"At My Feet, The Netherworld."

[Tashalar]

[Here and there upon the parchment are little annotations to the notes, written in a rushed hand. Usually a translation into or out of Untheric the author speaks, a habit of translation both ways, apparently difficult to break.]

Ana Sepiya, Irkalli. ("At my feet, the Netherworld.")

The Seven Gates of Procalith are not well-known, by any means. Most are only even known to exist by those amongst our Order, or those who we choose to discuss them with. Here, I have little reason to hide what I am, as it bears very little relevance; the Gate I must protect is not known to be one by the local Underdarkers, and I intend to keep it that way.

Some look like what mortals would presume a Gate to look like - Salsu, the Third, is an old stone archway down hidden amongst the woodlands of Cormanthor. Others are altogether different. Isten - the First Gate - looks like a mirror; one of the Unnamed in my travels took the guise of a tar-filled pit, but even the Named can appear like this if they so choose upon the moment of Creation. Sessu - the Sixth - resides in the Spine of the World, and as befitting the frigid location has formed itself out of blade-sharp ice in a secluded valley amongst the mountains.

There are many more than seven, but the Seven Gates ("Sebet Babi") are the largest that we keep track of and maintain, and they are the ones that affect the world around us the most, according to the rites and records of the Gatekeepers.

Some of the Order think thought them to be independently sentient, or at the very least guided by some form of sentience of their own in their making. Even those who believe them to be crafted by the hands of mortals believe that the Gods must have had some influence in their Creation. I keep an open mind. There is enough evidence on this archipelago of sentience, both natural and foreign - that of those other than the Prime Material - that further research would have to be performed to be certain.

For now... I study, I serve and I work. As I have always done.

[Tashalar]

Usella Mituti ikkalu baltuti. "I will raise up the Dead here, consuming the Living."

The writing in this thin old journal is shaky, and smudges of rusty blood mar some of the pages.

The sun is rising. The screams have gone... it's been silent for an hour or two, now. By the Bel, I would not be spending my time writing if I thought there were any who know where I hide. I will forever be grateful to Annah - though many have fallen, the best and brightest of those in the Citadel were saved, sent away on 'mundane errands' upon news of her visions. One of the loyal to the intertwining of our faiths.

But as an apprentice 'Keeper, I had to stay - Tymora favoured us, I suppose, in the circumstance that the Citadel itself is protected from scriers, that scrying had to take place in the outer Towers. That has probably saved my life, but my injuries are still grave. I am not out of the woods yet. So much blood. A blessing and a curse.

Still. I did not think our Savran brothers and sisters capable of such slaughter - especially not given the reputations of some of my kindred flock. I will not underestimate them again... if any of them live after the protections of the Ehus were activated. The Citadel should be swarming with the Dead, now. The clash of battle, the rush of wind and fire as the Gifts were desperately flung about; the screams of the dying, and of those being consumed by the Ehus' mitutu... and then silence fell.

I pray to the Eternal Lord that he made it.
I'm so tired...

[Tashalar]

"Ina Badgaldingir." "The great fortified place of the Gods."

"Why did you bring me here? Why -me-, and why -here-?"

I was terrified. What the Inquisition of "Her Glorious Realm of Tashluta" (that always makes me laugh with such pretentiousness, even as a child) would term a "copper cap moment" - when one so angered the Gods by their presence or their actions that they were smote upon the very spot they stood, attracting bolts of lightning and such fury as to be destroyed summarily. I hadn't done anything, said anything, in that Baraggal Asru, "Holiest of Holy Places". But for the first time in a long time, I was truly frightened.

We talked. More accurately, he spoke and I mostly listened, trembling and twitching at every rustle of feathers or shift in soft ringing sounds. It made very little sense at first, and I admit still; I am not one in tune with the land, to truly understand what I was asked to do, but the reward - if as powerful as he said it was, and truly under my control to direct - could've changed everything. Still could change everything. But that remains to be seen.

I still don't understand why -me-, and not another.
He has such a penchant for extremes, for one so balanced.

A little note in fresher ink remains at the bottom of the scrap of parchment.

Flowery language is safe. Never a cycle's true peace.

[Tashalar]

Author Note: This is swiped from The Internet, tidied up and posted below for the benefit of those that buy Azuilah's sets of Talis Decks. I found it pretty much perfect, and so didn't want to just mangle it and try to pass it off as my own. Have fun with it! - Tashalar

Organization Of Talis Cards
Each Talis card has a suit and a number. Each card also has a specific orientation and game use. Descriptions of these follow.

