Characters in Attendance:
Lord Aaron [Andy]
Dalen [Kath]
Ambassador Lentaro Dojangi (Len) [Jeremy Z.]
Maladin [Jeremy F.]

NPCs to Appear:
Derth [Jeremy F.]
Galen [Cort]
Sh'shari [Cort]
Lady Karma of Rein [Jeremy F.]

Guest in Attendance:
Joanna



When last we saw our intrepid adventurers ...

Lord Aaron is still tucked into his comfy bed, after a brutal time of being crisped by playing with Patterns. Dalen is sleeping soundly in her bed at the White Rose. Lentaro is at the Embassy (do Tellurians need sleep?), and Maladin is ensconced in his room at the Castle.

It is a lovely summer's morning.

"Mother... !!!" is petulantly whined from the bed of a certain Pattern-fried Lord (would you like him regular, or extra-crispy?). Florimel has been waiting for her dear baby to wake up, and she spends time making sure he's all right. Beyond some fatigue, a general realization of almost dying the night before, and a vast feeling of the pathetic, Aaron appears to be doing quite well. He promises his mother that he will stay in bed and "be good" today.

Dalen does some correspondence at first light, and has a messenger deliver her abject apologies to Michael for standing him up the night before -- she was out of town on "business". She asks to reschedule. Then it's breakfast.

Lentaro starts his morning by diving back into "Embassy "business", and agrees to meet with Maladin later in the day.

Maladin wave rides (a.k.a. ZIP*ZIP*ZINGs) to Helmwind near to where the battle was several nights ago. He continues on foot to the forested area where he had captured one of the party's attackers. The half-body is still there, advancing in its stages of decomposition. Maladin drags the body onto a tarp, and bundles it up. He then wave rides back to the environs near Amber.

Nearer the afternoon, Dalen sends a note to Prince Bleys, asking for a bit of his time. He agrees to meet her with if she can come immediately, as he has other plans for his evening. Upon arriving at the Castle, she is shown into a sitting room where she is joined by the Prince. Dalen asks Bleys if he would be willing to work a Trump for her ... and she produces the picture of the Hellrider which Lore had drawn for her a few days previous. As Lore mentioned, a true mental image would be needed to get the psychic print required for the Trump. Dalen seems to trust Bleys more than she does Lore, and lets Bleys do his work. After a blink of an eye to Dalen, several hours have passed, and Bleys has what he needs to complete the Trump. It will be delivered tomorrow morning. She thanks him and takes her leave.

Lentaro and Maladin have their arranged meeting.

Enter Derth. He and two of his henchmen are trawling for likely bodies down on the docks (that is to say, they're looking for people who might conveniently go "missing"). Their plans are thwarted by the emergence of the hulking figure of Prince Gerard, who disarms Derth and puts him into a half-nelson. The striking, flamboyant Prince Bleys easily deals with the cohorts. Prince Gerard explains to Derth why it was a bad idea to think about picking up people at the docks ... and he uses small words to make sure his captive understands. Derth tries to make a break, and Gerard slams him against the alley wall. Derth is now in a cell in Castle Amber, hands manacled and eyesight blocked by a device designed to thwart attempts at sorcery. He's been told that he'll be "talked to" in the morning.

Dalen, back at the White Rose, spends a quiet evening doing quiet things. She's received a note back from Michael arranging to meet the next night. She goes to bed ... only to be hit with another vision. She gets up, and draws (as best as her nonexistent talents will let her) what she saw. Back to bed. She's woken up a few hours later on high alert -- two men are in her room and one is coming through the window. The leader tells her quietly that she will come with them, or they will burn down the Inn and everyone within. He is the Hellrider from her vision. She agrees to accompany them (as she doesn't want to be responsible for having the place torched, and she has no doubts that he means what he says), and so gets dressed. He grabs her hand and they wave ride to another place within the Vitae. It is a huge army encampment -- cook fires are too numerous to count. Dalen is taken to a tent, where a tall woman in white, full armor is waiting. She asks Dalen about her visions -- which Dalen declines to comment upon -- and says that her name is Sh'shari. The man who brought Dalen to her, Galen, is one of her right hand people it seems. Sh'shari gives Dalen a quick history lesson, speaks of ancient and upcoming genocide, and tells Dalen that she's going to be used as a sacrifice in a few days -- the Pattern imprint in her blood being useful for wiping out Pattern itself. The captive is lead to a open tent and placed in a cage. Three people sit facing the cage in a triangle, and work some sort of Pattern "damper" around it. And there Dalen sits for a while.

