Introduction

These rules are intended as an extension and aid for groups playing Armour Astir, by Briar Sovereign.  They can probably be adapted for other games.

In the conflict turn, players and the Director narrate three Conflict Scenes, which are often partially or wholly improvised.  This set of rules is intended to help give a prompt.  Feel free to adjust, ignore, hack or otherwise deviate from whatever suggestions this procedure spits out - the point is just to get the wheels turning.

This procedure uses a standard 78-card tarot deck.  If you don’t have one, there are lots of websites which will draw random tarot cards for you.  Ideally, try to find one which will specify if cards are reversed or not.  *Reversed* tarot cards often take on the inverse or mirror of the meaning they take in the upright position. Alternatively, they might mirror the mood of the card while keeping the substance the same - a reversed Fool, for example, might suggest a debauched and chaotic party rather than an innocent, care-free celebration.

If a particular card’s meaning doesn’t fit your game’s tone or genre, feel free to substitute your own meanings!  The internet is full of resources on the meanings of particular cards.

*A note:*  the cards of the tarot deck and their settled meanings are a historical artefact which comes with a lot of gender essentialist baggage - e.g. the Empress means ‘abundance, nurturing, stability’, whereas the Emperor means ‘authority, law, leadership’. The Queen and King in every suit play out similar gender associations.  I've merged these cards together into the Empress / Emperor / Emprate and Queen / King / Monarch cards.  Feel free to pick whichever of the set you like if you draw one of these cards.

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Imagining a conflict scene

Draw three tarot cards and reveal them one at a time. Take a moment to discuss the meaning of each, and any immediate ideas they might spark.

• The first card represents the event which frames the whole scene.
• The second card represents the mood, vibe or location of the scene.
• The third card represents a person or persons involved.

If you want more flexibility, you can optionally re-arrange the cards, choosing the one you want to represent the event, place and person(s) involved.

For example:

Draw 1

Event - Two of Wands - Cause/Authority weigh options and consider new directions.

Mood/context - Six of Wands - A drinking establishment.

Person - Strength - a person adapted to survive in harsh environments.

Ruminating on their recent failure, the heads of the Grey Compass meet in the less-than-salubrious Rottweiler’s Arms to argue about strategy and next steps against the unearthly Night Puppeteers. From across the room, a Puppeteer agent watches - beneath her cloak, her fluxional armour rearranges itself constantly, occasionally scuttling across her shadowed face.

Draw 2

Event - Knight of Cups (reversed) - dance or ball attended by high society - reversed, suggests a low-society equivalent.

Place - Page of Coins - a university campus

Person - Ace of Wands (reversed) - a visionary craftsperson working on a project - reversed, suggests creative block

The famous political fraternities of the University of Golgost were once a site of passionate debate, but the new laws make such conversations much more dangerous. The unofficial students’ society ball is filled with dancers, alcohol and tight knots of students, discussing current events and keeping an eye out for classmates suspected to be on the Hegemon’s payroll.

Amia is present but distracted, their friends’ hushed conversation sliding over her. Their masterwork, the first epic written since the Hegemon rewrote the Old Sagas in his image, is just lines away from completion - but it is missing something they can’t put her finger on. Rumours of her nascent saga have made their way to the Dean’s ears, and he hopes to curry favour with the Hegemon by expelling them before it can be completed.

Draw 3

Event - King of Wands - An important project or venture is initiated

Place - Nine of Pentacles - A place of sport

Person - Temperance - Honest broker, trusted by both sides

The exhibition match of the new Shard-Chess Hall is an event of great fanfare. Nobles throng the galleries behind protective screens, watching as the players manoeuvre their refract-knights, light eaters and mirror pawns to cast blades of light at each other’s eyes in fierce gladiatorial combat. Hythe, a respected umpire and the current Warden of the Threshold, chairs the first contest from a high seat within the arena.

The Mirror Unsung, a group of rogue speculomancers, wait beneath the floor. Their timing will have to be exact - public opinion will likely turn against them if the much-revered Warden is hurt in the surprise attack they have prepared.

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Optional rule: Invoke Fate

Players and the director may issue the following challenge when appropriate:

Fate tugs on you - roll to resist its pull.

