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I'm Brandi. Brandi Blackswan, Bard of Amber. Pirate, musician, rogue, gunslinger, princess, heartache, sorceress, agent of mayhem. Killer looks and killer attitude. Take Morgan Le Fay, Eva Peron, Kei from the Dirty Pair, Captain Morgan, the Phoenix, and Janis Joplin, roll them into one, and you've got the picture. Five foot one, framed by a mass of luxuriant, curly, fiery, calf-length red hair that kings have offered their throne for. A youthful, intelligent face with just the barest hint of freckles frames a dazzling pair of eyes-one a deep brown, the other a deeper blue-and a smile that made those same kings think they were getting the better end of the deal. I've got the build of an athlete with just the right amount of curves, and I look to be in my mid twenties (don't ask me my real age-that's rude).
Taste in clothes is varied, the requirements being that it's functional and attractive. More often than not I'm garbed in clothes that befit my upbringing-something like a cross between your steriotypical pirate's and and Old West gunslinger's outfits. Loose enough to permit freedom of movement, tight enough to trigger the imagination to distract so I can get away with whatever I shouldn't be doing at that moment.
It didn't take me long to realize that, even with all this, I'm still a magnet for trouble. Especially with my attitude. Sure, I can be as gentle, sweet and charming as anyone when I need to be, but the sugar rush gets to be after a while and I have to let loose. It's easier, and lots more fun, to be my wild, irreverent, sarcastic self. Still, I've had to learn to take care of myself when someone or something(s) takes it the wrong way.
I've been a pirate, a general, a thief, and a sorceress queen, just to name the more memorable ones. Not surprisingly, I picked up a few tricks along the way. I've mastered the art of Sorcery, in all its cross-Shadow variety. Since coming to Amber I've become acquainted with the Pattern (interesting to talk to when it's not so full of itself), and I've learned its power. I've also made myself a couple of friends-The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. These handy little items are a pair of rings-or sixshooters, or scimitars, or daggers-that are tougher than almost anything outside of Amber. They also store a few of my favorite spells, and can assume the form of a variety of musical instruments (a master musician can't afford to get out of practice). In whatever form, The Devil looks like it's got flames trapped under its glossy surface, and The Deep Blue Sea mirrors the dark serenity of the ocean at sunset. Attractive and versatile. Like me.
Enough about myself. Let's talk about my history-a touchy matter. When I was born, off in a Shadow named Devil's Rook-..Any guess as to who my Amberite parent is? Your guess is-...It's kind of a strange story really-... *@%#!! OK, I don't know whose kid I am. There you have it. And people around Castle Amber have kept their lips tight about it, too. I've got my guesses, but that's about it-no real evidence. If any of my relatives know, they're not telling, which doesn't surprise me considering the warmth and companionship in this family. It'll involve pulling lots of teeth before I can get to the bottom of this. Bastards. Oops, I guess I should be careful who I use that word on....
So these are my options: The hair and the temperament point me in the direction of one of Oberon's redheads-Bleys, Brand, or Fiona. I've also got a strong resemblance to Corwin and Random. I've got at least an equal share of looks as Flora does (and I can be cuter if I make the effort). But all these are educated guesses-it could be anyone.
I came to Amber about five years ago. Ever since I can remember I've had this card in my possession-usually wrapped up and tucked away safely. It had a portrait of someone with features familiar enough to my own that I could tell it was family. Every now and then, when I held it it would get cold and "alive," as if an electrical current were running through it. It didn't happen often, and when it did, I dropped it. I didn't want to mess with something I didn't understand (at least, not this time!)-I got the sense that it was something way more powerful than anything I'd known.
Finally one day I decided to push it as far as it would go... and the picture came alive. Suddenly I was talking to Fiona through the card, and the next thing I knew, I was taking her hand and stepping through into the halls of Castle Amber itself! She could tell I wasn't the usual scion of Amber from the way I stared at her-that was the only time I've ever been at a complete loss for words. I thought she was my mother, and asked her, but her refusal knocked me flat. She did explain (breifly) where I was, and what triggering a Trump card meant about my lineage. What I know now of Fiona makes me a bit grateful-she's not the type who would take time out to instruct a newcomer like that. That's why I think she's one of the stronger possibilities, parentwise. Of course, she could be leading me on, another pawn in whatever game she's up to-I'd believe that of her too. Hell if I know.
