ROUGH DRAFT Run Log for 970603 Present Tia - Damia, Cassandra Rich - Ferro Dave K - Ilk, logging Laori - Celeste Barb - Cathryn Kevin - Zack --------------------- Ferro Visits Flora As Ferro's head reaches the center of the Pattern, his tail section is just stepping onto the Pattern. It feels like power is pooling along his body at fixed points as he travels. The power flows down his body towards his tail, leaving his head relatively clear and his tail full of power. He accumulates in the center of the Pattern, and assumes his normal humanoid form. He chooses to go see Flora. The scenery around him changes. He is now in a fairly nice, well-appointed private library. There are two dog-like things present, neither of which notice him. Flora is curled up in one of the chairs. Ferro looks around the shelves. The books are on a wide variety of subjects, and most are in an obscure tongue which he doesn't understand. He takes one of the books written in Thari, and tries to make friends with the dogs. The dogs don't respond to any stimuli. Ferro nudges Flora. She starts slightly, and picks her book up again, looking around. "You're Flora, right?" Introductions happen, and Ferro asks her why she took Castle Amber's staff with her - "things are getting pretty dirty". They chat briefly. Flora explains that they're in the Shapeshifters' Guild in Chaos. Ferro explains that Oberon was a bad boy and was supposed to go to his room, but he just left, and that Paulette is in charge now. Flora is pleased that things fell apart in her absence. She claims that she can't leave this room - she had a slight disagreement with the head of the Guild - a nice gentleman named Rainbow. She isn't planning on letting her staff return unless he can reassure her that Oberon will never return. "The dogs are plants" - Flora Flora is quite amazed when Ferro says that he is Dworkin's son - she's never had an uncle before. She speculates on his effect on the line of succession. Flora pulls a notebook out of her purse and writes a letter of introduction for Ferro to some of her contacts in Amber. Flora expresses surprise that nobody has shown up yet -- she rung for a servant as soon as Ferro arrived. She looks back over her shoulder, and calls out "You can come in now. Any time now." "So much for well-trained servants" Ferro cannot truly perceive Trump - they appear to be a slight shimmering in the air. "I've always spoiled my nieces and nephews. I've never had the opportunity to spoil an uncle before" After assuring Flora that he is a shapeshifter, Ferro opens the door. It takes a few moments for his eyes to track on the outside as a room - it looks like it's being spun out of cotton candy and being eaten at the same time. He enters the room, and finds that he need to stop breathing here. He turns into marsipan, and starts following a trail of bubbles. One of them screams, "look out!" and pops, and the others fall to the ground. A gout of flame surges towards him; he ducks. The flame dies out, and there are two tiny little winged creatures wearing multicolor clothing. He waves at them. They laugh, wave, and run off. He follows. He starts skidding down a frictionless corridor, then shifts into a bigger one of those critters and starts flying. The floor above him opens up with teeth. He flies into it, and he's in a star-speckled field. No mouth, no corridor, very cold. Ferro shifts to match. He tries to fly, but there's no resistance to his wings. He thinks in a direction, and one of the stars in that direction winks at him. The stars begin to square dance, but not well - the caller's drunk. More shifter-style amusement happens. ---------------------- In Search of Corwin Zack, Malachai and Cassandra are about to leave Clarissa's tower. Zack is carrying a rolled up Darkstar. Clarissa turns to Celeste and asks her if, since she is leaving, she could see them out?, and fades out. Celeste sends them down and out of the Overworld, back to the desert where they left the big cat. Trialla isn't there. Cassandra reaches out for Trialla mentally. Nothing. Celeste opens a gateway. Zack notices that she isn't being subtle about her use of power. As she closes the gate, she hears the tail of unfamiliar laughter. Celeste asks Zack to hold the gate. He does so, and she tracks down the laugh. It's in her head. Darkstar yawns, and wakes up. Conversation happens. Zack shifts off towards a heavily forested area, the rest follow. Zack tries to trump Stormy, and actually succeeds. They chat. Stormy mentions that between him and Cathryn, he'll be rich. "I'm starting to feel like a taxi service" Zack catches Cassandra up with current events. Zack prepares some magical defenses, and warns Cassandra of the dangers of Faerie. He prepares to open a Faerie gate, and Darkstar tells him to wait for a moment. Darkstar moves around such that Zack is between him and Malachai, and extends a hand. Celeste comes through. "My errands are not imperative. Mind if I come along?" Zack goes through the gate first. Darkstar goes with him. Lazy goes last. They're on the crystal bridge, about 1,600 feet above the court. Cassandra moves closer to Malachai. Zack suggests that they could ride his flying carpet rather than walk; Cassandra declines the offer. They see a procession entering the court. The queen is receiving the procession. A party greets them at the foot of the bridge. They greet Zack by name, and invite him in to meet the procession. Celeste