The Tarot's Truth

[America]

Oh my Goddess!  I actually had a freakin’ idea!  This is mainly based off of my story, The Tarot’s Truth, but I need ideas. :/ So…yay!  I sorta know where this RP will go for once!

~*Rules*~
1. This game is rated M for Violence, Language, and Sexual Themes.
2. No cybering (means: no cyber sex), not even in PMs.
3. No GM’s, Mary-Sues, or Gary-Stues.
4. Due to limited spaces, I will NOT be reserving characters, even if you’re a good friend of mine.
5. No PKing or PKKing, please.  This isn’t .hack//, you know.  You guys can only kill enemies.
6. Subplots and expanding on my plot idea/s are allowed.  All I ask is for you to PM your idea to me so that I can give you a green light.
7. Only people who are literate can participate.  This means that you have to have decent grammar and detail in your posts/sign-ups.
8. Although I frown upon bunnying (moving other characters along), I will okay it so long as we use it in moderation (and so long as we don’t abuse it).
9. Posts should be at least five sentences long.  I hate one-liners, so there.
10. Holy crap we’re at rule ten.  Even though there isn’t a rule ten.
11. Power-playing is also not allowed.
12. Just to make sure you understand/read the rules, I want you to put your favorite song at the top of your sign-up.

~*Plot*~
In the world of Terra Celestia, life revolves around the Tarot cards.  The Tarot Witches are given the highest of respect, almost to that of worship.  Even the reigning monarchs will listen to a Tarot Witch with little fuss if one were to request an audience with them.

Tarot Witches are chosen by the cards, as are their Guardians.  Although most are good, there are some who misuse their gift with the cards.  Usually, Tarot Witches prefer isolation, especially the “evil” ones.  Recently, though, the black Tarot Witches are starting to gather around a leader.  It is mere rumor, but it strikes unease into the hearts of many in Terra Celestia.  Especially since it is now the time for a new Oracle to be decided.

Every ten years, a new Oracle is chosen.  Tarot Witches 16 to 30 embark on a journey to Mount Delphi, where the Oracle lives.  The Oracle is the strongest of the Tarot Witches and, like all Witches, her power wanes with age.  Once the Tarot Witches arrive at Mount Delphi, something happens and a new Oracle is chosen.  Rumor has it that the evil Tarot Witches will be making a concentrated effort to get one of their own into the position of Oracle.

Tarot Witches are not just from Terra Celestia, but some Witches from Earth wind up in their humble world.  These Earthling Witches always arrive at Fireside Inn to begin their journey, and are always expected.  Actually, our story begins with one such Earthling Witch.

Although a fledgling Witch from Earth, she all ready has the potential to become the new Oracle.  All she needs are her Guardians.  Will they be able to figure out who is in charge of the evil Witches and prevent them from attaining their goal?  Do they even stand a chance?

~*Terms/Things to Know*~
-tare: Title given to Witches to show respect.  Usually used with their full name.
-ran: Title given to Witches to show respect.  Usually used with a shortened version of their name.
Tarot Witch: People with the ability to “see” the future with their cards.  They can also summon the beings inside the cards to do battle.  Beginners can only summon Aces, The Fool, and The Magician.  By using their cards more, the Witch can learn how to summon the other cards.
Guardian: Someone bound from birth to a Tarot Witch.  They represent one of the Major Arcana and, usually, one suit.  The Spirit Guardian is the sole exception to the suit rule.  Also, only five can be assigned to one Witch at a time with only one of each Element.  Meaning, a Witch cannot have two Fire Guardians.

~*Major Arcana*~
00: The Fool
01: The Magician
02: The High Priestess
03: The Empress
04: The Emperor
05: The Hierophant
06: The Lovers
07: The Chariot
08: Strength
09: The Hermit
10: Wheel of Fortune
11: Justice
12: The Hanged Man
13: Death
14: Temperance
15: The Devil
16: The Tower
17: The Star
18: The Moon
19: The Sun
20: Judgment
21: The World

~*Major Arcana Meanings*~ (Note: Descriptions are taken from my copy of a Tarot book)
00 The Fool
How cool would it be not to worry about what other people think about you?  The Fool is the one person who doesn't get upset by life.  He's seen it all and done it all in his past lives, and knows that deep down nothing really matters.  He might look like the idiot, the joker, the one person who doesn't take anything seriously, but his job is to show that there's more than one way of looking at things, and that things aren't as serious as you sometimes think they are.

01 The Magician
Ruled by Mercury.  The Magician marks the impulse of creativity, the spark that creates the fire.  A card of huge energy, the choices he offers are up to you to make.  Look at the four different suits he's juggling; you could choose the material path of the pentacle, the emotional path of the cup, the intellectual opportunities the sword represents, or the creativity of the wand.  The Magician is your guide to life, giving you flashes of inspiration along the way, but he'll never take responsibility for your choices.  They are yours and yours alone.

