ROUGH DRAFT Run Log for 970624 Present: Dave R - Malachai Tia - Cassandra, Damia Barb - Cathryn Kevin - Zack Rich - Ferro Dave K - Ilk, logging Laori - Celeste Andrew - X Ken - Norton --------------------- Major Events: * Celeste Survives an Assassination Attempt * Cathryn's Pattern Party * ... Is Interrupted by Another Assassin, Who Is Targeting Cassandra [It's a bad day to have a name starting with 'C', if you are a female Amberite] --------------------- Ferro and Flora Return to Amber Ferro is exploring the Shapeshifters' Guild, and has just convinced quite a few little motes of light to form up into the shape of the Pattern. He uses some spare ones to try to short-circuit the two ends. As he reaches towards the beginning, he finds himself starting to walk the Pattern. He starts dancing along the line, reaches the other end of it, and hears this voice calling him. He's not sure who it is. It sounds like someone shouting, "Yoohoo, Flora!" Ferro tries to go to Flora to tell her, and ends up taking her to him instead. She seems to be nowhere as nearly as talkative as she normally is. Ferro tries to direct the shifters to surround her, but they seem to be stuck in the shape of the Pattern. Ferro makes a mouth to talk to Flora, and finds it difficult to breath. There's no atmosphere. He decides that Flora doesn't like that, grabs her, and starts thinking air. There is a hissing sound, and there is some air. Flora starts coughing. Ferro uses the few remaining lights to show off the best points of the Pattern tastefully. Flora does not have her book with her. Flora and Ferro chat briefly, and Ferro tells Flora that someone is calling for her. Flora asks Ferro to give him a hand. Ferro summons a hand. One comes over, walks the Pattern, skipping along it, taking maybe 20 minutes, then it reaches the center. Ferro gestures it over to him, takes it, shakes its hand, and tells it to go to Flora. It does so. She takes it, and looks surprised -- Ferro was eavesdropping on a trump call for her. They chat briefly, then they try to take the call. Ferro asks for volunteers among the lights willing to go through to Amber. They go through, and Ferro is falling. Ferro turns into a dragon thing. Flora is hanging onto Random's hand. The light winked out. They chat. Random is amazed at his newfound relations when introduced to Ferro. Random tosses Flora to Ferro. He catches her, lands her in the courtyard, and then goes off to see Prospero. Flora convinces Ferro's hand to let go of her skirt and go perch on her shoulder, and then has a conversation with it over how it can best be a mobile hair clip. Prospero asks Ferro if he can do security. He complains about all of the servants arriving unexpectedly and guards wandering off without permission and against orders. Ferro goes mosquito to spread out and keep an eye on the servants and guards. ------- Zack is entering Faerie, this time without Celeste. ------- Preparing for the Party Damia is returning to her rooms, when a Ferro-bug buzzes her. She swats it; it comes back and lands in her hair. Ilkandacian is in the courtyard, continuing to fetch servants for the party. One of Martin's staff members running the party has given him a list of types of servants to acquire ana a list of questions to ask each of them. Cassandra tries to trump Zack and fails. She tells Lazy that they're going to be going to the castle. Malachai gets a trump call from Serena. She tells him that she has an invitation to a party for them, guilt-trips him about not telling her about the party sooner, and asks him if they will be announcing their engagement at the party or not. Malachai waffles; Serena decides that they will announce, then changes her mind and decides to try to seek advise from Flora first. Malachai and Cassandra chat as they head towards the castle. Lazy follows them, with the melting cube following her. Malachai leaves orders that rangers be stationed around the declivity where they were searching for Corwin's soul. They enter the castle. Ilkandacian greets Cassandra, and she introduces him to Malachai. Cassandra and Malachai chat, including discussing finding a scabbard for Greyswandir. Ilk hands her one. Cassandra heads to Corwin's rooms with Lazy. About two-thirds of the way to Corwin's room, Lazy turns and jumps out a window into Brand's gardens and curls up in a sunny spot. She takes the cube with her. Cassandra arrives at her rooms. There are clothes laid out for her, and a note from Dutch. Cassandra had previously stolen large amounts of black, silver, or grey clothing from Flora's closet, so she has plenty to wear. Malachai goes to his rooms to change into a formal uniform. ---------- An Attempt On Celeste Celeste is in her rooms. All of her stuff is gone. Her bed, furniture, everything. There