Well, that is the end of that. The universe is apparently repaired. All the damage fixed, and its structure, hopefully, revised into the form I suggested as the best one to avoid a future repeat of the troubles that caused it to be damaged in the first place.
And yet ... despite our achievements here I feel strangely disappointed. We did not fix the universe as advertised, as we had been told that Iris would, with help from the rest of us, but instead it seems that we merely advised Jason and based on that he 'fixed' things as he wished. Not as we did.
So given his apparent unwillingness to listen to us, particularly regarding our universal dislike of his retroactive changes to Amber and the universe, I do wonder how many other of our - my! - ideas will actually be implemented in the end.
Also, I really do not understand his insistence on making retroactive changes, however 'elegant', to the universe. Changing things now, changes arising from the healing of the universe, I have no problems with. But retroactive changes just seem wrong. Ugly. Un-aesthetic. They make everything we have worked for pointless. Why bother when things can simply be undone at the whim of someone who can - and will - do what he wishes regardless of our opinion?
We tried to argue with Jason about this, but he simply would not listen. And so I, at least, gave up in frustration.
If making retroactive changes, I would have said one should use them to fix everything, not just tweak it.
I am sure from what he has said in the past that Jason would argue that doing so would spoil the 'game' that we are all a part of. The problem with that, of course, is that to us this not a game. It is our lives. And by doing what he has done, Jason has held out a tantalising hint of how they could be made better, and then snatched it away again.
Thinking about it, the outcome feels similar to what happened before, when 'everything changed'. When something happened that would happen as Jason wished. Regardless. And really quite frustrating.
And something that I think will, alas, colour everything I do in future. It cannot help but do so...
Back in Reality, it seems that the Dragosians are advancing uniformly across shadow towards Amber, in a direct path along the line of the old Black Road. From what Cerebaton says, various lines of defence are being set up to stop them.
Will this work? I do not know.
And is such an obvious advance merely a feint, covering for a more subtle strike from elsewhere? Given the nigh-infinite manpower the Dragosians possess such a thing should hardly be beyond them. If I have thought of such a possibility, I imagine others have too. But still, I should probably mention it to someone at some point...
Cerebaton has been assisting with the preparations for repelling the Dragosian advance as he can, mainly with the aid of Trump Gates. He has also been learning of the other races, particularly the Faerie, of whom there are three sub-groups (much as with most of the races, oddly):
Likewise, the Champions of the Gods have been using their near-unkillability to good effect. Apparently only another Champion can kill them unless their powers are somehow restricted beforehand. Not something that happens a great deal, I should imagine.
Anubis and Hades have also been working to good effect. Having DarkWalkers die and then rise again on their side. Proteus, another deity, has also been shapeshifting DarkWalkers into monsters and having their attack their comrades. All of which is rather intimidating, I must say...
Cerebaton also mentioned that Anntha and some - un-named - others have managed to extract an outline of future events from the various prophecies we have access to. One not, however, without its gaps...
Something I should look at at some point, I think.
I do hope that Venus has been able to satisfy the issues she stayed behind to discuss with Jason. Apparently, so she says, "Only time will tell". It will indeed, I suppose.
Khelladon and I also had a little ... chat ... regarding the burgeoning relationship between Cerebaton and Anntha. I think we both managed to communicate our respective desires to have neither of our children hurt in this, and I managed to convince him that Cerebaton is quite as much a living thing and my child as Anntha is his. I also convinced Khelladon that the person he should really talk to about all of this was Cerebaton himself. He, fortunately, did so.
Their discussion was ... interesting. Khelladon, like any loving father as I understand it, does not want his daughter used and cast aside. Cerebaton stated that he would not hurt her if he could help in it, which was a fine answer from my point of view.
I did note Khelladon's threat to Cerebaton is he should ever so mistreat Anntha. But even if Cerebaton did do such a thing - and I hope he will be better than that - he shall not stand alone should Khelladon threaten him with harm. But let us hope it does not come to that...
At least they seemed to understand one another in the end. Khelladon wanted to get his point across. Cerebaton seemed to take his point. Let us hope no further action is required.
From overhearing their conversation, apparently Anntha is a shadow, a tower and within Khelladon's blood, and has her organic components derived from his blood, as well as possessing a humanoid body. An interesting approach...
Iliskos was introduced to Benedict at this point. He knew nothing of her prior to that, though he had, apparently, met mother once, long ago. Perhaps I - we - should talk to him of her at some point.
