Session 8 - 30/3/03


As Vialle lies bleeding and dying on the infirmary table, everyone attempts to do what they can to help.

Kianna, Bleys, Phillipe and Miranda all tend to Vialle, while Alex sets up a defensive perimeter. Once everything seems set, Phillipe leaves. Miranda takes the duty of watching over the food and drink that Vialle had been consuming.

Meanwhile, Jagrin and William continue to enjoy the banquet. Miranda talks with father, who admits that both his and mother's lives might be at stake if he returns ... in answer to Miranda's request for him to do so.

At Kianna's request, Bleys releases Vialle, allowing Kianna to take possession of mother's psyche. At mother's request, Kianna allows her to take possession of Kianna's sense, and finds herself 'looking around the room'.

Kianna, then Wilhelm, receives the request from mother to locate the wedding ring Random gave her. She remembers putting it on to go to dinner, but is missing it now. She reveals to Kianna that the ring gives her a 'link' to her husband ... and says that he probably already knows that it is missing.

Meanwhile, Jagrin is learning more about Mournblade 'of the Amglamoural' ... the Amglamoural ... and the Horn of Summoning. He discovers the many myths about Mournblade, and the position of the Amglamoural Warlord ... and their fate.

Miranda contacts Queen Moire, and brings her through to the infirmary. Moire identifies the poison has the properties of a certain Clam ... but the food, when they turn to it, is already starting to rot ... something that the Clam poison doesn't normally do. Moire and Miranda discuss how an antidote can be achieved, and leave to arrange such.

Wilhelm stealthfully' lifts a ring from Bleys' hand. He gets Bleys' Sapphire ring.

In the feast hall, Anton and Natasha sense that something in the Realm is changing ... Anton can identify that it is something very specific to his abilities.

Phillipe is keeping the Golden Circle visitors occupied.

Anton and Katherine discuss Anton's realisation that someone is 'changing Amber'. Bleys gets in on this discussion. Bleys leaves to 'talk with his brothers' ... as Moire and Miranda trump out. Katherine orders all but the family out of the room ... leaving herself, Wilhelm, William and Natasha.

Downstairs, Jagrin is making his way to the kitchen, where an almighty bang and putrid smells have erupted from. He finds dead staff, who seem to have died from deep sea compression ... which is backed up by the smell of rotting, deep seaweed levels. He finds a spider leaving down the outside of the castle. He feels the undeniable stench of Chaos. After antagonising it, and receiving a webby response, Jagrin goes after it by leaping out the window after it (using a length of rope as a stabliser). The impact with the spider, as he swings into it, results in a bluey-red explosion. As Jagrin looses consciousness, he sees the dead spider, with Mournblade in it ... and Mournblade is glowing in some strange way.

Miranda and Moire are developing an antidote.

Wilhelm sends a guard to get him one of the family trump decks. Anton takes over the 'support mums psyche' duty, while Katherine investigates this change in the Realms magic.

Alex is contacted by Bleys, with information that Julian has been found in Arden with arrows in him ... and Benedict is missing.

While the Realm comes under attack and falls to pieces, Phillipe does business.

Anton races down to look after his dear big brother, Jagrin. And the two head back up to the infirmary. In the infirmary, Kianna and Wilhelm prepare to leave ... to find somewhere more defensible ... and they arrive in the Duchy of Westreign.

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Kianna is checking Natasha again ... and finds another mind there, which reveals itself to be a Ty'iga who was sent to warn us by 'someone who cares' (who it later claims to be Raynard/Luke). It advises that 'the hunters' are coming (and that they are our own flesh and blood ... who have red hair). It seems confused, though, and somewhat relieved to discover we are no longer in Amber.
It also talks about Nayda and her involvement with Prince Luke ... and makes inference that staying in the body might be a good career move. It tries to bargain with Kianna to let it stay in Natasha's body. "Just in case" the visitor messed with Natasha's mind, Katherine reams it in search of anomalies.

Phillipe, once he has had enough of food, wine and conversation, invites all the diplomats to be on their way, and sits down for a nightcap with Caine. Caine decides to go 'check' on things.

The contact with Wilhelm is forced. Caine learns of the current situation, and informs Wilhelm (and the attached Miranda) of Bleys' absence (very suspicious). He also shares that he found on Bleys' bed a trump of Osric.

As William arrives, Alex warns of an impending attack (hearing the distant sounds of hoofbeats). Leaving Alex to deal with the oncoming attack, they trump through to one of Miranda's shadows.

In Amber, Jagrin is tended to. Phillipe, with trail supplies, meets up with Jagrin and they go up to Miranda's room. Identifying the Trump portraits there, Jagrin picks Anton's and tries to make contact.

Anton receives a Trump contact from a very cold and calculating mind. He informs Anton that Anton can be the vessel of his message ... that he will permit Jagrin to be Regent of Amber. He also threatens Anton's wife, and makes promises for the return of Anton's memory. He also shows Anton an image of what appears to be Julian, on a bier with three arrows in his chest. Kianna, then Miranda, pull the pattern up in their mind, then join Anton's mind. the girls then push the contact out of his mind, just as he gets the image of a sea of demons that is the others army.

A second trump comes through, and they push that back also ...

... and Jagrin (with Phillipe) go flying across Miranda's room.

And Wilhelm joins in war with the attackers.

In her shadow, Miranda feels a sickly feeling that something has entered her world ... and finds a metal ball coming at lightning speeds towards the Manor House they are in. They all prepare for the attack. The little metal ball arrives in the room, and stops ... then rolls towards Miranda. Miranda draws a Trump card, grabs the metal ball, and trumps out ... in a red and orange flash. She finds herself on a flat rock with a man in a deck chair. Prince Mandor offers her a chair, and a drink. He reveals that Merlin has asked him to help Miranda (and the family?) with the current problem ... which apparently is not only the fault of our family. He says that Osric has returned, and wishes to take the Kingdom for himself. They trade cards, and concerns ... and agree to maybe work together, maybe. Miranda then trumps back into her shadow ... into that room.

With a company of guards, Jagrin and Phillipe ride like the wind through the paths of Arden, in an attempt to leave the Realm ... so they can ride to Anton's location. They ride hard through the forest, loosing many guards along the way, as they suffer attrition to wolves, hawks and various woodland boobytraps.

After slaughtering and interrogating (not in that order necessarily) many of the attackers, Wilhelm discovers that the purpose of the attack to is capture Natasha alive. The orders were issued by one who appears to be Osric. He then says goodbye to Baron Bayle, and attempts to contact Miranda.

In her Shadow, Miranda feels a series of Chills ... and Wilhelm comes through. They share their knowledge. They all seem to agree that Osric, working out of the Courts of Chaos with his armies and spies, is working with Bleys to take the throne. That Mandor is willing to work with us, and that Mandor feels that Trump is being watched.

A bugle announcement draws attention to the "Amber" army that is outside the gates. While she attempts to find out who they are, and make contact (which is stalwartly resisted), Kianna talks with Natasha about Anton's lack of memory.

Wilhelm rides out to meet the 3rd Company of Amber's Cavalry ... and Jagrin and Phillipe. Malcolm is also brought in ... and Wilhelm fills everyone in, and tells of his plan to get from Bleys whatever he knows.

The plan is agreed on ... and we all agree to get 4 hours sleep. And so we do so.