Hedge Patrol III

[Saber Sloth]

Oct 2020

Hedge Patrol I

Jan 2021

Hedge Patrol II

Jun 2021

(Hedge Patrol II) Doorstep Combat

Sep 2021

Hedge Patrol III

Jan 2022

Hedge Patrol IV

Aug 2022

Hedge Patrol V

Sep 2022

(Hedge Patrol V) Good Neighbours

Oct 2022

Hedge Patrol VI

Jan 2023

Hedge Patrol VI 2 Electric Boogaloo

Sep 2023

Hedge Patrol VII

Traveling past Funderland's administrative building where a secret path can be opened. A stairwell, narrow and steep leads the Lost far below the surface. The myriad of cobwebs had been cleared, but ever industrious the spider rebuilds. Single Edison bulbs have been strung up along the wall leading down into the Prohibition era tunnels that criss-crossed the subterranean map of the Freehold.

As the steep stairs come to an end, the passage abruptly shifts, taking a very sharp turn, running west-east. Rough hewn stone, dried mud, and grey brick run a curve overhead, cables run the length of it, tracking electricity to the glowing bulbs. On the ground is a rusted, unstable tack.

Placed against the far wall is an archway. Heavy grey stone carefully placed, create it. The Hedgerune Ram knew Queen Anne had placed - or more likely, had a crony place - is present but faded, cracked.

Byeond the 'Gate the Hedge, ever shifting, always dangerous and it's always, always right there, just in their backyard. Previously Cassandra, Ram, Anatole, and Gerrit had discovered the ruined cul-da-sac of Hollow-Houses, retrieving, rescuing Oliver and the Phone Lady, while fleeing from a flesh craving Bloodsucckle, but everyone knows that they are the least of the Hedge's dangers....

Okay here’s the opening of the newest Hedge Patrol, please include your Equipment, Health and WP with every post!

If you want to get going right away I'm going to need someone to spend 1 Glamour to open the HedgeGate!

Endymion Colonel Worm BoxingUnicorn Liam Gelt Cayce Roshon Scourge Ram

[Roshon]

"Mankind gotta deal with a new kind of mind I'm a quick death wrapped in a threat
Tell these fuzzy little weak-heart bunny babies back up or get wet."

The words were spit harshly and echoed off the brick and stone in time with the sound of bootfalls atop the old track.

"Never mind where you draw the line, I got a mind for crime, it's all disrespect
I'm a oil rig fire in the flesh, you're a lunchbox walking erect."

Each lyric was delivered with a rhythmic vehemence, meant to psych up the speaker as much as they were to announce her presence. 'Cause Roshon was about to step into the shit, into the depths of the Hedge itself, the nightmare realm that was as fantastical as it was horrifying, and that meant she needed to get ready. Needed to get psyched. Needed to commune with Mike and El and tap into her inner badass before she stepped across into the other world.

"Look in the eye of the violent and villainous
We are the murderous militants
We are the pirates that hide on the island invade or we wilding
Marauding and murdering merchantmen
We have been cursed by the curs
We shooting first on our turf."

Mentality aside, Roshon was prepped, decked out in Surplus Chique, with a backpack and a shotgun resting against her shoulder. She had that Mossberg, motherfuckers, and was prepared to use it. Any hedge beastie or dumb-ass hob that tried to get her blood would be introduced to a brain full of buckshot, and she was kinda lookin' forward to it. Kinda. Was always better in theory.

Either way, the Freehold had called and she had answered. Now all she had to do was wait for the others to show up.

Roshon has Health: 7, Willpower 4
Equipment:
Generic Pump Action Shotgun 4 (9 again) 20/40/80 8+1 3 3 ●● Armory, p.77
9 Extra shells
Duct Tape
Super Glue
Water (3) + Protein Bars (7)
Flashlight.

[Liam Gelt]

If someone had told Liam that he'd be spending most of his time in Sacramento underground, he probably would've laughed it off as a joke. That was a while ago now, and this would be his fourth trip beneath the earth. Thank goodness this Giant wasn't claustrophobic.

