“Do the Fonlanders know the full extent of the power of a Vodun?” I asked Jo as I produced the enchanted White deck from the Smiting Chamber.
“Are you asking if they just respect us because of our position as Vodun or do they fully comprehend the incredible power at our disposal? Because I believe that both are true. Even if an Fonlander can’t explain it in plain words, they understand that the Vodun are responsible for their existence in some sense, that we are our Discs and we are the children of the creator of everything. And the game, Smiting, is a great education for Fonlanders about their own power and the powers of those around them.”
“What does my Smiting card say about me? Isn’t that all the information you need about the nature of my power?”
“Clever, magical Earther, clever indeed. What exactly are you hiding?”
“The secrets of my universe. I hold them in me and they are revealed to only me. You cannot know the full extent of my powers because my universe only gives its Master of Arcana access to its secrets. You would have to become the Master of Universal Arcana to truly understand the full extent of my powers.”
Jo shuffled her deck in her hands and looked down at them, slowly nodding. When she looked at me again, she smirked in a non threatening way.
“Sorry, I just had to be sure. I believe you, Issac Washington, Master of Universal Arcana.” Jo smiled warmly. “Xevi is right about you, you are good. I was very suspect when I saw your card. There are no abilities, just very high attack and defense, one of the rare cards that calls for two solids in one roll. And you are a master at concealing your true nature. I have tried to get inside and got lost in the barriers you constructed. I just wanted to be sure.”
As she apologized and complimented, large white flowers began to bloom from the crack in Damballa’s surface and they smelled sweet and warm.
“I also wanted to throw you off during the Ubiquity game. Xevi said you’re good at games and I didn’t want to risk being the only Vodun to lose their own game to you. I came at you pretty hard, and I am convinced of your intentions.”
I was beyond relieved to hear that, but I made her promise that we would play another game of Ubiquity before I left so I could actually experience and enjoy it without the scrutiny of an interrogation.
“I am eager to see what the multiverse has to offer in my color,” Jo said.
I laughed nervously and she was much nicer as we filled the Smiting grid. When it was full enough for first attacks, Jo’s cards on the grid included:
- Rocks
- Dirt
- Jual, Spirit Aziza
- The Spirit Medium
- Plasma
- Wise Ancestor
- Luminary Sorcerer
- Life Force
- Force Sorcerer
- Light
And mine included:
- Clay Franklin, Spirit Sorcerer – Universe HII33
- Riswin, Star Rider – Universe HVI22
- Primordial Space Dust – Universe 1105
- The Essence of Isheanesu – Universe V32
- Kal Qor, Plasma Manipulator – Universe VI535
- The Sun of the Morning – Universe 294
- Azalaan, God of Dreams – Universe 1121
- Umbatia Lights – Universe 271
- Roy Worthington’s Life Force Theory – Universe VI125
- The Star of Hysteria – Universe 3101
I was feeling pretty good about my cards, especially considering that so many of Jo’s cards were Material cards, like dirt. But I severely underestimated the material cards. It is very easy to underestimate the true power of White aligned cards because they include things that seem very benign. But even though the material cards have no attack solid indicated on their cards, they are difficult to remove from the grid and they can be used by most white aligned cards to beef up the attacks or health of White exemplars. The Luminary Sorcerer can turn most material cards into strong attackers with unimpressive heatlh, but I noticed that Jo didn’t use that ability.
“They are too easy to remove as attackers, so until I have a good number, you don’t have to worry about the Sorcerer transforming them.”
“Is the Luminary Sorcerer an Earther?” I asked as I inspected the card. He could have been a black man decked out in his Sorcerer attire.
“The Earther-looking dwellers of my disc are children of the stars, born from their surfaces. Some of thes dwellers become corrupted into Star Eaters. Hope that I do not flip them this game. The Star you have is very impressive.”
Jo raised a hand, extending her pointer finger that shot a spark of white energy at the Star of Hysteria Card. As her magic was absorbed into it, a bust of the Hysteria from Universe 3101 (though I wasn’t sure which Node it was from) rose up from the Smiting grid and obscured the game.
“Do you have Vodun in your universe?” Jo asked the bust.
“The Smiting Chamber identifies the presence of Vodun similar to the Vodun of these Fonlands, but they are not Vodun as you would recognize them,” the bust of Hysteria 3101 responded as though it were actually her, but it was just an interface to communicate the information that the Smiting Chamber had gathered and stored in the card.
“What are you, Hysteria?”
“I am the daughter of Lêgba and the Luminary Obea, the first Aziza of my universe.”
“So my instincts were not far off. I can recognize the features of Obea across the multiversal structure, apparently. How is your mother?”
“I wouldn’t know. She cast me out long ago. My found family took me in and I made our Star as a safe haven for the outcasts of the universe.”
Jo shook her head. “It is strange to imagine Obea as a mother, she births Stars here, too, but they don’t need a mother. Not how I imagine you did as you were growing older. Your star is impressive. I will acquire it for my deck. You have learned to heal with your light?”
Jo was referring to the cards ability to restore all health points to my cards with a D12 or higher attack dice on the grid after a battle, which made it difficult for Jo to chip away at my stronger cards.
“I have, but it is a fairly new skill and there are limits.”
Jo talked with the bust of Hysteria for a while longer before she wrapped up the Smiting game. My Azalaan, God of Dreams cards put up a good fight, but even with his illusion ability that allowed me to send copies to empty spaces on the grid, I was no match for her coordination of stars, spirits and forces.
“I am eager to take my time with the enchanted White deck. Hysteria is definitely a recruit, and this God of Dreams is very intriguing. Admittedly, dreams are an underexplored part of my purview. Thank you, Issac Washington, for spending this time with me. I look forward to our next meeting.”
I was filled with gratitude for the generosity that Jo showed after initially encountering her hostility when I arrived at her star. I said my goodbyes to Damballa and left the Disc of Jo happier than I’d left any other disc of the Vodun.
PRL Serials 