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Chapter 5 by Fusil1886 Fusil1886

Does she find somewhere safe?

Not really, she needs to fight for it.

Roll Exploration: D100 = 55

Continuing the search into the night, Scarlet happens upon a welcomed relief - a pond or watering hole inside a clearing! She breathed a lengthy sigh of relief, as she sauntered over to the water's edge. Eagerly, she placed her satchel aside on some rocks and waded into the water itself, and began to wash herself off, pleasently enjoying the sensation of the nice and cool water on her skin as she bathed in its waters. Finally, she drank from the watering hole slightly upstream of where she bathed, and stepped out, attempting to brush the water off her skin as much as she could to dry herself.

Taking to her firestarter kit, she piled a few rocks from nearby around to form a small campfire. Next, she added in some twigs and branches as kindling, as well as larger branches and she set to taking out her crude sharp rock and some tough bark, and struck at it repeatedly. After what felt like ages of striking whilst sitting cold on the dirt, finally a stray spark was enough to commence the embers building and her fire slowly began to stir as it came to life. Scarlet would pass some time attempting to rest up and warm herself by the fire, letting the heat of the flames dry her off.

Roll Caution: 1d20+1 = 16

As Scarlet continued to rest and relax by the fire, she hears just beyond the trees flanking the clearing the sounds of twigs snapping and bushes rustling. Her catlike Roguish reflexes kicked in as she immediately stood up and held the sharpened rock in her hands, looking in the direction of the sound to try and spot the peeping Tom. She could not see the source of the sounds that she had with certainty to herself heard, though she could hear what sounded like breathy moans and groans, and her nostrils were immediately assaulted with a rancid smell being carried by the slight wind. Looking down at the crude stone, which Scarlet knew with a heavy impact could easily break, she quickly scrambled for a nearby tree and attempted to rip down a decently sized branch - she hoped she could light it on fire as an improvised weapon.

Roll Strength: 1d20+0 = Natural 1 - 1

Scarlet leaped up to grab the branch above dangling over her but her grip fails to gain hold as she immediately falls down to the forest floor on her back, shouting out a surprised in the moment, "URGH!" from the impact as she felt her back ache. Immediately with that moment of vulnerability she snapped back to her senses and still holding her sharp rock stood up to her feet and shouted out, "Hey! Who goes there?" Scarlet had just found a water source and a suitable camping location and she was not giving this location up without a decent fight - plus, her peeping Tom stalker could give her valuable information about where she was and how she could get out of here potentially. From the bushes however came out a moan and a humanoid figure shambled out from the tree's edge into the clearing charging towards her. Its flesh was rotten, and it had open wounds all over its body, bones showing through some of them. It stared into Scarlet's soul almost as it ran forth - its eye sockets vacant as its eyes had rotted out long ago.

Roll for Initiative.
Scarlet rolls 1d20+3 = 6
The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 12

Surging forward, the Zombie attempts to grapple Scarlet as she attempted to ready and brace herself against the charge.

The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 7
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 12
The grapple attempt fails!

Scarlet steps aside and nimbly dances out of the way of the zombie that had just attempted to try and grap her, and during her twirl tries to strike the zombie with the sharpened rock.

Scarlet uses Master Duelist to attack with Quickness instead of Strength, and adds 1d6 extra damage if her attack with a single handed melee weapon hits!
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 16
The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 17
Scarlet misses!

The zombie with its strange and unnatural movements is hard to predict and Scarlet's swing goes wide. It turns around and lunges out at her again, attempting to grapple her with its mouth wide open ready to bite.

The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 11
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 13
The Zombie misses!

"What the fuck are you?!" Scarlet screams out as she gracefully bends backwards and cartwheels out of the way, before turning around for another swing.

Scarlet uses Master Duelist to attack with Quickness instead of Strength, and adds 1d6 extra damage if her attack with a single handed melee weapon hits!
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 7
The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 19
Scarlet misses!

The zombie has a moment of clarity and deftly avoids Scarlet's strike, before following up with a closed fisted punch in retaliation, changing its strategy of attack.

The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 12
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 8
The Zombie hits!
The Zombie rolls damage on its fists for 1d4+1 = 2
The Zombie deals 2 bludgeoning damage to Scarlet!

Scarlet gets struck directly in her left cheek by the fist, surprising her with its inhuman movement capabilities despite being undead. She yelps in pain, but attempts to grab at its arm and close in for another strike at the zombie's head with the rock.

Scarlet uses Master Duelist to attack with Quickness instead of Strength, and adds 1d6 extra damage if her attack with a single handed melee weapon hits!
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 10
The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 19
Scarlet misses!

Once again to her frustration however, Scarlet is unsuccessful at landing a strike on her foe, which once again attempts to grapple her.

The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 13
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 17
The Zombie misses!

Despite the throbbing pain in her cheek from the heavy punch she had just received, Scarlet continues putting up a fight, refusing to back down. She NEEDS this watering hole and camp, and isn't going to let this strange undead monster take that from her. Seizing her moment having dodge the grab, she tries to strike its head with the rock and go for a killing blow.

Scarlet uses Master Duelist to attack with Quickness instead of Strength, and adds 1d6 extra damage if her attack with a single handed melee weapon hits!
Scarlet rolls Quickness for 1d20+3 = 12
The Zombie rolls 1d20+1 = 9
Scarlet hits with the rock!
Scarlet deals Rock damage + Quickness + Master Duellist = 1+3+1d6 = 8 Bludgeoning damage!
Scarlet reduces the Zombie to 0 energy!
The Zombie attempts to use Undead Fortitude to stay alive!
Undying Fortitude: A zombie that is reduced to 0 Energy can roll a D20. On a 15 or higher, the Zombie instead remains alive and conscious on 1 Energy. This can happen twice in a single encounter.
The Zombie rolls 1d20 = Natural 1 = Fail
The Zombie is defeated!
Scarlet gains 50XP for defeating the Zombie!

Seizing her chance, the rock strikes true into the temple of this zombie, as she dances past it with the strike. She feels the bone shatter with the impact, driving bone fragments into the remains of the zombie's brain as it shuts down and immediately crumples onto the ground - her crude sharpened rock shattering in the process from the **** of the impact. Taking a few steps back, Scarlet breathes in heavily, before clutching at the throbbing ache within her left cheek. "What the fuck was that and what the hell is going on here?!" she asks herself as she goes to sit down, having successfully defended her campsite. However, seeing the half rotting corpse there, she realises she needs to move the body as soon as possible so that the smell isn't so overpowering - plus sanitation and hygiene is important. She dumps the body away outside of the clearing, and quickly scrounges through its belongings.

Roll Luck!
Scarlet rolls 1d20 = 3

The only thing Scarlet is able to scrounge from the fallen zombie is scraps of cloth soaked in blood, and the juice and bile of the corpse. She gags a little, before finishing dumping the body and returning to her campsite. The watering hole and the camp she had built was successfully her's. After a night's rest, she knows come the morning she will have a slightly safer location to return to - one that is hopefully abundant with food and life forms that can give her information. She goes to lie down and rest, as her eyes slowly close.

Scarlet gains 25XP for completion of the chapter.
Scarlet levels up and is now Level 2!
Scarlet gains 2 Energy and 1 Quickness!
Scarlet learns the ability:

Cunningly Agile: Scarlet can benefit from the Dash, Flee or Hide actions without having to use an action in combat. She cannot benefit from more than one of these actions at a time.

What happens come the morning?

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