Sun

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XIX. Sun

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Overview

The Sun Arcana is the #19 Major Arcana, and is a card of joy. It usually depicts the anthropomorphised sun shining down on a field of colourful sunflowers, whilst a child rides a white horse in front of them.

Sun is often associated with joy, optimism, renewal, enlightenment, energy and purification. Curiously, the Sun often resembles the Tower, in the sense that the Sun can sometimes be associated with immense personal challenges- challenges which the Sun overcomes through persistent, unyielding optimism. When the dawn finally comes, the relief is all the more sweeter for it. In this way the Sun is related to the literary concept of the Eucatastrophe- a sudden and shocking event that in delivers hope and salvation from a situation of certain doom. So in this way it is like Tower, but it is also unlike Tower in the sense that Sun signifies the decisive end to a crisis. This optimistic outlook is tied to the very heart of the Sun Arcana- the idea that there is always room for a sudden deliverance even when all seems condemned. But more than that, Sun is fundamentally energising, bringing life to lifelessness. As the Sun shines, its light gives energy to the world and purifies it of all the suffering that came before. As an side, the presence of sunflowers in the card itself is probably just an artistic flourish, yet sunflowers are highly effective at absorbing radiation from the soil- they are planted en masse to reclaim lands exposed to nuclear radiation, cleansing the soil. Mythopoetically, the Sun represents almost the last step on the journey- here, all falsehood is stripped away as the glorious sun is revealed; within the sun is the universal truth of enlightenment, the light of joy of which all other signs are shadows.

For Sun, the unification of optimism, joy and truth is important, because it frames Sun's optimism as being an honest and mature type. It is not a blind optimism, nor an optimism born of naivety. Sun does not ignore the miseries, injustices or terrors of the world; nor does it ignore the pain and suffering in peoples' hearts, which run so deep. In fact, Sun does the opposite and seeks those things out so it can help, lending its warmth and energy to those problems. This, then, also shows that the Sun is shining a light into the future- a light that promises a better world, if not a perfect one. The flip side of that is that the Sun is often not quite satisfied with the present- this is a good thing, because it is this dissatisfaction that compels the Sun to move forwards and lead people from the old world to the new. At its best, the Sun is a force of good that represents everything worthwhile and noble in the world, a force that cannot help but make the world around them brighter, cleaner and worth living in.

When the Sun is not at its best, however, it can be a force to be reckoned with for all the wrong reasons. Nothing is as bad as the Sun that shines too harshly- their pursuit for improvement becomes unshackled from the strong moral bindings that channel its force. In this way Sun becomes a force of destruction, so focused on improvement that precious things can be destroyed or ruined. Alternatively, the Sun can lose that will, that optimism and hope- and what hope is there for others when the Sun doesn't have the will to shine?

Example Inner Conflicts for Sun include: struggling to remain positive under a massive burden; trying to pursue one's goal despite poor odds; trying to find happiness or satisfaction out of a miserable situation; or trying so hard to accomplish one's goals that they burn out.

Mechanically, the Sun Arcana focuses on the attack. It is balanced between offensive support, fire and light attacks, and melee physicals.

Aptitude-wise, the Sun is an offensively-focused Arcana dedicated to general, balanced melee offense. Alternatively, it can also be given the Social aptitude allowing it for greater out-of-combat utility, or using it to fuel Fellowship improvements that can aid its spell power.

Arcana Qualities

Characteristic Bonus	Aptitudes	Magic Characteristic
+5 WS and Fellowship	Weapon Skill, Strength, Social	Fellowship

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Arcana Exemplary

Exemplary	Base Effect	Rank 4 Improvement	Rank 7 Improvement	Rank 10 Improvement
Eucatastrophe	You may add Miasma Bonus to the damage of a single hit you make per round.	Renewal: You unlock the "Renewal" Personal Time Action. It is a group action, and may be used once per week. It takes up two time slots. For every attendant, including yourself, you reduce the Miasma rating of the Waking World by one.	By spending 10 Realisation, you may spread Eucatastrophe to all Confidants of Rank 5 or higher for a single Round.	Renewal now reduces Miasma by 2 per attendant, and furthermore, suppresses the Miasma level of the Sea of Chaos by the same amount.

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Arcana List

Grade One: Belobog

The god of light in Slavic lore. He is the diametrically opposed twin of Chernobog; where he brings evil, Belobog brings goodness and truth. However, Belobog's nature has been eclipsed by Chernobog, and few records remain of Belobog now.

Details
Grade:	1	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Grade Two: Koyash

The Turkic God of the Sun. He can create 'strings' between his fingers, which are actually the rays of the sun. He took part in the creation of the world, and uses sunlight to send life energy into infants.

Details
Grade:	2	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Grade Three: Sol Invictus

The Unconquered Sun of Imperial Rome. He was an imperial cult, fostered and supported by the Emperors, whom he protected and supported. He was a revival, and an assimilation, of the cults of Sol, Mithras and Elagablus.

Details
Grade:	3	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Grade Four: Fenghuang

The Phoenix of Chinese lore. It is a symbol of virtue, and is one of China's oldest emblems. It is feminine, and is the guardian of the Imperial Empresses. Its entire body represents everything in the cosmos.

Details
Grade:	4	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Grade Five: Brigid

The Goddess of Dawn in pre-Christian Ireland. She is the patron of poets, who adore her; she is associated with all high things, and is the bringer of spring and of honest flame.

Details
Grade:	5	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Grade Six: Uriel Poeta

The Archangel who wields the fire of the Lord. He wields a flaming sword and is the angel of poetry. He burns away sin and other impurities with his cleansing flame.

Details
Grade:	6	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Powers
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Grade Seven: Kshatra Vairya

One of the great Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrian lore. He is the master of metals, and of the sky, which in that lore is made of metallic crystal. He brings goodly dominion to all the world.

Details
Grade:	7	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
Traits:			Knacks:				Item:
Powers
Spells:			Arts:				Passives:

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Grade Eight: Ra

The Egyptian God of the Sun. He brought all forms of life into being, and created himself out of nothing. He carried the hopes and prayers of Egypt with him when he journeyed with the sun through the underworld, which was fraught with danger.

Details
Grade:	8	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
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Powers
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Grade Nine: Yoshitsune

A legendary luminary champion of the Genpei War. He defeated all he fought and even became the protector of the Emperor, the scion of Amaterasu. However, he was betrayed and ultimately committed suicide, which led to him becoming known as a tragic hero.

Details
Grade:	9	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
Traits:			Knacks:				Item:
Powers
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Grade Ten: Vishnu

One of the great three Hindu gods and an aspect of the Supreme Being. He is the Preserver, and manifests whenever the world is threatened with chaos, darkness and destruction. He has had many avatars, including Krishna and Rama, both great heroes in their own right. His astra is the Narayanastra, which unleashes millions of deadly missiles at his foe; the missiles actually become stronger the more resistance given to them.

Details
Grade:	10	Name:				Wounds:
Elemental Attributes
Melee	Missile	Fire	Ice	Elec	Wind	Psi	Nuke	Bless	Curse
Traits, Knacks, Item
Traits:			Knacks:				Item:
Powers
Spells:			Arts:				Passives:

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