You shrug and say, "- yeah, I guess that's fine." 

Step 119

Brenelo is slightly disappointed at being unable to host Prota and Glint, but will continue undaunted. He says the dinner invitation stands and asks if there is anything else he can do for Prota. Should there be more to this encounter if Prota does not prompt Brenelo further? (It is not necessary to the plot, and Prota has already received several potentially useful hooks and tidbits from Brenelo.) 

It is nearing end-of-day. Glint wants to visit Jerome at some point, but if Prota plans to stay a couple days, it can wait. 

(To add atmosphere and improve Player immersion, the prompt should describe the sunset in vivid terms.) Brenelo, always with an eye for color, alters the tones of his clothing and banner to match. It has been established already that he doesn't need to touch something to change its color. 

"Very well! The dinner invitation stands, though. I would be simply delighted to introduce you to the other councilmembers after the session." Brenelo claps his hands together. "Is there anything else I can do for you, my good friends?" 

It is growing late in the afternoon, and sunset casts a soft-hued rainbow of color across the sky. You notice Brenelo's clothing shifting to match, his bright tones growing more muted. Overhead, his banner fades as well, the letters of "SHEEP, CHEAP!" blending into a deep blue background until they are almost invisible. 

None. 

"I don't think so! When should we show up for dinner?"

Prota is replying to Brenelo. Prota might be asking about dinner with Nell, but since the question is right after answering Brenelo, they are probably asking about Brenelo's invitation. 

You reply to Brenelo, "I don't think so! When should we show up for dinner?"

Step 120

Brenelo's invitation was to speak at the council in the afternoon, then meet for dinner afterwards. It is unlikely that the council would adjourn immediately after Prota speaks, so they would either need to leave and come back or stay through the council session. Brenelo would prefer that Prota stay for an hour or two as a visible reminder to the council of their story. By analogy to modern parliaments, a lot of the actual politicking is done outside the official meeting. This implies that the "informal" dinner is likely to be a long and drawn-out affair with lots of side conversations. So it might start earlier than a normal dinner, meaning that Prota need not wait for many hours. Brenelo will try to schedule Prota at a time when their story will have the greatest impact, while also close enough to the end of the day's talks to stick in the councilmembers' minds before the next day. [The council is meeting for more than one day, though Prota is only speaking once. The dinner starts pretty early, around 4 PM on a modern clock.] 

Brenelo will not immediately mention the option of leaving the council meeting early and/or arriving at the dinner later. For one thing, it would be slightly impolite, and for another, he doesn't want Prota to think it's a good idea. 

"The dinner gathering will start shortly after the council adjourns for the day," Brenelo remarks. "The councilmembers like to mingle and talk after the session and before they sit down to eat. I'm planning to introduce you shortly before the end of the day's session, so if you'd care to stick around after you speak, you can proceed directly from the meeting to the meal! I do recommend it. You'd have a chance to see how Clan Pratchett handles their clan meetings. And you can make friends during the pre-dinner mingling time, too." 

None. 

"All right. When should I find you to be introduced, then?"

Prota is still talking to Brenelo. [Prota agreed to stay at the council after speaking.] 

You say, "All right. When should I find you to be introduced, then?"

Step 121

Prota wants to know when to find Brenelo. Implied is that they need to locate Brenelo before arriving at the council meeting and he will not be busy. This is not necessarily true. Prota might be able to simply walk up to the meeting. Where is it held, and is it invitation-only? Clan Pratchett is relatively informal and its leadership likes to preserve at least an appearance of democracy, but they need protocol to avoid disruptions or chaos.

What are the rules of the council? Possibly: it is held in a large tent open to the public. Anyone can attend, but one can only speak if one is first introduced by a councilmember. (Inspiration for this design comes from models of a city council meeting. Other rules can be developed as the plot demands. The proposed design seems plausible and does not interfere with the plot.) [Clan Pratchett's council meeting is held in a large tent near the center of camp. Anyone can attend, but you need to be introduced by a councilmember before you can speak.] 

How do the inhabitants of this world tell time? Clocks may exist, but as a rare luxury, especially for less industrialized blusefolk. Most people probably eyeball it by the position of the sun, moon, and/or stars. Some towns may have a clock tower, but Clan Pratchett is a migrating clan and likely couldn't justify the weight or expense for one. Someone like Brenelo might be able to simulate a clock tower with color-changing of a tall object. It is the sort of thing Brenelo might do for publicity, as well. Perhaps he or another councilmember owns a small clock, and when it chimes the hour, Brenelo changes the color of the council tent. Alternatively, the color of the tent indicates that the council is discussing a particular topic, so that clan members interested in that topic can drop by. (This idea fits both the plot and the setting.) 

