Wizard from Short Stories

[RPGPundit]

So, who exactly was the Wizard who sent the Guisel after Merlin?

What do we know as canonical about him? What may be semi-canonical; and finally, what is pure rampant speculation?

RPGPundit

[Trevelyan]

Isn't he one of the random extra contenders for the throne that Zelazny conhjured out of thin air just so that Merlin wouldn't have an easy ride in the short stories? Seriously, how did Mandor and Dara, not to mention the Logrus, fuck that one up "Congrats, Merlin, you're next in line for the throne! No, wait, hang on a moment, we forgot about ahlf a dozen other potential kings. Whoops!"

[RPGPundit]

Was that what happened? Or are you speculating here?

RPGPundit

[Shoby187]

So, who exactly was the Wizard who sent the Guisel after Merlin?

What do we know as canonical about him? What may be semi-canonical; and finally, what is pure rampant speculation?

RPGPundit

He is a Lord of Chaos and Merlin's greatest rival for the Throne of Chaos. He gained control of the Guisel and had been sending it to kill any other challengers for the throne.

Probably his greatest power is his stumbling upon a way to enter the Mirror Realm which allows him to enter the mirror world, spy on others through mirrors, and apparently, the ability to use them to travel through shadow, even going from Amber to Chaos in a short amount of time.

He seems to know a lot about the Spikards, knowing that Werewindle was one.

[Uncle Twitchy]

In my campaign, he's the main baddy (well, who doesn't realize he's being manipulated by two other main baddies that the PCs have no idea about). I called him Taleisan.

[weilide]

In the short stories Merlin and Rhanda have this exchange: "I am forewarned,  and I thank you--though there are really only six others in the running for the Throne. I was number one, but a half dozen pretenders have recently turned up. You said seven. There's one I don't know about?"
   "There is the hidden one," she said. "I do not know his name to tell you, though I know you saw him in Suhuy's pool. I know his appearance, Chaotic and human. I know that even Mandor considers him a worthy antagonist when it  comes to scheming. Conversely, I believe Mandor is the main reason he removed himself to our realm. He fears Mandor."

Returning to Merlin's earlier description of Suhuy's scrying pool, there is this passage: "Then there was Prince Tubble of the Ways of Chanicut, phasing back and forth between human and swirling demonic forms. Placid, heavy, subtle; centuries old and very shrewd; he wore a fringed beard, had wide, innocent, pale eyes, was master of many games."

Later on, in the attack during Swayvil's funeral Tubble is presumed to have gone over the edge but nobody quite knows for sure. It seems as though Zelazny is suggesting that he simply went into hiding instead.

I have also always assumed that the wizard / Tubble is behind the shadow storm that Merlin, Mandor, and Fiona interfere with earlier in the series, although now that I mention it I can't seem to recall anything from the text that supports this directly.

[RPGPundit]

Now that's a very interesting theory, Weilide!

RPGPundit

[Trevelyan]

Now that's a very interesting theory, Weilide!

Very interesting indeed. Mandor speculated that the author of the shadow storms came from Chaos, and he reported his findings back to Suhuy. And it was probably Mandor who pushed Tubble over the edge of the abyss during the funeral, so it's only natural that Tubble, would view Mandor as a threat, especailly if Mandor was onto his shadow storm operation too. As a theory it all fits together.

The only weak link is that Rhanda says "I do not know his name to tell you, though I know you saw him in Suhuy's pool. I know his appearance, Chaotic and human," which are two statements that are not necessarily linked. The full passage when Merlin looks into the pool is as follows:

I looked into the pool. Images swam amid the black ribbons beneath its surface - Swayvill lying in state, yellow and black robes muffling his shrunken form, my mother, my father, demonic forms, all passing and fading, Jurt, myself, Jasra and Julia, Random and Fiona, Mandor and Dworkin, Bill Roth and many faces I did not know…
… So I returned my attention to the chaos of faces and forms.  Jurt returned and remained for a long time. He was dressing himself, in very good taste, and he appeared to be relatively intact. When he finally faded there returned one of the half familiar faces I had seen earlier. I knew he was a noble of the Courts, and I searched my memory. Of course, It had been a long while, but now I recognized him. It was Tmer, of the House of Jesby, eldest son of the late Prince Rolovians, and now lord himself of the Ways of Jesby - spade beard, heavy brow, sturdily built, not unhandsome, in a rugged sort of way; by all report a brave and possibly even sensitive fellow.
     Then there was Prince TubbIe of the Ways of Chanicut, phasing back and forth between human and swirling demonic forms. Placid, heavy, subtle; centuries old and very shrewd; he wore a fringed beard, had wide, innocent, pale eyes, was master of many games.
     I waited, and Tmer followed Jurt followed Tubble into vanishment amid the coiling ribbons. I waited longer, and nothing new occurred.

It's possible that the mysterious sorcerer is on of the many faces that Merlin does not know, but the Tubble idea has a certain ring to it.

IIRC, we get a better description of the rival in Comming to a Cord, when Flora, Luke and Frakir all meet the guy. Is there a description in that story (I don't have my copy of Manna to hand) and does it match that of Tubble above? Does he introduce himself to Flora by a different name?

EDIT: A quick flick through CoaC reveals that the stranger sorcerer isn't described and doesn't introduce himself. At one point he mentions that he has been spying on Flora through her mirror every night for some time which at first glance might preclude him from being Tubble (who was active in the Courts) but the time differential between Amber and Chaos since his apaprent death might allow for it, and he might have been able to move quickly enough through the mirrors to be in both places while alive. The theory still can't be refuted.