Theatre of the Gods

Summary
The Theatre of the Gods is an Artesian form of divination and entertainment that uses cards depicting the Pantheon of the Many. If a reader has a specific question in mind, they may pose it to the gods and seek their advice. Alternatively, the Theatre of Gods can be used to keep track of the going-ons of the Pantheon and tell the great story they tell collectively in their interactions, which often leads to wild theories on what different arrangements of cards could mean.

While the art of making an entertaining or insightful reading is difficult and time consuming, relegated mostly to bards and priests, the activity is widespread in its appeal across Artesia. Many are dismissive of the practice, though, believing that humanity holds the reigns to its own destiny. Still, most agree that readings can be good fun and grant perspective where it is needed.

Theatre of the Gods
To seek advice on personal matters, a reader arranges five cards on a surface in front of them, with four cards representing each of the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) and the fifth card in the center. The northern card is flipped first and foretells potential challenges in one’s future. However, there is always opportunity in these challenges should one rise to meet them. Then, the eastern card is flipped. This card can either represent the blessings already in one’s life or good fortune that is yet to come. The southern card serves to ground individuals by reminding them there is still struggle and sorrow in life, and warns of future tragedy or danger. The western card is a wild card, representing an unpredictable event in one’s future. The god depicted determines whether this could be a matter of love, a harvest, or something else, but one thing remains certain: the outcome, for better or for worse, is beyond one’s control. Finally, the central card is revealed. While the other four cards represent external forces, this card represents internal forces. This god stands for the individual themself and tells them what aspect of their character they must develop or trust in order to get the best outcome possible in their future.

The Pantheon of the Many, being comprised of many individuals of various personalities, ideologies, and relations, always has events and interactions playing out between its members. The stories of the Gods cross in various ways every day that passes: they chat, they bicker, they party, they fight, they make deals, they love, they hate. By organizing five cards in a pentagon, one can glean what gods will take a notable action for the day, what they're doing, and to whom. A reading can change based on various factors, such as position, neighbors, and orientation; an inverted card tends to have unfavorable happenings to its closest neighbors, with beneficial outcomes to the others. The opposite is also true for the upright position, with beneficial interactions for a card's neighbor, and unfavorable to neutral interactions for the other positions.

How to Craft a Deck
Crafting a deck is not a task that should be taken lightly. How one crafts their deck is how they interpret the gods and want to see them portrayed, which is why it is often advised for readers to paint their cards themselves, though it is not unacceptable to inherit a deck from another. If one wishes to use their deck for more than personal readings, however, it is considered bad form to purchase cards made by someone else.

Due to the numerous gods and the very nature of the Artesian pantheon, the actual contents and composition of one’s deck is completely up to its maker, save for a few general rules that must always be followed. Decks are must have at least ten cards with fifteen to twenty cards being optimal. Those that acknowledge the more obscure members of the pantheon include more lesser deities in their decks, bringing the card count closer to twenty-five, or even thirty in some cases.

A deck must also include the five Major Gods because without them, readings of the politics and ongoings of the Pantheon of the Many cannot be accurate. A simple ten card deck typically includes the five Major Gods, three Common Gods, and two of the Minor Gods. Other than that, how one customizes their deck is up to personal preference and which gods they favor.