--- /dev/null
+### The Path of Power ###
+
+----
+
+*Unusually, several of the younger members of the Family have announced themselves to be ready to walk the Pattern at almost the same time.*
+
+*As a result, a week after the last succeeds, there is to be a Grand Ball to celebrate!*
+
+*You are all invited - some of you will be among the intrepid walkers...*
+
+----
+
+#### Basic Information ####
+* Welcome to The Path of Power, run by Senji and Shadow.
+* This is a loose continuation from last year's game The Hall of Mirrors, but new players and characters are welcome.
+* The characters will be divided into two teams, and there will be competition between those teams.
+* All the books are considered to be loosely canonical.
+* All new characters will walk the Pattern just before the start of play.
+* Characters **must** be created before the con.
+* Players of new characters will select their character's grandparent. The sooner you can send us your choice of grandparent and a trump image for your character, the better.
+
+#### Details ####
+* [[Last Time in Amber...]]
+* [[Character Creation]]
+* [[Character Advancement]]
+* [[Teams]]
--- /dev/null
+### Character Advancement ###
+
+----
+*"Frying pans without fires are often far between"*
+
+----
+
+* Returns no characters will mostly have walked the Pattern before the start of the Game.
+* if you would like to bring back a character who doesn't want to (or can't) walk the Pattern, please email us about alternatives.
+* Still no constructs and no Jewel of Judgement attunement!
+* There are some FAQs below; more will be added as they come up.
+* Please let us know who you think you gave Trumps of yourself to last time!
+* A bonus of 1 additional point per hundred words (up to a maximum of 5) is available to any player who sends us a short summary of what happened last time. -- see [[Last Time in Amber...]]
+
+
+----
+**FAQ**
+
+**What if I don't want Pattern**
+: As above, please email us.
+
+<br />
+**My character was in an untenable position at the end of the last game they played in. Can I...**
+: **... make a new character?**
+: Yes, you have 60 points, plus Pattern just as if your character was a returning character.
+: **... play them anyway?**
+: Yes, if you really want to, we'll come up with some way to make it work, but please bear in mind that we can't influence the opinions of the other players/characters!
+
+<br />
+**I'm making a new character; can I have both the 5 extra points for public background and the five extra points for a summary of last time**
+: You can have up to 5 extra points in total, but you could produce some background and some summary if you wanted.
+
+<br />
+**Can I keep a magical item I picked up on the last adventure?**
+: Yes; you can either pay points for it, in which case it is yours, or not, in which case it will continue to be ours - see the last question below!
+
+<br />
+**Can I do something not covered above?**
+: Yes.
+
+<br />
+**Is it a good idea?**
+: Find out in play!
+
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+### Character Creation ###
+
+----
+*"It's the most important stat!"*
+
+----
+
+* **First select your character's [[grandparent|Choosing a Grandparent]]** - and email this and a Trump image to us!
+* Character attributes start at a base of Amber.
+* Buying down is permissible.
+* 40 additional points can be spent on the character.
+* No more than 5 points of Good or Bad Stuff allowed.
+* Most powers have been divided into [[partial powers|Partial Powers]].
+* All new characters will receive Pattern in addition to the 40 points above. This is likely to be immediately before the start of the game, not before.
+* There are some [[things to be aware of|Notes on Powers]] when purchasing powers.
+* Various kinds of [[allies|Allies]] are available.
+* No constructs, no Jewel of Judgement attunement (!), but anything else is probably ok, so if you can't see it on these pages, please feel free to ask.
+* A bonus of 1 additional point per hundred words (up to a maximum of 5) is available to any player who sends us a publicly available character background.
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+### Allies ###
+
+----
+
+**Ally in the Golden Circle (1)**
+
+: A good friend among the "mundane" folk of either Amber or another
+Golden Circle city.
+
+: Please specify details about your Ally; which will need to be
+approved.
+
+**Friend in Low Places (1)**
+
+: A good friend among one of the "mundane" folk of Chaos who is in the
+area for some reason.
+
+: Please specify approximately what kind of person; and we will do our
+best.
+
+**Court Friend in either Amber or Chaos (2)**
+
+: A high ranking Amberite or Chaosian has your interests at heart.
+
+: You don't get to specify who, and probably won't find out.
+
+**House Support (3)**
+
+: One of the houses of Chaos supports your character.
+
+: This may or may not be of any use, you don't get to specify who, and
+probably won't find out.
+
+**Amber Court Devotee (6)**
+
+: Someone in Amber really really likes you.
+
+: Fear.
