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AMBER
Once the fairest
city of them all, the crown jewel of Kolvir has been transformed by the
struggle amongst her most famous children into a pale reflection of her former glory. The closing of trade routes by Golden Circle nations
friendly to the warring factions and constant harassment of merchants in
the shipping lanes have weakened the economy and life in the Eternal City
has grown more difficult with each passing year. Those who
remain either lack the means to leave or have strong ties to land, home,
business or family. There
is no king in Amber and while Prince Benedict performs the functions of
regent he has not officially taken the title. Lacking the Jewel
of Judgment -- which disappeared along with Oberon -- he has no control
over Amber's physical environment and over time it has become more and
more obvious exactly how strongly Oberon had asserted his will on the
place during his days as king. The weather varies little and within
Amber proper there are now only two seasons. Raining and Raining
Even Harder. Court
is held only occasionally, sponsored not by the royal family, but hosted
and attended by Amber's upper crust. The only gatherings held
now in the royal palace are periodic peace conferences between the warring
parties, which thus far have yielded no results. AMARYLL
A newly founded
Golden Circle kingdom. Or rather, one that has only recently been
recognized. It began life as a pair of broken-masted pirate ships
moored together and anchored out at sea. The ships' original crews
fled, but it fast became a curiosity and stopping point for pirates
passing between the shipping lanes where they plied their trade and the
far-off places where they sold off the results. Over time, more
crippled ships were added along with wooden platforms, small shacks and
rope bridges until it was no less than a floating city. The
city -- named for the first sexual encounter of its unofficial ruler
("Dirty" Pete Wyler) -- evolved, as cities often do, eventually
becoming more than a haven for passing pirates. It is a place for
them to retire. With a loose governmental system and a set of simple
laws, the city has flourished into a kingdom that has ties to both Amber
and Rebma. AVALON
Avalon is a picturesque
Shadow resembling Arthur's literary realm, complete with sprawling
forests, majestic mountains and sparkling lakes. Corwin's very own
home away from...severe beatings at the hands of Bleys, Eric and
Benedict. Avalon is where Corwin masses his armies before marching
on his ancestral home in a thus far vain attempt to wrest control away
from Benedict, whom he often refers to as "That son-of-a-bitch who
doesn't want the goddamned throne, anyway". BEGMA
One of the first
kingdoms to sign a treaty and form trade agreements with Amber.
While they continue to be sympathetic to Prince Benedict's cause, they are
far too small a nation to oppose the forces of the warring princes that
surround Amber. HAVERSHAM
A mountainous
Golden Circle kingdom that shares a border with Amber. It was
annexed by Benedict's forces just after the start of the war and is now
ruled by his former lieutenant, Avery Locke. It serves as a buffer
between Amber and her attackers, home to a sizeable army able to block any
advances along the direct route to the Eternal City. KASHFA
Another tiny
kingdom caught amidst the clash of titans. Once friendly to
Amber, their government has little time for anything but self-defense,
holding together the tattered remnants of the kingdom with the hope that
it will survive to see an end to the fighting. MAYENNE
Mayenne serves as a
staging point for Eric's attacks on Amber and her allies. He
won over the ruling body with extravagant gifts and promises of wealth and
power for all once he sits firmly on the throne of Amber. Mayenne
has aided Eric for nearly a century with men, supplies, and weapons,
sorely taxing themselves in order to stay in his good
graces. MONTMORILLON
Home of Bleys and
gathering point for the forces with which he's badgered, harassed and
sideswiped the competition for the last two hundred years. It's an
enormous Shadow with few approaches, all of which require one to pass
through narrow, heavily guarded canyons and valleys. Bleys has not
taken over rulership of the kingdom, though he does enjoy a close
relationship with the queen, Malia Cassander. TIR-NA
NOG'TH
Not so much a
kingdom of its own as a shadowy reflection of Amber. Those who mount
the steps to the Tir on moonlit nights are faced with waking dreams,
surrounded by an endless parade of familiar, washed-out faces and treated
to visions that may have great import on their lives...or mean absolutely
nothing at all. ARDEN
With Oberon's
disappearance it quickly became obvious to Prince Julian that the torch
could not be passed in Amber without major chances of the kingdom being burned to
the ground. So he withdrew himself from the impending fray and
founded the kingdom of Arden. The
first inhabitants were Julian's men, Rangers, as well as a few indigenous
folk who wandered out of the wood to join them. More and more
were drawn from throughout the forest territories and soon a small
gathering of buildings that had served as barracks and guard post became a
village, a town, and finally the splendor that is Craobh Beatha. Arden
is a loosely knit and casually governed kingdom which consists of every
part of the forest and spans several Shadows. All is overseen by
King Julian, though there are many cultures governed by their own laws and
customs. Provided that none of this causes harm to other inhabitants
or the forest itself, the king is content to let them be. The
formation of the kingdom, and particularly its capital has had another
effect as well. The route to Amber through Arden is effectively
closed to invading forces. No matter how great their determination
to have the throne, no one is willing to challenge Julian on his own
ground. Some
folk, like the enigmatic Deep Tribes, have chosen
not to become part of any organized society. There is peace between
Julian's Arden and the indigenous people which have decided not to join
them.
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