ROUGH DRAFT Run Log for 970617 Present: Dave R - Malachai Barb - Cathryn Kevin - Zack Dave K - Ilk, logging Tia - Damia, Cassandra Ken - Norton Laori - Celeste --------------------- Major Events * Random Invites "Everyone" to Cathryn's Pattern Party * Norton Becomes Corwin * Cathryn Walks the Pattern --------------------- Mom's Taking Over Mandorways! Cathryn and Jesby have just been refused entrance into the council chambers, on the grounds that Jesby may no longer be a major House, and are waiting in the antechamber. The Warlord enters the council room to presumably plead their case; her apprentice is waiting with Jesby and Cathryn. The apprentice fidgets nervously. Jesby is being very stoic; Cathryn isn't sure if her mom is even awake, but she's definitely not breathing. The door behind them opens. A page enters, looks at Cathryn, looks at her mother, then goes around them and slaps a message into the slot. After a while Marial comes back out of the council room, nods to them, and says that it will be somewhat of a wait. Cathryn asks how long the wait will be. Marial replies, "Someone just insulted Mandor, and he's currently taking them and their genetic ancestry apart. Verbally." The Warlord gives Jesby a note from Mandor. She looks at it, and then gives it to Cathryn. It reads, "You're in good hands." Marial asks Jesby where they will be staying, so she can send them a note when the deliberation is finished. "Send it care of Mandorways." Cathryn and her mother leave the antechamber, climb the slope of demons, get into their boat, and go to Mandorways. They are greeted with the courtesy due their normal rank, and invited inside. They decide on a spot of dinner, with perhaps some wine. Jesby specifies the wine, ordering a servant to raid Mandor's cellars for her. A visitor arrives during dinner. It's Benedict. They chat. Benedict says that there was a burst of Pattern-energy right before their house disappeared. According to some people in the Mages' Guild, it was something particularly nasty. "I believe that you have a particulary powerful ally in these matters - Melchizedik." Their house was kicked ahead in time, at least, according to the mage in question. "Unfortunately, the mage in question is now unavailable - he lost a duel." Cathryn suggests a visit to the Time Lord, and Benedict replies that Mel has not been seen in some time. Cathryn asks why they don't just summon him; Jesby explains that just isn't done. If one encounters Mel, one is very polite. They discuss who to visit; Jesby decides that Fereth would be more appropriate than Suhuy. They send off a servant to extend an invitation for the Realms Mage to join them at Mandorways. Benedict discusses his situation with regards to Amber. He is disappointed to hear that Oberon hasn't permanently disappeared, and annoyed that Gerard is close to him. They chat. Cathryn pulls out her Jewel. "I see..." "It was given to me by Dworkin.... I don't know if it's the Jewel." They discuss walking the Pattern. Benedict suggests that Cathryn might want to ask permission of the Queen of Rebma to walk her Pattern. Cathryn hands the Jewel to Benedict. He does something with it that makes Jesby move away and makes Cathryn uneasy. He becomes enveloped in flame for a moment, the flame goes out, and he hands it back. "No, I don't believe that is the Jewel of Judgement. It seems to be tailored specifically for you." They chat. Benedict trumps Random for Cathryn ------------------ Snarsht Bitches out Ilkandacian Snarsht has just arrived in Ilk's Home, carefully tripping every alarm and ward one at a time on the way in. He looks around and does something. Ilk isn't sure what Snarsht just did, but he can hear it echo across his entire shadow. Snarsht settles down on a ledge that remains static beneath him as the sole point of stability in the entire shadow. Ilk begins to explain what he has learned about the Logrus static around Norton. Snarsht is highly annoyed at the Logrus Guild in general and Ilk specifically. Ilk is confused about the existance of a Logrus Guild - it hasn't had a formal guild structure at any point during his lifetime. Ilk offers to examine the Logrus static around Norton and try to fix it, and Snarsht suggests that Ilkandaican make that a priority, and recommends regular progress reports. The ledge that was floating, solid, shifts away as Snarsht leaves, carefully tripping every alarm on the way back out. The shadow is now shifting more rapidly than it was before Snarsht arrived. Ilk cranks up the time rate even farther and crashes. ------------------- The Closeted Mob Darkstar, Lazy, the cube of not-ice, Malachai, Zack, and Celeste are in a closet. Malachai, Zack, and