notices that Zack is becoming taller, more noble, and more elfish. They join the procession. "Ah, Zack, you've brought me a gift", Titania says, looking directly at Celeste. Zack persuades Titania not to place Celeste into her water fountain. "Her father would do." Celeste looks at Zack, grins, and nods. Titania is amused. "We've gotten a number of exiles from Chaos.... as long as they swear fealty to House Cara, we take them in and give them refuge" After greeting Titania, Zack steers them off towards the dancing. A fawn hits on Cassandra; Celeste dances with an elf lord. Zack dances with a number of the ladies present. A brilliantly hued little winged fairy climbs into Zack's pouch and starts playing with the marsipan hand. ------------------------------------ Gerard Frightens Clarissa Cathryn and Jesby pop in, in front of a pissed-off Gerard. Gerard spins around and bellows, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Cathryn tries to calm him, then realizes that Gerard is shouting at someone behind her - it's Clarissa. Gerard advances on Clarissa, bellowing at her, and Clarissa is actually backing down from him. Gerard yells something about demons [hey GM - gimme a hand here] Clarissa lets out a small, somewhat terrified, "eep" and disappears. He takes a few deep breaths, turns towards Cathryn and Jesby, and apologizes to Cathryn for possibly frightening her. Cathryn asks Gerard if he knows where Bleys is. "The Courts are filling up with demons, Sawall's Ways were burnt to the ground, and House Jesby has disappeared." Gerard claims that Oberon has gone missing yet again, and is unavailable. Gerard does not lie very well. Cathryn suggests to her mother that they just Logrus a note to Oberon, to avoid bothering Gerard. Gerard claims that it won't be necessary, and Jesby indicates to Cathryn that it has already been done. There is a moment's pause. Jesby looks down at her hand, and passes the note contained therein to Cathryn. It reads, "No. I'm not available. - Oberon " After they pull to another shadow, Jesby tells Cathryn that she sent another note to Oberon telling him that they wouldn't leave him alone until he told him where Bleys was. Oberon responded that Bleys was not within his reach. Cathryn mentions that she may have to owe Stormy yet another favor, and trumps him. He's in the middle of a major sorcerous duel and says to call back later; Cathryn hangs up. Jesby trumps Stormy back to offer to help, chats briefly, then disappears, tossing the trump to Cathryn as she fades out. Cathryn examines her Jewel of Judgment. She reaches an understanding with it; it is willing to give her power. She tries to use it to power a tendril to acquire a beer. A gate opens up in front of her and there's a river of beer on the other side. She goes through. The beer needs carbonation. [Congratulations, you have opened your first magical gate] Holding the portal open is slowly draining power. She sends a tendril over to it and thinks close, and it does so. She tries to find her House and Bleys, with no luck. She fools around opening magical gates. Cathryn finds a good Random-type party shadow and relaxes. She gets wasted, thinks she sees Martin from across the room, and spends the evening asking after him, shifting into his shape to help the identification. [Cathryn the Trip-toy] The police eventually break up the party; Cathryn finds someone cute and goes home with him. After some time passes, she trumps Stormy. He pulls her through. Stormy and Jesby are on a balcony about half-way up a really tall mountain, and the horizon seems to chop of shorter than it should on the sides, but goes on for quite a way straight ahead. ---------------------------- In Amber Damia and Ilk are awake. Natasha is thinking. Maria is snoring. Damia describes admirable qualities in Amberite servants to Ilk; Ilk searches for an appropriate hunting ground for said servants. They progress to the castle wall to ease the search. ---------------------------- In Dragaera Norton, Sethra, and the vapids have just trumped into the courtyard of Castle Black. They play around a bit. Sethra explains that they aren't allowed to kill anyone unrevivifiably dead here. They enter the castle and head towards the party in search of Aliera and the Necromancer to discuss undead-unmaking strategies. Sethra introduces "Emperor" Norton to Lord Morrolan. They chat; Morrolan refers to Norton as an easterner, not a human. Norton shifts to look darker, and look like Morrolan. Sethra drools. Morrolan suggests that they do that to all of the easterners, and teleports the three of them to the edge of the orange sky. --------------------------- Party in Faerie Day gives way to night, and Titania approaches Zack. Zack asks for a favor. "Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that Corwin is in need of a favor" "Aah, I am always willing to pay him back" Titania mentions that the Julian guarding Amber was just a shadow - Julian got bored and wandered off, found a shadow of him, modified it appropriately, and sent it back to guard Amber. She claims that she lost track of the original some time ago. It was a little before Pattern-fall. Apparently, Julian was humiliated by Benedict's troops some time back... Julian taunted Benedict for having inadequate defenses with a small force at his back. They had been passing through these "statues" for some time... and they were Benedict's troops. Zack explains the Corwin problem, and