Over at 20x20 is a heartfelt post about rpg mechanics that reify racial metaphors and how it can be a bad wrong thing.
I agree with that.
In my Eternal City campaign, there are racial and bloodline metaphors because I picked up that subtext from the canon Zelazny. But perhaps that is a bad thing.
So far, the players have made it a feature instead of a bug.
As part of the dynamic relationship between family members, I think of it as a feature: that is, I want Players to compare, contrast or deny the flag of 'bloodline' in creating their Player Character. IOW, you can jump on the legend or go another way. Play a warrior redhead or a poet scion of Benedict. There are prejudices built into the family expectations.
That decision will echo in the game for a long, long time. As GM, I'll keep pushing that button.
In my campaign chronology, Oberon found and chose these mates and thereby created a legacy of slowly shifting values:
- inhuman supernaturals: because races of strength were so rare in the shadows. This led to the early history of Amber being 'forgotten' and ignored. It also meant Oberon didn't 'click' with these protean offspring and they were disadvantaged by that.
- shipwrecked humanoid star travelers: because the survivors of a black hole disaster were too significant a statistical anomaly to pass up. This led to Benedict, Osric and Finndo being far more cerebral than Oberon or Chaosi of the era. Again a parental disconnect.
- inhuman fae: races of strength yet rare in shadow. Fae are good at impersonating mortals (in the short term.) Led Eric, Corwin and Deirdre to be more violent, moody and competitive than canon would suggest. Much more similar to Chaosi than not since much of Chaos is patterned after early Fae civilization.
- inhuman efreet: races of strength yet rare in shadow. Pattern investigations led to more distant primal shadows of Amber. Led Fiona, Bleys and Brand to identify more with each other than rest of family. Magic and power clings to the redheads but their ancestral culture is destructive.
- immortal athanor: shadow primal secrets begin to reveal. Pattern investigations are now closer to Amber. Oberon misjudged his Rebman allies, Moins and Llewella never really forgave him. Potentials squandered.
- half-mortal dragonspawn: shadow primal secrets begin to reveal. Mortals can combine with dragons or other primal creatures to engender hybrids. Led Caine, Julian and Gerard to focus of discovery of shadow secrets. Note also the variation of the brothers. Caine also matures without knowing Oberon.
- Chaosi: first cross with Oberon's own legacy when Amber is secure enough to capture rather than kill a Chaosi. Led Florimel to be more sophisticated, social and clever than most of her sibs. The only 'normal' girl. (LOL)
- Mortal: first cross with shadow when Amber is at prime of power. Led Random and Mirelle to seem a bit underwhelming and anemic compared to other family. Much resentment and rebellion because of this.
- Shadows of Amber:
- Led Delwin and Sand to choose lending their strength to their own shadow rather than Amber.
- Led Coral to choose her mother's family over her suspected legacy of Amber.
And there are always those forty-some scions that Oberon's patternghost mentions in passing.
As you can see, the whole family is weird and contentious by GM design.