Westeros

In addition to its attributes, a house has a number of special abilities called "Arcana." Great Houses have two Arcana, while Minor Houses have one. (Certain positions, such as the Hand of the King, the King, and the Master of Coin, may grant additional Arcana to a House.) Non-House entities will most usually have one Arcana, but some especially formidable ones may have two. These abilities are the primary way in which a House can express its nature in the world, and ought to always be thematically related to the House's motto. Arcana often directly affect other Houses, or characters within other Houses. You may only use Arcana against a House with equal or fewer Wands than you. Additionally, entities with differently-oriented Chalices may spend a Chalice to resist any Arcana played upon them, regardless of their Wands. (That is, a Braavosi pirate fleet may expend a Chalice to resist an Arcana from House Tully, and vice versa.) We recommend that you choose Arcana from the list below, but we are willing to consider unique proposals that you think will better fit your House.

Arcana are powerful things, and should be used wisely. We ask that you make every effort to integrate the effects of Arcana into your prose as unobtrusively as possible, avoiding fiat-from-the-sky as much as you can. This request goes out equally to those using Arcana and those affected by them.

(Card images are taken from The Archeon Tarot by Timothy Lantz, because they’re beautiful. Text is taken almost directly from the game Divus Ex, because it’s a great game. Tarot enthusiasts will note that not all Trumps are here listed - some just couldn't be made to fit our setting. If you can think of a way to make The Last Judgment work, feel free to pitch us your proposal.)

[1]- The Fool

The Fool is the Arcanum of bliss in ignorance. They often see what others ignore, and their vision of truth is sometimes truer than reality. Once per turn, the House with this Arcanum may suggest an event to the GM that he would like to see happen. The GM will allow it so long as it is not abusive to canon or another player's rights. The bearer of this card has three chances to present an acceptable event to the GMs, or he forfeits use of the Arcanum for the turn. Be reasonable, folks!

The Fool Reversed is the Arcanum of wisdom and knowledge. Once per turn, the House bearing this card may ask a single question of the GM, or a member of the House may ask a question of another character. This question must be answered truthfully. In the case of a question being asked of the GM, the answer will be communicated to the ruler of the House in a dream, a secret message, or some other means.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/magician.jpg- The Magician

Once per turn, the House wielding the Magician Arcana may mysteriously acquire the use of any one Arcana. It may be used once, and once only, before expiring. Alternately, the House may receive two Arcana, chosen by the GM, each usable exactly once.

A House with the Magician Reversed may, once per turn, neutralize an Arcana belonging to another House for the duration of that turn, making them unable to use it. However, in order to accomplish this feat, the House wielding the Magician Reversed must discover and name the Arcana he wishes to neutralize.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/highpriestess.jpg- The High Priestess

This is the Arcana of the worshipping masses. Once per turn, a character from the House with The High Priestess Arcana may call upon the peasantry to do his bidding on a grander-than-normal scale. A construction project may be completed in half the time, armies may assemble or force-march unheard-of distances, a great wood may be searched for a fleeing enemy or criminal or lost child in a matter of days.

A House with the High Priestess Reversed is more reliant on its own members and less reliant on its followers and peasants. Once per turn, a House with this Arcana may switch around his attributes. That is, if House Lannister has this card, they may switch their five Chalices with their three Swords. They may not, however, redistribute their points - turning one Chalice into a Sword, say, so they have four of each.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/empress.jpg- The Empress

The Empress is the model of the benificent ruler. Once per turn, the ruler of a House bearing this Arcana, or his wife, may bestow a gift of one attribute point of any sort to any House in the game, including her own. This may come in the form of a title or other honor, but must always be accompanied by a ceremony attended by delegates from at least one-third of the Houses in the game who agree with her decision.

The Empress Reversed is, to put it bluntly, the bitch queen. The ruler of a House bearing this Arcana, or his wife, may curse any character in the game, rendering him unable to speak or write to any other character save the character that cursed him (and not even her, if she wishes). This forced silence lasts for one turn (NB: too long?). The Empress Reversed may only curse one person at a time.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/emperor.jpg- The Emperor

The ruler of a House with the Emperor Arcana may call a Conclave of Houses, at any time, for any reason. All Houses must be informed of the meeting, and all must send a suitable delegate or lose one Chalice. The leader of the House with this Arcana is the moderator of the Conclave, and none of the delegates may leave without his permission. (NB: This Arcana is reserved for the King.)

A designated member of a House with the Emperor Reversed Arcana is known to be untrustworthy, volatile, gossipy, revolutionary, or just a downer, at the House's discretion. This character may disband any meeting or disperse the participants of any scene in which he is present. The disbanded persons may not regroup for one month of game time in the disbander's presence. They may regroup at any time outside of his presence (in another town, say). If this individual disbands a meeting called with the Emperor Arcana, his House loses a Chalice, but none of the other Houses present do.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/hierophant.jpg- The Hierophant

This is the card of intuition, prophesy and forethought. Once per turn, the player of a House with the Hierophant Arcana may ask 10 yes or no questions of the GMs. These will be answered honestly. The player may receive the answer from each question before asking the next. The results of this questioning are revealed to a character within the House via an oracle, a dream, a prayer, or a process of logical thought, at the player's discretion.