Celeste all recognize this closet. Some of the clothing looks amazingly similar to clothing that they've seen their Aunt Flora wear. Malachai cannot reach Cassandra - she's out of range. [Psychically, I'm not very well endowed] The Wand is not humming. They're all naked - their clothing was burnt off in the hot place that they just came from. Celeste tries to find something suitable, and has some difficulty - the closet is all pastels. She ends up conjuring something. Zack conjures some clothing for Malachai and himself. Zack helps Malachai trump Cassandra. They chat. Cassandra tells Malachai that Titania left. Celeste notices that the block of not-ice is starting to drip. She watches closely. She observes that the drops from the not-ice are beginning to eat through the carpet. They decide to go through the trump contact. Cassandra leaves the ranger station to pull them through, and gets some catcalls from the nearby Rangers. Malachai goes through first, and Cassandra gives him a hug. Zack trivially picks up the slack on the trump call. Celeste goes through next. One of the guards asks Malachai to step aside, and claims that Julian gave him an order to kill that woman on sight next time she showed in Arden, in response to what she did to him the last time they went hunting. The guard thinks that Celeste is Clarissa. Malachai countermands the order. When Lazy goes through, the cube follows. Lazy didn't need to be handed through - he just stood up and walked through. Cassandra goes back inside to get dressed. Malachai reprimands the guards for their catcalls. They respond that certain female members of the royal family run around the forest partially undressed, and file complaints if they don't whistle. Well, just Flora. But that might have been Flora. They experiment with the dripping cube. The grass parts beneath it; Zack conjures some cups, but cannot conjure adamantium here. The drops aren't happening in any regular pattern. Malachai explains the quick story of the suicidal Wand to Cassandra. They go inside, and Cassandra leaves one of her guards outside to keep an eye on the cube. Zack remains outside and plays with the cube. While Malachai eats breakfast, he drafts a general order cancelling any previous orders to attack anyone looking like Clarissa. Zack goes in to join them in breakfast. Zack conjures strange things, including mirrorshades. One some level, mirrorshades bothers Malachai and Cassandra. Malachai writes a note to Serena, telling her that he is trying to resurrect Corwin, but will be back when he can. The coffee is much too strong for Celeste. [It was brewed from some of Random's beans, you see. They're used to it. You're not.] [Amberites don't have really high endurance. They just have really good coffee.] [Dworkin's Coffee and Piano Bar] [Dworkin in a lounge suit. ] There is a polite tap at the door. There is a messenger from the castle splayed out on the ground. He was rushing the building, and one of Cassandra's guards konked him. "Malachai? I think this is one of yours." Malachai goes over to the messenger. He looks up at Malachai, says, "Sir? Arden's being invaded" and dies. Zack offers to fly over and check out the place where the guard was posted. Malachai trumps Zack. It's very weak... Zack trumps Malachai back while flying his carpet towards the guard's post. Cassandra is dressing down the bodyguard for killing a messenger unnecessarily. Celeste tries to trump Flora. She hits a strange polychromatic shifting barrier. Cassandra sees Celeste turning colors and tells her to stop. Celeste looks down; she's changing colors. Celeste tries to stop trumping Flora. It's difficult, but she manages. She is now a very nice camoflague pattern, except that the colors on her skin are bright neon colors. Her clothing is normal. She goes inside to talk to Darkstar. "Picked up shapeshifting, did we?" "No, funky trump barrier." "What did you do - try to trump the Shapeshifters' Guild?" "No, Flora. You try." "As you wish..." and Darkstar disappears. Zack reaches the edge. He sees a very familiar army. They're Sidhe warriors from Faerie. Zack tells Malachai that they're a friendly army. Malachai suggests that he make sure. Cassandra notices that the drops beneath the block have spelled out a message, "Help me!" The handwriting looks familiar. As Cassandra moves the various obsticles out from beneath the block to make the surface smoother, no drops fall. The drops that fell on talc and on the grass itself didn't get through - everything else melted, including diamond. Celeste tries to trump Darkstar, and hits that very same barrier. One of the guards inside asks her if she is supposed to be melting. She drops the contact and