"Damn", 'Tace' mutters as his words fail to keep Emma calm and the Sergeant takes the heat for it.
The fact that once again the Sergeant manages to retain his footing is nothing short of miraculous, but then he rushes across and somehow manages to manoeuvre around him and push him back out of harm's way. Despite being worse off than I am!
"Ok", he says at the decision for him to do the thinking and the Sergeant the shielding. Ok, what can we do? We need a new tactic.
"Ok", he repeats. "She doesn't seem to like metal, which means the manacles have a chance of working. But we'll need to pin her down somehow to get them on her. And even then she still has those teeth". He suggests, before adding, "Or we can just knock her out first?".
He takes a moment to think if there is another way, based on what he has observed and heard.
He will tell the Sergeant what he decides to do.
Action: Study(Nature) - 3+3=6 Emma to see if his ideas are the only / best ones
Bryn may recall that Emma is Human. Or, at least, she was. So used to darkvision, Elves tend to forget that Humans can't see as well as they can in the dark. And tonight, with the clouds blocking what little light the moon and stars provide, it is especially dark.
While Emma is now no longer a typical Human, and so her senses do seem to be enhanced, if she really can't see them, this would be a plausible explanation.
((I now realise I forgot to add the actual attack rolls, and have only been comparing it to your AC. Sorry for that.))
Emma leaps off the tree again, this time hurdling above Arren and Bryn's heads (provoking an attack of opportunity from Arren if he wishes, can be made with advantage). She lands just next to 'Tace' and immediately pounces at him. Arren tries to interpose his shield, but alas, he is too late, and Emma's claw leaves a long, deep cut along Bryn's abdomen. Despite Arren's best efforts, even with a disadvantage, Emma rolled an 18 to hit, dealing a total of 10 slashing damage. Additionally, Bryn must succeed on a DC14 Athletics/Acrobatics or fall Prone.
Emma then tries to bite 'Tace', but by now, Arren has already interposed his shield to protect Bryn, and he manages to protect Bryn from injury. She rolls a 17 to hit, missing Bryn thanks to Arren's protective manoeuvre.
Finally, Emma leaps onto a nearby tree, once again holding onto it 10 feet above ground. (Since 'Tace' doesn't have a weapon in hand, he cannot make an attack of opportunity.)
An experienced fighter, Arren notices that Emma attacks with no regard for her safety, or maybe she just doesn't know how. Either way, she leaves herself wide open for attacks, while her ferocious attacks are too hard to brace against. (In technical terms, she attacks recklessly, like a Barbarian, and thus gains an advantage for all attacks while all attacks against her are made with an advantage. Since she cannot see in the dark, she also has a disadvantage on all attacks, and therefore the two cancel out and are not affected by additional disadvantages.)
Since Emma is high above ground, melee attacks from any square not right beneath her (D-29) will be made with a disadvantage, cancelling the advantage gained from her reckless attacks and her blindness in the dark, resulting in a straight roll. Melee attacks from D-29 and ranged attacks can be made with an advantage.
Also, yes, you can see through each other for most purposes.
The flash of the longsword as it lashes out is so quick that Arrenisn't sure whether it was prompted by Emma passing so close—leaving herself so exposed—or by the sight of the Corporal being clawed at.
Either way, any doubts he might have had about attacking Emma vanish the moment he realizes he could lose the newest member of the team—currently under his watch, with no other higher command in sight. So Arren strikes, and he strikes with precision, though he is careful not to deliver any lethal blows.
Attack of opportunity:
Attack:15+6 and 19+6 = 25 / Damage (non-lethal) + Savage Attacker: I clicked on the Javelininstead of the Longsword. I rerolled properly, and got 3+4 and 1+4 = 7 Special.(Trip Attack) for an extra 4 damage (STR ST DC 14 or be Prone) Total damage:11
(We keep the AOO it this time, but it would have competed with Arren's Protection feature)
Seeing Taceroll and regain his footing calms his worries a bit—enough for him to decide to run toward Emma, strike at her twice, and hopefully finish this for good.
Turn:
Movement: To D-29 (D-30 at the end of turn) Attack (Longsword): 20 + 6 =26 (crit!) / Damage (non-lethal) + Savage Attacker: 6+7+4 and 1+6+4 = 17 / Mastery:Sap Special: If she is still standing, he uses Action Surge. Attack: 12+6 = 18 (second result is lower) / Damage = 10 (fixed bug: Savage Attacker does not apply a second time in the same turn) 8 Total damage: 17, or 25(depending on Action Surge)
While Emma hurdles above Arren's head, he raises his sword to slash at her, leaving an deep cut along her abdomen. The unexpected hit throws Emma's balance off and she falls prone on her face (failed the save). She is quick to get on her feet, however, and finish her turn as described before.
When she leaps off of him, Bryn tries to retaliate, but due to the movement causes a sharp pain to shoot up his body and he winces, missing the attack.
Arren soon runs to stand below Emma, slashing at her feet twice in rapid succession. His first attack happens to strike an artery, causing Emma's blood to splash down on Arren. However, from this position, he now realizes his previous cut, along with the most recent two, have turned out shallower than he'd expect. As if Emma's body is harder, more resistent than a normal Human's.
