Hedge Patrol II

[Gerrit]

Gerrit felt the Pledge take hold - a mix of relief and anxiety accompanied the feeling. Pledges ensured some sort of security, but you could easily get tangled up within. The others didn't seem to mirror his worries though, so maybe he was being too paranoid. He followed inside and took off his shoes without questioning it. Some people just liked to keep their homes tidy, after all. The Pig seemed to be neurotic enough for notions like these.

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-20 03:30:11	Gerrit rolls 6 to take a look around (Wits 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	10, 2, 7, 6, 10, 8, 10, 8, 6	5 successes

Entering the Hollow proper, Gerrit looked around for any hidden dangers, possible loopholes to hurt them or other shady business. He was alert, and the more time he spent with his Court the better he seemed to be getting at just watching.
The offer to sit down was politely declined by the Stonebones and doubly so the offer for any drinks. Who knew what they would receive, even if there was no ill-intent on Olivers side. As a rule, he preferred not to get indebted in any way in the Hedge.

He would leave Cassandra to do the talking, but he would play his part in the conversation: Gerrit promised the Fairest to watch out for her and this meant he'd watch out for any lies or unspoken threats they might get served here.

4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-20 03:34:03	Gerrit rolls 5 to read Oliver (Wits 3 + Empathy 2) (10 Again)	8, 10, 8, 1, 8, 1	4 successes

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

[Anatole]

A gasp leeches from the burned dwarf as the Wyrd takes hold. He lets out a sigh as the fingers on his free hand clench, unclench, and stretch. Anatole has that cat-like smugness to him now: it rolls off of him and frames the little smile on his face.

He will be the last to enter the hob-house - so he can close the door and place his ax in a corner. The Oath binds them all now, so the Autumn Courtier decides he doesn't need to carry the weapon around.

As directed by their host, he will slip off his shoes and place them on the rack before joining the others in the living area.

He will stand until the others are seated (and that includes Professor Pig Oliver their host).

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll have tea, I thank you."

He lets Ram and the others take command of the conversation.

[Anatole]

Book Keeping

[Cassandra Reeding]

Cassandra offers a smile and a nod and seals the pledge with the force of her will, a hint of sunlight seeming to touch the area around her, even beyond that frigid wind that surrounds her. Yes, now they are now bound to be proper guests with the Wyrd's blessing.


She takes off her shoes as requested by their host, setting them neatly upon the rack next to Gerrit's as she enters. "It is lovely to meet you, Oliver." His hollow truly appeared lived in in a warm kind of manner. "Your home is lovely." The bookshelves in particular caught her attention, her eyes scanning to see what all occupies them.

Investigate the bookshelves - 2 Successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-21 19:21:12	Cassandra Reeding rolls 4 to Investigating the bookshelves (Wits + Investigation) (10 Again)	3, 5, 9, 8	2 successes

She turns back to Oliver and with a grateful smile says, "Oh, tea would be wonderful, thank you." As frigid as she can be at times, this was the time to be as lovely as she can be. It's a careful dance, however. If she is too nice, it will become off-putting. She will need to keep her mind on that as this interaction continues.


And then Ram immediately goes right into the meat of their questions. No warming up and making Oliver more comfortable, just diving right in. Too cold of a relationship here could be the difference in what they could get in information. She has to hope that the impression she gave upon first meeting would be sufficient. What to do? Back him up gently.


"The Hedge Gate was a surprise to come upon as we were escaping the vines. The symbol is familiar and we'd love to know what you know about the Hedge Gate and its symbol."

Persuade Oliver to open up about any knowledge he has of the Hedge Gate + its Symbol - 4 Successes

4 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-21 19:32:55	Cassandra Reeding rolls 9 to Persuasion (Pres 4 + Pers 2 + SL 1 + Songs 2) (10 Again)	5, 7, 1, 5, 9, 10, 10, 6, 5, 9, 5	4 successes

[Saber Sloth]

"Oh, thank you, thank you. Please, excuse me I'll get some tea ready..." he leaves and soon can be heard moving about his kitchen, getting drinks ready, while he's busy, the Lost take a look around.

Gerrit, focusing more on watching sees the living room as a well lived in space. There is a lot packed inside, but everything is well cared for, each knickknack is dust free and placed, perhaps not in aesthetically pleasing way, but in ways that obviously have associations. Of which Gerrit can't tell at a glance. But hey seem to directly correlate to sections of the books on the shelves, the knickknacks are in front of or beside.

Surprisingly, above the mantle, is a mounted pair of Hedgespun tusks. Still obviously sharp, and presumably deadly. The shine of which is cut in half by old, old faded bloodstains.

Cassandra, looking at the books specifically notes that there is an entire shelf dedicated to fiction. Nothing that could be generously said to have been written after the 1980s, another to non-fiction. Mostly encyclopedias, a few dictionaries in different editions, along with a few thesauruses. The rest of the shelves are filled with things that are obviously less mundane. Most of which the Fairest cannot tell what they're about without opening them up and looking for herself.

When the Ogre returns, tea on a tray with a pot of sugar and another for milk, Gerrit can see that neurotic isn't far off. The Piggy Professor is a bundle of barely hidden nerves. Anxiety shows in the curling of his fingers and the shake of his hands.

Oliver sits, choosing one of the armchairs after setting his tea tray on a small side table. "Oh? The symbol? It's...it's a Gate symbol. A Hedge Gate symbol…I don't see why you'd have an issue with...oh! Are you new to the area then? That explains why you ran into the Bloodsuckle then...I would have thought the Freehold would have warned you about it...." he shakes his piggy head, ears flopping with the motion.