stops flowing. Unfortunately, she's not in very good shape. Cassandra doesn't see any specific pattern to the new drops. Celeste walks out. Malachai starts feeling queasy. Cassandra and Malachai suggest that she fire her decorator. Malachai tells Zack what happened. They chat. Celeste focuses on her true shape and tries to reassume it. She can see her base shape very well, but doesn't change. Zack reaches the army. The leader stops, salutes him, and apologizes. They came looking for him, intending to track him down. Titania had said that his group had moved outside her reach, and that they believed that all of them would be needed to find him. "...perhaps that is why she [Titania] is lying unmoving on her throne." The Sidhe circle around Zack as he tells Malachai that he should return to Faerie to investigate Titania's condition. Malachai gives orders that if the Sidhe army does not advance any farther they are not to be considered hostile, and says that if a Sidhe appears acting messenger-like, it should be brought to him. Zack and the Sidhe head back to Faerie. ------------------- Preparing for a Pattern Walk Benedict reaches Random, extends the contact to Cathryn, and there is a definite motif of flying toasters. Cathryn tells Random that she is planning on visiting Rebma and walking the Pattern. Random is delighted. He tells Cathryn that he'll have to throw her a Pattern Party. At the height of the party, they pose for their trump drawing. And then afterwards, they pose for it again. Most people don't want to keep the one drawn at the height of their Pattern party. Benedict passes Cathryn through to Random. Cathryn is holding Random's hand. Random is strapped into a hang glider. Cathryn grows wings. They're flying over Arden. They chat. Random is heavily randomized. "If I can land, I know that the drug is done." Random tells her to get permission from Moire first. And don't tell her that she's his daughter - she doesn't like him. Tell her that you're Corwin's - she likes Corwin. And give her a present. Cathryn flies to castle Amber. Damia is on the castle walls. She sees a speck in the sky. Then it becomes two specks, then one diverges and heads towards her. It looks like her granddaughter Cathryn, with wings. Cathryn lands in the courtyard and heads to the library to research gifts given to Moire. --------------------- Random Invites "Everyone" to Cathryn's Pattern Party Zack gets a trump call before he opens the Faerie gate. It's Random. "Greetings, old man." "Pattern party." "Whose?" "Cathryn. I remember that she especially liked you, so I'm inviting you first." Zack says that Cathryn doesn't like him, but if Random wants him to come, he'll be there. Malachai gets a trump call. It's Random. "Pattern party." "You're walking it again?" "No - Cathryn." Random babbles. Celeste gets a trump call. It's Random. "Hey! You're the Queen of Spades! Trump party! No, Pattern Party. Someone's coming out. I know you never did." "Whose party?" "Cathryn. My daughter. Shapeshifter. Wings. Big wings. And demons. On her back. Waving palm fronds." "When?" "A couple hours. Give you time to get dressed. Get rid of that nasty case of acne - it's waving at me." Celeste suggests that Random call Flora next. Cassandra gets a trump call. "Hello?" "Damn. You're not Flora." He invites her to Cathryn's Pattern party. He shows off his trump deck - it's a regular deck of playing cards. "If you reach Corwin, and he'll be there, I'll be there." Random mentions that there is a guy in the dungeons who is praying to her. And that he's going to be there as well. "Besides, if he got my father, I'd have the chance to embarass him in public." - Celeste. Celeste teleports home. Norton gets a trump call. "Hi. You're not Corwin." "What does Corwin look like." Norton starts shifting that way. Random holds up a six of diamonds. "I can see the resemblance." Random invites him to the Pattern-party, and pulls him through the contact. They chat briefly. Norton turns into a bat. "Aah - a bee!" Norton turns into a duck, and continues chatting with Random. ----------------- Norton Becomes Corwin Damia notices a bat coming flying towards her. In the middle of the day. The rooks go to attention. Norton notices these birds looking at him. He tries to confuse them. There are now thirty bats. Norton sends images of fear at the birds. The birds start attacking the bats. A couple of the bats get past. Damia manages to whack one of the bats, and she goes right through it. Norton summons one of his dominated guards, and has him show him a picture of Corwin. Norton assumes Corwin's form, and heads to the ambassadors' wing. Norton tries to find Zack, and fails. He finds the vapids, those