Session One
What began with a quiet dinner taken with our dubious allies in House Helgram has ended with my arrival in Castle Amber, bearing the petrified head of Lord Hendrake in my bag and my wounded mother in my arms. Standing amidst soldiers and servants and cousins unknown, I stood in the throne room of Castle Amber, contemplating what this change would mean for me. I looked about and thought to myself how strange it was that this place did not seem so different from the place I had left.
Twelve hours later I sit in my room, black robes wrapped about me...hunched over my desk, writing down the days events. I have dismissed my maidservant Elaine...all is quiet here, and shadowed. And yet I feel no more safe here than I did in the Courts of Chaos. For though I am free of Zane's minions, other forces conspire to influence me here, and though their aspect may be more gentle, I suspect them nonetheless.
Uncle Caine assures me that we are safe here...that I can relax, and yet I fear I do not know the meaning of that word...its significance has been long lost to me...it seems a kind of weakness almost. Still, I must learn to be less paranoid...I nearly incinerated my maidservant Elaine when she surprised me earlier this evening. For an instant, I was certain she was an assassin, come to take advantage of my vulnerability. I held in my throat that final syllable of a spell which would have killed her quite instantly...only barely prevented myself from burning her to ash. I must strive to calm myself...the hair-trigger reactivity that was so necessary in the Courts is not well-suited to Amber, and could do me more harm than help.
But I digress...and should explain what exactly has happened...how I came to be here.
Ever since that day Nicholas assayed the Logrus and we lost Dierdre, our pursuit had grown more pronounced. Zane's Logrus masters knew of a way to locate him now that he bore its taint. We had just arrived at the safehouse of Helgram, headed by one Adam Helgram, when we were betrayed. I should have realized that something was wrong. Adam was restrained and quiet, and more importantly, his beloved wife Constance was gone. When the attack came, I called up my shields and Black Birds of War, and mother was shot with a poisoned bolt. Luckily I was able to heal her while Lord Hendrake, who headed this motley cadre, explained to us that we were surrounded. Mother was a bit feverish, but we were able to communicate psychically.
"Shall I bring the house down, mother?" I thought to her.
"By all means...," she responded faintly.
I took one look at the head of House Helgram, and cast my evil eye upon him. "Adam Helgram, may you be repaid in kind for your treachery." And the look of alarm he showed was clear; he had felt the force of my curse.And so I let loose my spell, causing the room to shake, the pillars of stone cracked and leaned...the ceiling split. In my mind I had resolved to bury everyone in this house in tons of stone before I would allow us to be taken to Zane. I shielded mother with my body as the battle began anew.
Caine threw daggers...Nicholas drew his sword and headed toward Lord Hendrake, Ishmael guarding him from the rear. Teresa began powering up her Spikard. And then just as suddenly a gate opened up in the room and a horde of armed warriors poured in. I recognized one immediately...Laughter. I felt fear that the situation had gone from bad to worse, knowing of my half-sister's talent for misadventure. But then I saw Alexandra among them, leaping into the fray, and I knew that our rescue had come.
Quickly, Lord Helgram changed sides again...coward that he is. I realize now that Zane must have captured Constance to force Adam's cooperation. I hope that Zane kills her for his duplicity. We set upon the forces of Hendrake like the Furies. Two women joined Nicholas in his attack on Lord Hendrake, one a slim redhead, the other a dark-haired beauty who was shrouded in glamours. Lord Hendrake was hard-pressed against them, and to help hasten his end, I called out to him and looked once more with my evil eye.
"Hendrake," I shrieked. "Your clumsy attempts at swordsmanship will avail you not against the Crown Prince of Amber."
I surveyed the surrounding battle...none were approaching me close enough to cause worry. Mother was groggy, but she would heal. Lord Helgram was quite busy holding the hall together with the Logrus. I resisted the temptation to attack him psychically and thus shatter his hold on the place. Hendrake was taking too long to die and had gone into his primal form, and so I decided to worsen his chances one last time...and cast a spell which began to turn his flesh to stone. Very quickly, the brunette to the king's right beheaded him, and the group quickly chopped him into many small pieces of stone.
What to say...Adam bid us farewell, and I glared at him coldly. The brunette, whose name is Ariana, opened a gate that took us home...after I had claimed the head of Lord Hendrake.
And so I arrived in Castle Amber...in the throne room...and all my life was turned upside down. I couldn't really bear to think about it right then. So many people cheering and sobbing and asking so many questions. I turned immediately to Alexandra and asked her to escort me to mother's rooms. I was still carrying Fiona and wanted to finish her healing some place comfortable. Alexandra seemed shocked at that...she hadn't realized who I was...and I would later learn that in Amber time we had been gone only a few days.
I walked up with Laughter and Alexandra...and a short ways before we reached mother's rooms, we encountered a man with blonde hair...shorter than I...my father...Suhuy. He looked confused at the sight of me...I merely smiled and addressed him as father. He seemed uncertain how to respond, and as my arms were getting tired, I asked him to take us to mother's quarters. Once there, I laid mother on the divan, and cast a minor healing spell upon her to dispel the fever. She became conscious almost immediately and nearly leapt into father's arms. I sank back into a plush armchair, having exhausted nearly all of my magical strength in the last half-hour. Seeing her with father like that brought back many ugly memories...I lost myself in contemplation of the stone head which I had in my bag.