02 The High Priestess
Ruled by Venus.  You've probably met The High Priestess and wondered what this girl has got.  She seems to have an air of wisdom and authority about her and, although she doesn't do anything to make herself the center of attention, she always is.  She's the one who already seems to have sorted out just what's important to her and what's not.  She's probably had more past lives than all of us put together and learnt her lessons well.  It's worth remembering that nobody, even The High Priestess, wants to be alone.  She represents relationships between two people, but also between earthly issues and the spiritual.  She is the feminine side of The Magician, offering you flashes of insight into your own potential.

03 The Empress
Ruled by the moon.  The Empress is all woman.  She's the symbol of the mysteries of femininity.  She's cosmically creative, highly emotional and astonishingly selfless.  But just as she represents beauty and support, girly emotions can also include jealousy and spite.  As a young woman you'll explore them all, but keep the ugly ones in check or you'll find that being a woman isn't such fun after all.  Her symbolic number is three, which, if you're religious, can represent Christ, God and the Holy Ghost, or the more Pagan meaning of the relationship between the sun, the moon and the earth.  The Empress is all about security and contentment.  She's made her nest and now she can get on with what she needs to do.

04 The Emperor
Ruled by Aries.  The Emperor is the father, the undisputed head of the gang with the wisdom and compassion, logic and social skills needed for such a job.  If The Empress is the power of the natural world, The Emperor rules the mind; they need each other for balance and harmony.  His symbolic number is four, and he represents the four elements that make the universe tick: earth, fire, water and air.  But his male energy can also be macho and aggressive and his potential coldness, cruelty and boisterousness are something to watch out for.

05 The Hierophant
Ruled by Taurus.  A Hierophant interprets spiritual knowledge and has a compassion and wisdom often beyond his years.  He's the High Priest to The High Priestess, and represents the spiritual side of man.  He's the old philosopher sitting in his rocking chair, happy to watch the world go by and pass on his wisdom to whoever comes his way.  But The Hierophant's skill is only in talking about an issue.  he won't sort out your problems for you, although a chat could set you free.  His symbolic number is five, the five-pointed star representing the greatest capabilities and he suggests that you use them for yourself.

06 The Lovers
Ruled by Gemini.  Love is a partnership between two people, the balancing of power to make the most of each other.  But this card is also about the balance in your own personality.  Remember the old Chinese theory of Yin and Yang?  Yin (female) is the cool, watery energy that comes to the boil with enough Yang (male) energy.  If one is a little too energetic or powerful, it can be a nightmare; just as too much heat can make water boil over, too much water can put out a fire.  This is also the card of choice and commitment.  Making a decision isn't just about plumping for one of the options without giving it some serious thought.  If you're choosing one person over another, there's going to be some fallout.  Have a think about how you're going to deal with that before you make your decision.

07 The Chariot
Ruled by Cancer.  The Chariot is about speed and energy, struggle and triumph.  It's about winning the race, but with confidence and a mix of luck, intuition and good planning.  It takes a skilled driver to ride the chariot that wins.  The two horses, one black, one white, that are pulling the chariot, represent the heart and the head, and it calls for intelligence, discipline and clarity of thought to keep them both in check.  And remember that a chariot without a skilled driver can run out of control.  The symbolic number for this card is the lucky number seven.

08 Strength
Ruled by Leo.  This card is not so much about physical strength as the strength of will.  The Chinese say that even the tallest bamboo cannot be toppled by the wind because the strength of its roots is unshakable.  Similarly, this is about the relationship between the sunny and shadow-sides of ourselves, the spiritual and the more earthly parts of our souls.  Remember the story of Beauty and the Beast in which the purity of Belle's spirit tamed the wild anger of the beast?  Their relationship was only a success because both spirits found a way to work together.

09 The Hermit
Ruled by Virgo.  Remember the story of Jesus going off into the wilderness?  He didn't go there to lose himself but to find himself, and The Hermit card suggests you take some time out in a similar way.  Some of the wisest people in the world choose to retreat from the world: look at the zen monks, the sadhus, the artists who hid in their attics and emerge with a masterpiece.  The Hermit is the seeker and custodian of wisdom.  'Seek and you shall find' is his mantra.

10 Wheel of Fortune
Ruled by Jupiter.  Many religions around the world believe in the constant cycle of birth, death and rebirth that spins you through your many lives toward enlightenment.  The idea is to learn your lessons well so that with each lifetime you can make a more valuable contribution to the way the world turns.  Nobody knows what spins the wheel, and nobody knows their fate or their destiny.  The big lesson is to trust the universe, to know that we have control over what we do but little control over what the world does to us, and that everything that happens is for a reason.