+
+: As an added benefit for someone without defined Amberite ancestry
+this gets you Amberite ancestry.
+
+: You don't get to specify who, and probably won't find out.
--- /dev/null
+### Choosing a Grandparent ###
+
+----
+
+*"It is also said that we are descended of Dworkin and the Unicorn, which gave rise to some unusual mental images."*
+
+
+----
+Below is a list of all of the available grandparents for new characters, in no particular order.
+
+You may also choose not to choose one - in which case the GMs will decide... <br>
+You might wish to take an [[Amber Devotee|Allies]] in this case.
+
+Once we receive everyone's choice of grandparent, we will let you know who your parent is.
+
+* Random
+* Delwin
+* Sand
+* Dalt
+* Fiona
+* Brand
+* Bleys
+* Coral
+* Deirdre
+* Corwin
+* Eric
+* Llewella
+* Finndo
+* Benedict
+* Dara
+* Flora
+* Gerard
+* Caine
+* Julian
+* Sawall
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+### Notes ###
+
+----
+
+*"To paraphrase Hamlet, Lear and all those other guys: I wish I had known this some time ago."*
+
+----
+
+### General ###
+* All characters will have a certain number of Trumps of themselves.
+* Characters will not generally have Trumps of others unless they have Trump, Pattern or an Ally
+
+### Pattern ###
+* Because much of the game is set in Amber and its immediate environs, Pattern will not work as well as out in Shadow.
+* Any character with Pattern will therefore receive a standard Trump deck.
+* The standard deck includes all known Pattern initiates except Dworkin.
+
+### Logrus ###
+* Logrus may only be taken if the character has at least two points of Bad Stuff.
+* This is because any Logrus user in the shadows that are likely to be visited will effectively have that much Bad Stuff so the character should get the points to spend!
+
+### Trump ###
+* Trump Artists have a Trump deck containing 20 Trumps of anyone they could plausibly have made a Trump of, including most of the Elders.
+* They may keep some blanks to fill in later if they wish.
+
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+### Partial Powers ###
+
+----
+
+Each of the powers is given its own page below.
+
+----
+
+* [[Pattern]]
+* [[Logrus]]
+* [[Trump]]
+* [[Shapeshifting]]
+* [[Power Words]]
+* [[Sorcery]]
+* [[Conjuration]]
--- /dev/null
+digraph conjuration{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_conjuration {
+ bgcolor="SpringGreen";
+ "Basic Conjuration";
+ "Conjuration";
+ "High Compelling";
+ }
+
+ "Teacher" -> "Basic Conjuration" -> "Conjuration" -> "High Compelling";
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Conjuration ###
+
+----
+
+[[Conjuration.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Basic Conjuration (10)** (Training is reasonably easily available)
+
+: The player can conjure simple, unempowered, things of a type that
+are natural to the shadow they are in.
+
+**Conjuration (10)** (Basic Conjuration)
+
+: Everything else on page 65 of ADRPG
+
+**High Compelling (5)** (Conjuration)
+
+: Everything on Shadow Knight page 16.
+
+<br>
+
--- /dev/null
+digraph logrus{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_logrus {
+ bgcolor="MediumPurple1"
+ "Basic Logrus Mastery";
+ "Logrus Sight";
+ "Logrus Defense";
+ "Logrus Spell Storage";
+ "Logrus Combat";
+ }
+
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Basic Logrus Mastery" -> "Logrus Spell Storage";
+ "Chaosian Grandparent" -> "Basic Logrus Mastery" -> "Logrus Combat";
+ "Basic Logrus Mastery" -> "Logrus Sight";
+ "Basic Logrus Mastery" -> "Logrus Defense";
+ "Lynchpins" -> "Logrus Spell Storage";
+
+ "Lynchpins" [fillcolor=cyan,style=filled]
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" [fillcolor=green,style=filled]
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Logrus ###
+
+----
+
+Logrus can only be taken if you have at least 2 points of Bad Stuff. See [[the note|Notes_on_Powers#logrus]].
+
+----
+
+[[Logrus.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Basic Logrus Mastery (25)** (Automatic Shape Shift, Chaosian Grandparent)
+
+: The Chaosian with this has walked the Logrus and recovered from the
+ensuing madness.
+
+: This covers basic Tendril summoning, searching, and movement of self
+or object through shadow with a Tendril.
+
+**Logrus Combat (5)** (Basic Logrus Mastery)
+
+: The Chaosian with this ability has learned how to use their Logrus
+Tendrils in combat. Logus Tendrils are "Extra Hard" and operate with
+a *Strength* equal to the *Psyche* of the user.