Suits
Talis cards have six suits of 10 cards each: Flames (orange), Winds (white), Waves (blue), Leaves (green), Beasts (brown), and Fates (purple). These suits represent the elemental forces of the universe: fire, air, water, earth, animals, and the Powers, respectively. Each of these suits is represented by a different character type: dwarves for Flames, elves for Winds, coastal society humans for Waves, halflings for Leaves, barbarian humans for Beasts, and Gods for Fates. The Seeker card represents all six suits.

Numbers
Each suit is numbered, from 1 (an ace that stands for 1 and 10) to 9. Each number has a specific figure representing it. These are detailed in the lists that follow.

Orientations
The organization of each card when placed is important. If the card is right-side up to the dealer, the card's orientation is light; if it is upside-down to the dealer, the card's orientation is dark. This orientation affects the meaning of the card.

Game Use
Every Talis card has a special game use that adds a new twist to familiar card games. Sometimes, the card's orientation affects its game use.

The Sash
The sash that accompanies the Talis deck can be used to store the cards and to organize a reading. The seer lays it out with the tassels to his right. The symbols on the sash represent the four elements, eternity, the past, the present, and the future. The side away from the seer represents challenges; the side nearest the seer represents supporting forces. Cards are always placed from the left to the right. The 61st card of the Talis deck represents the Seeker, the one seeking an answer that the reading is being performed for. It is placed at the start of the reading.

The sash is as wide as the shortest dimension of the card, and is five times as long as the longest dimension.

Meanings of the Talis Cards
The following list details each card number and its significance in terms of suit, orientation, and game use.

DRAGON/ORB cards represent both great beginnings and great challenges. These cards depict a Good (Metallic) and an Evil (Chromatic) dragon in conflict around a dragon orb of might.

Game Use: Played as a DRAGON, this card CONQUERS any card except the CHAMPION. Played as an ORB, this card nullifies any DRAGON card.

Beasts
A copper dragon battles a black dragon.
Light: Fair dealings, trust
Dark: Greed, avarice

Leaves
A brass dragon battles a green dragon.
Light: True-heartedness, friendliness, alliance
Dark: Envy, sloth, malice

Waves
A bronze dragon battles a blue dragon.
Light: Steadfastness, faithfulness
Dark: Betrayal, deceit

Winds
A silver dragon battles a white dragon.
Light: Loving, caring, loyalty
Dark: Cold-heartedness, emotionlessness

Flames
A gold dragon battles a red dragon.
Light: Opportunity, control, calm
Dark: Anger, rage, hatred

PEASANT cards represent the common man and his relations with the beasts of the world.

Game Use: PEASANT cards can MELD with all other cards.

Beasts
A barbarian girl confronts a cornered badger.
Light: Hidden dangers, deceits
Dark: Hidden secrets, hopes

Leaves
A young halfling watches industrious mice.
Light: Patience, rest
Dark: Impatience, action

Waves
A human child fishes in a bountiful stream.
Light: Peace, blessings
Dark: False peace, curses

Winds
An elven child sings as she herds sheep to market.
Light: Contentment, control
Dark: Daydreams, frustration

Flames
A dwarven maid in a cave is startled by bats.
Light: Guidance, sure-footedness
Dark: Lost way, clumsiness

STEWARD cards represent those who tend the land and master the fields.

Game Use: STEWARDS can STEAL other cards.

Beasts
A barbarian whips an ox to plow a field.
Light: Brutes, louts
Dark: Fair labor, strength of purpose

Leaves
A halfling maid harvests a bounty of grapes.
Light: Cooperation, joyful help
Dark: Carelessness, selfish aid

Waves
A human irrigates a growing field.
Light: Deeds rewarded, kindness
Dark: Barreness, selfishness

Winds
An elven maid stands in a field of grain.
Light: Innocence, good news
Dark: End of innocence, bad news

Flames
A dwarven lad fights to control a forest fire.
Light: Courage, tenacity
Dark: Surrender, failure

ARTISAN cards represent craftspersons plying some trade or art for the love of beauty.

Game Use: ARTISAN cards can TRADE for other cards.

