There is an annoying, high pitched whining noise that penetrates even the red haze within which Aarnr is enmeshed, driving him to new heights of violence.

With blood streaming down his chest from gashes where the skeleton's claws have raked his neck, opening deep cuts, the priest renews his assault upon the undead foe.  His normal tirade of insults and bad language is reduced to a gutteral roar as he is consumed by the primal rage, smashing at the skeleton with his shovel.

When Fergus sets his mind to something he isn't easily turned aside.  He isn't discouraged by his failure to land a blow and he stubbornly refuses to be distracted by the lurking archers.  He presses the attack again and his persistence is rewarded as Vortigern's defences buckle and Fergus' axe draws blood.

Erista - quite content to be ignored, actually - stays quiet, except for the whirring sound of her sling, before sending another rock hurtling towards a skeleton.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:39, Mon 12 Sept 2011.

Becoming more than a little desperate, Aramil once again lunges at his foe as he continues to back away.  Unfortunately he misses both the skeleton and his step, and ends up sprawled on his back with the skeleton standing over him.  To make matters worse, his sword is now laying on the ground a couple of feet out of his reach...

Colwyn tries to hit the raven once more.  Something, perhaps the song the bard is singing, seems to fill him with confidence.  The rogue's shortsword lashes out and strikes the raven, hard, but apparently to little real effect.

Then comes the sudden sick realisation that none of Colwyn's attacks, even the ones which seemed to make solid contact with the bird, have actually produced any real, visible harm to it...

"Damned bird's got magic!"

"I do believe you're correct!" Corian replies to Colwyn, as he once again prepares a spell to cast upon the vile avian.  But now there is a hint of panic in his action - this will be the last time he can use this particular spell before sunrise!  Once more he pronounces the tongue-twisting words of magic, and once more an orb of power flies forth to blast the despicable creature...

Colwyn hits the raven with a well-placed thrust, achieving a definite hit.  But the bird, though it's flight is disturbed somewhat by the blow, does not seem to be as seriously injured as the man would have expected.  The rogue starts to suspect some kind of eldritch wizardry protects the thing.

Meanwhile the small bard continues to sing his rousing battle hymn, and his companions are heartened by the words.  The halfling himself still battles bravely, even though the small blade he wields does only minor damage to Oswald's ossified foe.  Bony claws scratch at his flesh in retaliation, but the bard continues to fight...

Aramil, seriously injured, stumbles as he he backs away from his opponent, and falls flat upon the ground, almost knocking down Eilieen who has moved up close behind him.  The sword slips from his grasp, and strikes sparks as it clangs against a large stone a short distance away.  The skeleton stoops to attack him, but its hands scrape harmlessly at his sturdy leather tunic.

At the edge of the woods, the Nameless Monk attempts to smash the heel of her hand into her opponent's face once more, but he is too quick, and he ducks her sttack this time.  Unfortunately he ducks directly into the path of Fergus' axe, which almost severs his neck and sends him slamming back into a tree trunk, where he slumps down lifeless, his head hanging at a most unnatural angle...

The raven seems to stop in mid-flight, giving a distinctly un-corvine cry, and its shape begins to change, becoming a small, red-skinned humanoid, with bat wings, horns, and a long tail, equipped with a venom-dripping stinger.  And a moment later, Corian's magic hits it.  It flies upwards into the gloom, somewhat unsteadily, cackling as it goes...

Aarnr, still apparently a little peeved, hammers at the skeleton which stands before him.  His shovel makes a loud ringing sound and bowls the undead creature over.  It twitches once or twice, attempting to get back up to its feet, without success, and then lays still, leaving the priest without a target for the moment...

Almost laughing with relief at the sudden departure of the evil bird, or whatever it was, Colwyn suddenly screams as a skeleton comes up behind him and fastens its claws around his neck! 

At Aramil's side, Eilieen does her best to ignore the undead thing which attacks the elven bard, and prays for the blessings of her goddess.  Energy flows from her hand into Aramil's body, and the elf's injuries start to close. even as the skeleton raises its eyeless sockets to stare at the priestess.  An instant later, the thing's skull flies into scattered shards and splinters of bone as Erista's well-aimed stone hits it with a loud crack!

