It is quite interesting. Now that I have assayed the Aleph I can see how the shadows of the Godly axis are linked, making sense of the apparently random structure which Cerebaton and I had seen previously. It is obvious, really, and I could kick myself for not thinking of it previously, but I have, of course, been rather busy recently. Not that that is really any excuse, but...
Anyway, to return to the subject at hand, whereas the shadows on the Amber-Chaos axis are linked by a continuum of shadow properties - laws of nature and so on - the shadows of the Godly axis are linked by a continuum of Ideal, the Ideal of the shadow in question. Because of this, the Godly axis is structured with no regard to the other properties of the shadow, thus producing the, from an Amber viewpoint, random variation of properties from shadow to shadow. Very interesting.
The only problem would seem to be the apparent weakening of the Godly shadows. The core shadows of the axis, the 'Ideal of the Ideal' as it were, are weakening. And so are producing fewer shadows (in, so it seems, the same way that the Patterns produce shadows). So that as the weakest shadows sublime away, there is a slight deficiency in the number of their replacements, and so a gradual fading of the entire structure. This all bodes rather ill for us - the Gods - of course...
As for the source of this fading, I do not know. But I suspect that it may not be unrelated to the split that created the Gods and Fey as separate races. If this split also divided one axis into the two that presently exist, this may well explain the weakening of the Godly - and also, presumably, the Fey - axes.
Can the weakening be stopped? I do not know. But I certainly hope so!
I wonder upon what variation the other axes - the Fey and, presumably, the Dragosian-Ixfenian - are based?
One would assume that the Fey axis is somehow related to the Godly one, though I cannot immediately see how. One assumes that it is related to their power, their 'super-magic', but without knowing more of that power I cannot really judge. Perhaps it relates to another sense, as the Aleph is related to sight. Hearing perhaps? We shall have to see.
As for the Ixfenian-Dragosian axis, the linkage of its shadows is presumably based on some variation of Creation and/or Entropy. Perhaps age is the key there?
Iliskos has not, it seems, yet had the opportunity to meet all of the Family. She has, however, had the opportunity to meet Princess Venus.
It seems that Venus has made as positive an impression on Iliskos as she did on me. For which I am, to a degree, happy. I would hate to think that I am the only person to have such a low opinion of Venus!
I could, of course, have warned Iliskos about Venus, but I suspect there would have been little to be gained by it. Iliskos, and others, could easily interpret my doing so as a political act, which is not something I wish. I much prefer that Iliskos has had an opportunity to gain an ... independent ... view of Venus.
Not that I am hugely interested in the private life of Khelladon, or indeed of any of the rest of the Family, but I was quite surprised to discover that he is in a relationship with two women at once. One a hardened warrior of Chaos, the Lady Shandar, the other a Castle Amber maid named Gabrielle (not Fiona's daughter, another Gabrielle).
Do the legendary skills of Amberites extend to the juggling of relationships with more than one person at a time? It would appear so, at least in this case. Certainly, from what I have seen at least, shadow dwellers only very rarely manage the trick...
Lydia has been busy in my absence, too. She has acquired a good deal of useful information from the library of House Karm. Both they and House Chantris would appear to have been keeping secrets for a very long time. It seems that House Karm has all of the holy books of the various races, and all of the prophesies contained therein while the library of House Chantris contains a tome holding a nearly complete history of everything since before Amber even existed. All most interesting, and now copied to Cerebaton and into my Travelling Library, from Lydia for the former, and from Anntha for the latter.
Lydia has also compared known history (not, as yet, including that from House Chantris) to the prophesies and has, she thinks, been able to determine which of the events have already happened and those that are still to come. All very good work. I must remember to reward her, and Belinda, appropriately when the time comes...
Iliskos made the very fair comment that it would have been nice had the Ancients written their prophesies and so on in a form which was clearly understandable, rather than their actual rather obscure wording. I have to agree!
However, Anntha did make the equally fair point that, perhaps, the wording is clear from the frame of reference of those who wrote it. What that says for the mental state or the alien-ness of the Ancients, I do not know...
And now I have both a guardian and a mission to assist Elizabeth, who is, apparently, the envoy of her father, Lord Anubis, from Devinia to Amber. I was not aware that Lord Anubis even had any offspring. But then, I suppose I remain woefully ignorant of the affairs of the gods.
In addition to all this, she is, while not a goddess herself (again, why not? Am, for example, I, trusted more than she by her own father?) a Death Walker, a half-deity and one of those whose task it is to punish those deities who, one assumes, deserve it. It appears that she performs this task for a body called the Council. From its context, the Council rules the gods.
With her she brings an un-killable (literally, according to the Lady Shandar) agent of Lord Anubis, Kheryakhet.
They will be both protecting and watching me. To ensure that I do not fall foul of the power of the Aleph, or of Faith. I did not realise that I was on probation in such a manner, though, from the words of Lord Anubis such a thing is, to say the least, sensible. Still, despite the sense to it, I still do not like it. Especially as, it seems, Elizabeth is merely to watch me, and should I fail the test, another Death Walker will behead me. This seems a little harsh, to say the least. Clearly rehabilitation of deities who fall to their power is not considered practical, although Lord Anubis seemed to say that it was, by cutting those who do so off from their power. Hmmm.
Well, having asked her to clarify this seeming conundrum it appears that this apparent inconsistency is reconciled by her expanding on the topic. Apparently her ultimate sanction is only used after the severance of a god from their power, as described by Lord Anubis, fails to achieve its desired result.
