Game Log: Session IV

October 22, 2000

This session opened with the two-week "time jump". The term is used loosely here.

Mallory and Sophia got together the day after the field trip to Tir-na Nog'th and compared notes on the sorts of freaky shit they saw up in the celestial city. Sedgewick was incommunicado. Sebastian was off in shadow with Manfred on holiday. Rolfe was off doing work for the church, and managed to land a hot date with Caine. Mallory has been working in Camelia.

Events to occur during the time jump:

• The "merchant" arrived to pick up his trinket from Sophia.
• A "harvest festival" was announced and was to take place at House Chadwyck. The grand prizes are boons from the king.
• Flora announced her intentions to redecorate the castle in "winter colors".
• Jolan left Amber.
• The stolen book had not been recovered. The "ghost chick" had not been found. There had been no sign of the metal contraband.
• A Rebman woman was found brutally murdered and raped near the stairs to Rebma.
• Skirmishes had broken out on the trade routes between merchants.
• Camelia experienced a drop in trade.
• Another murdered victim was found down at the docks, this time Lady Julietta. Sedgewick was unreachable for assistance.
• Random was working to calm problems.
• Julian admitted that there are indeed women in the woods. Litigation is expected in the landmark case "Prince Julian vs. Anti-Arden-Chick Spray, Inc."
• Many of Julian's rangers are found murdered by sorcerous means. Julian demands an investigation.

Serenity arrives at Sophia's home and tells Sophia that Julian has raped and killed the Rebman woman. ("Thermonuclear device: Armed.")

Sebastian returns to Amber in a Porsche, hoping to beat Corwin and Random's record with the Mercedes. Gets attacked by Karakas men who believe that Sebastian is from Camelia.

Serenity trots over to Mallory's house and let's Mallory know about the raping and killing by Julian. She also reveals to Mallory that the kelp witches have "sisters" in Arden. ("Lord, help the mister who comes between me and my sister...")

Sophia trumps Random and fills him full of joy regarding Julian. Random tells Sophia to keep a lid on things, and suggests they talk to Bleys (the current regent).

Bleys initially suggests a field trip to Arden, but then cancels.

Mallory trumps Llewella and learns that that the dead woman was sent to warn Julian of "something".

Sophia talks to the dead Rebman's grandmother.

Rolfe is asked by the church to investigate the Arden witches. Rolfe is shown the bodies of Julian's men, which have apparently had trees grow up around them. After some discussion through a trump call with Mallory, Rolfe decides the matter is a secular affair and heads home for tubby time.

Sophia trumps Julian to interrogate him, and then asks for permission to investigate the murder scene. Julian notes that Sophia should bring a bodyguard. So, Sophia trumps Rolfe to see if he'll escort her through Arden. She's at the edge of the forest. He's wearing a towel.

Sophia notes that she doesn't think Julian killed and raped the Rebman woman.

The gang romp off through the forest, and encounter fierce winds, annoying leaves, and a giant pissed off tree. Vaguely in that order. Along the way they encounter Sebastian and Manfred, pushing the Porsche to beat Corwin and Random's record.

While Rolfe fights the giant tree, and doesn't do too good, Sophia finds the crime scene and does a minor ritual for information.

It is about a week and a half into the "time jump" that Sedgewick reappears and trumps Mallory. Mallory wants Sedgewick's assistance in investigating the ore. (This is allegedly being resolved via email.) Sedgewick also trumps Fiona, and has dinner with her. Sedgewick explains the inspiration for his sculpture. Fiona informs Sedgewick that he's escorting her to the harvest festival.

Skip ahead to the day of the festival, and we find Bleys trumping the entire club house gang, and requesting their presence. It turns out the Jewel of Judgement has gone missing, and it's suspected that Jolan has it. All present concentrate on Jolan's trump. It's believed that Jolan is killed in the process. Several people walk the Pattern and will it to send them to the Jewel of Judgement. Caine wills it to take him to Jolan. Those going to the Jewel find that there's but a barren wasteland where once a Broken Pattern existed. Caine later reports that Jolan is indeed dead. (But he's certain to be back in time for sweeps.)

So, everyone eventually makes it to the harvest festival. Sophia and Serenity (typically) go shopping. Caine, Julian, Martin, Silas, Mallory, Rolfe, and Sebastian are all (typically) in the jousting tournament. Sedgewick is following Fiona around, arguably un-typically.

Mallory encounters Victoria of Baylesland at his tent, looking for directions to where they're building the bonfire.

In the tournament, Silas loses early to a noble. Sebastian fights Bertrem (?) of House Chadwyck and wins. However, afterwards he finds he has a strange persistent ringing in his ears.

Rolfe fights Marion Chadwyck, the Chief Constable. Except he finds out quickly that this isn't the provost, and is really a demon who wants to kill Rolfe. Oops. She's also the woman who can transport herself through the ground. Sedgewick picks up on the duplicity only slightly before Rolfe, and finds the provost in her tent with a broken leg.

The rest of the tournament proceeds as follows:

• Mallory fights Sebastian with katanas. Mallory wins.
• Caine fights Rolfe in a joust. Caine wins.
• Caine fights Julian in hand to hand combat. Julain wins.
• Mallory fights Martin with sabers. Mallory wins.
• Mallory fights Julian with quarterstaves. Julian wins, but not before Mallory plants a kick in Julian's joy division.

After Rolfe scares Serenity away, Mallory hooks up with Victoria. While he's not the only character to land some nookie, he is the only one to find his date phase through the bed. Tune in next week for "Daddy I'm Not a Freak: Children of Amberites and Phasing Chaosians" on Jerry Springer.