Anyways, I've been in Amber ever since-with the occasional jaunt off into Shadow-getting to know my family, the Pattern, my powers, and Bloody Bob's. I haven't made any outright enemies-yet-nor have I made any close friends either (except for Bloddy Bob, and that's because I play for free). I find my cousins (or brothers and sisters-someday I'll know) more entertaining than the elder Amberites, towards whom I've got a perpetual resentment because of the parental thing. I've managed to claim a really nice room on the third floor, with a balcony-yes, a balcony-overlooking the gardens. Often you can find me on that balcony playing my lyre and singing the world a song.
My proposed character is Kail, a newly-made Lord of Chaos. He's an expert with Sorcery, a natural Shapeshifter, and clumsy with the Logrus. (Needless to say, he avoids summoning it when possible.) He's brilliant, but eccentric, and not entirely stable. He can also be...well, immature isn't the best word, but it comes close-so do 'impulsive,' 'reckless,' and 'inconsiderate.' Basically, he just doesn't think about what he's doing, entirely too much of the time.
Kail is an expert with knives, disdaining larger, heavier weapons. He has been seen with a rapier-like sword or quarterstaff, but uncomfortably. He also dislikes to use magic in combat, preferring defensive and personal enhancement magics (he generally has a general-purpose armor-type spell racked at all times). When he strikes, he does it fast, and to kill.
His attitude towards Amber is one of amused tolerance-he was young, and lucky, and from a minor House, and so missed out on the Patternfall War. He generally stays out of the major Houses' intrigues, watching them all and supporting no one. He's young, headstrong, and not really certain of what life's all about. He's got some growing up to do...and he'll be doing it. Probably too fast for his own good. But then, that can be life.
'True' form (most common)- male, about 6' tall, deep blue eyes and close-cropped black hair, golden-tanned skin. Slender (looks about 160 lbs) but tough. Speaks in a light tenor. Details on this form (height, hair and eye color, etc.) are almost always changed as necessary (for example, an extra 100 lbs of muscle as needed for intimidation).
Chaos form- four arms, with multicolored scales and spines everywhere. Two hands are roughly human-sized and -shaped (for holding weapons, etc) the others each have six fingers (two opposable) and barbed claws able to rip into stone. Heavily-muscled legs allow for leaps of up to 60' high in standard gravity. Voice is a savage, rumbling baritone.
Avatar form- energy shape, amorphous, but can form itself into recognizable (such as human) shapes. Softly glows in darkness; can be colored a soft gold, green, or blue. Speaks in a fluting soprano. Intangible and unaffected by gravity; can fly wherever it chooses to.
(*Hiya! The "*" denotes that the following is an explanation, not part of the actual answer.*)
Name: Julia Jonora Corey
*This is what she calls herself. Normally, people in Amber and Chaos don't have middle names, but she does. So there. Also, Julia is named after Merlin's former girlfriend, but this is not intended as a hint towards her mother's identity.
Nicknames: Jule, Jono
Age: Unknown
Birthdate: Unknown
*Could you imagine trying to make all the dates involved correspond? ::shudder:: Also, this is not important; when one travels Shadow, time is relative. Jono will live virtually forever anyway, so who cares how old she is?
Sex: Female
Eyes: Indigo blue
Hair: Black, blue
*Naturally black, it's cropped close to her head on the sides; one long section down the middle is dyed blue to match her eyes and runs halfway down her back. She usually brushes it back and plaits it.
Skin: Darkly tanned, rough, and weather-beaten
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 125 lbs
Build: Medium, though like all Amberites, she is incredibly strong.
Appearance: A slender woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties, Jono has high cheekbones and thin, sharp features. She is somewhat attractive. Her hands are her most significant feature: large and rough, they are able to crush a man's neck with a squeeze or draw back the string of the largest bow. Yet Jono's fingers are long, slim, and delicate; in them, a pen or brush becomes an extension of her body.
Dress: Black, indigo blue
*Her colors. Jono's clothing style varies from Shadow to Shadow.
Occupation: Student, wanderer
Interests: Jono has two great loves in life. The first is archery, the second is the fine arts; particularly literature, drama, painting, pottery, weaving, sculpture, and music.
Skills: Jono is a reputed archer. She has spent years in the training camps of armies in Shadow famous for their archers. Also, with a father and grandfather who both excel in fencing, Jono became quite adept at it herself. She enjoys riding, and is a good horsewoman, especially on her steed Cinder. She has also spent a great deal of time studying the fine arts. Jono has written novels, and is a superb painter and weaver, though a mere amateur in pottery and sculpture. Above all, Jono is a musician. She has a great gift for music, and it is not wasted: in addition to singing and playing her favorite instrument, the violin, Jono is skilled on the trumpet, piano, flute, barri sax, alto sax, and several instruments found only in specific Shadows. She occassionally composes vocal and instrumental music as well.
