Copyright ©1998 Jonathan Cardon
Amber DRPG is Copyright ©1991 Erick Wujcik

Han: Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind.
Luke: But they're going to kill her!
Han: Better her than me...
    Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, Star Wars

Wang: "You thought they'd just let us walk in out like the wind?"
Jack: "Yeah, I thought that was your whole damn point!"
    Wang and Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China

Between the Pattern of Amber and the Logrus of Chaos are the lesser powers: broken patterns, the ravelled logrii, representations, designs, and wells. Realms of power. Shards.
Amber defeated Chaos in the Patternfall War, but the battle continues.

Now the Shards begin to fall. The realm of Begma is no more.
Slowly the eyes of the other Shards begin to open.
Chiare prepares for battle, but most remain blind to the danger.
In Thule Clieto is dead, the king mourns, and listens.
A small band of heroes has returned to Kashfa. They have found a fallen realm under the control of Amber, and have lost an ally. An ally that they will defy Amber to save, but at what cost?...

Krinac says "Ok, in the main room everyone is waiting for Jeanette to bring down the rock wall."
Krinac says "I should note that not all of the down guards are dead, and you have several prisoners. One of the guards took a wound to the chest, and is in a great deal of pain, and is crying out, but he isn't unconscious."
Krinac says "What is your military status?"

Jeanette is kneeling before the wall, dagger in one hand, the other tracing the stone. "Sunfall, take care of the guards... Allyna, can you feed me energy? If I do this myself it'll take half an hour."

Sean moves to look at the wounded guard. "Let us know when you're ready, Jeanette."

Jeanette nods.

Sunfall mutters to Sean, "I think... should do away with... info..."

Sean frowns. "How much trouble can they cause?"

Jeanette calls Sunfall over to her, leaving Sean to deal with the guards. "I'm going to need some help with this, and someone to go through when we're ready. I can make an opening big enough to get through... but the guys on the other side will know what I'm doing, so be ready."

Sean looks up. "Jeanette, I may be able to slow the sorcerer down a moment, but it might mess with our magic, too."

Jeanette nods, "I'll tell you when."
Jeanette murmurs, "Sean... search the guards for keys to the cells..."
Jeanette presses her hands into the wall, sand trickling out from between her fingers. Her hands spread wide, opening a tunnel into the wall itself...

Sean has meanwhile tied up those guards still capable of moving around, and is near the most badly wounded one.

Jeanette continues her work, muttering in an ancient language under her breath...

The injured man by Sean screams, "I'm still alive you bastard."

There is a small sound in the corridor beyond the busted doorway and the corpses of the dead guards.

Jeanette scowls, and mutters, "Shut him up... and check that..." as she works.

Sean grabs the man by the throat and covers his mouth.

Jeanette returns her attention to her work, and Sunfall eyes the man, then shakes her head.

Krinac says "By this time Jeanette's head and shoulders disappear into a depression in the rock."

Sean grabs his sword, and moves to investigate the noise.

Jeanette is basically trying to take layers off of each side of what will become a 'door' to be shoved aside by someone big and strong like Sean.

Sean leaves the room, then begins running.

Jeanette frowns, but continues her work, leaving Sunfall to deal with any problems. Sunfall herself remains on guard for the moment.

Nearly through, Jeanette looks up from her work. "Fetch Sean. We're going to need him."

Sunfall's forehead suddenly wrinkles as her gaze becomes distant.
Sunfall says "It's Allyna. They're ready whenever we are."

Jeanette nods. "Get Sean."

Sunfall says "The shop has been found. It can no longer be used as a safehouse."

Sean returns. "They're going to be here soon."

Sunfall returns to her usual alert self.

Jeanette nods. "I'm almost through." She begins removing the last few inches.

Krinac says "Time passes as Jeanette gets the rest of the way through. Jeanette is nearing the end, when the measured cadence of troops marching together can be heard from outside the hallway."

Sean whispers. "There are two sorcerers and some special guards behind the wall, but the guard knew there were two women held there... I think they're on to us."

Jeanette nods, "Be ready," she whispers, stripping away the last of the rock...
Jeanette breaks through the rock.
Jeanette gestures to it. "Sean, now!"
Jeanette is immediately sucked through the hole as if grabbed by a vaccuum

Sean yells, "Catha!" and tries to grab Jeanette.