OOC: Two skeletons destroyed this round!  Two skeletons left.  The "raven" has fled (or has it?), and the enemy spellcaster is down.

Everybody gets a +1 to all attacks/saves/damage rolls, as long as Ozzy keeps singing.

Combatant         Init
Colwyn Akbar       23
Oswald Osbourne    23
Aramil             22
Nameless Monk      18
Corian             18
Aarnr Foultongue   17
Fergus Andarson    17
Skeletons          16   AC=13
Archers             9   AC=??
Eilieen             7
Erista              5

Characters' Apparent Health
Aarnr Foultongue: Severe
Aramil:           Good
Eilieen:          Severe
Erista:           Good
Fergus Andarson:  Hurt
Nameless Monk:    Good
Oswald Osbourne:  Hurt

Colwyn Akbar:     Critical
Corian Barade:    Critical

Left lying on the ground Aramil excepted better from the skeleton. Surprise registers on his face as the hand that reaches for him scrapes off the armour rather than his flesh. He is also surprised to see Eileen standing so close and the flow of energy from her hand seems to give Aramil an unexpected surge of healing. "Thank you Eileen, for whatever you have just done. I shall try and use your gift wisely." Concern on his face appears when he realises that Eileen has left herself exposed to the creature, but Aramil is then relieved to see its head shatter into lots of pieces from a stone that hits the head. Unsure of where the stone came from he calls out in general "Thank you for the stone. It really hit the spot."

With the skeleton removed from combat Aramil then takes the chance to stand up and take stock of the surroundings. Not sure he can do much Aramil looks for the skeletons still standing and heads to the closer one after retrieving his sword.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:49, Thu 15 Sept 2011.

With a nod to Fergus the monk looks around and then takes off running towards what seems to be the last two visible enemies.  For the moment there are no arrows flying so she will deal with any arrow-slinging enemies when and if that starts happening.

"Not I, but Zadastha," Eilieen pontificates for a moment before hesitating, realizing how ungracious that might sound.  "And you're most welcome," she finally shoots back with an embarassed look.  With Aramil up and moving, the Priestess turns away, once again searching for the injured.

There's no shortage, but...Colwyn!

With a desperate cry, Eilieen hurls herself across the battlefield, struggling to reach the beleagured man.  "Let my hand hold the love Zadastha carries for all," she prays, "and give this man the strength to live!"

Should she reach the sorely wounded Colwyn, she clamps her hands on his arm for an instant, her own grip seeking to replace the vitality the skeleton has torn away.

Another of the foe falls before him !  Aarnr wastes no time in issuing yet another bowel-loosening roar of triumph.  Looking around through the red mist that consumes him, the priest seeks out further of the foe, launching himself in the direction of the nearest, though he stumbles for his footing as he trips over the pile of bones just felled.

Ozzy never lowers his voice and never misses a beat as he engages in the macabre dance with the skeleton.

"Your life is trite and jaded,
Boring and confiscated,
If thats your best,
Your best wont doooo....

Ohhh.....
We're Right! Yeah!
We're Free! Yeah!
We'll Fight! Yeah!
You'll See! Yeaaaaah!

Stabbing yet again with his tiny dagger, he knocks off the biggest shard of bone yet when he hits the chorus...

We're not gonna take it
No, we aint gonna take it
Oh, We're not gonna take it
Anyyymooooorrreee...."

ATTK: 15 / DAMG: 4

"破壞 幽靈," Erista snaps again, sending another quick beam of white light from her fingertip towards the nearest shambling pile of bones.

Corian draws his dagger and rushes towards the skeleton attacking Colwyn as he screams, "Begone, vile creature!"  The blade flashes in the firelight, a gleaming arc of potential death which entirely fails to meet its target and leaves Corian looking somewhat foolish...

Gripping the skeleton by one wrist, Colwyn struggles to prize its hands away from his neck, without much luck.  So he plants one foot against the thing's pelvis and shoves, hard.  That does the trick, and both he and the undead creature are pushed backwards.

Both manage to retain their footing, though not without a certain amount of strenuous gymnastic effort on Colwyn's part.

Ozzy continues his song, while still fighting the skeleton.  As he builds up to the chorus, he gets in a lucky blow with his small blade and already weakened bone breaks completely.  The skeleton's left hip snaps and drops the thing to the ground, scattering bones all around the halfling. 

