Autumn was the season of endings. Summer was the season of opportunity. Kara focused on this mantra as she nervously glanced around the inside of her tent. Declan had done a good job of setting up. The area was small but did not feel cramped or cluttered. The lighting was dim without being murky, and the air was pleasantly scented with just the right amount of sandalwood and gardenia.
Kara adjusted the outfit he had insisted she wear. It consisted of a flowing white dress and a shawl of deep violet. Her dark hair was more carefully styled than she would have even done for the prom she skipped in High School. A pair of intricate braids pulled some up and away from her face while the rest had been made to fall in wavy locks down her back. Woven into those locks were dangling charms and small, brightly colored, feathers. A fine silver chain interworked to the braids suspended a deep blue sapphire the size of Kara's thumb in the center of her forehead, just above her brow line. Declan assured her it looked "mystical" and "enigmatic", but it made her feel like a heavy bead of sweat was just out of her sight. She had to consciously force her hands not to swat at it in irritation.
Those hands were also covered in rings of different designs. The left hand practically dripped with copper bands worked into different alchemical symbols and runes of protection. Her right hand bore a set of silver rings all interconnected by silver thread along the back of the hand to a bracelet studded in yet more charms. While a part of her enjoyed the idea of all the different enchantments and spells she could hide there, the entire set up was ludicrously impractical. The various rustling and tinkling sounds of the jewelry and bracelets and bangles were like a chorus of tiny bells accompanying her every movement.
"I feel like some kind of cheap carnival stereotype" Kara complained. She started to put her hands on her hips, but the imposing stance she was trying for felt cheapened by her ornamental choir.
Declan looked up from where he was crouched behind a heavy looking wooden chest. He grinned in his characteristic, lopsided fashion and pushed the dark glasses higher on his nose.
"That's the entire point. Everyone will need to see what they expect when they walk in, otherwise they'll just turn right around. You have to set the right atmosphere." Here he gestured to the rest of the decorations around the tent. Shelves of crystals and various esoteric statuary. Appropriately faded posters depicting various ideologies from around the world, and the Pièce de Résistance, a gorgeous crystal ball mounted atop a sculpted pair of hands at the side of the center table. "You'll be attracting people from all over. You need to meet the broadest expectations possible." He said and rose from his kneeling position to wipe his hands on his pant legs.
"There we go. That should be able to process everything you'll need." He said. Kara glanced down at the back of the chest. It was a mess of cords and metal. Glowing crystals shone dimly from the clutter and she could feel the hum of energy, like a song just outside the scope of hearing. Declan pushed the chest back into place at the back of the tent and just behind Kara's chair at the table. The plain front of the chest blended seamlessly into the rest of the decor and the lid would lie easily within hand's reach for Kara even while seated. It would open a small Crossing as soon as she lifted to lid and produce whatever item she needed from the massive collection back at home.
Kara let out a slow breath and tried to calm her nerves. This was risky. It was the most exposed they had ever been, but it was necessary. The items she and Declan had amassed over the last few years needed to find proper owners and the energy and power in trade would be vital to the final step of the ritual. She was going to need to trust that the Totemic Pneuma they had befriended in Lost Oak knew what it was doing and that no enemies would be attracted to them, only allies.
"Okay." She said, moving quickly to the small statue of a Nunnehi just inside the tent entrance. It hid another device inside, similarly powered by magic as the chest. Before she could lose her nerve Kara rotated the drumstick in the Nunnehi's right hand so it touched the drum nestled between the Nunnehi's legs. "Here goes nothing." She whispered.
The device activated without any outward sign. The only indication Kara had that it functioned was a distinct popping sensation in her ears as the tent and its interior left their realm to enter a state of limbo. Kara turned and walked over to seat herself behind the table in anticipation. Declan had vanished. He would have disappeared the moment the device was operating, left behind. The Pneuma was in charge now. It would reach out, across the multitude of realms and realities to find those of worthy hearts. The ones in need of help, support, or guidance. Nascent heroes subconsciously in search of a cause, a purpose, or a goal. Friends deserving of a prize, a hint of magic in their lives. Once found, the Pneuma would draw the tent to their world and call the selected soul to find it. It could appear anywhere that matched the season reflected by the Pneuma. Summer. Opportunity. Adventure. The shining time of chances before winding down to the cool endings of Autumn.
Maybe it would be a summer fair, just at the end of a line of other fortune tellers. Perhaps at a warm beach, sandwiched between a surfboard rental shop and kiosk selling sunglasses and tanning oil. It could be noticed out of the corner of an eye after the last school-bell of the year or down an unfamiliar path at camp.
Wherever it appeared, it would always be near to the selected individual. Veiled in just enough mystery to bring them close and invite them in. As soon as they left, the tent would be gone, on to the next worthy recipient. If the previous principle happened to look back, only vacant grass or undisturbed sand would be left. Save whatever prized magic item had been bequeathed to them.
OOC: Welcome to this 2021 Summer Soiree Activity! Any and all characters are welcome. If you could please include where your character was and what they were doing when they notice the tent, that would be greatly appreciated!
Also, at some point your character will be prompted to focus on a concern or problem they are facing. Please utilize some form of internal character dialogue for this as though Kara may be capable with magic, I myself am not and cannot actually read minds. Your character will also likely need to draw tarot cards at some point. For this interaction please utilize the appropriate number of D100 rolls.
I will do my best to respond within 24 hours, but the truth is it may be closer to 48 depending on life and the level of interest in this event. If things get truly convoluted or complicated, I may have each character move to a 1x1 message system after their initial post here.
Looking forward to lots of summer fun!
XOXO
Cassie
Walking along the promenade was a strange sensation but here we was. He looked very out of place considering the environment around him.
It was a partly cloudy but warm and sunny day of a seaside town. The crowds were dressed for summer and enjoying everything the beach came with. The arcades, the sand, sea and ice cream. Everyone, their mother and dogs were out in full force.
Then there was Rene, dressed in a full military jumpsuit with a jacket thrown over the top and black leather boots with no laces. He did pay a slight respect to the weather in that he wore a pair of aviators. He’d get the odd stare or hear a confused child questioning their parent but he wasn’t bothered.
Normally such an environment would be considered deadly, a panic attack just waiting to happen. However his friend was subdued significantly with the ample supply of jerky kept in his pocket that he continued to graze on. It was enough for now to keep his focus on his mission.
Walking along the seafront on the street above the beach he was looking for something. Any sign of non-humans to further investigate. As he travelled a carnival was set up on the sand a couple of meters ahead of him. Leaning on the railing he’d look down and watch the crowd weave in between the various tents.
One in particular didn’t match the others, seemingly smaller and inconspicuous. Curiosity got the better of him and he headed down the concrete ramp onto the beach. Preferring to go around the back of the tents instead of through the crowds he’d eventually reach the tent.
Cautiously he’d enter “Hello…?” Not entirely sure what to expect his curiosity to have gotten him into.
It was a partly cloudy but warm and sunny day of a seaside town. The crowds were dressed for summer and enjoying everything the beach came with. The arcades, the sand, sea and ice cream. Everyone, their mother and dogs were out in full force.
Then there was Rene, dressed in a full military jumpsuit with a jacket thrown over the top and black leather boots with no laces. He did pay a slight respect to the weather in that he wore a pair of aviators. He’d get the odd stare or hear a confused child questioning their parent but he wasn’t bothered.
Normally such an environment would be considered deadly, a panic attack just waiting to happen. However his friend was subdued significantly with the ample supply of jerky kept in his pocket that he continued to graze on. It was enough for now to keep his focus on his mission.
Walking along the seafront on the street above the beach he was looking for something. Any sign of non-humans to further investigate. As he travelled a carnival was set up on the sand a couple of meters ahead of him. Leaning on the railing he’d look down and watch the crowd weave in between the various tents.
One in particular didn’t match the others, seemingly smaller and inconspicuous. Curiosity got the better of him and he headed down the concrete ramp onto the beach. Preferring to go around the back of the tents instead of through the crowds he’d eventually reach the tent.
Cautiously he’d enter “Hello…?” Not entirely sure what to expect his curiosity to have gotten him into.
The streets of Las Vegas were busy that afternoon, and William could feel himself melting in the hot sun as he smoked a joint. He'd left the sweet, air-conditioned hotel over an hour ago, wearing his normal long black sleeves and jeans, on a mission to deliver the front desk's destroyed computer to the repair shop they had a partnership with. It was entirely across town, far beyond his normal range of travel, and if he hadn't been told that this was the only place they got repairs from, he wouldn't be here. Yet here he was, waiting in the blistering sunshine because the place had no awning.
He hit the joint again, realized he was hungry, and glanced down the street, hoping to see... something. A couple of chain restaurants that didn't appetize him, but he could see what looked like ... a street fair? He started in that direction, and felt relief as he came upon the grouping of tents. At the corner nearest him, he found a taco stand, where a family had a grill set up, serving up fresh food to all. He ordered chorizo and chicken tacos, and wandered down the alley of tents and booths as he ate them, passing a honey booth, a couple of local organizations, and a flower stall before he finished them. It was around there that he saw the bookstore, where he stopped and spent time, though no money.
Directly across from the bookstore, there was a small awning, or maybe it was another tent, pulled back from the rest. The colors, hidden in shadows though they were, pulled his attention, and he moved towards it. Everywhere else had at least one sign, detailing what they had at the booth, or in the storefront, often multiple signs for branding, but this place... had none. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he glanced at the clock that hung from the building; he still had time before the computer would be ready to be picked up.
He stepped forward, expecting to find a door when he reached out his hand, but finding none. Instead, it seemed his hand was pushing through a series of fabric and bead curtains. "Hello?" he asked, passing through the first layer. "Is this...?"
He hit the joint again, realized he was hungry, and glanced down the street, hoping to see... something. A couple of chain restaurants that didn't appetize him, but he could see what looked like ... a street fair? He started in that direction, and felt relief as he came upon the grouping of tents. At the corner nearest him, he found a taco stand, where a family had a grill set up, serving up fresh food to all. He ordered chorizo and chicken tacos, and wandered down the alley of tents and booths as he ate them, passing a honey booth, a couple of local organizations, and a flower stall before he finished them. It was around there that he saw the bookstore, where he stopped and spent time, though no money.
Directly across from the bookstore, there was a small awning, or maybe it was another tent, pulled back from the rest. The colors, hidden in shadows though they were, pulled his attention, and he moved towards it. Everywhere else had at least one sign, detailing what they had at the booth, or in the storefront, often multiple signs for branding, but this place... had none. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he glanced at the clock that hung from the building; he still had time before the computer would be ready to be picked up.
He stepped forward, expecting to find a door when he reached out his hand, but finding none. Instead, it seemed his hand was pushing through a series of fabric and bead curtains. "Hello?" he asked, passing through the first layer. "Is this...?"
Rene wrote:
Walking along the promenade was a strange sensation but here we was. He looked very out of place considering the environment around him.
It was a partly cloudy but warm and sunny day of a seaside town. The crowds were dressed for summer and enjoying everything the beach came with. The arcades, the sand, sea and ice cream. Everyone, their mother and dogs were out in full force.
