A secret path, hidden within Funderland's administrative building, can be opened. Revealing a narrow and steep stairwell, that will lead the Lost down, and down and down, to the Prohibition era tunnels that criss-crossed the subterranean map of the Freehold. The growing warmth from Spring fading the further into the earth they venture.
Industrious spiders have rebuild their homes, along the corners and the hanging wires of the strung up edison bulbs that flicker rhythmically after the Lost switched the power on.
Eventually 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.
At the end of the corridor is the Hedge Gate, closed, at least, for now.
The Hedge Gate is currently Closed! It needs 1 Glamour to open! Remember to use Power Icons!
If anyone wants to do any last minute bluebooking please do so before you enter the Scene!
Also please remember to include your Equipment in your Posts!
Mask
A giant of a man (7ft 6'), broad as a barn (300lb) his muscles are not things curated for gym selfies but thick from use and abuse. The jug jaw can be said to be his most flattering feature, after the badly broken nose, limp locks of hair and sharp shattered teeth. He wears a long poorly made overcoat, suspenders keep trousers up over a ill fitting white work shirt. A battered fedora is his only accessory.
Hedgespun
Hedgespun
Fedora 0 Dot
Mask: a battered brown moth eaten fedora, the hat band looks like a band of sackcloth has been wound around it.
Mein: made of stitched red and brown leaves, 2 holes for his horn nubbins -- the scarecrows I pictured to be in place of the hat band, just a jumbled array of tiny standing and suspended sackcloth and straw people ringing the main body of the hat.
Mantle
Mantle (Autumn) ●●
The source less sorcerous candle flames spark into existence with grater frequency and in greater number casting the Ogre in the light and shadows of their illusory flames that flicker with increased tenacity and with greater range of motion.
Other merits of note:
Iron Stomach
Resources 4
Strong Back
Pledge Smith 3
Fighting style: Brute Force 3
Contacts/allies:
Criminals/3
Finance/3
City Hall/3
Unions/3
Public works/3
Mein
Standing an inch or so taller and broader than its already giant mask the blubbery ashen skin, splotched with chitinous scabs and bulbous fleshy worts look almost diseased. Wild and matted lichens and moss form a tangled mane of hair and beard. Thick trunk like, twisted, arms of exaggerated length, end in vast hands with dark chipped nails. The pillar like legs bow slightly. A barrel chest and obese gut only add to the immensity of the creature. A broad jaw houses a chaotic array of sharp and curving teeth resembling shards of stone that prevent complete mouth closure ensuring they are always on display. The flat squashed nose leads to the sickly yellow sclera of the vast bulbous eyes and pupils more akin to fragments of flint, in turn overshadowed by nubbin horns protruding from a wide forehead
Kray did a preparation harvest for glamour here adding 1 to his glamour pool bringing it up to 6/11
Fresh from his bus ride the ogre ducks deep to get into the tunnels and down the stars duffel bag of stuff in hand, more wary then previous ventures as now there might be camouflaged, aggressive ambush predators waking up and hungry down here. He also had to be mindful to avoid the snares, not that any where able to lift him heavy as he was. Just didn't want o ruin the hard work of setting them up.
Striding over the bridge with its squeaky occupants beneath the familiar unease settles in his gut and salvia forms in his mouth what else could a colony of rats down here be eating if not each other. Maybe that was the cannibals personal bias shading his assumptions but he couldn't think of anything else.
The coming to the central room, newly excavated tunnel heading off to the monster nest trapped up he begins to prepare. Removing his heavy longcoat a length of hefty chain is removed from the bag and wound round his torso a few times before the coat is put back on. The pockets checked for the goblin fruit and smaller weapons closest within tis pockets. A Thermos of coup nettle tea is removed next and consumed, chugging down the goblin fruit blend. Sam Crow had been a good ally to make.
Kray is adding drinking coup nettle tea to add 1 to his wp pool brining it to 3/4
Finally three heftier weapons a nasty but new looking fire axe, a sheathed machete and his trusty sledge hammer is brought out from the duffel with difficulty it had been a squeeze to get them in. The blade on one hip, the axe on the other and his hammer in one great hand resting on the corroding shoulder Armed and armoured the giant is ready for another venture into the hedge. Now just to see who shows up tipping the brim of his hat down to cast his bulbous sickly yellow eyes into shadow.
Saber Sloth There is an underland Hallow now and each hallow has an entrance/exit into the hedge, could we save on the glamour of opening the gate by using the hallow for hedge access?