11 Justice
Ruled by Libra.  When we concentrate too much on the wrong things in life - what we appear to be, what we look like, how much money we have - the scales of justice sink out of balance as we dip into selfishness and ego.  By being honest, kind and thoughtful, presenting ourselves well to the outside world as well as to ourselves and always making sure that we don't let people take advantage of us, the scales will float back into balance, and we'll get more of what we deserve.  Remember the old adage: 'As you sow, so shall you reap.'

12 The Hanged Man
Ruled by water.  This is the card of sacrifice.  A man is suspended from a rose briar, unable to free himself, yet he doesn't try to struggle.  The thorns may hold him but they don't draw blood.  his hair and sash are flowing in the wind and his eyes are closed in meditation.  The hanged man is not a victim of anything and asks no-one to save him; he has chosen to sacrifice himself in order to gain more insight about his place in the world through meditation.  Upside down, he can see things as they really are; sometimes it takes such a radical act to get things into perspective.  The question here is are you ready to do it?

13 Death
Ruled by Scorpio.  Death is the end, although not always of a life.  A powerful card of transition, this could be about the birth of a new way of being, the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis.  What comes to an end makes way for the beginning of something deeper, fresher.  It could be a new love that could only happen if the old one has finished, or it could be the end of a part of your childhood that's got to make way for the next stage of growing up, the explosion of your psychic powers and spiritual growth.  Whatever it is, this is no time for mourning.

14 Temperance
Ruled by Sagittarius.  Temperance is an old-fashioned idea, but the wise always learn from the past.  It symbolizes the action of purifying, turning something bad into something much better.  Look at the way the figure on the card pours from one chalice to another; she seems to offer the substance of the universe, allowing it to oversee the sparkling transformation.  For most of us, temperance is more about the art of self-control, of pouring the most base desires into the chalice and seeing what they turn into.  Blending, sieving, sorting the wheat from the chaff of our emotions, this is about finding the recipe for moderation.  Sagittarius is the archer who sets his sights clearly, holds steady and then lets his arrow fly directly to its target.

15 The Devil
Ruled by Capricorn.  Do you ever find yourself doing things that you know will ruin your chances with someone, eating food that you know will make you fat, making yourself late when you know you need to be there on time?  The Devil is about sabotage and the temptation to be wicked.  He whispers in your ear to try to tempt you, but this is the extent of his power over you.  Eve had every opportunity to refuse the apple, and so do you.  This is about the power to see what's really stopping you getting the best out of your life.  Once you realize that you're the power behind your own throne, you can rule your own world.

16 The Tower
Ruled by Mars.  Take care what you build your dreams on; build on sand and however fantastic the sand castle may be, it can't last.  This card reminds you of the need to be clear about your intentions, to prepare for failure and to be brave enough to watch that sandcastle come tumbling down if you've built it in the wrong place.  Sometimes The Tower will bring destruction, a real hurricane of a story which rips away at the seams of everything that you thought you understood.  Don't worry - The Tower comes with the inspiration to recognize catastrophe as a new opportunity.

17 The Star
Ruled by Aquarius.  The Star is about hope, about reaching out to something beyond which you can touch and feel.  But the person who draws The Star is not a dreamer; hope for you is not about 'perhaps' or 'maybe' - it's about 'what if' and 'when.'  Picking this card means that you've reached beyond your own limits and risen above the crowd.  It's about real achievement and real star quality.

18 The Moon
Ruled by Pisces.  The Moon is a mirror of the heart and is about your dreams, instincts, and primal drives.  In astrology, it's your sun sign that normally gets the most attention because it describes what you're like on the outside.  But it's where the moon was at the time of your birth that is often the most telling because it gives an insight into what you're really like on the inside.  Similarly, The Moon card looks to the confusion or worries inside you and reminds you that even when the night seems dark, the moon is always shining, showing us the way.  It says that it's just a question of letting our eyes refocus and then looking again.

19 The Sun
Ruled by the sun.  Without the sun, nothing would live.  This is about the bright side of life, the energy and hope that can fill our lives.  It's about sunny characters who see the positive in everything.  Think about how you feel when the sun is shining - particularly after a rainy spell - and bask in that energy.  Nobody has it all the time, so enjoy it while it's shining on you.

20 Judgment
Ruled by fire.  Judgment Day is, according to the Bible, the day when God looks back on your life and decides whether to send you up or down.  It's the story of Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and the Golden Time grid all rolled into one - the bottom line on whether you've been good...or not.  But the Judgment card reminds you that your Judgment Day hasn't yet arrived, and that you've (hopefully) got plenty of time before you meet your maker.  Decide what you need to do to stay in the right queue.  Judgment requires perspective and asks you to pay attention to what you need to learn in order to move on.

