Dworkin Barimen

Dworkin Barimen is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Amber, a fantasy series consisting of ten books and several short stories written by Roger Zelazny. Dworkin was also featured as a major character in a prequel series of four books written by John Gregory Betancourt.

Fictional biography

Early life in Chaos and Shadow

Dworkin was born into House Barimen, a noble family in the Courts of Chaos. His usual appearance was that of a dwarf, although like many Lords of Chaos, he was able to change his shape.

After obtaining the Left Eye of the Serpent of Chaos (which would later be known as the Jewel of Judgment) through methods unknown, he fled into Shadow and met the Unicorn of Order. With her help and using the Eye, he inscribed the Primal Pattern,[1][2] giving form to Amber.[3]

Residence in Amber

Early in Amber's history, Dworkin served in the court of his son, King Oberon, as an advisor and teacher of magical skills, including the power of creating Trumps.[4] He was frequently absent from Amber, in places unknown. His students included many or most of Oberon's children, including Bleys, Brand, and Fiona, who received advanced instruction.

Prior to the beginning of The Chronicles of Amber, Dworkin went mad, apparently because of damage to the Primal Pattern, which was linked to and reflected in his own mind.

Role in the Amber stories

Prince Corwin, Oberon's son and the protagonist of the first five books of The Chronicles of Amber, learns that Dworkin had been imprisoned by Oberon for several centuries. Oberon had deemed Dworkin to be dangerous and unstable, after Dworkin privately proposed that the Pattern should be destroyed. This would clear the way to create a new and undamaged Pattern, but would also result in the destruction of Amber and all of the alternate realities it cast as Shadows.

Dworkin proves to be capable of leaving his prison at will, during lucid periods of temporary improvement in his madness. He voluntarily returns and confines himself when he feels madness coming upon him again.

After Corwin is imprisoned for five years in the dungeons below Amber's castle, Dworkin helps Corwin escape by drawing a Trump depicting the Lighthouse of Cabra on the wall of Corwin's cell.[5]

Children

Oberon, the first king of Amber, was Dworkin's son. By some accounts, the Unicorn gave birth to Oberon.

In The Chronicles of Amber, no other children of Dworkin were mentioned. However, in the Dawn of Amber prequel series (a set of four authorized Amber novels written by John Gregory Betancourt), many more children of Dworkin were introduced:

Sons:
  • Oberon
  • Locke, whose mother was Valeria Ryassa de Lyor ab Sytalla, Lady of Chaos
  • Daren
  • Titus and Conner, twin brothers
  • Fenn
  • Aber
  • Mattus
  • Taine
  • Alanar
  • two unnamed sons who went missing and were presumed dead
Daughters:
  • Freda
  • Pella
  • Blaise
  • Isadora
  • Syara
  • Leona
  • two unnamed daughters who went missing and were presumed dead

Computer programmer Felix Croes uses "Dworkin" as a pseudonym, referring to Dworkin Barimen, and named his MUD software platform Dworkin's Game Driver.[6]

References
  1. Bleiler, Everett Franklin (1985). Supernatural fiction writers: fantasy and horror. 2. Simon & Schuster. p. 1116. ISBN 0-684-17808-7. As the story proceeds, we learn that Chaos existed before Amber and that Dworkin, Oberon's father, was a rebel Lord of Chaos who created the first Pattern ...
  2. Kelleghan, Fiona (2002). Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Volume 1: Aegypt — Make room! Make room!. Salem Press. p. 23. ISBN 1-58765-051-7. Along the way, Corwin meets Dworkin, a mad but powerful wizard. It becomes apparent that Dworkin is the oldest member of the House of Amber and creator of the Pattern ...
  3. Yoke, Carl B. (2007). Roger Zelazny. Borgo Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-916732-04-5. In the Amber novels, Dworkin tells Corwin that though both he and Oberon came from Chaos originally, they created form out of chaos by will and discipline.
  4. Lindskold, Jane M. (1993). Roger Zelazny. Twayne Publishers. p. 49. ISBN 0-8057-3953-X. Both of these younger sons of Amber are trump artists, following in the tradition of their great-grandfather Dworkin.
  5. Yoke, Carl B. (2007). Roger Zelazny. Borgo Press. p. 80. ISBN 0-916732-04-5. There, his eyes regenerate and he meets the mad dwarf, Dworkin, who provides him with a means of escape.
  6. Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 164. ISBN 0-471-11633-5. DGD, created by Dworkin aka Felix Croes, is a complete rewrite of the LPmud game.
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