Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Names, Appearance, Reputations
Post Reply
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Note: As new players join, new cards may appear "having been there all along". I apologize for that. As these change in game, I will move the old versions down and post the new version here.
Also note: Minor characters and Non-Amberites are here.

All cards have a stylized border around the outside of the "front" of the card. Writing, suits, and numbers appear in this border. A picture of the unicorn adorns the back of all the cards.
The description here is for the deck you get. It is obviously incomplete, as a lot of numbers are missing.
BTW, if you wish to alter the description of your card, let me know. I'm open to any variation on the theme.

Suits / Courts
The number and suit is listed by an icon in the upper left and lower right corners. A number followed by the symbol of the suit. The Ace has no number, just the suit symbol. Last, Page (P), Knight (K), Guide (G), and Ruler (R) have letters that represent them. In small letters, the description (ie: Four of Cups) is listed up the left side and down the right side.
  • Swords: Amber
    • Five: The Raven
      The sky is filled with chaotic black clouds that threaten a thunderstorm or worse. Five broken swords belonging to four mangled samurai lay on the ground, the scabbards lined neatly against the tree. Standing, injured but victorious is the Raven’s human form, leaning heavy against his chipped sword and the tree behind him. His hair, once in a top-knot, has been cut off by a slice that has left a wound on his head. His face is one of disapproval, it’s clear that survival was not the intended outcome. On the ground, an unintelligible letter is stained and disintegrating within a pool of red. Above, a large Raven sits perched on the branch of a small tree. Raven's glowing red eyes are focused below as the sole witness. While the raven's eyes don't seem to follow you, he is holding a blue eye from one of the samurai in his mouth, and that seems to look straight out of the card.
    • Ten: Benabik (Currently an example of someone lost to Shadow. Hope you can return Brian.)
      Benabik stands atop a tower amid the ruins of a once great city. Eight gleaming swords, sized for titans, rain from the sky, breaking up buildings and landscape. He holds a ninth sword, and is driving it downward into the wizards tower beneath him. A ghost of a woman (or an angel), floats above, impaled by and shielding him from a tenth sword with her own body.
    • Page: Oberon
      Oberon stands atop the landing in Amber that connects to Tir-Na Nog'th, but it is midday and the city is not visible. Due to forced perspective, he looks like a giant, standing by the diminutive sea, holding a gleaming sword in two hands, ready to face all threats with solid footing. Reflected in the polished hilt is a fragment of Castle Amber.
  • Cups: Rebma
    • Five: Krajk (Appears in your trump deck between 07.07 and 07.08)
      Krajk stands on a dock in Amber's harbor, cleaving through three cups in front of him with a wicked looking battle axe. His face is an unreadable mix of glee, anger, and bitterness, leaving one to wonder what his reaction to the two cups still sitting undiscovered behind him would be. A shark's fin can be seen out in the harbor, in the middle of a patch of scattered gleams of reflected sunlight that seem to suggest the outline of the Pattern.
    • Eight: "Ruben" (Player wants to return but does not have time. Keeping a light on just in case...)
      In the foreground, eight cups are raised in triumph at the completion of a long journey and homecoming, the hint of a crown can be seen atop a head that is likely attached to one of the arms. Behind them is a bay, and Ruben walks away from the party on the other side. He glances back with a hint of a smile as he settles in with a walking stick for a long journey. Of note, although there is a small greek sailing vessel in the bay, it appears that Ruben has walked out of the water. In the distance, the island Amber is on can be seen as the moon looms overhead.
  • Wands: Tir-Na Nog'th
    • Ace: Asai
      Appearing in mid-air our of a cloud of sparkling blue smoke, Asai leaps through the air to catch a wand falling from the heavens. The backdrop is a dizzying sky-cam shot of Tir-Na Nog'th, lit almost as daytime by a full moon. Silver clouds shine in the moonlight, and hints of the Tir-Na Nog'th pattern can be seen in the floating courtyard.
    • Three: Rasanam
      Rasanam is depicted looking out over a vast circular harbor; several merchant ships can be seen on the waters, and a single small island floats serenely in midair. To his left stands a copper pipe, topped with a complicated and apparently steam-powered orrery. To his right, a silver stave balances upright and unsupported, four runes near the top glowing blue. The third "wand" - and the only one Rasanam is holding - is a thin sapling; it's unclear if he's holding the tree upright, or leaning on it for support.
