AmberShadowOfADoubt:Session2

The Family Revealed

We began Friday night in late May, 1943. The resistance had all gathered at Federico's garage, where he has a safehouse that they had taken the squid creature to. They were in the process of cutting it up and disposing of it into barrels and such. Janica and Hector had rendezvoused there, but she and Alexandra were just leaving.

Janica: Where I come from, it's actually the men's work to dispose of the giant squid.

Hector left as well with a sample in a jar, leaving Federico and Manfred to dispose of the rest of the body, which smelled terrible. They disposed of most of it into jars, then Manfred slipped out to a car to head to the river where they were going to dump the rest of the body (passed through trump). While leaving, though, Manfred noticed a number of SS cars in the neighborhood. He noted this to Federico through trump, telling him to watch out.

However, not long after, SS officers broke into Federico's shop and began charging upstairs. As they charged in, he could see that they are inhuman -- looking roughly like werewolves. He shot some, but then backed into the corner room which his landlady was in. He then began concentration to contact Manfred through trump. However, the SS broke through the door before Manfred could pull him through. He kept his concentration, but three SS creatures came through into Manfred's car along with Federico and his landlady.

A confused close combat ensued. Manfred had been pulling over in his car, but then sped up only to hit the brake and crash to knock loose the officers from close quarters. Federico had been trying to protect the landlady, and was also flung loose upon the crash but managed to push her into the passenger footwell. Recovering, Manfred grabbed up his guns and peppered the SS officers through the shattered windshield. Two were hit, but one dove for cover and ran away. Manfred and Federico both chased, and Federico was ahead but Manfred braced and hit him with a long-range shot as he ran along the river. He dove in, and Manfred fired a few more times.

Federico then went back to deal with the other two bodies, packing them into the car. Meanwhile, Manfred dove in after the one in the river. He wasn't able to confirm the kill, but then floated downstream -- planning to wash ashore and claim that he had been thrown into the river by the explosion on London bridge, and was dazed or unconscious for hours.

In the morning on Saturday, Hector took his jar with it to his explorers club. They soon realized its import and began debate over what it meant. Meanwhile, Janica took the tentacle piece she had to a mystic (?) to investigate that side of it, who hinted that it was something from beyond our world.

Lastly, Alexandra had an appointment to meet with Blaise who had contacted her through her former piano teacher Miss Havisham. He was a dashing and handsome figure, and she agreed to go out to brunch at some public place. Going there, it turned out to be a nice sidewalk cafe in an alien world which he shadow-walked to. There, he told her some about the cosmology of Amber, and that there was a cosmic war going on. As he described it, "A channel of evil is cut through the universe, and passes through the North Sea here." This channel was assaulting the one true reality, Amber. He made no specific requests of her, but gave her a trump of himself and told her to contact him after she had thought some more. He then returned her to her home, and cordially said his farewells.

During the day, they heard rumors of a Nazi crackdown going on since last night. Not only the creature had been captured, but the head Nazi officer Wilhelm Keitel had been killed. Nazi officials showed up at the naturalists' club asking about the squid-creature sample. There was discussion over whether to set up an ambush of SS chasing after the samples, but in the end they decided to string up publically the bodies of the inhuman SS officers they had captured. Late at night, they hung a body on the monument at Trafalgar Square with a sign on it reading simply "Nazis Go Home". Federico also took pictures to send to American newspapers.

Also that day, Manfred had gone to a German army hospital and been checked out for minor wounds (actually received in the fight with the SS). He was offered leave time back on the continent, but spoke back, saying with vigor that the rebel scum who did this must be found and punished. He returned for duty briefly but scheduled time off later.

On Sunday, they largely recovered from their efforts. They gathered at 8PM for a meeting with Eleanor Roosevelt, which Alexandra had arranged. There, she explained to everyone in slightly different terms. She explained that she and her allies had separated the five of them from the royal family of Amber to protect them from the wars of succession. She had wanted them to live out full normal lives in this shadow before explaining to them about their immortality and heritage. All five were quite upset with her about this -- both that she had lied to them, and particularly that she had held back in aiding their fight against the Nazis. The squid-creatures, it seems, were some sort of side-effect from the evil channel which passed through the North Sea that the Nazis had capitalized on. The channel went on to Rebma, which Roosevelt described as her "homeland". Similar creatures were attacked Rebma through this sea channel. Manfred announced that they must use these magical resources to find allies of their own to fight back against the Nazis and their monsters.

Manfred: "We need squid-creatures of our own. Well, but not squids. Nicer-looking. Perhaps pretty ponies."

Janica: "But they must be strong enough to defeat the enemy!"

Manfred: "Yes, yes. Squid-killing pretty ponies."

They discussed contacting Blaise, and agreed that they would like to have both Eleanor and Blaise sit down together at a negotiating table with them. However, Janica in particular first wanted to take Eleanor up on her offer to have them walk the Pattern. Federico and Manfred also expressed interest. They agreed to put off contacting Blaise for this, and went off to sleep to be fully rested for walking the Pattern. The next day Eleanor contacted Janica, Federico, and Manfred in turn by trump -- drawing them through to the Pattern room in Rebma. There, they were introduced to Queen Moire. First Janica walked the Pattern, asking that the others be out of the room for the process. Then Federico went. As he was going, Manfred chatted with Eleanor.

Manfred: (nodding towards the green-haired queen) "Do all those of Rebma look like that?"

Eleanor: "For the most part. A few have black hair or purple hair."

Manfred: "Do you dye?"

Eleanor: (blinks) "No, I was lucky enough to be born with naturally black hair."

After Federico went, Manfred expressed some doubts. He said that all this seemed familiar, and that he was not sure about going at this time. Eleanor looked at him oddly, but of course accepted his request. None of the others in shadow England were awake at the time, so he stayed for several hours sequestered in Rebma before returning home. He watched closely but saw little of import.