DRAFT Run Log for 970902

Present:

Andrew	- Osric
Tia	- Damia, Cassandra
Lori	- Celeste
Dave K	- Ilk, logging
Rich	- Ferro
Dave R	- Malachai
Ken	- Norton

--------------------------

Malachai and the Mongols


Malachai and his Mongols are carving up the enemy. After a while, he has
reduced the enemy into a tight defensive knot. He encircles the enemy
formation and orders his troops to treat them like Branch Davidians.
Trump Benedict - hard blocked. Malachai makes his way to Benedict's last
known position. The forces there recognize Malachai and a fairly young
commander approaches and starts reading a fairly heartbreaking list of
losses to him - they lost about seventy-five percent of their forces and
are badly demoralized. Malachai orders them to hold the ridge, and looks
into their burial customs. These troops aren't local, they aren't even
as good as the Mongols Corwin got. Benedict must have been extremely
rushed.

Malachai contemplates a cleaner final solution than losing a large
number of his troops routing the last of the enemy. He trumps Zack, and
connects. Zack is on his carpet chasing bugs. Zack tells Malachai that
Corwin is in Rebma watching Flora turn into Dara, or Dara turn into
Flora, or something like that.

Malachai spends a few hours setting up orders for his troops and then
starts shadow-walking back to Amber. He notices that everything is quiet
- the fields are empty, the birds aren't singing, the roads are
untraveled. Malachai detours through a town, and sees very few
people. Most of them are going about their business very quickly - there
is a lot of tension around. Malachai approaches someone and asks him
what has frightened everyone. He says that everyone is afraid of the
army that came riding through here a couple of hours ago, slaughtering
everyone in their path. The man's images are garbled - the only
consistent piece between the images are the large white horses. Malachai
cannot see any hoofmarks in the soil. Malachai goes off and asks a
merchant the same question, who claims that there were cannibals on
big white horses not too long ago. The man claims that an (intact) shop
two doors down was looted, and that the wares are scattered across the
empty street. Malachai thanks the man, and returns to Amber, looking for
people on white horses. At one point, he almost hears hooves. He stops
riding towards Amber, and starts riding towards the nearest group of
people on white horses. He starts heading fairly oblique to his previous
direction, and just for an instant, the demon army that he was just
facing is all around him, mounted on big white horses, then they are
gone. The ground is not churned. In the instant that he saw them, they
looked more water-like, like a breaking wave, than horselike.

[It's a horsicle]

Malachai calms Bucephalus and tries riding towards the horses once
again. It seems peculiar, as if he isn't riding in any given direction,
and then it happens again, but this time instead of demons on the
horses, there are the corpses of the soldiers in green. They seem like a
heat mirage, both there and gone at the same time. He can see them and
hear them, and they smell more like camels than horses, but the ground
isn't shaking. He couldn't tell if they noticed him or not. He tries it
again, trying to grab a rider this time. There is a pack of dogs running
in front of the white horses. One of the horses leans down and bites one
of the dogs, which bleeds. Riding the horses are some long, thin,
stretched beings with grey flesh and long faces. Malachai grabs right
through the person, and when he reaches the horse, it is there, and when
his hand comes away, it is covered with white dust. It is unique unto
Malachai's experience. [but the rest of the players panic]

He arrives in Arden and acquires a report. The wildlife is skittish. Six
of the gryphons that are still tractable are flying defensive
patrols. There have been no incursions. The river is still fluctuating
in viscosity. 

All through Arden, there is a palpable skittishness among the
animals. A deer spooks, runs out in front of Malachai, and blows itself
up on a land mine.

Malachai looks up at the castle as he approaches. He sees Caine near the
top of stairs with an arrow of green pointing at his head. As he
watches, he sees a flash near Caine, probably someone trying to help him
and failing. 

Malachai detours through the city. It is almost entirely empty. 
A cutpurse figures him for an easy mark; Malachai runs him through and
leaves the corpse where it falls. 

Malachai's hand stings where he got the white dust on it. He doesn't
have any dust visible on his hand, but he stuck some in a pouch. 
He arrives at the castle, leaves Bucephalus at the stables, and heads
inside. 