Beasts
A barbarian woman makes a saddle for her horse.
Light: Dire warning, omens sought
Dark: Preparation, mustering for war

Leaves
A halfling youth whittles a statue beside a pond.
Light: Inspiration, worthwhile deeds
Dark: Foolhardiness, wasted time

Waves
A human paints beside a waterfall.
Light: Great beauty, firm resolve
Dark: Fraud, misplaced step

Winds
An elven youth plays a flute as rain approaches.
Light: Competition, success
Dark: Rivalry, anxiety

Flames
A dwarf tempers a blade in a tub of water.
Light: Pride, careful work
Dark: Jealousy, flawed character

SCHOLAR cards represent students of lore and the lessons from the past.

Game Use: SCHOLAR cards REVEAL other cards' identities.

Beasts
An aged barbarian spins a tale to a wise old owl.
Light: Superstitions, false stories
Dark: Legends, lessons of history

Leaves
A halfling student ignores lessons to watch the wind.
Light: Curiosity, lessons of nature
Dark: Slothfullness, cunning

Waves
A sailor plots his course beneath a rainbow.
Light: New goals, careful plans
Dark: Dissatisfaction, hasty plans

Winds
An elven maid surveys the blowing snow.
Light: Sound advice, perception
Dark: Foolish decisions, deception

Flames
A dwarven priest writes by a lamp despite fog
Light: Enlightenment, hard study
Dark: Confusion, misdirection

WARRIOR cards show warriors defending their home.

Game Use: WARRIOR cards can PROTECT a hand of cards.

Beasts
A barbarian and wolves stand guard by torchlight.
Light: Accusation, demand
Dark: Judgement, understanding

Leaves
A halfling maid defies passage in a desert.
Light: Duty, caution
Dark: Thievery, thorny problems

Waves
A human warrior blocks the way past a geyser.
Light: Protection, adaptation
Dark: Capture, defeat

Winds
An elf warrior wearily watches a smouldering town.
Light: Freedom, victory, waiting
Dark: Bondage, despair, brooding

Flames
A dwarven warrior attacks before a burning town.
Light: Champion, costly freedom. [Game Use: This card, the CHAMPION, defeats DRAGON cards.]
Dark: Adversary, threat passes

MAGE cards represent mastery over the elements.

Game Use: MAGE cards can cause play to SKIP a player or can force a CHANGE (discard one card and draw another).

Beasts
A shaman and baboon dance an arcane ritual.
Light: Dishonesty, treachery
Dark: Wariness, dark forces

Leaves
A halfling druid grows a plant in a misty graveyard.
Light: Rebirth, renewal, healing
Dark: Fear, rejection, infection

Waves
A human sorceress summons marshy mists.
Light: Friendliness, charm
Dark: Hatred, seduction

Winds
An elven warlock summons the fury of a cyclone.
Light: Self-control, mastery
Dark: Turbulence, cruelty

Flames
An ogress feeds a cauldron before volcanoes.
Light: Imminent trouble, festering wounds
Dark: Unfounded fears, false rumours

LADY cards represent matriarchs of their people.

Game Use: LADY cards PRESERVE peace, negating an action.

Beasts
A barbarian woman and bear look on from a hill.
Light: Recalcitrance, stubbornness
Dark: Dependability, support

Leaves
A halfling matron surveys the earth's bounty.
Light: Rewarded work, reaped bounty
Dark: Ignored work, poor harvest

Waves
A human woman meditates over the sea.
Light: Health, tranquillity
Dark: Illness, doubt

Winds
An elven matron presides over dancing dreams.
Light: Faith, hope, charity [Game Use: This is the FAITH card. It can COMPLETE any COURT.]
Dark: disillusion, despair, nightmare

Flames
A dwarven matron tends the hearth.
Light: Hospitality, warmth, welcome
Dark: Overindulgence, chill, refusal

LORD cards represent the lords of the lands.

Game Use: LORDS can COMMAND, increasing the value of each of his suit's cards in a hand by one.

Beasts
A noble barbarian is enthroned before a stag.
Light: Injustice, tyranny, corruption
Dark: Justice, democracy, fairness

Leaves
A halfling lord drinks wine beneath an oak tree.
Light: Prosperity, fortune
Dark: Slothfulness, misfortune

Waves
A coastal lord reigns before a stormy sea.
Light: Council, purpose
Dark: Bad council, misdirection

Winds
An elf lord commands before a borealis.
Light: Command, leadership
Dark: Tyranny, monomania

Flames
A dwarf lord rules before a rising phoenix.
Light: Triumph, fulfilment
Dark: False victory, loss of vision

Meanings of the Fates Suit
Each of the ten Fates cards represents two distinct Gods. This displays 20 Gods of a pantheon [varies by region]. Traditionally, the CHAMPION (6 of Flames) and/or the FAITH card (8 of Winds) also may depict a particular God from the pantheon. The 2 of Fates through the 6 of Fates also show as a ruling card over the five lesser suits.

