Tarokka Cards

A spread of Tarokka cards by Unknown

Tarokka cards have been used by those trained in the mystic arts for the purpose of fortune telling for centuries, especially in communities on the western shores of The Azure Sea. In the hands of a skilled seer it is said that a deck of Tarokka cards can tell tales of the future and provide answers to many a dark and mysterious question.
Although the workmanship and artistic quality of the cards can vary from deck to deck, the ability of the cards to call forth information about the future is far more valuable than the monetary worth of a deck.
Anyone can craft a deck of Tarokka cards, but that does not mean that they have the gift of prophecy. They must be empowered by a method lost to the modern world, and stored in accordance with ancient tradition, or it is said that they will lose their efficacy. When not in use, Tarokka cards must be wrapped in silk and stored in a wooden box.

The History of the Tarokka

The origins of the Tarokka deck are lost in history, although numerous legends and tales abound purporting to describe the creation of the first deck.
The illustrations found on each of the Tarokka cards, and their meanings are traditional. Because each deck is created by the individual who plans to use it, there is great diversity in both the quality and exact rendering of the images on the card.
The only times that a deck of genuine Tarokka cards will function for someone other than the hand that created them is when they are designed and created with the intention of making a gift of them or when they are passed on to an heir upon the creator’s death. In the former case, the artist must be intimately familiar with the person for whom the cards are created; in the latter case, the heir must be a direct blood descendent of the artist.
Tarokka cards are usually made of thin slices of pale stone which have been etched and inked with black ink via an unknown process.

Composition

The Tarokka comprises 54 cards. The deck is divided between the Lesser Deck of Fate (forty cards) and the Fortuna Magna (fourteen cards).

The Lesser Deck of Fate

One of the Fortuna Magna cards by Unknown

There are four suits of cards within the Lesser Deck of Fate: Coins, Swords, Stars, and Glyphs. Each suit corresponds symbolically with one of the four elements, the four basic adventuring professions (warrior, priest, rogue, and mage), and to either the mystical or physical world.
Within each suit are 10 cards. The final card of each suit provides an image of a Master of the class controlled by that suit.

The Fortuna Magna

All cards in the high deck, or Fortuna Magna, are powerful and significant to the mystic. These 14 cards have special importance to any reading and may contradict other cards or change the meaning of the prophetic reading in an instant.

Alignments

The cards numbered one through nine, with each having its alignment, are important in understanding the symbolism of the cards. The master card has no alignment, for it embodies all that is good and evil, lawful and chaotic about a given way of life.

Tarokka reading by Unknown

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Weight

0.5 lbs

Dimensions

2 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches