[Carrie] Chapter 5: Chasing the Slavers

[Throndir]

With the orders given out, the first well-adorned Lamia went back into the tunnels below. The guard she had spoken to give out orders to the rest, she sent one of the guards to the mates' home, which was apparently the bunch of houses and homes to the east that you were able to see. Next she sent two more guards, one going westwards, while the other eastwards, on a pair of dark horses. You noted that the horses didn't seem to match the Lamia at all, and going through your memories, you easily recognized them to be the types of horses the dullahan used.

With that done, she simply turned towards the rest of the gathered crew.

"You heard mistress Misophe, everyone else start looking for the hero in the woods."

"Should we get the other guards in the tunnels?" One of the Lamia asked.

In response, the Lamia looked at her other companion who had just spoken and sighed.

"As I understand the mistress' commands, she was only speaking to us up here. Report back in half an hour, if you don't see anyone, then we simply tried our best, didn't we?"

The other Lamia guards hesitantly nodded, and then began to move off.

Color change and picture for the guard.

You are 60 ft. away, another Stealth check would let you come by unnoticed. The rest of the few guards 'searching the woods', had already passed you.

[Erynn]

As Carrie observes a pair of lamia rides heading off in either direction atop dullahan steeds, she can't help but wonder at the means by which the lamia riders managed to maintain their position on horses no doubt trained to carry humanoid riders. She looks as closely as she can, not quite believing her eyes, hoping to discern either the means by which the riders managed the feat or some sign of an illusion. Carrie couldn't help thinking that the mismatched riders and horses were a message of some kind, given how out of place it seemed.

Carrie also observed further evidence that the guard who had stood aside to let her pass wasn't exactly on board with whatever Misophe was up to. The fact that she was delaying an actual search for Carrie was a very pointed act of cooperation, so Carrie decided that she was going to go out on a limb and trust this individual. Moving quietly, Carrie continues to approach, senses still primed to take in any useful information from the environment around her, until she reaches a proximity at which she chooses to break cover and approach this individual calmly and openly, hopefully appearing as if from out of nowhere like a ghost.

"Well, it's pretty clear who wields the real power in this group.", Carrie addresses the ranking guard with a sly grin which quickly fades before she states simply, "I need to know what you know, and I don't think we have much time to spare. Specifically, Where has Synithise been taken, and if known, why?"

Stealth: This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20+8 : 4 + 8, total 12

Perception: This dice roll has been tampered with!
Rolled 1d20+8 : 3 + 8, total 11

[Throndir]

[info]Perception (lamia on horseback): Passive
The lamia seemed to wrap their long lower end around the horse's torso. It didn't look very comfortable at all for the dark horses, yet, the horses didn't seem to mind. Judging from the speed at which the horses traveled, and from what you remember in the tunnels, the lamia themselves move faster than the horses, so it didn't make much sense for them to use the horses unless there was another reason to.[/info]"Carrie..." The lamia said finally sighing when you appeared. "Just an old feud between the rightful sister, and the jealous one. That said, still technically our superior too. Not all the guards up here are those loyal to Synithise, well... better to say they follow their orders as soldiers should. I'll make this quick, since you might still have some time. There was a coup from Misophe, she had come in the night through the exit tunnels with a troop of her own, and rounded up Synithise and those who wouldn't get in line. She brought one particular nasty human who did most of the work. Anyways, I'm not entirely sure of all the details myself, but the lamia priestess guards were to drop off Synithise on the northern edge of the forest. Misophe wouldn't give too much away, but the mistress has decided to use her right given to her by the crown, of being the martial head of the Lamia Priestess, to seize control of the site away from our matriarch in 'dire' times." The lamia smiled wryly.

"The dullahan's horses... They're to serve as a message to both the dullahan tribe and the batfolk tribe that we need their assistance, even if the Lamia on them say nothing about needing aid... I'm hoping mistress Jasna and Eveleen are able to pick up that hint. Those two lamia I sent I'm sure are loyal, as they did not question the black steeds they were loaned... Truthfully, the horses would have been reserved for you to use, a gift from mistress Eveleen. Though 'riding lessons' was fairly far down the list of priorities."

"Now... Go... Before you get me in trouble too." She said dryly.

[Erynn]

With that instruction, Carrie was off, making her best effort to vanish into the forest. She headed north at a brisk jogging pace, following whatever game trails and natural features such as streams would enable the swiftest traversal of the terrain ahead. As she proceeds, Carrie keeps an eye out for any tracks, human footprints, in particular, reasoning that any intelligent outdoorsman would likely have followed a similar route to the destination. She also knows that there will likely be another party headed back toward her from the dropoff point that she wants to avoid meeting, so Carrie also keeps her head on a swivel looking for them after an appropriate length of time traveling. Carrie was glad that her suspicion about the horses being a message had been confirmed. She could think of no more helpful reinforcements in this situation than Dullahan cavalry coupled with Batfolk reconnaissance. With a bit of luck, they would arrive somewhere in Carrie's vicinity before she made contact with whoever was likely waiting at the northern edge of the forest.

