(Rotten Roots) Scouring

[Saber Sloth]

Sonnie gets into possession, her nimbus cloud wiggles at her attention, radiating a simple joy to be flying with it's companion, even if they were only floating.

Circe starts chop, chop, chopping, spores are flying but Circe's a practiced hand, and she's all covered up. Making sure they wont burn the Trod out, it was one thing to burn out a threat, and another thing to be a bridge burner.

Maybe it's the shadow, maybe it's nerves, but Kray's own hacking with his machete ineffective.

If Circe and Kray want to do extended rolls to get the chopping done, I'll allow it, I'm looking for 5+ suxx to make an effected fire break.

[Sonnie Wu]

"I think so. We won't be close to the Rust, and we'll be away before the smoke becomes a problem," she answered the Summer Queen. "I'm gonna scout around, see if I can spot the source from the air."

Sonnie and Nimbus took off, rising up into the sky. While she didn't get too high, she did keep above the treetops by a fair margin. High enough to avoid any possible contact, but low enough she could still see the ground clearly. Nimbus moved at a slow but steady pace, giving his passenger plenty of time to scan the foliage for whatever the heart of the Rust might look like.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-21 18:03:54	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Perception: Wits 4 + Comp 2 + Contract 4 (10 Again)	4, 3, 4, 2, 1, 6, 8, 4, 3, 8	2 successes

Hedgespun Boots (+2 SPD), Hedgespun Coin Pendant (+2 DEF), Hedgespun Staff (+2B). Messenger bag with monkey motif, smartphone, bottled water, bag of M&Ms, 3 throwing knives (concealed), Goblin Fruit (2 healing, 1 coupnettle tea), plastic keychain of a cloud, 3 molotov cocktails, lighter. Gas mask borrowed from Circe.

[Circe]

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-21 21:56:06	[01] Circe rolls 11 to Firebreaks +3 (10 Again)	6, 1, 4, 6, 7, 6, 8, 6, 2, 5, 7	1 success

"Spore stupidi, sgomberare così posso abbattere questa!" Circe is less then thrilled by how resistant the branches are. And she gets distracted by what Sonja says about scouting. "K! Don't bomb until Kray and I say we're clear!"

0 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-21 21:56:06	[02] Circe rolls 11 to Firebreaks +3 (10 Again)	4, 6, 4, 1, 2, 6, 1, 7, 6, 7, 1	failure

Sure, they were the ones in he fire protecting suits, not Sonja, but that didn't mean dance in the inferno was an option. Neither of them were fire Elementals. With the contracts to ignore the flames. It'd not be pleasant.


This was turning out to be a hard effort, she'd not nay say any preemptive fire prevention workers. Not that she'd done so in the past, but still! A nuisance to do this, it certainly was. But once the chopping is done, the spray begins. Culminate with a monkey bombing run!

5 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-21 21:56:06	[03] Circe rolls 11 to Firebreaks +3 (10 Again)	6, 9, 7, 5, 3, 8, 8, 6, 10, 5, 10, 5, 2	5 successes

Equipped by Circe

Colt 45 with [9] plus 4 extra magazines, shoulder holster, dagger, 3 Blushberry flasks, Wrist watch, pack of bubblegum. A lighter, small LED flashlights, thin bulletproof vest under a black painte, hooded proximity suit. 2 road flares. Smart phone, water bottle, 2 meal bars. Concealed 2 gas masks. brush ax with sheath on top, poorly disguised to look like walking stick. Poorly disguised 2 gallon gasoline can: painted black with indie band name on the sides.

black military back pack

main section cut open for 4 gallon spray pump full of gasoline, hose plugged in, and nozzle assembled.

[Kray]

The giant's frustration was mounting as he hacked and chopped and got the blade of his machete a but tangled in the thorns. This new bulky gear wasn't helping limiting vision, pulling in the joints, it sure wasn't made it fit that was for certain. "GAH. Will. You. Just. Give. Way." Each word a snarl through the mask and breathing equipment.

Fortunately Ogres are stubborn bastards as a rule and he had set his mind to turning this particular patch of thorns into well not being there anymore and so the hacking and chopping continue in his race against the flames and rust.

remaining rolls of extended action to cut fire break into hedge 7 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-23 04:47:54	Kray rolls 4 to Cut a fire break into hedge 4 rolls 4 of extended action (10 Again)	4, 6, 10, 2, 3	1 success
2025-01-23 04:47:03	[02] Kray rolls 4 to Cut a fire break into hedge 4 rolls 2 and 3 of extended action (10 Again)	5, 9, 6, 8	2 successes
2025-01-23 04:47:03	[01] Kray rolls 4 to Cut a fire break into hedge 4 rolls 2 and 3 of extended action (10 Again)	10, 10, 6, 8, 2, 9	4 successes

Maybe he found his rhythm, maybe the hedge was reacting to his mindset, maybe it knew it was its own good? anything was possible but he felt like he started to make some more significant progress.

