TSGL3 Week 9 Event: The Mirror Crystal Invasion Part 3: The Usurper's Gambit

[Narrator]

Prologue
The Usurper was boiling with rage. Years of work, trillions of lives lost, and two whole new Greater Evils raised from the sacrifices of the willing minds. It had begun during the Border Wars of Refuge in 2218 AR.

That year the Usurper had learned that General Tharr, leader of the Krato Generals who served Warmonger, was seeking a way to split Warmonger from the Host Body of Mar’un’ga.
The Usurper knew the only way the Falosini had trapped Warmonger on the prison dimension of Les’tas’tral was to bind his host their. Once host and Warmonger were split again, the fifth Ancient Evil would be free to conquer the other Ancient Evils and rule all of this reality.

It was cute in a way, because the Usurper knew that Tharr was lying when he spoke proudly of his plan to free Warmonger. While overtly helping the Warmonger Cult rise during the Border Wars, Tharr also helped train and prepare their enemies.

In Lurlock’s apprentice, Layne Yr, the General Tharr had found a perfect admiral to lead the Kasanthians against the Warmonger Cult once Host and Evil were split. She succeeded and finally drove the Warmonger Cult from Kasanth in 2219.

In the bastard explosives expert, T.J., the General Tharr had found the perfect adept to craft into a time shredder, and annihilator. The perfect living weapon to unleash on Abraxas, the one K’ias host body which could be an even more dangerous host for Warmonger than Mar’un’ga had ever been. T.J. defeated Abraxas time and time again, most importantly keeping him trapped in Earth’s past, during those moments when Warmonger was searching for a host body.

The Usurper watched Tharr move with style, allowing him the opportunity to wound Warmonger. And was delighted when the plan worked. It was with this inspiration in mind that he moved forward with his own plans. A stolen time shredder made the rest of the plan possible.

Using his slaves among the Djinni, the Usurper convinced the kumfei scientists Kal’Shek to rebel against the I’tashis and start building the Unity Network. Then turning a few of the Unity connected to Warmonger’s worship started the corruption of the system. Despite eventually containing billions of minds who were goodly beings seeking to better the universe, the darker minds in the Unity gave birth first to the Dragon of Unity.

The Usurper coaxed this distillation of all the Unity’s Evil into a battle against the Warmonger. Waiting until the Warmonger sought to escape by stealing Vul’s body and the Flagship of Warmonger’s K’ias Wars Starfleet, the Usurper led both the Iron Republic, the EEF, and the newly birthed Dragon of Unity into battle against the Warmonger.

The battle cost Warmonger his new host body, and drove the flagship back into the prison dimension. Later that year the Warmonger tried to escape again, but this time Lord Roan, Grim the bastard and friends were ready and detonated the flagship and annihilated his new host Marcus Dannor. The Warmonger was desperate, and the Usurper knew it.

The Dragon of Unity, a newly birthed Greater Evil (equal in power to the ancient evils, but simply not ancient), powered by technomancy, was growing unrestrained. The Usurper could not seem to control it.

So again he traveled back in time, using his demonic turncoat agents among a terrorist group known as the Angels of Desolation to help them kidnap Da’uhnb and make a temporal weapon capable of traversing two timelines and linking them. Then he let anger and personalities play out, with the inevitable launching of the Wormhole weapon against planet Alioth. Then he sat back and watched the Unity send its demonic agents to fix the temporal wormhole. Instead they were pulled through, trapped in an alternate timeline and surrounded by enemies.

And who was there waiting… The Usurper with a friendly hand and help against their enemies. He allowed them to grow organically, but influenced them into becoming the reality-conquering Fleets of Fate.

And when the Dragon of Unity in our timeline faced Warmonger, it was wounded. The wounded Dragon of Unity split its spirit, half within the Unity, and half within the new Fleets of Fate. As timeline after timeline fell to the Fleets of Fate, more and more of the Dragon presented itself as that form.

But in our timeline, the Unity was supreme, and the Fleets of Fate could only sneak a tiny bit of their influence onto this timeline by tricking the Captain Axis into holding the Rurik Scepter and pushing through their bonded flesh a new host in our timeline.

Thousands of tinier Dragons of Fate snuck away, and hid.

Meanwhile, the Usurper hadn’t rested on his laurels.

He manipulated the Twin Quall HiveQueens Ardana and Andara, one he corrupted to Warmonger’s Service, and the other he influenced into starting a Quall Civil War. While the Quall fought amongst themselves, the Usurper’s agents turned the recently released Neliff to his side.

With the Neliff the Prophet as a personal friend and supporter, the Usurper was almost ready. But he needed a way to surround the Warmonger with Neliff without anyone knowing.

And it was on Refuge where such an opportunity presented itself.

Enjoying the temporal manipulations too much, the Usurper, decided he would need a backup plan. And he found the backup ancient evil in the form of the Prophet Kolgol, who had grown mad on the fumes he was inhaling from a shaft in a completely natural volcano in the Gobin Lands.
The Prophet had gathered an entire tribe to his worship and began spreading the Kalok faith by fire and violence. Thousands of Olgogs were sacrificed across the Goblin lands, and Kalok was finally birthed as a Greater Evil.

As he did so, his allies among the Djinni tied the hands of leaders of the United Tribes in strange supernatural deals. Eventually allowing the entire region to be filled with hidden Neliff, while the United Tribes were busy killing themselves from an alternate timeline.

