The Queen, heavily pregnant, stitches by treacherous moonlight lined and shaded with ghostly battlements and towers. Hands smooth as swan's down flutter ceaselessly over the heavy embroidery. It is a scene of struggle, unfinished, where men dark with blood fight a silver demon that flashes with many heads and more claws. In the pale light it appears to move, the threads to knot and unknot of their own accord. One man wears a golden crown wrapped around his brow and bears a sword of chased moonlight that spins from his hand even as a jagged claw pins his side like a butterfly. She sighs, picks up a smoky crystal blade and begins unpicking.
The air was cloying with the heavy pall of opium, lilies and disease, all light but for an overfed fire banished from the chamber. On a golden bed hung with black silks the King of Amber wheezed, every breath stolen from the air as if it were his last. The room was desert hot but still he shivered convulsively, and the flesh fell from his heavy bones like melting snow. The shattered remains of a voice rasped from his throat with great effort, and for all its harshness it was quiet and indistinct.
The dying king pushed a package wrapped in green silk into his son's hands. "Take this, take Amber when I am gone, and hold it as its king. There is no cure for the poison, despite my wife's hopes. I will name you my sole heir, Benedict, last of my loyal sons."
His son, tall and slender as the staff he carried was all sunset and summer bleached pale by sorrow and lack of sleep. He was still, even when he moved, and hazel eyes that should have been warm held an early frost. "I am here, my King, and at your command." Kneeling was one fluid movement, and proud in its subservience. Unwrapped from its silks the sword glimmered an unholy silver in his warrior's hands. For a moment there was exquisite danger in his eyes, and a smile that died at its birth.
"You must promise me one thing, though. Defeat for the enemy is not enough, I require total and utter annihilation. Avenge me my son, crush the White Demons until they are no more than dust on the wind." Blood spattered the old man's lips.
"And after slaughtering my mother's people with the sword she gave you, what then? What of my brothers, and their children, must I kill them too to keep you spirit quiet? How much blood would you have me spill ?" His anger was dark and lightening fast, the pattern blade held unwaveringly at his father's throat. Yet his voice remained quiet and tenuously controlled. "I could kill you now, and all would think it merciful, to end the pain."
"But your 'honour' prevents it." The word became venom on his lips. "I know you have little taste for this war, but you have fought well, and loyally at my side. Finish it for me, let me rest quiet knowing my blood price is paid." He watched the younger man exhale slowly and deliberately, as if at the final veil, and shake his head in deep regret.
"No, father, the price of kingship is too much. You have other sons, find yourself another heir to be your vengeance. I am tired of blood." The sword lingered a second longer than it should at the old man's throat then slammed into the bed though the belly of a gilded unicorn.
Still the Queen stitches, now working a spiral of pattern that runs around a heavy border. Pale skin and midnight hair render her insubstantial by moonlight, and closed deep eyes still quest beyond reality, beyond hope.
Type: Tabletop
Setting: The distant past
Number of Players: Up to 6
"You are our last hope." There is a Queen's face in your dreams, dark and sorrowful, in an Amber barren and despairing under a pall of snow. It is a place where the Oberon lies dying of a poisoned wound, and a bloody war daily saps the strength of those who are left. To the furthest reaches of reality and time is flung one last desperate call to any who are willing and can hear. It may be your world's past or another, there may be advantage to answering or there may be some strange romantic altruists that would grant unquestioningly a plea for aid.
Crossover type characters, Amber based, built on circa 250 points. What is more important than points is to have a good idea of what your particular strengths or weaknesses are. Stuff limit 10 points.
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You are sitting in a dingy bar in the West End of Old Amber Town. Down on your luck, you have spent the last of your money buying the bottle of Cheap drink which adorns the table in front of you. Women even cheaper than the drink, flirt with customers in this rat hole… You feel like shit, not much more can go wrong in this life of yours.
Through the drunken haze a voice seems to be talking to you....
" My name is Michael Caine...."
Standing before you is a Safari Suited Wonder. Despite the dingy surrounding, his nylon-polyester twirl suit glows, with an almost neon intensity.
" And I have a business proposal for you....."
Stunned by the simmering intensity of this almost angelic apparition, you stagger to your feet and follow blindly, as you are led to the outside world.
