"You can utilise magic?" Emma asks in surprise, but she keeps her voice down as Bryn does. She seems a little sceptical, since most in those areas who claim they utilise magic are either conmen or Druids from Etana, and the latter group is rare enough to encounter that most people never do.
Once she hears Bryn whispering, she seems a bit more convinced, though not entirely yet. After all, they're right next to each other. It could still have been a trick. "Was that..." unfamiliar with magic, Emma speaks the words both aloud and through the spell simultaneously, but she seems to realise that and stops. By the time she resumes, the spell had ended, and she continues in a hushed voice. "Was that really...?"
But she stops abruptly once she hears Arren approaching. Which, Bryn notices, is a sound so faint at the moment that he wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't stopped. As Arren gets closer, the sound becomes louder, but Bryn still thinks he'd have noticed him only later. Bryn can be sure that Emma has many questions, but for the moment, she keeps them to herself.
Arren would not have heard the two talk before Emma went silent.
Sergeant al-Nasrid arrives to find no one in sight at first glance, before quickly realising that both Emma and Corporal Peite are inside the tent and that everything is in order.
He gives them both a short nod, sets his backpack down just inside the alcove, and informs them, "Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur have accompanied me. They'll be arriving shortly. I came ahead so they wouldn't take you by surprise, Emma."
Since the Corporal had already been told this was likely to happen, Arren simply waits for Emma's acknowledgement before continuing, "I've informed them of everything that happened last night, but they'll probably want to speak to you directly and ask their own questions."
He gives them both a moment to respond, in case either Emma or Tace have something they wish to say. If not, he'll return to meet the Commandant and Lieutenant, and escort them so they can finally speak with Emma.
Once the group is assembled—and assuming Commandant Nattensbarn takes the lead, as she usually does—Arren will remain nearby, silent at first, keeping a close watch on the exchange and positioning himself a step behind, at the Commandant's side.
'Tace' nods as she questions whether it really is magic, before once again whispering, "A minor piece of magic, but magic yes. You have excellent hearing".
By this time the Sergeant has made his way to the alcove, and he return the nod, listening as Emma is informed of the arrival of the Commandant and Lieutenant.
"Perhaps it is best to move out of the tent, where there is a little more room", he says, and motions for Emma to move outside. He has started to feel a little more comfortable in her presence, and is a little more relaxed around her.
Careful, who knows what will happen when Emma comes face to face with the Commandant. I need to keep my focus.
Lieutenant Tireur listens to Arren as he describes Emma, occasionally interrupting to ask for further details or add a remark. "Then I'll make sure not to startle her, if I can." He muses once Arren is finished. Beyond that, he doesn't talk much during the short walk to the forest.
When Arren informs Emma of his superiors' arrival, she nods in acknowledgement. "Thank you for letting me know," she answers. She'll then follow Bryn outside the tent and stand where instructed.
It takes but a few moments for Arren to walk back to where he left his superiors and call for them. When he arrives, he finds the Commandant still observing the messages on the trees. She has her wooden writing board in one hand already, and she writes something on a sheet of paper with her reed pen. When Arren arrives and informs her that they can proceed, she stops writing and follows him to the alcove.
"Greetings, Emma. I've heard much about you. I believe it is time we become acquainted." The Commandant starts once she stands in front of her. "I am Commandant Miyako Nattensbarn, the direct commanding officer over these two soldiers. I hope they have been treating you well in my absence?"
"Yes, they have," Emma answers readily. "As much as they could, given my... situation."
The two continue to talk for a long time. Commandant Nattensbarn is very thorough in her questioning. Although Arren can tell she's trying her best to be compassionate, she still dissects this problem in the same cold and sharp manner she always does, forcing Emma to recount the entire story as she had experienced it, starting from when Hector and her only first tried to conceive and without skipping anything. Naturally, this leads to Kone Peite too.
"My subordinates told me they've read your letters. From my understanding, based on their reports, it was only after they'd talked to you once already. I hope they got your permission first?" This was not the first time the Commandant had asked such a question during this questioning. In fact, she had made sure several times whether the two had been acting according to military standards. Once she gets Emma's confirmation, she continues: "In it, they mentioned they saw you confided in her with your problem, something I understand you didn't do often. Why is that?"
Emma shifts her eyes momentarily towards "Tace", a movement which the Commandant seems to catch but misinterprets. She turns towards him briefly, saying, "I do apologise for intruding on your privacy, but I have to make sure I have the complete story here." She turns back to Emma. "Please continue."
"Well, as I... as I told the Sergeant over there," despite remembering their names, Emma had soon started calling the two by their ranks, following the Commandant's example. "I met Kone when I studied in Pyorre. I didn't have the luck to meet the Corporal back then," she quickly adds, "since he was always away. Kone runs a bakery there... 'Knead a Break' it's called. I found that she had good hands in baking and was pleasant to talk to. We became friends, and I suppose she once told me about the fact that they had tried for a long time before they... managed to conceive. When we were struggling, I... I recalled that and... despite not keeping in touch, I decided to write to her. I had some hope she could tell me her secret, but in the end, there was nothing special. For them, it just... worked, eventually."
They continue to talk, the Commandant writing notes on her paper as they do, for a pretty long time. However, despite the Commandant's thorough questioning, she doesn't manage to extract any new information from Emma that Arren and Bryn didn't already know.
"... don't remember how I got there or what had happened," Emma answers one of the Commandant's questions regarding her 'turning'. By now, Lieutenant Tireur had found a nearby tree to lean on, and Emma with the Commandant are also sitting. Having been speaking for so long, there's no reason to stand. "Or sometimes I remember only fragments of it, and they too aren't very clear. But there are other times, as I've said before, when I fe-" She abruptly gags for a moment, and then yells thunderously to everyone's surprise: "GET AWAY!"
