Worm Jam, pt 1 - Planting Seeds
1 September 2024
Contents
- Contents
- Intro
- Sensory Spread (Jam Edition)
- Summing Up: Crime of Passion (Two of Swords)
- Final Thoughts
Intro
There's a game jam for His Majesty the Worm this month!
Last time I talked about The Worm ended with me making a quick n dirty tarot spread to mimic its dungeon seed format. That post was fun, easy, and produced what I feel are interesting results without much real work. I'd love to enter this jam and whip something up using the many great free tools Josh McCrowell has provided, so I think the obvious Step One is revisiting my spread and cooking up a new seed.
Just to recap, I'm going to be drawing tarot cards to flesh out the different categories below, plus one extra themer card I call the Spark:
Sensory Spread (Jam Edition)
Setup
I'll be using the same woo-woo website as last time to draw my cards, again with the Hexefus spread + reversed cards allowed. For interpretation I'll be using Labyrinthos. I'd like to do one extra card to represent common monsters this time, but there's no option for an 8 card spread, so I'll just draw a single card and mulligan if I get a repeat.
The only other thing I'm switching up is the deck - I'd like to try out the Tarot of the Velvet Moon. The cards are smaller, a little more abstract, and full of beautifully bold art & color. The theming leans towards fantasy and whimsy, which I think is a good fit for His Majesty the Worm. I'm stoked to see how this change will affect the spread. Let's dive in!
Card 1: Spark
As a reminder, this is going to cover overarching themes / imagery for the spread. I'll be reflecting back on this card as I read through the rest. Comically the first time I did this I drew the Ten of Wands which is... exactly what I got for the Spark last time! I could use it again and still have fun, but I'd like some variety, so I redid the spread.
My (new) draw was the Two of Swords.
What's on the card?
Two arms piercing each other with blades. Spurting blood. An infinity symbol. Ouroboros vibes. First thought is the way the King of Hearts is usually depicted stabbing himself.
What does this card represent?
Upright: stalemate, difficult choices, denial. Reversed: indecision, hesitancy, analysis paralysis.
My take?
Pretty straightforward imo. The obvious first thought is a power struggle between two factions, but there's also room for, say, trolley problem theming, or romantic squabbles, or general stagnation. The infinity symbol is interesting. As a Fromsoft Gamer I am attracted to themes of endless repetition, violence, and decay. We'll learn more in the next reading.
Card 2: Sight
My draw was the King of Cups.
What's on the card?
Penguin stooped under a crown. Starry night sky and snowy hills. A fish in a cup, a crescent moon.
What does this card represent?
Upright: wise, diplomatic, advisors. Reversed: anxious, repressed, withdrawn.
My take?
The snowy imagery aligns with our spark pretty well - a resolution is both figuratively and literally frozen. I'm drawn to that crown on the penguin's back. But how to incorporate this meaning of wise diplomacy? That seems to clash, right? Here's what I've got:
Soft white hills. An icy river between two moons: one above, one reflected. Small lumps line the footpath - frozen messengers with cracked blue lips. Each holds a letter bearing the seal of a forgotten crown. Unseen counsel. They will not be buried.
Card 3: Sound
My draw was the Two of Cups.
What's on the card?
Two cups (duh), one moon and one sun. An arc (rainbow?) between them. Four-pointed star dripping into some kind of water feature below. Or a bunch of lemons, maybe.
What does this card represent?
Upright: unity, connection, close bonds. Reversed: separation, rejection, division.
My take?
Interestingly, another card that seems juxtaposed with my spark. This description came to mind quickly, so I won't fight it:
Torn, ragged voices singing hymns with little talent - this is a soldier's chorus. Water trickling, drinks clinking. Solemn camaraderie muted by snow.
...am I just making The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?
Card 4: Smell and Taste
My draw was the Six of Wands, reversed. Worth noting: I had this card in my previous post (also reversed) in the Structures section!
What's on the card?
Some steps lined up towards a gleaming trophy. Torches line the path. A four-pointed star on the pedestal.
What does this card represent?
Upright: success, victory, triumph. Reversed: failure, lack of recognition, no achievement.
My take?
Well, this meshes well with the spark, but butts up interestingly with these friendly soldiers I was just working with. I'd like to flesh out the two sides of this frozen conflict. The imagery makes me think of cooking again, or just heat, while the meaning inspires bitter taste. Why not both?
From the north: ash, overcooked meat, burnt hair. From the south: astringent taste, like vinegar or spoilt wine. In the center: cider and spices, stone soup, warm breath.
Card 5: Lighting
My draw was the Seven of Wands.
What's on the card?
Flames under stars. A massive lit torch. Smaller torches in various stages of being overcome by flame.
What does this card represent?
Upright: protectiveness, defense, claiming territory. Reversed: giving up, defeat, yielding.
