(Bibliophile) Poor Connection

[Forn Clakes]

The last thing that Daniel, Lynn and Morgan see as the hedge gate close behind them is the face of Marcus, his steely-gaze offering them support, tinged with regret for having to leave them for the time being. Then the doorway back to the world closes, leaving an archway of mold the is cut into the maze of briars around them. The pathway they find themselves on appears to have been walked several times before with any overhanging thorns cut away from snagging upon anyone who wished to wander this route.

"Come on then," Garth said, hefting the aerials he carried in both hands, muscles straining beneath his clothing. "We better get a move on. This path can take an hour or so, if we're lucky. Hurley," the Elemental said, looking towards his companion. "Lead the way, dude." The Alsatian nodded and began to trot, taking point.

Around them, the hedge was maintained up to a point and was just like the mad otherworldly places that is known to the Lost. However, touches of it's position in relation to the real world poke through. As the wind blows, it seems that the sound of braying horses could be heard in the distance. Straw and hay is captured on the thorns or have been blown across the pathway itself. Perhaps more alien are the tangle of cable that seems to connect some briars together, bound in copper and plastic.

After a few minutes of walking, Hurley first and then Garth, the Elemental starts up conversation. "So, just out of interest, how did you guys find me? I thought I was off the map." He didn't seem angry in any way, simply curious.

This scene continues on from The Bridge Burner, and as such all previous glamour, willpower and health expenditures apply.

[Trickster]

Lynn followed after Garth, making her way carefully down the path. "Honestly? Far as we're concerned, you are. We knew that we needed to find HAL and somebody we knew had your name. After we get back, I can try and find out how they knew about you; but getting a straight answer is going to involve dentists tools, a Scrabble set and a ouija board."

She glanced around at the strange tangles of wires that surrounded them. "Mind if I ask what you're doing? Obviously you've put a lot of work into it. Very impressive."

[Forn Clakes]

"Heh," Goyle replied, moving carefully along the pathway, not far behind Hurley. "I ain't that concerned really, just intrigued. I try to keep myself to myself these days, avoid trouble if I can."

At her question, he glanced over his shoulder and then to the wires in the Hedge. "This is HAL's big plan, been working on it for a little while now, ever since returning...well, coming back after he was kicked out of Sacramento."

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan had looked miffed at the accusation of not being muscular. Fortunately, others talking allowed her brain brain to grasp the analogy before she ran off her mouth and she calmed down. She was curious as to what all the wires had to do with HAL's big plan. "Nada-not clear on what t-the wires be for, heh. B-b-but hafta be better t-then the plans I came up w-with for dragon slaying, heh-heh...Hard to be worse then bulk-liquid-nitrogen-theft."

Morgan was slowly phasing into her "Hedge mindset" as she strained her ears and eyes to scan the flora for threats. She'd also periodically tilt up her head to sniff with her nose, wary of any coppery scents. It isn't paranoia when you are prey in a predator's realm.

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel watched the Hedge gate close with some trepidation. Losing Marcus at this point made him more than a little nervous about the situation. Still, there was no turning back now. It didn’t help that he wasn’t especially good at… Hedge stuff.

So he focused mostly on the thing he was more familiar with. The bundles of wires deeply contrasted the more natural plant-like setting of the Hedge. Daniel wondered what they did. It looked like they connected between the vegetation, which didn’t make sense. Wood wasn’t conductive. Then again maybe they were, like in the new alien avatar Fern Gully remake. He observed and tried to puzzle out their purpose as he listened to the other’s conversation.

Wish I had a schematic

Not sure if discerning stuff from the wiring would fall under Crafts or Investigation in this case.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-17 19:46:11		Daniel Leto rolls 3 to Int+Investigation (10 Again)		6, 3, 1		failure

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-17 19:46:52		Daniel Leto rolls 5 to Int+Crafts (10 Again)		8, 3, 3, 1, 1		1 success

[Forn Clakes]

Daniel's initial assumption was correct. This shouldn't work, and he really didn't know if it was working or not. Whatever it was would require a lot more tinkering.

"Sorry, got no clue about dragon slaying," Garth replied down the line. Hurley's head looked around. "Shhh!" he snapped, coming to a pause.

Please roll Wits + Composure

[Trickster]

Lynn froze where she was, hardly daring to breathe as she looked for whatever it was that Hurley had noticed.

What's that?!?

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-18 17:22:01		Lynn Mills rolls 5 to look around [Wits (2) + Composure (3)] (10 Again)		3, 1, 1, 6, 10, 5		1 success

[Morgan Bellanar]

Morgan froze up as well, straining her sense to try and figure out what had made Goyle call the halt.

What is it?!

  2 Suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-18 17:30:23		Morgan Bellanar rolls 8 to Perception (10 Again, WillPower)		5, 10, 3, 1, 10, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3		2 successes

[Daniel Leto]

Daniel stopped just as suddenly as the others and even the swirling mists of mantle seemed to go still as they settled on the ground near his feet. He looked around with his normal calm but he wasn't smiling.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2014-12-18 17:58:34		Daniel Leto rolls 6 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)		7, 6, 1, 10, 7, 7, 4		1 success

[Forn Clakes]

Despite everyone's scan of the area, it was only Morgan's heightened sense of hearing that allows her to catch a scuff of the ground coming from somewhere nearby, somewhere through the Hedge.