Hedge Patrol II

[Cassandra Reeding]

"I get the feeling we are getting close... but... if it is following us, it could be following us to the Hollow. It'll compromise the location. Ram, should we try to face it?" The Fairest asks, and while she continues helping them navigate, and doing well, she thought. It was as if it were going too smoothly. The way the Hedge paths continued, the markings around them, it was almost too easy for her to guide them through. It wasn't nearly that easy last time. Did she get better at it? Is it luck? Or is it something more sinister?

Traversing the Hedge 3 successes

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-27 12:02:42	Cassandra Reeding rolls 9 to Traversing the Hedge (Int 4 + Survival 1 + 4 Teamwork) (10 Again)	1, 8, 9, 1, 6, 8, 6, 7, 2	3 successes

Still. What even is perception? She has none. Clearly. It is frustrating, but hopefully the other three of them caught something she couldn't.

Perception Failure

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-27 12:03:05	Cassandra Reeding rolls 3 to Perception (wits 2 + composure 2 Clarity -1) (10 Again)	7, 7, 1	failure

[Saber Sloth]

They keep moving, but Cassandra has a good point. Their follower isn't engaging, and eventually the Lost will reach the rumoured Hollow and they would have lead their follower right to it...

[Ram]

Casandra and Anatole both seemed ready to try and fight the... hob? Ram didn't have a good read on Gerrit right now. Was the Render messing up? Was there something he was missing?

“Face it how?” he asked honestly though with hints of annoyance but also desperation. If she had any ideas, he was willing to listen but so far none of them had been able to even catch sight of their pursuer. As it was the amount of good options was limited.

“I have an idea. So, I'm less concerned about compromising the Hollow than finding it occupied.” They were scouting after all. “If the Hollow’s too risky to claim, I can find another.” He gave the group a significant look, wondering if they would take the understanding of what would happen if it wasn’t too risky. Hoping it didn't follow the logic.

perception 4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-28 18:13:32	Ram rolls 4 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	1, 10, 10, 6, 9, 10, 2	4 successes

assist 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-28 18:13:40	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	7, 9, 4	1 success

[Gerrit]

Ram's tone worried Gerrit even more than the thing that seemed to follow them. But maybe that was it's plan all along: to make them paranoid, jumpy. The Stonebones did his best to keep his head. "What if he stopped as a group and see if we can spot it or get it to show itself?" Far from a groundbreaking suggestion, but it was the best they could do aside from storming the Thorns or keep walking.

Then Ram suggested looking for another Hollow? Gerrit furrowed his brows, but kept his eyes at their rear - thus missing the Render's look. They knew where to go and so far it seemed like they were on the correct way, so why change their goal all of the sudden? Was the Summer using reverse psychology? Did he want to lure the thing right to the Hollow, maybe using it against whatever squatted there? It didn't make any sense - for all they knew they'd just increase the number of things against them. "What's your idea then?" Asking outright went in the face of subtlety, but they couldn't afford miscommunication right now.

He had a good feeling about the progress they made, the Hedge appearing pretty traversable - he kept assisting Cassandra in any way he could - but they needed to decide on a course of action.

Perception 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-01 05:44:52	Gerrit rolls 6 to look out (Wit 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	2, 5, 9, 7, 6, 7	1 success

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-01 05:45:41	Gerrit rolls 4 to help navigate (Int 3 + Surv 1) (10 Again)	2, 6, 7, 10, 2	1 success

Equipment: Backpack - 1 bottle of water, First Aid Kit, Rope (from climbing gear).

[Anatole]

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-03 05:10:38	Anatole knows... Things! rolls 6 to Intelligence + Occult (10 Again)	4, 7, 6, 6, 7, 10, 4	1 success

Anatole comes - grudgingly - to a stop once more as their party continues to straggle and stretch out along the trail. Sighing he stops and turns back so he can join the rest of the group.

"Running off into the Thorns after it could be what it wants - if it is a danger, that is."

He joins in the conversation, now running his free hand through his beard.

"Why not risk it and make right for the Hollow, right now? In all this journey we've been dogged by this... And it has never shown itself. What if it's just the Hedge reacting to our suspicion. The Hedge is known to do things like that. Part of the whole disorientation and spreading madness thing that goes on here. So maybe its simply that - from what you say the last patrol ended in some danger; and now you want to locate a Hollow and quickly before something else does... Fear and Suspicion. And Lo! We find ourselves hunted by a mysterious, yet inept, enemy."

