Editing Jeweled Amber mandalay

 Mandalay


 

 After the creation of Avalon, the damaging of the pattern of Amber, and the resurgent militancy of Chaos, Ygg grew worried about the damage done to the shadows that span the points of power. Ygg contacted a child of Oberon named Adrian who shared similar worries. They began discussing a way to defend the sanctity of the shadowlands against the depredations of the families at either ends of shadow who, despite empirical evidence, doubted the reality of the shadows until their regard was cast upon them.

A deal was struck. Mandalay is the result. The story of its creation can be read elsewhere.

Mandalay is a Primal Artifact forged upon a jewel-encrusted root Ygg grew for the act. The Mark of Mandalay casts shadows as does the Patterns of Amber & Avalon.

King Adrian rules the realm, supposedly a child of Oberon unknown till now. The court is held at the Vale of Plenty. This is a large verdant plain dominated by Ygg, now a massive tree. The Hub of Ygg, a raised, polished bar, 25 miles in circumference, circles Ygg at a distance of 8 miles out. It is filled with plenty, and is endlessly replenished.

From this place a sense of well being emanates outward to effect the health of plants, animals, waters, and the very land that comprises shadow. Avalon is most closely effected due to its proximity, and Chaos & Amber both feel the wash of its power. Opinion is mixed about whether this is a good idea or not.

Low hills ring the Vale of Plenty at a distance of 16 miles. To the South of the Vale of Plenty is the Vale of Song. To the north is the Garden. To the East is the Vale of Flowers and to the West is The Vale of Rocks. The Jeweled Road leads east to west and has it's only break in the Vale of Plenty. Good luck marching an army through this mess. Eastward lies Amber; westward lies Chaos.

Adrian's Dramaturgy is a massive collection of amphitheaters in a small valley between the Vale of Plenty and the Vale of Song. Its complex of production areas, training and practice rooms, stages, stadiums and apartment buildings are a center of entertainment like few in shadow.

One of the many oddities of Mandalay is that when one decides to travel from one area to another, they think on it and the distance seems to shrink. Consequently rather than walking the 29 miles from Ygg to the Vale of Song one needs to merely decide to go to the Vale and within a mile's walk one arrives there. Not actually teleporting, sort of like skimming, one frequently sees striders appear, take 4 or 5 steps, and disappear. Of course, the striders may be going someplace but they can turn aside at any time.

 Ygg

    "I am the end of Chaos, and of Order, depending upon how you view me. I mark a division. Beyond me other rules apply." 

Ygg, 'The Courts of Chaos', Chapter 7

 

A sentient talking tree, originally quite small, gnarled and ancient-looking, of no known species, roughly halfway between Amber and Chaos. It claims to have been planted by Oberon. Generally it seems not to have much to say.

Regardless of the route one takes through shadow, Ygg (or the shadow it is in) always seems to be there, roughly halfway between Amber and Chaos. It has been a major point of convergence and a paramount destiny trap laid by Oberon at in the first century of Amber. The idea was that if shadowwalkers stray towards the Courts of Chaos they would have to pass Ygg.

Vale of Plenty

The center of Mandaly is the vast plain of the Vale of Plenty. Low hills ring the Vale of Plenty at a distance of 16 miles. To the South is the Vale of Song. To the north is the Vale of Flowers. To the East is the Vale of Rocks and to the West is The Garden. A wide road of 5 & 7 sided stones leads east & west. East Lies Amber, west lies Chaos.

Graceful towers, mansions and humble dwellings rim the hills of surrounding the Vale of Plenty. Yet no permanent of buildings exist in the Vale itself. From the mid point of the hills to the 12 mile ring tents, and vast campgrounds exist.

The Hub of Ygg provides all the food anyone could ever need.

'''Vale of Song'''

'''Vale of Flowers'''

'''Vale of Rocks'''

This region is on the Jeweled Road on the Chaos side of Mandalay. It is a desolate area of jagged rocks, outcroppings, uneven ground and mesas. Nearly every type of sharp rocks can be found in this area.

'''The Hub of Ygg'''

This is the actual area including the Mark of Mandalay, The Wheel, the Greetings Areas of the interior of the hub.

'''Jeweled Road, Cantal, Diega'''

The Jeweled Road is a massive construct stretching from Amber to Chaos. At the creation of mandalay a vast number of shadow trails, commercial routes and highways throughout shadow. At the time of the mark's creation Amber was also nearly finished with a massive re-pavement and upgrading of services project in amber featuring the creation of an extensive sewer project, running water plumbing and resurfacing of the streets and highways of amber with puzzled stone. All the streets of Amber were now covered by puzzled stone well out into shadow and as far as Diaga. Suddenly the road came into existance as an act of creation and shadow reverberation. Thus a road 30' wide now extended from the city of Amber to the Fane of Zilla. Nice trick.

