Recorded for Posterity by Iain Walker.
Previous History Index Prologue Part 2
A couple of days ago Owen turned up out of shadow and saw Random. He is introduced to Tristan as a son of Corwin. He says he just came back out of curiosity. He might stay a while. Guest rooms are provided.
Tristan introduces him to Random's new Amber. And to us, the other PCs.
Tamarind asks Owen about Corwin and Deirdre.
That afternoon, Random asks us all to a conference. Flora is also there. Damien pours the drinks.
Random tells everyone that our forces in Chaos have received an Ambassador from one of the closed Chaos realms. He wants to come to Amber to settle terms and is arriving tomorrow morning. Random was hoping that we will accompany the Ambassador and keep him sweet. Tristan will represent the crown in this. Random says the Ambassador is named Morred Telgadi, a strange-looking gentleman. He asks Owen to act as an 'independent'.
Lord Feldane will Trump Telgadi in from the Courts. He will be bringing a bodyguard and one other person; Random doesn't know who. Telgadi is an Ambassador for all of Chaos. Flora is arranging accommodation.
The first thing for us to do will be to escort him to Random in the Throne Room.
Random and Flora leave to talk.
We discuss this intelligence, and begin to discuss an itinerary.
Tamarind wonders if these Chaosites are shapeshifters, and if so, couldn't they have been here before, incognito? No-one has an answer.
We concentrate upon what we can arrange. Beltaine lends Lucian to Owen to recruit a staff for him if he's going to be staying. She compares notes with Flora.
Ibrahim checks on the security arrangements for the king, and the Ambassador. All is in hand. He goes and visits his sister.
Tamarind talks with Owen as Owen settles in.
Tristan looks for Caine, but Caine is not about. He suggests to Random that it would be good for Caine to be here for the ambassadorial visit.
Beltaine goes looking for Tamarind, who is about to do a Trump casting. She asks him to sketch a few faces from her descriptions:
She tells Tamarind they are from a vision in Tir-Na Nog'th. Tamarind sketches them.
Ibrahim talks to Jahira (his sister). He tells her we might bring the Ambassador to visit.
Owen asks Tristan about all the secret passages he has discovered in his quarters. It turns out that there are no rooms currently available without such passages. Honest.
Tamarind continues his Trump reading, incorporating the sketches he did for Beltaine. He asks:
Random and Flora finish their conference, so Tristan and Beltaine go and talk to them.
Beltaine discusses the itinerary with Flora.
We need to meet them in the morning, and also have to keep them occupied before an evening reception. A tour of the gardens should do. As for the next day, it depends ... We'll see.
Tristan talks to Random. Owen suggested blocking the passages and spy-holes into the ambassadorial quarters. Random says he'll discuss this with Caine.
Tamarind's Trump reading:
He feels that the second sketch of the red-pupiled man ('scary') should be included, and does so. The visit seems to bode both well and ill. The sketch seems to be on the 'ill' side. Some cards hint at death and destruction, others at peace and reconciliation. Caine and Julian appear in opposition to the scary sketch man.
Tamarind sketches the layout for future reference.
Tristan Trumps Julian to tell him we'll be bringing Chaos people into his forest. Tristan goes through to him in Castle Arden. Then he asks Julian if we can take the Ambassador riding in Arden? Julian says it would be possible. But Arden can be a dangerous place, so stay close to the edges, he adds.
Tristan leaves as quickly as possible.
Back in Amber, dinner is served. There are just the six of us at the table.
We discuss arrangements.
Tamarind tells us about his reading, and its boding of good and ill. It worries him.
Beltaine says she saw two people and herself in a Tir-Na Nog'th vision and told herself they would soon arrive in Amber.
The sketch of the scary man is shown to everyone else.
Tamarind describes the Trump reading in more detail.
We decide we should be more wary.
Own wants to move his quarters closer to the ambassadorial quarters.
Tamarind sends word of the Trump reading to Random.
After dinner, Owen asks Flora if he can move his quarters. She agrees.
Owen then Trumps Tristan - it's the first time he's ever used a Trump. Tristan comes through and warns him about Trump spying. They plot, then go and fix the secret passage doors in the ambassadorial quarters so they can only be opened from inside the rooms. The spy-holes are bunged up too. They exit by Trumping out to the arrival courtyard. Tristan gives Owen a gold coin so he can say that he paid someone to do it.
Ibrahim maintains his spells.
Damien goes out drinking and finally returns to the castle at 4am.
Next morning everyone congregates for breakfast.
Beltaine gets a note from Esmée, who is organising a banquet for tonight.
Damien gives Owen a Trump of himself (he has Trumps of most of us by now).
Then everyone decamps to the arrival courtyard.
We all stand in the gateway and wait.
A purple shimmer occurs in the centre of the courtyard, and three figures appear:
The Ambassador (the bluish-skinned man) greets the assembled Amberites. He has a mellifluous voice, and his handshake is firm.
The golden-haired man looks surprised to see Beltaine. She addresses him by the name of Telemachus, but Lord Telgadi says this is not his name. He is Evander - a son of Prince Brand of Amber. Telgadi introduces the creature as the Agrazal - the bodyguard who was mentioned. He says that Evander is not here officially, but instead out of a desire to visit Amber.
Tamarind can tell that all three of them are carrying Trumps.
We escort them to the throne room.
On the way Beltaine and Evander exchange glances.
Arriving at the throne room, the Ambassador and his party are announced. They enter and approach the King and Queen on the throne dais at the far end of the room. A big show of pomp has been put on. Caine, Julian, Gerard, Florimel, Esmée and Caleb are all there.