Then there was Rene, dressed in a full military jumpsuit with a jacket thrown over the top and black leather boots with no laces. He did pay a slight respect to the weather in that he wore a pair of aviators. He’d get the odd stare or hear a confused child questioning their parent but he wasn’t bothered.
Normally such an environment would be considered deadly, a panic attack just waiting to happen. However his friend was subdued significantly with the ample supply of jerky kept in his pocket that he continued to graze on. It was enough for now to keep his focus on his mission.
Walking along the seafront on the street above the beach he was looking for something. Any sign of non-humans to further investigate. As he travelled a carnival was set up on the sand a couple of meters ahead of him. Leaning on the railing he’d look down and watch the crowd weave in between the various tents.
One in particular didn’t match the others, seemingly smaller and inconspicuous. Curiosity got the better of him and he headed down the concrete ramp onto the beach. Preferring to go around the back of the tents instead of through the crowds he’d eventually reach the tent.
Cautiously he’d enter “Hello…?” Not entirely sure what to expect his curiosity to have gotten him into.
It was a partly cloudy but warm and sunny day of a seaside town. The crowds were dressed for summer and enjoying everything the beach came with. The arcades, the sand, sea and ice cream. Everyone, their mother and dogs were out in full force.
Then there was Rene, dressed in a full military jumpsuit with a jacket thrown over the top and black leather boots with no laces. He did pay a slight respect to the weather in that he wore a pair of aviators. He’d get the odd stare or hear a confused child questioning their parent but he wasn’t bothered.
Normally such an environment would be considered deadly, a panic attack just waiting to happen. However his friend was subdued significantly with the ample supply of jerky kept in his pocket that he continued to graze on. It was enough for now to keep his focus on his mission.
Walking along the seafront on the street above the beach he was looking for something. Any sign of non-humans to further investigate. As he travelled a carnival was set up on the sand a couple of meters ahead of him. Leaning on the railing he’d look down and watch the crowd weave in between the various tents.
One in particular didn’t match the others, seemingly smaller and inconspicuous. Curiosity got the better of him and he headed down the concrete ramp onto the beach. Preferring to go around the back of the tents instead of through the crowds he’d eventually reach the tent.
Cautiously he’d enter “Hello…?” Not entirely sure what to expect his curiosity to have gotten him into.
Kara felt the tug a few moments before the tent flap opened. Clearly the Pneuma had found their first recipient and drawn the tent to their world. She had just enough time to give her wrist adornments a final irritated shake and settle her hands on the table in what she hoped was an appropriately mysterious pose.
"Hello....?" A soft, mildly anxious voice called.
The flap rose, letting in a brief burst of sunlight and the salty air of a beach before a figure entered. It was a man of average height dressed in military clothes from around the second World War. Kara felt a brief thrill at this, the first concrete proof that time could be fluid with the right spell. This thrill lasted less than a full heartbeat as the man fully crossed the threshold and let the flap fall closed behind him. The spirit creature infesting his space crossing with him. Like a shadow-shaped void in the Aether, outside the reach of normal senses. Pain, Ferocity, and most of all, Hunger.
Kara had only faced a few of the dreaded Wendigo in her time and instinct was screaming for her to move, to strike, to wage war with blade and spell and bullet. All this happened in the space between one heartbeat and the next. As the second heartbeat began to fade Kara felt the influence of the Pneuma, like an echo in her chest as it asserted energy on her. It did not have speech or words, instead communicating more directly with emotion and feelings. A strong hesitation pressed around her ribs along with a sensation of brotherhood and connection.
Be still. It seemed to say. Trust that I bring only friends.
Kara felt her muscles relax even before they had begun to tighten. The entire exchange could have taken no more than a second or two. She opened her hands, palms up and gestured to take in this man as well as the other chair before her. She found herself speaking from the heart, influenced by the guiding Pneuma.
"Greetings starving one. Come and sit. Allow yourself to feel safe and at peace for the time." She said in a soothing and warm voice. Inwardly Kara rolled her eyes. Oh please. Laying it on a little thick don't you think? She thought towards the Pneuma. To her immense shock, she felt a gentle response from the entity. A brief, brush of smug amusement, there and gone so quickly she was not positive she hadn't imagined it.
The young man paused for a brief moment, before cautiously sitting in the chair before her. Now that he was closer and her senses weren't clamoring with the need to fight, Kara could take in more detail. His skin was pale and his hair somewhat longer than what she thought had been military regulation in this time period. His uniform bore the patch of a medic or corpsman. Kara was not familiar enough with the different branches to differentiate which. His eyes were oddly pale and he bore a scar from an injury across one ear.
"What is your name my friend?" She asked.
Will C Sonders wrote:
The streets of Las Vegas were busy that afternoon, and William could feel himself melting in the hot sun as he smoked a joint. He'd left the sweet, air-conditioned hotel over an hour ago, wearing his normal long black sleeves and jeans, on a mission to deliver the front desk's destroyed computer to the repair shop they had a partnership with. It was entirely across town, far beyond his normal range of travel, and if he hadn't been told that this was the only place they got repairs from, he wouldn't be here. Yet here he was, waiting in the blistering sunshine because the place had no awning.
He hit the joint again, realized he was hungry, and glanced down the street, hoping to see... something. A couple of chain restaurants that didn't appetize him, but he could see what looked like ... a street fair? He started in that direction, and felt relief as he came upon the grouping of tents. At the corner nearest him, he found a taco stand, where a family had a grill set up, serving up fresh food to all. He ordered chorizo and chicken tacos, and wandered down the alley of tents and booths as he ate them, passing a honey booth, a couple of local organizations, and a flower stall before he finished them. It was around there that he saw the bookstore, where he stopped and spent time, though no money.
Directly across from the bookstore, there was a small awning, or maybe it was another tent, pulled back from the rest. The colors, hidden in shadows though they were, pulled his attention, and he moved towards it. Everywhere else had at least one sign, detailing what they had at the booth, or in the storefront, often multiple signs for branding, but this place... had none. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he glanced at the clock that hung from the building; he still had time before the computer would be ready to be picked up.
He stepped forward, expecting to find a door when he reached out his hand, but finding none. Instead, it seemed his hand was pushing through a series of fabric and bead curtains. "Hello?" he asked, passing through the first layer. "Is this...?"
He hit the joint again, realized he was hungry, and glanced down the street, hoping to see... something. A couple of chain restaurants that didn't appetize him, but he could see what looked like ... a street fair? He started in that direction, and felt relief as he came upon the grouping of tents. At the corner nearest him, he found a taco stand, where a family had a grill set up, serving up fresh food to all. He ordered chorizo and chicken tacos, and wandered down the alley of tents and booths as he ate them, passing a honey booth, a couple of local organizations, and a flower stall before he finished them. It was around there that he saw the bookstore, where he stopped and spent time, though no money.
Directly across from the bookstore, there was a small awning, or maybe it was another tent, pulled back from the rest. The colors, hidden in shadows though they were, pulled his attention, and he moved towards it. Everywhere else had at least one sign, detailing what they had at the booth, or in the storefront, often multiple signs for branding, but this place... had none. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he glanced at the clock that hung from the building; he still had time before the computer would be ready to be picked up.
He stepped forward, expecting to find a door when he reached out his hand, but finding none. Instead, it seemed his hand was pushing through a series of fabric and bead curtains. "Hello?" he asked, passing through the first layer. "Is this...?"
It had taken Kara some minutes to recover after the first interaction the Pneuma had brought her. It had been nothing like she expected and left her feeling a little troubled. She had fought and defeated many monsters over the last few years. She had never considered that some of them were once... human. Or perhaps she hadn't allowed herself to consider it. She opened her mouth to ask the Pneuma, but felt a touch of calm reassurance from the entity even before she could speak.
You've done your best. It said. You can only move forward.
Kara nodded and straightened the items on her desk. She gave her neck and shoulders a quick roll and sat up straighter.
"Alright." She said to the Pneuma. "I'm ready for the next one."
The tug at her senses came almost instantly this time. She felt the tent settle into a new world, apart from the last one. The contours of the tent walls shifted slightly, as if conforming to a different shape. There was a sense of projection from the Pneuma, like a thin shroud around the exterior of the tent. An illusion perhaps?
"Hello?" A voice called. "Is this...?" The flap of the tent rose and admitted another young man of similar age and build as the last, but clearly from a different point in time. His question cut short as he entered the tent and the flap closed behind him. Whatever he had been expecting from the Pneuma's illusion, a seer's tent clearly had not been it. Taking her cue from the last visit, Kara opened her hands, palms up and tried to emulate the welcoming voice the Pneuma had used through her.
"Welcome my friend. Come, sit, be at ease. Tell me of yourself and see what aide the cards can lend." She said. Her voice lacked the ethereal quality of the Pneuma, but she thought she still sounded confident and friendly.
Kara Marshal wrote:
Kara felt the tug a few moments before the tent flap opened. Clearly the Pneuma had found their first recipient and drawn the tent to their world. She had just enough time to give her wrist adornments a final irritated shake and settle her hands on the table in what she hoped was an appropriately mysterious pose.
"Hello....?" A soft, mildly anxious voice called.
The flap rose, letting in a brief burst of sunlight and the salty air of a beach before a figure entered. It was a man of average height dressed in military clothes from around the second World War. Kara felt a brief thrill at this, the first concrete proof that time could be fluid with the right spell. This thrill lasted less than a full heartbeat as the man fully crossed the threshold and let the flap fall closed behind him. The spirit creature infesting his space crossing with him. Like a shadow-shaped void in the Aether, outside the reach of normal senses. Pain, Ferocity, and most of all, Hunger.
Kara had only faced a few of the dreaded Wendigo in her time and instinct was screaming for her to move, to strike, to wage war with blade and spell and bullet. All this happened in the space between one heartbeat and the next. As the second heartbeat began to fade Kara felt the influence of the Pneuma, like an echo in her chest as it asserted energy on her. It did not have speech or words, instead communicating more directly with emotion and feelings. A strong hesitation pressed around her ribs along with a sensation of brotherhood and connection.
Be still. It seemed to say. Trust that I bring only friends.
Kara felt her muscles relax even before they had begun to tighten. The entire exchange could have taken no more than a second or two. She opened her hands, palms up and gestured to take in this man as well as the other chair before her. She found herself speaking from the heart, influenced by the guiding Pneuma.
"Greetings starving one. Come and sit. Allow yourself to feel safe and at peace for the time." She said in a soothing and warm voice. Inwardly Kara rolled her eyes. Oh please. Laying it on a little thick don't you think? She thought towards the Pneuma. To her immense shock, she felt a gentle response from the entity. A brief, brush of smug amusement, there and gone so quickly she was not positive she hadn't imagined it.
The young man paused for a brief moment, before cautiously sitting in the chair before her. Now that he was closer and her senses weren't clamoring with the need to fight, Kara could take in more detail. His skin was pale and his hair somewhat longer than what she thought had been military regulation in this time period. His uniform bore the patch of a medic or corpsman. Kara was not familiar enough with the different branches to differentiate which. His eyes were oddly pale and he bore a scar from an injury across one ear.
