The following is a transcript of the tarot reading performed by Kezia. You may find subtleties here that were otherwise missed.
"Two paths converged, leading you here."
"If we are to know your course, we must first know you."
"The Abjurer's importance, four, is twice that of the Missionary, two. Together, they number six. We reveal a hexad."
"A triumvirate of evil has befallen the land. Vanquish them, and know peace.
Look within the Traitor to find the Beast.
Look within the Artifact to find the Anarchist.
Look within the Donjon to find the Necromancer.
[pause]
No - this is not correct..." [Kezia transposes The Traitor and The Beast]
"Along your journey hence, beware this card."
"But above all else, fear this."
Much of this is still as opaque to me as the night of the original reading. Recording my thoughts here, as it may be interesting to update this and see how it evolves over time.
ReplyDeleteIf you've ever read the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, this is so much like a Deck of Dragons reading, it's awesome. In that series, just as I believe they do in this reading, the cards refer to actual individuals--sometimes gods, sometimes mortals--places and events, though the meaning can change based on events.
The Myrmidon is troubling, but I honestly don't believe that we've yet encountered that aspect of the reading. It could relate to Tussugar, especially after revelations of his slaying of Ethelenda...but that seems a stretch. Certainly if we had reason to beware Tussuar, he's had ample opportunity to do us harm.
The relationship between The Beast and Traitor seems the clearest; The Beast obviously being Carcerus. The Traitor, depending on perspective, could be me or Korvich. I like that duality.
The only artifact of any importance thus far has been the ring, whose purpose and function we still do not yet fully understand. The Anarchist, as of yet, remains a complete mystery.
The reminder to review this reading was good--though I recalled the words, I had not thought about the images on the cards themselves. The Necromancer seems to fit the image of the woman described in the woods of Carrock...though whether that will prove true or a red herring, we've yet to discover. Our original thought was that The Donjon referred to Oldkeep...and while that still may be possible (we did not explore much beyond the obvious structure, mostly due to be ravaged by a troll), it could also be a reference to the tower within Carrock. That seems like more of a stretch, but shouldn't be dismissed...especially given the potential relationship between this "Goddess of the Hunt", the "Witch Queen" and Ethelenda. There are threads there that bear examination.
I really like how this reading may or may not actually inform the current actions and situation. It makes for a really deep, complicated story, which can be really frustrating at times--but also very rewarding when we finally puzzle it out.
Looking back on this in interesting. I haven't read it for several weeks, so I did not remember everything.
ReplyDeleteIf we look within the beast to find the traitor, it seems that Carcerus could have betrayed Korvich. Ignish seemed to mention that Korvich meant nothing. Perhaps this is somehow important, or just a useful piece of information for the future.
I do not know if we have yet to find the Donjon that is suggested in the reading. We have found 2 towers already, but we do not know if either is the one mentioned. It is unlikely to be the tower in Carrock in my opinion. It could be the Old Keep, and to "look inside it" might mean to trigger the portal spell on the wall. I do not get the impression that this Goddess of the Hunt is a Necromancer. She is luring children out of their homes, but that does not seem like the actions of a necromancer to me.
Finally we are instructed to look within the artifact to find the anarchist. At this point, I think we have 2 options to discuss. First, the journal with the odd writing at the end. Certainly finding that book and opening it could have led to some of what is happening. Secondly, and more likely in my opinion is the ring. We do not know the powers of the ring, but we know them to be at least somewhat random, and they could be said to cause anarchy. Perhaps more experimentation with the ring is needed.
I agree that at this point I do not feel like we have found either the myrmidon or the marionette. However, I would point that Tussugar has had interactions with odd things in this area, so we should not discount his role as the marionette, perhaps even unwittingly.
Thanks, enjoyed reading these replies. Obviously all of this is laced in ambiguity, which in fortune telling is kind of the point. I don't intend to address most of your insights directly (aside from clarifications of objective things), but I will say that there are a few words in the reading that are contextually important, and Sean seems to have keyed into one of them.
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