To the Dead World

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

4

Nukeville Central
A nuked alien city, so radioactive it glows in the dark. Let's not mention the biological and chemical contamiation. Or the dozen or so alien terminator style war machines patroling the ruins. Some distance away, about a mile, on a hilltop, is the arriving army, streaming in via a gate. The king proud upon his white stallion. The two 'holy' advisors, a man and a woman, dressed in white robes with halos above their heads.

Investigation by Grimm and Radical has determined the ritual carried out by Amelia Halfdemon was summoning the four Gatekeepers of the Obsidian Door. It's assumed this means Halfdemon is intending to release Ares from his prison. To have the door opened Amelia HD has to complete four quests. The first is to destroy the Spear of Woeful Fury. This spear is in a ruined alien city. It's become a race to get the spear.

The White army continues to arrive via their gate. As well as the King, horsed nobles, and the two 'holy' advisers, there are now getting on for a thousand footmen of various types. archers, pike-men, musketeers, grenadiers.

Moving Forward
Grimm steps through the gate cautiously and looks around, disguised as Grimm the White. Her clothes have shifted to something more akin to the white army, and her flowing hair is a light blonde. She looks like a symbol of purity with the added golden glow. "If anyone wants to be able to communicate silently, tap you temple. I can connect our thoughts if we need to, but not so many," she says quietly.

Radical nods and thinks about. "I think...I'm okay with that, Grimm."

Grimm looks over at Radical in surprise. That's a first. "You sure?"

Natasha ponders if she wants silly human thoughts running through her head. Maybe best not.

Harlequin follows after Grimm and the others. He keeps his eyes and other senses open trying to take in this death world in as many ways as he can.

Suited up, Citlali has made a few side comments about how the suit might be improved with some miniaturization and having some small energy cells fueled by the body's psionic power to maintain it with simple energy fields rather than a bulky suit.

But either way, she's along for the ride. And seeing the army... she inclines her head and dispassionately observes them from a distance

Natasha follows Harlequin through and sniff as the air of this strange world.

Radical nods to Grimm. "I'm sure."

Radical looks at the army. "So...do we try to talk them out of their plan of action? Or do we just try to get to the spear proper?"

Grimm smiles a bit at his vote of confidence. Then realizes, "Um, you mean now?" she checks, then looks to the army. "We should try and get them to turn back. You said they die if we don't, right? There should be war machines around here, and they'll decimate them if we leave them alone."

For anyone with tactics or a military background, an army of over a thousand versus a dozen battered ancient war machines. It's going to be a massacre. The army is heading for a total wipe out. Not that it matters. If the army stays on this world more than a few hours they are all dead from radiation poisoning anyway.

Quite used to mental powers, Citlali nods her head and taps her own temple gently.

Radical nods. "Yup. If we don't intervene, that army is going to get slaughtered."

Grimm frowns a bit. "The army...they're just the distraction for the war machines. Maybe we do need to go straight for the spear, or split up. Half Demon may already be making her move for when they engage."

Radical nods. "Whoever is the most...convincing...should go talk to the army."

"If we need it, I can translate for anyone who wishes to communicate with them. If a translator is not needed, then I am not the most.. persuasive individual present." offers Citlali.

Harlequin murmurs, "Given her nature, I would hazard that Amelia Half-Demon is concealed somewhere in the army. Most likely as an advisor to the White King. She needs the White King or someone suitable near him to take and then destroy the Spear after all."

Natasha makes an image of a STOP sign, followed by an arrow pointing to the army and a question mark.

Grimm looks to Natasha and nods. "We want to make them go back where they came from. It's dangerous.

Natasha nods and makes and image of a stop sign with another sign underneath saying GO BACK, IT'S A TRAP, placed in front of the image of an army, with a question mark, to make her intent clearer.

