[Carrie] Chapter 4: Internal Strife

[Erynn]

Carrie glances back quickly, noticing that her pursuer was no longer there and feels a momentary bit of relief that the situation hadn't come down to a confrontation. She quickly continues onward toward the nearest exit at speed, prioritizing distance from her last known location over staying quiet. It was beginning to get irritating to have to run again so soon after completing her morning PT, and Carrie's mood continued to deteriorate as her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't yet had breakfast. Regardless, Carrie's priority remained to leave the tunnels and to locate Synithise. Carrie does, however, make a point of stopping briefly to check the corners at every intersection to make sure the coast is clear before crossing.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 2 + 2, total 4[/blockquote] Stealth

[Throndir]

While you were escaping and passed by a couple of doors, it was at that moment that one of them opened, revealing one of the temple guards. She blinked a few times as she realized you were passing by, and immediately she called out for you to stop.

"Halt hero!" The guard commanded, still at the entrance to the room.

[Erynn]

"Oh, for fuck's sake!", Carrie mutters under her breath with a thick Irish accent as she continues to sprint down the corridors toward the exit, "I really don't have time for this shit!" Having been spotted a second time has left the young hero rather irritated.

Obviously, Carrie completely ignores the new guard and continues on her way, once again eschewing stealth for pure speed. She does, however, keep an ear out for pursuit. Carrie hopes that she won't need to burn any more of her mana in order to ditch someone again, given the way she is slowly tiring from repeated use of her program blessing but is prepared to repeat the performance if necessary.

It's quickly becoming very clear to Carrie that for some reason, Misophe's faction really doesn't want Carrie to leave the tunnels. Her imagination finds its way to unpleasant places, and her mood darkens considerably.

[Throndir]

The guard starts to begin chase, however, due to the fact that she was wearing some armor, she was weighed down slower than you. However, due to forgoing stealth altogether, it wouldn't take much for other guards to hear or even catch sight of the chase. You knew there were plenty of rooms and doors however through the complex.

Initiative requested

View the roll20 map at: https://app.roll20.net/join/3988538/rxP3dQ

[Erynn]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 14 + 5, total 19[/blockquote] initiative

[Throndir]

Carrie to take turn.

Grid map (link):

[Erynn]

As Carrie hears the sounds of pursuit behind her, she notices that this time her pursuer isn't gaining ground and that she hears the sound of mail shifting as well. While it has become clear to Carrie that the Lamia were faster than she is with all things being equal, Carrie made a mental note again, this time making a point of recognizing that the mail armor the guards wore was more restrictive than was her own body armor.

Regardless, Carrie continued her sprint toward the exit, rounding the corner with her rifle held low in order to avoid having it appear around the corner before she herself did and provide anyone that might be there with advance notice of her presence. She would continue down the hall toward the nearest exit as quickly as she could, hoping that most of the guards not on duty were either in the mess hall at the moment, or asleep. Carrie was betting on the mess hall, given she had so little time ago seen the room completely full. Still, Carrie wasted no time in this section. The last thing she needed was to find herself surrounded.

[Throndir]

You started heading southwards, heading towards where you knew the exit up to the surface to be. There were two guards stationed there that you were able to see.

Carrie to move another 15 ft. or end turn.

Grid Map: See screenshot sent 7/13/19
Log:
[spoiler]Round 1
Carrie double moves southwards 45 ft. 15 ft. of movement left.[/spoiler]

[Erynn]

Carrie continues toward the exit, shouting at the guard in her path, "Get out of my way!"

The young hero has become thoroughly fed up with people trying to catch or stop her and has zero intention of letting one or two individuals halt her forward progress.

[Throndir]

Once you shouted for the guard to get out of your way, the guard bit her lip, as if trying to decide what to do, but eventually decided to step to the side as you rushed out. The other guard beside her widened her eyes, but the first guard gave her a look and she quieted. Soon enough you were free from them, heading up the stairs to the surface.


Location: New World - Thura Forest
Date: Day 3 - 6:15 AM

There was light up ahead, and when you finally reached it, you found yourself in a darkly wooded forest, with plenty of forest life. The general atmosphere of the forest though was rather dark and gloomy. The trees were old and tall, and most of it covered the sky, only letting some sunlight in. There were plenty of mosses and fungus though, along with a healthy helping of other plant life. It wasn't quite chilly, but it gave you the feeling of a autumn temperature, though not many of the trees showed their expected orange or browning leaves. There was a light fog that settled in as well. If there was an outsider, and they knew that both dullahan and large bat-like people lived in these forests, it would have been quite an unsettling feeling.

Towards the east looked like a couple of homes and encampments. Though you noticed there were some armed Lamia there as well. At the same time, you also noticed a few human males simply going about their own business. Towards the north you saw another outcropping of rocks, which you recognized was the northern exit of the Lamia Priestess tunnels. Apart from that, there was a rough road that stretched from east to west.

