Mandalay

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The Primal Realm of Mandalay and the Mark of Mandalay. A major realm in the Jeweled Amber Campaigns.


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Ygg

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"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,

Mandalay stones.gif


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. He had gave shade to this son of Oberon on many a long year and they had been friends since his planting. 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. Mark_of_Creation-Manadaly

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.


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.

Places in Mandalay

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 Mandalay 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.

The Jeweled Road

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 existence 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

In a vale to the northeast of the Hub of Mandalay is a quiet little realm apart from the universe. Wide golden boughs span beneath a soft sky, where flowers abound in a realm of terraces, gazeboes, and private nooks. The air smells of honeysuckle and love.

Conception will not take place, nor can diseases transfer. A person with a social disease who sleeps the night alone in the Garden awakes cleaned of the taint. Many magical conditions can be cleansed by a night of rest here. Also, those who enter the Garden together can determine whether or not others entering can find them.

The realm is littered with tiny cabins, gazeboes, covered niches, and secluded meadows that can provide privacy to the lovers. They can not be disturbed nor interrupted, not contacted by trump nor surprised by REALLY loud screaming.

Nel's Brook

House of Longing

House of Useful Things

House of Glee

House of Joy

House of All Known Things

Tir Mar Gala

This place, like Tir no'gath in Amber, is a stairway up to a shadowy reflection of the Hub of Mandalay. It appears only once a month, rising from the pathway into the Vale of Song

Unlike Tir No'gath this is not a realm of prophecy, it is a realm of solitude. It is a cloudy realm that is death for the deathless, rest for the restless, and peace for the haunted.

Adrian tells me that in this cloudy realm one need only lay down to sleep to doze into peaceful, dreamless sleep. The sleeper wakes briefly once a month, to decide if he wishes to continue his rest. They may even determine how long they wish to rest. A month, a year, a century is all the same to Tir Mar Gala.

While here they can not be trumped, detected, taken against their will, nor slain, harmed or found. One may heal here, so if you are damaged, crippled, maimed or otherwise injured, and need some rest, this is the place to let all your cares go by.

The Jeweled Road

Information on the road may be found here: The Jeweled Road

Holders of an imprint of the Mark of Mandalay have an affinity to the road. They can detect it aas they shadow walk and can tell where various sections are within a ride range of shadows.

While walking on it a imprint holder heals at a greatly increased rate. In Mandalay there are special hospitals built on sections of the road for imprint holders who become direly wounded.

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. An area of 66 million square miles, roughly the size and shape of South America. It has one long main drive mostly covered with the Jeweled Road and many smaller communities and cities.

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 or the Vale of Song, can not leave the region of the Dramatugy without assistance.

  • 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.

The Living is Easy in the Dramaturge. Currency and the Ob

Currency in the Dramaturge is a complicated subject that requires the willing cooperation of everyone who lives and visits.

Obs stand for Obligations. As the currency of the Dramaturge they act as a symbol of enjoyment and appreciation between performer and spectator.

An Ob is a unit of entertainment. Mandalay is a place that draws performers from shadow in a subtle way. Its a type of ideal place for performers; a place where the effort they put into their art is enjoyed for its own sake. The ease of subsistence in The Dramaturge makes normal forms of currency of little value. But the receiving of an Ob for an effort, and the donation of an ob for an effort is a symbol of pride and respect between viewer and performer.

The currency in the Dramaturge is a fluid thing based on a general concept of obligations and time performing efforts. It is an expression of the honor system that one accepts that they will give an Ob for an Ob's worth of effort.

Physically the Ob is a small ceramic pod the size of a pea. Receptacles are available in a variety of places and the general practice is the take a handful on a regular basis. Fresh Obs are clear until used at which time they become milky white. Made of a material identifiable as a form of marble immune to damage under normal circumstances while in the realms of the Mandalay Sway. They are created as a function of the Mark of Mandalay and their permanence fades as they are taken further from Mandalay. There is no exchange value and the ease of acquiring them makes them of little value in themselves. Lords of the Mark have the power to know what venues an Ob was contributed to and they may cleanse them back to their clear appearance.