Jeanette growls, "Shit!"

Sunfall tries to grab Jeanette's leg.

Those who were looking closely, will have seen dark snakelike tentacles shot with smoke reach out and grab Jeanette.

Sunfall squeezes through the hole after Jeanette.
Sunfall says "Sean, hold the rear!"

Jeanette snaps up her hand, horned fingers hurling power at her black-robed asssailant, calling, "Iai!"

Krinac On the other side of the hole, the BP adept, a man in a dark black robe, is currently playing break the pinata. Jeanette is the bat and the pinata.

Sean follows Sunfall through the hole.

The tromp of feet grow louder, and a full phalanx of Amber marines in plate armor enter through the broken doorway.

On the other side of Jeanette's narrow tunnel, Sunfall steps through. She is met by the sight of Jeanette flying through the air, held up by snake like tentacles. Another sorceror is speaking lynchpins and pointing at Sunfall.

Krinac says "Jeanette is pounded a few times, but manages to choke out a word of power, which seemingly startles her attacker. He drops her, and she falls to the floor."

Sunfall throws her junaive like a spear as she rushes the lynchpin-muttering sorceror.

Krinac says "Sean follows behind, and the Amber marines are forced to approach the tunnel one at a time."

Sunfall says "Sean! Keep the soldiers from coming through the tunnel!"

Krinac says "Sunfall's spear takes the incanting sorceror in the throat. Behind him, four guards appear and rush Sunfall."

The Amber marines seem unable to pass Sean. One has died. The next is dueling it out with him.

Sunfall pulls two daggers and positions herself against a wall so she can't be surrounded.

Jeanette crawls over and toward the sorceror that took Sunfall's spear in the throat. The guards rush to attack Sunfall, but are held at bay when the other BP mage recovers, and his tentacles lash out at Sunfall.

Sunfall tries to wrestle with the tendrils, despite the pain.

Krinac says "Sunfall grapples with the mage seemingly successfully. The guards, blocked by the tendrils, turn to the only person in sight, Jeanette, and one of them aims a casual kick at her head designed to send her unconscious. Sean continues to hold the other end of the tunnel. The guard he was facing backs out, and Sean is forced to retreat through the tunnel as he faces crossbows."

Sunfall successfully fights back the tendrils for now. One of the guards kicks Jeanette in the head, and she slumps unconscious. He pulls her back out of the way to the cell block. Sean and sunfall are now both trapped, and soon the amber marines will be coming out of the tunnel.

Sunfall grabs Ariadne's hand and pulls her through, then begins making her way toward the Sorceror.

Krinac says "Sean utters a word of power, and with the sorceors attention focused on Sunfall, he manages to get past... to face three soldiers. Amber marines, in full plate."
Krinac says "The other soldier takes Jeanette through a doorway."

Ariadne helps Sunfall a bit, before flinging her spear in an attempt to run the sorceor through. Her spear hits him, and the tendrils fade significantly.
Krinac says "Sunfall may move freely now."

Sunfall dives for her junaive in a neat tuck and roll.

Sean's fighting skills are put to the test. Individually his opponents would be no match for him. However they are bettered armored, and put their numbers to use. Sean suffers a small wound to the calf, but is otherwise intact for now.

Krinac says "One Amber marine has made it through the tunnel."
Krinac says "Ariadne faces him armed with but daggers."
Krinac says "Actions"

Sunfall rushes the sorceror with her junaive swinging.

The sorceror turns his tentacles back on Sunfall, when they contact her Junaive, the bounce, and he reacts as if cut, Sunfall reaches him with her Junaive, and runs him through.

Krinac says "Ariadne tries to hold the tunnel, but can't. A dagger isn't much use against an opponent in full plate."

Sean keeps moving, trying to force the guards into each others' way.

Krinac says "Map:

Many                          Sunfall                         1 guard &
guards ==tunnel== 2 guards .. Ariadne .. Sean .. 3 guards ..  Jeanette"

Krinac says "A man's voice screams from the doorway where Jeanette was carried."
Krinac says "From down the corridor a man's voice screams out, "WITCH, I'll make you pay for that."

Sunfall takes the weapon and charges Ariadne's opponent with her junaive.

Krinac says "Sean has an opening, and drives his blade home into the face of one opponent."
Krinac says "One of the other opponents strikes out at Sean's outstreached arm, and catches his sword arm."