    • Seven: Ossian
    • Page: Darnell
      The stoic elf stands amid a bustling market. He is dressed in a technicolor traveling cloak with a gleaming white hat over understated tan pants and shirt. Amid the scene are things he has selected to buy, trinkets and dreamcatchers, and a needlepoint rendition of Tir-Na Nog'th hints of blue in a floating courtyard and a round circle imply it's a scene of the full moon. Darnell is appraising a walking staff which is clearly the wrong length for his use.
    • Ruler: Harrune Tharassa Tyrnath Reran (Powyn Mnorryn)
      A frontal view of Harrune sitting on a throne of silver. Behind him are stairs winding up to Tir'na Nog'th in a sky with a full moon and a few scattered clouds. He is dressed in plain clothes that seemed dirty for a long voyage. On his head is a crown of white amber. In his right hand he carries a walking staff. At his feet sits a golden balance. In the right (and heavier) pan is a silver representation of the Pattern. The left pan contains an oddly shaped tree.
  • Coins: Ht'Gon An-rit
    • Ace: Jaeger Reisszahn
      Under a night sky stretches out an endless path in the inky black of the sky, the path continues well past the viewpoint of the card, but is obscured by hills winding in the distance in increasing height. At the lower right of the card are a pair of figures set against the backdrop, a male figure in full leather armor with deep blue hair cascading around his shoulders, and a pair of swords crossed in an x formation hanging from matched sheathes at where the tip of his spine would be. The figure is looking off at the distant hills, while a blood moon illuminates the path below. Directly to his left, looking up at the distant moon, is a snowy white fox with its head just below the figure's hand. The blood moon is emblazoned with the pattern of the coin suit, a sole coin denoting the card's nature as the Ace.
    • Seven: Aibne Grant
      The card is a seven of coins, and shows the bear in full armor. Seven chests are scattered around a tree, and the bear at rest, looking over them. It is a simple card, and Aibne looks almost peaceful in it, but ready to continue with whatever he needs to do.
    • Eight: Cameron
      An mechanist's workshop is depicted, gears and wires and various pieces of metal lay here and there. Hanging on the wall are six tools from spanners and calipers to sculptor's chisels and a great maul, each set on a round stone panel, each carved with a cog, crystal and hammer motif. Cameron himself is depicted in a leather apron, loose black pants and thick leather gauntlets that cling surprisingly well to his fingers to allow for delicate work. He holds an unfinished seventh stone panel in one hand and a metal hammer in the other. Hints of silver trace along his green back though the design is too fine to make out details. In the background seen through a stone archway with an eighth round panel as a capstone, a great fortress of grey-black metal or stone sits overlooking a large body of water, with black-plumed steam warships in small relief. The citadel walls are partially breached in several places, and lightning seems to be striking one of the towers.
    • Nine: Alystrakos
      Alystrakos is depicted walking through the gardens of Fort Ht'gon, clothed in a tightly-fitting sheath dress and a few bits of golden jewelry. She has one hand on a particularly fruitful plant, with eight coin-like fruits, but she is looking away from it, at her other hand, where she holds a large gold coin stamped with a stylized dragon crest. The ground looks scorched, and marred by small claw-marks.
    • Guide: Lyra
      A compassionate and beautiful young Dark-Elf girl of mixed heritage seems to look straight out from the card at the viewer. She stands in front of a vast expanse of water somewhere far underground, her features illuminated by light emanating from the pool itself. Reflected in the pool is a Dragon of deep purple scales sitting among piles of golden coins. The bright noonday sun illuminates the creature, making her impressive appearance somehow warm and inviting. Coins spill from the grassy bank around her and into the water; creating ripples in the surface that take the form of the Pattern itself. Both Dragon and Elf wear identical golden rings on corresponding digits. After viewing the card a number of times, one might begin to notice that the shadow on the cavern walls behind the Elf do not seem to be cast by the same sunlight illuminating the rest of the scene.
