TYRRELSon of BenedictA character I have played in a game at AmberCon UK, but who has also been used a couple of play-tests of AmberCon UK games ('New Amber, New Danger' and 'Tomorrow Forever Dies'), from which there are diaries. This page is divided up into the following sections:
Click on the section headings to return to the top of the page. DESCRIPTIONTyrrel looks very much like Benedict; tall, thin and dour; harsh-featured; with cropped brown hair and cold grey eyes. He is taciturn, speaking in single words or monosyllables. He doesn't believe in honour, just survival, and has no mercy on the battlefield or in combat, preferring a dead enemy who won't cause trouble later than a prisoner or resentful defeated enemy. He also has little faith in justice, the family, or love... He wears black, usually a jump-suit, apart from when in the field, when he tends to wear camouflage. He is rarely seen without his sword and pistol (see below). When in the field he usually carries equipment such as camos, helmet, backpack, first aid kit, knives, ammunition for his pistol, survival gear, caltrops, binoculars, and a mini-hang-glider. BACKGROUND AND HISTORYRaised on a Shadow named Kastellan, a cold, dull, rainy place, in the nation of Haskar, a warlike, high-tech, but very rigidly socially stratified (like a Victorian age w/ class distinctions set in stone) nation. He was dumped there as a foundling baby by Benedict, & raised in the Haskarian workhouse. When he was old enough he went into the military, as that was the only way out of the gutter for one as low-born as himself. He did basic training, & became a fighter pilot due to his superior Amberite reflexes & constitution; from the very first he loved flying. Tyrrel fought for himself, not for Haskar, to improve his own life, not out of loyalty. Even so he became Haskar's greatest fighter pilot, & was posted about their Empire, fighting many skirmishes w/ the other great power on Kastellan, Xicohitl (a technological Aztec Empire, fuelled by blood sacrifice). Eventually rose about as far as he could, to the rank of Squadron Leader. Then Benedict arrived, out of nowhere, & told Tyrrel that he was his father, who had left him on Kastellan to be raised 'properly', making him hard & tough enough to survive. Now he was old & experience enough, he had come to take Tyrrel off & give him his true heritage. "You will thank me for your upbringing later," said Benedict. One of the few actual red rages of Tyrrels life came upon him as Benedict dispassionately explained why he had been left & raised as he was, & he attacked Benedict w/ his bare hand, intending to kill him. Of course, he failed, & Benedict knocked him out. When he woke, Tyrrel had calmed down enough to realise he had no chance of beating Benedict now, & instead decided to bide his time. So he left Kastellan w/ Benedict, both to obtain his heritage & get away from Kastellan itself. He has never been back, & hopes he will never have to return there. King Random was less than impressed by Benedict when he was told how Tyrrel had been brought up, & accepted Tyrrel into the family of Amber. Tyrrel swore loyalty to Random, & after some persuasion agreed to act as Ambers 'trouble-shooter' when no other options were left available. Random did want him to take charge of, or @ least train, Ambers military, but he refused both, & Random apparently respected his decision. However, Sebastian, the Crown Prince has been able to draw him out & indirectly get his help; Tyrrel feels obliged to help, but doesn't want to. After walking the Pattern Tyrrel found Malekula, & settled there, spending time between it & Amber (he got a Trump of Malekula from Bleys). He has been in Amber for six years, now, & is 32 years old. Benedict never calls (for which Tyrrel is glad); Benedicts Trump is not in Tyrrel's family deck, but sits in a drawer in Tyrrels home on Malekula. Random has Tyrrel 'troubleshoot' against enemies of Amber when there is no other option - when diplomacy or sheer bribery have failed, he will dispose of the threat (or @ least its leaders). @ first very harsh, taking few prisoners, Random persuaded him to be a little more genocidal, making them short but very bloody. Initially more of a tactician than a strategist, since taking up this role, Tyrrel has practised his strategic skills as well (although his tactical & straight fighting skills have not significantly improved over time). Tyrrel has no personally loyal forces - he just takes charge of parts of the Amber military as needed for the missions he takes, rotating who he takes, & thus providing as many as possible w/ a kind of indirect training. He hang-glides off Kolvir. Flying is his first & only love. |