"If we run, it may force it out of the Thorns. Or prove its just the Hedge playing up. If it wants to do us harm, it will have the moment to do so. And if we do things right and prepare before we make our run... We can turn the tables on it. It is a high risk strategy but sometimes you have to face the fear..."

[Cassandra Reeding]

This is the Winter Hedge. More often than not, this is when the Hedge ghosts take form of your loved ones, use your sorrow and loss against you. The Hedge sending you things to bring you to despair. Though, it does always try to inspire fear when it can. Is this one of those times? Maybe it is in their heads. Or maybe it was real before and now the Hedge is trying to make a come for them via those fears. Maybe.

"So... then it sounds like the plan is to reach the Hollow, carefully, scouting out for it being occupied, and if the 'creature' wants to face us there..." She lets out a sigh. She hated it. Well, she hated all of these plans, because all of them had bad odds. Call upon the Wyrd again? See if she can get more information? Try. Just try. Worst that happens is it gives no answer at all.

Pathfinder 5 successes

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-03 08:23:06	Cassandra Reeding rolls 6 to Pathfinder Int 4 + Wyrd 2 (10 Again)	1, 6, 10, 10, 10, 9, 10, 2, 2, 3	5 successes

Are we in immediate danger?

Is the Hollow we are near occupied?

Does the Hollow have an exit path to avoid being surrounded?

Is there a path to it we can take that will lose a follower?

Is there a Hedge Gate nearby?

Whatever answers she is able to glean, she will immediately share with the group, all while directing them through the Hedge, hopefully closing in on the Hollow with some answers.

Traversing the Hedge 1 success

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-03 08:23:52	Cassandra Reeding rolls 7 to Traversing the Hedge (Int 4 + Survival 1 + 2 Teamwork) (10 Again)	4, 5, 8, 3, 1, 3, 7	1 success

[Saber Sloth]

They continue forward. Their follower continues to rustle the dead underbrush, cracking dry and brittle twigs, focusing upon speed instead of its neigh imperceivable camouflage.

Those whose eyes are keen, see the grey barked vinces, creeping along the ground. Rustling the brush as is crawls along, roots pulling it forward, as it's vines snake under and around the boroughs of trees, and the logs and branches of the fallen. The overseeing Lost might be happy to note that this moving mass of vines and roots isn't much of mass, Ram could hold it in its entirely between his hands.

Anatole's voiced suggestions has merit, but the Autumn knows of something that would act like this. It's not a creature so much as a plant an ambush predator if, a plant could be considered one. Though this is the Hedge, and a sentient, carnivorous plant isn't too outside the realm of possibility. In fact, a name comes to mind as the Wizened Autumn pnders, Bloodsuckle.

Cassandra, invoking a Clause feels the expense of glamour before the knowledge slides into her mind. Water dripping from an icicle.

Are we in immediate danger?
Yesno
Is the Hollow we are near occupied?
Yes
Does the Hollow have an exit path to avoid being surrounded?
No
Is there a path to it we can take that will lose a follower?
Yes
Is there a Hedge Gate nearby?
Yes

As her workings of the Contract are exceptional she also knows that the Hedge nearby used to be quite populated, and nearly something of a Hedgey Suburb of Hollows kept together by Pledges, now it's a shadow of it's former self. Strangulated and devoured.

[Ram]

Ram took a long enough pause trying to think how to answer Gerrit that the new information Cassandra provided rendered it useless anyway. Which only meant the Ogre had to take even longer. Time to process what she’d said. Time to process what he’d just seen moving through the Thorns. And time to process a plan that took it all into account.

It made him feel like he looked stupid. Which, all things considered, probably wasn’t the biggest concern he should be feeling but it did bug him.

They both were and weren’t in immediate danger. Strange answer but Ram defaulted to taking it as affirmation that the danger existed. The Hollow was occupied. Shit. That through out his plan. They’d have bulldoze through and try to reach the Gate to mortal world before… There was no exit path.

“What? That doesn’t make sense,” Ram said in confusion “It should have an exit to a viaduct.” Something was off. Were the Dreams lying to her? That… that wasn’t possible was it? It’d be a breach of contract. No, he was missing something.

There was a path of escape. There was a Hedge Gate. But no path? No path. Ram growled a bit. He felt like Dreams were being a bit tricky as the pieces of missing information came into place.

