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I know it seems like I'm biased towards the Healer and the Protector, and that's because I am.

Anyway, thank you to Dina, the Healer, for making sure my coworker had a good health day today so I could McFucking Perish™️ on day one of my period.

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What Do I Need To Prepare For? | 12/9/2024

Original post for the spread.

There's nothing like the Christmas season to make you uneasy about things, especially when you have a family as volatile as mine.

The Thinker | The Explorer | The Balancer Tameshi, Reality Architect | Moritte of the Frost | Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy

(Once again, my Internet is actual ass, so no pictures of the cards for this post.)

Gods, I hate when I get told to think logically instead of emotionally. When you've got a family like mine, it's near impossible. But I'll do my best, Tameshi, even though it makes me wanna smack you.

At least Moritte is here to give advice, even if that advice is "get outside of your comfort zone". You know, the most generic advice there is. I suppose the best way to deal with family stress involves figuring out how to stand up for myself. Rehhh. I know it's right, I just don't have to like it to do it.

As for what else I should know, Zimone's coming through to remind me to balance shit in my life again. I'm something of a hermit, so this is just a good time of year to remind me that I can't waste away on the computer forever.

I mean. They're all correct, obviously. I just hate that it's gonna be a bitch of a situation to begin with, ya know?

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The way I have this deck set up, the symbols for the Forty Servants are drawn on card sleeves, and I can switch cards out as I please whenever I find one that would fit better. Each card was chosen to represent the archetype, along with bring in a little nuance to keep me on my toes. Here is the current list as of December 8, 2024:

The Adventurer = Hallar, the Firefletcher

The Balancer = Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy (who will be replaced by a different Zimone once I get my hands on more)

The Carnal = Anje, Maid of Dishonor

The Chaste = Aurelia, the Warleader

The Conductor = Norika Yamazaki, the Poet

The Contemplator = Tatyova, Steward of Tides

The Dancer = Quintorius, Loremaster

The Dead = Geist of Saint Traft

The Depleted = Killian, Ink Duelist

The Desperate = Aron, Benalia's Ruin

The Devil = Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire

The Explorer = Moritte of the Frost

The Eye = Atemsis, All-Seeing

The Father = Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar

The Fixer = Jetmir, Nexus of Revels

The Fortunate = Leinore, Autumn Sovereign

The Gate Keeper = Ranar the Ever-Watchful

The Giver = Grumgully, the Generous

The Guru = Ruxa, Patient Professor

The Healer = Dina, Soul-Steeper

The Idea = Lord Xander, the Collector

The Levitator = Strefan, Maurer Progenitor

The Librarian = Ormos, Archive Keeper

The Lovers = Halana and Alena, Partners

The Master = Sigrid, God-Favored

The Media = Denry Klin, Editor in Chief

The Messenger = Mari, the Killing Quill

The Monk = Satsuki, the Living Lore

The Moon = Cecily, Haunted Mage

The Mother = Pia Nalaar

The Opposer = Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator

The Planet = Ziatora, the Incinerator

The Protector = Falco Spara, Pactweaver

The Protester = Heiko Yamazaki, the General

The Road Opener = The Prismatic Piper

The Saint = Prava of the Steel Legion

The Seer = Raffine, Scheming Seer

The Sun = Rootha, Mercurial Artist

The Thinker = Tameshi, Reality Architect

The Witch = Tivash, Gloom Summoner

[jasper-and-the-forty-servants]

The way I have this deck set up, the symbols for the Forty Servants are drawn on card sleeves, and I can switch cards out as I please whenever I find one that would fit better. Each card was chosen to represent the archetype, along with bring in a little nuance to keep me on my toes. Here is the current list as of December 8, 2024:

The Adventurer = Hallar, the Firefletcher

The Balancer = Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy (who will be replaced by a different Zimone once I get my hands on more)