But the Prophet Kolgol shuddered at the monster he had birthed, and fled into enemy hands. So he used his backup on the Mirror Crystal Timeline to repower Kalok on this timeline. But the cost had been immense…

It was at that point that the Usurper realized he simply wasn’t as good at manipulation as General Tharr had been.

His factory pumping out Unit 111 soldiers who thought they worshipped Warmonger but were really under his control was take from under him during an unexpected attack by Unit 817 and the Followers of Krodnok.

His forts across Refuge were taken by the United Tribes soldiers.

Warmonger even stepped in by personally corrupting Inquisitor Siedermann and sending him to to turn the Colony of Dunesphere into a fevor of purges that cost the Usurper many of his loyal agents.

The Usurper knew he had to act. With Tor Gog and Mortis Leonin no longer a threat, the Da’uhnb would return to hunting for HIM as the most wanted being in this reality. So his final gambit began.

The Armenius Orb was brought through from the Mirror Crystal Time line and sacrificed to bind Warmonger to a host body in our own. But the Usurper’s mirror crystal cronies had failed, and the sacrifices that Kalok needed to reveal his full power were instead released by Krodnok and friends.

Warmonger was bound and held in Unen, but for how long, the Usurper wondered.

He sent in the full might of his converted Unit 111 army to slay the Warmonger.

In space above Refuge, the thousands of Dragons of Fate gathered dragging salvaged vessels, space station parts, and even nearby spy satellites. Using themselves and parts stolen from across known space, they constructed a massive energy weapon focused on the surface of Refuge.

In all directions, the remaining Dragons of Fate formed themselves into Unity Horror Nexuses. Stealing power from the still free and independent Unity, these stations drove that energy directly into the weapon preparing to fire onto the planets surface.

The EEF was ready for this, and the first few shots were contained within artificed Detour Shields.
But it was only a matter of time before the Detour shields ran out, and Unen would be obliterated.

Still with an Army of Unit 111 undead armed with magi cannons surrounding the city on all land approaches there was little hope for the defenders of Unen. Then to their shock, three Ziggurat-wooden carrier craft drifted into the harbor of Unen. Thousands of blue giant Cambions leapt from the wooden vessels and began reinforcing the defenses.

A pharonic Illuminated presented himself on the highest point of the Ziggurat and announced, “Praise be to Warmonger, the great day has come for his return. Let all bow down and serve his nature. I am Uiulli Kal Unen, and this beautiful Port City is now my domain. Praise all be to Uiulli (pronounced Eoolee), your new master. And Praise be to Warmonger, greatest of the Ancient Evils.”

Meanwhile an army of forty Balgogs have sacrifices to Kalok strapped to their chests. If the Sacrifices are killed by the Balgogs OR by those attacking the Balgogs while within range of Unen and Kalok will fire his Volcano weapon again at Warmonger.

The Usurper watched from his hidden vessel.

[Narrator]

Part 1: In Defense of Unen’s Land and People

Lalder stood before the assembled armies of the United Tribes of Refuge. He leaned heavily on his staff of office, taking in the many warriors from many different Olgog tribes. Among the assembled were even former Ka Rhug tribals who had fled the Kalokian regime, back when Kolgol the Prophet had first attacked Simonsburg.
Their loyalty had been proven as regulars in the UtR Army. The weary Aufgog Lalder straightened up as he saw their eyes upon him. If they could turn against their indoctrination and the twisted faith of their youth and turn towards the greater good for the grand experiment that was the United Tribes of Refuge, he knew his sacrifices and struggles were not in vain.
The Mirror Crystal fleet lay broken and scattered to the four winds. His great debt to the Djinni had been paid in full. The payment had been made in blood of innocents, and in a great hurt to his pride. Despite this, he mourned the many dead on both sides, even the tyrant Rapi’og.

He hoped to see the remaining GulTor’Uf standing by their side against the Warmonger, but he did not judge them harshly. It would take decades to heal the rift between his own tribe and theirs, and as long as Warmonger was defeated here, there would be the time to do so.

Lalder used the staff to project his image so all the allied forces might see and hear his words. His deep emotional pain evident, he stood strongly and said to the combatants, the warriors and the healers “Today we have to prevent Kalok from succeeding in his plans. Unfortunately, this means protecting the new Host of Warmonger from Dying. If this host dies, Kalok will absorb his power and then destroy Unen in one big Volcano. This leaves us little good choices.

The enemies we face are great. We face multiple beings with forces greater in number than ours. But our strength is that of one protecting. Remember, every Unit 111 dead we take down, every Balgog destroyed, every hostage saved, is a step towards saving 10’s and 100’s of thousands. You do not fight just for Olgogs, we fight to protect our home, our refuge.”

He stepped back and allowed the other leaders to begin encouraging their troops. Their words brought the ancient Aufgog little comfort. In the distance he could see the Balgogs marching lockstep towards Unen.

To his surprise he saw an unfamiliar army waving black flags, and wearing black armor, led by a mighty knight on top of a monstrous MorGog Nightmare. The army made its way towards the Balgog front, but Lalder’s keen eyes watched as a smaller column as it broke off and made its way towards the lava rift where Kalok and Warmonger were locked in combat.

Lalder looked proudly upon the Olgogolem Soldiers of the Yagogi who charged alongside the unknown Black Flag army against the Balgogs.

