The Different Dissidents of Parys

The Adamantine Flute “Aleksandrine Society”

This is an organization that is underground which still passively recognizes  the “King over the Water”, Aleksandr of Parys and his “Aleksandrine” Selenite Succession as opposed to his male heir who was recognized by the Great Powers after the “Glorious Coup D’état” in Parys. It does not break any laws but quietly recognizes that Aleksandr not his son, is still the King. They use the Adamantine Flute as their symbol along with the Silver and White Rose.

There are four main tenets of “Aleksandrine” ideology:

  • the divine right of kings,
  • the “accountability of Kings to the Creator – Corwin – alone”,
  • inalienable hereditary right, and
  • the “unequivocal scriptural injunction of non-resistance and passive obedience”,

though these positions were not unique to the “Aleksandrines”. What distinguished “Aleksandrine” from pro Christophites was their adherence to ‘right’ as the basis for the law, whereas the Christophites held to the idea of possession’ as the basis of the law. However, such distinctions became less clear over time, with an increase in the use of contract theory by some “Aleksandrine” writers

“Aleksandrine” contended that Aleksandr had not been legally deprived/abandoned his throne,and that the Versailles Based Estates General and its successors were not legal. Overseas Parys “Aleksandrine” resisted the Act of Succession; while not recognising Christophe dominated  Parys, “Aleksandrine” recognised their monarch Alexander as Kings of Parys. The majority of  these  people supported Aleksandr due to his rumoured Declaration for the Liberty of Conscience, which granted religious freedom to all denominations in Parys as opposed to the Quadity monopoly of religion. 

The Religious policy tends to favour the pre-Quadity, monotheistic deism of Corwin worship with an established Church that worships Aleksandr indirectly.  It is not part of the Amblerash Covenant and has been written off by the Quadity leadership as a boutique religion established in haste to meet the emergent needs of a new society. It was Aleksandr’s perceived lack of support for the established Quadity Church that led to his being undermined partially. His attack on the Church caused the Glorious Coup to gain momentum very rapidly.

From its pre-Quadity religious roots, “Aleksandrine” ideology was passed on through committed families of the “new” nobility and industrial based gentry who would have pictures of the exiled royal family and of “Aleksandrine” martyrs, and take part in like minded networks. Some expatriate clans and regiments in Verdun, Lorraine, Alsace and Brittany as well as Pacifica pass their drink over a glass of water during the Loyal Toast – to the King Over the Water.

More widely, commoners developed communities in areas where they could fraternise in  discreet “Aleksandrine” alehouses, inns and taverns, singing seditious songs, collecting for the cause and on occasion being recruited for risings. Rumours of government attempts to close such places would cause them to simply transferred to another venue. In these neighbourhoods “Aleksandrine” wares such as inscribed glassware, brooches with hidden symbols and tartan waistcoats were popular. The criminal activity of smuggling became associated with “Aleksandrine” throughout Parys, partly because of the advantage of dealing through exiled “Aleksandrines”.

Official policy of the court in exile initially reflected the uncompromising intransigence that got  Aleksandr into trouble in the first place. With the powerful support of the Nod/New Vegas they saw no need to accommodate the concerns of his Quadity subjects, and effectively issued a summons for them to return to their duty. Some still try to influence Aleksandr into a more accommodating stance in the hopes of detaching Parys from the Grand Alliance with Brandenberg, essentially promising to maintain the status quo. This policy soon changed, and increasingly “Aleksandrine” ostensibly identified itself with causes of the alienated and dispossessed.

The Alexandrine Quadity

These believe that Corwin, Glen, Aleksandr and his daughter Selene are the new Quadity. There are rumours that this group wants Glen to marry Selene.

The Jacque Cult

Some believe that there is much greatness and magic associated with Aleksandr’s son Jacque and that Dara and Christophe removed Aleksandr to prevent Jacque from achieving full greatness. There is a great deal of his new world of Margueritaville being a shrine and also they speculate on his meaning and purpose. There are reportedly strange sacred sites in Hollow Earth and Flat Earth connected to him though it is known Aleksandr made a secret expedition to Hollow Earth and was heard to be handling vibranium in upstate New York.

The Red and Black Bee/Beehive

Unlike normal beehives, this organization claims that there is a male King instead of a Queen. This underground society is mystical and views Corwin as dying and being resurrected by the Grace of Lucius.

It is said that Lucius restored life and sanity to Corwin. They believe Lucius is the rightful grand monarch and overlord of all Parys and that Christophe is a rebellious vassal. After the Great Schism of the Parysii, these Red and Blackers are quietly grousing about the loss of their perceived status in Parys. Many sadly have flags, armorial details and maps of the former “Inner/Outer/Imperial/Sublime Parysii lands.”

Bees are perceived as sacred and there is a belief that swallowing a King Bee will make one an immortal demigod among its followers.

It is believed that they worship Lucius at the Ultima Terra Cultural Exhibition Centre in Parys which is viewed as an extension to the UT Embassy. They make pilgrimages to possible sacred sites affiliated with Lucius including his first kingdom of Roma which is now incorporated into the Iron Apple Empire. While watched by both the Deuxieme and Troixieme Bureau for subversion, the only major activity of note is that they reportedly rat out UT businessmen who come to hide money in Parys banks.

One banner has Christophe and Dara kneeling before a benevolent Lucius on his Iron Apple throne receiving his blessings with Corwin and Glen beside him smiling down upon them benevolently.