"What is your name my friend?" She asked.
The interior of the tent was so dark he needed to tip his sunglasses down to get a better look. It was if this was not one of the usual carnival attractions, the feel of this space so vastly different from anything outside.
There was so much to look at initially he took no notice of the woman sat at the table and then she spoke. Her greeting caught him completely off guard, she knew right off the bat!? Jerking back slightly and sneering, more a reaction from his friend making itself physically known. Internally it’s hackles were raised and snarling but only he could hear the incessant chattering or so he thought. It was not happy being called out so casually.
She definitely had some sort of magic with her but there was no denying she was human regardless. To keep his other half happy he pulled out another bit of jerky from his inner jacket pocket to slowly graze on as he approached the table and sat down.
Sunglasses off so he could get a better look at her up close as well. Still extremely wary about the whole thing. Inside there was a nervous, low warning growl.
Arms folded and legs crossed as he answered her with a mouth full of dried meat “Rene…” he had no idea where this would go.
The sense of tension Kara could feel began to ebb as Rene ate. It was a small and simple act, but it made her feel a twinge of discomfort and guilt. The couple encounters she had experienced with Wendigo had been fierce, desperate affairs of kill or be killed. Both times she had only barely survived, left exhausted and thoroughly battered, clinging to life. She had never once spared a thought for the people they had once been. People who spoke and laughed and would eat favorite foods like any other. Had her approach been wrong? Could they all have been similarly controlled like the one before her?
Did this mean she was a murderer?
She thrust the concern to the back of her mind hastily. She would need to worry about the implications later. The influence of the Pneuma had faded from her to permeate the space in the tent. Clearly it wanted to see how she would do on her own. She gave her best attempt at a welcoming smile.
"I am pleased to meet you Rene. I have been brought quite some way to see you. I think we are meant to help each other in some small way." She said and reached up to a wooden box that rested on a wire shelf between two candles. It was of medium size, similar to a jewelry box, but more long and rectangular. A little shorter than the length of her forearm. Kara placed it on the table side opposite the large crystal ball and opened the lid. Nestled inside on a bed of dark green velvet was a deck of cards. She slipped them out and closed the box again.
Kara made eye contact with Rene and set the cards in the precise center of the table, equidistant between the two of them. They were approximately double the size of normal playing cards and made of an unusual material. Cool to the touch and reminiscent of ivory, yet flexible like high quality cardstock. Kara had no proof, but she suspected they were made from the flattened scales of a Wakwak. A particularly hideous flying beast that had a reversing effect on things around it. If the rattle of its scales was loud, it meant the creature was far away, and if the sound was soft, then it was close, swooping in for the kill. Similarly these cards seemed to bend fate and auras in ways that should not be possible.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." She leaned towards Rene, her hands cupped around the deck of cards, and spoke in a soft voice. That image in her mind was several years old by now, but still crisp. It had been seared so deeply that she had thought time had stopped or she would carry some mark. The look of calm on Masanori's face as he pressed the box into her outstretched hand instead of letting her pull him through. The horrifying figure draped in ragged yellow barreling down behind him. All tentacles and writhing shapes that made her mind hurt. That had been a defining moment for her. A brazen act of selfless courage for others like she had never seen. It had left an example she had felt urged to being emulating.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said and withdrew her hands, leaving the deck there, alone.
"These possibilities are for you Rene." She continued. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said and searched Rene's face. He had finished the food and bore a mix of emotions.
"Choose now my friend. Walk free back into the sunlight, or take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire." She said.
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part
Should Rene decide to take up the cards, he will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As he shuffles and focuses on his question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as his energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for him! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading. Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
Did this mean she was a murderer?
She thrust the concern to the back of her mind hastily. She would need to worry about the implications later. The influence of the Pneuma had faded from her to permeate the space in the tent. Clearly it wanted to see how she would do on her own. She gave her best attempt at a welcoming smile.
"I am pleased to meet you Rene. I have been brought quite some way to see you. I think we are meant to help each other in some small way." She said and reached up to a wooden box that rested on a wire shelf between two candles. It was of medium size, similar to a jewelry box, but more long and rectangular. A little shorter than the length of her forearm. Kara placed it on the table side opposite the large crystal ball and opened the lid. Nestled inside on a bed of dark green velvet was a deck of cards. She slipped them out and closed the box again.
Kara made eye contact with Rene and set the cards in the precise center of the table, equidistant between the two of them. They were approximately double the size of normal playing cards and made of an unusual material. Cool to the touch and reminiscent of ivory, yet flexible like high quality cardstock. Kara had no proof, but she suspected they were made from the flattened scales of a Wakwak. A particularly hideous flying beast that had a reversing effect on things around it. If the rattle of its scales was loud, it meant the creature was far away, and if the sound was soft, then it was close, swooping in for the kill. Similarly these cards seemed to bend fate and auras in ways that should not be possible.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." She leaned towards Rene, her hands cupped around the deck of cards, and spoke in a soft voice. That image in her mind was several years old by now, but still crisp. It had been seared so deeply that she had thought time had stopped or she would carry some mark. The look of calm on Masanori's face as he pressed the box into her outstretched hand instead of letting her pull him through. The horrifying figure draped in ragged yellow barreling down behind him. All tentacles and writhing shapes that made her mind hurt. That had been a defining moment for her. A brazen act of selfless courage for others like she had never seen. It had left an example she had felt urged to being emulating.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said and withdrew her hands, leaving the deck there, alone.
"These possibilities are for you Rene." She continued. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said and searched Rene's face. He had finished the food and bore a mix of emotions.
"Choose now my friend. Walk free back into the sunlight, or take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire." She said.
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part
Should Rene decide to take up the cards, he will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As he shuffles and focuses on his question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as his energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for him! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading. Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
He’d watch her with a focused gaze, every little movement was registered as she went for the box on the shelf and opened it on the table. Listening with equal attentiveness only dampened by the fact he was deaf in the right ear. 'Tarot cards? was she being serious’ he thought to himself. Still uneasy his friend would continue to chatter nervously but at a lower level, content as long as Rene continued to graze.
While not 100% convinced what did he have to loose? may even learn a thing or two. Hand dove into his inner jacket pocket again for another bit of jerky before wiping his hands on his pant leg, then taking up the cards.
Shuffling the deck he pondered on a ‘question, need or desire’ there were so many to choose from what could he narrow it down to? The cards were smooth to the touch and slid across each other with ease, making the shuffling effortless allowing him to do that part automatically.
There was the concern he had for himself and his friend, or others he’d met still hiding out of sight from humanity’s gaze and keen to stay that way. He had a desire to have more freedom away from ACT, that was itself a desire and a problem rolled into one, that would work. Indentured to the organisation he couldn’t see full freedom coming anytime soon purely due to the nature of his internal companion. They would want to keep tabs on him in one form or another, he’d completely thrown out the idea of ever being truly released from their care.
The longer he shuffled and stared at the back of the cards he could swear that they were changing color. Having never seen anything like it before but also not a stranger to weird things he let it be what it was. Once throughly shuffled and the backs no longer continued to change color he set them back on the table and retrieved another bit of dried meat from his pocket. At this rate he’d have to return to his base of operations straight after this had finished.
Sitting back in his seat he waited to see what would happen next.
OOC:
Rolls are: 35, 4, 3, 60, 28, 18, 74, 8
While not 100% convinced what did he have to loose? may even learn a thing or two. Hand dove into his inner jacket pocket again for another bit of jerky before wiping his hands on his pant leg, then taking up the cards.
Shuffling the deck he pondered on a ‘question, need or desire’ there were so many to choose from what could he narrow it down to? The cards were smooth to the touch and slid across each other with ease, making the shuffling effortless allowing him to do that part automatically.
There was the concern he had for himself and his friend, or others he’d met still hiding out of sight from humanity’s gaze and keen to stay that way. He had a desire to have more freedom away from ACT, that was itself a desire and a problem rolled into one, that would work. Indentured to the organisation he couldn’t see full freedom coming anytime soon purely due to the nature of his internal companion. They would want to keep tabs on him in one form or another, he’d completely thrown out the idea of ever being truly released from their care.
The longer he shuffled and stared at the back of the cards he could swear that they were changing color. Having never seen anything like it before but also not a stranger to weird things he let it be what it was. Once throughly shuffled and the backs no longer continued to change color he set them back on the table and retrieved another bit of dried meat from his pocket. At this rate he’d have to return to his base of operations straight after this had finished.
Sitting back in his seat he waited to see what would happen next.
OOC:
Rolls are: 35, 4, 3, 60, 28, 18, 74, 8
Kara carefully slid the deck towards her. The backs of the cards had shifted from their stony hue to a lush, deep green. She could feel the heavy pulse of energy from them. She lifted the first card and placed it face down on the table, just to the side of the center.
"Allow me to inform you that there are no bad cards. Regardless of what is shown, they bring no imminent doom or danger with them. With that in mind, this first card represents you as you stand now. A peek at your current feelings and hopes." Kara flipped over the card, laying it down like a tile to show its crisply lacquered face. The card depicted a stately woman seated upon an impressive throne. She was dressed in a rich golden robe and had a sense of security on her regal features. In her right hand she held a large wand that seemed to thrum with energy. Her left hand gently held a bright flower with yellow petals and healthy green stalk. At the feet of her robe a black cat sat at attention. Its face unreadable in the nature of all felines, making it unclear whether he was guarding or observing.
"The Queen of Wands." Kara said, impressed. Clearly she had misjudged Rene. "She is a representation of strength and good instinct. She is one of tough soul and independence." She indicated the cat at her feet. "She is showing her your potential for fortune, but whether it will be bad or good seems to depend largely on you." She said.
Kara pulled the next card from the deck and lay it facedown across the base of the Queen of Wands, so the two cards formed a squat, inverted cross.
"This card will represent your current stumbling block. Whatever difficulty or question is most weighing upon you or preventing your growth." She said and turned the card over. Again the image shown in the dim light, bright with color and crisp detail. It depicted another woman of clear wealth and regal bearing. She more lounged than sat straight and her throne consisted of piled pillows and cushions. A crown of twelve stars rested upon her flowing hair and she wielded a heavy looking scepter in her hand.
"The Empress." Kara said. "She is a figure of authority." She indicated the stars in the crown and scepter in the Empress' hand. "With dominion over time, growth, and life. She is the seed of ideas yet unformed." Kara looked at Rene.
"The cards are saying some high force of authority is holding you back. Something that has near complete control over your time, thoughts, and actions. And that it will take a new idea to free yourself." She said and lifted the next card from the deck. She placed it, again facedown, so that it was to the other side of the table's center and higher than the first two cards.