Benedict suggested that we allow Fiona to probe our minds to find out more. Despite her purported skill in this field, I must say that, of the ways to follow up on this, that in one that I find the least inviting. At least until all of the more ... attractive ... avenues of investigation - such as those Master Tarn provides - have been exhausted.
He also commented on the wisdom, or otherwise, of allying with the Gods as much as I have, and on my ignorance of them generally. Fair points, indeed, but still, as I stated, they, at least, have shown less prejudice to me than many of the Family of Amber.
I must talk to him later about this, as he seemed willing to impart information on the subject. And likewise to Samiel regarding any Chaosian knowledge of the Gods. Benedict even speculated on the presence of remnants of the Divinian culture on the Courts of Chaos. A fair point. And perhaps it is also the case that there are remnants of all of the cultures of the other races there. That is something that may be a useful source of information helpful to the current crisis. I shall have to mention it to Samiel.
Who Cerebaton cleverly suggested could be invited to dinner in Amber. And who he mentioned was attempting to write me the prefect love letter, with only limited success. Though some of his poetry is ... perhaps flattering.
But he did accept the dinner invitation, at least.
In Ensilarum, the Disjoiners are apparently assimilating well into society there, which is good. Although their powers are, so I am told, causing many of mages there some quite serious headaches. Still, shaking the foundations of their knowledge will hopefully lead to some useful new insights! And I am glad it is going so well. I must remember to congratulate and reward those involved.
Master Surgun is of the opinion that their power is the psychic manipulation of Magic rather than Magic as such. This sounds reasonable. And interesting! And it also means that they do not react to Magic as other do. Also interesting!
As for the TickTockMen's investigation of the place where they found the sword containing Arrestis, the shrine is barred to those not of the correct genetic Pattern it seems. Damn. We apparently need an item containing the image of the Pattern from before Oberon edited it (for whatever reason that may have been).
But where to get such a thing?! All of the Pattern Swords - the Sarithi - are gone now, absorbed back into Weirmonken.
Cerebaton suggested that Anntha might be able to help. We shall see. She provided a hair sample - all that is needed, it seems - willingly enough, which was kind of her, so I was happy to explain to her why we wanted it.
Upon overhearing this, Khelladon commented that Arrestis' death was proclaimed by Havoc, his (and Oberon's) sister. Apparently Khelladon has seen some hidden records we youngers are supposed to be unaware of, part of a library hidden along the third of the six sealed-off passages branching from the same corridor as that to the Pattern (apparently there are fifteen such passages in all).
These records include the full Family Tree of Amber, though not that of Sapphire. And thus Havoc and Arrestis.
Alas, he tells me, and Cerebaton confirms, that the passage is actively guarded, by something too powerful for Cerebaton or I to confront at present. Some creature of primordial elements, without solid form or substance. A mixture of energy and formless mass. Perhaps by observation Cerebaton will be able to learn more of it. We shall see. Perhaps later...
He claims to have learned much of espionage from Caine and Abel. Which is, perhaps, something I myself should be concerned about. But one cannot always oversee ones child. I shall just have to trust him in this.
Khelladon says he does not know what lies along the other hidden passages, though on is obviously the way to the Fire Pattern. Alas. But still, more routes for future exploration, I think!
When I changed my attire to match what Cerebaton reported of Samiel's, Khelladon commented on my not including father's colours in my clothing. I told him my thoughts on such, namely that his symbol is so much more flexible, and goes with so many more things than a colour alone...
But still, after we went our separate ways, to meet up again for dinner, I thought the time was right to talk to Gabrielle regarding the Pattern, and perhaps tell her something of the Trumps in return, as she wished.
She was amenable to this, so we, and Amoretta who, although not interested in learning of the Trumps, was interested enough to sit in, and listen in, and contribute some information on the differences between the Amber way of Pattern use, and that which is done in Sapphire. For example, in Sapphire they can train those not of the Blood of Dworkin to use the Pattern. Which as far as I am aware is not something done in Amber. Thus Sapphire has thousands of Knights with some degree of Pattern power! Strangely, this was not something Amoretta was willing to teach without permission...
Amoretta was able to suggest a different approach to the learning how to successfully walk the Pattern. Namely, using the Pattern within ones blood as a guide, as opposed to feeling the correspondence between the two and having that guide you, as Gabrielle had taught me previously. Thus it seems that Amber looks within for Pattern first, then without to bridge the gaps until one has a perfect Pattern inscribed within oneself by the Pattern. Whereas Sapphire looks to feel the Pattern without and only at the parts where matters become charged by the pattern itself do they look within. An interesting contrast,
And so we had a session of mutual learning and teaching in Benedict's garden. Including a very little on the powers of the Gods.
