HRH Vere, Prince Royal of the Isles of the
Dannan
Son of The Lady of the Isles and Prince Gerard of Amber
Lord Commander Emeritus of the Brotherhood of the Stag
Lord Commander of the Children of Lyr
Vere is a character in House of Cards, a PBeM game based on the Amber novels of Roger Zelazny.
Steps in character creation for Vere included Vision Cards, Questions from other players, and a GM Quiz.
Vere was born and raised in the Isles of the Dannan, the homeland of Queen Rilga, his grandmother. He was raised there to be a warrior prince, although he chafed at the restrictions placed upon him, and yearned for a scholar's life, a path reserved for women in the Isles. He led the Brotherhood of the Stag in numerous raids against the WitchQueens of the Eastern continent, the traditional enemies of the Isles, and continued to lead the Brotherhood during the War of the Black Forest, when monstrous beasts strode the lands, and the Witch Queens and the warriors of The Lady made common cause against this greater danger.
Then Gerard came for him, to bring him to Amber. The forces of Amber were marching to the Abyss, to face down the Lords of Chaos. Gerard had been made Regent of Amber by Oberon, and he wanted his son by his side. Vere looked forward to finally seeing the Queen of Cities, and to finally being allowed to walk the Pattern of Amber to gain the powers that were his birthright.
Fate decided otherwise, however, and a great earthquake shook Castle Amber on Vere's first night there. The Pattern was buried beneath thousands of tons of rock, and Prince Gerard was gravely injured. Vere took his place as a member of the Regent's Council, and set about the business of governing Amber while waiting for her King to return.
Years passed, and finally the army of Amber returned. Only days had passed for them in the realm of Chaos, and they returned under the leadership of a new King, Random of Amber. Now, Vere could turn from the business of Amber to more personal matters: travelling to his mother's land to aid her in putting down a rebellion, working on finding a way to restore his father's health, and seeking to build a new life with his love, the Lady Robin, daughter of his father's sister, Ysabeau.
To aid in these efforts, he traveled with his uncle King Corwin to his city of Paris, and walked his uncle's Pattern. From there he traveled with his cousin Jerod, the grandson of Queen Moire of Rebma, to that undersea kingdom, and was granted permission to recruit a war band, who became the Children of Lyr. With his cousin the dragonrider Jovian, son of Prince Julian, and a ship of the Amber Navy commanded by his sister Solange's foster father Lord Worth, Vere has returned to the Isles, and to war.
