Ares Legwork

Demise of the War Gods 2020/05/11 	 Grimm Radical

2

Grimm
1) What dimension/plane/realm is the Obsidian Door and the Gatekeepers from?

You can find this information out from multiple sources. Unfortunately none of the sources agree with another. Various sages have the Obsidean Door located in a pocket dimension, in Hades, buried deep within the Earth, or concealed within hidden temples. Several sources do agree that if any mortal knows the answer it's undoubtedly the high priestess of Apollo. Which simply brings up another question. Where to find the current high priestess? The temple of Apollo at Delphi might be a valid starting point. It is said by several sources that within the shadow of the central pillar at noon the Oracle will answer one question for those of good character with the ability to see her.

2) Why would Halfdemon need a ritual to bring them here instead of go to them herself? Gabrielle's wondering if there's books or myths of the Gatekeepers' quests, or if there's away to find them and ask without a ritual, but given that Halfdemon couldn't get there, I'm guessing Grimm won't be able to, either.

It is highly likely that Halfdemon does not know where the Obsidian Door and Gatekeepers are located. The usual sources for arcane and mystic lore contradict each other, and your research (see above) suggests the path to enlightenment can only be followed by those of good character.

3) Can I get a copy of the video recording from city hall? Grimm will pass that along to Radical. She talked to him about the theft at Steinberg Tower and consulted him to ask about Halfdemon, but he didn't know much. I'm hoping he can use Lipreading to figure out some of the recording.

You can get a copy of the security camera recording. The resolution of the image is poor for lip-reading but Radical will undoubtedly do his best with it. (I'll be looking out for a legwork from Radical.)

4) Who is that demon lord with Amelia?

Not all demons are ugly brutes. Some have almost a devilish charm. Especially the higher ranks. Demon Lords. The infernal nobility of evil incarnate. This one stands 8ft tall and is built like an athlete. Black skinned. Glowing red eyes. Clearly he's keeping up with the times. He's wearing a neat gray three piece business suit. The sooty flames in place of hair kind of spoils the look though. When Grimm makes enquiries she will find this Demon Lord has been seen with Halfdemon before, when Amelia - the original - had to be rescued from organ-leggers.

There seems to be some degree of loyalty toward Halfdemon displayed by the Demon Lord. He pulled Halfdemon out out danger when it seemed she would be captured by the heroes intent on rescuing several Amelias. That the Demon Lord was standing and active at the point is an indication of how tough he appears to be.

5) Which Morbanes were these, and where are their operations rumored to be? Did she get them from another dimension?

The Morbanes (the ones that started out alive until Halfdemon introduced their throats to a sharp blade) originate in our dimension. Two have been identified as local Colonial Bay residents. This might explain the lull in DEMON activity of late in the city. The undead DEMON agents and Inferno Legion are from elsewhere (tm). Time of death is hard to estimate. They show evidence of cell damage consistent with cryostasis, in addition to severe radiation damage and exposure to biological and chemical warfare environments.

6) How did the gods manage to trap Ares? Is there a way to reseal the locks or get him back in his cage if worse comes to worse.

History is written by the victorious. The historical version is a alliance of men, titans, and the other Greek gods fought Ares and imprisoned him. Ares is not the smartest of the Greek Gods although he is rumored to be one of the toughest. It's likely he was tricked or deceived. Worthy of note is that Ares and Mars, the Roman god of war, are often assumed to be almost the same. This is inaccurate. There are two Greek gods of war. In modern terms Ares is the god of war crimes, characterised by the more brutal side of conflict: blood lust, slaughter, and pillage.

Radical
Grimm shows the video to Radical, so he is taking a look to see what he can tell about the ritual....and to try to read lips in the video to see what was said. (Might be tough, due to resolution, of course)

For most of the ritual Amelia Halfdemon has her face turned away from the camera making lipreading during those times impossible. Connor is able to catch moments when she is facing the camera. The ritual is quite short, and consists of the sacrifice of magic and blood to compel the appearance of the Gatekeepers. (Grimm can tell this is a corruption of a demon summoning ritual. Her knowledge of myths and fables reveals a priest or priestess of most of the Greek Gods can summon the Gatekeepers with a jug of wine, a sheaf of wheat, and a chicken.)

Connor has better luck with lipreading the Gatekeepers. First they are facing Halfdemon and thus also facing the camera. Second they are big, 20ft plus in height. The Gatekeepers are obviously angry at being summoned. You would logically assume they are responding to Halfdemon demanding to know the quests when one tells her that the quests will be issued one at a time. The first quest is to find and destroy the Spear of Woeful Fury.

The Spear of Woeful Fury
The Spear of Woeful Fury is a weapon crafted by the dwarven smith Durgeddin in the hidden Black Forge of Khundrukar. Driven insane by the slaughter of his entire clan by giants, Durgeddin spent years forging a black iron (possibly adamantium) spear. When it was finished he leaked the location of the forge to the giants and plunged the spear into his own heart, cursing the weapon with his dying breath.

Whoever sees the spear, save only those with a utterly pure heart and soul, will lust to possess it. Even the knowledge of its existence has a lesser effect, although this latter effect is usually limited to a single planet. Likewise the presence of the Spear results in a general unfocused increase in aggression and violence on a near planetary scale. The spear will fill those who posses it with a raging fury that makes them into nearly invincible berserker. In addition the spear warps the mind of its possessor over time so he or she comes to see all family, friends, and companions as mortal enemies.

The resulting wars and feuds decimated the giants. The spear then passed from hand to hand, clan to tribe, species to species, almost always by violence and death. The last that is known of the spear before it vanished from history is it falling into the possession of the Dilgar, a semi-reptilian species of technological advancement and cultural barbarism on a distant alternate Earth. The intra-species wars that followed exterminated the Dilgar and so poisoned their planet that none dare set foot upon it. Even those who are willing to risk the intense radiation, chemical and biological contamination fall beneath the autonomous war machines that have survived the demise of their makers.

Legend has it that the spear can only be destroyed by breaking it over the anvil that forged it. However the fallen dwarven settlement of Khundrukar has long been home to a fearsome great dragon and hordes of orc and goblin minions. None in living memory have entered the subterranean ruins and emerged to tell of what lies within.