WTWB Chronicle 7-28-01

GM's Commentary

in which you will find some references to the actual events that occurred in the game -- usually less amusing (or flattering to Todd's character) than the Chronicler's version...

1. Gabriel actually had the Pattern transport him to the place of the energy he had felt on Eve, energy he had been painstakingly researching and putting into a Trump-like storage that he used as reference for his Pattern jump.

Good Morning Mrs. Shapeshifter

Gabriel awoke and told everyone that the books from the cave were actually Dworkin’s journals. The Greek Goddess woman was known to Dworkin, who named her “Conflict.” She was of the same ilk as the Tower, Eve, and the other, unspecified “New Sisters.”

The way to Arden was arduous. (I’ve always wanted to say that.) Gregory decided to try to get there by way of the Fae realms. Giselle showed up just as the boys were entering the Grove of the Dryads and before they could actually enter any Dryads.2 Giselle revealed that she had told Cian how the Chaosians had created the Black Road. Raj, through Benedict, had decided that that was very bad in Amber's current war footing, so Cian needed to be confronted to determine if he had told anyone. The whole group traipsed to the Fae realms, where they were duly admitted to Cian’s lavish prison. Cian intimated that he had told Lugh, so Raj didn’t kill him. Giselle trumped Merlin, sort of, and spoke with him, sort of. The boys decided to try to get to Arden via Ailill’s gate. It was overgrown, but Gregory knew the special words to open it and they all went through. Giselle accompanied them reluctantly, owing to her new brain today.

Four Ambershiremen: “You were lucky!”

Soon enough, a patrol of Arden rangers appeared. Gregory revealed himself to them and asked many questions. He discovered that Julian was not in Arden. They also revealed that Aedan is a criminal in Amber owing to the fact that he has repeatedly attacked Amber to try to free Corwin. Giselle left, and the rest of the gang decided to ride to Julian’s Hunting Lodge—except Aedan.

Being Pubic Enemy Number One, Aedan decided that Amber wasn’t the safest place for him. He trumped Deirdre, but she didn’t answer. He trumped Random, but Random wanted whatever Aedan owed him. So he Trumped Caine and went through where he got beaten up and imprisoned and Grayswandir was taken from him because he poo-pooed Australian table wines. Aedan convinced Caine to let him go, and he got a small lifeboat and sailed away into the vast, lonely sea.

Gregory, Gabriel, and Raj rode through Amber City to the Castle. They were ushered before King Eric. His Majesty was surprised to see Gregory, since he was supposed to be on a mission with Julian to visit the Courts of Chaos by a secret path under Shadow through “Hell.” Gregory told Eric everything about the “old universe,” and I do mean everything. Eric asked about Corwin’s guns. Raj warned the King to be careful with the Jewel as that was how King Random and Fiona had died. Eric asked about the guns again. Gabriel asked about Brand, but was told he wasn’t around. However, Giselle was around, having just appeared and been admitted to the Infirmary.

But was she dead, or only mostly dead? Tune in next time to find out….

