Artemisia doesn't look up as Enko follows her, nor when he sets down the paralyzed creature. When he starts to curse himself, though, she speaks up.
"Enko ... you did nothing wrong. Didn't you listen to what I was saying about them? You proved that we're different, that we're better. That you're better. You, out of compassion and kindness, stopped your friends from killing a murderous creature. You then healed its wounds and did your best to give it succor. If the situations had been reversed, they would have probably eaten you alive. They certainly wouldn't have healed you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You should be proud."
She looks up, green eyes searching for Ryon.
"I doubt I'll be able to get any useful amount of sleep between now and the start of my watch. I'll stand the rest of your watch with you if you, or you can go ahead to sleep and I'll take over now."
[sblock=OOC]Feel free to continue conversations if you want, just use sblocks. I'm advancing to the final watches. Also, I need to know what the group intends to do with the paralyzed creature. Artemisia will defer to Enko's judgement, but the rest of you have time to decide. If it has any impact, it won't be for a long time to come.[/sblock]
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[sblock=Cleyra and Alistia]Artemisia gently shakes you awake and whispers,
"Nothing more interesting than firemoths out there for the last few hours, thank the spirits. There aren't too many things I know of that hunt near dawn, so your watch should be uneventful as well. Now, I'm going to get some sleep." And with that, she curls up and within a scant few minutes the regular rise and fall of her chest and the soft whispers of her breath indicate that she's fallen asleep.[sblock=Cleyra, Alistia]Firemoths are small winged insects that are most active at dawn and dusk. Their wings are dull red and their abdomens give off a faint yellowish-orangish glow that grows in intensity if it's near another firemoth. There have been occasional stories of firemoth swarms so big and bright that it seemed like the very sky was on fire - thus their name.[sblock=Cleyra]Firemoths are mildly poisonous if ingested. Some of the village herbalists use them as purging agents, since the most common response to eating one is to throw up.[/sblock][/sblock]
Your watch passes mercifully uneventfully. You hear no unusual sounds (or lack of sounds), see nothing out of place, and after an hour or so you can make out, through the gaps in the canopy above, the sky begin to lighten as the sun once more climbs over the horizon.[/sblock]
One by one, each of you wakes up to the early morning gloom. Cleyra and Alistia stand the last part of their watch as Artemisia prepares meals. As you break your fast and break camp, despite lingering aches from sleeping on hard ground and from the brief combat, there is an atmosphere of confidence. You survived a night ambush by murderous savages. Not only survived, but soundly defeated them, sending them fleeing in terror back from wherever they came. If
those things couldn't even seriously hurt one of you, with their cruel bone knives and obvious intelligence, then surely your mission will be a success!
[sblock=OOC]Congratulations on surviving your first night in the ash-draped Noonshadow Forest. 400 experience to all of you, for roleplaying and for the two encounters you passed without knowing
That
should level everyone. Please update the Rogue's Gallery and post a note in the OOC thread so I can double-check everything.[/sblock]
