Black Forge of Khundrukar

Demise of the War Gods 2020/06/16 	 Grimm Radical Natasha Porter Zephyr

6

Alien Warship Bridge
It is grueomely obvious the bridge of the alien warship hovering several miles above the subterranean dwaven ruins has been the scene of a very recent conflict. There are a couple of dozen bodies laying around the bridge in varying states of dismemberment and crushed body parts. One might assume the three aliens still standing are the victors. The dead aliens are arachnoid in appearance. Two of the three living aliens are tall extremely thin humanoids. They seem almost insignificant in the presence of the third alien.

Lord Commander Krul dominates the bridge by his sheer presence. He stands about eight feet tall and is stockily built. He has bluish-gray skin of leathery texture where he is not wearing scarred and hard used armor. His limbs are massibe in proportion to his body and brutally muscled. On his right hand is a black iron glove with three glowing gems set within it. The gems are blue, red, and green. His face has the human normal set of eyes, nose, ears, mouth. But his chin is oversized such that his face is wider at the chin than at the temples.

Arrival
Valaria leaps through the portal and rolls, hoping to present a difficult target should anyone be there looking to attack new arrivals. She swings her cape into her hands as she surveys the surroundings.

Radical steps through the gate as well...and takes a look at the new surroundings.

Grimm walks slowly through the gate. She's favoring her bloodied left arm, which dangles straight down at her side. A red trail follows her from the church interior to the other side. A shadow tendril is still wrapped around Natasha and the spear, carrying her along. She closes her eyes a moment and takes a breath, spreading out her shadow sight across the realm on the other side of her dimensional gate.

One would think Porter were a little more attentive to things. Just because there's an excited dragon, world-ending artifacts of doom, hordes of demons, pious priests, and portals to other realms... that's no reason to ignore friends.

"Gabrielle? You alright?" He moves up to Grimm and even offers to help her through, once it's their turn. "Maybe it's just a flesh wound?"

Natasha is not struggling as she's carried along. She looks rather woeful. She noses Grimm (well, the tendril), acting cute, by way of apology.

The heroes arrive through Grimm's gate on the slope of a mountain. Ahead of you, about 300 hundred yards, are the huge iron doors leading to the ruined underground settlement. The doors are visible because the rock that was covering them has been blasted clear. It lays in small to medium bounders still smoking from the heat of the blast. Even as you step through a glowing ball of energy streaks down from on high and impacts the higher slope of the mountain, raising a dust cloud where it impacted.

Zephyr follows Porter, Grimm, and Natasha through the gate.

Grimm smiles weakly at Natasha. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I know a thing or two about not being in control," she reassures the cute and charming dragon. She opens her eyes and flinches at the sudden impact ahead.

Radical blinks as he sees the beam. "Hrm. I think that's a neutron blast. It would...likely kill living things, but leave the buildings mostly intact."

Grimm stares up after Radical's explanation. "Shick. What is that doing in a dwarven dimension? You think Half Demon set that up?"

Radical shrugs, "Maybe? To try to clear the way to the anvil? But that seems odd. And she's usuaully sneakier than that. She uses a scalpel when that...is a hammer."

Overgirl inquires, not sure about these things, "Would that leave thing radioactive?"

As Grimm stares up she sees the source of the blast. A large alien designed spacecraft hovering a couple of miles above the mountain. Another neutron blast streaks down to hit another area of the higher slopes.

Natasha knows little of science. She displays of a mirror reflecting the beam, followed by a question mark.

Grimm raises her good arm to shield her eyes from the blast. "Well. Maybe not Halfdemon. There's an alien spacecraft several miles above the mountain. Unless she tricked them, too."

Natasha adds some danger signs to indicate that finding a way of dealing with the beams is likely urgent!

Radical grimaces, but it's only barely visible under his mask. "Well, given the timing...I think it's to cler a parth to the anvil. Unless there's something else here we don't know about?"

Grimm looks to Natasha, then back to the beam. "We go straight for the anvil, or we stop the ship blasting so we can get in there?" she asks. The regular neutron blasts stop. And a sparkling beam of light shoots down and envelops the heroes.

"Unless there is a way to get to the ship, I would need to head to the anvil..." Overgirl begins. The the light covers them and she thinks, *A transporter works I guess.*

Grimm smiles faintly Overgirl's way. "We just crossed dimensions. You think I can't get us to a measily sh---ick." Her sentence changes as the beam envelopes them.

Natasha tries not to be teleported. It's undignified enough to be being carried around restrained!

Radical resists as well. "Just...concentrate on staying here. We dont' know where it would take us."

Some heroes are beamed up onto the bridge of the alien ship.

Grimm tries to mentally resist the beam as she holds on to Natasha. But where Natasha goes, Grimm will go.

See?! Grimm can move her arm, so it must be mostly jacket or shirt that's actually shredded. Maybe some scratches? Porter blinks and looks up at the light. "What is... I don't like this..." Don't go into the light! Don't go into the light!