Stats and gear

wp for this scene 1/2


defence: 2
Speed: 12


Armour/clothing:
Full fire fighter gear + breathing apparatus+ Filter


Weapons:
Bowie Knife 2L
Machete 2L


Goblin Fruit:
x3 murmur leaf

[Saber Sloth]

Sonnie and her nimbus fly, taking in the Rust from the air. It looks worse from the air. An ocean of spores, and mountains of rot. None of the trees were safe to climb on. The bramble and briar, looked worse, jagged and uninviting.
The further she flies inward, the worse it gets. She hasn't found anything that she'd say was an origin point, but with the sate of the Rust, she was getting closer.


Kray and Circe work, hacking and slashing, it takes time. It takes effort. By the end of it, both Fairest and Ogre as huffing and puffing. The sound of their breath distorting through their gasmasks. Rivers of sweat run down their backs. There is an ache in their arms when everything's said and done.

Circe might feel it more acutely or perhaps differently. Had she been alone, she could have called her Brownie's Boon and taken a fraction of the time.

But the Trod and the healthy hedge around them were as ready as they could make it, with that they have.

It was time to light it up.

Sonnie can you roll me Perception for a general look, or a Wits+Survival too do a more detailed look through if you're going to continue forward, if you're heading back to Kray and Circe you can disregard that.

We can light things on fire now, if you want to do that right away, and of you have any Contracts that could help, it's almost time to use them!

[Sonnie Wu]

This was... depressing.

Beasts were in tune with the natural world in a way other Lost weren't (except Elementals, of course). While the Hedge wasn't nature per se, it was still a wilderness of sorts, and to see it devastated by this corruption saddened and angered her. This was like Hell on (not) Earth.

It felt like that time she'd passed through Detroit.

"This shit needs to die, Nimbus," she said to her fluffy boy. The molotovs rattled in her bag, and she held them close, eager to use them, but not quite yet. She wanted to find the best spot for her homemade firebombs. She leaned her head down to peer closer at the Hedge, as if moving her eyes six inches was going to make a difference.

She had considered using the Pathfinder clause, but that bit of magic didn't point out the exact locations of things, just that they existed in the area, and Sonnie already knew the source was here somewhere. The Wyrd wasn't going to be that helpful.

So, more eyeballing the apocalyptic landscape!

Staaaaaaaaaaaaare!

3 successes A Detailed Looksee!

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-23 21:21:04	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Wits 4 + Survival 2 + Contract 4 (10 Again)	8, 2, 2, 2, 6, 5, 9, 8, 1, 6	3 successes

Hedgespun Boots (+2 SPD), Hedgespun Coin Pendant (+2 DEF), Hedgespun Staff (+2B). Messenger bag with monkey motif, smartphone, bottled water, bag of M&Ms, 3 throwing knives (concealed), Goblin Fruit (2 healing, 1 coupnettle tea), plastic keychain of a cloud, 3 molotov cocktails, lighter. Gas mask borrowed from Circe.

[Circe]

Circe had to pause in the ongoing work. Sort of an X of brush was something to help Sonja aim, but not the cause for pause. Then why? It wasn't exhaustion of her flesh, but of the machine. She needed to refill the sprayer. With that, the gasoline can was tossed aside to add to the fire. Then spraying continued, mostly towards the source of the Rust infection and past the fire breaks.

"Fuel is out!" She makes sure everyone knows that once it hits empty. One and a half loads would have to be enough to hose down everything for maximum burn. The Lost on the ground still had something to do: "Fall back time I think Kray."

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-27 21:07:24	Circe rolls 5 to Son of the Hearth (10 Again)	6, 9, 6, 8, 7	2 successes

She'd not have problem with the heat affecting her, though others might. Circe wasn't sure if extending it would cause the flames to douse near her or not. "If you got anything to help with the heat, now is the time my friend. I am ready. Signal Sonja whence you are."

