Cards of Blasphemy

*“There are some things that make it easier to be ‘infected’ the more you know.”*This article contains **MAJOR SPOILERS** relating to some of the most pivotal parts of the "*Lord of Mysteries*".For other uses with the same title, see Cards of Blasphemy (Merchandise).

The Major Arcana tarot cards also have twenty-two cards. They can match quite well, but there are a few that don’t meet the requirements. I need to make some changes to match the original potion names.

 — Roselle's Diary
on *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 265

The **Cards of Blasphemy**  are a set of 22 mystical cards created by  Roselle based on tarot cards, each corresponds to the 22 pathways. Each card contains the potion formula and sequence description for each sequence. They possess anti-divination and anti-prophecy abilities and are considered high-level (High-Sequence) mystical items. Some were given to his children and the rest were scattered to the wide world for the fated. The deck of cards became rumored as the prototype of the everyday tarot cards.

A year before his apotheosis, Roselle created the cards with his knowledge referenced from the Second Blasphemy Slate after he encountered the pollution of the Primordial Moon. In his partially revived state, Roselle realized the problem of the cards during his meeting with Klein. He warned the young Angel to not collect all 22 **Cards of Blasphemy**.

Klein believes the *Moon* and *Mother* cards are dangerous because of their direct connection to the corruption.

## Tarot Card

Main article: Tarot Card
Tarot Cards are the individual cards of the Tarot Deck, a type of playing card deck occasionally used for divination and standard games. They have been popular in Europe since the Middle Ages. A standard Tarot deck will consist of 78 cards: 22 which are uniquely numbered called the **Major Arcana** and 56 **Minor Arcana**. The most popular version is the Rider–Waite Tarot: No. VIII is *Strength* and No. XI is *Justice*.

**Major Arcana** cards from *The Magician* to *The World* are numbered in Roman numerals from I to XXI, while *The Fool* is the only unnumbered card, sometimes placed at the beginning of the deck as 0, or at the end as XXII.

Each main tarot card represents a stage in the life journey, and these stages are the only way for a person to grow. *The Fool* is a card that represents the beginning. It represents the beginning of life.

## Appearance

He has made every Sequence in his own image. What a narcissist... I’m suddenly very curious what the Card of Blasphemy for the Demoness pathway would look like. Hehe.

 — Klein Moretti
on *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 323

Each **Card of Blasphemy** has the name corresponding to the sequence 0 of that pathway with a picture of Emperor Roselle acting as the god of the pathway. Emperor Roselle also made them with tarot cards of the modern era's Rider–Waite deck as inspiration, so many of them have a tarot card lookalike. After a card is unlocked, it will change into a three-dimensional miniature book. Each page contains sequence description, potion formula and advancement ritual of each sequence. The *backs* of the cards share different designs, but at least have a complicated pattern.

### The Fool Card

* Activated card
* Unlocked Book

Activated card:

Its surface was also that of Roselle. The emperor was wearing a gorgeous head accessory and colorful clothes. It held a stick with luggage hanging from it as though he was on a long trip. He had a visionary (longing) look, and beside him was a puppy. At the corner were shiny words: “Sequence 0: The Fool !”

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 842

Unlocked Book:

The Fool card quickly transformed into a miniature, illusory book. With a thought, it kept flipping back until it reached the last two pages (Sequence 1 and 0).

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1291

### Tyrant Card

* Activated card
* Unlocked Book

Activated card:

On the face of the card was a man wearing a papal tiara with both hands held up. Before him were prostrated believers, and behind him was lightning, dark clouds, gales, and waves!

Klein was very familiar with the man because he had a portrait of this person in another set of attire.

It was Emperor Roselle!

And to the top left of the pontiff-dressed Roselle, there was a line of text formed from resplendent starlight: "Sequence 0: Tyrant!"

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 813

Unlocked Book:

Once triggered, the Card of Blasphemy immediately became three-dimensional, like a palm-sized book. Each page had a Roselle Gustav. He was either playing the role of a sailor, or he was wearing a captain’s hat and holding a sextant; otherwise, he was singing loudly with the sea as his background.

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 815

### Red Priest Card

* Activated card
* Unlocked Book

Activated card:

Inside the picture, there was a normal looking tarot card. The image on it was completely different from the others. Sitting inside a chariot wasn’t a king, but rather a male priest wearing a dark red robe.

The priest looked like Roselle Gustav!

This… A Card of Blasphemy! Klein’s eyes instantly shifted. He saw that the starlight in the upper left corner had condensed into a line of text: “Sequence 0: Red Priest!”

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 456

Unlocked Book:

Infusing spirituality into it, the card produced a blood-red light, forming a palm-sized illusory book. The pages of the book flipped, presenting portraits of a lifelike Roselle Gustav. He was either wearing a hunter’s attire, raising his middle finger, walking through a burning building, or standing behind a trap. He had all sorts of attires and was doing all kinds of things.

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 949

### Black Emperor Card

* Activated card
* Unlocked Book

Activated card:

A bright light emitted, bit by bit, from the bookmark, and the image of Emperor Roselle on the outside was being replaced by an entirely new image. He (Roselle) was sitting on an ancient stone throne as he wore a black crown embedded with various precious stones on his head. He wore pitch-black armor, and a cape of the same color was draped over his body. He held a scepter, and he looked forward with cold, aloof eyes. On the upper-left corner of the bookmark, there was a line of text condensed from the bright radiance of stars: “Sequence 0: Black Emperor!”