DRAGONLORD/CHAOS: The chief god of Good opposes the chief god of Evil. The orb in the centre of most ACES is replaced by a bisected light and dark moon.

Light: Order, consequence, mercy, control, beacon
Game Use: The DRAGONLORD card CONTROLS a foe's action.

Dark: Chaos, self-service, evil, deceit, rampage
Game Use: The CHAOS card SELECTS another's next play.

BALANCE: The god of Wealth opposes the god of Greed. It is the Fate of Beasts.

Light: Wealth, freedom, peace
Game Use: This card BORROWS 1 card from another hand.

Dark: Greed, slavery, betrayal
Game Use: This card BETRAYS, exchanging 1 card for 2 foes.

GROVE: The god of Nature opposes the god of the Wilds. It is the Fate of Leaves.

Light: Nature, bounty, abundance
Game Use: This card PARLEYS, guarding the holder from attack.

Dark: Wilds, bestial nature, chaos
Game Use: This card COERCES two foes to battle each other.

SEA: The god of the Sea opposes the god of Violence. It is the Fate of Waves.

Light: Sea, creation, passion
Game Use: This card RECOVERS a discarded card.

Dark: Violence, repressed rage, jealousy
Game Use: This card REVERSES the order of play.

WISDOM: The god of Wisdom opposes the god of Knowledge. It is the Fate of Winds.

Light: Wisdom, hidden treasure
Game Use: This card REVEALS another's hand.

Dark: Superficiality, numbness
Game Use: This card DEMANDS all players to tell the truth.

WEAPON: The God of Smithing opposes the god of Destruction. It is the Fate of Flames.

Light: Forge, tool, shaping
GAME USE: This card DEFEATS other cards (1 is discarded).

Dark: Vengeance, weapon, destruction
GAME USE: This card SLAYS a hand (draw new cards).

WIZARD: The god of Change opposes the god of Illusion.

Light: Change, transformation
GAME USE: This card TRANSFORMS one card into a wild card.

Dark: Illusion, phantasms, misdirection
GAME USE: This card REFLECTS an attack back on any foe.

EMPRESS: The goddess of Life opposes the god of Death

Light: Life, blessings, beauty, abundance
GAME USE: This card STRENGTHENS a hand (draw 2 cards).

Dark: Decay, disease, weakness, barrenness
GAME USE: This card WEAKENS a hand (discard 2 cards).

EMPEROR: A great Hero god opposes his arch Enemy.

Light: Hero, justice, general
GAME USE: This card LEADS, increasing a hand's value to the next highest.

Dark: Bane, enemy, raveger
GAME USE: This card DESTROYS an entire hand.

The SEEKER Card
The SEEKER card has no light or dark side. It represents all of the suits, and the person for which a reading is being given, or a question answered.
GAME USE: The SEEKER card is a wild card.


Fortune Telling with the Talis Deck

Using the Sash
Lay the sash out with the tassels to your right. Place the Seeker card in one of the cells, depending on the time in question; it goes where it seems most relevant to represent the person being read. Lay cards in the empty cells above then below, proceeding left to right (so 7 cards dealt). Consult the meanings list.

Sash decides light or dark; the side away from the seer uses the light reading (supportive) and the side toward the seer uses the dark reading (challenges).

Yes/No—Weal/Woe
Shuffle cards, spread them out in an arc, draw three and lay them face up. Count how many are light aspect.

3 Prospects are positive, good fortune.
2 Prospects are hesitantly positive.
1 Prospects include some ill fortune.
0 Prospects are definitely negative or harmful.

The Journey

[Look on the original page for this design; I couldn't get it to align properly here.]

Remove the Seeker card and set it aside; it is unused. Place the sash in the position indicated, and start putting down cards in the numbered pattern. Every time a Fates card comes up, place it on the other side of the sash and replace its spot in the pattern with another card.

The Fates now represent overall outside influences to the choices the character being read is going to make. The card in the 0 spot represents the most imminent consequence of the character's present actions, and the 8, 9 and 10 cards represent possible futures.