"Very well, I just wish that I could enable people to read the book that way they could see what I do." Jade goes through her purse pulling out the strange book.
"I found this in the library while doing research, actually it kind of called out to me. It is a book on Weirmonkin, though it's actual text is hidden and requires magic to see, even so it is written in an ancient dialect that takes a bit to puzzle through. I saw a piece of art depicting non other then Redring the Knellsinger. Since I know this to be Jon's blade now and remembered it to be magical I dedicated time to puzzling through the book."
She takes out her notes, "These are my notes on translation, they mention the blade and it's ties to that shadow. Your welcome to read them if you like. In summary I believe the blade plays a role in Weirmonkin's fate or something close to that. There is mention of unique magics in place there and your Majesty, you informed me of the curse that was rampant there at one time. I am just hoping the Gray Men do not try to recruit the cursed or form some type of alliance."

Random looks. "Yeah, I'm not seeing words." He flips a few pages. "Just the illustrations, in a vaguely woodcut style."



"Um. Yes. There were... and probably still are... some... Well I'm not sure they're originally native to Weirmonken, but they started to thrive in the forest there... Some monster-people. Some can take human-seeming form, some seem to spend all their time as beasts. They came and fought with Dad and Amber's forces more than once. Um. Julian would know more about them... Benedict would know even more. Benedict took them seriously as a threat back in the day, which should tell you something. Like Fiona, though, Benedict's... kind of hard to get a meeting with these days... You might want to start with Julian..."

"Alright, we can do that. I would rather be prepared then surprised by these beastmen. I won't have Redring the Knellsinger so I will need at the least some knowledge to help me. Jon, please bring your father's blade you might need it." She looked to Jon with a serious look a hint of worry on her face.

"Don't worry, Jade, I will do everything I can to protect you." he says sincerely before he *smiles and nods* "I have already received the quick release shoulder baldric for Redring so that I can carry it.  The only problem is that I can't wear my pack if we feel I will need it as the primary weapon.  Otherwise a need a few moments to remove my pack before I can draw it."

"Maybe you need a bag you can just carry at your side, or else just let one of your escorts carry your pack for you..." suggests Random...

"I should hopefully be able to hold off an attack for a few moments to allow you to draw your sword. Oh that reminds me I received word from mother about these Gray men. Lance passed on her words to me. She said they want to capture not kill us, and the second thing may be able to work to our advantage. They are telepathic and this is why they don't speak. Perhaps we can find something in shadow which causes telepaths pain, like something that causes deafening telepathic noise."

She nods about what the king said, "True, we could let one of the guards carry your pack."

"I've never met anyone in any Shadow who claimed to be able to communicate entirely mentally... But... thinking about it... When the gray men tracked me to one of Flora's houses in the Earth Shadow and Corwin and Flora and her dogs all stood there... The gray men knocked at the front door... And we waited, waiting to see if they would give up and go away or what... And Corwin asked about Flora's housekeeper or maid or whatever... And Flora said she didn't think the maid would go answer the door... But I didn't trust that, and I went and checked, and she was about to answer the door... I stopped her, and sent her to hide in her room... But... I had the impression that she might've been lured to go answer the door. Maybe they do have unusual mental abilities involving communication... maybe they can even suggest things to the suggestible..."

*smiles* "I will talk Maya about the belt and leg pouches option.  It is just the type of challenge she would like." *nod* "Back home, there are some denizens of the underwylds who seem to have such mental abilities.  But those are just rumors." gets a concerned look "That would also fit, with how they lured Jade into the alley.  This is something we will need to be mindful of."

"It was more that I was concerned. They had captured a woman and made her scream, that is what drew my attention. Still it is good to know they can influence people. I don't think they can influence our minds so easily or they would just convince us to go with them. I would indeed like to find things that could be turned against a telepathic enemy. Our family is somewhat telepathic but not to that extent that we have given up speech for it."

"Um, well, it's just a theory, right now... But I agree it's good to know they might be able to influence people..."



"I definitely agree. It might not work on royal Amberites at all. But it's still good to consider."

Jade nods and looks to King Random, "You had said that you would think on if you had any tips or tricks of the Pattern you might impart. With Prince Jon on the precipe of walking the Pattern this might be the perfect time to pass on any wisdom you have."

She looked hopeful and expectant.

"Ah. Well. That. ...Well... Do you already know how to do the thing with the birds...? Although I guess in your case it might specifically be a seagull or a pelican or something..."

"Thing with birds ? I don't know what you mean specifically."
She looks to Jon if he has heard anything of it.

"Wait is this like when Corwin looks for a blackbird of his desire and sends it off into shadow and a white bird of his desire and sends it off. Then one finds it's way to deliver a message to Eric, and the other shows him he arrived where he needs to be ?"

Random sighs. "Let's go outsid-- no, wait, I can't do it here in Amber.

But in other Shadows... there's a thing one can do where instead of you moving to another Shadow, you can sort of summon a bird from another Shadow to take carry a message for you, even to another Shadow. It's a bit hard to learn, but it can be done. It's easiest with birds. Even I can do it, so I expect for a sorceress like you, it might be even easier, Jade..."



"How do you-- oh, you've been reading Corwin's books, right. Yes, that's just the trick I'm referring to. I'm a little better at it than Corwin was... but not by much..."

(I was already writing a reply when you posted again so I just added it.)

Jade listens to the lesson as she loves learning such things.

"We could go to the Tower of Tirilaine, if you would like if that is far enough into shadow."

"Yes, that's far enough... But I'm a little busy today... Perhaps tomorrow morning...?"

Jade nodded, "That would be fine. I know in reading about it, that sounded like a wonderful little trick to know. Thank you, your Majesty." Jade smiled.

"All right, but I warn you, it's challenging to learn... Well, it was for me. Perhaps less so for you, considering..."

"We need to speak with Prince Julian anyway so this is good, we might see him at the tower. We could ask if he might not accompany us to Weirmonkin or at least give us advice about the beastmen."

Jon nods along following their conversation. "Hmm, I wonder if that is like the 'Messenger Animal' spell.  I'll have to remember to get a copy and have them review it."

"Oh, uncle, I do have a question, do you by chance have my Father's deck of cards?  He left Gerard's with us, which is back home.  But it might be handy to have his deck so that I can return the card and have an emergency contact for us."

OOC: Trying something new with his internal thoughts.  Especially since I don't have telepathy (?yet?)
This message was last edited by the player at 14:39, Tue 09 Feb 2021.

Jade stepped back brushing out one of the curls in her hair with her fingers.

"Ummmm. Those were given to Deirdre, as his closest relative, since we all knew darn well that he wouldn't have wanted Corwin to have them. She mostly gave them away to other siblings who might have been missing cards from their decks-- I think Flora was missing some, for example. Gerard was another one who'd lost a card or two, I think maybe... So... I'm sorry, but Eric's deck was split up amongst the rest of us..."

*nods* "Make sense to me." he looks thoughtful for a moment as he considers his next question. "Hmm, I will need to make sure I recover Uncle Gerard's card from home.  At least it is there as an emergency." he thinks to himself.
"Thank you.  It seems, that our team is going to be..." he pauses to think.

Random raises an eyebrow, waiting for the end of this sentence...