One year at AmberCon, a new campaign was started, called “The New Courts.” The premise was that there were seven Pattern realms: Diamond, Pearl, Amber, Ruby, Lapis, Emerald and Jet. They ranged in that order from Pure Good to Pure Evil. Something caused each of the realms to collide, castle, Patterns and people all. (In such case of the latter, said collision was described as a “wet, meaty explosion.”
I wanted to play an analog of Brigid of Amber, but very dark. On a whim, I selected Emerald 1 because it was the Realm of Madness. Oberon killed his children before they could threaten him, but Fiona eventually overthrew and slew him in turn, then ruled according to her insane whims. The gamemaster was surprised when I wanted Fiona to be Brigid’s mother, but I said I wanted to play Brigid as someone who walked a fine line between offending her mother (and forcing Fiona to do something drastic in response) but always offering the prospect of developing into something quite amusing if left alone (otherwise forcing Fiona to take a direct interest in the development of her darling daughter.) In response, the gamemaster said that after the second time Brigid demonstrated flashes of brilliance and independence, Fiona took her daughter in her arms and complimented her.
Brigid of Emerald was an enchantress, a telepath and a telepathic hypnotist. She studied psychology so she knew quite well just how crazy her mother was but she didn’t realize herself just how much she was descending into madness by way of protecting herself against her mother’s madness. She never really developed a sense of good and evil, right and wrong, only survival and protecting herself. (Fiona was Chaotic Neutral, Brigid was Lawful Neutral shading to True Neutral.)
When all seven Patterns collided (and no one knew why) they were all going to create a new Logrus and the survivors of the various Pattern realms create the new Courts of Chaos. Brigid was the only character from Emerald. She wasted no time charming Gérard of Amber into acting as her bodyguard at one point. About the only other thing that happened was the re-alignment of existing powers for the maintenance of the new Courts and the appending Shadows and the search for any artifacts such as the Pattern jewels and blades that might have been left behind. Brigid wound up in possession of the Amber version of Werewindle, just minding it for whomever actually claimed it.
Regretably, there were only two sessions of the campaign. It was shaping up into being quite interesting.
1 I should mention that I did lay out basic descriptions for the Brigids of all of the Patterns, including her parentage (always by Fiona) and her position within that particular Court. Her father ranged from angelic and demonic beings, a fire elemental, an disembodied intelligence, and, in Brigid of Emerald’s case, a Darkovan chieri. I found it amusing, among other things, to have Brigid of Jet being raised by succubi.
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