KRISTA IN TITUS’ SHADOW

 BRANNON IN SKYE, ETC

Brannon checked on his various projects: all was well. He needed to contact Livilla. Her Trump was warm and she seemed to be off in Chaos somewhere. He zapped [Pattern teleported] to the gates of House Berumen --- barely. Getting past the Wall was exhausting and he collapsed at the gates. When he woke up the next day he found Livilla there, along with Irulan, Vaerrek, Saleri and Uthur. Livilla met with him in a private shadow. Brannon asked her for the use of a spikard set with Pattern for some experiments. Livilla agreed and said she’d arrange for the spikard’s owner to contact him.

IRULAN IN BERUMENWAYS

After a series of bouts against small groups of demons, Irulan finally tired of challenging everybody she met. She set out to find Ving. Livilla told her that he’d been seen near Vaerrek’s once-broken shadow. Irulan visited the place and learned that he’d passed through the hole to Catland. While gathering info, she started her own cult (wearing another form) to compete with the Kristaites and the new Draconites. Irulan made her way to Amber --- passing through the Wall exhausted her for a day --- and took the Blue Route to Catland, where she assumed her Saucytail persona.

VAERREK IN BERUMENWAYS

Vaerrek maintained his very best behavior while taking full advantage of the free Logrus training. He got along fine with Saleri, his teacher. House Berumen was still settling in to their new status as a major House. Perks included things like full access to the Logrus for the house Logrus Masters. Vaerrek asked Saleri if any further information had surfaced about his father’s identity. She said that deeper investigation would require a tissue sample. Vaerrek hesitated, then gave her one, then regretted it – so many nasty things could be done with sample DNA – and then relaxed. If they wanted a tissue sample, they could easily obtain one without his knowledge while he was staying in their Ways.

TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA

Tiberius and Azriel studied the ty’iga at the center of Beryl’s Master Spikard construct. It was one that the demon D’Olby had put in Kamron to protect and study her. The construct substituted for the physical body it would ordinarily need. It liked its job. The MS contained all the powers with the exception of the Opener ability. Tiberius experimented along the lines that had led him to Pattern Particles and Primal Order. The MS produced no particles but the energy was readily manipulated with magic. He worked on a spikard gun. Azriel helped. He took a few moments to look for Beryl’s spy critters. He found a few, but suspected that they were meant to be found. Azriel reprogrammed a spikard of hers. Tibby produced pure spikard power --- the ty’iga was very helpful. Beryl interrupted to question him on the political scene in Amber. He bitched about losing his Master of Rituals post and told her most things, withholding only information on the protections of the Pattern room. He suggested that Beryl could marry Sejanus herself. Catarina could be disposed of one way or another.

BRANNON IN SKYE

Brannon woke up safe in Skye. He cleaned up, ate and checked on his many projects once again. No problems. He got a Trump call --- Portia. He met with her, Opal and Vauxhall to discuss borrowing Opal’s spikard. He could do so, but Opal and Vauxhall would tag along to observe his experiments. They went to Amber, got permission from Sejanus and took ‘Chander and Bengt’ to the Pattern Room. Brannon had them drink lots of Pattern Water and make other preparations. They walked the Pattern without undue trouble. Sejanus was pleased – time for Phase 2. Brannon reported his success to Piper, but did not trouble her with knowledge of Phase 2. He and Piper agreed to introduce Bengt and Chander to the court as the real things. She arranged a big Successful Walk shindig, which went off fine. Prue was upset. Irulan found out that the two were her superiors at Psyche but nothing else.

KRISTA IN CASTRAVALVA

Azriel and Tiberius were playing with the Master Spikard while Piper, Verity, Demelza and the rest of Sejanus’ opposition gathered.

SECRET STUFF

IRULAN IN AMBER

Chander and Bengt showed no signs of rampant perversion, despite the stories Irulan had heard. She easily mastered them at Warfare, Strength and Endurance, but not Psyche. After the party, she went to Catland via the Blue Room. She met up, as Saucytail, with Rum Tum Tigger. While entertaining in a furry himbo way, RTT was no font of information outside his interests, which consisted of sex, drinking, sex, and sports. She went looking for curious cats. She found Mungojerry and Rumpleteaser breaking into the House of Plato to steal a Shiny Thing. They had followed Ving a ways into Grayness that felt wrong before giving it up. Demeter and Bombalurina were given to vanishing into the fog, too. D & B were the ones with the shared boyfriend Vaerrek, whose sexual prowess and agreeable nature they were always bragging up. Irulan/Saucytail tried going into the fog herself. M & R, intrigued, followed. She lost the trace on Ving and eventually broke out of the Gray in a dim city, scaring the crap out of an old man. She popped back into the mist and switched to less scary forms, settling upon that of a winsome child. She told him she was looking for her uncle. He employed a jewel to summon the Marquis de Carabas. The Marquis proved to be a dapper black man with a disturbing grin. The Marquis told Irulan that he’d taken Ving to Night’s Bridge since Ving had inquired about certain talents and where they might be obtained. The Marquis offered to escort her to the Bridge. Irulan accepted. The route was long and strange, as if they were teleporting all over the city in a hard-to-detect manner. They reached Night’s Bridge: darkness of unusual, clotted thickness shrouded the center of it. They walked across…

VAERREK IN CHAOS

Saleri and others escorted Vaerrek to his audience with Queen Cyngra. Vaerrek apologized in good form. Cyngra told him that he’d managed to destroy nearly all the Powerless shadows of Chaos. Vaerrek boggled, but said that balance should be little affected since he’d done the same on the Order side. As a partial recompense, Vaerrek offered his experiences with Sligspholl and the Logrus. He recorded them in a jewel Cyngra provided. [Vaerrek made the record complete and honest.] She said she’d make recordings available to Logrus masters who requested them. Vaerrek hoped it would help convince people that there was no point to vivisecting him any more; preventing such an outcome was one of the reasons he’d been forced to experiment rather than be trained. He also gave her his copy of Tiberius’ instructions for making Primal Order. Cyngra bade Vaerrek kiss her ring of office and suggested he swear fealty to her. That seemed like a wonderful idea to Vaerrek: he did. Emboldened, he begged a boon. What boon? He asked for a psychic barrier ring --- he’d needed one for a long time but hadn’t had anyone he could trust to supply it. Cyngra granted his request, sending him off to meet with Cnabba, her Trump Master. Cnabba gave him a ring, and got an impression of him for Trumps. Vaerrek asked, and Cnabba verified that Cyngra would be able to Trump Vaerrek despite the ring. Vaerrek could live with that. He returned to Berumenways.

TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA

Tiberius spent some time working out how to do a body hop using the Master Spikard/Castravalva apparatus. It seemed to be some kind of An Briongloideach effect. There were rumors that Door had ridden Corinthian’s mind for a time using a monolith. Beryl said that she thought one could put her body in MS node and transfer her psyche to someone with a spikard, or to someone brought to the MS itself.

SECRET

…Beryl said she’d help set up the circumstances. Tibby made a prototype Spikard Zap Gun and tried it out on loners in London Below. They shivered a bit. He found that it would blast the specific Power it was set to out of a small area or, presumably, a person. He made a new one with a dial for different power settings. Azriel copied his work.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon and Sejanus conferred, and then Brannon led Sejanus through Shadow to his lab where he’d taken Tiberius’ necromantic apparatus. Sejanus plugged himself into a machine and transferred his essence to his clone [Brannon’s been busy]. Once settled, Sejanus dissolved his old body into a bunch of heads and plucked out the spikard. He looked and acted healthy, confident, energized.

"My thanks. You may have one boon."

"Unlimited access to the Pattern and the Blue Room."

"Granted." Sejanus left, grinning.

Brannon preserved the heads, then returned to Amber. Sejanus triumphantly walked the Pattern. Demelza, Piper and Verity were upset. Valery, Tristan and Titus were suddenly much friendlier with Brannon. Sejanus announced that Brannon was now Master of the Pattern.

KRISTA

SECRET

IRULAN

SECRET fun with the Twilight crew.

