Suits

[The Jenn]

Clubs: The Hoof

Clubs are by far the most common Suit and they are the only ones that can occur in breedings where neither parent possessed the Suit. For example, a Spade and a Diamond have children; it is perfectly plausible for them to have one Diamond and two Clubs. The only breeding Clubs cannot occur in is one between two red Cards. Clubs are seen as the "grunts" of Society. Even their Queen is not as highly respected as any of the Other Queens, be they a better ruler or not. They are often put to use as laborers by other Suits and aren't regarded for their intellectual skill, even though many are more than qualified to be in higher positions.

The Club representation, the Hoof, represents their durability and their station as laborers; many resent the label.

Basic Magical Ability: All Clubs can go two or three days without needing to sleep, depending on their individual stamina.

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Spades: The Paw

Spades are the second most common Suit, though unlike Clubs they can only occur in a breeding if one of the parents is a Spade. Spades are quick on their feet and reliable as far as their representation in Court proceedings and their tendency to follow the rules laid out for them. Spades are still not seen as being what one would desire in society; though they are above the Clubs, they are still of the same color and are often mocked by others of higher ranking. Higher up Spades, mostly face cards, are treated with the same respect that anyone would give to a ruler, and aren't frowned upon in the other Courts because of their noble rank.

Their representation, the Paw, refers to both their fleetness of foot and their general personality. They tend to be "soft" in their punishments and treatments of the lower class. They are therefore represented with that symbol, as opposed to one more closely representing weaponry.

Basic Magical Ability: All Spades can run up to 40mph in sprints and 20mph for up to an hour in extended runs, depending on their individual staying power.

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Diamonds: The Fang

As a rule, Diamonds are uncommon but not too difficult to come by. They are on the upper end of society due to their color, with practically no stigmas against them. A Diamond has respect in society naturally; even if its number is of the lower cast, the fact that it is a Diamond will lift it above the other "lower" cards. Being born as a Diamond is a celebrated event and the child will probably have a happy life regardless of realm or parentage.

The Diamond symbol, the Fang, refers to their cunning and sharp, biting turns of phrase. Their uncanny intelligence and tendency toward snideness and power gives the Suit a reputation for being fangy. The fang is also normally represented a as serpent’s fang; due to their knack with charisma and bribery, they usually revel in their snake-like stereotype.

Basic Magical Ability: All Diamonds can act charismatic and persuasive at times, whether or not they actually have the natural charm and grace to pull it off.

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Heart: The Claw

Hearts are a bit rarer in society, and are also the most revered. For parents to receive a Heart as a child is a blessing and a delight, as the child will probably bring them power that they do not have. The ferocity and short temper of the Suit is legendary, but not necessarily true for all in the Suit. Hearts have a tendency towards recklessness and wildness in their actions, though their ability to muster power at the snap of their fingers is most assuredly true and remarkable. It serves them well as the most feared and respected of the Suits.

The symbol of the Hearts, the Claw, is most fitting, as there is nothing more brutal than to be hit in the face with something sharp; be it their wit, their magic, or their fist, the experience won't be pleasant. Hearts tend to delight in the fact that they are represented as ruthless and unkind. Some of them feel that power cannot truly be gained with kindness, though others resent the fact that their friendships are all superficial and that their lovers are all two-faced. They may attempt to make themselves seem different.

Basic Magical Ability: All Hearts can ignore moderate amounts of pain for up to an hour, depending on the willpower of the individual.

[Nathalia]

((I decided to update this to give you all a little more information.
The old is still contained above, but I wanted to give everyone a bit more insight. Let me know what you think. <3))




Clubs: The Hoof

Clubs are by far the most common Suit and they are the only ones that can occur in breedings where neither parent possessed the Suit. (For example, a Spade and a Diamond have children; it is perfectly plausible for them to have one Diamond and two Clubs.) The only breeding Clubs cannot occur in is one between two red Cards.
Clubs are often seen as the "grunts" of Society. Even their Queen is not as highly respected as any of the Other Queens, be they a better ruler or not. They are often put to use as laborers by other Suits and aren't regarded for their intellectual skill, even though many are more than qualified to be in higher positions.
Granted, these views might be considered "extremist" by some, especially cultures (such as the Bog, Golfam, and Mid-Range) where elements cut them off from much of the outside world, pushing the need for all of society to come together and function as one...or where Suit has simply lost meaning to the population along with any form of law or political stance.
Higher-ranking Clubs, with their magical roots so deeply entwined with the earth and brute strength, and the Suit as a whole have a much stringer predisposition to become elemental mages (should they pursue magical learning) than any other Suit.

The Club representation, the Hoof, represents their durability and their station as laborers; many resent the label.

Basic Magical Ability: All Clubs can go two or three days without needing to sleep, depending on their individual stamina.