The Dramaturge is a collection of Venues or performing spaces. Some are as small as a corner of a park large enough to stand in to a massive stadium able to house a hundred thousand to watch a gigantic performance. Some are a push carts that carry everything from food to artwork, jewelry, handicrafts, clothes, etc.

It is easy to survive in the Dramaturge without a means of support. Access to entertainment venues are free. Hub Platers are available in most domiciles. Housing venues are required to have 5% of their apartments available for Non-Ob residency.

Automats: Automats are businesses designed to produce certain types of goods using Energy to Matter conversion units. Energy to Matter replicators are common in the Dramturge. They are found in many Automat locations publicly as well as being available in nearly all residences and businesses. Matter like refuse can be placed in them and transmuted into nearly anything. Programming them can be as easy as placing an item in the replicator and directing it to produce a duplicate of the item and store its replication matrix.

Some Automats are specific to producing food. Some allow individuals to place and order and take their to be eaten on the premises or to be take eaten elsewhere. Some are cafateria style where a person walks through a line choosing items produced by replicators. These often provide examples of other resteraunts and are essentially dvertisements designed to entice a diner to seek out the actual venue that produces the meal freshly rather then replicating it.

Many goods stores, similar to walmarts, have basic materials available for no charge, created by replication. Basic clothes, furniture, craft equipment, and all matter of objects are available for free.

Examples of Ob use and Venue Shares

In general a person taking over a Venue will establish how many Tiers their venue needs to operate.

  • The general formula is that a person gains one Ob per tier when Venue shares are divided.

Dandaro's Quilia Theater

Impresario Dandaro Alaguilla is a famous theater owner from the shadow of Quilal. He ran theater companies for 90 years before he lapsed into dementia and was preparing woefully for death. One night he arose in a delirium and slipped past family and friends and wandered off into his hometown. The forces of Mandalay called to him and unknowingly he followed a shadow tugging that brought him to the Dramaturge.

Once there he found himself a young man filled with enthusiasm. In time he worked in many venues and performed in various plays, and eventually decided to open a venue himself. He opened the Quilia Theater

  • First he found a Venue space. He found a 400 seat theater suited to the small cast plays he was famous for in his world. He negotiated with the Block Manager for a 5% OB donation from his shares in appreciation of the use of the space. The Block Manager oversees a number of Venues within a defined space. (The Block Manager has to juice up to the Sector Manager, who juices to the District Manager, who juices to the Regional Director or mayor.)
  • He established a 7 Tier Ob structure. This is a fairly typical grouping for a medium sized Venue. This means everyone on his staff fits in one of the 7 tiers. A person at a tier level gets one share of the total Obs taken in for a performance each level. At the end of a night the total gathered Obs will be divided according to the total shares of the venue company. While day to day and month to month numbers may vary below is a general over view.

For the Quilia Theater the tiers are as follows:

  • 7-Venue level: Dandaro as Venue Manager, Rukana Shalm as Theater Manager. Dandaro has the final say in nearly everything but is not necessarily in charge of the day to day functions of the Venue, for that he hired Shalm to over see such things as maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, renovation, non-production staff.
  • 6-Director Level: Event Director oversees the performance of the play itself. Staff Director and Treasurer manages company staff and dispenses Obs, Musical Director oversees incidental and performance music.
  • 5-Technical Level:Technical Director, Costume Manager, House Manager, Main Cast Members(If the show highlights a main cast member), Main Band Leader,
  • 4-Manger Level: A great many people overseeing senior elements; Cast manager, Production manager, stage manager, Floor Manager. Cast members. Read director'.
  • '3-Staff level: Actors, makeup artists, crew members. Senior Janitor. Musicians.
  • 2-Support level: many active members below decision making level: Extra, chorus, Ushers,
  • '1-Venue Maintenance Staff:Janitor. Foot Publicity.