+
+**Logrus Sight (5)** (Basic Logrus Mastery)
+
+: The Chaosian can use the Logrus to augment their vision with a lens
+that reveals magical properties.
+
+**Logrus Spell Storage (5)** (Basic Logrus Mastery, Lynchpins)
+
+: THe Chaosian can use the Logrus to rack spells.
+
+**Logrus Defense (5)** (Basic Logrus Mastery)
+
+: The Chaosian can use the Logrus to defend against either magical or
+physical attacks.
+
+No partials of Advanced Logrus are available.
+
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+digraph pattern{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_pattern {
+ bgcolor="yellow";
+ "Pattern Imprint";
+ "Access to a Pattern";
+ }
+
+ "Access to a Pattern" -> "Pattern Imprint";
+ "Amberite Grandparent" -> "Pattern Imprint";
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Pattern ###
+
+----
+
+[[Pattern.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Pattern Imprint (50)** (Amberite Grandparent, Access to a Pattern)
+
+: Everything under Pattern Imprint under the ADRP rules. No
+subdivision of this possible, but see [[the note|Notes_on_Powers#pattern]]
+about this.
+
+No partials of Advanced Pattern are available.
+
+<br>
+
--- /dev/null
+digraph powerword {
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_powerword {
+ bgcolor="LightGrey";
+ "Power Words";
+ "Each Power Word";
+ }
+
+ "Teacher" -> "Power Words" -> "Each Power Word";
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Power Words ###
+
+----
+
+[[Power_Words.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Power Words (5)** (Training is readily available)
+
+: The ability to learn and use power words.
+
+: Power words don't need to be *words* but must require a similar
+amount of effort and be as obvious.
+
+**Each Power Word (1)** (Power Words)
+
+: One Power Word
+
+<br>
+
--- /dev/null
+digraph shape{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_shape {
+ bgcolor=green;
+ "Animal Form";
+ "Basic Forms";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift";
+ "Advanced Animal Forms";
+ "Partial Shift";
+ "Shift Wounds";
+ "Shift Matter";
+ "Shift Others";
+ "Shift Mass";
+ "Shift Anatomy";
+ "Shift Aura";
+ "Shift Persona";
+ "Create Blood Creatures";
+ }
+
+ "Animal Form" -> "Advanced Animal Forms";
+ "Basic Forms" -> "Advanced Animal Forms";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Shift Wounds";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Shift Others";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Shift Mass" -> "Shift Anatomy" -> "Create Blood Creatures";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Shift Aura" -> "Shift Persona";
+ "Automatic Shape Shift" -> "Basic Logrus Mastery";
+ "Basic Forms" -> "Partial Shift";
+ "Basic Forms" -> "Shift Matter" -> "Shift Others";
+ "Shift Matter" -> "Shift Mass";
+ "Basic Forms" -> "Shift Aura";
+
+ "Basic Logrus Mastery" [fillcolor=MediumPurple1,style=filled];
+
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Shapeshifting ###
+
+----
+
+[[Shapeshifting.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Animal Form (5)**
+
+: The shifter can shift to a specific animal form and back to human at
+will.
+
+**Basic Forms (10)**
+
+: The shifter has three specific alternative forms they can shift to
+at will: Chaos Form, Avatar Form, and Primal Form.
+
+: Amberite shifters may not know what their Chaos Form is.
+
+: Primal Form involves lost of control of ones actions.
+
+**Automatic Shape Shift (5)**
+
+: The shifter can release control of their shape to their subconsious
+in order to survive danger or environmental hazards.
+
+: Without either of the abilities above they can't intentionally shift
+back to human form and will have to wait for their subconsious to
+appreciate safety.
+
+**Advanced Animal Forms (5)** (Animal Form, Basic Forms)
+
+: The shifter can shift to any animal form they know. Accuracy of the
+form and ability to use it increase with familiarity.
+
+**Partial Shift (5)** (Basic Forms)
+
+: The shifter can shift your body parts or facial features independently of
+the rest of their body. Shifts involving parts of other forms that
+are well known are easier to produce and maintain.
+
+**Shift Wounds (5)** (Automatic Shape Shift)
+
+: The shifter heals automatically and swiftly.
+
+**Shift Matter (5)** (Basic Forms)
+
+: The shifter can shapeshift non-living matter. Only the shape of the matter
+changes, not the material. This includes shifting clothing/armor when
+they change form.
