The Relatives

Do you original players remember that time I read out to you a list of characters you _might_ encounter in my campaign? I put it together to sort of be a base line of information your character could probably obtain about any non player character. Well, I thought I would send you each a copy, and I added a small description of each player character as well. Keep in mind that the perspective in this list is from the beginning, and is very general. So, any interaction you might have had with any of these characters since then should take precedence in your mind's estimation of them over this general information. This isn't a biblical list, just likely impressions. Also, if I wrote anything about your character that you don't think is a likely summation another character might get until getting to know you better, please let me know and I will change it as long as I can understand your basis. If you have any questions about any characters listed, or think you should know more about something, let me know. You can also try to role play a little detective work on anyone you want to know more about. Remember, all of these people (the live ones, anyway) are doings stuff all the time. Kind of makes you wonder what some of them have been up to the last century or so.....now I know why Amberites are so paranoid.....

Here it is:

This is an overview of characters and personalities which might come up in my campaign. This list is not character specific, so it is necessarily general. A lot of this may be review for some, but read it anyway, as subtle things may be different than you may have thought. Not all of these characters are alive, and not all will ever come up, but that is part of the fun, now isn't it? I will describe general relations with each, but remember, these could be widely varied from character to character.

• Dworkin- The founder of Amber, great grandpappy to you folks. Old, often referred to as crazy, but dangerous too. Not often around anymore.

• Oberon- Dworkin's only acknowledged child, Oberon ruled Amber for about 99% of its existence. He died as a result of repairing the pattern at the culmination of the Patternfall war, and his body was sent over the abyss in a big funeral train, led by Dworkin himself.

• Benedict- Eldest child of Oberon still around, Benedict is Amber's master at arms and stratagy. You probably don't like him, as it seems he doesn't like you. Or at least, he has never gone out of his way to say anything to you. He isn't around too often anymore, unless there is need of him, at which time he is by his King's side.

• Bleys- A jovial elder, Bleys has always seemed the charmer. He is a splendid diplomat, and often is sent to negotiate deals with shadow kingdoms. He always gets what Amber wants in those deals, if not more. He has always been kind, unless I tell you otherwise, and you probably like him. He was, however, opposed to Eric's potential rule a while back, but thats all behind us now, isn't it? It seems so, but Bleys really doesn't hang out around the Castle much anymore. Wonder why.....

• Brand- Crazy character, that Brand. In current revisionist theory, he is seen somehow as the next Dworkin; crazy and visionary. Only he failed. But think about these things:
  1. Brand stained the Primal Pattern with Martin's blood, changing the fundamental balance of the multiverse.
  2. All broken patterns are echoes of that damage.
  3. Jasra, Queen of the broken patterns and Keeper of the Fount of the Four Worlds is Brand's wife.
  4. Brand is the only person credited with full treatment in the Fount.
  5. He alone instigated the events which only now are ending with Merlin's rise to the throne of Chaos. He indirectly caused the Patternfall war, Corwin to create the new pattern, and hundreds of chaosians to die.

  Now, what have you done the last couple of years that compares? Oh, yeah, and Brand is also dead. No, really, he took arrows to the chest and throat and went over the edge of the abyss, and as we all know, no one could live down there, right? No, no chance he is still hanging around. Oh, by the way, does the castle look bigger to you today, or do I just look shorter?

• Caine- Does this guy ever crack a smile? He just seems to be a sourpuss, you probably never felt comfortable with him. He is master of Amber's seaways, and spends much time on them. Oh, well, used to, anyway. You see, it was his arrows that were conspicuously protruding from Brand at the time of his death, and Rinaldo, Brands younger son, just wasn't too pleased with that at all. So, he took a sniper rifle and renovated Caine's head a little while back. Shame, that.

• Corwin- The man! Anyway, Corwin really is a mysterious fellow. He has spent about 3 days in Amber over the last couple hundred years, so you don't know him really at all. He was missing up until about sometime a couple weeks ago. Now he is back, though.

