Transcript:
This week's card from the Fortunus Games tarot deck is the Eight of Cups featuring Zhuel from Tete.Depunk’s fantasy novel, “Scale, Blood, and Bone,” which you can read on Tapas. “Scale, Blood, and Bone” is an AU fantasy reinterpretation of some of the events of my graphic novel, “The Book of Joel.”
In this card, Zhuel is stepping away from the life he had growing up as his mother's son, as a prince. After the dramatic scene where his mother, Rukhel, had caught him practicing forbidden dark magic, he had whisked himself and Malka away from the palace.
Zhuel then places Malka on an island of illusions he made for her (which he thought would make her happy), while he goes to study under the sorcerer Veniamen, who knows a lot more about forbidden dark magic than Zhuel himself. What will Zhuel learn under the mysterious Veniamen? What are his goals, really? And does he regret leaving his kingdom? Will he come back?
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I chose Eight of Cups for this scene because the Eight of Cups symbolizes a time for transformation, of stepping away from something that no longer satisfies you. Zhuel stepped away from being under his mother's thumb, since it no longer appealed to him. He was sick of being controlled and wanted more power and respect. He no longer wanted to be that quiet, stuttering child who was weaker than everyone else.
Above him, the moon illuminates Zhuel's difficult path forwards. It's nighttime, which was when Zhuel whisked himself and Malka away from the palace. Nighttime may also indicate avoidance and self-denial, and we know that Zhuel is a master of that. What do you think he's in self-denial about? Hint: It's why he places Malka on an island of illusions.