My take?
Love the art on this one. Those burning secondary torches are haunting. I think I'll build on what I was cooking in the previous section:
To the south a translucent lighthouse stands proud. Dark blue fuel pumps through to keep the flame bright. Its counterpart up north: six soot-black pinewood towers dotted with cinders. The stubborn glows inside refuse to die. Cold stars blink up high, uncaring.
Card 6: Structures
My draw was the Eight of Wands. What a weird run of cards! I also got this one with my previous reading in the Smell and Taste section.
What's on the card?
Burning arrows in flight. Stars in the background and geometric shapes. Icicles? Snow??
What does this card represent?
Upright: movement, speed, progress. Reversed: waiting, slowness, chaos.
My take?
Hm. This is a weird one to interpret. My first thought is vehicles strewn on a battlefield, or something simple like packed ice houses. But those burning arrows are such a strong image! I don't want to leave them out. Let's try this:
Arrows coated in eternal flame stick from the snow. At their edges, thin wafers of ice continually melt and reform. The soldiers use these to build wobbling crystalline shacks. Fragile, but keeps the cold out.
Card 7: Dungeon Lord
My draw was the Five of Cups, my favorite card!
Oh, how gorgeous.
What's on the card?
Three upturned cups spilling into an ocean, two upright in the water. Starry night. Five lemons. A moon shape, an arrow (hm) piercing the left wing of a bird (my first thought is a robin but I don't think that's right?)
What does this card represent?
Upright: loss, grief, disappointment. Reversed: acceptance, moving on, peace.
My take?
This helps answer the question asked by my spark: who's fighting? I'm feeling a bitter ex-lovers moment with this one y'all. But how to reduce two sides to a single lord? My gut says to let the lord be a feeling: the Burning Anger, the Jilted Desire. But also, why not just break formula and have two lords? I think that lends itself to a kind of fairytale vibe. Let's try this:
(a tale of) The Weeping Moon & The Punctured Dove
Card 8: Common Monsters
Trying this one out just for shiggles. Similar to last post, I have a pretty good idea of the average encounters for this area, but why not put a little stank on it?
My draw for this was The Magician.
What's on the card?
Rabbit in a top hat, stars (or glitter), one of each suit: a sword, a wand, a cup, a... pentacle.
What does this card represent?
Upright: willpower, desire, manifestation. Reversed: manipulation, cunning, trickery.
My take?
A rabbit in a top hat? Really??? Whatever lmao I can work with this. Desire is a great keyword given our theme of lovers in eternal combat. Combined with manifestation I'm imagining dregs of love from each of our exes, warped and given life. Do the lovers manifest images of themselves? Or twisted reflections of their former partner? Do their memories match up with reality? Maybe this is where the actual battle happens since the flesh-and-blood soldiers seem to have given up.
Summing Up: Crime of Passion (Two of Swords)
Sight:
Soft white hills. An icy river between two moons: one above, one reflected. Small lumps line the footpath - frozen messengers with cracked blue lips. Each holds a letter bearing the seal of a forgotten crown. Unseen counsel. They will not be buried.
Sounds:
Torn, ragged voices singing hymns with little talent - this is a soldier's chorus. Water trickling, drinks clinking. Solemn camaraderie muted by snow.
Smell and Taste:
From the north: ash, overcooked meat, burnt hair. From the south: astringent taste, like vinegar or spoilt wine. In the center: cider and spices, stone soup, warm breath.
Lighting:
To the south a translucent lighthouse stands proud. Dark blue fuel pumps through to keep the flame bright. Its counterpart up north: six soot-black pinewood towers dotted with cinders. The stubborn glows inside refuse to die. Cold stars blink up high, uncaring.
Structures:
Arrows coated in eternal flame stick from the snow. At their edges, thin wafers of ice continually melt and reform. The soldiers use these to build wobbling crystalline shacks. Fragile, but keeps the cold out.
Common Monsters:
Soldiers of Moon and Dove, bitter love phantasms, vengeful messengers, burned-out husks, endless flame wisps, fragile glass constructs, lighthouse tenders
Dungeon Lord(s):
The Weeping Moon & The Punctured Dove
Final Thoughts
Honestly? Facing Worlds vibes.
This is... still a really fun spread! Mostly I just ripped from the art + meaning of each card and put it all together without much thought, and it still turned out well imo. Stories want to be written!! I feel like I've got a lot of good stuff to bring into the Official Dungeon Checklist TM from the underworld creation chapter. The only thing to really flesh out between now and then is our horrible exes. I'm feeling alchemist for the southern lover (the Moon, probably), but the north (Dove) needs time to percolate. Next step will be keying out rooms - I'll probably split the rest of the dungeon across two different posts because smaller scroll bars are scary. Until then, take care!