Liam can't help but feel a sense of ominous wonder as the lightbulbs flicker in the hallways. I wonder what weird things we'll find today? He could handle another rat moat or two, but the Hedge likely had more monsters than chasms. And monsters were a lot harder to jump over. At least we've got Ram leading us. Between the two Ogres, they could probably scare off most threats just by being there. But Liam's rumination are interrupted by...was that singing?

As Liam approaches the gate, he sees Roshon and does a bit of a double-take. "Hey, I remember you! You were at the Spring Coronation." Liam lumbers forward, though careful now that he knows the Chimera is packing heat. "I don't think I got your name. I'm Liam." He extends a hand in friendship. Regardless of whether she accepts, Liam looks up at the gate and feels a similar pull to when he'd gone down that well. "Hedge Gate, eh? Well, no need to keep the crew waiting." He reaches out a hand and Glamour pulses from his barkskin palm through the air to activate the door between worlds. This day keeps getting more interesting.

Equipment (Hedge Patrol III): Backpack, Dream-A-Dupes (3-4), Protein Bars x6, Large Canteen (Water, Full), Leather Journal, Pen, Jerky Packs, Large Blanket (Meat, x2),

Stats are in Signature

[Colonel Worm]

Who'd called him about this little outing? Ram? Worm can't remember. Maybe it's the whirlwind of moving into a new spot. Or the drugs. Or the never-ending series of concussions. Just fill in the bubble marked 'all of the above' and call it a day.

Doesn't really matter. It's all the same in the end: a sortie into the Hedge. And this trip's got it all: danger, excitement, danger, exploration, discovery, danger, possible death. The Colonel's kind of excursion. He just hopes he's shown up on the right day.

He'd likely hear Roshon spitting fire, or Liam greeting her, somewhere up ahead, if it wasn't for the easyFun bumping in his headphones. Past stone and mud and brick, through circles of flickering light and patches of darkness, the Goblin leaps and dances forward, in a bubble of his favorite beats. Much like the other Wizened in attendance for this adventure, Worm uses music to find the right headspace. Though how bubblegum hyper-pop can get sombody in the mood to slash and rend and rip is likely beyond anyone but the Colonel himself. Not that he gives a fuck.

He's a strange sight, shimmying his way deeper and deeper into the dank tunnels, wearing a padded motorcycle jacket over a thin kevlar vest (no shirt), a pair of bright orange cargo pants, and some scuffed black boots (jungle standard issue). His rather substantial first-aid bag matches his pants. Very cute. Below the bag two wickedly curved and wickedly sharp Khukri are sheathed in an X pattern against his lower back. Also, in his opinion, very cute. Viewed from the front, the handles can be seen poking out on either side of his body, just above the waist.

The song fades in his ears just as he spots his favorite tree-guy. "Liam!" he calls out just as the Ogre reaches out to open the gate. "My boy! How's the air up there? Here we are, underground again!" Pulls his headphones out and stuffs them in his pocket along with his phone. That's when he notices...who? "And...Friend!" The warm reassurance provided by the Wyrd Stone settles into his guts, lets him know his blades can stay put. She's a wild looking one. But Worm likes wild, yessir.

He half-pretends to spit in his hands and then slicks back his hair, feathering out the party in the back as he finishes his approach. "Wassup?" he says, trying to look debonair, which doesn't quite work out when you're a dang Goblin. "Name's Worm. What's yours?" A glance and a wink to Liam as the gate opens and then back to Roshon. "Love the shotty."

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
Cigarettes + Lighter
Smart Phone

[Roshon]

Vaguely, Roshon remembered throwing a couple joints at a giant tree-man before she'd bailed on the party. Pretty embarrassing that that was the first impression that she'd left, but eh, it had been a party. Also, Roshon wasn't totally baked out of her mind right now, so that was a plus.

"Hey, Liam, what's good," Roshon replied, accepting the rough, bark-textured hand shake with her own bird-scaled grip. "Call me Roshon."

She didn't say anything as he opened the gate. If he wanted to spend the glamour that was fine by her. She wasn't gonna cross over until everyone showed up, though. Not that she had to worry, as another Lost came striding up at just about the same time. She couldn't help but crack a tiger toothed smile as she looked at him, either.