We talked...the whole family together...and it was strange to watch...for I did feel an outsider among them. They were attentive of me, certainly, asked questions and expressed concern, but how could I relate to this...to Alexandra's sincerity and Laughter's simple good nature. I felt quiet and cynical in comparison...felt like I didn't belong. As we spoke I became more aware of my current state, my dress torn and stained with blood, dust, and soot. I asked mother how I might get a room. She recommended I talk to Florimel, but, noting my ragged countenance, suggested I bathe first. I reminded her that I couldn't very well bathe without a room. Laughter offered me the use of hers, and I grew irritable. How obviously must one state "I want to be left alone for a bit"? Rather than rebuke her kind offer, however, I used a glamour to cover my self with a more pleasing illusion. I could still smell the blood and soot, but perhaps Aunt Flora wouldn't notice.
I accosted a passing servant to take me to Flora, whom I found was six months pregnant. The sight of her like this made me very uneasy...and so I kept it brief. I introduced myself and made her aware of who had returned. She had a manservant take me to my new quarters. When we arrived, I dismissed him immediately, asking him to request that Flora assign me a maidservant. I had no intention of having a man about my rooms. And then I made myself a bath, as Castle Amber had running water. I washed off the grime...soaked in pleasant scented bubbles...and allowed my magical strength to return. This, you see, is probably the most pleasureable aspect of magic. To feel the magic slowly return to me was blissful...as was written, "I knew not how empty was my soul until it was filled again." I wrapped myself in a towel afterwards and stepped into the bedroom. The wardrobe was unfortunately bare, and so I conjured myself some clothing. The maidservant Elaine arrived, and I requested that she have a dressmaker brought up to measure me that evening after supper. It was still early in the day, and so I resolved to have a look around...and asking Elaine about who was present in the Castle, I learned that my Uncle Brand was here, as was my grandmother Clarissa, and another woman named Ona. I wasn't terribly interested in meeting Brand, but I could not resist the opportunity to meet Clarissa.
Of the meeting there is little to say. I did not meet Ona, chatted with Clarissa, was ignored by Brand, who seemed lost in his own little thoughts. Afterwards I decided to wander again, still restless from the days all too brief conflict. While passing through one wing I noted a short man with spiky blonde hair exercising in what appreared to be a weapons practice room. I could tell by his movements that he was working on rehabilitating some recent leg injury, but from his dress he seemed to be a merchant prince or some such, so I chose to ignore him.
Scarcely ten feet from the door I witnessed a spirit...a flickering of mist and magic...which moved through the stone wall. I followed it back to this young merchant, who appeared to be talking to it. I quickly ducked around the corner to listen to the conversation.
"...no..." he whispered.
"...if you leave me alone I'll walk it..." he insisted.
At this I realized that there was much more going on than I first thought. I listened further and heard him mutter "bitch", at which point he was thrown across the room by the spirit. I looked in briefly to see if he was terribly injured. As he wasn't, I immediately raced to mother to inform her of what had passed. When I told her, she took my hand and transported father, myself, and her to this young man, whom she had named as Gavin.
Our talk was mercifully brief. He was reluctant to confess what was happening, but he did finally admit that he was being haunted by Nimue, a ghost of Nicholas' sister. Mother suggested he address her in a fashion appropriate of her station, instead of "bitch". And then she wished him luck with the whole affair. When I asked her about it later, she explained that Nimue was a strange form of Pattern Ghost, of power akin to the Unicorn...that perhaps she was a replacement for the Unicorn. I expressed my anxiety over what would happen should Nimue turn her attentions to me...mother was unsure of what to do. She made it quite clear that no magic of mine could stop Nimue.
Well...I have powers other than magic, do I not?
Eventually I went back to my quarters to rest a bit before dinner, which began promptly at 6pm.
Dinner was certainly interesting. I was finally formally introduced to Felix and Ariana, as well as their host of children. Ariana talked to me of Brand's escapades, and inquired about his son, who had been lost in Chaos. I knew nothing of it, and she seemed saddened by this. I find that I like her, though she must be a faerie of some kind, else she would not have been able to open the gate. In fact, several of the children present showed signs of having Faerie blood. Strange to the least.
Briefly I talked to Nicholas and informed about the situation with Nimue. I asked him to delay in granting Gavin permission to walk the Pattern, as it would give me more time to research how best to deal with Nimue. I have no interest in coming into conflict with his dead sister, and since Gavin seems to be more than capable of handling himself with her, it will not hurt to let him deal with her a while longer. I doubt he would agree much, but I am certainly glad that I have the King's ear.
I saw one at dinner whose presence greatly irritated me. Some man dressed in white robes, a priest of the Unicorn apparently...but by his features I recognize him as a member of that hateful House of Jesby. Even worse, I noted their rabbit symbol on his breast. Ah well, he had best stay far out of my sight should he wish to live much longer.
This marks the end of the first session, feel free to continue.