in the Shadow of Greatness

:: Zelazny :: [polish] :: sparks that fly from the ironsmith's hammer ::

:: Monday, April 27 ::

imc :: shadows of amber: the question of dworkin

"Possessed of the abominations born of the disease, beyond their aid, their power..." Hand of Oberon, Chapter 5

Some thoughts (not all-inclusive, of course...)

* Does he mean truly "possessed" as perhaps something he, ahem, developed (in that disease sense) in his "meditations upon the Abyss?"

* Perhaps he owns abominations, like having demonic familiars?

* Who are "they"?

* Is "Order" the disease, or is there truly something viral about Pattern's design and how it replicates Shadow?

* "Beyond their aid, their power," could be a very powerful piece of this. The obvious side of this shows how tyrannical Chaos might have been pre-Pattern, in that aid was available at the cost of being under someone else's power. (The idea of 'fealty' is just a loose version of choosing to be near one of the stronger who might protect rather than eat the weak, right?) But just here we see that there are those that Dworkin might have called out to for aid, and those that were interested in keeping him for Power, and even more - that he WAS beyond them, and that was something important. "Beyond" being possibly both in the sense of knowledge, intent, and action, as well as the idea of location?

What does this mean to you?

My interpretation of Dworkin is that he is badly broken and mostly used up by the time he is saying these things. Perhaps like an exhausted man, gasping out information between breaths, does he have the strength to lie or dissemble?

Does he remember it all? This was a long time ago.
Has he decided (based on the looking back through time) that what happened had a greater meaning and now he can speak more clearly of it?

Dworkin is badly used by both sides of this drama. I suppose he didn't foresee most of what happened to him and subsequent events. I think there is plenty of narrative interest in Dworkin post-Corwin five tales because he might be on the mend and actually acting on his own plans.

-more soon-

:: Wednesday, April 22 ::

Ambercon US 2009, afterwards

I have to admit that I wasn't sure if the energy and passion were still in the gaming community. ACUS 09 proved the energy was there in 'full house' form.

Slot 1) Agents of the Argent Rose: "City of the Dead" (gm - arref)
Well, we got through half the blurb but no one had a moment to spare with all the character driven action. The dramatic tension between the PC's grandparents (Corwin and his Lorelei) wavered about as additional pressures were brought to bear by the Fae Protectors of the Argent Realm. Lorelei was kidnapped when Corwin had his back turned. The PCs made sure it didn't become a certain disaster. A great cast that virtually needs no GM at all----true family feeling. Magnificent!

Slot 2) Five Sides to Every Story (gm - arref)
Never the same game. Quite action-packed this year with the PCs sniffing out trouble faster than ever before. Not an easy game, but the Players had fun. Perhaps the last of "Five Sides", first run at ACN in 1999.

Slot 3) Sealed to Llyr (gm - john lees)
Dark and well-fleshed gaming background for a new system by gm John Lees. Lots of potential, good immersion by the Players.

Slot 4) A Piece of the Pattern (gm - john lees)
Excellent throne war that captured the cinema textures of gangwar in a Noir City. My favorite thronewar I can recall. Also run with a new diceless system by the gm (same as above--cross genre!!) Turned out the social cabal won the day instead of the warfare guys. Some close calls.

Slot 5) Clandestine Chronicles of the Cobalt Charter (gm - arref)
Well... the Cobalt Charter is supposed to keep a low profile, supposed to handle things Chaos and Amber choose to ignore. They are PCs built on shadow scale.
This year they decided they needed to find their missing leader, Julia Barnes-Sawall. And that set a game crossing through the perilous holdings of Chaos in the Black Zone where Lords and Ladies of Chaos stood in their path. The Charter kicked ass and teamed up with Lord Jurt, convincing him to return to the Fount of Four Worlds to gain the powers of madness and Living Trump. Julia was saved from a fate literally worse than death. No casualties this year.

Slot 6) In a Wicked Amber (gm - ben benard)
Ben stepped in to run this when illness took out the GM pair the day before the con. Interesting system yielding very different Amber flavor that had many parallels to Zelazny's own writing style. Worth the trip (even tho' my Fiona got the short end of many dice contests, yes, the game played with a dice mechanic!) Thanks, Ben!