For a Production of "The Red Hatted Fox" there are two people at Tier 7, 5 at Tier 6, 5 at tier 5, 20 at tier 4, 25 at Tier 3, 30 at tier 2, and 12 at Tier 1. The Venue Staff including Event performers is 99 people with a total of

  • This is a total of 296 total Shares.
  • One night the show is particularly good. The venue seats 400. 80 contribute no Obs. 20% is not uncommon for non-contributing viewers. 100 contribute 5 ob-a fairly typical contribution that says, "Thanks for the effort" , 140 contribute 7 Obs, 30 contribute 10-a typical contribution that says I enjoyed the evening and its worth my time to attend. 10 contribute 15, 10 contribute 20, 10 contribute 25(another typical amount) The remaining 20 represent 2390 total in other values. For a total of 4700 collected Obs for one night's performance.
  • This gives 4700 Obs divided by 296 shares giving 15 Obs per share. 15.87 but Fractions are rounded down to the benefit of the venue manager.

So: Nightly Payouts.

  • Tier 7 individuals (2) get 7 shares at 15 Obs/share = 1O5 0bs. 2 for 210 Obs.
  • Tier 6 individuals (5) get 6 shares a 15 Obs/share = 90 Obs. 5 for 450
  • Tier 5 individuals (5) get 5 shares at 15 Obs/share = 75 Obs. 5 for 375
  • Tier 4 individuals (20) get 4 shares at 15 Obs/share = 60 Obs. 20 for 1200
  • Tier 3 Individuals (25) get 3 shares at 15 Obs/share = 45 Obs. 25 for 1125
  • Tier 2 individuals (30) get 2 shares at 15 Obs/share = 30 Obs. 30 for 900
  • Tier 1 individuals (12) get shares at 15 Obs/share = 15 Obs. 12 for 180.

4400 Obs of 4700 are distributed by Shares. 300 are given to the Venue Manager. The Run of a the Play was contracted for 90 performances spread over 120 days.

Considering the above the average for the run, the total Obs gathered over 90 performances is 423,000 Obs

Over the course of the Run

  • Tier 7 individuals (2) get 9450 Obs. 2 for 18,900
  • Tier 6 individuals (5) get 8100 Obs. 5 for 40,500
  • Tier 5 individuals (5) get 6,750 Obs. 5 for 33,750
  • Tier 4 individuals (20) get 5,400 Obs. 20 for 108,000
  • Tier 3 Individuals (25) get 4,050 Obs. 25 for 101,250
  • Tier 2 individuals (30) get 2,700 Obs. 30 for 81,000
  • Tier 1 individuals (12) get 1,350 Obs. 12 for 16,200

For 399, 600 Obs dispersed by shares for the run of the show. 23,400 to the Venue Manager. The Venue manager owes 5% of the total take in Obs, or 21,150, to the Block Manager and might pay that out of the 23k he got from the rounding down of fractions, or may pay it out of his portion. Often the Venue Manager awards bonuses beyond the Shares given. Since it is a principle of the Dramaturge that people come there and serve in roles they enjoy, even the janitors are pleased with the Obs they receive.

Gasita's Boutique

Dame Alita Gasita is a potter. She was famous for her work in her home shadow of Drisala before coming to the Dramaturge by the Jeweled Road.

She opens a Venue near the Jeweled Road that crosses the Dramaturge from the Hub of Mandalay into shadow. A prime location in a center near a park. It is surrounded by other creative artists venues.

  • She negotiates a Small Venue on the ground floor of a residential building. She also secures a single bedroom apartment in the same building. Originally she secured a studio apartment but over time the popularity of her work made her decide to upgrade in the same building to a one bedroom apartment facing the Jeweled road.
  • She negotiates a 10% deal with the Venue Manager of the Apartment building for the street level boutique in a prime location. After a time she ups that to 12% to include the better apartment. The boutique is a 4 room affair with a large front display area which she split to include a working studio for visitors to watch her work. A back room includes several kilns and storage shelves. There is a replicator in this back room The last two rooms are a small office and a bathroom, including a shower. The Apartment has a living room and a balcony, a galley kitchen with replicator and refrigerator, a bedroom, a large closet and a bathroom with spa amenities.
  • Having brought with her from her home world the type of pottery clay she likes, and many of the powders and paints she uses for glazes, she puts them in the boutique's replicator and logs the materials. She may from time to time import clay from home but in general does not need to.