• Dierdre- This chick is a bad ass! She wailed with that axe of hers. Anyway, Brand was feeling lonely when he began toppling over the abyss, so he took her with him. Too bad, she would have been fun to role play! She never spent much time around previously, so you didn't know her that well, in all likelyhood.

• Eric- Now was this guy screwed or what? He was just minding his own business, watching over the throne until Pops got back, and that pesky Corwin just wouldn't leave him alone. Well, he died previous to the Patternfall War, mortally wounded in a battle defending Amber. What a guy.

• Fiona- Aren't you glad I didn't make her your mother? Well, she seems nice enough, but probably never got that close to you, really. She is rumored to be quite a sorcerous, but you have never seen it. Also a mental bad ass to boot. Now, she is often away.

• Flora- Among your aunts and uncles, she seems to have been one of the nicer ones. She is one of the few who still spends a lot of time at the castle. She helps recieve guests and take care of Castle decor. She is always there to talk to, but never really seems to have the right advice, unless it comes to matters of the heart.

• Gerard- This guy is a big teddy bear. Always a big smile on his face. He sometimes strikes you as a bit simple, but that is probably just the way he comes off. He is still around the castle some, and has never done anything in particular to make you feel ill towards him.

• Julian- He just doesn't seem to like you, you can't help it. So, you don't really talk to him much anymore. He runs the great Arden forest, and you wouldn't want to get on his bad side in there, you would be puppy chow for a few hell hounds before you can say, "These are those !#$%!$% little things that ate that Mercedes, aren't they?"

• LLewella- Who? Oh, yeah, she has been around once or twice, but basically she lives down in Rebma. She seems nice enough, however.....

• Random- This guy is an impetuous, rebel rousing, smart aleck little runt, who never even.......oh wait, that was the OLD Random, now he is the calm, wise, aged King of Amber. Make sure you make the distinction on his presence. For those of you who can remember who he was, that is. He has always been fair in your eyes.

• Osric & Finndo- Rumored to be elder brothers to Benedict, now either dead or estranged from the family. No one talks about them much.

• Dara- A Lord of Chaos who had an affair with Corwin at one point and bore Merlin.

• Coral- A late blooming aunt who has only hit the scene recently. You haven't really met her yet, but you heard somewhere that she was married to Rinaldo. Yuck! Anyway, you also heard that the Jewel of Judgement is now her right eye. Who knows?!?

• Dalt- Another suprise uncle. Dalt is a buddy of Rinaldo's, but is still estranged from Amber based on anger over Oberon's treatment of his mother and shadow. You haven't met him, either.

• Delwin & Sand- Another mystery two, these were children of Oberon's from an illigitimate marriage. Well, it isn't quite that simple, but I will let you do the research yourselves, it is all in one of the ten books. Anyway, naturally these two are rumored dead. They haven't made a showing in quite a while, at least.

• Jasra- Brand's (now ex-, I suppose) wife. That is about all you know. She runs the Fount of the Four Worlds. She isn't real pleasent, you hear.

• Jurt and Despil- Merlin's half brothers, Chaos side.

• Rinaldo (Luke)- Brand's and Jasra's son. You haven't met him, as he had a long vendetta against Amber which only ended recently. You have heard he is pretty decent, however.

• Lovaine- Brand's elder son, from a shadowmaid. He has always been a recluse, and you have never really gotten to know him well. He spends most of his time away from the castle. His skin is true black, with small, white swirly tattoos all over. He has no hair on top of his head. He doesn't like you, by all signals, but thats okay, most people don't like him.

• Merlin- Corwin's child, with Dara. A young seeming man, you have never gotten to know him, as he has never really been around much. You are quite suprised to hear that he is near to taking the throne over at the Courts of Chaos. Your estimation of him never put him up to the task.

