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Glint nods slowly, a faint smile crinkling his eyes. "Aye, greenjay. I do agree. And what if your guess is right, and it's just a plunderer taking advantage of the chaos and death?" 

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None. 

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"Well, I guess that would be good to know if we found that out for sure and we could avoid them, but we're not here to track down thieves."

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Prota prefers to avoid the vehicle's owner. 

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You answer, "Well, I guess that would be good to know if we found that out for sure and we could avoid them, but we're not here to track down thieves."

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Step 78

Prota has decided to avoid the carriage's owner for now. Glint, experienced and somewhat brash, is mildly disappointed that he doesn't get to collar a thief, but respects Prota's judgment. This is a good time for Nell to complete her examination of the cart and return to the conversation. She trusts Glint and will not be upset that Prota looked over the carriage. Nell repairing its tongue and replacing the wheels with something more suited to travel. 

Nell announces that Prota's cart is woodworm-free. She will offer modifications, but not at much of a discount; she still has to make a living, after all. Prota can decide whether to spend some of their coin on improvements. What improvements are available? Thicker wheels, a sturdier axle or a spare. Collective changes that allow the cart to hold a bit more and make it less likely to get stuck. Plausibly, Nell also takes trade-ins, though a new cart might be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. 

Nell asks how long they plan to stay. This serves the dual purpose of making small talk and finding out how much time she might be able to make with Glint. (The next prompt is long enough without also adding in this factor. The Player seems to prefer responding to one question or request for input at a time. Nell's question can wait for the following prompt.) 

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Glint nods understanding. "Alright, greenjay. Your call."

He turns to see Nell approaching, holding a ream of notes. "Found the fancy one, you did," she laughs. "I'm giving it new wheels and some repairs that'll make it more suitable for the hard road. That thing's about as travel-ready as a pair of bedroom slippers, as 'tis. 

"Your cart is woodworm-free, I'm pleased to say, though it could do with a sturdier axle and thicker wheels. If you want a cart that's less likely to stick in the Utannic mud or crack under that load of pots, I can offer you a fair price!" 

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None. 

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"I don't know if we want to spend that much time here getting parts swapped out," I demur.

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Prota respectfully declines. 

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"I don't know if we want to spend that much time here getting parts swapped out," you demur.

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Step 79

Nell takes pride in her work, and thinks she could do the job in a few days. (It would be counterproductive to make the Player repeat their choice.) Nell will keep the offer on the table, but accept Prota's refusal, possibly with a nudge from Glint. (This is a good segue into asking how long they plan to stay). As this is a pilgrimage, the likeliest answer is a night or two. [Migrants like Clan Pratchett do not necessarily move every day.] Longer than that, and Clan Pratchett may move on, in the wrong direction for Prota. Glint will leave the choice up to Prota, but his response should give the Player something to anchor on. The conversation can also reveal some facts about the migrants' travel habits. 

(The conversation should not drown out Prota's ability to respond to the core prompt, the question about stay duration.) 

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"Oh, it wouldn't take but a few days!" Nell insists. Glint coughs, and she deflates a bit. "Bah. Well, if you change your mind you know where to find me. How long do you plan to stay?" 

Glint looks in your direction. "A night or three, perhaps. It's Emerald's call. Is the clan moving soon?" 

Nell shrugs. "This is a good spot. Might stay here a week or so more, feed the sheep before we pack it all up again." 

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[Clan Pratchett will stay in place for about a week more.]

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"Probably just tonight unless we wind up with trading that takes longer to button up. How do you move all these carts at once when you have to move?"

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[Prota tentatively plans to stay at the Clan Pratchett encampment for one night.] Prota asks how Nell moves her extra carts. 

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You reply, "Probably just tonight unless we wind up with trading that takes longer to button up." Then you ask Nell, "How do you move all these carts at once when you have to move?"

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Step 80

Nell is disappointed by the short stay, but tries not to show it. She answers Prota's question about the carts. How does Nell move them? Most likely, she only takes work on the road that she can accomplish in an evening. Longer tasks require downtime. Nell typically makes sure the in-progress carts are road-ready, even if empty or incomplete, and rents some draft animals from the other clansfolk to keep them moving, or returns the wagons to their owners. The simplest way to avoid being responsible for multiple carts is to finish any work before the next migration. 

How do the clansfolk decide when to move? Clan government is likely informal, but they need a way to make decisions that affect everyone. Elites could decide, or they might vote. In the case of Clan Pratchett, the option most suiting their theme is that they vote as a collective how long to stay at a given location, and can sometimes vote whether to change their planned move date. Some political arguments are unavoidable, but they mostly agree on when to move. [Clan Pratchett determines when to migrate by community vote. Less broadly impactful decisions may be handled by clan leaders with sufficient pull.] Glint should know at least one clan leader, since he would have made a point to know someone in power. As one of the more involved and charismatic contacts, Brenelo fits. [Brenelo is one of several de facto leaders in Clan Pratchett.] 

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"Oh," murmurs Nell, looking a bit disappointed. "Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. I've got space by the carts no one's using." 

Your question about business cheers her a bit. "Oh, mostly I don't. I just fix 'em up and return 'em to their owners before the next migration. If I'm working on a long-term project, I make sure it's road-ready or put the pieces in a larger wagon and rent some draft animals for the trip. Empty carts are easy to move - don't get weighed down so much. On the road, I take quick-fixer jobs and emergency work. Replacing broken bits for stuck clansfolk and the like. Pays well, if unreliably." She winks. "Being the best 'n' fastest fixer in the clan helps." 

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None.

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"I bet it does!"

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Prota is talking to Nell. 

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"I bet it does!" you reply to Nell. 

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Step 81

For the time being, Prota seems to have no further questions for Nell. (It may be time to move on. The prompt should remind the Player what their options are.) Prota has not yet met Brenelo, Jerome, or Matiar, or visited the market. This reminder can fold into a comment by Glint. Nell would be willing to watch their cart and Beldry, but they may want to bring both if they go to the market. (To create a small amount of tension, they might not have time to see everyone and the market before dusk.) Prota will have to choose. However, that depends on how realistic it is for their errands to take multiple hours. For now, a passing comment by Glint is enough to make the point. 

(As a minor character-building moment and a segue into the next topic, Glint compliments Nell.) Is this co-opting Prota's conversation? No, the previous prompt sufficiently acknowledged their small talk and answered their question. Prota's last statement does not demand a response or significant reaction from the other characters. 

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"Best fixer gree of Blue, more like," Glint adds, eyes twinkling. "Prettiest, too." Nell blushes furiously. 

Glint leans back against the carriage. "I wish we had more time to chat, but we've still got a lot of Pratch to visit before dusk. Emerald still hasn't properly met Brenelo, Jerome, Matiar, or the Pratchworks..." he trails off at Nell's scowl. "...because we made sure to visit you first!" your uncle adds hastily. 

"And last," Nell responds, in a tone that brooks no argument. Glint nods meekly. 

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