    • Ruler: Morgana
      Morgana sits on a large throne made of obsidian and polished hardwood. In front of her is a cauldron, surrounded by various animal and spirit totems. She is offering a single coin to a ghost child that is standing with a hand out. An examination of the background shows this is a large meeting room in the fort of Ht'gon An-Rit. The cauldron is smoking slightly with a bit of a fire built underneath. The smoke is half-formed into a representation of the Pattern.
Major Arcana:
In general, these have the number listed in roman numerals in the top center of the card. The name of the tarot card is listed up and down both sides (up the left side, down the right), with the person or place's name listed on the bottom.
  • 0 The Fool: Quin
    Quin is standing atop one of castle Amber's towers. He is leaping off the edge, carrying a hobo-sack over one shoulder. His shoulder-blades are slightly extended and face is starting to elongate. In addition to the jester's outfit, there's a formal cape draped over one shoulder.
  • 7 The Chariot: Docks
    The docks at the Town outside of Castle Amber. (has several commerce carts.)
  • 8 Justice: Rolf sits behind an administrative desk. Through a nearby window new recruits train to defend Castle Amber. Will stands behind him, checking over notes and Richard is in the field, distributing swords to the trainees. Rolf seems to be fielding petitioners from the guards, although only a few heads and arms can be seen.
  • 10 Wheel of Fortune: Caelund (Appears in your trump deck during 07.11)
    Centered on the card and occupying much of the space is a roulette wheel depicting the various trump suites and cards. The dichromatic card is Escher-like and depicting multiple perspectives, with creme-tinted illumination on surfaces facing toward the top of the card and midnight-blue shades towards the lower. With one side up the scene reveals a well-lit depiction of Caelund leaning over the table on one side, watching and possibly betting on the game; another depiction is reversed and shadowed 'beneath' the table, clearly tinkering with (or rigging) the gambling machine. Both images show the man hunched over, somewhat shorter and stockier than he is normally seen, with his substantial beard clasped and hanging down before and behind the table respectively. A studious examination reveals that the ball is missing from the image, but appears to circle the device if the card is viewed from the peripheries.
    Backing the lit side is a scene of business, with a counter and display-cases against the wall, their contents obscured by fogged glass and glare. To one side is a curtained doorway into a back room where a game-board on a pedestal is partially visible, its pieces similarly indistinct.
    Behind the shadowed side is a scene of mechanical complexity - perhaps a workshop or maintenance tunnel - lined with cables, pipes, and tangled scrap. A veritable host of mechanical fauna can be noted among the industrial scree, largely ignoring the man and his work with but a few observing or actively participating.
  • 11 Strength: Richard stands before his forge, hammering a glowing-red sword into pristine shape. Flame and smoke from the forge, combined with a strange perspective combine to make it look like in hammering the sword, he is prying open the mouth of a large flame-lizard. Will is watching from the background and is preparing the cooling water, while Rolf is examining a sword-rack in the background.
  • 12 The Hanged Man: Home (Or similar name, in native tongue.)
    Your homeland. Drawn inverted and different for each character.
  • 13 Death: Dworkin
    Dworkin as an old man is in a room. He pulls back a curtain at the back to half-reveal a pattern on the floor. A young page looks through in awe. In the center of the room is a table with a chess set. Notable pieces include a serpent and a unicorn.
  • 14 Temperance: Willstands in his laboratory, pouring a gravity-defying liquid almost sideways from a glass beaker into a wooden goblet over a pool of similar silver liquid. In the background, Richard is replacing a complicated metal device with a broken part and Rolf stands ready to defend against any possible backlash from this ritual.
  • 16 The Tower: Place of Power (Whatever you call it. Also, this card is Highly Optional.)
    If you own a construct, it shows up in your deck here. Note which tarot this is.
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Updated a few card descriptions.
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Krajk's card appears in your deck sometime after the Rebma ball. Seriously, you have no idea how it got there. Do you trust gifts from Dworkin?
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Added descriptions to the 3 named guard's trump.
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Caelund's card appears in your decks Thursday morning, although it might have been afternoon. It's a 'major arcana'
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: Dworkin's Trump Deck / Character List

Post by Joshua »

Jaeger Reisszahn is added shortly* after he walks the pattern.
______________
*: This was confirmed to be somewhere between seconds** and minutes.
**: Seriously, do you trust this thing Dworkin gave you?
Post Reply