Shadowhaunt: The Black Crusade (Part II)

[Kitharsis]

Wu coughs out a generous amount of smoke as The Gorger painfully reacts to Father Rau's attempt at healing.  He has no ill will toward Rau or The Gorger, and for the first time finds himself unsure of which side he stands on - Human or Monster.

As the abomination swings his mighty weapon at the priest's head Wu reacts impulsively and outstretches his hand.  He almost lets loose a Geyser attack to knock the weapon away before noticing that The Gorger was holding back, if not being held back.  Wu lowers his hand as he watches the Ghoul struggle against Sir Walter's will.

Shaking his head, Sun Wu takes a draw on his pipe.  A plume of smoke smoothly escapes his mouth as he stares at both Father Rau and The Gorger.

Divine Unity indeed...

[Shadow Chorus]

"That was a poor decision, Father Rau." Seth said, backing away as he noticed a fire lit in Walter's eyes.


There was a noise like cracking thunder, and a spray of dust as Walter's hammer made contact with the ground. The force of the impact left the hammer where it lay, standing with its head planted, like a stone from which protruded the staff of his weapon. Walter's eyes glowed white hot as he strode over to the Gorger and Father Rau, and with a strength that seemed born of holy rage, he grabbed the two, the Gorger by the breastplate, father Rau by his collar, and lifted. The two individuals' feet left the ground, and lightning danced around them as they sat in Walter's grasp, playing over their frames, making their hair stand on end, pressuring them with the feeling of raw power, but doing no harm. Then the enraged Tamer spoke, and his voice was baleful, terrible like the fires of hell itself.

"Both of you are fools." He began, the power of his voice reverberating on the air as passers-by stopped and stared or hid in their houses. Orcs respected strength, but they also knew when it was wise to avoid being in its way. Orgarash and Grakul took a few steps back, but kept their eyes on the spectacle.

"I inform you that you are quite possibly one of the greatest forces that exists on this world, and not a full minute later you turn and attempt to shatter that bond in foolish ignorance!" His burning gaze turned upon Father Rau, his eyes glowing so brightly they seemed to be gone, whited out and smoking some holy fire, a bright light burning from within his mouth as he spoke. "Rau, you petty fool. You should have known the effects of what you would do before you even attempted. Even did you not know, it should have been no great leap of reasoning to determine what the raw force of life would to do one who lives on essence of death! This leaves one of two options. You either intentionally attempted to harm your own ally, making you a traitor, or you truly could not reason this out, making you a fool." Then his eyes turned to the Gorger, his voice no less intense, his gaze no less fierce.

"And you, former Crusader, once-great warrior. Your Hunger and your Rage will undo you if you do not learn to keep them in check! It was by my word that you were not put to the flame for what you did to Ferrados, what you did to that werewolf so many years ago, in the den of the vampire lord whose will you were enthralled to. Others thought you dangerous, too much so to be allowed to live, but it was by my word that your existence continued. I saw in you the chance to be reborn, to once again be the noble crusader you had been in life. Remember that, and check your urges, lest you prove me wrong in the end."


And then the fire died in his eyes, and he dropped them to the ground. There was a haunting in his eyes now, something that wasn't there before. He seemed tired. Harrowed. The lines of age appeared more prominent now, as if that burst of fire had drained him of life. His shoulders were slack as he retrieved his hammer, and he turned and strode past the Orcs.

"Come. The others await. Signal your men, Sergeant." He said, almost quietly, and without the usual thunder and power that was behind his voice.

Seth cast one last look at the Gorger and Father Rau before rushing to follow his friend, striding beside him and speaking silently to him as they left the others behind.

Orgarash nodded to Grakul, who drew one of the devices on his hip and split it open near the grip. He removed what appeared to be a cylinder full of small cones, and in its stead placed a large red cartridge. Aiming it at the sky, he pulled the trigger, and a burning ball of fire shot into the sky, before exploding in a brilliant shower of sparks. The flare sent, he discarded the cartridge and reinserted the other cylinder, and turned and strode with Orgarash after Sir Walter and Seth.