Another banner has Corwin mortgaging all of hidden Parys to Lucius in exchange for him being restored to life and freed of Dara’s mental controls. There is Corwin leading Lucius on a Silver and Black Parys Pattern with Corwin’s adopted and Lucius’ biological son walking between them.

The Labrys

This is a strange organization similar to the Red and Black Bees,  except that there is a Dexter and Sinister side to the resurrection of Corwin. The main belief is that Parys is nurtured through its hidden lands and by its veins and arteries to the rest of creation.

There is a strange duality in this mysticism with a lot more ceremonial magic, rituals and hierarchy. There is an adherence to avoiding politics and religion and to owe allegiance to whichever Corwin descendant that sits on the Elysees Throne.

The Quadity views them as a harmless eccentricity unlike other groups.

Their symbol is the labrys and a dual Parys pattern one in silver, red and black and the other in silver, red and blue.

The Riva and her Bear Cult

Unlike any other bear cult, this one was personally established by Riva and was outlawed by Jasra during the Occupation. Dara and later Christophe never got around to legalizing it. It remains underground though no one has persecuted it since the Occupation. The main thrust is that Riva was to become Queen of Parys and at her side would be her beloved Bear, Arthur of UT. It would symbolize the grandson of Brand marrying the granddaughter of Corwin and bringing of an everlasting peace between Parys and Brandenberg. The marriage of Brand’s daughter Jorrah to the son of Corwin, Christophe outranked this arrangement and caused the group to have less of a purpose other than adoring with Riva, her Bear and hoping to have Riva get freed from his unknown captivity and being reunified to her Bear.

The Old Believers- The Blacker than Black Rose Group

The preCorwin religion was a monotheistic faith that believed Corwin was the Creator and punished wickedness. A jealous God he was on guard against his evil brother Brand and his influence – while more extreme than the former Corwin Church, it harkened back to the wars between Set and Osiris in mythic Egypt. Some believed Dara as his wife betrayed Corwin to Brand and others said she protected and preserved Corwin.

They re-enact Corwin’s fateful ride from Amber to Parys to Patternfall with his black horse, Greyswandir and his two blue crystal sacks.

The Red Flag

The main left wing spectrum of Parys. It was the government during the Parys Revolution and Communard period before the Brandenberg occupation.

The Red Flag was banned by the occupation. Jasra and Brand hunted them down along with their other enemies. During the Bree Rebellion, the last remnants came out to support the rebel Princess and Jorrah’s notorious bots or tonks wiped them out nearly completely inside Parys. The Troisieme Bureau and reportedly the Brandenberg Secret Police still comb through shadow looking for them and killing them.

They burned down the (now rebuilt) Tuileries Palace and almost destroyed the Louvre – Many Churches were built to atone for their sins – They wiped out the old Parys Church of Corwin opening the door to the Quadity, its successor faith.

Currently any one claiming to be affiliated with them for their short lifespan is normally a knockoff.

That Jazz Lovin’ Man

A group of sympathizers who felt Art Baker was the best ruler of Parys and the most sensible. Politically inactive but they spend a lot of time drinking rum, bourbon, whiskey and listening to Art Baker’s Music

Nicolai Groups

Nicolas was popular with environmentalists, new rich, industrialists and anything connected to airships.
There are many secret supporters who rarely show their cards but who pine to seek Nicolas released from Amber dungeon, revenge himself on Aleksandr, Michel and Art Baker along with removing the House of Dara from Parys and making Nicolas as absolute monarch. There are too many factions to mention though Nicolas’ son Gaston has been fairly active and rules Aegyptus Modernus at present, warring with Avon and Taygete.

The Hollow World/Flat Earth Kooks

– An unknown group that believes Corwin created with Glen and a magical bear, two new worlds – one in the Earth Zone and one in brown water abyss from the dust of the broken Parysii cast into the Abyss. The Hollow Earth and the Flat Earth have many adherents who believe that it is Corwin working in mysterious ways for a greater purpose. They venerate Glen the Apostle, Corwin the Father primarily and see a Bear as sacred but bumbling.

 The Picts

– Adoring Glen the Son and Apostle as their primary Quadity figure, these followers write in an (Ogham preCeltic script. They claim Corwin is the rightful King of Amber and that Bleys is his caretaker. They also believe that they are following Oberon’s Will and that the “Rocks of the Picts” are in fact where Oberon’s real pattern does lay. They consider 1997 sacred but Asgard to be a check ripoff. Some say that it was thrown together there because the real one was not ready yet.
They believe Oberon died to save Corwin and Create Parys to stop Brand from combining Amber and Brandenberg into a super pattern. They also venerate the Night Ride of Corwin but for different reasons.  Sacred to the group are the Serpent, Along with the Pictish Beast, the Double Disk and the Z-Rod Symbol. Magical painted pebbles are associated with this group along with a belief that Hollow World and Flat Earth have sacred Pictish sites of importance to Corwin, Glen and others.

The Lampwriters Guild

– A strange organization that venerates lamp keepers and those who write by direct flame.
It is rumoured to view two non Parys persons as significant who are half brothers. Baylor, son of Bleys and Paul, son of Eric. Not much is known but there is a strange belief in an eventual discovery of a Parys “Avernus”

The Sons or the Horusii

– Some heretics believe Jurt, Despil, Christophe and a yet unknown fourth son of Corwin are a new Quadity that will bring a golden age for Parys. They consider Corwin Sacred and Dara to be the Mother but not sacred. For some reason, this sect is heavily persecuted by Dara and her ally Queen Jasra of Brandenberg