On taking time to look thoroughly Grimm sees the King, three horsed noblemen and both advisers are magical or have magic. The King, nobles, and footmen come from one dimension. The advisers came from two different dimensions. The two advisers are supernatural."

Grimm lets out a sigh as she studies the army and reaches out with her senses, reporting what she senses. "So you're right. The two advisers are supernatural and from another dimensions."

Radical nods. "I think...we try to avert disaster by heading them off. Who wants to look for the spear in the meantime?"

"The two advisers are from -two- different dimensions. They're not from the same place," Grimm clarifies as her mind connects with Citlali and Radical. It's a gentle touch, and she doesn't communicate anything else over it for now.

Natasha resists volunteering to look for the spear. While it's just an abstraction, she can hold down her greed for it.

Harlequin nods to Grimm. "Well, angels by their nature would be from supernatural. As would a demon lord, of course." He slowly walks forward as he observes the army. "A very nice army, well drilled and disciplined. I wonder if this White King is an Arthur or Galahad analog?" he muses.

Natasha takes a few steps toward the army and then looks back over her shoulder.

Grimm grins at Harlequin. "You've got a silver tongue. Maybe you should do the talking with them." She looks to Natasha. "You can sniff out the spear and magic, right?"

"Angels. Demons. These are just names given to beings of power from other realms." offers Citlali. But she shakes her head and adds, "I would be happy to assist in whatever fashion is desired. I can translate, or I can assist in retrieval."

Natasha nods to Grimm!

Grimm squirms briefly in her changed appearance. She feels uncomfortable being her natural blonde and dressed so brightly. All her piercings are gone, too. "Well, if I can link my mind to yours, maybe you can be sneaky and sniff it out while we stop the army? Your size may hide you from the war machines, and if you get into trouble, I can teleport us to you right away."

To demonstrate usefulness, Citlali mentally commands her holo-disguiser to alter her outward appearance so that she resembles one of the army members. Even disguising her NBC suit. "Perhaps this could assist in infiltration?" she asks.

Grimm links minds with Natasha and focuses on her, attuning herself to the little dragon as well as Radical. "Okay, now you can let us know how your hunt goes," she smiles at Natasha. "Watch out for the war machines."

Natasha nods, and flies off, low to the ground, trying to track down the spear!

Harlequin murmurs, "Shall I aproach or set myself in their way? Opinions?" As he speaks, he touches the ring on his gloved hand and then an honest to goodness quarterstaff is in his hands. "Might as well look the part, no?"

"Let's all approach?" Grimm suggests. "We need a translator potentially at the very least."

The White army is setting up camp. They are likely planning to engage in battle come the morn.

Nodding her head, Citlali states, "Assuming their minds are not shielded, I will provide translation services happily." she offers with almost no emotion in her voice.

Harlequin murmurs, "Be advised, this army is not completely medieval in tech. They have some muskets and clay pot grenades. Otherwise the foot soldiers are armed with pikes and bows while the nobles, well, have the typical lances and swords. Once we are in front of them, I can envelop us in a field that should prevent most physical attacks, but no energy attacks. Or even just form it as a wall."

He then adds, "And shall we walk over, or shall I build a Gate so we are just in front of them?"

Radical nods. "Yes, I think....we approach from outside their camp. If we appear in the middle of it, they'll be more defensive."

Zephyr nods in agreement

Radical says to Harlequin, "I think appearing in front of their camp should be fine."

Grimm nods in agreement and tries to be on her best behavior. She rubs at her tired eyes, still struggling to get a good night's sleep, then works at looking plucky and sweet.

Harlequin murmurs, "Well, walking up to them will make them more comfortable. As for my appearance? Well, my mask cannot change I fear. I can change my clothing..." He chuckles. "Gandlaf the Grey or Saruman the White? Maybe Radagast the Brown or one the Blue Wizards?"

"Saruman. Christopher Lee was metal," Gabrielle votes.

Radical chuckles. "We're all going to look like wizards to them."

