A Horse Of Another Timbre, Log 16

 The following is the campaign log for the 16th session of my current Amber Diceless RPG campaign, entitled A Horse Of Another Timbre. One of my players keeps a log of the scenes, and another maintains a quote list.  As usual, I have combined them with a few extra notes of my own after the fact.  I post them here several months after, which allows me to add in a few little clarifications without worrying too much about spoiling future plotlines for my players.

You can also Start from Session #1 or just pick up at Session 15.

The PCs are:

•     Dalziel, son of Prince Bleys of Amber. A scientist.
•     Maarit, daughter of Princess Sand. An orphan with a magic pendulum.
•     Medore, nonbinary orphan of Princess Dierdre .
•     Spinturnix, (aka Nix), son of Prince Julian. Grew up in Forest Arden.
•     David Weyreth is a retired officer from the militaries of Amber.
•     Abn Haram, the human-shaped son of Lady Nykae of Chaos, and the long-dead Prince Osric of Amber.  

Most of the NPCs are from the novels, such as King Random, the runt of the litter that no one ever expected to become King of Amber, or Prince Benedict, the most dangerous warrior in the universe and eldest brother of the King.

Some NPCs unique to this campaign include

• Abn Haram's staff: Jobber (a Mad-Max reject) and Steward (actual competent help, created via Conjuration). 
• There's also mention of a Baron Cetos-Huios-Lir, the Triton leader of the invasion of Rebma, that I had initially planned to have lots of on-screen time, but then the plot went elsewhere.  
• House Moen is mentioned below as well, this is Abn Haram's Chaos family.
  

The story thus far: King Random's been making little SJW changes to reality with the goal of equity. Caine's been posturing with the fleet, possibly to protest such changes. The weir are acting up out in Forest Arden, and Prince Julian has gone missing. Rebma has been invaded by creatures called Tritons, but Princes Martin and Caine seem to have it under control now. A black unicorn has been seen around the kingdom, getting attacked by the established white unicorn. Medore helped the new unicorn walk the Pattern in Tir-na Nog'th, because they figured out correctly that this black unicorn was somehow a forcibly shapeshifted Deirdre.

 

Campaign log: 29 March 2021, turn by turn


Scene 1: Abn Haram Among the Stars

First beset by terrible giant bees, Abn Haram chases them off with toxic rain. Steward tires of driving and Abn Haram takes over. Yellow hail begins to fall.

They drive on through the burnt wasteland and encounter a tall, charred man who attempts to flag them down. On the advice of his companions, Abn Haram drives on.

Next they encounter massive swarms of buzzards. A buzzard lands on the car and Jobber is tasked with chasing it off. Jobber almost falls off the car, but recovers the buzzard flesh, which he then tries to cook. Steward demurs when offered a hunk of the flesh.

Abn dazzles Jobber with tales of water, rivers, boats, and ships. Jobber tells tales of the "Yat-ch'd King." As they continue along, they travel into a verdant land, verging on a forest. Jobber is boggled wordless.

Abn tries to check in with Nykae via card, does not connect. Then he connects with Sevran and they discuss his mother. Abn Haram suggests that the Amberites were nicer than Sevran is implying. Sevran suggests that Nykae is "hung up on Abn Haram's father." Sevran acknowledges that he hasn't really given up his life for family or politics either.

After he finishes his conversation with Sevran, Abn Haram lays down to sleep and gives Jobber a job and no job to watch for trouble. He dreams: A more War Pig aggressive Brute, walking on her hind legs in a war state. The war pigs lead to a turquoise wall spinning above Abn Haram, and 10,000 Brute voices cry out in a war cry, shouting "Boy!" Abn Haram asks Brute what he wants, and Brute says Haram's army of pigmen are ready to invade.

The GM confirms that anyone with ranked Psyche has had at least one prophetic dream in their life. Is this one? Or is Abn Haram just worried about Nykae dissapearing while looking for a place on a map labeled "Turquoise Lattice". 

Haram wakes as the car breaks down on the road at the base of the mountains. They find a bullet embedded in the car. Haram spots a blind with two fellas concealed in it, each very short (three feet tall or so). Haram blasts one with his laser and then catches the other and murders him. As the assassin's shade leaves his body, Haram grasps it to interrogate but it escapes. And Haram is left with just a couple corpses.

Haram goes walking to find a new car, and he finds a corpse-field of similar small men, dead from a recent battle. They search the corpses for food.


Scene 2: Medore Cosplays a Bacchanalian Partier and Hangs with Corwin

After pretending to have a debauched journey through the city, Medore reaches out via Tarot card to connect with Corwin(?). Corwin reports that they marked to the Triton spawning ground and killed/captured a bunch of them. Bleys and Caine had men fighting one another, large magic was released, and then the bay boiled.