[Archdemon Stu]

The Gorger's eyes went wide as he was effortlessly lifted by a single arm of an old man.  To say that Sir Walter had drawn the ghoul's attention would be a vast understatement.  He had felt something that balanced a fine line between respect, and fear.  In his startle and confusion, the ghoul could not help but absorb every word to the bone as his mind searched for answers as to what was happening before him.

He was promptly released... but still shaken.  Could what Sir Walter said be true?  No.  Of course not.  More brainwash for the ghoul to swallow no doubt.  His thought processes rushed to defend his bitterness and anger once more, but there was one detail that he could not dismiss: the werewolf.  Sir Walter mentioned a name.

"Ferrados."

So... that was his name.  Ferrados.

So fierce were they toward The Gorger, wishing nothing but his death over a single werewolf.  And in spite of that, Sir Walter chose to to spare his life.  Whether or not it was because he would be a useful tool was debatable.  But the anger and sadness surrounding the death of Ferrados... there was only one explanation...

They cared about him.  They missed him.  He was no pet, but a comrade in arms.

The Gorger gripped his weapon, and followed in reverent silence, deep in thought.

[Kitharsis]

The bowl of Wu's pipe smacks against his palm slowly.  It almost sounds like clapping.

Clap...  Clap...  Clap...

The ashes fall out in a loose clump.  Wu flicks his wrist and they fall to the ground in a little grey shower.

He watches both Father Rau and The Gorger as their feet reconnect with the ground.  Wordlessly he tucks his pipe away and turns to follow Sir Walter and the others.

[Radobe]

Rau watches as the ghoul wretches and stumbles. A small trace of a smile could be seen on his face, if one cared to look close enough. Despite what those people might think, the smile was not due to the pain he caused to The Gorger, it was thanks to the sensation of channeling aether. The priest was happy he was able summon the same energies he used back at the cathedral. He has yet to use this new found power and understand it, so that someday he may utilize it to its full potential.

The holy man could not help but smile fully when he saw the foolish attempt of the ghoul to retaliate. As if watching a chained dog, barking and jumping at its own master. For some reason he found the stupidity of the attempt funny and the wind blowing down as the abomination’s weapon stopped inches away from his head, rather refreshing.

"I am forced into service… it's deserved."

The usually composed priest was about to burst into laughter. The poor thing! After all the ghoul has done now he is being forced to help others and do good deeds against his will! The constant harsh treatment he receives from every one, no one understand his hungry and full with rage self and no one lets him be himself! To top it off, all the monster like crusaders, unrivaled in their strength, they go and pick on the defenseless and innocent monsters, who just want to be themselves. Truly the tragedy of a ghoul’s life can move a man to tears.

This was the first time father Rau had such a laugh at the ghoul’s words expense. It was as if the gorger rather than not wanting to, could not see the situation he was in. The very thought of that entertained the priest beyond believe. Even so he kept his composure and only smiled.

Unfortunately the priest’s excitement was short lived, as the defining noise of Sir Walter’s hammer hitting the ground reached his ears, a cold chill ran down his spine and his smile disappeared. When he looked at his commander, it was the first time Rau saw rage of that magnitude. As he lifted them both, the priest and the ghoul, from the ground, lightning began hitting the ground and the power he emitted would have prevented the priest from moving, even if he wanted to. The followed scolding did not leave such a lasting impression as the powerful display that preceded it.

The priest knew what he did was out of line, but still he didn’t expect such a fierce reaction. He knew an apology was in order, but for now he fixed his collar, put his hood and his frown on and followed in silence.

[Shadow Chorus]

The group approached the far wall of the Cavern, and by then A group of Orcs had gathered and were following them, each with their own equipment of varying persuasions. Some bore the heavy armor that Orgarash wore, others carried those strange devices Grakul carried, and yet more had mysterious machinery and tools hanging from their belts. There were a handful of specific orcs that wandered through the ranks, tattooed heavily and carrying Copper rods and speaking in Orcish, Muttering or Yelling in reverent tones, and all the Orcs they spoke to seemed to stand taller, ready for the battles to come.