Nonetheless, he judges that Emma is already badly hurt (Bloodied, the tooltip didn't work).
'Tace' watches the Sergeant act with a speed to rival his own, unaware that his superior had it in him. And with such force as well. The fact the creature can withstand the assault is more than a little concerning.
He knows he has to press the attack now, no matter how little he wants to attack Emma. But Emma is not in control right now, and the creature that is has no qualms about killing him and the Sergeant.
"Sorry Emma, we can't stand by without defending ourselves. Stop this and so will we".
He steps over to the tree, drawing his dagger as he moves, now standing below the creature. He draws his sword and stabs upwards with it, trying to take the creature down without taking its life. He follows the first strike up with a second from his dagger, quick as a flash, and still trying not to mortally wound the creature.
He then carries on around the tree and hides from the creature in a position from which he can see the Sergeant.
Charisma: 9+2=11 Movement: 5ft across to the tree under Emma D29 Free Action: Draw Dagger Action: Attack the creature with advantage with his Shortsword, equipping it as part of the action To Hit: (9, 20)+6=26, Damage: crit(4+2)+4=10 [piercing] - non lethal * Uses nick to perform his dagger attack as part of the action rather than a bonus action, again at advantage To Hit: (14, 10)+6=20, Damage: 2+4=6 [piercing] - non lethal * The first one to hit, if either does, applies sneak attack: crit(3+6+5+6)=20 [piercing] - non lethal Movement: 20ft around the north of the tree and bush (D27 + D28) then south to end at E27 Bonus Action: Hide: 4+6=10
Just like Arren, Bryn finds that Emma is sturdier than a normal person. That, however, does not stop his blades from cutting deep while avoiding any vital organs. Emma, who has already lost a lot of blood, lets out a final pained cry before losing grip of the tree and falling to the ground.
There is a short moment during which Bryn and Arren might expect her to wind up again and lunge at one of them, but she doesn't. She remains on the ground where she fell, breathing shallow breaths. Upon a careful, closer look, they determine that she has lost consciousness and, perhaps while falling, has reverted to her normal self. Round face, soft fingers and all.
Although her wounds are deep, thanks to Bryn and Arren's careful attacks, they can spend a few moments applying first aid and stabilising her (no resources needed). Albeit a little pale, Emma seems to be out of any immediate danger. In this sleep-like state, she almost looks peaceful.
"Quickly, the manacles,"Arrentells Tace once they've finished tending to Emma and the clearing falls quiet again. There are no more howls, no sounds of fighting, no sudden movements—just silence, broken perhaps by sound of their own breaths.
The Sergeant feels drained. His weapons and shield lie discarded nearby—he'd dropped them the moment he was sure Emma was no longer a threat so he could help stabilizing her—and now, just the thought of picking them back up feels like a task too heavy. His limbs are sluggish, his breath still shallow.
But it isn't just fatigue. It's unease. His heart may have settled into a slower rhythm, but he doesn't feel like himself—not yet. What they've just faced, what Emma became… it was unlike anything he's seen before. And for a moment back there, he genuinely wasn't sure they'd survive it.
"What now?" he murmurs, more to himself than to Tace. "There is no way we're taking her back to Ersta. We need to think this through. We need to —" His expression tightens, suddenly, and he curses under his breath. "Olive's root. She hurt us both. Does that mean we—?"
He doesn't finish the sentence, and instead shakes his head, trying to focus on the more pressing matter.
"Let’s bring her to the alcove. Tie a rope around her waist and secure it to a tree—something that lets her move around a bit, but not go too far. She should still be able to cook and such when she wakes up. That might help her stay in control. It won’t hold her forever, but it should buy us time. What do you think?"
Before the corporal can answer, Arren casts a quick glance around. As they entered the clearing, they'd heard sounds—crunching, munching, and the like. "Was she in the middle of eating something?" (ooc: Regarding looking around, I haven't rolled anything yet because I'm not sure if we should lit the lamp first?)
'Tace' collapses to a knee when the creature, Emma, collapses to the ground. He sheathes both his shortsword and dagger, and gingerly touches the deep gashed wound in his abdomen. Ok, that was terrifying! And that hurts!
But there is no time to rest. Already the Sergeant has called for manacles. He stands and wanders over to Emma's prone body, thankfully now back to normal, and watches as the Sergeant administers some first aid.
When appropriate, he carefully moves her hands behind her back and attaches the manacles to her wrists, then listens to the Sergeant as he contemplates what to do.
He merely shrugs when the Sergeant mentions the root, but when he mentions tying a rope to her waist to allow some slack to move, he gives him most respectful are you mad look from behind his mask.
"Agreed, we cannot take her back to town. But we can't ignore the fact she can turn into a monster and claw through trees for fun, let alone a rope, and flesh. I would suggest we sit her up against a tree the right size to manacle her hands behind her back and around the tree. Then we should wake her up, and get some answers. From a little distance away in case she tries to bite us again", he suggests.
