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wondervis · 1 year ago

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Clockwiseland Playing Cards

These are face cards I designed. Based on one of the many pantheons for a fantasy setting I made called Clockwiseland. The pantheon is a mishmash of existing mythologies. Maybe I'll actually do something with it later.

King of Hearts - Borjis (he/him) The Blue-Faced King of the Lori (gods of good), the god of virtue, and masculinity. Borjis is one of the younger children of Sakkital. He was given the responsibility of ruling over humanity. He is married to Leewa. Borjis is traditionally the primary deity of Clockwiseland. It is said that Borjis lives in the sun, a palace so beautiful it gleams in the sky. The palace itself is carted across the sky by wolves, the sacred animal of Borjis. In an eternal war with his sister Ala'Lira. The Church of Borjis, the largest church in Clockwiseland, has a terrible history and is mired in corruption.

Queen of Hearts - Leewa (she/her) The Rainbow Queen. Leewa is the goddess of mothers, marriage, and women, and queen of the gods. Leewa was said to have been borne by Sakkital and the sky. It is said that she was born from the rain and the sky, and descended in a shower of colors. Borjis gifted her with the finest flowers, a magical diamond ring, and finally, the sun - a palace for Borjis and Leewa to live in. Leewa finally agreed to Borjis’ proposition, and the two married. Their children number in the dozens, and comprise most of the minor gods in the pantheon. Not always favored by modern society, because of her association with traditional values of femininity that are considered in the modern day to be sexist.

Jack of Hearts - Kurrin (she/they) Kurrin is the goddess of the moon, protection, and time. Kurrin is the daughter of Ala’Lira. From the beginning, mother and daughter did not get along. Ala’Lira immediately tried to eat Kurrin. Thankfully, there was a cat nearby that struck Ala’Lira away. The cat, Myu, adopted Kurrin and took her to see Bornis. However, Bornis hated Ala’Lira and suspected that Kurrin was a spy, so cast her out. Thankfully, Leewa found kindness in her heart. She granted Kurrin a palace of her own to live in, the moon, where she can always be shielded from the sun.

Kurrin, though she is the daughter of Ala’Lira, is still considered to be one of the Lori. She lives within the moon with her cat, Myu. She is a watchful protector of travelers while Borjis sleeps. It is said that she never sleeps, and eats rice cakes made by Myu.

King of Spades - Sakkital (she/her) Sakkital is this mythology’s version of Mother Earth. She was born in the vast ocean, growing from a fruit fallen from the World-Tree. She gave birth to Turis, Borjis, Panquen, and Ala’Lira. It is said she fell asleep, causing the Devourers to start eating her. Minnos fought off the Devourers, and Sakkital started healing slowly, though she remains asleep. One of the Lori.

Queen of Spades - Turis (he/they) Turis is the god of knowledge, healing and justice. Like many of his siblings, Turis has multiple arms. Each arm holds a symbol of his power. The first arm is an extended pinky finger, which represents “the one true path”. The second arm holds a lantern, which represents enlightenment. The third arm holds a scale, representing justice. The final arm holds a book. It is said that when Turis was born, his head was torn off by his sister Ala’Lira. Sakkital, in her wisdom, decided to replace Turis’ head with the head of a bee. This gave Turis the ability to see in many directions at once. Like Borjis, Turis is blue-skinned, representing his divine goodness.

Jack of Spades - Panquen (they/them) Panquen is the god of the arts, as well as emotion and passion. They have some visual basis on the Hindu goddess Kali, but are mostly related to the Greek Dionysus and the Muses.

Each of Panquen’s three faces represents a type of passion: joy, sorrow, or anger. It is said that a person’s passions are led in these three directions. Traditionally, Panquen is also depicted with at least four arms, each holding various musical instruments and instruments of theater. Most traditionally, they're seen holding a dancing knife, a goblet of wine, a flute, and a stylus. Their many arms represent the many forms passion can take.

King of Diamonds - Ala'Lira (she/her) Ala’Lira is the goddess of evil and death. She is the queen of the evil gods, who constantly fight for dominion over humanity. It is said she rules over Hell. When she appears before mortals, she appears to be a very beautiful person who tricks mortals into doing her bidding.

[spoiler]Ala'Lira is the true form of Leewa, and isn't quite as evil as Clockwiseland thinks she is. The true form of Ala'Lira has rainbow wings like Leewa does, and red skin like Ala'Lira does. The truth is nobody rules over Hell.[/spoiler]

Queen of Diamonds - Ssithe (they/them) Ssithe is the goddess of disease and death. Ssithe is the bastard child of Borjis and an unnamed mortal. It is said that Borjis was tempted by a seductress mortal. The tainted manner of their love caused Leewa to curse their child, turning them into a horrible monster with a rat’s head, a human’s rib cage, and a fly’s wings. It is said that Ssithe always cries blood in remorse of their monstrous form.

Ssithe is the equivalent of the Grim Reaper in this world. It is said that Ssithe claims the bodies of evildoers and grabs their souls, dragging them down to Hell.

Jack of Diamonds - Hib (he/him) Hib is the god of sloth and sleep. It is said he is a completely boneless creature, made of sludge and liquid flesh. He is the gatekeeper of Hell, and he does this job by sleeping on top of the gate itself. His weight is said to be so oppressive that anyone can slush their way in, but nobody can lift his body weight and leave. Hib is said to be the cause of depression.

King of Clubs - Hero-King Minnos (he/him) Hero-King Minnos is the savior of humanity in this particular pantheon. Minnos defeated the evil Devourers and kept them from destroying the world. He is equipped with the magical World Wood Axe, which grows and shrinks to his will and can turn into any object. There is a lot more lore here that I might get into later.

Queen of Clubs - Capricorn/Cancer (he/him, he/him) Capricorn and Cancer are two mages that gave advice to Minnos. They are heavily based on Merlin from the Arthurian legends.

Capricorn and Cancer are twins. They were born to two farmers, and from the moment they were born they showed magical powers. Otherwise, very little is known about the twins. Capricorn is often characterized as cranky, while Cancer is very reserved. They are the advisors and magical companions of Hero-King Minnos. They appear in the legends to proffer sage advice to the king.

Jack of Clubs - Jordas (he/him) Jordas is the mortal who betrayed Hero-King Minnos. Jordas was one of Minnos’ followers and fellow warriors - and, in some interpretations, the younger brother of Minnos. He was famous for using stealth and subterfuge to fight; his legends usually depict him teaching Minnos how to trick and outwit their enemies.

Jordas’ most famous legend is his betrayal of Minnos. Jordas stabbed Minnos three times in the back for a single gold coin. Jordas was then punished by Borjis. He was branded with the symbol known as the Mark of Minnos on his back, and cursed to walk the land without dying. In another tale, it is said that he was bit by a snake, whose venom courses through his veins forever.

Joker - Devourers The Devourers are an alien, otherwordly race of monsters. They are considered the ultimate boogeyman, though most don't believe in them anymore. They come in so many shapes, sizes and forms, but their iconic appearance is a mass of tentacles with geometric eyes.

#playingcards #clockwiseland #pantheon

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