Neil moves over to the group of five () orcs in the bottom left corner of the room.
He then claps his hands and let's off a deafening sound, as the Thunderwave spell hits the group.
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That Ore did LEAP into the fray did not surprise Aterro, as he had already surmised the halfling to be a hardened fighter. But when Theo, at great risk to life and limb, PLUNGED into the front line, all but offering himself to the orcs in a brazen act of open warfare, well, Aterro's opinion of him climbed a peg. "Yes!" he calls to the clash of weapons and spears. "That's it Ore! That's it Theo! Let them have it! Show them what a clash of spears can mean!"
Anxious to draw blood and avenge the orcs savage bloodletting of his two friends in the front line, Aterro maneuvers to keep a line of sight unto the battle, and aims now for the orc most close to death.
Morgan moves to meet the next wave of combatants in battle hefting his Warhammer down on another frail Orc warrior.
Ore continues his attacks at the knees if his opponent from under the table, using his disciplined mind to compartmentalize the pain from the orc's previous attack and ignore it for now.
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Neil unleashes a magical clap of thunder, bringing all of the orcs to ground, bleeding from the ears. Aterro launches another sacred flame, sending one of the orcs to the ground. Morgan staggers one of the remaining foes, and Ore quickly finishes the job. The last male angered beyond reason, attacks Ore, managing a solid strike with the spear! Ore slumps to the floor, still conscious, but clearly badly wounded. He is not, however, bleeding out.
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Theo curses his selfish impulsiveness but allows the pain of his wound to focus his mind. Two of the three remaining warriors are down, Ore is severely injured, and Neil has taken to the womenfolk like a sickle through wheat. Either Theo forces a surrender now, or this will end exactly as his fellow clergy envision.
Theo takes a breath, exhaling slowly. "Prioritize, visualize, execute.", he thinks to himself. He then turns his gaze to the remaining male Ork...
"Orks defend home with a dragon's wrath but are bested still.
Timid, arrogant humans - wielding only the power of others - will see these caves cleared, all while hiding behind walls of stone and gates of iron. Don't let Ork blood flow while Ork's true enemies hide safely in spires of ivory and gold.
Yield! Theo Sylvanblood", Theo strikes his chest, "swears to Ork safety. Orks have seen Theo's magic. Orks know Theo's mind is keen, and Theo's friends mighty; perfect allies to ensure fair treatment for Orks from the silver-tongued serpents that would see Orks destroyed from afar.
Yes, Theo and friends are invaders. But Orks must choose. Will Orks yield to betters and fight the real battle another day? Or will Orks die at the whims of cowards in glittering towers?
Decide now! Theo's mercy is not without limit."
Theo begins a Draconic "incantation" and strikes the butt of his staff on the stone floor again.
"Ya'Bo!
A mass of flesh, bone, and tissue begins oozing out of the ground at Ore's feet. The mass grows rapidly, twisting and undulating in sickening ways. When it's all over a moment later, Ore is crouching inside the ribcage of a half-formed, half-dead Ogre.
There's more back here. Let's finish this clean up and rid the world of these pests. Neil says.
He launches a sacred flame at one of the ones in back.
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Aterro was about to toss more Blessings of Loki at the filthy greenskins, but when Theo...engages in some kind of combination of pacification ritual and obvious suicide attempt, Aterro holds his literal fire in total confusion.
"You...seem to be desiring single combat with the final orc? That is an honorable thing.
You were one of the first to set foot in this field of battle, so to request the honor of slaying the final enemy warrior is of your right. I shall honor the traditional rules of neither hindering nor helping thy noble efforts."
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Faced with the sight of Ore rising up in the ogre's skeleton and the wound of flesh-rending dogs, the orc does not hesitate. "Thark defend home!" it roars, stabbing at Theo with the spear. The stab is poorly aimed and Theo easily dodges the weapon. Neil singes another of the female orcs, who continues to cower in the corner.
Morgan makes his way around the table to heal a fallen comrade.
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Seeing that Morgan has Ore well in hand, and that the Orc and Theo are well engaged in an honor-duel, Aterro moves off to see how Neil is doing.
Moving next to the brother cleric, he gives him a nod. "Morgan has healed Ore, and Theo has engaged that last orc fighter, so there is little danger.
Allow me to help in your Exterminatus of this plague of vermin," he states, adding his own Sacred Fire to Neil's.
