User:Hannah/Sandbox/tarot

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The Neathy Tarot, Featuring all 77 of the Major Arcana

"Portable portents to be concealed in the glove, for easy consultation. Good for omens, signs and signals of the beyond, prone to melodramatic pronouncements of tangled and improbable romance."[1]

The Neathy Tarot is a variation of the Tarot deck with 77 Major Arcana[1] rather than the typical 22 in the surface Arcana[2]. Madame Shoshana is a known practitioner of Neathy cartomancy, claiming to use them to predict the future[3].

Cards[edit]

Minor Arcana[edit]

The Minor Arcana in the surface Tarot are a set of 56 cards—10 pip cards from one to ten along with 4 face cards, in four suits[4]. The typical suits are:

  • Wands, Batons, Clubs, Staffs, or Staves
  • Cups, Chalices, Goblets, or Vessels
  • Swords or Blades
  • and Coins, Pentacles, Disks, or Rings

But does this carry over to the Neathy Tarot? It appears so! There are mentions of many of the Minor Arcana, usually utilizing the suits of Staves, Cups, Swords, and Coins—aside from the Enigmatic Argur. His deck contains the Ace of Chalices and the Knave of Wands, though this is most likely a different format of deck rather than two new suits, as Chalices and Wands line up with Cups and Staves respectively quite well[5]. Occasionally, alongside mentions of Minor Arcana are descriptions of illustrations, something standard with contemporary surface Tarot[4]. Overall, it is reasonable to assume that the full 56-card set of Minor Arcana is present within the Neathy Tarot.

Confirmed Minor Arcana
Name Illustration description (if applicable) Notes
Ace of Staves[6] A tree stands in a clearing, branches heavy with golden fruit. There's even more fruit on the ground. It must have fallen down, ripe and ready to eat. An old woman stoops to gather the fallen fruit into a basket. Around the tree, a great serpent coils like a caduceus. Its forked tongue flickers into the woman's ear.
Two of Staves[7]
Five of Staves[8][9] Involves chaos and warfare. When in conjunction with the Mask and the Two of Cups, imprisonment and pincushions.
Seven of Staves[10] Involves defenses, and the breaking of those defenses, be they psychological or physical.
Eight of Staves[11] Involves movement through the air, and rapid change.
Ten of Staves[12]
Page of Staves[13] Involves embarking on a journey
Knight of Staves[5] Inferred confirmed existence through the Enigmatic Argur's Knave of Wands.
Ace of Cups[14][5] Likely identical to the Enigmatic Argur's Ace of Chalices.
Two of Cups[8]
Three of Cups[15]
Seven of Cups[16]
Eight of Cups[17] Involves a covert journey across water.
Page of Cups[18]
Knight of Cups[19]
Queen of Cups[20] Associated with The Gracious Widow
Seven of Swords[21]
Eight of Swords[22][13] A woman often appears on this card. She stands upright, bound, blindfolded, surrounded by eight swords stuck into the earth. Also called The Bandaged Man. Involves reading a newspaper or magazine.
Ten of Swords[23]
Knight of Swords[24] The knight in the picture is slaying a many-headed dragon.
Ace of Coins[25]
Three of Coins[13] A lucky card.
Four of Coins[26] Zeeweed floats around a drowned corpse's head like a crown of laurels. Two coins cover its eyes. Two more are clenched in its hands. It sits atop a treasure chest, barnacle-encrusted, lodged in an under-zee abyss. In the dark water above, sharks circle.
Seven of Coins[27] Six coins hang in bunches from a bush. They could be mistaken for fruit: peaches or apples, perhaps. Beside the bush, a Clay Gardener leans on a shovel, observing the bunches after toiling to cultivate them. It must have been hard work, considering that the ground is solid rock. The seventh coin, behind the Gardner's head, is a golden halo.
Ten of Coins[28]

Major Arcana[edit]