21 The World
Ruled by Saturn.  This is the last of the Major Arcana cards, and yet the beginning of your spiritual journey.  The World is what you can have if your heart and mind is in harmony, and this card says that you're now ready for the next chapter.  The World is at the opposite end of the Tarot deck from The Fool, a reminder that the story is never over, that it just gets more interesting the deeper you look into the mysteries of the world.  Like those mythical Greek heroes, you'll need faith, courage and determination to find the keys.

~*The Suits*~
Swords – Either Fire or Wind – Power, Respect, Courage
Cups – Water – Relationships, Creativity, Emotions
Pentacles – Earth – Earthly pleasures, Possessions, Money
Wands – Can be either Wind or Fire – Intuition, Security, Inner resources

First come, first serve on the suits.  Also, I will leave the Swords/Wands Element up to the creator of the character.  One more note: the Guardians’ weapon is based upon the suit.  For example, if your Guardian is that of the Pentacles, your weapon has to relate to the Pentacles, either in shape or that there are pentacles in the weapon’s design.  Wands and Swords are off limits to everyone but the Guardian of the Wand/Sword.  Spirit can choose whatever they want as their weapon and have no suit.

~*Sign-up for Guardians*~

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] First and last, middle optional
[b]Nickname/s:[/b] Optional
[b]Age:[/b] 16-20
[b]Gender:[/b] Male or Female
[b]Appearance:[/b] At least three paragraphs.  One paragraph will describe what the character will wear in Terra Celestia.

[b]Personality:[/b] At least two paragraphs.

[b]Major Arcana:[/b] Only one.  Also, it’s first come, first serve.
[b]Suit:[/b] N/A for Spirit, required for everyone else.
[b]Weapon:[/b] Just describe it and any special abilities it has.

[b]Power:[/b] Three, has to pertain to your Element.

[b]Other:[/b] Optional.

Character histories will be revealed through the course of the RP.

~*The Tarot Witch*~
Come Back to Me by Utada is awesome.
Name: Arianwen (prefers to spell it with a “y” instead of “e”) Aislin
Nickname/s: Ari
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance: Ari has ash blonde hair that falls down to her chin, only to curl up at the ends to frame her heart-shape face.  Her eyes are pale lavender and have a knowing look to them, even though she doesn’t mean to.  She has high cheekbones and an ivory complexion.  Ari stands at 5 feet 4 inches and weighs a little under the average for someone her height.

She wears clothes that compliment her looks.  Usually, though, Ari has to wear her school’s uniform.  The uniform has a white blouse, black skirt, and black flats.  When she isn’t wearing the uniform, Ari will be wearing a black, short-sleeve shirt with a black-winged faerie hovering near a waxing crescent moon.  She also will wear a pair of blue jeans and casual tennis shoes.

In Terra Celestia, Ari will wear a short-sleeve shirt made of the finest silk, dyed a lovely lavender color with shards of pale rose showing faintly.  It also has a goldenrod colored Celtic knot sewn right below the collar.  The pants are also made of silk that is a light orange, some pale lavender shards strewn here and there to add a soft effect.  Her shoes are doeskin moccasins with very tough soles.

Personality: Ari is a girl who will never make a good politician.  She follows through in her promises and hates it when people beat around the bush.  In her opinion, the blunter you are, the better.  She also hates it when people are overly optimistic and perky, but she will put up with it if she has to.  Ari also likes to put up a tough girl front, trying to make sure she doesn’t appear weak.  She doesn’t like to get hurt and tries her hardest to prevent any hurt toward her heart.

She has no self-respect for herself.  Ari hates everything about herself and doubly so if people see her as a tool.  She does not want to be used and then thrown away.  Ari is stubborn and sometimes she does not listen to reason.  However, if someone is a friend of hers, she will buckle down and listen to what he/she says, taking his or her words into consideration.

Ari can be impulsive and incredibly sarcastic.  Sometimes, her mind and her mouth run on separate wavelengths.  She’ll say the first thing that comes to mind, and usually never means anything by it.  Still, Ari might upset or **** people off on accident, and that usually leads to more trouble for both parties.

Other: –Arianwen means “silver fair” in Welsh.
-Aislin means “vision, dream” in Irish.
-Ari is of Irish descent and has a northern Irish accent.
-She prefers to go by Ari.

~*Spots*~
1. Arianwyn (Ryuuto)
2. Aeran (Lucifer)
3. Amal (LHS/VHB)
4. Nanaali (Terak)

If anybody's interested in filling the remaining two spots, please PM me your sign-up and we'll see what happens.

