"That's right!" you reply. "It's lovely to meet you."

Step 69

Nell knows the basics about Blue pilgrimages. She asks if they are taking the Utannic Road all the way there. 

(The interaction should include opportunities for Prota to respond in more ways than the obvious.) What is a possible obstacle the Player has not been made fully aware of? They know about mud and streams. Downed trees and other trail blockages, perhaps? Glint can move those in animal form. Unusual magics? In keeping with the theme that places near the Blue contain the detritus of civilization, a leftover magical experiment is causing problems. Someone experimenting with bio-magic created a hardy wood-eating parasite in an effort to clear deadwood and/or grow something edible from it. [Woodworms, a small creature made by magic, eat deadwood and carts if not prevented.] This does sound like the sort of problem that unscrupulous vendors might make up in order to sell useless items like "woodworm spray" to unsuspecting travelers. Perhaps whoever made them was inspired by a Pratchett hoax. (Is this a worthwhile obstacle to use? Damaged wheels could be crippling to a journey bluse. It could be easily avoided by separating wheels from ground with fabric or rocks, but then it's not much of a challenge. But it may be worth adding by virtue of worldbuilding alone.) 

[Possible twist: someone was digging below the river in Adwell and shored up the tunnels with timber. Woodworms ate the timber and the collapse caused the sinkhole. Prota may uncover this if they investigate while in Adwell.]

"Likewise!" Nell grins. "Are you taking the Utannic all the way, then? Got your woodworm spray?" 

Glint rolls his eyes. "Not that old scam again, Nell. Woodworms don't exist, whatever the market folk say." 

Nell frowns and wags a finger at him. "Believe it or not, they do now. We think some magic-happy greefolk fresh from the Blue heard the rumors and decided it'd be a great idea to make a worm that eats deadwood. Now they're everywhere. Well, everywhere bluse of the Crane, anyway. I've replaced six wheels and an axle riddled with worm-holes already." 

None. 

"Somebody made a kind of vermin based on a made up kind?" I snort. "Why the heck? Anyway, we haven't run into any - does the spray work?"

Prota's first question is rhetorical. Prota asks if the woodworm spray actually kills or repels them. 

"Somebody made a kind of vermin based on a made up kind?" you snort. "Why the heck? Anyway, we haven't run into any - does the spray work?"

Step 70

Woodworm spray was originally a scam to take advantage of ignorant greefolk pilgrims. It will not be effective against an actual pest. Prota and Glint have not encountered woodworms yet because they are farther gree than the worms have spread. Nell doesn't know that for sure, so she offers to take a look at Prota's cart just in case. Nell also doesn't know why anyone invented woodworms, but she speculates that they hoped to clear deadwood from trails or feed the worms to chickens. ([Later in the story, if Prota ends up gree, they might see a woodworm farm.]) 

[Chickens are widely considered a greefolk luxury, because they are difficult to farm on the move. Correspondingly, so are eggs. The Pratch market will include at least one vendor selling woodworm spray.] 

Nell snorts back. "The spray? It's just water and a floral scent. Always has been. No, if you want to keep the woodworms out, just prop your wheels up on canvas at night to keep 'em out of the dirt, or park on rocks. Much cheaper solution." She frowns. "Dunno why anyone would make such a nuisance. Maybe some greefolk got sick of dodging deadwood on the trails or wanted something to feed their chickens. Anyway, they probably haven't spread gree of us yet, but if you want me to take a look at your cart just in case, I will." She winks at Glint. "Free of charge, even." 

None. 

"I'd appreciate that!" I say.

Prota accepts Nell's offer to look over the cart. 

"I'd appreciate that!" you say.

Step 71

Nell will examine the cart. Since woodworms have to enter the cart through the wheels, and leave holes when they do, signs of woodworm infestation should be obvious to Nell. She will not find any on the cart. She may notice some minor repairs needed, or design not up to her exacting standards. She may be distracted thinking about improvements. Glint knows about Nell's design fugue, though he does not know it has magical roots. He suggests waiting a while and prodding Nell if it takes too long, and draws Prota's attention to the carts and wagons. 

To check the underside of the wheels, Nell needs the cart to move forward or backward a bit. This means convincing Beldry to move. Beldry doesn't like working for strangers, so they will need help from Prota. (Prota will likely agree to help, so this could be assumed; however, a reminder of their efforts to train Beldry would serve as a light reward for the Player and could also reinforce the fact that Beldry only listens to Prota, or sometimes Glint. If it comes up later, for instance with bandits or thieves, then past references make a stronger case for Prota's work paying off. It also gives Beldry a bit of character.) Nell's distraction will manifest in the prompt after this. 

Nell skirts Beldry and squats beside the cart, examining the wheels. After a few moments, she nudges Beldry, who ignores her. "Stubborn one, eh?" murmurs Nell. "Mind moving the donk for me?" she asks you. "I only need about a quarter-turn to see the bottom of the wheels." 

None. 

"Mm-hm," I say, and I lead Beldry a couple steps forward.

Prota moves the cart for Nell. Their response assumes Beldry moves, which he will, but their actual action is to tug gently on the yoke and talk to Beldry in a way that the donkey has associated with reward oats. 

"Mm-hm," you acknowledge, and tug gently on the yoke, coaxing Beldry forward in a familiar murmur. 

Step 72

Beldry moves, and Nell examines the cart wheels. She gets caught up in thinking about the cart's various faults and imagining possible improvements. Glint advises Prota to let her muse for a bit, and points out some of the other designs Prota wanted to see. In particular, the leather-covered box could be interesting. It is actually a custom request from a wealthy greefolk. (What other descriptions or features could pique the interest of the Player and add depth to the setting?) Glint may recognize a clan design on one of the carts as being a crest of the Adwell ruling family before Sebastine, the Crexins. Where did it come from? [A servant escaped the revolt in Adwell and went looking for help. They know Yttria is in hiding, but not that Ithika was captured. The servant needed cart repairs when they reached Clan Pratchett, and had enough spare coin to pay for them.] 

"Perfect," Nell says after a couple steps. "Now, let's see here...no sign of worm-holes anywhere around the rim or sides...front axle's a mite creaky, the alignment's off, jokers always using warped lumber, could do with a spare...bottom's sturdy enough, mayhap a larger wheel could improve capacity but then you'd have to separate the axles further..." she trails off, muttering and running a finger over the yoke in deep thought. 

Beside you, Glint whispers, "She gets like this sometimes when she sees foreign work. Best let her muse for a while." He shifts to examine some of the partially repaired vehicles. "That box with all the leather looks new. And..." he trails off, frowning at one of the smaller wagons, blue with gold filigree on the edges, somewhat dented from travel. "Is that Baron Crexin's crest?" He points to a sigil of a spear crossed with two axes on a field of red. "I wonder what that's doing here." 

None. 

I go take a closer look at the wagon with the crest.

Prota examines the servant's wagon. 

You go take a closer look at the wagon with the crest.