The exit loomed over them, and the combined force seemed to have exponentially increased the size of the warband that had split from the major crusade.

At least they thought so until they reached the edge of the cliff overlooking the exit. Then they realized they were leading a second army.

It was as if the entire contents of the city had taken up arms to join the crusade, the final act of their dying species, standing up to fall on their feet. The Dozen dragons swirled overhead, and the Thousand-strong forces of the remaining races stood ready in the canyon that formed the Exit. The Dwarven Wizard, Khadmas Shimmerstone, strode up beside the group of humans and monsters watching the army below.

"There's only five people left in tha' city now. Th' Council, sworn ta guard the gates and protect the city o' Mordintharas till our return."

"This army...Your peoples' last hopes are in this force."

"Aye. But we're a dyin' group o' people. Our spirits were oppressed for so long we'd slowly die in this cave. The real last hope of our people is ta end the unnatural night, an' bring back tha day. So in this war our people either stand or fall. So we'd best all stand as one."

"Indeed. Very well. Then let it be proclaimed. Now is the army of the ancients a part of the Thirteenth Black Crusade."

"Aye. And we stand with ye. Till the end." Khadmas said, as he was joined by Orgarash, Valorkoth, and Theldorian. Each of them, the General of their species' forces, presenting their allegiance to Sir Walter and his crusade.

"Then we go." Sir Walter said, preparing to march down the hill before he was stopped by Khadmas.

"Hold lad. Valorkoth has a gift for ye." The dwarf said, the Tamer turning to face the mighty wyrm.

"A true leader should be able to see all of his men when he gives orders, and be able to survey the full extent of the battlefield. To that end, I offer you my wings. Climb on, and know what it is to fly as a Dragon does." The dragon inclined his neck, laying it on the hill, and the Tamer carefully and respectfully climbed on, holding on to the horns on his head. With a spell, he locked his legs around the dragon's scaled neck, ensuring he would not fall, and the Dragon pushed off the cliff face and soared over the army assembled below. As it circled above, Walter's voice boomed from on high, whatever magic augmented his voice carrying it to the entirety of the army.

"Now, brothers, the time is right. Both of our peoples, those of times long past, and the humans and monsters of today, stand as one! With such a force we are Indomitable! Indefatigable! Invincible! We will crush the armies of darkness and assail the palace of night. We will destroy their Black City and raze the fortress of screams! The night will at last give way to daylight on this cursed continent, and we shall all be free, as one!"

The cheer that went up could shake the earth, and Walter soared out of the Cavern's mouth.

"With me, brothers. The first leg of our journey awaits us. We must retrieve the rest of our force and march. When we are whole, we attack!" The dragon's form lead the march of the army, towards a familiar tower looming in the distance.

[Kitharsis]

Sir Walter's rallying speech stirred an incredible amount of emotion in Wu's heart.  With such a force as this, there could be no stopping the powers of good.

The cheer that escapes Sun Wu's lips is loud and triumphant, quite out of character for the monk.

"Do you not see now?!"  He shouts excitedly.  "Do you not see what we three are a part of?  I beg you, put petty squabbles aside.  More is at stake than annoyances or appetites."

[Archdemon Stu]

The Gorger's thoughts were interrupted by the uproarious cheers and chanting after Sir Walter's speech.   Dragons flew through the skies above, and beneath the vast armies that covered the landscape, he couldn't even see the ground.  The races that had been so long oppressed by the long night raised their weapons in unison for this common goal.

Though he did not like The Crusade, it would be foolish to say that their goals did not coincide.  The Gorger wanted his free will.  In order to achieve this... the vampires of the land would have to die.  Every last one of them.  Then, and only then, could he choose who - or what - he decided to kill.