"I know it sounds harsh looking at her now, but I don't think she would blame us for restraining her properly. She would probably be relieved", he adds.
"If you want to go look at what she was doing, the lantern is over by the tree over there", he says pointing to where he believes he left it. "But let's deal with her first".
He obviously doesn't like her mobile, even with manacles she is dangerous enough with those teeth if she changes again. He also wants answers.
Tace's 'are you mad' look is met with Arren's own 'what the hell are you doing' as he notices how Tace is setting up the manacles.
"What the hell are you doing?!"he snaps, the sharpness of his words catching even himself off guard. Arren silently counts to five, forcing himself to calm down before continuing more measuredly.
"I understand why you'd want to restrain her that way. But will that help keep calm? The way need her to be? She's already going to wake up to find herself severely wounded. Do we really want to bind her in a way she won't even reach those cuts we provoked? Or eat later when she's hungry—which could be another trigger?"
He presses his fingers to his temples and exhales slowly.
"I don't like it, not one bit. And yes, I know she'd probably escape a rope easily—far easier than escaping a couple of manacles. I just thought the safer she feels, the longer she might keep control. I thought we should try calling to her human side, more than the monster hiding inside her."
Arren falls silent and folds his arms, pacing from one side to the other. What should he do? It's clear the corporal values their safety over hers—and he's right, of course. That was literally what the Commandant told them. And she is right, undoubtedly. But something inside him yells at the way this is being handled. Is there really no other way?
When Tace interjects with his own reasoning, Arren doesn't respond immediately. He's listening and acknowledging the Corporal's words, but the Sergeant is simply not ready to continue speaking yet. Instead, he reaches toward Emma and inspects her wounds on the abdomen, legs, and feet again, bandaging them more thoroughly than during his first quick check to stabilize her. If she has to wake this way, at least let her find her wounds properly cared for. (ooc: I hope this is possible?)
When he hears the sharp words of the Sergeant, 'Tace' looks back, his eyes narrowing.
"What the hell am I doing?", he echoes back to the Sergeant quietly. "I am trying to keep us alive. You saw what she becomes, how little control she has over the creature she becomes. With all due respect, if you want to have a tea party and a gossip with her, be my guest. I would rather not be part of it. But if you want to survive long enough to help her, then better safe than sorry in my opinion", he explains, possibly with a little more bite than he might had the Sergeant's tone not been so sharp.
"The bounds of this investigation were outside our military roles, so I feel I have some say in this. And we did agree to put our duty and safety first, along with the safety of the populace of Ersta. So decide, Sergeant. What will it be? And will that be an order?".
((First of all, you can both mark a point of inspiration - for everything until now, and this exchange in particular.))
Arren recalls (answering your question in the OOC chat) that there are trees around the alcove just like in every other part of the forest - except the clearing, perhaps. None of them are inside the small alcove itself, of course, so it's impossible to tie Emma to a tree inside the alcove, but it's certainly possible to tie her to a tree near it.
As the adrenaline from the fight fades gradually, Bryn and Arren are once again reminded of the cold, only enhanced by the rain. Even with their raincoats, the two are long drenched from walking around all day, and Emma is in no better shape. There's no telling how long until Emma wakes, but from experience, Arren estimates it wouldn't be a mere few minutes. Standing in the cold rain until then could prove detrimental to the health of all three.
Arren can tend to Emma's wounds more attentively if he wishes. Since both Bryn and Arren were careful, avoiding any vital organs, it didn't take much to stabilise Emma—just a few bandages to stop the bleeding from the deeper wounds. Of course, it is preferable that she see a proper physician and perhaps apply some ointment to prevent infections. The same could be said about Arren and Bryn themselves, but the absence of medically educated persons in the forest means it'll have to do for the moment. (OOC: I'm not entirely certain what Arren wishes to achieve, unless it's only how Emma finds herself when she wakes. If it's anything beyond that, please explain in detail.)
(ooc: "Unless it's only how Emma finds herself when she wakes" — yes, that's exactly what Arren means to accomplish. He's proficient in Medicine, but I assume what we've written so far reflects the extent of what he's currently able to do.)
As Arrenfinishes, the weight of Tace's words comes sharply into focus, having been pushed aside while he administered what little first aid he knew. He stands and brushes his hands slowly, partly to clean off any remaining blood and partly to steady himself before speaking.
"Orders, huh? Well, yes, there will be some." he begins. "And I admit the first will be directed at myself. I will do better than the way I addressed you back there. No excuses." He pauses. "That said, do not ever speak to me the way you just did—or the two times before, when you chose mockery, or humor, or simply disregarded the proper etiquette. Do not lean on whatever familiarity you think exists between us that would allow such behavior—if that is what has happened here—because that familiarity is close to zero. Do not try to disguise mockery as respect again. No 'with all due respect' is going to cover up mockery in our line of work. And I suggest you take another look at whatever training you received in Tus regarding discipline and etiquette. I've found myself wondering, each time, whether the book they use there is missing a few pages compared to the one the rest of the Katton army trains by."