This challenge is intended to be issued at points of dramatic tension, when the influence of a particular card seems to suggest events should go one way or the other. This doesn’t mean that fate will always win out - but its influence is felt.

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Cards and meanings

Major Arcana

The major arcana are often thought of as more important than the minor cards of the tarot, and cover a wide range of themes and archetypes. You could represent this by having a card of the major arcana signal a more significant event, place or person.

The Fool

• Event: a wild party, festival, carnival or circus
• Place/Mood: spontaneity, innocence, comedy, an air of chaos
• Person: a comedic figure (knowingly or not)

The Magician

• Event: an unfurling of arcane power
• Place/Mood: a wizard's tower or other place of magic
• Person: a magic-user or person with magical potential

High Priest(ess)

• Event: a sacred religious rite or ceremony
• Place/Mood: a temple, church of sacred grove - a place with holy power
• Person: a figure of religious authority

Empress / Emperor / Emperate

• Event: a hunt, hike or other expedition into the wilds
• Place/Mood: a place of dramatic natural beauty
• Person: those in touch with nature - druids, wanderers, hunters

Empress / Emperor / Emperate

• Event: an exercise of overt authority - e.g. handing down a new law
• Place/Mood: a courthouse or prison
• Person: a monarch

Hierophant

• Event: a teacher passes on their knowledge
• Place/Mood: a school or other place of instruction
• Person: a conformist authority figure

Lovers

• A date, proposal or marriage ceremony
• A romantic garden, beach at sunset or secluded city courtyard
• Star-crossed lovers

Chariot

• A triumphant commemoration of a past victory
• A military parade
• A general eager to win glory

Strength

• An attempt to tame a wild creature or force of nature
• A hostile natural environment
• A person or people adapted to harsh conditions

Hermit

• A search for hidden information (or a person with information) in a remote or difficult location
• A poorly-maintained archive or library
• A reclusive figure, hostile but useful to both the Cause and Authority

Wheel of Fortune

• An important group or character tries to defect from the Cause/Authority
• A chaotic, bustling city
• A double agent

Justice

• A moral dilemma which pushes allies into conflict
• A hidden settlement or safehouse controlled by the Cause
• A lawyer more dedicated to the law than to justice

The Hanged Man

• A prisoner exchange or other trade between Cause and Authority
• Things are (metaphorically) inverted, reflections of themselves or back-to-front
• A character turning from Cause to Authority or vice versa

Death

• A funeral, wake or other death ceremony
• The gap between life and death seems thin - characters think about or are confronted by death and the dead
• A person believed dead returns

Temperance

• An unstable cease-fire or negotiation
• A tranquil place, relatively untouched by the struggle between Cause and Authority
• An honest broker, respected by both sides

The Devil

• Someone strikes a bargain they will likely regret
• The scene is filled with illusion and deception
• An occult power - alien or nefarious - from outside the normal world

The Tower

• A surprise ambush or attack
• A place suffering in the aftermath of recent fighting
• A character who has survived catastrophe

The Star

• A moment of hope for the Cause
• A portentous mood, with omens being read into every detail
• A charismatic leader with a vision for the future

The Moon

• A search or chase in an occluded place
• The area is filled with dense mist or fog
• An enigmatic character, viewed with suspicion

The Sun

• A significant secret (e.g. information, a location, an object) is made public
• A place bathed in sunlight
• A zealot, filled with clarity of purpose

Judgement

• A popular revolt is sparked
• Actions from the long past return to shape the present
• A character wronged by the Authority/Cause, seeking recompense

The World

• Authority/Cause attempt an assassination
• Characters are pre-occupied with thoughts of the end of the conflict, and what will come next
• The organisations at the top of the Cause/Authority

Staves

The suit of staves (or wands) is associated with the will and the element fire, with inspiration, creativity, ambition and determination.

Ace of Staves

• A new figure introduces themselves to Cause/Authority
• A place bustling with creative energy
• A visionary craftsperson working on a project

Two of Staves

• Cause/Authority weigh options and consider new directions
• A scholarly place - university, library, etc
• A traveller, returned from distant lands

Three of Staves

• A new alliance forms. Or an existing one is severed.
• The place hums with energy and determination.
• A leader, trying to hold competing interests together.