The Olgogolems struck first, turning the ground to mud under the Balgogs. As the Balgogs sunk, the mud was then hardened to stone trapping them. Bazman leapt upon one of the Balgogs shattering the chain binding a sacrifice before having to dive away as the Balgog bathed him in infernal fire.
Bazman suddenly was shielded from the flames, as a Unit 817 War Machine stepped between them. The undead allied soldier gave him a salute before turning and firing his magi cannons with precision cutting the arms off from the Balgog. As Bazman watched the precision shots cut through infernal basalt and demonic chains with ease, he finally recognize the undead who saved him as Torlok’ab, hero of Drewsport.

Bazman caught his breath and ran for the sacrifice who was falling. Instead Torlok’ab was already there having shadow walked up through the falling man’s shadow and caught him. Bazman was now inches from the partially damaged Balgog, as its shattered appendages wildly hurled hellfire in all directions.

Torlok’ab grabbed the massive Olgogolem Armored karovian with his free hand and pulled Bazman away to safety.

After passing through the shadows, Bazman found himself on the command deck of an elite Necro-Strider. All around them they could see the battle raging across Unen. Closer to the city, the magi cannons of Unit 111-U fired at the defenders on the walls. The Auf Lal’al began reflecting back the magi cannon beams at the undead enemies who fired them. Like domes of glistening energy, the moment of reflection had a bit of scattering making an eerie glow. Then the beam would spring back towards the advancing soldiers in their Grey Carapace armor.

As the enemy Unit-111-U closed towards the old stone walls of Unen, Sea Kings Magi Cannons fired back, interspersed with the hard crack of traditional earther military rifles in the hands of the Unenese Rebels. The Magi Cannons scorched grey carapace, and force the Unit to halt their advance long enough for the rifle bullets to find their mark.
Behind the walls, the Aufs had been working through the night while, UtR Healers and Mancers focused the Leyas in tandem. UtR Healers would raise the ammunition bullet by bullet, working its aura with Leyas energy until it gave off a small glow of imparted healing energy. Then they would pass the ammo to the Rebels waiting to load their rifles bullet by bullet.

Meanwhile UtR Mancers were artificing studs onto the front of the rifles that would direct light leyas into a weapon if the enemies got too close.
It was in this moment that the plan came together. The rifle bullets struck the Unit-111-U ranks, burning undead flesh, and cracking undead bone like kindling. Skeletons were smoking away in their Grey Carapace now littered the field of battle, but their ranks seemed to go on as far as the eye could see. The Unit 111-U Dead would not be stopped. The Usurper had programmed them with one and only one goal, take and hold Unen and Destroy the host of Warmonger. This single-mindedness didn’t allow for tactical retreat or withdrawl to a better position. Instead they continued as Warmonger’s Dead had done since the K’ias Wars so many aeons ago. They fought on to be the cannon fodder. Even if twenty of them had to fall to slay one mortal soul in unneeded combat, their service would be rewarded.

They slogged on as the sound of heavy machineguns joined the fire. Lines of Unit-111U fell. Tracers carved the path of the blessed ammunition.

[Narrator]

Part 2: The Fight for the Heart of Unen

“Well Boss I really don’t like the look of this at all,” Dreg said his gaze shifting from the force of Warmongers Dead marching toward them in near silence and then up to the sky which glowed constantly and blazed with strange flashes and bursts of energy sporadically.

“Yeah,” Urik muttered. “It’s a real mess this time.” He glanced over at Flora who sat slightly apart from the other Outcasts and kept staring at him and Dreg.
It was down right odd. What had she seen out there? Well that would have to wait

He heard Rum-blood softly chanting over a large pile of their ammo, rockets and some bombs they’d scraped together.

“Alright time to get moving spread out work with the Rebels and the other UTR troops. We do everything we can to keep Unit 111 from reaching the cathedral. Dreg, Graf. Not you two. I’m lending you to Derlur. He has a plan and says he needs Immutables I know is this one is big. But there is nobody else to deal with this. So you do what you have to do except anything stupid! Nowhere get there and put some corpses back in the ground.”
Dreg and Graf had thought that had been weirdest part of the day, with so much to do why were they sent with that strange Brezan Olgog Derlur and his odd Karovian buddies. But now with a trio of UtR Carrier Craft overhead darkening the skies, surrounded by floating UtR Censor Craft, there was just row after row of magi cannons and healing cannons firing down at the advancing undead armies. Smoking craters now surrounded Port Unen, and the sky temporarily sparked alight with the beams of their weapons, and the enemy weapons the carriers reflected back.

Here out on the ruined cathedral floor, overhanging a rift of lava where a monster swam and churned, the pair of Olgogs felt their mortality.

Graf lifted up his binocs, and zoomed in on a short figure in dark armor who was approaching the lava pool. Tapping Dreg, Graff asked, “Umm, isn’t that one of them Morgothians that the EEF is aways calling terrorists?”

Dreg leaned in smiling, “No Way there are Morgothians this far south, they are a Northern Kingdom Cult…um…wait…yeah that K’iou is definitely a morgothian scumbag.”
Graf whispered a little louder, “Hey Derlur, we got a situation.”

Derlur stepped from Graf’s shadow in a most discomforting way. And the Brezan smelled as Brezans were apt to do. Graf pointed, and Derlur looked down.
There on the shores stood Sir Stout the Dark Paladin. The K’iou dark knight was bowing before the serpent heaving in the lava, saying words both dark and ancient.