"This next sequence of cards will represent different paths that can be taken for you to reach your goal or desire. Hints of places you will be most likely to encounter success." She said and flipped over the card. "This first one represents your mind and thoughts. Your mental state." The revealed image was of a yet a third woman on a throne. This one wore an elaborate tiara of silver or white gold that supported a large crescent above her black hair and pale skin. In the center of the crescent was a pearly orb that glowed with pale moonlight. She had a pale blue shawl vaguely reminiscent of Kara's own draped over her shoulders and a flowing gown of crisp white. She was seated between two strong pillars and a dense forest under the night sky showed behind her. Her hands were folded in her lap and rested upon a large scroll covered in runes.
"The High Priestess." Kara said. "The bearer of Divine Law and keeper of secrets, mysteries, and the unknown. She is telling you that her path would involve the use of hidden information. That if you obtain the right secret or mystery over the authority holding you back, it will melt away as darkness before the moon." Kara's heart was thundering in her chest. This reading had energy. She had never seen so many cards of power all come forward at once like this. Whatever Rene was mixed up in, it involved forces far more vast than she was used to. The next card was in her hand without her even realizing she had drawn it. It was placed just below the High Priestess, in the beginning of a column.
"This card will represent your voice. Words that either need to be spoken or stories that need to be told. Your communication." Kara said. This image, when revealed, was of ten golden chalices, floating in the air. Beneath them was a small family entering a peaceful looking village on a green hill. A river flowed cheerfully nearby and happiness was evident on the faces of the family.
"The ten of cups." She said. "This is the card of friendship, peace, and perpetual success. This card is saying its path involves you finding the right ally. In telling them your story and finding strength through that connection. With the right words spoken to the right person, your strength will become boundless." Kara was caught up in the story now as it unfolded before her.
"This next card will represent your heart. The energy of your feelings and emotions." She drew the card and lay it down in a smooth motion, continuing the column. On it a youth rode atop a magnificent stallion. He bore a wooden staff and was followed by several figures also holding staves. Their marching appeared orderly and determination was evident on the faces of all.
"The six of wands." Kara said. "This card is prompting initiative and leadership. It says its path to victory lies in mobilizing. Seizing the initiative and acting with precision. If you build momentum, you will push through your barriers." Another card joined the group now covering almost half of the table.
"This represents your navel. Your personal health, safety, and power." Kara said. Once turned over it showed a nude women kneeling beside a small pond. In each hand she bore pitchers that were in the midst of emptying their contents, one onto the ground, the other into the pond. Above her loose hair and bare head a large seven pointed star shone. At each of the points was another, smaller star, also with seven points.
"The Star is the card of loss or release. It is telling you that you will find success in letting go of your power and abilities. It also indicates there will be additional loss associated with this release, perhaps as a cost of success in this path." Kara said. The reading was nearing an end. She pulled the second to last card and set it in its place.
"This will represent your loins. This is the area of desire and appetite." She said, revealing the picture. It was of a man laying facedown, ten gleaming blades protruded from his back. A dark sky was split by golden light, but whether from a rising sun or a setting one was unclear.
"The ten of swords is the card of difficulty and burden. It speaks of complete elimination and destruction. It is indicating full attack against your problem with all power and force, leaving nothing behind. It also seems to say this road will be difficult, and whether the sun rises upon you standing victorious or sets over you broken in defeat is unsure." Kara hesitated slightly here. "I am not supposed to interfere with a reading, but maybe the path of giving in to your, ah, hunger should be a path avoided." She said and set down the final card.
"This last card represents your spine. It is your physical body as well as your courage, morals, and magic." She said. The image showed a king from antiquity standing in a large wheeled basket. It was pulled by two sphinx, one black as pitch with a white headdress, the other pale as bone with a black headdress. The king bore no reins, but instead a rod of power. Emblazoned on the basket was a judge's gavel.
"The Chariot is the card of war and opposition. It represents duality and conflict. Here the king is allowing both sides to pull him forward. He shows no need to restrain them. His personal strength appears to be enough to meet his needs. This card is indicating that you are equal in body and strength to the task that holds you back. That trust in your two sides will show you are more powerful than you believe." Kara said and sat back in her chair. She felt compacted. Like she had just pushed through a space slightly too small for her frame. She also felt an odd connection to Rene. A sense of comaraderie. She was proud of what he had accomplished until now and hopeful in his success. She straightened herself and addressed him.
"These clues and hints are not all the cards have for you. You will receive a boon, something to aide you in casting off this oppressive authority that is keeping you imprisoned. But first, the cost must be paid. Place your hand upon the crystal ball." Kara said and gestured to the large orb resting upon carved palms by the table. The hands blended into a stone plinth seamlessly and where carved of shining marble.
OOC: And here we come to the part involving cost. Sadly, nothing in life is ever free, and all things worth having involve sacrifice. As the reading is always a lengthy post, I think it appropriate for you to have control over what is given up or lost. Overall this event is meant to be fun and positive, so unless you are interested in taking your character in a drastic new direction, I would suggest refraining from imposing anything truly debilitating such as sight or hearing or being able to feel happiness.
This is meant to be a gentle take on the "Cost of Wishes" trope in stories, movies, and other literature. Some suggestions of interesting sacrifices could be: The ability to nap during the day, being able to see the color purple, now needing to wear glasses, speaking with a stammer, the memory of a favorite novel, or something along those lines. Be creative! The relative power of your gift will correspond directly to the power given up. A little "Equivalent Exchange" in action!
Once the sacrifice has been made, a final post from me will determine the gift and end Kara's portion of the scene. Though you are encouraged to add a final post showing the direction and thoughts of your character. The gift is yours to use in all later stories if you wish, or can simply be fun proof of the summer activity.
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
XOXO
Cassie
"Allow me to inform you that there are no bad cards. Regardless of what is shown, they bring no imminent doom or danger with them. With that in mind, this first card represents you as you stand now. A peek at your current feelings and hopes." Kara flipped over the card, laying it down like a tile to show its crisply lacquered face. The card depicted a stately woman seated upon an impressive throne. She was dressed in a rich golden robe and had a sense of security on her regal features. In her right hand she held a large wand that seemed to thrum with energy. Her left hand gently held a bright flower with yellow petals and healthy green stalk. At the feet of her robe a black cat sat at attention. Its face unreadable in the nature of all felines, making it unclear whether he was guarding or observing.
"The Queen of Wands." Kara said, impressed. Clearly she had misjudged Rene. "She is a representation of strength and good instinct. She is one of tough soul and independence." She indicated the cat at her feet. "She is showing her your potential for fortune, but whether it will be bad or good seems to depend largely on you." She said.
Kara pulled the next card from the deck and lay it facedown across the base of the Queen of Wands, so the two cards formed a squat, inverted cross.
"This card will represent your current stumbling block. Whatever difficulty or question is most weighing upon you or preventing your growth." She said and turned the card over. Again the image shown in the dim light, bright with color and crisp detail. It depicted another woman of clear wealth and regal bearing. She more lounged than sat straight and her throne consisted of piled pillows and cushions. A crown of twelve stars rested upon her flowing hair and she wielded a heavy looking scepter in her hand.
"The Empress." Kara said. "She is a figure of authority." She indicated the stars in the crown and scepter in the Empress' hand. "With dominion over time, growth, and life. She is the seed of ideas yet unformed." Kara looked at Rene.
"The cards are saying some high force of authority is holding you back. Something that has near complete control over your time, thoughts, and actions. And that it will take a new idea to free yourself." She said and lifted the next card from the deck. She placed it, again facedown, so that it was to the other side of the table's center and higher than the first two cards.
"This next sequence of cards will represent different paths that can be taken for you to reach your goal or desire. Hints of places you will be most likely to encounter success." She said and flipped over the card. "This first one represents your mind and thoughts. Your mental state." The revealed image was of a yet a third woman on a throne. This one wore an elaborate tiara of silver or white gold that supported a large crescent above her black hair and pale skin. In the center of the crescent was a pearly orb that glowed with pale moonlight. She had a pale blue shawl vaguely reminiscent of Kara's own draped over her shoulders and a flowing gown of crisp white. She was seated between two strong pillars and a dense forest under the night sky showed behind her. Her hands were folded in her lap and rested upon a large scroll covered in runes.
"The High Priestess." Kara said. "The bearer of Divine Law and keeper of secrets, mysteries, and the unknown. She is telling you that her path would involve the use of hidden information. That if you obtain the right secret or mystery over the authority holding you back, it will melt away as darkness before the moon." Kara's heart was thundering in her chest. This reading had energy. She had never seen so many cards of power all come forward at once like this. Whatever Rene was mixed up in, it involved forces far more vast than she was used to. The next card was in her hand without her even realizing she had drawn it. It was placed just below the High Priestess, in the beginning of a column.
"This card will represent your voice. Words that either need to be spoken or stories that need to be told. Your communication." Kara said. This image, when revealed, was of ten golden chalices, floating in the air. Beneath them was a small family entering a peaceful looking village on a green hill. A river flowed cheerfully nearby and happiness was evident on the faces of the family.
"The ten of cups." She said. "This is the card of friendship, peace, and perpetual success. This card is saying its path involves you finding the right ally. In telling them your story and finding strength through that connection. With the right words spoken to the right person, your strength will become boundless." Kara was caught up in the story now as it unfolded before her.
"This next card will represent your heart. The energy of your feelings and emotions." She drew the card and lay it down in a smooth motion, continuing the column. On it a youth rode atop a magnificent stallion. He bore a wooden staff and was followed by several figures also holding staves. Their marching appeared orderly and determination was evident on the faces of all.
"The six of wands." Kara said. "This card is prompting initiative and leadership. It says its path to victory lies in mobilizing. Seizing the initiative and acting with precision. If you build momentum, you will push through your barriers." Another card joined the group now covering almost half of the table.
"This represents your navel. Your personal health, safety, and power." Kara said. Once turned over it showed a nude women kneeling beside a small pond. In each hand she bore pitchers that were in the midst of emptying their contents, one onto the ground, the other into the pond. Above her loose hair and bare head a large seven pointed star shone. At each of the points was another, smaller star, also with seven points.
"The Star is the card of loss or release. It is telling you that you will find success in letting go of your power and abilities. It also indicates there will be additional loss associated with this release, perhaps as a cost of success in this path." Kara said. The reading was nearing an end. She pulled the second to last card and set it in its place.
"This will represent your loins. This is the area of desire and appetite." She said, revealing the picture. It was of a man laying facedown, ten gleaming blades protruded from his back. A dark sky was split by golden light, but whether from a rising sun or a setting one was unclear.
"The ten of swords is the card of difficulty and burden. It speaks of complete elimination and destruction. It is indicating full attack against your problem with all power and force, leaving nothing behind. It also seems to say this road will be difficult, and whether the sun rises upon you standing victorious or sets over you broken in defeat is unsure." Kara hesitated slightly here. "I am not supposed to interfere with a reading, but maybe the path of giving in to your, ah, hunger should be a path avoided." She said and set down the final card.
"This last card represents your spine. It is your physical body as well as your courage, morals, and magic." She said. The image showed a king from antiquity standing in a large wheeled basket. It was pulled by two sphinx, one black as pitch with a white headdress, the other pale as bone with a black headdress. The king bore no reins, but instead a rod of power. Emblazoned on the basket was a judge's gavel.