"More is at stake than annoyances or appetites." the monk spouted in an unusual manner.  If only The Gorger could share his enthusiasm, but bitterness was perhaps the ghoul's greatest foe - one he had not yet learned to defeat.  His body still tingled with the remnants of aether energy, and though Sir Walter managed to shake most of it out of him, the ghoul's anger was still fresh.

"I shall put aside my differences, if the holy man swears to me one thing: live.  We shall encounter countless dangers - even dragons shall fall from the skies should we tread into the depths of the night lands.  Endure these dangers, strive, and live on... for if we emerge victorious... I shall listen with glee as the bones in your neck snap as I tear your head from your shoulders.  After all..."  he looked to the monk, "...if we do not feel hunger, then how can we fully appreciate our next meal?" he asked with a grin, as he twisted the monk's advice.

He raised his weapon to the skies with the rest of the army, and grinned widely at Father Rau. "Do you swear?"

[Radobe]

Sir Walter’s words echoed, as he spoke from the back of the dragon. Rau has been to many battlefields and has heard similar words many times, but those words began to sound hollow a long time ago. After each battle, burring the dead and praying for their souls to reach Lumo’s embrace safely, it was painfully obvious that we are all but invincible.

"Do you not see now?!... annoyances or appetites."

The monk’s excited voice seemed to have dragged Rau away from his heavy thoughts. The ghoul’s addition served to completely sever the father’s train of thought.

"I shall put aside my differences… Do you swear?"

“Do not worry your rotten little head.” Rau looked at the ghoul and smiled. “Odds are good that if we fall we shall do so together. As for my neck, I doubt you will be hearing any bones snapping from it, while you have that pretty necklace of yours, so instead how about you fight alongside us, like a good little ghoul and when you have taken care of your accessories come find me.” As Rau moved ahead and passed the ghoul he added. “Though the noise you get to hear might not be what you are hoping for. “

[Shadow Chorus]

the march to the tower was spirited, and the army of over a thousand men and ancient beings made relentless and speedy pace towards the tower of that strange necromancer in the forest.

The march was mostly quiet for the three. The army was caught up in itself, and the members of the Unity that Walter had proclaimed to be were left mostly to themselves. Occasionally a friend would approach, have short conversation, and then leave, but they were left to their thoughts for the majority of the march. The army was passing through a valley now. No, perhaps valley was not appropriate. It was more like a great natural gateway, two tall, thin, peninsular cliffs framing an empty space that could have had a massive gate resting between it. It was if the land itself told that there was a transition here; a shift from the sacred, living ground around Mordintharas, into the dark forest that made up most of the continent. There could be no turning back past this point. They were travelling into the realm of evil.

There was a flash of lightning, and the three found their eyes mysteriously turned to the twin cliffs, only to discover that there now stood two figures, a dark silhouette stand on the edge of each cliff, looking down at the army. On the right hand, The tall, shadowy figure wore what appeared to be a long trench coat, a wide-brimmed hat topping his head. Though this figure was cloaked entirely in shadow, clearly visible were the pale, white gloves he wore, and his burning red eyes, each seeming to give off a strange glow that clearly defined them, even from the great distance between the trio and the figure.

The other was less defined. He wore a long, hooded robe, and a cape flowed behind it, billowing in the wind. Giving off its mysterious glow, just as the other figure, was this shape's metallic mask, clearly visible even though it was a dull gray. The one visible eye of the figure burned a bright yellow, shaped like a hawk, and looking down as if on prey, the other eye covered by the mysterious mask. The two appeared to be facing each other as they looked down, standing like guardian statues over the army below. And then both figures' glowing eyes turned on the trio. In each there was a bone-chilling power, a look of appraisal as the two of them took in the state of the group, as if sizing up a potential opponent. The eyes were hungry, and the red-eyed figure grinned, his teeth visible even in the shadows, a fan of brilliant, razor-sharp fangs that seemed to belong in the mouth of some apex predator.

