The Tarot of Duchess Tor
House Tor and House Deimos
The Dominion of Deimos was the ultimate successor state of the First Empire, though it paled in comparison to that once expansive and glorious nation. With House Deimos at its head the Dominion was guided out of the apocalyptic downfall of the First Empire and the subsequent destruction of First Empire lands by the birth of the Suns' Divide Desert. Although House Deimos was lead, in true First Empire fashion, there was always competition. Other noble houses of the old empire fled alongside House Deimos, as cooperation and pooling of resources was necessary in the decades of survival following the fall. Preeminent amongst the other houses was House Tor, a High House of equal status with House Deimos during the days of the First Empire. House Tor suffered the leadership of House Deimos only as necessary, until survival was more then just a hope and a dream. When the fires of the First Empire's fall slowly went dark, and the sands of the Divide were contained to the westward mountains of Dominion lands, House Tor pressed its claim. "We are the superior House. We can claim power and nobility stretching back from before the rise of the First Emperor and the genesis of the First Empire. House Deimos are upstarts, elevated to their station by simple favor curried by being the chosen bodyguards of the First Emperor. They know nothing of true leadership, of logistics, of infrastructure, of nation building. Us remnants of the First Empire will be nothing but bickering tribes in a century's time with the flawed and fatal leadership of House Deimos." High Lord Obeon Tor to the Dominion Senate, 45 A.D.Fires of War and Romance
With Tor pressing its claim to leadership of the Dominion, civil war naturally followed. For another decade the Dominion was engulfed in war and battle as the various houses that fled the First Empire aligned with House Tor or House Deimos. Schemes, plots, and assassinations played out behind the battlefields, as politics played an equal role next to war. In the middle of this chaos was the young Duchess Calista Tor, daughter to High Lord Obeon Tor and second-in-line to the seat of House Tor. Wild but innocent, she had no interest in the war that was waged between the Houses, and in the midst of this civil war she found romance. The story is well known throughout Vandarel, as storytellers and bards have crafted multiple versions throughout the centuries. The young Duchess Tor, nobility of import and power, fell for a young man of nothingness. No social station or name to call his own. Their love forbidden by demands of propriety and society. Their love forbidden by two sides of a blazing civil war. The story is well known but as the centuries have passed it has been reduced to mere myth and legend, often told in the cities of Paran-Tor to exemplify the passion and romance of House Tor. Lesser known stories expand upon the myth, telling the final days of the romance. "On the streets of Lin's Rest there was to be a cease fire. A brief moment of respite to honor the raising of the Temples. To the old gods of the old empire. Some lost and forgotten. Some remembered and still honored. Some cursed. And some blessed. Deimos and Tor came together, to show they were civilized and that when this bloodshed was over that peace could be possible. Even if a bit more blood had to be spilled. Prayers were made. Tithings were offered. The gods were exalted, even one made an appearance, or so it is said. And then the first shot rang out. Bolt or magic. Chaos. The Duchess Tor found her dressed stained dark with the blood of Lover, their marriage only a day away. Lover smiled and laughed, he knew he would die. He knew the exact moment of his death, and now Duchess Tor would know too. From his coats the cards fell, the game he liked to play, the game she knew was so much more. And as the streets bled into chaos, she read the Tarot of Duchess Tor."The Reading
Most stories of the romance end with the death of Lover, and hint that the death of Calista Tor soon followed. But a few detail what followed, the prophetic reading of cards that is still playing out through history. Fourteen Events were predicted by Duchess Calista Tor that day, as Tor and Deimos fought on the streets of Lin's Rest:- Death - For Duchess Tor to Follow Lover.
- Flight - Tor to the East, beyond the plains.
- Warrior - A bullet of light will guard the Reading, will guard Lover, will guard Tor.
- Destruction - A mountain shall fall to fire.
- Slumber/Awaken - A mountain shall awaken, truth set aflame.
- Flight - Wings shall beat, memories restored.
- Raindrop - The Glade will flood, with tears and then blood.
- Fire - The Fire shall awaken, sand scorching the world.
- Glass - The prison is made of glass, and it will break.
- Snow - Snow will save, a sweeping salve from the west.
- Clouds - The clouds will part and stars will shine.
- Return - He will return.
- Return - They will return.
- Return - It will return.
Variations & Mutation
Most variations of the Romance of Duchess Tor often focus on specific aspects, eschewing other important attributes of the tale so as to fit the story into a preferred genre such as war, romance, or romantic comedy.
The most notable variation outside of the lands of Paran-Tor is a comedy variation, wherein either Duchess Tor or Lover, or sometimes both, are replaced with caricatures or made explicitly unattractive. The most offensive comedic version, to citizens of Paran-Tor, is where Lover is replaced with a Chimera.
Cultural Reception
The legend of Duchess Tor and her Lover is well known in the lands of Paran-Tor and is even well known and regarding in other lands of Vandarel. It is often a highlight of the power of romance over the chaos and bloodshed of war.
Date of First Recording
76 A.D. (After Disappearance) - In Restibal's Recordance, Chaos of the Fall
Date of Setting
51 A.D. (After Disappearance)
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