The castle staff is a bit stirred up. There are rumors going around that
Damia is queen and that Ilkandacian is king, and that some red-headed
guy was trying to steal Damia away from Ilkandacian, and that there were
a number of disruptions down by the Pattern room, and that all of the
soldiers are picketed and positioned, that Dworkin has been wandering
around lighting people on fire, and that somebody did something to the
center of the castle and it has been sealed off.  

Malachai goes to check out the disruption in the center of the castle.
It's about sixty feet in diameter, and the wall curves around it as if
it was meant to curve that way. He sees some of Zack's signs, and
decides not to worry about it.

Malachai heads towards the section of the ambassadorial wing where the
representatives from Serena's kingdom stays.  He walks in on a them
talking with a number of Prospero's soldiers. Apparently there was some
damage done to an Amberite's quarters and it was tracked back to their
kingdom.  Prospero's soldiers salute Malachai and asks him if he is
willing to take this over. He refuses for the time being. They also say
that there are apparently assassins running around the castle that may
have also come from this delegation. Malachai drags off a ranking member
of the delegation. It's one of Serena's relatives who is thought of well
back home, but not by Serena. Malachai tells him that Serena has
disappeared. The ambassador says that she was last seen several nights
ago, and she was planning on going on a romantic interlude with
Malachai. That was when Malachai had taken her to the grotto - he's seen
her more recently than they have. 

When he trumps Serena, he gets a feeling that he's just barely out of
reach.  Malachai heads to the dining room in search of someone that
knows trump. 


---------------

Dinner Continues


Osric, Suhuy's ghost, Dierdre, Gil, Ferro, Theraat, and her Flora are at
dinner. Malachai walks in. He knows everyone there but Dierdre and the
ghost. Dessert is being served. Malachai orders them to bring him some
real food. Malachai asks Flora for her help trumping Serena.  Flora
tells Malachai that he should ask Celeste, but she tries anyway, and
says that if Serena is only barely out of reach than he has a much
bigger mind than she does. Malachai tries again, and hits a hard
block. He comments on this, and Flora tells him that there is a trump
block around the castle.

Ferro's body mosquitoes and zips off, causing his head to fall onto the
table, where it continues to eat and converse. Malachai looks the other
way. 

Malachai chats with Gil about her recent injuries and Cassandra's
status. Gil refuses to tell Malachai anything useful about Cassandra,
because he won't take sides in the perpetual conflict between Cassandra
and Corwin.

Osric introduces Malachai to the other Suhuy's ghost. They chat. 
Suhuy claims that this Pattern is very limited - the person that drew it
couldn't have been much of a mathematician. 

[Dworkin failed his final exam for the Mathematicians Guild because he
drew a limited Pattern]

Dierdre discusses the unpleasant situation in her former home, and
claims that Damia is now stuck there. 

[Cat. The other, other white meat.]

--------------------------

The Plot Thickens in Chaos


On the rooftop, Ilk and Norton are reviewing their plans to acquire
allies.  Norton sees a disturbance in the demons. It looks like Snarsht,
but it seems awfully small.  Ilk and Norton continue to discuss their
plans.

Snarsht arrives on the roof. Norton is sure that it isn't really
Snarsht. "Snarsht" greets those on the roof, greeting Norton as "my
apprentice". 

The beastmaster representative brushes up against Ilk, and when he does
so, Ilk's bones vibrate "NOT SNARSHT". Norton turns and shifts "Not
Snarsht" on his back as a warning for the others at the table.  REN
takes a deep drink, and Bella pushes her chair back slightly.

The beastmaster is continuing to move. When he is located such that a
blast of power from "Snarsht" wouldn't hit anyone else, he says, "So
Andron, how are you doing?" "Damn. what gave it away?" The beastmaster
looks him up and down and says, "You're just not Snarsht".  

Rainbow is astonished. "Damn - you got me." Norton questions Andron.
Andron says that he came here because now it appears that the situation
is not one-sided.  

"Rescue my wife from the grasp of Toram and I will throw my efforts
behind you."

Andron refers to Rainbow as the head of the Dancers Guild <em>and</em>
the Shifters Guild, then apologizes for spilling the beans. 

Andron - "Imagio would help, but he's a bit busy."
Norton - "Busy?"
Andron - "Yes - he is guaranteeing the safety of those guilds that have
remained neutral."

They discuss possible locations where Toram could be hiding Jenoir
beyond Andron's reach. 

Ilkandacian suggests the possibility that Jenoir could be imprisoned in
Suhuy's realm, as it is hard-blocked and Suhuy has been absent from the
Courts for some time. He does not mention his suspicions that Suhuy may
be pent there as well. Andron says that he does not have an invitation
into Suhuy's realm, and asks Ilk if he can enter. Ilk says that he could
probably enter, but that if he disturbed one of Suhuy's workings, Suhuy
would probably destroy him. Andron says that that would be an attempt.

Andron points out some of Norton's broken brain chains and memory chains
to him, and says that repairing the broken chains could result in the
loss of everything that has been built around the breaks since the
breaking. Andron suggests that Norton visit the Healers Guild if he
wishes for the return of his memories. Norton tries to change his hounds
to look for Jenoir, and Andron reaches through Norton and adjusts them
himself. 

Ilkandacian brings up the possibility that Jenoir could be in another
reality set.  Andron has not heard of the possibility of alternate
realities, and when Ilk describes the different realities and their
different Logruses (some powerful, some hostile, some weak, some lazy)
Andron rummages through his mind looking for broken chains or
insanity. He presumably finds none. 

Ilk states that the only crack between realities whose location he is
aware of is in the sky over Arden. Ilk mentions that Cathryn once found
one outside House Jesby. Bella says that her daughter was not
controlling the rifts, and asks that speculation along those lines
cease.  Andron asks Ilk how he returned from those other realities, and
Ilk says that he was given a lift back by a powerful individual who has
visited many realities and who can move between them freely, but who
does not appear to currently be in this reality set. Andron asks Ilk how
this individual moved between the realities, and Ilk says that he
trumped. Andron muses that he should look up an old friend.

Ilk trumps Zack. They circumspectly chat about Darkstar. Zack says that
he couldn't find Darkstar in Faerie, and is uncertain how much
information about Faerie should be released, even to a potential ally. 

Andron and Norton chat.  Andron said that he took on Snarsht's shape
because he figured that they knew that Snarsht was off successfully
saving Mandor, and that another Snarsht might confuse the enemy.  Andron
asks Norton why Ilk seemed to be in charge, given the power and status
of the other individuals present. Norton says that the others have
obligations to Guilds or other affairs, and that the representatives
sent by other Houses were fairly junior, so it was best for the most
junior House representative present to conduct the negotiations. 

--------------------

Dinner Party, Still Going


Osric, Malachai, Ferro, and the others still left in the dinner party
chat.  

--------------------

Zack is Released from House Barimen


Zack gets a trump call. He doesn't recognize the caller, who claims to
be a foster cousin to his great-grandfather, and invites him to a
ceremony celebrating his departure from House Barimen and his joining
with House Cara. Zack asks after the reasoning behind the need for a
formal ceremony. 

"Aah - the Etiquette Guild. Say no more"

The person says that the ceremony would take place Ygg-wards, and that
they would bring six people; the head of House, his two advisors, and
three honor guards. Zack should bring two witnesses with him, but one
would do in a pinch, and an honor guard would not be out of place. 

He also says that they are using a manner of communication that was
developed in their House that forms gateways between people using
devices that usually look like pictures. Zack plays dumb.  The guy says
that he would like to come through and instruct Zack in the procedure
for using the pictures, leave one with him, and then return.  Zack tells
the guy to call back in five or ten minutes, and the contact breaks.

Zack chats with Random, who is considering poisoning the locusts. Zack
tells Random about House Barimen's efforts to reconnect with the
Amberites, and warns him that some of their members may come through a
trump contact in a few minutes. Random does a figure eight around the
carpet, and when he levels back out, he's in full ambassadorial garb.

Zack opens a Faerie gate which opens onto the top of the crystal
bridge. He sends out a call for two hundred Sidhe warriors. Six come
galloping up immediately, and apologize, saying that there are only one
hundred in Faerie, and they are scattered, looking for Darkstar. Zack
tells them that he would like them to be an honor guard for him, just in
case the potential allies' honor is not what it could be. Zack conjures
a bridge leading from the land and water below up to the Faerie gate. 