At any given time she may have 500 pieces of various sizes on display. Since her work is not replicated, even if the cay and glazes are, the custom is to always pay in Obs. A small item like a small pot for a house plant might return 5 Obs. Large works, like custom dish sets might bring 100 Obs. Fine detailed sculpted pieces of artistic value might bring 1000 obs.

She is known for making Clay pipes, both plain and elaborate. Plain ones fetch 20 Obs. Elaborate ones run 100 Obs. These are suggested prices of course and the actual returns may vary.

  • In a month she might clear 5000 Obs, mostly in sets and small items and pipes. A detailed piece will sell at least once a month. She pays 600 obs to the venue Manager for her boutique and Apartment.
  • She has frequently will make a deal with a Cabri Cart Venue Manager to set up his cart in front of her store. For this she pays on average 100 Obs a month, depending on who she likes and what they sell. These carts mean walk-in trade. It also means she does not need to eat from the replicator and she might spend 30 obs a month on lunches.
  • She spends her evening crafting but also likes to take in a play a few times a month. She particular enjoyed "The Red Hatted Fox" for which she left a 100 Ob contribution.
  • She has hired a Sword Dancer her to fencing. he world was peaceful but although the dramaturge is a peaceful place also, there is a current crazy for non-lethal rapier combat and she enjoys the exercise. she pays him 25 Obs a session usually, trying to get 5 sessions in a month.
  • She visits other boutiques in her park to acquire unreplicated goods such as clothes, artwork. She spends close to 500 month on such things. Like many small places her business has a corner for resale of others works she has tired of, in her case usually clothes.

Lagal Jall

Lagal Jall is a gardener. He serves in the park that Gasita' boutique and Quilia Theater both open onto. He is an incredible tender of plants and is knowledgeable in design and construction. he knows many artistic plant styles and seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of plant and animal life.

  • Jall is also a Non-Born of Mandalay. He came into being at the time of the creation of Mandalay fully adult with his originally vast store of knowledge. He has no parents or siblings. He is fairly single minded and does not like talking about being a duplicate of a person in shadow. He has the memories of having had a family growing up but knows he personally was not the person who experienced those memories. This is typical of Non-Borns.

The Block Manager For the park and the various buildings in the area, including both the above businesses, gives Jall 250 Obs a week to work his park. He has a gardener's area and shed out of site where he grows plants for future planting in the park. His area includes 3 greenhouses. He has a small resting area in one with a restroom and a replicator and he usually sleeps there. The block manager arranged for him to get a studio apartment where he keeps his personal possessions, such as they are. The 250 Obs a month is small for a talented non-born gardener but the location is good for him and he has been given a reasonably generous amount of space for greenhouses and breeding. He raises tulips and marijuana.

  • Jall is talkative about plants but is only mildly interested in anything else. He buys a new clay pipe each week because he seems to loose them. He rarely attends the theater. He eats at the Cabri Cart in front of Gasita's daily. He travels frequently to othergardens on his time off but can almot always be found in the park somewhere every day.

Dash Tours


The Ob

The term "Ob" also is used in the meaning of obligations in the sense of favors given and favored owed. The saying "You have a card in the deck" to refer to a political favor would have a confusing meaning in Amber. Terms like "chip in the Game" or "There's an Ob owed" are used instead.

The stones themselves were created as an aspect of Adrians act of creation and are pointed as bellow.

  • 1 pip-Extra Hard: Nearly indestructible under normal wear and tear, they can be destroyed in many ways if one really wants to.
  • 1 pip-sensitivity: This is the ability to transmit their authenticity to anyone and to be reacted to by the Lords who can sense their history of use and can purify them.
  • x4 Shadow Wide
    • 8 Pips (Paid by Adrian)

Services in Mandalay

Dashel's Musical Tours. Lord Dashal and his associates lead tours into shadow to witness and experience a wide range of performances.