VAERREK IN BERUMENWAYS

House Berumen adopted Vaerrek and threw him a party. Vaerrek felt really, really good to be part of a House again, and, better yet, a House that hadn’t been stupid enough to fall for Sligspholl’s line of shit. He picked up books on House law and history and made his way to the Wall. He felt sure he was being watched, so he didn’t want to slip through to Catland. The Wall wasn’t set yet and he was able to force his way through with Probability control. Barely. Nobody attacked him while he slept on the other side. Upon awakening, he found himself some magiphage bacteria (after coating his psyche ring with a glaze that didn’t interfere with its function) and filled a metal flask with it – it tended to grow in body pockets. Next he went to Amber and found Verity. She was still interested in the de-compelling experiments. They set off, and Krista tagged along. Vaerrek kept his distance from Beryl’s Daughter. They found Compelled criminals in shadow and took them to a suitable area. The tendril servants proved capable of doing the job but they needed something to transfer the effect to. Connecting them to other people spread the charge out between both victims and the tendril itself. Probability control couldn’t help. Verity and Krista leaned on him as Brannon’s friend to find out the details of Sejanus’ remarkable recovery. Vaerrek said he’d try.

TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA

Tiberius made a big Spikard Cannon and dragged it off through Catland to the Blue Room and up into Amber Castle --- where the guards stopped him. He had them take the cannon to the castle gates and reported to Sejanus. Sejanus looked healthy and Tiberius had heard enough gossip along the way to know the king had walked the Pattern. So had Bengt and Chander, who were here…, imposters. Vaerrek, Verity and Krista were off somewhere in Shadow. Tiberius left quietly --- as quietly as possible when dragging a cannon --- and shifted shadow to the Wall. He set the dial to ‘Pattern’, gave the control to a protocol ape and left the shadow. When he returned there was a big hole in the Wall and the monkey was uninjured. The hole lasted only a few minutes. Tibby took the cannon back to Amber and gained an audience with Sejanus. Tiberius claimed to have stolen the cannon from Beryl. He gave over complete plans, and told of its effect on the Wall, saying that the Master Spikard must be destroyed. Sejanus agreed. He wanted Tibby to lead Valery’s force to Castravalva. Tibby agreed. He took time to ‘rest’ --- actually to make a Tiberius doppleganger. He convinced Valery to lead.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Vaerrek did not show up for their Pattern walk. His Trump was warm, naturally. Brannon looked in the library for information on the Wall. There were journals from various family members’ attempts to penetrate it using different powers. The Wall itself seemed to be an advanced version of Primal Order. Brannon speculated on ways to duplicate the effect. He Trumped to Shadow Skye and looked through Sligspholl’s library. Sliggy had had lots of theories. Sligs thought that some sort of gateway through the Wall, like Castravalva for the old Wall, was necessary lest the Primal Order spread. Brannon rushed off and made his own tunnel through the Wall --- then realized that the first person to use it would probably get stuck. Un-Real people would do for short periods of time. He returned to Amber. New rumors were spreading: all the Tai family had been found murdered in a particularly grisly fashion. Sejanus had sent Valery and Tristan to investigate. Brannon followed them to Shadow Edo. He Lensed the murder site and found traces of some odd power. Valery showed up with Verity. The Tai heads were still fresh (Pattern will do that)… Brannon and Verity sent them away. Brannon attempted to locate a concentration of the odd power and found Valery. He consulted with Livilla (Trumping to her in Chaos with great strain), who said that Vauxhall had that power. Livilla showed Brannon how to ward against Twilight, in return for his showing her the art of cloning. She told him that it was possible to foul the power with Probability, and that the power’s center seemed to be Night’s Bridge in London Below. The keeper of it was a man named Giacard. Brannon Trumped back to Amber and was given the task of investigating Tiberius’ Spikard Cannon.

VAERREK IN SHADOW

Vaerrek thought of using spikards as the compelling receptacles. Verity thought it would work. Nobody admitted to having a spikard handy. Vaerrek said he could probably scare one up. They split up. Vaerrek Trumped to Amber and declined to take Krista Beryl’s Daughter with him. Brannon was there and up for a bit of Pattern walking. They were both really more tired than they should have been for the task and barely managed to wish themselves out of the center before collapsing. Krista, who had followed Vaerrek to Amber, saw them tucked away in their rooms. Vaerrek awoke in dragonform, self and psyche ring intact. Brannon woke up with Amethyst in his room.

IRULAN

SECRET.

Having gained the Twilight power (??), Irulan went looking for Tiberius (?) and Ving (?) in London Below. She met the Marquis, who was astonished that she was still alive. Irulan showed remarkable restraint in not killing him on the spot and merely asked directions to Earl’s Court. From Earl’s Court she followed X’s trail to Kew Gardens and was confronted by guards. The guards changed their minds about killing her and took her to their mistress instead. Irulan had a nice chat with Beryl and got to look around a bit. Azriel was there, constructing a big cannon. Az commented that her buttons were right. A HUGE WAVE OF PATTERN BLASTED THROUGH CASTRAVALVA! Suddenly, everything was far more Real and Pattern tricks worked just fine. Beryl muttered something about Tiberius and jotted down some notes. Azriel’s cannon, she told Irulan, focused spikard energy on the target and drained it of whatever Power it was set to. People would be drained only temporarily. Azriel wanted to find Portia or Door, zap them and thereby gain Opener power for the Master Spikard.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek woke up really worried. The ring was still there and still working and scanned right. He examined his memories of the Pattern walk. Kissing Cyngra’s ring had put a mild compelling on him, to swear fealty. The barrier ring did have a compulsion on it, to chose the Courts over Amber should it come to that. Neither contradicted V’s own desires, and the ring would help keep the Queen happy with him. Vaerrek cleaned up, then ate lunch while picking up the new gossip. Amethyst was back and in Brannon’s rooms. Beryl had been found in London Below; she’d moved Castravalva there. The whole of House Tai had been messily murdered. Valery and Tristan were on the case. Vaerrek took off into shadow, slipped into Catland and out into Chaos. He Trumped Thjarand and went through to her. Feddrin had quit using the spikard and feeding information to Beryl some time ago. Vaerrek was able to borrow it, careful to handle it with tongs and keep it in a steel box. He suggested they look into acquiring more. He passed on the latest Amber gossip, including what little he knew of Sejanus’ triumphal recovery, the murders and Beryl’s location. Vaerrek got close to the Wall and Trumped to Shadow Solimar, exhausted. He didn’t dare sleep there so he dodged around to lose anyone tailing him and slipped into Catland from a dark alley. He collapsed in Demeter’s lair. He spent the next day with Bombalurina and Demeter, then slipped cautiously (as a froggyman into the Realm of order… in a plaza in broad daylight. He popped back, moved, switched to ratman and tried again. Dark, deserted, fine. He found suitable victims and tried out the compulsion-to-spikard trick. It worked fine and didn’t even require a special shadow. He went looking for Livilla.

TIBERIUS IN LONDON BELOW

Tiberius saw Irulan in Earl’s Court on his way to Castravalva. All of London Below felt far more Real. Pattern tricks worked.

SECRET.

He needed to contact Someone but had no Trumps. He asked Beryl for a deck as Sejanus had taken all of his own. Beryl generously agreed, but needed a quick mental contact for Someone’s image. She gave him a few Trumps right away. He told her about Valery’s expedition. Next he looked for some high tech components and found an odd variety of used, beat up junk from many different places.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon had a happy reunion with Amethyst. She said she was there to visit before the Wall became impassable. They caught each other up on regional gossip. Later Brannon took the spikard cannon out into shadow and tested it. The symbols on the dial were wrong. He worked out the correct settings by trial and error. The cannon could temporarily de-compel people; giving them Pattern Water did not help. He tried and could Edit spikard power out of an area with Pattern. He brought the cannon back to Amber. He conferred with Verity about the odd power that Valery possessed. She said she was going to its source. He warned her about Night’s Bridge. She said they were invading London Below on Tiberius’ recommendation. Brannon was skeptical.

KRISTA IN SHADOW

Krista trailed Vaerrek. He was in An Briongloideach for a time, then vanished. Then he seemed to be off in Chaos – Beryl was right about him having some secret way of getting around. She forced her way through the Wall and fell into exhausted sleep. Upon awakening she Trumped to Helgramways and caught up on news while briefing them on events in Amber. Vaerrek had apologized to the Queen, sworn fealty and been adopted by House Berumen, so he was probably there. Krista went to Berumenways to visit. Drusus Berumen was her husband’s uncle, so she had some sort of status there. They let her in and she was in time to observe Vaerrek and the other Berumens, plus Livilla as they tried out the compulsion-removal technique on Portia and Door. Vaerrek was amazed that there had been no compulsions whatsoever on the two. He said he’d have to rethink his estimate of Beryl’s character. Portia and Door left without talking to anyone. Saleri said that she’d solved the mystery of Vaerrek’s parentage. He was descended from Miron Udrek – who was ANCIENT, possibly as old as Sligspholl -- and was Amethyst’s third cousin. Krista offered her condolences. Vaerrek shrugged it off, saying he’d had to get used to the idea of being related to worse people: Tiberius, for instance. Krista warned him that Amethyst was in Amber. Vaerrek asked what a Fang of the Serpent was doing in Amber just before the Wall closed up. Krista told him she’d been the one who had him put safely in his rooms after falling unconscious from walking the Pattern. He thanked her, silently acknowledging the ‘you owe me a favor’.