Zack trumps Benedict. They chat. Benedict asks Zack to determine if
House Barimen is worthy of an alliance. Benedict says that Amber's
problems are even greater than he had suspected, or he wouldn't be
bothering to consider an alliance. 

Benedict - "Beware of redheads."
Zack     - "Is this anything new?"
Benedict - "Yes."
Zack     - "Anything you can tell me?"
Benedict - "No."


The same person trumps Zack back. They chat briefly. The person tells
Zack how to pull him through the connection, and Zack plays dumb. Zack
throws a paper airplane with "We don't know trump" written on it towards
Random. Random reads the note, throws the airplane again, and starts
chasing it.  

Zack pulls him through. It's not quite the same as his trumps, but close
enough.  This feels more like swimming in a large bathtub or an indoor
pool, as opposed to swimming down a waterfall. The power level is much
lower, and it is much more subtle. He's not sure if he could attack
someone's mind or determine if they are lying through this connection.

The guy looks around, looks up at the locusts, and asks if they belong
here. Zack replies that they are unwanted imports. 

The guy from House Barimen says that this incursion runs almost the
entire length of shadow. He saw the other end significantly closer to
the Courts of Chaos on his way out.  He offers to show Zack that
place if Zack would be willing to attend the ceremony in the place
they had planned instead of here.

The guy pulls out a trump with a picture on it that looks like him, and
instructs Zack in its use. Zack plays fast learner. He pulls out another
kind, that looks like a card with a bit of something clear that screws
down with a piece of dirt trapped between the card and the lens.  He
explains that this is a way between places.

The guy butters Zack up. 

The guy pulls out something that looks like the place trump,
concentrates on it, and a Trump gate that Zack can see opens. The guy
passes through and the gate closes behind him.

Zack and Random chat. Random says that he liked the paper airplanes, and
they land the flying carpet. They now have propellers and little
simalcrums standing on the wings waving at him.

Zack uses his trump of Ygg. Random sails through the gate, pulling up
and calling out as he hits the plane of the gate. All eyes are on Random
as he swoops away, and Zack and the Sidhe step through
unnoticed. They're about six feet away from the end of a red
carpet. Zack pockets his trump, pulls out the one they gave him, and
takes six steps over to the side, to the edge of the carpet.

Zack can see the person who contacted him, someone wearing Etiquette
Guild robes, someone wearing advisor robes, and someone else dressed
like the person who contacted him.  The person who contacted Zack stalls
briefly and then Lord Barimen and another advisor appears.

Pleasantries happen, and Lord Barimen explains the ritual. They're doing
the short form. The original script was fifteen hours long, but Lord
Barimen managed to find a shorter one, much to the dismay of those who
enjoy ritual.  Lord Barimen hands the ritual scroll to one of the Sidhe
who reaches out for it, then smiles as it falls through him. Random
lands, looks at the scroll, and says that it looks legitimate and hands
it to Zack. Zack looks at it. It's written in a high formal tongue from
the Courts. Zack can only make out some bits of it. Barimen whips out a
device that looks complex magically and tosses it to Zack. It's a
magical learning device, and it's encoded with the language that matches
this one.  Zack uses it. There are a couple of obvious places where
someone could have placed hooks to establish control, but he doesn't
notice anything.

The scroll is legitimate, and the ritual would raise his status in House
Cara, as it recognizes him as Real, more than demon, and a person of
consequence, whereas he simply joined House Cara as an ordinary rank and
file member.

Zack is pretty sure that he could take both members of the honor
guard. He's not sure if he could take Barimen, either magically or
physically. It would be an interesting match - he thinks that he would
have the edge physically, and Barimen would have the edge
magically. Then again, he thought that he had the edge over Aramek as
well. The advisors he could take on one of his worst days with both
hands tied behind his back. They're clearly only there for their minds.

Zack is pretty sure that Random could take Julian without a problem, and
is at least in Corwin's league. However, Random tends to avoid sparring,
at least ever since the match with Corwin that Corwin called off brought
attention to Random's skills. 

