“My name is Alester Morgan, a holder of The Star Arcana, Master of Space,” the man exclaimed as he appeared once more before them. He would not be disappearing this time, not without giving them some answers. “I believe you’ve all met. They’ve been waiting patiently for you Thomas.” Thomas began to doubt his assumption about the others, but he was certain that this man was a spirit. “Let me begin by confirming why I have brought you all hear,” he continued, “and what exactly this place is. You see, each of you has a special ability, one which is either dynamic in its nature or very powerful… powers which have the potential to unlock Arcana. You are WyldCards, and you have inherited the strength of the Nephilim’s blood that courses through your bodies. This Blood has been dormant, hidden among the bloodlines of mankind for ages, and on occasion it awakens to worthy heirs. These successor have the power to change the course of history… for good or ill. This society locates, observes, and trains those who have such potential. It does so In the hopes that they will become allies rather than enemies. It does this because mankind faces an even greater threat, which does not afford it the liberty to be distracted by the unchecked antics of such individuals. Because, my young proteges there are real gods and monsters among us.”

“What are the Arcana?” asked Leo, as the man paused to let them absorb what he had said so far.

“The Star, is one among the Major Arcana of the Tarot,” Arra offered, demonstrating that she had some knowledge on the subject.

“You are correct, Ms Morr,” Alester responded, “the Arcana I am speaking of refers to the major powers of the Tarot, of which there are 22… though their numbering is of no significance to us, only there count. I call them powers because they represent more than the faces of a deck of cards, they are the names by which we reference those who draw upon the ancient magic sealed behind them. The power of creatures who would destroy mankind if ever they were to be released. These creatures, the most powerful among the Jinn, were long ago sealed by Solomon.”

“Solomon, the first of our order before it had a name, and the brave Magi who aided him did this to save our kind,”  Alester continued to explain. “Like you, they had the blood of the Nephilim, and they were given a choice. Turn on their father’s, and help to seal them away, or face God’s wrath alongside them. Or to be more accurate, Solomon was given a way to save his kind. Upon accepting this task, God gave Solomon the wisdom and knowledge he would need to complete it. In so doing, the Arcana were created. The Major Arcana were powerful seals used to bind the most powerful of the Jinn in extra dimensional space, each in itself its own realm. These 22 isolated prisons have but one means by which they may be escaped, the destruction of the Arcana. However, the seals may only be released by exploiting those who have mastered the Arcana in question, and only at the very moment of their deaths. And for this reason there are always two…”

Alester paused to address the pair, lions of the heart, a queen and her king. “Leo and Cleo, The Lovers, your powers act in synergy. Without Leo to support the growth of your power, what now seems a boon to you may one day prove itself a danger. Yet, as you grow stronger so to will he, who is even now absorbing a portion of your untamed power, its fiery nature feeding his own.”

Alester then looked towards Iya and Brit. “The two of you have been marked to receive the Arcana of Death, one who wields the power to summon and command the spirits of the dead, and one who is untouched by the hand of death, potentially able to give and take life from those around him.

“Ace and Arra…” Alester called out, “no doubt you have already seen that Fate has bound you to one another. An eye that sees the truth, and one that is unbound in its ability to perceive events. You will come to share the power of The Wheel of Fate. The influence you hold over those you’ve touched, and your ability to manipulate the fortunes and futures of others, these powers will only grow stronger as you draw closer to commanding your Arcana.”

“Alas,” Alester began, “the unknown… though you two hold the most power and potential, Liza and Thomas, I have yet to decipher your Arcana, only that you are connected. For your power to emerge so strongly at such a young age is both promising and dangerous, for our enemies will be after you if we do not take precautions to keep you safe. This is the first task I assign to this group, the reason I have chosen today to gather you together. Because children with such power are at once precious to the future of the world and vulnerable to the unknown… those who would see the Jinn released.”

“And who would these enemies be?” Asked Iya, offended that they would target children. Her sentiment shared by those around her. Her question met with the approval of her would be partner.

“For that I must tell you of the lesser Arcana,” Alester replied, “In addition to those sealed with the power inherited by Solomon, their subordinates were sealed through knowledge. These lesser Jinn were placed in vessel, using elemental seals. The weakest required only a single seal of the correct type, while the more powerful required many. These vessels, which were hidden and entombed, have over the ages been rediscovered. As they turn up, man is tempted to use them, each time weakening the seals by summoning the power of creatures beyond their understanding and control. These creatures, once released into the world, seek vengeance and the liberation of their kind. They will use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, including the heirs of those who betrayed them. However, because their sealing destroyed their bodies, they possess those who would call upon their favor, using their bodies as hosts. Of course, they believe this too can be remedied, once they release their masters. And so, we must hunt down these creatures, stop them from securing other vessels, and redeem or destroy our wayward kin who have been swayed into the service of the enemy. So let us begin…”