+
+**Shift Others (5)** (Shift Matter, Automatic Shape Shift)
+
+: The shifter can shift the form of anyone they have psychic contact
+with. This is slower than personal shifting and can be resisted.
+
+**Shift Mass (5)** (Shift Matter, Automatic Shape Shift)
+
+: A shifter with this power can become lighter or heavier by taking on
+or shedding matter from the shadow they are in. This is quite slow.
+
+: Once the shifter is back in a Basic form they will slowly gain or
+lose mass in order to regain their natural mass unless they
+concentrate on keeping it.
+
+**Shift Anatomy (10)** (Shift Mass)
+
+: The shifter can change their own internal anatomy and take on
+complex abilities of other forms they know (such as the ability to fly
+with wings or breath underwater with gills).
+
+: Some of these things can also be achieved with Automatic Shape
+Shift, but this power allows them to be done intentionally.
+
+**Shift Aura (5)** (Basic Forms, Automatic Shape Shift)
+
+: This allows the shifter to change the apparent "shape" of their mind
+to match that of anything they could change the shape of their body
+to.
+
+**Shift Persona (5)** (Shift Aura)
+
+: This allows the shifter to take on the persona of anyone else they
+know.
+
+: This risks losing control!
+
+**Create Blood Creatures (5)** (Shift Anatomy)
+
+: This allows you to create independant creatures from your blood.
+
+<br>
--- /dev/null
+digraph sorcery{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_sorcery {
+ bgcolor="cyan";
+ "Cast Spells";
+ "Create, Memorize, and Rack Spells";
+ "Lynchpins";
+ }
+
+ "Teacher" -> "Cast Spells" -> "Create, Memorize, and Rack Spells" -> "Lynchpins" -> "Logrus Spell Storage";
+
+ "Logrus Spell Storage" [fillcolor="MediumPurple1",style=filled]
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Sorcery ###
+
+----
+
+Note: despite what it says on ADRPG page 71 characters without
+Conjuration can have an item that can rack spells provided they have a
+suitable source for such.
+
+----
+
+[[Sorcery.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Cast Spells (5)** (Training is reasonably easily available)
+
+: The sorceror can cast one spell previously created by another and
+written down. Casting takes as long as creating would and destroys
+the instructions.
+
+**Create, Memorize, and Rack Spells (5)** (Cast Spells)
+
+: The sorceror can create their own spells, can have one spell
+memorized at once, and can rack spells if a suitable target is
+available.
+
+**Lynchpins (5)** (Create, Memorize, and Rack Spells)
+
+: The sorceror can add Lynchpins to their spells.
+
+<br>
+
--- /dev/null
+digraph trump{
+ size="10,5";
+ layout=dot;
+ splines=true;
+
+ subgraph cluster_trump {
+ bgcolor="LightBlue";
+ "Sense Trump";
+ "Trump Identification";
+ "Advanced Trump Identification";
+ "Trump Defence";
+ "Trump Sketches";
+ "Permanent Trumps";
+ "Trump Memory";
+ "Trump Spying";
+ "Trump Jamming";
+ "Trump Gate";
+ "Disguised Trumps";
+ "Trump Traps";
+ "Trump Blackout";
+ }
+
+ "Sense Trump" -> "Trump Identification" -> "Advanced Trump Identification";
+ "Sense Trump" -> "Trump Defence";
+ "Sense Trump" -> "Trump Sketches";
+ "Sense Trump" -> "Permanent Trumps" -> "Advanced Trump Identification";
+ "Permanent Trumps" -> "Trump Memory";
+ "Trump Identification" -> "Trump Spying";
+ "Sense Trump" -> "Trump Jamming";
+ "Trump Sketches" -> "Trump Gate" [style=dashed];
+ "Permanent Trumps" -> "Trump Gate" [style=dashed];
+ "Permanent Trumps" -> "Disguised Trumps";
+ "Permanent Trumps" -> "Trump Traps";
+ "Teacher" -> "Trump Defence";
+ "Teacher" -> "Trump Sketches";
+ "Teacher" -> "Permanent Trumps";
+ "Teacher" -> "Trump Gate";
+}
--- /dev/null
+### Trump ###
+
+----
+
+Some of these abilities can be discovered by experimentation; others
+require teaching. Experimentation will require access to a deck of
+trumps. See [[the note|Notes_on_Powers#trump]] about decks of trumps.
+
+"Going Cold" is a feature of the way trumps work; it does not have any
+predictive power on the contactability of the subject.