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Half-expecting the sudden attack, Theo does what comes naturally and strikes back at the orc. He swings his mace in an upward arc, connecting with the creature's jaw! The orc staggers back slightly, caught off-guard. Morgan offers Ore a healing hand, rousing the halfling back to consciousness as Neil and Aterro continue eliminating the cowering females. Ya'Bo adds his own flame to the orc threatening Theo, but the attack narrowly misses. Recovering quickly, the orc launches a counterattack of its own against Theo, stabbing at the bold half-elf without success!
Neil takes a look around. The mages are taking out the final orc. He and Aterro are just standing there, launching balls of fire at a crowd of people like hecklers in the market.
Aterro! What are we doing?! he exclaims, exacerbated. Look at us, standing back here throwing fire at creatures cowering in the corner, picking them off one by one! This is no way to handle such a situation!
With that, Neil wades into the crowd, opening with a Thunderwave.
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Aterro seems taken aback for a moment, about to launch in to a speech on how this is no different then killing rats, or ants, or kobolds. But as Neil shows him a more effective tactic, he chuckles. "Ah! You are of course a fount of wisdom, my brother. Alas, I have no such gifts granted to me by my lord, so I must needs lean against thy strength and thy guidance.
I hope you can understand."
That said, he continues to toss fire at those that he can.
Alas, his concentration is thrown off at how proud he is of Neil.
Morgan steps in once more with his hammer sweeping it down on the last combatant.
His eyes snapping open while his wounds stitch themselves shut, Ore stands, and lashes out at the orc within arm's reach
Before his reflexes could do their job, Theo had a chance to look his assailant in the eyes. He saw a fire burning in the creature's soul. Theo had bled to keep the remaining Orks alive, but Thark would let these caves flood with Ork blood - it's kin's blood - if that meant drowning the intruders.
As his mace connects with the same sickening thud it always has, Theo's expression turns cold.
"Friends think Thark valiant / Theo sees no valor here / Sees only blind ork."
At Theo's final word, Thark is enveloped in darkness.
.
.
.
Safe from retaliation, Theo disengages with Thark, making his way towards Neil and Attero.
"If either of you can be bothered to hold your bloodlust at bay for but a breath, Ore is in danger of being brought down by a strong breeze."
Theo has finally lost his composure, and his tongue quickly turns from honeyed silver into rusted iron: sharp and corrosive.
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Theo drops his weapons, keeping only the staff that now illuminates the cavern; ensuring the ongoing barbarism is on full display, even for human eyes. He then makes his way into the huddled mass to begin tending the wounded, and to act as a living shield against Neil's and Attero's wrath.
"The battle is won. Stand down, or count me among your victims. I won't stand against you..." - this was more pragmatism than pacifism, but Theo didn't feel that he need yield any part of the moral high ground to children tearing the wings off of butterflies - "but I can't leave these women in the condition you've put them in."
Raising his voice a little louder than needed, Theo assures the Ork women that, while all seems dire, there is true empathy to be found among his fellow travelers: "One among us knows the terror of home and kin being crushed by a greater power; a life torn apart by thunder and lightning at the whims of a coward on-high. Theo" - he gestures to himself - "is grateful that such person is here. That one understands, that one will show mercy."
Stepping out from under the table, Ore let out low whistle, as Theo called out Neil directly...
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Ya'bo being unconcerned what the all folk are snipping back ad forth. Since he does not see any more combatants. He goes over to search the last orc warrior, convinced that he had some type of magic deflecting trinket.
"If you are going to let them go Theo. Just make sure that they will not be a problem for the keep later. Does anyone speak Orc?"
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Neil looks at Theo with a confusion painted across his face. What women? I see no women here. Are you speaking of these vermin? he asks, gesturing towards the orcs. These are but a blight upon the face of this land. We do not stop to defend the locusts when they come to eat our crops; why should we defend these insects here before us?
But if you must, you must. he says, putting away the warhammer he was on the verge of drawing. I shall not harm you, my elven friend - for you are among the pure that has every right to claim what is rightfully theirs. If you wish to take these creatures under your chain to clean your home or tend your garden or toilet in your fields, you may. Be careful, though - these rats are clever and tend to bite back.
Neil speaks without a hint of insult or irony to Theo, for he is genuine in his words.
Turning his back to the orcs, he addresses everyone else here, Now! Let us see what these things have stolen from the goodfolk so we may return it to their rightful owner. And perhaps take a small tithing for ourselves! Ha!