Harlequin murmurs, "Or I could just go as myself wearing my mask. That would be alien to them as well."

Zephyr stretches her wings, "Perhaps not all."

In her search Natasha catches a sniff of magic. But she'll have to play hide and seek with the three war machines currently in that area of the ruined city.

Following along in as subtle a manner as she can, Citlali doesn't try to look outlandish. She is merely a servant and a translator for her betters.

Grimm chuckles at Harlequin. "Just change into wearing white and let's go." She looks over to Radical's gear and grins.

Natasha stops flying and starts creeping along the ground, the better to make use of cover. She tries to move only when the war machines are looking away. She's also ready with her illusions to mask her movement if staying low to the ground isn't sufficient.

Just before he opens the Gate (hopefully it will open about 10 yards from the edge of the encampment) Harlequin's clothing ripples like a heat haze and he's now dressed in a bespoke silk suit. He keeps the quaterstaff and gesturs with it to create the Gate.

"Two by two, just like the Aek, gentles!"

Zephyr steps up beside Harlequin.

Radical steps through the gate...prepared to defend the group on their arrival should any missile fire come their way.

Harlequin steps through the Gate as he shouts in stentorian voice. "I would parlay with your King!"

A couple of seconds after the heroes appear via gate, quickly recovering from her surprise, the female advisor points them out to the King, "Your Majesty, it is my unruly assistant and his wizardy lot of servants. Disobeying my instruction to remain at our temple. May I have your leave to converse with them?"

The King graciously permits. The female advisor begins to make her way between the encampment's tents and cooking fires toward the gate.

Citlali does a quick scan, to see if anyone around is using high tech radio signals.

Natasha creeps on, ever so cautiously, in a search pattern, trying to pick up the spear's scent.

"While it's a nice backdrop, it's also a bit of drain to keep this open, comrades, so I think I'll close it. Just be prepared to leg it if necessary, yes?" murmurs Harlequin to the heroes near him as he lets the Gate close with with a sigh of wind and a soft chime-like tinkling.

Radical nods to Harlequin, "Understood."

There are multiple radio transmissions. Most UHF. A few at medium or long wave.

Zephyr says, "Ready"

The female advisor reaches the edge of the encampment. "Your meddling is starting to annoy me. I'm going to get a great deal of pleasure seeing what is going to happen to your all so fortunate dimension." She speaks English.

Harlequin says in a jovial tone, "And it's a pleasure to see you again as well, Amelia Half-Demon? How did you manage to find a good man and his army and lie convincingly enough to bring them to this death world?" He leans forward slightly as if looking closely at her. "And I must say, the glamour is fantastic. Quite concealing."

Zephyr says, "Sorry. Meddling is the family business."

The UHF data stream transmissions are coming from the war machines. The lower frequencies from a spot near the center of the ruined city.'

Grimm purses her lips, already tempted to clap back. She manages to keep from spouting off. For now.

Radical nods to himself, as it becomes clear that this is likely Halfdemon in person. "This entire army will perish here, unless they turn around."

 Citlali listens quietly and then transmits, "I am tracking multiple data streams of wireless transmissions. Some coming from the war machines. A lower frequency cluster seems to be coming from a spot near the center of the ruined city. Perhaps the controls for the machines are clustered there?"

Halfdemon sounds a little snippy as she says, "It's more than your weakling did. Even you turned her down."

 Grimm says, "Do you think you'd know how to shut them down from there?"

 Citlali says, "Difficult to say for sure. I would have to -see- the controls before I could tell you if I could operate them. I feel confident that I could figure them out, but to say that I am sure I could would be untrue."

 Natasha says, "I've seen three war machines in the city. Could it just be them?"

 Grimm says, "Only three so far? If three can decimate this armor before they could all retreat, they may be pretty tough."

On Harlequin's closer onservation, Halfdemon has several spells active. Illusion and envirnomental protection. And a magical mental link or two. Definitely two.

