Frequently Visited Shadows
"Bed"Where Kimiko goes when she wants to rest.
Keep of the Four WorldsSite of the Font of Power. Previously used by Jasra and Mask/Julia. Now home to Kimiko and Merlin.
Llewella's PatternShadow in which Llewella (and Ruaidhrigh) inscribed Llewella's new Pattern. Home of the Oracle.
NewbrookThe shadow that Tristan calls Newbrook is named for the Newbrook School of Regular Medicine and Cirgury. The School is located on a thickly-wooded island, once heavily logged, that has been converted to a nature reserve by the School's founders. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow, fast-moving channel spanned by a spidery bridge.
The island is generally misty, but is lashed by frequent storms. The weather is of little concern to the School's students, the cream of this shadow's crop. Tristan chose this shadow for its low-end technology and magic, and its relatively advanced medical science. He wanted to learn techniques that would be applicable in many shadow environments. He also wanted a pleasant environment in which to spend his time, and he finds himself at home in Newbrook, with its internal combustion engines and indoor plumbing and placid political structure.
"Pop" EarthShadow where Kimiko is a pop singing sensation. Visited by many members of the royal family, Pop Earth's technology is roughly the equivalent of 21st-century earth.
QualopWorld with advanced technology, especially advanced medical technology. Used as an advanced medical facility by Amber, under Tristan's control. Named by Tristan, it's name is short for QUite A Lot Of Pain.
TerrasolTerrasol is a shadow at the dawn of commercial spaceflight. In this shadow, transistors do not work, limiting computers to large, slow behemoths hardwired to accomplish single tasks. Medical technology is significantly more advanced, although it is hampered by a puritanical moral code. Though sophisticated techniques for manipulation of tissue and hormones make it possible to treat many diseases and injuries that would be crippling or fatal in another shadow, any experimentation with the genetic code has been strictly prohibited.
This combination of medical competence and genetic innocence made Terrasol the ideal place for Fiona to relieve herself of an inconvenient pregnancy. The child could be reared in safe surroundings, but no amount of medical curiosity would reveal his extraordinary heritage. Terrasol's artificial wombs are strictly regulated, but it was not difficult for Tristan's mother to obtain a physician's certification that her pregnancy threatened her health. The fetus was transferred to a bath of saline and, over the course of the next months, treated with the proper sequence of hormones, and finally decanted, a fully developed infant, on the predetermined date. At this time, the mother was not to be found, but the child was entrusted to the designated next of kin. Packard and Una Short were a husband and wife team of Fiona's agents, hardened cross-shadow espionage specialists, now retired.
Thal AriTara's home shadow is Thal Ari. It is a high-fantasy shadow (sword & sorcery, high magic, epic good vs. evil struggle, etc.) about 2/3 the way to Ygg. Time flow is roughly comparable to Amber.
Thal Ari is named for its principle kingdom. Ruled by Tara's father, King Leopold I, the kingdom has long struggled against their ancient enemy, the Warlocks of Koragath - a shadowy realm periodically linked to Thal Ari by rifts/portals. During the Black Road war, the shadow was breached by field that manifested in a distant volcano. The dark plague that spewed out, driven by the Warlocks and the power of the Black Road nearly led to Thal Ari's destruction. Losses would have been complete not for the preparations of King Leopold begun years earlier (partially due to prophecies of an upcoming doom) - and, presumably, the efforts of Amber against the Black Road itself, which apparently closed the Warlock's rift.
YggSite of the traditional border between Amber and Chaos. Fortified by Amber. The defenses at Ygg are both military and mystical. Travelers going between Chaos and Amber must travel through Ygg's shadow.