The road can be traveled from Amber to Mandalay in 10 days. From Mandalay to Chaos in 5 days. It takes 2 days to clear Mandalay. A very good trick indeed.

'''The Garden'''
''There's a fun place in the garden where the lads and lassies meet, 'cause it wouldn't do to do the do they're doing in the streets''

'''Adrian's Dramaturgy'''

Adrian's Dramaturgy is a massive collection of amphitheaters in a long, narrow, valley between the Vale of Plenty and the Vale of Song. Its complex of production areas, training and practice rooms, stages, stadiums and apartment buildings are a center of entertainment like few in shadow.

Many gateways and shadowtrails lead here. People who arrive by one of a thousand different ways other than walking out of the Vale of Plenty of the Vale of Song, can not leave the region of the Dramatugy.

This is a showcase zone like no where else in shadow. A thousand shadows send their best performers here to display their skills. Many of the performers never leave. They live in the Ring of Life and work in the Dramaturgy. Many live here, and living here, as in Amber, they become young and long-lived, if not immortal.

'''''The Cabri Carts''''' are the best snack carts to be found anywhere, with a vast profusion of finger foods and drinks. Each is staffed with a stand-up comedian or improvisational actor auditioning for parts in the established theaters. Auditions might take years as they dispense portable potables. The results are outrages, profane, bizarre, often morbid, and hilariously funny.

'''''The Resheika Theater''''' presents only works by Shakespeare, Alvian, Dresir, Mondolian, Shaw, Arthur Miller and the famed, and well-respected dramatist, Bleys of Amber. The Resheika Troop does only the highest of class productions.

'''''The Hop Shop''''' is a comedy shop where the Cabri come for open mic nights and you are very likely to see famous celebrities from the length and breadth of shadow plying their trade. One might catch Robin William, George Carlin and Droppa Ma Pantz doing a three-man show once. Spectacular.

The other end of the scale is '''''Miko's Bashery'''''. This place caters to, aaa..low brow humor, shall we say? Here you will find people destroying a wide variety of things; not for the weak of heart. The only rule is that you can not kill it specifically for the show. However, you can kill it, even sacrifice it, if you plan to eat it afterwards. Oh, and no sentient victims.

'''''Kanil Dri's''''' is a concert hall for orchestra and opera. Never a dull moment, never a note off key, never a warbling soprano unless the libretto calls for it.

The '''''Bijou Multiplex''''' is a massive movie theater with 10,000 screens. Rooms hold 12 to 12000 seats. The IMAX and ALLMAX halls seat up to 20k. The holoform rooms seat as few as 2 or as many as 30. Show times are set ahead of time.

The Bellevue Multiplex is next to the Bijou. It has 5000 small theatres that can be reserved for private shows. Then the renter may either provide their own piece, or pick from the unlimited collection owned by the Bellevue itself.

'''''Shiki Lee's''''' is a jazz/swing. Dance club that can't be beat. Great tunes, great beat and lots of movement, cold drinks and willing women. Adrian, you lucky dog.

Lastly, '''''The Forum of Gold'''''. This massive concert hall features mainly loud techno music of the sort earth-folks term Metal or hard rock. The big bands and the big shows from a thousand different techno shadows either come here or have their shows holographically presented here.

Speaking of Holographs. Many of these venues kype holographs of performances out of shadow. Takes some of the juice out of seeing things live but it is probably a heck ofa lot easier that way.

'''Shadows near Mandalay'''

'''Nel's Brook'''

'''House of Longing'''

'''House of Useful Things'''

'''House of Glee'''

'''House of Joy'''

'''House of All Known Things'''

'''Royal House of Mandalay'''

The royal family of Mandalay is descended from Amber and the House Bariman. King Adrian is the son of Oberon. His children are children of Amber. Royal blood does not automatically confer lordship.

King Adrian has two sons, Houk and Andre, and one daughter, Nadine. Houk is the son of Sand as well. Nadine and Andre are human along standard lines. Houk is a Houka, a teddy bear like creature a little over 3' tall. Fierce and imitative, Houk is a troublesome child. Andre is a the Master of the Jugglers of Arn, a master Juggler troop that sidelines as assassins. Nadine is as friendly a person as you would ever hope to meet.

 

'''The Silver Belt'''

This is the region of shadows directly effected by Mandalay. Like the Golden Circle of Amber, The Black Zone of Chaos, and the Blue Ring of Avalon, Mandalay is surrounded by the Silver Belt. This layer of influences spreads widely in Amber