chapter 14 finalized

characters/devod-fields.md

@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@
 
 ---
 
+## Standard Equipment
+
+- **Delivery walking stick:** Always carries it. Used for prodding animals, leveraging stuck wheels, testing footing on rough terrain, and general delivery-driver problem-solving. Sturdy enough to strike with force — the kind of tool that becomes a weapon through muscle memory rather than intent. Ch14: instinctively used to protect Mere from a flanking mine dog, knocking it into Phelan's firing line. The tell — he positioned between daughter and threat, not between gear and threat.
+
+---
+
 ## Skills & Competencies
 
 - **Navigation and spatial knowledge:** Years of delivery work across Drenwick and surrounding areas have given him detailed knowledge of routes, structures, and terrain — including abandoned sites like Velken's Drift mine, where he delivered supplies to salvage crews years ago. Knows the upper levels of the mine from memory
@@ -142,7 +148,7 @@
 |---------|-------------|----------|
 | 11 | Named by Ned's family as trusted co-worker. Mere recognizes the name — pipeline established | Setup |
 | 12 | **First appearance.** Phelan visits alone at Millford Street. Provides case intel (Ned's Compact concerns, dead-drop instruction, vendor irregularities). Identifies Velken's Drift mine as ghostveil moss source. Mentions "my daughter" — Phelan's non-reaction reveals he knows Mere. Tests proximity (Pre-Compact section, shelf reorganisation). Confirms "partner." Reveals Charlette's ultimatum, Thresholds ownership, systematic control. Unsent gifts visible. Scattered energy → focused grief → hope. Reads people like his daughter reads shelving systems. | Introduction, revelation, backstory |
-| 14 | Mine expedition — navigation, practical competence under threat. Surprises everyone with how he handles danger | Competence |
+| 14 | Mine expedition — navigates by 15-year-old memory (paces, landmarks, chisel marks). Walking stick used to deflect flanking mine dog from Mere — instinctive protective positioning, not the equipment. Mere files it as inconsistent data point. Cart journey: fills silence with chatter, calibrates word choice with each of Mere's responses. "That's not rats." | Competence, revelation |
 | 15 | One brilliant idea among nine bad ones saves someone during bandit fight. Team bonds forged | Key moment |
 | 16 | "Move the lock" idea solves Layer 3 — delivery-driver logic applied to magical architecture. Buried in idea #7 of 10 | Breakthrough |
 | 17 | Present during Phelan's crash. Earnest, helpful, doesn't leave | Character |

characters/mere-fields.md

@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@
 | Ch10 | Spots bracelet under Phelan's sleeve before he reveals it. Identifies pre-Compact inscription style on sight. Asks "What happens when it's full?" — catches something Phelan's noise missed (system states vs. system flaws). Identifies conditional (*if-then*) logic in bracelet notation using grammar analysis — structural/linguistic contribution, not magical. **Declares "You're my partner"** — data-driven conclusion based on observed trust hierarchy (he hid bracelet from guild and Leon, brought it to her). Noise stops again. | relationship, skill, revelation |
 | Ch12 | Brief appearance at Thresholds. Gives Phelan practical intel on Devod (schedule, habits, approach). Describes Devod's environment with clinical precision frozen at age twelve — "He's not disorganised. He just has more plans than hours." Doesn't go with Phelan — her avoidance of Devod is active and ongoing. Absence is structurally necessary for Devod to reveal the mother situation. **Mother named as Charlette Fields** (by Devod, not Mere). | backstory, revelation |
 
+| Ch14 | Mine expedition. Monosyllabic responses on cart (not punishment — just Mere, but Devod reads it as such). Inventories collection kit four times. Marks residue pockets with chalk (systematic, practical). During fight: secures supplies without being told. Post-fight: assesses Devod's protective instinct — he protected her, not the equipment. Inconsistent with model. Filed, not processed. Moss located: immediately in assessment mode (substrate, growth rate, harvest technique). "An hour, maybe less." | skill, revelation |
+
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