Hedge Patrol IV

[Circe]

"Damned if I know, I didn't say a thing ta bargain with them. I think they're just hangry. Make a deal or face becomes a wheel shit," the hobs were just wanting their pound of flesh. "I ain't got any bacon on me."


Circe is now keeping the rifle trained upon the hobgoblins. Personally, she couldn't have cared less if a corpse was buried or scavenged. But the others seemed more sensitive than her. Leave the Fairest to be the thickest skinned. Oh wait, "Do they only eat corpses? Might be why they pissed. They should'a just gone in and gotten it themselves then. Whiny!"


She shouts the last part at the hobgoblins. She isn't playing games or barter. They only thing they'll get from the Summer is bullets.

Equipment

Silicon rubber Skin Suit, Hedgespun Lorica, combat boots. Wrist watch, smart phone. Hedgespun Multitool, lighter, wallet, and 3 glowsticks in a fanny pack. 3 Ertwen Goblin fruits. Large gym bag holding 2 water bottles, 6 meal bars, a roll of duct tape, plastic flashlight, and some small glass spice bottles (cinnamon, cumin, pepper), trench coat, and gym clothes. Weapons are AKM with bayonet, light mount 2 clips and 60 spare rounds. Colt 45 with 2 clips and 20 rounds plus a holster. Knife plus a sheath.

[Liam Gelt]

The whole situation is going south...fast. Liam's prepped to make a break for the Hedge Gate with the fallen Lost. He's not about to let this guy become carrion for these squawking Hedgebirds. But then there's Circe and Sonnie. They're just as fast as him, but would they run the risk of being carried off? Would they become the next bodies found consumed by the Hedge and its horrors? He thinks back to Chef Brambel and his stew; the pile of discarded items from now nameless victims...

An awful idea crawls into his head. It worked when Ram did it...I think. Would it be enough? It would hurt. And there was no guarantee it would turn out the way he wanted. But if it stood a chance of appeasing these scavengers. He turns his head over his shoulder so the birds can see his face and hear him. "Youuuu want fleeeeesh? Then taaaake miiiiine. I offer myyyyyyy fleeeesh in exchaaaange fooor the saaaafe passaaaage of myyy friends. You wiiiiiiil not haaaaarm them or stooooop them. And theeeeey will take this ooooooone with theeeem. But youuuuuuu may tear flesh from my liiiiiiiimbs to queeeench yoooooour hungeeeeer." It's desperate gambit, but Liam knows he's tougher than most. And vultures are known to be gluttons...

Pledge Pitch: Pound of Flesh
Task: Alliance/Lesser (neither party will attack or hinder the other)
Boon: Favor/Medial (Liam will feed the Blindbirds with his own flesh)
Curse: Pishogue/Lesser (Liam invokes Eternal Spring 1. Breaking the Pledge will result in a dramatic failure of the Contract inflicted on said oathbreaker)
Duration: One Day/Lesser

If I'm correct, this should cost Liam 4 Glamour +1 WP

equipment

Hiking Clothes w/ Heavy Boots; Backpack; First-Aid Kit; 2-3 Goblin Fruits; Blanket; Battery-Powered Lamp; Protein Bars (8); Canteen (water; x2); Smartphone

[Saber Sloth]

It echoes through Circe's mind once again, the strange way the Blindbirds speak everything that should be in the past tense is in the present, anything that should be present tense it in the future tense, and they never discuss the future. Or at least they shouldn't.

When liam proposes his Pledge, the parliament caws out another riotous round of laughter. While one of the secondary birds cries out

"To warm! To warm!"

the math for the Pledge doesn't work and the pishogue doesn't quite make sense here, as you want the Clause to work, which is the opposite of RAW. An argument can be made to have it work like you want, however.

[Sonnie Wu]

Sonnie watched as the giant tree man tried to form some sort of magic bond with the vultures.

"Too warm?" Sonnie glanced around. "I don't know. Feels okay to me. It's not summer yet, but California springs are on the warm side."

Yeah, she still had no clue how the Blindbirds' speech worked. They laughed, and the Beast looked at Liam. "You may have a future as a stand-up comedian, dude."

[Circe]

Circe's ears picked it up, though the words that came out of her mouth made her sound far, far too stereotypically blonde. "Ya want us ta go ta warmth?"


Then she blinks and realizes something else. Her Mantle goes full force as she glares at Liam, though eyes keep darting back to the birds. "No Liam. You are NOT doing a noble sacrifice ta a bunch of carrion shitbirds. They don't get our meat without a hot lead appetizer first. Skill and equipment guarantees one of the birds die if they attack."


Which was probably why they weren't eager to attack. "Guess they're all too smart ta be the stupid one that dies first," she gives the hobs an evil smile, "Props ta ya fer not winning Darwin Awards via AK47."


She then darts her eyes to Sonja, "They prefer dead flesh I think. If ya Springs want a peaceful resolution, did any of ya bring cold cuts? I'm pretty sure Grub Hub don't deliver ta the Hedge."


She doubted the birds would wait for one of them to run back, make a call, get a delivery, and return with a couple pounds of salami. Mental note, carry pepperoni sticks into Hedge from now on. "Ya birds do know the pink market has butcher shops, right?"

Equipment

Silicon rubber Skin Suit, Hedgespun Lorica, combat boots. Wrist watch, smart phone. Hedgespun Multitool, lighter, wallet, and 3 glowsticks in a fanny pack. 3 Ertwen Goblin fruits. Large gym bag holding 2 water bottles, 6 meal bars, a roll of duct tape, plastic flashlight, and some small glass spice bottles (cinnamon, cumin, pepper), trench coat, and gym clothes. Weapons are AKM with bayonet, light mount 2 clips and 60 spare rounds. Colt 45 with 2 clips and 20 rounds plus a holster. Knife plus a sheath.

