Divination deck
The Tokka deck was first introduced as a tool for divination by the Followers of the Fortune's Path sect. The Gypsies' aptitude for this tool might be attributed to their fondness for games of chance. Moon Mages can use these painted cards to predict the future by divining meaning from the placement of each picture. Avatars, Portents, and Taisialaen, or "sky jewels", are dealt into predefined positions known as The Thread, The Path, and The Terminus. Tokka decks are often personalized, and it is uncommon that two would be the same.
Properties
- More control over the style of prediction done compared to other tools.
- Time consuming to predict with compared to other tools (About 30-60 seconds per prediction depending on the DEAL).
- Most complicated tool to interpret.
- Predicting on others is consentual only, since they need to cut the deck to attune the prediction to them.
- Unlike most prediction tools, the exact prediction can be seen by everyone in the room.
- Very long lived tool.
- Deals include a confidence factor.
- Since the make up of each deck is different each deck is a little more personal.
- Sect Affinity: Fortune's Path
Use
Like all prediction tools, before use the mage must know the ALIGN ability (learnable at 4th circle) and have made a successful observation. Furthermore, before the first use, the cards must be RUBbed to bond them to the user. Syntax is to ALIGN <skill/skill set>, SHUFFLE the cards, CUT the deck and then DEAL DECK 3, 4, 5 or 6. To predict on someone else CUT the deck at them to allow them to CUT the deck before DEALing. Each card beyond the first three will add a Kismet.
Example
You prepare to deal from your Tokka deck. Envisioning the layout of the Vibrant Cross in your mind, you briefly rest your hand over the place where each position in the spread will lie.
You pull the first card from your deck with complete confidence, revealing the Spider as a Kismet, but it is inverted!
You strongly turn over the next card, revealing the Crypt as the Thread, but it is inverted!
You draw the next card, playing the Ways as the Path.
You almost drop the last card, dealing the Joyous Mage of Hearts as the Terminus.
The Joyous Mage of Hearts brightens for a moment, as if somehow lit from behind.
You collect the cards and slide them cautiously back into your Tokka deck.
Interpretation
- The way in which each card is dealt indicates the general accuracy of that card.
- Kismets (If applicable) act as a modifier to the entire prediction, increasing it's potential but also increasing the risk.
- Generally the cards can be divided into positive, neutral, and negative - and their influence in a prediction, particullarly as Kismets, relates to this.
- The Thread relates to the magnitude of the prediction. Portents are the most potent here, and Avatars the weakest.
- The Path relates to the duration of the prediction. Avatars are the most potent here, and Portents are the weakest.
- The Terminus relates to the area of influence. Each card has a one to one relationship to a skill.
- The glow or shadow indicates the polarity, and is also where attunement messages would occur.
This particular prediction was a DEAL 4 ALIGNed to Evasion. The Spider is the strongest negative Taisialaen, however it is inverted making it positive and weak, and as a kismet it will influence the Terminus. The Crypt is a negative weak Portent, but also inverted, making it overall positive and fairly weak in the Thread. The Ways is a strong neutral Portent but is weak in the position of the Path. The Joyous Mage of Hearts indicates an unclear Terminus, however the glow indicates an overall positive prediction. Overall the prediction was accurate with the exception of a very unclear Terminus.
Much more on the reading of Tokka Cards can be found in A Technical Study of Tokka (book).
Qualities
When LOOKed at cards have eight qualities. Known qualities are listed from best to worst. Italics indicate a potential starting value when purchased.
