TCG
“Not again.”
TCG is a cartomancer Pestling, that supposedly works within the Wayfarers' Division. Eversun City is where they usually reside, though rarely seen and often not spotted easily from a dislike of loud, open spaces.
| TCG | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Alternate Names | Any acronym name using T, C and G. |
| Pronouns | They / Them |
| Species | Pestling |
| Division | Wayfarers' |
| Height | 66cm / 2'2" |
| Age | ??? |
| Birth Date | ????, Whisper, 25th (22nd, December) |
| Zodiac | Hostile ??? |
| Aspect | Earth (born), Law (pact) |
| Creator | Sophie and Ark |
| Artist Credits | Sophie |
Appearance
A short, jet black Pestling. Always seen in a large-brimmed hat that covers most of their eyes, and a long jacket covering most of their body. They have a long, red scarf wrapped around the lower part of their face. Although their mouth is rarely seen behind their scarf, they somehow have a perpetual scowl on their face.
Across their body are large belts connecting to a large tome, and clasp holding blank tarot cards within them. From their hat hangs a small star shaped pennant with the gem in the middle representing their affiliation with the Wayfarers' Division.
Personality
Curt, terse and generally unsociable. Cannot connect to others meaningfully.Not willing to group up with others, and if so only by the will of the cards. Frustrating to talk to, diverts topics away from themselves. A weak and tricky buff/debuffer in combat, as they are not a fighter at all. They do not fraternise or would want to engage outside of duties as much as possible, outside of select circumstances.
They rely on their card readings to determine their actions or morality in situations, and relies on card readings to know other's fate for confrontations not personally involved in, as they morally do not sit anywhere concrete. If the cards allow it, they will help. If the cards say no? Then it's not in TCG's fate to intervene. It's as simple as that, and that is their fate.
Biography
On a sudden thought to do a reading on themselves, the cards had divined to them to set out on a journey alone. So they did. By combining their Earth aspect and preference for the night, they scour stars to paint both theirs and others' fortunes onto their cards. As their fortune had been read as "The Fool" on their journey, TCG had understood their fate was to do it alone.
They spend most of their time in darkened corners of forgotten taverns, making quick gold and hopping from place-to-place frequently. A face to be forgotten, one never remembered.
An aimless wanderer, drifting along the threads of life without purpose, though driven to find meaning in the journey (while not realising that the journey itself is the meaning. So set on that belief, TCG does not group with others unless absolutely necessary. When situations would arise they would group for a night, read fortunes and as a payment, take a small amount of gold from those around them as a "payment". A coin for a reading, a fair trade, really.
One night, they had performed a divination on a Fae, one that was erroneous and comedically almost so. The Fae laughed at them, and sensing itself on the verse of aether burnout and death, found TCG amusing. Offered a trade to them before its own light was extinguished. A Conditional Pact of sorts. Gifting the cartomancer its aether and Law aspect. Who cares? It was going to pass along into nothingness soon, anyway. TCG drew their cards in the Celtic Cross spread. Considered. Read their own fortune with their experienced eyes and mind.
Agreed to the pact, and with it, the Fae faded away, merging Law into the diviners aether. What the Fae didn’t mention however, was that it was trading TCG’s physical form for the ability to divine whenever they wanted to. The pact corrupting their appearance into a short, jet black pestling - representing the darkness of night. A worthy trade for such a gift. A physical form for a second aspect.
After the pact was made, they began using their Earth aspect to use it in the literal sense to be the physical earth, and Law to give these readings tangible literal meanings.
Now, so long as TCG has at least 22 blanks of something (paper in a book, stones, leaves, etc) to project the major arcane faces onto, they can divine whenever when previously, they would have needed specifically a tarot deck. If the number of objects is below 22, the faces and cards turn into a standard deck (eg: ace, 2 to 10, Jack, Queen, King) and is functionally useless to them. Because of this, they tend to be very careful about having blank cards/papers on them at all times.
