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Interview with Ingrey Wererathe
Index | Time Under Chaos | Player Characters | Ingrey Wererathe | Interview with Ingrey
- Dworkin Barimen, it is said, reflected on the land of his birth and rejected it for a new way of life. Although it is difficult to make out the artists original intent underneath all of this chaos and death, can you appreciate his artistic statement That there must be something to contrast with Chaos?
- Ingrey considers, and then moves the Black King Knight's pawn on the chessboard in front of him one square. "I am not an artist by temperament, nature or ability, you know." Ingrey replies. "On the other hand, I admit that an unending sameness would lack...appeal. And to be truthful, if there were nothing to contrast with Chaos, I would have much less employment in my profession."
- It is said that 90% of a diplomat's job is lying with a straight face. How do you feel about that?
- Ingrey smiles, and moves the black queen's bishop one space along its diagonal to protect a threatened pawn. "People lie everyday, and for the smallest things, and for the biggest things." Ingrey replies. "Do you tell your best friend that his progeny is ugly or do you tell him that its a cute child regardless of its appearance? Do you tell your mate that you are cheating on her with several of the women in Lady Petra's establishment, or do you prevaricate on where you spend your evenings? Do you even tell yourself the truth about what you do and what you are?" "The lies that I tell, however, are both useful, and allow societies to interact and function successfully and harmoniously. I have no illusions that I do lie and lie every day, but my lies serve purpose."
- What are your feelings on how to contend with the people occupying Arden?
- Ingrey moves the black queen's rook forward two spaces from its home square. "I am not a military officer and don't have a commission in any armed forces. The occupiers of Arden aren't truly part of my portfolio and my opinion is not worth much but I will give it since you asked. I am a diplomat. I negotiate, even if its sometimes by unorthodox methods. It is sometimes if not impossible to negotiate, even in my manner, with those who have no room for compromise, which is what the people occupying Arden strike me as."
- What do you really think of the Amberites?
- Ingrey considers the chessboard, and finally decides to make a Kingside Castle. "That's a highly general question and one that requires more clarification to make a useful answer. As a diplomat, I work with *individuals*, and there are individuals amongst the Amberites I can deal with and do...and those who would rather see me dead.I prefer to comport with the former and avoid the latter."
- Diplomat or spy? How much like 007?
- Ingrey moves his Black Queen's pawn two spaces foward."Double-oh 7?" Ingrey looks confused for a few moments. "Ah, the shadow figure." Ingrey nods for a moment. "I remember him. As I recall, he was more interested in action and adventure, and the only negotiation he ever did was to lure members of the opposite gender into his, or get into their, bed. Certainly, my reputation suggests that I rarely never actually do the real diplomatic work, but that is not precisely true. I have been fully trained as a diplomat, with much experience. I simply find, sometimes, that situations require...other means. But I am perfectly capable and do negotiate as any diplomat does."
- If you are faced with a difficult negotiation, at what point would you use more 'aggressive' measures and how far will you go?
- Ingrey considers the board, and finally moves a black knight to threaten an unprotected white bishop on the board."Inescapable intransigence. Diplomacy is a negotiation, a give and take between sides, trying to find a compromise. When the other side acts in clearly bad faith, that is a cue for me to employ other means. When another side will not move from its position, and the negotiation must reach a conclusion by other means, I will employ other means. When the other side escalates the conflict and employs techniques against me, I will respond in kind. How far will I go? As a diplomat, I prefer to employ other means judiciously, to provide a large outcome. I do not do things indiscriminately. Its a matter of where and how you apply other means, just like where and how you use the right words and negotiations, that produce a desired result."
- Tell us about a time when you employed a "direct and aggressive" solution to a diplomatic situation.
- Ingrey smiles, regards the chess board, and moves a black bishop so that it faces the White King down a line of black squares."Check." Ingrey says."It was a mission to one of the shadows just outside the Black Zone. Groaci, the shadow was called. Semi Amphibian bipedal creatures, maybe five feet tall at the average.The Groaci wanted to negotiate rights to a gold-laden river which wended its way both through their shadow, and a shadow under House Corrino, at the same time. The lady of the House, Irulan, asked me, since I was soon to return to Amber, to handle it on behalf of the Chaos Throne.So we went to this shadow and asked to see the disputed river so that we could negotiate the profits equitably. Corrino wasn't interested in trying to conquer the shadow, they wanted a simple neogtiation. I suspected something was not quite right about this. And yet the Groaci, to all appearances, denied everything and wanted to flood the zone with endless blather about their rights to the river. One attempt at poisoning and a second attempt at getting us lost was too much for me to bear, even if the rest of my party still wanted to avoid conflict. So...I did a little...damage to one of their temples, to the statue of one of their unpronounceable Gods. Inside the statue's base, I discovered an inert Trump gate to a Minor House that was giving the Groaci aid and support to oppose Corrino. They won't make that mistake again, neither the Groaci nor that minor House."
- So how do you really feel about being in Amber now? Is it one of the better places you've been stationed, or one of the worst? And why?
- Ingrey moves the black knight his hand has been hovering over back two squares and one to the right, placing it firmly within the protection of an unmoved pawn."I've been stationed in Amber more than any other place." Ingrey says, looking over the chessboard after the move he has just made. "To me, serving the Embassy here is my norm, and many of my experiences on envoys to the Golden Circle are measured against it, not the other way around. Is it the High Civilization of the Courts of Chaos?" Ingrey says. "No. On the other hand, I have little fear, here, of shapeshifted furniture trying to assassinate me. That is some consolation, at least, even if I am a year behind in getting copies of the latest novel by Aasimar Chancie."
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