The thought that Misophe had enlisted the help of an outsider in her plans, and a human no less, left Carrie filled with a sense of absolute disgust and loathing. The young hero could think of only two plausible angles such an individual might have, and it was likely to be either Felencorp, or Slavery. Whichever it turned out to be, Misophe had clearly sold out her own sister. The prospect of selling someone out was abhorrent to Carrie. She may have been an only child, but the close relationship she had developed with the marines she had served alongside was close enough that the mere thought of betraying a blood relative turned her stomach. When Carrie returned, she was going to have some choice words for Misophe and then some.

For the moment, however, Carrie's mind was awash with a great sea of different emotions as she made her way toward Synithise. Foremost was an absolute fury that Synithise was being made to suffer over base envy and greed. Carrie mentally promised herself that those responsible would pay the price for their grave miscalculation. At the same time, Carrie felt a great deal of apprehension. She had only just begun to return to an even keel after suffering the loss of her entire unit of recruits at Paris Island, and now she was once more facing the prospect of potentially losing those whose future had been entrusted to her. To say that the sudden thrust back into the fray had left Carrie unsettled was an understatement. Thankfully, the anxiety she was feeling was being masked by the fury at the forefront. For the moment.

Beneath the upper layers, however, was the sheer abject terror she felt at the thought of the first friend she had made in this new world potentially coming to harm. It was a terror that was impossible to overcome, though could currently be directed. The fear she felt for Synithise' safety lent a lightness to her load and a fleetness to her feet. It had also planted an ember, a tiny burning seed of absolute madness. Synithise was to Carrie's mental state a life raft in a storm, meaning that this situation had suddenly left the traumatized young hero treading water. What it would take for the storm to drown her would be anyone's guess.

Carrie found herself feeling particularly murderous as a result, and wondered for a moment as she ran just what her aura might look like to the Dullahan when they arrived. Carrie involuntarily grinned at the thought.

Stealth: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 8 + 8, total 16[/blockquote]

Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 15 + 8, total 23[/blockquote]

Survival: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 12 + 8, total 20[/blockquote]

[Throndir]

Making your way towards the north, you kept your eyes alert for any returning caravan. As you continued onwards through the dark forest and thick fog you were not able to see anything out of the ordinary. However, you did continue to make good pace towards the north. You didn't run into any freshly made trails heading northwards either, even though the ground was soft enough to make such things easier to notice.

Up ahead you notice what looked to be a giant horse-sized boar. Its tiny red eyes are crusted with filth and its bristly flank crawls with flies. It hadn't seemed to notice you. Perhaps due to the thickness of the fog, and the density of all the trees.

Boar is 60 ft. ahead.

Roll Stealth if you want to get away without it noticing you.

[Erynn]

As Carrie moves northward, the fact that she had yet to spot even one track along her path left her beginning to doubt herself. Much like she had failed to keep her recruits alive, she now wondered if she was letting Synithise down by taking a wrong path. She knew that a group as large as the one that had been escorted away from the tunnels would leave a nearly impossible to miss trail. Even if it had rained the entire night, Carrie would expect to have found at least some sign of their passage by now. This thought process led Carrie to two possible conclusions. Either the group she was seeking to follow hadn't used this route, or else somehow, incredibly, they weren't leaving a trail. At that thought, Carrie takes a moment to confirm the most basic of information and looks back to determine whether or not she is able to see her own trail through the forest.

As she looks back from doing so, she finds herself first hearing the sounds of, then seeing only twenty yards off, a massive boar that looked to be the size of a horse. The animal's side appeared to be covered in flies, and Carrie knew that could mean only one thing; Necrotic flesh. The massive boar was wounded and likely had been for quite some time. Carrie knew how poor a normal-sized boar's temperament could be, having seen them charge hunters first hand, so she had no interest in such a massive hog knowing about her presence, especially if it was wounded.

Carrie makes a concerted effort to get or stay downwind of the massive creature as she seeks to quietly pass it by. The absolute last thing she needed at the moment was to get tangled up with this hogzilla trying to trample and gore her to death. Even if Carrie were to come out on top of the struggle, it would cost her time, ammunition, and most importantly, the element of surprise. Carrie could feel her pulse in her ears, knowing that a single misstep could snap a twig and bring the animal charging at her, initiating a life or death struggle that could easily jeopardize her current mission.

Stealth: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 9 + 8, total 17[/blockquote]

A thought then occurs to Carrie that sends chills down her spine. Boars are usually a prey item in an ecosystem, at least when they're not feral. Something had wounded this massive boar far enough into the past that the wound was now attracting flies. The possibility occurred to Carrie that whatever made that wound on such a massive creature could very well still be stalking it, and that any opportunistic predators or scavengers could likely smell the creature's festering wound.

"If the prey animals are this big, Carrie thought to herself, "I don't even want to know how big the predators are."

Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 16 + 8, total 24[/blockquote]

[Throndir]

[info]Perception: 24
Apart from the giant boar, there were no other creatures in sight. You did hear the sounds of birds, the rustle of leaves as wind blew through them, but nothing else of immediate concern apart from the boar.[/info]The moment you stepped away, that was when the boar managed to turn in your direction, alerted immediately as it started to huff and snort. Because of the denseness of the trees, you had hoped it didn't see you.