If you want to clock any exits or additional features please roll Perception Ram Scourge if you get the esuxx you'll get what Gerrit saw, if not

Perception Normal Suxx

Ram doesn't notice anything that screams exit, save the front door and the larger window behind the couch, where they'd first seen Oliver's shadow moving about from the outside. Off the same wall as the fireplace, and directly adjacent to the open archway that lead into the kitchen is a closed door.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-22 14:15:07	Professor Pig rolls 4 to Can be read? (10 Again)	4, 9, 8, 7	2 successes

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-22 14:15:36	Professor Pig rolls 3 to is convinced? (10 Again)	3, 5, 3	failure

[Ram]

“The Freehold?” He glanced his companions, with extra eye contact given to Anatole. As far as the Render knew he was the one who had been in Sacramento longest. From what Circe hadn’t mentioned anything about a ambush plant. Then again, by her intelligence said this should be a cabin by a waterfall. Then again, space didn’t follow exact rules in the Hedge “Which Freehold exactly?” Was it possible they’d overshot and ended up an LA adjacent Hollow? Oliver was obviously familiar with a Freehold but also obviously didn’t have the feeling that the Stone gave to confirm he wasn’t an enemy. However, it was true from what Ram knew that the Freehold changed quickly. Maybe somebody had know about all this before heading out of town.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-22 21:10:49	Ram rolls 4 to Wits2+Comp2 (10 Again)	4, 6, 3, 8	1 success

[Gerrit]

So as far as he could tell, neither the host nor the house seemed to pose any immediate threat to Gerrit or his friends. The Stonebones allowed him to relax, if only slightly. Everything pointed to Oliver living out here for quite a while - but then why hasn't anyone heard of him or this particular spot in the Hedge? The Onyx Courtier kept his questions to himself for now - Cassandra would know how to maneuver this conversation.

Even if Cassandra wasn't catching all of it, Ram was throwing enough curveballs to get this bundle of nerves to it's capacity. This Ogre will continue to listen in silence.

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

[Anatole]

Once the Ogre has seated himself, Anatole takes up the last seating space.

"A trophy won from the Hedge?"

He gestures to the tusks hanging on the way.

And grunts, nodding his head along to Ram question. How Professor Pig Oliver answered that would reveal much. The dwarf remained tight lipped, unwilling to add anything that might prejudice or alter how the porcine Ogre might respond.

[Cassandra Reeding]

The right questions are being asked, her worry is just how well this Ogre is going to be under this pressure that is supposed to be friendly. The Fairest watches Oliver, all of that nervous movement wondering just how worked up the poor thing is. It wouldn't be useful for information gathering if he were overly nervous or anxious. I need to put him at ease somehow.

Cassandra gazes down at the tray of tea and asks, "Oliver, would you like a tea for yourself? You're shivering, dear," She has a role to play here and it seems that role is going to be the face of ease. Everything is in how you present it or in how you carefully nudge things. Implications she can tell he's nervous, however she is also leaving the implication that she wants to help rather than exploit it. ...which is what she is doing anyway. Of course, if Oliver is no one of particular issue, it isn't like she would want them to feel nervous. He'd have every right to be. Still, as their agreement was - simple hospitality and peace.

Relax, Oliver. 1 Success

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-27 17:17:22	Cassandra Reeding rolls 5 to Relax Professor Pig (Manip + Empathy + SL) (10 Again)	2, 3, 4, 8, 7	1 success

Her mind walks through a few different scenarios based on what she has seen... and based on her paranoid Winter mind. Oliver is suspicious, regardless of how intentional it is or not. So, is he one of Anne's? A scout in the Freehold area posing as a sweet wee professor? Is he a face? Is he nervous because he's an anxious bean or is he nervous because we're in the middle of something sketchy?

What kind of nervous are you, Oliver? 2 Successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-27 17:59:11	Cassandra Reeding rolls 4 to What kind of nervous are you, Oliver? (Wits + Empathy) (10 Again)	4, 3, 8, 10, 7	2 successes

As she tries to gauge his flavor of nerves, she is listening to how he answers the other's questions. Still, a pleasant smile upon her face. This is casual informative conversation, after all, right?

[Saber Sloth]

Oliver smiles at Cassandra, nodding as he fixes he own cup, but his anxious manner doesn't ease. Jolting, some of his tea sloshes up from the delicate little teacup, as Anatole asks his question, "Oh, ah. no. I mean. Yes, they can be seen that way I suppose, but no. They-are-were-are. uh. Mine." tumbles out of his mouth. Strain and memories tightens the lines of his pink piggy face, "They were bigger. Once. Before." staring into his tea, "But, ah. I don't need them anymore. So. On the wall they go." he smiles around his own smaller tusks, or attempts to.

Ram's question has the other Ogre to start again, this the genuine confusion glows bright within his little piggy eyes, "What do you mean which Freehold?" a head shake, "I suppose you are really new, or just arrived then? To San Francisco?"

Cassandra, ever the Winter watches the Professor's tells, and receives conflicting messages. There are lines of genuine anxiety rolling through him, while also finding nerves, and bald stresses born from something else.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-30 12:43:58	Professor Pig rolls 3 to Can be calmed? (10 Again)	10, 7, 9, 1	2 successes

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-30 12:43:17	Professor Pig rolls 4 to Can he be read like a book? (10 Again)	8, 2, 5, 1	1 success