"And I'm loving the look, Worm," Roshon replied, offering the rakish goblin a fist bump before gesturing back at herself. "Roshon. Don't forget to stash your tech before stepping across, by the way. Lost a few phones that way."

[Ram]

Ram comes down the stair case, and for the first time his shadow isn’t the largest to appear against the harsh lights. His backpack has plenty of supplies, even more than last time. Which… he wasn’t sure about since last time he’d ended up having to carry a dental chair and patient’s worth of mass at the end. But he also might be leaving some of it behind.

“Hey,” he said, surveying the group. None his normal group was here but that was kind of expected. He and Cass had agreed. He’d lead the patrol while she, Gerrit, and Anatole followed up with the hostages/rescues. Not like conversation and healing were his wheelhouse. Though he wasn’t sure they were Anatole’s either. Whatever this was the crew he had.

“So, I’m just going to get started. We’ll be going into the Hedge today. Does everyone have the basics? Water, sleeping bag, food? If you don’t I have a couple extra survival kits. First come first serve.” He put down his basic kit and his urban kit. “Does everyone have a weapon and armor? I got two extra swords and some sports equipment.” Though it probably the make shift armor probably wouldn’t fit Liam and the swords required a certain amount of strength to wield properly even without training. "We have run into combat with Hedge Beast the previous two times I've gone on patrol and I have no reason to expect any different this time. And both previous times we've had to run or scare them off. If it happens again, I'd really like to be able to say we were able to deal with threats within our Freehold permanently."

“I’d also like everyone to give a quick idea of what you see your role is and your skills so everyone knows what to expect from everyone. I’ll be taking point. I’m a close range fighter, know the basics of Hedge navigation, know broad and detailed occult stuffs, and can scare the shit of people like a professional. I am not stealthy and not a medic. Which means,” he took out two first aid kits “If you are, you can hold onto these for me in case of emergencies.”

Equipment: Backpack, First Aid Kit +2, Survival Kit +3 (sleeping bag, canteen, flashlight, glowstick, one day water and food) Riot Armor, Cell phone, two pairs of extra socks, extra days food (unsalted trail mix), extra days water, climbing gear, athletic shoes, climbing cleats, nylon rope, grappling hook, war-ax.

Extra: Sports equipment, first aid kit +1, basic survival kit +1, urban survival kit +2, x2 bastard swords

Health 8/8
Willpower: 3/5

[Saber Sloth]

The Lost gather, at the landing in front of the very obvious HedgeGate, the Spring Giant is the first to move, transforming his Desire laden Glamour into the key needed for them to go forward. The scent of pine sap grows, as brown bark and green leaves wick up and around the arch. The brickwork wakes, shaking off the dirt and folds away revealing the Hedge beyond.

Before them, the tunnel, if it can be called a tunnel, extends a few meters more, the curved roof breaking into chunks before falling away completely, revealing Summer blue skies, and sharp Summer fresh foliage. Still carved, well traveled.

There is a sudden sense of vertigo as the Lost stare into that beyond.

When you guys are ready to head out Imma need Perception from each of you! Please Remember the Clarity negatives if they apply!

[Liam Gelt]

Staring into the wild vastness of the Hedge sent chills up and down Liam's spine. But this wasn't like the last time he and Worm had ventured into the unknown: this time they were prepared and they had powerful friends with them. And this time, we'll have the woods around us. Perhaps a chance to flex some of his more Spring-ish magic?

Liam gives Ram a silent wave of 'hello'. He could tell the Render was all business, but not in a bad way. And Liam was genuinely excited to be a part of this team. He looks over Ram's extra gear as he thinks about how he fits into this motley crew. "I'm a close-up guy as well, but I don't have the combat experience that I'm sure the rest of you have. Though I can get big in a pinch, so we won't have any issues with size advantage unless something really scary shows up. I've also got some Goblin Fruits handy to patch up injuries, and I'm pretty good with people and animals so..." Liam looks strangely confused. "I guess that makes me the...oh, what do you call it? 'Face man'? Just in case we need to act friendly instead of bash skulls." Could such a thing happen in the Hedge of all places? It wash a place of magic after all: anything could happen.