+
+----
+
+[[Trump.png]]
+
+----
+
+**Sense Trump (5)**
+
+: The user can detect trump energy in objects and artifacts. This
+usually requires touching the object or observing it in use however
+with higher levels of *Psyche* it may be possible at range. Any user
+with this ability can instill Trump abilities they have in artifacts.
+
+**Trump Identification (5)** (Sense Trump)
+
+: By consulting the trumps in their deck the user can tell which of
+the portrayed people or places are currently using trump power. This
+can be used to give an idea of who might be calling.
+
+**Advanced Trump Identification (5)** (Trump Identification, Permanent Trumps)
+
+: If using trumps that they have created or studied the artist can
+identify which of the active trumps in their deck is the caller during
+a contact.
+
+**Trump Defence (5)** (Sense Trump, Teacher)
+
+: The user can use the power of an active trump as a defense.
+
+**Trump Sketches (5)** (Sense Trump, Teacher)
+
+: The user can make Trump Sketches. Note that sketches have a limited
+lifespan; approximately 10 minutes and 1 use per 10 *Psyche* over
+Chaos. See below for additional notes on Sketches.
+
+**Permanent Trumps (20)** (Sense Trump, Teacher)
+
+: The user can create permanent trumps.
+
+: It is unlikely the user will have time to do so during the game; but
+see [[the notes|Notes_on_Powers]].
+
+**Trump Memory (5)** (Permanent Trumps)
+
+: The artist memorizes any trumps they create or study extensively and
+can use their memory as if it were a trump deck.
+
+**Trump Spying (5)** (Trump Identification)
+
+: While touching a trump the user can overhear anything the depicted
+person is saying over trump. Touching both halves of a conversation
+will give you the entire conversation.
+
+**Trump Jamming (5)** (Sense Trump)
+
+: By concentrating while holding the trump the user can prevent anyone
+else from using a trump of the target. This is at least as exhausting
+as blocking a trump contact to oneself.
+
+**Trump Gate (10)** (Trump Sketches or Permanent Trumps, Teacher)
+
+: Given a trump or sketch that they have created of the destination
+the artist can open a gateway that others can pass through. This is
+exceptionally tiring and gates created from sketches will have a very
+short duration.
+
+**Disguised Trumps (5)** (Permanent Trumps)
+
+: The artist can create Permanent Trumps that depict something other
+than their target.
+
+**Trump Traps (5)** (Permanent Trumps)
+
+: The artist can create Permanent Trumps that activate when picked up
+and suck the user through to their destination.
+
+**Trump Blackout (5)**
+
+: The user can "blackout" a trump contact revealing nothing about
+where they are or what they look like. This requires some
+concentration.
+
+<br>
+
+#### Notes on Trump Sketches
+
+* Basic sketch will take you about 10 minutes; if you spend longer on
+ it then it will last for longer, or though changing shadow. About
+ one day or change of shadow per ten minutes.
+* Each sketch can be *used* for 10 minutes plus an additional 10
+ minutes for every 10 Psyche over Chaos-level; this includes time
+ spent spying.
+* Each sketch can be used to make a trump call once plus an additional
+ time for every 10 Psyche over Chaos-level.
+* Trump Indentification (i.e. telling which trumps are in use) does
+ not wear out the sketch.
+* Sketches need to be handled carefully. Over or poor handling will
+ reduce their lifespan.
--- /dev/null
+### Last Time in Amber ###
+
+----
+*"My own role sometimes makes me want to strangle the author"*
+
+----
+
+ * A bonus of 1 additional point per hundred words (up to a maximum of 5) is available to any player who sends us a short summary of what happened last time.
+ * These should be clearly either an in-character summary or an out of character summary.
+ * Summaries will be published here!
+
+
+
+----
+*Juanita talking to Captain O’Malley, over a large flask of rum*
+
+I just can’t stop thinking – what did we miss? It’s driving me crazy. Maybe if I tell you the tale, you’ll spot something we didn’t. Here, have another drink – it’s going to be a long story.
+
+So, it goes like this. Just as I was preparing to leave for the midsummer ball, I got a trump call from Luke. Yeah, that’s right, the King of Kashfa. Now, he’s not someone I know well - rumour has it he was the one who shot Grandpapa, so I never exactly sought out his company. But he’s alright really, seems like an easy going kind of guy. So when he told me that a Kashfan diplomat had turned up dead in Castle Amber and he needed my help to find out how, I thought, why not? Sounds more interesting than a ball. Those affairs are usually so tedious.