is something magical by the door - it seems to be woven facing outward, as if to effect someone going through it from the outside. It seems to have a line of power going off of it, out her window. She looks out without breaking the plane of the window. The line of power seems to go through the window and turn a corner. There might be something around the corner. Celeste teleports out, and examines her door from the outside. She opens the door, and looking inside, sees her room with everything in its place. She looks magically - it's a truly nasty spell. Disintegration is one of the minor parts of the spell, along with scattering bits of her across the place. The head was supposed to be flung far enough to be recognizable. She can dismantle this, given eight or nine hours and a decent lab. She teleports back into the room, then teleports back into the corridor. A Ferro-mosquito lands in her hair; she notices a life force enter her personal aura. The life force is not familiar, and it's definitely more than a bug. "Okay, who are you?" Ferro uses a bunch of nearby bugs to chat with her. She mentions the spell, and Ferro takes a look at it. A Ferro-bit goes through the door. *Kaboom* Celeste is in a lot of pain - she's smeared against the wall, parts of her are on fire, and parts of her are broken. Ferro isn't hurt - he just lost one bit. The spell is gone. They enter. They see a guy climbing into the window. He looks at Celeste, screams, pulls a crossbow off his back, and starts aiming it at her. He's wearing the colors of a certain household in Amber, or a Golden Circle kingdom. Celeste grabs a powerful flame-based defensive spell and blasts the guy. He barely leaves a greasy spot on the wall. Ferro checks out the castle for Celeste's stuff - it's not in the castle. Ferro complains about the grease spot. Celeste conjures a bucket, soap and water, and a brush, and cleans the spot. Celeste prepares to clean the spot and then conjure an outfit appropriate for the party. -------------- Zack Feeds Titania Zack arrives in Faerie. He heads towards the Queen. She's lying sprawled across the arms of her throne, and does not appear aware of him. He takes her hand and gives it a kiss - it feels like a rubber glove filled with sand, and he dented her flesh. Zack scopes her out. It seems like magic is leaking into her. He tries to ground it out and drain it off of her, but fails. Zack tries to bring her around in conventional means. When he slaps her hand, the hand dents again. The area appears to be virtually empty except for her. Zack tries to reach Titania with his mind, being careful not to be sucked in. It feels like a tendril gently reaches out, wraps itself around the base of wherever he keeps his power, and starts slowly drawing power, as if someone drinking from a straw that was too tired to put down much suction. Zack has fairly little Faerie power to give her. He tries to use the Jewel as an energy source, succeeds, and reaches into shadow for more power. While reaching into shadow, he feels something familiar, but not familiar in a good way. He takes a quick glimpse at it; it seems white statueish. Zack writes a note for Malachai saying that he is helping Titania with something very urgent in Faerie and will attempt to return when he can. He conjures another letter, a note of introduction of sorts, for the half-dozen Sidhe warriors he was plannng on using as messengers, and sends them off. -------------------- Cathryn's Pattern Party It's time for the party. People that notice Norton in Corwin's form notice that he wants to be left alone and leave him alone. Norton really thinks that this is the right form for him to be in. A messenger comes up to Malachai and tells him that he probably doesn't need to wear that uniform, as Serena doesn't think that this party will be of a sufficient caliber for their announcement. The messenger is wearing her livery. Cassandra goes to Corwin's rooms in search of the real scabbard for Greyswandir. Corwin's door is locked. There is no visible lock. This bug comes out of her hair, zips over to the door, does something, and the door opens. "Thanks, Darkstar" The bug goes back into her hair. There is a partially woven rug on the wall. Ferro notices that it matches a rug he took from Brand's room for Celeste. There is a note on his pillow. It says, "Dear Dad - I'm going to go off and try to discover the ins and outs of this crack... if I don't come back, Ingold should be able to find me. Love, Merlin." Cassandra tucks it into her bodice. She heads to Malachai's rooms, but they're empty. Ilk is still pulling in servants - he's acquiring one every 7.5 seconds or so, and about one in twenty pass. Ilk decides to show up late, and continue hauling in servants. ---------------- Ferro shows up exactly