Quite constructive it was, too. I learnt more of the Pattern, and I was able to give Gabrielle the rudiments of the Trumps. Not as much as she might have liked, but she has high ambitions for the Trumps that will not be met quickly. Still, she will get it eventually, I am sure.
We also discussed the possible existence of the Children of Serpent and Unicorn, able to use both Pattern and Logrus equally well as opposed to only one or the other, as well as the existence of lost Children of the Unicorn. I mentioned the possible existence of some of the latter in Amber, though without naming names.
Cerebaton pointed out the fact that we can assay both Pattern and Logrus, and so are perhaps the Children of Serpent and Unicorn. With the Amberite aversion to Logrus being cultural rather than physical.
It was also quite interesting to learn a little more of Sapphire from Amoretta. For example, of their Church of the Unicorn. Its Reformist Movement. And the Society of Unicorn Scientists. Not that I had heard of any such before.
Apparently their Church of the Unicorn is a large monolithic centralised hierarchical religious group, with some of its central practices having become rather formulaic. The Reformist Movement went back to the Book of the Unicorn and countermanded some customary traditions claiming there is no basis for them in the Book of the Unicorn, and so those traditions work against the true faith. An interesting supposition, and one, I suspect, that the late King Oberon would not have tolerated in Amber.
The Society of Unicorn Scientists, on the other hand, study the Book of the Unicorn for clues of how the Most Holy Unicorn designed all that is from out of Chaos by teaching the Dworkin how to create the Pattern. They apparently study all things, trying to learn more about the Unicorn by learning the work she has caused to be, much like learning about a painter by studying their painting. They are not, however, interested in studying the contributions of the other Primal Entities, as they do not fit within the Church of the Unicorn, despite, from my point of view at least, the picture of the universe being very incomplete without them.
However, Amoretta did make the fair point that their life-spans are very limited compared to ours - something I had noted in Amber too - and so they focus on one area of interest alone. In addition to which, it is their passion, and one imagines they would not be terribly impressed to have other come along and tell them that their life's work is incomplete...
But at last, as constructive and enjoyable as this was, it was time to go down to dinner. All of us used magics of one kind or another to 'wash and brush up' before descending. Quite amusing, especially as we all did it in our own individual ways.
In the process of conversation during which, I also discovered that people can, by laziness, lose their Pattern skills. As, for example, LaShaya has done, by not exercising her powers of Probability Manipulation. Something to be aware of, and watch for...
Following on from this we also had an interesting discussion regarding the binding of skill with a power into oneself to the extent that the skill becomes entirely instinctive. A slow process, apparently - decades were mentioned - but one worth pursuing, I think. Not having to consider every step of an action as one takes it, but simply to do it would certainly be useful with any power.
It seems that Corwin's control of the Pattern was to this level, and that he used it, unconsciously, while an amnesiac on shadow Earth. Interesting.
I was interested to learn that the Pattern is much more of a processor-based power than Trump. That it responds to one's wishes without one having to detail every step, but that it cannot cope with contradictory instructions. With something of a mind of its own - perhaps derived from that of Dworkin, or all of those who have walked it over time - too.
Following that we discussed the differences between Amber and Sapphire, and whether the two Dworkins knew that they would arise as they did. In my opinion they did, or their work was manipulated by others, such as the Unicorns, or the Pattern, to bring about their desired end. The two realms are simply so diametrically opposed to one another. As an experiment pitting co-operation against competition (with, as far as I can see, co-operation coming out rather better) I can see few ways to improve it.
Perhaps the differences between the realms arise from the differences between the two Dworkins themselves. Sapphires, for whatever reason - perhaps having been altered by the Black Unicorn - seeming to be far more family-orientated than Amber's, to the point of being known as Great-Grandpa in Sapphire.
Amoretta was, unsurprisingly, rather opposed to the idea of her loving great-grandpa running the entirety of Sapphire as an experiment. But I think my point that even so, he could, in time, come to love his experiment is a fair one.
She and Gabrielle attempted to use Chaos theory to persuade me that perhaps the differences between the two realms are entirely due to random differences only. But I remain unconvinced.
We could, perhaps, as Gabrielle suggested, ask the Unicorn or the Pattern their opinions on the subject. But like Amoretta, I am not ready to attempt that approach as yet...
