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Elaine was raised on a Shadow (not of Earth) called Praxis where religious crusades centuries earlier put the whole world under militant church rule. Gradually the church softened and liberalised so that by the time Elaine was there it was a very nice place to live, with a technology about equal to Shadow Earth 1990's. She was raised on Praxis by an 'aunt' and 'uncle' after the death of her real parents in a flying accident during a storm (she was told).
Local philosophy insisted that peace came through strength. Thus, all children were given lots of physical training, martial arts, fencing etc. to make them strong. Elaine never really grasped the ideas of chivalry, but she was very good at combat, and soon learned to keep her mouth shut and pretend that she was chivalrous in order to stay out of trouble. Like most people on Praxis she went to university, and took a degree in chemistry and politics.
Upon finishing her degree, aged about twenty-one, Elaine was bored with academia. An uncle of her adoptive parents named Corwin took her off through shadow (a great surprise to her) and had her walk the pattern in Rebma, as it was 'time for her to come into her true inheritance'. Corwin also told Elaine she was the daughter of his sister, Deirdre, who had died some years previously and placed Elaine on Praxis for her own safety. He said he didn't know who her real father was. He also gave her the sword/ring she carries, Curetana, saying it was a gift from her mother which she had placed in his care.
Corwin stopped at Rebma on the way to Amber to introduce Elaine to Moire and the Rebman court. When it was revealed who she was (not too hard given her looks) and what Corwin intended, Moire insisted that Elaine walk the Pattern in Rebma. Having little choice in the matter, Elaine agreed and did so. She's not too sure why Moire insisted on her walking the Pattern there, but figures it doesn't make too much difference... After some explanation of what she could now do, and after being introduced to the royal families of Rebma and Amber, and learning what she could of the family and its history, Elaine was given a Trump deck, and took off into shadow... Needless to say, she doesn't bear any great love for Caine.
As far as she is aware, Elaine is the daughter of Dierdre and a Rebman noble from the time when Dierdre was in Rebma (during 'Nine Princes in Amber'), so she has the blood of both places, which is why Moire insisited she walk the Rebman Pattern. The precise details of the nobleman she is unsure about. He could be dead, or he could be keeping his head down as he was married at the time. Corwin didn't know, and Elaine is not too bothered.
For a couple of years she wandered shadow, usually in fast-time areas, never really finding anywhere that interested her enough to stay for long. Then she found an 1890's shadow which she found fascinating. She stayed, and joined a thieves guild there, over the course of ten years working her way up the hierarchy of the guild to its top. She learnt a lot, and killed her first person there. She didn't like it at all, but will kill if it is really necessary. Then she wandered through shadow some more, taking a few years out to obtain a medical degree. Shortly after this, wanting a break, she joined a circus on a medieval shadow and stayed there for a few years, learning a number of things. Wanderlust struck again, and off she went. In the course of her wandering she came across Inigo, her cat, and adopted him (or he adopted her, she's not quite sure which). Then she came across Gotham, and she fell in love with the place. It has been her home for about the last ten subjective years, although she does visit Amber quite frequently, and attends all the major court functions.
She was recently called back to Amber by Random, and told she would be accompanying her aunt Llewella on a trip to the theatre in Rebma...
Elaine is about fifty-five subjective years old at this point, the start of the game.
In terms of personality, Elaine can be arrogant, especially to those she considers below her, and tends not to be too concerned about the fate of servants and menials. She doesn't suffer fools well. She likes physical exersise, a challenge, and a good brawl, and enjoys gambling though she prefers games of skill to those of chance because these suffer less from the subconscious influence of her Pattern abilities.
She likes to go out for entertainment, and is not too concerned whether this is slumming it with the lowlives, or hob-nobbing with royalty.
Gotham is a shadow very similar to Gotham City in the 'Batman' movies. Dark, gothic cities, a countryside which is either poor farmsteads or large estates owned and run by rich corrupt landlords. Lunatic villains, costumed vigilantes, superhumans, the occasional world conquering megalomaniac. She set herself up as a crime-lord and businesswoman (in her secret and public identities), using the name Malachite and Eleanor Fiske respectively. Malachite heads the League of Crime, a gang of 'nice' criminals (i.e. no killing is avoidable, no robbing those who can't afford it, no gratuitous violence) who are the most successful on Gotham. Eleanor Fiske heads one of Gotham's largest corporations, the Universal Corporation, and is generally considered above suspicion. The Universal Corporation is headquartered in the largest skyscraper in Gordonville, the capital of Gotham. Because of the high time-flow rate of Gotham relative to Amber, she has set up the Universal Corporation so that it will cope with any long absences from her.
Over time Malachite has fought and defeated (though only rarely killed) such worthies as The Crimebusters (a group of crime-fighters), Jack Ketch (a superhuman crime-fighter), The Scarlet Fist (a rival crime-lord), Menace! (a world destroying megalomaniac monster), Dr Terror (a would-be world conqueror).
The technology of Gotham is about the same as the real world 1980's, though with a few bizarre variations. The time-flow of Gotham is about twenty times as fast as that of Amber. She has two Trumps of Gotham, given to her by Fiona after Elaine asked her if she could provide her with an easier way to get there.
As Eleanor Fiske she wears severe business suits of grey and black with silver jewellery and white blouse.
Elaine usually carries a fairly large shoulder bag or handbag of some kind. In this, being sensible and liking to be prepared as she is, she keeps various useful, but not too bulky and obtrusive, things, including:
She often has servants pack a few things and not tell her what they are; this allows her to use her probability manipulation to produce from her bag the things she needs when she needs them.
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| Total Points = (10 + 1 + 6 + 30) + 50 + 8 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 0 - 10 = 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Total Points = (12 + 1 + 6 + 95) + 50 + 0 - 10 + 1 + 5 + 8 + 2 = 170 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||