The Game Log: Part 1

by Don Anderson

minor Editing by George Gitari

3/29/96(GAME SET-UP)

The Elders

[GM gave a brief overview of: Benedict, Eric, Corwin, Deirdre, Bleys, Fiona, Brand, Llewella, Caine, Julian, Gerard, Flora, Random, Dara, Martin, Merlin, Vialle, Dworkin, and Oberon. Eventually to be found with Trumps in The Gallery]

3/30/96

AMBER GROUP: AURIC, IAN, & MARTIN

Auric was trumped by Gerard and brought through to Amber.

Ian Got a call from Gerard who asked him to come through because there was suspicious [auspicious] news. Ian was with his wife. Gerard wasn't dressed yet and he pulled Ian through with his pants only half on. Gerard said to be in the Thrown Room as soon as possible.

Gerard was in the Thrown Room with Auric, Ian and Martin. Gerard wore the mantle that signified his regency in Amber. Gerard opened a nice wood box that contained the Royal Crown, an empty cushion, the Scepter, and the Miter. Gerard asked if they would pledge to Random as the new King of Amber; they did and he officially accepted the oath. Then Gerard sat down and explained that even though the war had ended here ten years ago, it had just ended to those at the Courts of Chaos. He identified that Brand was the cause of the trouble and that he was slain by Caine with an arrow through throat and heart. Brand fell into the Abyss with Deirdre and the Jewel. However, the Unicorn came out of the Abyss with the Jewel and presented it to Random. Oberon's last instructions were that the successor would be chosen by the Unicorn. Oberon's funeral procession just got to the pit. Gerard was tired and went to bed.

Ian had the servants put the castle in official morning honoring Deirdre's death. Auric excused himself and headed to Arden.

CHAOS: ARMOND, AROS, & MORGAN (at Oberon's funeral)

Aros finally reached Oberon's funeral procession, it proceeded to a castle on a precipice at the edge of a giant pit. He followed the coffin to a large chamber. A large dwarf announced that the body would be prepared in a little while.

Morgan also followed the funeral train. Many of the Amber Princes were there and a lot of the notable Chaos Lords. Armond located Flora.

A bell sounded and doors to the chamber opened. The Amber royalty entered followed by the Chaos nobility. The dwarf stepped out from behind the curtain that had a serpent embroidered on it. Only the Amber royalty was seated in the front row and the dwarf directed that Aros be placed with them.

dwarf: Oberon has fallen to preserve the realm.

The dwarf opened the curtain that revealed the casket (the lid was removed) resting on a dais. Behind that was nothing, the Abyss.

dwarf:   Family will first view the body and pay their respects, followed by those of Chaos and then we will have our memorial.

Benedict led the walk up to Oberon one at a time. Benedict and Julian left the chamber after they viewed Oberon. Morgan was the first of the younger generation. Someone had placed a pure white Lilly with Oberon. Some left other objects. Armond had never seen Oberon and even dead he was impressive. Aros was the last of Amber to view Oberon. He stood silent for a few minutes, whispered, "Father, I missed you." and broke the chain holding his symbol to put it on Oberon. The dwarf asked Aros if he intended to return home. Aros replied that he would know his family. Flora whispered to Armond.

Morgan crossed the bridge and saw Llewella and Bleys standing up above.

Bleys: Morgan.

Morgan: A sad day.

Bleys: Random should hold.

All those from Amber were gone. Aros was there along with a few others from Chaos. the dwarf carried the casket over to the edge, set it down and closed the curtain. Only three Chaosians remained and they were in demon form. One had a gold crown, another whose shape continuously fluctuated and a third that was heavily armored. Finally the three walked behind the curtain. Aros followed them and the armored one asked if he could help. Aros said, "I would like to see what happens." The one wearing the crown nodded. Everybody was behind the curtain and both the dwarf and the casket were gone. They did something to close off the opening and the new wall had a serpent like the one on the curtain.

Morgan saw that the storm dissipated into clouds. Bleys was gone. Fiona and Llewella were there.

Llewella: We are victorious the storm abates.

Morgan trumped to Rebma. He asked Flora if she would come and she said she would be along later. Flora had Armond take charge of her guard.

AROS (From Chaos to Amber)

Aros left the citadel. A man with a ruby gem walked towards him and looked very tired. A little further, two Amber men approached on horse headed into the city. He continued over the bridge to the other side. He stared down the pit and it just went down forever into darkness. He extended a filament of awareness into the pit and the nature of the place dissipated it.