The Hierophant Reversed is the card of alertness, logical deduction, and intelligence. Once per turn a House with the Hierophant Reversed may ask 10 yes or no questions of another player. These will be answered honestly. The player may receive the answer from each question before asking the next. If the players agree, the interrogation may be an in-character encounter. Otherwise the results are revealed to a character within the House playing the Arcana via a process of logical deduction.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/lovers.jpg- The Lovers

Once per turn, the House possessing The Lovers Arcana may cause one character to fall in love with another character of the House’s choice. The infatuation lasts for the duration of the turn, but may continue at the discretion of the character’s player.

Conversely, the House possessing The Lovers Reversed may, once per turn, inspire seething animosity in one character for some other character of the House’s choice. The hatred lasts for the duration of the turn, but may continue at the discretion of the character’s player.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/chariot.jpg- The Chariot

Arcanum of travel and motion, the ruler of a House with this Arcanum can, once per turn, command someone in his presence to go to a place of the ruler's choosing with all due expediency (usually, but not always, bearing a message). The place must be a real one, and the commanded character will not be forced to take unreasonable personal risk to get there.

The Chariot Reversed is the Arcanum of stubbornness, recalcitrance and lack of progress. A House with this Arcanum forbid a character from leaving a town or castle for one turn. Only one character my be so confined at any given time.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/strength.jpg- Strength

Once per battle, the possessor of the Strength Arcana may do one additional point of damage. Minor Houses owing fealty to a Great House with this Arcana gain 1 additional Chalice.

The possessor of the Strength Reversed Arcana may look at any House sheet, observing its attributes, Arcana and possessions.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/hermit.jpg- The Hermit

A House with the Hermit Arcanum may designate one of its members as a Hermit. This character may always leave another character's presence without penalty, including a meeting called with the Emperor Arcanum. He may not be spied upon with the Moon Reversed Arcanum, and need not give up any information unless he chooses to. The Hermit's abilities cannot be transferred to another character unless the Hermit dies. Additionally, if the House with the Hermit Arcanum is attacked, their forces may always disengage after the initial attack without surrendering. They lose the tactical location at issue and any structures there, but need not suffer any other terms.

The Hermit Reversed grants one character within the House bearing it the ability to summon any other character to him. As soon as the target character receives word of the summons, he must immediately make reasonable haste to attend the summoner. Once there, the target character need not speak or do anything. After five minutes of game-time, the summoned character may leave.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/fortune.jpg- The Wheel of Fortune

This is, unsurprisingly, the Arcana of luck. A House with the Fortune Arcana may opt to roll a die to determine outcomes that would otherwise have been a foregone conclusion. For example, he may roll to use an Arcana on a House that would normally be able to resist him. Any time Chance is invoked normally by the GM, the House with this Arcana may opt to roll a second time.

Reversed, the Fortune Arcana signified bad luck. A House with Fortune Reversed may, once per turn, cause an Arcana of another House to go awry, targeting someone else. The intent to use this Arcana must be declared before or immediately after the targeted Arcana is used.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/justice.jpg- Justice

The Arcanum of law, honesty and truth. A House with the Justice Arcanum may designate one of its members as a paragon of justice. This character my never be lied to, even by GM-run NPCs. This does not mean that the truth must always be told - if the person questioned doesn't know, or happens to be misguided, their response will still ring of truth. Moreover, this Arcanum can never force another character to answer a question or bring up a topic of conversation.

Justice Reversed is the Arcanum of deceit. Once per turn, the House with this Arcanum may sumbit one 'fact' - true or false - to the GMs, who will disseminate this 'fact' via NPC's as if it were the God's-honest truth. Subtlety is your friend, here.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/hangedman.jpg- The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is the Arcanum of prosecution, indictment and punishment. The leader of the House with this Arcanum may remove one attribute of his choice from any other House, providing he can get one-third of the Houses in the game to gather and agree to do so. This happens in the IC guise of a trial. The same House may only be prosecuted once per turn.

Reversed, the Hanged Man represents amnesty, mercy, and temporary peace. This Arcanum allows the House posessing it to designate one of its character as a peacemaker. If combat erupts in the presence of this character, he may interrupt it and prevent its recurrance for up to one turn, so long as he remains at the relevant town. A House under attack may send for the peacemaker. When he arrives he may end the conflict. Whether he decides to go is at his player's discretion, how long it takes him to get there is at the GM's discretion.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/death.jpg- Death

Just what it says. A House with the Death Arcana may, once per round, kill any non-PC-protected character, or reduce another House's Chalices by one.

