(Rotten Roots) Underbrush

[Anatole]

Anatole struggled carefully back the group.

"Well... If the remnants of Anne's ... faction... are still present, I would surmise that cutting us off, or out, would mean one less threat in their backyard. And that is assuming they would even care at this point."

Faction not Court. Anatole was not going to give the fallen Queen even that much.

"Honestly... if that was the case they might even be well on the way to becoming simple Bridge Burners."

His voice was flat and tinny inside his respirator. His head sharply turns to Circe.

"What? A vine? A branch? If thats the case then it is coming from somewhere. Growing from a single source. We can follow it. Carve a path through the Thorns right to it if necessary."

Back to Seraphina.

"Ambrosial Delights or track down the Spider Market. We won't find that kind of information among the muggle hordes."

Seems like they had options here after all.

[Saber Sloth]

The spores raise by Circe's clearing of they way settle once more upon branch and bramble. The fallen fruit, continue to rot, juices seeping into the ground below. doing Wyrd know what to ecosystem of the Hedge.

There is a choice to make now.

Continue from where they are, finding still growing bush fruit, and try to follow the roots back to the source.

Or find a Market, either to track down the roaming Spider Bazaar, or the more dangerous, but easily location Ambrosial Delights.

I just want to make sure I know which way y'all want to go so I can get us there, and continue on with this plot

[Seraphina]

A light shrug, “There is always a reason behind ones actions.” No one does something just because. But she didn’t want to discuss Anne.

Eyes turn to where Circe pointed with the light, frowning, though no one could see it. “Wonderful.” Of course, it was sarcastic.

“I’m not sure what books I have, I know Rhodes left behind a lot of various books, but I haven’t dug through the box. Maybe there’s something useful in there, maybe not.” Turning to a Market? Cringing a little, “The Market is going to cost us, and I don’t know if they will even tell us the truth. It’s a risk.” Thinking it over, “How sure are you they don’t want it spreading? For all we know, a Hob at the Market was in with Anne or whoever made this shit.” Markets were fun for trading and bartering, but dangerous all the same.

Fishing around in her bag, she pulls out the metal cookie tin, “I just have the one. Without knowing what we were going to find, I didn’t want to bring a whole bunch and not be able to bring anything else. Like gloves.” Holding up the gardening gloves next. “But I don’t even know if it’s safe in the tin.” Again, things were unknown. “Yeah, I healed Gerrit, he reached out to me. It wasn’t easy, and he will probably always have a scar where it took hold, but I healed him.” As for her question about being cut by it, “I don’t know. It’s clearly able to travel by simple touch or inhalation of the spores. I can’t say for sure how much would have to get into your system to infect you, or how quick it would spread. Good thing?” if there was, “Is we’re in the Hedge, if you go down, I can easily get into your Dreams and set to work. Not that I’m encouraging it.” Nope. “But this is why I brought gloves.” Seeing Gerrits wound was enough for her to not want to touch the fruit at all.

To Anatole, “I’m all for tracking down the source, but once we find it, we’re at a dead end without knowing exactly how to kill it. If we’re set on a Market, I say the Spider Market, where it moves around, there is a good chance it might have knowledge on where it started or some other info.” pausing to think, "We destroyed that one orchard Ann had, do we think she was growing fruits to be used in this mess there?" thinking, "Or something else."

Hedgespun jacket(+1 INT, +1 DEF), Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, 2 bottles of water, gauze and medical tape, notebook with pencil, compact with mirror, gardening gloves(2), metal cookie tin(empty) gas mask
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 9/10

[Circe]

"Really thick vine, kinda a branch now Anatole," she answers him. "And while this," she knocks on her gas mask's goggles, "Is rated up ta mustard gas, I'm not sure it'll be enough if the Rust Dust gets thicker closers ta the source. Might want more hazmat. And now what destroys it and not make it worse."


Army-Navy Surplus again. Have to get a few sets, maybe bitch about how hair kept ruining the shots so need a hoodie. Oh! Like those dudes from that really bad giant worm movie. Looked like they were wearing trash bag outfits.