The Green Belt and Green Sway

Green Belt

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

Falri

Falri is a few shadow veils away from the Hub itself. It is a fey world and the central realm for them in a primal land based on nature. The place is powerfully nature oriented and its people are fiercely partisan.

This realm is ruled, to the degree a realm of fey creatures can be ruled by Zala fey-a full fairy, and her companion, Psaltry, a female Titanide.

Zalafey.jpgPsaltry.jpg

It has gentle rains, warm pools, fresh fruits, clean vegetables, and enchanting company.

Green Line Accord

Mandalay has a Green Line Accord that is comparable to the Golden Circle Signatory Treaty (GCST) and the Black Zone Pact Instrument(BZPI). It is not as formal, and is more interested in mutual cultural exchange then military aid.

Green Sway

This is the shadows in proximity to Mandalay and influenced by the mark of Mandalay.


Powers of the Mark

Mark of Mandalay

The tale of the Mark of Mandalay's creation is given here-Mark of Creation-Mandalay

  • 50 (15 granted) pips Basic Imprint: Frame can hold 12 spells of any power level with great power.
  • 80 (30 Granted) pips Advanced Imprint:Frame can hold 18 spells of any power level with great power.
  • 100(60 Granted) Pips Master's Imprint.: Frame can hold 24 spells of any power level with great power.
  • Permission to assay the Mark must be given by Ygg and Adrian. Once permission is given assaying the inscription is effortless.
  • Wearers of the Mark have extensive nature-oriented powers.
    • They may encourage to health any sick plant.
    • They may cause a plant to grow quicker depending on the psyche of the wielder.
    • A wielder may purify water. They may cause water to become a liquid appropriate substance for a specific plant.
    • A wielder may quench a natural fire. May cause fingertip fires.
    • A wielder can cause a seed to germinate regardless of the specific and even usual circumstances required by the plant.
    • A wielder may draw water from a plant.
  • Sign of the Mark can defend against direct magical attacks.
  • Holders of a mark imprint may walk in shadow by force of imaginative willpower.
  • The Sign of the Mark can be used defensively.
  • The Mark can empower high order sorcery. It also empowers a wide variety of Low Order magical systems through proxies in shadow.
  • The Mark rarely manifests. It has been known to work through pattern ghosts on rare occasion.
  • Wearer of the Mark may order any food they wish from the Hub of Ygg or any of its satellite units.

The Stones of Mandalay

Mandalay stones.gif

The stones of Mandalay are major artifacts of power, linked directly to the Hub of Mandalay itself.

In the creation of the Mark, Adrian had taken half of 5 First-Shadows of the Jewel of Judgment; Emerald, Ruby, Citrine, Sapphire, and Amethyst, and cut them in half. One half of each he put away, one half of each he carefully crushed, leaving tiny chips of each half. He then meticulously embedded each one into the root of Ygg. He used the Primal Jewel of Judgment to inscribe the Mark of Mandalay, each chip became a marble the size of a shooter stone.

The stones have powers based on their attunement but also have social importance. To become a Lord of Mandalay one must present to King Adrian of Mandalay one of each of the stones and 50 coins of service.

Each stone has specific powers and powers in common. They work especially well in conjunction with sorcery based magics but can also forcefully boost Wizardry, Magery, Listry and other wide-spread low order magics. They have effects in controlling trumps and may help boost them into protected realms.

Common Powers

  • Psyche Boost x1.5. This can be used in psyche battles and to push magics as a focus. One of each type of stone can be used at a time, their powers additive, not multiplicative. One stone is Psyche x 1.5. Two stones is Psyche x 2, 3 is P x 2.5, 4 is P x 3, 5 is P x 3.5. This is a general rule and the stones may work in different ways in different shadows. They are a dangerous and temperamental items that may cause more trouble then they are worth sometimes.
  • A stone placed in a body of water u to 50 gallons will purify it to pure water.
  • A stone placed in any liquid will purify it of poison to the person drinking it.
  • Stones tend to react to each other magnetically.
  • A tiny effort of concentration, a reaching to psyche, can cause the stones to glow and emit light.