Reversed, this is the card of life and healing. Once per turn, a House with Death Reversed may 'heal' another House of one attribute point, so long as that point was lost through hostile means - a war, a use of the Death Arcana, or something similar. Alternately, the House may restore the lives of up to 600 peasants that would have been ravaged, or one character or Hero that would have died. This healing must occur during the round in which damage was inflicted.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/temperance.jpg- Temperance

Houses posessing the Arcanum of Temperance are known for their calmness and precision. When Ravaging, a House with the Temperace Arcanum may specify exactly how many people will be killed, up to 500. They may even spread the effects of their Ravaging over long distances, killing, say, "All the crows in Winterfell," or "One infant in every Dornish town."

Chaos and wrathfulness often characterize Houses with the Reversed Temperance Arcanum. When Ravaging, a House with this Arcanum rolls 2d6 x 100 to determine the number of people killed, rather than the usual 1d6 x 100.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/devil.jpg- The Devil

The Devil represents malice, selfishness and deceit. Any deal made with the Devil (or, in this case, a deignated member of the House bearing this Arcana) can only be broken at a cost of 2 chalices, one of which goes directly to the Devil's House. The character through whom this Arcana is enacted (the Devil) may not be changed unless that character is killed.

The Devil Reversed, also called the Angel, is the card of honor and selflessness. The House designates one of its members as its 'Angel.' Deals made with this character can never be wilfully broken. Promises made by others in the presence of the Angel may not be wilfully broken, either. The Angel may never break his own word.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/tower.jpg- The Tower

The Tower represents the strength of one's home. A House with this Arcanum may double either his Chalices or Swords when attacked or subjected to Arcana in his home castle.

Reversed, the Tower represents the weakness of a crumbling foundation. A House with this Arcanum may designate one of its members as an interloper. This character may enter any other House's home castle at will. Moreover, his interloping will not be detected so long as nothing is stolen or broken and so long as the ruler of the House is not present.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/star.jpg- The Star

The star is a beacon, and Houses bearing the Star Arcana are seen as the guiding, benevolent light of their age. One character of the House bearing the Star Arcana may not be interrupted when speaking. Characters in her presence may leave at their will, but they may not interrupt her or speak in her presence without her permission. This ability may not be transferred between characters unless the character granted it is killed.

Where the Star represents a lone, shining light, the Star Reversed represents the multitude of stars in the Heavens and their cumulative ability to light the world – the strength of the masses, the overwhelming power of many. The possessor of this Arcana may, via one of his characters, declare any single other character his House’s Eternal Ally. The chosen Ally may not attack the House so long as this Arcana is in effect, and must inform the character who made the declaration of all his own plots and enemies.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/moon.jpg- The Moon

The Moon is a symbol of protection and guidance. This Arcana allows the Protection of the Moon to cover any single scene, preventing its interruption by unwanted persons. Additionally, a scene protected by the Moon Arcana cannot be spied upon, save with enactment of the Moon Reversed. Interactions of the Moon and Moon Reversed will be decided by a calling of Chalices.

The Moon Reversed is the Arcana of stealth, guile and passing unseen. Once per turn, a character belonging to the House possessing this Arcana may witness a scene they really have no business in witnessing. The character must already be in the same city or village in which the scene takes place to witness it. That is, if Danael Arryn is at the Eyrie and his player happens to notice that his son’s betrothed, Marysa Tyrell, is sleeping with Ser Roderick Tully at Riverrun, he cannot send Danael to Riverrun to witness the act with the Moon Reversed. If Danael, Marysa and Roderick were all in King’s Landing, the Arcana could be used.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/sun.jpg- The Sun

The sun represents purity and goodness. Houses bearing this Arcana are often paragons of benevolent and compassionate rule. Once per turn, A House with The Sun Arcana may force a character of its choosing to do a good deed for a third party of the House’s choosing. Both the House and the target must agree on the good deed done, and neither may ever purposefully tell anyone about the deed – such is the nature of goodness.

The Sun Reversed is the Arcana of pure, unadulterated evil. Once per turn, a House with this Arcana may force a character of its choosing to do something horrid to a third party chosen by the House. The evil deed must be agreed upon by both House and target.

Image:Http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m6/icklecarlita/world.jpg- The World

This card governs the physical, objects and posessions. The ruler of the House with the World Arcana may (with GM sanction) create a Quest upon which the knights of Westeros (and others) may embark. They may search for a lost sword of Valyrian steel, or for a lost Godswood in the depths of the northlands, or sail for Braavos, or any other thing you can dream up. The House of the first person to complete the Quest gains one attribute point designated by the House who organized the Quest. Quests take at least one turn to accomplish, and the Questing character must exculsively Quest during this time. (Of course, he might meet the strangest people along the way...)

The World Reversed is the arcana of the undiscovered. Once per turn, a member of the House with this Arcana may forbid another character from revealing a specific piece of information. He may be forbidden from telling it to a specific third party, or to a group (any Maester), or to anyone at all.