[Liam Gelt]

Liam doesn't know what he expects to feel, but the nothingness that follows his efforts certainly wasn't it. The Wyrd just denies him in silence, and the bird's cackling makes him realize he'd blindly forgotten that these creatures were scavengers. They wanted dead flesh. Dammit! ​Circe calls him out, rightfully so, and the great treant deflates just a bit. He nods in understanding. As much as he wants to help, Liam needs to understand that he can't do everything.

But there's still the birds. And even in his current state, Liam realizes that Circe has a point: the Blindbirds hadn't attacked. They didn't want to waste effort on a meal that could possibly kill them. "Todaaaaaaaaay we leeeeave. Tomoroooooow we can retuuuuuurn with coooooold meeeeeat. And maaaaany tomorooooows aaaaafter." ​Perhaps hunger would prove a stronger motivator than anger?

equipment

Hiking Clothes w/ Heavy Boots; Backpack; First-Aid Kit; 2-3 Goblin Fruits; Blanket; Battery-Powered Lamp; Protein Bars (8); Canteen (water; x2); Smartphone

Good to know! Pledge mechanics are something I've been wanting to get more familiar with, so this was a good test.

[Saber Sloth]

"That will not be! That will not do! "Meralfleah is ours! Ours!

Dead, decayed, delicious!" caws one of the other birds, inhumanly still and staring at the Lost with is gaping eye sockets.

The impass still stands, the Lost did not wish to leave their fallen fellow to be devoured, but Carlos the Metalfleah had apparently made a Pledge with the Blindbirds, he would make use of their talents and in return the birds would get to eat is flesh after he died.

Liam had tried and failed to call upon a Pledge to exchanged the body for his living flesh,

They stand on a precipice, they might still success in talking their way around this hobs and returning with the body, or they might fall. The violence threatened and promised unleashed and whomever is left will decide upon the corse of what shall happen to the Lost in the hedge corridor.

[Sonnie Wu]

Sonnie, still having no idea how these damn birds operated, looked helplessly at Liam and Circe.

"Why are they claiming ownership of him? We're the ones that drug him out of the thorns. They just that hungry, or am I missing something?" She paused a moment in thought before speaking again, "I'm probably missing something." It was just the safe assumption. The Beast often missed stuff.

She kept on guard, in case this turned ugly. Well... uglier, what with the dead guy and all.

[Circe]

"Yup," she assures Sonja, "I think, I think," Circe scowls, "Carl pledged his corpse ta them fer a feast. Like a donor card deal. Carl probably figured I dead, what do I care. Too bad, others care."


Circe glares at the birds, "Ya stronzo could have said that from the start! Offered a finders fee, but nooooo. Riddles and threats ya morons! Don't assume yer talking ta folks smart enough ta figure shit out! Never under estimate the stupidity of Summers!"


The Summer Queen clicks something on her rifle. It is NOT the safety.


"There's a Pledge involved. Hobs are addicted ta ensuring Pledges are followed by the word that they have made. Carl pledged, they want it fulfilled. Silver meat, they probably wouldn't accept a dozen meatlovers pizza instead, which is stupid." She nods to Sonja, "Ya could take my wallet and order them way tastier meats ta arrive in 30 minutes ta Iron Side, and variety, but they're gonna be stupid and go fer disgusting rust flavor. Not a combo of pig, beef, and bird."

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-04-21 07:07:35	Circe rolls 10 to A better deal + glamour (10 Again, WillPower)	4, 2, 10, 9, 10, 1, 3, 6, 3, 7, 5, 4	3 successes

"I mean, I'd not like waiting fer it, but Liam on carry, and I'm on dissuade. That leaves you as the gopher, despite being best monkey."

Equipment

Silicon rubber Skin Suit, Hedgespun Lorica, combat boots. Wrist watch, smart phone. Hedgespun Multitool, lighter, wallet, and 3 glowsticks in a fanny pack. 3 Ertwen Goblin fruits. Large gym bag holding 2 water bottles, 6 meal bars, a roll of duct tape, plastic flashlight, and some small glass spice bottles (cinnamon, cumin, pepper), trench coat, and gym clothes.
Weapons are AKM with bayonet, light mount 2 clips and 60 spare rounds. Colt 45 with 2 clips and 20 rounds plus a holster. Knife plus a sheath.

[Liam Gelt]

The whole situation would make Liam sick to his stomach if he wasn't blessed with the singular mind of a great treant: a mind only quick enough for a few ideas at a time. And right now his mind was focused on keeping the Lost safe, including the recently deceased Carlos.

The thought of a lethal Pledge boggles the Giant. Even beyond being attuned to the Spring Court, Liam is a man who loves life and living and can't imagine parting with it for anything. Well...unless it was needed in the service of others. Poor guy must've been desperate. ​Circe's idea catches his interest though, and he nods with simply a low, stretched out "Hmmmmmm" in assent. The Summer Queen's practical mind seemed sound here. And again, perhaps stomach would win out over heart in the end. Either way, he's still towering and ready to lash out if need be.

equipment

Hiking Clothes w/ Heavy Boots; Backpack; First-Aid Kit; 2-3 Goblin Fruits; Blanket; Battery-Powered Lamp; Protein Bars (8); Canteen (water; x2); Smartphone