Outside the daylight sears your eyes, whilst mini-skirted hippie chicks stroll the streets of Amber-Town. Your ears are assaulted by the sounds of the Beetles….and you choke on the fumes of a Vespa as it races past. Voices cry from all side, as you stroll down Carnaby street. Flares, Flower Power, Drugs and free love....Man Amber is So Mellow....
Eventually you reach the dock front…Entering a warehouse by the side entrance, you are drawn into a circle of light, before you stand the Mechanical steeds that will bear you in your quest, whilst around you, are gathered the team for the JOB.
So it begins.....The plan is a simple one: 3 Mini Coopers, One Jewel of Judgment, 6 Drivers, One football match, and Michael Caine.
The question is....Can you pull it off…?
Type: Table-Top
Number of Players: 4-6
Setting: Alternative Amber - During the Flower Power Revolution
Character based upon 100 points. Anything goes, except for stuff out of Shadow Knight. Characters are advised to be suited towards a Retro-style world. Flares are optional. Contributions are welcome, and the first players to send Mini Car Models, will get to be the Drivers. ( Be advised - Take Tongue, plant firmly in Cheek ) - Other Contributions include making compilation tapes of 60 + 70's music to play during game. The Stranger the better...:-).
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"No words - keep your silence. People talk in whispers
where you are.
I hear the sound of violence. Tell me brother, where'd you get
those scars?
Dark deeds and secret matters. You can fix it but it doesn't
last.
Bright flash, the mirror shatters. Who's reflected in the broken
glass?"
(Black Knight's Work - Cats Laughing)
Type: Standard Table-top
Setting: A year or two after the Corwin Saga and the Patternfall War; Random rules in Amber.
Number of Players: 6
120 point characters, to be prepared beforehand and preferably discussed with the GM. Game will be Amber-centric: Chaosians feasible but difficult, and should not be Total War types. Advanced powers and parents by discussion with the GM. No Shadow Knight weirdness, no spikards or constructs or whatever.
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Your dreams repeat the same sequence over and over again. The Jewel of Judgement being held aloft. A gunshot. Shards of crystal flying. Blood spurting from a wound.
Cracks have started to appear in the Jewel of Judgement. Minute fractures at first, almost invisible. They seem to be growing.
Type: Standard Table-top
Setting: Unknown Crossover
Number of Players: 4-6
All the possible patterns were written by the same Jewel of Judgement. In one reality it has been shattered. Now flaws have appeared in the Jewel and they are spreading. In a last despirate effort to stop the Jewel shattering completly you have been sent by {insert relevant API, Jewel expert} through the Jewel to the center of the flaw. You must repair it, or stop it being broken.
Crossover characters. No API or Jewel Attunement (Aparently when pattern is too strong you cannot travel between possible Ambers). 300 points, stuff limit +/- 10pts, No contructs or demons (your ones can't reach you where you are going).
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'Defeat grasped from the jaws of victory.'
Ghostwheel's mad machinations defeated, the infernal machine destroyed and peace restored with Merlin and the Courts. And then someone wishes ALL the Amberites restored..........ten generations of work wiped out in a stroke.
The Elders have returned after hundreds of years absent and have very quickly restored their influence and position in Amber, naturally at the expense of the current administration (i.e. you). Sidelined, isolated or simply ignored, power and prestige is slipping from your grasp. All you have left are crumbs, a smattering of titles and consolation prizes.
But they have made a fatal error in judgment. The time they
were away has made them weak and they may no longer have the
edge. It's time for you to show them who's boss
…time for a very Amberite coup.
'Feel the envy, harness the anger and plot maniacally to get even with the Elders, in this sequel to the splendid Junta!' - Pattern Post
Game Type: Standard/ Sequel
Number of players: 6 - will be some places for new players, but first dibs to original players from last year.
Game Setting: Alternate reality far in the future
250 point Amberites only. No contributions and maximum of 10 points of Stuff either way. You need not take Pattern but you really should….only use powers from the basic rules. No Shadow Knight stuff but do try to convince me of any variations you are interested in.
Items do NOT maketh the man/woman (or shapeshifter). You may spend as many points on items as you like but be aware that they all have limitations. Items of power (named items from the books) and the Jewel are not available unless you HAD it from Junta!
The influence system remains in use, 200 points (not for use with character) should be divided between army, navy, castle, city and shadow.
I would like characters as soon as possible so that I can work out their place in the game. As an incentive I will give 5 points to all early birds. Please contact me if you have any questions.
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This page was constructed by A J Cannon. Last update 15th October 1997.