Slot 7) Changing Hands (gm - arref)
This worked very well. PCs made good progress against a full agenda handed them by King Random to clear shadows of Chaosi influences. Many interesting shadow stories, much range of play and good efforts by the cast to also collect resources for the 'strifed and strained' Amber transitioning while the Patternfall Treaty is hammered out in Chaos. Thanks gang.

Slot 8) The Soft Cimmerian: 'Go Ask Alyse' (gm - arref)
Special game exploring a unique undersea realm, the Gallants of the Glass were in good form. A personal request from Queen Moire is satisfied by intense and dangerous quest. A Guisel is thwarted. The Cheshire Puss makes an appearance. Lost lovers are rejoined. No casualties. Awesome stuff.

It is likely I will offer Soft Cimmerian at least once more... and hope that some of the starter PCs will have time to do that in March 2010.

:: Tuesday, April 7 ::

...I'm beginning to remember. They tried to kill me.

For a few seconds of tease, you might like to know that Roger's work still inspires the imagination of folks around the art community.

Link to a short by a film student.
Shadows of Amber

:: Saturday, March 7 ::

ACUS 2009, games going online

OK folks, the 20th Ambercon US in Detroit goes live for selecting games this weekend.

Go forth and get your game on.

:: Tuesday, February 3 ::

Mr Telling

In my journeys, it the small things that define a gentleman's attention. And graces allow, the meetings of strangers will speak the best introduction to culture.

Mr Zanzibar mentioned this 'ning' to me on a walkway in Caledon. The Google butler did its usual good work and secured an entry to your society. Here I am and asked to say something about myself.

Please call me Mr Telling.

I am settled in Caledon, first as a sailor on its waters, then as a renter in Port Caledon and now as a part owner in a Regency plot. I am a romancer of the vistas in Caledon. I am captured by its spirit and often walk alone among its shops and wonders.

I have yet to visit New Babbage, a situation which will be remedied very shortly.

I am the oldest of 47 children. I have been a flier since before my siblings were born. The country of my birth is simply lost in the many pathways I have traveled. I know that I shall never see it again. It may no longer exist.

My last name is not Telling, having been born without a surname, you see. But in these charming lands I am Mr Telling and quite happy of it. 'Mr Telling' has a sound of companionship--where a stranger might offer you membership in some wholly new experience just as you stroll a park hoping to catch another wonderful sunset.

If you have need of more than this, we shall speak of it some day soon, I'm sure.

:: Wednesday, January 7 ::

happy new year 2009

AmberCon 2009 is on.
Still trying to plan whether I will be there offering games.

Happy New Year to all.

:: Monday, October 27 ::

it lives!! Amber, the Eternal City campaign

For the first time in months, the group got together to RPG my Amber campaign, the Eternal City. Twentyfour hours (and meals) of Amber play.

So this blog is not dead yet.

The PCs are dealing with the ongoing struggle of Benedict declaring official war on the Lords of the Living Void.

In a near-successful attempt to kill Cassandra and DeWinter, Cassandra's mother Thelia was murdered by improbable cause. This caused quite a shock through the Family Royale and provided some good reflection and character moments.

Melinda's shadow kingdom was nearly destroyed from under her, saved by major family intervention and the evacuation of the entire population.

Stargazer was forced into negotiations with a mad Dragon to save an uncle from a pledge. The result here that he must sire a child with the Dragon and live with her for fifteen years, setting aside his wife.

Owen was brain-blasted and enslaved as part of a larger scheme that seems to be part of Benedict's overall plan.

Ongoing throughout the universe:

• allied Fae are running interference and defense for Cassandra's Paris and being picked off one by one


• the Golden Circle finds itself with a new country in its trade routes that is not a member and not placed by the Amber family


• various younger members of the family (kids and grandkids) have been variously maimed or lost loved ones to assassination and mischance

How do you stop an enemy that doesn't exist in the universe, but unravels you from outside it?

www.flickr.com Nine Scions in Amber