Spoken Truths - Amber PBM

[jibbajibba]

@jibbajibba: Were you just looking for 'public stuff' known to the people of Amber, or would stuff known to the people of the Courts be appropriate as well?

Yes doing a history page for the courts as well

[SunBoy]

Well, I was aiming for something descriptive and informative. I mean, now you know Constantine spent or spends years on end traveling Shadow researching obscure stuff, some of it just for the sake of proving himself... maybe I screwed  up, but that was the intent. If it's still alright I'll go with something more epic next time.

[boulet]

It was a day of celebration. The city was flooded with noble visitors and merchants from all across the Golden Circle. The palace had been prepped up thoroughly to make the best impression on foreign delegations. I remember very well, I was third line cook then and we had had very little sleep for more than week. Oh boy, was the Steward on our asses all the time. I supervised the East ball room for a massive breakfast where the diplomatic delegations were expected any moment.

And I heard a commotion and the staff stopped doing whatever they were doing and rushed to the big corridor, curious to know who was shouting and what the ruckus was about. I followed them, anxious to get them back on task since I wasn't looking forward to get lectured about my responsibilities, again. That's when I saw him despite the gathering of valets in front of me, powerful and irresistible Oberon. It wasn't one of those days when he's all charm and quiet authority. No, this morning we saw Oberon the aggravated parent. His shirt looked like he had been doing some dirty work or something. His hair were sweaty, his beard sprinkled with saw dust. I've never seen him look like that since that day. He was shouting, his face red and his veins pulsing like if he was - excuse my language, long live the king - a madman! To add to the weirdness of the scene he was pulling a teenager by one leg or whatever limb he could get a grab on. The young one was giving a hell of a fight, but you've seen Oberon, he's an impressive fellow. The kid had no chance to escape.

I have a hard time remembering exactly what they were shouting about. It was a bit incoherent I guess, being all worked up with anger and struggling. But I think Oberon said "like it or not you belong here you ungrateful witless scum!" Probably the king was using a cruder language. I let you imagine. And they went on like that to the other end of the corridor. Later a guard told me that the kid had been locked in a cell under the palace for the time of festivity. The protocol guys had enough issues to deal without adding a knuckle swinging fool to the picture.

Did you guess by now who this adolescent was? Nope that wasn't sir Kormil, but I agree he could have been in this position. No. It was Lord Degion! I kid you not! I know he looks all important and tidy, like he belongs with the furniture or something. The rumor says he's a bastard of the king. Hush, keep your voice low when talking about this. You think it's just a story? Well I can tell you that day Oberon looked like the essence of an angry father, and boy that was a scary sight.

[Locathus]

Umm...OK.  My story got a bit out of hand.  So, instead of posting it here I'm just going to give everyone a link.  It wasn't supposed to be that long - it just kind of got there.  Anyway, let me know what you think.  I've got a couple more Galfor stories in my head that I'll try to get out - preferably in a less long-winded manner.

[Locathus]

BTW, Logos - I like the style you chose for your story.  I definitely have an image of Caleb in my head after that one.  No disrespect to the rest of you, of course - that one just particularly grabbed my attention.  

[Logos7]

The archtype is also about a league away from the rest it seems, so that undoubtibly helps it stick out some.

I hope i didn't go too heavy with the Zarathuster...

L

[jibbajibba]

Don't get me wrong guys they are all great and any insight into the characters is great - was just hoping to make the history section, along with the castle and the city more personalised to this set of characters.
Will be distributing points for all entries though (once I get back home and am not blackberry limited)
. Any one want to be the primary architech of the castle. Is not I wopuld still like ideas about quarters. Stuff like have converted the old observatory or mmm whatever
Want to try and give everyone the chance to get to know each other as well so you can work. Out alliances and rivalries.
Lastly still a couple of round two bids to get back.

[Stormwind]

Amber: History - The new arrival

During the years when the "Treaty of Antiqua" still stood as testament to the peace between Amber and Chaos, when Lady Oriana of the House of Manvar resided within the walls of amber as Oberon's wife, two children were born. The youngest, a girl, was still but a child when her mother took her and her older brother and left Amber to return to the Courts.

A little less than a year ago, a young woman came to Amber. She came alone and how she arrived is unknown. Some say she simply walked into the city, but that is surely impossible for to do so she would have had to pass through Arden, and yet she had no escort, none of the rangers saw her to the city gates, none of the guards at the gates recall giving her entry, and none of the ships arriving in the harbor gave her passage, .. and yet she arrived.

On her arrival she set about organizing lodgings for herself, a simple yet elegant townhouse in the center of the city, which she purchased outright. She then saw to the hiring of several servants before she proceeded, by carriage, to the Embassy of the Fractal Throne on the eastern edge of the harbor wall where she requested to speak with Lord Chaucer of the House of Gola. She was granted admittance and one might easily presume that she spoke with the ambassador for when she left, she had an escort.

The young lady then proceeded, with her escort, to the castle itself where she asked an audience of Oberon himself. She gained a private audience, and spoke with the King at some length, though none know that which they spoke of.