Further up on the ruins stood more Morgothians who looked just as perplexed as Derlur and the Brezans and Unenese. But Sir Stout seemed insistent.
He stepped to the edge of the lava, his armor starting to turn reddish and heat up. He raised a small dwarvish hand and cut a deep furrow across it with a bone dagger of old and sinister design. Suddenly the massive form of Warmonger lurched over the side of the lava field, reaching out a massive hand towards Sir Stout’s outstretched hand. They touched and a pact of blood was sealed.

Sir Stout turned as his skin began to glow, and his armor cooled off quick enough that a steam cloud rose around him. The field of lava froze completely, and the new avatar of Warmonger stood before them.

Sir Stout began to speak, “They dared to call me a vile little dwarf. They will know their folly soon enough. But first…I…I…will calm my host. Greetings I am Warmonger, greatest of the Ancient Evils. I am free of the bindings placed by both Lord Falos and the Druids Council. I am free of the bindings placed by Kalok, and like Morgoth before him, this Dark Paladin has volunteered to be my personal Avatar. Let all shudder in fear. Let all fear my armies.”

In that moment suddenly the Unit 111-U soldiers remaining stopped fighting. Warmonger once more controlled them, and his Unit 111 was no longer in the Usurper’s grip. Unit 111 soldiers, joined with Sea Kings Cambions joined the Morgothians and the UtR in shattering the Kalokian armies. The Sacrifices were saved, but now an occupying force was both within and without Port Unen,

Sir Stout turned to his army, and raised a hand, “Who here will grant their soul to my endless army?”

A small percentage of the Dark Paladins raised their hands, the rest more focused on Honor recoiled in horror at the prospect of endless war and stepped back, Those with hands raised doubled in size and girth. Each sprouted a massive morgothian claw.

Sir Stout said, “Drive off the heretics.”

The monsters he had created quickly set upon the normal Morgothian Paladins sacrificing them to Warmonger without remorse.

Sir Stout roared with laughter that filled the cold rift. Then suddenly a wave spend through the ground and sent his hurling off his feet. Sir Stout was in the air but moments, when a trio of ball bearings struck him, exploding and sending the knight higher into the air.
From above the rift leapt another dwarvish form. It was none other than Forge, hero of the GodsWar, and he swung the mighty Havokhammer in his grip. It slammed down, and hurled Sir Stout towards the ground with enough force to make the morgothian’s armor ring like a gong.

As Sir Stout lay there, a tiny bastard form bounded onto his chest. Scout, hero of the GodsWar, was always happy to spit in Warmonger’s face. He never thought he’d get the chance to do it in person though. A loogie later, he was driving a pair of short swords into the demonhost’s legs pinning him.
Forge stepped up, hammering both wrists and elbows of the demonhost. Bone shattered, and Sir Stout roared in pain at these unknown enemies who seemingly jumped him. Warmonger quickly gave him information on the troublesome pair and their troublesome history.

Sir Stout could care less he just wanted to hurt them, he begged Warmonger to grant him the eye beam that Lord Morgoth had used to destroy his enemy. Warmonger told him it was simply not possible until Sir Stout recovered it from the maw of the dragon of doom known as End of Days. One eye had been destroyed by Annihilation, but the other had been tossed into the mouth of the dragon hoping the monster would annihilate it. Unfortunately the semi-sentient eye had found its way to get caught between two teeth. And there it was still rotting, awaiting the true heir of Lord Morgoth. Or at least that was the story that Warmonger told his eager host.

As his enemies tortured his body, Sir Stout listened closely to the whispers of Warmonger. His mind became solely obsessed with the power and anger of that last remaining eye, trapped all these aeons in a dragon’s maw. The Eye was immune to annihilation but not immune to pain…

Sir Stout watched half-unconscious from the pain in his arms and legs. A golden knight appeared and spoke quickly to Scout and Forge. Warmonger whispered, that is our greatest enemy, that knight is the Bladed Sun.

Sir Stout snarled. The Bladed Sun had once been a champion of Morgoth, then he turned on him. The Bladed Sun and his knights were all vile betrayers to the Morgothian creed and religion.

Scout and Forge backed off, laughing at Sir Stout’s pain and situation. Were these honorable heroes? Wondered Sir Stout as he was mocked. No knightly challenge, just jumping a knight and sucker punching him until he was down.

Warmonger stoked this false honor his daemonhost.

Then suddenly an energy bridge of swirling red flames appeared. And from it stepped the greatest of Queens of the Quall Hives. They surrounded the host of Warmonger, and flames danced between the massive ten and twelve foot tall Quall Hivequeens.

Qu’oa Hivequeen roared, “Warmonger, first of the Ancient Evils to break the great accord of balance, you have been found unworthy of existence. The council of Ascended and the Ancient Evils have both placed you beyond redemption. Maybe your recycling by the universe will cure this great curse upon your spirit. May your next incarnation be a peaceful one.”
She shoved her horn into the head of Sir Stout depositing a Quall Larva in his head. She withdrew her horn and the fluid healed the wound and Sir Stout’s noggin. Sir Stout was still host of Warmonger, and the spirit of Warmonger found itself being drawn into the Quall larvae. Inside its husk, he was crystallizing, and losing his power. Being affixed in this timeline, and separated from the self which traversed timelines and realities. Warmonger was being bound in this place, to the body of Sir Stout and to the Quall Larva in his head.

Then suddenly there was a circle of glowing lights as Ascended beings stepped out behind the ring of Quall ready to finally take their action in our physical world. They forced their power into the Quall larva allowing it to grow much faster than a larvae ever could otherwise. Two weeks of growth went by within two minutes, and Sir Stout’s helmet bulged under the growth in his smaller head.