IRULAN IN CASTRAVALVA

Irulan convinced Beryl to spar with her. Beryl was her equal in Strength and Warfare, her superior in Endurance and a supernova to her candle in Psyche. Tiberius observed the bout but refused to wrestle. Azriel refused again.

VAERREK IN BERUMENWAYS

Vaerrek told Drusus in private of his unique (so far as he knew) technique for slipping into Catland, then took him off to demonstrate it. He used one of the psychegems Brannon had given him to record everything he knew about London Below and Twilight, plus an overview of Catland and his reasons for suspecting some catfolk of tremendous age and hidden power. Drusus granted Vaerrek’s request that, should the House share the slipping technique with the Queen, Vaerrek would be the one to tell her, circumstances permitting.

TIBERIUS

SECRET [and, no doubt, AWFUL]

TWENTY-THREE

 BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon briefed King Sejanus on the progress of his experiments. He went out to the Wall and examined it. He estimated it to be at 90% of the old Wall’s strength. Then off to his cloning facilities to check on the Edo cousins. The clones were developing perfectly. Misuzu seemed to be closest to consciousness. He Trumped Verity and arranged to meet in Edo to investigate the murders. Lensing around in Edo revealed traces of Twilight but not Logrus or Pattern travel. Edo records showed that they had supported Avril and Beryl against Sejanus. They had been busy reestablishing ties with the Courts, in support of House Hendrake. No Black Roses. Hendrake, known for its fighters, might have Twilighters in its ranks. He and Verity detected no signs of Courts stylishness in the murders, merely efficiency. Done at night, no alarms tripped, and no clues left.

VAERREK IN CHAOS

Vaerrek told Drusus he thought that Livilla had used fakes for Portia and Door. They really needed a substitute for Spikards; maybe some sort of device with a ‘negative charge’ of Conjury energy, if there was such a thing. Vae checked in with his grandmother at Helgram, gave them their Spikard back and told them the results of the test. She told him that the Shadows and more chaotic demons were breaking down at an accelerated and alarming rate. Was this a Wall effect? Vaerrek went to check it out. He couldn’t reach the Wall. There was a roiling gray zone in front of it, sort of a concentrated shadow storm, chewing up the shadows. He got sucked in and popped himself out in Catland. A Logrus Servant (hereafter a ‘Fetch’) sent into the gray caused an explosion. Vaerrek Trumped Thjarand from a safe distance and told her, then tried to Trump Drusus. Blocked. He tried Saleri and was answered. Unfortunately, Drusus hadn’t briefed his wife on Catland, London Below or the Trans-Dimensional Percolation Trick. She was Very Interested. Vaerrek pulled her through and briefed her on those things and the Wall crisis. She agreed to tell Drusus, should it come up, that she’d ferreted the info out of Vaerrek’s mind during a Trump conversation. He suggested that the House should look into relocating to Catland or London Below, just in case.

TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA BELOW

Tiberius took advantage of Azriel and Irulan being off in a strip club to question the ty’iga without them listening. He picked up some information concerning holes in its knowledge and possible weaknesses before Chander and Bengt joined him. They were polite and pleasant. Tibby cajoled them into sparring with each other and was pleased to see he was their superior. He left Castravalva to tour London Below with an eye to its power structures. There was a King, a Queen, an Earl, a Bishop, a Marquis and The Angel. The Angel had been missing for a time. Tibby secured an audience with the King as a wise man and sorcerer. The Monkeys Out My Ass spell pleased and amused the king. Tiberius got a job. The king’s ‘castle’ was a subway train. Tibby got the third car as personal quarters/ his lab. He acquired lab equipment and put on amused the king with some showy magic. Next he returned to Castravalva and gave the Boys some training in Sorcery. He advised them to develop personal styles. He spent some time translating and copying books from Beryl’s library – mostly ones stolen from Sligspholl’s library.

BRANNON IN EDO

His investigation stalled when Krista, Amethyst and Vaerrek all blocked Trump calls. Brannon went to London Below via the Blue Room and Sought out Giacard. Nobody had heard of him but he was eventually contacted and led to Night’s Bridge. Brannon took a bum along despite his guide’s advice and SECRET SHIT HAPPENED. Later, Brannon found Valery in the Blue Room.

VAERREK IN CATLAND

Vaerrek touched bases, etc., with Demeter and Bombalurina. He heard the saga of Rumpleteaser and RumTumTigger’s theft of the Shiny Thing. They hadn’t noticed any recent disturbances. He managed to find the Wall’s manifestation in Catland: a door, 10’ x 10’ and radiating Pattern, in a posh building. The door had formerly been a normal door, and open. Closed, it was generating some interest among the catfolk. While thinking over what to do, Vaerrek found the Marquis de Carabas and told him that their deal had been superceded by the presence of Beryl, Queen Bitch of the Universe, whose regard for other peoples’ psychic integrity was less than her regard for toilet paper. The Marquis told him that the king had a new wizard. The description fit Tiberius and no one else; Vaerrek identified him as a cousin and tool of Beryl. The Marquis had led another man, Brannon by the description, to Night’s Bridge and assumed that he was dead as the bum taken along for sacrifice had made it across. Vaerrek thought Brannon’s demise unlikely, but advised the Marquis to mention this to no one. Brannon’s mother could defeat the two of them, at the same time, with table forks. He told the Marquis about Spikards; too, pleased with the man’s growing alarm and annoyance with all this foreign interference.

TIBERIUS IN LONDON BELOW

Tiberius conjured up and organized the Monkey Messenger Corps: Protocol Monkeys in fezzes. He mapped the subway system. He beefed up the King’s magical defenses. He planted Spy Rats at King’s Cross, Knight’s Cross, the Castravalva approaches, Morgate (?), Baker Street and Oxford Circuit. He examined the weaponry. Some of the King’s guards had Sten or Bren guns. Tibby enchanted some bullets. He learned that knights-errant tended to go to Night’s Bridge. He discovered that at Elephant’s Castle there really were sapient elephants in a tropical climate. No humans, no magic. He assigned a monkey and a rat to watch them. Picadilly Circus contained the main Velvet lair. He talked to one Velvet and ended up with a group of them putting the chill on him. They declined to stop and he was forced to pop a can of Whoop Ass. The SECRET Whoop Ass effects sent the Velvets screaming away and Tibby decamped.

BRANNON IN CATLAND

Brannon caught up to Valery’s raiding force, all ninety of them, as the Cats were starting a series of attacks. He intervened and convinced Rum Tum Tigger to back off and let Valery & Co. pass. They reached London Below. Valery sent off Twilighter scouts. Brannon asked Valery about Twilight, explaining something of his Night’s Bridge experiences, and got a wealth of information about Twilight and its history. Brannon mentioned looking things up in his personal library. Valery said he was interested in seeing it. Brannon left the group, but stayed nearby to watch and to gather information. (The king had a new wizard; Azriel and Irulan were slutting around town.) He saw the Mighty Ninety bring contraptions out of their cloaks that produced 100 more guys. One of the scouts returned with word that Giacard would send 100 more fighters to help out.

Vaerrek and the Marquis got word of the raiding party and descriptions of the leaders: Valery, Brannon and Tiberius. The Marquis took them closer to watch and Vaerrek tried to Trump Brannon. No luck: Pattern Trumps weren’t working here at all. They saw Valery’s men spread out, melting into shadows. The Marquis was extremely interested. Vaerrek told him what he knew.

All hell broke loose when the raiders were in the Patterny area. Beryl’s forces attacked. Giacard’s minions attacked both sides. Brannon was grabbed and tossed well inside the Pattern area. Valery began a desperate retreat.

More Twilighters melted out of the darkness within sight of Vaerrek and the Marquis, but ignored them. Vaerrek figured his odds of getting Brannon out as Vanishingly Slim. Valery and a few of his men were chased towards Vaerrek and the Marquis. They fled in inefficient panicking-civilian fashion and were ignored. An attack aimed at Valery suppressed all the Conjury in the area. Tiberius vanished. Vaerrek’s ring quit. Valery’s sword broke. Brannon Trumped away. Vaerrek exited the area of effect and checked it out. It didn’t feel like Spikard-stuff. The Marquis was equally ignorant. The size of the engagement puzzled Vaerrek. The Marquis told him that the King, Queen and Earl together had less than 400 soldiers. Vaerrek left to Catland and out into the realm of order. The Wall seemed to be Patterning up the zone of powerlessness. He found a device, a sort of nozzle directing Spikard energy at a section of the Wall.