Portents Brushwork
- rings with striking vibrancy
- surprisingly vivid
- bold and clear
- somewhat bright
- average clarity
- somewhat dim
- quite faded
Portents Lines
- somewhat animated
- easily recognizable
- plainly drawn
- somewhat flat
Avatars Brushwork
- rings with striking vibrancy
- surprisingly vivid
- bold and clear
- somewhat bright
- average clarity
- somewhat dim
- quite faded
Avatars Lines
- somewhat animated
- easily recognizable
- plainly drawn
- somewhat flat
Taisialaen Brushwork
- rings with striking vibrancy
- surprisingly vivid
- bold and clear
- somewhat bright
- average clarity
- somewhat dim
- quite faded
Taisialaen Lines
- somewhat animated
- easily recognizable
- plainly drawn
- somewhat flat
Age
- are pristine and have not yet been used
- are still very crisp (1 prediction)
- are fairly crisp (20 predictions)
- have the occasional nick (50 predictions)
- have a few gouges around the edges (100 predictions)
- are starting to become frayed (200 predictions)
- have grown quite frayed with use (349 predictions)
- show much fraying and a number of bends. (549 predictions)
- are significantly bent and worn with use. (747 predictions)
- are worn nearly to tatters from use. (994-1600+ predictions)
Edges
- highly square and even
- square and even
- fairly square and even
- roughly square
- slightly out of alignment
Explanation
Brush quality indicates potential potency, lines indicate accuracy, age indicates the number of predictions performed and edges indicate the polarity. Portents influences the power of the prediction, Avatars the duration and Taisialaens the skill.
Messages
Since a card can appear in any position messages for Tokka Cards are more about context within the deal and trends within sets of cards than specific messages. Each deck contains 54 cards (Not counting custom cards) and the exact mix varies from deck to deck. For consistancy the Terminus will frequently contain cards that otherwise will not otherwise appear within a deck.
Spread (Skill set)
- Golden Triad: Defense w/3 cards
- Dome of Fate: Defense w/>3 cards
- Celestial Pillars: Lore w/3 cards
- Scryer's Arch: Lore w/>3 cards
- Lunar Circle: Magic w/3
- Fateweaver's Glass: Magic w/>3 cards
- Staff of the Prophetess: Offense w/3
- Scythe: Offense w/>3 cards
- Pyramid of Awareness: Survival w/3
- Vibrant Cross: Survival w/>3 cards
Draw (Accuracy)
- You pull the (first/next) card from your deck with complete confidence
- You turn over the (first/next) card without hesitation
- You strongly turn over the (first/next) card
- You smoothly draw the (first/next) card from your deck
- You draw the (first/next) card
- You pause briefly before turning over the next card
- You uncertainly pull the next card from your deck
- You hesitantly turn over the next card
- You almost drop the last card
Not sorted yet. Unclear if the last few accuracies can appear in earlier draws, but they have not been seen by the author.
Light (Polarity)
- The (card) brightens for a moment, as if somehow lit from behind.
- The (card) darkens for a moment, as though a shadow had passed over it.
Special
- The Thread and the Path glimmer briefly in response. - Turned prediction
- The (card) flares unexpectedly! The image on the card brightens intensely, suffusing the air with a brilliant white light. As quickly as it came, the light fades, returning the card to its usual hue. - Crit success, edges and brushwork.
- The (card) abruptly dims! The color seems to drain out of it as it fades to a shade as black as the night. A long moment passes before the card finally flickers and resumes its normal hue. - Fumble, damages edges and brushwork qualities.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their colors seem somehow more vivid than before. - Improves brushwork.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their colors seem to have faded. - Damages brushwork.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their lines seem somehow sharper than before. - Improves lines.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their lines seem to have slightly blurred. - Damages lines.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their edges appear slightly smoother than before. - Improves edges.
- The cards in play and the Tokka deck itself all flicker like flame in the wind. When they stop, their edges seem somewhat less even than before. - Damages edges.
- The edges of two cards meet unexpectedly, rending them right down the middle! The remaining cards mash against one each other haphazardly, rendering the whole pile basically unusable. Slowly at first, and then with increasing rapidity, the individual cards each shimmer and grow translucent. Before you realize it, they've faded entirely from sight! - Destroys the deck.
