(Welcome to Mystic Seasons! My name is Hollen, and I’m here to be your guide to the world of Mythopoeia.)

All characters in Mystic Seasons begin by selecting three cards from the Major Arcana to determine their Cardinal Orientation, Elemental Affinity, and Spiritual Hue. These qualities are usually all referred to as a player's Affinities, and they take the place of the classes that are used in other role-playing games. Each combination of Affinities results in a unique set of abilities and bonuses for the character to develop. All told, it adds up to well over 500 class variants for our players to enjoy! Please note that the powers described below are common examples, but the game can generate other options when appropriate.

The Major Arcana :

(I) The Magician : Haram, Lord of the Skies – Fire – East – Orange

(II) The High Priestess : Anguis, the Serpent – Amplifier

(III) The Empress : Bemoi, Lady Death – Air – South – Ultraviolet or Black

(IV) The Emperor : Betai, Lord of Law – Zenith – Metal – White or Red

(V) The Hierophant : Hush, the Unnamed God – Zenith – Crystal – Grey or White

(VI) The Lovers : Bifurcation – Bemoi or Elali

(VII) The Chariot : Mog, the Blood God – North – Earth – Red or Green

(VIII) Strength : Yog, the Golden – North – Earth – Yellow or Brown

(IX) The Hermit : Avaea, the Hermit – West – Water – Ultraviolet or Blue

(X) Wheel of Fortune : Bifurcation – Acarus or Mog

(XI) Justice : Sing, the Huntress – Nadir – Wood – Blue or Green

(XII)The Hanged Man : Jang, the Molted One – South – Air – Brown or Yellow

(XIII) Death : Bifurcation – Shesh or Hush

(XIV) Temperance : Elali, the Guardian – East – Fire – Violet

(XV) The Devil : Acarus, the Worm – Nadir – Flesh – Infrared or Black

(XVI) The Tower : Bifurcation – Yog or Avaea

(XVII) The Star : Heavens Boughs – Amplifier

(XVIII) The Moon : Shesh, the Old Man of the Sea – West – Water – Grey or Green

(XIX) The Sun : Bifurcation – Betai or Jang

(XX) Judgement : Bifurcation – Sing or Haram

(XXI) The World : Mythopeia – Amplifier

(O) The Fool : The Hero, the Apprentice – Amplifier

CARDINAL ORIENTATION

Player characters are free to edit their own appearances, but for NPCs, Orientation is an indication of ethnicity as well as behavioral traits. Generally, a character’s Cardinal direction entails a social, mental, and physical bonus. Six orientations comprise a full compass. The first card a player reveals dictates this correspondence.

North –

The Northern lands are closer to the sunflower, rendering them arid and overheated. High Valanthia, the seat of the Empire, grew out of cracked earth and unforgiving wastes. Its people are tough, bold, and fiercely hierarchical. Honor is paramount, and justice can be harsh. This is the region ruled by a direct descendent of Betai, the nation founded by a god. NPCs born in this region tend to have darker skin but still vary widely in complexion.

Desert Born (1) : You have a natural resistance to environmental heat, penalties in arid and tropical zones are reduced by 50%.

Heat Treated (1) : You have undergone the ritual conditioning of the native Zimmerians, bestowing a 10% resistance to Fire/Heat damage.

Catching Passion (1) : You are a natural-born leader, and your attempts to Inspire others to receive a 15% bonus.

East –

The East includes the many island nations of the Great Divide as well as the continent of Kenria. Shesh, Lord of the Waves, is fickle as fortune, and those born under his influence have to learn to accept his generosity when it comes in order to survive his wrath when it follows. Easterners tend to be community-minded, because no one can survive alone, and they have developed a culture of strong family ties and complex systems of respect and cooperation.

Team Players (1) : Two heads are more than one head, you receive a 10% bonus to skill use whenever cooperating with a partner.

Grounded (1) : You rarely get the twisties, receiving a 10% to Acrobatics, as well as resisting vertigo and motion sickness.

Enigmatic (1) : Your mind is a box without a lid, and golden treasures are hidden within. 10% bonus to solving Intelligence Challenges such as puzzles and riddles as well as relevant Skill assessments.

