Misunderstood Beast
Value: 0
Notions • Cats • Clocks • Wind
Meanings: Mistakes, gentleness, friendship, danger, betrayal
The Misunderstood Beast is a gentle giant—not a murderous monster. It seeks our friendship, not our flesh. Can we see past its physical nature and ascertain its truth? Will we even try? Snap judgments can result in horrific mistakes. We judge something by its appearance, or simply by the initial reaction it churns in our heart, but the real truth of a thing can rarely be ascertained so quickly. This misstep can catch us from either direction: we might judge something ugly as evil when it is not, or we might assume someone pleasant is a friend when they are not. Either way, we are harmed or at least lessened as a result.
Divination: Something is not what it seems. This could be a concealed threat that will result in betrayal, or it could be something useful that one is ignoring or even avoiding. The turn of this card warns of such mistakes, but the mistake might have already been made and the Misunderstood Beast spells out the results of such a mistake. Often, this card suggests that one should look for aid from unexpected corners, but warily. In fact, what it really says is that if someone looks to be a friend, they are not, and those that seem to be a threat, likewise, are not. This is hard advice to take, and obviously it is not always true—only when this card is turned.
Game Narrative: Something perceived as a threat is no threat at all. A terrible danger hides in plain sight, appearing to be something benign or even beautiful.
Joy: An NPC becomes a surprising ally. Something that seemed like it would be a threat is actually a boon. An NPC trusts the PC when they shouldn’t.
Despair: A trusted NPC betrays the PC. The PC’s decision turns out to be a terrible mistake. Someone mistakenly judges the PC to be a threat and treats them appropriately.
The fearsome need not always be feared.