xboxersz 221 Share Posted July 16, 2023 TOMASÍ THE BALIANESE ART OF CARTOMANCY by Belyn Gris (An Akritian tomasí reader practices palmistry outside Dour Watch, c. 1520.) HISTORY Cartomancy, the practice of divination through decks of cards, originated from Akritian folk beliefs during the Age of Silence. It is said that the early Akritians etched the names of their heroes into slivers of bark, laying them atop a pyre for trained wisefolk to ascertain their ancestral whims from the ashen haze. Persistent exposure to these vapors would cause the seers to develop reddened eyes, wrinkled skin, and a hacking cough that would often precede their arrival to the holy pyres. After missionaries from the Temple of Faith (later reformed into the Church of the Canon) successfully converted the rulers of Akritos in the eighth century, they returned to the mainland bearing stories of inflamed etchings spilling the secrets of the future into a gout of smoke. While local clergymen were quick to extinguish these tall tales of pyromancy, the Akritians and their Rhenyari progeny would continue to spread their ancestral etchings from port to port all across the fledgeling kingdoms of man, their strips of bark developing into parchment trimmings and later common playing cards. The tomasí deck in particular, its name derived from the Flexio tomasia (wisdom), was first published in the late fifteenth century to educate illiterate Orenian commoners on the Canon. Featuring prominent figures from the Holy Scrolls on their faces, the tomasí cards would familiarize its users with canonist doctrine, even when drunk over a dealing table. However, the Rhenyari diaspora took mere years to adapt the tomasí to its own whims, its canonist imagery bolstering the credibility of their cartomantic practice. The deck found itself stowed away in many a rural soothsayer’s pockets, materializing along road-side inns and the recesses of noble courts as a method of materializing the immaterial future. This practice continued, waxing and waning in popularity over the rise and fall of empires, until its resurfacing among the Balianese following their independence from Oren. Now, occultists and opportunists alike find use of the tomasí convenient due to its durability, flexibility, and connection to man’s eldest beliefs. STRUCTURE The tomasí deck is constructed from sixty-four cards - twenty-four fachas (faces) and forty contras (counters). The fachas each depict a figure from the Gospel or Auspice, carrying associations in alignment with their canonical roles. The appearance of a facha accompanies significant weight within a tarot reading, denoting pivotal concepts, events or individuals within the life of the subject. Meanwhile, the contras are characterized by suit (laurels, swords, scepters, and globes) as well as value (ranging from one to ten). The combination of these suits and values grant each contra a unique interpretation, typically associated with the minor influences on a person’s life. While lacking the prognostic heft of the fachas, the contras nonetheless serve a vital role in the comprehensive reading of tomasí. METHODOLOGY (A meeting of mind and heart, c. 1750.) Styles of tomasí reading vary by class, locality, and situation; an experienced divinist familiarizes themself with multiple styles applicable to the widest variety of audiences. A few common styles are listed below. ALS ROLLOS The Scrolls The most widespread style of tomasí reading, als rollos is a four-card draw structured after the Holy Canon. The first card, corresponding to the Scroll of Virtue, signifies a strength of the subject, while the second card (Spirit) laments a shortcoming. The Gospel card draws a critical connection from the subject’s past. Lastly, Auspice speaks to a likely event in the future. AL PONT The Bridge Al pont is a three-card draw seeking the unification of two disparate entities. The innate flexibility of this style bolsters its popularity among novice fortune tellers. Popular themes include self-problem-solution, past-present-future, and partner-partner-relationship. LAS ESCEGNAS The Scenes Las Escegnas illustrate the current prediction of a subject, comprising six cards relating to the six core interrogative aspects - who, what, when, where, why, and how. The resulting spread takes the shape of the cross, with its first draw (who) pointed towards the subject. LAS FACHAS PUGNAS The Dueling Faces For complex problems unable to be addressed by any other method, las fachas pugnas is a comprehensive style that makes use of the entire tomasí deck. After a series of shuffles, all sixty-four cards are laid out upon the table in the pattern of a tourney bracket. These pairs of cards duel each other by florin-flipping, dice-rolling, or the drawing of lots, with winning cards moving forward to duel other victors until only four cards remain. These select finalists are themselves dueled to create a ranking from one to four, which is then interpreted collectively by a group of divinists. Due to its drawn-out nature and the opacity of the final interpretation, las fachas pugnas finds sparse use among the kingdoms of man, only appearing in the royal courts prior to decisions of great significance. FACHAS I. NATIVITAS PROVENANCE Dawn - Novelty - Birth II. AL CÍNIC THE DENIER IBLEES Obsession - Temptation - Addiction III. AL MALI THE ELF MALIN Freedom - Sanctuary - Nature IV. AL DUERO THE DWARF URGUAN Order - Willpower - Stubbornness V. AL URUQUE THE ORC KRUG Strength - Honor - Vengeance VI. AL VER THE SON EXALTED HOREN I Duty - Virtue - Leadership VII. AL TABERNÀCUL THE TABERNACLE SAINT JULIA OF PARADISUS Friendship - Family - Love VIII. ALS TORRES THE TOWERS AEMON & DAEMON Secrecy - Vulnerability - Retreat IX. AL CAMPION THE CHAMPION EXALTED OWYN I Passion - Spirit - Purity X. LA SIRENA THE SIREN ADELHEID, WIFE OF OWYN Guile - Patience - Longevity XI. LA DANZELLA THE MAIDEN SAINT TARA OF PARADISUS Innocence - Temperance - Hope XII. AL MAGUS THE MAGE Strength - Diligence - Power XIII. SILENCE SILENCE Disconnection - Uncertainty - Consequence XIV. AL EMPERADOR THE EMPEROR EXALTED GODFREY I Stability - Gospel - Control XV. LAS MUSAS THE MUSES ELIZABETH & ATRIANA & ROSALIND, WIVES OF GODFREY Simplicity - Humility - Decentralization XVI. LA BAGNA THE HORN Purpose - Fidelity - Ascension XVII. AL PONTIFEX THE PONTIFF HIGH PONTIFF JAMES I Unity - Faith - Peace XVIII. AL VIDENT THE SOOTHSAYER EXALTED SIGISMUND I Prophecy - Auspice - Wisdom XIX. LA PATRONA THE PATRON HELAINE, WIFE OF SIGISMUND Patronage - Charity - Service XX. LA SOMBRA THE SHADOW THE SHADOW OF GOD Instability - Transformation - Revolution XXI. AL DRACÓN NERO THE BLACK WYRM VARGENGOTZ Wrath - Pride - Avarice XXII. AL DRACÓN BIANC THE WHITE WYRM ISHTAR Doubt - Sloth - Gluttony XXIII. PUGNA STRIFE Chaos - Conflict - Suffering XXIV. PARADÍS PARADISE Dusk - Conclusion - Death CONTRAS The four suits of the contras align themselves with the prophets, their Scrolls, and their domains. It comes as no surprise that Horen’s laurels concern the soul and the appearance of a Godfreyan scepter portents matters of the material realm. In conjunction, the accompanying number on a contra denotes an estate of GOD’s kingdom and its position within the social hierarchy. All cards numbering three, for example, relate to the blacksmith, or the estate of tradespeople more generally. In conjunction with each other, the suit and number of a card determine its elemental nature and the specific manifestation of that element. The Five of Globes remarks upon the intellectual aspect of the scribe - attention to detail and a yearning for truth dominate the scribe’s mind. Ergo, upon appearance during a tarot reading, the Five of Globes may symbolize an intelligent individual, a missing detail, or the pursuit of objective truth, depending on its position within the reading. SUITS ALORÉS (Laurels) - Horen, virtue, the soul, spiritual truth. SPATAS (Swords) - Owyn, spirit, the heart, emotional truth. CEPTRES (Scepters) - Godfrey, gospel, the body, material truth. GLOBAS (Globes) - Sigismund, auspice, the mind, intellectual truth. NUMBERS ONE - the peasant. TWO - the footman. THREE - the blacksmith. FOUR - the yeoman. FIVE - the scribe. SIX - the burgher. SEVEN - the priest. EIGHT - the knight. NINE - the lady. TEN - the lord. ONE ONE OF LAURELS Persistence - Fatigue - Stress ONE OF SWORDS Fulfillment - Contentment - Happiness ONE OF SCEPTERS Success - Harvest - Leisure ONE OF GLOBES Failure - Despair - Fear TWO TWO OF LAURELS Security - Defense - Difficulty TWO OF SWORDS Grief - Loss - Disappointment TWO OF SCEPTERS Collaboration - Combination - Goals TWO OF GLOBES Imprisonment - Restriction - Paralysis THREE THREE OF LAURELS Competition - Conflict - Tension THREE OF SWORDS Community - Friendship - Celebration THREE OF SCEPTERS Talent - Expertise - Craftsmanship THREE OF GLOBES Argument - Hostility - Ego FOUR FOUR OF LAURELS Responsibility - Obligation - Burnout FOUR OF SWORDS Choice - Indecision - Fantasy FOUR OF SCEPTERS Routine - Labor - Habit FOUR OF GLOBES Stalemate - Denial - Concealment FIVE FIVE OF LAURELS Creativity - Exploration - Freedom FIVE OF SWORDS Memory - Nostalgia - Sentimentality FIVE OF SCEPTERS Isolation - Adversity - Alienation FIVE OF GLOBES Intellect - Truth - Attention SIX SIX OF LAURELS Risk - Planning - Progress SIX OF SWORDS Apathy - Boredom - Disconnection SIX OF SCEPTERS Wealth - Prosperity - Materialism SIX OF GLOBES Deceit - Cunning - Strategy SEVEN SEVEN OF LAURELS Virtue - Purpose - Calling SEVEN OF SWORDS Release - Transition - Journey SEVEN OF SCEPTERS Generosity - Support - Gratitude SEVEN OF GLOBES Peace - Sanctuary - Rejuvenation EIGHT EIGHT OF LAURELS Decisiveness - Courage - Movement EIGHT OF SWORDS Passion - Attraction - Connection EIGHT OF SCEPTERS Strength - Sense - Vision EIGHT OF GLOBES Imprisonment - Restriction - Paralysis NINE NINE OF LAURELS Family - Home - Unity NINE OF SWORDS Love - Compassion - Attunement NINE OF SCEPTERS Tradition - Ancestry - Legacy NINE OF GLOBES Sorrow - Heartbreak - Trauma TEN TEN OF LAURELS Spirit - Inspiration - Discovery TEN OF SWORDS Intuition - Awakening - Incitement TEN OF SCEPTERS Opportunity - Manifestation - Independence TEN OF GLOBES Clarity - Innovation - Invention 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikAzog 3313 Share Posted July 16, 2023 The King of Balian looked upon the document released by the Censor of Balian, widening his eyes, slowly immersing himself in the knowledge released. A smile coming across his face, seeking to procure a set of Tomasi cards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuziee 3223 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Marlene wonders where she can buy a deck and learn the art of Cartomancy herself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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