[June 2017 GM Event] The Reading

[Azraeth]

Hello and welcome to the June 2017 GM event. The focus of this month's adventure is on exploring a character's thoughts and motivations through the lens of the tarot. Each day for one week, a new card will be revealed along with a blurb describing what sort of content your responses should focus on. For each completed prompt, you will get 500 bonus RPP, for a total of 3,500 extra RPP at the end of the event. Should this event prove popular, expect a repeat possibly later in the year, covering another set of cards, with extra special participation prizes for those who join in on the fun through the entire series.

There is no post length requirement. Though I will be posting prompts daily, you can choose to respond daily, or get them all done on the last day if that's your desire. The deadline for completion however is 11:55 PM EST on Friday June 9th. To respond, please start your own thread on the Hardcore Ruleset forum with [The Reading] somewhere in the title so I can easily validate participation, and so that people can follow along if they want. Please only post one thread per participant, and just make subsequent replies to that thread.

You may reply to the prompts with more than one character at your discretion, but again, they should all be housed in a single thread. You may even use this event as an opportunity to flesh out thrall characters, or new characters. Really, whatever you want.

The first prompt will be posted shortly.

[Azraeth]

T E M P E R A N C E + R E V E R S E D

Everything about the Temperance card reflects harmony and balance. The juxtaposition of the land and water, the calm and soothing tones of the colors used, the peaceful imagery - all of it comes together to give the impression that the person the card represents has their stuff together in all the best ways. So it stands to reason that Temperance Reversed means the opposite. Whether it comes from poor planning, or struggles forced on a person, this card in this position represents conflict, struggle or imbalance. In many ways, this card is a warning. Big blinking, flashing, red lights. "Slow down!" "Approach with caution!" "Careful ahead!" This card may not just be a signal that you need to carefully assess your way forward, but that you need to formulate a plan or even assess the things in your life which will not help you to get where it is you're wanting to be.

For today's prompt response, I'd like for you to talk about a time when your character picked up on some major warning signs in their life. Maybe it was a past relationship, when their partner did something that set off all kinds of alarms. Or maybe a more literal warning to stay away from something or someone for fear of danger. "Here be dragons". Whatever the case, if they heeded those warnings or didn't, the response should include some of the events leading up to, and then the eventual fallout (or lack of fallout) of the period in question.

[Nerissa Clemming]

So just to clarify, is this more of a solo thing?

[Azraeth]

Yep!

[Kaspar]

Coolio. I accidentally wrote a big *** solo for this prompt on a whim pretty much straight away after reading and just have to edit/post up XD.

Will we be getting some kind of update as to what happened with the last event? A few of us were wondering if there was any sort of impact with the wendigos like are they still the same level of issue? Lesser? More? Should humans be wondering off and going a bit loopy or might they be slightly safer? Thanks ^^.

[Azraeth]

S T R E N G T H

We're not talking about physical strength here, so don't be fooled by the guy with the club. The Strength card represents determination, willpower, confidence, and general stick-to-it-iveness in one respect. It's the card that says even though life may have you down right now, you have what it takes inside of you to get through any obstacle thrown your way. Much like Whitman's A Noiseless Patient Spider the Strength card represents everything I love about the power of the human spirit and the boundless ability of a person to form resolve, and show compassion. See that's the other side of the Strength card. Not just representing the force of nature which the human willpower can be, there is also the more nuanced message. The struggle against the inner beast. The very core and essence of what it is to be human.

For today's prompt response, I want you to talk about a time, when your character was human, during which they had to rise to a particular occasion or overcome a major obstacle. The only real requirement I have is that the thing they overcame has to have been a big deal to them, or has to have majorly shaped who they are as a person in the present day. Maybe they fell upon rough times during the recession. Or maybe they grew up with nothing but hard times, which shaped them for the better or worse.

[Azraeth]

T H E + F O O L

The fool isn't a card about making bad choices. If anything, the main meaning behind this happy-go-lucky fella' is optimism. See, the Fool represents a beginning and an end. The beginning of a new journey in life. The end of an important chapter. Think of this card as a reminder that positivity breeds positivity. Though you may be about to stumble onto some choices that will be hard to make, in a situation which offers you some danger; sometimes the best way to handle the problem at hand is with your head held high, a smile on your face, and just a tiiiiiny bit of a devil-may-care attitude. The Fool may look like he's stepped into the viper's den, but that doesn't change who he is. The happiness associated with him. Or the happiness he brings to others.