Finally Aros turned around and headed to Oberon's home; it felt like it could take anywhere from a week of full exertion to month for a relaxed journey. He pushed on for the better part of a month. Towards the end, the jumps got progressively harder. He felt it was very close and the last jump was exceptionally hard. A harbor city was a half hour walk in front of him and a grand castle was on top of a mountain. This was the place; Oberon's home.

Aros walked into the city and stopped at an outdoor cafe. When the waiter came with the bill he created some silver coins in his purse to hand him. Soon after that, he sensed someone approach from behind. He recognized him as one of the family members at Oberon's funeral. He introduced himself as Prince Bleys. Of course, Aros stood and shook hands with him. Aros got a light psychic contact and some of his surface thoughts. Aros assumed Bleys got at least as much from him. Bleys greeted Aros buy name. They sat down and had some more to eat. After a little small talk, they discussed Oberon's funeral. Aros explained that he stayed until there only three Chaosians left. Bleys identified them as Aros described them: Swayvill wore the crown, Suhuy had trouble maintaining his shape and the Head of House Hendrake was the armored one. The man on the bridge that wore the red gem with the power around him was King Random of Amber. Bleys was intrigued in Aros' mode of travel. Bleys told Aros about Amber. Finally, Bleys invited Aros to his home and said he would be properly announced to court tomorrow.

They went to Bleys' residence. When Bleys asked if there was anything more, Aros requested to see some pictures of his relatives. Bleys actually carried a case with small pictures of all his relatives. Aros felt a different power in the cards. He reviewed each picture and identified the subject. A hour later, Bleys had to excuse himself to take care of some matters.

SLOAN: (In shadow)

Sloan was in jail and a man in a green business suit and black hair came for her, but she rejected him. A few minutes later, a policeman returned with the same man that he identified as her mouth piece. She went with him and he led her down the hallway. Things seemed to change as they walked, different police, no police, second floor to first floor, windows and a door. The man opened the door and led Sloan to his car. Sloan didn't trust him and wouldn't get into the car. He suggested they talk in a restraint, but the walk there seemed strange and it was nicer. They talked and he offered her a means to expand her horizon.

JENNA: (In shadow)

Jenna [is a] teenager and just got back from school. She was all excited because she had been selected as editor for the school paper. Mom was preparing dinner. She told Jenna that they were having a guest for dinner, her uncle. Her father couldn't come, but her uncle would take them to Amber. Jenna excused herself and went outside to her garden. She packed up her favorite hybrids to take with her. Then she went to her room and started packing her things. Mom called her downstairs. A very tall man, maybe six six, and very thin was talking to mom. He was also missing his right hand. She was introduced to Uncle Benedict.

Benedict: It is a pleasure to meet you.

Jenna: Nice to meet you sir.

Mom: Could you entertain our guest while I finish?

Jenna: Yes mom.

Benedict: This is a very nice home.

Jenna: What. . .?

Benedict: Nothing to fear. Everything is fine.

Jenna: Yeah.

Benedict:It's not that I won't tell you, just that I would prefer to tell both you and your mother at the same time.

She sat at Benedict's left for dinner. He was very attentive and appreciative. In fact he asked for the recipe.

Benedict: Do you understand that your father wants you with him in Amber?

Jenna: You are the first person to ask.

He almost smiled.

Jenna: I guess I expected it.

Benedict: Your mother just told me you were selected to be your school's editor.

Jenna: But we'll be leaving.

Benedict: I come only to make the arrangements. Of course you will finish your schooling. Your father is very busy and should be here in a few weeks.

Jenna looked at her mom; like I just packed everything.

Benedict: How does it sit with you now?

Jenna: Better.

Mom: When you last saw him, was he well?

Benedict: He is fine. His spirit is more worn than his body. All will be healed in time.

When dinner was over, Benedict got up to leave.

Benedict: Jenna, it has been a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can meet again.

Jenna: . . .

Benedict kissed Jenna's hand as he left.

The next day Benedict returned to her school to talk. He offered to prepare her for her visit to Amber. She asked how she could call him. He pulled out an oversized business card with a unicorn on the back and a picture of himself holding a staff and a horse in the background on the front. He explained how to use the card and had her examine him. She saw visions of countless battles until Benedict broke eye contact. He offered a second lesson, to be careful when people let you study them.

ZANE (In Shadow)

Zane was in Texas at a geological lab for petroleum drilling. He got a note to contact his office. He called and learned an important potential client wanted to talk. Zane said he would finish up his work today and they would fax the pertinent information. He called the contact given, Ms. Obric, and her secretary arranged for them to meet at dinner. They met for dinner, exchanged a few pleasantries and she looked through her files. Then she seemed to devote her full attention on him; it was intense. The meeting went very well and she said she would be in contact we a high official in his company.

