Varielky wanted to say something, but Tamazaert is gone before she has a chance to. When she hears her voice again, she realises it wouldn't have mattered. Now, she's both disappointed and excited. "It seems walking in and challenging the chief was our only option all along." Vareilky turns to Tamazaert. "I don't want to put you in any more danger. While we're in there, you should hide somewhere else. Even if they can't see you, or maybe because of that, a wide swing of an axe might you or the baby." Varielky prepares her shield and sword. "I'm ready to settle a score."

Auger agrees with Varielky, things had definitely come to a head. "Tama, go wait outside of the chamber pot room. If we do not survive then you can return to the harem in the way we left. If we do survive this, we will be moving your way, and quickly."

Motioning to the Azhvuv, Auger points at the unconscious Orc. "Bring him." Then Auger turns to Varielky and says, "This had better work." Auger readies himself to follow Varielky.

Ednyss crouches low and draws his War Pick into his hand. Still a little unsure of the plan, the dwarf asks, "Am I attempting to calm the other Orcs? Or command the musicians to play so that reinforcements do not arrive?"

In answer to Ednyss, Granophyre answers pointedly,“If there is a battle, it cannot extend beyond the walls of the dining hall. And therefore, mark this too: We cannot allow the orc chief to make his battle cry. It is a mystical power which will be heard in the plaza and bring courage and fury to any orc who hears it. None of us have the power to destroy him with a single blow, so we must cooperate, barraging him with attacks aimed to silence him. It is brutal but there is no other way. If we come to blows, the fact cannot be known outside of the dining hall or we are lost. If he prepares his shout, nothing else matters: stop him. And I believe the pause in the music may draw unwanted attention as well. I will command the musicians to play if we cannot settle the matter peacefully. Ednyss, I suggest you do the same.”

You enter the dining hall, Izilmeddur and Lunja dragging the unconscious orc between them, his head lolling from side to side while they stride forcefully through the doorway as Sakinatadla and Tagwerramt briskly open the curtains for them. The rest of you follow, Sakinatadla and Tagwerramt then drop the curtains and enter last, taking positions at each of the entrances to the room as you three step to the center of the dining hall. A passing human servant carrying a wineskin is in the Azhvuv’s path, and his jaw drops, his eyes blank and uncomprehending, before instinct takes over and he skitters to the end of the room and hides under a table.

Izilmeddur and Lunja throw down the orc’s body, causing the two nearest seated orcs to jump up, startled, and back away to the edge of the room. The two dancers, both scantily clad orcs with unusually limber forms, likewise take notice and flee to the farthest wall, huddling there. The Azhvuv move aside to make way for Varielky, Auger, Ednyss, and Granophyre.

As the music trickles to a stop and the room quiets down, you see those seated at the head table, under an aged sky-blue Imperial banner, take notice. The two Hands stand, and you see pale blue energy beginning to gleam in their eyes, while the orcs at either end also stand, picking up their weapons. 

The chief at the center, Shulong Xurl, and Benita are the last to notice. For as you enter, you see that the broad-shouldered, muscular, no-necked chief is smiling and leaning toward Benita, whispering something to her. And she too, to your astonishment, is, coyly, smiling. When the pair look up at you, the chief’s expression changes slowly to cold fury. Benita’s eyes lock with Varielky’s, and the comely Indallian goes pale, then blushes, then flushes in anger, then blanches again, eyes moistening, and on and on, her jaw working noiselessly to form what Varielky makes out as her friend’s catchphrase: “What. The. Flock?”

(OOC: You are now situated like so. If you have done anything before entering the room, such as cast protective spells, please note it now. Each Azhvuv has an alyasub perched upon them.)

"What? Thought we're dead? I won't be able to ascend to Hallvala if it means leaving you in their hands. If the gods send me, I'll come back no matter how many times they kill me until I can free you. So long as the gods wish it, I'll come back even if it means killing all Orcs in this camp one by one." Varielky speaks directly to Benita. She speaks loudly enough for her voice to be heard clearly over the room, but hopefully not loudly enough to arouse the attention of anyone out of the room. Then, she looks at the chief of the Orcs. The sight makes her furious, yet she keeps herself under control. By all means, she hopes the Orcs will fight them, even if she dies. She's also confused, however. She expected to find Benita struggling to escape, but this didn't seem the case.
Varielky shakes her head. That doesn't matter now. She'll ask Benita herself once her friend is free. "Release Benita now, and let us leave this place without bloodshed. I'd gladly duel you, but I no longer trust you to accept the terms of a fair duel. And, if you think you can just overpower us with numbers, know that the gods are on our sides. That we are standing here is proof. How many Orcs will I kill before you kill me? How many the next time? How many the time after that? If you care for your life, for your tribe's lives, release her now!"