"The Chariot is the card of war and opposition. It represents duality and conflict. Here the king is allowing both sides to pull him forward. He shows no need to restrain them. His personal strength appears to be enough to meet his needs. This card is indicating that you are equal in body and strength to the task that holds you back. That trust in your two sides will show you are more powerful than you believe." Kara said and sat back in her chair. She felt compacted. Like she had just pushed through a space slightly too small for her frame. She also felt an odd connection to Rene. A sense of comaraderie. She was proud of what he had accomplished until now and hopeful in his success. She straightened herself and addressed him.
"These clues and hints are not all the cards have for you. You will receive a boon, something to aide you in casting off this oppressive authority that is keeping you imprisoned. But first, the cost must be paid. Place your hand upon the crystal ball." Kara said and gestured to the large orb resting upon carved palms by the table. The hands blended into a stone plinth seamlessly and where carved of shining marble.
OOC: And here we come to the part involving cost. Sadly, nothing in life is ever free, and all things worth having involve sacrifice. As the reading is always a lengthy post, I think it appropriate for you to have control over what is given up or lost. Overall this event is meant to be fun and positive, so unless you are interested in taking your character in a drastic new direction, I would suggest refraining from imposing anything truly debilitating such as sight or hearing or being able to feel happiness.
This is meant to be a gentle take on the "Cost of Wishes" trope in stories, movies, and other literature. Some suggestions of interesting sacrifices could be: The ability to nap during the day, being able to see the color purple, now needing to wear glasses, speaking with a stammer, the memory of a favorite novel, or something along those lines. Be creative! The relative power of your gift will correspond directly to the power given up. A little "Equivalent Exchange" in action!
Once the sacrifice has been made, a final post from me will determine the gift and end Kara's portion of the scene. Though you are encouraged to add a final post showing the direction and thoughts of your character. The gift is yours to use in all later stories if you wish, or can simply be fun proof of the summer activity.
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
XOXO
Cassie
He was still slightly skeptical, he could guess easily that she was some sort of caster so could there be tampering with the cards? He’d see what she had to say and entertain it for now.
The first card was revealed and he noted her impressed expression, so far nothing usual. With the second he tilted his head as the card lay across the first. He pouted slightly, unimpressed with being reminded of the authority he was underneath. They did control almost his every action but whoever was supposed to be watching him now didn’t seem to have issue with him wandering into a strange tent.
Shuffling in his seat to sit more forward now for the rest of the cards, his friend now slightly curious as well.
Hidden information? there was a lot of that when it came to ACT, there was a possibility in that option…
On to the next card, another intriguing possibility, finding an ally. Slowly he was being convinced but equally, ready to bolt should this go south.
Initiative and leadership? unlikely but he wasn’t going to completely discount it. The loss and success of The Star could have been mixed in with any of these previous ones he thought to himself.
“This is the area of desire and appetite” he stared at her as if to say ‘do you know who you’re talking to?’ knowing full well she did in fact know. Back to look at the card and listen. He knew as well that going down that path was most likely the worse option and a surefire path to death.
The last one was more confirming than anything else, he’d learnt that working together was far more powerful than either one of them trying to take sole control.
He sat upright as she did, arms still folded. A cost to be paid? The nervous chattering in his head started to pick up and become more intense, it didn’t understand what would happen and was bordering on fearful. Rene smirked and thought what if it could get rid of his curse? in response the chattering broke out into a throaty growl. If healing his curse was as easy as touching a crystal ball then he would have done in ages ago. However, there was a tiny sliver of feeling that he would miss the sprit if it did leave.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he’d slowly reach over and place one hand on the crystal ball. Initially he didn’t know what to expect. A feeling of warm emitted from the ball into his hand, so used to reacting to such he wanted to pull away but managed to resist. The memories of his last moments with Evonne suddenly returned to him but it was like watching a silent movie, completely devoid of all emotion, good and bad. He knew the events that happened like it was yesterday but it was as if the emotional memory of such events had faded away.
Hand jerked away from the ball and he shot Kara an accusatory stare. Unsure if he should reach over the table or let his friend out he remained seated in confusion. Trawling through his mind for other memories they seemed intact much to his relief. Only the last moments he’d spent with her seemed stripped of color and emotion. If that was the price to pay for a chance at freedom then he was willing to see if it was worth it.
The first card was revealed and he noted her impressed expression, so far nothing usual. With the second he tilted his head as the card lay across the first. He pouted slightly, unimpressed with being reminded of the authority he was underneath. They did control almost his every action but whoever was supposed to be watching him now didn’t seem to have issue with him wandering into a strange tent.
Shuffling in his seat to sit more forward now for the rest of the cards, his friend now slightly curious as well.
Hidden information? there was a lot of that when it came to ACT, there was a possibility in that option…
On to the next card, another intriguing possibility, finding an ally. Slowly he was being convinced but equally, ready to bolt should this go south.
Initiative and leadership? unlikely but he wasn’t going to completely discount it. The loss and success of The Star could have been mixed in with any of these previous ones he thought to himself.
“This is the area of desire and appetite” he stared at her as if to say ‘do you know who you’re talking to?’ knowing full well she did in fact know. Back to look at the card and listen. He knew as well that going down that path was most likely the worse option and a surefire path to death.
The last one was more confirming than anything else, he’d learnt that working together was far more powerful than either one of them trying to take sole control.
He sat upright as she did, arms still folded. A cost to be paid? The nervous chattering in his head started to pick up and become more intense, it didn’t understand what would happen and was bordering on fearful. Rene smirked and thought what if it could get rid of his curse? in response the chattering broke out into a throaty growl. If healing his curse was as easy as touching a crystal ball then he would have done in ages ago. However, there was a tiny sliver of feeling that he would miss the sprit if it did leave.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he’d slowly reach over and place one hand on the crystal ball. Initially he didn’t know what to expect. A feeling of warm emitted from the ball into his hand, so used to reacting to such he wanted to pull away but managed to resist. The memories of his last moments with Evonne suddenly returned to him but it was like watching a silent movie, completely devoid of all emotion, good and bad. He knew the events that happened like it was yesterday but it was as if the emotional memory of such events had faded away.
Hand jerked away from the ball and he shot Kara an accusatory stare. Unsure if he should reach over the table or let his friend out he remained seated in confusion. Trawling through his mind for other memories they seemed intact much to his relief. Only the last moments he’d spent with her seemed stripped of color and emotion. If that was the price to pay for a chance at freedom then he was willing to see if it was worth it.
The season of summer brought about many things for Oroth. Were she back within her home city, she would have seen about participating in the festival that took place in the market square. She had been travelling with people that she had come to start calling her friends, and several seasons had passed since then. Oroth was within her third summer with those people, helping them wherever she could with her natural abilities as Fey being.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
Kara Marshal wrote:
It had taken Kara some minutes to recover after the first interaction the Pneuma had brought her. It had been nothing like she expected and left her feeling a little troubled. She had fought and defeated many monsters over the last few years. She had never considered that some of them were once... human. Or perhaps she hadn't allowed herself to consider it. She opened her mouth to ask the Pneuma, but felt a touch of calm reassurance from the entity even before she could speak.
You've done your best. It said. You can only move forward.
Kara nodded and straightened the items on her desk. She gave her neck and shoulders a quick roll and sat up straighter.
"Alright." She said to the Pneuma. "I'm ready for the next one."
The tug at her senses came almost instantly this time. She felt the tent settle into a new world, apart from the last one. The contours of the tent walls shifted slightly, as if conforming to a different shape. There was a sense of projection from the Pneuma, like a thin shroud around the exterior of the tent. An illusion perhaps?
"Hello?" A voice called. "Is this...?" The flap of the tent rose and admitted another young man of similar age and build as the last, but clearly from a different point in time. His question cut short as he entered the tent and the flap closed behind him. Whatever he had been expecting from the Pneuma's illusion, a seer's tent clearly had not been it. Taking her cue from the last visit, Kara opened her hands, palms up and tried to emulate the welcoming voice the Pneuma had used through her.
"Welcome my friend. Come, sit, be at ease. Tell me of yourself and see what aide the cards can lend." She said. Her voice lacked the ethereal quality of the Pneuma, but she thought she still sounded confident and friendly.
You've done your best. It said. You can only move forward.
Kara nodded and straightened the items on her desk. She gave her neck and shoulders a quick roll and sat up straighter.
"Alright." She said to the Pneuma. "I'm ready for the next one."
The tug at her senses came almost instantly this time. She felt the tent settle into a new world, apart from the last one. The contours of the tent walls shifted slightly, as if conforming to a different shape. There was a sense of projection from the Pneuma, like a thin shroud around the exterior of the tent. An illusion perhaps?
"Hello?" A voice called. "Is this...?" The flap of the tent rose and admitted another young man of similar age and build as the last, but clearly from a different point in time. His question cut short as he entered the tent and the flap closed behind him. Whatever he had been expecting from the Pneuma's illusion, a seer's tent clearly had not been it. Taking her cue from the last visit, Kara opened her hands, palms up and tried to emulate the welcoming voice the Pneuma had used through her.
"Welcome my friend. Come, sit, be at ease. Tell me of yourself and see what aide the cards can lend." She said. Her voice lacked the ethereal quality of the Pneuma, but she thought she still sounded confident and friendly.
The interior felt like a witch's shop that distinctly was not a witch's shop. The fabrics had let him through easily enough, just as he was growing tired of them. The shop--which felt nothing like a shop--was decorated heavily, with beads hanging from the ceiling, posters on the walls... walls that looked like they were also made of fabric? He was about to turn around, to look back outside, make sure he hadn't left Vegas, when the woman's voice alerted him to her presence. Had she been there, sitting at the table the entire time? How had he missed her?
Her attire matched the inside of the shop (not a shop), though in some ways she was shinier. In contrast, his own attire felt very out of place, though it was common wear in the city: dark jeans and a tshirt. If he'd been working in the hotel today, he'd have worn the company's logo. His eyes flicked to the walls a second time, finding the palm reading posters, the seemingly random assortment of jars full of things, and the crystal sphere before his eyes returned to her, the jewel centered on her head, and the deck of cards in front of her. See what aid the cards can lend. Can cards give aid? Skeptic though he was, the light-skinned man cleared his throat softly.
"H-Hi," he mustered, his eyes skimming the shop again; there were so many objects it was hard to take them all in. He stepped towards her table, his brown eyes falling to her again as he slipped into the chair at the table, turned out from last use. "I'm Will. I work at, uhm, one of the hotels downtown." Why was the name slipping him now? What did she even want to know? Weren't psychics supposed to just Know Things? Was she even a psychic? "What... kind of things do you need to know?"
Rene wrote:
He was still slightly skeptical, he could guess easily that she was some sort of caster so could there be tampering with the cards? He’d see what she had to say and entertain it for now.
The first card was revealed and he noted her impressed expression, so far nothing usual. With the second he tilted his head as the card lay across the first. He pouted slightly, unimpressed with being reminded of the authority he was underneath. They did control almost his every action but whoever was supposed to be watching him now didn’t seem to have issue with him wandering into a strange tent.