+
+You’ve probably heard that the last two Kashfan diplomats who were leading the talks with the Begmans were both murdered. One stabbed, one poisoned – whether that indicates two different murderers or not, I couldn’t say. General consensus is that the Eregnor Liberation Front are responsible (ELF – haha! Didn’t think that through, did they?). But Luke suspects the Begmans. I didn’t ask on what grounds as I didn’t think he’d tell me. Anyway, because of that, this time they decided to hold the talks on neutral ground, in Kailua of all places. It did no good though, their chief negotiator, this fellow named Shaku, still came to a sticky end. No big surprise – but how he ended up in Castle Amber – that was the big mystery.
+
+I headed off to the ball anyway, since it got me closer to the corpse. There was lots of whispering and secret conversations already going on; it was quite clear who had heard about what was going on and who hadn’t. More importantly, there was no rum. Since there was nothing worth drinking, I talked to some of my cousins (second cousins? Once removed?) to see if anyone was interested in helping out. Luke was offering a reward, after all. Max agreed to see what he could find out, and Bastian and Shade had nothing better to do either.
+
+I told Random that we were investigating on behalf of the King of Kashfa and he agreed to let us look at the body. Turns out it was in the Hall of Mirrors. You’ve heard of it? Sort of explains how the body got to Amber, though I’d never heard of the mirrors going as far as Kailua. Shaku had been stabbed, looked like from the front, so we surmised it was someone he knew. There was a dagger beside him that we recognised as one of Martin’s (not sure if Max was worried or pleased by that). Shaku also had a few trumps in his possession, and it was somewhat of a surprise to discover one of them was one of mine. One that I’d drawn, I mean, not a trump of me. It was El Rocio, Papa’s place. I guess Papa had lent Shaku the trump, maybe he’d done some diplomatic assignments in Deiga in the past. I hoped that was the reason, anyway. The other trumps were Kashfa City, Kailua and a lady named Penelope (I reckoned Luke had drawn those three), plus another one of someone called Lazarus by an unknown artist.
+
+At this point I was more than halfway through the flask of rather excellent rum that Luke had given me, so I decided it would be a great idea to go for a wander further into the HoM. Don’t look at me like that! At least I was sober enough to give my trump to Shade and Bastian first. I tell you, I’ve been to some weird places on my travels. Remember that shadow with all the [Juanita makes some indecipherable hand gestures]... yeah, that place. Well, the HoM, as I like to call it for short, is even stranger. But to cut a long description short, I ended up meeting the ghost of Shaku, who was distinctly unhelpful. Regardless of what I said to him, he just kept repeating the same rubbish over and over. I’d have run him through if he hadn’t been a ghost. I wrote it all down though, like a good little detective. This is what he said:<br>
+*Seek the cuckoo*<br>
+*The first cut is the deepest*<br>
+*All I want more than you is to do right by you*<br>
+*The darkest hour is just after the dawn*
+
+See? Nonsense. Then after that, things got even weirder and a whole lot more vomit-inducing – like the mirrors were closing in and I was being sucked into a whirlpool, with all sorts of disturbing images spinning all around me. Ugh. I saw Papa being burned at the stake. I saw an army pouring from a fleet of ships and sacking the town of Beylul. I saw the younger sister that I never had. Things that could have been, and things that might be. It freaked me out. I trumped Shade and got him to pull me out of there post-haste.
+
+Before I could really recover, someone was trumping me. It was Aidan, Luke’s son. Luke had told me not to recruit Aidan because apparently it’s well known that he didn’t get on with Shaku, and he didn’t want that to compromise the investigation. So naturally I quizzed Aidan on his relationship with the diplomat. He basically said Shaku was a prick. His words, not mine! He also said he planned to get involved with Random’s official investigation but suggested that the two of us exchange information. That seemed fair, so I told him about Shaku’s trumps. Aidan was particularly cagey about Lazarus, saying only that he was ‘one of theirs’. So a Kashfan spy, then.
+
+Next we trumped over to Kailua to take a look at the embassy where Shaku had been staying. It was empty – all the delegates had been sent back to Kashfa already – so we let ourselves in. There was nothing of interest in Shaku’s office, though, and no signs of a fight anywhere. It was around then that I got another trump call from Aidan, who told me he’d found the scene of the crime. I stepped through, and found myself in Papa’s back garden in El Rocio...