Stats and Equipment
WP for this scene 3/4
Defence:2
Armour: 1/0
Speed: 12
Equipment:
Armour:
Long coat (Reinforced clothing) (armour 1/0)
Mask
Young woman with long dark hair and big, innocent looking brown doe eyes, right eye is actually pale blue. Tall, with long legs her build is very thin and delicate in appearance.
Mien
Her eye right is now an icy shade of blue surrounded by a gentle frost that extends down her right cheek and then extends into her hair. Her skin is that of fragile porcelain, and her joints are ball joints of a doll.
Mina
Manikin/Snowskin
Mantle 1
Light smell of lavender
Hedgespun
Necklace
Mask: Silver icicle lariat necklace
Mien: Icicle becomes a true and honest icicle of winter and wraps her skin in a protective coating of ice
Now this is what she’s talking about, patrolling the local Hedge! A chance to not only get to poke around the Hedge, but also get to show she’s useful and wants to do things to help out. A win win in her book.
She doesn’t have much in regards to prepare for such a trip, just her Hedgespun necklace, some sturdy boots and a leather jacket. Under which was a black tank top over which was a pair of jeans. One never dressed up for the Hedge, you never knew what you would come across. Her hair was up in a ballerina bun, and she had a messenger bag across her chest. It held some water bottles(4), trail mix divided into 4 ziploc bags, Band-Aids and gauze. It was the Hedge, it was dangerous, always good to have some bandages in hand. Her necklace provided her the ice should she need it.
Now, the directions to the Gate were a bit...weird. But, everything in her world was weird. So she carefully made her way down the path and followed the sharp curves. Couldn’t they have made an easier way to get to a Gate? One with less spiders, with more lights and well, a direct path?
Sighing, she continues onward, not afraid to get dirty and of a couple spiders.
Finally, she sees something, or someone. It was big, and she was pretty sure it was Kray. Which she was very thankful to see.
Wolf-like ears, bluish-silver fur-like hair. One glowing blue eye and one glowing red eye. Glowing bluish-silver tattoo-like marks on bare skin, depicting Hati and Skol chasing sun and moon. Clawed fingers, pointed teeth, and fangs.
Mask
Six-foot tall, rugged male with bluish-silver hair, tanned skin, dark piercing eyes. Silver tattoos depict Hati and Skol pursuing sun and moon. His wild striking looks turn heads.
Equipment
Armor
Reinforced Hooded Trenchcoat 1/0
Kevlar Vest 2/3 -1 Defence
Weapons
Beretta M92
Recurve Bow
Gear
Burner Phone
Digital Camera
Laptop Computer
Digital Audio Recorder
Smartphone
Handcuffs
4 Mags of Ammo
20 Arrow Quiver
Blessings
Beast
The wildness that infuses a Beast gives her a supernatural affinity with animals. A Beast gains the benefit of the 8 again rule when using the Animal Ken Skill, and receives a free Specialty for the one animal that most reflects the Beast’s seeming. That same wild nature gives a Beast a powerful personal magnetism. A Beast’s player can spend points of Glamour to add to dice pools involving Presence and Composure. Each point of Glamour spent adds one die to one dice pool.
Tooth and Claw
Can inflict lethal damage instead of bashing damage when fighting unarmed.
Burning Hypnotism
Once per scene, the player may spend one Glamour to surround the Flamesiren with a blazing flame-like aura. Anyone looking at the Flamesiren must make a successful Resolve + Composure roll or suffer a two-dice penalty to all actions until the character decides to douse the aura or the scene ends, thanks to the distraction.
Vincent arrived geared up realizing he was the last to show up. "Hey Kray, hey Mina, how are we feline today?" Vincent says with a chuckle. "Are you all set? I just need to quickly check my gear, and then I'll be good to go too."
Vincent reaches under his vest touching his wolf tattoo as he activates his contract.
1 success
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2025-04-23 10:41:07
Vincent Black rolls 6 to Activate Beast's Keen Senses(Wits2 + Wyrd3 + Wolf Tattoo1) (10 Again)
10, 4, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3
1 success
With his contract activated and his gear ready he looks to the others. "Ready when you are."
STATS
Health:
Glamour:
Willpower:
CONTRACTS
Contracts:
Fang and Talon
Beast’s Keen Senses: +2 dice bonus to all Wits rolls relating to perception for the next full scene.
In addition, he gains the chosen animal’s most notable sensory ability.