Four of Staves

• The achievement of a goal is being celebrated.
• A celebratory atmosphere abounds.
• A hard-working but unremarkable member of the Cause or Authority.

Five of Staves

• Members of the Cause or Authority bicker and disagree.
• Internal division, disagreement and conflict.
• A troublemaker who sows doubt and division.

Six of Staves

• A member of the Cause or Authority is rewarded for the success of a project.
• A place where intoxication occurs - a drinking establishment, hookah bar, etc.
• A character profiting off of their past glories.

Seven of Staves

• The Cause or Authority prepare to defend a crucial location against attack.
• A fortification, watchtower or similar location.
• Someone stubbornly holding their ground.

Eight of Staves

• Important news reaches the Cause or Authority.
• A group travelling - giving chase, fleeing or moving from one place to another.
• A messenger, bard or other carrier of information.

Nine of Staves

• A final hurdle presents itself before the Cause or Authority can achieve a long-desired goal.
• The mood is weary, with characters close to giving up or continuing to persevere.
• A character with surprising inner strength.

Ten of Staves

• Someone refuses an order that steps too far over a line of capability or morality.
• A place associated with hard labour.
• A character taking on more than they can bear, and crumbling in the process.

Page of Staves

• The Cause or Authority embark on a dramatic adventure into the unknown.
• A dangerous place where exciting treasures might be found.
• An adventurer with youthful or naive enthusiasm

Knight of Staves

• Characters from the Cause or Authority embark on a journey through foreign lands.
• A place which feels foreign and unusual.
• A risk-taker who may be gambling with others’ lives.

Queen / King / Monarch of Staves

• The Cause or Authority are inspired to redouble their efforts.
• A theatre or other place of performance.
• An artist who has gotten mixed up in politics.

Queen / King / Monarch of Staves

• The Cause or Authority commence an important project or venture.
• A palace bathed in sunlight
• An authority figure who wants to show it

Coins

The suit of coins (aka Pentacles) represents earth, the body and material possessions or wealth.

Ace of Coins

• The Cause or Authority discover a new source of wealth or resources.
• A bustling city, filled with opportunity.
• Someone with the key to a valuable source of wealth, trying to trade it for its maximum value.

Two of Coins

• Cause/Authority negotiate a favourable trade with a third party
• A merchant’s house
• A skilled negotiator who is pushing for the best deal.

Three of Coins

• A skilled craftsperson completes something of great value to the Cause or Authority.
• A marketplace where valuable goods are bought and sold
• A shrewd merchant

Four of Coins

• The Cause plots a daring theft
• A bustling dock where goods are unloaded.
• A miserly individual with money to spare.

Five of Coins

• The Cause struggles with financial difficulties.
• The slums, or another place of material deprivation
• Someone struggling to extricate themselves from poverty.

Six of Coins

• The Cause or Authority engage in an act of charity
• An auction-house
• A philanthropist with political motives

Seven of Coins

• The Cause or Authority exploit a commercial or organisational weakness.
• A warehouse district, storing important goods for trade.
• An arms trader, playing both sides.

Eight of Coins

• The Cause or Authority invests in increasing its effectiveness through training or new equipment.
• The workshop of a master artist, midway through their masterpiece.
• An increasingly desperate banker who has lost their clients’ money.

Nine of Coins

• Polite noble society meets at a social event.
• A place of sport - horse or hound racing, jousting, archery or blood sport.
• A nouveau-riche trying to fit into the aristocracy.

Ten of Coins

• A big financial transaction or commercial deal is taking place or being secured.
• A coffee or tea house - or other place that the mercantile class come to gossip.
• Two family members who are mixed up in business together.

Page of Coins

• Students (or an analogous group) stage a sit-in or other protest
• A university campus
• A young person taking on an adult’s responsibility

Knight of Coins

• A valuable item comes up for auction or private sale.
• A parlour of chattering nobles.
• A brooding knight, the Authority’s chief hound

Queen / King / Monarch of Coins

• Two conflicting groups in the Cause/Authority are brought together by the promise of mutual profit.
• A lavish reception for a diplomatic delegation.
• An elderly diplomat attempting to resolve an unsolvable dispute.