[Narrator]

Suddenly the entire body of the knight ignited in flames. And as it burned away, in its ashes rose a Quall N’drone Warrior fully formed. Its fur was gray in the places where Morgothian armor might cover the form, with red fur only in the places where the white fur of the claws of Morgoth were crossed by the symbol of Warmonger.

He bellowed, his six long metallic horns extending a full meter above his head.
“I am Sir Stout the Dark Paladin, I am Avatar of Warmonger, as Morgoth was before me. You are nothing before my power and faith,” roared the Quall N’drone dark paladin, his faith turning the Leyas dark around him.

He raised a hand, and his horns began to glow silver and then a dull sickly lead color.

The Quall queens fell to their knees, each moaning in pain and clutching their heads trying to push out his telepathic attack.

The Ascended Beings were equally frightened by this turn of events. They expected the Quall to be controlled by the Queen, but Warmonger had tricked them into birthing him a HiveLord.

Sir Stout’s demonic knights, his WarGogs returned to his side, standing now in a circle around their quall master. The WarGogs were still bathed in the blood of their former Morgothian friends and allies, and each had strapped sections of armor to themselves trying to accommodate their massive girths. They seemed itching to take on the Ascended Beings.

Suddenly arrows began striking the WarGogs from the shadows. Derlur the nomad leapt out of the shadows giving a double kick that sent Sir Stout the Quall stumbling backwards. Derlur was pleased to note the K’iou had made a runt of a Quall at only 7 feet tall. Sir Stout the Quall indeed, thought Derlur as he thought about regaling his father with the story when back at home.
Then the Quall grabbed him and hurled him into the side of a ruined column. Derlur nearly burst at the middle, and had to stop for a moment, waiting for his chest to stop hammering. As everything starting moving right again, he was back on his feet, signalling to the Yagogi Gor’abs.

Their flashing Zela scimitars were upon the WarBull of Unen in seconds. Sir Stout looked down and saw three different blades were in his stomach. His power over the rest of the Queens was broken for a moment. All looked to the energy bridge, as the Queens hoped to make a mad dash to escape this incredibly powerful Hivelord.

Despite being trapped inside this Quall shell, unable to reach his demonic powers and followers, Warmonger felt Sir Stout’s devotion and knew this zealot could still make his dreams true. Warmonger roared through Sir Stout’s mouth, “Run little Queens, these blades hold me but a moment. Then I will be upon you, and bend every knee in your hives to my will.”

[Narrator]

Part 3: The Fight for the Soul of Unen.

Earlier that day

And it had started out as such a nice day reflected Admiral Stephanie Parker. Now there was a giant Techno-organic dragon building a body out of space debris and trying to glass a city on Refuge knocking on her door.

“Status report,” She barked at her bridge crew her voice cutting through the chatter and noise of running feet.

“Sir the detour shields are holding all ships are launching and reporting ready status.” Replied Lt. Mach

“Good, have all the kalino class ships fall back and engage with EMP and anti-nanite warheads. I want staggered volleys. All other ships are to engage between volleys. And see if we can get an SAV to repeats out some of the full detours and turn them back on that thing. Have the gun pods and drones get in close and try to disable its targeting. And Signals, get me command I want to know what the hell is going on down there.”

“It looks like the defense is holding,” said the comms officer, “All ground units report success against the invading army according to HQ.”

“Good,” whispered Admiral Parker, “As long as we can hold the high ground…”

Five minutes ago

Uriel blinked his eyes rapidly after he formed an avatar body aboard the cloaked starship hiding up in low orbit. He felt the power radiating from the contest between Warmonger and Kalok below.
He had the chilling feeling that it was pulling on him trying to draw away his energy.

Fascinating. Sadly he had no time to indulge in study. Instead he turned to the room’s other occupants. He nodded politely to them.

“Greetings,I am Uriel. I have come with a message for you Usurper. A request really. Just go. Your plan has failed and appears to be somewhat beyond repair. Regardless of which of them wins.” He gestured at the ripples of energy where Kalok and Warmonger fought. “It is likely that they will strike at you first and even in such a weakened state either would be a threat. Call this a limited victory and go the Ascended Beings and I will not interfere.

“Honestly I would be curious what you had expected to happen if you had been successful? Certainly you nearly did succeed. But what would have been your next step with a likely enraged and even more powerful Kalok standing where Warmonger had been? Did you think he would thank you? After he was done killing every living thing along this cost line of course. And that is to say nothing of what will happen to you if Warmonger overcomes Kalok. I can only imagine how upset he will be. He likely has an entire hell dimension waiting just for you. Or you could leave. It is after all unlikely your troops will arrive in time as this entire city has risen up against them and of course the Sea Kings have come to aid their god. The Dragon Of Fate is locked in battle with the EEF and even if it is victorious it will not be in time to help you. Or you could just wait and see who wins."

The Usurper looked upon Uriel in confusion. Then a light seemed to dawn in his dark eyes, “You…the savior of Simonsburg, the defender of Rhug’Tor…you prevented Bo’gan and Krodnok from unleashing the sleeping Holys. You know, you made my plans much more difficult than expected. Having both Krodnok destroyed before becoming a cult figure, and Bo’gan eliminated before exposing the Old VLAD/Kolgul Militia connection made my plan so much easier in all the test runs. But you…you were the wild card I guess. A being on the path to ascention cannot be diverted by a mere demon prince even in tales of old…”

“But that is all okay, Uriel,” said the Usurper, “You may know my advisor?”