Emma falls on her back and spasms for a moment. It had been just a fraction of a second, but her face and arms had already changed their form, giving away that she had turned. Commandant Nattensbarn, who had been sitting about a metre away, crawls back in horror and struggles to stand before retreating away. It seems, however, that the turned Emma finds the manacles restricting and of more importance than the Commandant or anyone else. She tries to break free from them with brute force, but the metal holds and sinks into her arms, causing her to bleed a little.
Then, Emma arches her back and screeches loudly. Her whole body shudders, and she seems to be in great pain, when suddenly, with a roaring wail and a sound of cloth tearing, her dress rips from behind and through a hole that is formed, a spiny, lashing tail that's almost as long as a person extrudes itself.
The grey area is a small cliff that's ~2 metres high. The various stumps represent the pine trees in the area, such that the one at E-10 is where Emma was manacled the other night. The entrance to the alcove is in C-8, and the entire alcove is only B-8 (where you can stand if needed). The bushes are all thorny and uncomfortable to pass through, but you can (difficult terrain). Except for the cluster in M-9, rocks aren't very large and so have no special meaning here. The cluster in M-9 can be climbed on (5 feet high). The translucent green line around the K row is a small yet steep descent of about five feet and counts as difficult terrain. The tent can be entered from both C-8 and F-8, though passing through it counts as difficult terrain due to its low height.
'Tace' listens intently as the Commandant questions Emma, knowing that his fate is now intertwined with hers. When the Commandant's attention is directed towards him, he merely inclines his head to show he doesn't mind, but really he feels relief and is glad his mask likely hides it.
After that interaction he begins to relax a bit, but not by much. And so although he is not prepared for exactly what happens when Emma changes, he is at least somewhat alert.
And through that alertness he manages to react first, his movements driven by instinct, and even he himself is surprised by the outcome. Instead of bolting as he might have done previously, he instead moves quickly past the Commandant to place himself directly in front of Emma.
If she kills the Commandant her life will be forfeit. If we can even stop her killing us all.
"Emma, please. I know you can hear me, you don't want to hurt us. We don't want to hurt you. My life is now in your hands", he pleads, ending with the phrase he used shortly before when he found out she knew his secret. Hoping that would resonate.
He stands unarmed, completely exposed, but he knows this is the one chance he has to stop this before there is bloodshed.
Come on Emma, you can do this!
Movement: 15ft West to F5 Action: Persuasion: 1+4=5
Walnuts immediately scrambles to his feet and draws his firearm, which he loaded before coming, following Arren's descriptions of the danger Emma poses. He doesn't wish to risk hitting one of his comrades in the way, and so he moves closer to Arren's side. He is fully prepared to shoot, but when Bryn interposes himself unarmed between Emma and the Commandant, he hesitates.
"What is he doing?" He calls to Arren. Then, to Bryn: "Draw your weapons! Isn't she dangerous?"
Nonetheless, seeing that Bryn, who had fought Emma before, chose not to attack Emma yet, he holds his action. "Should I shoot?" He asks Arren, ready to squeeze the trigger with the slightest sign of approval.
Meanwhile, Emma jumps upwards to climb the tree. Since her hands remain manacled, she instead wraps her tail around the tree to hold herself against it. Then, unable to climb in this state, she leaps to the closest tree and back, gaining some height with each great leap. However, unable to use her hands, she is forced to slam straight into the tree and then quickly wrap her tail around it. Any normal person slamming with such force into a tree would likely not have been able to stand straight.
Finally, at about six metres (~20 feet) above ground, partially hidden behind the tree's lower branches and while standing on one somewhat thick-looking branch while still wrapping her tail around the trunk for balance, she roars at everyone below loudly and once again tries to break the manacles open. But despite all her inhuman strength, she is unable to burst them open. Finally, she rubs her ear with her shoulder, as if trying to scratch there with her limited abilities while manacled.
Commandant Nattensbarn, who rose to her feet just before Bryn interposed himself between Emma and her, retreated backwards behind the tent, watching the monster in terror while leaving the fighting to the experts, as always. She doesn't bother drawing her rapier, instead trying to calm down and make sure she doesn't attract Emma's attention.
Emma is now 20 feet high up on the tree in G-3 (bordering the side with F-3). Lieutenant Tireur on H-6 is cursing silently as Emma is now partially covered from his shot, but he is still ready to shoot if Arren gives a signal or if Emma attacks anyone. Bryn stands on F-5, and Commandant Nattensbarn on E-9, trying to Hide. Other than that, no changes to the map.
Arrenthinks that it might be better if the Commandant sounded a little less cold and a little more warm. Still, Emma seems to be holding herself well—remarkably well, considering she's gone from two soldiers watching her to four.
His attention slips for a moment when Emma mentions that the Peites have a child. At that, Arren can't help but glance toward the Corporal, surprised once again. Not only a husband, but a father as well? He says nothing, but inwardly, this new piece of information doesn't sit right with him. It's not his place to question their choices, but... why would someone start a family only to spend so much time away from them!? The Half-Elf shakes his head, disbelief flickering in his eyes. But the conversation moves on, and Arren pushes the thought aside, focusing once again on the two women.
Questions keep coming, and for a while, everything remains under control. Then, suddenly, it all changes and Emma transforms! For a split second, Arren finds himself wondering what was the trigger, even as he tries to move. Was it the reminder of Hector? Of the child they'll never have? Or maybe the memories of waking up after one of her transformations? Whatever it was, the Sergeant reacts too slowly. Fortunately, the manacles still hold Emma and the Commandant has managed to scurry away. Arren, still in shock at the sight of a tail growing from Emma's transformed body, manages a reply to the Drow: "Not yet! We need to give her a chance!"
