Melandriel

She moves to take up a position on the wall overlooking the open area in front of the cave mouth. Her best remaining spell is a large area one, so she'd like to try to target it on the biggest group of enemies she can, and hopes they emerge together to help with that. Of course if they will obligingly come one by one to be picked off, that wouldn't be bad either.

Iolanthe


Wishing too late that she hadn't wasted her next to last spell, Io ran as quickly as she could inside the fortress and up the stairs where she took up position at the first window slot she came to which offered a view of the approach from the mine.

She readied her light crossbow.

Tired and hungry, and oh so thirsty, Leliana took her position, restrung the bow that had once been her mother's and she watched the bailey area all the way to the mine entrance. Lee stationed himself as though he were the Rock of Xorrum, defying any enemy to try and get past him.

Breathe.

Very thristy, as though there wasn't enough water in all the snows on the Crested Spire Mountains to ease her want.

Breathe.

She knocked an arrow, and found a tune running in her mind. An old song. She hummed the melody as she drew back the arrow and took a bead on Lee and then beyond him.

She harp and drum were sounds only she heard in her own ears. A very old song, sung by elves who had long ago withdrawn at the coming of man... In facing death, rejoice in the life you have led.

She gave voice to her song for all those who might hear her and take courage.

In Uthenera- Leliana's Song

-In Uthenera

hahren na melana sahlin
emma ir abelas
souver'inan isala hamin
vhenan him dor'felas
in uthenera na revas

vir sulahn'nehn
vir dirthera
vir samahl la numin
vir 'lath sa'vunin'

***

Friend your time is come
now I am filled with sorrow
weary eyes need resting
heart has become grey and slow
in waking sleep is freedom

we sing, rejoice
we tell the tales
we laugh and cry
we love one more day


(Bardic Talent- Inspire Courage)

Absinthe takes up a spot nearby Leliana and readies her bow. She looks into SHadow's eyes, and makes motions towards Lee.

"Him. Help him."


When Leiana starts singing, she grins, albeit a bit of a feral grin.

"Now is when they learn that Barbarism has a price."

After about 5 minutes from the time the last orc came out of the mine, 3 more come out and stop at the entrance, looking at the carnage. You clearly see all three.

Unless you coordinated it, roll 1d3 to see which you hit. If you are more to the left or more to the right, I'll allow you to just shoot that one without rolling.

Orc #1 is left most. 1 and 3 look smaller than #2.

Lee-Ho

The monk holds his hand up to the archers telling them to hold their fire. Then he calls out to the orcs as they approach but before they attack. He does not know if they'll understand, but he gives them opportunity to yield.

"We have taken your towers and archers stand ready. Attack and you shall die. Yield and you may live!"

Her song finished for the moment, Leliana slipped the quiver of arrows to the floor to stand it upright at her feet as she watched out the the Orcs and heard Lee attempt to negotiate with them.

"The fear of what drives them to us is greater than any fear they might ever have of us," whispered Leliana, more to herself than for anyone else's benefit. and as drew back the arrow and took sight on the center Orc.

"They will not yield..."

When the battle truly began she would sing again.

Leliana choosing an orc
Phoenix Prime rolled 1d3 and got 2

Iolanthe


Io glanced over at her sister and gave her an encouraging grin and then turned her attention back to the arrow slot, lifting her crossbow and aiming at the orc to the left, but holding off at Lee's gesture.

Rolled 1d3 for a 1

Melandriel

Standing behind a crenelation for cover, on top of the wall, she aims her arrow and waits while Lee talks. If the orcs continue on, or turn to head back to the cave, she will fire at the largest one.

ABsinthe is targeting whichever orc is closest, and failing that, whichever one is largest.

The larger of the three looks in the direction of the voice. His common is understandable, but still quite rough.

"You will all dies." he said turning to return to the cave at a run.

As he does arrows fly and the leftmost one falls dead to the ground. The other smaller one and the one talking both make it back inside safely, although the bigger one was hit a couple of times.

Well now they know you're here.

Derk

He held fire: His spears were handy for throwing, but limited in number, and running out to retrieve them from here would endanger the group. A more direct assault was a better target, all forces committed, and he was saving his remaining curses for the necromancer.

Lee-Ho

That settled matters. These orcs cared little for their lives. He had given them a chance and they failed to take the opportunity given them and had sealed their fate.

The monk returned to the others so that they could plan their next move together.

[Leliana]

"Abbi, Io spread the word... we need to hold here. They want us to follow them in there. We lose any advantage if we go into the mines. The orcs don't want to be in there after dark either... And find some way to tell Lee to get inside. At least get him to the doors of the tower if he wants to bait them. He can fight all of them inside the tower if he wants... if they break through. But out there, he's too vulnerable and we risk hitting him with all the arrows flying."

In speaking with Io and Abbi she hadn't seen that Lee was already coming in. She relied on Mel out on the wall to sound an alert if something changed immediately.

Leliana continued to assess the strategy of their position. Mel and Io might be low on spellpower and that would be a problem once that bailey area started crawling with the Necromancer's foul work. If they could hold the tower through the night and let Mel and Io get some sleep, then heading into the mines seemed a better prospect.

Abbi:
Before heading down to spread the word, she pauses to look over at her for a moment with a serious expression on her face.

"Aye. I will be just as happy to end them here as there. I know how I seem, but I am reckless with my own life, Ley - Ley. Not with theirs. Or yours. But mine does not matter, in the larger scheme and is something I will spend where I feel it might do the most good."

