A smile spread across the necromancers face as he listened to their questions, all questions he'd fully expected to have asked. In mere minutes they would be in battle with an enemy that was superior in every way, and they had yet to be given an inkling of what he'd planned to do to ensure they wouldn't be slaughtered again. He would have been deeply disappointed if his chosen were so delusional that they would not ask such questions and merely trust him, considering that they had no reason to take his word. He was going to give them an answer.<br/><br/>"Do you all know why the Siegebreakers came in force to destroy this one little town, and why they are throwing such an incredible amount of force against it when they could easily win this battle with even a tenth of the forces soon to be arrayed against us?"<br/><br/>He plucked Allana out of his lap and rose to his full height of only five feet ten inches tall, but Streban was one of those rare individuals who had a presence that could (and had) cowed giants and kings, and stared directly at the Druid.<br/><br/>"For someone who claims to know the land and its spirits so well, you seem to be surprisingly deaf to the spirits that sing around us even now -  the spirits of the countless dead who have perished on this very land over the millennia, the unquiet souls of legions who gave their lives in conflicts long-past to claim this stretch of land that sits at a crossroads between worlds."<br/><br/>then he swept his gaze over each of them in turn.<br/><br/>"There is a reason why all that lives and grows here is as pale as a corpse - the energies of the afterlife suffuse this town and the lands surrounding it. Numerous settlements have existed and been destroyed here, by war or plague or famine, in each age since the beginning of time."<br/><br/>he looked specifically at Dawn when he said his next words. "Men and elves, dwarves and orcs and other races long-vanished have lived and died on this land. Fathers, sons, mothers, daughters - all have perished, most before their time. Suffice it to say they are not happy. But i'll give you all an example of what. exactly, I plan to do in order to see us to victory today as soon as we open the gates and take the field."<br/><br/>Take the field? That was, to say the least, insane - their chances of victory in a siege were nearly zero, but if they threw open the gate and actually engaged the royal army, they'd surely be slaughtered. And making his dramatic timing even better, Streban made that decision not a moment too soon, because the first sounds of the impending siege - a series of terrific crashes, most likely ballistae firing into the towns walls - began.<br/><br/>"Allana and Dawn. I have a special mission for you two. There are spies lurking about the town, hatching a plan to break the morale of the people and undermine its defenses if it appears that we'll win. They've turned a sizeable portion of the still-living people to their cause. Get out in the streets, find them, and deal with them - look for the naysayers and doomspeakers. You'll find them easily enough, of that you can be certain. Expose them, and deal with them however you see fit. Dead or alive, they will serve our purposes."<br/><br/>Next he settled his eyes on Castor, Deanora and Hazamir.<br/><br/>"Deanora, there is a scroll upon Torrin's altar with all the ritual implements you'll need to perform the magic written upon it. When we leave here, perform that ritual, and you will understand what you must do afterward. Castor, you will accompany me to the gates along with what battle-ready forces we have, and you will kill every enemy soldier you encounter. Keep them off of me while I work my spells. Kill everything that is not already undead, and I will do the rest. Manhunter, there is a secret tunnel beneath this place that can be accessed from the priests chambers. Because priests are such creative sorts, it will of course be found behind a bookcase. that tunnel will take you outside the walls of the city if you follow the markers i've conveniently placed for you, and when you emerge you will find yourself in some familiar company. At that time, you will lead those you find there and do what you do better than anyone else in all the world - slay men who have trespassed where they are not welcome."<br/><br/>There was another series of terrific crashes as the walls were pummeled again from the north by siege weaponry, and then another still as the east walls were likewise hammered by ballistae.<br/><br/>"Now go, and if any of you still doubt me after this, i'll free you from your obligations and send you on your way with my blessings. Now, everyone tend to your missions. If even one of you fails, we are doomed."<br/><br/>With that, Streban picked up his scythe - a long, gnarled and blackened branch with a wickedly inward-curving blade affixed to one end, a weapon that most would find too unwieldy to consider as a serious weapon of war, but that according to legend Streban was absolutely masterful with. Hearing the stories were one thing, but seeing a scrawny spellcaster eagerly marching off to a battlefield was something else entirely.<br/><br/>"Come, Castor. We have widows and orphans to make."<br/><br/>And then Streban strode out of the church, throwing open its double doors and stepping out into the paved streets. He didn't seem the least bit concerned that he was about to throw open the gates of his stronghold to the most powerful army in the land.