*It is worth noting that although Jono, as a youth, studied magic under the best teachers-including her father-she is a magical failure.
Powers: Jono has walked the Logrus, gaining all powers associated with it, and receiving training in the use of those powers. She is also quite a shapeshifter, since she was brought up in Chaos, where people are more inclined to practice their shapeshifting abilities. Like many in Chaos, she has a preferred demonic shape, and will use it when visiting Chaos or when she thinks it will improve her odds in a fight.
Personality: Jono is very quiet. She rarely smiles, and has difficulty creating lasting friendships, perhaps due to her withdrawn nature. She prefers to spend time alone with her books, and moves often, leaving old friends behind with little or no regret. Jono seems content enough, but is truly restless and unhappy, longing for somewhere where she can settle down and be herself. Jono is studious, stubborn, and determined, and can be patient...when the situation requires it.
On the other side of the coin, Jono is dark and violent. She is vengeful when wronged, and while usually calm, is prone to flares of temper. When aroused, she will destroy without reason. She does not take criticism well, nor does she stand for insults.
Family: Father: Merlin (alias Merle Corey), Emperor of the Courts of Chaos
Mother: unknown
Siblings: unknown, if any
History: Jono's early life is a mystery, even to her. Her earliest memories involve being brought up in the Courts of Chaos under Merlin's care. Merlin obviously knows the identity of Jono's mother, and about her life before the Courts, but refuses to reveal these secrets even to Jono. Jono grew up as a royal princess, an only child, pampered and spoiled by everyone but her father Merlin and grandfather Corwin. Under their expert tutelege, she studied fencing and magic.
Jono was raised on tales of her family's adventures, of Amber, and of all Shadow's mysteries. When she reached an appropriate age, she walked the Logrus and received instruction in using the power thus granted. But she was not satisfied. She longed to see Amber and walk the Pattern, but her father refused both. Her very existance (and the identity of her mother) was a secret to which only Merlin and Corwin are privy. It is unclear why Merlin chose to hide Jono and her mother from the Amberites, but this secrecy was the reason Jono was forbidden from seeing Amber. As to the Pattern, he feared for her safety; he himself had been warned against housing the opposing forces of Pattern and Logrus.
Corwin, however, was evidently not as willing to hide Jono away. It was he who presented her (in secret) with a deck of the family playing cards. An unknown artist had rendered images of her, Merlin, and many additional Amberites, to add to the base deck. Corwin taught her the use of the cards, but he was secure in the knowledge that she could not contact any Amberites from where she was, in Chaos. Jono was only urged on by his orders to remain in the Courts and be content with what knowledge of Amber she had.
One redsky, when Corwin mounted his horse to return to Amber, Jono took her horse Cinder, a Shadow-molded horse of supernatural ability, and attempted to follow. Corwin, however, became aware that she followed him. Accelerating quickly, he lost her among the Shadows, sure she would shift back to Chaos when she found herself lost. Undaunted, Jono strove to reach Amber alone. This was the first of her many failures to find Amber.
Jono decided not to return to Chaos. Instead, she struck out on her own to explore Shadow after Shadow, always hoping, searching for, and never finding, Amber.
Jono is always on the move, pausing a few months at most in one Shadow. Jono may seem young, but she's been around, and is an experienced Shadow-walker.
Birthplace: Unknown. Presumed to be Lyonesse, a shadow of the Golden Circle.
Actual Age: Unknown. However, she first entered Amber just over 350 odd years ago. It has been speculated that she was fairly young at the time, and it is generally believed that she is about 400 Amber years old.
Apparent Age: Her features are possessed of an ageless quality, so even in her physical appearance, her age is difficult to determine. She looks neither young nor old, youthful nor mature.
Physical Description: Julianna is a striking woman, even by Amberite standards. Standing at 6'2", she is reasonably tall, a fair bit taller than most Amberite women. She is exceptionally slender, and, in general, looks rather fragile. However, appearances are slightly deceiving, and her stamina is on par with many of those in the Royal Family. While she is by no means strong, at least by the standards of Amber, she is quick and dexteritous, and her movements are always elegant and graceful.
Her complexion is rather pale, but not in an unhealthy manner. Her skin is like ivory or white marble, which greatly compliments her carved, aristocratic, flawless features. Her cheekbones are high, her face slender, and it is all of these aspects of her appearance which give the casual observer the impression that she is a statue come to life.
Her hair, blacker than the darkest night, runs in thick, curly locks down her back to just below her waist. Generally, she prefers to wear her hair loose, but she will tie it back into an intricate ponytail when necessary.
