The first card in the deck was notable. One of my later ones, painted
after the Crisis during a quiet moment, it summed up my feelings for the
man portrayed all too well.
A grey-haired old man, thin-faced and slim-bodied, sat within a basement
room, totally engrossed with what he was doing : playing with two hand
puppets, oblivious to observers. From the mismatched quality of his
clothes (a two-toned brown jacket, a sable robe, a golden torque with a
large square ruby, a black fez with a glowing blue oval tracery), and
the silly expression on his face, one could easily be mistaken in
thinking he was the royal fool.
But, he wasn't. He was my grandfather, Fuyutsuki, the progenitor of the
line of Gendo, the Drawer of the Primal Pattern and the creator of
Amber. The puppets he wielded were representations of the Unicorn and
the Serpent, two of the great creatures of Power of our Reality. And on
the shelves behind him rested many books of arcane lore, many of which I
only barely understood. ...
... The man in the trump card was painted as I had first met him. He
was a tall, slim darkskinned man, his head bald save for a slight white
moustache and eyebrows. His face bore a sort of tired, resigned sadness
in his green eyes, and his black robes were somber. In fact, the entire
room he was in was black, save for a few knicknacks on his desk and the
painting he was currently working on -- a landscape of Tokyo, caught in
the middle of a nuclear cataclysim.
He was Lord Anno, the head of House Gainax of Chaos, and Keeper of the
ever-shifting Logrus, the sigil of Chaos that defined the other end of
Reality. He had seen much hardship in his life, but I was glad that he
had been supportive of our family's efforts in the past crisises. ...
... The next Trump Card was a crucial one. A stern-faced man sat
in a mahogany throne on a carpeted dias, his gaze penetrating behind
tinted glasses, his expression unreadable due to the white-gloved
hands and interlaced fingers hiding the lower half of his face and
beard. He was clad in blue and black finery, edged in gold, and
triangular emeralds graced the edges of his sleeves and secured the
neck of the cobalt cloak that draped over his shoulders and down to
the sides of the heavy chair. A seven pointed silver crown graced his
brow, securing his chocolate-brown hair, studded with rubies, emeralds
and amber gems. A large ovoid ruby in an electrum setting hung from a
chain around his neck. To his left rested a plain, unsheathed
broadsword with a faintly glowing, curving tracery along the blade.
To his right, a marionette hung by limp strings.
He was King Gendo I, the first King of Amber. Our father, the
ruthless bastard, who had put the security of the kingdom ahead of
such things as family loyalty and trust. Perhaps that was harshly
critical of him, given the long history of Amber and the crisies he
had to face, the decisions that could grow to be too much for any man.
But it was hard to overlook the kingdom's succession of wars and his
succession of wives and lovers, the way he played with lives like
pieces on a chessboard. At the same time, I remember him truly loving
my mother, teaching me how to care for Sparky, and other little things
that showed that despite the gruff exterior, he really did care about
us in the end. There was no question that any opinion of him would
have to be mixed, given the complexity of the man behind the crown.
Not many had mourned his passing. ...
... A smiling man stood on the deck of a sailing ship, clad in a
red uniform with white boots, the skies clear. A greatcloak hung over
his shoulders, secured beneath his yellow cravat with a button that
had a smiling face emblazoned on it. A white visored cap protected his
blue eyes and controlled his hair as he saluted or looked onward
towards the horizon with his right hand, his left holding a glass of
champagne, unaware of the looped rope around his right foot. This was
the quintessential image of my brother Tylor, the eldest among our
large family, and favored by many, including me. He was a marked
contrast to our father, and some wags wondered how he could ever have
been raised by King Gendo. Trusting instead of plotting, easy-going
instead of reserved, he sailed through life like he did though Shadow,
trusting in luck and the Unicorn to see him through the rough
times.
This tactic had served him well so far. ...
... He stood before an empty fireplace, the mirror above the
mantlepiece reflecting his face and long scarlet hair, throwing his
features in profile. A cross-hilted sword rested against the edge of
the fireplace. His white pants were crisp and clean, and his white
high-necked uniform jacket, trimmed in red, hung open at his chest,
revealing his slim but firm pectoral muscles. A goblet of red wine
was held in his left hand, and his right hand rested against the
fireplace mantle, holding a fragrant red rose. He regarded the viewer
with a calculatingly smouldering, smug expression, and the devil
danced behind his deep blue eyes. He was Touga, Prince of Amber, man
of many talents, playboy and agent provocateur.