With that, the Sergeant takes a step forward, readying his shield as he does. They will give Emma her chance, but that doesn't mean he won't stand ready to protect his allies. Then he shouts, trying to get Emma's attention over the others, "This is your chance, Emma! Prove yourself to us. Show us you’re in command. Show us you can take control!"
Movement: G6 → G5 Action: Persuasion (17+5 =22) Reaction: Protection, or AOO (+Goading Attack) if available, depending on whether Emma attacks, and whom she attacks.
'Tace' can't help but let out the breath he had held whilst he was face to face with the monster Emma had become, but he doesn't lose focus. Good, the Sergeant is on the same page.
As Emma starts to rub her ear with her shoulder, his eyes widen slightly. That is the signal. She is trying to signal.
"Yes, give her a chance! Try not to aggravate her", he says as he moves forward to stand on the other side of the tree, twisting to keep sight of Emma.
When he is out of view of the others, he points toward Emma and whispers, "I see you making the signal, Emma. You have a little control, try and gain more. I believe in you".
Bonus Action: Disengage (in case he would cause an AOO from Emma otherwise) Movement: 20ft west to F1 Action: Message Emma
Lieutenant Tireur keeps aiming his firearm at Emma, shifting behind Arren to his other side to gain a better line of sight after Emma "climbs" the tree. "You were right," he says, a little less alarmed. "I couldn't imagine how it'll really be. And jumping from tree to tree like that, what strength! But why is she doing that?"
Emma, after a moment, leaps off her tree to the nearest one. This time, she descends instead of ascending as she did before, and from there she leaps to the ground and darts away. Dropping from a great height didn't seem to bother her much, and within moments, she's gone far into the forest.
Bryn hears Emma's voice in his mind, but unlike any other time he used this spell, he hears Emma's message disrupted and noisy, as if masked by the sound of a waterfall (OOC: Like speaking on an older phone with awful reception). It didn't sound like that when Emma was normal. "I... return... I... me... again..."
"She ran away!" Commandant Nattensbarn exclaims. After a moment, seeing that Emma doesn't turn on her heels, she leaves the tent and walks closer to the rest of you. "We must hurry to town, make sure she didn't go there, or protect the civilians if she did!"
We are out of initiative, unless you wish to pursue Emma, who is currently at O-2 and is dashing away. Note that the map isn't directed north, meaning that north is actually in the right direction (going north is going X-1→X-2, for example). The way to the clearing is south, and Emma is heading east at the moment.
'Tace' can just about make out Emma's message, as she leaps away. Her ability to retain her consciousness seems to be growing, that is good at least.
The Commandant then closes the distance to he and the Sergeant and the Lieutenant, raising the possibility that Emma could reach town. Ok, she doesn't have the level of control yet to handle that.
"I will try and divert her away from town", he says and wastes no time in scurrying after Emma, curving his pursuit so as not directly following her for fear that it may seem like he is chasing her. As he moves, he once again whispers to Emma, "You are heading towards Ersta. Are you able to make the creature veer away to the left?".
Bonus Action: Dash 30ft Movement: 30ft - including the dash he is looking to get as far as possible in column -5 towards O and beyond (not sure with diagonals and difficult terrain how far that gets him). Action: Message - he wants Emma to veer North, because I believe he himself is to her South right now
Arreninstinctively raises his shield higher when he sees Emma about to jump, assuming she'll leap at one of them. But she doesn't. Instead, she darts away. He blinks, confused. Why is she doing that? Have they managed to reach her? If so, what are her intentions? He hears Walnut's voice—his question about her strange movements—but doesn't have an answer for the Lieutenant, and he can't spare the time to think.
Even before the Commandant finishes speaking, Arren begins sprinting after Emma, as fast as he can ... but fast enough to catch her? He fears that won't be the case. Certainly, not faster than the Corporal either.
Either way, Arren doesn't hesitate. With Emma gone, there's no immediate threat in the alcove. Whether his superiors follow or not, they should be fine on their own.
((Edited part beginning here))
He hears Corporal Peite call out that he'll try to divert Emma away from the town and Arren wonders how he plans to do that, since he hasn't said a word to her yet.
Arren decides to send Emma one final warning, trying to sound as commanding as possible. "Emma! STOP! Running away is not a solution! This is your final warning—if you are in control, stop right there or I won't hold back!"
Movement: 30 feet from G3 → K4 Action: Persuasion (11+5 = 16 → Bumping it with a 'Tactical Mind' Second Wind use. Rolled a 2 → Total: 18. If the check still fails, this use of Second Wind isn't expended.)
Arren and "Tace", as well as Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur not far behind them, dash after Emma in a desperate attempt to avoid any disaster that might happen if she reaches Ersta. While Emma is slower than she was yesternight due to the restraints on her arms, she's still giving her chasers a hard time keeping pace. Bryn thinks he could match her speed, perhaps even exceed it if he exerts himself, but he'll have to focus solely on running. Arren, meanwhile, knows that she'll only get farther away every second, unless something is done.
However, in response to Arren's call, Emma stops in her tracks. She turns back to face him and growls, her newly grown tail flailing around her as if it has a mind of its own. Bryn hears a response in his mind: 'Tell... to... back... don't... to... any... you...' But as before, the message is fragmented and disrupted.
Emma then starts slowly walking northwards, her eyes fixed on Arren as she moves until no tree or bush is in between them. When she stops, next to another tree, she looks at it briefly and then flicks it in its direction, forcefully slamming the tail against the tree. She stares at Arren for another moment before running around the tree and farther northward.
From where he stands, Bryn can see there's a message on the tree which Emma slammed with her tail, but since it faces away from the alcove and thus eastwards, he can only see the edges of the carvings, but not the entire letters. Arren sees none of the carvings from where he stands, but since all the trees in the area are carved with messages, he may figure there's one on this tree, too.
