Hedge Patrol II

[Cassandra Reeding]

"Whatever it is, if it's watching us, I get the bad feeling that if we run it might see it as a threat or an invitation to follow. I can..." She pauses. Trying to convince the insects not to attack us last time didn't work. But, it's something I am good at. I could try again. Maybe whatever this is can be reasoned with. Maybe.

Cassandra looks over to the bushes where Gerrit believes he saw the rustling and she says, "We mean you no harm, we just want to traverse the Hedge in peace. Please leave us be so we can continue our journey." Perhaps even if it doesn't buy into her words, perhaps seeing the two Ogres might be enough to dissuade something from attacking too.

Persuasion 5 successes

5 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-16 11:30:41	Cassandra Reeding rolls 7 to Persuasion (Pres 4 + Pers 2 + SL 1) (10 Again)	8, 10, 8, 5, 2, 8, 5, 9	5 successes

[Saber Sloth]

Cassandra's voice pitched to carry, rings out.

The rustling stops.

Gerrit sees nothing but the grey bark of splintering vines, wrapping around the tree root's and dead brambles that signals clearly the line between The Path, and Off The Path.

6 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-17 12:37:10	Something rolls 6 to something insignificant (10 Again)	10, 10, 9, 1, 9, 10, 8, 1, 6	6 successes

[Ram]

“Haven’t got eyes on anything,” Ram said steadily, though louder than he wanted because Anatole STILL hadn’t moved up “If there is something, we can’t attack what we can’t see. We aren’t going off path to search,” that at very least had the rumble of an order “Standing here gets us nowhere and leaves us vulnerable to attack. I say we run.” Though he still didn’t see in good landmarks for direction so he couldn't point the way, he trusted Cassandra. She’d probably convinced it to leave them alone and she could guide them the rest of the way. "Or at least move up."

However, unless the dwarf yielded ground and pushed forward against fear, they wouldn’t be going anywhere. Hopefully the wisdom of terror wouldn’t bring inaction.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-17 19:20:47	Ram rolls 4 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	2, 8, 2, 4	1 success

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-17 19:21:07	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	5, 1, 7	failure

[Gerrit]

Either Cassandra's words worked - she certainly seemed persuasive enough - or he imagined the rustling earlier. Ram seemed annoyed, and Gerrit wasn't sure enough of what he saw to argue the point. "Sorry, I guess I'm on edge. I didn't want to bring the whole patrol to a halt."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-18 15:26:07	Gerrit rolls 6 to look for danger (Wits 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2	failure

Yeah, he must have imagined things. The Ogre felt embarrassed and was ready to move again. He didn't want to help any navigation for the moment - what if he led them on the wrong path or worse: off the path?

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

[Anatole]

Still nothing. Ram had the right of it.

Anatole lifted his axe and began to march forward along their path. He moved up, grunting an acknowledgement to the big Ogre as he passed.

"Well! We is not for stopping while you - whatever you are - hide in the Thorns like a bunch of pansies. So if you don't want to talk we will be on our way!"

He turns his head this way and that as he addresses the Hedge - loudly - while he moves forward.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 06:46:03	Anatole to be scary and insulting all at the same time! rolls 5 to Manipulation + Intimidation (10 Again)	8, 7, 9, 5, 2	2 successes

Perhaps no will notice how is is... subtly quickly picking up the pace to hustle the troupe along. If harm was intended, their - or his, rather - sudden movement might spring it into action. If there was no danger, they could pass unimpeded and press on with their real task...

Finding Ram's Hollow.

[Cassandra Reeding]

Maybe there was something in the way that she felt successful for talking at the Hedge, urging whatever lay in the bushes, if anything, to leave them be. She felt more convincing, but she still didn't know if she was actually successful or not. They couldn't focus on that now though. They needed to keep moving.

The way Anatole verbally assaults the Hedge though is worrying to her. She'd just nicely asked whatever it was to be nice. Now we've tried to frighten it away? That might make it worse if the original didn't quite succeed. But what does she know? Perhaps it would help...

Quietly, she says to Gerrit, "I believe you that you saw something. You are more perceptive than me." There was an admission. At a quick glance, the Fairest could miss a lot of detail. Put her in front of something to investigate and that was an entirely different story.

