07.09r: Elder Signage

[Joshua]

Hrido will ponder that... then look at Odin briefly... "Strange, he doesn't seem that dangerous." He doesn't dispute it or claim an ability to fight him. Just... a statement of fact.

"We would definitely want to know more about such threats. Do you believe he'd be willing to give a demonstration?"

[Wyvern]

"Perhaps. Or, while I cannot demonstrate, I have encountered his like before, and can simply tell you at least some of what he is capable of. Though, if I am to do that, it might be wise to include a few others in the conversation - say, Will* and Rogbar and maybe Cheknou if he's around." Alys pauses a moment, then adds, "And Osmund, come to think of it."

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* Will, of Rolf, Richard, and Will, the three Amber guard-captains that are in the trump deck. Based on this post, it seems safe to assume that he's around somewhere.

((Edit: added Cheknou to the list, so there's a representative from every court.))

[Joshua]

"Soon then." Hrido will state. "The Wyld is willing to wait for an opportune time, but we are not patient in general. Was there a specific representative you might want?"

[Wyvern]

"I have no particular complaint with you, though if there is someone you feel would be better suited to the company, I would defer to your judgement on that matter." Alys looks around, "Hm... If I want Cheknou present, that may take a few minutes to arrange, but if he can be summoned before issues with Harrune come to a head, I see no other reason to delay."

Assuming nothing else comes up, Alys will send Tinder to see if Cheknou is available (and expedite his return if he is), task Kizak with telling Osmund that there's one more important thing he needs to hear ("Or he can ask Cameron about shapeshifting, if he does not mind getting the information second-hand"), find some un-named guard to send to talk to Will, and will go herself to collect Rogbar.

[Wyvern]

After some amount of time, the relevant people* are gathered - Alys will occupy one of the rooms in the cliff face, where it's visible that people are there and looking out at the festivities, but the conversation can't be overheard.

And she'll go through and explain what an advanced shapeshifter can do. Again. As well as what an advanced shapeshifter cannot do - like, fool trump cards, or gain the potential to walk the Pattern**, or conceal that they originate from Chaos from someone with the Power to See such things.

Some of the listeners may find worrying the notion that someone could combine all the "best" traits of the Manticore, and the Hydra, and whatever other monsters they may have ever encountered across an immortal lifespan... Others may be more concerned about the notion of a nearly-perfect doppelganger spy.

Oh, and if anyone asks (Kizak might), Kizak is there as someone Alys trusts to take this information to Corystes.

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* Hrido, Rogbar, Cheknou, Will, Kizak, Osmund, and apparently Cameron.
** This one's an explicit nod to Osmund. While a shapeshifter from Chaos could copy him, they would not get what Dworkin earlier referred to as "potential", and that's a clear way he can demonstrate that he is still himself, even before anyone makes a trump card of him.

[Wyvern]

Alys concludes with, "I am telling you this mostly for your information; while there are measures that can be taken to make infiltration by an expert shapeshifter more difficult, I do not feel that the benefits are likely to be worth the disruption implementing such would cause. At least, not right now, when there are likely no more than a handful of individuals in Amber capable of any of the things I have described - and I would bet that most of those are Dworkin."

[Joshua]

Osmund will ask, "Is this ability independent of Shadow? Or at least, the version you are referring to is independent?"

He ponders. "It wouldn't fool one of us for very long, but they'd be able to bypass the guards. How rare is this power where Odin is from?"

And finally, "And why do I need to know this?*"
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*: The actual question he is asking is "Why do you think I'm important?"

[khadjair]

Cameron will look down to Osmund for a moment (height differences and all).

"I thought you would have figured this out after all the things that have gone on today. You are, despite what you think, one of us. You may not have walked a full Pattern yet, but you have touched a reflection of its Power and been accepted. You are more "real" than you have been giving yourself credit for. You have the potential to walk the Pattern and you are now an acknowledged noble, admittedly of lowish rank, of Ht'gon."

Cameron pauses for a moment, then continues, quietly. "and you are now a target just like the rest of us are. And those who might wish us ill may believe you to be weaker than us..." he holds up a hand to silence potential comment,"despite the fact that it is untrue. That would, however, make you a target. This is why I wanted official recognition from Morgana, so that you would have a place here, an official one, for safety."

"Does that make it clearer?"

[Joshua]

Osmund will nod at Cameron, then gulp. He will add to Alys... "Uh, the healing thing you mentioned... Is that universal? I... have something that disrupts spells and... at least weaker shapeshifters..."

[Wyvern]

Alys answers Osmund's questions in order, skipping the third one that Cameron already dealt with.

"Yes; shapeshifting of this sort is a real power, albeit a lesser one. Though it is affected by local conditions; some shadows will augment the power, and others - like Amber - dampen it."*

"At the levels I am describing, quite rare indeed - perhaps one person in a few tens of millions. But that still means that there are at least hundreds and perhaps thousands of individuals who can accomplish what I have described, most of whom will also have some personal tricks I am not familiar with. And ten to a hundred times that number who have a few specific advanced abilities, but not the full breadth."

"Healing at the level of fixing cuts or broken bones is relatively straightforward; not everyone from Chaos will have such an ability, but it is common. Outright regeneration is much less so; repairing complex organs or replacing missing ones is definitely an advanced use of the power. One that I would expect Odin to be capable of, however, which makes his missing eye an interesting stylistic choice..."

"As for disrupting shapeshifting? There are a number of things I know of that can do that, to varying degrees. Several forms of poison, for example, that see traditional use on dueling blades. If you have something you wish to test, I may be able to arrange something later this evening."**

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* Edit 2: added the comment that shapeshifting isn't perfectly independent of local rules.
** Edited to make this not a direct "I am a shapeshifter" statement. It's merely heavily implied.