The Carnal = Anje, Maid of Dishonor

The Chaste = Aurelia, the Warleader

The Conductor = Norika Yamazaki, the Poet

The Contemplator = Tatyova, Steward of Tides

The Dancer = Quintorius, Loremaster

The Dead = Geist of Saint Traft

The Depleted = Killian, Ink Duelist

The Desperate = Aron, Benalia's Ruin

The Devil = Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire

The Explorer = Moritte of the Frost

The Eye = Atemsis, All-Seeing

The Father = Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar

The Fixer = Jetmir, Nexus of Revels

The Fortunate = Leinore, Autumn Sovereign

The Gate Keeper = Ranar the Ever-Watchful

The Giver = Grumgully, the Generous

The Guru = Ruxa, Patient Professor

The Healer = Dina, Soul-Steeper

The Idea = Lord Xander, the Collector

The Levitator = Strefan, Maurer Progenitor

The Librarian = Ormos, Archive Keeper

The Lovers = Halana and Alena, Partners

The Master = Sigrid, God-Favored

The Media = Denry Klin, Editor in Chief

The Messenger = Mari, the Killing Quill

The Monk = Satsuki, the Living Lore

The Moon = Cecily, Haunted Mage

The Mother = Pia Nalaar

The Opposer = Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator

The Planet = Ziatora, the Incinerator

The Protector = Falco Spara, Pactweaver

The Protester = Heiko Yamazaki, the General

The Road Opener = The Prismatic Piper

The Saint = Prava of the Steel Legion

The Seer = Raffine, Scheming Seer

The Sun = Rootha, Mercurial Artist

The Thinker = Tameshi, Reality Architect

The Witch = Tivash, Gloom Summoner

[jasper-and-the-forty-servants]

When It's A Bit Too Much | 12/8/2024

Original post for the spread.

(I did slightly alter this to focus on my craft, since I've been a bit overwhelmed by it lately.)

The Fixer | The Planet | The Fortunate Jetmir, Nexus of Revels | Ziatora, the Incinerator | Leinore, Autumn Sovereign

(This is normally where I'd put the MTG cards of my guys but my Internet is actual ass tonight so we get NOTHING.)

Jetmir is the Fixer in my deck because there's literally an MTG card that exists that's named "Jetmir's Fixer", so...you know, references and whatnot. In the position of indicating where I should start with my craft, it seems to mean that I need to look into what I'm willing to sink in and what I want to get out of it.

Likewise, Ziatora as the Planet is encouraging me to spend tomorrow (since it's late today) pondering what everything is all about and why I do what I do. I suppose a little self-introspection never hurt anybody.

Although seeing Leinore as the Fortunate in what I can leave behind...yikes, man. I don't like the look of this. Though if I think pretty damn hard about it, perhaps this is an indication that my approach of "do the magic that makes me happy" is holding me back in some way from breathing life back into my craft. Sometimes doing something I hate turns out to be better for me, as much as I hate to admit it.

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Shoutout to the Protector and the Healer as usual. The true MVPs of my Forty Servants workings.

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Honestly, shoutout to Dina, Soul Steeper for all of the great work she does. Thank you, Healer, for all you do.

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My coworker is sick and I'm worried about her, so I evoked The Healer and Dina, Soul Steeper (same card, two connected entities in my deck) for some help. Hopefully there's an improvement.

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One of the most interesting parts about using MTG cards for the 40 Servants is the nuance added by tying established characters to the archetypes. I might add examples if my brain stops throbbing in my skull sometime soon.

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Forty Servants.

Sounds like a dream, huh? Forty entities waiting on you hand and foot – if that phrase is still used in the common understanding of phrases. I don’t know, I just use everything I’ve ever heard. Forty entities who are willing to do whatever they can within their specialties in exchange for the low, low price of an offering.

But back to the point. Forty Servants, created by Tommie Kelly.

I read the book. Like most books on magic, I wanted to fight the author behind a Denny’s. However, I don’t know the location of any Denny’s near me, and I don’t know nor care where the author lives. We disagree on a fundamental on the natures of magic and divination. This is completely fine.

I took the sigils and concept, and used imagery that makes more sense to me. Imagery I connect to. Characters from pop culture, from Magic: The Gathering specifically. The Protector is Falco Spara, legal eagle whose crime family is dedicated to shielding magic. The Lovers are Halana and Alena, partners who stand together against the encroaching night of Innistrad. The Gate Keeper is Ranar, the Kaldheimr spirit who stands at the pass between Istfell and Starnheim. The Road Opener is the Prismatic Piper, ambiguous shapeshifter who wanders the planes and provides aid and strength seemingly at random.

It’s still the Forty Servants. It’s still Tommie Kelly’s system. It’s just personalized.

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Strengthening My Magic | 1/2/2024

Original post for the spread.

The Protester | The Giver | The Devil | The Saint Heiko Yamazaki, the General | Grumgully, the Generous | Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire | Prava of the Steel Legion

I rarely use my magic to protest for myself and to ensure my own rights and protection. Justice spells are rare as far as I cast them.

The solution to this is a form of gift-giving and exchange. All generous gifts I have gained can be used as a jumping off point for this new branch of magic and spellcasting.

