13 squares

Our first step in examining Olanvot was breaking down his energy into parts using his portion of the Codex Artarium.

Each letter of the codex appears on one card in our poker deck. Also attached to the card is one element—Earth, in the case of Olanvot—and a host of other traits and attributes drawn from a number of trusted magical systems, folklore, divination, and our own experiences.

The deck is divided into four suits, just like the decks were used to, but we used squares, triangles, circles, and starforts to denote them. The squares are Olanvot’s domain. The most recent update to our deck included adding color, and the new brilliant green hue fits Olanvot’s earthiness to a T.

I began by gathering the 13 squares together on one page and separating the 5 characters of the codex from the 8 sacred stones that make up the rest of the suit. Heavy and black, these stones are. Obsidian, black tourmaline, onyx, and smoky quartz, to name a few. These protective gems form the foundation at Olanvot’s feet, the dark core unseen by man.

I connected the dots, looking for patterns among the stones and characters. All the stones had a mate in the codex. Some, more than one. Where could these paths take us? What could these connections mean?

Since the codex lives inside a poker deck, it makes sense for us to begin our journey with the 2 of squares and go up from there. Vircura, the focused, detailed, and precise splitting of the arrow. As luck would have it, a card in the deck close to my heart, as it embodies the energy of Virgo, my astrological sun sign and a pretty solid representation of me. So, I suppose that’s where Olanvot’s story begins: with me, the loyal bard of Artarium.

But first I’ll need a name. And my companion tells me we’re to find those on our adventures tonight, so I must be off for now. Hail Olanvot! Hail the Muse!