Scene opens:
Difficulties have occured, within the Fractal Realm and Beau has been dispached to work his diplomatic best to see if things can be solved or smothed out with King Ivar Zumteufel IX. Unbeknownst to both Beau and Aura, who sent him, Ivar believes that Cobalt is behind the death of most of his family, including his children.
Unfortunately, timing is not on his side. While there, a palace coup occurs, and Beau fights valiently, skillfully ans mostly successfully on behalf of Ivar. At the last moment, in the battle everything seems to be coming apart (due to the Spiral Explosion, not that they know that), and Ivar places a hand on Beau's shoulder, and everything goes away.
A place-trump to, apparently. nowhere later, Beau uses his pattern to walk ... somewhere.
First, air and gravity then, light.
Ivar fills Beau in on the family stories (Oral tradition, stilted speach, loan-words not recognized, but mostly understandable) about the last-chance artifact (a one-time place-trump, now burned out beyond it's original inteded use) the apology, and the circumstances they should have been arriving in.
So, they Pattern Shadow Travel to places with forest, and then to places that might have a great hall, with Beau listening for the music as they walk along, through rock, and dirt, and grass, and mud, and packed dirt, and flagstones, and cobblestones ...
At some point Beau stops and they enter the forest, which is now more orchard-like, across the field from the local great-house, under a non-point-source unchanging illuminated gray-blue sky.
Using a found shack as a way-point, Ivar forages as Beau does some workings.
Beau's Workings:
At break-points during the workings, he snacks on Ivar-provided fruit, meets and gets directions from Emmy (a little girl) to an alleged safe-house. At the end of the workings he grounds, eats, and, once recovered, follows Emmy's direction and path.
Shadow-walks a house-gift and then, presents it to Elise, in the house.
Ivar is upstairs sleeping, but also being drained on some level.
Beau borrows some of the children, and uses their energy in one of two more workings:
Finds the kids, who's play was supposed to power the first much younger when done.
Goes back to the house, restores Ivar, finds that the folks in the house are 'vores of some sort that were the drain, and they skillfully and with polightness take their leave.
They do the compass-test, and it south-pole spins.
Beau digs down, with Ivar.
They come across a Ways, recognizable by Beau by the heat in his Pattern, which he has been using to walk them where they were going.
A Ways-Walk later, following a tumbleweed with eyes, they are in a crowded Chaos, under Yellow Sky, three-quarters turned.
Based on a memory of Uncle Random the Ambassador to Chaos from Amber hanging out in House Cara , Beau and Ivar head there.
Ivar is more and more uncomfortable in Chaos.
Wixerbrau and Bales Piss is fountain-cannoned at them when they arrive, because they are too sober for this party.
They come in to the standard House Cara party.
Raven is the only Amberite present at the moment, and they catch up on family gossip. Beau is surprised as to how many of the Amber side of things have settled into Chaos.
They go off to rest for the night, just not in the West Wing, where the heavy partners hang out or sleep off what "Ale"s them.