[29]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Neathy Tarot, Featuring all 77 of the Major Arcana, Fallen London
  2. ↑ Major Arcana, Wikipedia
  3. ↑ Try the tarot cards, Fallen London
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Minor Arcana, Wikipedia
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 An Enigmatic Argur, Fallen London His booth is by Hangman's Arch. He meets your eye as he lays out three cards: the Ace of Chalices, the Knave of Wands, the Chariot. His eyebrows raise.
  6. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Ace of Staves A tree stands in a clearing, branches heavy with golden fruit. There's even more fruit on the ground. It must have fallen down, ripe and ready to eat. An old woman stoops to gather the fallen fruit into a basket. Around the tree, a great serpent coils like a caduceus. Its forked tongue flickers into the woman's ear.
  7. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Two of Staves
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ask for help with artistic endeavours, Fallen London That's discouraging. Madame Shoshana offers you the tarot deck and asks you to take three cards. You turn over the two of cups, the five of staves and the Mask. "Oh dear," says the clairvoyant. "A closing of the mind. Imprisonment. Pincushions." You try, but you cannot find inspiration in pincushions. Even satin ones with beading.
  9. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Five of Staves "Chaos. Warfare. A pitched battle," says the Thirsty Croupier. "Between the Interloper and the Page of Cups, presumably. But the Knight of Swords might be involved – and all the king's horses, so to speak. Not many horses in the Khanate. They've got water-taxis. They've also got lots and lots of mounted artillery."
  10. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Seven of Staves "Someone's taking defensive measures. Someone else is trying to break through," says the Thirsty Croupier. "The Interloper is already inside, but there are always more layers. More locks to pick and more doors to open. They might be psychological. They might be physical. These barriers are deep-rooted. They run to the garden's heart."
  11. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Eight of Staves "Movement through the air," says the Thirsty Croupier. "Great change. Speedy change. Bullets? Possibly. Confetti? Unlikely. Flower petals? Well, recall the Devil; she's still in play. Hellish principles gird the Ace of Staves and imprison the Page of Cups. If the garden's walls should come tumbling down, there might be more than gunfire."
  12. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Ten of Staves
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Try the tarot cards, Fallen London Staves and Coins Madame Shoshana lays the cards in a spread she calls the Cracked Wheel and begins to turn them over theatrically. "The Page of Staves. You will embark on a journey. The Bandaged Man. You may read a newspaper, or possibly a magazine. The Stalactite. You shall inherit some improving poetry. And the three of Coins. A lucky card! You should go mushroom-gathering tonight. You will find so many, you will be able to make jam."
  14. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Ace of Cups
  15. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Three of Cups
  16. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Seven of Cups
  17. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Eight of Cups (...), but the Eight of Cups suggests a covert journey across water. (...)
  18. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Page of Cups
  19. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London I would've expected The Knight of Cups or The Udder to make an appearance, not the Seven of Coins.
  20. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Queen of Cups "The Gracious Widow needs brandy to survive," says the Thirsty Croupier. "Someone sabotaged her apricot shipments from the Elder Continent, but she still has peaches. For how long? What if something goes wrong? Now it doesn't matter. (...)"
  21. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Seven of Swords
  22. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Eight of Swords A woman often appears on this card. She stands upright, bound, blindfolded, surrounded by eight swords stuck into the earth. But in the Neath, the Eight of Swords is sometimes also called The Bandaged Man.
  23. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Ten of Swords
  24. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Knight of Swords The knight in the picture is slaying a many-headed dragon.
  25. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Ace of Coins
  26. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Four of Coins Zeeweed floats around a drowned corpse's head like a crown of laurels. Two coins cover its eyes. Two more are clenched in its hands. It sits atop a treasure chest, barnacle-encrusted, lodged in an under-zee abyss. In the dark water above, sharks circle.
  27. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London Seven of Coins Six coins hang in bunches from a bush. They could be mistaken for fruit: peaches or apples, perhaps. Beside the bush, a Clay Gardener leans on a shovel, observing the bunches after toiling to cultivate them. It must have been hard work, considering that the ground is solid rock. The seventh coin, behind the Gardner's head, is a golden halo.
  28. ↑ Arcana, Fallen London He lays down another spread. The Bat. The Ten of Coins. The Magician.
  29. ↑ Making of Irem, Azhdarchid All the original Destinies have evocative names that, to my mind, sound a lot like the names of Major Arcana cards. I wanted to take this connection and run with it, naming the available Destinies after their own Major Arcana. In practice, the new Destinies are named with a mix of ‘real’ Arcana names and ‘neathy’ Arcana names – suggesting that the old Destinies are also found somewhere in the Neathy Tarot. It does after all have 77 whole major arcana (and is presumably very hard to shuffle).


