Mini-thoughts on Amber and food

[zdashamber]

One of the things I never got around to mentioning in my bleak Amber kids game was that I'd decided when Hong, the main cook/housekeeper, had a day off, Gerard was the one who stepped up to cook for everyone, and it was sushi every time. I was thinking that he's not just a guy who runs a navy, but he actually really likes everything about it, fish and lack of fire and all... And I think he's up to all the finicky chopping and arranging and shaking with sesame seeds and all. I'm very much enjoying the image of him in his bathrobe at the counter carefully squishing the sushi roll with the bamboo slat thing.

I'm also amused by the thought that the next generation of Amberites, those that survive, their basic food assumptions are going to be "noodles" and "sushi." When I have to cook something, the most basic default is a slab of meat, with potatoes and vegetables. Silent E, whose parents are of Chinese background, in that exact slot had stir fried rice. I got fancier with stew, she filled that slot with drumsticks and eggs in spiced broth. I'd take time and do lasagna, she'd do dumplings... Anyway, interesting to see what people's defaults are, and where they come from.

Comments

[colomon.livejournal.com]

Love the image of Gerard making sushi. Though I fear the same image would drive my Ill-Met in Amber Commodore completely insane...

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Does he fear and revere Gerard?

In our current Amber campaign, Gerard is a complete tool... Couldn't take being mocked for 50 years by Deirdre, finally snapped and mortally smashed her. I don't think he has the patience for sushi, though I could be wrong. :)

[colomon.livejournal.com]

He fears, reveres, and deeply respects Gerard.

Dang, I need to find and/or create a new Amber campaign...

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

You do! After ACNW, even I have been toying with the concept of running an Amber campaign. I would love to hear about you collecting up people and starting something new.

[colomon.livejournal.com]

Well, the big problem with the notion of me running a new Amber game is that I have plans for other stuff first, and limited time. Right now I'm looking for a session or two of playtesting for a new Ambercon swashbuckling game, set in the city of Amber in its Golden Age. (Approximately around the time of the birth of Corwin.) I'm working on a simple variant on the Amber system inspired by Arref's Unearthly, and need to figure out some game balance issues with the new rules.

And I'm also in the planning stages for a small PBeM game set at the 1920 (or so) University of Chicago's new School of Magic, inspired by Caroline Stevermer's books. I just reread those books to build up a timeline and notes on how magic works, and now I just need to do some research on 1920 Chicago. (And, I suppose, come up with some sort of rules to use! Or not, maybe.)

[obadiah.livejournal.com]

University of Chicago's new School of Magic

Feel free to hit me up with questions about campus.

At that time, the U of C was Big Ten, btw....

[colomon.livejournal.com]

I know about the Big Ten thing -- it's part of the appeal of the UofC setting for me. My current sketchy mental tagline for the game is something like magic, traditional music, the Mob, and Big Ten football.

[obadiah.livejournal.com]

After ACNW, even I have been toying with the concept of running an Amber campaign.

I'd be up for that!

[motleypolitico.livejournal.com]

Gerard in the current game really is just the total tool.

For that matter, he was in the previous game, too. And in just about every Amber game I've ever played in for that matter. Odd, since he *should* be a character who ends up with integrity and a lack of tool-ness, but never seems to quite manage it.

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Well, for a long time I liked Gerard, and I still can't find it in my heart to despise him as I do (say) Martin and Merlin. (And honestly, there are so many takes on everyone that even those two get some slack.) But I can see why Mike hates him... Much like my feelings on Fiona. He turned traitor to his word, he didn't even do it competently, and still everyone thinks he's swell.

Every non-Mike game I've been in (well, HF hardly counts), people think Gerard is great: noble and loyal and honest and brave and nice... Even when, by his actions, he proves this false, people still don't get the change through their minds.

[jamused.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed doing the playtest for your Amber kid's game. I was just in Borders and spotted a book that reminded me of it: Orphans of Chaos, by John C. Wright (the guy who wrote that amazingly inventive Golden Age space-opera trilogy). It's apparently about these five orphans, the only students at a mysterious boarding school in England, each gifted with strange powers....

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Huh! Sounds interesting!

Thanks for the kind words on the playtest. Your suggestions really made the con version a better game. :)