Equipped by Circe

Colt 45 with [9] plus 4 extra magazines, shoulder holster, dagger, 3 Blushberry flasks, Wrist watch, pack of bubblegum. A lighter, small LED flashlights, thin bulletproof vest under a black painted, hooded proximity suit. 2 road flares. Smart phone, water bottle, 2 meal bars. Gas mask. brush ax with sheath on top, poorly disguised to look like walking stick.

black military back pack

main section cut open for 4 gallon spray pump full of gasoline, hose plugged in, and nozzle assembled.

[Kray]

Breathing heavy after the fast paced exertions a last half hearted look is given but he knows this is as good as he is going to get his end of preparations and not a moment to soon as the distorted call of Circe finds its way to him. His deep voice rumbles in a similarly warped manner back to the summer queen. "Uh. Yeah." Pause in reply while he catches his breathe a little more. "Got it time to clear out." He doesn't have anything to add to the flames so he will raise his arms high and wave them at Sonnie to try and give an all clear, before getting clear of the burn zone himself. But he will stay to fire watch if the flames jump or get out of control he wants to try and head it off before it becomes a major problem.

Stats and gear

wp for this scene 1/2


defence: 2
Speed: 12


Armour/clothing:
Full fire fighter gear + breathing apparatus+ Filter


Weapons:
Bowie Knife 2L
Machete 2L


Goblin Fruit:
x3 murmur leaf

[Saber Sloth]

Sonnie does more than stare, her nimbus helps her zip and zoom! Look and search instead of oooing and awwing and errrring at the Rust. Going by air, and the more methodical nature of her search it still takes Sonnie time (though not as much as if she'd been on foot) to find the densest, darkest part of the Rust, ringing around a great tree - though it's nothing like any of the trees Sonnie had ever seen in the familiar hedge surrounding Sacramento.

Reaching high into the sky, those reaching limbs are thin and would be brittle it they didn't seem so ropey, they're covered in dirt - Rust. Those ropey limbs tighten, thicken to make a trunk, though it's hard to see it, the trunk is covered in a discomforting number of boils. They pulsate as the roots, thinker versions of the same ropey limbs reach out, and dig into the dirt around.

In response, Sonnie can see, the Rust shudders.



Back with Circe, her clause ignites and she's insulated from the temperature the the blaze will give off, more protected perhaps than Kray in his firefighter gear. Neither of them can quite see where Sonnie had gotten to.


It's now time to light it up.

With the gasoline on the Rust, and the nature of the Rust, it'll catch fire immediately, you just need set it on fire, be it by mundane or magical means

[Sonnie Wu]

Well, that's gross.

Sonnie stared at the big corrupted tree in amazement and disgust. So amazed and disgusted, she didn't even notice the Ogre trying to signal her. If this wasn't the source of the Rust, then every storytelling convention she'd ever seen on TV or the movies had been lying to her. Wordlessly, she reached into her bag and extracted the lighter and a molotov. She held them in her hands and eyed the tree.

BURN IT!

Are Circe and Kray done yet?

WHO CARES? LIGHT IT!

But if the firebreak isn't fini-

I already lit it.

Sure enough, the rag/fuse of the vodka bottle was now aflame.

Impatience, they name is Sonnie Wu.

With a shrug, she hurled the bottle at the base of the tree.

:thrown:

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-31 17:48:32	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Throw Molotov! Dex 5 + Athletics 4 + 1 Throwing Specialty (10 Again)	7, 6, 3, 3, 7, 7, 3, 1, 2, 9	1 success

In her eagerness, despite all her thrown weapons training, she damn near missed the whole tree! Thankfully, the nice thing about molotovs is the splash damage. WOOSH!

Grinning, she pulled a second bottle out and prepared to light it. Was that overkill? Maybe, but she made these firebombs and she was going to use them all!

:thrown:

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-31 17:51:33	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Molotov 2! Dex 5 + Athletics 4 + 1 Throwing Specialty (10 Again)	2, 10, 9, 9, 7, 5, 7, 1, 10, 8, 5, 5	5 successes

Oh, the second bottle went even better! A beautiful shot! Flames everywhere! And now for the finale!

:thrown:

6 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2025-01-31 17:53:01	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Molotov 3: Dex 5 + Athletics 4 + 1 Throwing Spec (10 Again)	4, 10, 9, 3, 2, 9, 8, 10, 3, 9, 5, 5	6 successes

"WOOHOO! BURN BABY BURN!!" The third and final molotov was the best yet!

Oh dear, the Beast isn't turning into a pyromaniac now, is she? There may have been some cackling.

In any case, time to get away from the rising smoke! Nimbus flew back to the staging area as Sonnie wistfully watched her handiwork incinerate the hated Rust!