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 323

Unlocked Book:

Soon after, the bookmark became three-dimensional, like a miniature book. The book moved without the wind, revealing a Roselle in a white hood. Beside it was a corresponding description in ancient Feysac: "Sequence 9: Lawyer."

— *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 323

## Properties

* **Inactive/Active Incantation:** Each card was originally set by Roselle in an inactive state, appearing as an ordinary paper bookmark. Each card has a specific ancient Feysac incantation "password" and requires at least Mid-Sequence Beyonder spirituality energy to activate and reveal the card's true appearance. Once activated, the card will be permanent.
* **Unlocked Book:** Only applicable when the card is set in an active state. The possessor infuses one's spirituality into the card to induce its book form that contains ten pages for the complete pathway from Sequence 9 to 0. The possessor is required to use spirituality to turn the pages. Written in ancient Feysac, each page contains the sequence name, vague acting description, potion formula and advancement ritual from the Second Blasphemy Slate. Each page also has a Roselle painting/portrait related to that Sequence.
* **Pathway Convergence:** Due to the Law of Extraordinary Characteristic Convergence, once unlocked, each card will automatically subtly attract the necessary Beyonder ingredients for promotion towards the possessor as if the possessor is a High-Sequence Beyonder. This is evident when Klein used the Black Emperor Card and ended up inadvertently running into Nast Solomon the  while in the spirit world.
* **Pathway Suppression:** Each card has a slight suppression effect on Sealed Artifacts of the same pathway, diminishing side-effects.
* **Transformation Attire:** Each card can be accommodated to the possessor by having their Spirit Body envelop/fuse with it, allowing the possessor to materialize the card's unique tarot attire (armor, weapon, etc). The possessor gains a temporary solidified Spirit Body. The possessor obtains some ability enhancement from the card's pathway, but only the same pathway as the possessor has higher improvement and greater abilities manifested. The possessor can only accommodate one card per transformation. While transformed, the possessor induces **Pathway Convergence**, and gains anti-divination and anti-prophecy buffs just like the **Cards of Blasphemy**. The different cards in the possessor's body are accommodated to obtain the corresponding levels and special characteristics.
	+ **The Fool:** The body was covered with colorful clothes, and there was an extremely gorgeous piece of headgear on the head. The possessor's aura was deep and terrifying, but it gave off a comical, ridiculous, ludicrous feeling. It was a condition filled with a strange conflict.
	+ **Red Priest:** An additional dark red robe on the body. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder that had been stained by copious amounts of blood. The face was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on it were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown the possessor wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.
	+ **Tyrant:** A heavy papal tiara silently appeared on the head as the clothes turned into a religious robe. The latter was similar in dressing as the Pope from Saint Seiya. However, the fabric colors were dark blue that was almost black.
	+ **Black Emperor:** A dark and ethereal mist rose up around the possessor, and as the mist clung onto the surface of the solidified Spirit Body, it formed an imposing set of black armor. The transformation had a black crown on the head and a long cape of the same color on the back, like an emperor about to embark on a journey.
* **Possession:** While holding the card, the possessor can infuse their Spirit Body to the card to induce a temporary high-level ascension and then conduct High-Sequence "aura" level actions, but lacking the true strength. This is a half-step to **Transformation Attire**.

## History

### History of Known Cards

Black Emperor

* October 16, 1349: Card (Inactivated) obtained by Klein Moretti after having  Miss Justice test its bookmark form beforehand.
* October 29, 1349: Only chance through **Transformation Attire** that saved Mid-Sequence  Klein from having Sefirah Castle "stolen" from him by Amon.

Red Priest

* December 24, 1349: The possessor Sauron-Einhorn-Medici appears with the card (Activated) on Williams Street and tested Klein and Sharron if they were aware of the **Cards of Blasphemy**.
* Thursday, June 30, 1350: Card obtained by Klein Moretti with the Death of Ince Zangwill.

Tyrant

* Saturday, May 28, 1350: Card (Activated) obtained by Klein Moretti after being guided to its island location by  Mr. Hanged Man. It is revealed when Mr. Hanged Man and Qilangos were Low-Sequences, they discovered the location, but only Qilangos knew of the Tyrant card's existence.

Fool

* Monday, June 6, 1350: Card (Activated) seen by Klein Moretti in the Foggy Town.

Abyss

Wheel of Fortune

Moon

Mother

## Trivia

* The Black Emperor card is likely the second **Card of Blasphemy** made by Roselle.
* The activation incantation of the Black Emperor card is *Bernadette* in the ancient Feysac language.
* The Cards of Blasphemy are based on the 22 Major Arcana of the Rider-Waite tarot deck.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 265
2. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 391
3. ↑ *Circle of Inevitability*, Chapter 29
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1307
5. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 5
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 323
7. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 341
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1308
9. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 815
10. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 363
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 560
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 925~926
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 377
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 984
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1291
16. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 378
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 290
18. ↑ All list from author's WeChat note
19. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 842
20. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 1289
21. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 258, 277
22. ↑ *Lord of Mysteries*, Chapter 946