The Planar Tarot
What games do planars play? Well, one answer is that they
play cards. But the cards they play with have significance too. The planar
tarot cards are divided into four suits: stars, tomes, horns and pits.
There are thirteen cards in each suit, running ace, deuce, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king. Two jokers are included in each pack. By
tradition, the jokers depict a clueless wizard and a clueless warrior.
One of the games played, called 'allegiance', is poker-like in form. Each
player chooses to be either Mechanus, Elysium, Limbo or the Waste (there
is no stigma to choosing a plane you don't like. Fiends willingly play
Elysium, and Guvners Limbo). Complicated rules determine precedence of
hands, but it is well known that the best hand is four kings and an allied
queen (see below), and the worst ranking hand is a pair of opposed deuces.
The significances of the individual suits are:
| Suit: |
Pits |
Horns |
Stars |
Tomes |
| Plane: |
The Abyss |
Baator |
Arborea |
Mt. Celestia |
| Race: |
Tanar'ri |
Baatezu |
Eladrin |
Archons |
The suits in pairs have the following status:
|
Pits |
Horns |
Stars |
Tomes |
| Pits |
Match |
Ally (Evil) |
Ally (Chaos) |
Oppose |
| Horns |
Ally (Evil) |
Match |
Oppose |
Ally (Law) |
| Stars |
Ally (Chaos) |
Oppose |
Match |
Ally (Good) |
| Tomes |
Oppose |
Ally (Law) |
Ally (Good) |
Match |
The alliances have the following meanings:
| Good |
Elysium |
Guardinals |
| Evil |
The Grey Waste |
Yugoloths |
| Law |
Mechanus |
Modrons |
| Chaos |
Limbo |
Slaadi |
A card is said to be allied to a player if it forms part
of the alliance associated with his plane (ie: pits and horns for the Grey
Waste player). The following individual significances are given to cards:
|
Pits |
Horns |
Stars |
Tomes |
| Ace |
Graz'zt, cambion |
Bel, Avernus, lemures |
Coure |
Lantern, Israfel |
| Deuce |
Pazrael, vrock |
Dispater, Dis, nupperibo |
Foo Dog |
Einheriar |
| Three |
Alzrius, dretch |
Minauros, spinagon |
Noviere |
Hound |
| Four |
Yeenoghu, molydeus |
Fierana, Phlegethos, barbazu |
Foo Lion |
Per |
| Five |
Vucarik, manes |
Levistus, Stygia, hamatula |
Bralani |
Warden |
| Six |
Thralhavoc, chasme |
Malagard, Malbolge, abishai |
Hollyphant |
Agathinon |
| Seven |
Sess'innek, hezrou |
Triel, Maladomini, erinyes |
Shiere |
Sword, Barachiel |
| Eight |
Kostchtchie, babau |
Molikroth, Cania, osyluth |
Titan |
Deva, Domiel |
| Nine |
Zuggtmoy, nabassu |
Never named: thought to represent the Lord of the Ninth.
Otherwise signifies Nessus and kocrachons. |
Firre |
Trumpet, Erathaol |
| Ten |
Fraz'Urblu, glabrezu |
The Dark Eight, Malsheem, cornugon |
Animal lord |
Planetar, Raziel |
| Jack |
Baphomet, nalfeshnee |
Amnizu |
Ghaele |
Throne, Sealtiel |
| Queen |
Lolth, yochlol, marilith |
Tiamat, gelugon |
The Queen of Stars |
Solar, Pistis Sophia |
| King |
Demogorgon, balor, wastrilith |
Pit fiend |
Tulani |
Tome, Zaphkiel |
Pairs in allied groups (good, evil, law, chaos) represent
beings of the corresponding race and associated things:
| Alliance: |
Good |
Evil |
Law |
Chaos |
| Aces: |
Cervidal |
The General of Gehenna |
Monodrone |
Ace and court card pairs in chaos represent the four
Slaadi Lords. However, no-one ever decides which is which. The queen is
usually thought to be Ssendam. |
| Deuces: |
Equinal |
Mezzoloth |
Duodrone |
Red Slaad |
| Threes: |
Avoral |
Dergholoth |
Tridrone |
Blue Slaad |
| Fours: |
Lupinal |
Canoloth |
Quadrone, decaton |
Green Slaad |
| Fives: |
Ursinal |
Hydroloth |
Pentadrone, nonaton |
Grey Slaad |
| Sixes: |
Leonal |
Piscoloth |
Octon |
Chaos Imp |
| Sevens: |
The Phoenix of Principality |
Yagnoloth |
Septon |
Chaos Beast |
| Eights: |
Lord Rhanok |
Marraenoloth |
Hexton |
Githzerai |
| Nines: |
Lord Hwhyn |
Nycaloth |
Quinton |
Darkweaver |
| Tens: |
Duke Windheir |
Arcanaloth |
Quarton |
Death Slaad |
| Jacks: |
Duke Lucan |
Anthraxus |
Tertian |
See Ace |
| Queens: |
Duchess Callisto |
Ultroloth |
Secundus |
See Ace |
| Kings: |
Prince Talisid |
The Oinoloth |
Primus |
See Ace |
Horn/Star pairs are called factols, but which factols
are which varies from time to time and place to place. Currently, the queen
pair is named for Erin Montgomery, and the king pair for Rowan Darkwood,
but that'll probably change. There are no commonly-used names for the Tome/Pit
pairs. 
The card illustrated
here is the Ace of Pits, as shown in a typical cheap Sigilian pack. Upon
seeing this design, Graz'zt is alleged to have said 'I'm flattered to have
a card named after me, but it's not a good likeness.' Pits are usually
depicted by circles, Horns by little stylised horns, Stars by five-pointed
stars and Tomes by bisected rectangles. More expensive packs are illustrated,
but never with explicit images of individuals, as they tend to take offence.
Rumour has it that Abyssal Lords produce packs with their images on every
card.