The next day when he met with his boss, he was told he made a great impression on the new client. He was promoted and got a very large pay raise.

It wasn't long before he was put on his new assignment. Some time later, he took an airplane trip with Ms. Obric.

AMBER:

The next day, Ian didn't really feel like doing much. He found himself at the stables and took out a horse that seemed ready to run. He planned Deirdre's wake while he rode. He made some announcements and dressed in black. Later, he called his wife to explain what happened.

Auric went to his room and got his horn. He sounded the horn as an announcement.

Ian made his announcement and was dressed in black. Random was the new king. Brand and Deirdre were dead. The mourning for Oberon and Deirdre would be one month. Later, he conducted a wake down at the wharf in one of Deirdre's dives. Auric also attended and sung a new ballad to her honor.

Six months went by in Amber. Auric drilled the Arden guards relentlessly.

Ian supervised the tombs for Oberon and Deirdre, the honorary garden and statues.

The first Elder to return to Amber was Julian. Auric mounted and went to meet Julian. Julian commented that it would do considering what Auric had to work with.

Ian took an elite honor guard to the base of Kolvir to properly escort Julian back to Amber.

The Courtiers looked to Fitzgin for directions.

Ian challenged Julian for his identity. Julian proclaimed he was a Prince of Amber and demanded to know who challenged him. Ian replied he was a son of Gerard.

Julian said it would be about two months for the next arrival.

Julian had Auric see to many duties including the care of the wounded. Julian personally visited the families of all the dead.

The next group to arrive came to Rebma; it was Morgan. He received a heroes welcome. Llewella was also there. Martin was there. His mother, Moiré, hugged him and everybody cheered.

One day Fitzgin was in court and saw Gerard shout for lord Armond and he hugged him. This was Armond's return to Amber. Armond said that his mother had returned much earlier.

Ian and Morgan had a drinking contest at Deirdre's tomb that lasted for days until they were oblivious. At noon the next day, they awoke with the sun directly overhead. They barely managed to walk back to the castle and Jesper, the head seneschal, took care of them.

There was a celebration or reception for some of the returning family; Morgan, Armond, Llewella and Flora. Family present were: Vialle, Martin, Moiré, Gerard.

Gerard:Well if there is no other business.

Bleys: Wait, there is some more business.

I have one piece of business that I feel the whole court should be aware of. Our father was a great loss to save Amber. . .but some good things have come; like a new king, peace and a new brother; Aros the son of Oberon.

Bleys and Aros walked up to the throne to Gerard. Ian rushed up next to Aros.

Gerard: So, you are back.

Bleys: Yes. I have welcomed our new brother.

Ian asked Aros to pledge loyalty to King Random.

Gerard: In the name of King Random I ask you to swear fealty to Random's rule.

Aros: As I have said, my purpose in coming to my father's home is to know the family I never met. I do not contend any king already in place and therefor accept Random as the King of Amber.

Luckily that was enough for Gerard and he put all the paraphernalia away and headed for the bar. A lot of people came up to meet the new Prince of Amber. Bleys greeted Auric and Complemented him. Fitzgin talked to Aros.

Ian and Morgan also talked to Aros. They took Aros down to see the Pattern.

Later at Ian's request, Aros examined him and saw the Pattern within him. Ian asked if this quality was in Fitzgin and Aros determined that Fitzgin did not and informed Ian. However, Aros sensed that Fitzgin had been aware of his scan. A lot of people seemed to take special attention with Fitzgin. During the reception, the were polite to Aros, but none of them, except Bleys, was very talkative to him.

Aros met Auric for lunch at a restaurant called the Crown. They went out into Shadow for some travel and experimentation. When Auric used the Pattern, he connected to the surrounding and manipulated the ambient Pattern energy to do his bidding.

8/10/96

AROS:

I split my time between experimenting in shadow and reading about my new found family in the castle library.

I saw how Auric moved though and manipulated Shadow; it was like he was in harmony with the ambient energy, so what he did was natural. I tried to be less obtrusive with my willpower tendrils, and had some success. The membranes or veils between Shadows resisted my willpower tendrils, so I kept my extensions at a minimum size until the destination was found and then expanded it to the necessary size. Shadow at either pole of the universe, Amber and Chaos, was considerably more difficult to penetrate or change than the Shadows between.

