Darochi

The Darochi is a card deck, a form of Daroka used initially by the Orcs of the Darklands. It was developed among the Legion following contact with the travelling culture known as the Vistani and based on their Tarokka deck. It was adopted as a divinatory device by dissidents, who disguised their oracle as a card game, and also used stacked readings as a means to pass coded messages to other members of their resistance cells. After the destruction of the Dark Lords, the orcs contiued to use and adapt the deck, both recreationally and as a means od divination.

Imagery

The imagery of the Darochi is traditionally rendered in black and white only, with stark and stylised silhouettes and constellations rendered in negative against a black sky on each card. The cards of the Darochi are divided into four suits - Swords, Staves, Harps and Crowns - of thirteen cards each, adding a king, a queen and a speaker to the conventional numbered cards. These 'face' cards replace twelve of the usual high cards, leaving just two high cards outside of the suits: the Dark Lord and the Totem.

The Cards

	High Cards
I	The Dark Lord	Illegitimate authority or tyranny; a powerful figure of bad intent.
II	The Totem	Tribe or family; sanctuary and support.

Swords

The suit of aggression, determination and proactivity. Cards in this suit refer to actions and decisions, and their consequences, or to the cost of inaction, or to individuals whose actions and decisions will be of great moment.

1	Warrior	Strength and force, applied or personified; violence applied as a tool, without moral connotation; an individual forged in battle.
2	Warsworn	Force tempered by conviction and morality; struggle inspired by a personal cause; a fighter for a cause.
3	Speaker for the Ancestors	A sacred warrior who fights without doubt; strength born of conviction and faith; sacrifices that must be made.
4	Queensblade	Duty and service; strength and endurance in comradeship; one whose loyalty is unquestioned and unquestioning.
5	Kingsblade	Agendas and machinations; violence as a tool; the agent of a greater power.
6	Legionnaire	Force and passion in an unjust cause; violence and brutality unleashed on command; a bully or a minion.
7	Kithblade	Heroism and valour; triumph over great adversity; endurance in the face of great trials.
8	Faceless	A mysterious presence or person; hatred and intolerance of the other; exposure of an unseen enemy.
9	Legate	Dominance through force; unjust authority; one who finds validation in strength alone.
10	Torturer	Cruelty and suffering; an evil whose end justifies their means; wanton and unneccesary harm.
King	The Shield	Isolation and imprisonment; paranoia or conservatism that trap the mind in a prison of thought.
Queen	The Warlord	The path of glory and death; strong leadership or the death of those who trust you.
Speaker	The Broken One	Despair and defeat; the loss of what matters the most; adversity overcome.

Staves

The suit of personal strength, fortitude and magic. The cards of this suit represent the search for knowledge and those who seek it, or alternatively motivations and goals.

1	Tribesinger	Riddles and the unknown; a seeker of knowledge or truth.
2	Child	A student; diligent learning; the acceptance of past wisdom.
3	The Lash	Motivation that is not yours; a direction to be resisted; a coersive influence.
4	Seeker	Questions without answers; truths to be sought; one who looks for the truth beyond received knowledge.
5	Crowned Star	Mysteries unveiled yet unsolved; truths and prophecies as yet not understood.
6	Trailbound	Pursuit of knowledge tempered by wisdom; one who finds answers.
7	Firebringer	Wisdom won though sacrifice and suffering; one who comes with that which is most coveted or needed.
8	Lorespeaker	The transmission of knowledge; a teacher or mentor; the limits of received wisdom.
9	Torchbearer	Inspiration; revelation of truth long buried; leading others to their own wisdom.
10	Beacon	The light of wisdom; a truth that liberates and reveals; the endless quest for deeper understanding.
King	The Raven	Hidden secrets; unexpected good fortune and twists of fate.
Queen	The Killer	Accusations and persecution; justice and injustice.
Speaker	The Seer	Inspiration and intellect; events turned on the application of keen wit.

Harps

The suit of faith, family and spirituality. The cards of this suit represent people and places of comfort and security, and the qualities they promote.

1	Kin	Family; unconditional love and loyalty; a beginning.
2	Parent	Protection; a protector; the need for growth.
3	Youth	Growth and independence; vulnerability and questioning.
4	Partners	Personal loyalty; trust; one who is accepted as an equal and friend.
5	Rival	Competition; one who opposes you without ill-will; ambition and drive.
6	Kith	The found family; loyalty and respect earned; love.
7	Tribe	The greater family; service to a cause; public morality.
8	Heart	The soul of a cause examined and found good; a personal code.
9	Priest	Piety and dogma; a cause which overrides morality; a schemer or one who seeks power.
10	God	Authority and cause without merit; the easy path that abdicates morality and responsibility; a deceiver.
King	The Supplicant	Surrender to greater wisdom; bending before great power instead of breaking.
Queen	The Beast	Rage and spiritual abandonment; the application of pure force.
Speaker	The Ancestor	The wisdom of those gone before; strength from one's famly, tribe or culture.

Crowns

The suit of material possessions, gain and loss. The cards of this suit represent both material wealth, gain and loss, and the more abstract vagueries of fortune.

1	Gold	Wealth and possessions; ascribed value unrelated to intrinsic worth; a charlatan.
2	Silver	Purity and beauty; aesthetic value; intial gains not yet sustained; a merchant.
3	Wood	Flexibility and strength; short-term fortune to be amplified or lost; a country dweller.
4	Stone	Innovation and conviction; opportunity that must be seized at the right moment; a city dweller.
5	Bronze	Endurance and industry; lasting gains or lasting objects; a labourer.
6	Iron	Enterprise and resilience; the search for gain and the risk of loss; a crafter.
7	Water	Change and transformation; unpredictable gain or loss arising from unprecidented action; an artist.
8	Blood	Loyalty and sacrifice; immediate loss with the possibility of long-term gain; a leader.
9	Ashes	Destruction and rebirth; absolute loss; hope; a martyr.
10	Dust	Obscurity and despair; the fortune of the dead; a traitor.
King	The Puppet	An unseen hand working against you; spies and betrayers.
Queen	The Rider	Death; disaster and the loss of possessions and holdings. The loss of reputation.
Speaker	The Blade	An object of great importance; the linchpin of an undertaking.

Item type

Miscellaneous