TIBERIUS SOMEWHERE SECRET

SECRET, DUH.

Tiberius accompanied Livilla and Saleri though Hell towards the Abyss. In they went. Saleri had to shift Tibby’s form constantly. Eventually they found an Orb that felt faintly of Spikardness. Twilight worked there and Sorcery worked GREAT. They made a ty’iga trap, got one, contained. Tiberius took it, Trumped Beryl and was pulled through. Beryl put it into the Machine and compelled the crap out of it: loyalty, natch, computer-like functions and love for its job. Krista, Bengt and Chander returned. Krista got the full Daughter-of-the-Boss treatment. Krista was very upset that her newest child had been killed. Tibby managed to get hold of the little corpse for genetic analysis.

BRANNON

SECRET STUFF.

Brannon went to the Wall and ran into Vaerrek. Vaerrek congratulate him on being alive and told him that the Wall was eating the shadows of Chaos. He was going to break the nozzle. Brannon advised against it on the grounds that it would piss Beryl off. Vaerrek said he was doing it because it was Beryl’s, and she knew what he thought of her. He shifted bigger wings, picked up a 400lb rock and slowly gained altitude. Brannon left.

MORE SECRET STUFF.

Back in Shadow Skye (? or Fronkenshteen or whatever), Misuzu was up and around. She said her killer had been a Twilighter in Giacard’s colors. She assumed that the Claudians had arranged for her assassination. She wanted to stay there.

VAERREK AT THE WALL

Vaerrek dropped the rock from nearly a mile up and shifted shadow away. From several shadows away: nothing. He flew back, cautiously. Not cautiously enough. The shadow was enveloped in a spikard-fit, neutralizing Pattern, Logrus, Shapeshifting, Trump (and other things). Fortunately, the dragonform was Vaerrek’s natural form. He eventually managed to percolate through to Catland, what with the spikard-fit neutralizing the Pattern from the Wall and all. He made his way back to Chaos and got Drusus to arrange for an audience with Miron Udrek, the oldest person in the Courts. Vaerrek suspected Miron had been born a Cat and might have some idea of what to do about the Door/Wall.

TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA

Tiberius cleaned up after the battle. Some Pattern Servants were left stripped of the constructs built around them. He collected some black-backed Trumps. He began to necromantically raise dead Twilight Knights and Beryl helped, combining Pattern Servants, Sorcery and Conjuration. The zombies told them that their orders had been to kill Valery and Beryl both. They didn’t know why. Giacard had no ties to Livilla, or to Chaos. In fact they’d been killing all the Chaosian Twilighters and throwing them off Night’s Bridge. Purifying Twilight? Maybe. None had had orders to kill Tiberius. Beryl said that all had been heavily compelled. Very heavily, stronger than her compellings. Either a better Compeller or a stronger Psyche was involved. Tiberius used all the relatively intact bodies for automatons. Later he returned to his other job. The King had mostly ignored the battle, sticking to his usual routine of parties and a little work. He did make good decisions. Tibby assessed the members of the court for psychic strength. One or two could take Vaerrek but the rest were even more pitiful than that. He started the long, slow process of compelling everyone he might need in the future.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Many in Amber were concerned about the spikard-storm along the Wall. Brannon finked out Vaerrek and Tristan went off to do something about it and to look for more spikard devices. He told Sejanus of Misuzu’s recovery and paltry information. Valery hadn’t made it back and Verity was concerned. She detected something wrong with Brannon. He walked the Pattern and was still a bit odd after. He checked on the Blue Room. It was now White. White like the Primal Pattern zone. It had a surface. He probed it with the Lens and was blasted back down the hallway, unconscious. He came to with his head in Scully’s lap. Mulder was poking the surface. They helped him up to his rooms. The next day he met with Piper and filled her in on the Wall’s new trick and the White Room. Piper took a bunch of guards down to investigate. One dove into the White and came back minutes later, aged ten years in appearance. He said the door ribbons were still in place and the White reeked of Chaos. Another, younger (to start), guard made it to the Skye door. One sent to the Catland exit came back mentally scrambled. Like Logrus madness? Piper and Brannon experimented with Pattern Defense and Pocket Shadows, with some progress. Brannon summoned a Pattern Sprite and talked it into going into the White.

VAERREK IN THE COURTS

Miron knew shit. Vaerrek and Drusus went to Catland to examine the Door. Maybe they could scan behind it. Drusus did not include the Lens in his bag of tricks. Drusus contacted Livilla, and there was nobody who both had the Lens and gave a damn for Chaos. OK. So they needed someone to go in. Someone with Pattern, who cared for Chaos and who was expendable. But they had no idea what would happen and it could make things worse. Vaerrek didn’t feel it was his decision to make. Drusus made a call. Cyngra arrived in Catland with her Black Guard, got briefed and looked things over. Vaerrek volunteered.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER, IN DISGUISE

Tiberius talked to Fabius and revealed his identity. He caught up on current events. Vaerrek had broken a spikard device and sucked all the power out of a shadow near the Wall. Tristan had eliminated either the threat or the shadow, with difficulty. Tristan had found many more of the spikard devices, draining power from the Wall. He was looking into ways to get rid of them. Piper, Verity and Brannon were conducting a lot of experiments with the White (formerly Blue) Room, which was now almost impassible. Tibby looked for Vaerrek, Krista and Amethyst. No luck. He was introduced to Sejanus as ????, son of Tiberius. He claimed that Tiberius was alive and well in London Below, working as a petty king’s wizard. Sejanus broke the news that Tiberius had died a hero’s death fighting Beryl’s forces. There was to be a state funeral later. [Tibby] said that was terrible news and that he needed to talk to a priest. He was escorted to the basilica. There he claimed that it was his father’s wish that he be ritually shaved and take his place. The ritual was performed. [Tibby] went to meditate in the Grove of the Unicorn. Once he was alone, he summoned It. It came. It was concerned with some of his actions. A matter of a slight heresy, and his different (Twilight) smell. He claimed necessity for both. How could he serve? It was concerned that a Fang of the Serpent might become active again. It was at the bottom of the Abyss. Perhaps it could be lured away.

SECRET.

Tiberius asked It if It was aware that the Church was a nest of followers of other powers and aliens --Londoners and others. It knew. When Livea had been in control, all was done to support Order. Now the Church was still basically pro-Order. It was in favor of the changes in the Wall and the White Room. Chaos was being greatly weakened and would end up a minor power. The growing power of the Spikard worried It. Unchecked, the Spikard might eventually surpass the Pattern. It would negotiate with Beryl through Tiberius and try to subjugate her. Azriel and Krista could be bought off with personal power. Irulan still barely knew what was going on and could be easily swayed.

BRANNON AT THE WHITE ROOM

Demelza joined the study team. The Pattern Sprite blew up when it contacted the White. No Logrus masters were available: Vaerrek was hiding, Amethyst was bad and Krista was wholly Beryl’s. They hauled down a Spikard Cannon and tried it out, set on Logrus. A small area of the White turned Blue. Once the cannon was turned off the White returned fast. Brannon came up with the Brannon Hamster Ball. Built around the Spikard Cannon’s wagon in a high tech shadow and fitted out with manipulator arms, it enabled the operators to work their way around the White Room to open the doors to Skye, Catarinatown or Catland. Piper, Verity, Sejanus and Demelza were quite pleased. Brannon rested in Skye and discussed the Edoites’ future. Going to the Hendrakes would be difficult and possibly futile. There might not be any Hendrakeways a month from now. Misuzu would consult Livilla via Verity.