EQUIPMENT
Vest:
6 Magazines of Beretta Ammo
Holster with Beretta M92 (Damage 2L)
Combat Knife
Flare gun
Compass
Back:
Bow
Quiver with 20 Arrows
Backpack:
Canteen with Water
5 MRE's (Meals Ready-to-Eat)
5 Road Flares
5 Glowsticks
Hammock
The Lost gather, and due to the Autumn's King's efforts in the mapping and building of their underground leads them away from the well established Hedge Gate and Glamour greedy requirements to open, and towards the Hollow established off the Funderland Tunnels, simply called Underland.
It takes a bit to reach the hollow, though not as long as it had to reach the 'Gate in the first place. It is not a beautiful Hollow, nor a large one. Vincent can smell dirt and chill and glamour suffusing the brick and moss growing in from the hedge.
With quick efficiency Kray leads them to the door out into the Hedge proper. Which reveals a surprise for the Autumn and the Solstice Courtier. Nothing like the well tamed hedge they'd come to know, or the subtle changes of the Seasonal environs they could have expected, but they walk out into a Spring bright rainforest. The brisk breeze bringing the scent of flowers and fruit.
I completely forgot about the Underland Hollow, /facepalm.
Mask
A giant of a man (7ft 6'), broad as a barn (300lb) his muscles are not things curated for gym selfies but thick from use and abuse. The jug jaw can be said to be his most flattering feature, after the badly broken nose, limp locks of hair and sharp shattered teeth. He wears a long poorly made overcoat, suspenders keep trousers up over a ill fitting white work shirt. A battered fedora is his only accessory.
Hedgespun
Hedgespun
Fedora 0 Dot
Mask: a battered brown moth eaten fedora, the hat band looks like a band of sackcloth has been wound around it.
Mein: made of stitched red and brown leaves, 2 holes for his horn nubbins -- the scarecrows I pictured to be in place of the hat band, just a jumbled array of tiny standing and suspended sackcloth and straw people ringing the main body of the hat.
Mantle
Mantle (Autumn) ●●
The source less sorcerous candle flames spark into existence with grater frequency and in greater number casting the Ogre in the light and shadows of their illusory flames that flicker with increased tenacity and with greater range of motion.
Other merits of note:
Iron Stomach
Resources 4
Strong Back
Pledge Smith 3
Fighting style: Brute Force 3
Contacts/allies:
Criminals/3
Finance/3
City Hall/3
Unions/3
Public works/3
Mein
Standing an inch or so taller and broader than its already giant mask the blubbery ashen skin, splotched with chitinous scabs and bulbous fleshy worts look almost diseased. Wild and matted lichens and moss form a tangled mane of hair and beard. Thick trunk like, twisted, arms of exaggerated length, end in vast hands with dark chipped nails. The pillar like legs bow slightly. A barrel chest and obese gut only add to the immensity of the creature. A broad jaw houses a chaotic array of sharp and curving teeth resembling shards of stone that prevent complete mouth closure ensuring they are always on display. The flat squashed nose leads to the sickly yellow sclera of the vast bulbous eyes and pupils more akin to fragments of flint, in turn overshadowed by nubbin horns protruding from a wide forehead
Jostling to settle everything into place the Ogre looks around and then down as the fragile looking doll speaks up. "Oh. Hey Mina." So the new spring wanted to see the hedge, well that checks out. "Uh. You got a weapon of some kind?" He had never recovered his knife from Sven on that matter. "Ah. It can be dangerous out there." And well better safe then sorry on that front especially as last trip had proven while he was capable of solving alot of problems he could only be in one place at a time.
Vincent's arrival isn't exactly a cause for comfort the Ogre viewed the beast as more of a risk then anything else. "Ah. Hey Vincent." And this being the whole crew actually caused a tingle of concern. "Uh. Do you know where Circe has been of late?" This would be the second patrol the groundskeeper had missed out on.
But that can't be helped. "Ah. Right then. Follow me." And away from the gate he goes. "Ha. Underland isn't much to look at yet as hollows go. But it gets us into the hedge more easily." And it had room to grow. The Ogre was clearly proud of his contributions despite the current simplicity of it.
Stepping through the door the Ogre stops dead. Surprised. He had seen their local hedge in spring before and it wasn't this. "Oh. This is new." Had they worked their way far enough to enter a new patch of the hedge? Or had spring ... spring. "Oh. I got an idea." Scents of flowers and fruits had twigged the idea. New Monkey queen of spring, new director of the freehold and now they had a new rainforest, New wyrd for the hedge to take influence from. "Hm. That's neat." But what other changes had been wrought by the shifts in the freehold?
Well one way to know for sure the sledge in one hand the other reaches out to pluck a thorn from the hedge and spill a single drop of blood in the process.