South –

From the temperate spans of Lower Valanthia to the Arctic Tundras of the Blue Wastes, the southern regions include a broad range of climates and geography. Several populations have intermixed, ranging from coppery skin tones to the bloodless faces of the Wastes. Southerners are defined by their relationship with the cold and the eternal march of the seasons.

Touched by Ice (1) : Well adapted to the permafrost of the deep South, you only suffer 50% penalties for operating in snow and ice.

Twilight Eyes (1) : The sun is a friend who hides his face, you receive a 10% bonus to social skills in dim and low-light conditions.

Stoic (1) : Harsh winters have prepared you for the harshness of the world. 12% bonus to resisting fear effects. 5% bonus to resisting Stun and Stagger effects from damage.

West –

The west includes the entire continent of Hidaria, but particularly the mountain kingdoms of Dadaya and the plains of the Tang, both known for their cultures of independence and survivalism. The beast gods, Yog and Mog, have both played a major role in the continued development of these areas, fostering a deep connection to nature and its cycles. Westerners tend to value liberty over security.

Spirit of Independence (1) : Work is done best when done alone. 5% bonus to skills used in solitude.

Chaos Seed (1) : Fortune and misfortune haunt you. 9% enhanced chance of extreme events, both positive and negative.

Seiyan Recrudescene (1) : The souls of some heroes shine brighter than others, and are more tightly bound. You receive no penalty for a second successive death within 24 hours.

Zenith –

This orientation refers to altitude, those born on the highest elevations anywhere in the world. NPCs from these regions tend to be grey to silver-skinned with blue to violet eyes. They are often godless and of an intellectual bent. Sometimes branded as emotionless, they are actually deeply emotional but usually keep their true feelings in reserve. Life on the plateaus and peaks requires discipline and foresight.

Bardic Knowledge (1) : Your Lore Skill is considered to be this rank or the ranks you have invested in it, whichever is higher. You receive a 10% bonus on all Performance assessments.

Disinterest (1) : You endure extreme environments without complaint. 20% bonus to resist all penalties for temperature and altitude.

Rhetoric (1) : Nothing is more exhilarating than a good debate. 10% bonus to convince others of your positions via appeals to reasons. Your Spirit regeneration is boosted by the same amount while in the argument.

Nadir –

The lowlands and underground grottos gave rise to a unique people. Commonly albino, NPCs from these regions are often shunned or persecuted for the accident of their birth, but they can excel as sellswords, artists, or any profession that occupies the outskirts of society. Their appearance can make them stand out in a crowd, and people tend to find them repulsive or devilishly attractive. There is no nation of the Nadi, as most of those that live below ground live in service to the Tellurian princes.

Carnal Instinct (1) : You have a way with everyone. 10% bonus to flirtation and seduction with all genders and Orientations.

Mithridatism (1) : 10% bonus to resist poisons and diseases.

Burning Blood (1) : Whenever your Spirit falls below 10%, you begin to supplement mana expenditure with an equal amount of Body to fulfill the costs of physical exertion and techniques. This additional mana cannot be used for Wizardry.

ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES

Mythopoeian alchemy admits to the existence of eight fundamental elements, sometimes referred to as Primary and Secondary groupings. The Primary elements are Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. Between those appear the Secondary elements, Wood, Metal, Crystal, and Flesh. The isolation of the theoretical ninth element has been pursued throughout history without success. The ninth element, Yen, has been described variously as unity, life, or desire, without any real agreement among scholars. The second card drawn from the Major Arcana assigns a player’s Elemental Affinity.

Elemental relationships are determined by their position on the Compass. Elements can be Adjacent, Border, or Diametric, and each category establishes bonuses and penalties for using those elements.

Affinity Element : 10% bonus at Mortal Tier, 20% at Heroic, and 30% at Celestial.

Adjacent Elements : No affinity bonus or penalty.

Border Elements : 20% penalty.

Diametric Elements : These elements cannot be utilized by the character under normal conditions. 100% penalty.

Earth –

Soil and rock, the foundation on which Mythopoeia rests.

Dense Spirit (1) : Your mana drains more slowly from spells, abilities, and activities, but it also recovers more slowly. 10% bonus and penalty.