Arren looks directly at Tace as he says this. Finally, he adds, "Those are my standing orders."
Then, turning his gaze to Emma, he continues, "As for Emma—I'm not willing to leave her in the clearing if I can help it. I'd rather we move her closer to the alcove, where she'll may feel safer when she wakes, and where she'll be less exposed to wild animals. Especially if we decide to ask the Commandant to contact Tus and have someone from there take over. I'm more inclined right now to suggest Commandant Nattensbarn we stay in Ersta a bit longer and handle this situation ourselves until reinforcements arrive. Whether the Commandant agrees, or I change my mind after Emma wakes, one thing is certain: I don't want Emma calling on the monster to defend herself because she's wakes to find herself hurt, or because she feels she will need to defend herself from a wandering creature, if we can avoid it. And I definitely don't want to restrain her here, only to decide later we should have done it elsewhere ... once she's awake and aware."
(OOC: Pausing here because I have more questions.
@FireCat, can Arren conclude that they will be able to carry Emma to a tree closer to the alcove and restrain her there, the way Tace suggested, without her waking up in the process? Arren would be fine with that, as it would mean that she can stay in a place that Arren considers "safer" - given the general situation. I'd rather he carry her himself, along with the shield and longsword, if that is a possibilty, as it sounds is less risky than having both Bryn and Arren share her weight.
If this is not possible as a whole, then Arren will decide to proceed as Tace was doing. I can add this specific part as a IC post later, or if that is fine with you both, we can leave it as it is and continue. I'll be fine either way).
'Tace' is silent for a moment as he processes the Sergeant's words, before he straightens up as much as he can bearing in mind the wound in his abdomen, and nods. Too far. I forgot my place and went too far. Well, Tace's place.
"Understood, sir", he replies in a formal tone. He then waits silently for the Sergeant to determine what course of action he wants to take, listening as the Sergeant voices his thought process without yet coming to a decision. This is the problem with military chains of command, they dull the ability to think for yourself and be decisive.
Without further ado, Arrenpushes aside his earlier thoughts of tiredness and moves quickly to where his weapons lie. While he dons them—as quickly as he can now, since time is of the essence— he tells Tace, "I need you to remove the manacles from Emma. I'll carry her to the nearest tree by the alcove that suits our needs. Once I lay her down, put the manacles on her as you intended. Quickly"
Provided he complies, Arren returns next to Emma. He pauses for a fraction of a second to recall the basic movements, and swiftly prepares Emma for a lift and carry, using the method taught in the army: bending her knees, then pulling her arms to hoist her over his back. It won't be comfortable, but he estimates he'll be fast enough to set her down again without causing further harm—and before she even begins to stir.
As soon as that is done, without hesitation, he starts toward the alcove as quickly and steadily as he can.
I googled for a few videos and I liked this one. So he's doing the second technique.
'Tace' once again nods. Ok, at least he has taken my suggestion of how to restrain her.
He quickly looks back to where he left the lantern, "It might be difficult to find the lantern again if we move away from here". He waits a few moments to see if the Sergeant gives him the nod to go collect it first, or if he wants to proceed with Emma immediately.
Either way, he does as instructed, as quickly as he can. When it comes to removing the manacles, he watches Emma closely first, to make sure her breathing is what he would expect of someone who is unconscious.
Arren picks up the lantern while Tace proceeds with the manacles. Then leaves it next to Emma. When he's finished hoisting Emma, he asks Tace for the lantern. He can carry it on his free hand while the other secures Emma's body. (ooc: according to Wikipedia and the second video at least.)
'Tace' watches as the Sergeant moves off to find the lantern, then shrugs and unlocks and removes the manacles from Emma. After checking her breathing to make sure she seems genuinely unconscious.
When the Sergeant returns and sets about hoisting Emma up and then asks for the lantern, he is a little surprised. But he does as instructed by his senior officer and hands the lantern to him. He then watches as the Sergeant moves away laden down with all his heavy armour and weapons, and carrying Emma and the lantern. He is certainly strong enough, that's for sure.
He moves after him, wearing his light armour and with a couple of light weapons strapped to his waist, holding only a pair of manacles and the associated key. He then easily overtakes the Sergeant, and sets about finding the right sized tree in a good location outside the alcove.
After retrieving the lamp (and lighting it, I presume?) and taking Emma with them (who, to Bryn, looks as unconscious as a living person can be), Bryn and Arren head for the alcove. Thankfully, it isn't far, and Emma left her messages, which act as excellent waymarkers. Even loaded and wounded, Arren doesn't slow Bryn too much, and the two soon reach the alcove. There are several trees nearby that could satisfy their needs, and eventually, they pick one that is within sight of the alcove, and also without any thorny bushes growing at its base.
The embers in Emma's fire hadn't had much time since you last saw them, and while they may not last for much longer, they still burn, though just barely. The alcove itself, as before, is empty except for the dying fire.
Once they do light the lantern (I imagine that they do, and they have the means for it too), the two may notice fresh stains at the top of Emma's clothes, with a yellow-ish hue, which Bryn can associate with the hemolymph of the spiders, having been covered by it partially earlier too. Since Emma's clothes were already stained before, it was impossible to differentiate from the older blood stains, all red, of course, while the Elves' darkvision made all look grey.
