Petronella

****P******etronella**, also known as **Petra** or **Nell**, is a girl who tried to halt the flooding of the Skidwrack but was stopped by Trigemine. She came to the Blue Vein Tavern to confront him, after many years of preparation, and succeeded, then challenging the Devil to stop the water's second rising.

## Biography

### *The Raconteur's Commonplace Book*

Petra, who was the guest who had been at the Blue Vein Tavern the longest, went to get Maisie a music box as a thank-you for Maisie finding something she'd lost. They picked one that played "Riverward", a song that, to Petra's surprise, made the perfect Sullivan stumble. Maisie and Petra had speculated about Madame Grisaille before, and also talked about dancing, and agreed with Maisie that a dance could reveal one's secrets. They then danced to a beautiful song played by a music box Madame Grisaille had shown them. Petra had previously seen Masseter out winding music boxes, and told Sullivan what was happening when he had woken.

When storytelling was suggested, Petra requested that Phineas Amalgam tell the story of Fellwool House, saying that she had read about it in one of his books, though she hadn't. He did, but afterward told Petra he had not written it down, and she declared that she must have seen it somewhere, and the stories continued. She later asked Sangwin to tell the story about the man in the hollow-way, and he seemed curious about this request, then did. Sullivan later sat by Petra and seemed to be thinking of her as he revealed that he was a seiche. Masseter and Petra later discussed which tales they each would tell, and Masseter commented on how she had requested two different stories. Petra reassured Reever about Jessamy. After Petra had gone, Sangwin and Amalgam commented on the oddness of Petra requesting their tales.

Petra met Sullivan, and told him that she had not yet accomplished what she aimed to, and after a gesture of tenderness toward Sullivan, Petra went to bed. In the morning, she looked out the window at the flooding river, then returned to the storytelling. Petra commented on Sorcha's fire, mentioning all that fire could do, such as reckoning. Sorcha told the story of how her great-grandfather had tried to make a *fierekenia* mechanism, after which Petra talked about relics and things left behind, causing Mr. Haypotten to tell about Hugo Bankcliff and his relic. Petra encouraged Maisie to tell a story, and after she did, Petra clapped.

Masseter mentioned how Petra seemed to be controlling tales, mentioning a system of patterns. Petra said that it was his turn to tell a tale, and Masseter did, telling of his younger self and how he had joined Morvengarde. He then declared that everyone in the inn was giving off weyward light, something that was no accident, and deemed that it was because of Petra. Petra had been controlling the telling of tales, he said, something she denied but he insisted was true, and she had been asking for tales with one-eyed peddlers. Masseter said that he knew who she was, and she should tell her tale. Petra told him that he knew how this had happened: because of kairos, and she had done years of work to learn how to reckon, and this was the kairos moment. Petra then told her tale.

One day, the River Skidwrack flooded, and the rising waters took everyone in Nell's family, leaving only fifteen-year-old Nell. She decided to kill a cat, because, according to folklore, one bone could help her stop the water's rising. The one bone floated upriver and called a strange man. Nell asked how she could stop the floods, and he told her that she possessed orphan magic, and could thus float upriver to confront whatever was at the river's source. He could not give her any more answers, however, and so Nell got into the river, and began to float up the Skidwrack. A man later pulled her out of the river, and offered to go instead of her, because he knew what was at the river's source. She was wary of him, but gave him the bone and agreed. However, the man did not go upriver, but climbed out of the river and walked away from it with the bone, because he wanted its magic. With no one to stop the rising, Nell's town drowned.

Petra looked accusingly at Masseter, who took out a contact to reveal his cold blue eye. Petra, now angry, confronted him for lying, for which he seemed to have no remorse. He showed what he had done with her bone, creating a new time mechanism using it as the mainspring. Petra then took out the winder that played the music box with the beautiful song, the one that beat the Devil, and declared that this was what he was here for. Masseter tried to steal it from her, but was stopped by Madame Grisaille and the iron. Petra declared that her preparation had not been in vain, then announced a bargain: he could have the winder, the last piece for his device, if he went with her to help stop the water's rising. Sullivan volunteered to come as well. Masseter realized that he did not have much choice, and agreed. Petra, Masseter, and Sullivan left, and with the cat bone, the river carried them out of sight.

Maisie was distressed, and in order to comfort her, Jessamy told of what would happen next. Petra would go upriver, she said, and challenge the Devil to a dancing contest. Petra would dance to the song that beats the Devil, and she would dance with all her soul and with no secrets held back, something the Devil could not do. Petra would win. Outside of the inn, the flooding began to recede.

## Physical appearance

Petra has dark bobbed curls and a perfect complexion.

## Personality and traits

Petra is combative and strategic. She is angry at Masseter for stopping her, even though she might have sacrificed herself, she meant to. Petra is powerful and doesn't give up. She also understands Maisie and understands her.

## Trivia

* Petra called forth four stories: The Game of Maps, The Hollow-Ware Man, The Reckoning, and The Particular. Other stories were told because of these as well, building a story of Foulk Trigemine in nine tales.
* The name "Petronella" means "rock", perhaps referring to Petra's strength and unwavering determinedness.

## Gallery

**Take a look at our **gallery for Petronella****.

## References

1. ↑ *The Raconteur's Commonplace Book*
2. ↑ https://www.thebump.com/b/petronella-baby-name