Hedge Patrol III

[Ram]

A couple thoughts ran through Ram’s mind. What was that thing? What was it cooking? And would it cook them if they declined to…

And Roshon just declined. Guess they were going to find out.

For his part, Ram took a single step forward at the beckon and smelled the air. It put him between the frog and Roshon. It meant Ram accepted the title of from the frog and hopefully the rights that went with it. And it let him get a better whiff of the stew to see if it at all reminded him of icy mountain battlefields and the frost black toes and hands you had to chew on to survive.

“Whatcha cooking?” he asked in addition to Liam as the Giant stepped out from behind.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-04 19:25:28	Ram rolls 4 to Smell Wits+Comp (10 Again)	10, 2, 1, 7, 3	1 success

[Saber Sloth]

Eyes, dive towards the giant Liam, and his sudden appearance, scanning the area around but landing back on the three visible Lost. Large wormy lips down turn, before up ticking just as quickly. "Well, it is....pig." the hob chuckles. "Come now Ro. I insist." the far hand, flexes the fingers resting on the large butcher knife. ""Dinner my friend, dinner!" a wide toothy smile.

Ram smells, cooking meat, seared sizzling fat, a hearty soup, and a thick layer of fresh and coagulated blood.

Slow and steady Worm creeps forward, under the large up and over burrowing root. He peaks out, and sees some of what the others see. A very, very large frog-hob, huge freaking legs, and the campfire and it's makeshift grill. And what draws his attention is the haunch currently being cooks on top of it. Might not fit 'relatively weird', because of the hob frog chef, but that leg looks more like his own then any dumb beast...but who really knows what counts as a dumb beast in the hedge...

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-05 13:40:59	Frog Chef rolls 7 to Perception (10 Again)	1, 5, 7, 2, 5, 7, 2	failure

[Liam Gelt]

Liam gives as big a gesture as he can without looking too obvious. Should keep his eyes off Worm long enough for him to do some scouting. "Hedge-Ham eh? Well, that's a nice offer." He nods to Ram as the two Ogres somehow end up leading negotiations. He walks up to the cooking fire and sits a respectable distance from it, the flames weren't enough to worry him more than the splatter did.

"My name's Liam. Are you from these parts? Or just traveling?" So far no harm in sharing just enough to get to know this frogipede thing. And if he was a frequent traveler and wasn't hostile, then maybe there was the chance for trade or information gathering.

[Colonel Worm]

Worm stays hidden, not quite ready to reveal himself. Watches and waits as the Frog Chef invites his comrades to have a bite.

But, a bite of what? ...Pig? White-within-white eyes find the meat sizzling away.

Long Pig?

The Goblin knows a bit about human anatomy, and that tender morsel looks very familiar.

Can he be sure, though?

Is it Man-Meat? Int + Medicine, 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-06 21:36:25	Colonel Worm rolls 4 to Int + Medicine (10 Again)	8, 3, 2, 2	1 success

Equipment:
Khuri knives (+ sheaths) x 2 2L*
Brass Knuckles x2 1B (in pants pockets)
Kevlar Vest (thin)
Reinforced Clothing (Motorcycle jacket)
Advanced First Aid Kit
Water bottle (in first aid kit exterior pocket)
Bag of Beef jerky
Loner Sword
Cigarettes + Lighter

[Roshon]

A'ight, so Sgt. Hardass had just put himself right in the middle of Roshon's line of fire.

Cool cool cool cool cool cool cool cool cool.

Wasn't like it was a coin flip that this thing was hostile or anything.

Scowling, Roshon carefully stepped backward, hoping to get a little more distance in case things went in the direction she thought they would.

[Ram]

Ram had the same thought as Worm. Long pig. But he couldn’t tell from the smell. Yes, there was a fair amount of blood. However, that wasn’t definitive. What was definitive was the cauldron frog’s insistence… and the hand on his butcher’s knife as Roshon backed away.

“As long as you can promise not to serve anything poisoned or drugged, I’ll be glad to call dibs... on what you've got right now,” said Ram giving a big smile of reassurance, hoping the thing would be distracted by the offer.

Could he have just agreed to cannibalism? Possibly. However, he was an Ogre. He knew that what when it came down too it, if eating the dead could help you survive… you ate the dead and counted yourself lucky. Though he had made sure to include 'got right now', in case it got the bright idea to try and serve him one of his friends. Who knew, maybe instead of kissing, eating the food would turn the frog into a prince.

So, he smiled, and hoped it would take the bait. He'd rather not fight a car sized Hedge beast with a bunch of newbies. Though if Roshon kept 'insulting' it, he might need to.

Oh right. Not a soldier.