Pathfinding failure
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2025-04-24 05:32:42
Kray rolls 4 to Pathfinding int 2 wyrd 2 (10 Again)
7, 1, 5, 7
failure
And nothing.
The ogre is still for a few moments. "Bah. Well I got thing we're going in blind." So carefully does it.
Stats and Equipment
WP for this scene 3/4
Defence:2
Armour: 1/0
Speed: 12
Equipment:
Armour:
Long coat (Reinforced clothing) (armour 1/0)
Mask
Young woman with long dark hair and big, innocent looking brown doe eyes, right eye is actually pale blue. Tall, with long legs her build is very thin and delicate in appearance.
Mien
Her eye right is now an icy shade of blue surrounded by a gentle frost that extends down her right cheek and then extends into her hair. Her skin is that of fragile porcelain, and her joints are ball joints of a doll.
Mina
Manikin/Snowskin
Mantle 1
Light smell of lavender
Hedgespun
Necklace
Mask: Silver icicle lariat necklace
Mien: Icicle becomes a true and honest icicle of winter and wraps her skin in a protective coating of ice
Hearing more footsteps and then hearing a voice, she looks to see Vincent, “Hey Vincent.” Then a grimince at the pun, but then smiles, “Not doing too bad, yourself?”
Looking up to Kray when he asks about a weapon, “Of sorts, yes.” She wasn’t defenseless, but wasn’t armed to the teeth like other Lost. How she would fare in a fight would remain to be seen. But she a couple tricks up her sleeve.
And she follows behind the giant, quite eager to step into the Hegde that was around her new home. Each Freehold seemed to have a different Hedge, filled with different secrets.
But what she sees and smells was, well, not expected. Mistacthed eyes widen as she takes it in, it was a rainforest! It was stunning and beautiful! And as she steps into it, the necklace hanging around her neck catches and activates, and wraps the broken doll in a protective coating of ice, every part of exposed body that can be seen has a smooth, hardened sheen of ice.
Wolf-like ears, bluish-silver fur-like hair. One glowing blue eye and one glowing red eye. Glowing bluish-silver tattoo-like marks on bare skin, depicting Hati and Skol chasing sun and moon. Clawed fingers, pointed teeth, and fangs.
Mask
Six-foot tall, rugged male with bluish-silver hair, tanned skin, dark piercing eyes. Silver tattoos depict Hati and Skol pursuing sun and moon. His wild striking looks turn heads.
Equipment
Armor
Reinforced Hooded Trenchcoat 1/0
Kevlar Vest 2/3 -1 Defence
Weapons
Beretta M92
Recurve Bow
Gear
Burner Phone
Digital Camera
Laptop Computer
Digital Audio Recorder
Smartphone
Handcuffs
4 Mags of Ammo
20 Arrow Quiver
Blessings
Beast
The wildness that infuses a Beast gives her a supernatural affinity with animals. A Beast gains the benefit of the 8 again rule when using the Animal Ken Skill, and receives a free Specialty for the one animal that most reflects the Beast’s seeming. That same wild nature gives a Beast a powerful personal magnetism. A Beast’s player can spend points of Glamour to add to dice pools involving Presence and Composure. Each point of Glamour spent adds one die to one dice pool.
Tooth and Claw
Can inflict lethal damage instead of bashing damage when fighting unarmed.
Burning Hypnotism
Once per scene, the player may spend one Glamour to surround the Flamesiren with a blazing flame-like aura. Anyone looking at the Flamesiren must make a successful Resolve + Composure roll or suffer a two-dice penalty to all actions until the character decides to douse the aura or the scene ends, thanks to the distraction.
As he heard Krays welcome, he picked up a hint of concern. And the mention of the missing Circe confirms it. "I have not heard from her, but I am guessing she isn't here for this patrol because she may still be recovering from our last patrol into the deep hedge. Though healing well enough her injuries are going to take some time."
Vincent looks to Mina, "Sorry about the puns, Circe has rubbed off on me a bit too much. She be howling at that pun." Vincent then hears the concern of the lack of weaponry with Mina, and knowing that his deadliest weapons were his own claws he did not judge when others did not carry such weaponry.
As the door opened to the Hedge Vincent is hit with the scents of the flowers and fruit. And with his eyes he sees something he was not expecting. "Well what is this, it looks like the Hedge has shifted."
2 successes
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2025-04-25 09:41:44
Vincent Black rolls 5 to Recall Hedge Knowledge(Intelligence3 + Occult2) (10 Again)
10, 3, 10, 3, 7, 7, 1
2 successes
Vincent unslings his bow as he follows his fellow Lost into the Hedge.
