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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2024 3:55:32 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "Why Corwin's Pattern and not Amber's? Why not both if the Jewel of Judgement could be used to inscribe another, one stronger and in harmony with Chaos?"
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Post by Hammett on Jan 14, 2024 2:12:01 GMT
"Well, like I said, Amber's pattern has existed in relative harmony with the Logrus for centuries without issue until recently, and, on a personal, and maybe selfish level, my homeland is in Ceredin in the Golden Circle of Amber, and my adoptive world, where Wormwood's is located, is Kasaba, and it is just outside the Golden Circle. So if Amber's Pattern was destroyed then those worlds would also be destroyed, which wouldn't make me happy, to say the very least. And I can't imagine that there is any Pattern that the Jewel could create that would be "in harmony" with Chaos. They seem to be inherently opposites, and the trail and error it might take to even try and find a theoretical Pattern that was better suited to Chaos would probably cause more damage to the Courts, possibly destroying them all together, during the experimentation."
"It does make me wonder about Corwin's Pattern, though. Amber's pattern has two powerful reflections, the one in Rebma and the ghost one in the sky. Maybe those reflections made and or make the Amber Pattern a bit weaker, sort of spreading out it's strength among all three. So I wonder if Corwin's Pattern has similar powerful reflections in his homeland? Maybe it doesn't, maybe it is just one, very powerful Pattern with no "reflections" and that is why it is causing so much damage as it's influence spreads?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2024 1:16:08 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "I can imagine that both your shadows exist by the interaction and sufferance of both Patterns. If either were to be extinguished, then all shadow would be impacted. Of course, I'm no expert, but I am convinced that no one understands the Pattern, not even Dworkin.
"Maybe split in three makes it weaker, or maybe it was made with too much power for one design to hold, so it bled into duplicates reinforcing each other."
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Post by Hammett on Jan 18, 2024 3:42:48 GMT
"Well both of my shadows existed long before Corwin's Pattern was created, and are now suffering because of the Shadow Storms, we all assume, that are being caused by Corwin's Pattern. Maybe if Corwin's Pattern was destroyed things would settle back to they used to be, but who knows? We are talking like we know that a Pattern can be destroyed. Maybe it can't? Maybe it is too fundamental to ever be destroyed once it has been created? Brand tried to destroy the Pattern but all he did was damage it. And maybe that is the best or most that can be done? Damaging them. Maybe actually finding a way to destroy one would release so much energy it would destroy all, or almost all, of existence? Destroying Corwin's Pattern might very well end up destroying the Courts and the Logrus in the shockwave."
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2024 4:21:18 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "The Ways would certainly be damaged, if not destroyed, but the heart of the Courts, floating out in the Abyss, should be safe.
"So you believe that Corwin's Pattern should be destroyed or damaged enough to be neutered?"
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Post by Hammett on Jan 19, 2024 3:00:41 GMT
"Only if it causing the "crystallization" of Shadows like you eluded to. If it is just causing temporary storms and everything will eventually find balance, then no. The loss of lives and the risk to everything else is too great to fool around and try and destroy it, or even damage it. Why go through all that risk, and all that loss of life and creating generations of hatred, for something that might calm down in a year or two? A cold war is good for business. A hot one, not nearly as much. Unless you are the one selling weapons and bodybags."
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Post by Admin on Jan 22, 2024 6:06:51 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "It's unfortunate you weren't here to tell Merlin that a while back. It might have helped convince him not to invade his father's realms."
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Post by Hammett on Jan 23, 2024 5:29:21 GMT
"Merlin is the one attacking Corwin's Pattern? I am surprised to hear that, and a little saddened. I take it from your tone that you are not happy with that either?"
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Post by Admin on Jan 26, 2024 5:38:34 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "Merlin is far from my choice to rule Chaos, but it is what happened. He still hasn't consolidated his rule of the great lords so this is the wrong time to be mired in an unwinnable war. The result will be further strife in the Courts.
"I understand why: a simple enough chance for Hendrake to get their pride back after the losses in the Black Road affair."