| PSYCHE | 6 | 5th in the group | Basic Pattern | Free | |
| STRENGTH | 11 | 2nd in the group | Bad Stuff | -3 | |
| ENDURANCE | 11 | 1st in the group | Diary | -10 | |
| WARFARE | 81 | 1st in the group | Sword | 1 | |
| Hand Crossbow | 2 | ||||
| Personal Shadow (Malekula) | 1 | ||||
| POINTS SPENT = (6 + 11 + 11 + 81) - 3 - 10 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 100 | |||||
HIS EQUIPMENTHe has a sword which is a plain, functional, broadsword with a dull gunmetal blade, crosspiece and pommel, and plain black grip. This is much tougher than a normal blade but otherwise unexceptional [Extra Hard 1]. He also has a crossbow pistol which is actually powered from an internal spring, and autoloads from a clip under the body, making it look much more like a 'normal' gun. In shadow it somehow creates its own ammunition. It is very functional in appearance, and of a dull blued steel colour. Like the sword it is much tougher than normal. Tyrrel usually carries some clips of ammunition for it, in case he ends up somewhere where it automatic reloading doesn't function for some reason [Extra Hard 1, Automatic Reloading (shadow manipulation) 1; Total 2 points]. MALEKULA, HIS PERSONAL SHADOWThis is a world covered by ocean, apart from tropical paradise island city-states on mountains which rise out of the water. The seas are inhabited by many types of sea-monster, making travel by ship impossible, so all travel & communication is by air. The Shadow has a roughly 1950's level of technology, & jet fighters are used to defend the islands against occasional sea monsters which try to crawl up from the sea. On Malekula Tyrrel is a famous, reclusive, philanthropic monster-stopper who is also known for a number of innovations in aircraft design & weaponry (things he learnt as a pilot on the more technologically-advanced Shadow where he was raised). Malekula has a long, slow history, starting w/ legends of all the sea being land, in a huge continent which was inundated in some disaster, leaving isolated mountain-top communities, one or more of which slowly developed technology, leading first to gliders & then to powered flight. A DESCRIPTION OF THE 'NEW AMBER, NEW DANGER' GAME'Forty years after Patternfall, Random is still King. But the most powerful of the Elders, dismayed by Random's developing a spine & rendering them redundant by employing the younger generation in their place, have left for Shadow. Now, after returning from a trip into Shadow, Random is acting worried & elusive...' OTHER PC'S FROM 'NEW AMBER, NEW DANGER'
TYRREL'S DIARY FROM 'NEW AMBER, NEW DANGER'As a child, in workhouse, used to hate faceless parents who left me there. Dreamt maybe one day they'd rescue me. Then met real father; thought perhaps dream come true. Found out he'd left me there purposefully. Hated him more than ever did faceless dream-parents of childhood; still do. Don't mind carrying out ops. w/ military in emergency, or unofficially, as advisor, when no alternative. Amber my home now, after all, & am the best there. Just don't want it to be my life; partly why don't do it full time, or have forces of my own. Too much like father any other way. Amber most important part of life. Am good @ what I do, & do enjoy it; but there's more than just that. Malekula important too. For showing maybe more of me than just war machine father tried to make me into. & flying important too. Only time I really fell alive; free; happy, even. Events started w/ warning of invasion from Random. No indication of direction. Couldn't do much w/ that little information, but accepted cmnd of Amber military for duration. Didn't want to, but seemed important. Quite impressed by dedication of Hendrake troops. No compromise in them. Like that in an opponent. Makes things so much simpler. Less fuss. They fought as I would w/ back to the wall & no hope of escape. Couldn't avoid it - Fiona's shadow made so stealthy entry impossible. Obviously not all Chaosites like Hendrakes, or War might have gone very differently. Manticores quite impressive, too. Not fast, but very hard to kill. Must practise technique on creatures like them; find best way of killing them in future. Must remember to leave magic to professionals, if there is a next time. Thought Pattern