How long would the two be willing to wait for Emma to wake naturally before they take some action (if she doesn't wake first), and what will they do during that time?
"Damn", 'Tace' mutters as his words fail to keep Emma calm and the Sergeant takes the heat for it.
The fact that once again the Sergeant manages to retain his footing is nothing short of miraculous, but then he rushes across and somehow manages to manoeuvre around him and push him back out of harm's way. Despite being worse off than I am!
"Ok", he says at the decision for him to do the thinking and the Sergeant the shielding. Ok, what can we do? We need a new tactic.
"Ok", he repeats. "She doesn't seem to like metal, which means the manacles have a chance of working. But we'll need to pin her down somehow to get them on her. And even then she still has those teeth". He suggests, before adding, "Or we can just knock her out first?".
He takes a moment to think if there is another way, based on what he has observed and heard.
He will tell the Sergeant what he decides to do.
Action: Study(Nature) - 3+3=6 Emma to see if his ideas are the only / best ones
Bryn may recall that Emma is Human. Or, at least, she was. So used to darkvision, Elves tend to forget that Humans can't see as well as they can in the dark. And tonight, with the clouds blocking what little light the moon and stars provide, it is especially dark.
While Emma is now no longer a typical Human, and so her senses do seem to be enhanced, if she really can't see them, this would be a plausible explanation.
Varielky
((I now realise I forgot to add the actual attack rolls, and have only been comparing it to your AC. Sorry for that.))
Emma leaps off the tree again, this time hurdling above Arren and Bryn's heads (provoking an attack of opportunity from Arren if he wishes, can be made with advantage). She lands just next to 'Tace' and immediately pounces at him. Arren tries to interpose his shield, but alas, he is too late, and Emma's claw leaves a long, deep cut along Bryn's abdomen. Despite Arren's best efforts, even with a disadvantage, Emma rolled an 18 to hit, dealing a total of 10 slashing damage. Additionally, Bryn must succeed on a DC14 Athletics/Acrobatics or fall Prone.
Emma then tries to bite 'Tace', but by now, Arren has already interposed his shield to protect Bryn, and he manages to protect Bryn from injury. She rolls a 17 to hit, missing Bryn thanks to Arren's protective manoeuvre.
Finally, Emma leaps onto a nearby tree, once again holding onto it 10 feet above ground. (Since 'Tace' doesn't have a weapon in hand, he cannot make an attack of opportunity.)
An experienced fighter, Arren notices that Emma attacks with no regard for her safety, or maybe she just doesn't know how. Either way, she leaves herself wide open for attacks, while her ferocious attacks are too hard to brace against. (In technical terms, she attacks recklessly, like a Barbarian, and thus gains an advantage for all attacks while all attacks against her are made with an advantage. Since she cannot see in the dark, she also has a disadvantage on all attacks, and therefore the two cancel out and are not affected by additional disadvantages.)
Since Emma is high above ground, melee attacks from any square not right beneath her (D-29) will be made with a disadvantage, cancelling the advantage gained from her reckless attacks and her blindness in the dark, resulting in a straight roll. Melee attacks from D-29 and ranged attacks can be made with an advantage.
Also, yes, you can see through each other for most purposes.
Varielky
‘Tace’ grunts with the pain of the strike, but as he falls he kicks out at Emma and then rolls and manages to tumble back to his feet.
Acrobatics: 20+4=24
Reaction: Opportunity Attack (with advantage)
Unarmed Strike - To Hit: (6,
1)+3=9, Damage: 2 [non lethal bludgeoning) - Assuming this missesThe flash of the longsword as it lashes out is so quick that Arren isn't sure whether it was prompted by Emma passing so close—leaving herself so exposed—or by the sight of the Corporal being clawed at.
Either way, any doubts he might have had about attacking Emma vanish the moment he realizes he could lose the newest member of the team—currently under his watch, with no other higher command in sight. So Arren strikes, and he strikes with precision, though he is careful not to deliver any lethal blows.
Attack of opportunity:
Attack:
15+6and 19+6 = 25 / Damage (non-lethal) + Savage Attacker: I clicked on the Javelin instead of the Longsword. I rerolled properly, and got 3+4 and1+4= 7Special. (Trip Attack) for an extra 4 damage (STR ST DC 14 or be Prone)
Total damage: 11
(We keep the AOO it this time, but it would have competed with Arren's Protection feature)
Seeing Tace roll and regain his footing calms his worries a bit—enough for him to decide to run toward Emma, strike at her twice, and hopefully finish this for good.
Turn:
Movement: To D-29 (D-30 at the end of turn)
Attack (Longsword): 20 + 6 = 26 (crit!) / Damage (non-lethal) + Savage Attacker: 6+7+4 and
1+6+4= 17 / Mastery: SapSpecial: If she is still standing, he uses Action Surge. Attack: 12+6 = 18 (second result is lower) / Damage =
10(fixed bug: Savage Attacker does not apply a second time in the same turn) 8Total damage: 17, or 25 (depending on Action Surge)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
While Emma hurdles above Arren's head, he raises his sword to slash at her, leaving an deep cut along her abdomen. The unexpected hit throws Emma's balance off and she falls prone on her face (failed the save). She is quick to get on her feet, however, and finish her turn as described before.