But even as the two figures stared down at the group, their eyes burning with fierce and unholy power, there was another flash of lightning, and they were gone, leaving only the empty cliffsides and the howling wind.

[Archdemon Stu]

The two ominous figures disappeared into the blackness, seemingly overjoyed about the massive force that marched toward their lands to slaughter the monsters.  The Gorger could easily sense their immense power, even from the great distance between them.  He stared for only a moment longer in thought as they disappeared, and his eyes returned to the path before them.

"It seems we've made friends already." The Gorger grinned wickedly.

[Kitharsis]

Sun Wu is walking ahead of The Gorger and Father Rau, having stormed off before they had their exchange at the beginning of the march.  He adjusts his pace enough that they are within earshot before long.  They appeared to have settled upon mutual - respect was not the word - mutual begrudgement.

A flash of lightning briefly illuminates the host, fading as quickly as it came.  But something drew Wu's eyes upwards to the clifftops.  Two figures stare down at the marching army.  Their mocking confidence in response to the sizable army is unsettling.  Wu's eyes strain for a better assessment of these beings, but another flash of lightning whisks them away.

"It seems we've made friends already." The Gorger says with a wicked grin.

"Indeed it does."  Wu replies.

[Radobe]

Rau was getting used to his exchanges with the ghoul, at first they were positively unpleasant, but now it seems as if they turned into something like a day to day activity. It would seem that the Gorger has become something like a rival, rather than an enemy, but still an unholy abomination is an unholy abomination and he should know his place.

A lightning flashed and before he knew it, the father was already looking at the nearby cliffs and what a great timing. He was just thinking about unholy abominations and there right in front of him stood 2 that he would not like to confront. The moment he met the gaze of one of them he quickly turned his eyes away, instantly covered in cold sweat the holy man was chilled to the bone. It seemed as if their newly found unity was being singled out in the midst of the march. It took Rau a second to take a deep breath and force his gaze back in their direction. Even though he could feel immense danger coming from those figures, his will demanded that he do not falter any further from sight of any unholy enemy. A second flash of lightning ends their encounter and leaves the priest a little bit perplexed as to what exactly occurred.

"It seems we've made friends already." The Gorger says with a wicked grin.

"Indeed it does."  Wu replies.

Unlike Rau his companions did not seem frightened, if anything they were rather excited. This helped the priest relax a bit.

“I don’t know about you, but if they invite us to a dinner party, I am taking Sir Walter as my plus one.” Said Rau with a grin on his face.

[Shadow Chorus]

The march was mostly uneventful after that strange sighting. Even the meeting with the strange Necromancer William was something along the lines of ordinary. It was not until the party had left the strange tower that anything of note began to occur.

Though perhaps the group would have preferred it remained quiet.

"Sir Walter, I've been wondering." Axel said, standing beside the tamer as the Army marched. "We've got an entire secondary army together. Why don't we join up with the main force and push through to destroy the nightmare forces in traditional warfare? We must have more than enough combined military might to beat them in battle."

"Because the monsters of this realm do not engage in traditional warfare." Sir Walter replied, his eyes focused ahead. "The vampires are vicious slave drivers, but they recognize the strengths of their slaves. The monstrous armies are diverse and powerful, and best suited to hit and run tactics and unconventional warfare. They will field only the bare minimum of conventional armed forces and leave the rest to assault us from all sides, wearing us down until we die. As such we must counteract this. One force will make the traditional assault, marching through to key points and attacking as a traditional invading army would."

"Then there is us. The secondary force, which is given orders to cripple the undead forces to prevent them from taking part in their stealth war and force them onto the battlefield. We will destroy their ambush parties and topple their plague-farms. We will destroy every resource they have to wage their monster war until they are forced to fight us on the traditional field of battle. And then we will destroy them. But above all, our main objective is to cut the head from the beast. We will destroy their leaders and kill their generals until they attack us in disarray. To that end, we are marching to the Black City to enact our first Tyrannicide. We will slay the undead general Darkraven as he leads his armies against our main force. We will enter the black city from behind the army and attack from the flank. Then-"

"Wait." Akaga said, and when Walter stopped, the regiment he was leading stopped, and then the entire army stopped not long after. "I hear something." The assassin replied.