on time. He's wearing a tux with the Pattern on it, glowing. He is greeted at the door by the majordomo, who has a member of the kitchen staff next to him to serve as a native guide. "And you are?" "Ferro Marz... don't bother announcing me, I'll just go in." Ferro is surprised that the majordomo hasn't been given a list of those that will be attending. Next arriving would be a young lady who shows up very nicely dressed in what the kitchen aide whispers to the majordomo is a dress indicating rank from one of the Golden Circle kingdoms. Serena introduces herself and tells him not to announce her; she'll be going in with Malachai. She is pleased when she finds out that she beat him here. Malachai shows up next; Serena takes a quick glance around, notices that nobody is around, skips over to Malachai, and kisses him. The kitchen aide tells the majordomo that Malachai is Warden of Arden. Malachai greets the majordomo, who announces him. Serena and Malachi enter. A bunch of ambassadors enter, and are announced. Tazik arrives. She's wearing smith's leathers and nothing else. She brushes past the majordomo. "Malachai!" "Tazik!" She pulls out a crown, and throws it to Malachai, who catches it and drops it quickly. Malachai looks at the crown. On the inside is written, "For my beloved, a ring" Tazik leaves. The majordomo apologizes to the ambassadors for the incident. A gentleman in black and grey with a silver rose arrives. The aide tells the majordomo that he is Prince Corwin of Amber. He's surrounded by a gaggle of vapids. With him is a dead cat, and a mostly-sliced dead pig. Both of the dead animals are formally dressed. The majordomo announces Prince Corwin of Amber. Malachai turns. It looks like Corwin - he's even wearing Greyswandir. Malachai walks over, and says, "Corwin? You're alive?" "Yup." Malachai checks out him - his body language is all right. The dead pig squeals, runs over to a table, and settles down on top of it. "Tell me how all of this happened - you were supposed to be dead." Norton, strangely enough, knows the answers to many of Malachai's questions. "Well, I seemed to be dead for a while...I'm going to have to have words with Julian over killing me." Norton claims that he was dead, but that Random trumped him. Celeste shows up next. The kitchen aide looks at her and says, "no clue". "And you are?" "Celeste" "No title?" "Princess, or something like that... daughter of Bleys should do, if you must." "Presenting Dutchess Celeste of Amber" "Hi, Ferro. Oh, very interesting formalwear, I must say." A gentleman walks up to the majordomo and says, "Hi, I'm Martin, son of Random" They chat. Martin is dressed formally, and is wearing Werewindle at his side unsheathed, a naked blade. Celeste walks up to Malachai and greets him. He introduces her to Corwin... Random comes in. The majordomo shakes his hand, and a psychotropic drug spills over to him. The majordomo supresses most of the effects. Random is dressed to the nines - formal ambassadorial robes, the crest of Amber across his shoulders, and so on. "Presenting Random, Prince of Amber" Random is showing off, big time. He's drifting, and his eyes are not tracking. Malachai tries to convince Ferro to take the throne. Random shakes Celeste's hand, and everything starts fuzzing around the edges for her. [Disco - Random with a hangover] A guard hits on Cassandra. She is annoyed, and looks for her trump of Malachai. While searching, she gets a trump call from Malachai. Malachai warns her that Corwin is back, and that he is acting a bit oddly, and that Random supposedly trumped him back from the dead. Cassandra trumps Corwin. It connects to a piece of Norton's brain that wasn't there before. The trump call is purely mental, with no background. They chat. [The GM does the talking] Cassandra trumps Malachai and tells him that Corwin just answered a trump call. He passes Serena through to help her dress. Ferro goes over to chat with Random. He shakes his hand, and ... nothing happens. Flora shows up, and greets the majordomo by name. She says that she's going incognito tonight, just Flora - she wouldn't want to sully the breeze with any titles granted to her by Oberon. Ferro and Celeste go over to chat with Flora. Flora does the social butterfly thing. Two redheads show up, arm in arm, and introduce themselves as Fiona and Bleys. The majordomo introduces them with their full set of titles. As he introduces them, Celeste says, "Oh, get on with it". Norton notices that they're not alive, but they appear to believe that they're alive. Ferro plays socialite. Norton notices that he looks very alive. Flora looks at the two redheads, supresses a grin, walks over to Celeste, and whispers in her ear. Malachai realizes that "Corwin" has Greyswandir and trumps Cassandra. He tells her