Second chance, roll another Stealth check.

[Erynn]

Stealth: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 1 + 8, total 9[/blockquote]

[Throndir]

The boar, moving a bit, finally caught sight and scent of you.

Roll initiative! If above 16, take your turn too. Distance is per the screenshot sent to you.

Due to being a Dense Forest, you may attempt Stealth checks whenever, though I'll enforce the half movement rules for that. Also keep in mind the boar will attempt to use Perception for intentionally searching for a stimulus as a move action if you do succeed checks.

[Erynn]

Initiative: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 12 + 5, total 17[/blockquote]

[Erynn]

As Carrie tried to sneak away from the large boar, the combination of hearing her own pulse in her ears combined with the inward direction that her mind had taken, she completely overlooked the ground on which she was placing her feet. With an unexpected squeak, Carrie's vision immediately turns toward her footing, oddly squishy, to see a chipmunk beneath her boot. Carrie's heart immediately sinks into her stomach as she hears the telltale snorting of a wild hog that had just found an unwelcome presence in its vicinity. The volume and pitch of the beast's vocalizations, however, were greater and deeper than any porker Carrie had ever encountered. Carrie knew in that instant that there was no way the animal was going to flee. With a wound like the one it bore, and the sudden start Carrie had given it, the animal's temper was clear for any observer to see.

Carrie swore loudly as she lurched toward the nearest large deciduous tree trunk, colliding with it roughly before raising her rifle and steadying it against the tree. In a flash, she lines up the center of her ACOG scope with the center of the boar's silhouette, releases the safety, and squeezes the trigger, sending a three-round burst downrange. Carrie hoped that the animal would go down before charging, but given the small caliber of her rifle, she wasn't particularly confident in that outcome. The large tree would serve as her best defense, should the giant pig reach her.

Attack: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 16 + 6, total 22[/blockquote]

Damage upon a hit: [blockquote]Rolled 4d8 : 5, 1, 8, 6, total 20[/blockquote]

[Throndir]

Even with all the cover the boar was getting due to the denseness of the forest, your aim was true and you managed to fire off your weapon straight into the creature.

The creature started to make it way towards you, but due to the uneven ground, and the plenty of logs, rocks, and trees in its way, it wasn't able to close the distance.

-3 Ammo on M4 Carbine

[Erynn]

Carrie sees red mist spray from three distinct points on the boar's body as it charges her position, confirming much to her displeasure that her rifle lacks the stopping power to put it down with one trigger pull. Carrie hadn't ever wished she was holding an AK before, but with an animal the size of a buffalo charging straight at her, the desire for a larger caliber round had become strong. Carrie took careful note of the fact that the animal had taken an inordinate amount of time to cover the distance that it had and realized that the animal was having significant difficulty moving through underbrush due to its large size.

Carrie immediately decides to take advantage of the environmental advantage her small size affords her, squeezing the trigger a second time, then diving into the underbrush to her right like a linebacker trying to punch through a gap in the offensive line, moving at an angle that would force the boar to change direction in order to follow. It wasn't much, but Carrie reasoned that it would help to slow the beast down and prevent it from building up more momentum in a straight line charge. Carrie doesn't bother sticking around to observe the fall of shot. She figures that the sound of the creature's movements, or lack thereof, would tell her if the porker had been downed.

Carrie is moving as far as she can on a 270 heading.

Attack: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 18 + 6, total 24[/blockquote]

Damage upon a hit: [blockquote]Rolled 4d8 : 7, 4, 5, 2, total 18[/blockquote]

[Throndir]

Due to the light undergrowth movement was difficult even for you, though you increased the distance between you and the giant boar. You fired off another three rounds, hitting the target. The boar looked like it was near death.

The boar continued to move straight in. Once it got closer enough, it attempted to gore you with its tusks. Managing to hit, you were now injured.

[Erynn]

As Carrie made her own way through the underbrush, she realized instantly that she had screwed up. She found herself being tangled up in the vegetation just as much as the boar, a critical miscalculation. Then, the boar was upon her, digging its tusks into her arm, causing another fit of profanity, this time directed at the boar in particular as she wrestled with it in a futile attempt to keep it at bay. Suddenly, the world had become a blur of coarse hair, leaves, small branches, and dirt, mixed with a splash of red and the warm, wet breath of the beast that was trying to kill her.

Carrie quickly regains her wits though and angrily draws her Beretta, knowing that the chances of landing an accurate shot with her rifle at such close range were almost nil. Carrie falls back on the training she had received in using handguns in such close quarters situations and held the weapon close, looking for an opening. She spots one as the creature lowers its head for another attempt at goring her, aiming directly at the creature's braincase before squeezing the trigger.

Attack: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+10 : 7 + 10, total 17[/blockquote]

Damage upon a hit: [blockquote]Rolled 2d6 : 3, 5, total 8[/blockquote]