Sunfall rushes to help Ariadne, and it is two to two at the opening to the tunnel. Sunfall presses her opponeont, but Ariadne is losing ground. Fortunately no other guards can arrive.
Krinac says "More screams, echo from the prisoner's room."

Sunfall says "Here!" and tosses the staff to Ariadne.

Sean drops his weapon, and with his other hand grabs the extended arm of his opponent, he whirls stepping inside and flings him at the remaining soldier.
Krinac says "Shoulder throw for those of you who know some Judo."
Krinac says "Sunfall opponent relied on his armor to turn a blow, and suddenly finds himself with a large gash across his chest. That severely hampers his fighting ability. Ariadne manages to hold her own but does little damage."
Krinac says "Sean's opponents are in a heap, but Sean is without a weapon."

Sunfall continues to work at her opponent, junaive in hand, with a staff on the floor next to her.
Suddenly, Sunfall emits a chilling howl that nearly deafens those near her. The sound, like none you have ever heard before, sounds like it came from something much larger than human.
Everyone except Sunfall is startled.
Sunfall lunges for her opponent.

Krinac says "Sean kicks a sword free from one of the guards, and goes on to pummel them both with kicks. One of them stays down, the other staggers to his feet, and charges Sean."

Sunfall's blow stabs through her opponent.
Sunfall thrusts the spasming corpse sideways at Ariadne's opponent.

Ariadne fights defensively, waiting for her opponent to overextend.

Krinac says "Ok, we go into accelearted mode.... Ariadne and Sunfall together make short work of the remaining amberite. Sunfall is then left fighting the mob trying to enter one at a time by the tunnel."
Krinac says "Sean ends up in a bear hug with the remaining unarmed guard. Eventually bones crack. Sean is still standing. The guard slumps."

Sunfall stands against the wall to the side of the tunnel, ready to stab at whatever gets stuck through.

Krinac says "That leaves Sunfall on guard, while Sean and Ariadne investigate what happened to Jeanette."

Sunfall brings Kaisarah through.

Krinac says "When they enter the prisoners room, they find a dead guard and Jeanette free."
Krinac says "Andra and Nayda are also present."

Someone didn't mess around. They are not manacled. The are sandwiched between two stones, the top one must weigh several hundred pounds. You see a winch to raise it, and it looks like it takes two men just to turn the winch. You also notice that a steady stream of water droplets falls upon their heads.
Krinac says "Andra is coherent, Nayda is gibbering."

Jeanette is currently engaged in trying to haul at the winch.

Krinac says "Kaisarah standing by Sunfall, suddenly stops and brings Vance across."

Sean moves to help Jeanette with the winch. "Hold on!"

Jeanette says "Hurry! And get ready to get us outta here!"

Krinac says "Vance is bringing what must be the corpse of Dalt, it is riddled with bullet holes."
Vance has the body of Dalt grasped by one hand, and is bleeding from two wounds to the chest. He grimaces in pain, looks to the corpse, and says a single word, which most have never heard Vance say before. "Sorry..." He then collapses.
Krinac says "Vance has two marks in the back that are oozing blood. Bullet holes."

Jeanette moves over to Vance, leaving the winch to Sean and Sunfall, She kneels next to him, placing a hand over his chest. "He's dying... get them out of there, quickly."

Krinac says "Jeanette herself doesn't look too good, the whole side of her face is swollen, and one of her hands is hanging at an odd angle."
Krinac says "In short order Sean and Sunfall are able to free Andra and Nayda"

Jeanette reaches her wounded hand out to one of the guards. "Hurry," she says to Sean and Sunfall, then begins to chant softly, a glow gathering on the one hand, spreading to the other, and into Vance...

Krinac says "I'll assume Sunfall is transferring everyone across, Dalt, and Ariadne first, etc."

Sean moves to Nayda, and whispers to her.

Vance gasps, "How...long...?" He struggles to rise.

Krinac says "Nayda is gibbering constantly, "Please, please I'll tell you anything now, just let me sleep, no more water, please, please, please."

Allyna is bringing anyone through who will come.

Sean picks Nayda up, though awkwardly due to his injured arm. "Let's get out of here while we still can."

Krinac says "Umm, Kaisarah hasn't done a good job of keeping guards out, who is staying behind?"
Krinac says "Sean and Nayda trump out."