Nurturing (1) : A nurturing nature helps you gain the trust of children and other vulnerable creatures. The cynical and cruel are more likely to underestimate or dismiss you. 10% situational bonus.

Deep Soul (1) : Your sense of self is as solid as stone. 10% bonus to all Ego actions, such as resisting mental assault or overcoming exhaustion.

Wood –

With its origin in the union of Earth and Fire, this element is supple but strong, a storehouse of dynamic energy as well as wisdom.

Adroit (1) : Lithe and limber, you receive a 10% bonus to all Dexterity-based assessments.

Flexible Affinity (1) : You mana can bend in such a manner as to imitate other elements. 20% bonus to bypass resistance against Wood.

Reassuring Presence (1) : You are perceived as being knowledgeable and level-headed, and your words are given extra weight in times of uncertainty. 10% situational bonus.

Fire –

Dancing plasma, fire is the epitome of both destructive and creative forces.

Quick Burn (1) : You can boost the effectiveness of your abilities by spending additional mana. 10% increase in cost provides a 5% boost.

Radiant Presence (1) : People are drawn to you, and you make a strong first impression. 10% bonus to Presence checks, social interactions that do not involve skills.

Destructive (1) : You know how to break things. 10% bonus to damaging objects.

Metal –

The child of Air and Fire, this element is best represented by a meteor falling from the heavens to pierce the earth.

Iron Body (1) : Your bones don’t deign to break, and your stomach may be lined with lead. 10% bonus to all Constitution assessments.

Underworld Connections (1) : Creatures and people of the mountains and grottos take a liking to you. 10% situational social bonus.

Alloy Affinity (1) : Choose any Diametric Element to be your Alloy, gaining a 10% affinity bonus with that element or reducing its penalty by 20% if there is a penalty.

Air –

The most pervasive element, Air, forever presses its way into any void left by the other seven.

Friendly (1) : Always outward-facing, those with an affinity for Air are greeted with 10% better first impressions from humanoid NPCs.

Airy Intellect (1) : You have a knack for problem-solving. 10% bonus to Intelligence assessments.

Breath of Life (1) : You have a 10% increased mana regeneration in regions aligned with your element or during storms and windy conditions.

Crystal –

Born of Water and Air, crystal represents a singular structuring of otherwise unstructured principles.

Brittle (1) : Your internal chemistry gradually becomes more crystalline than organic. Natural healing is 10% less effective, while magical healing is 10% more effective.

Crystal Capacitor (1) : Your mana appears transparent, like liquid molten glass. You receive no affinity bonus, but you can use Border elements without penalty, and Diametric elements at an 80% penalty.

Crystal Clarity (1) : +10% to perceive dishonesty, deception, and hidden truths. You view the world through a pure lens.

Water –

The universal solvent, central to all life.

Pure Spirit (1) : Your mana is stable and unreactive, well suited to storage. Powering artifices and cabochons requires a 10% reduced investment.

Soothing Touch (1) : Others find you a calming influence, even when they are in distress. 10% situational social bonus to diffusing conflict and to tending the wounded.

Flow Like Water (1) : In battle, you mimic the motions of your affinity. 15% increased chance to evade area effects.

Flesh –

Reactive, mutable, and hungry, a delicate and unstable element arising from the congress of Earth and Water.

Mana Allergy (1) : Your affinity makes you ill-suited to the formal arts of Wizardry. Resistance to spells is increased by 10%. Spellcasting is achieved at a 10% mana penalty.

Beast Friend (1) : Monsters seem to like you. 10% bonus to Handle Animal with creatures of below human intelligence.

Monstrous Strength (1) : You’re stronger than you look. 10% bonus to strength-based actions.

SPIRITUAL HUE

A character's third card designates their Spiritual Hue, the color of their magic. Most cards allow for a choice between two or more colors associated with a deity or deities, and there are twelve colors in the magical spectrum. The classic rainbow is present in addition to white, black, and brown. Ultraviolet usually appears as neon pink, transparent enough to be lost behind other hues. Infrared shows itself as a bloody brown with inconstant flecks of shadow.