The ceremony goes well. They seem to be worthy, honorable people. After
the ceremony, Zack pulls Lord Barimen aside and mentions that he has
been in contact with his uncle, the head of the Warriors Guild, who has
broached the possibility of possibly a preliminary... Random interrupts,
and cloaks the the offer in all of the right words. The guy thinks that
he is doing them a favor by accepting by the time Random is done.  The
member of the Etiquette Guild, who knows Random from his time in the
Courts, looks somewhat impressed.

Lord Barimen says that his good son N'tal was one of his honor guard,
and the other was his fourth nephew, Rhythn.

N'tal hands Zack another glass-trump thing, and says that this will
speed his voyage.  N'tal goes over to hand Lord Barimen a playing card
with Benedict's picture on it.

Zack warns Barimen that he should trump Benedict first, to warn him of
the contact. 

Random pulls a gourd-like thing out from inside his robes, tosses it to
Lord Barimen, says, "Here, to seal the alliance", and steps through the
trump gate. Zack can hear the Etiquette Guild member beginning to speak
up. Zack warns Barimen that Random is one of his favorite uncles, but
that he has a strange sense of humor. The Etiquette Guild member is
whispering quietly in Barimen's ear. Barimen proclaims that he will put
this gift in a place of honor on his mantlepiece. 

Zack goes through the trump gate. On the other side there is the green
arrow of locusts above them. He can tell that they're significantly
closer to Chaos - everything is falling apart around them, and it looks
like the landscape is copulating with itself.

Zack invites N'tal to join him as his guest on the carpet.

--------------------------

How to Stop Toram? 


Ilk tells Andron that his source does not know where that individual may
be, but that he may find out soon. Andron says that he wasn't aware that
Ilk was acquainted with that individual, and riffles through Ilk's
memory.  They chat briefly about that individual, and Andron says that
he always had a peculiar sense of humor, glancing at Rainbow as he does
so.  A discussion on a high level occurs between Rainbow and Andron,
to which no one else is privy.

Norton goes over and pours himself some tea. REN offers him the bottle
that he has been drinking from - Black Current. 

A discussion ensues on how to stop Toram.

Norton suggests the mind washing device, but Andron says that it won't
work on one of their opponent's mind level. "That's Slavers Guild
work. You deal with that scum?" "No, trying to eradicate them." "It is
good for the young to have a cause."  Andron warns Norton that the
slavers have some heavy hitters, including some Amberites - K'rin and
Mikail. He says that Mikail is in the same line of work as Norton - he
animates the dead.

Ilk describes the Logrus bombs to the group, and speculation on how to
defuse them runs rampant. Time passes. The hounds are marking off spots
on a mental map that Norton and Andron are sharing. 

Andron looks up, startled for a moment, and says that he must
leave. "What is happening?" "Convergence. My master calls."

Norton and Ilk bow. Andron leaves. 

Speculation as to the relative power levels of various individuals
varies.  It is believed that Toram would have the edge over Fereth, even
if Fereth wasn't spending much of his attention maintaining the Courts.
He might even be able to take Suhuy or Shiryu, pitting his strengths
against their weaknesses. The only person that might be able to take
Toram in direct magical combat is his second, Jenoir, and she is
missing, pent by Toram.

Proposal:

Several powerful guards will be left at House Cara, and a force will go
off to make trouble at House Chanicut to distract the enemy and possibly
get House Chanicut to change sides. While the enemy's attention is drawn
away, Ilk can get some sleep and prepare to enter Suhuy's realm.

Norton shaped as Mandor, REN, and Bella go to play at House
Chanicut. Rainbow and the other beastmaster will stay here, and Ilk will
go into Home and rest. Ilk has two of his shifters assume his form, and
Norton makes them more like Ilk. Norton goes a bit too far on one of
them, and it thinks that it really is Ilk. It has Logrus, too. The real
Ilk can tell that the other one has less Logrus, but he doesn't think
that a standard Logrus user could tell that.  Norton hands the real Ilk
an identifying thingy. The real Ilk heads into Home to rest, with
Rainbow following as a bodyguard. Rainbow refers to Clarissa as Ilk's
majordomo, and they chat while Ilk takes a nap at 100,000:1. The not-Ilk
that thinks it is Ilk decides to stay on the roof as a guard with the
beastmaster, and the others, including the other fake Ilk, head out.

--EORun--