Grimm is surprised as Porter does...something for her arm? Maybe the scratches bled to make it look worse than it really was, but she was sure it was shredded based on the appearance and pain. The latter of which is gone now.

When Overgirl and Zephyr arrive on the bridge, there's only one alien who matters. The other two just merge into the background in comparison. He looks at the two heroes. "If your companions stay down on the surface near the ruins they will die. I have no reason to kill them but I have no reason to care if they die. You may return to warn them if you wish."

Zephyr says, "Why would they die?"

Overgirl inquires, "It is necessary we go there an perform a duty, can what you are doing wait? Will the ruins remain after you are done?"

The alien seems to be speaking good English, but his lip movement do not match what you hear him saying. "I will resume the bombardment."

Zephyr says, "What is the purpose of your bombardment, if I may ask?"

Radical looks to the others who remained on teh surface. "Can we tell where they went?"

The alien looks at Zephyr, "I would have thought that obvious even to lesser beings. To kill those living in the ruins of course."

Grimm hurried out of the way of the beam and looks up. "Got a pretty good idea."

Natasha shakes her head.

Zephyr says, "We've heard stories about a dragon..."

The alien looks unconcerned, "Then it will be a dead dragon."

Zephyr says, "Will it be safe to enter the ruins when you have finished?"

"Safe from me anyway. Whatever is left of them." the alian says.

Zephyr says, "I will go and tell them."

Zephyr says, "May they come here until you have finished?"

The alien nods, "Provided they do not try to interfere, yes."

Lord Krul gestures to one of the other aliens, who operates a mechanism. Zephyr returns to the ground.

"So..." Porter looks up at the ship which may or may not be vomiting out energetic death blossoms... and across the field at the mountain which may or may not hold... dragons? orcs? demons? What else did someone say?

Zephyr rematerializes among the group.

"So. We going to get our people back?" Gabrielle responds. Which is when they rematerialize. "What was that about?"

Natasha looks questioningly at the returned Zwphyr.

Zephyr says, "We are invited to come aboard until they are finished with their bombardment, which should kill everything in the ruins. If we don't go, we'll die. They don't care either way."

Radical grimaces again. "Hrm. Alright. I guess...we go up there, then?"

Natasha nods. All told, not dying seems good.

Porter blinks. "Huh. Right. If there's a 'not dying' option, I'll take that. I have enough problems with that without aiming for it..."

Zephyr realizes that the alien didn't tell her how to let him know about their decision. She looks up toward the spaceshift and waves her arms.

The sparkling beam of light comes down and surrounds the heroes once again.

Grimm frowns. "So we're just going to be okay with them killing everything in there? It makes or job easier, but I'm not sure I like that moral choice."

Zephyr says, "I forgot to ask why he's doing it."

Natasha isn't sure either. But even if trying to stop it, best to do that without the death ray pointing at you. She lets herself be taken this time.

Radical shakes hsi head and says to Grimm, "It's also easier to stop the bombardment when we're by the controls, rather than by the target."

The heroes as a group arrive on the Bridge of the alien warship.

Grimm nods to Radical just before they appear on the bridge.

 Grimm says, "Of course...things will get interesting once they see the spear."

A few seconds after the heroes arrive one of the tall thin aliens speaks in an alien language to the big guy.

Natasha eyes up the gems in Krul's glove.

Natasha keeps her eyes fixed on the gauntlet. She begins to wriggle in Grimm's hold again.

 Porter says, "Uh... is that really a good idea?"

Lord Krul looks at the arrivals. "You possess Black Iron. Give it to me." It's not a request. It's a demand.

 Grimm says, "Shick. The answer to that is no."

Grimm pulls Natasha behind her. "No," she states firmly.

Radical tilts his head, "Are you referring to the spear? Or something else?"

Porter appears someplace he never expected... at ground level! This is fairly novel. He blinks at the ... big green man? "I don't even know what that is?"

The Alien looks more closely, "Spear? Ah. Yes, so it is. Its form doesn't matter. Only what it is made from. Black Iron."

Natasha tries to peek round Grimm to see those gems again!

Zephyr says, "Why does it matter?"

 Radical says, "The other things that keep Ares hidden...are they also Black Iron? Anyone know?"

Zephyr says, "I don't even know what the other things *are*."

Lord Krul gestures. One of the other aliens resumes the planetary bombardment. "Black Iron is one of the rarest materials in the Cosmos. That's why I'm here. Below this ship is a Black Iron mine. The single most significant source of it in known space."

Radical nods slowly. "So...you don't want this weapon in its current form, and you intend to break it down? The only way to do that it to take it back to the anvil it was forged at. Down there. It was forged with magic."

Radical says, "Which is waht we were intending to do. Before your bombardment added a delay."

Lord Krul looks at one of the other aliens. The other alien moves closer to Grimm and Natasha to peer at the spear. Then he nods and speaks in the alien language.