Liam glances over the spare equipment, trying to see what might be most useful in his hands. He picks up the extra survival kit. His wandering days had seen such equipment be very useful. He looks tentatively at one of the bastard swords, then finally picks it up. "Always wondered what one of these things would feel like." Hopefully all it would have to be was an intimidation piece.

Equipment (Hedge Patrol III): Backpack, Dream-A-Dupes (3-4), Protein Bars x6, Large Canteen (Water, Full), Leather Journal, Pen, Jerky Packs, Large Blanket (Meat, x2), Extra Basic Survival Kit +1, Extra Bastard Sword

[Colonel Worm]

Roshon's fist-bump is returned with a flourishing *boom* after they've made contact. "Glad to be going in with someone that has a sense of style," he replies with a crooked grin. A wink to Liam: "No offense, big guy."

His fellow Wizened's reminder about his tech is well timed, "Oh shit. Thanks." He takes his phone and headphones from his pocket and caches them behind a nearby rock, making sure the spot is dry. Not like anyone's going to be rooting around down here anyway.

That's when Ram appears. "Hey," he responds simply, letting the Ogre get right to it. Happy to let his fellow Summer assume the lead. His show, his solo.

"Weapons check, armor check," for what it's worth. "I'm happy to take an extra sword unless," a glance a Roshon, "this bad-ass chick wants one instead. In that case, I'll find some room in my bag for the extra survival kit." He's already got two blades, but why pass up a third?

His role? "I'm a point and click guy. You point, I click. Meaning kill, maim, or capture. I'm good up close: blades first, fists second. Not much for creeping, but I can sew you up if something goes wrong out there. I've got my medic kit strapped." Can't miss it, it's the bright orange backpack. "Also, I'm generally handsome and charming, so people tend to like me. Though I've never been a good liar."

A pause, "If you're on point, I propose that Roshon takes one flank, keep her clear for firing if necessary. And I take the other, that way if something needs to be chased down, I can break off easily. That would leave Liam to bring up the rear. He's tall enough to get a good perspective on things no matter where he's placed. Thoughts?" White on white eyes stay trained on Ram, waiting for his response.

Perception, 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-19 15:25:04	Colonel Worm rolls 4 to Wits + Composure -1 (clarity) (10 Again)	9, 3, 2, 6	1 success

Went ahead and rolled perception. Sorry if I jumped the gun!

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
Cigarettes + Lighter

[Roshon]

"Wait, wait, wait, sleeping bag?" Roshon broke in, her brow furrowing in concern. "No one said this was an overnight trip. I mean, I'm still game, but a night in the hedge sounds fucked.

Was it even safe to sleep in the Hedge in the first place? Wouldn't that, like, open up their dreams to whatever fucked up creatures lived in that tangled hellscape of thorns and fairy bullshit?

Whatever else she might be, Roshon was sure as hell no Autumn.

"Otherwise, I think I'm good on gear," Roshon added, shaking her head in response to Ram and Colonel Worm's offer. "Got stuff to keep me alive, and I've got my shotty. Anything tries to act scary within 40 yards and I'll send it to the cemetery. Otherwise, I don't mind leaving the talking to y'all, though fair warning, most Hobs think I'm dope. They recognize genius when they see it."

Roshon was partially joking. It was a coping strategy. Great way to refocus on the present and not the thought of some sort of horrible butthole spider attacking her while she tried to catch a few winks in a wilderness that would make Bear Grylls shit himself. Thankfully, though, Roshon wasn't hanging with Bear Grylls.

"And I dunno about those other patrols, but sounds like we got a few badasses up in here, so I say bring it on. Let's hit it."

With that said, Roshon passed through the gate and out into the Hedge itself...

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-20 13:06:52	Roshon rolls 3 to Perception (wits + comp -1clarity) (10 Again)	2, 1, 6	failure

Roshon has Health: 7, Willpower 4
Equipment:
Backpack
Generic Pump Action Shotgun 4 (9 again) 20/40/80 8+1 3 3 ●● Armory, p.77
9 Extra shells
Duct Tape
Super Glue
Water (3) + Protein Bars (7)
Flashlight.