A deck of cards is a deck of paper playing cards which display different images and numbers and are used to play various games by the different cultures of the Old World. The composition of a deck of cards varies across the Old World and although most include four standard suits and one trump suit, the formation of these is rarely consistent.[3a] Better sets have painted panels and a small cloth bag or wooden carrying case. Prevalent card games include an element of gambling, such as the games called Fareo, Whist, Laggard and Pig Jigger.[1a]
For example, the 82-card Reiklander Tarock, one of the most popular decks in the Empire, uses four standard suits -- Chalices, Claws, Hammers, and Leaves -- and a trump suit. The standard suit has ten pip cards from Ace–10 and a five court cards: Knight, Baroness, Count, Duchess, and Prince. The trump suit has 22 cards numbered from 0–21 -- cards 1–20 are each associated with one of the 20 signs of the Imperial Zodiac, card 22 is Sigmar, and the 0 card pictures Ranald.[3a]
Compare that with the 42-card Wissen Trionki, a deck used almost exclusively in Nuln and its immediate surrounds. It has four standard suits -- Griffons, Hearts, Owls, and Swords -- but only contains five pip cards numbered from 6-10, and three court cards -- Knight, Baroness, and Countess. The trump suit contains just eight numbered cards, each with a name -- 1: Söll, 2: Dyrath, 3: Sigmar, 4: Shallya, 5: Morr, 6: Taal, 7: Verena, 8: Ulric. The deck also contains "the Twins" -- two cards without value, one showing Ranald as a man, the other showing Ranald as a woman.[3a]
Another variant, played with 78 vellum tarot cards, is played with four suites, usually shields, swords, cups, and clubs, ranked from 1 to 10, with a Squire, Knight, Queen, and King. In addition, there are 22 Major Arcana cards including the Idiot, the Magister, the Huntress, the Sea, the Emperor, the Priest, the Lovers, War, Justice, the Hierophant, the Wheel of Fate, Strength, the Raven, Morr, Temperance, the Ruinous Powers, the Tower, the Star, Mannslieb, the Sun, Verena, and the World. There are variations among the major arcana cards, some subtle, some significant, individual artists substituting images and characters as appropriate to the deck. People play games with these cards, though a few, especially the Strigany of Sylvania, profess the cards hold the power to predict the future.[1a]
This elaborate form of divination is popular in Tilea. The designs of the various cards also called tarots are said to date back a thousand years or more.[2a]
The Asur, too, use cards as a divinatory tool, implying that the practice originated in Ulthuan. Only two cards are known, The Changer of Ways and The Plague Lord. The Plague Lord over The Changer of Ways is the worst possible conjunction a deck can display.[4a]
Trivia[]
Card pictures mirror the Italian playing cards.
Major Arcana is a real occult practice with the same name. Images originally had simple allegorical or esoteric meanings, mostly originating in elite ideology in the Italian courts of the 15th century , where the practice was invented.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Old World Armoury (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 63
- 2:The Loathsome Ratmen and All Their Vile Kin (Background Book)
- 2a: pg. 71-73
- 3 Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Rough Nights and Hard Days (RPG)
- 3a: pp. 92
- 4: Sword of Caledor (Novel) by William King
- 4a: Ch. 19
