> > There are 22 Major Arcana but only 17 houses in Brust's world so we > have a translation with 5 additional aspects of Dragaera to make up > the 22 total. But, being you all are the really BIG fans we thought > we ought to see how closely our Major Arcana comes to what some of > you might like to see. > So the objective is to create an earthly Tarot instead of a Dragaeran Tarot? Personally, I'd still expect a Drageran Tarot to have 17 trumps. As far as that goes, if the trumps were to be represented as the houses/themselves, as appears to be the suggestion, then the numerical order of the trumps should correspond to the numerical order of the Cycle. I'd also still want to know where the Tarot came from. Maybe this isn't so interesting if the goal is simply to represent an earthly Tarot with Dragaeran imagery. Anyway, here are my ideas on mapping the earthly Major Arcana to a Dragaeran Analog. It goes without saying that the artwork should feature the colors of the House associated with the card. The Fool House: Phoenix Card Concept: Decay/Rebirth Analog: Beginning/End of the Journey of the Fool, Beginning/End of the Cycle Poem: Phoenix sinks into decay/Phoenix rise from ashes grey Art: Name: The Magician House: Tiassa Card Concept: Curiosity/Cleverness/Trickery Analog: Loki, Coyote, and Monkey would all be Tiassa. Poem: Tiassa dreams and plots are born Art: Name: The Trickster The Papess House: Issola Card Concept: Courtesy, nurture, hidden wisdom, unseen danger Poem: Issola strikes from courtly bow Art: An Issola minstrel performs before an audience of mixed social standing; all clearly feel welcomed and comfortable. The tip of a rapier protrudes from under her cloak. (Yes, I'm aware it's an Eastern weapon.) Name: The Minstrel The Empress House: Chreotha Card Concept: Creation, fertility, beginnings Poem: Sly chreotha weaves his net Art: A Chreotha craftsman at work upon his latest creation Name: The Tradesman The Emperor House: Dragon Card Concept: Leadership, Authority, Command Poem: Haughty Dragon yearns to slay Art: A Dragon general on a hillock with sword drawn, prepared to lead his troops into battle. Name:The General The Pope: House: Lyorn Card Concept: Tradition, Social order, manners Poem: Lyorn growls and lowers horn Art: A Lyorn referee advises two duelists standing within a circle, while their seconds look on. Name: The Arbiter The Lovers: House: Jhegalla Card Concept: Change, choices, consequences Poem: Jhegalla shifts as moments pass Art: A Jhegalla merchant serves a peasant, an outlaw, and a noble; clearly getting the best of each of them while simultaenously moving goods from one to the other. Name: The Merchant The Chariot: House: Dzur Card Concept: Victory, force, perseverance against the odds, Duality. Analog: The opposite colored horses of the Chariot map readily onto the Monad. This duality of the Chariot is also the duality of House Dzur, which paradoxically produces some of it's most renowned Wizards as well as its most renowned Heroes. Poem: Dzur stalks and blends with night Art: A Dzur Hero charges joyously into outnumbered battle. Dzur Mountain is silohetted in the distance. Name: The Hero Strength: House: Tsalmoth Card Concept: Persistence, the power that comes from knowledge rather than brute strength. Poem: Tsalmoth maintains though none know how Art: A Tsalmoth noble makes obeisance to the Emperor. Name: The Courtier The Hermit: House: Athyra Card Concept: Wisdom, scholarship Poem: Athyra rules mind's interplay Art: An Athyra wizard studies in his solitary keep, surrounded by his tools and the wondrous fruits of his activities. Name: The Wizard Wheel of Fortune: House: None Card Concept: Reincarnation, cycles, luck, changes Poem: Everything old is new again Art: The Cycle as it appears in the Halls of Judgement Name: The Cycle Justice: House: Iorich Card Concept: balance, harmony, law, fair representation, imprisonment Poem: Quiet Iorich won't forget Art: An Iorich judge hands down his decision Name: The Judge The Hanged Man: House: None Card Concept: Sacrifice, knowledge or power gained thereby Poem: none Art: Sethra Lavode, enigma Name: The Enchantress Death: House: none Card Concept: Transformation, transition Poem: none Art: Deathsgate Falls Name: The Paths Of the Dead Temperance: House: Hawk Card Concept: Balance, moderation, challenges, learning Poem: Hawk looks down form lofty flight Art: A Hawklord meditates, in perfect balance with his surroundings Name: The Scientist The Devil: House: Jhereg Card Concept: Evil, deception, hidden desires Poem: Jhereg feeds on others' kills Art: A Jhereg hides, poised for his victim, though whether to entice him or attack him is unclear. Name: The Assassin The Tower: House: Vallista Card Concept: Destruction, revelation, rebirth Poem: Vallista rends and then rebuilds Art: A Vallista engineer tears down a castle Name: The Engineer The Star: House: Orca Card Concept: hope, revelation, discovery Analog: The mariner is the last true explorer in the Empire Poem: Orca circles, hard and lean Art: An Orca sailor smiles as he watches a single bright star pierce the limit of the Enclouding. Name: The Mariner The Moon: House: Yendi Card Concept: Secrets, illusions, hidden plots, subtlety Poem: Yendi coils and strikes unseen Art: A person of no discernable house whispers into the ear of an assassin with knife-drawn against his victim, while simultaneously singaling a passing Guardsman. Name: The Pretender The Sun: House: None Card Concept: Illumination, understanding, power Poem: None Art: The Imperial Orb Name: The Orb Judgement: House: None Card Concept: Reason, acceptance, fate Poem: None Art: The Halls of Judgement, Verra and Barlan featured prominently Name: The Halls of Judgement The World: House: Teckla Card Concept: Completion, fulfillment, success Poem: Frightened Teckla hides in grass Art: A happy Teckla family enjoys the fruits of a peaceful and succesful Empire. Name: The Farmer This isn't perfect by any means. House Jhegalla best fits Death thematically, but the direct analog between Death and The Paths of the Dead is so compelling that it made much more sense to put symbolism above theme. I'm sure that other readers would likewise re-arrange the Houses according to tastes different from mine. I never did manage to come up with a good name for the Dragaeran Fool, as it's difficult to find a word that embodies both death and rebirth better than the word Phoenix already does.