Intimidation: 15. Varielky hopes to make the Orcs fear the power of the gods and allow Benita to walk without a fight.

We live again? Does she still believe that...? Well it certainly is intimidating. As Varielky speaks Auger begins several incantations and gestures as if building towards casting a major spell. Listening to her words Auger decides to focus on also intimidating the orcs. 

"See that we have risen again and gained allies who rise from the sand itself. We have bested every Orc we have faced and if we should fall we will return again and again! We are supported by the Gods. See their light! On your knees before the light or be struck down by us!" As Auger speaks about the light he releases some simple powers, causing a light to form above each of the tables in the area. The shade of the light moves from purple to aqua and back and each light slowly moves around the table, lighting each of the Orcs in turn. Auger did not do it intentionally but he belatedly realizes that the lights are not perfect globes but are specific shapes, changing. First they are eyes within circles, the symbol of D'ya Boabab, then they switch to become spirals falling into themselves, the symbol of Piya. With a slight bit of concentration, Auger adds to the effect and the lights cycle through shapes also includes the Shield of Takal Demesh.

"Come Benita. You are needed. The Gods call to you to rejoin us."

With the lights in place Auger looks around for any sources of water that he can use to add to the effects.

Auger

(OOC: moving things along. @Math I’m botting your preliminary action.)

While most of the orcs grit their teeth, snarling and recoiling from the touch of Auger’s lights and the power of his and Varielky’s words, Shulong Xurl slowly stands. Ednyss alone sees, through the dancing lights, that Xurl is, indeed, intimidated by Varielky’s statement, and too, there is a glint of personal horror in the chief’s eye which only the war cleric, with his piercing insightfulness, perceives. Perhaps Xurl was the one who, with a lizardman’s spear, finished off Varielky himself. 

The chief’s expression betrays none of this, however, to anyone else. He stands motionless, eyes glaring past the lights at the warlock and the shield-maiden, like a steel spring ready to uncoil in a forceful explosion, and the silence in the room deepens as the other orcs, fearing retaliation, stop their hasty whispers and look fearfully to their leader. And then, as all await his response, from outside the tent, from the plaza, comes the distant sound of rough orc laughter, piercing the stillness. At this, the chief’s lips curl slightly at their corners, for now he knows you haven’t entered his tent after quietly destroying the town. And this gives him courage. His contemptuous glare takes in all of you before he replies, his rough voice bursting with restrained fury.

“You were dead and now walk again. But not all of you walk again.” He pauses, noting this stings Granophyre, before continuing. “Moeitu took enough slaves for one day. But the next day? But today? He always needs more. And here you are. In my town. In my tent. With the miserable Desert Witches.” His glance turns to Benita, locking eyes. “This one is mine. She gives herself to me.” He turns back to address the room, his massive shoulders twitching. “And now you give yourselves to Moeitu. We will burn your corpses to cinders, and feed your legs to the hyenas. You won’t walk again. ELLOSH TAKE THEM!!” His head suddenly tilts back as he inhales deeply, muscles rippling like waves, preparing his cry, but it does not sound. For at that moment, Benita, like lightning, grabs a large jug of wine and smashes it in Xurl’s face. “Sorry Shulong, it was good while it lasted!,” she shouts as it explodes and wet pottery shards fly and wine covers the chief’s face. The Indallian leaps upon the table and across towards you, but not before Xurl’s huge hand reaches out, grasps her ankle, and slams her down, causing food platters to splash and overturn with the impact, while every orc in the room plucks daggers from sheaths on their arms, legs, or belts. 

