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It's All in the Cards
Part Two: The Communication (Sound/Voice/Telepathy) Questions

Do you communicate using thought or voice? Can you switch? Are there certain requirements to one or another?

If it's verbal, can someone overhear either speakers outside of the contact?

Can you be misheard in either case? Can you lie? (Caine does in canon, but is that a separate ability?)

Does it use _your_ (mental) voice?

What if you have laryngitis, or are in a form that changes your vocal cords?

If it is a mental contact, can you change the way you sound or add other effects?

What kind of sounds can you NOT hear inside a contact, if any?

Is there any kind of exertion (physical, magical, spiritual, whatnot) that can interfere with the communication?

Can you hold open a contact under any exertion at all? Does it depend on your attributes?

Does distance affect the connection?

(from Arref: Does distance affect a trump call?
Does distance plus caller affect a call?
Does distance plus caller plus listener affect a call?)

Does what body part is in contact affect the connection?

Does it have to be skin-to-Trump contact? Vision-to-Trump? Attention-to-Trump? Spell-to-Trump?

When sharing a Trump connection, does it have to be skin-to-skin contact?

Does the quality of the Trump affect the connection?

Is there any limit to how long a Trump can remain active?

Does it depend on the caller(s) or listener(s)?

Can an environmental effect change, disrupt, or implement a contact?

If so, what does it take? Is it something that is purely localized or something lasting?

Can you Trump near the Pattern? The Primal Pattern? The Logrus? The Keep of Four Worlds? The Grove?

Can illness or curses affect a Trump contact?

Amnesia or organic brain damage? Psychological damage?

Can a missing limb change your Trump connection? Missing eye? Missing ear? Lobotomy?

I like to call this the "Communist Trump Rule," although it is one of many Amber Prisoners' Dilemmas.

If no one of the players buys a Trump Deck, everyone has a Standard Deck. Standard Trump Deck includes all traditional Elders, and, if applicable, a Place Trump of Amber.

If one or more players buy Trump Decks, they have a Full Trump Deck, and an extra card of themselves. Full Trump Deck includes all the cards of the Standard Deck, as well as one each of the PCs as applicable. (Certain circumstances may apply. YMMV.) Other players may pick up a deck (if available; quantities are limited!) in game. Bad Stuff directly relates to number of cards from Standard Deck that are missing. Good Stuff may directly relate to deck opportunities. ("Extra place Trumps," and the like.)

It's All in the Cards
Part One: The Physical Questions

What medium are the cards?

Paper? Ceramic? Mirror? Does it make a difference?

Do they have to be a particular size or shape?

Is there anything special about the ink/paint?

Does it change if it's blood instead? Your blood (or other bodily fluids)? Someone else's blood?

How much art does it take? What must be included?

Stick figures? Sketches? Black and white or colour? Playing cards?

Does having something on the back make a difference?

Can the cards be smudged? Torn? Shattered?

If so, how?

The cards are "cold"; what changes this?

How do you make duplicates?

How long does it take? Is it based off another power?

[from MaBarry's notebook]

I don't know exactly what I was doing with this list, but there's some interesting thoughts in it. Written below it is the word, "Alexithymia" meaning, "able to only poorly differentiate between emotions."

1. Tarot requires knowledge of images. The questions are irrelevant.
2. Requires a patron totem (can be a card image) or power.
3. Can be used to 'remember' a Shadow.
4. Images can be blended: will warp an original image.
5. The cards can be used to spy on peoples' thoughts.
6. The order the cards are in is important.
7. There is a secret set of 'master' cards that relate to archetypes.
8. Each card is individually made and 'spelled'.
9. Communication through the cards cannot be false.
10. Using them backwards can be dangerous.
11. Each card has a special meaning.
12. Cards cannot be duplicated exactly.
13. Cards are 'sealed' by the Artist to prevent changes after they are drawn.