Cards
Portents
| Power Rank | Positive | Neutral | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilded Egg | Hourglass | Crypt |
| 2 | Golden Moon | Summoning | Barrow |
| 3 | Ivory Shrine | Ways | Falling Star |
| 4 | Lucky Copper | Window | Fissure of Earth |
| 5 | Stellar Stairway | World Dragon | Illusion |
| 6 | Web of Fate | Endless Seas | Locked Door |
| 7 | Crossroads | Tome of Secrets | Void |
| 8 | River of Aether | Keep | Beast |
| 9 | Evergarden | Branch | Valley of Mist |
| 10 | -- | -- | Living Statue |
These are not currently sorted and does not include all possible Portents.
Avatars
| Power Rank | Positive |
|---|---|
| 1 | Races |
| 2 | Professionals |
| 3 | Suited Professionals |
Suits include Hearts, Clubs, Pins and Court. Inflection is indicated by the mood (if any) of the Avatar.
Taisialaen
| Power Rank | Positive | Neutral | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nightingale | Wolf | Centaur |
| 2 | Wolverine | Lion | Weasel |
| 3 | Magpie | Raven | Viper |
| 4 | Snake | Unicorn | Shark |
| 5 | Albatross | Boar | Coyote |
| 6 | Donkey | Panther | Heron |
| 7 | Dove | Cobra | Goshawk |
| 8 | Phoenix | Ox | Raccoon |
| 9 | Mongoose | Scorpion | Adder |
| 10 | Owl | Wren | Vulture |
| 11 | Welkin | Cat | Shrew |
| 12 | Cow | Ram | Shrike |
| 13 | Jackal | Dolphin | Spider |
Magic Skills
| Skill | Card |
|---|---|
| Primary Magic | Joyous Mage |
| Harness | Wellspring |
| Power Perception | River of Aether |
| Magical Devices | Artificer |
| Targeted Magic | Falling Star |
Lore Skills
| Skill | Card |
|---|---|
| Appraisal | Jewel of Night |
| Mechanical Lore | Broken Circle |
| Scholarship | Silver Scroll |
| Teaching | Crossroads |
| Percussion | Locked Door |
| Strings | Empty Loom |
| Vocals | Thief of Hearts |
| Winds | Twilight |
| Animal Lore | Beast |
| Astrology | Web of Fate |
| Empathy | Healer |
| Musical Theory | Minstrel |
| Trading | Moneylender |
Defensive Skills
| Skill | Card |
|---|---|
| Bone | Living Statue |
| Cloth | Empty Loom |
| Heavy Chain | Warrior |
| Heavy Plate | Keep |
| Leather | Hunter |
| Light Chain | Broken Circle |
| Light Plate | Wounded Veteran |
| Multi Opponent | Nimble Dancer |
| Parry | Crossroads |
| Shield Usage | Knight |
Survival Skills
| Skill | Card |
|---|---|
| Climbing | Stellar Stairway |
| Disarm Trap | Jewel of Night |
| Escaping | Broken Circle |
| Evasion | Nimble Dancer |
| First Aid | Wounded Veteran |
| Foraging | Valley of Mist |
| Hiding | Twilight |
| Lockpicking | Locked Door |
| Perception | Stargazer |
| Skinning | Beast |
| Stalking | Illusion |
| Stealing | Thief of Hearts |
| Swimming | Endless Seas |
| Backstab | Hourglass |
| Scouting | Hunter |
Offense Skills
| Skill | Card |
|---|---|
| Light Edge | Thief of Hearts |
| Medium Edge | Burning Forge |
| Heavy Edge | Dwarf |
| Twohanded Edge | World Dragon |
| Light Blunt | Gnome |
| Medium Blunt | Falling Star |
| Heavy Blunt | Knight |
| Twohanded Blunt | Wounded Veteran |
| Slings | Halfling |
| Staff Sling | Empty Loom |
| Short Bow | Broken Circle |
| Long Bow | Hunter |
| Composite Bow | Woodsman |
| Light Crossbow | Twilight |
| Heavy Crossbow | Illusion |
| Short Staff | Hourglass |
| Quarter Staff | Runebinder |
| Pikes | Wall of Thorns |
| Halberds | Keep |
| Light Thrown | Minstrel |
| Heavy Thrown | Warrior |
| Brawling | Living Statue |
| Offhand Weapon | Beast |
Note that these skills do NOT match the Fortune's Path cantrip.