Medore reveals that they have a tarot card for Maarit, and Maarit has a card for Dalziel, and Dalziel has Medore's card. Maarit reports that the army is on the beach, but they may not be as helpful as we'd hoped. Corwin suggests that they mention the boiling bay. Medore asks Maarit to keep the army where they are and then reaches out to Random. When Random doesn't answer, Medore reaches out to Random's Queen and let them know about a "bonus army."

They ponder what caused, or who caused, this recent conflagration. Who leads the Triton army? Baron Cetos-Huios-Lir. Medore suggests they could do a bit of research, and Corwin says one is called Xandria and the other is Oberon's Loupe.

Corwin shares the story of the Weir and their assault on the forest. He also explains how he inadvertently helped Chaos attack Amber. Corwin asks if there's a way he can help save Amber without having to take orders from Random, seems wistful.

Corwin starts up the silver stairs and Medore opens a tarot connection.


Scene 3: Dalziel In his Think Tank

A wide range of experiments and technology are used at the Institute for Practical Theology.

Things learned

Dalziel is going to test time by examining how different timed worlds work.

He uses tarot cards to pass experiment elements from one world to another, passes water through a tube that's going through a connection in a tarot.  It appears to be very difficult to pass water through. Dal experiments to learn what laws of the universe apply to these elements. He discovers that matter passes through at a leisurely stroll, regardless.

Testing light beams through the card, the more intensely focused the light, the more it generates rainbow halos. Dal discovers that the safety rails on the portals seem to prevent weaponizable aspects of the process. Understanding that, he wants to try and understand the limits and nuances of the laws of the universe.

Dalziel next tests the nature of the Tarot cards. It's made of glass-like lattice. At the deep level, it reflects strange movements. The cards react as if they're a neural network, but don't look like they're part of a neural network.

Dalziel asks his super-technology people to scan and identify what's going on in his blood. He's got unique bio-chemistry, has special extra stuff in his blood. The high tech folks really want to have his blood and use more of it.

Also sets up teenagers to play D&D based on this setting (in a different shadow).

Then sets up an experiment to try and have a conversation with gut bacteria.


Scene 4: David and Nix run into one another.

Nix finds David in his quarters and fills him in on the results of the interrogation. With his usual effusiveness, Nix reveals his knowledge about the Siamese Cat, the doors to nowhere/ everywhere, and a conversation about Magic in Amber. They head off to talk to the King a bit more.

They learn that King Random is in the library, and they come in to find Benedict yelling at Random about how the events have gone. Benedict is mad that Random didn't lock up the Chaosites better. Random reveals that the queen was never in danger, that the scenario David interrupted was actually a setup trying to catch him working for Caine. "Jury is still out." The other people seem to represent the commercial guild and their hatred of Random's socialist ways.

GM's Addendum: I had pretty good notes on my plans for this scene, so I was able to reconstruct most of Benedict and Random's Argument. This is the first, and less violent, of the two arguments Benedict and Random had prior to Random's Storm.

R: "Ben, am I ever glad to see you!"

B: "You shouldn't be. What did I stipulate?!  A decade ago. You wished to appoint me your Marshal, what conditions did I stipulate?"

R: "Um, none, basically. Your whole message was to bugger off. 'Not gonna happen', but maybe not in those exact words."

This answer seems to annoy Benedict.

B: "Wrong. Your first duty as Sovereign of Amber is to demonstrate the immutability of the realm, NOT the pursuit of your cornucopian fantasies of libertine socialist reform. Contrary to demonstrating imperial integrity, your overly generous reign has fostered the appearance of caducity. This weakness will not allowed to persist. You will end it, or I will end it, or our enemies will end it."

R is bristling: "Screw it, Ben, I'm doing the best I can. It's a bad week, but we'll bounce back. We always do. Amber can be strong without having to be the oppressors of the universe."  

B: "Consider what the universe might do should they no longer fear our reprisals. What I have seen as I approached is not egalitarian strength nor stability but something more akin to frailty and confusion. ...At least tell me that you detained the Moenite Chaoslings as [Gerard] and I recommended, so that I can interrogate them now."

R: "What? No. Sort of. Gerard sent word that they were coming, but his message was short and didn't mention detaining anyone. Ambassadors, was what he called them in his letter. I tried to reach him by card to get better details, but he hasn't been answering. I've tried four times this week, for that matter. Line's busy, every time."