A beleaguered Colwyn manages to force the skeleton back from him, breaking its grip on his throat.  Both rogue and undead stagger backwards, and the latter finds itself on the receiving end of a blow from Aramil's sword as the elf runs up behind it. 

The Nameless Monk leaves an angry Fergus kicking at the fallen sorcerer and sprints back towards the fire to assist in dealing with the remaining attackers... 

In an effort to assist Colwyn, and with little magic left to use, Corian attacks the skeleton with his dagger, but misses entirely.  As does Aarnr, who puts his foot on a loose kneecap and slips at the critical moment, swinging his shovel high above the skeleton's head.

The skeleton lunges at Colwyn again, but the rogue is more prepared for the thing's speed this time, and dodges aside at the last instant.  Eilieen comes up behind Colwyn and lays a hand on his arm, and he turns quickly to defend himself from what he suspects is a new attack, managing to stay the blow before he strikes at the cleric of Zadastha.  He gasps, as vitality flows through his body and the wounds at his neck, and elsewhere, start to heal!

The last remaining skeleton recovers from its abortive charge and leers at the cleric, its hands reaching out for her, and then it crumbles as Erista plays a beam of pale flickering light across its repulsive form.

The battle is, it appears, ended...

OOC: Smells like victory.

Characters' Apparent Health
Aarnr Foultongue: Severe
Aramil:           Good
Eilieen:          Severe
Erista:           Good
Fergus Andarson:  Hurt
Nameless Monk:    Good
Oswald Osbourne:  Hurt

Colwyn Akbar:     Good
Corian Barade:    Critical

<backpost>Fergus' first thought after Vortigern falls is to chase after the archers, who he can hear fleeing.  But it's too dark to see and even as angry as he is, Fergus can't see the point in running off blindly.  His second thought is to follow Nameless Monk and join the others fighting the skeletons but even as he turns Oswald and Erista destroy the last undead.

Fergus stalks over to Vortigern's corpse and give it a swift kick, partly to make sure Vortigern really was dead (you can't be too careful with necromancers), but mostly out of frustration.
</backpost>

With the fight over, Fergus' rage swiftly ebbs.  He walks back towards the others but he looks aimless and confused.  Before reaching the group, he abruptly drops his axe and sits down.  He starts pulling at his cloak and tunic, straining his neck to look back over his shoulder.  It seems he wants to check on the arrow wound to his back, but its location makes that all but impossible.

Aarnr bellows once more, though the lack of coherency does not signify whether it is the skeleton escaping him or the one who robbed him of the kill to whom he takes exception.

Though the undead may be down, the big priest pays that little heed, continuing to snarl and growl as he batters the downed bone piles with his shovel ...

First Colwyn nearly stabs her...then the skeleton reaches for her with hungry fingers.  But with a flash of light from Erista, the danger is over, the final skeleton coming apart beneath the weight of her magics.  "Zadastha be praised!" Eilieen gasps, for it seems everyone has survived.  "Oh, and you too, Erista!" she throws over her shoulder, a heartfelt thanks as the priestess reaches for the savagely brutalized Corian.

It's almost enough to make her want to return to the temple.  Almost.

"Pain's icy grip melts in Love's warmth," she whispers, summoning Zadastha's power a third time to succor the viciously wounded man.  Immediately Eilieen turns away, gasping as her own wounds complain, and seeks the next most injured of her little flock.  Aarnr certainly qualifies, but...

Though the undead may be down, the big priest pays that little heed, continuing to snarl and growl as he batters the downed bone piles with his shovel ...

Perhaps in a moment, the priestess concedes, rushing to where Fergus sits.  "Please, please don't move, Fergus!" Brushing his hands away, she kneels behind him.  "Not deep, not deadly...thank Zadastha!"  It appears they have all survived.  The Priestess closes her eyes.  Her well of strength is nearly dry, but she has something left to give.  "Wounds oft take time to heal, but Love can inure one to their pain," she whispers, and again the power flows.  But the stream has become a trickle, nothing more.

OOC - If anyone DOESN'T want the healing, let me know and I'll modify the post.  Didn't want to go quite into whirlwind mode, so Oswald will be next.