It was only recently that I learned the truth behind his
exile. ...
... I replaced the card in the deck, and pulled out another one. This Trump portrayed a dark-haired man with a van-dyke beard; a smug, almost condescending smile graced his lips. He was clad in medival finery, a stark contrast to the expensive, futuristic automobile he sat upon. A technological skyline spread out behind him, lighting the night sky and the swords he held in his hands -- a main-gauche in his left hand, and his right hand held an elegant golden fencing rapier. An elaborate tracery played along the blade's face, lined in red, appearing almost alive in the city's light. He wore expensive clothes, more appropriate for a merchant than a warrior. But I knew that his mind was as keen as the blade he weilded as an extension of himself, and he had proved it on the fields of battle as often as he did in the halls of commerce. He was my brother Drake, and I respected him, having served beneath him in many a campaign. ...
... I fanned the cards further. I drew the next one out, the face of the Trump depicting a green-haired man, his hair wavy like my own, but longer, drawn back into a ponytail. He was clad in a black gi and grey hakama, as he sat in seiza on a red cusion in a wood-paneled dojo. A wooden practice sword rested across his lap, and a green rose lay in front of him on the tatami mats. His face was slender, his eyes were closed in meditation, and his smile was desireable, hinting promises of romance to those who would associate with him. I liked him, but also found him frustrating at times with his arrogance and his tendency to string his lovers along. He was another of my elder brothers, Saionji, and currently putting his military skills to use in leading Amber's armies. ...
... A slender young woman stood by the wide windows of the music
conservatory, her face composed in a pleased, closed-eyes expression as
her hands deftly plyed the string of the violin tucked beneath her
chin. Aqua-blue hair fell in waves on both sides of her face, further
highlighting her pale skin and elegant features. Her clothing was simple
yet elegant, long-sleeved blouse of blue and long skirt of sea-green, a
bow of that same green fabric atop her bosom, secured by a red gem.
Her name was Michelle, and she was one of my neices by, of all people,
my brother Saionji. It was hard to believe at times, given their differences
in temperment and professions, but I could never begrudge somebody their
heritage, especially with the sweet music that she played from the heart.
It almost seemed to be eminating from the Trump I had painted of her...
... The card showed a tall woman, her blonde hair cut short at the
back of the neck, her bangs revealing the circlet of gold that graced
her brow. A single large sapphire glinted at the circlet's center
point, above her dark blue eyes that studied something off to the
right of the card with stern determination. She stood in white scale
armor, accented with cobalt blue greaves, segmented skirt, and
elbow-bracers, her left arm behind a sheild, her right hand weilding a
large, lethal sword. The sword's hilt was gold and its curved blade
was studded with a large ruby, a disk of cobalt, and a medallion of
gold. She stood on the parapets of a military fortification, and in
the background could be seen a verdant agricultural heartland.
I knew her intimately. She was Haruka, now-deceased Queen of Amber
and Harad.
She was my mother. ...
... Another Trump face was now visible. The image that looked
back at me ...
She was tall, and lean, and wiry. The white, epaulted jacket and
peach-toned pants she wore showed off her toned, statuesque figure to
enticing effect. She held a fencer's mask under one arm, and her
opposite hand rested along a window ledge, the window clear. Her face
was currently in profile, her blue-green eyes studying something
through the window beyond with quiet regard, her innermost thoughts
private and contained. Below the window sat a small desk, its top
holding a trio of portraits and an open book. A crescent-hilted
rapier hung at her right hip. Her red hair fell in elegant french
curls to either side of her face and down her back, framing its
refined shape.
She was Juri, my sister.
And I loved her. ...
... I smiled at the next card face. A woman, shorter than Juri
and stockier as well, but still undeniably female, smiled broadly back
at me. Her skin was light, her blue eyes clear, and she stood proudly
in a forest clearing, the sunlight bringing her wavy chestnut hair
alight. She wore a leather vest and pants over a poet's blouse, and
her left hand held a pair of riding gloves trimmed in silver. A plain
but servicable broadsword hung on her right hip, and a silver maple
leaf pin glinted above her left breast. A thick belt pouch hung
beneath her left arm. I knew her, of course.