[EHW]

Umm... for now - Poor Man's Crusade by Demons & Wizards

Name: Aeran Vin (Pronounced Air-an)
Nickname/s: Air; Sora
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Appearance: Aeran has long silvery-white hair, which is kept in a ponytail, starting at the base of his neck. His hair is naturally in the style of slightly-spiked bedhair, with the ponytail being kept in place by a black leather band. The ponytail then drapes down his back up until halfway down the spine. A couple of bangs droop across his forehead, but his hair doesn't cause any lack of vision for him. He has a pair of copper-green coloured eyes, each with a ring or two of myrtle green around the pupil.

He has an everyday look about him which seems to take traits from different cultures and match them together to create something which is familiar yet unique. He stands at about five feet seven inches, and weighs about eight stone seven pounds, so is slightly underweight. On his left shoulder is a tattoo, a birthmark which is of a cloud about an inch big, which denotes his wind affinity. Finally, just underneath each shoulder blade an slightly torn eagle wing is placed, denoting both a fallen angel appearance as well as his wind affinity.

While in Terra Celestia, Aeran wears a sleeveless robe of some sort, which is forest green in colour and comes down to his ankles in length. Underneath this he wears a long-sleeved white silken vest, which falls until his chest finishes. Upon his feet he has a pair of sandals with a couple of miniature wings attached to them. He has a cloud-like lining on the end of his white vest sleeves, which caresses his wrists.

Personality: Aeran is quite a laid-back figure, never really caring to take any comments to heart about him, whether good-natured or not. His demeanour generally affects those around him into believing that Aeran makes the worst kind of guardian, or even person, due to the fact he gives off the impression he is slightly out of it and also is rather lazy. This even leads those working with him to get easily frustrated with him, not realising that sometimes the reason for this is to make sure he isn't properly affected by his own moral issues, knowing that the safety and happiness of his Tarot Witch is, more often than not, more important than his moral dilemma. Aeran is often rather bubbly and cheery, attempting to make friends wherever he goes, while also being the most spontaeneous, dragging people along to shops or new places as he is simply curious.

In battle, Aeran becomes a more stoic and serious, though still maintains a cheery and friendly character, which in turn affects his fighting style, or lack of one. He is very erratic, and makes a seemingly irrational move only to follow up with an improbable secondary one. He also taunts people or unintentionally insults them, which then leads to either them treating him as a fool or being riled up enough to make mistakes. However, if his ward is put into danger, he quickly stops and attempts to reverse the situation.

Major Arcana: The Hanged Man
Suit: Wand for Wind!
Weapon: A basic foldable Chinese fan is Aeran's weapon of choice. It has a couple of charms on it in order to make his air generation to be even stronger and the ability to transform into a larger two-handed war-fan. The art upon the fan depicts a blue-green Chinese dragon dancing among the clouds on a relatively clear sky. [1].

Power: Aero Manipulation: Aeran has the ability to control the movement of air, which includes the ability to generate wind with intense force, lift and carry light objects, fly and, more subtly, amplify small vibrations in the air - allowing her to hear faraway conversations. [2].

Other: - [1] is true fanart. XPP
- [2]: Though it may not sound like it, this actually represents all three of my powers.

[America]

Lucy: Looks great, but you're missing one thing. Pending~.

EDIT: Okay, you're accepted, Lucy. ^^

[Lord High Summoner]

Iron Maiden- The Legacy

Name: Amal Santaro

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Appearance: Amal has a slightly tan skin tone, which is not surprising since he spends much of his time wandering outside, with few scars upon his arms and legs from many adventures. His hair is a bright blond that almost glows pure white, and it shines against his tan skin and rests at almost shoulder length. His almond shaped eyes are a deep sky blue and give off a gentle glow that shows his lighthearted inner nature. He is, like most travelers, tall and slim being around 6 foot 2 and weighing in at about the average, if not slightly more, for his age and height.

Amal is not the most athletically built individual but he is far from being out of shape. His body, while muscular, is not as defined as others and he usually covers this fact up by wearing loose clothes. He also does this so that he can hide obects under his clothes, just in case an emergency calls for drastic measures. On top of this, he likes to wear things that make him stand out from the crowd, as he never likes to be one of the ordinary.

His Terra Celestia attire consists of an outer lair consisting of an ivory colored tunic, both of which are embroidered with etchings of gold throughout it's weave. Along with his tunic he wears a leather like vest with several rune markings along it to add a sense of importance to it. His leggings are of the same design and the same material which allows for maximum comfort and maneuverability during critical moments. Around his right leg is a dagger holster which is concealed by both his robe and leggings. He wears a pair custom cut black boots which are made to only fit around his foot to add a more comfortable boot. Around his neck is a crystal necklace.