[Erynn]

As Carrie emerged from the tunnels, she was immediately thankful for the less than stark change in lighting, being very much in need of clear vision to see what was around her as she exited. Carrie didn't immediately bolt away from the tunnel entrance though, instead slowing down to quietly circle around behind it and take cover among the foliage. Carrie then stops and watches the tunnel mouth, interested in seeing what potential pursuers were going to do when they exited. She also took the opportunity to begin properly fastening her armor as she waited and watched.

Carrie also decided to go out on a limb and see if any of Eveleen's memories might be helpful in getting her bearings. Specifically, Carrie begins attempting to recall where the nearby road leads in either direction, hoping that the knowledge in question might be something Eveleen had imparted to her the previous evening. Carrie's first priority was figuring out her current situation in order to work out where Synithise and her group might have headed after leaving the tunnels, assuming they moved on under their own power.

As Carrie knelt and watched, the eerie atmosphere finally had a chance to strike her. While the area was full of life and therefore the sounds appropriate to a forest of its type, the place looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Likely one of the reasons it was chosen as a refuge for the tribes who made Thura Forest their home. Carrie then began wondering if the chill in the air she was feeling was entirely natural, considering the possibility that it might be an aura similar to that given off by the dullahan, or Carrie herself currently. Whatever the case might be, Carrie made certain to be particularly alert. She was on unfamiliar ground among the natives who inhabited it, and she hadn't spotted any obvious guards at the exterior of either of the two entrances within her sight. Carrie was fully expecting there to be some manner of ambush waiting for her not far off.

Stealth: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 19 + 7, total 26[/blockquote] (Modify for camouflage as appropriate)

Knowledge (Local or geography): [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+9 : 11 + 9, total 20[/blockquote] (Max dc 10 untrained)

[Throndir]

[info]Knowledge (geography): 20
From your memories, though it was hazy due to the fact the memories were not your own, you were able to remember that heading westwards was towards the Dullahan village. Heading eastwards went to the batfolk caverns. The Lamia Priestess tunnels themselves were placed almost near the center of the Thura forest.[/info]

[info]Stealth: 26
None of the people in the encampment to the east noticed you.[/info]

You spend another minute donning your armor properly. It was around that time, that a few of the Lamia guards appeared on the surface. Four of them exactly, and it was the 5th one that came out that caught your attention the most, as she was dressed differently than the rest. Much like Synithise, she didn't wear very much at all, but given how you've seen Lamia thus far, it seemed as if that was a normal thing to them.

State how far you are hiding, assume there is enough rocks, bushes, and other foliage/trees, to hide.

[Erynn]

Carrie is using whatever the nearest viable concealment is in the opposite direction from the tunnel entrance she just left. She essentially circled around to observe the tunnel entrance from the six o'clock position of anyone exiting. Can't really give you an exact distance though without a map, so I'll be deferring to your judgment here.

As Carrie began to recall which path leads where, the young hero was struck by an intense sense of Deja Vous, an extremely strange experienced when juxtaposed against the knowledge that the memories Carrie was recalling weren't her own. In feeling the sense that she had been in this place before, despite knowing that she hadn't, Carrie began to scratch the tip of the iceberg that was Eveleen's meaning when describing the process and difficulty of keeping track of one's own memories separate from those of others. Carrie had memories associated with one other individual's life. Just imagining having to sift through many lifetimes at once gave her pause at a conceptual level.

Carrie didn't have long to ponder the details though, as several figures emerged from the tunnels in front of her. Carrie brings her M-4 to a low ready position, preparing to respond quickly if the need arose. She simply maintains her current position and observes, however, noting the one individual whose attire set her apart from the rest of the group.

'Misophe, I presume.', Carrie thought to herself with not insignificant irritation, noting the similarly skimpy attire to Synithise, 'Well, the ball's in your court. What's your play?'

Carrie's interest in simply watching and waiting for the moment was an attempt to discern a sense of the individual with whom she was dealing, whether this obvious leadership figure turned out to be Synithise's sister or not. The next moves made by this individual could potentially tell Carrie a great deal about the competence, personality, and motives of her current, though hopefully only temporary, opposition. She sincerely hoped that they weren't pursuing her in order to keep her from discovering something........detrimental to a working relationship.

[Throndir]

Placing you at 120 ft. away

"How could you just let her get away!" The Lamia yelled into the fact of one of the guards, the one you recognized who stepped to the side when you went through.

The guard responded something then, but you were a bit to too far to hear.

You can roll Perception to hear non-shouting conversations.

They are also actively looking for you and using Perception as a move action, so roll Stealth again per post til the scene is done. You'll gain bonuses due to your distance away, along with your camo, but roll normally.

[Erynn]

Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 7 + 8, total 15[/blockquote]