Alter Aeon The Great Library

Welcome to the Alter Aeon Historical Archive!

Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  7809
Title: a book titled 'The Mysteries of the Tarot'

In recent times, the card game known as the Tarot spread across the world.
The deck is popular with fortune tellers, who use the cards to glean
details of the future. The game is also popular with gamblers, who obsess
over the odds of drawing various combinations of cards. But where did this
game originate? The answer may surprise you!

The chief card for each of the suits is most notable: The Crone for Skull,
the Mother for Flame, the Maiden for Blade and the Huntsman for Grove. The
Crone, Mother and Maiden are ancient titles for the goddesses Schlyne,
Byung and Islaine. A cult dedicated to this triune has operated in the Dunn
Hurr since ancient times. The Huntsman is an important figure in the
history of Albion, a city on the westernmost edge of the Dunn Hurr.

Also hailing from Albion's lore is the White Buck, a legendary beast that
appears at odd times and seasons as a sign of good fortune. It should be
noted that in Anchorhead, Takar and Eisdorf, the White Buck card is often
replaced by the Zlatorog. This mystical white goat is said to bring good
fortune to those that successfully hunt it. All of these are settlements in
the Dunn Hurr. Closely tied to the lore of the Zlatorog are kornbockes,
fearsome goat men that inhabit the Karnash Mountains, also in the Dunn
Hurr. Hence the Kornbocke, the opposite of the White Buck.

Various other figures in the deck can be traced to regions around the Dunn
Hurr:

Erlkings are a type of wight created from the remains of aalfs, inhabitants
of the Aalfhaum Vale in the Dunn Hurr.

The Lich is likely a reference to the Lich King of Jo'Kerin, west of the
Dunn Hurr.

Curiously, the Demon Lord commonly painted on the cards is Razna, lord of
slaughter. He is rather obscure, his cult never having gained much traction
in human lands. His worship is mostly known amongst yakfolk and kornbockes,
who inhabit regions in and around the Dunn Hurr.

Other figures appear to be borrowed from other cultures on the mainland.
The Berserker is an orc and the Blacksmith a dwarf, reflecting
human-centric stereotypes for both races.

The Chimera of the Flame Suit, along with the Pyre and the Cultist, point
to the worship of Igneous, a false fire god. This obnoxious cult is found
in desert regions of the Naginag Combine and along the foothills of
southern Ash Mountains. Efforts to stamp out the religion have proven
fruitless, and its influence has crept into the cards.

The Gohk Shin is one of the most jarring figures, clearly taken from the
culture of the Dragon Empire. It apperas to be an extremely late addition
to the Tarot, replacing a ranger or hunter figure that later artists
considered redundant given the presence of the Huntsman.

Many other cards bear symbolism dervied from various spells and religions,
as well as historical figures and events. How many do you recognize?