As for magic I'm damn fine at, baneful workings and bindings are my peanut butter and jelly. I have a framework of spellcasting that works for me, but perhaps it's time to step beyond that to accommodate for this new spell focus.

The Saint proposes that it's best to go to another party for mediation or intercepting on one's behalf than it is to take the reins oneself. Sometimes going to an expert will be more beneficial in the long-run, even if it's more expensive in the short-term.

Overall, a pretty straightforward spread for the new year! I've definitely got a direction to go in now.

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Yesterday, I went through and changed many of the cards I'm using to represent some of the Servants. I'd like to share the changes.

The Balancer: Maja, Bretagard Protector to Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy

The Chaste: Koll, the Forgemaster to Aurelia, the Warleader

The Dancer: Uurg, Spawn of Turg to Quintorius, Loremaster

The Depleted: Dina, Soul Steeper to Killian, Ink Duelist

The Guru: Zegana, Utopian Speaker to Ruxa, Patient Professor

The Healer: Firja, Judge of Valor to Dina, Soul Steeper

The Messenger: Niambi, Esteemed Speaker to Mari, the Killing Quill

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Gifts From The Past | 5/16/2023

Original post for the spread. I didn't do the other parts of this spread involving writing things on leaves and burning and burying and whatnot.

The Librarian | The Road Opener | The Adventurer Ormos, Archive Keeper | The Prismatic Piper | Hallar, the Firefletcher

Harmful influence or experience from the past year: A focus on the theoretical rather than the practical or actual.

Greatest regret: Still don't have a particular permission thing that I'd need for full mobility.

Detrimental quality: Not being more adventurous.

The Levitator | The Protector | The Giver Strefan, Maurer Progenitor | Falco Spara, Pactweaver | Grumgully, the Generous

Best personal choice or decision made: Deciding to stop stressing so much over the past.

What others love about querent: Dedication to the safety of others.

Step to take towards future happiness or success: Practice more generosity and gratitude.

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Self Reflection Through A Disliked Character | 5/15/2023

Original post for the spread.

The Seer | The Mother | The Carnal | The Librarian | The Lovers Raffine, Scheming Seer | Pia Nalaar | Anje, Maid of Dishonor | Ormos, Archive Keeper | Halana and Alena, Partners

The character in question and I are both plagued by others' influence. Our gut instincts are clouded by what other people want us to see or otherwise perceive. In this way, we're both in a questionable position in our lives and especially in our mental health.

I strongly believe in community and taking care of each other, focusing on protection. The character in question often does the opposite, first from the influence of others and then according to the warped beliefs he gained from that situation. He has no agency in his story and it often turns into a trail of destruction.

The character does what he wants in his moments of lucidity. He never second-guesses himself, other people's opinions be damned. I could grow to admire this trait.

I'm all about knowledge and theory, while this character is about action first and foremost. I struggle to understand that.

I can learn about deeper bonds from this character, whose magic is entirely based around building bonds with others (animals and monsters rather than people).

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The Media | Denry Klin, Editor in Chief

We've previously discussed five Servants, five demonic family heads, and New Capenna. Consider that mandatory reading for this post.

The second Servant I assigned a card to was the Media as Denry Klin. In the words of canon:

Nothing is sacred in New Capenna anymore, not since the angels left. No story — real or imagined — is off limits if it means moving ink and paper. What matters to the newsman is that the news, warts and all, gets to the eyes of the people, and that his paper gets the news to them first. For the working people of the Caldaia and the Mezzio, it might be the labor reports, boxing recaps, and bridge announcements. For the socialites and playboys of Park Heights, it may be the society pages, the gossip columns, and the stock numbers. For the five families, it might be the obituaries, the classifieds, or what passes for the crime beat: the broadsheets of New Capenna are as much at war over readership as the five families are over Halo. This is a war that Denry Klin is determined to win. Born into the gray guild of reporters, Denry Klin knows the news. His ascension to the role of editor in chief of the Capenna Herald was no less brutal for its bloodless achievement. In his mind, the warring papers of New Capenna — the Caldaia Union-Post, the Mezzio Star-Times, the Park Heights Zenith, the New Capenna Vanguard, and his own Capenna Herald — are the "sixth family" of the city. What they lack in enforcers and muscle they replace with beat reporters, gossip columnists, and photographers; though they might not stack bodies, they shine a light on those who do — unless the killer is willing to pay to kill the story as well.