On her turn, Emma moves O-4, slams the tree next to her and then continues walking to N-9. Bryn would be on M-(-3) and Arren on K-4. Squares L-(3-5) are all difficult terrain in the immediate path in front of Arren. Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur stand on H-4 and I-4, respectively.
If either Arren or Bryn reach rows P or lower, they can see the message on the tree in O-5:
"She's stopped. She's actually stopped!” Arren thinks, his breath catching. "But she's also turned north. So she's done both?"He glances briefly toward the Corporal, "Or is that a coincidence?"
He hesitates, then begins moving down the steep incline that separates him from the tree Emma's slammed at. He doesn't really know why he's going there, only that something in him insists he must. When he reaches it and sees the message—"Turn back!"—his breath catches again. "Is she communicating!?"
The Sergeant feels suddenly out of his depth. This is not a fight. This is something stranger, more delicate. She listened. She stopped. And it seems she's no longer moving toward Ersta.
He looks toward her, then speaks again, more gently this time. "You're trying to communicate, aren't you?" A pause. "What if I'm the one who stops? If I stay here, if I don't come any closer, will you please stay too? Slam your tail once for yes. Twice for no."
If Emma responds positively, Arren asks another question. "Do you know how to return to your Human self?"
And then, "Do you believe it's only a matter of time? That if we all stay put—if we do nothing for a while—you'll simply revert by yourself?"
Movement + Action(Dash): K4 → P4 (I hope this "conversation" counts as a Free action? Or should Arren roll for persuasion again for it to happen?)
'Tace' sees Emma stop abruptly, hears the fragmented reply and tries to piece it together. Tell them to stay back. I don't want to hurt any of you?
A small smile crosses his face as she starts to move North, proving she is gaining more control. And when she lashes at a particular tree with her tail, he becomes really intrigued. Is that meaningful or is the monster simply getting agitated?
As she moves on northward, he heads towards the tree she struck with her tail to see, finding the Sergeant doing likewise. When he gets there, he sees the message as the Sergeant calls across to Emma.
"You got through to her, nice. She seems in more control this time, at least she didn't bash my head in with her tail back there", he says quietly to the Sergeant after his first question. "I will stick between her and Ersta, and hope she can keep the monster at bay. She seems to be trying to avoid us which means we can herd her".
With that he moves North-East, remaining East of Emma and blocking her path to Ersta.
Bonus Action: Dash 30ft to M3 Movement: 15ft to P3, then after speaking to Arren 15ft on to Q5 Action: Dash 30ft to S9
(OOC: Bryn does not repeat what he said via the message out loud)
((I believe I said it before, but I don't require actions for speaking, unless some feature such as magic allows you to influence something specifically. I don't like the 'Influence' actions and their counterparts. Should I believe you say too much for one turn or that an action is required for some reason, I'll tell you. Regarding rolls, you can always roll when unsure, and I'll ignore it if it's not needed.))
Lieutenant Tireur, closely followed by Commandant Nattensbarn, hurry after their comrades. Lieutenant Tireur stops when he sees the interaction between Emma and Arren. The Commandant, meanwhile, happens to stand right behind a tall bush (for her) at the moment, and doesn't see Emma's response (M-4 and L-4, respectively). She doesn't say anything, but she knows something is happening and that she's missing it, futilely trying to look over the top of the bush.
Emma, meanwhile, waves her tail up and down uncertainly but doesn't slam it. She looks over at "Tace" as he runs around her, and once again, she makes the same motion of scratching behind her ear with her shoulder, and then touches the ground briefly with her tail, once. It's not exactly a slam, but it doesn't seem to be coincidental either.
Arren's second question receives a much clearer response of two powerful slams on the needle-covered ground. For his third question, an uncertain tap again.
"Didn't she say she could sometimes direct it?" Lieutenant Tireur whispers to Arren, as if speaking loudly could scare Emma away. "Maybe it's one of those occurrences."
"She certainly did," Arren whispers back. "What I don't understand is that other gesture—the one with her shoulder and ear. She didn't do that last night, but this is the second time now."
Regardless, it seems clear that Emma is trying to avoid them, and that heading north is the safest direction for everyone. So he turns back to her and speaks gently. "Northward keeps us away from Ersta. I'm going to walk that way. Will you do the same, Emma?"
Arren watches her closely, looking for a sign—maybe a single flick of the tail, or that she mirrors him if he takes a step forward. If she does, he'll begin moving slowly, keeping a careful distance between them.
Even as he moves, the Half-Elf's posture remains guarded and every step measured, in case something goes wrong and Emma lashes at him.
Movement: P4 → N4 (10 feet). If Emma keeps moving along row N as well, he'll walk up to 20 feet more, keeping a safe distance from her. Action:Dodge
'Tace' watches Emma's behaviour carefully. So she doesn't know how to change back, but thinks she will revert in time. And she wants to talk again.
Being careful that he isn't noticed, he will once again whisper to Emma. "You are doing great, Emma. Just keep your focus and we won't aggravate things. What did you want to tell me?".
He also wants to make sure he is moving at a pace to match with Emma, keeping the same distance between him and her and ensuring he always between her and Ersta.
Action: Message - making sure he does this when he is out of sight of the Sergeant Bonus Action: Dash - in case he needs to keep up with Emma, see below Movement: Stay between Emma and Ersta, matching her speed and keeping the same distance to her - not sure that he is allowed to do this without a readied action, but as we are not entirely in combat maybe? If not he will stay put
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"You can utilise magic?" Emma asks in surprise, but she keeps her voice down as Bryn does. She seems a little sceptical, since most in those areas who claim they utilise magic are either conmen or Druids from Etana, and the latter group is rare enough to encounter that most people never do.