Personality: When getting to know Amal he is a very harsh and rough person as you first get to know him, he never trusts someone until they earn his respect. Once you earn his trust Amal becomes almost a completely different person. Amal is a pretty laid back guy and tends not to take most anything seriously, rather he looks at it all like it is a game to be played and have fun with. He is always in a happy mood and never lets the world get him down even if the world around him is crashing down he will be in a good mood. His philosophy on life is that when someone smiles they temporarily forget all their pain and hurt that is in their life; As such he tries to make everyone around him happy, even at the expense of his own happiness as long as it means that his friends will be happy.

Even though Amal is very intelligent and an out of the box style thinker, he has had his fair share of brash moments where all his brains are over ruled by his emotion, causing him to act quickly. He is also a very artistic person and writes poetry and song lyrics during his down time, performing them for all to hear on his homemade Lyre. Amal is quite stubborn and has an iron will that never yields when opposed, even if he is not 100% sure on something he will fight for his belief as if he was. When his respect and trust has been earn there has never been a more loyal friend as well as ally than Amal and he will sacrifice himself at a moments notice to save his friends.

Major Arcana: The Fool

Suit: Cups

Weapon: He uses his lyre as a weapon. As he plays his lyre he has the ability to entrance both his foes and his enemies. With his lyre he can make foes fall asleep, or he can boost the moral and power of his team mates.[1]

Power: Vibration Manipulation: Amal can use vibrations to alter the state of mind of those around him, and it can be used for both offense and defense. He can send sound blasts that render an attacker immobile, or use vibrations to reinforce his dagger and make it resonate to a frequency that can shatter an opponents blade. [2]

Other:

[America]

LHS: You're accepted.

[Terak]

All righty, let's light this firecracker.

Ha, everyone's characters have names that start with 'A'.

***

(I've always been partial to "Superman" by Five for Fighting.)

Name: Nanaali Seyn Volvargo
Nickname/s: Uncommon, but sometimes shortenings of her name—such as Nan or Naali—are used as a gesture of affection from close ones.
Age: 25 (I consulted with Ryuuto about this beforehand.)
Gender: Female
Appearance: Svelte but surprisingly muscular, with a tanned bronze complexion. Nanaali is tall for her gender, slightly surpassing the height of the average man. She has piercing and lively brown eyes that gleam with watchful inquisitiveness. Her long face and its angular features work conjointly with her other qualities to create an appearance that is a strange mix between mature and mischievous. Covering nearly the entire right side of her face is what appears to be a black tattoo of dancing flames.

Her common attire is a fashion that all but screams “brigand”. A tan bandana covers most of her head, with her short, dark mahogany curls poking out around the ears and back. She wears a sleeveless terra cotta top, dirtied oak brown pants and sturdy travel boots. She loves earrings, so both of her ears are adorned with many.

The deciding factor for her appearance is the agglomeration of weapons she carries. Her swords seem to be scattered all over her, mostly residing on her belt, one strapped to her back and another attached sideways behind her waist. More often than not her boots will be concealing at least one dagger.

Personality: As a Sagittarian, Nanaali possesses many traits expected of a fire sign. She is both driven and energetic, using passion as a strength and diving head-first into whatever task or recreation lies ahead; she is nearly impossible to stop. This impulsiveness often leads her to act without giving due thought to the ramifications of her decision, whether she bruises someone’s feelings with a thoughtless slip of tongue, or puts herself in a position of danger.

She doesn’t let this burden her, however. She greets new people with a cheeky grin and, after judging whether or not they may steal attention from her—something she loves and can’t get enough of—may or may not begin flaunting herself to seek peer approval and confirm her position as the most important and valuable member of the team. An unfortunate characteristic that can defeat this is her short temper. If frustrated or, ironically, irked by a careless remark, she can usually be counted on to lash out in a flustered outburst. She needs time to cool her emotions afterward.

Nanaali comes from a difficult upbringing. Because of this, she has been conditioned to kill without mercy whenever the act is called for. Still, nestled deep inside of her and carefully guarded is a caring, motherly nature, and secretly she seeks to shelter and look after those dear to her. She’s too proud to let her tenderness show, however, but it will sometimes emerge if she thinks no one will notice.

Major Arcana: The Chariot
Suit: Swords
Weapon: Exactly as her suit implies: swords. Whether scimitars, rapiers or broadswords, she uses whatever she can find. Her collection changes as old blades wear out or break.

Power: Temperature control. Nanaali has the power to influence the temperature around her and raise it to scorching extremities, making burning husks of her enemies. She can heat up the area around her, or channel her energy into a cone before her. In addition to conjuring heat, she also resists it; her body can almost be called fireproof. The final use of this power is that by heating the surrounding air, she can distort it to create a shimmering illusion of her position, to confuse and frustrate her opponents.

