(Orchard Operation) Soot Blackened Fruit

[Ram]

Ram took the offered SUV ride from Sera. He didn’t like that her crowd control was untested but at least they didn’t have to worry about shattering any illusions.

He got out of the vehicle and entered the shop. He gave it a look around, already starting to feel the Hedge and battlemind coming forward in anticipation. The ax stayed sheathed for now though. They weren’t in the Hedge yet.

“Were we expecting anyone to be here?” he asked Rhodes. He wasn't sure how secure this location was supposed to be. It made his horns itch.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-21 22:04:45	Ram rolls 4 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	7, 9, 6, 5	1 success

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.

Health:8/8
Willpower: 4/5

[Gerrit]

Gerrit was tense the whole way - CW's.. style hit somewhat close to home. There were some key differences though, and the temporal distance to those times were enough to keep the Ogre from lashing out in any way. He practiced stony stoicism until they've arrived at their destination. He could even see this kind of exposure help him in the long run. Or lead you to a path of ruin and debauchery. Yes, or that.

He left the Goblin's comment unanswered and just made his way to the shop where they gathered again. His backpack was heavier now that he pocketed some of Rhodes' tags, but it didn't bother him.

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-22 08:26:59	Gerrit rolls 5 to check perception (Wits 3 + Comp 3 - Clarity 1) (10 Again)	5, 3, 2, 5, 4	failure

He didn't know what to expect, but there were a lot of thoughts running circles in his head. Although he tried to keep his eyes peeled, he couldn't really focus on any details or potential dangers.

Equipment: Backpack - First aid Kit, Rope, a separate bag, a bottle of water, a notebook and a pen, Tags for Rhodes' Contract.

[Saber Sloth]

The big blue box of a building is operating as normal, people are going in and out, nothing seems amiss, at least to all but Sera and Ram, who catch it the moment it happens.

Someone getting out a blue sedan, all bright pink skin and petals for hair, and between one moment and the next, the Mask Hardens, and she enters the antique shop with a caramel complexation, and a riot of brown curls.

[Rhodes]

The Dread Lord watched the store, still unusually busy. "Not so far as I was aware," He replies to Ram. "Still, discretion, and all that...."

With a surge of glamour his Flowering nature is bound behind his very human mask.

"Let's go." He begins heading towards the door.

[Colonel Worm]

Worm catches up with Rhodes, Ram, and Sera just as Ram asks his question and Rhodes answers. He doesn't look back, but he's sure Gerrit's right behind him.

The Goblin blows a cloud of smoke and then flicks his cigarette in front of him, stepping on it mid-stride.

"What...section are we looking for once we get in there?" That way, if they should be separated, everyone knows (generally) where to find the gate. He's sure the Autumn Monarch, clever as he is, will catch his drift.

The Colonel, ready for action, follows Rhodes inside. Still on high alert, even if the only danger at present is that someone might try to make him read. Scary stuff.

Perception, 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-23 20:52:51	Colonel Worm rolls 4 to Wits + Composure -1 (clarity) (10 Again)	1, 5, 5, 9	1 success

Equipment
Khukri knives (+ sheaths) x 2 2L*
Advanced First Aid Kit
Water bottle (in first aid kit exterior pocket)
Bag of Beef jerky
Brass Knuckles x2 1B (in pants pockets)
Kevlar Vest (thin)
Reinforced Clothing (Motorcycle jacket)
Cigarettes + Lighter
Tree tags
Wallet with $200 in cash

[Seraphina]

She heard Ram, but was focused on the girl. It was hard to miss the bright pink skin and petals for hair. The last time they were here it was bag girl. Has Anne brought in someone new? It was possible. Which means they needed to play this carefully.

Looking to Rhodes as he hid his true nature, “Heads up, the girl who just went in is one of us, brown curls.” Always best to alert others to those things in case.

To Worm, “Mirrors." she replies, "I would love to find a beautiful, gilded, antique mirror for my upstairs hallway."

And she follows into the store. See, the thing with Sera? She didn’t like to hide her true nature. It complicated things down the road. So the Spring Queen walks in, her true nature on display, wild flowers growing around her.

Hedgespun jacket(+1 INT, +1 DEF), Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, 2 bottles of water, bag of trail mix, gauze and tape, costume jewelry for trading(one necklace, one pin) sun catcher for trading, gardening gloves, notebook with pencil

Health 7
WP 3

[Ram]

"Right, discretion," Ram mumbled while keenly aware he looked like he was going to war against antiquers everywhere.

Sera noted the woman to the others but Ram deferred to Rhodes on if they needed to take any action. And honestly Ram wouldn't want to. At least not himself. He was already bringing enough attention just existing without questioning random women and he didn't have a good track record with that sort of thing to begin with.

Instead he tried to keep an eye out for potential gates that could get him the place they were actually at war with.

1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-28 21:51:40	Ram rolls 4 to Wits+Comp (10 Again)	2, 3, 8, 6	1 success

[Gerrit]

There is a moment of hesitation in Gerrit - hardening his Mask won't do any good once they were in the Hedge, so it was just a waste of valuable resources. On the other hand they might not even get into the Hedge if things turned sour before that. Plus, he'd make a lousy representation of Winter if he waltzed in just like that. The Stonebones used a bit of Glamour to harden his Mask as well and followed the others into the store. Sera's warning was well received and Gerrit kept an eye out for someone matching that description.
From here on out anything could happen. "Right behind you."

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-29 14:56:39	Gerrit rolls 5 to watch out (Wits 3 + Comp 3 - Clarity 1) (10 Again)	8, 9, 5, 10, 2, 4	3 successes

Equipment: Backpack - First aid Kit, Rope, a separate bag, a bottle of water, a notebook and a pen, Tags for Rhodes' Contract.

[Saber Sloth]

Rhodes and Gerrit hide behind the Mask, leaving nothing but their shadows and companions to tell just who and what they are. One by one they enter the antique shop, from the outside, one might have expected something nice and well organized with wide aisle, they would be wrong. There is a cacophony of noise and just...stuff.

To their left, they can see the lamps pushed up against the window, just a clump of them. Standing ones, leaning ones, ones that are on side tables and shelves and one even dumped on a chair. Each item, chair included, has a bright yellow price stickers slapped onto it. To the right, a shelf of plastic plants. Directly in front of them is a half folded wooden screen and a clear path to the register. The worker, is hunched over scrolling through something on their phone.

Stepping through the space left by the screen, the Lost see the winding warren of stuff. More lamps, and lights, and chairs and books. There's a semblance of organization, but it's more of a barely controlled chaos.

With Sera's heads up, and her Mirror-y directions, the Lost have somewhere to go. Or somewheres.

The brown curls of the possibly enemy Flowering, is heading deeper into the building and haring right, while the Lost catch a glimpse of note card stuck to the wall with an arrow pointing the opposite way saying mirrors/vanity

[Rhodes]

The Dread Lord had been here once before - not deliberately, but they - Circe, Sera and himself - had made their way out of a mirror into this store.

He tried to recall if the store ahad shifted in layout - the huge piles of bric-a-brac could all too easily have been moves since their last visit. Rhodes wanted to make for the spot he had arrived in from the Hedge last time, regardless of what stock was there now. He looked for more static points - rafters, pipework - anything that couldn't move, to point him back to the right place.

That was their way forward.

I would kill for Circe's skill with gates right now....

6 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-09-30 17:56:52	Rhodes rolls 7 to Figuring out the Room: Int3 + Investigation 4 (10 Again)	8, 10, 5, 10, 8, 9, 9, 7, 2	6 successes