Hedge Patrol II

[Cassandra Reeding]

Cassandra feels... wrong as they go along. And she keeps looking over her shoulder, expecting to see something, but she just doesn't. It's almost frustrating. But then again, she's never been particularly good at overall spotting. Since she got back, it has always felt like something just makes it significantly harder for her to catch things. Not great for a navigator, and yet somehow she's gotten them this far.

Perception Failure

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-21 23:10:54	Cassandra Reeding rolls 3 to Perception (wits 2 + composure 2 Clarity -1) (10 Again)	4, 4, 7	failure

Even with the distractions of the rustlings she keeps imagining, she does manage, with the help of Ram and Gerrit, keep them going. Hopefully they would be converging on the Hollow soon. Whatever may or may not be following may not be kind enough to let them get there before popping out. Oh, that gave her anxiety.

Traversing the Hedge 2 successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-21 23:13:48	Cassandra Reeding rolls 7 to Traversing the Hedge (Int 4 + Survival 1 + 2 Teamwork) (10 Again)	9, 4, 10, 4, 5, 6, 3, 7	2 successes

"Yeah... though, there is always something out here. Whether we spot it or not." It was bothering her significantly. Particularly as she knows that her contract had a resounding yes for danger. Words might not be enough. That's why we have Ram and Gerrit. But still, thinking about a battle, she feels beyond useless.

[Saber Sloth]

They continue forward, making good time. The feeling doesn't leave them, in fact growing stronger and stronger as the brush rustles. Moving slowly, but steadily behind them.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-22 11:34:54	Something rolls 6 to Shadowing (10 Again)	5, 1, 7, 2, 2, 4	failure

[Ram]

Ram kept moved forward, glad not to get into a fight with Anatole. Fighting with others ought to be reserved for enemies.

While it did help him relax a little for formation to be in order, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being followed. He kept hearing the rustling of leaves behind them. Yet he didn’t want to cause alarm again. Not when it felt like they were so close to their destination.

At the same time… if they were being followed. It would mean they were leading it to the Hollow he intended to claim. Worse, if the Hollow also contained enemies, then that would put them in the position of being surrounded.

Ram let out a sigh that turned into a guttural humph halfway through. He slowed.

“Might have a tail,” he passed quietly down the line. He kept his eyes forward, hoping not to alert what whatever was following them that they might know. While that certainly helped keep him alert to which direction to head, it did nothing for checking if their pursuer was real.

perception failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-22 20:50:21	Ram rolls 4 to Wits2+Comp2 (10 Again)	5, 3, 6, 3	failure

assist 2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-22 20:50:34	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	2, 10, 7, 10, 4	2 successes

[Gerrit]

All right - if the others thought that there was something watching them, that meant that he hadn't imagined it. Gerrit wasn't sure if that was something to be happy about.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-23 09:50:28	Gerrit rolls 6 to watch out for anything (Wits 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	5, 3, 8, 1, 10, 6, 2	2 successes

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-23 09:52:56	Gerrit rolls 4 to assist the navigation (Int 3 + Surv 1) (10 Again)	9, 4, 2, 7	1 success

He kept his eyes peeled for the way home, knowing that with each passing minute spent here the mortal world would be farther away in more than one way. He wondered if he should lighten the air with some small-talk, but decided against it. They might need all the focus they could muster to not get jumped by some Hobgoblin. At least they made good progress through the Hedge. Maybe having a clear idea on where they wanted to go helped, maybe the fickle nature of this place was in their favour for now.

Gerrit didn't care - he took the good things as they came.

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

[Anatole]

"Still with us, huh?"

Anatole grumbled as the big Ogre Ram made his way back down the line. The dwarf continued walking, staggering out their line, until he stopped abruptly. Turning, he faced the direction from which they had come and scoured the Hedge with a basilisk glare.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-24 04:30:26	Anatole is perceptive rolls 4 to Wits + Composure (10 Again)	4, 6, 9, 6	1 success

[Cassandra Reeding]

Even though she is navigating well, picking up all the trail signs to hopefully get them where they need to go, she still cannot seem to pick out where the cause of the uneasy feelings is coming from. It is driving her almost mad.