THE NEXT DAY!

Maladin goes early in the morning to the Rose to keep his promised "discussion" with Dalen. Desra lets him know that Dalen hasn't come down for breakfast yet. They go upstairs and knock on her door ... no answer. Enter. The bed is left unmade, the window stands open and there are signs that she dressed hastily. A messenger arrives with a note from Bleys for Dalen. Maladin accepts it on her behalf, and opens it. Inside is the Trump she had requested. Desra asks Maladin to please tell her if she hears from Dalen. He agrees and heads back up to the Castle.

Maladin finds Fiona, Bleys, Llewella, Flora, and Gerard having breakfast together, attendant with all the good grace that usually accompanies any informal Family gatherings. Maladin asks Bleys if he has a moment to speak privately. The Prince does, and they head out the door. Maladin asks Bleys if he's seen Dalen lately. Bleys brings him up to speed on the where and whens, and then is told that she may be missing -- she tends to get into trouble a good deal. Bleys says to keep him informed, then returns to his breakfast.

Afterwards Fiona, Bleys and Gerard "quietly" interrogate Derth.

Meanwhile, at the Tellurian Embassy, Ambassador Lentaro receives an unexpected note.

Aaron, who is feeling much better today, sends a petulant note to Fiona asking for a bit of her time. When she arrives, he chews her out over dismissing the "Elemental Pattern" theory. She very patiently reminds Aaron that she doesn't know anything more about the theory, or about a fire pattern than she originally told him. She also reminds him that the heat he felt while trying to alter his own pattern to match that of Fumaris was most likely due to the huge amount of energy he was putting out during the process. It has to go somewhere, and as it wasn't being focused outwardly it had to take form inwardly. Fiona rather sternly extracts the promise from Aaron that if he tries anything like this in the future that he will tell someone so they can observe. Still petulant, he makes the promise.

Around lunch time, Lentaro has a luncheon meeting at the White Rose.

While sitting in her cage, Dalen receives another vision. The source of them feels familiar -- perhaps the visions are Sh'shari's. Afterwards, Dalen tries to link with Sh'shari, to observe her using psyche and her white disc as a focus. Instead the face of a wizened old man appears. "Dalen, is that you?! Where are you?" She informs him that she's in a cage. "That's not a good place to be." And he winks out. So much for that idea.

Lentaro Trumps Caine to inquire on the identity of one "Lady Karma of Rein". The Lady is offering certain information that Lentaro may find useful, in exchange for information that she would fine likewise. Caine asks Lentaro to meet with her and the Prince will "observe" the session.

Maladin has a private conversation with Random.

Lord Aaron travels to Rebma. He gains audience with Moire, the Queen of Rebma, and asks permission to gain entrance to their Pattern room. She asks why, and he simply says "Research." She gives permission, and Aaron proceeds towards the area.

Lentaro continues with his lessons in ballroom dancing.

As Aaron is walking/floating down the stairway towards Rebma's Pattern room when he receives a Trump call. It is Maladin who is inquiring if Aaron has seen Dalen lately. Aaron, a little put out that he's being interrupted, tells him that no, he hasn't seen her. Why not just Trump her? Maladin doesn't have her Trump. Aaron says that he'll get back to Maladin.

Aaron takes out his Trump of Dalen and tries to make a connection -- he can see her, but is blocked from making actual contact. He pushes the connection harder, and the picture on the Trump shifts from that of Dalen to that of the scene where she is ... as if it's now a location Trump. Aaron considers a moment, then Trumps Maladin. With a rather offhanded flourish, he says, "Here," and gives Maladin the altered Trump. Maladin is suitably impressed at the speed with which Aaron worked. Aaron closes the connection with an air of, "I've done my part, now you deal with her." Moments later though, he Trumps Lentaro and tells him what is up. Aaron accepts a "lift" to the Embassy, and stands dripping on Lentaro's carpets. The two of them Trump Maladin and he brings them through to the Castle.

