Short Version:
In our group of three in a game of The Dark Eye 4.1, a player got one-shotted at the beginning of a battle, which caused the two remaining players to flee in separate directions. The downed player is still alive (meta knowledge) but presumed dead.
There are no allies nearby and the attacking party is suspected to have ties to the rulers/leaders of the nearby city. Thus going back there will most likely lead to capture or worse. The most plausible solution seems to be to keep fleeing and never look back, as my character is neither equipped for nor fond of battles anyway.
How can I motivate my character to stay around and not leave the rest of the party behind, without invoking meta knowledge, when in-game reasons are lacking? I talked with my group about this after the round, but no solution came up.
Long Version:
We are a group of three players: me (a priest of Peraine, the goddess of healing and agriculture), Alice (priest of Praios, the god of light/time/law) and fighter-archetype Bob.
Our last evening went as follows. The previous evening, Bob and I coerced an NPC ("John") to gather information for us and to meet with us the following day in the ghetto before a city. I went there alone, as Alice and Bob attended some other business and I didn't want to miss our informant. When I arrived, another NPC told me
You have to hurry. John was already here. He told me it was urgent and to tell you he'll meet you in the forest. And he was bleeding, it looked bad!
Concerned as a healer about the wounded man, I immediately followed. After following the trail for quite some long time, I had a critical miss-roll and got lost in the forest, until I rejoined with my comrades, which ultimately followed. We finally arrived at an obvious ambush, where John was lying on the ground, with a gaping wound on the back (shoulder blades were visible), on the brink of death, but still breathing. As I was unarmed, I ignored the imminent danger and immediately went to him to try to save his life, assuming the enemy wouldn't attack an unarmed priest. A battle ensued nonetheless. Due to severely unlucky dice rolls, our 2nd priest got one-shotted (down to low health, bleeding and unconscious). Our fighter-archetype had gone around the group and attacked from behind. I was also attacked, but defended by my dogs. After the first dog was killed, I retreated hastily, without completing the healing ritual that would have saved both John and Alice.
Although Alice was rescued by the rogue boss (healing potion…go figure), my character presumes her dead, as this happened after she fled. Furthermore, she believes the important people of the city are behind this attack, to save the secret John had discovered. Thus it now seems logical to me to leave this place behind, as going back to the city seems like certain death (you can only enter through the gates, so going in unseen is not an option).
I don't want this to be a my-guy-syndrome situation, but how can I plausibly not abandon the group and the city? I already told the GM that I need some time to think about my next move, because of the situation above.
Requested details:
So far, Bob and I have not met again. Bob has also fled the battle scene and wants to seek vengeance, doing guerrilla strikes at the enemy group. I have the feeling that our characters will probably meet "by chance" in the forest. I suppose the DM will make an effort to reveal the condition (since she has always been saved). This has been a long campaign and we are quite attached to the characters. The information was about the location of a fugitive who has stolen an important clerical artifact from the god of law. My character is not equipped for battle and doesn't believe in fighting anyway. She simply fears dying, losing her second dog, or being captured, as they have no allies and are on their own. The situation seems hopeless and desperate
Best Answer
Sometimes fleeing is the story.
I've been in your position before. Our party stuffed up, badly. We were outnumbered, on the run and chaos was breaking out all around us. Our party had been split up and we had picked a fight we couldn't possibly win. So we fled. With our party fleeing in 3 different direction that could easily have been the end of that game.
But it wasn't, running away was an option the DM had planned all along. We spent the next few sessions with the party in 2 parts with some temporary characters accompanying each group as we found our way back to one another. The campaign then became a quest to find artifacts and allies that could help us when we eventually returned.
I suggest you talk to the DM and find out if they are prepared for your party to run away from this scenario. If they are they probably have a plan for how your party can re-group and live to fight another day. Your decision here will have major impact on how the rest of this game with play out for your group so it is worth having an open conversation about how you all want to move forward from here. Is fleeing to fight another day the story you collectively want to tell? Then running away is the exact opposite of "my guy syndrome".
Finding a reason to stay
On the other hand, should your group decide you want to hang around and find out how this plays out. Even if it might lead to the deaths of your party, then you will need to find a reason for your character to stay. We don't know your character so only you can determine what an appropriate motivation might be for you. Some things that I can think of for inspiration are:
Again, figuring out what that motivation might be and where you would go is something you can workshop with your group. Your DM might have some idea/information you weren't aware of that will impact your actions.
Whatever your actions, so long as you are acting in a way that ensures the most fun for all players involved, "my guy syndrome" shouldn't be an issue.