Tarot Cards

It seems that when a DORA (unknown if other qualifications are also needed) enters a realm for a first time, two tarot cards appear in their inventory. The cards have been collected together and kept at the Australian Embassy via the twins until a full deck is complete, one of each card, then with magic, the deck is activated. Each individual card has an effect when it is torn of varying power, nature, and duration. Other DORAs also have them and may trade. The activated deck has been dispersed by Joshua MacKay by using the fairest system the adventurers have come up with yet. The activated deck may have a time limit to when it will no longer be usable by GM discretion.

## Physical Description

10/13/2019 - Joshua - The Tarot Cards - The Tarot cards are of the Rider-Waite tarot deck design from the 1910/20s. Some of the card designs are slightly different. eg The tower card matched the ruined tower in the Shadow Academy. Alex Kinley was on one of the cards. Maddie was on one of the cards. It will be interesting to see if/when we get those cards if the images have changed.

1/28/2019 - Joshua - As an aside, unlike some of the previous cards we had received (and then taken by the police), these have no deviations of their designs from the Rider-Waite tarot deck as far as we can tell at this stage.

## Tarots Gotten So Far Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ba7Q6d9JZ9DZesPdaCetenuigqwZk-6CajP-IbAUHQY/edit#gid=0

## To Whom Adventurers Have Shown Them

**Madam What'serface** , Rock knows it - swindler who tricks rich people out of money

**Gotham Tarot Card Reader** - Address blah from Aeolous - said cards were special

**Spencer the Psychic** in Santa Claus - (the town, northwest of San Angeles) "they each have a special effect if you use them in the right place." He probably wouldn't be hard to track down again - from Glenn James

also advised in DNA/Genetic Testing, and Obed/Joshua body knowledge

**Somewhere in Amber -** The Rock - each card is special in its own way

**Beastkin Fortune Teller** - Joshua - According to the fortune teller I consulted in Beastkin (who was the real deal. The fortune she read for me came true) while the individual cards have some magic about them, they won't do whatever it is they are supposed to till an entire deck is put together. Also people will likely be disappointed with the outcome.

## Notes

10/11/2018 - Aeolous - The Tarot Cards - Rock and I recently went to see a tarot reader regarding the cards that everyone seems to possess. I can't remember his name but he didn't seem to know much other than "they were special." He is in Gotham, address *blah*.  We kind of hit a dead end at that point. Does anyone have any more information they'd be willing to share about those cards? If nobody else has any ideas or information, I would like to propose a plan…
Those of you who have cards, please reply with which cards you have. If you prefer to wait until your Phones are secured, that is fine, just see me or Rock. If it turns out that between all of us we have enough cards to make a full deck, I would like to propose that we each store the cards in a secure location and once they are all in place, a designated person(s) can go and get them to investigate further. Of course, this is all assuming the cards can be parted with and don't stick around with you because magic. Or any other reason you might think of that would cause this plan to fail.
Here are the cards I possess: Two of wands, three of cups, two of swords, three of swords, four of cups, the Moon.
A quick online search suggests that a "standard" tarot deck contains 78 cards. Of course, it's hard to tell if these cards are part of a similar deck. Once we get a better idea of what cards there are, we can begin narrowing down what type of deck it is if it isn't a standard one.
PS: don't trust Madam… what'sherface. I forget her name too. Cut me some slack – it was my first day in this weird universe. Ask Rock if you're curious about her name. She's just a swindler who tricks rich people out of their money.

10/12/2019 - Glenn James - There's a psychic guy in Santa Claus (the town, northwest of San Angeles) that told me about them. I was only there for a few seconds, and I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was something like "they each have a special effect if you use them in the right place." He probably wouldn't be hard to track down again when someone actually has time to talk to him.

10/13/2018 - Joshua - The Tarot cards are of the Rider-Waite tarot deck design from the 1910/20s. Some of the card designs are slightly different. eg The tower card matched the ruined tower in the Shadow Academy. Alex Kinley was on one of the cards. Maddie was on one of the cards. It will be interesting to see if/when we get those cards if the images have changed. Going back to a Realm where we had gotten cards from that are now no more, did not cause more cards to appear.

10/15/2018 - The Rock - In Amber, IIRC, we discovered that each card is special in some way. Actually, I'm not sure*where* I got the information, but I remember it being floated that each card was individually significant. So I'm with Glenn on this one. Let's start seeing what we can do with them one-by-one. For me? I'm going to practice flipping cards into a basket. I've always wanted that skill.