Pointing across the room, Uriel saw the other occupant was a young General Tharr. The Krato Timeshredder had an idealistic gleam in his eyes.
“Greetings and congratulations Uriel,” said General Tharr, “I suspected your fine works behind many things I had seen. I hope you don’t mind my interference. The Usurper planned originally on using my former master Mar’un’ga again as his dupe and slave to Warmonger’s body. And we couldn’t have that could we? I plan on working so very hard to free Mar’un’ga from Warmonger’s will in the past. It wouldn’t do for all those plans to be undone in the future.

Plus isn’t this foolish prideful K’iou of the lineage of Lord I’tash himself a perfect subject to see if the Ascended beings grand plan to bind Warmonger really works.

And I think that finishes our business Usurper. It is time for you to pay the piper.”

Uriel seemed horrified, “You made a deal with this Usurper demon, General Tharr?”

“No of course not,” said Tharr with a wink, “He had to make a deal with me.”

The Usurper seemed pained as he bowed, and handed the Time Shredder to General Tharr.

General Tharr looked into the demon prince’s eyes unflinchingly and said, “No matter what happens here, demon. It will play its course. Time is no longer your plaything.”
Whispering quickly in the ancient tongue of the Nightmare Lords, General Tharr warded himself from the angry demon’s reprisals before disappearing in a flash of red light.

The Usurper stopped cursing and turned rather frustrated towards Uriel.

“You seem right, Uriel. Perhaps I have lost this day to the Ascended Beings and their mortal heroes. But I tell you this, I will not leave without a parting shot,” said the Usurper, “For my plan was now. Freed from the fear of timeshredders changing things, I can make one decisive shot against Warmonger’s trapped form. Now inside a Quall he is mortal and will be recycled by the universe if I can just grant him final death while the Zela blades of the Gorab still hold him…”

Uriel stepped back expecting a fight, even though the Usurper seemed resigned, “Oh Don’t worry Librarian, I have no signal. No great threat and big red button. My big red button was released months ago in the form of the Dragon of Fate. The Unity’s red headed step-demon is powerful enough to steal the energy to generate a deadly strike. And unlike Kalok’s madness, this one will precisely target only the host of warmonger…and all matter within 1 square mile around it. Most of Unen will survive Ascended Being. Just not most of the allied Quall Queens or the Host of Warmonger. A wonderful two birds with one stone as the Earthers would say. But is my stone big enough?”

And with that the Usurper fled.

Out in space, Planet Refuge

Admiral Stephanie Parker watched as the EEF Starforce fired salvo after salvo of missiles into the sides of the structure built by the Dragons of Fate. One by one the Dragon’s sacrificed themselves to kamikaze against oncoming missiles and EMP batteries and against shots captured by the detour sheilds. Each moment bought was another moment for the massive weapon to fire.

Lt. Mach said, “Sir, the last detour shield is full. Our scans show of the 1000 Dragons of Fate we initially encountered only 250 remain active. The rest have been neutralized. However the weapon is firing faster than we can safely discharge our detour shields.”

Finally the EEF fleet made a successful strike against one of the Horror Nexus Nodes with a redirected blast from the orbital cannon. With its energy network severed, to Admiral Parker’s surprise, the Orbital Cannon jettisoned more than half its mass towards the planet’s surface. As Dragons of Fate flew ahead intercepting drones, and detour shields, the wreakage entered atmo and glowed red as it fell.

Parker asked, “Lt. Mach, I want every atmo-capable starfighter and drone after that mass of metal. I don’t expect the Fleets of Fate to give up so easily.”

Lt. Mach brought up drone images. As the drones raced after the mass, the mass shifted and moved, exposing a smaller but equally dangerous cannon and aiming it at the ground.

“Triangulating their lines of fire, but how much do you wanna bet they are aiming at Warmonger’s host, Sir?” asked Lt. Mach.

Admiral Parker nodded, “I want every drone we have intercepting that cannon fire until we can get detour shields into position to cut it up.”

“Sir yes sir,” said Lt. Mach, relaying orders.

[Narrator]

The beams from the Fate cannon incinerated Drones without even stopping.

Down on the ground below, Sir Stout the Dark Paladin, Quall HiveLord and a trap holding Warmonger himself, was currently tossing Gor’abs in all directions. Their Zela blades made Leyas untouchable, but that didn’t stop him from trying to crush their ribs and rip off their limbs.

The sky above glowed green, and all looked up at the beam that traced down at them. Suddenly it was intercepted by a UtR Carrier craft. The beam pulsed and was reflected back up at the Fate Cannon. One section of the mass was blasted away, revealing Dragons of Fate inside like writhing steampunk maggots.

The Fate Cannon fired again, cutting deeply into the hull of the UtR Carrier. Sections of stone and crystal shattered away, as this one was faster than the Auf’s on board could reflect. But the follow up was again reflected back.

The Carrier listed in the air, smoke coming from each of the places where the hull had been blasted by the Fate Cannon.

But not a single strike hit the Avatar of Warmonger below.

And it bought the Quall Queens enough time to flee to another dimension.

Sir Stout finally pulled the last Zela blade from his skin and leapt into the air. Pulling in fire Leyas he rushed higher into the air and away from his attackers.