Meanwhile, a tiny stone sails from Granophyre’s hand, landing in the lap of the drummer, and purple smoke hisses up from it as the scholar shouts in a strange voice, while Ednyss, intoning a command empowered by Takal Demesh to the bass hornist, both in unison utter the word,“PLAY!” Instantly, the huge drum sounds loudly as the beguiled, blank-eyed orc strikes it in rhythm with thick wooden sticks, while the bass hornist blows, the sound shaking dust up off the floors, and the raucous beat picks up in a new frenzy while Auger’s lights shimmer and dance.

(OOC: we are now in initiative. PCs may act first, in any order. The only change to the map is Benita is now on the table in front of Xurl. Musicians being musicians, they will find their groove and keep playing until they finish the song, which will last 1d4+3 minutes. Someone please roll.)

(OOC: Reminder that Varielky has Enhance Ability (Bull's Strength) on her)

Musicians playing for 5 Minutes

Ednyss steps up to the nearest Orc, moving around the creature so that there is room for the Azhvuv to pass around. He then takes his War Pick and makes two sweeping attacks against the Orc. "You have made your choice and your fate is now sealed. If your attacks were unable to end her life before, what makes you think you can do any different now? Yes, you may kill one of us, but the rest will return, and the shield maiden has been blessed by the gods themselves. She will never die." Ednyss pauses to let Varielky use her divine powers, "Let us see how many of your Orcs must pay with their lives before you recognize your folly." He shouts to the Shulong Xurl.

(OOC: @Math - O18 was the unconscious Orc we brought in with us. Perhaps another target would suit?)

Trying to be heard over the loud music, Auger says, "The lights! They will be your end! Cower and hide before them if you would live!" While he says this, Auger reaches into the Sea of Stars, Auger again draws forth energies and a dragonfly dripping purplish energies forms from the light over Xurl and inexorably flies into him, severely weakening the Orc Leader. When the dragonfly reaches Xurl all of Auger's dancing lights wink out. "Show all his weakness Benita! We have removed Xurl's strength! You will break away from him with unnatural ease!"  

Obvious only to Xurl, Auger also reaches into the Chief's mind and gives him a brief glimpse of the Sea of Stars, perhaps adding to his disorientation. "You face more than you can handle Xurl! Today will be your end at our hands unless you cease this pointless fight now! You can let us go and still live, perhaps even still lead. Why die today?"

Expecting the warriors to move forward, Auger stands his ground. 

Auger

(OOC:🤦 Which would explain why he was a lighter color too...)

Ednyss moves to F16, cutting in front of the other members of the group and letting Varielky go forward to potentially engage the chief.

Same attacks.

Varielky slowly and carefully walks forward, aware of her surroundings, ready to block incoming attacks. Blessed by the gods or not, they're still greatly outnumbered, and she didn't want to test whether returning to life was a one-time thing or a permanent situation. Also, honestly, she wasn't sure which option she preferred. 
"As your chief just said, Moeitu needs slaves. There's only one of me, but so many of you and, as I'll quote: 'He always needs more'. Anyone who enters my sword's reach will find themselves sent to serve Moeitu forever."

Action: Block. 
Move: H-21. She can't really make it all the way without dashing *shrug*.

ROUND 1 RESULTS

Ednyss’s words reach Shulong Xurl before the beating of the drum drowns out further speech in the room. The war cleric jumps atop the nearest table and with two expert blows, fells Orc 13. The mortally wounded orc flops back in his chair.

Auger’s very persuasive words likewise reach Xurl, but the orc chieftain seems to be in a fury and does not bend to the southerner. Xurl is struck by Hex, and fails his save against Mind Sliver, taking (4 + 5 necrotic damage from the Hex = HP). Not enough damage to halt the chief’s cry. The warlock’s dancing lights disappear, and now the room is lit as it was before, by lanterns hanging from the wall supports.

Varielky strides confidently forward to H21, blocking attacks, and ready to counterattack.

With Xurl’s might handicapped by Auger’s spell, Benita is able to twist free, leaps from the table into a combat roll, plucking up a large carving knife on the way, and springs up in a defensive stance (dodging) next to Varielky. Blowing hair from her eyes, she asks, “What took you so long, bruiser?!”

Granophyre moves to get better line of sight, and flicks a tiny dart into the air above him, then intones an arcane command. The dart zips at Xurl, leaving a green vapor trail. The chief sees it coming and turns, but the dart grazes his neck, leaving a blackening laceration which festers and bubbles. Xurl takes 5HP damage, and due to Auger’s Mind Sliver, fails his save and is now Poisoned. Granophyre's Golden Bird flits up out of his other hand and strafes Xurl with a force beam from its tiny beak, but Xurl’s armor deflects the blast.