Focus. She told herself as she began directing them again. "Okay, let's keep moving. I was guilty of it too, but how about executive order? Next time we see something, keep moving but slow unless something is blocking our path?" This would help keep them together. They needed a unified plan.

Traversing the Hedge 2 Successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 11:15:35	Cassandra Reeding rolls 5 to Traversing the Hedge (Int 4 + Survival 1) (10 Again)	4, 9, 2, 10, 7, 4	2 successes

Perception Failure

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 11:17:16	Cassandra Reeding rolls 3 to Perception (wits 2 + composure 2 Clarity -1) (10 Again)	1, 6, 7	failure

[Saber Sloth]

The Lost continue forward. Nothing appears to impede their progress.


....though none of them can shake the feeling that something is watching them.

4suxx sneak, 2suxx ignore taunt

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 12:16:47	Something rolls 7 to Resolute (10 Again)	8, 7, 2, 8, 7, 4, 5	2 successes
2021-02-19 12:14:47	Something rolls 6 to Sneaking (10 Again)	9, 10, 10, 2, 9, 5, 6, 4	4 successes

[Ram]

“It’s fine, thought there might have been something there too,” Ram reassured Gerrit.

“Anatole, we’ve got a marching order,” Ram said a little harshly, catching up to the dwarf in quick strides, the shadows pressing closer as he did. He didn’t push by just yet, wanting to give a chance for him to fall back to third position. This start stop pace of the Autumn courtier was annoying the Render more than a little and he had to remind himself not to judge to much. This wasn’t the Battlefield and these weren’t Summer grunts. At the same time, the sudden speed up felt more than a little dangerous and breaking the group rules made it so Ram had a harder time knowing how things might go down in a battle other than labeling Anatole a wild card. Wild cards could be useful, but they didn’t exactly make things predictable.

Like say, making threats after Cassandra had just tried to diffuse the situation. Ram gave a gravelly sigh, wishing more and more he’d had them talk before setting off. Something to keep in mind for next time.

He was also glad she was there to give words to his thoughts in a way that was probably more productive than he could have managed.

“Agreed,” he gave in assent to her suggestion, as he also pointed out some signs that might take them to a waterfall like the one next to the hollow.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 16:35:05	Ram rolls 4 to Wits2+Comp2 (10 Again)	8, 3, 1, 5	1 success

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 16:35:23	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	6, 8, 2	1 success

[Gerrit]

Gerrit was actually kind of glad that Anatole acted the way he did - this meant they were no longer following the thread of stories past. Ethan had been timid and skittish, Anatole was confrontational and brash. Surely that meant that they were about to shape their destiny differently, successfully.

Hearing Cassandra and Ram reassuring his alarm made the Stonebones feel bad - it felt like pity, as if he failed and warranted a consolation prize. Nails dug into battered hands, drawing small specks of blood from the leathery skin. Don't. They'd gain nothing from praising you, this is not about you. Downplaying his own feelings helped the Ogre, as it did so often.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 20:20:50	Gerrit rolls 6 to watch out (Wits 3 + Composure 3) (10 Again)	2, 5, 3, 7, 7, 4	failure

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-19 20:21:25	Gerrit rolls 4 to help navigate (Int 3 + Surv 1) (10 Again)	3, 3, 10, 6, 1	1 success

He actively avoided looking into the underbrush, where he thought he'd seen something before. If it had been his imagination he'd gain nothing from reinforcing his idea of seeing something hiding in the Thorns. No, he focused on the path, tentatively pointing out things to Cassandra again. Maybe he could redeem himself by being useful again.

[Anatole]

Anatole heard the big Ogre catch him up Ram

The dwarf made a feral green, fingers flexing on his axe. Then he let his annoyance go in a long, drawn out sigh that whooshed from his lungs. He slowed to a stop and placed his axe head-down on the ground so he could lean on the haft.

"Yeah. Yeah. You're right."

He said without venom, addressing the Ogre without rancour. He sucked in another lungful of air so he could breath out his tension.

"Something out there. There always is. Can feel it. Looks like we'll have to patrol here more often as this patch is getting pretty wild."

He waited as the group passed him and he fell back into the marching order; but he offered no apology for his actions.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-20 23:27:59	Anatole is perceptive rolls 4 to Wits + Composure (10 Again)	7, 1, 6, 2	failure