Zhean-Walyat Vyozha Dies

Named for the pair of print designers responsible for creating it, the Zhean-Walyat style of Vyozha decks are simple and eminently readable, but lack the unique deity- or virtue-associated illustrations present on more elaborate decks. Colored only in black on the pips and single colors for the simple, bold suit icons, Zhean-Walyat cards strike a particular chord with soldiers in the Grand Army of Voxelia, who often use the cards both in play amongst themselves and as a system of secret signs to mark important locations and personages in their theaters of operations. One set of the original dies used to print Zhean-Walyat style Vyozha decks are considered antiques an are among the objects of cultural significance on display as museum pieces at the Voxelia College of Bards.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Each set of twenty-one Zhean-Walyat Vyozha dies includes twelve number card pip dies, three domain card pip dies, and six suit dies. Card stock is inked by print rollers in several steps; the suit dies lay down suit icons and borders in colored dye with gaps for the pips, then the pip dies lay down each number of pips from one to the greater domain on the roll in succession. Branch cards are treated as suits with no pips and are treated with black ink separately from the rest. A cutter die on a third roller then punches the cards from the stock. The shape of the edges incised by the cutter and small blemishes caused by scarring on the ink dies makes each set of Zhean-Walyat cards unique, serving as a sort of 'finger print' for the printing house that maunufactured them.

Significance

Those prone to superstition regard both serious misprints and perfect, unblemished prints with Zhean-Walyat Vyozha dies as inauspicious, auguring inexpected calamity and accidents caused by inexperience respectively.

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Rarity

The original three sets of dies created by Djean and Walyat for use in their print shop are unique in that they were hand-made and designed for use on a manually-operated printing press. The process for creating the specific Djean-Walyat style has long outlived the printmasters who concieved of it, and die sets meant for mass production with automated presses are somewhat more common, worn out sets sometimes being sold as collectors items at MartMarts or gilded as keepsakes for participants in the Ironies' Grand Prix.