+
+Sure enough, there was a blood stain on the grass. Aidan said that Dracon (a new guy in town, presumably a relative but dunno exactly how) had managed to trace Shaku’s last location from the HoM using sorcerous means. I quickly got the servants together and questioned them – obviously I didn’t think Mama and Papa had anything to do with these events, but then after that debacle with the ring last year, you just never know. The servants took some persuasion, but finally told us what they had seen. They’d heard some kind of commotion in the garden sometime just after dawn (yes, the darkest hour – maybe Shaku wasn’t talking total nonsense after all). They’d gone to investigate and seen Shaku duelling with another figure, who looked very much like Coral, Queen of Kashfa and beloved wife of Luke. Shaku took a mortal wound, and the Queen paid off the maids to keep their mouths shut and to clear up her mess. She’d then dragged the body away.
+
+Something about the description that the servants gave us didn’t ring true. Besides that it made no sense for Coral to behave that way, that is. Perhaps the fact that each gave exactly the same description, almost word for word, gave it away. We surmised that their minds had been tampered with, and that someone was trying to frame the Queen. At this point, the rest of the Amber investigators turned up, and a few other things were disclosed: A trump had been found in the bushes nearby, of Patricius, Bastian’s father (another one of mine I’d drawn for Papa); more blood had been found inside the house, a trail that stopped next to a wall, and a scent of perfume still remaining; someone had removed the dagger by Shaku’s body and replaced it with a longsword (but Nathan had consulted an expert who confirmed that neither weapon could have caused the wound); And Max had heard from an undisclosed source that Merlin had been spotted poking around the body.
+
+At this point Bastian went off to trump his father. He was quite insistent that he wanted to do it in private, but Aidan did go with him in the end. Apparently Patricius had no idea about anything that was going on, and said he hadn’t spoken to Papa for a while, so he was no help. Still, seems odd that the trump would be there. Papa is usually more careful. What’s that? No, I don’t know Bastian that well, or his dad. Entirely possible that one or other of them knows more than they’re letting on.
+
+Next, I called Mama to warn her that there were a bunch of Amberites poking around in her house, and 15 minutes later she turned up to play hostess. At that point, Bastian, Shade and I left for Kashfa to speak to the delegates, leaving the others to continue investigating and to eat all the sandwiches Mama was preparing. The delegates insisted that the last time they’d seen Shaku, he’d been heading off to dinner with his fiancée Penelope. They were positive that he’d never returned to the embassy.
+
+So now we knew who Penelope was. I decided to give her a call. A pretty uncomfortable call, as it turned out. No-one had bothered to tell her what had happened to Shaku, so lucky me got to break the news. She was pretty gutted, as you might expect. After the tears subsided a bit, I managed to get her to tell me when she last saw Shaku. He’d walked her back to her apartment in Kailua after their dinner at the Lighthouse, and she hadn’t seen him since. She also told me that Shaku had a bit of an altercation with another man in the restaurant, a stranger who’d dared to flirt with his fiancée. I reassured her that we’d do everything to find out who’d killed her beloved, and left her to it.
+
+While we were in Kashfa, we got ourselves an appointment with the Queen – mainly so Shade could give her a sniff. No, really. He’s a shapeshifter, you see. Don’t tell anyone else that, okay? I don’t think he’d like me spreading it around. He was able to confirm that it wasn’t her perfume in Papa’s house, which was good. Luke wouldn’t have liked it. In fact, that was just the very moment I got a call from Luke, who was raging like an angry bull because he’d heard from Aidan about the attempt to frame Coral. I promised we’d try to find out who did it, mostly to get rid of him. And soon after that, Aidan called to say they’d discovered it was Jasra, the Queen mother, who’d implanted the memories in the minds of Papa’s servants, or so Princess Fiona had told them after examining the poor maids. Seemed unlikely that Jasra had committed the murder though – must have been more like an opportunistic thing. Everyone knows she hates Coral. Apparently Fiona also detected memories of another woman, but even she couldn’t tease that information out, so it seemed like it had been wiped for good.
+
+Next we went back to Kailua and questioned some people around Penelope’s apartment. We found witnesses who had seen him walk her home. After that, he’d stepped into a nearby alleyway and disappeared. And yes, when we entered said alleyway, I did detect some residual trump energy there. We were able to rule out his Kashfa City and Kailua trumps, and clearly he didn’t use the El Rocio one until he turned up in our garden about six or so hours later. He could have called the spy Lazarus, or Patricius, if that trump was his. Or someone else could have called him (though the timing would have been rather coincidental). Hmm? Yes, I guess he could have trumped Penelope and stepped through into her room. A good way to secure a lady’s reputation. I’m guessing you’ve used that trick before yourself? You old scoundrel.
