Jon smiles "Yes, I am looking forward to today's training." *chuckles* at Jade's earth cursing.
"I agree, as long as we work together, I feel we can defeat the 'Jackholes'."

In reply to Jade (msg # 420):

Ariadne chuckled at her cousins u see e of her Earth slang.

"I'm nervous about this, but I'm really looking forward to dealing with them.  I don't know what they want, and at this point I don't really care ".

She smiled at Jade.
"Your Gal Friday, Odil, can certainly come along, but we should be subtle about her as well.  There are a number of Earth people with personal assistants
or maid servants,  but it would definitely mark you as rich or important to everyone"

"We are kind of important, all of us."

Ariadne smirked
"Perhaps,  but it depends upon whether we want people there to know that.    Like I said before, sometimes it's better to just blend in.    Especially if we're looking for grey jackholes there"

"This Earth, sounds like it dims everyone's light." Sighs a bit but shrugs.

Continues eating her breakfast.

Ariadne laughed
"Earth isn't perfect,  but that's a little over simplified,  to be honest.   You can be as bright as you'd like, really,  but there are always consequences for that.  It's a bit like being here in Amber.  If you're the child of royalty,  you're welcome to let everyone know.  But that knowledge comes with a price, as opposed to being incognito and avoiding that kind of attention. "

"True, we have to deal with the gray men now, because the enemy knows of us. I think I understand a bit more now."

Ariadne nodded and smiled at her cousin.
"Though I'll admit that being mostly anonymous didn't help me back on Earth,  when they were sniffing around my father's home in Boston.  I'm not sure how they found him, or if they could've found me on the other coast, but that's something we need to discover "

"I wasn't known when I was attacked either. I think these Gray Men, must have some kind of mystical senses. Hmmm, I wonder if we could take advantage of that."

Ariadne narrowed her eyes in thought
"So, did Anyone know about you?  I was thinking that only my mother knew about us on Earth, but Uncle Gerard found us easily enough.   I wonder who else knew?"

"Only my mother also, though she informed the others I think."

Ariadne started tapping her plate with hee fork, almost nervously, her expression far away.
"So, do they have "Amber sniffing noses", like you were saying, or perhaps spies in the castle, or some other was to gather information?  I know that Earth listening devices supposedly won't work here,  but there might be a magic way to do it."

"The cards might be set up for such a thing, though I am new to the art and don't know all the potential of it."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

Ariadne's dark brown eyes snapped to Jade as she spoke
"Wait, what?  What do you mean?  These cards can spy on us?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

"I think they might have the potential too. My mother would know a lot more I believe. I know we can contact each other with them, though there is probably more to it. As a sorceress I know of sympathetic magic, do you know the term ?"

Ariadne sighed and nodded
"Well, if the communication technology on Earth can be bugged, i suppose the magical stuff can too.   I think I've heard the term 'Sympathetic Magic', but i can't remember it off the top of my head "

"Alright sympathetic magic ties things together. Say a witch wanted to cast magic on you it would be easier if they had a lock of your hair, or teers, blood, an article of clothing. Sympathy between the item and it's owner are where it gained the name Sympathetic magic.  Well cards are very, very sympathetic, so much so that they reach beyond the boundaries of shadow. So I suppose a card and a skilled sorceress or mage could use them to spy."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:41, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

Ariadne looked a bit scandalized, annoyed,  and alarmed
"Is.....is there anything we can do to avoid or disrupt this?  Like, i dunno, put them in water, wrap them in aluminum foil or thick fabrics, or maybe rub them in cooling oil or something??"

Jade tilts her head a bit, "I could work on something, but it may prevent their use to do so. I am, I believe a skilled enough sorceress to design something."

Ariadne frowned with frustration, clearly not being fond of being so far out of her depth, and nodded to Jade as she thought.
"On Earth,  all communication is technology based.  Well, any communication our of earshot, at least"
She smirked briefly at the bad joke.
"But there are ways of 'scrambling' the signal, so it's harder to trace, or changing the frequency to make it harder to find.  That might not be even vaguely helpful,  though "

Jade nodded not quite understanding but getting the gist of Ariadne's suggestion.

"Oh, mother I wish you were here." she said quietly though Jon or Ariadne might hear her.

"Do you mean make a card seem to lead to a different person, or to perhaps make the communication unclear ?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:41, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

Ariadne chose not to 'eavesdrop' on Jade's impassioned plea to her mother, in case it made her feel embarrassed.    Instead, she nodded.

"Well, I am, ironically,  not an expert in technology personally, but from what I've heard, there are ways of making lines of communication seem like they're coming from somewhere else, or using a frequency of sound or radio waves that's hard to find.   I'm not sure how to do that to a card, though.
I dunno....Perhaps you had another card on your end that can make the signal diffused,  almost too weak to send, and I can have another extra card on my end to amplify it for my ears only?  That way anyone else wouldn't find it, or would just hear gibberish or static?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:41, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

Random puts down his fork for a second, lost in thought. "...Trying to use two cards for the same person at the same time to-- er-- 'boost the signal...' That's a good idea. It might work. It's the same principal as something Corwin once did to help us try to reach... and it worked, then, too..." He looks up. "Sorry, I wasn't following everything you've all been saying-- I kind of got lost in thought-- and eating-- but this is a very useful line of discussion, I must say..."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Sat 22 Oct 2022.

Jade smiles, "Thank Ariadne, her shadow Earth knowledge sparked all this discussion. I never really thought of them as more than a way to talk and travel. Yet I think she is right, the cards are capable of more than that. They are very much sympathetic in nature."

Suddenly Jade blinks, "Oh, I can report something I discovered about the cards. I made one of Odile and I could see her but couldn't contact her. I pushed harder mentally to make contact and I teleported to her. I think the cards can be used to spy on the servants or possibly anyone not of the family or with strong minds. I mean the queen, have you tried contacting her, your Majesty ?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:40, Sat 22 Oct 2022.