that, and she replies that she has the real Greyswandir. Celeste wanders over to Bleys and Fiona. They greet her without any animosity at all. Bleys reacts oddly to her questions; she walks away. Norton looks at Bleys and Fiona. They seem to be shoddy work. Brand arrives. As Cassandra heads downstairs, she encounters Eric. He talks... oddly. Celeste notices Brand enter, and tries not to burst into tears. Brand walks up to Fiona and Bleys and greets them. Brand turns to Celeste. "Hello. And you would be?" Celeste bursts into tears and tries to flee the room. Flora manages to be right in front of her, catches her by the arm, and mutters, "I told you so". Celeste collapses. Flora steers her to someplace to lay down. One of Ferro's hands starts plying her with alchohol. She proceeds to get very drunk. Eric and Cassandra show up at the door, arm in arm. Cassandra walks up to Corwin. A part of Norton's mind responds correctly to her questions, even those phrased in Pearl's language. Malachai and Cassandra lead "Corwin" off to take him down a dark alley. Norton calls his cat to follow. Ilk arrives. He notices that four people in the room are obviously shapeshifting: Brand, Fiona, Bleys, and Eric. Ilk crosses paths with Cassandra, Malachai, and "Corwin" as they head towards the exit. He mentions that there seems to be a plethora of Greyswandirs present. ------- Cathryn reaches the center of the Pattern. She hasn't lost any memory. She knows who she is, and where she is supposed to be. She takes a moment to rest up and shifts into something more appropriate for a party in Amber, and thinks, "party". Cathryn appears in the midst of everything. Norton has all of the hands put down their drinks and applaud. Cassandra gets really paranoid and prepares to push Malachai behind her. Cathryn is having problems maintaining her form. Malachai - through his black left shoulder something blossoms as if he has been shot with something, probably a crossbow bolt. It continues completely through him and clatters off the back of Cassandra's neck. Coming through the door is Caine. Malachai: that hurt. Malachai is surprised that the bolt went through him. Serena has clasped her hands to her breasts, pulled the top of her chemise off, and is trying to staunch Malachai's bleeding. Cassandra notices that one of her guards was just shot through. The majordomo is not there. The servant is hysterical, and comes into the room saying that the majordomo has disappeared. Ilk searches for quarrels, bows, and the majordomo. He almost gets a lock on the arrow before it disappears, grabs a bow from Celeste's hands, and the majordomo is not within this shadow. Celeste drops a few silver arrows as her bow disappears; Ferro's hands hand them back to her. "Corwin" turns to Cassandra and says, "I told you so". Ilk raises shields and goes full defensive. Cathryn goes for cover. Cassandra and "Corwin" each have Greyswandir out. Cassandra notices that "Corwin"'s is the wrong blade; Ferro notices that Corwin's Greyswandir has the wrong Pattern in it. Ilk casts a physical protective spell on Cathryn. Celeste comes up to Malachai and starts healing him; Serena yells at her to get away until Malachai calms her down. Much shouting happens as Cathryn notices that "Corwin" has her version of Greyswandir. Cathryn claims that the blade is hers by right of discovery and conquest; Cassandra claims that Cathryn's line has no claim to any Greyswandir. Cathryn takes her Greyswandir from Norton, and Cassandra lunges at Cathryn. Greyswandir is stopped an inch from Cathryn's neck by Ilk's shields, which barely hold. They discuss. Greyswandir disappears again, as Norton takes it back. Ilk gets a major headache, and all of his defenses are dropped. "Corwin", Malachai, Cassandra, Serena, Celeste, Ilk, two servants, the invisible guys, Cassandra's bodyguards, the simalcrums, Caine, and Cathryn all disappear. Ferro and most of the living family are still in the ballroom. Corwin, Cassadnra, Celeste, Malachai, Serena, and Caine all appear in Bellview. Ilk and Cathryn arrive in Ilk's Home. They chat briefly. A Logrus tendril taps on the wards, and Ilk backtracks it to Mandorways. Ilk tells Cathryn that the constructs weren't real, and that Corwin was Norton. Ilk loads lots of defenses onto them. They go to the edge of the Abyss. An illusion appears in front of them. It's Jesby. She wants to know when to be fashionably late for the party. Ilk and Cathryn go to Mandorways. Cathryn leaves a trail of burining demons behind her; they gain altitude in order to be less conspicuous. -------- In Bellview Servants react to Norton normally, offering water and pills to the group. Cassandra and Malachai are still being paranoid, and refuse the offerings. Cassandra moves towards the wall. One of Cassandra's