Tangent, Circe keeps her mind from drifting. She turns to Seraphina when she questions the safety of putting the Rust Fruit into a tin. Stares. "I'm sure it will be not safe." She points to fruit on a branch, "Safe and Hedge, no match. We just grab an intact one. Can't science the shit outta this without test subjects." The body language tells Seraphina and Anatole that Circe is probably smiling now, "Kay. What I heard about Gerrit was, no ya stupid bitch ya won't die because I won't let Rust kill ya," she nods at Seraphina, "Thank you. I have gloves too. If we bounce, lets bounce, else give me the tin and both stay back whilst I get a fresh one."


Circe was glad she'd a helmet on. It would keep the Rust Dust out of her hair for sure. She'd need to be slower to ensure the fruit didn't fall.


As for the markets to go to. Circe didn't like Ambrosial Delights. Too much property, even if it was easier to find. Rather untrustworthy too. "If we were looking ta out source knife work or Hedgespun parts, I'd say Ambro Dee. But spider town sounds more trustworthy. They has incentive," she waves off into the Hedge, "This spreads, they can't wander as much. Which is incentive from Ambro Dee to have it spread, less competitors. If we go ta a market, we should go for the spider."


Paranoia mixed with criminal commerce experience, certainly taints Circe's views on this matter. "Or we can get a sample, hit the books, and then get some hidden spot Iron Side ta experiment."


Well, that was Circe's vote. Yes to books, yes to spider, no to Ambrosial Delights, and no to hunt he source. Because their only plan now for the source was Bridge Burning as far as she could tell.

Equipment and stats

Armor: 2/2 bulletproof
Def: 3
Speed: 10
A card for The Asylym BDSM club, L-Colt M1911 Pistol plus 2 mags with 2 mags of hollowpoint and 20 spare hollowpoints, burner phone, light, 2 Dynamite sticks, fanny pack, holsters and pouches, knife, 3 Dream-a-Drupes flasks, hedgespun multitool, hedgespun glasses, Silicon rubber skin suit and thin kevlar vest [1/2] HS Lorica Segmentata, Helmet w/light, leg gaiter, gasmask, machete, pump shotgun, 2 thick gloves, LED Flashlight, duffle bag holding trench coat, 20 shells, LED flashlights, 2 summer sausages, 2 water bottles, a pairs of very thick gloves.

[Anatole]

"Much that was tied to the last Dread Lord vanished with him."

Anatole couldn't keep the grumble from his voice.

"I am all for rooting out the source. But... We can't do that unless we actually know what we are looking for."

He sighed.

"For that we need a sample or a good description of what is going on here. Sample probably best, really. So lets get a sample..."

"After that. Seraphina, can you look through Rhode's books? If you don't wish to, may I? He may have had something we can use... Or even something that answers our questions, so we don't have to tap the Markets. And yes, my preference is for the Spider Market if it can be found. Ambrosial Delights is a little too... close."

[Saber Sloth]

The hedge continues as it was, in the distance they can hear something cry out, barely audible, things have learned to stay clear of this Trod. Teh fruits still attached to the bush sway in the brisk autumnal breeze, the space Circe chopped out of the foliage a tantalizing possibility.

They could always snag one of the rotten fruits from the ground, they'd only have to be mindful of the spores, the Rust, and the juice, or, the could risk the crawl to get to the fresh ones.

If you want to get a sample, you can do either or, or both. You'd need something to carry the fruits in to make sure things are safe, or you can be haphazard with them and risk the consequences of that.

If you want to get to the fresh fruits, only one of you will be able to do it. With how lithe Sera and Circe are, the Fairest can make this roll with a -1, for Anatole he can make it at a -3 for his bulk. Dex + Athletics to make the crawl, then a Int + Survival or Int + Occult to pluck the fruit without harming them, or yourself with them. Then, I'd need another Dex + Athletics - 1(Sera/Circe) -3(Anatole) to make sure you can make it back unharmed as well.

If you want to take the time to make the hole bigger you can do that as well, Strength + Weaponry to do so, but the spores will start flying again!

[Seraphina]

There was always fire, her mind reminded her. It had taken out Ann’s orchid, and could, technically, take this out as well. But at the risk of the whole damn Hedge. And she wasn’t sure they would be willing to risk that. At least, not yet.

“If we grab a fruit to bring back, then I don’t think we can safely visit the Market as well. We don’t know how long it will remain safe…ish…in the tin. If we want to hit the Market, I say we do that first, then come back and grab a sample to take back. Give us as much safety as we can.” Just her thought.

