The Order of Tarot: its hierarchy, history, and the fight inside its own ranks

The Order of Tarot: its hierarchy, history, and the fight inside its own ranks Spoilers for Day of the Dead, Grimm Fairy Tales: Tarot, and Grimm Fairy Tales Vol. 2 #25. The Order of Tarot wants to rule Earth and the Realms of Power, but its own members keep getting in each other's way. They can cooperate on a conquest while quietly preparing to betray the person sitting above them. That struggle runs through the Emperor's court, the four suit courts, and Talisman's place in the organization. The central story is Grimm Fairy Tales: Tarot (https://zenescope.com/products/grimm-fairy-tales-tarot-1), the six-issue series by Joe Brusha and Renato Rei. It brings the courts together and shows how the Order tries to turn its long-hidden influence into control over Earth and the surrounding Realms of Power. Where the Order came from Jericho gives the clearest account in Tarot #2. According to him, the Order originally formed to oppose the Dark Horde and establish peaceful rule. Its hunger for power corrupted that purpose. Members who rejected the change broke away and became the Order of Light. That split hurt Tarot badly enough to drive it into hiding for centuries. The Light faction is therefore part of Tarot's own history. Jericho's resistance comes from an argument about what the organization was supposed to be. The Order's return takes place after the Dark Horde's destruction creates an opening. Tarot's members had existed and schemed for a long time before they were ready to move openly. The old organization now had a chance to reclaim power. Jericho's account is in Tarot #2 (https://zenescope.com/products/grimm-fairy-tales-tarot-2), collected on pages 44–45 of the 2018 trade. The Emperor and the High Court The Emperor is in charge of the Order. His court is on Earth, and the four suit courts answer to him. He rules on disputes, authorizes appointments, controls punishment, and decides when the Order is ready to advance. He makes that clear when he speaks to the Queen of Cups. He tells her that he appointed her reluctantly at Morrigan's insistence and orders her to remain in her chamber unless he or her king gives permission. Later, he personally crowns Talisman. He controls who holds office and what they are allowed to do. The Empress gives orders of her own. She directs the hunt for Nataliya, gives orders to the Queen of Swords and the Four, and drives the assault on the Order of Light. Other members answer to her, including the soldiers and agents she sends after her enemies. Morrigan is another major political player. His Underworld stronghold has its own defenders, and his intervention helps secure Nataliya's release after her trial. The Emperor and Empress must consider what provoking him could cost them. Other figures associated with Tarot's senior circle include Judgment, Baron Samedi, and the Devil, whose absence becomes a pointed question in Grimm Fairy Tales Vol. 2 #25. These titles tell us who answers to whom. They don't tell us who would win every fight. The four courts The suit courts give Tarot its reach across the realms: - Swords operates in Myst. This is the court whose soldiers attack the Order of Light. The Queen of Swords leads them, and we see how cruel she is to her own people, including Olgar. She fights with Carnage, a blade forged through dark magic. - Cups operates in Neverland. Its power includes the elements of air, water, earth, and fire. Cynder, the king, is a fire elemental. The queen uses earth and stone. She conspires against him and wants Gruel to replace him. - Wands operates in Wonderland. Ali is its king, alongside the court’s queen. Ali spends much of the series manipulating the other members. He works through secret bargains and agents, arranging situations that can weaken his rivals whichever side wins. - Pentacles operates in Oz. Its followers practice dark magic and witchcraft while preparing for their king's arrival. Talisman's mother held the queen's position. Getting him onto the king's throne is a major part of the Order's plan. There are other ranks beneath the kings and queens. The story identifies ranks such as Page and numbered positions, including a Three of Cups acting as a spy. Soldiers, guards, and acolytes keep the courts functioning. The Four are the group sent after Talisman. They capture him and later take orders from the Empress. We see these ranks in the story, but the comics don't give us a full roster with someone assigned to every card in a tarot deck. Why Talisman matters so much Talisman's birth was planned for Tarot's purposes. His mother rejected the Order after he was born and tried to keep him from the life it had arranged. The Order killed her, while its pursuit of her son continued. The earlier Day of the Dead (https://zenescope.com/products/day-of-the-dead-graphic-novel-1) story shows that Mary Medina, later Mystere, was also intended for the Queen of Pentacles position. Judgment and Baron Samedi are involved in this effort. Even when the immediate ritual does not produce the result they wanted, the ending reveals a longer plan: the bond between Mary and Talisman can still serve their designs for Oz. Mary being targeted for the role and Nataliya later occupying it are different stages of the succession story. Jericho sees the same inheritance differently. He believes Talisman can take the King of Pentacles throne and help restore Tarot's original purpose. That gives Talisman two factions telling him that his future belongs inside the same organization. His tattoos come with the same struggle. They give him weapons and other manifestations, but drawing on them pulls him toward the darkness he fears. The Order of Light offers training and a possible alternative, with Shimmer becoming especially important to him. By the end of Tarot #6 (https://zenescope.com/products/grimm-fairy-tales-tarot-6), the Order of Light has been devastated. The Empress kills Shimmer. Jericho kills the Empress, and the Emperor strikes him down. Talisman is taken prisoner. Nataliya then urges Talisman to accept his crown and fight Tarot from within. He takes the position while privately intending revenge. The final scene places him on the Pentacles throne beside Nataliya as queen, and the Emperor announces that all four courts are complete. The Order finally has its missing king, and he intends to destroy the institution that crowned him. The conspiracy running through the courts Ali is exploiting these divisions throughout the series. Trickster appears to serve the Empress while secretly advancing his plans. The Queen of Cups pursues her own succession scheme. Suspicion is directed toward Morrigan. Nataliya's personal history with the Empress makes her both a useful intermediary and a dangerous rival. The story gives several people reasons to help Talisman without making them trustworthy allies. Saving someone, protecting them at a trial, or helping them reach a throne can also be a way of placing them where a conspirator needs them. At the finale, Ali welcomes the Empress's death and anticipates the Emperor's fall. His kingly title has never stopped him from wanting the higher throne. What happens after the Tarot miniseries The later confrontation in Grimm Fairy Tales Vol. 2 #25 changes the balance again. The Emperor gathers the courts and wants the dead Empress restored. Ali challenges him about the missing senior figures. Morgan Le Fay reveals herself from behind Voodoo's disguise and addresses the Emperor as Mordred. Merlin then arrives with his knights, defeats Mordred, claims power, and takes the Grail fragment. Talisman and Nataliya escape. He still wants to oppose the Order from within, and their exchange shows that she has not told him everything. The Emperor's regime falls, but the issue leaves the fate of many court members unresolved. It does not show every court being wiped out. The issue is included in Age of Camelot (https://zenescope.com/products/grimm-fairy-tales-age-of-camelot-graphic-novel). The Emperor has people across multiple realms, but plenty of them want his throne. The Order has already split once over what it should stand for. Now its rulers are plotting against each other, and the king they needed to complete the courts wants revenge. Getting everyone into place hasn't made them loyal to each other.