Landing inches from the now cold obsidian pool, Sir Stout reached down and lifted four Morgothian swords taken from dead knights corpses. Each glowed with the cold fire of vampiric shadow leyas. He raised them in challenge to the Gor’abs. But their challenge would have to wait, as the obsidian surface cracked, and green smoke boiled out from inside. Kalok himself had opened a portal from Mt. Rhug here to crush and melt the Host of Warmonger himself.

In Kalok’s hand he held the Armenius Orb, little more than a pearl of purple fire against his magma hand.

The massive lava being rose up, and gripped Sir Stout in its hands hot enough to melt human flesh and bone to a puddle. But Sir Stout had never been human, and he wasn’t even a K’iou anymore. Now he was
Quall and he could pull in the fire Leyas drawn by Kalok and use it against the greater evil. Not only couldn’t Kalok burn him, but Sir Stout laughed as his attempts cutting time and time again into Kalok’s wrist with unholy blades, until demonic flesh separated.

Falling gracefully down, landing on his hooves with enough force to crack the hardened lava field, Sir Stout raised up his blades now covered in molten metal from Kalok’s own demonic spirit. He roared another challenge, when Kalok roared back, “Let the Volcano take you, and all of Unen.”

A loud Karovian voice spoke out, “No, Kalok, you may not do so. Our armies have saved your sacrifices and stopped your Balgogs. I am Yagogi’al the Ogab and I was trained since birth to hunt and eliminate your kind. You see this sword I bear. It is not the Zela sword of a Gor’ab. It is a greater treasure, for it is the Sword of Mag Buskt.”

Kalok did not know the danger, but Warmonger did. He whispered in the mind of Sir Stout, “You know now that you are my host, but as a Quall you are my trap. I cannot escape your body any more than you can. We are trapped here together, until the end of time, or until I can split our spirits once again. That weapon the Olgog holds. It is old and dangerous. Created by ways of the Nightmare Lords. If it strikes us, it will consume the Darkness inside us. It will leave only emptyness. Both you and I will die. Final death.

Your master commands you to run Sir Stout, run for the ships of my allies, the Sea Kings. Present yourself to their Pharoah Uiulli, and he will grant you safe passage and a small fleet to aid you in recovering the last of my eyes.

Travel to the Glacial Wastes, my Avatar, pull the eye from the maw of the Dragon without waking it, and you will be granted power only Lord Morgoth himself once held.”
Sir Stout didn’t like the idea of retreat, but power and honor were equals in his mind. And what greater honor would be there than crafting a new Eye of Morgoth from the last Eye of Warmonger. With his WarGogs at his heels, Sir Stout left the heroes to face Kalok.

Meanwhile, Kalok began to hurl lava at Yagogi’al while Derlur and team tried to draw its fire and attention. Yagogi’al finally unleashed the full power of Mag Buskt’s Darkness on to Kalok. The Sword glowed, and the world began to shake around them. Finally there was an audible pop, and Kalok was gone. Instead in his place was the Armenius Orb, Kalok’s fire no longer burning in its presence.

As Derlur moved for the Orb, he saw Scout also go for it. Scout raised a hand pointing at the mask he had put on, and horrible skull mask that made Derlur want to shoot him with a crossbow bolt on principle. But instead, he recognized the mask as the Face of Vul, and allowed the bastard to use to ancient K’ias artifact to hold the Orb and contain its power.
Scout looked at Derlur warily, then back at Forge Havokhammer and said, “So uh Forge, I think it may be time to bring this orb back to Les’tas’tral.”

“The first good idea you had all day,” muttered Forge, “What happened to all those folks you contacted?”

“Oh well most of them said they had never been to the Goblin Lands, and didn’t have time to leave their home kingdoms while they were under siege,” said Scout with only a moment of hesitation.

“What about the blue guy? Rogarth?” asked Forge.

“I don’t know. I saw him on a beach up near Drewsport and told him about it…” Scout said, as if sad his friend didn’t come through.

[Narrator]

Epilogue: The Return of the Nine

The battle of Unen showed many the great love of the UtR for their fellow Olgogs. A bond had been formed between the UtR Army under Shirley of the Gangs of Uf Mag’og, and the Unenese Rebels as they fought Unit 111 that would last for decades to come. It was a tough battle, but street fighting was what the Brezans excelled at, and they drove the Sea Kings and Unit 111 from the Port block by deadly block.

When the three Sea Kings Carrier ships undocked and began retreating back out to see, it was known that Sir Stout avatar of Warmonger was among them. Torlok’ab went out to meet them, and the Radimancer prepared to destroy them all. He first blighted everyone on deck of a single carrier ship, and the sunk the ship. Trying to quickly install a flight and control crystal aboard the vessel, Torlok’ab was repulsed in a spectacle of deadly combat by none other than Pharaoh Uiuilli himself. The Pharaoh was a trained Annihilation Mancer and had prepared himself to face the greatest of the defenders of Unen. And he was not disappointed. The two fought bravely, and for over an hour, while the other two vessels with drew.

Both agreed in the first moments of battle to limit their attacks to each other, and not put the innocents of Unen at risk. Little did Torlok’ab know the Pharaoh had sent but a Deadly Copy against him, not the true self.

Their battle destroyed the ziggurat leaving but pieces of it scattered through Unen harbor. The smaller Sea Kings vessels retreated, and the UtR and their allies had taken the day.

However there was a smaller equally important battle above the Tower of Resugent in Absalom & Hebron. The battle lasted but minutes, with the combined Brezan and Tla’loc’alan forces catching the fleeing Mirror Crystal fleet elements led by General Kul’al Kul Gul Rapi.