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Aterro kept on setting alight any of the Zeno targets he could see, despite the annoying obstacle that kept trying to get in his way.
Until Neil was also taken by Heresy.
Aterro ceases his flame
and sighs.
"And what now?
No, really. What now, Theo?
We are charged to clear these hills for a reason. Know you that reason?
'Tis because the _human_ settlers of this land, including the leige lord and rightful authority, hath determined them and their ilk a blight, and wish them neutralized so they do not interfere with the farmers that will flow into this realm.
And if any are alive...what now?
You can NOT leave unattended. For us to simply turn our backs and walk array would surely mean they would just join the next orcish WarBand they could find--I've no doubt they know how to find such, and they would simply strengthen them, and we would find ourselves at odds again, so I WILL KILL THEM upon the INSTANT you no longer fetter thy fate to theirs so that OTHER HUMAN FARMERS do not DIE to their murderous children.
So what now?
I see two options.
You can remain here, and nurture them to the end of your days. Perhaps try to be their new chief...or whatever.
OR you can round them up, and march them back the way we came, and make some kind of arrangement for other permanent settlement with the local lord.
Good luck with that.
Either way, it seems your part in our crusade is at an end. I regret to see you go, but we all make choices.
Fare thee well."
That done, Aterro joins in Neil in savaging the rooms, beginning with this one and moving outwards.
Ore's jaw drops as Aterro rants, and then proceeds to loot the room.
"Is he for real?" he asks quietly. "Our quest? We've known him for all of ten minutes..."
Neil was about to go on a lecture about shutting traps and pieholes, but stopped. He took a breath.
Eh, he shrugs. I juss don't partic-ulary care one way or the other. Kill em or slave em. Pick one. Neil says. He walks away, grumbling about people with too much conveections to do themselves any good.
Why do I left people talk me in to these things? he asks himself.
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Highly confused about not finding any anti-magic trinkets, Ya'Bo figures that the leader must have had some type of protection spell on him.
If he had a spell on him, who was the caster? Ya'bo mulls it over until he sees Aterro heads north.
Looking back over to Theo "So what are your plans with the Orcs? It would make the choice easier if we had a common language so we could come to an agreement."
"I am going to have to figure out how to talk to others with magic, I think."
Theo takes a moment to respond, clearly focused on his work.
"My only plans or concerns, for the time being, are to tend to the wounded. All of the wounded." Theo scans the room, he isn't hopeful, but even one survivor among the men would be a boon. "Ya'Bo, Morgan. Would you search the room? See if any of the fighters have staved off anemia and shock. Any plans I might form can only be aided by the survival of one or more of these Orks..."
He trails off. Contrary to his words, Theo's mind begins to flood with possibilities, plots, and schemes. He shakes it off; sectioning off his thoughts for the sake of efficiency.
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Theo finishes tending to the last of the wounded and stands. He separates himself from the prisoners and calls the more open minded of his companions over for a private conference.
Finishing his conversation, Theo moves to address the huddled mass of frightened prisoners. He needs to establish a dialogue and to learn as much as he can about this faction's culture.
"Does any Ork understand Theo?", Theo touches his chest again. "Speak freely."
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Neil hangs out in the room with the orcs, curious to see what Theo does. While he prejudice against the orcs, considering them nothing more than swine, he is also more inclined to listen to Theo and the others.
You dun speak well for yerself, Theo. I'ma womderin how this is all gonna turn out.
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For convenience, let us assume that there is an aged orc among the females who is willing to talk. His name is Karkus.
Karkus comes hobbling forward, empty-handed, in a clear sign of surrender. "Karkus hears Theo's words. Orcs no want fight anymore. Theo's friends killed warriors. Grakak be big chief of orcs. Grakak in room, that way." He points down the hall that Arterro has headed down. "Grakak and guards will fight Theo and companions. Grakak will not hear words. Grakak thinks words mean weak. If Theo and friends allow, orcs will move on. But Grakak not go without fight. And Karkus not speak for orc of Gouged Eye. Gouged Eye tribe here in caves, too."
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Well, I'm fine with that. We e-liminate the true threat and we can let these uns go. But ifn they cause troubles again, I've no issues slapping them down. Much like you can't clear every mouse from the field or every cockroach from the kitchen, I guess.
Neil looks to Aterro, What's your tactic for this one?