Geez... of all the people I've meet at home, I don't know one that would do what my aunt just did to me. And she was one of the people I was looking forward to meeting! She just blurts out, "Your father's dead." Thanks, bitch. As it turns out they don't even know for sure that he's dead. I know there's a lot more going on here than what King Random is telling me. For one thing what is this "abyss" he spoke of? Despite how pissed I am at her, Fiona does fascinate me. How she figured out that I was blood, it looked like she was just staring at me. I know there was more to it than that though, I'm not that naive! I have to find out more. Thankfully Random did tell me some things, for example, names of my aunts and uncles and what happened to Dad... I need to write this down for a reference. -I'm going to be learning a lot here, I think!

Notes:
Dworkin - great grandfather
Oberon - grandfather, son of Dworkin. Both came from "Chaos" (what is this place?), and built Amber. Oberon, a bit of a lady's man to put it mildly, I understand.
Benedict - eldest. Brothers, Osric & Finndo (not seen in centuries)?!
Eric - Corwin - Dierdre
Fiona - Bleys - Brand (Dad) These three: my closest relatives
Florimel
Caine - Julian - Gerard
Sand - Delwin (their mother was Oberon's mistress)
Llewella (product of diplomatic relations with sister city, Rebma)
Random (the youngest, and current King)
--War between Chaos & Amber: Oberon killed. Dad took the side of Chaos. Shot by Caine as he was struggling with Dierdre near the Abyss, and fell in from the force of the shot. No one has ever come back from the Abyss, according to Random.

The way this evening has gone, with the bombshell about my dad, and it being my first night here... I needed a drink and some company. It's too damn bad it's so late and according to Random all the good places are closed. He had a drink with me when he told me that little bit about the family. That was nice. I don't like to drink alone, there is NO fun in that! I guess I'll just go out and blow off some steam sometime tomorrow, then I can really have some fun. Hopefully.

It�s been such a crazy first day in Amber... This is going to take some time; Sifting through my memories of the day remembering the interesting tid-bits and jot them down here so I know I won�t forget later. Lets see. Probably easier to start at the beginning.

Breakfast... Met Aunt Flora (Florimel) -prim, proper, manners, and a typical girly girl. -LOVES shopping. Ack! Better to humor her I figured. Then again, it�s on their tab. Her shopping obsession might be handy to tap into later. Especially if Gilian was correct about rooms. Oh, getting ahead of myself. -then again... oh, I�ll add this later.

Also met Gilian - I like her. She�s so animated. She would probably be fun to hang with. Let see, she said she had a sister... Chelle, no... Rochelle. I think that was it. There might have been another one too, but I don�t remember her name. Daughters of Bleys (poor Bleys). Then there was Sierra. She seemed OK. Jury�s still out on her. Daughter of Fiona. I�ll have to pick her brain on that one. These gals: My closest cousins.

Penelope - no. So damn uptight. It�s like she�s gotten something shoved up where the sun don�t shine. She needs to get that looked at. Oh, how I would LOVE to show her "Panic Center" neighborhood! I should get a trump made for there - that would come in handy after a day like today!

Ok, it is later enough. Gilian mentioned that we�d probably get permanent apartments in the castle... cool!! My own pad! Mmm, how do decorate it...

Gilian had mentioned Martin during the ride in... oh yum. Son of Random, the King. The only real prince, technically (according to Gilian). I can�t remember most anyone else she mentioned but the title made it stick in my memory.

Oh yeah - titles and crap. Flora�s my appointed "sponsor" (fucking wonderful) but Dad�s alive - so I shouldn�t need a sponsor anymore... I�ll have to look into that.

Uh, that reminds me. Lladd, Spirits bless him, so tactful when he off-handedly mentions that Dad is still alive. I could have killed him! Here we were having this whole discussion about him past-tense and Lladd didn�t say a thing until later! Ugg.

Sigh, back to shopping - at least I got some cool slightly-funky dresses out of the excursion. Hopefully they're waiting for me somewhere at the castle. Not like it really matters...

Then of course, after shopping. Bleys appears before the carriage with arrows in his back. Am I lucky enough to get answers or to come with to get some? No - I get to be the fucking messenger. Ah well. That is how I meet Lladd though. Who would have thought I had a brother! He�s so cute too. Too bad the fact I�m his half sister turns him off. Anyway we went and found Random (Here I meet Vialle, I like her, she�s nice. Kind of reminds me of my Mom�s good side, and Jenna) and I told him the news.

Then come to find out the place is being evacuated. Random takes us to Texorami. It was on the trip to his ranch that I found out Lladd was my half brother, Vialle being the mother and that Dad was alive. The best part... I got to speak with Dad!! He prefers to be thought dead. -Must remember that so I don�t slip up. Only Lladd, Vialle and myself know, that I am aware anyway. He has some serious past issues though. Then again I�d be pissed too if someone tried to kill me. He kind of reminds me of a calm version of some of my city acquaintances. And the calmer they are the more dangerous. I�m glad he�s my father. *grin* I think we�re going to have more in common than I thought. Maybe Mom was right... I take after this side of the family.

Vialle has seemed to take me under her wing. She told me some things:

Rule # 1
          Ignorance is Bliss: The dumber they think you are, the better off you�ll be. -I hope I�m doing that well enough.
Rule # 2 (thank you bro)
          Don�t Trust Anyone

          The Abyss ("bottomless pit") is near the Courts of Chaos: The environment is always changing - I wonder what the Spirits are like there?
          Walking the Pattern to become attune to it. This sounds interesting. I wonder where it is?
          Vialle gave me a break down of personalities. Lets see how well I paid attention:
          Benedict - a fighter, protective of Amber, serious, yet kind.
          Eric - a politician. Can have a good sense of humor
          Corwin - An artist/poet, created his own reality? Did I remember that right?!
          Dierdre - another fighter
          Fiona - sweet and sour. Are all the red-heads moody?
          Bleys - charming and mischievous. I think I�d like him.
          Clarissa - 3rd queen of Amber, my grandmother.
***Before I forget: Things to find out about: * Experiment of combining 2 of the 4 elements to create a 5th. * Something wrong with reality (something with the family?). * Mental defense.
          Vale of Garnath - The hills between forest Arden & Amber (the castle or city?)

Oh yeah. That strange disturbance... Lladd�s bead was pulsing in my pocket. I still don�t understand why that happened. -he wasn�t trying to contact me. I wonder what it would have felt like if I�d been wearing it.

Lets see... after the chat with Vialle... Oh yeah! I met Yummy Martin. And Amethyst (Amy) - she was so formal. Are most of my cousins this way?! -I sure hope not. She was so nosey too. Asking me if I�ve walked the Pattern, who my parent�s are (though that seems to be the question everyone is dying to know of everyone), etc. She mentioned a Primal Pattern, a Pattern in Rebma, and one in a ghost city (Tirna N'Goth?). So there are four patterns? I like the sound of primal, though I admit just because of the name. She might be a witch though. That would be cool, we�d have something in common. Daughter of Moire (of Remba? Another place I have to find out about) and Corwin.

What�s been going on in Amber: An Uncle, Osric, & great Uncle,Trilias, battled for control of Amber. Osric was assassinated. And it looks like Martin will become king. This is so strange... Dworkin talked to Martin, but it was just a bombing voice from the sky.

My little Ice Cream social with Vialle and Jenna was too quaint for words, but I got a juicy tid-bit on Jenna, Charles with the Castle Guard. It pays to play along.