 Citlali says, "I suppose it is possible. But the transmissions are all tracking back to one source. It could be a -command- tank that is sending signals out to the others. A tactical datanet."

Radical turns on his magic and dimenaional sight...just to get a better feel for his surroundings.

 Natasha says, "There may be more. I'm trying hard not to see or be seen!"

Harlequin gives a one shouldered shrug. "My Amelia and I were not fated to be. Such is life. Sadly, for you, it's not a sore point for me...nice attempt though." He then gesures behind himself. "This army, even aided by you and your pet demon lord, cannot survive the war machines here. It's a foregone...or rather, foreseen...conclusion. I imagine you plan to sneak the White King or whoever the real dupe is by to get the Spear then destroy it? Did you come up with some spurious prophecy about how doing so will save his world, his people?"

 Citlali pauses once more, and then adds, "Okay. I am seeing a repeated signal. It looks like some sort of login request that is not being answered. I could try to log in and hack my way in. But if I fail, it will alert them that someone is trying. Thoughts? Halfdemon sees no need to disseminate as nobody in the army understands English. "The prophecy was already in existance. All I had to do was make use of it." Maybe a little surprising, she seem content to prolong the comversation.

 Grimm says, "With an army facing us down, we may need to wait on that."

Zephyr pulls her attention from AHD and looks around...

 Citlali says, "Understood, which is why I inquired rather than merely doing it. Let me know where else I can be of use. I will continue to track these transmissions and let you know if anything changes."

Harlequin looks at Halfdemon for a long moment then laughs. "You've already got the Chosen One sneaking in with trusted companions, don't you, Amelia? Wow, I really need to find the source of narrativium you mine."

He glances back at the heroes. "Can any of you sense life or lifeforms?"

Zephyr mutters, "Probably a couple of hobbits..."

Zephyr fails to notice anything going on, beyond the obvious. For a moment, just a moment, the illusion slips as Halfdemon curses Harlequin. "You're too smart for my own good. I'll have to do something about that." Harlequin can see the demon replacements are where his Amelia was scarred and multilated on the Polluted Earth.

Grimm looks to Harlequin curiously, then turns towards the city to scan the area for moving humanoids in the ruins.

Radical shakes his head and says to Harlequin. "Magic, yes. Life forces, no."

"Whatever happened to your friends, Amelia? Did you ever even have any?" Grimm asks. She remembers all too well Matt attacking her to force her to help find their Amelia.

After a while Grimm detects a slowly moving patch of magic. Nothing visible to sight. It's well hidden behind a half standing wall. Close to a spear shaped patch of magic and an also well hidden small dragon.'

 Grimm says, "Crap. Her group is near the spear. And Natasha!"

 Natasha says, "I haven't heard or smelt them yet."

Harlequin murmurs softly, "Be very careful with that line of thought, Amelia Half-Demon. Certain lines being crossed will make me stop playing the hero. No one wants that." He gestures behind him. "Stop them! She'll just kill them in the end. I'll stay here with dear Amelia."

 Grimm says, "I can sense a moving patch of magic. It's well hidden behind a half-standing wall near you. I can sense the shape of the spear's magic."

 Citlali says, "Do you need others to go to Natasha's aid? I can head in that direction."

Grimm looks around to the others and holds out her hands for them to take after Harlequin's command.

<LINK> Natasha says, "I haven't smelt the spear yet either. I shall look."

Zephyr takes Grimm's hand, and holds out her own.

Natasha looks for a half-standing wall to check behind.

Halfdemon looks at Grimm, "Friends? A lover? Family? Yes. I had them. Until the Dear Leader decided he was going to be a war President. I'll not let that happen again. Anywhere. I will rule. And put an end to war."

Grimm snorts. "You're as mad as ever. Who was your dear leader?"

Grimm blinks as a realization hits her, her expression falling. "You're crazy..."