Alyasub 1 buzzes up to hover above Xurl, and bites at his hands as he brings them up to swat at it, doing 1HP damage.

Azh 1 (Izilmeddur) moves to get line of sight on Xurl, and raises her hand crossbow, firing a bolt at his face. It barely clips his nose for 3HP as he turns to evade the missile, but blood sprays and his cry is stopped this turn. Almost lost in the throbbing music, the wailing sound of the dead whistles in the distance as the sand in the room begins to gyrate. Hand 2 suffers 4HP damage as the sound pierces his mind.

Alyasub 2 flies above O14, bites the orc for 2Hp, then flits above it, bobbing up and down.

Azh 2 (Lunja) darts to the dying Orc whom Ednyss just struck, kicks him and his chair over, and moves forward to attack O14 with crossing twin blades, beheading the orc in an instant. 

Alyasub 3 flies to attack O15, biting for 3HP.

Azh 3 (Sakinatadla) fires her hand crossbow at O15, but the bolt misses. A servant tries to come through the curtain, and the Azhvuv glares at him, and he freezes in his tracks.

Alyasub 4 flutters above O16, biting at it, but the orc blocks the attack.

Azh 4 (Tagwerramt) fires her hand crossbow at O16, striking for 13HP, and the wailing dead pierce O15’s mind for 3HP damage. She keeps an eye on the curtain through which you entered.

Shulong Xurl is Hexed and Poisoned, but none can call him a coward. Frowning and showing his teeth, he stands tall, picking up a great axe and tapping it in his hand, eyes on Varielky, and letting her make the first move (action: dodge). 

Both of the Hands call their swirling blue blades of Ellosh into being, and each spiritual weapon whooshes, spinning, to attack a spell caster: Auger, whose robe seems to shift and flow around him, causing one attack to miss, and Granophyre, whose armor absorbs the blow. The Hands then turn to their leader and offer him guidance and resistance.

The orcs are upon you before you know it, flowing past Varielky to engage the entire party with daggers in each hand.

Orc 1 moves to grab Benita, but she easily evades him.

Orc 2 moves up and attacks Varielky with two daggers. The first blow hits for 6HP despite her dodge, the second one misses. (I am going to proceed based on the premise that Varielky uses her reaction to riposte.)

Orc 3 jumps onto the head table and grabs Izilmeddur’s Alyasub by a wing, throws it down, stomps on it and drives his dagger into it, destroying the bug.

Orc 4 attacks Varielky but misses twice.

Orc 5 attacks Varielky and misses twice.

Orc 6 attacks Izilmeddur and one attack hits for 5HP.

Orc 7 attacks Izilmeddur and misses twice.

Orc 8 attacks Benita as she backs away from Orc 1, and hits her twice for 12HP despite her dodge.

Orc 9 attacks Granophyre, misses once and hits once for 5HP, but the old sage keeps his focus on Tamazaert’s invisibility.

Orc 10 attacks Granophyre but can’t penetrate his armor.

Orc 11 attacks Auger and hits twice for 7+7HP. (Yikes, maximum damage!)

Orc 12 attacks Auger and hits twice for 7+4HP.

Orc 15 attacks Alyasub 3, slicing it in half.

Orc 16 attacks Alyasub 4, impaling it and throwing its corpse across the room.

Orc 17 jumps on the table and attacks Ednyss, but his dagger is nearly hopelessly outmatched by the shining shield of Takal Demesh and does not hit.

You are now situated like so.

Auger, please make 4 concentration saves to maintain your Hex.

All, please post Round 2 actions.

(OOC: Note that subsequent shouts will be lost in the loud music except to others within 10’ of the speaker. Remember, combat rounds are 6 seconds long. There is some flexibility, but in general, when we’re in initiative, lengthy soliloquies do not fit.)

Auger's Previous Round

Concentration checks for Hex (all are at DC10 I believe). 1: 11. 2: 14. 3: 9. 4: 8.

Reaction: Auger casts Hellish Rebuke on O11, prior to the 2nd attack attempt. DC16 DEX save to take half damage. Otherwise it takes 12 fire damage.

