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Metaplot Deep Dive/Aina and the Tarot question

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Artificer

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« on: <05-02-18/1617:03> »
OK.... I was sober this morning, I promise, but I had one of those sit up in bed moments that made me dive back into a few recent sourcebooks connecting dots....

...and I need to make sure Im not wholly off my rocker.

In the Aligning the Court section of Book of the Lost:

« It seems that the cards so coveted by our factions, and now outsiders, are not cards at all. According to the Lady, the Arcana is a unified artifact from another age, the result of powerful magic not seen in even a fae’s long life. I was shown visions of the Tarot in other forms, from long ago: clay and gold tablets, scrolls, and engravings on skin. These items, when brought together, hold terrible power, the full extent of which even the Lady could—or would—not say « 

....are these the Books of Harrow??!?

(this made sense to my as-promised-sober brain after I realized Aina, failing to sway the Seelie Court to align itself with her mission to speak of the Scourge as well as her being played by Ysgrathe would have left her no other alternatives than to rrip her way back into Faerie to seek out the Unseelie/either aid from ‘Gwyn’ or his prisoner.... and, as it stands, we see The Ebon Queen as a source of Unseelie rumor while we’re hit with what I can only assume is the next wrinkle of play between Alachia and Fallia/‘’Jenna’’/‘’Lady Thisbe’’.... which, truth be told, makes me wonder how long Mother and Daughter have been pretending to be the next in line as they trade off political power or pretend to be from a far land before taking over, and if that stretches all the way back to one of them being the direct child of Alamais.

...but anyway, it’d make sense if Aina’s only alternative was to see if she could broadcast or spread information about the coming Horrors but it seems that particular ancient artifact has repatterned itself to appear in ways modern minds can understand, as the awakened world would still have the idea that the Tarot is some ancient (hah!) source of wisdom texts, but these cards can appear as anytthing from ancient metal scrolls, texts on skin, Tarot cards, or holodevices)

Arguably, my thoughts are still a bit jumbled (more caffeiene is needed) but do you see what Im thinking?

Marzhin

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« Reply #1 on: <05-03-18/1146:30> »
Great minds think alike ;)

(At least regarding the Book of Harrows thing :p)
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Marcus

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« Reply #2 on: <05-03-18/1351:51> »
Which just means we gotta collect'em all and find out what has to say :D
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Mirikon

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« Reply #3 on: <05-03-18/1557:46> »
Just remember what happened to the last guy who found the book and read it all the way through.
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« Reply #4 on: <05-03-18/1607:41> »
Err, what happened?  (we don't all have access to all of the deep lore).  From the way you said it, I'm assuming nothing good ....

Mirikon

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« Reply #5 on: <05-03-18/1618:07> »
An elven mage known as Elianar Messias left the Elven Court and traveled to a remote area of Barsaive, long before the Scourge. He died translating an ancient text that people found there, and his translation became known as the Books of Harrow. But those who would continue his work found that it was dangerous to proceed, since the tome had knowledge of the Horrors, and had their pattern in it. Messias's disciple, Navarim took the Books of Harrow and founded Thera.
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« Reply #6 on: <05-03-18/1653:39> »
Thanks Mirikon!

lokii

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« Reply #7 on: <05-05-18/1529:24> »
[...] According to the Lady, the Arcana is a unified artifact from another age, the result of powerful magic not seen in even a fae’s long life. I was shown visions of the Tarot in other forms, from long ago: clay and gold tablets, scrolls, and engravings on skin. These items, when brought together, hold terrible power, the full extent of which even the Lady could—or would—not say «

....are these the Books of Harrow??!?

From just this I wouldn't say so.

A few remarks on the Books of Harrow: I think they were not magical by themselves. Though the knowledge contained within establishes a connection to horror-aligned forces at the heightened fourth world mana level (they are discovered only a thousand years before the scourge). The books were part of a cache stored in a cavern and it was its "magic and climate" that preserved them. Also there is the suggestion that the books are not necessarily special and others like them exist. The founders of Thera searched for those documents and actually the Eternal Library was constructed to contain the knowledge thus gained. Finally, even copies of the translated first book were widely distributed. I don't know about the other books, but at the time of Earthdawn they (or more likely copies of the translation) could be accessed by the public (except slaves) at the Eternal Library for a small fee.

Fun fact: The current line developer of Earthdawn, Josh Harrison, has long maintained that the books are actually forgeries. A cover to obscure the true source of the Theran's information.

Lorebane24

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« Reply #8 on: <05-06-18/1520:21> »
Do you think that would have a connection to Asamando and infected cannibalism, given the map on the bottom of the major arcana?
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