guards throws herself between her and the wall. It is skewered by a weapon similar to the last one. The orderly disappears. Norton imports a Tremere to search for invisible people. Celeste tries to grab the group and go to Darkover. She switches places with the Tremere, and she is now standing over a half-naked, bloody corpse. Celeste is extremely disoriented. Malachai kills the Tremere as it arrives. Norton says that that was his, and puts it back together. It searches for things that don't belong, and is turned to dust. Celeste gets another power hit. She apparently has an open teleport between where she is and where they are. She returns to them. Cassandra encourages "Corwin" to take them home, to Pearl. ------------------ On the Grassy Knoll "Corwin" takes them to a grassy plain. There is an orderly standing right there. Cassandra and Malachai try to kill him. Malachai's blade goes through it and hits something solid. Cassandra has a weapon sticking out of her abdomen. SHe parried it with Greyswandir as it entered her. Malachai stirs the orderly's innards with Galantine while Celeste freezes him and Norton tries to shift him into a shape that cannot move or think. They scrag him. Celeste eases the blade out of Cassandra. Her guts start spilling out. There doesn't seem to be any magical damage - just physical damage. Celeste prepares to take them to Darkover to fix Cassandra. ------------------ In Mandorways Cathryn and Ilk reach Mandorways. They are invited in. Workers are in the middle of constructing an entrance on each of the next three floors up, in case of yet another increase in the level of demons. Mandor greets them at the door. Mandor: "I've been chatting with your mother." Cathryn: "I see." Mandor: "You have a temporary stay." Cathryn: "How so?" Mandor: "You have six turnings to prove that your House is still a major House" Mandor is assisting Jesby in maintaining their status, and is having a physical representation of their house built. Mandor congratulates Ilk on the recent increase in his status, and the increase in House Cara's status. Ilk maintains that he is merely acting head of house, and that he is acting for Lord Cara. Mandor leaves to call in favors from Benedict, so Benedict could start clearing the demons out of the hole. Jesby is in the Green dining room, talking with a member of the etiquette guild. She's working on a list of suitors for Cathryn - she needs some heirs to repopulate their house. Jesby is calling in a number of major favors. Fereth hasn't shown up yet. They chat about potential mates. Cathryn convinces Jesby to cross off all of the Amberites from this Reality from her list, due to Oberon's backwardness. The three of them, along with the ettiquite guild member, stop off at a fast shadow where Cathryn takes a nap for a few hours. Cathryn trumps Random. Random hands them through into the party, including a number of illusionary people that only he can see. A translucent, heavily armed guy enters the room. He chats briefly with Martin who does something with paper, then the translucent guy leaves. Dworkin wanders in. Random shakes Dworkin's hand. Dworkin holds up his hand in front of Random's face, some lights flicker, and Random wanders around the room batting at invisible flickering lights. Dworkin walks up to Cathryn and says that he's here to do her trump portrait. Cathryn shoos her mother out of the chair in one corner decorated in House Jesby colors. Dworkin pulls out a full easel, brushes, and other painting accoutrements, then pulls out a little playing card and starts drawing the backing on it. Some of Ferro's hands are offering Cathryn alcohol. They offer Dworkin a drink - he munches on the glass. An image of Cathryn is forming on the easel, like a developing photograph. When the image is done forming, Dworkin tells Cathryn that she can leave now, and continues drawing on the card. The image appears to be in three dimensions. Cathryn chats with Flora. Flora says that Dworkin's trump decks automatically update with the new trumps, but Fiona actually has to draw each one by hand. Flora: "When attacked at a party, usually it's best to look down your nose and embassass them publically." "... I remember a certain party which I had thrown for Celeste's birthday and Bleys, her father, got so bent out of shape at it, he was so impolite ... he hasn't been invited back to any of my parties." Flora compliments Cathryn on her treatment of Julian. Cathryn asks Flora what to do about Cassandra's earlier rudeness. Flora offers to show Cathryn around and introduce her to all of the best gentlemen. "... then it must have been Bleys. Did you piss in his kiddy pool?" Flora arranges to send the most interesting gentlemen in Cathryn's direction. Ilk mingles. Ferro enjoys the party. --EORun--