When she leaps off of him, Bryn tries to retaliate, but due to the movement causes a sharp pain to shoot up his body and he winces, missing the attack.
Arren soon runs to stand below Emma, slashing at her feet twice in rapid succession. His first attack happens to strike an artery, causing Emma's blood to splash down on Arren. However, from this position, he now realizes his previous cut, along with the most recent two, have turned out shallower than he'd expect. As if Emma's body is harder, more resistent than a normal Human's.
Nonetheless, he judges that Emma is already badly hurt (Bloodied, the tooltip didn't work).
It is Bryn's turn again.
Varielky
'Tace' watches the Sergeant act with a speed to rival his own, unaware that his superior had it in him. And with such force as well. The fact the creature can withstand the assault is more than a little concerning.
He knows he has to press the attack now, no matter how little he wants to attack Emma. But Emma is not in control right now, and the creature that is has no qualms about killing him and the Sergeant.
"Sorry Emma, we can't stand by without defending ourselves. Stop this and so will we".
He steps over to the tree, drawing his dagger as he moves, now standing below the creature. He draws his sword and stabs upwards with it, trying to take the creature down without taking its life. He follows the first strike up with a second from his dagger, quick as a flash, and still trying not to mortally wound the creature.
He then carries on around the tree and hides from the creature in a position from which he can see the Sergeant.
Charisma: 9+2=11
Movement: 5ft across to the tree under Emma D29
Free Action: Draw Dagger
Action: Attack the creature with advantage with his Shortsword, equipping it as part of the action
To Hit: (
9, 20)+6=26, Damage: crit(4+2)+4=10 [piercing] - non lethal* Uses nick to perform his dagger attack as part of the action rather than a bonus action, again at advantage
To Hit: (14,
10)+6=20, Damage: 2+4=6 [piercing] - non lethal* The first one to hit, if either does, applies sneak attack: crit(3+6+5+6)=20 [piercing] - non lethal
Movement: 20ft around the north of the tree and bush (D27 + D28) then south to end at E27
Bonus Action: Hide: 4+6=10
(OOC: Looks like I was worried for nothing.)
Just like Arren, Bryn finds that Emma is sturdier than a normal person. That, however, does not stop his blades from cutting deep while avoiding any vital organs. Emma, who has already lost a lot of blood, lets out a final pained cry before losing grip of the tree and falling to the ground.
There is a short moment during which Bryn and Arren might expect her to wind up again and lunge at one of them, but she doesn't. She remains on the ground where she fell, breathing shallow breaths. Upon a careful, closer look, they determine that she has lost consciousness and, perhaps while falling, has reverted to her normal self. Round face, soft fingers and all.
Although her wounds are deep, thanks to Bryn and Arren's careful attacks, they can spend a few moments applying first aid and stabilising her (no resources needed). Albeit a little pale, Emma seems to be out of any immediate danger. In this sleep-like state, she almost looks peaceful.
(Out of initiative.)
Varielky
"Quickly, the manacles," Arren tells Tace once they've finished tending to Emma and the clearing falls quiet again. There are no more howls, no sounds of fighting, no sudden movements—just silence, broken perhaps by sound of their own breaths.
(ooc: Regarding looking around, I haven't rolled anything yet because I'm not sure if we should lit the lamp first?)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' collapses to a knee when the creature, Emma, collapses to the ground. He sheathes both his shortsword and dagger, and gingerly touches the deep gashed wound in his abdomen. Ok, that was terrifying! And that hurts!
But there is no time to rest. Already the Sergeant has called for manacles. He stands and wanders over to Emma's prone body, thankfully now back to normal, and watches as the Sergeant administers some first aid.
When appropriate, he carefully moves her hands behind her back and attaches the manacles to her wrists, then listens to the Sergeant as he contemplates what to do.
He merely shrugs when the Sergeant mentions the root, but when he mentions tying a rope to her waist to allow some slack to move, he gives him most respectful are you mad look from behind his mask.
"Agreed, we cannot take her back to town. But we can't ignore the fact she can turn into a monster and claw through trees for fun, let alone a rope, and flesh. I would suggest we sit her up against a tree the right size to manacle her hands behind her back and around the tree. Then we should wake her up, and get some answers. From a little distance away in case she tries to bite us again", he suggests.
"I know it sounds harsh looking at her now, but I don't think she would blame us for restraining her properly. She would probably be relieved", he adds.
"If you want to go look at what she was doing, the lantern is over by the tree over there", he says pointing to where he believes he left it. "But let's deal with her first".
He obviously doesn't like her mobile, even with manacles she is dangerous enough with those teeth if she changes again. He also wants answers.
Tace's 'are you mad' look is met with Arren's own 'what the hell are you doing' as he notices how Tace is setting up the manacles.