"I can't spot anything, but I know that isn't my strength. I fully believe we have something though..." She takes down her ponytail for a moment, just to adjust it up again and this time into a rather large messy bun. If something does jump out, she doesn't want her hair to get in the way.

"Let's keep moving for now..."

Traversing the Hedge 2 Successes

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-24 11:25:08	Cassandra Reeding rolls 8 to Traversing the Hedge (int 4 + survival 1 + assist 3) (10 Again)	4, 3, 1, 9, 8, 2, 1, 4	2 successes

Perception Failure

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-24 11:28:06	Cassandra Reeding rolls 3 to Perception (resolve 2 + composure 2 -1 clarity (10 Again)	1, 4, 7	failure

[Saber Sloth]

The Lost keep moving, and they most definately have a tail. From when the rustling, as inconsistent as it was, was first noticed, they have traveled a long way, and whatever was following them because it was following them had traveled this long way with them.

Whatever it was, it wasn't like the stories of the Briar Wolves, harring their prey. Hungering for fearful flesh, but something else. Something silent, save for the rustling of the brush, and the creaking of the roots.

It hadn't engaged, actively seeking not to. Was it observing them? Or was it's following of them, a means for them to lead it somewhere....?

[Ram]

Ram gave a short grunt. He didn’t like this. Whatever it was hadn’t attacked them. There could be a chance it wasn’t the danger Cassandra had sensed. Or it was just waiting for… something.

Ram tried to think about this tactically. If it was hostile why hadn’t it attacked? If it wasn’t hostile why hadn’t it approached? It could be scouting them. If hostile then it would be a bad idea to let it get away with intelligence. If friendly then it might not get enough information to convince it to talk before the patrol ended.

They could try confronting it but they’d done that already and it had done nothing. To do so effectively, they’d need to ambush and effectively trap it into talking. Unfortunately, it showed expertise in traveling off-path. The only place they might have a chance would be after entering the Hollow, an unknown location that might have its own threats or parlays required. Still, that would be the best (and probably only) chance to corner it or drive it off.

Now he just needed to think of a way to let the others know without tipping off their stalker.

assist 2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-25 20:59:22	Ram rolls 3 to Assist Int-Survival (10 Again)	10, 5, 10, 2, 4	2 successes

perception 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-25 20:59:34	Ram rolls 4 to Wits2+Comp2 (10 Again)	4, 5, 2, 8	1 success

[Gerrit]

They continued on their uncertain patrol. Conversation was scarce and the ever-growing feeling of being stalked just added to the oppressive atmosphere. Yet Gerrit didn't dare to break the silence - maybe that's what the thing that was following them was waiting for? He gave his companions a short look, trying to read something conforming in their faces: knowledge about what stalked these parts of the Hedge, the assurance that they were on the right track, or the certainty of a plan?

But he couldn't linger on the others, he had a job to do.
The longer he searched the foliage for anything, the less sure he was about what he actually saw and heard. He tore his eyes away from what he believed more and more to be the product of their paranoia and concentrated on assisting Cassandra again. They way back, the way ahead.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-27 05:27:09	Gerrit rolls 6 to look out (Wits 3 + Comp 3) (10 Again)	4, 2, 7, 4, 9, 6	1 success

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-27 05:27:30	Gerrit rolls 4 to assist navigation (Int 3 + Surv 1) (10 Again)	9, 1, 8, 5	2 successes

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

[Anatole]

Anatole spared Ram one last look before he turned his attention to Cassandra Reeding

"Keep moving? Well. OK."

The wizened didn't sound okay about it. He didn't look it either - his head hunched into his broad shoulders making him look even more like a brick or a block of burned stone.

He takes up the pace again. Slower, this time. He is well aware of how the big Ogre prefers to run their patrol and doesn't want to stretch out their line too much. With every step he expects something to happen - be it encounter, trap, or ambush - and the possibilities bubble through his mind uncontrolled, taking the edge of his focus.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-02-27 06:09:08	Anatole is perceptive rolls 7 to Wits + Composure (10 Again, WillPower)	7, 7, 7, 1, 10, 4, 3, 6	1 success