Dalen, meanwhile, tries to Trump Random. She makes tenuous contact and is able to spit out "Sh'shari ... Huge army ... Genocide ... One month," before the three guards notice what is going on and redouble their efforts at blocking her. The contact is lost.

Bleys is still with Random when the gentleman contact him (a few moments after Dalen's call), and he pulls them through. The situation is explained to the Princes, and with the same offhanded flourish as Aaron had used, Maladin presents the altered Trump to Bleys for his perusal. Bleys, duly impressed, asks Maladin how he managed to do such a Trump. Maladin simply points to Aaron, and Aaron has to explain what really happened. Random looks as though he has a huge headache. Dealing with tavern wenches who manage to find themselves in trouble wasn't on his list of things to do today.

Random agrees to issue a dozen guardsmen to go with Maladin, Aaron and Lentaro to "retrieve" Dalen. The "now" location Trump is used by Bleys, the gateway formed, and everyone goes through ...

... to find themselves in an open tent, with many, many people milling about and an enormous army encamped all around. The three people guarding Dalen look up, just as Maladin spits one of them on his sword. A second of the guards *poofs* out of sight. Aaron brings up Pattern and is pulled out of the current wave as he does so (sucked out? Yanked out?). Roly-poly, pell-mell, tumble-bumble he goes. That's gotta hurt.

Lentaro moves to the cage and tries to break the chain which holds the door. The third guard moves to the cage and set a electrically charged spell through the cage. Dalen draws her sword and runs him through. Maladin throws a spell at the cage, disintegrating it. The spell which had been on the cage concusses as there is no longer anything for it to "hook" to. *BOOM-WHAM* Lentaro becomes a static charged puffball, and Dalen looks definitely singed. They gather their now fried wits and race towards the gate which Bleys is holding open ...

... only to be blocked by Sh'shari and Galen arriving out of nowhere. Sh'shari casts something and the Trump gate is blocked by another force field. Galen advances on Maladin and presses his advantage. Sh'shari throws another spell which causes the Vitae around Lentaro and Dalen (and Maladin?) to mold around them like living clay. Dalen grabs Lentaro and enters into a wave. They ride a few moments, and she takes them out (ungracefully), and they tumble ass over tea kettle into a Shadow. After catching their breath, one of them Trumps Random and he pulls them through to Amber. (Memory must have been shaken loose by the fall. [Editor]).

Maladin and the guards are blocked from the gate by Sh'Shari's magic, and Galen is advancing hard. There is no time to attempt a Trump contact, and no wave currently coming through on which to ride. He takes a hit from Galen, and retreats another step. Sh'shari is ready to cast something else, but Maladin feels a wave coming through. Unable to take more than one person with him on the wave, he grabs a guard and enters into it. They arrive in a Shadow a little ways away, only to have Sh'shari and Galen follow them. Maladin rattles Sh'shari's cage a bit by whipping out his "magical gattling gun" and scoring a direct hit. While he is thus occupied, Galen shoots Maladin in the side with a drugged bolt from a small crossbow.

Meanwhile, Aaron realizes that people are still stuck and tries to Trump to Maladin. He groggily accepts it, and Aaron yanks him through before Galen and Sh'shari can pummel him. Aaron is caught on the arm by someone's blade as he does so. Flame licks along the edges of the wound. He tries to put it out by bringing up Pattern on it, and it immediately bursts into flames. He puts it out as best he can, and in agony Trumps Bleys to bring them home.

[Editor's question. Did the guard whom Maladin grabbed buy the farm?]

Everyone is back at Castle Amber. Random, Bleys and Gerard answer questions regarding an ancient genocide, and while no one really remembers much about Ghenesh ... beyond something to do with Oberon, and him sending Benedict to take care of it, they say they'll look into things. Maladin is all woosy and drunk on whatever was on the bolt which hit him. In a slurred voice, he tells those assembled that the entire Waverider army is INSIDE a wave. By this time he is completely out of it and is taken to his room. Dalen is given a room at the Castle, as under the circumstances, it probably wouldn't be wise to return to the Rose.

Aaron is in a huge amount of pain from his seared arm. Bleys puts out the "fire" by smothering it by removing all the Pattern from the area. Once it's out, the area is returned to normal. Aaron has second and third degree burns and is treated for such. Dismissing the pain, he heads to the family library to do some research.