A character’s Hue initially grants access to only one ability and one additional ability at advanced Tiers. New abilities are sometimes made available through Quests and game-play.

Black –

Black is both the absence of color and the presence of all colors. It is the formless chaos that existed before creation, and the renunciation of the world. It is typically divided into glossy and matte, separating the black dove from the cosmic worm.

Glamor (Mortal) (1) : You have a superficial charm. 10% bonus to all social interactions, but if you fail an initial assessment, you suffer a 10% penalty to subsequent interaction instead.

Sixth Sense (Mortal) (1) : You have a knack for sensing danger, from traps and assassins to a bridge about to fail. 10% bonus to perceiving hidden threats.

Allure (Heroic) (1) : You receive an additional 10% bonus to flirtation and seduction. Your charms are without peer. You can maintain an additional companion without relationship penalties.

Binding Unlike Elements (Heroic) (1) : You have an instinctive understanding of creation and destruction. 10% bonus to Craft (Alchemy).

Fatal Attraction (Heroic) (1) : You inspire such desire in others that they can be overwhelmed. On a successful seduction attempt, you can choose to initiate an attack that is automatically a Vital Strike and has a 20% chance of being a Death Blow.

Blood of the Primordials (Celestial) (1) : Your flesh is suffused with unlimited potential. There is a 10% chance your blood and tissue can be used as a substitute for any given alchemical ingredient.

Blue –

One of the coldest colors, generally viewed at a remove. It is said to occur most often as a translucency and is sometimes referred to as a graduated emptiness. Blue is the path to eternity on which the imaginary becomes real. Heaven’s Hue, it is rich with a yearning for the otherworldly.

Deep Sight (Mortal) (1) : You have a 10% increased likelihood of overcoming Concealment.

Freedom of Movement (Heroic) (1) : You have a 10% bonus to escaping grapples, entanglement, and bindings, as well as moving unhindered through difficult terrain.

Door to Infinity (Celestial) (1) : You can make short jumps through space, bypassing non-magical barriers up to one foot in thickness,

Brown –

Yog wears brown as a sign of the earth’s fecundity and strength, but also in acknowledgment of natural cycles, the end of all harvests, and the death of spring. Simple brown cloth is often associated with humility and poverty, both relate to Yog in her wandering aspect. Jang’s harsher Hue calls to mind locusts and roaches, nature against man, and earth reclaiming all.

Artisan (Mortal) (1) : You have a knack for production. 10% bonus to all Craft skills.

Bugger (Mortal) (1) : 10% resistance against venom, as well as a 10% bonus to Handle Animal attempts involving vermin. You’re going to need it.

Blood of the Earth (Heroic) (1) : You recover more quickly than others. 5% bonus to Body and Spirit regeneration.

Verminous Familiar (Heroic) (1) : You have a vermin companion. Any vermin you successfully tame act with 20% of your Intelligence statistic, minimum 1. They also gain a 10% bonus to spirit.

Firm Foundations (Celestial) (1) : Your skill as an artisan exceeds the ordinary. Items you craft gain a 10% bonus to Toughness and Condition. The same is true for all items in your possession.

King of Spiders (Celestial) (1) : You can communicate with all vermin as if you shared a language. They can understand you, but gain no new means of responding in kind. Vermin you interact with function as if they had a minimum Intelligence statistic of 1. The number of Vermin you can Tame as companions is increased by 20%.

Gray –

The Unnamed God and Shesh both have claims on gray mana. Wizards purport the color to be at the center of the wheel, between white and black. It does have aspects of both life and death, dawn and dusk. An ambivalent color, stolid as stones and as tempestuous as any sea squall. It bears hints of confusion and loss, and the somber music of the tomb.

Stormborn (Mortal) (1) : You have a kinship with the sea. 10% bonus to all skill checks involving survival at sea. 15% reduced costs to swim and holding your breath while underwater.

Dead Friendly (Mortal) (1) : They just like you. 10% bonus to social interactions with the undead.

Friends Not Food (Heroic) (1) : The denizens of the deep recognize you as an ally. Unintelligent sea creatures will not attack you without provocation, and you gain a 10% bonus to all Handle Animal assessments with them.

