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Session 4.11 Index Session 4.13
Notes Taken by Samantha and Alastair Beadle.
After having second thoughts about going into the Pattern Room, knowing that it is kept locked from the outside, we instead arrive in the corridor outside the Pattern Room with three thousand troops in tow, along with Lillian and Finndo Junior. There is not much room left!
The guards outside the Pattern Room look a little alarmed as we arrive, but seem to recognise us.
They are informed of the plan, and seem to relax somewhat.
While we are there, we check on Anaximander, imprisoned in the Pattern room. The hermetically sealed coffin in which Anaximander was imprisoned is still here, but there is a small hole drilled in the side of it, out from inside, and the coffin is empty...
To avoid friendly fire due to Chaos shapeshifters mimicking ourselves or other people about the Castle, we agree some code words for our side to use. A true Amberite will say the word 'Applejack' if there is any confusion as to who is who (if they are attacked, for example). If they do not, then they are to be considered the enemy. The use a prompt word, 'Unicorn', is considered, but we decide that this is not necessary.
With this done we march up the stairs from the level of the Pattern to the Castle above, intent on retaking the Command Centre first, then the rest of Amber.
The stairs are very long, and normally take about half as hour to climb.
About half way up, Caitlin has a brain-wave that will help us move our three thousand troops around the Castle stealthily. She presses a stone in the wall and a door into a secret passage opens up.
"This passage," she tells us all. "Leads to a third, unknown, entrance into the Command Centre, through the roof."
This sounds like a plan, so we lead our army through this convenient, if a little narrower, route and ascend that way.
As we make our way through the secret passages, lit only by the light from the many spy-holes we pass, there are many twists, turns and branchings in the passages. In places there is deep dust on the floor.
Caitlin leads us unerringly through the passages with the aid of the Pattern.
As we go, Jihx gets a Trump call that we identify as from Timandra. Caitlin summarily cuts it off using the Pattern. One by one, we all receive Trump calls from Timandra, which, again are summarily cut off by Caitlin.
Whippoorwill attempts to Trump Gerard, but there is still no response.
He then tells us that he wants to send Timandra a message, just in case all of these calls are an attempt at negotiation, not an attack.
We discuss this for a bit, and decide that it is worth a try. That being so, Caitlin summons a bat of her desire that flaps along the passageway to her and alights on her hand.
We write a message on a piece of parchment and tie it to the bat. The message is basically 'We're gonna get ya. If you have any last words tell us now'.
The bat flaps off with the message, and 'programmed' to return any reply to us. We carry on down the secret passage.
Further along the secret passages, Godofos discovers a new power. Something seems to open up in his mind, and as this occurs, with a rush of air in towards him, he begins to slowly transform into a small, armoured, tracked vehicle, perhaps six feet long, four feet wide and three feet high with arms tipped with circular saws and whirling blades and stabbing spikes thrusting in and out all over it. It is not unlike a small version of Whippoorwill's War Machine.
Seeing this, the rest of us assume that this is some kind of attack on Godofos - perhaps he is being remotely taken over by a Chaos shapeshifter! So we attempt to rescue him, using the Pattern and a Trump to contact him and help his defend himself.
Godofos' change slows as the psychic pressure mounts. However, he is able to explain to us - in a tinny, crackling voice which sounds as if it is coming through a poor-quality radio of some kind, that it is not an attack - instead, it seems that he has become a shapeshifter...
With that sorted out, we carry on, Godofos leading the way; his tracks seem to be rubber-coated, for stealth.
Some time later, Caitlin's bat returns with a message:
'We wish to negotiate. We have your Gerard and Vialle and there are other powers we have not yet revealed that will go badly for you if you force us to use them. We would be willing to hand Amber back to you if you will perform a service for us in return.'
Caitlin and Whippoorwill want to see what they want and fear that the 'not yet revealed' powers are the shadow-eating worms we have been warned against, the Vadgaon.
Godofos and Jihx want to ignore their plea and attack.
It is decided to send back another message:
'What do you want us to do? What guarantees do we have? Gerard and Vialle are of little value to us.'
Before the massage is sent, Caitlin strikes out the last sentence, but leaves it legible for effect.
The diplomacy via bat continues for some time, with more messages being exchanged. Timandra sends a message in response to ours:
'We wish you to rescue the other members of our Coterie from the courts of Chaos. As guarantee, I myself will be your hostage and guide. If you do not wish Gerard to be returned, then so be it.'
Whippoorwill wonders whether we can gain any advantage from this apparent split within the Coteries of Chaos. He wants to explore the option further. We send another message:
'If we assisted you what would you do?'