Shuffling in his seat to sit more forward now for the rest of the cards, his friend now slightly curious as well.
Hidden information? there was a lot of that when it came to ACT, there was a possibility in that option…
On to the next card, another intriguing possibility, finding an ally. Slowly he was being convinced but equally, ready to bolt should this go south.
Initiative and leadership? unlikely but he wasn’t going to completely discount it. The loss and success of The Star could have been mixed in with any of these previous ones he thought to himself.
“This is the area of desire and appetite” he stared at her as if to say ‘do you know who you’re talking to?’ knowing full well she did in fact know. Back to look at the card and listen. He knew as well that going down that path was most likely the worse option and a surefire path to death.
The last one was more confirming than anything else, he’d learnt that working together was far more powerful than either one of them trying to take sole control.
He sat upright as she did, arms still folded. A cost to be paid? The nervous chattering in his head started to pick up and become more intense, it didn’t understand what would happen and was bordering on fearful. Rene smirked and thought what if it could get rid of his curse? in response the chattering broke out into a throaty growl. If healing his curse was as easy as touching a crystal ball then he would have done in ages ago. However, there was a tiny sliver of feeling that he would miss the sprit if it did leave.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he’d slowly reach over and place one hand on the crystal ball. Initially he didn’t know what to expect. A feeling of warm emitted from the ball into his hand, so used to reacting to such he wanted to pull away but managed to resist. The memories of his last moments with Evonne suddenly returned to him but it was like watching a silent movie, completely devoid of all emotion, good and bad. He knew the events that happened like it was yesterday but it was as if the emotional memory of such events had faded away.
Hand jerked away from the ball and he shot Kara an accusatory stare. Unsure if he should reach over the table or let his friend out he remained seated in confusion. Trawling through his mind for other memories they seemed intact much to his relief. Only the last moments he’d spent with her seemed stripped of color and emotion. If that was the price to pay for a chance at freedom then he was willing to see if it was worth it.
The first card was revealed and he noted her impressed expression, so far nothing usual. With the second he tilted his head as the card lay across the first. He pouted slightly, unimpressed with being reminded of the authority he was underneath. They did control almost his every action but whoever was supposed to be watching him now didn’t seem to have issue with him wandering into a strange tent.
Shuffling in his seat to sit more forward now for the rest of the cards, his friend now slightly curious as well.
Hidden information? there was a lot of that when it came to ACT, there was a possibility in that option…
On to the next card, another intriguing possibility, finding an ally. Slowly he was being convinced but equally, ready to bolt should this go south.
Initiative and leadership? unlikely but he wasn’t going to completely discount it. The loss and success of The Star could have been mixed in with any of these previous ones he thought to himself.
“This is the area of desire and appetite” he stared at her as if to say ‘do you know who you’re talking to?’ knowing full well she did in fact know. Back to look at the card and listen. He knew as well that going down that path was most likely the worse option and a surefire path to death.
The last one was more confirming than anything else, he’d learnt that working together was far more powerful than either one of them trying to take sole control.
He sat upright as she did, arms still folded. A cost to be paid? The nervous chattering in his head started to pick up and become more intense, it didn’t understand what would happen and was bordering on fearful. Rene smirked and thought what if it could get rid of his curse? in response the chattering broke out into a throaty growl. If healing his curse was as easy as touching a crystal ball then he would have done in ages ago. However, there was a tiny sliver of feeling that he would miss the sprit if it did leave.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he’d slowly reach over and place one hand on the crystal ball. Initially he didn’t know what to expect. A feeling of warm emitted from the ball into his hand, so used to reacting to such he wanted to pull away but managed to resist. The memories of his last moments with Evonne suddenly returned to him but it was like watching a silent movie, completely devoid of all emotion, good and bad. He knew the events that happened like it was yesterday but it was as if the emotional memory of such events had faded away.
Hand jerked away from the ball and he shot Kara an accusatory stare. Unsure if he should reach over the table or let his friend out he remained seated in confusion. Trawling through his mind for other memories they seemed intact much to his relief. Only the last moments he’d spent with her seemed stripped of color and emotion. If that was the price to pay for a chance at freedom then he was willing to see if it was worth it.
The energy that remained in the orb after Rene removed his palm pulsed with a steady light. It swirled and vibrated like a colored cloud of electric steam. Kara pressed her hand to the still cool surface and the energy connected to her with a snap. It hummed through the crystal and down her fingers in dancing arcs of lightning before coming to rest in the bracelet she wore. One of the charms decorating the metal filled with light, shifting from one rune to another slowly under the energy's influence. She didn't know what the specific price paid had been, the details were for Rene alone, but she knew it had been strong.
She turned in her seat and released the catch on the chest behind her. The Aetheric device on the back came to life with an inaudible surge of power, and when the lid was drawn back, the hazy veil of a crossing greeted her sight. Kara slipped her hand in and immediately felt the object the Pneuma drew there from her collection back home. She removed it from the crossing and placed it on the table. In the space of a thought, this item had crossed realms. It didn't seem to matter how many times she experienced a crossing, Kara still found the concept thrilling.
On the table in front of Rene lay a seemingly mundane wristwatch. The leather band was a dark brown and the numbers were depicted by Roman numerals. A set of three small dials protruded from one side slightly, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal instead of marring it. The watch was not flashy, but still clearly well made. The lack of precious metals or stones enhancing its allure, not detracting.
"This is for you." Kara said. "It is no ordinary watch. This particular device hails from the halls of a guild on Cerith. A massive continent inhabited by beings from innumerable tribes and peoples. All with similar goals of uniting the power of magic to the power of technology. Used by someone with no connection to magic, the watch is simply that. A watch of uncommonly good calibre that will never lose time nor require any form of battery. Used by someone else, it achieves a new level of usefulness." She indicated the dials on the side and the miniscule, shifting gears visible through the translucent face.
"The watch will draw on the ambient energy of you and your companion. A negligible amount to either of you that will not be missed. In return, through shifting the dials, you are gifted an artifact called the Skeleton Key." Kara said and demonstrated by giving the topmost dial a small tug. It released with a miniature click. There was an almost imperceptible whir from within the watch and various tiny wires and hooks slipped out from the casing. The band of the watch released to provide space. Similar hooks and rods slid out of the casing on the back. "Place the watch upon any mechanical lock and it will be opened for you. The more complex the lock, the longer it will take, and sadly any lock of mystic make or origin may lie beyond the Skeleton Key's capacity, but all other barriers to you of mortal means should hinder you no further." Kara said. She pressed the top dial back into place and pulled on the lowest dial. The wires and rods retracted smartly, rendering the watch utterly normal in appearance once again.
"Use the center dial with the Skeleton Key exposed to initiate or halt the workings. When the Key is dormant it will function to adjust the time as normal. The bottom dial allows you to reset the second hand while the Key is dormant, and the top dial allows you to set a timer while the key is active. Should you have only limited time to your attempt or wish to disable the Key without being present. Once the countdown ends, the Key will shut off and release from the lock, completely dormant." Kara said while she closed the chest and replaced the tarot cards. She could feel pressure from the Pneuma. Satisfaction at the job she had done, as well as a mild urgency. The time had come for her to move on. She smiled a final time at Rene.
"Take the Key with my blessing Rene. May it be an aide to you in removing your restraints. My time here has drawn to an end, and I must leave shortly. I have only time remaining to tell you that It has been a pleasure to meet you." Kara said.
Oroth Ingaril wrote:
The season of summer brought about many things for Oroth. Were she back within her home city, she would have seen about participating in the festival that took place in the market square. She had been travelling with people that she had come to start calling her friends, and several seasons had passed since then. Oroth was within her third summer with those people, helping them wherever she could with her natural abilities as Fey being.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
The next figure entered almost as soon as the tent flap fell closed behind the last. Kara had not even felt the shift this time. Clearly the Pneuma was growing more adept at its duties. The new figure was another departure of the standard human visitors. They had pleasantly colored hair and skin as well as other unearthly features. Kara wasn't clear if they were Elven or some other race. She gestured to the chair in front of her.
"Welcome friend. Come in and take a seat. My name is Kara and I have come some distance to meet you and offer you choice and opportunity. What shall I call you?"
Will C Sonders wrote:
Kara Marshal wrote:
It had taken Kara some minutes to recover after the first interaction the Pneuma had brought her. It had been nothing like she expected and left her feeling a little troubled. She had fought and defeated many monsters over the last few years. She had never considered that some of them were once... human. Or perhaps she hadn't allowed herself to consider it. She opened her mouth to ask the Pneuma, but felt a touch of calm reassurance from the entity even before she could speak.
You've done your best. It said. You can only move forward.
Kara nodded and straightened the items on her desk. She gave her neck and shoulders a quick roll and sat up straighter.
"Alright." She said to the Pneuma. "I'm ready for the next one."
The tug at her senses came almost instantly this time. She felt the tent settle into a new world, apart from the last one. The contours of the tent walls shifted slightly, as if conforming to a different shape. There was a sense of projection from the Pneuma, like a thin shroud around the exterior of the tent. An illusion perhaps?
"Hello?" A voice called. "Is this...?" The flap of the tent rose and admitted another young man of similar age and build as the last, but clearly from a different point in time. His question cut short as he entered the tent and the flap closed behind him. Whatever he had been expecting from the Pneuma's illusion, a seer's tent clearly had not been it. Taking her cue from the last visit, Kara opened her hands, palms up and tried to emulate the welcoming voice the Pneuma had used through her.
"Welcome my friend. Come, sit, be at ease. Tell me of yourself and see what aide the cards can lend." She said. Her voice lacked the ethereal quality of the Pneuma, but she thought she still sounded confident and friendly.
You've done your best. It said. You can only move forward.
Kara nodded and straightened the items on her desk. She gave her neck and shoulders a quick roll and sat up straighter.
"Alright." She said to the Pneuma. "I'm ready for the next one."
The tug at her senses came almost instantly this time. She felt the tent settle into a new world, apart from the last one. The contours of the tent walls shifted slightly, as if conforming to a different shape. There was a sense of projection from the Pneuma, like a thin shroud around the exterior of the tent. An illusion perhaps?
"Hello?" A voice called. "Is this...?" The flap of the tent rose and admitted another young man of similar age and build as the last, but clearly from a different point in time. His question cut short as he entered the tent and the flap closed behind him. Whatever he had been expecting from the Pneuma's illusion, a seer's tent clearly had not been it. Taking her cue from the last visit, Kara opened her hands, palms up and tried to emulate the welcoming voice the Pneuma had used through her.
"Welcome my friend. Come, sit, be at ease. Tell me of yourself and see what aide the cards can lend." She said. Her voice lacked the ethereal quality of the Pneuma, but she thought she still sounded confident and friendly.
The interior felt like a witch's shop that distinctly was not a witch's shop. The fabrics had let him through easily enough, just as he was growing tired of them. The shop--which felt nothing like a shop--was decorated heavily, with beads hanging from the ceiling, posters on the walls... walls that looked like they were also made of fabric? He was about to turn around, to look back outside, make sure he hadn't left Vegas, when the woman's voice alerted him to her presence. Had she been there, sitting at the table the entire time? How had he missed her?