who are alive, and puts them back. They all look at him and swoon over "Prince Corwin". He asks a certain ambassador from Tremere about the possibility of acquiring servants. Norton tells him about the Pattern party. Norton tries to contact one of the ambassador's staff to reprogram him, and he notices that the staff member is wearing one of those collars. He tries to reprogram it, but cannot do it easily. Norton reaches out and finds a sword close to the one whose hilt was on the picture of Corwin. Cathryn has an unpleasant sensation in her middle. Greyswandir is gone. She tries to trace it, but it's inactive. She Logruses a note to Ilk. Ilk has just awoken from his nap, checks out the note, and rides Cathryn's tendril back to her. They track the Logrus trail. It leads into the ambassadorial wing. The guards protest Ilk's entry, claiming that he results in chaos; she overrides their protests. Ilk concludes that the Logrus-static in the area is due to Norton, and tries to look for him. Cathryn tries to retrieve Greyswandir. She gets the local one, to Cassandra's dismay. Cassandra tries to contact Lazy, and as she is doing so, Greyswandir reappears. Cathryn sends Greyswandir back. Cassandra trumps Zack. "Tell me what this sword is." "Dangerously close." As far as he can tell, it's Greyswandir - local Pattern and all. They chat. Cassandra brings Greyswandir up to the block of ice. No pulling. They continue to chat. Ilk searches for Norton. Dworkin shows up, and is pissed. Ilk cowers briefly and blames the Logrus-static on Norton, then Dworkin erases the static and *bamf*s out in search of Snarsht. Cathryn trumps Random. She apparently broke into a trump contact with Benedict. Random says that Martin is arranging the party with his staff. She trumps Martin. He really is talking with the staff. They chat. Martin tells Cathryn to tell Moire that Martin sent her, and to promise her a favor, and to say that she specifically wants to walk her Pattern, as opposed to Amber's. --------------- In Darkover Celeste is home. Faythe comes out, hugs her, and says, "You're a mess, mom." Faythe tries to fix her. When Celeste opens her eyes, she's back and Faythe is melted. They have tea, and Celeste tells Faythe what was going on during her last visit to Darkover. Faythe asks for a call if "dad" shows up. -------- In Amber Norton is skulking and getting ready for the party. Everything looks gauzy. Ilk sends a note to Damia, apologizing for his sudden absence and promising to return as soon as he can. Cathryn invites Ilkandacian to her Pattern party. He accepts, and wishes her luck. Cathryn teleports out. Ilk goes to join Damia on the castle walls. Random soars overhead. Ilk grows wings and joins him, then casts a flight spell on Damia so she can join in as well. Random invites Damia and Ilk to the Pattern party. Random regrets the lack of a Flora, and Ilk volunteers to invite her for him. Ilk goes to the Courts, heads for the Dancers Guild, leaves a message there for Flora, and then returns to Amber. -------------- Cathryn Walks the Pattern Cathryn teleports to the top of the stairs that lead to Rebma, and begins the descent. About half-way down the stairs, she is challenged by guards who don't believe that Martin actually sent her. She volunteers to trump Martin; they ask her to do so. Martin writes something, folds the paper, and seals it. She shows the guards the letter. When they see the seal on the paper, they ask her if she would like an escort the rest of the way down, and argue over who can escort her. The highest ranking guard wins the honor. Her escort takes her past six more checkpoints and arranges for an audience with Moire. Cathryn - "I have reason to believe that I am of the blood of Amber." Moire - "Descended from whom?" Cathryn - "I am related to Martin." Moire - "In that case, you are more than welcome to walk my Pattern." Moire leads Cathryn to a set of stairs where they swim down the center of the spiral staircase. They travel down a hall to a nice door, which Moire opens with a key hanging on a hook next to the door. Moire - "Are you powerful in your own right?" Cathryn - "There are some who would say that." Moire - "Would you allow, perhaps, the extent of your power to be known to us?" ... Moire is impressed that Cathryn is on speaking terms with Snarsht, and asks Cathryn to possibly relay the news of a problem that they are having with a breeding problem to him. Cathryn walks the Pattern. She survives. It takes her about four hours to accomplish. When she reaches the center, she goes to her party. She explodes into the midst of lots of people, lots of motion, and lots of movement. Her paranoia kicks into overdrive. --EORun--