The Dead

Brand (Jeremy Irons)

Your Uncle Brand was revealed as the malefactor responsible for the Patternfall War. He, together with his repentant co-conspirators Bleys and Fiona, appeared to have made a bargain with the Courts of Chaos to dispose of Oberon and destroy the Pattern, creating a new Amber in his own image. As part of this plot, he is known to have attacked your cousin Martin. He was killed by Caine.

Something of a dreamer, a mystic, a poet, Brand was always disillusioned or elated, cynical or wholly trusting. His feelings never seemed to find a middle ground. Manic-depressive is too facile a term for his complex character, yet it might serve to indicate a direction of departure, multitudes of qualifications lining the roadway thereafter.

-- Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Caine (Oded Fehr)

Your Uncle Caine was a hero in the Patternfall War, yet was killed years later by a sniper's attack beyond the Golden Circle. As befitted a former Admiral in Amber's navy, his body was buried at sea. He was a supporter of King Eric in the Patternfall War with his brothers, Julian and Gerard.

Caine was a man of many interests and had many women interested in him. He left behind a wife and son. Caine is missed by the family.

Your Uncle Rinaldo has admitted killing Caine in vendetta for the slaying of Brand. Queen Vialle pardoned Rinaldo.

On the other hand, I thought I was right.

-- Caine, The Courts of Chaos

Deirdre (Catherine Zeta Jones)

Your Aunt Deirdre was allied with your Uncle Corwin until his disappearance and was a prisoner in Amber during your Uncle Eric's regency. Eventually she escaped and fled to Rebma for much of Eric's reign. She returned to Amber after Eric's demise and was a full participant at the end of Patternfall. She died there in resisting Brand.

Deirdre did spot an interesting possibility, however. Namely, that Gerard could have done the stabbing himself while we were all crowded around, and that his heroic efforts were not prompted by any desire to save Brand's neck, but rather to achieve a position where he could stop his tongue -- in which case Brand would never make it through the night.

-- Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Eric (Jonathan Frakes)

Your Uncle Eric died while King of Amber. Long believed to be a fratricide, he claimed the throne with the support of your uncles Caine and Julian after his father's mysterious disappearance. His reign was marked by strife and invasions. The last of these invasions, by the regiments of Chaos, claimed his life. He died for the good of Amber, cursing the travelers on the Black Road as he perished.

Acquit yourself as well as I have -- bastard!

-- Eric's last words, The Guns of Avalon

Finndo (Christopher Walken)

Youngest of the two full brothers of your Uncle Benedict, your Uncle Finndo has been dead for longer than most of your parents have been alive. Family legend among your aunts and uncles suggests that he and your Uncle Osric, angered by your grandfather's dissolution of his marriage to their mother, may have made a bid for the throne and paid with their lives for its failure.

We are both too young to remember Osric and Finndo, who died for the good of Amber. But the impression I get from talking to Benedict --

Yes -- that they had done more than wishful thinking about the throne, and it became necessary that they die bravely for Amber. I've heard that too. Maybe so, maybe not.

-- Random and Corwin, Sign of the Unicorn

Moins (Madonna)

Former Queen of Rebma, mother of your Aunt Llewella and great-grandmother to your cousin Martin, she is remembered by several of your aunts and uncles. She died in battle against forces from Chaos only twenty-some years after Moire's birth, and there was great mourning for this Queen in Rebma. Llewella deferred taking the throne in favor of her younger sister, Moire.

You'll have to take over to at the shore and talk to your sister's sister.

-- Random to Deirdre, Nine Princes in Amber

Morganthe (Sophie Marceau)

The daughter of Queen Moire of Rebma and the mother of your cousin Martin, Morganthe is considered a tragic figure. Since her status as heir was unaffected by the birth of a child, most of the family assumes that she committed suicide from a broken heart after her abandonment by your Uncle Random. Neither he nor Martin ever speak of her.

Surely you recall that one time Prince Random came into my realm as a friend, and did thereafter depart in haste with my daughter Morganthe?

I have heard this said, Lady Moire, but I am not aware of the truth or baseness of the tale.

It is true, and a month thereafter was she returned to me. Her suicide came some months after the birth of her son Martin.

-- Moire and Deirdre, Nine Princes in Amber

Nana (Kristy Thirsk)

Nana was an aunt long dead before you were born. She was the child of a shadow liason between Oberon and an unknown woman. Family legend has it that she perished attempting to walk the Pattern. She is the harbinger who demonstrated the deadliness of the Pattern's gifts. You may have learned of her death as your father or mother prepared you for your first Patternwalk. You may also have heard the whispered suggestion that her death proved that she was not truly Oberon's daughter.

There had been eight sisters, and two were dead, possibly four.

-- Corwin, Nine Princes in Amber

Oberon (Brian Blessed)

Your grandfather, King Oberon, disappeared some years ago without naming an heir, precipitating open warfare for the throne of Amber. Recently, he reappeared in disguise as Ganelon, a companion of your Uncle Corwin, but he has since resumed his own identity. Before he departed Amber again, he appointed your Uncle Gerard as Regent. He did not name an heir before he left.

I like to think that I finally saw you as you were, that I met someone I liked, someone I could trust, and that it was you.

-- Corwin, The Courts of Chaos

Osric (Jean Reno)

Your Uncle Osric was your Uncle Benedict's next youngest brother and born early in Cymnea's reign. Nearly none of your uncles remember him. Although the dissolution of your grandfather's marriage to his mother never explicitly threatened his status as heir to Amber, it seems to have thwarted Osric's ambition, causing your grandfather to dispose of his two eldest sons in battle.

She bore Dad two other sons also -- Osric and Finndo. Then -- how does one put these things? -- Faiella bore Eric. After that, Dad found some defect in his marriage with Cymnea and had it dissolved ... from the beginning ...

Didn't that make all of them illegitimate?

Well, it left their status less certain. Osric and Finndo were more than irritated, as I understand it, but they died shortly thereafter.

-- Corwin and Ganelon, Sign of the Unicorn

Shar Ra (Gabrielle Reece)

Shar Ra was an aunt who died in battle with enemies of Amber before Julian was born. She was the child of a shadow liason between Oberon and an unknown woman. Family legend has it that she fell in battle after holding against a force many times her own. After her death, Oberon made a point of not allowing the young women of the family as much freedom in the military skills.

She was fierce and capable and a model for young Deirdre.

There had been eight sisters, and two were dead, possibly four.

-- Corwin, Nine Princes in Amber