"About two hours after noon," Brenelo replies. "The council tent - big one in the center of camp, can't miss it - will turn blue when we start talking about migration. Just pop inside and wave at me and I'll do the rest. Anyone can enter, but you need to be introduced before you can speak. You may have to wait a little while, but it shouldn't be too long." 

[Prota is supposed to enter the council tent and wave at Brenelo about two hours after noon.] 

"Okay, I'll pop over when it's blue, thanks!"

Prota agrees to drop in when the tent turns blue. 

Step 122

Brenelo has said all he plans to say and Prota explicitly has no further questions for him. He will make his farewells. Glint proposes that they return to Nell's for dinner. (Prota will probably agree, but it makes sense to give them the chance to ask any final questions about the dinner first. It is the only topic they haven't already stated they are done with. On the other hand, it is not out of character for Brenelo to decide the conversation is done on his own. What should be the next scene presented to Prota afterwards?) Brenelo turns his banner solid black, lettering and all, to indicate closure, and begins penning his colored sheep for the night. He probably has some hired assistants who handle some of this work for him, but Brenelo still does some, both to preserve his image as a down-to-earth shepherd and because he enjoys the work. 

"Pleased to be of help!" Brenelo bows deeply. "And now, it is time for my humble sheep shop to bundle up for the day." His banner changes to black, lettering and all disappearing for the night, and he starts the work of returning his colorful flock to their nightly pens. Before long, a half-dozen of his fellows have arrived to support the effort, presumably hired by Brenelo for the purpose. 

"Well, greenjay, ready to head back to Nell's for dinner?" asks your uncle. 

Night is falling. 

"Sounds good!" I agree, patting a sheep on the head first.

Prota agrees. Prota pats a sheep on the head, implying they approached one closely enough to do so. Brenelo's sheep are tame and Prota will see no resistance. 

You approach one of Brenelo's colored sheep and give it an amiable pat. "Sounds good!" you agree. 

Step 123

The sheep responds to Prota as sheep are wont to do, probably with a curious lick to see if food is being proffered, then indifference. Unspun wool is rough to the touch, and these sheep will have thick coats, though they are not necessarily the best Clan Pratchett has to offer. 

Glint and Prota return to Nell's cluster of carts for dinner. On the way, they will see more of Clan Pratchett's encampment, and it should look different in the evening. Campfires are started, candles and lanterns lit, even a bit of magical light from those with relevant powers. Clansfolk cook dinner over open fires and small, portable stoves. Market vendors close up for the day, but some still sell food. Because it hasn't occurred yet, Prota should pass one vendor who was selling woodworm spray.

Nell herself can afford a small wood-burning stove, which is more efficient than open flame. Mutton is likely common among the Pratch, as are vegetables that can be gathered; this plus the simplicity of their setup suggests that stews are popular. (This may be a chance to establish whether Prota has any cooking skills beyond those suitable for travel. The Player can decide whether Prota will offer to help cook.) To facilitate this, Nell is only decent at cooking; her interests lie elsewhere and she doesn't often have company. (This tangent is largely irrelevant to the plot and need not be overly emphasized or pushed.) 

Nell and Glint make slightly awkward conversation. Glint is not a people person and Nell, while friendly, does not know Prota very well. It will be up to Prota to determine the flow of the conversation, if any. Otherwise, the evening ends swiftly and everyone turns in for the night. Glint will deliver his gift, but he may not want to do so in front of Prota. Consequently, Prota might overhear a conversation between Nell and Glint if they stay up a bit later. 

(Should there be any plot-driving events at this time? One possibility is that the owner of the Crexin carriage, Gano, drops by to talk to Nell. Prota doesn't want to pry into their life, but might still learn something relevant from the exchange.) Glint has visited the Crexin estate before and might recognize Gano. If he did, he would ask what happened, but wouldn't act without Prota's say. Gano could provide a clue about the events in Adwell. (This could occur after the next prompt sets the scene. Alternatively, it could occur in the morning, as Prota wakes up. It is more plausible that they might stumble into a conversation with Gano than that Gano would approach Nell during dinner, with strangers nearby.)