I also examined the other powers thruogh my will senses. Each of the powers had a distinct flavor. Trump energy seemed to be powered by both the artist and the user of the Trump card. A measure of the artist's other powers, like Pattern or Logrus, was also evident in the Trumps. Distance can distort or interfere with a Trump conection; especially one that isn't backed with another power, like Pattern or Logrus. Trump also had a defining quality to it; things in a Trump were more real. Another interesting aspect of Trump was temporal balance; there didn't seem to be any apprieciable time varience in a Trump contact between two people on Shadows with different time rates. The actual Trump energy that extended between the two ends of a contact basically functioned like my tendrils and it also sent a small thred that opened up when a full contact was reached.

Magic seemed to exist almoist everywhere, but had as many diferent subtle flavors as there were Shadows. However, magic seemed to function best away from the two powerful poles of Pattern and Logrus.

The library was orginized in sections that were donated by vasrious family members and there was no catalog. there were also many interesting displays that included: a glass case with two Trump decks, a Sword donated by benedict and two documents signed by Oberon about the Golden Circle. Oberon's section was the largest followed by Bleys, Corwin, Benedict and Flora. Fiona was said to keep a large private collection of her own.

I concentratred on the last two hundred years. There was alot about Eric and more recently about Corwin. Many books had a charcter theme. Oberon had been missing for the last few centuries and he left no instructions. Eventually the absense of the King led to the thrown war. Eric finally crowned himself king and reigned for about ten years. Eric had Corwin blinded and then imprisioned him, but he escaped several years later. The time of Eric's rule was full of turmoil and truble. Amber was attached repeatedly by forces that came out of Shadow. In the end, Eric died and Corwin came back to relieve ther seige of Amber with new guns that worked in Amber. Soon after that Obreron returned to reistablish Amber and the Pattern.

A lot of the books were writen by Amber citizens and they were usually complimentary about there royal subgects.

I switched my focus to the family itself. Findo and Osric were Benedict's full brothers, but there were no pictures of them. Delwin and Sand appeared after Oberons return. Fitzgin was a Trump artis and a courtier who was knighted, like lord Reign (Corwin's minstrel friend), and was rumord to be Caine's son. Ian was Gerard's son and married [to Alis]. Queen Moire of Rebma adopted Morgan as a child. Benedict was rumord to have had a child from a Hellmaid. Lady Elizabeth was a Lady in waiting for Queen Viale and she came from the Golden Circle. Benedict was best known for warfare and weapons. Corwin was fond of the arts including music and poetry. Bleys was interested in art and magic. Flora studied botany, zoology, biology and wrote poetry. Fiona was the political one and was the only one to put Eric down while he was King. Deirdre knew human nature and wrote plays that were satires about the Royal Family masked in fasade.

Dworkin wrote manuals about everything from magic to building a blender. Each manual was utterly complete unto itself, so the thesis on a blender included how to make steel and make in electric motor work; amazing. Dworkin was an inventor and philosifer.

I have managed to pick up three Trump cards so far; Auric, Bleys and the front gate to Castle Amber.

I spent several afternoons talking to QWueen Viale. I learned that she was blind and was astonished on how well she adapted. She is truly a good person.

JOSS SLOAN:

She was on a sail boat with six sailors and Caine. Her quarters were in the forecastle. Only one sailor, Marco, could speak her language and just a little. She learned the basics of their language in about two weeks. Caine spent most of the time in his cabin. She inquired about their destination and Marco said they were headed to the port of Amber.

Marco had been at sea since he was a boy. He started out as a cabin boy and served on many ships including [a] ferry for the rich, a cargo ship, smugglers, captured by pirates and finally rescued by Caine, who he has served since then. He said that Caine was peculiar, you better follow his orders and he never abandoned any of his men when they did as he bade. He feared and respected Caine. Caine was a member of the Royal Family of Amber. Caine had quite a few brothers. Benedict was a great general. Julian was somewhat of a snob. Gerard was a sailor and was known for his great strength. Corwin was fine in his day, was thought to be dead for ages, but he came back. Eric imprisoned him, he escaped and came back with strange weapons that worked in Amber. Random was a renon card player.

After ten days, she realized she hadn't seen Caine for two days.

As they traveled ythrough Shadow, she noticed the varying strength of energy levels.

Marco said they wouldn't reach Amber until Caine returned. The sun was now green and it would have to change again before they came to Amber.

ARMOND:

He headed to the guards at the front gate of Castle Amber. He arranged for a company of twenty men. The captain of the guard suggested he talk to the seneschal, Jesper.

He went in a[nd] found Jesper. Two of Armond's servants had been attacked by three armed men in blue armor. The attackers had dropped out of trees and ambushed them. They had an insignia of a silver pearl creature a tentacle or tail

painted on their blue armor. The men also spoke in some strange language that no one understood.

Armond headed back to his manor in town.

In the Dark Game Logs are Copyright © of Don Anderson 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999.

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