The fight was brutal and quick, with General Kul’al unwilling to let any of his soldiers surrender despite the superior UtR numbers.

Kul’al’s vessel crashed near the Tower of Resugent, and he stepped from the wreckage ready to take on more UtR soldiers. Instead, the mirror crystal Kul’al found himself confronted by a single tiny Olgog naked except for a small bandolier of tools. The small greenfur was barely over two feet tall, and turned back towards the hole he had crept from and helped another Olgog from the hole. This one was equally small, and had a bone gag in his mouth held by straps of nightmare hide.
The first one allowed the second to sit for a second and catch their breath. He pulled a small tool from his bandolier and handed it to the second Olgog who used it to begin loosening his bone gag.

The first one turned towards Kul’al without any fear of the Greater Vampire. The Olgog Nosferatu charged the tiny one and lifted him up within a blink of an eye. The tiny olgog seemed unafraid, and asked simply, “Do you know the name Nakalok Gul, gorgor?”

Kul’al tried to suck the life from the mouthy Olgog using Shadow Leyas, yet despite his immense will nothing happened. Instead suddenly he felt his own stolen lifeforce being sucked from him, and being drawn into the tiny Olgog.

Kul’al shriveled up, continuing to lose energy to the tiny Olgog, even after letting go and backing away in concern.

“Now you know the name Nakalok Gul, Stealer of Life,” said the tiny Olgog, “For it is my name, and you need to know the name of the Olgog who set your soul finally at peace.”
One touch from Nakalok Gul ripped the shadow that fed the curse from Kul’al’s body. The Olgog Vampire screamed and finally smoked away to dust.

A large group of Olgog soldiers carrying UtR banners approached. They carried HobTor weapons and Magi Cannons. Seeing the Magi Cannons, Nakalok Gul’s eyes widened.

He approached the UtR Soldiers and said, “Who leads you?”

One UtR soldier stepped forward. Before he could say a word, Nakalok Gul interrupted and said, “Allow me to introduce my old friend Gogol Gul. Gogol Gul, please ask the nice Olgog why there are Magi Cannons and Airships everywhere?”

Gogol Gul pulled away the bone gag, and began to speak. As Gogol Gul spoke, the UtR soldiers could not help but reply and speak honestly. The soldiers told the two all about the rise of the UtR, and Lalder’s great Carrier fleet. They spoke of the rivalry of Lalder and Rapi’og and the coming of the Mirror Crystal Fleet. And it seemed the Olgogs had to follow Gogol Gul’s commands.

Nakalok Gul said finally, “It seems the Great Chiefs have forgotten why the laws proventing great weapons of war were first set by the elders so long ago. Despite our many years of effort, the Olgogs have technology ready to rival the K’ias during the K’ias Wars. This must end.

We must convince the leaders of this UtR to lay down their weapons, and return to the ways of the nomads and the cave dwellers. Before it is too late…”

Gogol Gul asked, “What of these soldiers?”

“Take them with us,” said Nakalok Gul, “They no not what they do. Have them help you free the rest of the Nine. Then we must travel south to the lands of Al’ya, where Protodoxa once ruled. Surely there we can find wise gogs willing to restore order to this land.

While we travel send runners to all the Chiefs of all the lands. Let those who will give up their fleets and their weapons come in peace to Al’ya for council. Let those who will continue to build their weapons prepare for a chance to use them. For the Nine will visit upon them…”

[Narrator]

Rewards:

All Olgog Tribes who took part in this mission and Mag’Nrs gain:

50 Mirror Crystal Captives: You may trade these to the EEF as Specimens for Study in exchange for Medical Supplies and Food Supplies. Or you may deploy them as an F.S. 5 Penal Squad (conscript soldiers with Magi Cannons) Or you may deploy them as a conscript labor force to rebuild areas destroyed by the Mirror Crystal Fleet.

2 Mirror Crystal FighterCraft (use Auf Lal’al Fightercraft stats)

A new Nemesis Pharaoh Uiuilli Kal Unen of the Sea Kings

And you may select one character not used in Live Games who had L.R. 6 may raise 1 Elemental type to level 6

Seperate Rewards for the following Characters:

Derlur the Nomad, Uriel Scout, Forge, Sir Stout the Dark Paladin, all gain access to the Glacial Wastes as NPCs. They may not initate any attack on players without Narrator approval, but may make alliances with the four players vying for control of the Glacial Wastes. This is a great roleplaying opportunity for these characters. Right now they may only post to the Glacial Wastes section. (except Uriel who may post to other sections as well)

Derlur gains +3 new guys n gals to send to the Glacial Wastes, stats will be emailed. He also gains a cold weather speed boat *recovered from Unen harbor) and repaired. It is tech so only Derlur and those who have the same special gear he has will be able to utilize this vessel.

Sir Stout Gains Avatar of Warmonger BUT trapped in Quall form. Cannot use any Avatar of Warmonger abilities yet. Gains all Quall HiveLord stats plus Shadow Lvl 6, and General lvl 2. He now counts as a Quall Dark Paladin of Morgoth. Stout gains Faith +1, and automatically counts as a Faithful act when either worshipping Morgoth OR serving Warmonger’s evil goals.
He also gains 8 WarGogs (use stats for Reavers except has Shadow Lvl 4, and are fully aware and intelligent. They can act as demon hosts for Warmonger demons without any negative side effects)