Telgadi approaches the throne, and greetings are exchanged. Telgadi claims to represent all of Chaos, and presents his credentials to Random (via an intermediary).
The Agrazal and Evander are introduced. Evander gets hard stares from Julian and Caine. Gerard looks surprised, then pleased.
Pleasantries are exchanged, then we escort the Ambassador and his party to their rooms.
When she gets close to it, Beltaine can sense that the Agrazal is akin to her soulstones.
After the Chaos party have had a little time to settle in, we run them through the various ideas on an itinerary.
They would like to see the castle and the gardens before lunch.
Also, Evander will not be part of the negotiations and so is available at other times. He comments on the resemblance between himself and Beltaine, and she says that he is her fathers son. She seems pleased. So does he.
Drinks are served, then we show them the gardens.
Owen asks the Agrazal how it likes to be addressed. It doesn't mind. It is not a great conversationalist.
Evander seems a little lost for words. He says the castle is fascinating, quite unlike Chaos. He says he is not sure that Brand knew he existed - he's the result of a brief fling in Chaos, so he's been told, just before Brand left Chaos and did not return. His mother is Lady Xanthippe of the Royal House. His status in Chaos is ... undecided. He hopes he might be able to move here, to Amber. Beltaine tells him to ask Random.
In return, Beltaine tells Evander that she was found in Tir-Na Nog'th, and that she called him Telemachus earlier because that's how she introduced him to herself in a vision there. Evander looks a bit confused.
After the tour, we return them to their rooms to prepare for lunch.
Before lunch, Tamarind Trumps Caine and tells him that all the Chaosites have Trumps, and about the earlier Trump reading.
Everybody is at lunch apart from Benedict (who hasn't been to Amber for years).
Damien pulls off the 'offering a chair to Margot in a manner she can't politely refuse' trick. The Agrazal does not sit, but stands behind the Ambassador's chair.
Beltaine introduces Evander to Vialle. He wonders if he could come and live in Amber. Vialle sees no problems with this idea per se.
Damien blithely chats up Margot, asking her about Arden. He gets the usually monosyllabic response.
Random and the Ambassador talk politely, but there is no obvious rapport between them as yet.
Lunch finishes.
Random and the Ambassador leave for the start of the first negotiations. We go off with Evander. Caleb and Gerard are introduced to Evander.
Owen suggests to Flora that a reciprocal visit to Chaos would be nice.
Then it's just us and Evander.
We decide to go and visit Jaheira and thence to Damien's Priory.
When asked by Beltaine, Evander says that Agrazals are made by a group connected to the Royal House of Chaos - family Romalek. She says that it's like the creatures who were left to guard herself and Persephone up in Tir-Na Nog'th.
Evander says he has wanted to come to Amber since he knew he had Amberite blood.
We ride out of the Castle (Evander seems to know how to ride), following Ibrahim's eagle, Tora. Through the city. Down the stairs and out through the harbour.
As we go, Beltaine shows Evander a sketch of the scary man from her vision. He recognises him as himself - it's one of his forms in Chaos - one he'd use for certain formal events. As she is with him for longer, Beltaine senses that Evanders mind is 'less complicated' than that of a normal person in some mystic fashion, but as far as she can tell, he doesn't seem to be lying.
He admits that he is a shapeshifter.
He says that the Romalek do not sell Agrazals, but loan them out.
When asked by Tamarind, Evander says that there must be others of Amberites blood in Chaos - Dara's ancestors, for some.
[There is an argument of sorts about Brand being chained by, and Benedict not being chained up despite his not very sane behaviour. There are other odd conversation, not all of them very relevant. Some of them may have been in character, but I kind of lost track.]
We all arrive at Jaheira's place. She is introduced to Owen, Evander and Tamarind; she has met everyone else.
Evander says he spent his time in Chaos studying and learning magic.
Jaheira gives us a tour of her horse-breeding ranch.
Evander says he is 80000 turnings old; he looks in his early 20's. This probably means he is 24 or so.
Damien arranges to buy the offspring of two of Jaheira's best horses, for Margot (a long term thing).
We go back to Amber. Tristan shifts off through shadow in front of our eyes. When he's gone far enough he summons a bird of desire, and uses it to send a message to Benedict regarding to Ambassador. Then he shifts back to Amber and waits for everyone else at the bottom of the staircase up to the city.
Everyone meets up, and up they go.
We prepare for the reception.
Beltaine fusses over Evander prior to its start.
Everyone arrives at the reception separately over some time around its official start. There is a big buffet, a dance floor, and a band.
Random and Vialle are announced, followed by the Chaosites. Followed by Caine.
Random and the Ambassador still seem neutral to one another.
Flora and Esmée arrive together.
Tamarind discusses Deirdre with Owen, who doesn't really know her.
Random, when asked, has no problem with Evander walking to Pattern, or staying in Amber if he wants to.
Tristan tells this to Evander, who is with Beltaine and Esmée. The walking of the Pattern becomes the main topic of conversation.
Lady Yvette Fuleri talks to Tamarind about music, obviously trying to chat him up. Tamarind is very correct and distant, as ever, and she gets nowhere.
Various young men try to chat up Beltaine. They too have no success.
Beltaine properly introduces Evander to Random.
The Ambassador explains a little of the proceedings that afternoon to Ibrahim.
Damien gets Owen to sign an invite to the party planned on Beltaine's yacht, the 'Demeter', addressed to Margot. This is a ruse as she's not likely to come if it's from Damien. Then Damien gets Tristan to take him into shadow so he can send the message to Margot by bird of desire (though he doesn't actually tell Tristan this).
And eventually the reception winds down...