could protect me from Fiona's magic. Incorrect assumption. Fortunately, Raphael able to heal me. Glad father posted to other end of creation. Didn't like meeting him on bridge over Abyss; even after six years, still rage is there. When he was paralysed on his horse, half hoped it would take him into the Abyss. When learnt Hendrake to try & assassinate him, was torn. Should I help him or not? Or take chance for revenge, by inaction? Decided I couldn't decide - Benedict too important to Amber even if not to me. Decided to avoid him - neither help nor hinder. Almost asked him about mother; only thing I want to know from him. But couldn't bring self to; couldn't have civilised conversation w/ him, even now. Sometimes almost wish I could know him as father, not enemy. I know we're similar. But what he did. Still fell rage @ him after so long. Don't know if I'll ever forgive him. Random one of few people who were kind to me from the first in Amber. & now he's dead, partly by my actions. Stories etc. say should feel grief. But I don't, I think. I feel nothing. Seen & killed too many to feel anything, even for death of one so close, any more? Random always seemed honest & sincere. Sorry to know he was capable of such plotting, but suppose his having lived in fear of war w/ siblings made him capable. But sorrier he died when we didn't carry it through. We swore loyalty to him, then betrayed it @ the last; when it mattered. Too much discussion of morality, too little action. Was going to suggest Random abdicated in favour of Sebastian. But he & Caine dead before had the chance, apparently by his own will. Should have spoken up sooner. Should have just killed Caine when had the chance; Random would still be alive if had. Should be more careful now; don't want oath I made to Sebastian to perhaps mean as little as one to Random eventually did. Can see why Bethany didn't swear loyalty. Why Raphael didn't, can't say. Told Brand was mad. Perhaps Raphael like him in that. But if true his madness far more benevolent than his fathers. His belief in Unicorn is no threat; his healing powers of benefit to all. His magic quite useful too; could be even more so, if combined w/ combat training. Perhaps he will learn. Couldn't believe he seriously wanted us to surrender to Hendrakes when Randoms actions became clear "because they're honourable & we're not." Fool. Don't survive by honour. Was surprised when Bethany told me privately she was a shapeshifter & Trump artist. Don't understand why she seemed so afraid of her abilities. Too useful not to use. Can't afford not to use useful powers in battle. TYRREL'S DIARY FOR 'TOMORROW FOREVER DIES'Benedict's gone. Erased. W/ the rest. Everything. Apart from me, Scatha, Julius & Rinaldo. Should be happy he's gone forever. Will never be back. But not. Not sure I know how. Just tired. Very tired. Perhaps now will be able to stop. Rest. Find Malekula again. Some peace. Won't last. Never does. But good for a time. Had to destroy it all. No alternative it seems. Logrus dead in Chaos so only order remained. Only indefinite repeats of Ambers past, for ever. Only we four aware of it. But still trapped w/ no way out. Too terrible. Repeating past forever. My past. Couldn't. So all had to go. Rinaldo told us universe must go. Didn't believe @ first. But too much evidence. Things repeating/reverting. He did right thing. Killed Merlin. Deleted Corwins Pattern. We had to do Ambers. Brand not as mad/evil as we'd been told. Only one who believed Dworkin. Until us. Swore loyalty to Random when came to Amber. But only words. Meaningless. Had nowhere else to go. Nothing else to do. No good @ anything else. & had to keep busy. Killed for him as for masters in Haskar. Meant nothing. Like others. Bleys. Another am glad is dead. Betrayed him in thought as soon as agreed to plan. Meant nothing too. Unlike Scatha. Could have been trouble there. Would have killed her if necessary. But didn't need to. So killed Dworkin. Me & Scatha. Gae Bolga through belly; pistol bolts through eyes. Had chance to tell Benedict. Gloat. Let him know what would happen to him. Felt good. Apart from knife he threw. To show could have killed me. But chose not to. Bastard. But I won. He's gone. I'm not. Erased everything. Julius made it again. Would have died if necessary to recreate it. But not necessary. Julius did it. Created new universe out of thoughts. Perhaps was better choice than me or Scatha. Now a Lord of new universe. So what? All means nothing. |