 Grimm says, "I'm not exactly sure."

 Radical says, "Going to look at hte future briefly. Grimm, let me know if they say something via this link. I won't hear it."

Radical focuses his mind...and looks into the future...trying to see exactly what this 'Lord Krul' intends to do with this metal. Lord Krul turns to Radical, "You speak truth. That is what I shall do when the ruins have been cleared. You shall recieve a reward for that service. What is valuable to you?"

 Grimm says, "Okay. I'll pass it along."

Radical doesn't quite get the spell completed before Krul speaks. "Many things. But primarily, we're intending to try to keep Area imprisoned."

 Radical says, "I'll need more time. I think during a conversation isn't the best time."

 Natasha says, "(excitedly) The gems in his glove are beyond priceless!"

Radical apparently got enough of a glimpse anyway. It must be a very prominent future.

Radical takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

 Radical says, "With enough of that Black Iron, he can forge weapons and armor for his henchment, and he'll be able to conquer the galaxy. And eventually he'll get to Earth."

 Radical says, "Where I apparently run into him again."

 Grimm says, "Wait, this place is in OUR dimension?"

 Grimm says, "What happens when you run into him again?"

Porter looks around at... well, everything and anything. It's a SPACESHIP for crying out loud. He doesn't interrupt the adults talking... though he thinks about it.

 Porter says, "Hey... do you think they'll let me drive the spaceship? Just a little?"

<LINK> Radical says, "When we run into him again? We lose."

<LINK> Grimm says, "That'll crash this ship, Porter. Go do it. Touch everything in there."

<LINK> Radical says, "The future isn't written. It's only a possibility. But it's a STRONG possibility. If we're to stop him, this might be the time."

Grimm looks to Radical. "And trying to find something to stop Half Demon."

<LINK> Natasha says, "Let's stop him now and confiscate his glove!"

<LINK> Grimm says, "Well, we make sure they don't get to earth, then. Future changed."

Natasha wriggles excitedly in Grimm's tendril. Treasure! Which (morally speaking) needs to be confiscated!

<LINK> Grimm says, "How many of us can survive in the vacuum of space? This may turn ugly fast and we need to use their transporter to get everyone back to the surface."

<LINK> Grimm says, "Natasha, if you let go of the spear, you can go after his treasure. But we can't let him get near your spear or he'll take it for himself. Okay?"

<LINK> Natasha says, "BUt I might need the spear to break his glove. It's made of black iron too!"

Radical takes a deep breath again, "What is your ultimate goal? Why are you trying to attain this Black Iron, other than it being incredibly rare?"

<LINK> Zephyr says, "I can do space, I think. And air for anyone who stays close to me."

<LINK> Grimm says, "Air's good, but what about the cold? And re-entry issues?"

Lord Krul is not a devious or deceitful warlord. "I will forge armor and weapons with the black iron from here. Nobody will be able to stand in my way. I will be invincible."

Grimm isn't sure about Natasha's comment.

<LINK> Grimm says, "You really think you can break his glove with your strength, Natasha?"

<LINK> Porter says, "Hey, hey. Everybody. It's Ok. We can get out of here alright. I got this."

<LINK> Natasha says, "I don't know. The spear might break it, or I might be able to bite through it: I've never met black iron before."

<LINK> Radical says, "Even if we beat him, we need to make the Black Iron inaccessible somehow."

<LINK> Zephyr says, "Take it to another dimension?"

<LINK> Grimm says, "That's a lot to move down there, Zephyr. We can't even destroy one spear of it. But maybe we can destroy his glove on that anvil while we're at it."

<LINK> Zephyr says, "There's a lot to do anything with. Unless you have some sort of metal-eating virus up your sleeve?"

<LINK> Natasha says, "Perhaps this spaceship has the power! But first, we need to defeat the villain!"

Grimm nods with what Lord Krul says. "I see. Perhaps we can trade for a set of weapons to defeat our nemesis, Amelia Half-Demon." She keeps the warlord talking.

<LINK> Grimm says, "Yeah. We can figure out how to stop Black Iron falling into other people's hands once we deal with this guy and the ship."

Lord Krul shakes his head. "No. I shall possess every last atom of black iron before I leave here."

<LINK> Radical says, "Agreed. If we let him get the Black Iron, he'll be harder to defeat later. We might be overmatched now, but it'll be even worse later."

Grimm begins to loosen her grip on Natasha so she can be free if and when she wants.

<LINK> Grimm says, "Then we do this now. Take the big guy all at the same time?"

Natasha wriggles free of Grimm's loosened grip and flies straight for Lord Krul's glove leading with the spear, hoping the magic weapon has the power to break the glove!

Natasha's attack was surprisinly effective. Until the green gem flares brightly. Lord Krul manages to twist his hand so the spear slips across the surface leaving a scratch instead of digging in and ripping a tear. Weirdly the heroes can 'remember' both versions of the attack. The green gem is noticably dimmed afterward.