[Minor arcana confirmed] Ace of Chalices {FLW/An Enigmatic Augur} Knave of Wands {FLW/An Enigmatic Augur} Ace of Staves {FLW/Arcana (2)} Five of Staves {FLW/Ask for help with artistic endeavours} Page of Staves {FLW/Try the tarot cards} Two of Cups {FLW/Ask for help with artistic endeavours} Eight of Cups {FLW/Arcana (10)} Knight of Cups {FLW/Arcana (6)} Three of Coins {FLW/Try the tarot cards} Four of Coins {FLW/Arcana (8)} Seven of Coins {FLW/Arcana (5)} Ten of Coins {FLW/Arcana (9)} Eight of Swords {FLW/Arcana (7)} Knight of Swords {FLW/Arcana (11)} [Major arcana] [???] The Vegetable Lamb {FLW/Add alternative aleatory methods} [???] The Bluecap Mine-sprite {FLW/Add alternative aleatory methods} [???] The Mirror {FLW/Ask for advice on your investigations} [???] The Bandaged Man {FLW/Try the tarot cards} {FLW/Arcana (7)} (It's a minor arcana, might also be a major arcana???) [???] The Stalactite {FLW/Try the tarot cards} [???] The Blacksmith {FLW/Sidebar Snippets#Madame Shoshana} [???] The Boat {FLW/Sidebar Snippets#Madame Shoshana} [???] The Gibbet {FLW/Try the tarot cards} {FLW/Sidebar Snippets#Madame Shoshana} [???] The Garden {FLW/Try the tarot cards} {FLW/Arcana (3)} [???] The Lyre {FLW/Try the tarot cards} [???] The Sword {FLW/Ask for a romantic prediction} [???] The Manacled One {FLW/Ask Madame Shoshana for her opinion on Virginia} [???] The Rose {FLW/A Concealable Deck of Tarot Cards (action)} [???] The Lady {FLW/A Concealable Deck of Tarot Cards (action)} {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Lantern {FLW/A Concealable Deck of Tarot Cards (action)} {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Bat {FLW/A Concealable Deck of Tarot Cards (action)} {FLW/Arcana (9)} [???] The Gibbous Moon {FLW/A tricky assignment} [???] The Ship {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Spider {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Cat {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Shepherd {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] The Mirror's Reflection {FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana} [???] Appetite {Making of Irem} [???] Gloom {Making of Irem} [???] Backstage {Making of Irem} [???] Authority {Making of Irem} [???] The Instrument {FLW/A card game, Making of Irem} [???] The Road {Making of Irem} [???] Gleam {Making of Irem} [???] The Memory {Making of Irem} [???] The Revelation {Making of Irem} [???] The Curator {Making of Irem} [???] The Oath {Making of Irem} [???] Passion {Making of Irem} [???] Torment {FLW/A card game Making of Irem} [???] The Twins {FLW/A card game} [???] The Future {FLW/A card game} [???] The Vision {FLW/A card game} [no number] The Fool {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) [no number] The Mushroom {FLW/The Mushroom, Making of Irem} I (1) The Magician {FLW/Arcana (9), Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) II (2) The High Priestess {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) III (3) The Empress {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) IV (4) The Emperor {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) V (5) The Hierophant {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) VI (6) The Lovers {FLW/The Lovers, Making of Irem} VII (7) The Chariot {FLW/The Chariot, FLW/An Enigmatic Augur, Making of Irem} VIII (8) Strength {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) IX (9) The Hermit {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) X (10) The Wheel of Fortune {Making of Irem} (numbering not confirmed) XI (11) Justice {FLW/Justice} XII (12) The Hanged Man {FLW/The Hanged Man, FLW/Add alternative aleatory methods, Making of Irem} XIII (13) Death {FLW/Arcana (15)} {Making of Irem} XIV (14) Temperance {FLW/Arcana (4)} {Making of Irem} XV (15) The Devil {FLW/Arcana (12)} {Making of Irem} XVI (16) The Tower {FLW/The Tower} {Making of Irem} XVIII (18) The Moon {FLW/The Moon} {Making of Irem} XIX (19) The Sun {FLW/Arcana (13)} {Making of Irem} XXI (21) The World {FLW/The World} {Making of Irem} XXII (22) The Interloper {FLW/Arcana (1)} XXX (30) The Udder {FLW/Arcana (14)} XLIX (49) The Mask {FLW/The Mask} {Making of Irem} LXVII (67) The Star {FLW/The Star} {Making of Irem} LXXVII (77) Judgement {FLW/Judgement} {Making of Irem}