Radical tilts his head, "She doesn't want to release Ares. She wants to kill him."

Harlequin tilts his head. "Ah...so that's why. I'd wondered." His tone sounds oddly resigned. "Stop the Chosen One, all of you! I'll keep Amelia occupied."

"The very idea that war can be killed is laughable. The so-called gods of various aspects exist on so many levels, and a god of war does not create war... war creates the god. To remove a war god's power, you must cease the act of war among all of humanity, everywhere." suggests Citlali. "Even were I wrong, which I am not... killing one god of war would have little effect since there are so many belief systems, so many pantheons, and so many war gods."

Grimm is still shocked. "It took an alliance of a pantheon of gods and men just to trap you. You're nuts if you think you can kill Ares." She looks to Harlequin and nods, then to the others. "C'mon, I can get us there. Grab ahold of me."

Radical says to Citlali, "The philosophical conversation can come later, don't you think?" He moves to put a hand on Grimm's shoulder.

The three war machines have moved a little further away. Prompted into hurrying by some means, a hazy mist forms into a Demon Lord and starts to move quickly into a building.

Zephyr has already taken Grimm's hand, and is holding out her other for someone to grab.

Reaching out, Citlali shrugs, "If we could convince her of the folly of her ways, philosophy is not useless. But she seems zealously full of her own delusions and stupidity, so... yes, it can wait." And she reaches out for Grimm's hand.

Grimm's disguise drops as she pools energy, her hair and clothes turning black once more, as well as changing into something more modern. With all the others holding on, she teleports them to the spear she can sense.

Natasha tries to beat the demon into the building! Grimm's teleport is blocked at the wall of the hardened command and control building. But the heroes are now in the heart of the ruined city. Of course the speedy motion of the Demon Lord, Natasha, and the teleport has attracted the attention of the war machines.

Radical can't help but wonder at Halfdemon's motivations. Something about this just doesnt' ring any truer than the idea of releasing Ares. Both course of action seem...ill-thought out.

Everyone teleports safely, though Grimm stumbles back from the magical impact she felt from the hardened walls. "Uhnngh...crap," she mutters, rubbing her temple. "I can't teleport past this wall."

In the building now, both the Demon Lord and Natasha see a wrecked elevator shaft leading down. The shaft is partially blocked by a massive tracked battle tank tilted half in the shaft. The tank's turrent is pierced through and through by what was likely a hyper-velocity missle, but the smaller rail gun turrets are tracking onto targets. Too slowly to get a shot off before the racers can get past. But ready for any who follow.

Harlequin looks at Amelia Half-Demon and nods to her. "So, I'm not inclined to fight you right now, Amelia, so long as you don't interfere. Other than talking to them, of course." He sets down the staff and leans on it a bit. "Probably because I can empathize with your reasoning even it I thinks it's futile in the end."

On a mystical level, he's got his fingers primed and ready, but held at his sides, so to speak.

Meanwhile the race is on. Hatasha caught up on a fair bit on the Demon Lord as they go for the shaft.

Grimm points through the wall. "The spear is that way. Remember, if you see the spear, you're going to want it for yourself."

Natasha tries to use her advantage of small size to beat the Demon Lord into the partially blocked shaft!

Grimm recovers from the brief headache from the rebound. "Unless you happen to be pure of heart and soul." She seems to think on that a moment.

Halfdemon tells Harlequin. "Maybe. But I have to try. You see that, don't you. I have to try."

Grimm starts to laugh. And laugh a bit more. "You know...just based on who I know? I'd guess it'd be a toss up between you and Porter," Gabrielle says to Radical. The fact that Porter even came to mind is what's making her laugh.

Zephyr takes to the air, flying in a broken pattern around the building, looking for an entrance

*FLASHTWHUMP*

An armored hero arrives. Gabrielle Grimm is a damsel in distress...right?