Dead Talker (Heroic) (1) : You are able to communicate with all undead regardless of language, even if they cannot speak. You gain a 10% bonus to Handle Animal assessments with unintelligent Undead.

Form of the Deep (Celestial) (1) : You are at home beneath the waves. You no longer need to hold your breath underwater, and all penalties associated with taking actions and movement underwater are reduced by 20%.

Dead Looker (Celestial) (1) : Undead treat you as if you were one of their own. You gain 20% of the bonuses associated with an Undead subtype without suffering the penalties.

Green –

While green is the combination of yellow and blue. It is often considered a primary color in its own right. This color is traditionally feminine, associated with water, salvation, and riches. Life and vibrancy sit alongside putrescence and envy. Warm and cold, green is an amphibious Hue.

Life Sense (Mortal) (1) : You can sense the relative conditions of living creatures at close range. You perceive their Body totals via green auras around their avatars that brighten and dim according to their current health to within a 25% margin of error.

The wealth of the Wilds (Heroic) (1) : 10% bonus to finding herbs, fungus, and rare drops in woodland settings. You are at home in the wilderness.

Wood and Thunder (Celestial) (1) : Able to unlock the pent energies of wood, you can transform pine cones into grenades, and sticks into dynamite. Up to one pound of fuel can be affected in this way per day.

Infrared–

Like Ultraviolet, Infrared is invisible to the human gaze except as mana. Its associations depend on its intensity. Cool Infrared invites sleep and suggests the presence of hidden truths. It is patient and passive. Warmth implies movement, hunger, and growth. Radiant heat corresponds to overwhelming power and radical changes.

Worm Friend (Mortal) (1) : They just like you. 15% bonus to Handle Animal with any species of Worm.

Worm Familiar Heroic) (1) : If you have a worm companion, you gain an additional 15% social bonus on all interactions and Handle Animal checks with them. This allows you to better communicate with your worm, understanding each other as well as if you shared a language.

Radical Evolution (Celestial) (1) : You gain Infrared vision at 20% of your normal vision, as well as the ability to sense vibrations in the ground caused by movement out to four paces. Your eyes begin to milk over, resulting in a 10% loss of normal vision.

Orange–

A point of equilibrium between celestial gold and chthonian red, orange is a traditionally male color. It is never passive, but it is highly energetic, at constant war with itself. Associations include inspiration, motivation, and fidelity. Its sobriety is always hard-won.

Firm Footing (Mortal) (1) : Stubbornness can be a virtue. 10% bonus to resist KNOCKBACK, TRIP, and STUN. 10% bonus to balance.

Surge of Passions (Heroic) (1) : You keep your own emotions on a tight leash. Your mere presence can be enough to stir passions in others. 10% bonus to attempts to magnify local emotions.

Saffron Lotus of Indescribable Feelings (Celestial) (1) : You are temporarily able to access the power of your passions without losing yourself to them. For one minute, you gain a 10% bonus for all actions. Afterward, you are Fatigued and Disoriented for one minute.

Red–

Red is either bright or dark depending on whether it is associated with Betai or Mog. Bright red is associated with love, luck and vigor. Dark with blind passion, the libido, and blood brought out of the body by violence. Both carry the shades of war and anger, the soldier as well as the berserker.

Soldier’s Fortune (Mortal) (1) : 10% increased chance of rare fortunate events and randomly generated treasure.

Rage (Mortal) (1) : Damage can trigger a state of heightened ferocity. 5% to attack and damage while in this state, but it is difficult to regain calm, or even resist attacking allies that stand in your way.

Vitality (Heroic) (1) : You have the stamina of a hero. 10% to resist poison and disease. Running requires 10% less mana.

Unstoppable Rage (Heroic) (1) : While in Rage, you gain a 5% temporary bonus to Body. You also gain 10% to resist all morale effects, and a 10% chance to ignore Vital Strikes. It is increasingly difficult to end the rage prematurely.

Hero’s Luck (Celestial) (1) : It seems as if the gods are watching over you. Whenever you would be struck with a Critical Hit, Vital Strike, or Death Attack, there is a 15% chance it will revert to a regular hit.