Specific Powers

  • Red: Fire Effects, Fire Ripple on Weapons-Double Damage. Dropped in up to 50 gallons of liquid will cause the liquid to boil. When urged by psyche can create an area of 100sq feet to rise or fall in ambient temperature to a temperature comfortable to the stone holder.(This does not mean immunity to fire)
  • Green: Healing, earth magic. Heal plants. Left in contact to a plant will cause it to grow 3 times as fast and to grow in a healthy manner along the genetic ideal of their type. Buried in the ground will cause up to a plot of 16 acres of plants to grow at double speed and in a health fruitful manner.
  • Blue: Cold Based magics, weapon chill. In cold liquid up to 50 gallons will freeze, the stone ring to float on the surface of the ice.
  • Yellow: Concentration spells, research spells, mental magics. The stone when held in a hand will cure confusions, inebriations, and other focus issues. When urged by psyche the stone will emit ambient light, suitable for reading.
  • Purple: a mysterious stone, lending its powers to diverse efforts. Healing magics. The touch of the stone will expel malicious possession. Certain classes of spirits based creatures shy away from the stones. Mounted in items that have bound spirits or Dufiro the item will be extra robust and encourage the most powers from it.

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 three sons, Houk, Andre,and Kenshin and one daughter, Nadine.

  • Houk is the son of Sand as well. A skilled diplomat, he is the spymaster of Mandalay. 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. He is a fine painters and the creator of Mandalay Trumps.
  • Nadine is as friendly a person as you would ever hope to meet.
  • Kenshin is a force of nature and the leader of the nominal military forces of Mandalay. Adrian tends to roll his eyes a lot around Kenshin and is not interested in the military aspects of the realm.

D-adrian.jpg Houk.jpgD kenshin.jpgAndre.jpgNadine.jpg

Lords of Mandalay

To become a Lord of Mandalay one must have 5 stones of Mandalay of different colors and 50 Coins of Service to Mandalay'

At the time of this writing there were 44 Lords of Mandalay. Each having gained his seat by service to Mandalay and dumb luck. Two forces Adrian respects; Luck and Service.

Lords (or Ladies) of Mandalay have wide authority in the naturalistic realm of Mandalay and its Silver Belt

The first of the Lords of Mandalay were Fleece and his pack- Hounds of Mandalay

The Hounds of Mandalay

The Hounds of Mandalay are a pack of hounds of tremendous power.

Fleece.jpg,Bruiser.jpg,Swift.jpg,Ripper.jpg Scorched.jpg,D-ghost.jpg,Tender.jpg,Clipper.jpg Fangdunceimp1.jpg,Raid.jpg,Snack.jpg,Dwarfwolf.jpg

Wood Lords

Other Lords were present at the time of the creation of the Mark. They are called the Wood Lords or the Mysticum.

Houk.jpg,David-1.jpg,Johnson.jpg,Zalafey.jpg Psaltry.jpg,Shirly.jpgD-orsalla.jpgWolfgangg.jpg JasreeKempi.jpg,Mars-m.jpgOrson.jpg

The story of the Marks creation an be found here.

Seated Lords

Others assayed the Mark with the permission of Ygg and Adrian and are called the Seated Lords.

D-sand.jpg,Nadine.jpg,Elfwine1.jpg,D hamilton.jpg D-joseph.jpg,D kenshin.jpg,Deverox.jpg,Ghandi.jpg GeorgeC.jpg, Cab.jpg,Andre.jpgDashel1.jpg

Lords of Mandalay of the House of Bariman

  • D-adrian.jpg Son of Oberon-Master of Mandalay

Children of Adrian

  • Houk.jpg*D kenshin.jpg*Andre.jpgNadine.jpg

Children of Oberon in the service of Mandalay

  • D-sand.jpgD hamilton.jpg ,D-joseph.jpg ,Elfwine1.jpg
Fleece.jpg,Bruiser.jpgD-orsalla.jpg

Line of Bariman in the service of Mandalay

  • D-ghost.jpg Daughter of Bruiser and the Serpent of Chaos
  • Tender.jpg Son of Fleece and Bruiser
  • Dashel1.jpg Son of Finndo