Her attire matched the inside of the shop (not a shop), though in some ways she was shinier. In contrast, his own attire felt very out of place, though it was common wear in the city: dark jeans and a tshirt. If he'd been working in the hotel today, he'd have worn the company's logo. His eyes flicked to the walls a second time, finding the palm reading posters, the seemingly random assortment of jars full of things, and the crystal sphere before his eyes returned to her, the jewel centered on her head, and the deck of cards in front of her. See what aid the cards can lend. Can cards give aid? Skeptic though he was, the light-skinned man cleared his throat softly.
"H-Hi," he mustered, his eyes skimming the shop again; there were so many objects it was hard to take them all in. He stepped towards her table, his brown eyes falling to her again as he slipped into the chair at the table, turned out from last use. "I'm Will. I work at, uhm, one of the hotels downtown." Why was the name slipping him now? What did she even want to know? Weren't psychics supposed to just Know Things? Was she even a psychic? "What... kind of things do you need to know?"
Kara was not getting the overwhelming sense of energy that she had from her previous visitor. She allowed herself to relax. Clearly the Pneuma did not intend to always send her some variation of dreaded enemies. She smiled at Will.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Will. I am not here in pursuit of anything you are not comfortable with giving. I am simply an agent of change. Think of me as the proverbial opportunity, come knocking on your door. Whether you wish to open or not is entirely up to you." Kara said. She had left the tarot box out after her last encounter. She opened it now and withdrew the deck once again. She felt at a momentary loss with what to say next. It seemed that the Pneuma also did not intend to hold her hand with every interaction as it had before. She decided honesty would be the best option here and gave the same explanation of the cards.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said. The image of Masanori was again fresh and crisp, but it stung a little less. She expected she would see him each and every time she revealed this tale. Oddly the prospect did not seem painful, but fitting. A type of respect paid.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. Which is you in this case. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." She said. "These possibilities are for you Will." She continued. "If you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara eyed Will across the table. He seemed remarkably ordinary in this setting. The expression on his face was one of curiosity and mild disbelief.
"Choose now Will. Walk free back into the sunlight, or take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire." She said.
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part
Should Will decide to take up the cards, he will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As he shuffles and focuses on his question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as his energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for him! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading (discard any repeat numbers). Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
Watched curiously at the light show before him, not quite understanding what was going on other than that he’d had something taken from him. What was this going to be exchanged for? he did not know.
Once the watch was placed down on the table he leaned before to stare at it in confusion, he traded his memories for a wrist watch? Leather tended to be inflexible and his first thought was ‘that’s gonna snap the moment I turn…’. He looked up to Kara for answers.
The first part he didn’t really understand but he continued to listen regardless. His eyes widened at the words skeleton key, he knew what that was instantly. Not quite believing her words until she demonstrated it. Any lock of mystic make wouldn’t work, they were currently out on a mission now so it was unlikely they would have warded where they were staying just yet. It was worth a try.
He picked up the watch with a degree of reverence, she’d literally given him a key to his potential freedom, for the price of the memory to the start of his incarceration. “Thank you…” at a loss for words, even his friend was silenced for the moment. “Thank you so much!” He stood up and walked out of the tent. Sunglasses back on not even the heat could bother him in this moment, he was on his own mission from here on out.
OOC:
That was awesome, thank you
Once the watch was placed down on the table he leaned before to stare at it in confusion, he traded his memories for a wrist watch? Leather tended to be inflexible and his first thought was ‘that’s gonna snap the moment I turn…’. He looked up to Kara for answers.
The first part he didn’t really understand but he continued to listen regardless. His eyes widened at the words skeleton key, he knew what that was instantly. Not quite believing her words until she demonstrated it. Any lock of mystic make wouldn’t work, they were currently out on a mission now so it was unlikely they would have warded where they were staying just yet. It was worth a try.
He picked up the watch with a degree of reverence, she’d literally given him a key to his potential freedom, for the price of the memory to the start of his incarceration. “Thank you…” at a loss for words, even his friend was silenced for the moment. “Thank you so much!” He stood up and walked out of the tent. Sunglasses back on not even the heat could bother him in this moment, he was on his own mission from here on out.
OOC:
That was awesome, thank you
Kara Marshal wrote:
Oroth Ingaril wrote:
See more
The season of summer brought about many things for Oroth. Were she back within her home city, she would have seen about participating in the festival that took place in the market square. She had been travelling with people that she had come to start calling her friends, and several seasons had passed since then. Oroth was within her third summer with those people, helping them wherever she could with her natural abilities as Fey being.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
However, there were things that nagged at her since introducing herself to her travelling companions. Before they met, she could remember barely anything. Oroth remembered running from home to escape an arranged marriage, in which she subsequently got lost in one of the nearby woods. But that felt... wrong. The woods were as much familiar to her as was the kingdom she grew up in. But there was no other way to explain what happened beyond that time.
Five years had passed, and Oroth remembered nothing before that moment she entered into the woods.
Of course, Oroth's thoughts wandered to and from these thoughts that she often found herself circling back to, but never actually talked about at length with others. While she waited by the fountain for Laucio to come back with some food from one of the festival stalls, Oroth hummed to herself. She was looking forward to eating something, though something caught her eye and she looked over to see a tent that she could have sworn was not there before.
Glancing back to the festival-attendees, Oroth got up from her seat and walked over to see what this tent might have been. Perhaps she had just missed it initially. Pushing forward into the tent, Oroth lifted the flap and walked into the interior. The curiosity tightened its grip on her.
"Hello...?" Oroth called out. She looked around to look at the decorations or things that were set out. Was the tent for a game? To sell something? Oroth was not quite sure, though felt compelled to find out.
"Welcome friend. Come in and take a seat. My name is Kara and I have come some distance to meet you and offer you choice and opportunity. What shall I call you?"
Walking forward at the invitation, Oroth did take a seat and listened further on what Kara had to say. Drawing her hands together in her lap, Oroth hesitated for a moment. Laucio usually always told her not to wander too far, go off by herself, or talk to too many strangers. Though all of that seemed obvious. It certainly was not like she was a sapling anymore. She was way past that, and she was no longer suffering from her shift injuries.
"I'm... Oroth. But people call me Orchid if Oroth is too foreign for them..." Oroth said, introducing herself to Kara. She was intrigued by the idea of being offered 'choice and opportunity'.
"... What exactly do you mean by being offered these things? Are we to play a game?" Oroth asked.
Kara Marshal wrote:
Kara was not getting the overwhelming sense of energy that she had from her previous visitor. She allowed herself to relax. Clearly the Pneuma did not intend to always send her some variation of dreaded enemies. She smiled at Will.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Will. I am not here in pursuit of anything you are not comfortable with giving. I am simply an agent of change. Think of me as the proverbial opportunity, come knocking on your door. Whether you wish to open or not is entirely up to you." Kara said. She had left the tarot box out after her last encounter. She opened it now and withdrew the deck once again. She felt at a momentary loss with what to say next. It seemed that the Pneuma also did not intend to hold her hand with every interaction as it had before. She decided honesty would be the best option here and gave the same explanation of the cards.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said. The image of Masanori was again fresh and crisp, but it stung a little less. She expected she would see him each and every time she revealed this tale. Oddly the prospect did not seem painful, but fitting. A type of respect paid.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. Which is you in this case. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." She said. "These possibilities are for you Will." She continued. "If you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara eyed Will across the table. He seemed remarkably ordinary in this setting. The expression on his face was one of curiosity and mild disbelief.
"Choose now Will. Walk free back into the sunlight, or take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire." She said.
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part Should Will decide to take up the cards, he will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As he shuffles and focuses on his question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as his energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for him! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading (discard any repeat numbers). Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
"It is a pleasure to meet you Will. I am not here in pursuit of anything you are not comfortable with giving. I am simply an agent of change. Think of me as the proverbial opportunity, come knocking on your door. Whether you wish to open or not is entirely up to you." Kara said. She had left the tarot box out after her last encounter. She opened it now and withdrew the deck once again. She felt at a momentary loss with what to say next. It seemed that the Pneuma also did not intend to hold her hand with every interaction as it had before. She decided honesty would be the best option here and gave the same explanation of the cards.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said. The image of Masanori was again fresh and crisp, but it stung a little less. She expected she would see him each and every time she revealed this tale. Oddly the prospect did not seem painful, but fitting. A type of respect paid.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. Which is you in this case. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." She said. "These possibilities are for you Will." She continued. "If you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara eyed Will across the table. He seemed remarkably ordinary in this setting. The expression on his face was one of curiosity and mild disbelief.
"Choose now Will. Walk free back into the sunlight, or take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire." She said.
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part
Should Will decide to take up the cards, he will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As he shuffles and focuses on his question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as his energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for him! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading (discard any repeat numbers). Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
((OOC CW: Talk about child molestation, school shooting,))
Will was silent as she spoke, trying to keep up. Some of the words sent him reeling mentally, and then scrambling to catch the next words as they processed through his brain. I am not in pursuit of anything you are not comfortable sharing, almost sent him into a full trauma spiral, the images of The Incident swirling to the surface; he tamped them down by tapping a sharp rhythm into his knee. 'Focus.' Agent of change... Think of me as the proverbial opportunity, knocking at your door. He knew it was the trauma, already triggered and not even five minutes into talking with this woman, the trauma was the part of him telling him to get up and leave; that he didn't need opportunity, because he already had a job, obviously, and that he should get back to it, Not Give This Woman Opportunity To Do Whatever. He wished he could tell that voice to shut up sometimes, to stop being so traumatized; it never worked.
The woman first looked at, and then picked up the deck of cards, larger than her own hands. Perhaps larger than Will's as well. As she described the tarot deck's origins, Will's imagination went with her, calming a bit as she described the history of the deck. The deck didn't look waterlogged, nor did it look like it had even been submerged in water; the backs were a flat, grey color, both in texture and tone. But the woman's story was more in depth than that, he realized as she finished. This deck of cards had depth in the meaning, for her; he knew that feeling, of something being more important to oneself than anyone could ever see. He nodded solemnly as she finished the story. While he didn't know what she meant by crossing, he assumed it was something like, when one crossed a river. Perhaps the bridge had fallen before the old man could cross too; maybe he had torn it down to keep whatever was there, contained... they did that in the movies? His leg was shaking now, bouncing with the nervous energy he was constantly containing.
They are not free. He didn't know the cost, which alarmed him immediately. Part of him wanted to ask, what was the price, but the way she stated that previous statement made him think that perhaps he wasn't supposed to know now; something about how she said, it will not be light, but it will be fair. The thought, Wait, did that mean it's haggling? slammed to the surface of his thoughts, remembering other people, often off the beaten path, whom he had bartered or traded with likewise. There weren't many people who accepted trades these days, but Will enjoyed them when he was able.