The Tamer stopped and listened. There was a crunch, off through the trees. And then there was mass of twangs and the air was rent by whistling.

"SHIELDS UP!" Walter shouted, and the army defended themselves. Shields, both physical and magical, went up, and those who had none took cover with those who did. The rain of arrows landed fruitlessly on the raised shields of the warriors, but for a moment the sky was checkered black with their shafts as they filled the air.

"Prepare for combat!" Walter shouted, hammer ready even as the first of the Ghouls charged through the brush, sword raised only to take the brunt of his hammer to its skull.

Then the forest burst with activity, ghouls charging from the forest, a veritable army to match their own.

Battle once more was joined.

[Kitharsis]

"SHIELDS UP!"

Sun Wu watches as the arrows rain down through the sky.  He stands stock still until the arrows are nearly upon the army, then springs into action.

He twists and executes his WhirlPool attack with a modification.  He focuses the center of it slightly above his head.  Arrows attempting to pierce the WhirlPool are broken and deflected away by the violently swirling Chi.

As the last of them fall Wu allows the WhirlPool to disperse into the air.  Faint blue specks of leftover Chi float away like a fine mist.

An army of ghouls charges forth from the forest.  Wu stands ready.

[Archdemon Stu]

The moment Sun Wu's Whirlpool attack settled down, The Gorger lunged over the heads of the Black Crusaders, the enchanted chains of the Siege Breaker trailing behind him as he went to meet the ghouls in the front lines.  The masses of ghouls reminded him of his previous home under the Vampire Lord's control; ghouls made from men who wore his same crusader armor... ghouls that were forced fight and feed on one another until the most worthy were selected.

Visions of blood-soaked villages burning before them flashed in his mind.  The horror at his own uncontrollable actions, and yet the savory sweet taste of human flesh. 

It was maddening.

The Siege Breaker's chains extended violently, clinging and clanging as they escaped the cylinder.  The bladed chain was the first to swing toward the front lines of the ghouls...

"Soon brothers... you'll be free." The Gorger whispered.

[Radobe]

“Shields up!”

       Rau was quick to respond, as soon as Sir Walter's shout was herd, he dived into cover.

       The priest stood and waited for the right time to strike. He saw the ghouls charge as an opportunity to test his new abilities and to stop the moment of at least a fraction of the ghouls.

   (Holy light (Beam) + Aether) Rau was not confident in using his spell in this way, since he had not tried applying aether to it before, but this was as good a time as any, to increase his list of useful spells and the boost in power will come in handy in the near future. He begins to gather aether, his thoughts quickly drift back to the dying star and the sensation he felt back then, in an instant his eyes are lit brightly and pure aether seeps into his hands. With energy gathering at his palms, the priest rushes forward and attempts to release the beam. (Miss) Gathering the same amount of energy he usually used for his spell was a mistake on the priest's part. The aether doesn’t handle as easily as the energy he used for 15 years. Upon releasing the aether Rau loses control of it and it turns from a beam into a cone, the density of the beam lowers slightly, as it spreads wider at the end, but still remains potent. Every undead caught in the energy will be terribly burned, unless they take cover or repel the aether with their unholy energy.

[Shadow Chorus]

Rau's startling loss of control was fortunate enough to only strike the ranks of the oncoming ghouls, any of the Crusade's undead having been out of the path of the holy power. The blast of divine energy Tore a swathe through the oncoming army, A cone of Ghouls falling over in burnt husks  before yet more poured in to fill the gap. All around the battle was joined, Dragons soaring overhead, breathing holy light and wrathful fire upon the enemy, Dwarves standing courageously on the front line, shields raised and hammers and axes striking in battle. Elves darted through the field, striking down targets who threatened the line, and Orcs rampaged about the area, weapons striking down their foes in large groups.

