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Niiiicccceeee!

The Iron Realms team has been hard at work on Nexus 3.0. Shortly after our last newsletter, we started a small closed beta test in order to garner feedback as we prepare for an open beta.

The feedback has been tremendous. We realized we needed to adjust our goals and feature list for release. The testing team has been crucial to the development of the new client.

This has led to delays, but the delays will be worth it. We absolutely do not want to release a disappointing product.

Consulting with our beta testers, led to significant improvements to the main play screen. The screen is much more user-friendly. Users can create a personalized layout quickly by just dragging and dropping elements. If you're interested, you can view a video of the client, and those improvements here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-D6SElFu58

Here is a screenshot of a custom layout that took seconds to make. Just drag and drop windows how you like them. 

Another issue arose during beta testing that needs to be well communicated before release. This revolves primarily around migrating your current triggers and aliases to Nexus 3. Some scripts are going to be difficult to move and will require updating. Transferring your current settings is fairly automatic, but there are problems with scripts that were created beyond the scope of what we intended with Nexus 2. 

We are working with the beta team to improve this migration process and address the compatibility issues. Please note that Iron Realms has no plans to drop Nexus 2. IRE will not do new development for Nexus 2, but it will remain on the game websites. In order words, if you're happy with the current Nexus, you do not need to migrate.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jeremy@ironrealms.com.

So in my boredom, I've mucked around a bit with Achaea's months, constellations, and Tarot.

Tarot, in real life, was given a lot of esoteric correspondences, most notably by the Golden Dawn (Arthur Waite, Aleister Crowley, Samuel Mathers, etc.).

So, what if we tried that same esoteric approach of tying Tarot symbolism, numerology, etc. to Achaean lore?

Real life Tarot has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana, and 56 Minor Arcana. In Achaea, there are only 21 Tarot cards, and they are not "numbered", unless we assign numbers to them based on AB TAROT.

Here's what I came up with:

Tarot

In the Beginning - Creation, the Triumvirate

1: Sun (Ayar, Proteus, Sarapis)

(Corresponds to: 13: Creator, and 18: The Universe)

Numerologically, 13 (The Creator) is 1+3=4, which corresponds with Lorielan (4, Priestess), Who was loved by Proteus. The Universe as 18 (1+8=9) also corresponds with The Lovers.

• 4 (Priestess) + 9 (Lovers) = 13 (Creator)
• 13 (Creator) + Priestess (4) = 17 (Lust)
• 17 (Lust) + 1 (Sun) = 18 (Universe)
• 13 (Creator) + 18 (Universe) = 31 (3+1) = 4 (Priestess)

--The Triumvirate--

2: Emperor (Khalas, the Wanderer)

3: Magician (Agatheis, God of Elements)

4: Priestess (Lorielan, Goddess of Knowledge)

Here we see the Triumvirate as below the Creator (Ayar), who split himself into Proteus, then later merged to become Sarapis.

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The Mortal Journey:

5: Fool = Mortalkind itself, as we embark upon our adventures. The Fool is like a newborn adventurer, full of wonderment and potential. Yet we are not Gods, and those who seek to challenge the Gods will 

Of interesting note, Khalas foolishly challenged The Creator. Khalas’ statue was discovered in the year 175AF (1+7+5 = 13, The Creator), as a reminder of the folly of challenging The Creator. These numbers (175) bear some significance:

1 (The Sun, the Creator) - 7 (The Hermit, Death) - 5 (Fool). Interpreted literally, the number 175 reminds us that Fools who challenge The Creator shall meet their Death.

6: Chariot: Our journey through life itself, the Fool behind the reigns.

7: Hermit: The end of our mortal life, when we meet Death. The Hermit is a symbol of the recluse, as Lord Thoth, the God of Death is reclusive in His realm. The Vulture is our 33rd constellation in the sky. 

33, the 3rd Card of the Mortal Journey, x 3.

7 x 3 = 21 (Death).

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That's about as far as I got, because dear god, real life mystics spent their entire lives coming up with this stuff. But I think this blueprint would be a fun roleplaying device if anyone wanted to take it and run with it.

The vortex math approach goes out the window when Achaean tarot doesn't follow real-life tarot numbers. All I can say is, our Achaean life is a Matrix cube powered by 5G, and it's a rabbit hole I don't have enough coffee to continue. Do your own research, sheeple.