COMES IN THE END DESPONDENCY AND MADNESS

AmberCon UK 1999 Game


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PLOT AND SETTING

This game is set in the Courts of Chaos, before the start of the First series of Amber books (though not long before).

One of the Houses of Chaos, House Caryx, is a House which specialises in flesh sculpting and biological 'gear' of many kinds, grown from the flesh of humans and demons by the use of shapeshift others to paralyses them and warp their bodies to grow the desired product. These lucky people are usually just scum which no-one cares about, but they also include those who have offended their House, the crown or someone powerful, but not enough to be killed for it. And, sometimes, they'll kidnap a particularly interesting specimen to experiment upon it...

Currently Fiona, Bleys and Brand of Amber are in Chaos, negotiating with the Courts, making deals and sorting things out for their prospective take-over of Amber.

But of course, these Amberites are also of interest to House Caryx. They have kidnapped Brand for use in their experiments.

The high level lords of Chaos with whom the redheads are negotiating (House Chanicut) have been keeping Fiona and Bleys from tearing the place apart to find their brother.

The PCs are a bunch of deniable Chaosites who are prisoners in Fortress Gantu (for whatever reason), offered this job as a way out, and put onto the job of recovering Brand by Elam, a representative of House Chanicut, who are leading the negotiations with the Amberites They must recover Brand, by any means necessary.

And so this is what they trundle off to go and do. This starts from their having the information that Brand was last seen in the Under-City, incognito, as he was looking around Chaos.

It will be Duke Gramble of Sawall's Birthday soon. Invites being sent out at the start, arriving with or close to the messages from Chanicut. If the PCs can justify it to Elam (e.g. by finding out that Leotus Caryx will be there), they can get invites.

House Caryx have attempted to frame Sawall for the kidnapping (not that they expect to be caught) - they've left scent traces about where Brand was (using advanced shapeshift) that are those of Mandor and/or some other members of Sawall.

Brand, when found, has been vivisected, but is still alive, and conscious, merged with some sort of immobile life support equipment. The PCs somehow have to get Brand out of there, back to normal and back to his siblings, on a limited timescale.

The experiments Brand suffers are the cause of his going mad later on (and this is the reason why the game is entitled as it is).

Basically the game consists of detective work, with bits of combat now and then, particularly at the end. It absolutely requires at least one Logrus Master to get them into and through CaryxWays in the end.


Dara isn't born yet; her mother was of Hendrake, her father of Helgram.


Jasra has fallen for Brand, emotionally, after seeing/meeting him in the Courts somewhere. She is also looking for him. However, from the way the game went in playtest and at AmberCon UK, I would say her introduction should be reserved only for cases when the party are floundering in a highly clueless manner.


CHARACTER GENERATION

Characters are more powerful than the average Chaosite, and are built on 150 points (the average Chaosite is built on 100 to 120 points). BUT statistics start at Chaos level. Levels between Chaos and Amber are possible (with Amber at 0 and Chaos at -10, characters could have a statistic at, say -4, or -9). Statistics can be bought down from Chaos to Human level, which gives the player back 15 points to spend.

Shapeshifting is free, and everyone has it. All Chaos shapeshifters have four potential forms - Human, Avatar, War (or Demon), and Social Demon forms. The last is a form optimised for social display rather than combat. Advanced Shapeshifting can be bought, but is different to that in rulebook, and more expensive than it. It is possible to gain 5 points back by limiting ones shape shifting so that one can only take demonic form, not human. This has no effect other than a social one, but will lead to people talking about the character behind their backs as having too many 'demons in the woodpile'.

Logrus is not free, and requires Endurance of over Amber level. Advanced Logrus can be bought, but is different to that in rulebook, and more expensive than it.

Trump is available. However, basic Trump only costs 30 points, while Advanced Trump varies from that in the rulebook, and has different costs. Note that Trump is not always that effective in the Courts, because House Ways are usually warded against Trump.

Most Houses of Chaos encourage a House 'look' in the forms of their members. That is, a combination of hair, eye and skin colour and general appearance which distinguishes them from members of other Houses.

PCs can be Ty'iga, or other weird demon types if they wish. However, demons are at the bottom of the social heap in Chaos, and most are either magically bound or in the service of some House or other. Other demon types will be allowed at GM discretion.


Go to the Courts of Chaos Page.

The 'Dining On Ashes' game, which could be considered a sequel to this game.

Or go back to My Amber Page.