1/20/2019 - Joshua - Travel Advisory- Zones are changing. We received Tarot cards on arrival to <redacted>, Burlington, Night City, Gotham (previously Red Carpet), Kinleyville (previously Home Sweet Home, nickname MMO land)

2/18/2019 - Doc Fulton - Trumps - So, I was thinking that the Tarot cards are a part of the Trump tree and someone is somehow feeding us the cards while working on their trump skills. Unseen Good Guys are helping...?

2/18/2019 - Joshua - Other Doras that are not part of our group are also getting Tarot cards. The gentleman with no fingers that you & I chatted to gave me a couple of tarot cards for us giving him info.

2/18/2019 - Aeolous - Wait. What about the ones in MMO Land? Have they gotten any? We may potentially be able to get more of them if that's the case.

2/18/2019 - Joshua - Has anyone checked to see if those from MMOland that can use Clems have gained Tarot Cards? eg those in the old Library? I'd forgotten to ask.

10/15/2019 - Joshua - According to the fortune teller I consulted in Beastkin (who was the real deal. The fortune she read for me came true) while the individual cards have some magic about them, they won't do whatever it is they are supposed to till an entire deck is put together. Also people will likely be disappointed with the outcome.

1/28/2019 - Joshua - Doc Fulton, Alex Kinley, Mildred & myself have been pooling our cards (they have been entrusting them to me).  Here's a list of what we have. If you wish to add your's to these, and you do not see me, give them to the twins at the Australian Embassy and they will place them in the safe (or pass them onto someone who is likely to see me, and let me know you have done so, so I can remind them). Let me know so I can keep track of who received which cards. My intent is once we have a full deck and it has 'activated', depending on their properties to either - If the cards can be separated and retain their ability, return the cards to whoever received them (from my research, I believe this will be the case) If each card has a unique and different ability, then set up a dialogue to allow for trades so the cards can go to those who can benefit/fully utilise them.
As an aside, unlike some of the previous cards we had received (and then taken by the police), these have no deviations of their designs from the Rider-Waite tarot deck as far as we can tell at this stage.

1/28/2019 - Joshua - It may be possible to get more than one deck. Also once a tarot card deck becomes active it has a limited life span. So don't throw out those spares! My suspicion is a it's a cycle - once all cards from a deck are distributed it begins again. Once we complete the first full deck, it will be interesting to see if there are any further clues as to their origins and our benefactor. Also interested to see if there is anyone WTB tarot cards at the Half Way Inn (I do not intend to ask, more if there is any WTTB, WTS notice boards or anything of the like there) - which would give an indication if any other DORAs besides our group are getting them as well.

2/9/2019 - Joshua - We completed the first Tarot deck!!
- Each card has a specific, unique effect. That particular card should display the same effect for any further decks we complete.
- Some effects are permanent. Some last till sunset or sunrise.
- To activate a tarot card you rip it in two. The two parts disappear
- In areas where magic is harder to use you will need to assert your will when ripping the card in half to have the effect trigger.
- In cases where the effect is not permanent you will also need to assert your will to have the effect activate. eg one of the cards makes it easier for you to use any weapon till sunset or sunrise. If you had this effect active on you and were going into a combat situation you would need to assert your will for the effect to function in zones where magic is harder to use.
- The effect affects the person ripping the card in half
- The picture on the card may give a hint to what the effect may be.
- not all effects are good. Some may be harmful to you in some way.
- When the next tarot deck is made complete any cards of the current active one will disappear (OOC: an active deck may also disappear at the end of the season, depending on how long it has been active. Check with Logan as to if this occurs).
- Each card is considered an individual magic item.
Dana, Glenn and myself experimented with several of our cards and I have noted down the effects of those cards. Due to some of the permanent effects, I suspect that there may be haggling over some of the second, third and so on deck cards with who received them.
If you use a card and I am not with you, please note down the effect. (feel free to update the spreadsheet with it) as this will benefit us all.
If I'm not with you when you collect your cards (see spreadsheet as to which ones have been activated, as some of your cards may be going towards a future deck), please either update the spreadsheet to reflect you now have them or put a msg here or send me a msg directly.

The sheet tracking the tarot cards.

If you are uncertain as to what I mean about anything I've documented above, let me know and I will try and clarify.

4/9/2019 - Aeolous - Things which need doing (excerpt) - The previously completed tarot deck has expired and gone poof. Please continue turning in additional cards so that we can get the next deck activated.

4/12/2019 - Glenn James - Things which need doing - It occurs to me that if are hard up for a few cards to finish/activate a deck, we could gather up some trade goods and travel to the Halfway Inn or somewhere similar that DORAs tend to gather.