T H E T A L E O F B
R A N D I B L A C K S W A N
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
stereotypical pirate's 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 me after a while and I ha e 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 Ambe r I've become acquainted
with the Pattern (interesting to talk to when it's not so full of
itself), and I've learned it's 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 ring s- or sixshooters, or scimitars, or daggers- that are
tougher than almost anything outside of Amber. They also store
a few of
my favourite 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 who's 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 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 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 (briefly) 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
Bloody Bob, and that's because I play for free). I find my cousins
(or
brothers, or 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.
!!MOST RECENT UPDATE!!
-Brandi has found out that her father is Brand, who has come back from
the
Abyss. He had plans for her, but she has resisted joining him
in his mad
plot against Amber.
-Dalt and Brandi were lovers (they may still be- I'm not sure yet :))
-Brandi has taken control of one of the Broken Patterns lying about
in
Shadow. What effects this may have, nobody knows yet, not even
Brandi.
-Finally, Brandi is under house arrest in Amber because of her dealings
with
Dalt and being the daughter of Brand. She is supposed to assist
Benedict in
preparing for Dalt's attack on Amber, but right now is sidetracked
trying to
contact Laura (I hope it's ok to bring your character as I did in my
last post).
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