"Orcs!" Ilianna was briefly taken aback. It was the middle of the day! All knew that the squinty eyed brutes abhored the daylight, that the cowards always preferred to strike by ambush in the dead of night where their light-sensitive eyes could see unmolested. Was that simply the orcs in her lands? Or were these beasts confident enough to strike even with that disadvantage?
As the battle exploded into violence, the half-elf felt her eyes drawn to the body of the guardsman. Damnable pigmen! No better than goblin kin! But this was not something she was entirely unused to. The Orc raided those homes under her protection as well, and while the spilled blood of men was always disheartening, enraging, she had a duty to not strike out at the enemies, not when a greater duty was presented. In war, there is always more than simply numbers and technology that determine the outcome. Morale was something that seemed to be draining away, like hope was leaving the farmers, the miners, the citizens and soldiers. Her Uncle had done well to train her as he had.
Her hand went to retrieve her rapier from it's sheath as she burst into song. Not just any song, for while there was indeed history behind the tale she spoke, it was more than simply the ideals behind it which made it strong. Interwoven with strands of the magic of song, her words drifted down to the ears of her allies. Always before it had awakened the kindling fires in the hearts of the downtrodden, encouraging them to unheard of acts of bravery and skill. She expected it to work no different in the hearts of trained warriors. That warrior there, did his eyes shine a bit brighter, was there a new unrelenting courage behind his blade now?
It did the woman good to see her work's fruition. Ilianna never could help but fall completely into her song. A song of battle for the living. Her hand rested on the handle of the slender blade as her melodious voice broke out over the chaos of battle and that voice found words. It was an old tale, an easily recognizable one, of a beloved knight and the exploits of his band, comprising almost completely of battle hardened peasants. The tale was meant to be told as an epic tale, starting dreary and full of gloom before the hero made his entrance. Such a thing would not do in battle, but again Ilianna had already sung the song in previous encounters. She was ready with the improvised version.
"Rukan the Shield raised his sword up on high
Crying his defiance out into sky
As the Greenblood horde marched towards his humble home
Yet Grall and Feruun refused to sit idly by..."
The tale had been told enough times. All knew what was coming. The banding of the peasant militia, the hold against the superior numbers of the Greenbloods, but there was something in her, she knew it, that made the song-story something greater. Her voice and her magic would make any song into a powerful Force. With flourish she loosed her rapier from it's sheath. Her song continued.
Move Action - Unsheathe Rapier
Standard Action - Inspire Courage (All allies that hear the song receive a +1 bonus on saving throws against charm and fear as well as a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls)
