The shadows gather about the light. Flames flicker and dance in the growing gloom. Claws, bodies, and cold surrounded the wizard and dove in to tear him to pieces. They were always like this, skittering and weak. Preferring to swam and tear as opposed to rely on their own strength. Of course, this made perfect sense. The beast were small and weak unlike the foe they faced. They had no training or much in the way of tactics; unlike the bound group who faced them. They would gather and be banished by the Light as all Darkness was. 

Haemar played his part of the flickering candle. His ally called out to him asking if he needed aid; thoughtful yet unnecessary. That thought might have been bravado from the minds of most people but the Abjurer was not most people. He had been facing these beasts for a short time and the most they had managed to do was skitter claws off the wards of his magic. He would have them break themselves against him in short order. "Fell the giant!" Haemar called over the din of the tiny creatures around him, "I shall have these!" his last statement was punctuated by a quick sweeping parry that brought the claws of one of the beasts away from his body. 

Once the first proper parry was delivered the blade was in motion and so was Haemar. His mind turned to a razor's edge and his body adopted the muscle memory of decades of training. His feet set wide and moving in graceful turning circles as his facing changed over and over, facing each of the beasts in turn. As he turned his blade twisted and slashed, offending any and all parties that would dare to draw near. He felt his blood and his grandfather's steel sing as he let out a shouted incantation and worked the delicate motions needed for the spell to take effect. Even in stress his practice was what saved him. As he completed the words of power his body hissed with power and his eyes burned with golden radiant light. He would see them break on his shores. 

He quickly placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword as well and increased the speed of his turning and swings. The blade hummed through the air, audible over the chittering mass of shadows about him. The sudden and wide strokes of the blade wove a curtain of razor sharp steel around him as he fended off attack after attack. They would strike him soon, yes. Of course, that was exactly what he wanted. When their foul fingers dared offend his personage they would feel the sting of righteousness and be sent back to the pit. 


[hider=Mechanics]
Haemar does not move. He only casts the Illuminating Shroud Spell on himself and prepares for the onslaught of the Shadows. Casting this Abjuration Spell charges his Arcane Ward by 2 HP moving it's HP from 3 to 5. As well as adding 5 Temporary HP from Illuminating Shroud.
[/hider]