One night while sitting alone at a splintered table at a tavern, a shadow appeared over TCG's cards. A man bending over the table to inspect the up-side down cards with a wide, knowing and warm smile. Entirely unreadable. The man asks if he can sit, and the pestling finds themselves unable to say 'No' to him, strangely, like the cards told them 'Yes' before they knew to answer. The man asks for a reading, TCG obliges, feigning interest. Shuffles cards, a practiced motion, reads the man his fortune. The man pauses, hand to chin in though. Then he erupts in jubilant applause, enthralled by the pestling's reading.
The man asks them their name, which they give it freely without asking their fate if they should.
The cartomancer then ask for his.
Pterra Whitt, Adventurers' Guild Guildmaster. (Which causes the man to laugh at his own wording, light and carefree.)
Whitt implores the Pestling to consider joining the guild, and before even for once, considering asking the card's their guidance, TCG found it impossible to say 'no' to the man. Only a 'we'll see'. Which they both did see the next day, after mulling over several readings and rereadings of cards through the night to to decide their fate, which all came back as 'yes'.
As a cruel joke of sorts, the cards had divined TCG into applying into the Wayfarers' Division, much to the dislike of the pestling of being forced to work with others. Their readings haven't steered them wrong thus far, and they will not let their readings be proven wrong. No way.
It is unknown how long they have been at the guild, however they show up when needed.
Contributions
Shows up when contracted to Wayfarer groups (or when Whitt asks them very nicely to).
Abilities
Earth: Divination - Querent
- Before making a pact and gaining Law, they performed divinations using their Earth aspect with the condition of it needing to be night time and having a view of the night sky. The phase of the moon also makes cards have more efficacy depending on how full the moon is. The cards held some small magical effects at this point in time, but with the limitations of how TCG could read them they did not have much practical use.
While still being weak in direct combat after receiving Law through their pact, they become a very powerful buff/debuff user. Goes both ways, if a reverse card is drawn (even on a friendly unit) then its powers are still as strong as if it was on an enemy. Fate doesn't see them as any different. TCG doesn't, either (unless the cards say to). To divine, they must carry 22 objects of something on their person, otherwise they cannot perform their Divination ability.
Earth + Law: Divination - Star Scour
- After their pact and gaining law, the readings made then changed to have tangible effects on others around them. When drawing cards to give a reading, TCG must be able to physically see the target to begin their Divination sequence. Should a target break line of sight with TCG before the card is played, TCG can still deliver the reading should they see their target's eyes.
Earth + Law: Divination - Journey
- TCG draws and reveals the card plucked from their deck, they can be applied to both allies and enemies. The effect and attribute they give depend on the arcana. For example, should they draw a Lovers card, a physical chain appears between two people. The effect duration of the card is either as long as the encounter takes, or as long as TCG can hold the image of the drawn card and the people in mind.
Earth + Law: Divination - Reversal
- While cards may be drawn in their upright position, like the Chariot (direction, control, willpower), They can also be drawn in reverse. For example, if TCG draws a Reverse Chariot (lack of control, aggression), giving a party member or enemy an Enrage-like effect, as the card is now opposite to the original meaning. These reversed effects have the same duration as the cards being read in upright position.
Relationships
Pterra Whitt
Met though a card reading, with Whitt becoming so (unfortunately) enamoured with their readings, insisted they joined the guild. As it is impossible to say "No" to the guildmaster, TCG couldn't refuse.
Trivia
- They are usually called by any acronym name using T, C and G mostly used in a /derogatory sense. Thieving Criminal Gambler, Tactless Conceited Git, Tetchy Celestial Gump, Terse Callous Gnat, etc.
- Likes to refer to themself as a cartomancer, but won't admit it out loud.
- Became a pestling post-pact and it is unclear what they were before then.
- Although never seen without their feature-hiding clothes, they are a Jackal pestling.
Gallery
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TCG.