Other: N/A

[America]

((And now, we begin!  I pulled a random character out of a hat who will be a resident of Terra Celestia.  Random Person, expect a PM from me and if you have questions, ask them.  Anyway, if this post looks familiar…it’s supposed to.  She’s supposed to start like this.  The rest of you, post your day and how you came to get to Terra Celestia.  If you get teleported via your Element, I give you brownie points.  Anyway, just skip my post, unless you want to read it for ideas.  Seriously.  You can see the exact same thing in my story of The Tarot's Truth. :/))

Arianwyn glared at her reflection in the mirror, and it glared right back.  She hated everything about herself, her looks at the top of her list.  Her hair as an ashy blonde falling straight down to her chin, only to curl up at the ends and frame her heart-shaped face.  Ari’s pale lavender eyes had a knowing look to them, pissing off most people whenever she so much as looks at them.  Her cheekbones were high, and her complexion was almost the color of ivory.  A pretty thing to look at, but there was something about her that kept most away from her.

She hated her beauty and how the cheerleaders were trying to force her into the Squad.  Ari wasn’t stupid.  They were just going to use her to pull in more fans for the games.  That, and the fact that she was going to have to pretend to be someone she wasn’t made her less inclined to join up.  Ari sighed and looked at her Hello Kitty alarm clock, trying hard not to think too much about the Squad.

“****!  I’m late!” Ari scrambled out of the bedroom, grabbed a piece of toast, grabbed her backpack, and pulled on her shoes.  While she ran to the bus stop, she tried to smooth out her uniform and to tie the red bow on correctly.  Ari barely made it there on time and sighed in relief as she sat down onto the ugly, grey bus seats.  She idly looked through her backpack and sighed.  She had forgotten her lunch.  At least she had money to buy something from the school’s cafeteria.

She left the bus as soon as it stopped at her school.  With a heavy heart, Ari walked inside the cathedral-like building.  The great hall was spacious with beautiful, stained glass windows and white marble flooring.  It was peaceful and quiet, which was why it was one of Ari’s favorite rooms.  She turned left, opening cool, maple double-doors and walked into the hall.  It branched off into multiple rooms, but Ari was looking for the teak door labeled “Mrs. Terra – 11th Grade English.”  She smiled and entered the room.  English was one of her favorite classes, mainly because she liked the teacher.

The room was like every normal high school’s classroom.  The teacher was far from normal.  Strawberry blonde hair, average height, and with merry blue eyes, Mrs. Terra was a fun-loving woman who dearly loved her students.  She was the only reason Ari tolerated the school, and even made English a favored class.

“Hey, Mrs. T!” Ari greeted, her northern Irish accent gently coating her words.  Mrs. T had to be the only English teacher who didn’t try to force her to “speak like an American.”

“Hi, Ari,” she replied kindly and warmly before resuming her talk with another student.  Ari sat down at her desk and took out her English stuff.  Other students started to file in and class immediately started as soon as the forlorn toll of the bell rang.

The classes went by in a blur, and before Ari knew it, it was time for lunch.  She managed to avoid the rush of students and got her food fairly quickly.  She scanned the cafeteria for an empty table and hurried toward the first one she found.  Ari ate in relative silence, broken only by the occasion jeering of something about “The Little Irish Witch” by her classmates.  She pointedly ignored them.  When finished with lunch, Ari left the cafeteria and went to her Study Hall classroom.

God I hate this school.  She thought as she sat down at her desk.  Ari took deep, calming breaths as she went through her backpack to find her Tarot cards.  The cards were practically her only friends in life.  She sighed as she laid out the Tarot in the Daily Fortune layout.  Ari counted the cards and flipped over the one representing that day.

What the hell?  Ari frowned as she saw the Eight of Swords.  She flipped over a card in the luck and potential column that corresponded with the same row as the Eight of Swords.  The Three of Pentacles showed up.  Finally, Ari flipped over one last card in the big events column.  It was Strength, but reversed.  That had to be the weirdest reading she had ever had.

She didn’t have much time to think about what her cards were telling her when the bell rang for class to begin.  The day seemed to drag by, and Ari was very grateful when the last class (math) ended.  Her thoughts kept drifting to what her Tarot cards had told her that afternoon.  That was why she hadn’t noticed that she got off at the park instead of her home.

“Damn it,” Ari muttered as the bus drove away.  She sighed in frustration and decided to just walk through the park.  Ari wandered around, taking in the natural beauty of the surrounding area.  She loved taking walks through the park when she got confused or annoyed.  It was very soothing to her.

Her meandering had led her to the heart of the park.  Ari smiled a little and walked to the center of the heart.  She sat down on the rock situated there and took out her Tarot cards, merely holding them in her left hand.  For some odd reason, the cards seemed to glow a faint purple light.  Ari frowned and blinked a little, making sure she wasn’t imagining things.