Today's prompt response calls for discussion about a time when your character went through a major change. For a vampire, maybe it was when they were turned. Maybe it was the loss of a parent, or a crossroads in education or career. The important thing to focus on is how they made it through that transitional period. What came to an end? Or what was started? And how did it shape who they are?

[Azraeth]

T W O + O F + C H A L I C E S

The Two of Chalices is all about relationships, much like The Lovers this card may relate to romantic love which is rooted in harmony and balance. Chalices often being associated with the element of water, is strongly tied to emotion, so even if the Two of Chalices does not refer to a romantic bond, it certainly points to a pairing with a strong foundation of friendship. Perhaps this comes in the form of two people deciding to open a small business together, the opening of the home to new family, or purchasing a new pet. However, the bond itself is not the key point of the Two of Chalices, rather the two most important points about a relationship described by this card, is that it will be mutually fulfilling and mutually beneficial, meaning all parties are going to come out happy. Pretty sure there's a joke in there about how one's cup runneth over, but that would just be too easy wouldn't it?

Today's prompt response is an introspective look at the relationships which have formed your character's present mind. In this case, we're looking at ones that have been beneficial in some way. Maybe it was a particularly important ex, or a business dealing that went really well. Perhaps your character was adopted into a family, or had a very strong bond with their biological family. Whatever the case (even if those relationships ended badly ultimately), this prompt asks you to write about the highlights of, or a particular time, when things were good.

[Azraeth]

K N I G H T + OF + S W O R D S

In tarot, swords represent action, courage, power, and force. They are great actors for change in the world of divination. Knights themselves are unique because they are defenders and messengers, which means that the Knight of Sword comes with a certain sense of urgency in a reading. What he represents is single-minded obsession with accomplishing a goal. Success. Winning. This Knight is all about getting things done. Do the ends justify the mans? Yep! Is anything else important? Nah. As you can imagine, the Knight of Swords can be either a very good thing or a very bad thing depending on what it's placed next to during a reading, because it has the power to amplify the meaning behind the cards around it. On the one hand, this knight might mean that, as you start on a new journey, that nothing is going to stop you. That there is nothing ahead which can stop you, that your ambitions will manifest after quick and decisive action. However, there may be some dangers you are blinding yourself to in order to achieve your goals. You may be tempted to move without thought, to brush aside the advice or warnings of those around you. The Knight of Swords warns not to give up long term success or stability for a short term win. But it also says not to let anything stand in your way. Never back down.

Today's prompt response requires you to focus on a time in your character's life when there was something extremely important to them, which they just reached out and grabbed. Maybe this was something major, like acquiring a relic, or something more mundane, like an addict finally deciding to go into rehab. Whatever the case, for better or worse, your character pulled the 'trigger' on something. And they won. Maybe it wasn't a recipe for long term success, but maybe that doesn't matter. Everything in life is fleeting, they say, so maybe there are really only ever the short term successes and maybe longevity, maybe the long term is just another stepping stone in the path created by every choice your character has ever made. Who knows?! Certainly not this humble reader of fortunes.

[Azraeth]

S E V E N + O F + P E N T A C L E S

Called pentacles, coins, Denari, and discs, this suit is most commonly tied to the element of Earth, and therefor worldly things such as wealth, creature comforts, and goods. Historically, pentacles were related to merchants or the trade, so it probably doesn't come as any shock that the Seven of Pentacles is connected to a very particular type of success. Whereas the themes related to prosperous ventures from other cards may be more general and vague, you can bet your bottom dollar (or coin in this case), that if the Seven of Pentacles turns up in your reading, it relates to the possibility of long term good fortune. See, that's what the seven has to do with it. Seven is a mystical number with heavy association to mystery, luck, and goodness. This card is all about sustainability, and may be the hint you need to fully invest in a venture that just might be coming your way.

Today's prompt response asks you to take a speculative look at the future, based on what's currently going on in their life. At any given point in time, people stand at a crossroads. Every day, there are small choices which can have major impacts on their lives, and every time a path is taken, it leads a person either closer to, or further away from their end point - the goal which they most desire. So for today, I want something set in the future, a reflection on how something today led to prosperity down the line. You can detail their plans, and how they got there if you want, or just do a slice of the future, all sorts of different ways to tackle this one.