B: "He gave assurances there'd be a personal delivery. He was riding ahead while I returned to Chaos to recon the Moenite holdings. He had a personal matter to attend in Wallahalla along the way, but he assured me this other quest would resolve anon, and if not he would obviate by way of the cards. He neither called nor appeared?"

R: "Not at all. The Chaos party arrived with no agenda nor plan, and actually got attacked twice within a few hours. No word from Gerard, like I said. I thought he was just being stubborn and cold. You know how he gets. Now I wonder... What was he supposed to tell me?"

B: "House Moen reached out to Dara, asking her to set up an audience with yourself for reasons and topics they would not share. She suspected they ill designs upon Amber, some foul plan that required access to you or the castle. I was with Gerard at the Tecys, so the three of us counseled there. The Moenites asked her to broker the meeting, not to provide transit, implying they are again competitors to our dominion o'er shadow. Dara was instructed to tell them a date for a Royal audience, and then observe and report what methods they had to reach this end of things.

Gerard would go ahead of this date, after a short digression at Wallahalla, which we were near, to warn you of the suspected treachery and advise you to take the Moenite heirs captive. I reconnoitered Moenways. Whilst upon my scouting foray, I discovered a spatial phenomenon the Moens appear to have been cultivating. A rent through shadow, with different visual properties than their former black road, but still capable of breaching worlds. It dimidiates the universe, leading nearly to Ygg. Two chaos armies were upon it already, the other being a larger force, [House Hendrake]. They parleyed, which I was unable to approach without risking notice, and after which, the Moenite host departed by card. At that, I returned to Amber. Now fill me in on the local pertinents."

R: Random summarizes the campaign thus far.  Benedict seems upset by just about all of it, and also annoyed by how long it takes Random to tell it. He immediately groks to the notion that they could be nuked or ensorceled.

B: "You and Corwin indicated that you once saw the true Amber. We need to inspect it anew for Brandian disfigurements. You will bring us there now, and undo this meddling"

R: "Like hell I will. I'll go check it out. If I see anything's wrong, and want your input, I'll call. I hate to be that guy, but I still wear the pants and the crown in this relationship."

Random reveals that he is going to "put everything back the way it was," which he changed to help Martin. Benedict demands to come along and Benedict refuses.

Benedict finds Nix and David eavesdropping. They meet in a tense way. Random tells Benedict not to kill or capture the others. Nix meets his uncle and reports on the interrogation to Random. Random tells him he and David are free to go. Nix decides he will go back to Oberon's Loupe, and acquiesces when David asks to come along, but tells him they'll meet in 6 hours. That way he can prepare his spells and wait for Fiona to reach out.


Scene 1b: Abn Haram meets Bellantine in Oberon's Loupe.

Abn Haram finds shifts things around a bit to up the tech level, and steals a car from WWI goblins. They shoot him up with birdshot, but his injuries are only flesh wounds. The birdshot bounces off Steward.

They pass into less war-ravaged places. An agrarian world where a lot of hangings have taken place, and something has eaten the feet and lower legs of the corpses dangling in the trees. Then nicer agrarian worlds with a hundred years overgrowth on the old war ruins.

They see a huge tower up ahead, and the road and Alsalak both point towards it. There's a small wagon on the road, drawn by a blue horse. Abn Haram has to ask the woman driving it to pull over so he can pass her without plowing through the tall corn on either side. He asks her about the tower, she says it's the great old library, the greatest in all of the 'Loupe. That must be the place where the deck Abn Haram is seeking can be found. The woman is friendly, her name is Bellantine, but you can call her Belle. Her blue horse is Dictionary. The conversation is pleasant. She quotes an arabic poem when he gives his name, so despite being the driver of a horse-drawn carriage, she's either well-read or well-traveled.

Abn Haram passes around and gets to the building first. He's allowed in the outer gate to a parking structure. Steward fills in paperwork to apply for admittance and to get a library card, but has to wait for the bureacracy. Bellantine arrives a bit later, she's known to the staff, who start unloading crates of books from her wagon. She sees Abn Haram over there, and says hello again. They chat a bit, and he mentions his name is Abn Haram al Moen bin Osric. She says she'll go grease the wheels for him.

She comes back out a couple minutes later with a couple of monkish-looking library middle-management. She introduces them, and says that Abn Haram is the son of Osric (son of Oberon) and Nykae of House Moen (daughter of Bastet of Moen). This last bit is especially surprising that she would know. She arranges with the managers for her to give Abn Haram the guided tour. But first, she has to apologize and brace him for the stuffed specimen of Large Cats recently added to the lobby. She's clearly got a position of prominence in the institution, and a way with making people feel at ease even when discussing difficult topics.

