Space Kraken
“Captain, there’s an all bands communique coming in from Zhian Prime.”, your comm officer reports.
“Put it on.”
“Aye sir.”
A brief sound of static and then the transmission is coming over the comm loud and clear along with a visual on the view screen…
“We are of the First Order of the Zholar Temple.”, bellowed a Zhian wearing some sort of dark ceremonial robes. “We have worked tirelessly to help fulfill the prophecies and now we are ready to release the Space Kraken.”
Then, the view screen cuts away to reveal an image of Xia. At first it is nearly blindingly bright, but as the camera adjusts, you see…something. An immense creature with tentacles that appears to be exiting the star.
Projected into everyone’s head is a dark and sonorous voice that must be connected to this new creature. No, new can’t be right as you inherently know it must be immensely old.
“Rip, tear, shred!”
Accompanying this thought is an intense dark hunger that is nearly indescribable.
“Rip, tear, shred!”
One of your crewmen falls to their knees and starts vomiting.
“Rip, tear, shred!”
Your vision is growing hazy like you’re going to pass out, and just before you start to lose consciousness, the voice fades away and you regain some modicum of composure. Someone needs to stop this creature, but how?
Your view screen cuts back to the Zhian in ceremonial garb. “Many of you have already heard and felt its hunger. It will, in time, destroy this galaxy and purify us for whatever form Zholar chooses to give us next, but know that those of us in the First Order will be given an honored position.” The screen fades to black and you take a moment to blink and try to suss out what the big lizard was talking about.
“Sir, we’re getting another communique from Zhian Prime but this one is text only.”
You simply nod at the comm officer and he reads aloud, “‘The First Order of the Zholar Temple is a fringe group and a doomsday cult. They do not reflect the views and values of our government or of the people of Zhian Prime as a whole. As we try to apprehend those responsible for this heinous act, we beg all sentient species to try and work against this abomination.’…..That’s all they wrote, sir.”
This Space Kraken has a maximum of 50 damage that it can endure. It will start in the center of Xia, and it will move 1d4 after each player’s turn. NPC’s do not trigger its movement. It will fly the shortest route between its current location and whatever sector number was rolled this round (each round, a new sector number is rolled). If a 20 is rolled it will move towards Nyr. It will avoid going through Asteroids and Debris fields. Any ships that are within any adjacent space during the Kraken’s turn, will lose 1d6 power and heal the Kraken that much.
If there is a planet in that sector that was rolled it will seek to land on that planet and destroy it. Initial contact with the planetary shield will heal the Space Kraken 1d20 and then the shield will fail. Each turn that it sits on a planet it will do 1d6 damage as it burrows into the planet’s core. If it causes 20 damage to the core the planet becomes destroyed and is no longer habitable. On the next turn if a new sector is rolled it will abandon its current objective and move towards it.
Distribute 4 Fame Points, if defeated, as follows: three of the fame points should be divided amongst all ships that contributed (rounded up) and an additional 1FP for the killing blow. The Rikishi event can destroy the Kraken and an ice comet can cause 1d4 +1d6+1d8+1d12+1d20 damage and permanently removes that ice comet from the game, however, no one receives fame points if a natural event destroys the Space Kraken.
Clarifications: Its draining effect does not affect any energy rods you have stored on board. Other NPCs do not turn their attention to this new threat unless someone pays the SellSword to do so or the Space Kraken has actually caused them direct damage to their ship by draining energy from them, or the Avenger will join the fray as well if a Neutral planet is destroyed by the Space Kraken.