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Post by Hammett on Jan 26, 2024 7:11:50 GMT
"It sounds to me like, rather then get their pride back, they are in danger of losing all that they had remaining, plus even their standing as one of the Great Houses. Surely their leaders and generals, if they are such great warriors as they are made out to be, must have reached the same conclusion you have, that this war won't be won by brute force. So I wonder why they persist in doing so to their own apparent detriment? Merlin must have promised them something very special to make all those losses worthwhile."
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Post by Admin on Feb 5, 2024 5:17:01 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "They may calculate that a further loss of pride is worse than death on the battlefield. There is a chance at victory by fighting on and certain defeat if they retreat. If they weaken or waver in their cause, then Mandor and I will advise them to continue the fight."
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Post by Hammett on Feb 5, 2024 6:48:17 GMT
Hammett thinks on that a moment, then-- "A wise course of action. If Hendrake does prevail then the threat to the Courts is eliminated, but their house is very weakened and won't be a strong threat for decades. If they fail then they are destroyed and one of the great houses is gone and your own house will rise in rank and stature, and at that point you can divert to a possible diplomatic solution or an allegiance with Amber. Either way you win."
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Post by Admin on Feb 7, 2024 5:14:10 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "Alliegence with or to Amber?" he chuckles. "No, I don't believe that will ever happen. We have learned the hard way that the Courts are no match for Amber on the field of battle, yet the Hendrakes have continued to wage their wars against the princes. One does not need mastery of the cards to foretell this path will lead to our destruction. We should stay on the path that has worked in the past: deceit, seduction, and assassination."
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Post by Hammett on Feb 8, 2024 7:01:37 GMT
"I was thinking more of an alliance to destroy Corwin's pattern, if it turns out to be as dangerous as you have described, rather then everyone joining hands and singing "koom-by-ya. But deceit, seduction and assassination could work as well."
Hammett wonders how far he can speak to Lorcus, weighing the risk of revealing too much to the wrong person, versus the potential to gain an ally, or at least have someone else aware of what might be going on and able to fight back in their own ways. In the end he figured that if Lorcus was a "wrong person" then he would already know what was going on, so it wouldn't be like Hammett was giving away anything important, as long as he chose his details and words correctly...
"I wondered if you have considered that House Hendrake might be working with others and this war over Corwin's Pattern isn't to destroy it, but rather to claim it as their own and use the power for themselves? I have come across other powers out in shadow recently some are broken shadows of the pattern, but others are... something else. Powers I have never heard of but are of immense, well, power. Other people and groups seem to be positioning themselves to try and gain, manipulate and use these powers for their own ends. They are also seeking out items and artifacts of great power. Lady Vada was one of those people, she died trying to obtain such an item. Another made off with what she had uncovered during the battle, and has been trying to gather more like it. Corwin's Pattern could be another power that these people or groups are trying to capture and control. Maybe the biggest prize outside of the Amber Pattern and the Logrus, both of which are too well defended right now to directly attack. But if they gain enough of these other sources of power it might be only a matter of time before they come to claim the Logrus and the true Pattern, and by then they might be too powerful to stop. And if Hendrake has aligned themselves with such a group then they might not be fighting for The Courts anymore, it might just be one step in them taking over all of the other Houses and then the Logrus itself."
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Post by Admin on Feb 11, 2024 2:03:42 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/fx2fYZC/Lorcas4~png "If they want the Pattern, then there must be someone in the group who has the means to attune themselves to it. That's definitely possible because of the seduction. Hendrake prefers to fight, but the rest of us knew that once those foolish princesses and princes entered the Courts, then they would be ours. Why do you think so many of the newer children of Amber have a parent from Chaos? To cross the whispy bridges is to fall under the spell of Chaos.
"I suspect Vada's item was not an end in itself but a step in a greater plan. She always had more ambition than common sense. The object and its possessor will reveal themselves in time.
"Our goal should be to prevent any improvement in the Hendrake's standing. Have you met their daughter Gilva?"
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