She was myself. Corrine. Princess of Amber, Warden of Forest
Arden. ...
... A running man looked about ready to leap out of the face of the
next card. He was clad in modern clothes out of shadow, blue slacks and
jacket over a white shirt, secured with a loose red tie. His hair was
brown, as well his eyes, nearly matching that of father's, save that his
face was more open and approchable, his hair thicker. He had a
panicked expression on his face as he ran along the castle ramparts, and
with good reason -- for anbody who was being chased by a gigantic
creature composed of yellow roses and thick thorny vines had good reason
to panic. This was clearly the result of a practical joke run amok.
My half-brother Makoto, the incourragable prankster of Amber. But what
pains did his joking exterior hide? His early years had been tense, and
I wished that I had been around to help him through the troubles of the
first Alan war. But that was a might-have-been. ...
... I pursed my lips as I regarded the next Trump in my hands. A
blonde, thin, blue-eyed woman stood in front of a stone wall, clad in
a yellow formal dress. Two marble planters stood to each side of her,
filled with rose bushes, each flower a golden color in the sunlight.
She was smiling calmly, her arms crossed beneath her bosom, and I knew
that this was a rare expression for her. The majority of the time,
she meddled and pried in the lives of the population of the castle,
court, and city, regarding it all as her rightful domain to do with as
she would. I did not actively dislike her, but her scheming and
machinations easily frustrated me. Needless to say, my feelings on
Nanami, my younger sister, were mixed. Her heritage was a painful
one, and I could not and would not hold her at fault for that. ...
... Smiling blue eyes, black hair, an open and honest face. He stood clad in yellow and black martial arts wear in the middle of a wooden practice dojo, proudly posed with his left hand cocked as if to invite the viewer of the Trump Card to spar with him. This was my nephew Ramon, son of Nanami, though tounges wagged at wondering how two short blonde people, Nanami and Tsuwabuki, could have produced such a big man as he. I had my suspicions, but did not voice them, for in the final analysis, did they really matter? He was the strongest of the younger generation, strong of heart as well as body, an honest soul trying to do the right thing. He had also passed on some of these valuable quantities to my daughter Kanna, who had spent many hours from an early age training with him. ...
... Pale skin, red eyes, silvery-blue hair. These were the first impressions almost anyone had of Queen Rei. A native of Rebma, sister to Queen Moire, she had not been Queen of Amber for long. However, I had managed to make a trump of her before her departure. Clad in a dark blue kimono embroidered with medium blue lilies, tied in the back with a periwinkle ribbon, she stood at the edges of a river bank, small houses on the opposite shore. The moon shone wide and full in the sky, casting a twilight light over the scenery, and causing Rei's skin to glow. She looked over her shoulder at the viewers with an unreadable expression, her right hand holding a fan with a dolphin on it over her left shoulder. ...
... I had a fondness for the next card, and with good reason.
The young man portrayed in the trump was seated at a fine oak desk
next to a grand piano. The room they sat in overlooked a portion of
the castle through high glass windows. His short blue hair
complimented his eyes, and went well with the medium blue rose that
sat in a slanted vase at the edge of his desk. He was caught in the
process of timing a piece of music that he was writing, laying out the
notes on a sheet of staff paper in front of him. A green notebook
rested beneath his elbow, and a pristene rapier leaned against the
front of the desk. I liked him, both for the equisite music he wrote
and played, the trump skills he displayed that were better than my
own, and for the friendship he shared with my sister.
He was my brother Miki, and I wished him well with the turns his life
was sure to take in the future ...
... The next trump portrayed a woman standing on the deck of a sailing
ship, her smug smile and poised rapier indicating clearly who was in
charge, if her green and white naval uniform wasn't enough of an
indication. Her hair was blue, verging on purple, her eyes were blue,
and a royal blue rose was pinned to her jacket pocket over her left breast.
She was Miki's female twin, but for meeting the two of them you would
have to wonder, for at times their personalities were diametric
opposites. She was sly, manipulative, and very skilled at getting
what she wanted -- including driving her twin brother up the wall with
her behaviour.
She was Kozue, Princess of Amber, the "She-Wolf" who would not be
mastered by any man. ...
... The man on the next card clearly had kinship to Queen Rei.
