Shade Realms

Shade Realms in the Jeweled Amber game.

Shade

Shade is a term that has recently begun being used in Amber commonly that has had considerable currency amongst sorcerers for centuries. It refers to shadows of the Pattern of Amber and other High Order Constructs that are imperfect but are potent within their realms of origin. It is said that an Amberite can walk to a shadow where each of them is King of Amber or none of them are, or where other things have occurred. In theory there exist uncountable copies of the Pattern of Amber in these lesser realms.

• Caine is known to have slain one of his own Shades. He also has at least two as members of the Amber Intelligence Service. It is rumored that Shade realms of Amber that have Caine as Spymaster of Amber have begun cooperating with each other at various levels.

• Benedict is known to have at least 9 of his Shades on his general staff. Each commands considerable forces from their own realms, as well as for the Primal Realm. Training activities, weapon orientations, training wars, and a wide variety of other interactions have begun to develop.

• Bleys is often found with one of 3 of his shades, having become good friends with them. One, upon learning that he was not the primal Bleys, changed his name to Buddy Fish. Apparently many Bleys' had their own issues with their destroyed ambitions.

Levels of Shade

Sometimes the denizens of these worlds find their way to realms the primal Amberites inhabit in Shadow. The theory is that each pattern in Shade contains a percentage of true pattern segments, reflecting the proximity to the reality of Amber. Practitioners of Sorcery from Shade kingdoms can become very powerful. Many can go toe to toe with those from the real Amber. The difference between Fiona of Amber and a Shade Fiona may be very small in practical terms and may matter even less if the Shade Fiona takes a disliking to someone.

Shade Realms and Sorcery

Shade Realms have sorcery of course, based on the patterns and sigils of their level. In conflict or cooperation with sorcery based on other patterns the important interaction is the percentages of the True Realm in contact. So a Shade Realm of 35% is weaker then one of 50%, of course.

Known Shades

The Shades of Amber are of the highest order but other patterns and sigils have their shadows as well. The Shade Realms of Avalon have not been explored deeply unless its being done by Corwin. Mandalay, being a Mark, is a different type of artifact and current research implies that it may not cast its own shadows but effect the shadows in place. If this reasoning pans out it is highly unlikely there would be Shades of Mandalay.

Agotlith

The Agoliths are members of a Shade of Amber that managed to arrive at the True Amber.[[1]]

The main distinctions about this version of Amber, with representations of all the royal and noble families. The main distinction between Amberte and Agoliths is that Agoliths are one half the size of Amberites.

York

York is a primal realm, forged using the Jewel of Judgement from a Shade of amber. This shade was a 99.5% Proximity to the True Amber. However, as documented in the entry for Tosa/York the Shadre realm of Amber there was destroyed, its primal pattern erased with Amberite blood. This left York and the Squiggle of Plymouth as existing Prial Realms to hold the level of Shade together.

Forged by Tolknor Scripter, a member of the Shade Amber royal family, York and Plymouth were allowed to remain after the War of Destruction waged by Koob, the High Lord of Chaos on that Shade Level.

Known or Rumored personages of Shade Ambers.

Hazarda and Timothy Elhue are a pair that travels shadows at will. H&TE Hazarda was once Random King of Amber in the shade of Amber that York now exists as a primal pattern.