The King then called for his seneschal and instructed him to see that his daughter, Elaine, was to be installed in the diplomatic quarters in the east wing.

The little girl returned to Amber, but she had changed, no longer the child which her siblings might remember, but a woman, sophisticated and composed, her slim figure standing a mere 5'1" tall, dressed in an elegant yet simple black dress.

That was almost one year ago ...

______________________________

Courts of Chaos: History - A poisoning

Rumors travel around the Courts, ... and sometimes those rumors have more than an ounce of truth to them ...

This is a rumor that is seldom heard, for there are few that talk about it, save in hushed whispers.

It began as a fairly typical event within the courts, two noble houses vying for power and a scheme to raise one of the two houses into the ascendant through a fall in reputation of the other. At a formal court of the Fractal throne, a young girl was poisoned. It was an unusual poison, chosen for a specific property, that of forcing a shapeshifter to change ... to revert into their primal form. Of course this, initially, caused a small loss of face for the house of the young girl due to lack of control at such an event, but an investigation was carried out and poison was indeed proven to have been the cause. The investigators could not, however, find anything to prove the complicity of the other house and so the investigation was closed. The young girl retreated to the Ways of her house where she remained for the better part of a year.

It is what happened next that caused much consternation within certain circles ...

Exactly one year later, the fellow who had been suspected of carrying out the poisoning, but against whom no charges had been placed due to his position in the other house and the minor fact that no definite proof had ever been found linking him to the actual poisoning, ... this fellow was found in the midst of the most travelled thoroughfare of the Courts. There was nothing left of him ... oh his body was there and relatively undamaged apart from a little neglect ... it was his mind ... his mind had been burnt out so thoroughly that he was naught but an empty husk.

Rumors travel around the Courts ...

[Xenon]

Ah, an opportunity to edit the castle. what fun

Prince Gregory has moved his rooms into the southeast tower of the castle, overlooking both the south and east gardens. It is four stories tall, square, and twenty feet across on the inside. The southeast tower is part of the castles older stonework. the stairs are 5 feet wide, and spiral about the interior, a landing at each corner with a door. a postern gate opens onto the garden just outside the tower's ground floor door. The roof of the tower itself has been made into a garden of sorts, the plants grown there are used for the pigments of paints. the tower has doors into the 1st and 3rd floors.

the castle library is on the third floor, not far down the hall. the kitchens on the first floor are likewise reasonably close by, the staff often using the postern gate to get fresh vegetables from the garden outside.

Gregory is an artist, and is often seen in the gardens painting landscapes. the pond in the south garden is a favorite of his, and he once incorporated a duel between two of his brothers into the painting as they met on the far side of the pond. The gazebo in the east garden Gregory built himself one summer, a hardwood structure covered in fine carvings and stained a light brown.

[jibbajibba]

This stuff is great

Inlight of my inabilty to PM (still in croatia, dubrovnik is sooo great) Croaker, no if you don't bid in round 2 you won't see the pother bids and yes you have 200 points

[Locathus]

Here's my contribution to the castle so far:  Galfor's private rooms.  Let me know if anything is unacceptable.

Galfor resides in a suite of rooms located just off one of the castle's side entrances.  Not surprisingly, it is the side entrance which leads to the waterfront area, and Galfor's favorite hangout – the Soggy Wench tavern.

The main room is huge, with skylights overhead and massive vertical windows that take the place of the wall opposite the main entrance.  The entire room is done in a deep red, though gold highlights appear throughout.  The floor itself is a white marble with gold veins.  The most obvious feature upon entering is an ornate marble table located in the center of the room, which typically hosts Galfor's famous gaming nights.  Poker is the usual game of choice, but any manner of card or dice games are played on a regular basis, and the large crowds have left their mark with the smell of stale tobacco hanging in the air.  In addition to the main table, couches and tables can be found throughout the room.  On most mornings the couches contain revelers from the previous evening sleeping off their extravagance.

To the left of the room, there is a fully stocked bar – always staffed with several servants when Galfor is entertaining.  The bar itself has been inlaid with gold and the engravings are similar in style to those on his golden spear.  There are two doors immediately beyond the bar – the first leads to Galfor's personal wine cellar, and the second to his servants' quarters.

To the right of the main room is a small staircase leading up to a balcony area with several comfortable tables and chairs for guests to lounge in.  A small area has been set aside for musicians as well.  Most nights Galfor prefers a string quartet, but over the years many other musicians have made it their home as well.  In one corner of the balcony there is also a simple, gold door leading to Galfor's private bedchamber.

Upon opening the door to the wine cellar, a visitor is greeted by a small stone stairway leading down.  Sconces in the wall provide illumination when needed.  The stairway continues downward for a short way, and the temperature drops noticeably as one descends the stairs.  At the bottom the steps open into a moderately sized room.  The bottles of wine are arranged in a series of floor to ceiling racks.  The collection holds nearly two-thousand bottles at capacity, and for large parties additional wine is usually stored in crates until needed.