Silver hair, a slim moustache, and a neatly trimmed goatee framed his
handsome, almost effeminite face. His eyes were a brilliant blue,
shot through with gold flecks, that made me think of a clear mountain
lake on a clear day, the bottom streaked with veins of precious ore.
His eyes were not on me, but to something towards the side, distracted
by something else or his own thoughts. His tall, slender body bespoke
of a calculated grace, an etherial air. He stood at the edge of a
shoreline, the sky overcast, columns of blue-green marble sinking
beneath the surface of the ocean. He wore grey pants, a sky-blue
shirt, and a grey cape lined with silver, sharkskin boots and gloves
covering his lower arms and legs. A gleaming sapphire gem hung around
his neck by a silver chain, and a grey sword hung at his hip behind
him. I knew that his mind was powerful, perhaps more powerful than
even father's.
He was Derith, and his was not a common presence in Amber. ...
... A dark-skinned woman with purple hair tied up into a bun
stood within an airy aerboretum. Rose bushes with blossoms every
color of the spectrum flanked her on both sides. She was clad in red,
a red skirt and sleeveless jacket trimmed with silver and green, and
red cuffs that hung around her wrists. One hand held a watering can,
the other a pair of gardener's shears. She looked at me with a serene
smile behind her wide glasses. A large diamond on a gold chain hung
around her neck, crossing the braid that reached from neck to her
right shoulder epaulet.
Dowager Queen Anthy, the last of father's wives. ...
... Another dark card, lit by the moonlight streaming through a rose-latticed window. A young woman, long pink hair trailing down her back, sat in a window-box, her body and face in profile. Her blue eyes were thoughtful as she regarded the solitary pink rose that sat in a filled vase in front of her. She was clad in a dark jacket and red pants, as well as a small white frill between the two as a concession towards femininity. Her gold-hilted sword stood at the ready below her hip, resting on the ledge, and I knew her to be as skilled with that blade as Juri was with hers. She was Utena, another of my younger sisters. ...
... The next trump depicted a smiling woman in a laboratory. She had brown eyes, light skin, a cheerful countenance, and her brown hair was tied back in a style reminiscent of an onion, tied with a ribbon. She wore a yellow gown with lace at the neck and wrists, and over that a labcoat. A table of the elements and a university diploma hung on the wall behind her as she poured a yellow liquid from a test tube into a flask filled with green fluid. From the interaction of the two chemicals, smoke wafted upwards, transforming itself into a spectral yellow rose. She was Wakaba, the youngest of my siblings, and quite skilled at the sorcerous arts. ...
... The next Trump was a newer one of mine, but an important one. The card depicted my brother Tylor once more, but this time he was clad in a uniform of purest white, trimmed in black and secured with yellow buttons. He stood in front of the great Mahogany Throne of Amber, saluting the viewer as the silver crown of Amber sat upon his brow and the Jewel of Judgement hung around his neck. There was a simple reason for this -- for upon father's passing, my brother was now Tylor I, King of Amber, and despite his change in position his temperment had not changed, for which I was very greatful. Long may you reign, dear brother, and may the pressures of leadership not crush your lighthearted spirit like they did King Gendo's. ...
... She stood at attention within the command deck of one of the
flagships of Rebma's underwater fleet, the cabin tinted by blue light
pouring through the portholes that progressed along the wall behind
her. She was clad in a blue and green uniform, trimmed in silver and
brown, slim but not unattractive, her blue hair precisely trimmed, her
green eyes firmly focussed on what lay ahead. It was a recent Trump,
but a favorite of mine, and I felt the pod of dolphins looking in
through the portholes had been a nice touch.
The romance and then marraige of my brother Tylor to Queen Moire's
daughter, Yuriko, had been a welcome change in the political climate.
They had married out of love, not politics, and their relationship
helped to smooth the tensions between Amber and Rebma. She was a canny
naval combatant, and she now helped to command the kingdom of Amber as
his Queen, bringing her own organizational style to counterbalance
Tylor's occasional laziness. In turn, Tylor helped Yuriko to
occasionally lighten up. They worked well together, and I personlly
looked up to Yuriko, seeing her as one of the examples of how a Queen
should be. ...