I was interested to see a vampire - a Truadorian - present in the group waiting for dinner. A tall regal looking older gentleman, he answered Gabrielle's wondering how they overcame their problems with the light. He introduced himself as Blood Liege Count Vladimir Dracula, Lord of his House and stated that he is strong and old enough to withstand the damage of the sun. Presumably unlike other, lesser, vampires. He was also expecting the arrival of the Lady of the Day Walker House, though she has not, as yet, arrived. Interesting.
He is apparently present in Amber because the Pattern is threatened. Should it fall, he and other like him would lose their connections to it, and so the order from their Magics, which would, it seems, greatly weaken them.
A very old individual, who claims to date back to before the time that the various races left Chaos long ago, and who has apparently assayed the Logrus in that long-ago time too. Or would that have been the Pattern of Logrus then?
But he is certainly interesting to talk to, even if he has a rather (but from the sound of it, entirely justified) dim view of the gods.
I have learnt quite a bit from him already.
How the gods can use their power to warp the Ideal of people to make them into devoted followers, and how the doing of this makes one a Dark God as opposed to the Light Gods of whom I am now one. Certainly a most unethical thing to do. And perhaps a little worrying that such a thing can be done.
Not changing the Ideal of ones worshippers is apparently, so the Count tells me, the first and most harshly enforced law of the Light Gods. Vampirism, on the other hand, while it changes the body, does not change the soul, though most Light Gods apparently think it does, and so disapprove of, and attempt to punish, it. Only the fact that the True Magic of the Truadorians - including Ideal Workings and Connections of Magic - allows them to counter the sight of the Gods protects them. "One can only see what one knows how to see," as the Count put it. A fair point.
How the gods do much of what they do from ego alone - presumably having let being worshipped go to their heads. This at least did not come as a total surprise, and makes the gods seem rather more like the Family of Amber than I had previously thought. Alas.
And how it is possible to power the Aleph by means other than the power of Faith. As I had already seen with Kheryakhet and Elizabeth, of course. But his words inspired a thought in me. Perhaps I would power my Aleph imprint via Shadow power sources, as Cerebaton in. As the Multi-Gun is. Interesting. And certainly worthy of further investigation...
Of course, all of this is as interpreted through his perceptions of matters, but still, it is useful information to have.
He also described a little more of the Truadorian powers. Very interesting it was too.
According to him, I do not know Magic at all. I apparently know tricks of energy manipulation and rituals of different kinds and silly systems. The Truadorian Magic ('Tru' Magic, perhaps?!), as they have it, is powered by the very Ideals of the Primal beings themselves. While, for example, the Count cannot walk the Pattern, he has mastered the use of Order in his spells and can, so he says, invoke a fair replica of it if he should need to. And likewise with the powers of the Phoenix, Dragon, Muse and Serpent, having learned them all by indirect means from Real Magic and its connections to all of the Powers.
And thus they can 'mix' the rules of all of the powers to obtain a desired result irrespective of what local rules may apply in a given situation, as well as shaping these connections into semi-living magical constructs within themselves, and using them to help speed the rate which they can make their alterations, becoming, as he claims to be, a living magical being by becoming one with his Magic and surpassing spells and the like entirely.
Most interesting!
He claimed that it would be possible, but highly unlikely that I might learn of True Magic in the near or even distant future. Apparently he has tied his special form of Magic to Vampirism so that none of his Blood Children could use it against him, but also so that only his Blood Children could learn it without much hard work in the instruction. This is apparently a precaution to keep "a bunch of blood sucking savages from shadow on a short leash until they learn to master the true powers they have been granted by becoming a Child of mine". Perhaps a fair point. And as interested as I am, I am not sure I am prepared to become a vampire to learn more of his powers. Though the other way yet holds out hope, in time...
Count Dracula did have some interesting views on contact between the various realms and races. Namely, that we are all so different that there should not be any such contact. That everyone should abide by the ancient Limited Interaction Treaties, that presumably set such rules in place. And which I, at least, had not heard of before, which cannot have helped with their enforcement in the past!
I pointed out to him the problems that can - that have arisen from taking such a route in the past. For example, that people will find each other eventually regardless, simply via their native curiosity. And he does seem to have accepted my point. He does make a sensible point of his own, however, that any new contacts should begin slowly, and on a small scale, and hopefully build up from there.
But still, if we can open and maintain such contacts it may help to stabilise the universe, bring about the new form that we visualised...
And now it is time for dinner...