive position than he did in the previous encounter. He casts the rage power and summons his greatsaber back to his hand. Callus stays away from the ledge as much as possible, and while under the effects of the holocron he is immune to being moved against his will.

The Inquisitor uses saber reflect and Parry when appropriate to deal with any attacks that get by his AC, hoping to draw one or two melee attackers to him at a time so that he can whittle them down rather than face a barrage from all of the heroes at once.

K’kayeh Dragon

Gargantuan aberration, chaotic dark

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• Armor Class 18
• Hit Points 145 (8d20+32)
• Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	10 (+0)	19 (+4)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)

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• Saving Throws Str +8, Dex +3, Con +7
• Damage Resistances Energy and kinetic damage from unenhanced weapons
• Skills Athletics +8, Deception +5, Perception +3, Stealth +3, Survival +3
• Senses passive Perception 13
• Languages can't speak but understands Sith
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Amphibious. The k'kayeh dragon can breathe air and water.

Actions

Multiattack. The k’kayeh dragon can use its Frightful Roar. It then makes three attacks: one with its claws, and two with its bite. It can use its devour instead of its bite.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, 15 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) kinetic damage. If the target is large or smaller, the target is now grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the k'kayeh dragon can't bite another target.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) kinetic damage.

Force Lightning Breath (Recharge 5-6). The k’kayeh dragon exhales force lightning in a 90 foot cone. Each creature in that cone must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Devour. The k’kayeh dragon makes one bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes the bite's damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the k’kayeh dragon, and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the start of each of the k’kayeh dragon's turns. If the k’kayeh dragon takes 25 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the k’kayeh dragon must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the k’kayeh dragon. If the k'kayeh dragon dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Frightful Roar. Each creature of the k’kayeh dragon's choice within 90 feet of it must succeed a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the k’kayeh dragon is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the k’kayeh dragon's Frightful Roar for the next 24 hours.

K'kayeh Dragon Tactics

The k'kayeh dragon is angry at being awoken, but it senses the Inquisitor's alignment to the Dark Side, and thus chooses to focus its attacks on the heroes. When the k'kayeh is reduced to 0 hit points, it does not die--rather, it decides that the heroes are too frustrating to be worth its time. It releases any heroes it has grappled and dives back into the abyss, taking out its anger on the foundations of the temple itself.

Loot

• Qornah Holocron
• Greatsaber +1 {Red} (Prototype, Major)

Conclusion

When the heroes deal the killing blow to the Vallin Callus, he drops the Qornah Holocron at his feet. With a gasp, he goes wide-eyed and tumbles from the side of the bridge into the abyss. As the Inquisitor plummets into darkness, the k’kayeh dragon (if it's still present) descends into the abyss once more, presumably after the body of the Inquisitor. With the Inquisitor defeated and the holocron recovered, the heroes need to escape from the collapsing academy with haste.

The Inquisitor also drops his doublesaber before he falls, and a hero can pick it up if they wish.

Leaving the Echoes Behind

The giant dragon causes major tremors, and the academy’s foundations, already weakened by a major bombardment and several months of misuse, start to collapse. This is a good time for the heroes to exit.

Describe the ground shaking and falling rocks at random points. Reuse the fallen debris from the Cave-In section a few times as the heroes make their way back up toward the surface. Appropriate points on the map would be the tunnel leading to sublevel 2, the stairs leading up to sublevel 1, and any corridor on sublevel 1.

If the heroes survived their encounter with the Inquisitor relatively unscathed, feel free to run more encounters on sublevel 2. For example:

• Some Believers might have escaped the heroes’ first trip through the level.
• The nighthunter or the t’salak might have survived.
• The library on sublevel 1 might have some guardian spirits still roaming around.
• Some Dark Lizards might still be stalking the ruins on the top level.

These encounters should be run in the corridors, delaying the heroes from escaping and creating a rising sense of urgency. If none of these encounters is appropriate, or if the heroes overcome the challenges easily, they might encounter more pirates as they return to their ship.

Once the heroes climb up the turbolift shaft and are out of the ruins, read the following:

The heroes shouldn’t have too much trouble reaching their ship. If it needs repairs, they have to perform the work uninterrupted for a few hours. The Assiduous is still in the system, but it is outside the comet field. The heroes detect the Star Destroyer once they clear the comet field, but the ship is too far out of weapons range to attack. The heroes could not detect the ship on their way in because the Imperials were stationed in Cularin’s shadow. But now, not having received a report from the Inquisitor in several hours, the Assiduous approaches the limits of the system to launch another shuttle. It does not pursue the heroes, but it attacks if they are daring enough to come within range.

Concluding the Adventure

When the heroes leave the Cularin system, they can reach the last known coordinates of the Resurgence. The trip back takes one day, giving the heroes time to rest, treat their wounds, and study the holocron. Any non-Force-sensitive heroes find the cube unresponsive, but a Force user can conjure the holocron’s gatekeeper, Master Qornah, who answers a few basic questions but insists on the presence of another Jedi Master.

When they finally approach the Nebulon-B frigate, the heroes receive a communication from Captain Verana asking if their mission was successful. He greets them as they dock underneath the large ship and walks them to their quarters. When the heroes are ready, they are instructed to go to the briefing room to meet with Master Denia.

Denia asks the heroes for the holocron and activates it. She then listens as the heroes recount their adventure. If the heroes tell Denia that the Twelfth Brother was her former apprentice, she is shocked, and then saddened. Gathering her composure, she states the following:

If any of the players are level 7 in a forcecasting class who have an appropriate background, Jedi Master Denia will officially make them a Jedi Knight in a ceremony before the next chapter.

>> Completing this adventure is a level-up milestone. (Level 9) <<