Beautiful Death

I don't even remember where I got the Archetypes Storytelling Cards link. Perhaps from Paperback Writer's Monday ten? Anyway, I updated my site today and added a few new links. I decided to check this one out. Something had snagged my attention about it, but I'd never spent time going over it.

Now I love web tarot. Some funky things have happened the few times I've played with it. The Archetypes site is sort of like standard tarot, but it's specific to character. Since I've been in a bit of a funk with Isabella and BD in general, I thought about her. Where is the story going? What do I need to accomplish? Am I on the right track?

Here's what I got from the 3-character spread.

The Past: The Noble.

Injustice, reward without merit, nepotism

Basic Interpretation:The Noble sits upon a throne, basking in his riches and blind to the suffering of those who hold him where he is. He is unaware (or possibly unconcerned) with the price paid by others to maintain his unearned position and wealth. He simply feels entitled to his lofty lifestyle.

This is totally Isabella at the beginning of the story. She's living in Athens, which she believes to be a paradise, while people die outside. Locked outside for many reasons, not just the virus, all for Zeus's grand scheme of the perfect human race. By her blood tests alone, she would have been excluded from Athens in the first place. But because she's Zeus's daughter, she was accepted without question.


The Present: The Judge

Justice, consequence, judgment, seriousness, lack of humor, absolute definitions of Right and Wrong, dogma

Basic Interpretation:Seated between icons of life and death, the Judge peers sternly and disapprovingly upon the convicted. He is the protector of the status quo and uninterested in new ideas. He passes judgment conservatively and dispassionately; no humor is allowed in his court.

Again, this is spot on. When the story opens, Isabella is First Marshal, executioner for the Pantheon. She believes she's executing justice. She hates the monsters without question. There is no room for middle ground -- anyone who's contaminated should be exterminated. Then, of course, her own contamination drives her out of her paradise, out of her comfort zone into the real world, where she begins to see the dark, ugly truth. She begins to see the monster she was all along.


The Future: The Knight

Structure, service, loyalty, fidelity, follows rules, responsibility

Basic Interpretation:Dedicated to his superiors and the oaths he has taken, the Knight stands ready to joyously serve. The Knight's loyalty and fidelity are beyond question. He has earned the honor other bestow on him by his skill and loyal service.

So this one I need to think about and work on some more. She's to the dark moment, the realization that she has killed many innocent people. That many innocent people suffered and died because of her grand Cities' exclusion policy. She starts to believe she's no better than Hera's Keres. Her loyalty to Athens is broken, but she hasn't established loyalty to anyone else yet. She still doesn't believe in Hades. But loyalty and trust in him is what will pull her through, help her defeat Zeus in the end. I need to make her worthy through loyalty and fidelity.

Someday I need to buy me a set of these cards.....