"What the hell are you doing?!" he snaps, the sharpness of his words catching even himself off guard. Arren silently counts to five, forcing himself to calm down before continuing more measuredly.
"I understand why you'd want to restrain her that way. But will that help keep calm? The way need her to be? She's already going to wake up to find herself severely wounded. Do we really want to bind her in a way she won't even reach those cuts we provoked? Or eat later when she's hungry—which could be another trigger?"
He presses his fingers to his temples and exhales slowly.
"I don't like it, not one bit. And yes, I know she'd probably escape a rope easily—far easier than escaping a couple of manacles. I just thought the safer she feels, the longer she might keep control. I thought we should try calling to her human side, more than the monster hiding inside her."
Arren falls silent and folds his arms, pacing from one side to the other. What should he do? It's clear the corporal values their safety over hers—and he's right, of course. That was literally what the Commandant told them. And she is right, undoubtedly. But something inside him yells at the way this is being handled. Is there really no other way?
When Tace interjects with his own reasoning, Arren doesn't respond immediately. He's listening and acknowledging the Corporal's words, but the Sergeant is simply not ready to continue speaking yet. Instead, he reaches toward Emma and inspects her wounds on the abdomen, legs, and feet again, bandaging them more thoroughly than during his first quick check to stabilize her. If she has to wake this way, at least let her find her wounds properly cared for. (ooc: I hope this is possible?)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
When he hears the sharp words of the Sergeant, 'Tace' looks back, his eyes narrowing.
"What the hell am I doing?", he echoes back to the Sergeant quietly. "I am trying to keep us alive. You saw what she becomes, how little control she has over the creature she becomes. With all due respect, if you want to have a tea party and a gossip with her, be my guest. I would rather not be part of it. But if you want to survive long enough to help her, then better safe than sorry in my opinion", he explains, possibly with a little more bite than he might had the Sergeant's tone not been so sharp.
"The bounds of this investigation were outside our military roles, so I feel I have some say in this. And we did agree to put our duty and safety first, along with the safety of the populace of Ersta. So decide, Sergeant. What will it be? And will that be an order?".
((First of all, you can both mark a point of inspiration - for everything until now, and this exchange in particular.))
Arren recalls (answering your question in the OOC chat) that there are trees around the alcove just like in every other part of the forest - except the clearing, perhaps. None of them are inside the small alcove itself, of course, so it's impossible to tie Emma to a tree inside the alcove, but it's certainly possible to tie her to a tree near it.
As the adrenaline from the fight fades gradually, Bryn and Arren are once again reminded of the cold, only enhanced by the rain. Even with their raincoats, the two are long drenched from walking around all day, and Emma is in no better shape. There's no telling how long until Emma wakes, but from experience, Arren estimates it wouldn't be a mere few minutes. Standing in the cold rain until then could prove detrimental to the health of all three.
Arren can tend to Emma's wounds more attentively if he wishes. Since both Bryn and Arren were careful, avoiding any vital organs, it didn't take much to stabilise Emma—just a few bandages to stop the bleeding from the deeper wounds. Of course, it is preferable that she see a proper physician and perhaps apply some ointment to prevent infections. The same could be said about Arren and Bryn themselves, but the absence of medically educated persons in the forest means it'll have to do for the moment. (OOC: I'm not entirely certain what Arren wishes to achieve, unless it's only how Emma finds herself when she wakes. If it's anything beyond that, please explain in detail.)
Varielky
(ooc: "Unless it's only how Emma finds herself when she wakes" — yes, that's exactly what Arren means to accomplish. He's proficient in Medicine, but I assume what we've written so far reflects the extent of what he's currently able to do.)
As Arren finishes, the weight of Tace's words comes sharply into focus, having been pushed aside while he administered what little first aid he knew. He stands and brushes his hands slowly, partly to clean off any remaining blood and partly to steady himself before speaking.
"Orders, huh? Well, yes, there will be some." he begins. "And I admit the first will be directed at myself. I will do better than the way I addressed you back there. No excuses." He pauses. "That said, do not ever speak to me the way you just did—or the two times before, when you chose mockery, or humor, or simply disregarded the proper etiquette. Do not lean on whatever familiarity you think exists between us that would allow such behavior—if that is what has happened here—because that familiarity is close to zero. Do not try to disguise mockery as respect again. No 'with all due respect' is going to cover up mockery in our line of work. And I suggest you take another look at whatever training you received in Tus regarding discipline and etiquette. I've found myself wondering, each time, whether the book they use there is missing a few pages compared to the one the rest of the Katton army trains by."
Arren looks directly at Tace as he says this. Finally, he adds, "Those are my standing orders."
Then, turning his gaze to Emma, he continues, "As for Emma—I'm not willing to leave her in the clearing if I can help it. I'd rather we move her closer to the alcove, where she'll may feel safer when she wakes, and where she'll be less exposed to wild animals. Especially if we decide to ask the Commandant to contact Tus and have someone from there take over. I'm more inclined right now to suggest Commandant Nattensbarn we stay in Ersta a bit longer and handle this situation ourselves until reinforcements arrive. Whether the Commandant agrees, or I change my mind after Emma wakes, one thing is certain: I don't want Emma calling on the monster to defend herself because she's wakes to find herself hurt, or because she feels she will need to defend herself from a wandering creature, if we can avoid it. And I definitely don't want to restrain her here, only to decide later we should have done it elsewhere ... once she's awake and aware."
