The Emperor of Blades

“Order is a blade – it cuts both chaos and compassion.”

Realm: Flame & Vein
Symbol: A crown forged from obsidian and steel, divided by a single crack
Meaning (Upright): Authority, command, discipline, stability
Meaning (Reversed): Tyranny, rigidity, rule without heart

Lore:
When the Realms were still young, the world's first kinds rose from the molten hills.
They bore blades not for conquest but for shape - cutting wilderness into roads, chaos into pattern.
The greatest of these was the Emperor of Blades, who fortress stood at the edge of all realms.
He taught mortals the laws of dominion: that strength without mercy becomes iron, and mercy without strength becomes dust.

When drawn, this card speaks of mastery over circumstances - the art of command.
But reversed, it warns of rule turned inward, when control devours compassion.

Prophecy Verse:
"Crown not thyself in stone, O ruler,
for even mountains break beneath the tide."