Queen / King / Monarch of Coins

• Someone has just received a significant financial windfall. Cause and Authority manoeuvre to exploit or protect this new source of wealth.
• A mint or counting house.
• A noble sympathetic to the Cause but unwilling to give up their position

Swords

Swords are associated with air, the intellect, conflict and communication.

Ace of Swords

• A tinderbox, awaiting the spark that will alight open conflict.
• The source of an important river.
• A saboteur or sapper

Two of Swords

• A duel for honour
• A high mountain plateau.
• Someone with both temporal and spiritual power.

Three of Swords

• Cause/Authority recruit or press-gang people to join their forces, or otherwise seek to augment their military power.
• A glass-blower’s workshop.
• An ambitious empire-builder with their eye on a prize.

Four of Swords

• Cause/Authority train their forces to harden them for battles ahead.
• A training ground.
• A stern instructor.

Five of Swords

• A riot breaks out.
• A settlement simmering with internal conflict.
• A firebrand who can whip people up.

Six of Swords

• A vulnerable Cause/Authority figure is caught with only a small defensive force, who must hold while they escape.
• A tall tower.
• A tactician who cares about winning more than the cause they fight for.

Seven of Swords

• A public debate is hosted between two intellectuals.
• A scholarly conference or colloquium.
• Someone who sees clearly what is obscured to others.

Eight of Swords

• A Cause/Authority figure tries to win over one of their counterparts by strength of argument.
• A smithy or manufactory.
• An artist loved by intellectuals.

Nine of Swords

• In the aftermath of combat, the Cause/Authority come to terms with the fight and consider what to do next.
• An old battlefield.
• A retired soldier.

Ten of Swords

• A long-awaited pitched battle erupts.
• Desolate moorland
• An assassin

Page of Swords

• A young, headstrong member of the Cause/Authority take a rash action that makes them vulnerable.
• The weather is wet and windy.
• A shrewd leader, trying to navigate their people through the conflict by appeasing both sides.

Knight of Swords

• Cause/Authority set out to ally with or slay a powerful creature.
• The weather is cold and clear.
• A large, dangerous creature.

Queen / King / Monarch of Swords

• Cause/Authority sets out to restore justice or order to an area they control.
• A remote village or other small settlement.
• A judge or other dispenser of justice.

Queen / King / Monarch of Swords

• A member of the Cause/Authority tries to assert ideological authority over others in the organisation.
• A monument which represents the Authority’s domination.
• A conservative commander, unwilling to take risks.

Cups

Cups are associated with water, the emotions, dreams and transcendence.

Ace of Cups

• Two unlikely people meet and (may) cement a relationship.
• Banks of a river
• A travelling missionary

Two of Cups

• A Cause/Authority character’s religious beliefs conflict with the demands of their role
• A barge heading downstream
• A hardened ship’s captain

Three of Cups

• A pilgrimage or other sacred journey
• A holy shrine
• A doctor or healer

Four of Cups

• A regular religious service or ceremony takes place.
• A church or temple
• A group of nuns

Five of Cups

• An emotional conflict between two people threatens to engulf the Cause/Authority
• An ornamental garden
• A horticulturist

Six of Cups

• Embittered rivals mend their relationship.
• A beach by the sea or a lake
• A person touched by the heavens

Seven of Cups

• A person or group of people receive healing for harms caused by the Cause/Authority
• A spa retreat favoured by nobles
• A snivelling courtier

Eight of Cups

• An important symbol of the Cause is vulnerable and must be moved or otherwise protected.
• A hospital or healer’s house
• A mystic who spouts gibberish

Nine of Cups

• Cause/Authority celebrate a victory.
• A spring said to have restorative properties
• A jilted courtesan to a noble

Ten of Cups

• A ceremony or service of remembrance occurs
• A river delta
• A silver-tongued bard who charges for lessons in eloquence

Page of Cups

• A rumours abound of a strange child, the subject of prophecy
• A bridge over a canal
• An artist seeking inspiration for their next work

Knight of Cups

• A dance, concert or ball, attended by high society
• An ornate civic building
• A guardian of a sacred place

Queen / King / Monarch of Cups

• Cause or Authority consult a neutral figure of revered wisdom
• A ship, at harbour or in the ocean
• A philosopher who asks annoying questions

Queen / King / Monarch of Cups

• A fortune-teller predicts the future.
• An observatory
• An astrologer and/or astronomer