VAERREK AT THE DOOR IN CATLAND

Vaerrek entered. He was in a 9’ cube. The door closed behind him and the room moved for some time through a three-dimensional maze. He memorized the route as best he could. It stopped. Nothing happened. He assessed his powers. No Logrus, Trumps warm, Conjury yes—his ring was working, Shapeshifting yes, An Brionglodeach no. Vaerrek tried shifting probability for the luckiest path and ended only three cubes away at The Machine. Much like Castravalva, what with the machinery, the Chair You Cannot Rise From and in design. Both, after all, were Sejanus’ work. He disassembled some machinery. Probability did not help break things --- but going counter-intuitive did. And the machines started repairing themselves. Obviously, Probability was working for the Pattern, or the big manifestation of it in Wall form, and not for Vaerrek. He could work his way out, cube by cube, dealing with the Serpent knew what traps as he went. He could trigger Primal Form in an escape-frenzy. But first he’d empty his flask of thaumophagic bacteria over the Conjuriest components and see what happened.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tiberius walked the Pattern, then rested. He Twilighted through the Wall, then went to London Below. He conjured another can of Whoop Ass for T1. He met with Beryl and relayed the Unicorn’s message, adding that she could probably name her own price for agreeing to limit the Spikard’s growth. Beryl wanted to meet with the Unicorn personally. Tibby said he’d ask. He asked about Sligspholl’s library. Brannon, Amethyst and Azriel had split it, though all had copies of the complete set. It had been in Angel Station originally. He asked about Amethyst. Beryl had no use for her, not a descendant and an unrepentant Chaosite. He said the Holy Unicorn had tasked him to kill Amethyst. Beryl wanted Amy brought to her for questioning, first. Beryl said she’d have Irulan, Azriel or Krista help. Something odd had happened at Sligspholl’s involving a pool of blackness, Vaerrek and Amethyst.

TWENTY-FOUR

 Loci:

• Krista, Posthumus, Irulan and Azriel are in London Below
• Vaerrek is inside the Wall
• Brannon is in Amber

KRISTA IN CASTRAVALVA

Krista is most upset that her newest child is dead, slain by a Twilighter thug. Rumor says that Valery is dead too, and also that Tiberius died a valiant death. She finds the latter unlikely. She can’t find him though. His adult son Posthumus is in Castravalva with Beryl, examining the nearly-grown bodies in vats attached to the Infernal Device, the array of Castravalva machinery, magical constructs and ty’iga bound into the Master Spikard. Posthumus tells Krista that Valery was out to destroy Castravalva but that a lot of his allies had turned on him as well as attacking Beryl’s forces. He suggests that Twilight Master Giacard is responsible. Beryl and Posthumus start magically examining bits of flesh out of a big pile in hopes of finding Valery parts. They do find pieces of Tiberius.

POSTHUMUS/TIBERIUS IN CASTRAVALVA

Posthumus announced that the Unicorn had ordered him to kill Amethyst. He asked for help. Beryl said she’d supply some but that she wanted to interrogate a live Amethyst first. She sent him to Irulan. Posty found Irulan with Azriel doing Azriel-things in strip bars. Irulan felt him Seeking her. He introduced himself.

Irulan was curious. "So did you have an immaculate conception? Who’s your mother?

"She wishes to remain anonymous."

Irulan and Azriel gave each other a No Shit look.

Posthumus explained Beryl’s wishes and the mission. Irulan agreed to help. Azriel said she could guide them to Angelgate, Amethyst’s location. Irulan urged that they take the Night’s Bridge over the river, along with a sacrificial bum, of course.

VAERREK IN THE WALL

The magic-eating bacteria found nothing to eat. Vaerrek slowly and cautiously made his way from cube to cube, attempting to move the safest direction away from the route he’d entered by. He ripped up the doors for testing debris and to jam the cubes open. Over a long time this seemed to cause the mechanism some distress. It started moving more quickly and noisily in any case. Deep in the Pattern rich environment of the Wall Vaerrek needed no food, water or rest; he pressed relentlessly on, breaking everything he reasonably could.

IRULAN IN LONDON BELOW

[Irulan had contacted new Twilight Master Ving earlier and learned that Valery and Tiberius were dead. Ving wanted Irulan to proceed to Part Two.]

Posthumus had heard bad things about Night’s Bridge and told Azriel about them. Irulan told them that it was both safe and interesting, so long as they had a sacrifice along. She talked them into it. Irulan, Posthumus and the bum made it across. Azriel did not. Damn the luck. Posthumus wasn’t broken up about it. Irulan stopped to Trump Queen Cyngra. Cyngra answered from a library in Catland. She told Irulan about the entrance to the Wall and sending Vaerrek in. Vaerrek had been in there for some time and had not returned. Irulan said that Vaerrek was usually pretty reliable. Cyngra asked about sending some of her people through to LB. Irulan declined but told the Queen how she had got there herself. Irulan and Posthumus continued on towards Angel Station. As they neared the place they heard a disturbingly deep and loud snorting. Posthumus pulled out his patented Can of Whoop Ass. The Beast of London, a boar the size of a locomotive, rushed them. Irulan shifted to demonform and braced for impact. Posty tossed the Can and bounced away acrobatically, disappearing into shade and out behind the Boar. POP! Fifty maniac blue attack monkeys swarmed the Beast. Irulan shifted her weapon to spear form and stabbed it, then Twilighted away to the opposite side. A few apes started giving her some attention.

KRISTA IN CASTRAVALVA

SECRET STUFF.

Off to Catland. Krista was spotted by the Black Guard and brought to the Queen of Chaos. Cyngra was in a Catland library, a typically partial building.

"If I may inquire, what is the Royal Court of Chaos doing in Catland?" Krista asked.

"A rescue mission. Rumor says Vaerrek is trapped in there so we’re trying to get him out."

A guard was sent through the Pattern-intensive door. Krista asked what made Vaerrek important. She was told he’d sworn special fealty to the Queen, and he was useful. Krista begged off from helping right away, saying she had a short but very important errand to attend to. She couldn’t find her shadow and damned Vaerrek. (Shadow missing? Must be Vaerrek’s fault.) She tried the Blue Room route and found the place was now White. She entered. The White was pure Logrus or a sort of Primal Chaos and just being there felt like traversing the Logrus. She felt herself going almost non-corporeal. She suspected Logrus Madness was just around the bend.

POSTHUMUS AND IRULAN IN LONDON BELOW

Irulan and the monkeys finished off the Beast. The monkeys looked around and jumped her. They were almost as fast as she was and their weapons outclassed her armored skin. She ran off and Twilit through a bit of shade. Irulan found Posthumus. He explained that they were something his Dad made; he’d been warned to run if he used them. She didn’t like the idea of leaving them to rip up any random passers-by. Posty pointed out that the noises had stopped. They checked, cautiously, and found that the monkeys had turned on each other. All were dead. Irulan wanted trophies; she ripped the Beast’s tusks out and took them along. They found Angelgate. Irulan demanded a food break and took them up to London Above, where they were effectively invisible but unable to score food that hadn’t been discarded. Irulan made do. Back Below, they discussed options, which came down to ‘rush her’. They quietly broke in the iron filigree doors and, ignored the Do Not Open warnings on the big bronze doors. Posthumus probed for bad juju and found Logrus-powered sorcerous wards. He zapped them with his Spikard Blaster Pistol. Irulan led the way in, very stealthy. At the end of the hallway was a blackened entryway. She heard a glass being set on a surface inside and inched closed. Silence.

VAERREK IN THE WALL CUBES

Probe, move, break. Probe, move, break. Probe, move, break. Eventually Vaerrek came to the end of the cubes. A huge, dark area bordered by a vast wall of cubes. Off some distance away was a wall of stone paralleling the cube wall, with a single opening about nine meters up. He climbed down and then up to the opening. There was a long corridor with what appeared to be sunlight at the end of it. This proved to be a normal-looking world inhabited by a satyrs, who found his draconic form most disturbing. Vaerrek soon took to the sky and shifted his color to match it. Logrus worked a little; Conjury did too and so did Trump. He couldn’t reach Saleri but could reach Solimar. He went through. Opened a crack and slipped into Catland. He found Queen Cyngra and gave his (honest) report. She told him they’d sent in some others but had heard from none. Cyngra told him she’d nominate him for a great honor – Fang of the Serpent. Vaerrek pretended to be honored and mentioned that the clergy hadn’t really been too fond of him for some time. And perhaps they could keep it quiet. Vaerrek and two guardsmen went off to look at the Blue Room. It wasn’t blue any more, it was White Chaos. He sent a guard to tell the queen.

IRULAN AND POSTHUMUS IN LONDON BELOW

Irulan peeked around the corner and narrowly avoided being cut. Almost avoided – her arm was nicked rather than severed by a light purple demonformed person. Posthumus called out, "Wait! Wait!" Irulan and Amethyst fenced. Amy was better, about equal to Livilla. Irulan bit the bullet, took a hit and lunged up the blade to grapple. Irulan slammed Amethyst into a stone wall several times until she collapsed. Posthumus injected Amy with antimetamorphine and then carefully pulled the sword out of Irulan. He gouged Amethyst’s eyes out. They searched her and the room, finding Trumps of Beryl and various Chaosians, some in ecclesiastical robes, a Logrus dagger and a magicked ring. They started dragging Amethyst off, and then Posthumus stopped and beheaded the unconscious captive while casting a spell. A crystal bell jar appeared around Amy’s head preserving it alive. Posthumus graciously left all the loot to Irulan after studying the clerical Trumps. The dagger was intelligent. Its name was Elegy and seemed to be happy enough with Irulan. It was quite a weapon. Beryl accepted the living head of Amethyst without surprise and agreed to return it to Posthumus so that he could present it to the Unicorn. He was not allowed to attend the interrogation.