(OOC: Pausing here because I have more questions.
@FireCat, can Arren conclude that they will be able to carry Emma to a tree closer to the alcove and restrain her there, the way Tace suggested, without her waking up in the process? Arren would be fine with that, as it would mean that she can stay in a place that Arren considers "safer" - given the general situation. I'd rather he carry her himself, along with the shield and longsword, if that is a possibilty, as it sounds is less risky than having both Bryn and Arren share her weight.
If this is not possible as a whole, then Arren will decide to proceed as Tace was doing. I can add this specific part as a IC post later, or if that is fine with you both, we can leave it as it is and continue. I'll be fine either way).
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' is silent for a moment as he processes the Sergeant's words, before he straightens up as much as he can bearing in mind the wound in his abdomen, and nods. Too far. I forgot my place and went too far. Well, Tace's place.
"Understood, sir", he replies in a formal tone. He then waits silently for the Sergeant to determine what course of action he wants to take, listening as the Sergeant voices his thought process without yet coming to a decision. This is the problem with military chains of command, they dull the ability to think for yourself and be decisive.
Without further ado, Arren pushes aside his earlier thoughts of tiredness and moves quickly to where his weapons lie. While he dons them—as quickly as he can now, since time is of the essence— he tells Tace, "I need you to remove the manacles from Emma. I'll carry her to the nearest tree by the alcove that suits our needs. Once I lay her down, put the manacles on her as you intended. Quickly"
Provided he complies, Arren returns next to Emma. He pauses for a fraction of a second to recall the basic movements, and swiftly prepares Emma for a lift and carry, using the method taught in the army: bending her knees, then pulling her arms to hoist her over his back. It won't be comfortable, but he estimates he'll be fast enough to set her down again without causing further harm—and before she even begins to stir.
As soon as that is done, without hesitation, he starts toward the alcove as quickly and steadily as he can.
I googled for a few videos and I liked this one. So he's doing the second technique.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UIkkaZRjlu0
Edit: or perhaps this one is better.
https://youtube.com/shorts/i6vIqHU09zE?si=Xt2fcCGtkRy1ll7a
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' once again nods. Ok, at least he has taken my suggestion of how to restrain her.
He quickly looks back to where he left the lantern, "It might be difficult to find the lantern again if we move away from here". He waits a few moments to see if the Sergeant gives him the nod to go collect it first, or if he wants to proceed with Emma immediately.
Either way, he does as instructed, as quickly as he can. When it comes to removing the manacles, he watches Emma closely first, to make sure her breathing is what he would expect of someone who is unconscious.
Arren picks up the lantern while Tace proceeds with the manacles. Then leaves it next to Emma. When he's finished hoisting Emma, he asks Tace for the lantern. He can carry it on his free hand while the other secures Emma's body. (ooc: according to Wikipedia and the second video at least.)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
'Tace' watches as the Sergeant moves off to find the lantern, then shrugs and unlocks and removes the manacles from Emma. After checking her breathing to make sure she seems genuinely unconscious.
When the Sergeant returns and sets about hoisting Emma up and then asks for the lantern, he is a little surprised. But he does as instructed by his senior officer and hands the lantern to him. He then watches as the Sergeant moves away laden down with all his heavy armour and weapons, and carrying Emma and the lantern. He is certainly strong enough, that's for sure.
He moves after him, wearing his light armour and with a couple of light weapons strapped to his waist, holding only a pair of manacles and the associated key. He then easily overtakes the Sergeant, and sets about finding the right sized tree in a good location outside the alcove.
After retrieving the lamp (and lighting it, I presume?) and taking Emma with them (who, to Bryn, looks as unconscious as a living person can be), Bryn and Arren head for the alcove. Thankfully, it isn't far, and Emma left her messages, which act as excellent waymarkers. Even loaded and wounded, Arren doesn't slow Bryn too much, and the two soon reach the alcove. There are several trees nearby that could satisfy their needs, and eventually, they pick one that is within sight of the alcove, and also without any thorny bushes growing at its base.
The embers in Emma's fire hadn't had much time since you last saw them, and while they may not last for much longer, they still burn, though just barely. The alcove itself, as before, is empty except for the dying fire.
Once they do light the lantern (I imagine that they do, and they have the means for it too), the two may notice fresh stains at the top of Emma's clothes, with a yellow-ish hue, which Bryn can associate with the hemolymph of the spiders, having been covered by it partially earlier too. Since Emma's clothes were already stained before, it was impossible to differentiate from the older blood stains, all red, of course, while the Elves' darkvision made all look grey.
How long would the two be willing to wait for Emma to wake naturally before they take some action (if she doesn't wake first), and what will they do during that time?
Varielky