The Effects of Corwin's Pattern
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The Effects Of Corwin's Pattern http://www.wolfram.demon.co.uk/rp_am_teocp.html[5/4/2013 12:44:49 AM] The Effects Of Corwin's Pattern "And so it is," Fiona said. "But is there order somewhere beyond that wall they come through? Or does the storm go on forever? If he succeeded, it is but a passing matter and we are in no danger. But it he did not..." "It does not matter," I said, "whether or not he succeeded, because I did." "What do you mean?" she asked. "I believe that he failed," I said, "that he was destroyed before he could repair the old Pattern. When I saw this storm coming - actually, I experienced a part of it - I realised that I could not possibly make it here in time with the Jewel, which he had sent to me after his efforts. Brand had been trying to get it from me all along the way - to create a new Pattern, he said. Later, that gave me the idea. When I saw that all else was failing, I used the Jewel to create a new Pattern. It was the most difficult thing I ever did, but I succeeded. Things should hold together after this wave passes, whether we survive it or not. Brand stole the Jewel from me just as I completed it. When I recovered from his attack I was able to use the new Pattern to project me here. So there is still a Pattern, no matter what else happens." "But Corwin," she said, " what if Dad succeeded?" "I do not know." "It is my understanding," Bleys said, "from things that Dworkin told me, that two distinct Patterns could not exist in the same universe. Those in Rebma and Tir-na Nog'th do not count, being but reflections of our own...." "What would happen?" I said. "I think there would be a splitting off, the founding of a new existence - somewhere." "Then what would its effect be upon our own?" "Either total catastrophe or no effect whatsoever," Fiona said. "I can make a case for its going either way." "Then we are right back where we started," I said. "Either things are going to fall apart shortly, or they are going to hold." "So it would seem," Bleys said. Corwin, Fiona and Bleys, 'The Courts of Chaos', Chapter 12 So what effects have resulted from the drawing of Corwin's Pattern? As far as I can tell in most games, very little. This is not at all inconsistent with what Fiona says in 'The Courts of Chaos'. In some games this seems to mean that Corwin's Pattern has spawned an entirely new universe, a new set of shadows, at 'right angles' to the shadows between Amber and Chaos and inaccessible without walking and passing through Corwin's Pattern to its 'far side'. In others it seems to have had the effect of spawning new shadows but that these new shadows are within the Amber-Chaos universe, forming a third 'domain' divided from the other two in much the same way as Amber-type shadows and Chaos-type shadows divide at Ygg. I have never yet seen an Amber setting where the drawing of Corwin's Pattern has had the totally catastrophic effect Fiona mentions. ITS EFFECT IN THE LAST ENEMY In The Last Enemy there have been some effects resulting from the drawing of Corwin's Pattern, but these seem to be
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Transcript of The Effects of Corwin's Pattern
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The Effects Of Corwin's Pattern
http://www.wolfram.demon.co.uk/rp_am_teocp.html[5/4/2013 12:44:49 AM]
The Effects Of Corwin's Pattern
"And so it is," Fiona said. "But is there order somewhere beyond that wall they come through? Or does thestorm go on forever? If he succeeded, it is but a passing matter and we are in no danger. But it he did not..."
"It does not matter," I said, "whether or not he succeeded, because I did."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I believe that he failed," I said, "that he was destroyed before he could repair the old Pattern. When I saw thisstorm coming - actually, I experienced a part of it - I realised that I could not possibly make it here in time withthe Jewel, which he had sent to me after his efforts. Brand had been trying to get it from me all along the way -to create a new Pattern, he said. Later, that gave me the idea. When I saw that all else was failing, I used theJewel to create a new Pattern. It was the most difficult thing I ever did, but I succeeded. Things should holdtogether after this wave passes, whether we survive it or not. Brand stole the Jewel from me just as I completedit. When I recovered from his attack I was able to use the new Pattern to project me here. So there is still aPattern, no matter what else happens."
"But Corwin," she said, " what if Dad succeeded?"
"I do not know."
"It is my understanding," Bleys said, "from things that Dworkin told me, that two distinct Patterns could notexist in the same universe. Those in Rebma and Tir-na Nog'th do not count, being but reflections of our own...."
"What would happen?" I said.
"I think there would be a splitting off, the founding of a new existence - somewhere."
"Then what would its effect be upon our own?"
"Either total catastrophe or no effect whatsoever," Fiona said. "I can make a case for its going either way."
"Then we are right back where we started," I said. "Either things are going to fall apart shortly, or they aregoing to hold."
"So it would seem," Bleys said.
Corwin, Fiona and Bleys, 'The Courts of Chaos', Chapter 12
So what effects have resulted from the drawing of Corwin's Pattern? As far as I can tell in most games, very little. This isnot at all inconsistent with what Fiona says in 'The Courts of Chaos'. In some games this seems to mean that Corwin'sPattern has spawned an entirely new universe, a new set of shadows, at 'right angles' to the shadows between Amber andChaos and inaccessible without walking and passing through Corwin's Pattern to its 'far side'. In others it seems to have hadthe effect of spawning new shadows but that these new shadows are within the Amber-Chaos universe, forming a third'domain' divided from the other two in much the same way as Amber-type shadows and Chaos-type shadows divide at Ygg.I have never yet seen an Amber setting where the drawing of Corwin's Pattern has had the totally catastrophic effect Fionamentions.
ITS EFFECT IN THE LAST ENEMY
In The Last Enemy there have been some effects resulting from the drawing of Corwin's Pattern, but these seem to be
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The Effects Of Corwin's Pattern
http://www.wolfram.demon.co.uk/rp_am_teocp.html[5/4/2013 12:44:49 AM]
limited to a re-structuring of shadow.
Before Patternfall (the image on the left, below), shadow was divided in a line roughly perpendicular to the Amber-Chaosaxis (however one defines both that axis and a line at right angles to it), with Amber like shadows on the Amber side andChaos-like shadows on the other side. However, after Patternfall, that had changed. Now, there is a 'bulge' of Amber-likeshadows into what was the Chaos half of shadow, encompassing Corwin's Pattern which was, after all drawn well into theChaos half of the universe. Similarly there is now an extension of Chaos-like shadows into what was the Amber half of theuniverse, leaving the structure of shadow more like a huge multi-dimensional Yin-Yang symbol. Whether this re-structuringhas had any other effects remains to be seen...
Before Patternfall After Patternfall
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www.wolfram.demon.co.ukThe Effects Of Corwin's Pattern