KRISTA IN THE WHITE ROOM

Krista did some SECRET STUFF or thought she did since she was Nucking Futz. She may have shown up at Catarinatown as Tiberius ranting about taking over the universe, being the first male to bear a child and screwing the Unicorn. The Cats escorted ‘him’ out. She found a door to a pleasant land and searched it for Beryl, still in Tibbyform.

POSTHUMUS IN LONDON BELOW

Beryl returned the head, still alive and with the eyes regenerated or replaced. Posty pretended to be a mere lackey. He put the head down on a table, went away and returned stealthily and pulled the plug. He set off to Amber with Irulan and a young Beryl follower named Louisa tagging along. Irulan stuck around despite Posthumus’ warning that, as a ‘Slimy’, she might be unwelcome. Amberside seemed more charged with Pattern than ever. In Amber they learned of the state funerals planned for Valery and Tiberius. It was said that the Church might beatify Tiberius. Posthumus made sure they were ritually cleaned, then led them to the Grove of the Unicorn and summoned her. He introduced ‘Louisa’ (Beryl in a new body) as Beryl’s ambassador. Louisa started compelling the Unicorn and Posthumus did not interfere. To Irulan it seemed that the Unicorn and Louisa were deep in a discussion about politics and history. The Unicorn said that Sepulchrave had had a twin – Miron Udrek, still alive in Chaos. She was happy with the Wall and its gutting of Chaos. Irulan was appalled at this cruel attitude. She argued with the Unicorn but it was unmoved. Chaos dissolved into the Abyss made for a vastly improved world, and those of her spawn who lived there could come live in Amber.

VAERREK IN CATLAND

Queen Cyngra and her Black Guard arrived. They found they could tap the White for power but couldn’t do much to the Wall with it. Vaerrek stuck a claw in it and watched it go immaterial, and spread. He volunteered, entered and started looking for controls. He found a machine, Brannon’s Spikard Cannon Hamster Ball, in the white and tried to heave it out the Catland side with Logrus tendrils. The operator inside hit back with spikard bolts, very painful. Vaerrek broke off and examined the various marked doorways. None opened to places that looked like control centers except for the floating city. He blasted it with Primal Chaos.

[Krista was approached by Vaerrek in the form of a rock troll and attacked. She retreated.]

IRULAN IN THE GROVE OF THE UNICORN

Irulan, Posthumus and Louisa discussed Beryl’s opportunities in the new order. Beryl could supply some order to Chaos via the spikard users there. Irulan argued some more with the Unicorn, pleading for the poor shadow folk who’d be destroyed. The Unicorn didn’t care. She might be willing to arrange for her children in Chaos to get a supply of Order. Brannon and Balthazar could negotiate for her with the representatives of the Serpent. Irulan headed off and went to Catland as Saucytail. She found Cyngra by the entrance to the Blue Room, past a crowd of Cats who’d seen Vaerrek enter the now-White room and were kept away by the Black Guard – now they all wanted in. Cyngra told Irulan about Vaerrek entering the White. Irulan briefed Cyngra about the Unicorn, Louisa and Posthumus. Cyngra was willing to negotiate. Irulan showed her Amethyst’s dagger and told of the circumstances of her death, emphasizing that she’d captured and that Posthumus had done the killing, without consulting her. Cyngra was deeply disappointed in Irulan for helping kill a Fang of the Serpent. Irulan mollified her by finking out Ving and the Twilighters, including the fact that Ving had ordered the deaths of House Tai. Ving, cured now, had an extremely strong mind and was calling the shots in Twilight.

KRISTA IN THE WHITE

Krista was attacked by a Chaotic rocking chair and pursued by it when she retreated. She hid. It lashed the area with Logrus tendrils. She tried to head home to Castravalva and came to a large river. She crossed over a covered bridge and was on a tundra plain. The chair followed her and attacked the bridge itself, slowly shattering it. Krista’s mind cleared a bit while her vision doubled. Tundra, or a gray, pixilated void going granular. Vaerrek blasting an ice bridge. She moved away from her deranged cousin.

POSTHUMUS IN THE GROVE OF THE UNICORN

Beryl said she’d supply order to Chaos quietly. Posthumus headed off and found the ty’iga he’d set free. It was in an energy shadow; he sent in constructs to ask it if it would like to take over Tiberius’ body. He returned to Amber while it made up its mind Chander and Bengt were gaining popularity. There had been an attack on the hamster ball in the White Room while Verity was operating it. He went down and talked to her. She had modified the cannon to fire sorcery-sheathed spikard bolts as well as its usual energy suckage. Posthumus studied her work. Verity was experimenting with various kinds of bolts. She passed on the rumor that Azriel would be the new Master of Rituals, if only she would show up at the castle.

VAERREK IN THE WHITE

Vaerrek’s mind cleared a bit. He saw Krista across the river, apparently trying to find a way through the gray pixilated area. He tried to fly, then swim across the river, without success. He used tendrils to form the bridge debris into a rough line across the river and ran across it. After some time studying things and failing to probe the area, he felt a pull towards the center of the pixilated area and went through (along with Krista who’d been doing the same kind of things) --- to Amber palace’s library. Palace guards were waiting for them.

IRULAN IN CATLAND

Irulan mentioned that Miron Udrek was Sepulchrave’s brother. Vaerrek didn’t come out. Irulan said he probably went insane. Cyngra thought that insanity was the best-case outcome. Cyngra waited on Vaerrek or word from Beryl or the Unicorn’s representatives. Irulan took off to try to find Dworkin in the Primal Pattern area. She found it and him above the Primal MetaLogrus area with lines of power leading all over – Pattern, Logrus and Spikard power woven together.

"What are you doing here? Ah, you’re one of mine."

Irulan ratted everyone and everything out to Dworkin. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about Chaos either. Sejanus’ stroke was just fine with him. He’d grown weary of waiting on his kids to take Chaos over the old fashioned way, with armies. It served the Chaosians right that they’d be stuck doing things the old way, with Logrus masters spending all their time stabilizing things, forever. Dworkin had come up with a better idea and got himself exiled for his troubles. And all this time they’d enjoyed the benefits of his improvements, but no more. Irulan protested that moving around would be a chore. Dworkin said there were ways, Twilight and other minor powers for instance. Wasn’t Beryl’s growing power a concern? She was following Sligspholl’s path but doing it better. Sligspholl? The most evil being in the universe. Imprisoned at great cost in the Abyss and set free by a careless indiscretion – Vaerrek’s. Slain and bound again. Careless indulgence had given Beryl access to Castravalva, and its machinery let her turn a minor power – all the spikards did was share – into a major one. They were keeping an eye on her. Dworkin instructed Irulan to keep her secrets in the future. He chortled over the coming Chaosite difficulties in dealing with demons from a less powerful position. They’d all come from demons in the beginning, from them or the Cats.

KRISTA IN AMBER

Krista made horrible threats and was escorted away to a nice, dark cell where no powers worked. She felt awful, unbalanced in her Pattern and Logrus aspects. She complained, demanded a toilet and was ignored. She drank some of the water as requested. It was very real and Patterny. Her balance was restored. She was released. Off to London Below. She stopped in Catland and told Cyngra what had happened, that there was a Logrus in the White. Many Logrus Masters probed her – she protested. Krista agreed to being thoroughly tested by one person. They and she picked Feddrin Helgram. On the way to meet Feddrin, Krista told Cyngra she’d seen Vaerrek in the White. Feddrin’s probes discovered a baffling impossibly-ordered Logrus bound together with Pattern and Spikard threads. They also discovered that she was pregnant with a sapient, Logrus-attuned child. Damned Logrus madness.