Once she hears Bryn whispering, she seems a bit more convinced, though not entirely yet. After all, they're right next to each other. It could still have been a trick. "Was that..." unfamiliar with magic, Emma speaks the words both aloud and through the spell simultaneously, but she seems to realise that and stops. By the time she resumes, the spell had ended, and she continues in a hushed voice. "Was that really...?"
But she stops abruptly once she hears Arren approaching. Which, Bryn notices, is a sound so faint at the moment that he wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't stopped. As Arren gets closer, the sound becomes louder, but Bryn still thinks he'd have noticed him only later. Bryn can be sure that Emma has many questions, but for the moment, she keeps them to herself.
Arren would not have heard the two talk before Emma went silent.
Varielky
Sergeant al-Nasrid arrives to find no one in sight at first glance, before quickly realising that both Emma and Corporal Peite are inside the tent and that everything is in order.
He gives them both a short nod, sets his backpack down just inside the alcove, and informs them, "Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur have accompanied me. They'll be arriving shortly. I came ahead so they wouldn't take you by surprise, Emma."
Since the Corporal had already been told this was likely to happen, Arren simply waits for Emma's acknowledgement before continuing, "I've informed them of everything that happened last night, but they'll probably want to speak to you directly and ask their own questions."
He gives them both a moment to respond, in case either Emma or Tace have something they wish to say. If not, he'll return to meet the Commandant and Lieutenant, and escort them so they can finally speak with Emma.
Once the group is assembled—and assuming Commandant Nattensbarn takes the lead, as she usually does—Arren will remain nearby, silent at first, keeping a close watch on the exchange and positioning himself a step behind, at the Commandant's side.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' nods as she questions whether it really is magic, before once again whispering, "A minor piece of magic, but magic yes. You have excellent hearing".
By this time the Sergeant has made his way to the alcove, and he return the nod, listening as Emma is informed of the arrival of the Commandant and Lieutenant.
"Perhaps it is best to move out of the tent, where there is a little more room", he says, and motions for Emma to move outside. He has started to feel a little more comfortable in her presence, and is a little more relaxed around her.
Careful, who knows what will happen when Emma comes face to face with the Commandant. I need to keep my focus.
Lieutenant Tireur listens to Arren as he describes Emma, occasionally interrupting to ask for further details or add a remark. "Then I'll make sure not to startle her, if I can." He muses once Arren is finished. Beyond that, he doesn't talk much during the short walk to the forest.
When Arren informs Emma of his superiors' arrival, she nods in acknowledgement. "Thank you for letting me know," she answers. She'll then follow Bryn outside the tent and stand where instructed.
It takes but a few moments for Arren to walk back to where he left his superiors and call for them. When he arrives, he finds the Commandant still observing the messages on the trees. She has her wooden writing board in one hand already, and she writes something on a sheet of paper with her reed pen. When Arren arrives and informs her that they can proceed, she stops writing and follows him to the alcove.
"Greetings, Emma. I've heard much about you. I believe it is time we become acquainted." The Commandant starts once she stands in front of her. "I am Commandant Miyako Nattensbarn, the direct commanding officer over these two soldiers. I hope they have been treating you well in my absence?"
"Yes, they have," Emma answers readily. "As much as they could, given my... situation."
The two continue to talk for a long time. Commandant Nattensbarn is very thorough in her questioning. Although Arren can tell she's trying her best to be compassionate, she still dissects this problem in the same cold and sharp manner she always does, forcing Emma to recount the entire story as she had experienced it, starting from when Hector and her only first tried to conceive and without skipping anything. Naturally, this leads to Kone Peite too.
"My subordinates told me they've read your letters. From my understanding, based on their reports, it was only after they'd talked to you once already. I hope they got your permission first?" This was not the first time the Commandant had asked such a question during this questioning. In fact, she had made sure several times whether the two had been acting according to military standards. Once she gets Emma's confirmation, she continues: "In it, they mentioned they saw you confided in her with your problem, something I understand you didn't do often. Why is that?"
Emma shifts her eyes momentarily towards "Tace", a movement which the Commandant seems to catch but misinterprets. She turns towards him briefly, saying, "I do apologise for intruding on your privacy, but I have to make sure I have the complete story here." She turns back to Emma. "Please continue."
"Well, as I... as I told the Sergeant over there," despite remembering their names, Emma had soon started calling the two by their ranks, following the Commandant's example. "I met Kone when I studied in Pyorre. I didn't have the luck to meet the Corporal back then," she quickly adds, "since he was always away. Kone runs a bakery there... 'Knead a Break' it's called. I found that she had good hands in baking and was pleasant to talk to. We became friends, and I suppose she once told me about the fact that they had tried for a long time before they... managed to conceive. When we were struggling, I... I recalled that and... despite not keeping in touch, I decided to write to her. I had some hope she could tell me her secret, but in the end, there was nothing special. For them, it just... worked, eventually."
They continue to talk, the Commandant writing notes on her paper as they do, for a pretty long time. However, despite the Commandant's thorough questioning, she doesn't manage to extract any new information from Emma that Arren and Bryn didn't already know.
"... don't remember how I got there or what had happened," Emma answers one of the Commandant's questions regarding her 'turning'. By now, Lieutenant Tireur had found a nearby tree to lean on, and Emma with the Commandant are also sitting. Having been speaking for so long, there's no reason to stand. "Or sometimes I remember only fragments of it, and they too aren't very clear. But there are other times, as I've said before, when I fe-" She abruptly gags for a moment, and then yells thunderously to everyone's surprise: "GET AWAY!"