At this point we have arrived near the Command Centre. The plan we have devised is for us to use the initial surprise we hope to gain to target Timandra herself with our warfare specialists.
To facilitate the plan we split into three groups:
We peer through the spy-hole in the roof hatchway down into the Command Centre. Down below we can see:
Several people in Chaos and Amber Castle Guard uniforms are there too, apparently co-operating with the invaders.
Godofos uses his powers and checks the other people below. He determines that it is probably the real Timandra and that some of the Amber soldiers are not what they seem. One is certainly Anaximander in disguise, and another is something else, though he cannot tell who or what.
A little later, Timandra's reply arrives via bat:
'We intend to go off and make new lives for ourselves out in the universe, away from both Amber and Chaos.'
It is decided that we need to know if their ultimate power is the Vadgaon. We consider how to do this, and decide that a conference Trump call with Timandra is the way forward.
Godofos, as our nominal leader, selects Jihx to speak to Timandra. He hands Jihx a Trump of Timandra, and Jihx concentrates on it.
After a few seconds, peering through the spy-hole into the Command Centre, we see Timandra react as if getting a call. The menacing-looking man and the bush of tentacles move to in front of Timandra (so they cannot be seen through a Trump link), then Jihx makes contact as Timandra accepts the call.
"Why should we trust you?" Jihx asks without preamble.
"Why should we trust you?" Timandra replies.
At this point Whippoorwill interrupts, joining the Trump link, and asks why they haven't rescued their fellow Coterie members themselves.
"We cannot, as they are protected from us," Timandra replies. She is looking interestedly at the tank that is Godofos.
Whippoorwill asks why should we assist them when they are threatening us with the Abyss worms?
Timandra looks surprised, then says that the Vadgaon worms would destroy all of Amber, but would not destroy Chaos. She says that Amber does not interest them, as it is dull and flat. They apparently want a more open space. At present they are the only ones with the Vadgaon, she concludes. Others in Chaos do not, as far as she knows, have them.
We ask whether, if the worms are released, the Chaosites can stop them.
Timandra says that they cannot. "The worms come from the Abyss," she continues, as if that should mean something to us.
We tell her that we also have at least one of their group held prisoner.
Timandra looks slightly surprised. "We had assumed that you had killed her out of hand," she says.
"We will consider our actions," we tell Timandra.
She asks if we are going to move from over their ceiling, looking up at the spy-hole as she does so.
We drop the Trump link.
We back away from the secret entrance into the Command Centre to consider what to do.
Godofos doesn't think we can accept.
Jihx feels we have no choice but to accept.
Caitlin doesn't like the idea of going to the Courts of Chaos.
Whippoorwill is unsure.
We consider what to do. We know, from Corwin's book, that it is possible to make obelisks that can keep the worms away from a Pattern. Unfortunately, none of us know enough magic to be able to build them.
After some thought, Caitlin refuses to go to Chaos unless all of the Chaos group come with us, not just Timandra.
Jihx also suggests that we also ask that they have to assist us in seeking out a solution to the Vadgaon, in case they are ever released.
With this decided, Whippoorwill contacts Timandra again.
When she takes the Trump call, he tells her that we are very happy to assist. Well, Whippoorwill is happy, the rest of us will put up with it if necessary.
She asks for our alternative solution.
Whippoorwill tells her that the four of us will assist them with freeing their Coterie members in Chaos, but that all of them have to come with us when we do.
Timandra says that their priest, Econstis, would know that they had been disloyal and would advise the Courts of this, which would lead to bad things happening to their Coterie members.
Caitlin says that she will not assist unless the Chaos group comes with us.
More discussion ensues.
Eventually we agree to remove - kill or silence - the priest. We will then assist the Chaosites in the rescue of their fellows, after which they will assist us in finding a solution to the Vadgaon worms.
Whippoorwill then goes through the Trump link to the Command Centre and shakes on the deal.
With that done, Timandra tells us that they make contact with Econstis through the shadow storms of Ghenesh, via another Chaosite, Alcina, who is still in Agharti and who opens an area of shadow out through the shadow storms to allow the Trump link to be made. The next contact is in an hour, and they can make a vessel to transport us to the Courts of Chaos in about half a day. Apparently Econstis has a very powerful mind - more powerful than Timandra's, which is in turn more powerful than that of any of us.
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We decide to use the lava-spewing Trump Trap on Econstis. Everyone will force the Trump link open to make this work; we hope this will be enough to overcome Econstis' mind.
Timandra agrees to get one of the other Chaosites here to contact the member of their group in Agharti and get them to retrieve Gerard and Vialle.
