SONN DATHRI, LINMARK — A string of six murders over nine days has left the port city of Sonn Dathri gripped by fear, all centered around one rare and dangerous object: a complete deck of Atlicana cards.
Commodore Derl Severan, head of the city’s constabulary, confirmed the link. “In every case, possession of the full deck immediately preceded the murder,” Severan stated. “The evidence was consistent, direct, and damning. The deck is the common denominator.”
The killings began when Jass Rorrick, a merchant sailor from Ovaka, acquired the final card needed to complete the elusive 33-card set. Within the hour, Rorrick was killed by Yogan Brightwater—who was, according to witnesses, present during the game in which the final card, The Undertaker, was won.
From there, a pattern emerged. Each new owner of the completed deck was murdered shortly after acquiring it. The killer, in turn, became the next target. Six are now dead. The deck remains missing.
While spiritualists claim a curse tied to The Undertaker card is to blame, scholars point to a more terrestrial explanation. “This isn’t mysticism,” said Gairen Tulf, a local academic. “This is desperation. A full deck is exceedingly rare. People kill for far less.”
Violence surrounding Atlicana cards is not unheard of. Once a widespread game throughout the continent, Atlicana uses a 33-card deck split into three suits—reds, greens, and blues—corresponding to the 33 days in a calendar month. Each card depicts a social archetype, or “typecast,” giving the deck symbolic as well as monetary value. Centuries ago, mystics and occultists co-opted the cards for use in fortune telling, adding mystique to what was originally a gambling game.
Today, due to the economic downturn from the Black Sam plague, the cards are no longer produced. Complete decks must be assembled piece by piece—through games, trades, theft, or murder. As a result, owning a full set has become both a symbol of power and a near-certain death sentence.
Despite the ongoing investigation, no arrests have been made, and authorities have yet to recover the cards. Many fear that the cycle has only paused, not ended.
“Someone still has them,” said a guard stationed at the docks. “And someone else is probably already looking to take them.”
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