The following is the campaign log for the sixth session of my current Amber Diceless RPG campaign. Most of this was typed up by one my players during the session. Usually these are typed up by Brendan, but he had to miss this session, and another player, Andrew, helpfully took notes in his absence. As usual, I (the GM) have added a few notes of my own after the fact.
You can Start from Session #1 or just pick up at Session #5
Campaign log: November 9, 2020: Session #6
Setting the Scene: A unicorn of another color has been spotted in Arden. Caine's fleet is posturing in Amber's bay, pressuring Random to act against the Chaos delegates.
The PCs are:
- Dalziel,
son of Bleys. A scientist who has been in Amber for several months.
- Maarit, daughter of Sand. An orphan with a magic pendulum.
- Spinturnix,
son of Julian. Grew up in Forest Arden.
- Medore, nonbinary offspring of Dierdre
- David Weyreth
is a retired officer from the militaries of Amber.
- Abn Haram,
the human-shaped son of Lady Nykae of Chaos.
Most of
the NPCs are from the novels.
Scene 1: Corwin and Medore follow the unicorn and stumble upon a Weir encampment. They agree to split up with Corwyn tracking the Weir and Medore searching for the unicorn.
Scene 2: David leaves breakfast and heads out into the city seeking sparring partners and information.
Scene 3: Dal takes an armful of scientific instruments down to the dungeons and announces himself to the guards as the new minister of science. He pokes a bit at the evidence from the prior evening but then spends several hours measuring aspects of the pattern and pondering its nature.
Scene 4: Abh Haram is disappointed in his legal research then is arrested near the stables on charges of espionage and accessory to murder and brought to the dungeons.
Scene 5: Maarit returns from her ride on Bronze (Sand's wonderhorse) and learns that Brute the Pig and perhaps the rest of his entourage has been arrested. She then collides with Fiona who is headed to paint and they decide to meet for dinner and perhaps a portrait of Maarit.
Scene 1B: Medore tracks down the black unicorn and treats its wounds. It begins pawing a message into the dirt but then a white unicorn appears and the black one charges it. Medore uses some magic to even the clash despite the horses’ disparate size and prevent them from seriously injuring each other.. Eventually Medore is saved from being trampled when space distorts and both unicorns head off down strange tunnels in space. Medore follows the black unicorn down one corridor.
GM's Addendum re: Corwin and Medore
I had intended for Corwin and Medore to stick together, and both be present when the two unicorns clashed in Scene 1B (below). Medore however had picked up on the black unicorn being somewhat uncomfortable around Corwin, and sent him off on a bit of a fool's errand. This, it turns out, was a very wise decision on Medore's part. I had actually planned to have a clashing unicorn put out one of Corwin's eyes. The player's decision here saved Corwin from some more painful regeneration.
Scene 2B: David investigates some wreckage in the harbor and seeks information from the harbormaster about activity in the city and recruiting of sailors.
GM's Addendum re: David's investigations
Caine's 3 ships in the harbor have increased to 7. Two other ships, captains unknown, seem to be standing guard against them. Things remain tense.
David also learned that Caine had recently (within the last fortnight) offered sign-up bonuses for the Royal Navy, paid for from his own coffers.
David also discovered that the ship Abn Haram and Nykae arrived in sailed from Kashfa, and yet arrived from the wrong direction. It took the long way, so was either trying to avoid detection, or intentionally settting up the ambush.
Scene 3B/4B: Dal speaks with Random via Card and agrees to talk to Abn Haram and appraise him of the situation while getting the King to agree to allow him to walk the pattern. He speaks with Abn Haram and they verbally spar a bit while he delivers the King’s message while also offering to visit him and talk regularly.
GM's Addendum re: Abn Haram's dungeon cell
The cell Abn Haram is being held in is one of the nicest cells in the dungeon, fit for royalty. In fact, it once held Osric, when he was under house arrest after killing that guy from Karm. It has a drafting table, a painting easel, a fancy chess table with a drawer for the pieces, its own privy, and a dresser with several outfits in blue and yellow.
Scene 5B: Maarit meets with Fiona for dinner. They discuss her mother and family history. Fiona rather enthusiastically supports the idea of obeying the omens of the unicorn.
Scene 1C/5C: Medore follows the unicorn down weird space corridor, then uses magic to try to save them from falling. The unicorn and Medore come through a door (or a tapestry) and fall into the room where Medore and Fiona were having dinner.
Medore and Marit chase the unicorn toward the dungeons. It runs like it knows where it is going. At the guard post it encounters the white unicorn and they clash again. It runs off again and Medore and Marit blow past the white unicorn shouting pleas at it to stop while still chasing the black unicorn.
Scene 3C: Dal walks the pattern and remembers sections of his life while noting some interesting aspects of the experience where he can. Upon reaching the center he makes the somewhat impulsive decision to try to reach the “real” pattern Random told him existed. He appears, successfully at the edge of the primal pattern.
GM's addendum re: Fiona
Fiona did a lot of very specific things that I couldn't tell if the players were picking up on or not. I'm not sure I want to spell them all out, as she's definitely my most "read-between-the-lines" / "wheels within wheels" character. When I'm prepping scenes for Corwin, I put a lot of effort into his words (trying in vain to emulate Zelazny's voice)... but with Fiona I put a lot more effort into every little detail because absolutely everything matters whenever Fiona is on camera (trying to emulate what Zelazny does in the novels). Fiona is complex, and operates on a level all her own.
Quote Log: Session 6
- Corwyn: Do you know your way around?
Medore: This is my second time in Amber, but I can see mountains…”
- “Seven ships isn’t an invasion… that’s somebody being grumpy!” - Soldier
- “I look at him like I don’t want some filthy peasant touching my sword” - Peter
- “Guard: I guess there’s a certain poetry in it.
Abn Haram: Good! I like poetry!”
- “Guard: I’m not sure I’m allowed to talk to you sir.
Abn Haram: that sounds like a question for your superior, I can’t help you with that, but I have stood many watches and I know how boring they are.”
- “Stablehand: Funny you should mention that, the pig was put under arrest.
“Marit: …Do you think it understood the charges?”
- “I may even apologize as long as you don’t tell any of my siblings.” Fiona
- “If I can’t make a pig do what I want then I probably don’t deserve the throne.” - Random
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