tells Titania that one of the reasons for her to take on this task is because her opposite could not. Titania is delighted at the opportunity to show up Clarissa. Zack hands Titania a dagger that he swiped from Corwin; she explains that it would be easier with Greyswandir. Zack goes off to chat with Cassandra. Titania hands Zack the dagger back. Zack goes to chat with Cassandra. She mentions the vial of Corwin's blood as an alternative to using Greyswandir. He gathers the rest, and they prepare to leave. Titania puts up a gate, and they all walk through, Zack in the lead. A moment before Celeste walks through the gate, she is nipped out of time. Celeste is in a silvery-grey bubble with the lady who was identified to her as the Queen. Titania asks Celeste if she would be willing to play hostage in order to trap her father. Celeste offers her hostage-status, as a gift. Titania is intrigued with the idea, and says that they should talk at some point in the future. Titania raises her hand and there is a silvery bag in it. She says that it contains dust which can be used to summon her, but she won't give it to her, as that would be a gift, but if she should choose to take it with her when she left... Titania places the bag on the ground. "Oh, look. Pretty. I might want to look at that" Celeste takes the bag. They continue on, and go through with the others. -------------------------- In the Wrong Reality Cathryn, Stormy, and Jesby chat. Jesby says that Stormy has volunteered to help them search when he has accumulates enough power, but that might take several years, so they should search first themselves. Marai - name Stormy mentioned, and a relation of Bleys? [hey GM, Barb - help me out here] Cathryn tries to use her new toy to open a gate into the Courts; Stormy advises her to not step through. She missed somewhat - the gate was about a half a mile off shore. Jesby opens a gate to someplace green, Cathryn and Jesby go through. Jesby suggests that Cathryn open a gate back to where they came from to calibrate; she does so. Stormy waves; Cathryn drops the gate. Cathryn leads them through several jumps in the general direction of Chaos. They eventually reach the Abyss. There's a small pitched battle happening over it between two groups of demons. Cathryn tries to open a gate to the other side of the Abyss, and fails. Jesby sprouts some fairly impressive wings and soars across; Cathryn follows. "Shall we see if anyone is in Jesby?" Jesby says, taking off her ring and tucking it away. The Courts appear normal, but House Jesby is not quite up to snuff. They have an Etiquette Guild member fetched, and he states that Jesby is only a minor house, and that a male is in charge. They leave in disgust and go to Mandorways. It looks somewhat odd, and the servant at the front door welcomes them to Boralways. He leads them in, and they see Boral dining with Gerard. Jesby offers to sell Boral some information; they chase Gerard off. Jesby tells Boral that she is interested in acquiring rumors about the recent arrival in these parts by something that might be confused with a major house, in exchange for information about Circe. Boral states that he knows of no such rumors, and Jesby replies that all she can tell him is that Circe is not dead. Boral looks startled, and says that he will need to strengthen his defenses. They leave. They head towards Amber. They portal to the edge of the Abyss, fly over the Abyss, and then portal to Arden. Cathryn trumps Random. --------------------------------- Norton Breaks the Cycle in Dragaera Norton is at the edge of the orange sky, on a cliff at the edge of a lake, along with Sethra and Morrolan. Norton fetches an easterner. Morrolan tells him to turn the easterner into an Orca. Norton turns him into a dark-skinned whale with pointy ears. "Not quite... how about a Dragon." Norton turns him into Puff the Magic Dragon. "No, a Dragon like me. No, don't turn me into a dragon, make him like me." The new Dragonlord gibbers incoherently. "Stop gibbering, you're a Dragonlord!" The man stops gibbering. "My wife is going to kill me." "No problem, which one is her?" The man points her out. Morrolan fetches her, and Norton turns her into a Dragonlord, too. Morrolan is ecstatic - he has finally found a solution to the easterner problem. He wants to bring the group to the empress. Morrolan takes them to outside the Dragon Wing of the Imperial Palace. He chats with some of the guards, and they enter. The empress enters the room. There is a golden orb orbiting her head. An orb starts orbiting Norton's head. He gets dizzy while watching it rotate. Morrolan explains that Norton just turned those two from Easterners into Dragonlords. They chat. Norton turns the male ex-easterner into a Phoenix. The empress suggests that he talk to the Necromancer about turning undead back to life. [I broke the cycle! - Ken You break everything you touch! No more toys for you! - Tia] Norton puts his orb back into his pocket and shuffles through the cards he took from Dworkin. Morrolan transports them back to the party in Castle Black. ---------------- On the Walls of Castle Amber Ilk gets a status report from his troops. The house is going well, but if Ilk returns, he might be anointed head of House without being asked first, and that would be bad, at least from Ilk's point of view. Ilk leaves the tendril to Home up. Ilk and Damia continue to repopulate the castle with servants. --EORun--