The Major Arcana
Twenty-two cards. Twenty-two cards to save our land from this endless shadow.
- The Dealer
The Major Arcana are a strange and misunderstood magical personification of the magic in O'Rieno. When O'Rieno's Deck of Many Things was constructed, magical power had to be drawn from somewhere. The Dealer drew power from the most magical, the most worthy, and the most unique beings and elements in the land to focus the arcane energy needed for the deck. This act created the 22 cards and bound them with limitless magical energy, but consigned the original power-sources to a form of both semi-imprisonment and potential immortality.
With the magic in O'Rieno re-awakened, many of the original forces that created the card personifications have similarly re-emerged. Some have fallen to their own magical traps, some have escaped into the wider world, and some are using their restored power and abilities to enact mischief and chaos upon the land.
The 22 cards brought together will restore the Deck of Many Things to its original function, and grant their wielder untold power over O'Rieno. A combined deck could undo the magical barriers around O'Rieno, save the nation from the influence of the Dealer, restore all that has been lost in the original war with the Shadowfell, and grant a happy ending to all those living within the nation.
However, the Dealer seeks these cards for their own nefarious purposes. So corrupted are they by shadow magic, that they have lost the meaning of friendship and magic that they once used to create the deck. In their hands the deck would cause the vibrant magic of O'Rieno to recede, and the land would be reclaimed by darkness.
Structure
The Major Arcana are the personification of the deck of many things. Each personification always has an individual card containing it's magical essence, but may also be represented by a person or element that the Dealer once drew upon to make the deck to begin with. Each of these 22 cards is described below:
Vizier (personification): The Vizier is represented by a clockwork wizard golem still in possession of their original card. They possess the memories of their creators, the first cabal of sorcerers in the forgotten land, and are fond of creating challenges and puzzles to show their intellect and vex the people of O'Rieno.
Sun (personification): When Rameses Eggfort first arrived in O'Rieno, he fell from the sky and was saved by the personification of the Sun, a great phoenix. From their encounter, Eggfort was given an egg of the phoenix which soon hatched into Calliope. The Phoenix is cursed with being unable to land, lest her skin scorch the earth, and will only be permitted to do so if her card can be reclaimed. Unfortunately that card is somewhere within a sky temple far above the clouds, surrounded by air elementals and terrifying traps. Calliope is estranged from her mother, and is uncertain whether or not she wants to meet the person who was not a part of so much of her life. Nevertheless, seeking this card is her top priority.
Moon (elemental loci): The moon card drew power from the gods themselves and the mystery of the moon, not yet broken at that time. The third and final wish lies somewhere on the shards of the moon, waiting to be claimed by a worthy adventurer, if one may procure a map of the cosmos and find a way to travel to the moon's realm.
Star (personification): The star card is in the hands of a magical dancer and glamourous Fey currently travelling across the nation of O'Rieno. In their time they were perhaps the greatest performer in the lands before, and now seek to climb the ranks of stardom once again, using the star card in order to create incredible dancing sets to wow the populace. They will only part with the card to someone who can prove they are a better performer, and beat the glamourous fey in a dance off.
Comet (personification): Travelling high in the stars themselves, a great Astral Dragon waits atop a comet, unable to slow down or reach Celasper due to it's high velocity. In the times before they could not challenge the Shadowfell and now seek a great duel atop the comet in any form the challenger wishes, to show their honor and metal. They will only yield their card to one who can beat them in a challenge of skill. Of course, the comet would need to be located first, possibly across the rainbow road. And if the card is yielded, both the dragon and the adventurer will need to find a way to survive when the comet falls towards the earth.
The Fates (personification/elemental loci): The Morrigan was the last power invoked to make the deck, and will be the last one encountered, summoned to a place of power where the deck was first created at the end of the journey. When the Dealer is freed or defeated they will appear in the room of fate where the deck may be reforged. The card is in the hands of the Dealer at present, who cannot use the card due to their lack of understanding of O'Rieno's purpose.
Throne (personification): The Throne card was one of the first drawn by the King Wellerman. It remained in his possession after the cards were dealt and he claimed the castle of Arcadia. The original personifications of the power, a pair of male great stone moon dogs and lovers remained on the castle grounds guarding the gates to the castle. The two dogs are often seen bantering and playing games with one another when not on duty as the royal guards to the gates of Arcadia. The dogs know clues to the locations of the other cards and are willing to tell a worthy adventurer. The actual Throne card is kept in display in the castle itself above the literal throne.
Key (personification): A doppelganger holds the key card, using it's power to be anyone and anything, and causing confusion and mischief in the process. Despite being able to replicate anything or anyone, they long for something wholly original. They will gladly trade the key card for a rare relic unlike any in the world, and have had their eye upon one found deep underwater in a ancient choral cavern.
Knight (personification/challenge): The original knight was known as Boudicca and she became the Queen of O'Rieno after being freed from the deck of cards long ago. The knight card is kept safe within the royal vaults, but will only allow itself to be taken by one who undertakes a chivalrous quests and becomes a true knight in their own right. Once done, the card will yield. Luckily, the spirit of the old queen Boudicca is still drawn to the card and will gladly help a questing adventurer to learn the merits of being a true hero.