“We don’t know the Hollow we’re near is the one we’re heading for,” he stated “Not if this place used to be populated with lots of Hollows. The Hollow might not have a path out but it could have a Hedge Gate. Or the gate could not be in the Hollow. Damn it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose but kept his eyes open but even then it moved to fast for him to track in the undergrowth.

“The thing that’s following us is a plant, just caught sight of it for a few seconds. Not big. Maybe the size of a volleyball. Looks like it’s just trying to keep up now. We might be able to outrun it. Ugh,” he grunted. Having spotted it, he really wanted nothing more than to rush in crush it. Instead he let nudged the battle mind onto another track.

They were being followed by a plant. Possible immediate danger. Likely to engage by piercing growths, blunt tendrils, or rootlike grappling. Smallish. Likely able to be outsped or overpowered. Likely to stealth if they slowed and gain element of surprise.

There were one or more Hollows nearby. One or more Hollows was occupied by unknown entities. One or more Hollows was a dead end and risked being surrounded. One or more Hollows had a path that allowed for loss of a follower. Path and how it needed to be traveled was unknown. Possible immediate danger from entities. Unknown engagement strategies.

Tactical options: Attempt to engage pursuer off path. Run to disengage pursuer. Run to lure out pursuer and engage. Run to original target, potentially engage with both pursuer and hollow occupants. Find path to disengage with follower and possibly engage with Hollow residents.

Ram tended to like to go for what he knew. However, to engage the plant meant either go off path, wait for it to strike them, or run to lure it out (which could lead them to the Hollow anyway and confronting an unknown).

He realized he’d probably been silent for a while now.

“I think the best option is to run and find the path that will let us lose it before we reach the Hollow,” he said at last. They were so close he felt like he could taste the mists coming off the waterfall. He didn’t like facing an unknown but finding a Hollow had been the original plan after all, so it was likely to happen either way. That being the case, he’d rather not have the snaking vine with them when they found it. "Cassandra, I can carry you if you're up for it." He glanced at Anatole as if he were about to make the same offer, but it had also been the dwarfs idea, so Ram was pretty sure the Wizened could sprint if he had too.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-04 18:53:30	Ram rolls 4 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	4, 2, 6, 5	failure

Assist 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-04 18:54:49	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	3, 8, 2	1 success

[Gerrit]

The Wizened made some good points - for all they knew the increasing paranoia was just making this thing stronger, if it didn't just outright bring it into creation. Plus, until it decided to come out of the Thorns they were a bunch of sitting ducks unless they dared leaving the path.

He followed Cassandra's and Ram's exchange of ideas and information patiently and came to his own conclusions, mostly matching those Ram arrived at. "So we should pick up the pace?" Bloodshot eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to gauge the speed of their follower, but losing it whenever he thought he spottet it.
"Do you think we could make it? Anatole, are you able to keep up?" There was a hint of concern in the Ogre's voice - it hadn't been long since Anatole had to use a cane for support. "Do you guys think we are able to make out with path lets us lose it while still reaching our destination?" The increasing tension fired up Gerrit's brain into troubleshooting mode, going trough possible problems and things they might overlook. He didn't know his way around the Hegde as well as Cassandra so he had to trust her abilities on that if they wanted to make the Render's plan work, but granted they were able to navigate around well enough while outpacing the plant they might pull it off.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-06 17:14:02	Gerrit rolls 6 to be on the look-out (Wits 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 7	failure

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-03-06 17:14:25	Gerrit rolls 4 to help Cassandra navigate (Int 3 + Surv 1) (10 Again)	8, 1, 7, 7	1 success

He tried to keep a clear head, to cling to the problem at hand and pull his weight, but ever since Ram had mentioned their tail being some sort of plant Gerrit couldn't shake the image of a mad and hollow Ethan hiding in the Thorns. "In any case: we should act soon." There was only the slightest bit of raspy quiver in his voice - the last thing they needed was tanking morale further by showing weakness.

Equipment: Backpack - 1 bottle of water, First Aid Kit, Rope (from climbing gear).

[Anatole]

Anatole caught the glances from the Render and the Stonebones.

"I spent the full life span of a mortal man working a hot forge, day and night, to make weapons for some Dark Lord's army. I can run."

A shot of fear spiked his words with a shard of defiance. Gerrit was quite correct: Anatole had not done much exercise since the battle with Iron Meg and Tatiana's subsequent healing. The wizened felt fine. But he had no idea how he'd be on a long distance run.

"Well. If we're going to do it, then we should do it."