• Raven- One of the elders of your generation, Raven is a bit of a mystery as well (who isn't it seems?). Fiona's eldest child, he has always been kind, but not very open. He was known to spend much time with Brand, but that was before Brand's troubles. He was never connected with any of Brand's evil doings. He fought bravely in the Patternfall War with all the rest. He hasn't really been around since then, however.

• Stone- Where does Fiona come up with these names? Stone is Raven's younger brother. If Raven isn't very open, Stone is just that, a rock! He never seems to say much of anything to anyone. He is often around the castle, but never socially. Seems nice enough, if only he would talk to you.

• Martin- Random's son from his old days, Martin has never felt he fit in around Amber. You have probably had a couple good conversations with him, when he was around, but that isn't often.

• Lothiriel- Dierdre's half elvin daughter, Lothiriel has all the spunk of her late mother. She is a fun cousin, but doesn't quite seem to like you as much as you wish she did. She is very charming. You wonder how Random would look on a cousin wedding......but then again, there is an old saying, "Never marry an woman who could royally kick your butt!"

• Aradia- Eric's daughter. Kind of a loose canon, a real nature child too. Never around much. Pretty, though, but known for somewhat erradic behavior.

• Duncan- Duncan is the eldest known of Dworkin's third generation, followed by Martin and Raven in some order. He is generally a quiet man, often wears a beard and dark renaissance clothing, sometimes with maroons to lighten things a bit. And I mean only a bit. Anyway, he has spent much time in Amber over the years and seems in some ways a loner. He is young by elder standards and old by his generation's standards. No one seems to know his exact relations to the family, but his assailing of the Pattern many years ago proved his connection.

• Adriale- Adriale is Benedict's daughter, and her maternal side is not commonly known. She is of unknown age, but has been around for at least 20 years, probably. No one seems to ever see much of her, and it is entirely possible you have never met her at all.

• Ash- Ash is child to Caine, and has lived many years, though his identity was only made apparent to Amber publicly somewhat recently. He seems a friendly fellow, and was a key participant in the recent defense of Amber's seaways. He has since not been seen in Amber much. He is known to wear blacks and whites.

• Miyel- Miyel might be the youngest known of her generation. She is Llewella's daughter, and has only been in Amber as an adult in the last year or so. Since then, however, she has been a strong figure in various Amber happenings. She is noted physically for being beautiful and having dark, red eyes.

• Chance- Chance is the son of Julian, and was only discovered by Bleys a couple of years ago. He was the general in the recent war with neighboring shadows for Amber, and managed to stave off 4-1 odds against him until Duncan brought to bear the Guns of Avalon to turn the tide. His strategic efforts in that conflict rank in the brilliant category by all accounts. Strangely juxtaposed to his cool military leadership, Chance is known to be another 'loose cannon' of the younger generation. He has only been known to Amber for about as long as Miyel, and has spent little time there since then. He is known to dislike trump calls.

• Kendric- Kendric is the most recently discovered youngster to crawl his way out of shadow. Only weeks ago he appeared. Rumor has it he followed the Amber armies down the black road and fought with them against Chaos, for personal reasons. It was after this conflict when he became aware of his Amber blood and came to walk the Pattern of Amber and establish his membership among Amberites. Despite the fact that he had just arrived, he joined Ash in the naval conflict of late which resulted in a routing victory for Amber. It is said Kendric is of noble blood from shadow. Although it is less commonly believed, this is also said of Chance.

• Trent- Trent is a seasoned son of Flora. Born perhaps fifty years ago, he left amber a long time ago to pursue his way in shadow. He was called back during Amber's recent troubles, and initially was working with Ash devising defensive strategies for Amber against the Golden Circle shadows. Opting for an assasinative attack rather than mere defense, Trent left Amber to carry out his self-devised mission of killing key enemy leaders and replacing them with more docile leaders during the recent wars. Despite the fact that the war ended weeks ago Amber time, Trent has not been heard from since.

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  Written by John Ciancutti
  Back to I'm Just a Shadow?!?