We all use Godofos' Trump of the shadow next to Coraltown, and upon arrival Godofos sets up the Trumps his trap requires, remotely opening a link to his lava shadow and leaving the end of the link 'hanging', ready to be connected through to Econstis.
Timandra warns us that she is about to cast a spell.
Whippoorwill defends himself with his own spell just in case, surrounding himself with anti-magical smoke.
Timandra's spell creates an illusion of the Amber Castle Command Centre, complete with people in the background. And in this setting we wait...
After about an hour, Godofos feels a Trump become active in his deck - it is Econstis.
Timandra takes the Trump call.
Immediately Godofos and the others join it and add force to the Trump link to hold it open.
Econstis looks more than a little surprised at all of these additional people joining the link. "Treachery!" he shouts, and then attempts to break the Trump link.
After about a minute of psyche struggle, Godofos manages to open a Trump gate and force the Trump link to connect through to the lava gate. Lava floods out, covering Econstis. The link persists for a few seconds and then flickers out, presumably as Econstis loses consciousness.
Terrato has meanwhile made Trump contact with Alcina in Agharti.
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With the lava-gate closed, we all pile through Terrato's Trump link into Agharti, emerging into what seems to be an organic-looking cave whose walls are covered with fungus, some of which glows, providing light. Another Chaosite, Alcina, brings us through.
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We ask to be taken to Econstis, so as to make sure that he is dead.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the exact location of Econstis is not known, and that this is a not unusual state of affairs.
Search parties are sent out into the cave system that is Agharti.
To Caitlin, Agharti feels real, like a shadow in the Golden Circle. Magic works here, but technology does not. The whole place feels alive.
After half an hour, everyone but Godofos feels Alcina suddenly sheathed in magic. She announces that she has received word that Econstis has been found. She tells us that she will go to the place and then Trump the rest of us through. She then disappears in a puff of magic.
A couple of seconds later Timandra receives a Trump call, which she accepts, and we are all passed through to a small chamber containing a wave of hardening lava, still glowing red hot.
Poking up from the lava is a charred hand. There is no sign of life.
Caitlin can feel that there is a strange shadow effect inside the lava, as if there were a number of tiny shadows in there.
We want to check that Econstis is truly dead, so Godofos cools the lava with another Trump Gate which spews liquid gas over the lava.
The lava cools, solidifies and cracks loudly, and the chamber we are in fills with fog, but the lava is quickly cooled to a sensible temperature.
We then excavate down through the now-cracked lava. Econstis is nothing but charred remains. However, at where his belt might be expected to be we eventually find a bag that does not appear to have been at all affected by the lava. Inside it there are a dozen marble-sized things, each one invisible but for the spherical warping effect around it. Each is a shadow, although not particularly real ones.
Caitlin can tell that they are mobile shadows like Agharti and a also Trump proof.
Timandra identifies these as message carrying devices, probably pre-programmed to return to Chaos.
Caitlin takes them.
With Econstis dealt with, an exchange of prisoners is agreed.
Whippoorwill and Terrato will go to The Hospital world and free Castalia, the prisoner who is currently in stasis there.
Godofos and Caitlin will attempt to rescue Parikhan, the other prisoner, from the flaming meteor on which we last saw her.
With that done, Gerard and Vialle will also be released.
Whippoorwill Trumps to The Hospital and leads Terrato through its hall to the Cryogenic Suspension Facility, where he has the technicians release the prisoner from stasis.
The large cryogenic suspension capsule warms, and the lid lifts, revealing the block of black iron steam-punk machinery that is Castalia's form. This slowly warms and begins to move.
Before it can do anything, Terrato explains the agreement to Castalia.
She seems to understand this. "Good," she says.
When asked she tells Whippoorwill and Terrato that she is fine now, and quickly shifts out of her steam-punk iron form back into human form.
They then leave The Hospital, Trumping back to Agharti.
Meanwhile, in Agharti, Godofos opens his Trump link to deep space in the shadow of hard vacuum into which we threw Parikhan.
Caitlin joins the link, deciding that the meteor that swept Parikhan away was actually in orbit and the orbit was going to bring it back here right about ... now.
The meteor obligingly comes into sight, and stops by the point to which Godofos has Trumped. He and Caitlin can see that there are the charred black remnants of a human body attached to the meteor.
Godofos reaches through the link and attempts to pull Parikhan back through. Unfortunately the part he grabs comes away in his hand. He brings it through and passes it to Timandra, who looks less than impressed.
Godofos and Caitlin do not seem particularly upset by this.
At this point, Whippoorwill, Castalia and Terrato return.