Vance rises, with effort. He assesses the situation, looking for Kaisarah and Dalt's corpse.

Jeanette says "Too long. Time to go, Vance."

Krinac says "Kaisarah is backing away from three heavily armored Amber marines."
Krinac says "Dalt's corpse is gone."

Vance, grimacing with pain, whips the assault rifle on his shoulder around to rest in his hands, and yells something in a foreign tongue to Kaisarah.

Krinac says "Oops the GM forgot about that... umm, guards turn into swiss cheese."
Krinac says "your aim is a little off due to recoil, but that doesn't matter much."
Krinac says "Everyone clears out to Allyna."
Krinac says "good thing too, the sketch just burned out."

Vance immediately moves to Dalt's body as soon as he's through the connection, discarding the assault rifle in his hands as he kneels down next to it.

Krinac says "Umm, Vance staggers over to Dalt's body, and collapses near it."

Allyna pulls a card from her Image deck, and stares at it. After a moment, she reaches into the Image, and pulls out her wand, back to its original size. She slips it back into her belt, and then looks around, seeing if everyone's survived.

Sean looks at Allyna. "Where are we?"

Allyna says, "I didn't have a lot of time. We're probably very close to Kashfa."

Sean points at a collar welded around Nayda's neck. "We'd better get moving. And find a hacksaw or something."

Krinac says "Roll call, Dalt - dead, Vance - should be dead, Sean - arm injury & bruises, Sunfall - minor scrapes, Ariadne - bruises, Andra - bruises and collar, Nayda - collar & gibbering, Jeanette - Busted jaw, broken ribs, crushed hand, general full body damage"

Allyna says, "I can arrange for a hacksaw. Is Caine dead?"
Allyna gets out her sketchbook, and starts working on a picture.

Vance doesn't seem to be in the condition to answer that.

Krinac says "Oh yeah, Raz, missing in action"

Sean snorts. "Doubt it."

Allyna says, "How are we going to move with all these corpses, and near-corpses?"

Vance slowly staggers to a sitting position, next to Dalt's corpse. He motions Kaisarah over.

Krinac dropped Kaisarah.

Sean frowns. "Can you trump us anywhere? After we ditch the collars?"

Allyna snaps her gaze to Vance. "No! No more of your secret manipulations. You nearly got all of us killed."

Jeanette says "Do we need to move the corpses?"

Kaisarah goes over to sit by Vance.
Kaisarah asks, "Are you ok my friend?"

Vance seems to be ignoring Allyna. However, he does speak in a normal voice to Kaisarah. "It was a trap. Dalt and Raz managed to kill the Hand, but the new Heart lives."

Jeanette says "Who are the Hand and the Heart, Vance?"

Vance says "The Hand...is unimportant. The Heart...is Caine."

Kaisarah says, "Then I must go back." He turns to Allyna, "Do you still have that magical drawing of my home?"

Vance reaches for Kaisarah's wrist. "Bide a moment. I have instructions."

Allyna says, "There are men in your home, Kaisarah! Are you planning to leap into your death?"

Sean frowns. "Then you'd better hurry, Vance. These collars are telling Caine right where we are."

Kaisarah pauses as if giving Allyna's suggestion serious thought, "I will abide for now."

Krinac notes that each collar does have a large emerald set in it.

Vance says "Kaisarah...I need you to contact Dalt's forces. Tell them what happened. Then, get in touch with Silas, and have him contact Jasra. It's time we joined forces...the stakes are too high. Allyna will provide you a way back to us."

Allyna says, "I wonder what would happen if we threw the collars into the Cha--"

Jeanette says "Into what, Allyna?"

Allyna's eyes widen, suddenly. "What am I thinking!?"
Allyna says, "Nevermind. We shall return them to Caine's men."
Allyna says, "And then I will try to draw us another escape route."
Sean mutters. "Somebody get a hacksaw."

Vance closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. "It will take time for me to recover my strength. I will delay my decision about Jidrash until after I question Dalt."

Kaisarah says, "I will do this, but where is my home from here? This is no place I know."

Vance says "Talk to the others, Kaisarah. I have faith that they will be able to assist you."

Andra says, "If we would lead the enemy to us, leave us and go."