Emma falls on her back and spasms for a moment. It had been just a fraction of a second, but her face and arms had already changed their form, giving away that she had turned. Commandant Nattensbarn, who had been sitting about a metre away, crawls back in horror and struggles to stand before retreating away. It seems, however, that the turned Emma finds the manacles restricting and of more importance than the Commandant or anyone else. She tries to break free from them with brute force, but the metal holds and sinks into her arms, causing her to bleed a little.
Then, Emma arches her back and screeches loudly. Her whole body shudders, and she seems to be in great pain, when suddenly, with a roaring wail and a sound of cloth tearing, her dress rips from behind and through a hole that is formed, a spiny, lashing tail that's almost as long as a person extrudes itself.
Please roll for initiative.
Varielky
Arren's initiative: 1+2 = 3
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
‘Tace’s’ Initiative: 14+4=18
The grey area is a small cliff that's ~2 metres high. The various stumps represent the pine trees in the area, such that the one at E-10 is where Emma was manacled the other night. The entrance to the alcove is in C-8, and the entire alcove is only B-8 (where you can stand if needed). The bushes are all thorny and uncomfortable to pass through, but you can (difficult terrain). Except for the cluster in M-9, rocks aren't very large and so have no special meaning here. The cluster in M-9 can be climbed on (5 feet high). The translucent green line around the K row is a small yet steep descent of about five feet and counts as difficult terrain. The tent can be entered from both C-8 and F-8, though passing through it counts as difficult terrain due to its low height.
Initiative Order:
Varielky
'Tace' listens intently as the Commandant questions Emma, knowing that his fate is now intertwined with hers. When the Commandant's attention is directed towards him, he merely inclines his head to show he doesn't mind, but really he feels relief and is glad his mask likely hides it.
After that interaction he begins to relax a bit, but not by much. And so although he is not prepared for exactly what happens when Emma changes, he is at least somewhat alert.
And through that alertness he manages to react first, his movements driven by instinct, and even he himself is surprised by the outcome. Instead of bolting as he might have done previously, he instead moves quickly past the Commandant to place himself directly in front of Emma.
If she kills the Commandant her life will be forfeit. If we can even stop her killing us all.
"Emma, please. I know you can hear me, you don't want to hurt us. We don't want to hurt you. My life is now in your hands", he pleads, ending with the phrase he used shortly before when he found out she knew his secret. Hoping that would resonate.
He stands unarmed, completely exposed, but he knows this is the one chance he has to stop this before there is bloodshed.
Come on Emma, you can do this!
Movement: 15ft West to F5
Action: Persuasion: 1+4=5
Walnuts immediately scrambles to his feet and draws his firearm, which he loaded before coming, following Arren's descriptions of the danger Emma poses. He doesn't wish to risk hitting one of his comrades in the way, and so he moves closer to Arren's side. He is fully prepared to shoot, but when Bryn interposes himself unarmed between Emma and the Commandant, he hesitates.
"What is he doing?" He calls to Arren. Then, to Bryn: "Draw your weapons! Isn't she dangerous?"
Nonetheless, seeing that Bryn, who had fought Emma before, chose not to attack Emma yet, he holds his action. "Should I shoot?" He asks Arren, ready to squeeze the trigger with the slightest sign of approval.
Meanwhile, Emma jumps upwards to climb the tree. Since her hands remain manacled, she instead wraps her tail around the tree to hold herself against it. Then, unable to climb in this state, she leaps to the closest tree and back, gaining some height with each great leap. However, unable to use her hands, she is forced to slam straight into the tree and then quickly wrap her tail around it. Any normal person slamming with such force into a tree would likely not have been able to stand straight.
Finally, at about six metres (~20 feet) above ground, partially hidden behind the tree's lower branches and while standing on one somewhat thick-looking branch while still wrapping her tail around the trunk for balance, she roars at everyone below loudly and once again tries to break the manacles open. But despite all her inhuman strength, she is unable to burst them open. Finally, she rubs her ear with her shoulder, as if trying to scratch there with her limited abilities while manacled.
Commandant Nattensbarn, who rose to her feet just before Bryn interposed himself between Emma and her, retreated backwards behind the tent, watching the monster in terror while leaving the fighting to the experts, as always. She doesn't bother drawing her rapier, instead trying to calm down and make sure she doesn't attract Emma's attention.
Emma is now 20 feet high up on the tree in G-3 (bordering the side with F-3). Lieutenant Tireur on H-6 is cursing silently as Emma is now partially covered from his shot, but he is still ready to shoot if Arren gives a signal or if Emma attacks anyone. Bryn stands on F-5, and Commandant Nattensbarn on E-9, trying to Hide. Other than that, no changes to the map.
Arren is up; Bryn may act immediately after.
Varielky
Arren thinks that it might be better if the Commandant sounded a little less cold and a little more warm. Still, Emma seems to be holding herself well—remarkably well, considering she's gone from two soldiers watching her to four.
His attention slips for a moment when Emma mentions that the Peites have a child. At that, Arren can't help but glance toward the Corporal, surprised once again. Not only a husband, but a father as well? He says nothing, but inwardly, this new piece of information doesn't sit right with him. It's not his place to question their choices, but... why would someone start a family only to spend so much time away from them!? The Half-Elf shakes his head, disbelief flickering in his eyes. But the conversation moves on, and Arren pushes the thought aside, focusing once again on the two women.
Questions keep coming, and for a while, everything remains under control. Then, suddenly, it all changes and Emma transforms! For a split second, Arren finds himself wondering what was the trigger, even as he tries to move. Was it the reminder of Hector? Of the child they'll never have? Or maybe the memories of waking up after one of her transformations? Whatever it was, the Sergeant reacts too slowly. Fortunately, the manacles still hold Emma and the Commandant has managed to scurry away. Arren, still in shock at the sight of a tail growing from Emma's transformed body, manages a reply to the Drow: "Not yet! We need to give her a chance!"