"Ro, keep backing up and it may be taken as an offense," he said in a chipper joking voice that did not reach his eyes, which creased when he looked to her (turning away from the frog for a moment). "You okay?" His eyes were concerned and questioning above his smile which faltered a bit.

She said she had a way with hobs. Maybe she knew something they didn't.

Or she was just afraid and distrustful.

He couldn't fault her if she was. However if it was just that, then she was putting herself and them at risk by potentially upsetting the frog and making a mental prophecy self-fulfilling.

Proposed mechanics.
Frog
Task: Forbiddance (don't serve poisoned or drugged food) -1
Duration: Day +1

Ram
Task: Endeavor (eat the dinner the frog has currently prepared) -1
Duration: Day +1

[Saber Sloth]

Colonel Worm is very sure that what's cooking on the grill is man meat. Might have been a Changeling that had run afoul the Chef, or a human who wandered into the Hedge and found their way to the Frog chef's table.

"Oh, yes, yes. I travel all over. There's lots to see, and lots to eat hm." says the Chef, before his eyes rove over to Roshon, his wormy lips pulling downward into a scowl, before his entire face brightens. "I'll take the pledge my friend, I'd never poison or drug any of the food I prepare. Have no need. Warning, stew's missing something, turmeric I think. And so, a bowl for you, sir! Enjoy!" the Chef's smile is wide-wide-wide, as he pulls a bowl from beside him with one hand, while another uses the ladle resting in the bowl-back and scoops out a bowlful of the stew, offering it to Ram. Two other secondary hands are grabbing other bowls, and the one manning the ladle hasn't moved off it. "...and your friends....?"

Now with the bowl in his hands, the smells are stronger and the meat within the stew, cut and cooked down but still recognizable to a Lost who's Durance involved eating anything, especially for an Ogre who's torn, broken, rended men and meat apart. Looking down into his bowl, Ram knows that the meat floating within the broth used to be a person. Maybe even the twin to the leg cooking over the fire.

Frog Chef accepts the Pledge and spends a WP to seal it! He hasn't poisoned or drugged his food, and is offering Ram a bowl to which Ram must consume. Froggie's also grabbing two more bowls for Liam and Roshon!


And if you eat the man-meat, keeping the pledge you'll need to Roll for Clarity! ...and if you don't eat and break the Pledge you'll need to roll for Clarity!

Both would be for a Clarity 4 Sin

[Liam Gelt]

Ram's words and the Chef's mention of 'pledge' definitely rang a bell in Liam's mind. Even Ogres know about the power of words among the Lost. No better way to earn friendship...or lose it. "Much obliged! And don't worry about Ros, I'll take her share. She's not too fond of stew and I usually eat for two anyway." He gives an overly friendly wink to Roshon; he's trying to give her an easy out if she doesn't feel comfortable entering the Pledge. If the Chimera wants to smack talk him out and jump in, the option was there. But Liam wasn't about to let one of his teammates take an unnecessary risk while there was an Ogre to take it.

"So, see any other travelers this side of the Hedge lately?" He gives a comfortable smile, though he does take a moment to gauge Ram's reaction when the Render receives his dish. At least Worm has our backs if things go south. And if they did...the Chef had better hope he had tougher hide than most.

[Colonel Worm]

Worm waits and watches, still in hiding.

The whole time, a refrain loops through his brain:

don'teatthesoupdon'teatthesoupdon'teatthesoupdon'teatthesoupdon'teatthesoup.

Then Ram proposes his pledge and the frog accepts. The bowls are passed around.

And they are going to eat the soup.

The Goblin's seen a lot of awful shit. Done a lot of awful shit. But this? Well, he's never eaten the forbidden meat. And he doesn't plan to.

He can't watch his comrades dig into their horrifying meal. So, instead, he busies himself scanning the Frog-Hob's burrow. Looking for alternate ways in or out. Looking for weapons or traps. Trying to assess the environment, should he need to make an entrance. Or help the other Lost make a quick exit.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-10-14 08:09:40	Colonel Worm rolls 4 to Wits + Composure -1 (clarity) (10 Again)	9, 3, 5, 8	2 successes

Equipment:
Khuri knives (+ sheaths) x 2 2L*
Brass Knuckles x2 1B (in pants pockets)
Kevlar Vest (thin)
Reinforced Clothing (Motorcycle jacket)
Advanced First Aid Kit
Water bottle (in first aid kit exterior pocket)
Bag of Beef jerky
Loner Sword
Cigarettes + Lighter

[Saber Sloth]

Thought I included this in with the main post but I think I just thought about it without actually typing it so! Ram can choose either above options or choose neither (since he hasn't sealed the Pledge on his end) and face the consequences of that.