Gem (personification): Burrowing beneath O'Rieno, the original power of the Gem card, a mighty Xorn is devouring its way through all manner of minerals within the mountains of chaos. Dwarves of Stonehold are unsure of what to do about the tunneling terror, and are at a loss of how to stop its hungry rampage. The First Builder might have a plan, to acquire a crystal so gorgeous and tasty that the Xorn will become finally full and stop long enough to explain the situation. Of course, the crystal would need to be acquired first, deep within the mountains of chaos.
Talons (personification): An unlucky harpy holds the talons card. A klutzy creature even in the time before, they were accidentally trapped within a safehouse high above the clouds when the Shadowfell came for O'Rieno and don't know how to get out, unable to undo the puzzles and traps in their clumsy state. They will gladly give the card up if freed and may even reward an adventurer with a flight to unknown riches high in the sky.
The Void (elemental loci): Created from the essence of the Shadowfell, the void card is deep underground in the shadowy center of O'Rieno. It is in the possession of the Dealer, who uses its magic to spread sadness and shadow into the far reaches of the kingdom.
Flames (personification): A travelling musician and Teifling currently holds the flames card, having won it in a fiddle contest from the original devil who possessed it. The daredevil and con artist is travelling from town to town striking up musical contests, playing the hits, and encouraging bad behavior from anyone who will listen. They will only part with the card if they can be beat at their own game, forced into a con to give up the card, or perhaps shown the error of their ways.
Skull (personification): Deep within the earth, on a far off island in the middle of the Cerulean Sea lies the skull card. Being guarded by the affable and silly guardian Skully the Skeleton, they will only give it up to someone who can beat them in a game of names, with each combatant proclaiming what they represent, and using the animal or concept to beat the other's name.
Idiot (challenge): The original magic used the create the idiot came from the concept of time itself. The idiot card now lies deep within the mountains of chaos, where it's magic exudes outwards towards Stonehold specifically. While the card is active, craftsman find themselves less effective than they used to be, and many unhappy accidents and bits of bad luck are occurring. To end these problems, an adventurer would need to descend into an ancient dwarven fortress that holds the card, deep below the surface of Stonehold.
Donjon (challenge/personification): The magic of the donjon is contained in an ancient storybook inside the library of Arcadia. Within the book is an ancient prison for a long suffering green dragon seeking their freedom, not just for themselves, but for their baby dragon still in it's egg. To remove the curse on the prison though the ancient wards surrounding it would need to be broken. The great witch Baba Yaga may know how to do so, but who knows what the witch may want in exchange for her help.
Ruin (challenge): The power of the ruin card originated from a Sphere of Annihilation still active in a long lost temple deep within the dark forest. To claim the card, people would need to find a way past the reverberating magical essences and arcane traps to deactivate the orb and claim the card. Lemon Honey may be able to help divine illusions to trick the orb and allow safe passage, but even they are not so brave as to go alone.
Euryale (personification): Deep within the Sandy Desert lies the remains of a series of ancient statues in an old abandoned tower. In the center of these statues lies an ancient medusa, whos magic was used to power the card. Unfortunately when the magic was tripped from her, she was the first to be turned to stone. If the medusa can be freed from her imprisonment and the magical traps of the tower thwarted, she will gladly give up her card as a reward for her deliverance.
Rogue (personification): In the depths of castle Arcadia is an ancient mirror that is in fact no a mirror at all. It is instead a portal to a strange and inverted universe, where all nice people are mean mirror people and all mean people are nice mirror people. The Rogue is a mirror construct gnome hero originating from this dimension, but is trapped within the mean mirror version of castle arcadia. Luckily the mirror universe version of Volcanus is more than willing to help. Perhaps if an adventurer could aid in the siege of the mirror castle, together they could free the rogue, and find a way to close the portal once and for all.
Balance (personification): Below the Sandy Desert the Knight of Balance, a Genasi Warrior is trapped in a prison of crystals. These crystals reflect different decisions and different obstacles intended to distract and trap whoever seeks to traverse them. If the Knight of Balance could be freed, and together they could escape the underground sandy labyrinth, he would have no need for the Balance card any longer.
Fool (personification/elemental loci): The original fool pawned off their card long ago to an unwitting patsy, who was subject to a terrible curse. The Fool card grants bad luck to whoever possesses it. The card has passed from person to person and is now in the hands of Sparkles the Unicorn, who accepted it from a travelling merchant. To free sparkles from the curse, the original fool must be found, and the shrine of the fool card cleansed of the shadowy influence corrupting the fool card to free Sparkles from her curse.
Jester (personification): A Merfolk Master of Ceremonies has been making their way across the Cerulean Sea between Captain's Cove and Arcadia for some time now with his travelling circus act. While generally harmless, pirates have been swearing that the circus performers have been robbing them for some time. If the master of ceremonies was confronted, and perhaps if an adventurer would be willing to participate in their greatest circus act yet, the master of ceremonies would return the pirates plunder and their card for good measure.
Type
Secret, Occult
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Location
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