(OOC: Before posting this round's actions I want to see how this all plays out. Does O11 still live and limit the damage Auger takes and the number of concentration checks? Did concentration hold?

Also I think we established earlier that Hex requires Auger to make an Attack role for the extra damage to apply. So no necrotic damage to Xurl. Unless you want it. Auger surely wants it.)

After she fails to block the first dagger, Varielky ripostes with a swift slash with her sword. Then, she makes sure no other blade gets past her defences. "I'm sorry." That is all she mutters to Benita. They can focus on the reunion after this fight is over.
Varielky already wants to run forward and fight the chief, but leaving Benita with a mere knife between so many Orcs was not a thing she could do. Varielky swings her sword down on one of the orcs, trying to send his soul down to Moeitu with a single strike. Then, she tries easing Benita's situation by quickly turning and bashing with her magically aided strength, trying to knock the Orc down on the ground.

Round1 Reaction: Riposte manoeuvre. Attack against O2: 12 Damage: 19.

Action: Attack one of the Orcs. O2 if he still lives, or O4 otherwise. Attack: 10 Damage: 8.
BA: Shield Shove to knock O8 prone. Athletics: 20.

Quote from Zzozz___ >>

Auger's Previous Round

Concentration checks for Hex (all are at DC10 I believe). 1: 19. 2: 4. 3: 7. 4: 20.

Reaction: Auger casts Hellish Rebuke on O11, prior to the 2nd attack attempt. DC16 DEX save to take half damage. Otherwise it takes 20 fire damage.

(OOC: Before posting this round's actions I want to see how this all plays out. Does O11 still live and limit the damage Auger takes and the number of concentration checks? Did concentration hold?

Also I think we established earlier that Hex requires Auger to make an Attack role for the extra damage to apply. So no necrotic damage to Xurl. Unless you want it. Auger surely wants it.)

 O11 goes up in flames following his first attack. Auger fails concentration and Hex ends.

Thanks about the necrotic damage, and right: has to be an attack roll not a ST. DM is in his own confusing mist…

Spinning blades form around Auger and he dodges, or his robe moves him out of danger but only into the 2 orcs who approach him. The first Orc attacks Auger and instinctually Auger opens himself to the Sea of Stars and lets the close light of a star burn him to a standing cinder. As he does this the 2nd Orc attacks and Auger's concentration is broken, Xurl is no longer weakened. 

Bleeding profusely and weakened, Auger risks everything to try to disrupt Xurl again. Gathering and twisting and gathering and twisting Auger readies a blast but holds it. Auger moves into the Sea of Stars and then out, in close proximity to one of the Hands. Feeling the inspiration of the Gods, he releases his blast into the Hand, attempting to push it back into Xurl and the other Hand, perhaps disrupting their connection to the spinning blades in the process.

Auger

Ednyss grins at the Orc that jumped up on the table with him and flipping his War Pick in his hand, he uses the blunt end to knock the Orc on the head before bringing it back in a sharp swing at the Orc's neck. If he manages to take the Orc out, he lets Lunja take care of the two Orcs on his right, and pivots to turn on the creatures that had attacked Auger.

ROUND 2 RESULTS

(N.b, I’m using the optional cleaving through creatures rule, which will also apply to spell attacks against adjacent opponents. Also, oops, I was giving Orcs’ left hand dagger swings their strength damage bonus. Auger, regain 3HP, as does Benita.)

Varielky’s R1 riposte cleaves through two orcs (O2 and O5) in one lunging slice of her glowing red-steel blade, which seems almost to hum in satisfaction, and two of the orcs' daggers fly away from their dying grasp up over the shield-maiden. Her R2 attack kills O4, hacking through his collarbone and into a lung, and her shield bash knocks O8 prone.

Auger misty steps to E21, and there, releases his Eldritch Blast into H1, causing 8HP damage and pushing the Hand toward Xurl, who, though slowed by Granophyre’s poison, is enlivened by Ellosh’s favor, and, raising his strong left arm, the war chief deflects the Hand’s flying body onto the table, where the orcan priest tumbles once, sweeping the remaining serving platters, crashing, onto the floor, but the Hand rolls up onto his feet on the tabletop.

Ednyss’ first attack hits O17 for 11HP, but the table is unsteady and throws off his aim. His second blow whooshes through the air, missing.