POSTHUMUS IN SHADOW

The ty’iga jumped at the opportunity. Posty transported it safely to London Below where it supplanted the conjured persona in Original Tiberius and settled in happily. It decided to keep up the court wizard gig for a while. Posthumus did some experiments then produced some more cans of Whoop Ass – a bandoleer full. Rat reports came in from Amber. Vaerrek and Krista had appeared in the library. Sejanus’ realm was now a self-contained balanced system. Posthumus went to Lurk to do some cloning.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek drank his water as the guards demanded, but shunted it out a heel. The half-dose he absorbed did positive things for his jarring power imbalance on half his body. He asked for and got more. Addictive. Cute. Beyond making sure he drank, the guards had no orders for him. Vaerrek flew out a window into shadow and experimented a bit. The Pattern charge of the water would last quite a while unless he used Logrus contrary to Pattern effects. On the other hand, he felt he might be able to turn his new, third octave MetaLogrus abilities to stabilizing himself. He slipped into Catland and found the Queen. He gave a full report. She had no orders, so he returned to Amber castle and went down to the basement. He saw the Hamsterball and asked about it. It was a spikard device brought in by Tiberius and modified by Brannon, Verity and Piper. Verity had driven off an attack while in it just recently.

IRULAN IN PRIMAL ORDER

Dworkin told Irulan he was happy there was one family member with a sense of justice and honor. When Irulan got back to Catland two days had passed. Cyngra and her army were gone. Bombalurina and Demeter said that Vaerrek had stopped by and left. The Cats were glad the big mass of foreigners was gone. Mungojerry had followed the intruders and discovered that the world was bigger. Villages and countryside and lots more Cats in them. Irulan toured around a bit, enjoying the view more since she’d just worked out how to see things fully as the Cats did. Irulan visited the Chaos court. People were frantic over what to do about the encroaching Abyss, and in an uproar about the ordered Logrus Sejanus had made. Off to Night’s Bridge, to see what Ving had done with Azriel.

Loci:

• Krista is in Helgramways
• Posthumus is in Shadow Lurk
• Azriel is in Twilight Central
• Irulan is travelling to London Below
• Brannon and Vaerrek are in Amber

 TWENTY-FIVE

Loci:
-- Krista is in Helgramways
-- Posthumus is in Shadow Lurk
-- Azriel is in Twilight Central
-- Irulan is travelling to London Below
-- Brannon and Vaerrek are in Amber


KRISTA
SECRET
Back in Castravalva Krista saw that Ambericus, Bengt and Chandler were
raising hell, gambling, fighting and whoring around.
SECRET
Tiberius was working on improving a spikard cannon. Posthumous was going
about with Louisa, Beryl's new assistant. She was a local denizen of London
Below.
SECRET.
To learn _x_ she had to be plugged into the Master Spikard construct. She
did. Then off to Amber. On the way she found a lot of Chaosians in Catland.
She questioned a Helgram soldier and was told that they were there in
response to a Hendrake move. Krista Trumped Catarina but she was unconcerned
with Catland. She tried Livilla next and went through to an ultratech lab.
Livilla was taking care of something for Beryl.


BRANNON
-Rumor said that Krista and Vaerrek had both become initiates of Sejanus'
Logrus. It was said that such initiates needed regular infusions of Pattern
Water.
-Piper had made a bunch of Hamster Balls using ordinary spikards and had
operators checking the White Room out. The doors all went to the same places
as before. She told Brannon that the S-Logrus did the same things the old
one did, with some weaknesses against Pattern and the P-water addiction
added in.
Brannon devised a high pressure water-cutter for the HBs, designed to use
P-water against Chaosians.
-The Edo family members seemed to be having a lot of accidents. Blood curse
rebound? Brannon asked who they cursed and was told Tristan, Drusus and
Livilla. Their guesses concerning who'd had them killed were Beryl, Azriel,
Piper or Sejanus.

VAERREK
Vaerrek wasn't allowed to get close to the White Room. So much for stealing
a Hamsterball. He went up, out and across to Catland. Chaos had invaded in
force. Most Houses were there and the Cats had been killed or were being
rounded up into concentration camps for compelling or execution. Evidently
Drusus, Saleri and or the Queen had blabbed to everyone. Logrus search found
Bombalurina in a camp, reasonably intact. Demeter's head was on a pike. He
questioned a guard and was told that Demeter had been leading a terrorist
raid. Ciluth Arctus and Droom Helgram had been in charge. Vaerrek told the
man to keep up the good work and continued on to Chaos. Ignoring, as much as
he could, his responsibility for the invasion, Vaerrek worked out that,
since they'd been interrogating the prisoners, Droom had to know that
Demeter had been sleeping with Vaerrek. To not either inform him of her
death, regretting the necessity, or hide the evidence was, on the whole, an
unforgivable insult to someone who'd gone well out of his way to aid House
Helgram in the past. Vaerrek practiced stabilizing areas of Chaos with his
new S-Logrus (Segrus? Logranus?) powers. It worked.


TIBERIUS/POSTHUMOUS
Went to Lurk and had his warehouse cleaned out. He outfitted it for Weird
Science. He located the most feared teacher at Lurks best science academy, a
real creative thinker named Professor Herkal. Tiberius praised Herkal's
brilliance and offered funding. Herkal was ecstatic and explained his theory
that Lurk was not the True World; only by purifying one's bodily fluids
could one ascend to a higher plane of existence. Since the Daljit-maid was
gone Tiberius raised the zombie of a tragically murdered young woman,
compelled her to domestic duties and stabilized her against decay. At dinner
Herkal let on that his theories had recently been utterly changed by a new
finding. Posthumous sketched the Pattern. Herkal was shocked. Herkal had
indeed found a sort of partial reflection of the Pattern, two rings of it,
in a puddle in a ruined part of the city. He considered it to be a portal to
another reality and had set a number of derelicts to walking it. All died.
Posty paid enough to attract some student athletes with great constitutions.
The first one made it.

KRISTA
Went to Amber. Most of the family was there. Vaerrek was off chasing women.
She needed Brannon's cooperation to get more P-water, his new assistant
Master of the Pattern, Gaius Feldane, didn't have the authority. Brannon
supplied four liters of P-water and couldn't resist asking Krista if she
just liked being pregnant. She gave a flip answer and asked about walking
the Pattern. Permission granted. Krista went down, walked the thing and
vanished.

BRANNON

Brannon had wanted to avoid Sejanus but got summoned. The king wanted to stockpile P-water. Brannon suggested installing some pumps and flooding the Pattern chamber three feet deep or so every day then taking it out once it achieved the proper Pattern intensity. Sejanus ordered it done. The king liked a SECRET idea Brannon put forth even more. Back on his own affairs, Brannon checked on the Owl Tower construction: fine. Next he went out into Shadow and found a great mural artist who'd done unicorns before. He brought the man to Amber and started him doing preliminary sketches. Brannon consulted Piper; she undertook to add Trump features to the mural once it was done. Brannon talked with Verity about the Edoite murders. She had no real idea who was responsible and all the obvious Twilight users were dead. Corinthian, Piper, Livilla and Titus were possibilities. They discussed methods of picking Corinthian's brains on the sly. Sejanus formally announced that Titus was his heir and Corinthian a bastard with no place in the line of succession. Brannon talked with his brother Gordon. Gordon was researching the S-Logrus; he said it was a fascinating triple helix, with Pattern and Spikard power mixed in. He planned to take a Powerball (formerly Hamsterball) to Chaos to investigate. Brannon said that sounded dangerous. Gordon was looking for backup; he'd asked Kamron but she declined. Brannon suggested he try to arrange contacts through Livilla and that he query the Unicorn. Gordon nixed the second idea: not a virgin.

VAERREK

Most of the Houses had left the remnant of Chaos and were off ravaging Catland. Sawall, Sca Grall, Umhall and Berumen, and some minor houses, had not left. Vaerrek went to the Queen and told her about his new abilities. He wanted to try working with a conjuror to create devices that could stabilize Chaos. Cyngra turned Vaerrek over to Sedene and they experimented. S-Logrus was very disturbing to Sedene, or any Logrus user. Vaerrek acknowledged that it troubled him too, but events had conspired to make him practical. Sedene brought in a Logrusless master conjuror. In mind melding with him sufficiently to blend powers it came out that Vaerrek intended to kill Droom. Cyngra objected --- Droom was the best fighter left in the Courts. Vaerrek was implacable -- GIRLFRIEND'S HEAD ON A STICK -- but said he could wait. Years if necessary. He suggested that Cyngra arrange for Bombalurina to be set free lest she meet with an accident and add someone else to Vaerrek's list. Cyngra saw to it. Vaerrek pointed out that since he walked the Pattern quite often compelling him would be... counterproductive.