Grakul and Orgarash stood back to back, the larger Orc's axe swinging vicious arcs through the ranks of the undead while Grakul's weapons spat death at the enemy. Bullets flew in all directions as the smaller Orc fired one pistol, then the other, repeating the process until he had run out of the six rounds in each handgun. Pistol whipping nearby ghouls away, the marksman holstered his weapons and drew the large, brutish weapon from the back of his hip. Pulling one of the two triggers, a blast of death fired from one barrel, the spray of shrapnel mowing down the ghouls in front of him before he leaped back and kicked off of Orgarash's back, the Larger Orc standing sturdy as Grakul springboarded into the air, firing the second barrel down at a group of ghouls from above, taking out another chunk before he landed on a corpse. With a quick reload, hammering two more shots into the barrels of his weapon, He cleared the way back to his ally and once again they were back to back, cutting down the foe.

Elsewhere Sir Walter and Seth found themselves together in a similar fashion,  Walter's hammer striking down groups of foes while Seth shot lightning and ice into the ranks of the enemy. At Walter's signal, the two pressed back to back, and Seth began to spout fire from his hands, the two turning a complete circle, leaving a ring of fire surrounding them as they struck down any who attempted to pass through.

Shani and Wrynjolf were tearing through the ghouls in tandem, both of them in their canine forms, rending claws and gnashing teeth tearing down ghoul after ghoul as they raced through the battlefield, a pair of wolves on the hunt in a bountiful hunting ground.

The battle raged on, and though the army of the crusade was formidable and giving no ground, the ghouls continued to rush on in ever greater numbers.

[Archdemon Stu]

The ghouls were easily cleaved by the sheer power of the Siege Breaker, followed by a pleasant torrent of blood spattering across the battlefield.  While The Gorger was certainly more intense than usual in this battle, he could not help but lick his bared teeth at the scent that filled the air as the bloody vapor filled his nostrils.  However, in his recent battle with the werewolf, he had chosen the path of the warrior; not of the beast.  He contained himself, and gathered what sanity and tact he had left in his mind.

Having fought his way deep enough into the ranks of the ghouls to avoid hitting the crusaders behind him, he raised his arms and steadily began to revolve the Siege Breaker.  It quickly gained momentum with The Gorger's growing strength, and the ghouls before him had little opportunity to pass by the whirling blade and flail without fear of utter decimation.  As more ghouls poured in however - in greater numbers - the Siege Breaker's momentum began to slow.

The barrow wight from his first battle with the Black Crusade flashed in his mind.  Why?

That's right... The Gorger attempted a bold tactic then too.  There were two others there with him who had reacted almost instantaneously, the "Divine Unity" that Sir Walter spoke of.

"Very well, Walty," he spoke to himself, and grinned widely as he uttered a familiar phrase from that very battle, "I'll play your game."

A whirlwind of blood kicked up around the ghoul as he pressed on, tilting the Siege Breaker in such a way that there was now room behind him where others could safely tread.

[Kitharsis]

The chaos of battle rains through the battlefield.  The Ghouls prove easy targets, but in such great numbers they threaten to overwhelm the army with sheer volume.

Wu notices The Gorger in the middle of the fray, clearly enjoying himself and his new weapon.  But the ghouls are relentless, and The Gorger's momentum is visibly slowing.  Instead of relenting and switching tactics, The Gorger shifts his position to allow someone to ally themselves behind him.

In a flash The Gorger finds Sun Wu standing back to back behind him.

"Hold on tight."  Is all he says before raising his arms above his head.  He twists his torso, and The Gorger can feel the buildup of Chi emanating from Wu's body.  With a grunt Wu's body twists the opposite direction.  The built up Chi bursts through his hands and erupts into his Whirlwind attack.  Any approaching ghouls are within range, and if hit they should be swept off their feet and pulled right into the spinning Siege Breaker.

Wu is attempting to maintain the Whirlwind for as long as he can, but the attack is not meant for long durations.