For @moonsugar-and-spice, courtesy of @sooz-art , who everyone ought to commission because every time I have it’s been a delight.
Wanted to pay homage to one of the best OCs out there, and what better way to do that than through Tarot Card art?
The Magician might not seem like an obvious choice for Lu Da, but it felt immediately right when I was thinking about where he might be in a deck. In traditional gameplay not only is there a literal element to the Magician’s depiction as a sleight-of-hand artist — one of Lu Da’s many skills — but there’s the additional ‘trickiness’ of the card and how players might use it, especially in conjunction with other wild cards.
In occult traditions and for purposes of divination, key symbols and themes associated with The Magician include willpower, manifestation, and potential. Often this is interpreted through a spiritual lens, but it seems equally fitting for a nonbender on the fringes of society who happens to “bend” the elements and circumstances around him to suit his needs.
If drawn reversed The Magician of course becomes representative of discord, lack of fulfillment, and mental distress. Of being overpowered by the elements rather than a manipulator of them. All of which Lu Da experiences along his journey as a complex and conflicted character.
The hourglass, the ship’s-helm-as-halo, his crossed fingers, the crossbow bolt pointed forward but with Lu Da himself looking back… those little details I leave up for others to interpret. 😉
Rising from my bog, covered in moss, summoned by the sacred power of art and love.
I keep coming back to this and freezing like a possum in awe. I’m just. So floored and honored, seeing Lu Da through someone else’s eyes like this knocked me out in the most amazing way! Thank you, Crooked and Sooz, for everything you poured into this.
The Magician isn’t necessarily a card I would’ve picked for him at face value, but the more I thought about it, the more my brain went full sparkler mode. It’s not the most powerful card in the deck on its own, but in the right hands, or when paired with other wildcards, it becomes a lever. A bluff. A shield. Play him right—or when he plays you right—he can tilt the whole game.
There’s so much here that’s spot-on for him, I can’t help but gush and dig into the details.