Galfor's current servants are Phillip Le'Fontaine and his wife, Greta.  Phillip is in his early 30's but has already established himself as indispensible.  He is a bit shorter than average, and of medium build.  His hair is well on the way to becoming gray, with various streaks evident.  Phillip took over the position from his father, Ferdinand, who has since retired to the country.  And Ferdinand took over the position from his father, Raphael, who passed on some time ago.  Greta would not be described as stunning, but she has a quiet charm to her.  She has dark hair, is slightly shorter than Phillip, and has probably had a few too many helpings of dessert over time.  Phillip and Greta have two children – Jean (a boy of 13) and Louise (a girl of 5).  Galfor adores both of them – as he does most children.

Phillip and Greta's quarters are sparse but sufficient – two small bedrooms and a common room.  The door to their quarters has also been enchanted by one of Galfor's siblings (any volunteers?) – it will not permit any sound to pass, save that of a pair of enchanted bells that are usually kept in Galfor's bedchamber and on the large table in the main room.  This allows the Le'Fontaines to lead somewhat normal lives despite their master's habits.

Galfor's bedchamber is somewhat less impressive than most would assume.  It contains a large, canopied bed that is big enough for three to sleep comfortably (which is often necessary).  A few closets are in evidence, mostly for clothing, and there is a desk along one wall.  Several of Galfor's favorite paintings are hung on the walls.  Naturally, there is also a small bar set up in one of the corners near the bed.  Finally, there is a wooden stand designed to fit Galfor's spear in one of the remaining corners of the room.

[SunBoy]

Constantine totally enchanted those doors and bells. It was pretty easy, probably the same kind of magic he'd have used in his own quarter's doors, after a few of Galfor's parties

[jibbajibba]

Here's my contribution to the castle so far:  Galfor's private rooms.  Let me know if anything is unacceptable.

Galfor resides in a suite of rooms located just off one of the castle's side entrances.  Not surprisingly, it is the side entrance which leads to the waterfront area, and Galfor's favorite hangout – the Soggy Wench tavern.

Amber Castle is high up on the side of Kolvir and an elegant arched bridge designed by ... (I am thinking Constantine simple must be an architech??) connects it to the city. So the waterfront entrance is a bit of a tricky one. The rest is excellent.

And as I noted the city will be based on Dubrovnik's old town which looks a bit like um well this ...
I will be editing this and publishing the definitive version to the website maybe this afternoon maybe tomorrow.

[Locathus]

So the waterfront entrance is a bit of a tricky one.

No problem.  It'll be the closest thing he can get - the main thing is that he can get out of the castle quickly, and his guests can come and go without disturbing the rest of the castle more than necessary.

[Schattensturm]

Sorry guys,
my PC decided to retire (may he rest in peace and welcome to my new notebook) and so I wasn't able to attend the forum for a while. Now to the character history bit:

"For a marilith demon, I am a rather patient gal, you know?" Zabra killed time by folding her six arms like a trellis-work fence. "On the other hand my patience has its limits. It's been almost ten minutes I am waiting for you to thank me for saving your life."

Helel grunted diapprovingly and continued to scribble the wall with sketches and cacography.

"Thought it could do me good to save the life of a chaos lord. Gratefulness, you know what that is? I save your life, you tell me that you owe me, and everyone is happy. How about that?" Her tounge slithered out, along the line of her sharp teeth.

"I didn't die for no reason. You ruined almost everything by reviving me too early", Helel took a step back and looked over his notes, "and now your babble distracts me from my protocol. Give me two minutes and I'm yours."

This bought him twenty seconds of silence. "You know what the Kelvezu say about you? They say that Helel Manvar is a hyte bastard. But hey, those Kelvezu know shit. So show me how wrong they are

Helel sighed and took a step back to get a better perspective on his accomplished notes. "I must tell you, they are right and your judgement is as bad as your mannerism. A) I am a bastard, my parents weren't married when I was born. B) although madness is a rather interpretable term, it fits me; yet I dare to claim that madness is but a lack of proper interpretation of revelation, which I am working at."

"Is this religious stuff? Church of the Serpent? Digma dugma dogma talk?"

"Yes, ignorant. You know about the madness of the logrus? What if I told you, that, when you walk the logrus, the serpent reveals to you the truth of the universe. Many die when confronted with it, the rest goes mad, due to its sheer incomprehensability. Some believe it is a madness that must be overcome, I believe it must be conquered. If you do, the truth of the whole universe will be revealed to you." It sounded like a lecture held before a student deemed too stupid to understand.

"The whole universe? You mean the chaos part. Doesn't Amber have its own sortalogrus? It ain't part of Chaos, so the logrus won't help you understand it." The demon smiled wickedly. She enjoyed taunting the chaos lord.

Helel smiled back: "Amber is an aspect of chaos, although - I must admit - a very special one."

"An aspect of chaos? I don't think a prince of Amber would agree there, but maybe it's in the eye of the beholder?"

"I am a prince of Amber, demoness; and it's not in the eye of the beholder, but in the eye of the serpent. Now leave me alone, I have work to do."