Daroka of Agradine

The Daroka of Agradine is a Daroka deck, a variant of the Daroka of Snakes developed after refugees from the Ophionic Empire introduced the Daroka to the city of Agradine, then in the Magistry of Donara (present day Malahma.) Away from the Empire, the Daroka lost much of its serpent imagery. After the fall of the Mage Sovereigns, the deck was altered again, and more recent versions also eliminate imagery favourable to the arcanocracy.

Imagery

The product of escapees from the Empire, the imagery of the Daroka of Agradine is light and relatively upbeat, featuring many instances of broken locks and wings, indicative both of freedom and the symbolism of Tanit. Similarly, spears and dance are common motifs in the deck. More modern decks exchange some arcane motifs for religious ones to avoid the negative attention of the Church of the Eightfold Way.
The suits of the deck are called Knives, Clubs, Flames and Coins, but follow the same patterns as those in the Book of Stygis. Since its introduction and adoption by elements of the Majistry's lower echelons, the deck has never found general acceptance in the Sacred Republic. Consequently, decks tend to be either simple playing decks, shorn of most of their imagery and symbolism, cheaply produced sets with woodcut images, or fine decks produced in the Majistry and featuring the original - now vaguely heretical - images.

The Cards

(Cards in parentheses are the original versions of cards redesigned within the Republic.)

	The High Deck
I	Chalice	An object that is needed or desired; the catalyst of a conflict.
II	Assassin	A deadly enemy; savage strength unchecked by civility; assassination or murder.
III	Mendicant	A state of incompleteness; a journey undertaken, but yet to be finished; self-governance without authority over others.
IV	Regent (Majister)	Rightful, absolute or divine authority; completion; a great leader.
V	Battlefield	Conflict, destruction and transformation; a place of power or of conflict; destruction or conversion of enemies.
VI	Tower	Isolation and imprisonment; doomed beliefs; a great effort with no reward at the end of the struggle.
VII	Executioner	The fate of the condemned; death, deserved or undeserved, consequent on past sins; an executioner.
VIII	Exemplar (Sovereign)	Ascension and growth; liberation from the bounds of mortal authority; righteous power.
IX	Supplicant	A worthy offering; willingness to sacrifice for a cause; blood spilled for the gods.
X	Penitent (Thrall)	Death, loss and destitution; a desperate and destructive reversal of fortune; a last, impossible chance.
XI	Labyrinth	Confusion and loss; a place or situation of great danger; a person whose advice is not sound.
XII	Temple	Divine authority, aid and guidance; destiny; one who might achieve greatness.
XIII	Prefect	Sage guidance and counsel; foresight and prophecies; a wise adviser, although not necessarily to be trusted.
XIV	Traitor	Treachery and malice; plans undone by betrayal; a spy or saboteur.

Knives

As in the Daroka of Snakes, the suit of knives represents pure force in a somewhat critical light, and prefers to focus on the cards as signifiers of power of different kinds and the ways in which it can be used. Even as the great theocratic power of the Republic, the Church likes to view itself as the underdog, striving against the vast iniquity of the impious world, and the philosophy and symbolism that has soaked into the Daroka since the War of Hubris prefers to show the small and righteous overcoming the great and profane.

1	Judge	The power to act; meaningful choices and the opportunity to make a difference; one who has power and agency in the moment.
2	Gnoll	Direct aggression; the transitory power of violence; a killer.
3	Preacher (Herald)	Incitement; transformative power of the message, not the messenger; one who bears words of great moment.
4	Sender (Viceroy)	A conduit of authority; words of authority; power assumed on behalf of another.
5	Deltor	Action by proxy; a pawn or agent who serves unknowingly; power wielded unseen.
6	Defeated	The loss of power; defeat, retreat, or a fall from grace; one whose power is broken.
7	Excommunicate (Condemned)	Powerlessness; choices with no meaning or merit; a victim or a criminal.
8	Prisoner	Captivity and degradation; controlling one to gain power over another; a prisoner or hostage.
9	Dragonborn (Warlord)	Blind violence; force applied without will; one without self-control, and thus without power depite strength.
Master	Coronet	Authority; power granted from a higher source; a regent or viceroy commanding on another's behalf.

Clubs

The clubs are concerned with the interplay of sensual, spiritual and intellectual experience. The Church does not condemn sensuality - especially not the Tanitite Church in Malahma - but the daroka emphasises the need for balance over excess in any one thing.

1	Novice	A beginning; a lack of convictions and experience; a pupil or student in search of knowledge beyond themselves.
2	Searcher (Silencer(1))	Discovery; concealed information that can be unveiled; one who conceals their true identity, from others or from themselves.
3	Initiate	Study and learning; knowledge and truths that are granted; one who accepts what is told.
4	Prophet	Exploration and truth; open-mindedness and questioning; one who brings new knowledge.
5	Unshriven	Submission of mind and reason to sensuality; a hedonist; temptation.
6	Lover	Emotionality and open-heartedness; judgement compromised by feelings; a trusted friend.
7	Dancer	Sensual experience; acceptance of the world; pursuit of physicality; one who excels in the physical.
8	Drunk	Excess; unbalanced experience; madness or obsession.
9	Arcanist (Diabolist)	Dark and forbidden knowledge; spiritual corruption; one touched by the power of the gods.
Master	Book	A message or a prophecy; questions; a truthspeaker.

Flames

The suit of flames deals with physical and spiritual strengths, weaknesses, health or illness.

1	Warrior	Strength of body; skill at arms or athletics; one who fights.
2	Scholar	Strength of mind; intellect, learning or magic; one whose skills are rare or obscure.
3	Custodian (Summoner)	Strength of will and soul; compassion and healing; a healer.
4	Artificer	Subtlety and craft; transformation and adaptability; one who finds hidden value in common things.
5	Artisan	Skill of the hands; creation and artistry; an inventor or innovator.
6	Labourer	Endurance and stamina; persistence and diligence; a worker.
7	Farmer	Nurture and encouragement; childcare and teaching; one who raises others up.
8	Noble	Charisma and leadership; authority and wisdom; one who is raised up by others.
9	Consul	Favour and status; the power of office; a skilled official.
Master	Cauldron	The capacity for harm or healing; medicine or poison; one who holds the power of life and death.

Coins

The suit of coins stands for things physical, but beyond the body itself. It can mean possessions, or alliances with others, familial connections and friendships.

1	Charlatan	Transitory wealth or gain; fair weather friends; folly.
2	Warlock	Debts and profligacy; ill-advised purchases; a spendthrift.
3	Twins	A close alliance; two who work together as one; an unbreakable bond.
4	Parent	A fount of protection and resources; a trusted patron; dependence.
5	Choir (Coven)	Teamwork; a group that works together; strength in numbers.
6	Thief	Wealth taken from others; taxation or theft; one who has designs on that which another possesses or enjoys.
7	Gambler	Great risk and great reward or loss; hoist by your own petard; a chancer.
8	Merchant	Commerce and exchange; measured gain and managed loss; a wise sacrifice; a trader.
9	Beggar	Absolute loss; a herald of defeat and destitution; abject failure.
Master	Oathbond	A binding alliance; an heirloom; a friend in need.

(1) Silencers were enforcers in the Majistry, responsible for seeking out dissidents. Many were adherents of the Cult of Tanit.

Item type

Miscellaneous