Spades: The Paw

Spades are the second most common Suit, though (unlike Clubs) they can only occur in a breeding if one of the parents is a Spade. Some red Suits will still be wary to breed with one, though, as their chances for Club children still exist in bedding a Spade, something that would cause many of those raised in the red-Suit-mindset shame.
Spades are quick on their feet and reliable as far as their representation in Court proceedings and their tendency to follow the rules laid out for them. Some will mock the Spades Court for its tendency to have a number of Kahmden courtiers, saying that their penchant for rules has rubbed off on the nobility.
Spades are still not seen as being the ideal of what one would desire in society. Though they are a rank above the Clubs, they are still of the same "set" and are often mocked by Diamond and Hearts Courts. Higher ranking Spades, mostly face Cards, are treated with the same respect that anyone would give to a ruler, and aren't frowned upon in the other Courts because of their noble rank.
Spade speed and inherent abilities make them amazing hunters by birth; many have used these gifts in times of war to great advantage and it makes for excellent guards and policemen. Many great assassins and spies have also been Spades, their quick surfeit and ability to see in the dark on a whim making them ideal for the "position"

Their representation, the Paw, refers to both their fleetness of foot and their general personality.
They tend to be "soft" in their punishments and treatments of the lower class, in comparison to the other Courts. They are therefore represented with that symbol, as opposed to one more closely representing weaponry.

Basic Magical Ability: All Spades can run up to 40mph in sprints and 20mph for up to an hour in extended runs, depending on their individual staying power.






Diamonds: The Fang

As a rule, Diamonds are uncommon but not too difficult to come by. They are on the upper end of society due to their Suit, with practically no stigmas against them. Aside from a healthy dose of allotted arrogance.
A Diamond has respect in society naturally; even if their Card number is on the smaller end of the scale, the fact that it is a Diamond will lift it above the other "lower" cards. Being born as a Diamond is normally a celebrated event and the child will probably have an easier life as far as eligibility for employment and easier jobs are considered.
Basic Diamond abilities lend to them the incredibly charismatic flair of the businessman. Many Diamonds find their way into the entrepreneurial side of things and most will say that management and engineering of sorts are to their liking. Aside from simple charm, their insightful nature and a predisposition for learning has led to quite a number, and a reputation, of snobbish and highly intellectual Diamonds.
Though don't let this fool you, not all Diamonds are intelligent and resourceful...just as not all Clubs are dim and thick, you can easily have a dim Diamond.
The Diamond court boasts the largest library outside of Esterberry and many of its inhabitants (even the guards) and almost painfully knowledgeable when compared to members of the other Courts on the whole.
While incredible intelligence certainly isn't par for the course with the entire Suit, the reputation often leads parents to school their children more strictly and make more desperate attempts to keep up with expectations society might have for them, thus perpetuating the tendency for a Suit-wide high intellect.

The Diamond symbol, the Fang, refers to their cunning and sharp, biting turns of phrase.
Their uncanny intelligence and tendency toward snideness and power gives the Suit a reputation for being fangy. The fang is also normally represented a as serpent’s fang; due to their knack with charisma and bribery, they usually revel in their snake-like stereotype.

Basic Magical Ability: All Diamonds can act charismatic and persuasive at times, whether or not they actually have the natural charm and grace to pull it off.






Heart: The Claw

Hearts are a bit rarer in society, and are also the most revered...especially by themselves. For parents to receive a Heart as a child is a blessing and bragging right. Some Heart parents will not even keep any children they produce who are not Hearts, the more fervent Suit-elitists may even "donate" the unfortunate non-Hearts to Corvistowneian practitioners.
The ferocity and short temper of the Suit is legendary, but not necessarily true for all Hearts. Just as you can have a brilliantly innovative Club, slow Spade, or dim Diamond; Hearts can (every once in a while) be the epitome of patience and caring, but these individuals are far and few in-between.
Basic Heart abilities are already pushing them toward their reputation for violence and extremism. The ability to ignore pain has resulted in quite a few sibling rivalries turning into battles to the death without the youngsters realizing it. Their natural tendency with weaponry also stands to make them incredibly masterful in almost any situation.
Hearts have a tendency towards recklessness in their actions. Though their ability to muster power at the snap of their fingers is most assuredly true and remarkable, their patience and reason have been all but bred out of them. Many, if not all, have a difficult time with authority, are taught to buck rules from birth, and have a streak of independence and pride as broad as the Highlands. While their war-like ways have gained them power and recognition as the most powerful of the Suits, their inability to plan ahead or learn from past mistakes (in most cases) leads them often down a repetitive path fraught with turmoil.
Being the Queen of Hearts may be prestigious, but they have the most frequent "turn-over" rate of any of the Courts.

The symbol of the Hearts, the Claw, is fitting, as there is nothing more brutal than to be hit in the face with something sharp; be it their wit, their magic, or their fist; the experience won't be pleasant.
Hearts tend to delight in the fact that they are represented as ruthless and unkind. Some of them feel that power cannot truly be gained with kindness, though others resent the fact that their friendships are all considered superficial and that their lovers two-faced.

Basic Magical Ability: All Hearts can ignore moderate amounts of pain for up to an hour, depending on the willpower of the individual.




~Nathalia