Blood for the Blood God (Celestial) (1) : Your Rage channels the inexhaustible bloodlust of Mog himself. It is nearly impossible to end it prematurely. In addition to all previous bonuses, you gain a 10% bonus to your Spirit and Speed, and a 5% resistance to all spells. You do not fall unconscious when you are reduced to below 0 health but you still die normally when your negative health is greater than half your Body score.

Ultraviolet –

Ultraviolet borders on the invisible and ethereal realms, often associated with hidden knowledge and treasures, along with detachment from emotions. It is considered to be the most refined form of mana by wizards and prized for the duration it will remain vital contained within cabochons.

Detect Aura (Mortal) (1) : All players can view the affinities of other players and NPCs. You have a 20% chance of viewing additional details.

Mana Battery (Heroic) (1) : You can choose to store mana at 10% above your Spirit maximum. This mana is only usable for Incantations and Endowments. Your Body is reduced by 5%.

Freed from the Real (Celestial) (1) : By abandoning your physical body, you escape many of its constraints. You gain 10% incorporeality.

Violet –

Violet represents balance and clarity, deliberation and temperance. An ascetic color, but also royal, it is associated with the seasonal passage into death and the calm that drapes over the land and individuals with the acceptance of fate. Because it is the mixture of Blue and Red, the Hues of heaven and earth, it is also common to the mantic workings of wizards.

Serenity (Mortal) (1) : 10% resistance to fear, confusion, and mental control.

Regal Mien (Heroic) (1) : You have a natural air of command. 10% bonus to leadership and renown.

Vorpal Aura (Celestial) (1) : All attacks made within ten feet of you have an increased chance of being Death Attacks. This effect includes you, your allies, and your enemies.

White –

Like black, this color can be considered both the absence and the sum of all others. It is divided between the realms of the Unnamed God and Betai, the pale and the pure. This is the color of initiations and culminations alike.

Perpetual Adept (Mortal) (1) : You are at your best with little knowledge. 5% bonus to all skills in which you have exactly one rank.

Secret Keeper (Mortal) (1) : Mysteries attract you. 10% bonus to solving puzzles and riddles, finding secret doors and compartments, and the use of libraries.

Purity (Heroic) (1) : No stranger to darkness, the darkness is nevertheless a stranger to you. 10% resistance to Corruption.

Secret Hand (Heroic) (1) : 10% bonus to Concealment. You move among lights and shadows with equal ease, striking with precision. 5% bonus to Sneak Attacks.

Bringer of Light (Celestial) (1) : You will not stand by in the presence of evil. 10% bonus to attacks against Corrupted creatures. 10% bonus to resist Fear effects.

Secrets of Life and Death (Celestial) (1) : You gain a 5% chance to resist Death Effects, Vital Strikes, and Critical Hits. If you would die for the first time in 24 hours, there is a 10% chance you will immediately return to life at 50% health.

Yellow–

Yellow is divided into two distinct paths, pale and golden, attached to Jang and Yog respectively. Golden yellow is an overflowing manifestation of power, youth, and fecundity. Its pale counterpart signifies old age, falsehood, and perversion. Confidence is exchanged for cowardice.

Glory (Mortal) (1) : Weaker enemies you engage suffer a 10% penalty to resist morale effects. You and your allies benefit from a 10% bonus to resist morale effects.

Wormtongue (Mortal) (1) : You know all the right things to say. 10% bonus to flattery.

Aura of Champions (Heroic) (1) : You are a beacon on the battlefield. Enemies who can see you must resist a 10% Distraction effect if they choose to engage any opponent other than you.

Many Faces (Heroic) (1) : You are a master of disguise, and can take on an alter ego with whatever materials are at hand. 10% bonus to assuming an identity. No disguise kit is necessary.

Crown of Divinity (Celestial) (1) : You gain an additional 10% bonus against morale effects. Whenever you defeat an enemy, all other enemies who witness the defeat have to resist Fear at a 10% penalty.

Shedding Mortality (Celestial) (1) : You can abandon your skin to flee a superior opponent. Your husk will continue to fight in your place for one minute, though with an 80% handicap. Shedding your skin costs half your remaining hit points and mana.