... He was a curly-haired man with a bemused, kind smile beneath his trim moustache and above his curly beard, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he sat -- well, perhaps lounged is a better word -- behind a wooden desk. Hazel eyes twinkled behind wide glasses, only adding to the impression of educated amusement. Clad in dark blue and brown velvet, a mug of hot beverage rested by his right elbow, and various papers, books, and scrolls were scattered across the wooden surface. An orange-and-black tabby cat sat on the far corner, looking over its shoulder as if it knew things that others didn't, in that way felines have. Behind the man, rows of shelves, laden with books, stretched away to the far wall, and sunlight streamed through open windows to warm the cobbled floor, an effect of the trump I was particularly proud of. He was Travis Butler, the Royal Librarian of Castle Amber, and to him had been entrusted the combined storehouse of knowledge that made up our nation's history. ...
... A very atmospheric trump followed, and one that I was proud of.
I felt that it captured the nature of the woman depicted quite well.
She sat within the study of her quarters in Castle Amber at night, lit
by a single oil lamp that hung over her shoulder, her elegant kimono
draped from her shoulders and showing a fair amount of leg as she
crossed her knees. Violet hair was done up professionaly, and her every
gesture was elegant and graceful -- which suited the woman who had once
been father's last mistress. But the stack of books next to her on the
chaise lounge, as well as the notes being taken with her right hand,
gave evidence to the fact that Duchess Yumi, the court's arbiter of
Etiquette, had a mind to challenge anybody's perception of her. Kanna
regarded her highly. ...
... An overcast sky, the far horizon revealing the barest edges
of clarity. A stirring ocean, its depths clouded in shades of blue
and green. Blue-green marble columns, slowly proceeding away from me,
sinking beneath the waves as they progressed, each column capped with
a glowing silver sphere that reflected the sand of the beach, the sea,
and the sky. A series of carved marble steps, the same texture as the
columns, proceeded downwards beneath the shifting waters.
This was Faiella-Bionin, the base of the stairway to Rebma, the City
Beneath The Sea. ...
... A cloudless night, the moon full in the sky and the stairs bright and sparkling. On the slopes of Kolvir, even at night, one could see to the furthest reaches of Harad and Arden, if one's eyes were good enough. Or if you stood at one particular spot, where a natural formation of three stones formed the impression of rough-hewn stairs, you could look upwards and see the phantom city of Tir'na-Nog. The Dream reflection of Amber, floating upside-down in the sky. On nights when the sky was clear and the moon was full, one could walk there via the ephemerial stairway that led there, if you were willing to take the risks inherent in the task. ...
... soaring among the clouds in the sky above Castle Amber, the Rose Duelling Arena was a recent addition to the castle's facilities. Commisioned by Dowager Queen Anthy, reachable by a rose signet ring given to all the members of the royal family and curling staircase that ascended into the clouds, it provided a place to test our skills and settle disputes. A crenelated wall surrounded the Arena, and a large stylized rose mosaic in pink and white decorated the floor where the duellists sparred. During the duels, Tir'na-Nog appeared in the sky above the arena, and did not vanish until the battle was complete. None of us knew how this could be; and if King Tylor and Dowager Queen Anthy knew, they were not about to tell us. ...
... Shelves beyond shelves of books and ancient tomes spread off into the dimmed distance in the room within this trump card. Sunlight played across the cobbled stone floor and along the wooden shelves, giving a certain timeless quality to the stone-walled room, while a few tapestries hung from the walls to add warmth and color, especially the large pennant of the Unicorn on a green field that hung at the end of one aisle. This was the Royal Library of Castle Amber, storehouse and repository of the combined knowledge and history of our kingdom. There were many secrets to be learned, for those who were willing to delve into its depths. ...
... A forest grove, tall evergreens standing straight and proud, shafts of sunlight streaming through the branches and thin leaves. In the far distance soared the peaks of the Kolvir Mountain Range, but closer in were the thick, lush trees and undergrowth of Arden, the Mother of All Forests. For over four hundred years I had served as the protector of that hallowed primeval expanse, and even now as Queen of Ember, I still remembered my activities there fondly. One day, I hoped, a worthwhile successor to the Wardenship would be proclaimed. ...
Trump Cards : [Pre-Campaign]
[Through A Mirror Darkly]
[Unicorn no Seishi]
[Forth The Nine Riders]
[Related Campaigns]
Illustrations : [Pre-Campaign]
[Through A Mirror Darkly]
[Unicorn no Seishi]
[Forth The Nine Riders]
[Related Campaigns]
[Library]