POSTHUMOUS

Posthumous knighted the athlete Tad, who became the first of the Knights Tibular. Tad manifested Combat Tendrils and the ability to Search. Posty found more frat boys and set up a club house. The new KTs were Chad, Biff, Skip, Hugh, Kenny, Brad, Brock, Stu and Bruce. Posthumous worked on _reflecting_ Pattern and made a slow start. Psychic contact with Tad showed Posty that the new power felt far more free-flowing and less focussed than Pattern. Herkal told him that he'd found the power source with a sorcerous divining rod he'd made. Posthumous hired a student researcher to investigate the building that held the Patternette. Who built it, owned it and so forth. He wanted to buy it himself.

IRULAN

Irulan visited Cyngra and observed some of the doings with Vaerrek, including the testing of the first Chaos stabilizing gadget. Irulan protested the bad treatment of the Catpeople. Cyngra told her that such was the fate of terrorists. Cyngra was, however, issuing edicts aimed at improving the treatment of the Cats and intended to contact their leaders. Irulan volunteered and was made Cyngra's emissary to the Cats; word was sent to inform the Houses in Catland of Irulan's status. Off to Catland. Irulan found Mungojerry lost and bedraggled between Chaos and Catland. Irulan tried vainly to cool Mungojerry's bloodlust. She wanted everyone to just get along. He wanted all the invaders dead in the most painful ways possible. Irulan asked if anything irreplaceable was in the city. M said that Mr. Mephistopheles had implied that something had to be recovered. RumTumTigger was dead, along with Demeter, Cassandra and Emina, killed by Hendrakes. M wouldn't say who was leader now. He took Irulan through the Grey to a new region of Catland. Catland now extended more than halfway to the Abyss. She met with Rumpleteaser, Sir Pounceable and the twins Jan and Jean. The free Cats had organized themselves into cells with strict secrecy. Irulan suggested they build an new city. They couldn't, lacking The Great Builder who'd made the first one. Irulan got them to arrange for her to meet with the Cats who wanted to recover something from the city. She waited.

KRISTA

SECRET STUFF

BRANNON

Brannon tried to Trump Irulan: no luck. He set off with Gordon through the White Room, intending to go to London Below. There were a lot of armed Chaosians on the other side of the W.R.. Gordy and Brannon got badly cut up but managed to retreat back through the W.R.. Sejanus interviewed them in the infirmary. He had P-water cutters and 'blasters' mounted on the powerballs. Brannon designed a troop-transport millipede multi-powerball from his bed. Piper led the assault only a day later, aided by lords Denesh and Shred(?).

VAERREK

Vaerrek got Cyngra to send a lackey to contact the Marquis of Carabas and arrange for a meeting with the Master of Twilight. Meanwhile, he practiced stabilizing Chaos, helped make Stabilizers and avoided giving the GM a chance to employ his Bad Stuff.

IRULAN

Irulan was taken to the meeting blindfolded. The important thing in the City was the Key. It had been given to the Cats long ago by a great wizard. It should not fall into the wrong hands. Were it used the results would be terrible. Irulan volunteered to get it out. After some wrangling, they agreed to send her with Mr. Mephistopheles and Carbeekety, who knew the City and Key's location very well. Carbeekety led them in with excellent stealth augmented by Mr. M's subtle illusions. Midway through the City the invaders were stirred up into a frenzy by the (unbeknownst to Irulan & Co.) "Amberite invasion" of Gordon and Brannon. The few minutes of excitement helped them get into the old library undetected. Unfortunately, the library was not empty. Zigam of Jesby and two soldiers confronted them. He recognized Irulan and hesitated. She jumped him. Mr. M froze the other two. The Irulan-Zigam fight was close and vicious. Irulan killed him but lost an arm --- but was able to reattach it. Carbeekety was mortally wounded by a random swipe of Zigam's trisp. Mr. M goggled at the arm trick. Irulan claimed it was a spell she'd picked up. He asked her to teach it to him. Irulan mind probed Carbeekety as she died and picked up the instructions for finding the Key.

POSTHUMOUS

Posthumous studied the effects of the Patternette on the environment and attempted to reflect it. Lurk was now roughly as Real as a Golden Circle kingdom. But subtly _wrong_. Herkal's experiments had included pouring water on it. Posty drew some off -- Pattern with some other properties. Spikard, he thought, and something else. The researcher reported that the building had been owned by a big, conservative religious organization. Two months ago they'd abandoned it, claiming that it had been invaded by Evil. The group's leader was named Loren. Posthumous was able to focus the Patternette power and separate out a Chaotic element. He left off on that work to go make a dozen Spikard Cannons and stored them at the Patternette site. He arranged for an audience with Loren. Posthumous went to Castravalva to inquire of Beryl how she'd siphoned energy all the way there. Beryl was in a good mood: she said that Krista' newest spawn was Vaerrek's, self aware, had a name and a S-Logrus initiate. And Beryl wasn't going to compel the kid either; she was too curious to see what she'd do on her own. They discussed minor power sources a bit; she'd searched for some while the old Wall was up. Sejanus' Logrus had weakened the Wall for a while but now they were in harmony and the Wall was back to full strength. The Realm of Order was now far more uniform than before. Most un-owned shadows matched the Amber model.

KRISTA

SECRET STUFF

BRANNON

Brannon worked on his equipment to good effect. He powerballed around the W.R. and found a door to London Below leading to an abandoned stop at the British Museum. He went through. No armed Chaosians in LB. The biggest rumor was that Irulan had slain the Beast of London. He tried to Trump her. Nope. Recon. Rumor that Vaerrek was looking for the Marquis. Several denizens had been approached by Vaerrek. Amethyst found him, happy and horny as usual. The reports of her death were greatly exaggerated, she said. A clever trick with Conjurors. Now nobody was looking for her while she investigated the "new Logrus". The Serpent was not likely to convert as its power derived from its followers. The thing was not likely to get many customers. She thought that its Icon was unformed or the Unicorn. Amy might switch if the reports from Vaerrek were sufficiently favorable. He seemed to be immune to the addiction.

They found a hotel.

Amethyst offered to help Brannon doing whatever he was doing. He said he was checking for incursions in LB. Amy told him that Vaerrek was looking to smooth things over with the Twilighters via the Marquis. They tried to find Portia or Door; no luck.

VAERREK

Vaerrek [after being harassed into being stupid with Bad Stuff] went to LB with some guards after his messenger returned. The Marquis showed up on time.

"I hope your affairs have prospered."

"Of course."

"You met with the gentleman -- or gentlewoman -- in question?"

"Yes. They're interested in your offer."

"This is more preliminary than that. We seem to have mutual enemies. We might find it profitable to exchange services. If not, we'd like to arrange for peaceful coexistence. Not knowing the person's resources or desires we don't know what he or she could use."

The Marquis said that Vaerrek and he were guaranteed safe passage to and from Night's Bridge.

IRULAN

Irulan completed all the fast repairs she could on her arm and then popped the crypt open one handed. There was a reservoir of oily fluid. She thrust her arm in. Cold, her arm numbed and then adapted, exuded tentacles but couldn't find a bottom. The petroglyphs on the crypt were unclear, indicating beginnings and endings, circles, Alpha and Omega. Irulan slipped into the fluid and out into a completely different place. She was on a platform on an immense tree, other platforms containing rooms, furniture. Angry fairies fluttered around her complaining that she smelled wrong, some flying off to summon their master. Who soon appeared: a tall, elegant fellow with green hair giving every appearance of being the soul of kindness. He introduced himself as Finvarra and asked her business.

"I've been sent by the Cat People for the Key."

"Cat People?" He looked at her closely, tossed off some little spell, nodded. "You're in Rivendell. There's to be a family party. You're invited to attend. Perhaps the Key is one of the powerstones."

Irulan went along, considering the Key. Carbeekety had thought it was a device for manipulating power sources.

[OK, there's something here in the notes about 'Sligspholl, Oolpow and Kargo' and I have no idea what it means.]

POSTHUMOUS

Posthumous checked on the cathedral construction. He made sure all the designs incorporated strong steeple structures. Off to Castle Amber where he heard about Gordon and Brannon's mishap, and that the Chaosians had invaded Catland. Brannon was recovered and said to be scouting out enemy strongpoints and finding out how the Cats were taking it. Posty inspected the fleet of spikard cannons, P-water cannons and so on ready for the full invasion. Corinthian had been selected to lead the invasion. Posthumous volunteered to provide sorcerous backup. Sejanus was pleased.

loci:

-- Posthumous is in Amber

-- Irulan is in another continuum altogether, the 'Pedcon', or 'Zirzik' continuum perhaps.

-- Vaerrek is in London Below

-- Krista's location is SECRET

-- Brannon is in London Below

-- Azriel is rumored to be in Twilight HQ