Whippoorwill suggests that perhaps the shadow where Parikhan died is such that there is an afterlife from which she could be rescued and restored to life. Without telling anyone else, Caitlin decides that this is not so, and so it is not so, unfortunately for Parikhan.
Godofos tells Timandra that she put up a good fight.
"That is irrelevant," Timandra replies.
At this point Gerard and Vialle arrive, escorted by a large force of the Chaosite's minions, particularly Minotaur-people, velociraptors and bat-people.
As they arrive Godofos unexpectedly becomes a large polar bear, with opposable thumbs and able to speak, wearing a massive set of plate armour. His shapeshifting powers are kicking in again.
Gerard wants to know what is going on.
Godofos tells him that we have rescued them.
"Not really," says Whippoorwill.
When we ask what happened, Gerard tell us that he was magically attacked at sea.
Whippoorwill explains the agreement and about our killing of the priest, Econstis.
When we ask her to do so, Timandra agrees to remove the blocks on the shadow paths to Amber before we depart.
Preparations are made for our departure to Chaos.
Whippoorwill wants to load his War Machine and followers onto the transport. The Chaosites do not object to this.
The nature of the Courts Of Chaos is discussed.
Timandra tells us that it is quite hazardous for unprotected non-shapeshifters. Apparently large parts of the Courts are 'stitched' together from fragments of shadows of many different properties, which means that the environment changes dramatically from place to place. We will probably need some form of protection. Hmmm...
We also worry that, as it took the Chaosites roughly sixty years to get to Amber from Chaos, it will take us roughly as long to get back to Chaos from Amber...
To allow us to remain in contact with Amber, Godofos makes three super-Trumps of Gerard, Vialle and Whippoorwill. This takes him about a week.
When he is done, he keeps the first two and gives the third to Gerard.
He also goes into shadow, finds four environmental survival suits and makes them Trump-powered. He also takes some spare Trump engines, and a copy of Corwin's Book.
While Godofos is drawing Trumps, Whippoorwill locates a huge mixture of weaponry for us all to use in the varying environments en-route and in the Courts of Chaos. This he readies for transport.
Jihx tells Moire of his impending departure for Chaos and the possible length of the trip - roughly one hundred and twenty years.
Moire is not thrilled by this, but accepts that he has to go.
Jihx spends the rest of the remaining time with her.
He arranges for some servants to pack boxes of useful, but random, stuff for him and not tell him what they've pack, so that he can use the Pattern to find what he wants later.
After she and Gerard have left Agharti, Vialle asks Caitlin for some lessons in fighting, as she seems rather vexed to have been captured by the Chaosites so easily.
In between giving Vialle fighting lessons, Caitlin relaxes.
She also arranges to take a copy of Corwin's Book along with her.
And at the end of the week we are presented with our living quarters for the trip - a cubic kilometre of fungus-encrusted caves. Yay.
Timandra tells us that it can be re-arranged as we wish, but not instantly.
We are also given a tour of Agharti. It is a closed shadow which folds back in on itself, so that by going far enough forward one ends up at the rear, far enough left one ends up right, and so on. It is about twenty miles in diameter, giving a volume of eighteen thousand cubic kilometres. Inside it is like an extended three-dimensional cave system encrusted with fungus. There are large volumes inside it, including parks, farms, seas and docks. The largest of these is about five miles in diameter, but far less tall. The various servant races of the Chaosites live in distinct districts within Agharti.
A further week later we are all packed and ready. Whippoorwill's two thousand troops, and Jihx's one thousand volunteers march into Agharti, carrying Whippoorwill's weapons stash with them. Whippoorwill's War Machine is also driven on board.
The other Amberites - Gerard, Vialle, Lillian and Finndo Junior, who are remaining behind to protect Amber research anti-Vadgaon wardings for the Patterns - wish us good luck.
The hole into Agharti through the shadow storms where Ghenesh used to be shrinks away to nothing and we begin our journey. We feel Agharti shifting off through shadow, carrying us with it.
We make ourselves at home.
Caitlin quickly gets bored and uses the Pattern to speed Agharti up a bit.
Later, when she is even more bored, she makes it slow, speed up and rock from side to side, which confuses the locals to say the least.
Whippoorwill explores, but doesn't find anything particularly interesting.
He organises a football match between his men and some of the locals. His side wins, by skill alone it seems.
He also sends time practising his anti-magical spells.
Godofos experiments with the Trumps, attempting to learn how to create Trump Traps.
Jihx gets bored...
Session 4.11 Index Session 4.13
The "Now These Her Princes Are Come Home Again" Top Page.
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