FLW/A Concealable Deck of Tarot Cards (action) - "The cards are modelled on Madame Shoshana's own deck. The Rose, the Lady, the Lantern and the Bat are all represented." FLW/Assist in a private reading with Madame Shoshana - "(...) Shoshana draws the Rose, the Lady and the Ship. Jenny nods, pensive, before departing. Next, is the Veteran Privy Counsellor. Madame Shoshana anticipates his question, and lays out three cards. The Spider, the Lantern and the Cat. (...) (...) You draw the Shepherd, the Rose and the Mirror's Reflection. Madame Shoshana nods, grim-faced.

FLW/A tricky assignment - "You bring the tarot card to a tavern frequented by theatrical types and hand it over to the waiting magicians. It is the Gibbous Moon." Making of Irem (https://azhdarchid.com/fallen-london-the-making-of-irem/) - "" FLW/Arcana: 

1 - "XXII: The Interloper: The Interloper is climbing a ladder below an open window. Whether up or down, well, that depends on which direction the card falls. Either way, the Interloper's back – your back – is burdened by a sack loaded with golden coins and silver goblets. The rungs on the ladder are blades, which don't appear to make the climb much easier.

Scrawled on the reverse side, there's a note: Found you in a reading. You'll want to hear about this." 

2 - "Ace of Staves: A tree stands in a clearing, branches heavy with golden fruit. There's even more fruit on the ground. It must have fallen down, ripe and ready to eat. An old woman stoops to gather the fallen fruit into a basket. Around the tree, a great serpent coils like a caduceus. Its forked tongue flickers into the woman's ear."
3 - "Across the Elder Continent, (...) the ancient Garden still flourishes. (...) But I won't bore you with run-of-the-mill arcane knowledge. The Garden is a constant in these readings."
4 - "XIV: Temperance: Above wine-dark water, an angel hovers. (An angel with remarkably bat-like wings.) It's pouring a bottle into a goblet – and spilling quite a lot into the water below, which might account for the wine-dark tint. On a distant shore, more bottles are heaped into mountains."
5 - "Seven of Coins: Six coins hang in bunches from a bush. They could be mistaken for fruit: peaches or apples, perhaps. Beside the bush, a Clay Gardener leans on a shovel, observing the bunches after toiling to cultivate them. It must have been hard work, considering that the ground is solid rock. The seventh coin, behind the Gardner's head, is a golden halo."
6 - "I would've expected The Knight of Cups or The Udder to make an appearance, not the Seven of Coins."
7 - "In the sunlight, no definitive tarot exists; in the darkness, underground, the arcana are even more changeable and obscure. A woman often appears on this card. She stands upright, bound, blindfolded, surrounded by eight swords stuck into the earth. But in the Neath, the Eight of Swords is sometimes also called The Bandaged Man."
8 - "Zeeweed floats around a drowned corpse's head like a crown of laurels. Two coins cover its eyes. Two more are clenched in its hands. It sits atop a treasure chest, barnacle-encrusted, lodged in an under-zee abyss. In the dark water above, sharks circle."
9 - "He lays down another spread. The Bat. The Ten of Coins. The Magician."
10 - "Eight of Cups"
11 - "The knight in the picture is slaying a many-headed dragon."
12 - "XV: The Devil:"
13 - "XIX: The Sun:"
14 - "XXX: The Udder:"
15 - "XIII: Death:"
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