Nor am I, I must say, particularly keen on acquiring another guardian. Even one - Master Tarn - can be more than I really desire, at times. Two? Well, definitely too many. Let alone carrying Werewindle the Sarithi around with me all of the time which, while not strictly a guardian, still has the same privacy-limiting intrusiveness of one. Only Cerebaton's company I truly welcome.
Is she there to protect me, or to protect those around me from me should the worst happen? I do not know. Perhaps I should ask.
I could, of course, escape them should I wish to do so, though I do not know for how long. And to do so would hardly earn me credit as a responsible and sensible new deity, now would it? No, alas, it would not.
Best behaviour it is, then, until my place as a goddess is secure, and my probation over...
I wonder how Kheryakhet comes to be un-killable? She claims to 'not know how to die', but that is, surely, an ignorance which applies to many, and does not save them. Perhaps the gods of the dead can simply allow death to reject people. I do not know.
Elizabeth warned her, even so, against the dangers to her supposed deathlessness in Amber. Her possible vulnerability to powers she knows nothing of. A sensible warning, and one, I hope, that Kheryakhet heeds. Especially as I cannot help but think that she would be vulnerable to, at least, the Dragosian's power of Negation. And I suspect that she would not be so deathless were all of her powers removed...
I cannot help wondering how extensive her power is. She cannot die, but can she be stopped? Injured, maimed or crippled enough to render her harmless? I do not know, but such is certainly something to bear in mind should it ever become relevant.
Given my various guardians, I wonder if it might be possible to escape them for a time by Conjuring something in the nature of a 'stunt double' for me. A creature with my appearance, aura, personality and powers, which I can convincingly leave in my place whilst I am elsewhere.
This is certainly something worth considering...
Another thought that occurs to me is to make better use of my new spell processors. To create a dedicated intelligence residing in them, which constantly experiments with new ideas, new spells, new Conjurations, new combinations, remembering all for future use and reference. Yes, this is definitely an idea worth pursuing further.
It is a pity that so many Family members are so ... bigoted ... against people - Family members - who are not born of the conventional biological process, considering them soulless, or not 'proper' people.
Anntha in particular seems to have suffered this bigotry, but I suspect that that this is mainly because she is the most public such entity. I am quite sure that Cerebaton would suffer such prejudice were he to become more known here. As he has already done from Julian, in fact.
The question is, how to overcome or break down their bigotry?
Elizabeth's power is ... unusual ... too. It is the Aleph, but, it seems, a natural form of the power, as if she were born with it rather than having acquired it later, as I did. She says it comes from the Waters of Ascendancy, which are, it seems, one of the key components of Avatars, Divine Weapons and Champions, as well as being able to enhance powers for a short time, allow faster healing and do other things.
It is a blue-white liquid that glows faintly. From my discrete examination of it, it appears to be a power not of Aleph or any Ideal, but instead born of shadow and despite that somehow Real. Rather unusual. Perhaps there is more to reality then Amber after all...
But this does, at least, imply that it is possible to substitute some form of other - shadow - power for the Power of Faith. And that is very interesting.
As was her use of Aleph Modulation as a means of communication.
But still, I hope that her task of watching and assessing me will soon be done...
Cerebaton also appears to have been spending his time wisely. Installing his new upgrades and finding some of the creatures of Hungry Curiosity - Mental Feeders, apparently - that I had asked him to attempt to locate in the Country of the Mind.
From what he has said they are quite formidable entities, and can even endanger him. It appears that they are likewise, thanks to directions given to them by Cerebaton, menacing the Dragosian Clan Minds. And unlike Cerebaton, they cannot withdraw from the Country of the Mind, and so are, it seems, in some danger from them.
While they are occupied with this, Cerebaton has been able to locate some tens of the Dragosian host bodies in shadow - in shadows of the Amber-Chaos axis, and in the realms of the Gods and Fae, rather alarmingly. I am glad he showed initiative and told the forces gathered around Ygg of this without waiting to ask me whether this was the way forward. What he did was, after all, exactly what I would have done under those circumstances.
One hopes that, while the Clan Minds are distracted by the Mental Feeders, they and their host bodies will be distracted, and thus vulnerable.
I pointed this out to those present, and suggested that an attack, now, might be in order. Before the Clan Minds rally and throw back the Mental Feeders, as I suspect they will, given time. Such an attack will not, I suspect, be decisive, but if we can weaken the Clan Minds by even a few percent then I shall be, if not happy, at least satisfied.
No-one objected to my suggestion, and the Lady Shandar summoned in a group of Chaos 'specialists', as formidable a group of warriors as I hope never to face. Armed to, it seems, the teeth, sporting a variety of Logrus-based weaponry, and with the skill to shoot a fly at any range where it is visible, I can see why even Cerebaton is more than wary of them. Let us see if they are as useful as the Lady Shandar seems to think they are.
But I wish there were another way. I do not want to kill the Clan Minds, nor their host bodies, if it can be avoided. That is hardly the way to ensure a peaceful future between us. I had hoped that Cerebaton would merely find the Mental Feeders so that I might talk to them before deciding how best to proceed with them, too.
But such was not to be, and now we are, it seems, further committed to a violent relationship with the Clan Minds for the foreseeable future.
I attempted to express my doubts regarding the way forward to the others then present but, alas, no-one seemed concerned with such matters. No-one seemed to, as they say, 'get it'. They only seemed concerned with inflicting as much damage on the Clan Minds as possible, while the opportunity is there.
A pity. Very much so. But I could not, in all conscience, un-say words, undo my plan. And so it proceeds, against, perhaps, my better judgement, but nonetheless still rolling forwards...