For too short to be a stormtrooper, much less a Paragon, the suited Porter nonetheless strongly resembles his much better half. Eyelights blink as he looks around. "Sorry. I think the gate hit me on the way through or something... Not sure where I ended up. So, what's going on?"

The smaller size and agility of Natasha gives her an advantage heading down the damaged and partly blocked shaft. She catches up to the Demon Lord. Just as both reach the bottom of the shaft. In the large chamber below is the grisly result of a frice battle. Lizardiod skletons. Dozens of them. One in the middle gripping a spear. Dozens around that one, seemingly cut down trying to reach him.

Grimm laughs more at the Flashthwump. "It's like your ears were burning, Porter," she grins. "We need to get a magic spear before the bad guys do. And only someone pure of heart and soul can get the spear without lusting after it and turning vil. Let's go!" she pats him on the back.

<LINK> Natasha says, "MINE!"

Porter's helm bobs. "Right. That thing. Let's go!" He bounds off a step or three, then stops, looking back to Grimm. "Er. Which way?"

<LINK> Citlali says, "I have located the source of the transmissions. I am going to investigate while you all do your thing. Maybe I can find some way to turn the war machines to our side."

<LINK> Radical says, "Sounds good."

Transmitting to the mind link, Citlali looks upward and nods her head. She begins to levitate up towards the rooftop, aiming for the aerials.

Grimm uses her senses to find a path to the spear, but first, she does make an attempt to dig through the wall. She holds out a hand and focuses.

Grimm lowers her hand and pants. "Well, so much for that." She starts heading over the old fashioned way.

"I can understand what drives you, yes. But I cannot condone how you do it or justify the pain and suffering you cause, Amelia." He gestures at the army behind her. "All of these people are going to die earlier and harder than they might should they stay here. And for what? A distraction?"

Halfdemon tells Harlequin, "My rule will save trillions. What are a few thousands in comparsion?"

Natasha dashes to grab HER Spear before the Demon Lord can get his grubby hands on it!

Natasha snatches the spear from the lizardoid's dead hands! The spear shrinks to be the perfect size for Natasha!

<LINK> Natasha says, "It's MINE!!!"

<LINK> Citlali says, "Excellent. Get out of there."

<LINK> Grimm says, "Oh shick. Natasha, are you still 'with' us?"

Harlequin looks at Amelia for a long moment. "I'd say that the ones who love these few thousand find them as priceless as those you lost, Amelia. That is the price of them...not that I expect you to accept that," the mage murmurs gently.

Halfdemon thinks for a moment. Then she nods, "They are no further use to me. Gate them home if you wish. It will keep you busy and out of my hair." She turns and steps into another dimension.

<LINK> Harlequin says, "Halfdemon has left this dimension. Natasha has the Spear?"

Up up and away. Citlali alights beside the aerial and examines it before she removes the radio skin patch and lays it upon the metal. She activates her psi-HUD and navigates through connecting it to the system.

<LINK> Citlali says, "I have found the aerial tower. I am tapping into their communication network. I will soon be able to see what they are transmitting."

<LINK> Grimm says, "Yeah, we just need to get to her, but I can't just teleport through."

Grimm looks to Radical and Porter, holding out her hands. "We may be able to get their faster if we work together.

Shadow tentacles extend from Grimm's protective field, offering to wrap around Porter and Radical to help carry them, while dark shadowy feathered wings sprout from her back. Not at all creepy and terrifying! She hefts them up if they don't recoil in horror and flies them towards the door and inside.

Radical raises his hands...to create a point defense portal...and hopefully redirect the shot elsewhere as the tank opens fire with raingun turrents.

The tank aims a railgun turrent at each of Grimm, Porter, and Radical. Only one railgun has ammo left and Radical deflects the shot.

Harlequin looks out at the army setting up camp and then says, "Well, I'll be right back. Not that I think you understand me." He then opens a Gate towards where he thinks the others went and steps through it.