Benita drops the carving knife she was holding and grabs the two flying daggers as they fly from the orc Varielky slew, driving both blades into the now-prone orc beside her. Then the Indallian springs up again into a defensive stance, back-to back with Varielky. “I thought you were dead!” she shouts over her shoulder. 

Granophyre, now completely surrounded, readies Wad’s battleaxe and shouts, “For Tuff!!” and, groaning with the effort, strikes the orc in front of him (O6) two-handed, hitting the humanoid for 11HP damage. His Golden Bird strafes Xurl, aiming for his head, but its force beam only strikes his shoulder for 2HP.

Azh 1 Izilmeddur yells to Lunja, who sends her Alyasub 2 to attack Xurl. Izilmeddur spirits herself up onto the table, where the four-winged insect bites at Xurl, whose swishing blades keep the alyasub at bay, and now Izilmeddur aims her blade at the chief’s head, but he deftly raises a dagger to deflect the blow, and the point cuts a line across his chest instead, doing 16HP damage, and, the wailing dead focus upon the Hand now standing beside Izilmeddur, sucking the breath out of him for 6HP. 

Azh 2 Lunja sees Granophyre is in trouble, and does a whirling leap over the interposing combatants to cover his flank. She attacks O12, but her blades clang against its helmet, failing to penetrate.

Azh 3 Sakinatadla quickly ducks out to check the next room, then returns, and joins the melee, attacking O11, slicing off an arm, then piercing his belly. The orc falls.

Azh 4 Tagwerramt likewise checks outside the curtain first, before coming to assist Granophyre, attacking O9 and with many quick deft cuts, felling him. She then dashes back to the curtain.

Shulong Xurl, no longer Hexed or Poisoned, and having taken no blows to the head or grapples, tilts back his head, and bellows his War Cry, a sound which would strike terror in the heart of any but the most steadfast of heroes. All orcs in the room have advantage this round as a result, and you have no doubt this could be heard in the plaza. The chief then raises his axe high and brings it down on Izilmeddur, striking for 13HP damage. The Azhvuv only partly parries the blow, and the axeblade slices down through her sandy form. Xurl pivots around to engage Auger, and snarls at O10, “DO NOT HURT HER!!”

Hand 1 take up his staff, with its blades at either end, and whirls it over his head, then smashes Izilmeddur backward a few feet, before, two-handed, sliceing it through the Azhvuv. She falls to her knees on the table, facing Varielky, and in the moment before her body loses its form and she transforms into a spiraling arm of sand which whisks up and out the high vents in the tent’s roof, she hisses to the shield-maiden, “RUN!!” The Hand then turns his attention to the whirling blue blades, which spin and strike Azh 3 Sakinatadla for 6HP damage.

Hand 2’s spinning blue blades slice at Azhv 2 Lunja, but she performs a limbo-like dodge, bending her torso backwards, almost horizontal, then rolling out of the way and up again. The orc shaman shouts a prayer to Ellosh with the result that he (Hand 2), Hand 1, and Xurl are bathed in blue protective light (Bless).

All of the orcs howl in response to their leader’s cry, and attack with advantage this round.

Orc 1 heeds his chief and attacks Auger instead of Benita, hitting for 7HP with his right-hand dagger

Orc 3 rushes Varielky, his dagger slashing downward and striking her shoulder over her shield for 7HP, but his left dagger casts sparks off her shield as its point draws heavily across it, unable to penetrate her block.

Orc 6 attacks Granophyre, slashing the scholar twice for 7HP.

Orc 7 attacks Granophyre, but his daggers deflect off of the dwarf’s adamantine mail.

Orc 10 attacks Lunja, slashing with both blades for 6HP.

Orc 12 attacks Ednyss, but his holy shield smashes the daggers away.

Orc 15 attacks Varielky, and hits with his right-hand dagger, drawing a bright red line across her thigh for 7HP damage. His off-hand blade falls short, blocked by her shield.

Orc 16 attacks Varielky, and his off-hand blade nips her forearm for 1HP.

Orc 17 attacks Ednyss and his off-hand blade draws blood for 3HP damage.

You are now situated like so.

Please post Round 3 actions.

Auger, bleeding profusely says, "Running seems like the right idea!" and carefully dodging the menacing attacks moves back towards Ednyss. 

Auger