And Now for Something Completely Different Aedan and Martin had lapsed into unconsciousness following the surgery. While they lay helpless, everybody went and did other things. As you may recall, Gabriel had vanished from the center of the Pattern and was never seen from again… until he trumped Magni and pulled him through. No, he didn’t. They were in the center of a large, roughly football field-sized caldera of level ground and absolutely no visible Pattern whatsoever. Apparently Gabriel told the Pattern to teleport him to the “unicorn”1 and he ended up here. He showed Magni a nearby cave full of various items including arcane books, strange trumps, and hunchback-fitting apparel. You most certainly did. I did not. Back outside, Magni detected some sort of Pattern in the ground. Using his new ring, he attempted to channel energy into the Pattern while walking it. A Greek Goddess suddenly arrived and slapped him into unconsciousness. For good measure, she broke Gabriel’s arm in several places and departed with Magni’s ring and a license for her fish.		GM's Commentary in which you will find some references to the actual events that occurred in the game -- usually less amusing (or flattering to Todd's character) than the Chronicler's version... 1. Gabriel actually had the Pattern transport him to the place of the energy he had felt on Eve, energy he had been painstakingly researching and putting into a Trump-like storage that he used as reference for his Pattern jump.
I’m Not Dead Yet Raj left Giselle’s workshop via the Trump sword and spoke with several elders. Among them was his father Gerard, who told Raj he was a sissy for sitting out the war just because he was locker partners with Searlas. Raj also spoke with Random, who had burned his draft card and was living in Shadow making anti-war placards and crowns of daisies. Finally, Raj spoke with Benedict, who wasn’t even remotely dead. In fact, Benedict was wearing the Trump Sword, which Raj had lent to him. Raj trumped Gregory and pulled him, Aedan, and Martin through to Benedict’s military camp. They got invited to spend time at Benedict’s Estate in Shadow, and trumped there via Mrs. Lee. It was a nice place, surrounded by some sort of Pattern-shield shadow veil. Aedan’s sorcery sucked the life out of the landscape while Raj explained that in this universe, Martin had never been stabbed by Brand and everything else was somewhat different as well as follows: Eric was still King in Amber; The War with Chaos had been going on for nigh-on thirty years, and Amber was losing. In fact, the Chaosian armies were expected to be attacking Amber in a year or so; Corwin was still imprisoned in the dungeons; Deirdre was trying to free Corwin from the dungeons, allegedly with Aedan’s help; Brand was Eric’s closest advisor; Fiona and Bleys were “sitting out” the war; Random was not actively helping out Eric and the Amberites, although he was rumored to be fighting the Chaosians on his own terms, whatever that means, and; There was no wicker within a hundred miles of Amber. The Background to History Gabriel tried to get help from Giselle, but she was too busy being a shapeshifter in the Courts of Chaos. She passed him along to Raj, who hauled him and an unconscious Magni into Benedict’s shadow. Gabriel was beaten up moderately badly, so Aedan healed his compound-fractured arm, eliminating all of the hair and freckles as he did so. Gabriel passed out from the shock of being freckless. When he awoke, he related what had happened to him. Somehow, Gregory switched places with Gabriel. He scoured the caves near the caldera and took everything that wasn’t nailed down: a whole bunch of loose-leaf journals, some pee-chees, about thirty-five trumps, and a three-handled credenza that would look simply fabulous in his office in the Hunting Lodge. Gregory returned to Benedict’s estates and convinced everyone that a trip to Arden would be a good thing. The thirty five Trumps: several of Oberon at different ages, past Queens of Amber, current Amberites, a fourteen year-old girl who looked vaguely Randomesque, and a heavy-featured blond man. The back of the blond man’s card was decorated with the image of a lion’s head holding a large ring in its mouth, similar to a doorknocker. Gregory pocketed the Trumps because Magni wasn’t there and Gabriel was distracted. And the crowd are loving it.
Good Morning Mrs. Shapeshifter Gabriel awoke and told everyone that the books from the cave were actually Dworkin’s journals. The Greek Goddess woman was known to Dworkin, who named her “Conflict.” She was of the same ilk as the Tower, Eve, and the other, unspecified “New Sisters.” The way to Arden was arduous. (I’ve always wanted to say that.) Gregory decided to try to get there by way of the Fae realms. Giselle showed up just as the boys were entering the Grove of the Dryads and before they could actually enter any Dryads.2 Giselle revealed that she had told Cian how the Chaosians had created the Black Road. Raj, through Benedict, had decided that that was very bad in Amber's current war footing, so Cian needed to be confronted to determine if he had told anyone. The whole group traipsed to the Fae realms, where they were duly admitted to Cian’s lavish prison. Cian intimated that he had told Lugh, so Raj didn’t kill him. Giselle trumped Merlin, sort of, and spoke with him, sort of. The boys decided to try to get to Arden via Ailill’s gate. It was overgrown, but Gregory knew the special words to open it and they all went through. Giselle accompanied them reluctantly, owing to her new brain today.		2. but it was a near thing...
Four Ambershiremen: “You were lucky!” Soon enough, a patrol of Arden rangers appeared. Gregory revealed himself to them and asked many questions. He discovered that Julian was not in Arden. They also revealed that Aedan is a criminal in Amber owing to the fact that he has repeatedly attacked Amber to try to free Corwin. Giselle left, and the rest of the gang decided to ride to Julian’s Hunting Lodge—except Aedan. Being Pubic Enemy Number One, Aedan decided that Amber wasn’t the safest place for him. He trumped Deirdre, but she didn’t answer. He trumped Random, but Random wanted whatever Aedan owed him. So he Trumped Caine and went through where he got beaten up and imprisoned and Grayswandir was taken from him because he poo-pooed Australian table wines. Aedan convinced Caine to let him go, and he got a small lifeboat and sailed away into the vast, lonely sea. Gregory, Gabriel, and Raj rode through Amber City to the Castle. They were ushered before King Eric. His Majesty was surprised to see Gregory, since he was supposed to be on a mission with Julian to visit the Courts of Chaos by a secret path under Shadow through “Hell.” Gregory told Eric everything about the “old universe,” and I do mean everything. Eric asked about Corwin’s guns. Raj warned the King to be careful with the Jewel as that was how King Random and Fiona had died. Eric asked about the guns again. Gabriel asked about Brand, but was told he wasn’t around. However, Giselle was around, having just appeared and been admitted to the Infirmary. But was she dead, or only mostly dead? Tune in next time to find out….