SMC at AmberCon NorthWest 2006

         The following is my con report and play notes from my second game of Star, Moon, and Cross, played as a variant set in Zelazny's Amber universe at AmberCon NorthWest 2005. This was the continuation of the Amber Shadows game in last year's convention, and we had 4 out of the original 5 players there.

"Amber Shadows - Continuation" Con Report

         This was a continuation of a game started last year, with four of the five players: Emma, Lee, Pôl, and myself. It was using Lee's house system, called Star, Moon, & Cross, which is a rotating GM game using tarot cards for resolution. A key to it is using a "newsreel" phase where we draw tarot cards to generate scenario elements -- that we then go on to resolve.

         We generated some good material in the newsreel, but we didn't get very far in resolving them. The previous slot had been 7.5 hours, whereas this was only four. It took a while to refresh ourselves on what had happened before, and what the mechanics of the game were. In addition, I left slightly early because I was feeling sick. In retrospect, I think we would have gotten further if we had started fresh, because trying to hook up to the older continuity added complications in an already short slot.

         After some discussion, we found four open threads from the last session.

1. Our cousin Prabha (daughter of Bleys) was still missing.
2. The captain of the ghost ship had escaped to potentially cause further mischief.
3. There was an unknown woman in the Hall of Mirrors who had escaped.
4. The nature of a scroll we found last time was still unknown.

         Unfortunately, we did not have time to resolve that much. We went through five or so scenes, where our characters were starting to track down these problems. I did evoke some teasing by framing a scene to start out that Mio was making out with the handsome but secretly traitorous ensign Myles. It's also an example of establishing things through scene framing -- i.e. I didn't have to approach or seduce him, I simply framed that it was already done. However, at that point it was close to midnight and I was starting to lose my voice. So I called it in, and the game closed up incomplete.

         I very much like how the newsreel mechanic works, but I think that particularly for a short convention slot, there needs to be a punchy and simple setup that everyone can immediately grasp and build on.

Game Notes

The PCs were the same as last time, except that we were missing one player, Kath, who had played Aurelian, son of Julian. So our PCs for this time were:

Mio, daughter of Caine (played by John)

Fae, daughter of Flora (played by Emma)

Tancred, son of Deirdre (played by Pôl)

Jacques, son of Eric (played by Lee)

From the previous session, important points included:

• Prabha, daughter of Bleys, had been looking into smugglers and had disappeared, sending a mysterious scroll back as a clue.
• Ali, son of Fiona, had been plotting to kill his romantic rival and his pregnant wife -- but had been convinced to hold off.
• Gerard as regent had been deeply in depression, but was talked into at least making a positive show at social functions.
• Lady Agatha had been slain and replaced by a disguised manticore, who was slain.
• After slaying the manticore, went to the Hall of Mirrors and found a woman there who escaped through a mirror.

There were also a number of points which we agreed were left hanging from the last session.

• Prabha was still missing.
• The captain of the ghost ship had escaped to potentially cause further mischief.
• There was an unknown woman in the Hall of Mirrors who had escaped.
• The nature of a scroll we found last time was still unknown.

Background Items

Each player picked an item to add to the character sheet under "Items" which could grant a bonus in future resolution, and at the same time framed a scene to illustrate this.

• Lee framed a scene that Jacques was made a Captain in the Amber Navy. At Pôl's suggestion, an older Captain was fired for this, and Jacques' second, Murphy, is icy to him. His item was his position "Captain of the Navy".
• Pôl framed a scene of Tancred in Tir-na Nog'th. He was chasing a ghost when he dropped his sword, but two identical swords appeared on the ground. He picked up one and the other disappeared. Later in the moonlight, he saw that his sword now was lit on one side and black on the other. His item was his new sword.
• I framed a that Jacques walked towards the library unknowing while people waited in the dark there -- which was a surprise party for him at his promotion! Mio had organized it, and played hostess, connecting with Jacques old and new friends. My item was "Contacts in the Navy".
• Emma framed a scene where Fae was in the Hall of Mirrors, reading the scroll which could only be deciphered in one of those mirrors, and learned more sorcery. Her item was "Sorcery", I think.

Opening Newreel

• Lee (plays Three of Swords): A privateer captain in the Bay of Cabra has had his throat slit on the Amber docks.
• John (plays The Chariot): His killing was framed as an execution by the Amber military, which has alienated the privateers and smugglers.
• Emma (plays Two of Coins): The mysterious storms are continuing.
• Pôl (plays Ace of Cups): The underworld of Amber is allying with Cabra.
• John (plays Four of Wands): The woman from the mirrors, named Elke, does a ritual in Arden to summon allies to her.
• Emma (plays Seven of Swords): Her purpose is to attack the rangers in Arden.
• Pôl (plays High Priestess reversed): The woman is Dalt's wife, attacking Amber in revenge.
• Lee (plays Knave of Pentacles): Her forces are in disguise, looking whatever is appropriate.
• Emma (plays Two of Pentacles): Elke and the ghost ship captain, Cullen, are preparing a coordinated attack.
• Pôl (plays Ace of Wands): It is a marriage of convenience only, with one of the two dominant.
• Lee (plays King of Wands): Cullen has many named, and is the more powerful of the two.
• John (plays Two of Wands): Elke is shy and not a leader of the men.
• Pôl (plays Seven of Cups): Unknown to anyone, Ali sees a vision of Amber burning unless someone kills Aziz.
• Lee (plays Six of Cups): Ali has stalked Aziz and Isobel, but saw another person stalking them.
• John (plays Knave of Cups): The other is a handsome young ensign named Myles who was at the surprise party, secretly an agent of Cullen.
• Emma (plays Page of Swords): Ali plots to attack Myles to play hero to Isobel.

Events

• Lee, playing Jacques who had been promoted to a Navy captain, framed a scene of him capturing a smuggler ship and interrogated the captain to learn about the pirate lair. He succeeded with one concession, that his problem with rank was known.
• I framed a scene that Mio was making out with Ensign Myles after the party. (This caused a bit of teasing. It's also an example of establishing things through scene framing.) There was a challenge for her to find out about what he was up to.
• Emma then framed a scene about Fae going hunting in Arden, where she successfully noticed the glamour disguising some of Elke's huntsmen.

There were two or three scenes after this which I don't have notes for. I know that in the next round of scenes, Jacques brought his ship to the Bay of Cabra where he knew there was a cave hideout of Cullen's. He then called Mio in via trump to sneak into it, she being sneakier than him.