I mean...come on. It couldn't be more obvious if it tried. The Media shows us how to get the word out about things that are important to us and reminds us of the power of propaganda - both good and bad. The keywords of this Servant are disinformation, hype, publicity, advertising, promotion, spin, half-truths, falsehoods, deception, dishonesty, insincere, disingenuous, sly, propaganda, and public relations.

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The Fixer, The Idea, The Planet, The Protector, The Seer

If you're familiar with my MTG excursions on my main blog (@jasper-the-menace) or spells on my primary occult blog (@jasper-pagan-witch), then you know that I am New Capenna trash. Hell, even my profile picture is the full artwork of Diviner of Fates, an online-only card from a New Capenna set.

New Capenna is based on 1920s art deco America, with streets run by five demonic crime families. The only demons there are the five family heads - Jetmir of the Cabaretti, Xander of the Maestros (whose family keeps consistently failing), Ziatora of the Riveteers, Falco Spara of the Brokers, and Raffine of the Obscura.

Considering I adore the set so much (demons in suits, come on, what's not to love?), I wanted to include the five heads in the Forty Servants deck.

The first I picked was Falco Spara, Pactweaver as the Protector. The Brokers (the family that Spara leads) are demonic lawyers. They handle things both mundane (such as property disputes) and stranger (soliciting magical pacts that you don't remember signing afterwards). Since the Brokers often serve as hired bodyguards, it makes sense to connect them to the Protector.

The second of this batch to get an archetype was Raffine, Scheming Seer as, well, the Seer. I feel like I could end this explanation here. But let's talk about her Obscura: wizards and illusionists, both legitimate and fraudulent psychics. They use their power to deceive and blackmail anyone - sometimes even each other.

Jetmir, Nexus of Revels is the Fixer. He's the head of the Cabaretti, an organization of party monsters descended from the bards and druids of Old Capenna. This organization also notably tried to turn a teenage girl into the angel-derived party drug/magic enhancer known as Halo. So...the Fixer, who will do literally anything to reach their goals, makes perfect sense as Jetmir himself. Also, there's literally a card called "Jetmir's Fixer". Pretty on-the-nose.

The Idea became Lord Xander, the Collector, who is an artist from a long-dead aristocratic house and proprietor of the Museum of Old Capenna. His Maestros are both artists and assassins - usually pulling double duty. He's also canonically dead and his organization keeps getting its shit rocked or ruined by extraplanar threats. Sucks to suck.

It was hard to find the right spot for Ziatora, the Incinerator. Eventually I went with the Planet, because Ziatora is a freaking dragon and is canonically the largest of the five family heads, emphasizing the awe, scale, and size of the Planet Servant. And her Riveteers are the reason that New Capenna is what it is now; the worker's union is able to build and break pretty much every part of New Capenna, which - as far as people left in the city know or care for - is the world.

These five are so connected that it didn't make sense for me to only select a handful, even if some were more of a stretch than others.

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The Media | Denry Klin, Editor in Chief

We've previously discussed five Servants, five demonic family heads, and New Capenna. Consider that mandatory reading for this post.

The second Servant I assigned a card to was the Media as Denry Klin. In the words of canon:

Nothing is sacred in New Capenna anymore, not since the angels left. No story — real or imagined — is off limits if it means moving ink and paper. What matters to the newsman is that the news, warts and all, gets to the eyes of the people, and that his paper gets the news to them first. For the working people of the Caldaia and the Mezzio, it might be the labor reports, boxing recaps, and bridge announcements. For the socialites and playboys of Park Heights, it may be the society pages, the gossip columns, and the stock numbers. For the five families, it might be the obituaries, the classifieds, or what passes for the crime beat: the broadsheets of New Capenna are as much at war over readership as the five families are over Halo. This is a war that Denry Klin is determined to win. Born into the gray guild of reporters, Denry Klin knows the news. His ascension to the role of editor in chief of the Capenna Herald was no less brutal for its bloodless achievement. In his mind, the warring papers of New Capenna — the Caldaia Union-Post, the Mezzio Star-Times, the Park Heights Zenith, the New Capenna Vanguard, and his own Capenna Herald — are the "sixth family" of the city. What they lack in enforcers and muscle they replace with beat reporters, gossip columnists, and photographers; though they might not stack bodies, they shine a light on those who do — unless the killer is willing to pay to kill the story as well.

I mean...come on. It couldn't be more obvious if it tried. The Media shows us how to get the word out about things that are important to us and reminds us of the power of propaganda - both good and bad. The keywords of this Servant are disinformation, hype, publicity, advertising, promotion, spin, half-truths, falsehoods, deception, dishonesty, insincere, disingenuous, sly, propaganda, and public relations.