Walk back free into the sunlight, had a part of him ready to stand and leave; this was all far too scary and unknown to not be dangerous, obviously. Or take up the cards, and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire. A question, need or desire? His brain felt scrambled again; he had so many questions constantly bouncing in his brain, how on earth was he supposed to pick one? Which was the most important? Or what did he desire? (That little voice said nothing, absolutely nothing. Wanting things is how one ends up disappointed.) What did he need? He could almost feel himself disassociating, trying to escape from this previously unknown social situation, and it wasn't even an actually scary one.
He let out a breath, kind of like a huff past his lips, eyes unable to meet hers, spread a hand wide and heavy on his own knee, stilling it, and introduced himself again: "I'm Will. I'm-- 27, and i grew up in North Carolina, in a small town." I-- There was a short pause, and the next words came out in a bit of a rush. "I was --molested as a child, and I was mute for years." His face felt hot, but he kept going. "I was homeschooled for most of that time, and given therapy, to, uhh... help. It hurt to touch anyone, except mom; Hurt, like fire." He let out a breath, and with it, some of the pain that he'd been holding onto by holding that as a secret. No one in his current life knew; they only knew that he was standoffish, stoic, quiet. "I made a few friends, and ..." How was he supposed to describe Rowan, or his relationship with her? They hadn't spoken in years, since she went off to college, after an awkward breakup, trying to save them both pain (which did not work). She had also been one of his only friends, both of them falling into the Emo Loner category in high school. Both had childhoods that were utterly wrecked by pain; the struggle to find the words to showed on his face. "I met someone I liked, who liked me back. She went to college, I came out here." That was a stretched version of the truth, implying he left the same time she did; he didn't, as he was a year behind her in official schooling.
It was a stretched version, because at the end of his junior year, there was a school shooter. Just the thought of it had anxiety rippling through him, released by bouncing his leg again. They had come into the gymnasium, during a prep rally, causing havoc. Many students ran out the doors, but a dozen of them had gotten trapped in the room, Will & Rowan included, as well as a number of popular kids, one of whom seemed to be the shooter's trigger. Will had been terrified, and had slipped under the bleachers rather than get harmed in the tide of kids running out, unaware than the shooter was actively entering the room. Rowan had stayed with him, worry etched into her face. It was a phone, vibrating out of his hand and onto the floor that told him of their presence; the shooter dragged them out into the room with the rest of those trapped. The gun was pointed at most of them, at least once, and the popular kid, (who the shooter blamed?) stepped in front of it once, when it was pointed at his best friend. There was also the daredevil, who launched himself at the shooter moments before the authorities finally swarmed the room. No one in that room was shot, only a kid in the hallway.
Was he supposed to tell her about that, too? The room seemed to tell him yes.
"A... gun was pointed at me, when I was seventeen." A heavy sigh, as his leg slowed under the table. "I like working with computers... more than people. I've never... been good with people." People were often needlessly cruel. That didn't seem like the place to end, but he was failing to come up with anything more, his eyes moving to the grey deck still sitting in front of the woman.
He took in another breath, and let it out in a long sigh, finally raising his eyes to hers, before letting them fall to the grey deck again. He didn't know what the cost was going to be, nor was he sure what questions he needed answers to. Was it possible for his question to be What do you think I should know? That made his brows knit together, as he couldn't parse out the answer on his own. Slowly, Will brought one of his hands above the table, palm up and open for the cards. "May I?"
((OOC: Dice: 67, 29, 25, 46, 68, 16, 100, 34. I can repeat this at the bottom of the next post if you'd rather.))
Kara smiled at the playful inquiry from the colorful girl now seated before her. Her hair reminded Kara of wildflowers, perhaps that was the root of her nickname.
"Not a game precisely, though it will involve cards. What is being offered is the chance to know yourself a little better and to perhaps get a glimpse of some possibilities or chances at your desires. Should you wish to face this look into yourself and pay the cost required, you will receive a reward beyond simple knowledge and guidance." She said and indicated the deck on the table between the two of them. She found her story coming forth in much the same way as before. The words smoother, more practiced.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said and moved the deck of cards from her side of the table to just in front of Oroth.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said.
"These possibilities are for you Oroth." She continued, giving the same speech she had before. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said.
"The decision is yours alone. You may decline the opportunity and walk free back into the market. The memory of me and my tent will remain, though should you change your mind and turn around we will be gone without a trace. Or, you may take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire."
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part Should Oroth decide to take up the cards, she will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As she shuffles and focuses on her question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as her energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for her! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading (discard any repeat numbers). Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
"Not a game precisely, though it will involve cards. What is being offered is the chance to know yourself a little better and to perhaps get a glimpse of some possibilities or chances at your desires. Should you wish to face this look into yourself and pay the cost required, you will receive a reward beyond simple knowledge and guidance." She said and indicated the deck on the table between the two of them. She found her story coming forth in much the same way as before. The words smoother, more practiced.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said and moved the deck of cards from her side of the table to just in front of Oroth.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said.
"These possibilities are for you Oroth." She continued, giving the same speech she had before. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said.
"The decision is yours alone. You may decline the opportunity and walk free back into the market. The memory of me and my tent will remain, though should you change your mind and turn around we will be gone without a trace. Or, you may take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire."
OOC: And now we get to the technical fun part
Should Oroth decide to take up the cards, she will notice that their backs are a blank slate grey color. As she shuffles and focuses on her question/desire/problem/request, a pattern will begin to emerge as her energy mixes with the cards. The pattern is completely unique to every character, so feel free to describe whatever is most appropriate for her! Once the pattern has filled in completely, the shuffling is completed and please make 8 separate D100 rolls for your reading (discard any repeat numbers). Kara will describe which cards have been chosen and lay them in their appropriate spaces!If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either here or in a direct message! I want to be sure the process is completed smoothly for you!
XOXO
Cassie
Kara Marshal wrote:
See more
Kara smiled at the playful inquiry from the colorful girl now seated before her. Her hair reminded Kara of wildflowers, perhaps that was the root of her nickname.
"Not a game precisely, though it will involve cards. What is being offered is the chance to know yourself a little better and to perhaps get a glimpse of some possibilities or chances at your desires. Should you wish to face this look into yourself and pay the cost required, you will receive a reward beyond simple knowledge and guidance." She said and indicated the deck on the table between the two of them. She found her story coming forth in much the same way as before. The words smoother, more practiced.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said and moved the deck of cards from her side of the table to just in front of Oroth.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said.
"These possibilities are for you Oroth." She continued, giving the same speech she had before. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said.
"The decision is yours alone. You may decline the opportunity and walk free back into the market. The memory of me and my tent will remain, though should you change your mind and turn around we will be gone without a trace. Or, you may take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire."
"Not a game precisely, though it will involve cards. What is being offered is the chance to know yourself a little better and to perhaps get a glimpse of some possibilities or chances at your desires. Should you wish to face this look into yourself and pay the cost required, you will receive a reward beyond simple knowledge and guidance." She said and indicated the deck on the table between the two of them. She found her story coming forth in much the same way as before. The words smoother, more practiced.
"I found this Tarot deck in the wreckage of a drowning city. The people there were losing a war against some outer being all in yellow. The energies of that place had long since been cut loose, rampaging free and infecting all they touched as if desperate to find any means of escape. I was unable to save the previous owner who used them to avoid danger and keep himself safe. He was old and stayed behind to allow myself and his family to escape. He gave them to me just before our Crossing closed." Kara said and moved the deck of cards from her side of the table to just in front of Oroth.
"It's larger than average Tarot decks, but works in much the same way. It's a mirror of sorts. A window into the energy and path of the querent. It is not meant to predict the future, but rather to offer suggestions. Possibilities." Kara said.
"These possibilities are for you Oroth." She continued, giving the same speech she had before. "Should you decide you want them. They are not free, nor are they assured. Like all things worth having, they will take some measure of payment, sacrifice, and work. I am merely here to present the opportunity. The choice. If you do not wish to see, then you are free to go with no ill will or consequences. Should you wish to proceed, you must follow through. You will receive the guidance and the boon the cards provide, but will have to pay the fee. I cannot promise it will be light, only that it will be fair." Kara said.
"The decision is yours alone. You may decline the opportunity and walk free back into the market. The memory of me and my tent will remain, though should you change your mind and turn around we will be gone without a trace. Or, you may take up the cards and shuffle them while focusing on a question, need, or desire."
Tarot. Oroth had heard of the practise and only knew a small bit about it. Humans used it, an old divination teaching that came from their old world. She had never sought out someone to use this method of divination on her. Usually the Thelian diviners that used the practise of Aa'nashik -- seed tossing -- had been what the royal family depended on to guide them on making the best decisions for their family, and their kingdom. But... being so far away from Arcis, there were no practitioners of Aa'nashik that she could readily rely on.
Gazing upon the stack of cards before her, Oroth looked back up to Kara. It seemed that the cards she used carried a history that maybe had a deeper and more personal meaning. Looking any deeper into what was provided was none of Oroth's business, and she opted not to pry. She had learned from Laucio that most people get upset if pressed for more details.
"Oh, if there's a fee..." Oroth started, reaching for her coin purse, however, Oroth was ready to withdraw some shiny gold and silver arunta and argen. She and the others were here at the festival to have fun. Surely a few missing coins from her own personal reserves would not have impacted anyone too terribly. "I'm ready to pay for the reading. How much?"
Oroth had a certain kind of naiveite. She believed this to be nothing more than a festivity attraction. While sure that the tarot reading could offer some insight, Oroth was sure that it was simply insight, and nothing too much more. After all, not even Aa'nashik had really been too groundbreaking in terms of how its divination practise was carried out.
Once the cards were situated in front of her, however, Oroth placed her coin purse back into her bag. Maybe she had the opportunity to pay afterward?
Reaching out, Oroth began to shuffle the cards. While she did, she thought about a question, like Kara directed. If anything, Oroth wanted to know what happened in that timeframe slightly before she left into the Vae'Kastiiv -- in Common, known as the Amber Forest -- and what happened in the five years after.
She knew the arrangement her parents made for her to improve relations between the Myrian and the Thelian people... but there was something else there, right? Oroth had doubts that the marriage arrangement itself was the cause of a five year memory gap.
Of course Oroth did not want to get married because it was supposedly the 'right thing to do'. She had always been more interested in the idea that she would marry because she fell in love with someone. Relations with other nations could have been improved without marriage by keeping promises and showing loyalty -- offering hands when in need. There was no need for marriage.
But what happened? What caused her to lose her memories in between the five years? There was no way she had a shift so violent that it harmed her that much.
As Oroth continued to shuffle, thinking on her overall question, blue and golden lines started to spread across the back of the cards. Their imagery was not unlike stained glass as the lines started to cross and mingle with one another. A dragon formed on the back -- velvety dark with eyes that shone like moons, and wings that were speckled with stars. It had a clawed hand atop an hourglass that had halfway gone through... but the sand in either portion were both pressed flat against the surfaces, not against the bottleneck that would separate the sands into either side.
OOC:
My rolls were as such: 65, 22, 14, 86, 71, 31, 25, 39
Proof
Didn't want to roll with the RPR dice in case there were doubles and rerolling for cards that were doubles. A d100 makes it unlikely, but you never know. :9
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