+
+Now I’m thinking about it, I wish I’d spent more time talking to Penelope. At the time I didn’t suspect her of any complicity, but now I’m wondering about *All I want more than you is to do right by you*. Those sound like the words of a lover, no? Maybe if I’d pretended to be Shaku when she answered the call, I’d have got more information – but no, that would have been too cruel.
+When we went to the Lighthouse, the bouncer there confirmed the incident between Penelope and the stranger. Apparently the man had short brown hair, the stance of a fighter, and an Amberite accent, but he didn’t recognise it as anyone from my trump decks, or from a sketch I drew of Martin. After the bouncer had diffused the situation, the Amberite left the restaurant, to go who knows where. Interestingly, Shaku had fancied himself as a decent swordsman, though the bouncer didn’t rate him at all. I remembered Aidan had said something similar. No wonder he thought he was a prick.
+
+Well, that’s an interesting theory you have there, O’Malley. If there is more to Penelope than it seemed, I guess the Amberite could have been her contact, approaching for a quick exchange of information before Shaku returned. Could she be working for the Begmans? A cuckoo in the nest... It’s hard to believe that she would have harmed Shaku though. Her tears seemed genuine enough.
+
+Anyhow... before we could do anything else, Luke called again. It turned out Random had called everyone back to the castle, as some poor fool had accused Martin of Shaku’s murder (accusing the King’s son of murder – there’s a route to an early grave). We all gathered in Random’s office and told him what we’d discovered (he was less forthcoming – he wouldn’t say who had made the accusation). I was pleased to hear that the ‘official’ investigation team didn’t have much to say that we didn’t already know about, so we hadn’t been totally incompetent. The only new thing really was that it had been Merlin who had replaced the dagger with the sword. Idiot.
+
+There was no evidence to incriminate Martin, so Random declared his son innocent, and said he would take over the rest of the investigation himself. So that was that. But one thing did stick in my mind from that conversation – a passing comment of Morgan’s. She said that the Hall of Mirrors tells you “the who, the how, the why and the when”. In which case... hand me that quill, would you?
+
+*A piece of parchment with scribbles in both Juanita’s and O’Malley’s handwriting*
+
+Who: Seek the cuckoo – Lazarus? Penelope? The Amberite in the Lighthouse? If not Begman or ELF, could some other party want the talks to fail? To destabilise the Golden Circle? What about the perfumed woman that the maids can’t remember. Did she summon the HoM? Who can do that?
+Why: All I want more than you is to do right by you – Penelope again? Was she a spy, but fell in love with Shaku for real, and then confessed, knowing he’d leave her? Was it a crime of passion? Or did he say those words to her? Did he have another lover?
+
+Timeline:
+
+ * Shaku and Penelope go to dinner.
+ * Penelope speaks to the mystery Amberite; Shaku spots them and takes offence; the bouncer puts a stop to the argument; the Amberite leaves
+ * Shaku walks Penelope home
+ * Shaku goes into the alleyway and trumps someone/somewhere
+ * ~6 hours pass
+ * Shaku gets into a fight, and trumps to El Rocio to get away
+ * Shaku is killed in Papa’s garden
+ * A woman wipes the maids memories, and drags the body inside the house and into the HoM
+ * Jasra turns up and implants new memories (how did she know it had happened??)
+ * Shaku is abandoned in the HoM, which goes to Amber Castle
+ * Someone puts Martin’s dagger beside the body
+ * Juanita’s team examine the body, take the trumps and talk to the ghost
+ * Merlin removes the dagger and replaces it with a longsword
+ * The other team examine the body; by this time the ghost is fading
+ * Juanita needs more rum
+
--- /dev/null
+### The Teams ###
+
+----
+
+*I trusted him like a brother, that is to say, not at all.*
+
+----
+
+**Teams will be posted here when determined!**
+
+----
+**Team A** - *members of this team will walk the Pattern just before the start of play*
+
+* Aiden
+* Felicia
+* Morgan
+* Nathan
+* Rosie
+
+<br>
+
+**Team B** - *members of this team are not among those walking the Pattern just before the start of play*
+
+* Bastian
+* Declan
+* Dracon
+* Juanita
+* Sebastian
+* Shade
* **Ambercon 2015: [[The Golden Circle]]**
* **Ambercon 2016: [[The Hall of Mirrors]]**
* **Ambercon 2017: [[The Path of Power]]**
+* **Ambercon 2018: [[The Tools of Diplomacy]]**
<br>
* **Ambercon NI 2018: [[The Track Not Taken]]**
<br>
~nmamery / PlayersGuide.git / commitdiff
