Unsolved Amber Mysteries

[weilide]

I recall speaking to Wujcik about it, and he told me that RZ was planning on shifting narrators with each book for the next sequence, but that Luke/Rinaldo would likely be the protagonist throughout them.

That's intriguing and seems to more or less jibe with the five short stories as they play out. It would be quite tricky but I wonder if there is some novel way such a scheme might be translated to an RPG context? I suppose this is a case where PBeM would actually be an asset.

[Lady Vivamus]

By the by, just re-read Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains. Something that should be taken into consideration:

But she's a Chaos figure!

(Emphasis mine)

[Jason D]

By the by, just re-read Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains. Something that should be taken into consideration:


(Emphasis mine)

I always thought that was clearly supposed to be a piece representing Nayda, the Shroudling.

[weilide]

I like the idea that it should be Dara, one, because of her dual heritage, and two, because Zelazny seemed to be suggesting in the Merlin books that she was behaving in such an unhinged fashion toward Corwin because she was on some level still in love with him. It wouldn't have surprised me if they had gotten back together or at least reached some kind of détente in the final series.

[weilide]

Also, speaking of romance, just now glanced at the contents listing for the third NESFA Collection and in the "curiosities" section it has a four page entry labeled "Guns of Avalon: deleted sex scene." *SOUND OF HEAD EXPLODING*

[gabriel_ss4u]

Which sound? 'ka-boom', or 'ka-squirt'?
LOL **********

[RPGPundit]

Yeah, imprisoning a guy for 8 years, that's a love you can sure take to the bank.

Seriously, why the fuck would Corwin want to do anything to her besides kill her at this point?

RPGPundit

[weilide]

Yeah, imprisoning a guy for 8 years, that's a love you can sure take to the bank.

Seriously, why the fuck would Corwin want to do anything to her besides kill her at this point?

RPGPundit

Well, as I say, it's just a hunch. And I definitely agree it's not an ideal pairing. But for better or worse Dara does seem obsessed with Corwin. As for him, well, he's a complicated guy. It would be a hard sell on Zelazny's part but it seems like the interesting, emotionally challenging move that he would have jumped at.

[finarvyn]

Also, speaking of romance, just now glanced at the contents listing for the third NESFA Collection and in the "curiosities" section it has a four page entry labeled "Guns of Avalon: deleted sex scene." *SOUND OF HEAD EXPLODING*

A page on The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny describes it as a "sex scene between Corwin and Dara from The Guns of Avalon that Doubleday deleted because it was too explicit for its time."

If I recall correctly, Roger wrote this passage just to annoy his editor (which it did) and with full intent that it would be removed prior to publication (which it was). I had often wondered whatever happened to it...

I suspect it won't be hard core, if that's what you're expecting.

[weilide]

I suspect it won't be hard core, if that's what you're expecting.

Not particularly, no. I'm just enthused whenever new Zelazny stuff emerges from the ether.

[ChaosDrgn]

Nayda is Coral's sister, taken over by the t'yiga. And I agree, I believe it was her as well.

I get the feeling the mysterious wizard was the one playing around with shadow storms, since it was a "chaos" thing (noted by Mandor)

[ChaosDrgn]

In Knight of Shadows, was the dark haired lady who walked the pattern after Merlin came back Deidre?

[weilide]

In Knight of Shadows, was the dark haired lady who walked the pattern after Merlin came back Deidre?

I think that's the standard assumption. Merlin strengthens her with his blood and somewhat later the Corwin Ghost mentions that she is under his care, or something along those lines. I think we presume that the infusion of blood enables her to walk the pattern safely and then she teleports out to Corwin's neck of the woods.

[RPGPundit]

I always assumed Deirdre, yes.

RPGPundit

[charis]

• What is the meaning of the duel between Corwin and Luke at the end of the short story The Hall of Mirrors? How do Mandor and Fiona relate? What is the meaning of Flora's comment at the end that Castle Amber is waking up and becoming involved?

Perhaps castle Amber has its own life and is becoming sentient, either from being so close to the Pattern, or maybe Amber is its own power, hidden until now. The Hall of Mirrors seems directly connected.

Or perhaps Zelazny was going to bring out a new manifestation of castle Amber, similar to the Unicorn and the Serpent!