Custom Cards
Unlike other tools Tokka Cards can be customized slightly - Having unique cards introduced to the deck that mimic other cards. Lohkrian's demonstrates this:
Before Painting:
G>tap card
You tap a Tokka card that you are holding.
G>l card
You see an unpainted Tokka card.
After Painting:
G>tap card
You tap a Tokka card that you are holding.
G>l card
You see the Defenestrated Student.
G>pull card
You hold up your Tokka card, revealing the Defenestrated Student for everyone to see.
G>combine card with deck
You slide the Tokka card into the middle of your deck and then toss a couple of quick strip shuffles by taking small portions off the bottom of the deck and placing them on the top.
Roundtime: 6 sec.
G>study deck
You can SHUFFLE, CUT, and DEAL this Tokka deck. You can even CUT it at other players. DEAL expects a number between 3 and 6. For example: DEAL DECK 4. You can also use many other verbs on this deck, like PUSH, TOUCH, TURN, and more!
Skimming through the cards, you look to see if any have been added.
You see:
the Defenestrated Student
Roundtime: 5 sec.
These cards may then be selected any time the deck looks for a card with the same properties as the card that was added. For that deck, it is now a valid choice to help describe prediction outcome.
G>turn deck
You flip the deck over and glance down to see the face of the Defenestrated Student. It makes you shiver. You pull the card off the bottom and slip it into the middle of the deck.
Notes
STUDY You can SHUFFLE, CUT, and DEAL this Tokka deck. You can even CUT it at other players. DEAL expects a number between 3 and 6. For example: DEAL DECK 4. You can also use many other verbs on this deck, like PUSH, TOUCH, TURN, and more!
DEAL (without ALIGN first) As you begin turning over the first card, you realize that you are not correctly aligned with fate. Pausing briefly in confusion, you glance down and catch a glimpse of the Unicorn before you can stop yourself. You probably should shuffle the deck again.
SHUFFLE
You cautiously spread the deck out before you, sliding the cards around and thoroughly mixing them before carefully collecting them into a pile again.
Roundtime: 5 sec.
CUT You cut the deck for yourself, removing roughly half the cards and placing the remainder on top of them.
PUSH Squeezing the edges of the Tokka deck between your fingers, you send a cascade of cards casually into your other hand.
TURN You flip the deck over and glance down to see the face of the Frowning Woodsman. It makes you shiver. You pull the card off the bottom and slip it into the middle of the deck.
TOUCH You silently rest your hand on top of the Tokka deck, clearing your mind of all other thoughts.
RUB You slide a card off the top of the deck and place it at the bottom.
SHAKE You holds the Tokka deck loosely and shake it up and down, allowing cards to drop out of deck and into your other hand.
KISS You bring the Tokka deck to your lips and kiss the top card for luck. You hope you weren't kissing the Vulture!
TAP You rap the top of the Tokka deck with your knuckles, trying to maintain a mystical air.
THROW
In a somewhat questionable move, you throw your your Tokka deck into the air! Cards fly everywhere and slowly flutter to the ground! Realizing the error of your ways, you quickly bend down to pick them all up again.
Roundtime: 15 sec.
RUB
You slide a card off the top of the deck and place it at the bottom.
The deck becomes warm under your touch, then grows cool again.
You are struck with the strange, but definite, feeling that the cards in the deck have shifted slightly.
Unlike most prediction tools, Tokka cards can be used by non Moon Mages, however they will have no actual predictive qualities when used like this.
Also See
"Moon mage" is not in the list (None, Bard, Barbarian, Cleric, Empath, Moon Mage, Necromancer, Paladin, Ranger, Thief, ...) of allowed values for the "Guild association is" property.