[ Said condensed lug of justice and virtue isn't doing too well himself; the attack had been all too sudden, and completely unforeseen. Not even a night's rest after returning from the search of the Original -- a fruitful, but extremely tiring ordeal.

The casualties were too high -- so many of them clergymen and good warriors of the Order that he had been speaking to just moments before. He could hardly envision the peaceful scene that had been before him now. The tower was in ruins, crumbled and leveled into a hill of rubble. The camp was strewn with bodies, and the field awash in the red hues of guts and viscera, both human and not. It couldn't be called a place of reprieve. Not anymore.

Oh, how little he could accomplish without his god's divine energy empowering him! Spent from the excursion into the marsh, it was all he could do to save one or two clergymen from the waves of lizardmen and bullywugs. He could only pray that his long time traveling companions, Ouyang and Fable, were safe. Capable fighters, but just as fragile. Torth felt the pangs of anxiety rise within him, but firmly squashed those emotions. Now was not the time. ]

I'm doing what I can, Eseld. Bare with it a little longer.

[ Of course the druid would still manage to find the energy to put some bite in his words. It was reassuring. But he does pause to glance at his blood drenched banners and note how pale Eseld is beginning to look. ]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but... keep speaking. Don't stop if you can help it.

[ Because as infuriating as he might be, Eseld didn't deserve death, and Torth would do everything in Ranu's name to prevent it.]