“Or,” and this was said carefully, “we divide and conquer. Someone takes the sample out and gets it to a safer location and storage, and the others move forward to the Spider Market.” Was she attached to the idea? Not really, she loved Markets.

A nod to Anatole, “I can get the boxes pulled from the attic. There were a few in our shared Hollow as well that I haven’t looked at.” One thing Rhodes had was books. Some mundane, some not.

“But sounds like we’re getting a sample. Did you want to get it Circe or did you want me to go in there? Cause I totally will.” But Circe seemed gun ho to go in. Either way, she has the tin out. "Oh, idea! If we get one of the fresher ones, we risk disturbing the spores. I have some medical tape, maybe tape up places on the suits and around the gloves to prevent them from getting in?" might work, might not.

Hedgespun jacket(+1 INT, +1 DEF), Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, 2 bottles of water, gauze and medical tape, notebook with pencil, compact with mirror, gardening gloves(2), metal cookie tin(empty) gas mask
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 9/10

[Circe]

Circe waits, Summer yes but also a shooter so she has patience,and listens to the Autumn and Spring discuss. She nods along with Anatole, even if she has ventured to Ambrosial Delights for bones herself. The good thing of the hazmat stuff, she can't be seen to wince when Anatole mentions Rhodes vanishing. That might be bad for Sera.


"If we hit up spider market, we'll want something ta trade. Spices work well," she reminds them both. "Split is tactically sound, though safety concerns I have with doing that. Personal objection, I wanna see a kaiju that is not trying ta kill me." She will not elaborate on the qualifier. Because fuck deep ocean Hedge Gates. "Personal request, plus I have a spice rack and guns fer trade. We do NOT want ta buy empty handed."


"I'm the Summer, I should do the stupid shit. But," she points at Seraphina, "I will take the extra sealing. My gloves are bigger. And if we're fucking off," she points back to the way they came, "We said come back ta it after. If there are fresh fruit near there, we can try it, or," she points to the fruit, "Seal the Summer, leave the tin, fuck off away from the storm, and I swing for the bleachers."

Equipment and stats

Armor: 2/2 bulletproof
Def: 3
Speed: 10
A card for The Asylym BDSM club, L-Colt M1911 Pistol plus 2 mags with 2 mags of hollowpoint and 20 spare hollowpoints, burner phone, light, 2 Dynamite sticks, fanny pack, holsters and pouches, knife, 3 Dream-a-Drupes flasks, hedgespun multitool, hedgespun glasses, Silicon rubber skin suit and thin kevlar vest [1/2] HS Lorica Segmentata, Helmet w/light, leg gaiter, gasmask, machete, pump shotgun, 2 thick gloves, LED Flashlight, duffle bag holding trench coat, 20 shells, LED flashlights, 2 summer sausages, 2 water bottles, a pairs of very thick gloves.

[Anatole]

"I like your idea, Sera. Get a sample now and keep it safe. We can follow up on the Market's later - perhaps after some further research."

Anatole was distracted by the muffled cry. He turned - carefully - in his space and readied his ax as if expecting something to come slinking down the turgid path toward them.

"Anyone hear that?"

"Best hurry. Yes! Seal up your gear as best you can. The Rust will absorb through even the slightest exposed skin. I've seen it happen."

[Saber Sloth]

The options lay before them, fruit, rotten and weeping juice lay upon the ground, or the bush fruits, growing, thriving.

But there is always to take both, for the ambitious, if they have a way to contain both...

Just copy+pasting the note from my last post, because I'm feeling lazy, and these rolls are still valid.


If you want to get a sample, you can do either or, or both. You'd need something to carry the fruits in to make sure things are safe, or you can be haphazard with them and risk the consequences of that.

If you want to get to the fresh fruits, only one of you will be able to do it. With how lithe Sera and Circe are, the Fairest can make this roll with a -1, for Anatole he can make it at a -3 for his bulk. Dex + Athletics to make the crawl, then a Int + Survival or Int + Occult to pluck the fruit without harming them, or yourself with them. Then, I'd need another Dex + Athletics - 1(Sera/Circe) -3(Anatole) to make sure you can make it back unharmed as well.

If you want to take the time to make the hole bigger you can do that as well, Strength + Weaponry to do so, but the spores will start flying again!