Abn Haram asks about her job, she's an Acquisition Specialist. Do you acquire things from beyond this world? Wouldn't be good at my job if I was just robbing the other libraries. How do you travel the worlds? My horse, Dictionary, was given to me by Oberon himself, it's a very special horse. Abn Haram wonders if Bellentine is his grandmother, but doesn't ask.

Scene 5: A message from the deeps.

Maarit is with the army. She meditates, and a sentry lets her know that they've seen someone come up out of the water, walking from the Faiella-Bionin which was closed last anyone checked. The man is a Rebman, wearing a tabard with the palace livery. He heads towards the city of Amber.

Maarit sneaks ahead, and meets him on the road. She pretends to be trying to get to Rebma to check on friends, listing the same restauranteurs that Llewella used when talking to Martin's goons a session back.

The messenger's name is Clem. He tries to lie and cover up, but he's an awful spy. Maarit wraps him around her finger. Clem has had the worst night of his life. He's a page, who had a night off when the Triton invasion started. He rushed back to the palace to help, and walked into a bloodbath. Most of his coworkers and supervisors are dead. The new King Martin sent him on a messenger errand, meant to be cloak-and-dagger. Clem's out of his water, literally and figuratively. He took a palace tabard with him, in case he needs to look official, because stealth and subterfuge are not his strong suits. I cannot stress enough what a horrible spy Clem is.

He's also really wracked with guilt. He wants to be loyal to crown and country, but he finds it really dodgy that Martin has crowned himself, no mourning period, no state funeral. He understands the idea that Rebma needs centralized authority and stability in this hour of crisis, but it all doesn't sit well with Clem. Man, he's a terrible spy.

Maarit helps him get into the city. He's super worried he'll be arrested, and they spend a lot of time trying to figure out a good way in, but eventually decide there's no way that doesn't involve a dangerous gate crossing. Maarit agrees to lie to help provide him a cover to gain entrance, because she really wants to know what message he has. As it turns out, it's pretty easy to get through the gate. Refugees have wandering in throughout the night. The only suspicion the city guards have is "where you bitten by any wolves today?" They point out where refugee Rebmans can get help: a hotel with an ex-Rebma proprietor, and a large concert hall are both being used as refugee centers.

Maarit tells Clem good night and good luck, and makes plans to meet him for dinner tomorrow that she never plans to follow through. She then follows him to the castle. He lingers a while a block away, trying to screw his courage to the sticking post. She circles around and gets to the castle ahead of him.

She talks to a gate guard, who mostly wants to know about the Black Unicorn, and she figures out a way to misdirect without really lying. She doesn't know where it is, or where it went after it left the castle ("the second time" is the part she doesn't say out loud). When Clem shows up, she ducks out of sight, but listens in. The gate guards try to turn Clem away to a refugee center. He says he's friends with Major David Weyfrith. They let him into the first courtyard, and send a runner to find the Major. 

The Quotes Of Chaos

I think I will just move on. I think I would be more likely to stop if he was aiming to harm us. - Peter about Abn Haram’s reaction to a starving man who was elated to see another intelligent being. 

If I do (see a jungle) I’m gonna get me a Jungle Yacht! (pronounced yeah-tched) -  Jobber

“It doesn’t sound like they made you feel particularly welcome."

"I was surprised how welcome they made me feel."

"They were holding you prisoner…"

"That’s true....” -- Abn Haram and Sevran

“On the theory that all dead people speak the same language, I cut his head off and try to grab his shade as it leaves his body and interrogate that.”

Well then, maybe chaos was the instrument, but perhaps you did kill him. -Medore

"I want to know why my blood could destroy the universe, but I don't want my blood to actually destroy the universe."

"Should we go tell the King that we found out what was going on with the plot on the queen?"
"No, because that would violate the chain of command"

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways then, because I’m not part of the chain of command. I’m going to go see my uncle. You can come with me if you want."

-- Nyx and David

Wait, She wasn’t in there!? -- Brendan/Nyx

I still wear the pants and the crown in this relationship. -Random

Benedict: "Locating your father is the second-highest priority on His Majesty's list." 

Nix: "Well, I'm glad it's on the list."

(horse seems to understand an instruction)

It didn’t seem like a command to a trained animal, no -Rolfe

Well, I’ll get my trained animal (Jobber) to bring the car up. -Peter

"Bleys and Caine going at it: is it open season on family again? Or just two brothers horsing around?" - Mopey Corwin

Corwin: Do you want to talk about it?

Corwin, internally: Oh god, please don't want to talk about it, I am not equipped to provide emotional support.

for a second, I thought "check them for food and water" meant "see if they'd make good eatin'?"

oh, I was right!