STATS
Health:
Glamour:
Willpower:
CONTRACTS
Contracts:
Fang and Talon
Beast’s Keen Senses: +2 dice bonus to all Wits rolls relating to perception for the next full scene.
In addition, he gains the chosen animal’s most notable sensory ability.
EQUIPMENT
Vest:
6 Magazines of Beretta Ammo
Holster with Beretta M92 (Damage 2L)
Combat Knife
Flare gun
Compass
Back:
Bow
Quiver with 20 Arrows
Backpack:
Canteen with Water
5 MRE's (Meals Ready-to-Eat)
5 Road Flares
5 Glowsticks
Hammock
Humidity surrounds the Lost as they ease their way out of the Hollow, causing Mina's necklace to crackle and hiss. In the distance they can hear innumerable animal shrieks, and the cloying cries of fantastical birds.
The first impressions of the scent of fruit and flowers fade quickly the further from the door they go. Though, the further from the hollow the venture, the distant din of animal sounds remains as distant as it had been before, even Vincent's nose doesn't catch a quick scent of who or what could be making the racket.
The Hedge is mutable, unknown and changeable. Just because the Hedge around Sacramento appeared sedate and almost tamed, didn't mean that it was. The new Verdant Sovereign must have jumpstarted such a massive shift from the last time Vincent had been hedge side.
You can give me Perception (Remember clarity) and wits+Survival if you want to go further than were you are right now
Mask
A giant of a man (7ft 6'), broad as a barn (300lb) his muscles are not things curated for gym selfies but thick from use and abuse. The jug jaw can be said to be his most flattering feature, after the badly broken nose, limp locks of hair and sharp shattered teeth. He wears a long poorly made overcoat, suspenders keep trousers up over a ill fitting white work shirt. A battered fedora is his only accessory.
Hedgespun
Hedgespun
Fedora 0 Dot
Mask: a battered brown moth eaten fedora, the hat band looks like a band of sackcloth has been wound around it.
Mein: made of stitched red and brown leaves, 2 holes for his horn nubbins -- the scarecrows I pictured to be in place of the hat band, just a jumbled array of tiny standing and suspended sackcloth and straw people ringing the main body of the hat.
Mantle
Mantle (Autumn) ●●
The source less sorcerous candle flames spark into existence with grater frequency and in greater number casting the Ogre in the light and shadows of their illusory flames that flicker with increased tenacity and with greater range of motion.
Other merits of note:
Iron Stomach
Resources 4
Strong Back
Pledge Smith 3
Fighting style: Brute Force 3
Contacts/allies:
Criminals/3
Finance/3
City Hall/3
Unions/3
Public works/3
Mein
Standing an inch or so taller and broader than its already giant mask the blubbery ashen skin, splotched with chitinous scabs and bulbous fleshy worts look almost diseased. Wild and matted lichens and moss form a tangled mane of hair and beard. Thick trunk like, twisted, arms of exaggerated length, end in vast hands with dark chipped nails. The pillar like legs bow slightly. A barrel chest and obese gut only add to the immensity of the creature. A broad jaw houses a chaotic array of sharp and curving teeth resembling shards of stone that prevent complete mouth closure ensuring they are always on display. The flat squashed nose leads to the sickly yellow sclera of the vast bulbous eyes and pupils more akin to fragments of flint, in turn overshadowed by nubbin horns protruding from a wide forehead
Well if Mina was confident in her ability to defend herself that was going to have to be good enough for him. "Hm. Right well as long as you got something I don't want to be dragging your body pack to Sonnie after your first trip." That would be an awkward conversation.
Vincent not having heard from Circe either is less then ideal. "Ah. Right then. Only three of us and no groundskeeper." Oh he still called that trip into the deep hedge not having walked out without some wounds himself. His had all healed up though. "Bah. No senseless fights then you hear." For all his might and skill the Ogre was no substitute for the queen of Summer.
But he was the monarch present and they had a job to do so using the head of his hammer to move any leaves or thorns in the way the giant will set off into the hedge now underway of the monkey Queens Wyrd. The new terrain made the flash or mortal world that bled into his vision here no less prominent and no less distracting but clarity issues and all he does try to keep aware of his surroundings.
Perception 1 success
Date
Action
Roll
Result
2025-04-26 17:12:10
Kray rolls 2 to Perception 4 -2(clarity) (10 Again)
Draft this Post
Presence
Hidden Life
Distinctive Voice
Giant