With that, the Sergeant takes a step forward, readying his shield as he does. They will give Emma her chance, but that doesn't mean he won't stand ready to protect his allies. Then he shouts, trying to get Emma's attention over the others, "This is your chance, Emma! Prove yourself to us. Show us you’re in command. Show us you can take control!"
Movement: G6 → G5
Action: Persuasion (17+5 =22)
Reaction: Protection, or AOO (+Goading Attack) if available, depending on whether Emma attacks, and whom she attacks.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' can't help but let out the breath he had held whilst he was face to face with the monster Emma had become, but he doesn't lose focus. Good, the Sergeant is on the same page.
As Emma starts to rub her ear with her shoulder, his eyes widen slightly. That is the signal. She is trying to signal.
"Yes, give her a chance! Try not to aggravate her", he says as he moves forward to stand on the other side of the tree, twisting to keep sight of Emma.
When he is out of view of the others, he points toward Emma and whispers, "I see you making the signal, Emma. You have a little control, try and gain more. I believe in you".
Bonus Action: Disengage (in case he would cause an AOO from Emma otherwise)
Movement: 20ft west to F1
Action: Message Emma
Lieutenant Tireur keeps aiming his firearm at Emma, shifting behind Arren to his other side to gain a better line of sight after Emma "climbs" the tree. "You were right," he says, a little less alarmed. "I couldn't imagine how it'll really be. And jumping from tree to tree like that, what strength! But why is she doing that?"
Emma, after a moment, leaps off her tree to the nearest one. This time, she descends instead of ascending as she did before, and from there she leaps to the ground and darts away. Dropping from a great height didn't seem to bother her much, and within moments, she's gone far into the forest.
Bryn hears Emma's voice in his mind, but unlike any other time he used this spell, he hears Emma's message disrupted and noisy, as if masked by the sound of a waterfall (OOC: Like speaking on an older phone with awful reception). It didn't sound like that when Emma was normal. "I... return... I... me... again..."
"She ran away!" Commandant Nattensbarn exclaims. After a moment, seeing that Emma doesn't turn on her heels, she leaves the tent and walks closer to the rest of you. "We must hurry to town, make sure she didn't go there, or protect the civilians if she did!"
We are out of initiative, unless you wish to pursue Emma, who is currently at O-2 and is dashing away. Note that the map isn't directed north, meaning that north is actually in the right direction (going north is going X-1→X-2, for example). The way to the clearing is south, and Emma is heading east at the moment.
Varielky
'Tace' can just about make out Emma's message, as she leaps away. Her ability to retain her consciousness seems to be growing, that is good at least.
The Commandant then closes the distance to he and the Sergeant and the Lieutenant, raising the possibility that Emma could reach town. Ok, she doesn't have the level of control yet to handle that.
"I will try and divert her away from town", he says and wastes no time in scurrying after Emma, curving his pursuit so as not directly following her for fear that it may seem like he is chasing her. As he moves, he once again whispers to Emma, "You are heading towards Ersta. Are you able to make the creature veer away to the left?".
Bonus Action: Dash 30ft
Movement: 30ft - including the dash he is looking to get as far as possible in column -5 towards O and beyond (not sure with diagonals and difficult terrain how far that gets him).
Action: Message - he wants Emma to veer North, because I believe he himself is to her South right now
Arren instinctively raises his shield higher when he sees Emma about to jump, assuming she'll leap at one of them. But she doesn't. Instead, she darts away. He blinks, confused. Why is she doing that? Have they managed to reach her? If so, what are her intentions? He hears Walnut's voice—his question about her strange movements—but doesn't have an answer for the Lieutenant, and he can't spare the time to think.
Even before the Commandant finishes speaking, Arren begins sprinting after Emma, as fast as he can ... but fast enough to catch her? He fears that won't be the case. Certainly, not faster than the Corporal either.
Either way, Arren doesn't hesitate. With Emma gone, there's no immediate threat in the alcove. Whether his superiors follow or not, they should be fine on their own.
((Edited part beginning here))
He hears Corporal Peite call out that he'll try to divert Emma away from the town and Arren wonders how he plans to do that, since he hasn't said a word to her yet.
Arren decides to send Emma one final warning, trying to sound as commanding as possible. "Emma! STOP! Running away is not a solution! This is your final warning—if you are in control, stop right there or I won't hold back!"
Movement: 30 feet from G3 → K4
Action: Persuasion (11+5 = 16 → Bumping it with a 'Tactical Mind' Second Wind use. Rolled a 2 → Total: 18. If the check still fails, this use of Second Wind isn't expended.)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Arren and "Tace", as well as Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur not far behind them, dash after Emma in a desperate attempt to avoid any disaster that might happen if she reaches Ersta. While Emma is slower than she was yesternight due to the restraints on her arms, she's still giving her chasers a hard time keeping pace. Bryn thinks he could match her speed, perhaps even exceed it if he exerts himself, but he'll have to focus solely on running. Arren, meanwhile, knows that she'll only get farther away every second, unless something is done.
However, in response to Arren's call, Emma stops in her tracks. She turns back to face him and growls, her newly grown tail flailing around her as if it has a mind of its own. Bryn hears a response in his mind: 'Tell... to... back... don't... to... any... you...' But as before, the message is fragmented and disrupted.
Emma then starts slowly walking northwards, her eyes fixed on Arren as she moves until no tree or bush is in between them. When she stops, next to another tree, she looks at it briefly and then flicks it in its direction, forcefully slamming the tail against the tree. She stares at Arren for another moment before running around the tree and farther northward.