Like her hair, her eyes are also black, the irises so dark that they are indistinguishable from her pupils. Staring into her eyes is like staring into infinite pools of darkness...they seem to have no depth.
Her colours of choice are dark ones, and it is these colours she wears. Primarily, she wears black, accented with deep purples, crimsons, and sometimes blues. She also wears dark greys from time to time.
Parents: Unknown.
Adoptive parents: Lord Kiernan of Lyonesse (father, deceased); Lady Eithne of Lyonesse (mother, deceased).
Siblings: None known.
Background: Very little is known about the enigmatic Amberite named Julianna. What is known has been pierced together from vague, apocryphal stories and tales told over the years.
As a child, she was apparently adopted by Lord Kiernan and Lady Eithne of Lyonesse, who were, themselves, unable to have children. The nature of how Julianna came to be in their charge, or her life previous to this, is unknown.
Lord Kieran was the head of a powerful merchant family in Lyonesse, a shadow of the Golden Circle, and, as such, had significant dealings with Amber.
Some 350 odd years ago (Amber time), long before Corwin's, and subsequently Oberon's, disappearances, Kieran was selected as the head of a trade delegation from Lyonesse that was to go to Amber and negotiate certain trade rights with King Oberon. It was anticipated that this journey to Amber would be extended, so he brought his wife and adoptive daughter with him, along with his extensive retinue. As Amber and Lyonesse have always had amicable relations, they were welcomed to Kolvir with open arms.
Thus was Julianna's first trip to Amber.
Some weeks into the negotiations, the Lady Eithne requested a full tour of the castle grounds, and Julianna joined her. Florimel was appointed by Oberon for this task, and when the Lady Eithne made a request that they see the Pattern of Amber, Flora was gracious enough (and wise enough, as she knew her father wished these negotiations to be sucessful) to comply.
Not surprisingly, everyone in the small group, including Flora, were quite taken aback when Julianna detached herself from the retinue, proceeded to the Pattern, and walked it. When she had reached the centre, she teleported back to the gathering, stating only 'I had suspected as much.' (Note: Flora believed, having watched the relative ease with which Julianna traversed the pattern, that she must have walked it previously. Given the heavy guard under which the patterns of both Amber and Rebma are kept, it is generally suspected that she walked the Pattern of Tir'na Nog'th, which had appeared in the sky several times during her stay. Claims by several palace guards of seeing a shady figure ascend the ethereal staircase to the ghost city seem to substantiate this.)
Immediately, it was suspected that Julianna was an errant, illegitimate child of Oberon, one of the many the great King had sired while filandering in Shadow. Julianna herself, however, never attempted to substantiate this, or argue to the contrary. For his part, neither did Oberon, knowing full well that even if this child was not known to him, the possibility of him being her father was quite strong. Now, however, it is believed that she is not a child of Oberon, but rather a child of one of Oberon's children, a belief reinforced by the vague allusions given by her over the years that she is indeed aware of the identity of her royal parent, and by the fact that she addresses the younger Amberites with the term 'cousin' as opposed to niece or nephew. However, to date, none of the Royal Family of Amber has stepped forth to claim Julianna as his or her daughter.
Julianna remained in Amber after her adoptive parents departed for Lyonesse, and she proceeded to gather as much knowledge as she could about her Royal heritage and the Pattern. It is said that she studied under a great many of her 'aunts' and 'uncles,' including Fiona and Brand, during that time. It has also been rumoured that she even received tutelage from Dworkin for a brief period of time, during one of the latter's more lucid phases. Frequently, she could be found in the library of Castle Amber, devouring the multitude of tomes that can be found there. It has been said that there is not a single book in that ancient room that she left unread.
Although her motivations are unknown, it is presumed, after several years of study, that she tired of Amber and the constant familial infighting of the Royal family, and she departed to explore the nether realms of Shadow. Since that time, she spends the vast majority of her time in Shadow, visiting Amber only on brief and infrequent occasions, and then promptly disappearing again. SHe was not present in Amber during the Patternfall War, nor was she present during the troubles between the Logrus and the Pattern. However, given the widespread effects of both these events, she was undoubtedly aware of them at the time.
It was sometime during these travels in Shadow that she somehow managed to save the life of a Chaosian named Jehzbyn. Since that time, he has remained a stalwart and ever-present companion to her, always at her side, save during her brief sojourns to Amber.
It was also in Shadow where she first encountered Zachary, son of Random and Vialle. He is one of the few Amberites she tends to remain in contact with (albeit on an infrequent basis), perhaps due to the similar interests they share.
Go to the rest of Julianna's profile.
Go to Main Character Profiles, page 2.