Lentaro returns to the Embassy, and tries to get some information from one of his sources. Afterwards, he Trumps Caine as well, asking for similar information. Caine gives him a location Trump for Telluria.

Merik shows up at the Castle, after receiving word where Dalen will be staying for a time, and takes her to talk to some mutual acquaintances.

NEXT DAY!!

Maladin wakes to an enormous hangover. Aaron pays him a visit (quietly!) and gives him the information he gleaned from last night's researching -- a key bit being that Helmwind was built on the site where Ghenesh once stood. They head down to Breakfast.

Dalen wakes up, and heads down to breakfast.

Lentaro decides that breakfast at the Castle sounds better than breakfast at the Embassy this morning.

They all meet, and find Benedict already at table. They remember that Random said last night that he'd be bringing Benedict in on the Helmwind matter. Everyone makes desultory conversation with the Prince regarding Helmwind and Ghenesh as they get their porridge, and Dalen asks for the name of the Captain of the Moon Riders of Ghenesh whom Benedict fought all those years ago. "Sha'tora." Benedict finishes his breakfast and goes to inspect the armory. Maladin follows him. Lentaro follows Maladin. Dalen finishes her breakfast.

Maladin and Benedict talk about the situation in Helmwind, and Benedict gives him one of the guns stored in the Armory to see if it will function in that place, as Maladin will be returning to Helmwind shortly.

Lentaro and Maladin have a private conversation afterwards, then Lentaro goes to keep an appointment.

Maladin and Dalen have a private conversation later that morning.

Dalen and Aaron have a conversation in the Library sometime later that day regarding the various "sides" which seem to be forming in this conflict, and what can be done to help resolve it -- hopefully without a war. As they leave, Aaron asks her to watch later when he attempts to walk the Pattern in Tir-na Nog'th. She agrees.

Maladin goes to Helmwind, to the capital city of Virtue. It is under attack. He goes quietly through the city, gathering information. He reports back to Benedict, and continues his reconnaissance.

Evening falls and Aaron makes his way to Tir-na Nog'th, leaving Dalen at the foot of the ghostly stairway, his Trump in her hand. His walk of the Pattern is successful and, as he reaches the center, he disappears from sight and Trump contact is lost. She waits a little while, and attempts to Trump him again -- he's back at the Castle with Fiona, in one of the Medical rooms. He closes the connection and she hoofs it back to the Castle to find him. He's telling Fiona how he was RIGHT about the fire Pattern. It does exist! How, where and why he doesn't yet know ... but it is undeniably in existence. He was right, and makes sure Fiona knows it. The actual events related are unclear. Did Fiona rescue him from the fire Pattern? Or was it Maladin, who seems to have a knack for rescuing members of the group on a daily basis?

Lentaro returns to Telluria, and pays a visit to his Commander. The gentleman is surprised by Lentaro's unexpected arrival, and declines to walk with the Ambassador when it is brought up. Lentaro leaves the building, and Trumps Caine, asking for passage back to Amber. After getting there, he turns his back on Caine, dismissing him entirely. Caine doesn't say anything, but leaves the room.

Maladin returns to Amber, and updates Benedict and Random on the situation in Helmwind. Caine Trumps Maladin, asking if he's seen Lentaro and if the Ambassador has seemed ... all right? Maladin responds that he seemed okay when he last talked to him. Why? Caine just shrugs, and says to keep an eye out.

Dalen is looking for more information on Sha'tora, and hoping she is still alive, despite Benedict's assurances that he most thoroughly killed her, takes a walk through Shadow to find her. She winds up at a revolving, whirlpool fold of the Vitae, like someone folded a wave upon itself. Dalen enters and is on a small, grassy knoll where a tall obelisk made of white material stands in the center. Along all four sides is writing -- the same on all four sides. It's in a language unknown to Dalen. She exits the fold, and shifts shadow enough to garner paper and a writing implement. She returns to the obelisk and takes a rubbing of the markings on the structure. Having done that, she again walks through the Shadows towards Amber.

Lord Aaron receives a message. Lentaro is at the Embassy. Maladin is reportedly at Castle Amber, and Dalen is walking in the Shadows.

To be continued on Sunday, October 10th at 2:00 PM ...