From where he stands, Bryn can see there's a message on the tree which Emma slammed with her tail, but since it faces away from the alcove and thus eastwards, he can only see the edges of the carvings, but not the entire letters. Arren sees none of the carvings from where he stands, but since all the trees in the area are carved with messages, he may figure there's one on this tree, too.
On her turn, Emma moves O-4, slams the tree next to her and then continues walking to N-9. Bryn would be on M-(-3) and Arren on K-4. Squares L-(3-5) are all difficult terrain in the immediate path in front of Arren. Commandant Nattensbarn and Lieutenant Tireur stand on H-4 and I-4, respectively.
If either Arren or Bryn reach rows P or lower, they can see the message on the tree in O-5:
"Turn Back!"
Varielky
"She's stopped. She's actually stopped!” Arren thinks, his breath catching. "But she's also turned north. So she's done both?" He glances briefly toward the Corporal, "Or is that a coincidence?"
He hesitates, then begins moving down the steep incline that separates him from the tree Emma's slammed at. He doesn't really know why he's going there, only that something in him insists he must. When he reaches it and sees the message—"Turn back!"—his breath catches again. "Is she communicating!?"
The Sergeant feels suddenly out of his depth. This is not a fight. This is something stranger, more delicate. She listened. She stopped. And it seems she's no longer moving toward Ersta.
He looks toward her, then speaks again, more gently this time. "You're trying to communicate, aren't you?" A pause. "What if I'm the one who stops? If I stay here, if I don't come any closer, will you please stay too? Slam your tail once for yes. Twice for no."
If Emma responds positively, Arren asks another question. "Do you know how to return to your Human self?"
And then, "Do you believe it's only a matter of time? That if we all stay put—if we do nothing for a while—you'll simply revert by yourself?"
Movement + Action(Dash): K4 → P4
(I hope this "conversation" counts as a Free action? Or should Arren roll for persuasion again for it to happen?)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' sees Emma stop abruptly, hears the fragmented reply and tries to piece it together. Tell them to stay back. I don't want to hurt any of you?
A small smile crosses his face as she starts to move North, proving she is gaining more control. And when she lashes at a particular tree with her tail, he becomes really intrigued. Is that meaningful or is the monster simply getting agitated?
As she moves on northward, he heads towards the tree she struck with her tail to see, finding the Sergeant doing likewise. When he gets there, he sees the message as the Sergeant calls across to Emma.
"You got through to her, nice. She seems in more control this time, at least she didn't bash my head in with her tail back there", he says quietly to the Sergeant after his first question. "I will stick between her and Ersta, and hope she can keep the monster at bay. She seems to be trying to avoid us which means we can herd her".
With that he moves North-East, remaining East of Emma and blocking her path to Ersta.
Bonus Action: Dash 30ft to M3
Movement: 15ft to P3, then after speaking to Arren 15ft on to Q5
Action: Dash 30ft to S9
(OOC: Bryn does not repeat what he said via the message out loud)
((I believe I said it before, but I don't require actions for speaking, unless some feature such as magic allows you to influence something specifically. I don't like the 'Influence' actions and their counterparts. Should I believe you say too much for one turn or that an action is required for some reason, I'll tell you. Regarding rolls, you can always roll when unsure, and I'll ignore it if it's not needed.))
Lieutenant Tireur, closely followed by Commandant Nattensbarn, hurry after their comrades. Lieutenant Tireur stops when he sees the interaction between Emma and Arren. The Commandant, meanwhile, happens to stand right behind a tall bush (for her) at the moment, and doesn't see Emma's response (M-4 and L-4, respectively). She doesn't say anything, but she knows something is happening and that she's missing it, futilely trying to look over the top of the bush.
Emma, meanwhile, waves her tail up and down uncertainly but doesn't slam it. She looks over at "Tace" as he runs around her, and once again, she makes the same motion of scratching behind her ear with her shoulder, and then touches the ground briefly with her tail, once. It's not exactly a slam, but it doesn't seem to be coincidental either.
Arren's second question receives a much clearer response of two powerful slams on the needle-covered ground. For his third question, an uncertain tap again.
"Didn't she say she could sometimes direct it?" Lieutenant Tireur whispers to Arren, as if speaking loudly could scare Emma away. "Maybe it's one of those occurrences."
Varielky
"She certainly did," Arren whispers back. "What I don't understand is that other gesture—the one with her shoulder and ear. She didn't do that last night, but this is the second time now."
Regardless, it seems clear that Emma is trying to avoid them, and that heading north is the safest direction for everyone. So he turns back to her and speaks gently. "Northward keeps us away from Ersta. I'm going to walk that way. Will you do the same, Emma?"
Arren watches her closely, looking for a sign—maybe a single flick of the tail, or that she mirrors him if he takes a step forward. If she does, he'll begin moving slowly, keeping a careful distance between them.
Even as he moves, the Half-Elf's posture remains guarded and every step measured, in case something goes wrong and Emma lashes at him.
Movement: P4 → N4 (10 feet). If Emma keeps moving along row N as well, he'll walk up to 20 feet more, keeping a safe distance from her.
Action: Dodge
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' watches Emma's behaviour carefully. So she doesn't know how to change back, but thinks she will revert in time. And she wants to talk again.
Being careful that he isn't noticed, he will once again whisper to Emma. "You are doing great, Emma. Just keep your focus and we won't aggravate things. What did you want to tell me?".
He also wants to make sure he is moving at a pace to match with Emma, keeping the same distance between him and her and ensuring he always between her and Ersta.
Action: Message - making sure he does this when he is out of sight of the Sergeant
Bonus Action: Dash - in case he needs to keep up with Emma, see below
Movement: Stay between Emma and Ersta, matching her speed and keeping the same distance to her - not sure that he is allowed to do this without a readied action, but as we are not entirely in combat maybe? If not he will stay put