Corian: CLW, 3 points :(
Fergus: CMW, 1 point.  At least the bleeding is stopped and the wound will heal.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:10, Mon 19 Sept 2011.

When a few seconds have passed and no more arrows have flown out from the trees, Erista ventures forth from her chosen spot.  She looks momentarily nonplussed by Eilieen's thanks, and then grins.  "You're welcome," she replies, unconsciously straightening out her posture a bit.

She starts poking around near the skeletons she hit, picking up the skulls and rattling them a little, looking for her shot.  "Well, least he wasn't a lich," she says, cheerfully.  "So, Cor, any guesses what would bring him out on a day like this?"

Ozzy grimaces as the battle ends and the sting of his own pain sets in. he inspects the gouges left by the skeletons claws, gingerly touching at the wound before turning to walk over to the healer. Having no comment to add to the conversation in the aftermath, Ozzy stands with his hands on his hips, catching his breath as he waits his turn to be bandaged up. Luckily he's small, so it wont take much to patch him up.

After the retreat of the enemy Aramil stands around looking bewildered and checking his sword. Sighing, he shrugs and then resheaths the sword making a note to get the sword looked at asap. Looking around at the others he is glad to see everyone alive.

Over any need to look more knowledgeable than he is Aramil clears his throat and then says quietly "Do we need to deal with the remains of the skeletons? And who was the voice calling in the dark? I would also prefer to get inside somewhere and set up watch sooner rather than later." The question ramble a bit, but it is more Aramil getting his thought in order rather than loose talk of a less sane man, well half-elf anyway.

As those behind him are able to pause and draw breath with the peril of immediate danger now past, Aarnr slows in his shovel strokes, his snarls growing quieter until they subsides into harsh pants as the god leaves him be and he struggles to draw in enough air after his frenzied exertion.

Leaning on the shovel, the priest surveys the crushed and broken piles of bones, absently noting the bloody gashes on his throat and legs as he looks about him, his gaze wandering back and forth until he is satisfied that all his companions have survived, though Eilieen looks to have taken as bad a wound as he himself and Corian much worse than either of them.

Once he has his breath back, Aarnr maintains his uncustomary and disturbing silence as he limps slowly back to the graveside, intent on recovering his sword, throwing down the shovel as he picks up the long blade.

With his familiar weapon once more in his hands, the big priest seems much happier as he returns to the site of the battle.

"Friend of yours ?" Aarnr growls softly at Corian, nodding towards the nearly headless body slumped against the tree.

Corian sighs, "That was Vortigern, the very person I had hoped to avoid by leaving Reme under a shroud of subterfuge.  I suppose his equally repugnant familiar has been spying on us.  As for why he would attack me... attack us, in all likelihood he wanted the letter and the amulet for himself, so that he can attempt the transformation into a lich."

He glances at the shallow graves, "Perhaps he killed this family to distract us until he could spring his ambush, or to provide himself with more undead... in which case the burial and blessings may have been the most vital defence we had."

Eilieen circulates, healing those who require it, and Corian thanks her.

OOC:

Characters' Apparent Health
Aarnr Foultongue: Severe
Aramil:           Good
Eilieen:          Severe
Erista:           Good
Fergus Andarson:  Hurt
Nameless Monk:    Good
Oswald Osbourne:  Hurt

Colwyn Akbar:     Good
Corian Barade:    Severe

"You are most welcome, Corian."  Eilieen continues to move from injured to injured, dispensing minor charms of healing.  Those don't last either, and she switches to bandages, her skill with the more pedestrian methods of care quite obvious.  Unless dissuaded, she takes time to ensure everyone in the group has their injuries wrapped up.

Evidently she majored in 'fixing wounds' at the temple, rather than their better-known skills.

"Monster," she mutters, glaring at Vortigern's headless corpse.  The Priestess absently sketches a sign in the air.  "Go quietly, Vortigern, and trouble the living no more.  I pray Zadastha takes you in, and heals you of your dark pain."

Finally sitting down, she examines her own wounds.  They hurt; really, all that needs to be said.  With slow, stiff movement, Eilieen bandages herself, tying the final knot on one wrapping with her free hand and her teeth.