All of a sudden, the light breeze turned into a massive whirlwind, catching Ari right in the middle.  She sat there, frozen stiff.  It felt as though a hand held her in place as she watched in growing fear as her body started to dissolve into the wind.  Eventually, Ari lost consciousness and knew no more.

[Terak]

Nanaali gazed down at the thin cards placed on the small threaded mat before her. They were beautiful pieces of art, each one carefully painted with its own image of some deep symbolic meaning. However, that was about all that the Tarot cards meant to her. Whatever intricate story they told was a mystery that she had never developed the interest in learning to interpret. There were enough Tarot Witches in the world to take care of that anyway, possessing that necessary patience for the art which Nanaali admired, but did not fully understand.

Long, knobbed fingers carefully removed the cards from their soft perch, and the Tarot Witch who owned them began to shuffle them back into the rest of the deck. All the while she studied Nanaali carefully, searching for signs of the inevitable reaction that was soon to come, before she actually spoke.

“The cards are telling me the same thing. You are indeed a Tarot Guardian, Nanaali.”

Nanaali’s shoulders slumped. She had been hoping desperately against this. So desperately, in fact, that Briella had agreed to do a reading in person to show her beyond all doubt. She fingered the hilt of one of her swords, releasing a low sigh.

“Why me, Bri?” she moaned. “I don’t want to be responsible for some kid witch. Couldn’t you ask the cards to find another sucker for the job?”

“I have no doubt that the cards made their decision quite carefully,” Briella said stiffly. Her predictions of the twenty-five-year-old’s response had been spot-on. She burst into protest.

“But there’s no money in it! I’m gonna be wasting my time when I could be out there-”

“-doing what, Nanaali?” The old woman’s voice was sharpened to a keen edge, making the youth, armed as she was, fold under her experienced eye. “Finding more mercenary jobs? Living a life where you kill for profit? Don’t you remember where that almost led you?”

“I’m stronger than that now!” Nanaali said sharply, and Briella sensed the hurt in her tone as the room’s temperature suddenly jumped. Realizing her mistake, Nanaali unclenched her fist and looked down in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she murmured.

Briella softened a bit. “Nanaali,” she soothed. “Of course you are stronger. I didn’t mean that. I meant that you can do so much better than the life you’ve been giving yourself. This kind of task you’ve been called upon may seem arduous, but it’s also an exceedingly rare and rewarding gift. If the cards have chosen you, it isn’t because the world is punishing you. It’s because the world recognizes you as the right person to bear this responsibility, and that you are destined for great things.”

“Yeah . . .”

Nanaali appeared to glumly consider this. Briella smiled. She was an exceedingly readable young woman, even at her mature age, and always wore her heart on her sleeve. The Tarot Witch felt like she was consoling a teenager.

“Do I have to?” Nanaali finally asked.

“I suppose you don't 'have' to. But you wouldn’t want to leave your Tarot Witch unguarded, would you?” She saw Nanaali’s eyes falter. “Besides, you don’t even know her yet. I think the first step would be to go and meet the person you’ve been assigned to before you go making any decisions. She should be at the Fireside Inn by now, actually.”

Nanaali shrugged. The heavy veil of lavender in the room was beginning to overpower her, and she could not think up any argument useful enough to battle with Briella’s seasoned logic. Shifting in her place, she slowly rose to her feet and made for the door. Her final attempt of avoidance was feeble.

“Okay . . . if you really think so.”

“I do.”

“Oh, all right.” She opened the door, defeated. Briella couldn’t resist.

“Nanaali? Have you decided when you would like to have that love prediction?”

“Good-bye, Bri!”

[EHW]

A white room. All the walls were coated in white paint, and there were beds lined up in rows inside it. Only one was occupied, by a young teenager, named Aeran Vin. His body was covered in numerous bruises, cuts and scars, due to the car crash he had been in a couple of days ago. Surgery hadn't helped him, and he hadn't been awake since before the car hit him.

Inside Aeran's mind, he was mulling over his choices of whether or not to continue to fight the pain and to allow his body to fail. He could see no wrong in it, and in his heart, he knew he was going to die. So he simply stopped fighting, allowing the monitors to start to flat-line. That was when he felt himself vanish, and he headed towards the white light...
---------------------------------------
Crack! That was the sound he heard next. He got up, and looked around. 'This certainly wasn't the place I expected to arrive at,' he thought distractedly, brushing his hands clean against his robe, and gently massaging his wings. 'Wait... Robe? WINGS!?' He leapt back, confused. He then noticed he was floating in mid-air, the wind pushing him up and creating a carpet of air for him to stand on, and maybe even walk on. 'Very strange... maybe I should ask someone what's going on?' Aeran thought, and with that, he quickly skated downwards to the path, and then walked calmly down the road, worrying slightly about being attacked...