She then turns and moves down the stairs without further words.

"All hands close the doors and make fast the gates, we ride it out here. I suggest that our. .companions. . help keep watch."

Leliana would wait until Abbi returned, the reply turning in her head, over and over. The young halfing tried to act so much older and the anger simply aged her soul much too quickly.

With word spread and Abbi back, Leliana spoke in a whisper.

"You are part of a group. A team. And adventuring company, Abbi. You are an essential part of what makes a company work. You are a friend. When you are reckless with your own life, you endanger them. When you let your pain and anger cloud your judgment then the others have to adjust. Not only around the camp, but in battle. Maybe you've always found a way to keep it in check, maybe not. But as long as I've known you, you've carried such sorrow and pain... and hatred. And now, you are out here in a world that is so much bigger and there more dangerous and there are things that hate more than you do... Hate destroys everything it touches. Like a cancer. It destroys souls, and friendships and... it will destroy you and us if you let it. And you know it so save the bravado and tough words and the justifications Abbi. I've been out here in this mean and cold world, and it chewed me up and spit me out like a rag doll... I could dwell in the past and wallow in the pity of others like some narcotic for my soul, slowly destroying the hearts and compassion to care in everyone around me. I could blame myself, loathe myself for something I couldn't stop from happening in the first place. Or... I could realize that I actually have friends who are my family, have become my family and let them offer me a hand so that I might find a way back from the darkness that *I* have allowed to eat at my soul for too long..."

She offered a hand to the small woman.

"I am truly blessed Abbi... When I cried desperately to Ilamter to end my suffering, no end came... and I learned to endure... And when I begged the God upon the the Rack for the will to survive so I could
see my family again... Begged for a chance to escape so I could go home... My family came to me... We're *your* family now Abbi..."

As the group waited, they finally saw a figure at the opening, clearly it was too slender to be an orc. The figure advanced slowly and those with good sight could see that it was a human woman. She looked about in fright, her clothes in tatters.

"Help us!" she wailed before they saw the tip of a sword protrude through her chest. She fell to the ground before them. Then a minute later, she was getting back to her feet. She began shuffling forward, groaning. Then behind her came a half dozen more figures coming towards them. All walking slowly, some carrying mining picks.

Abbi was about to answer before her eyes grew as cold as ice and her face narrowed.

"They killed them."

she said coldly.

"They killed them and turned them into those abominations. I think any time for mercy is well past, Leliana.

Still, she is holding her fire and waiting.

Derk

The halfling looked out at the shambling horde with a sense of dull horror: These were the antithesis of life, the poor prisoners in the mine murdered and then corrupted to this most appalling of servitudes. It was a fate no-one deserved, and he felt a righteous anger, the pure hatred and revulsion of life for unlife as the walking corpses drew near.

He cast his mind back to the lone example they'd found earlier, and of the effect the invocation of his Goddess, as he had been trained so to do, had had.

He stood up, holding forth the symbol of Yondalla's endless bounty of life towards the creatures, and waited until they were within sixty paces of the walls.

"They're beyond mortal help now, and what they've become is hated by the Gods with a hatred that destroys all it touches. Hold fast, save your arrows, and pray that we can channel that hatred to where it is most needed."

Once they were in range, he called out,

"In the name of the Blessed Protectress, she who shields all, begone! In the name of the Lady of All Halflings, return to the rest eternal! In the name of She Who Provides, may the darkness within be snuffed out by the light of true life!"

(Turn undead once within 60ft.)

Leliana wasn't sure who Abbi felt deserved mercy, or even if something she was saying concerned her own personal tragedy. Abbi had a very 'black & white' view on justice and mercy to begin with, and the dependence upon her negative emotions had long become an addiction she used to cope with grief she couldn't resolve... or wouldn't.

"They were dead the moment they were dragged into the mines... Those who can't dig ore never come out living... And there's nothing we can do for them except give them peace... and do it without hatred for them, just end their suffering."

Leliana called out to Mel on the wall.

"DON'T LET THEM CUT OFF YOUR WAY BACK INTO THE TOWER MEL..."

(OOC - Nivek - Can we get a new tactical w/map to see where everyone is?)

[ooc: I'll resolve the turning first. I'm honestly not sure where everyone is. I'll have to go back and read the threads again. I didn't do it here because I figured they'd get turned. Just trying to provoke you guys a bit into doing something stupid ;)]

The newly created dead amble towards the opening in the wall until Derk raises his holy symbol. Their eyes take in the symbol and they start towards him until he finishes speaking then almost as one, the group including the human woman suddenly stop, then crumble to the ground, their bodies, turning to dust and all is quiet.

A few moments later, you hear a loud voice.

"You will all perish for interfering. I will make each of you my personal servant for eternity." the voice says in fairly clear common.

A minute later, you hear a high pitched scream. You can only guess that he has killed another woman.

[ooc: What exactly happens to destroyed undead? Stop? blow up? turn to dust?]

[ooc: destroyed undead? Have you not seen any vampire shows on TV? Like when Buffy stakes a vamp? Or when sunlight hits them? They get vaporized or they burn away or they melt into a pile of bubbling goop. You can get creative with this, boss.]

[ooc: Yeah I've seen that. Just doesn't seem right. But I guess neither does the whole concept of undead Don't mind me. Didn't have enough coffee.]