Untrustworthy Mirror
Value: 4
Mysteries • Rats • Mirrors • Stone
Meanings: Illusion, false identity, failure
Can we trust the mirror? Shadow-thinking would say yes, but wisdom gained in the Actuality suggests otherwise. When no one can see your reflection, is it really yours? If you have to look in a mirror to confirm your own appearance (or identity), how do we know it’s not lying? The world is full of illusion and deception. Believing your own eyes isn’t always wise, and believing what’s in the mirror is a step removed even from that.
Divination: Something that appears real is not. It could be that someone’s in disguise, or it might just be that an idea, a fact, or an emotion is actually a deception. Taken broadly, the Untrustworthy Mirror suggests failure.
Game Narrative: Someone significant is actually someone else in disguise. Some important fact accepted by many people is really a lie. A great endeavor fails. The mirror virus begins to spread.
Joy: Someone believes a lie told by the PC. An NPC mistakes the PC for someone else (and that benefits the PC). An NPC foe fails at some important action.
Despair: The PC’s action fails unexpectedly. An NPC ally is actually deceiving the PC. Something the PC is counting on isn’t actually real.
When you don’t look into the mirror, what’s the mirror looking at?