They don't want to fight. Here's how you can make them.

I've had the privilege of speaking with Quinn, the main developer behind An Outcry, and have gotten new insight behind various combat options.

Some things to know before we get into everything...

General Strategies

• You do not have much stability. Take it slow. Brace often. Keep your health topped off. Attack when you're sure you can survive.
  
• Enemies will occasionally miss. Use these openings wisely. You can miss, too. Don't get cocky.
  
• Action economy is everything. If you're outnumbered, focus down a single target. Less enemies means less incoming damage. Slowly turn the tide.

Abbreviations

• ST: Stability. How much health a creature has.
  
• SP: Skill Points. Spend them to use skills, recover them with deep breaths.
  
• SR: State Rate. The odds of a status effect being inflicted upon the Nameless. Bleed has a 60% State Rate, which means that the Unnamed has a 60% chance to actually get the Bleed status when it's applied.

• Healthy: No status.
  
  
• Prepared: Doubles your speed for two turns. Ends after battle. SR 100%
  
  Quinn K: Prepared lasts for 2 turns. If the unnamed is hit, there's a 40% chance they're no longer prepared. The effects of that status mostly exist in contrast to the opponent shrikes' speed stats. If your opponents are more lumbering, then doubling your speed stat (which this does) will let you get 3 actions in. As such, Prepared is most useful to making minced meat out of Sinew Shrikes, or the Gun Shrike. This doesn't mean its usefulness is limited to that though: One thing that Prepared is very useful for is advancing battle faster, which in turn makes you able to flee more quickly.
  
  
• Numbed: Lasts 3 turns. Doubles your defense, take 7 ST damage every turn, and accuracy lowered to 70%. Gained after using a Cigarette. Ends after battle. Cure with Deep Breaths. SR 100%.
  
  Quinn K: Cigs are good for survival if used correctly, but they disincentivise combat.
  
  Personally, they're great for defensive play if you can afford the damage over time. Smoking and following up with First-Aid can be a lifesaver, especially in harsher combats. When Numbed wears off, naturally or through Deep Breaths, you can go on the offensive. That, or use Numbed to stall until you can Flee.
  
  
• Bleeding: Take 9 ST damage and 2 SP damage every turn. Carries over after battle, dealing 4 ST and 2 SP damage every 6 steps in the overworld. Cure with Gauze. SR 60%.
  
  
• Burning: Take 1 ST damage every turn. Ends after battle. Cure with Fire Extinguisher. SR 60%.
  
  
• Frenzied: Doubles Attack and Defense, but lowers accuracy to 85%. Gained after Unnamed drops to 22 HP. Basic Shrikes only. SR 100%.
  
  
• Killed.: dark souls you died gif

UNNAMED
You.

ST: 62
SP: 19

Skills

• Kick. 1 SP. Deals ~20 damage to the target.
  
• Mindfulness. 0 SP. Gives information about the current combat.
  
• Deep Breaths. 0 SP. Recovers 10 SP per use, cures Numbed. Usable outside of combat.
  
• Brace. 5 SP. Raises defense with every usage.
  
• Swing Sledgehammer. 2 SP. Deals ~150 damage to the target.
  
• First Aid. 2 SP. Recovers 32-33 ST per use. Usable outside of combat.
  
• Plan Ahead. 4 SP. Temporarily allows the Unnamed to act faster.
  
• Flee. 0 SP. You cannot flee randomly, wait for an opening.

• Cigarettes. Restores ~40 HP, applies Numbness.
  
• Gauze. Restores a small amount of ST, cures Bleeding.
  
• Painkillers. Heals 62 ST.
  
• Fire extinguisher. Automatic Flee.

Stepping back is an interesting option, because it doesn't appear alongside your other skills. Instead, it seems to be a repositioning tool, moving the Nameless to the back line. Once you step into the back line, there doesn't seem to be a way to advance back to the front.

Though I haven't done much testing with Step Back, my guess is that moving to the back line gives the Nameless some kind of defensive bonus at the cost of an offensive penalty.

SHRIKE
What stands before them is a Shrike. A carnivorous bird of the family Laniidae.
Hard to hit; easier to run away from. Easy to kill on its own.

Stability: 44

Skills

• Peck. Deals 20-24 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Shriek. Does nothing.

Events

• WHEN UNNAMED HP DROPS BELOW 22: The Shrike notices the Unnamed flail about desperately. It feels encouraged, and moves in. (Shrike gains Frenzied)

The basic shrike takes but three kicks to defeat. Simple.

FLYING SHRIKE
Complimenting the basic Shrike, the Flying Shrike is more nimble, and powerful.
Shrikes are dangerous in pairs, and these don't tend to arrive solo.

Stability: 44

Skills

• Dive Bomb. Deals 24-26 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Peck. Deals 20-24 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Shriek. Does nothing.

The flying shrike takes less damage from attacks, requiring four kicks to defeat.

SHRIKE FAN
Loud, boisterous birds that heal their entire flock.
The fight against three of them is difficult at best, and that's before counting the dive bomber...

Stability: 44

• Peck. Deals 20-24 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Shriek. Makes the user Frenzied.
  
• Cheer. Heals all Shrikes for 6.
  
• Clean Plumes. Heals self for 9.

Since these are healers, it's wisest to eliminate them first.

SINEW SHRIKE
This is a Sinew Shrike. A bird whose insides have grown to burst the seams of its skin.
Lumbering, but powerful. Best to run.

Stability: 100
Drops: Cigarette

• Scratch. Deals 24-28 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Shriek. Does nothing.
  
• Clean Plumes. Heals self for 9.

Because it's slow, it gives you more time to act defensively. Arguably easier than other shrikes, since they always show up alone.

GUN SHRIKE
The Gun Shrike's revolver holds six shots, one has already been fired. If you're clever, you'll have found a way to disarm it before the fight even begins.

• Gun. Deals ~60 damage to the Unnamed. Usable five times.
  
• Despair. Does nothing. Usable when Gun has been depleted.

it ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shoots you.

Drops: Strong Painkiller

TERRIFIC BIRDNESS
YOU WILL BE CAUGHT

• Slice. Deals ~30 damage to the Unnamed, applies Bleeding.
  
• Pierce. Deals ~40 damage to the Unnamed.
  
• Your Reward. Deals 9999 damage to the Unnamed.

There is no hope.

Run.

NULL SHRIKE
A faceless, burning void covers where the faces of these birds once were. They attack in a group of five, but you've come prepared.

• Scorch. Deals 1 or 10 damage to the Unnamed, inflicts Burning.

I'll be updating this as new information reveals itself to me. In the meantime... hope this helps. Stay safe, Nameless.