Allyna tosses Kaisarah the sketch of his home. "Use it at your own risk. Or wait until we have the collars free."

Sean looks around for Reed.

Vance looks at Ariadne. "Come here, child."

Reed would be doing what he could to help any wounded, even if he isn't a medical doctor. Jeanette needs a real doctor.

Allyna sketches furiously.

Sean winces. "We're not leaving you here, Andra."

Allyna says, "We aren't going to leave you. That was Vance's plan. We didn't rescue you only to abandon you now."

Vance says "Ariadne, I need you to look at the collars for me. I am too weak to do so with my own powers. Tell me where the lines of force are."

Reed checks some instruments of his, and grins, "I think I can help"

Vance gestures Andra forward. "Someone get a knife. I suspect they are around the emerald, though I need confirmation."

Reed removes his pistol, makes some adjustments, and a narrow red beam comes out that slices through grass quite prettily making holes in the dirt.
Reed looks at Andra and says, "Hmm all in all I'd rather use a hacksaw, I'll do this if you like, but you'd have to hold still, and it might drip some molten metal."

Ariadne says, "I'll try."
Ariadne says, "I have the lens, what am I looking for?"

Vance looks to Reed. "Take care of Nayda, first. I'll have a look at Andra's collar."

Reed asks Sean to hold her, "If she twitches..." Reed points to the holes his device makes to illustrate his point."

Vance makes his way over to Andra, and grabs the collar with one hand. With the other, he points at the emerald. "Look for power manifestations around the emerald. Tell me if they grow stronger or weaker."

Ariadne says, "Stronger, and I don't see any hint of the flaw about them at all."

Allyna says, "If it's that risky, just WAIT a few more minutes..."

Sean nods, and takes careful hold of Nayda.

Krinac says "Allyna is putting the finishing touches on the sketch of a hacksaw."

Allyna reaches into the plane of her sketch, her arm seeming to melt into the picture. When she pulls her arm out of the picture, she holds a hacksaw in her hand.

Reed says, "I think I'd rather use that."

Vance pulls out a dagger, and holds it near the emerald. "What about now, Ariadne

Ariadne says, "Much less now"

Vance nods. "Show me where the weakest spots are, so I can pry this out."

Allyna hands Reed the Hacksaw. "The escape route might take longer. We could all dive into the Watery Flame, instead."

Krinac says "Vance and Ariadne manage to pry an emerald free."

Allyna moves to collect the emerald.

Sean hms. "If we can get the collars off, we can run them a merry chase while you sketch us an escape.

Vance says to Allyna. "Can you send this away? Somewhere we want our foes to be, preferably?"

Krinac says "Reed and Sean encounter tremendous resistance to the hacksaw's cutting, it is making progress, but very slowly, and the blade is dulling."

Jeanette says "Not the Watery Flame, then."
Jeanette muses. "Back to the shop?"

Allyna considers. "Given time, I think I could send them somewhere it would be very nice to have our enemies, yes. I was just going to send them to the shop."

Vance looks over at Reed. "Bring her here...I'll remove the emerald." He then says to Kaisarah, "I assume nothing of value is left in the shop?"

Allyna says, "I need to examine the gems first, though."

Kaisarah says, "Nothing I cannot replace."

Vance frowns. "If they're tracking us, we don't have the time. Send them to the shop."

Allyna says, "I can examine the one you have while you free the other."

Krinac says "The hacksaw cuts through the collars like normal iron once the emerald is removed."

Allyna says, "That should be enough."

Vance motions for Ariadne to toss over the first emerald, and then he and Ariadne work on the other quickly.

Allyna clasps the emerald in her hands, examining it closely, but seeming more intent on feeling it than on looking at it.

Reed says "Sean can I take care of that hand now? Jeanette, no offense, but you look awful, we need a real doctor, but I've got painkillers, and I'll do what I can."

Jeanette says "I think... I think I'm going to need a real doctor, Reed. And Vance should see one, too. The energy transfer will keep him going a little longer, but... I don't know how long it will last."

Sean nods to Reed.

Allyna says, "What would a 'real doctor' look like?"

Vance nods. "We need a place with a beneficial timeflow."

Jeanette says "And high medical technology."

Once Nayda's collar is off she calms down, and falls asleep.

Vance says "Or equivalent restorative magic."

Allyna says, "I'm not familiar with these th

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