Kruth

Kruth is a card game popular amongst races and groups with elemental ties. The uses of a Kruth deck include several games and means of fortune-telling.

There are 24 cards in a Kruth deck. Each card is one of the four elemental suits (Fire/Sun, Air/Wind, Earth/Stone, and Water) and one of six ranks (Life, Truth, Fate, Lords, Deceit, and Death).

Determination of the low card is made by rank, with Life alone above Truth, Fate ruling over Lords, and Deceit prior to Death. (Life > Truth > Lords > Deceit > Death)

In the event of a tie, refer to suit, and use the element's weight or place: Fire is highest, because it rises above air; Air is second; Water is third; and Stone is last because it sinks in water.

Some groups reverse whether to first refer to suit or rank, depending on their view of how mortal concerns compare to the eternal elements.

Draconic races and dragonslayers have a variant of Kruth which uses dragon types instead.
The four suits, from lowest to highest, are: Ferrous dragons, Metallic dragons, Gem dragons, and Light (Chromatic) dragons.
Dragon ranks are by the raw strength of each type of dragon, except for the highest rank, which is a 'rogue' dragon not included in the classifications of 5.
Rogues - Ferrous: Steel/Rust, Metallic: Platinum/Adamantine, Gem: Ruby/Obsidian, Light: Prismatic/Shadow
Dragonkruth Card Design: Rarely actually cards, dragonkruth tokens are rigid hexagons with an interior hexagon simply depicting the dragon type they correspond to. Cheap ones are wood with paint, while more expensive ones are wood or ivory inlaid with the actual metal or gem corresponding to a type of dragon; dragonscales of each type may also be used. Dragonslayers favor tokens of dragonbone with dragonscale inlay.
Dragonkruth lends itself well to board games rather than card games like normal Kruth.

Games

Kruth Games

Luck of the Draw:
In Luck of the Draw, one card is dealt to each player each round. The participant ending up with low card must entertain the others in some harmless way of their choosing. A single replacement draw gives the game its small degree of skill.

After the initial deal, if a player decides that he or she does not like what the cards have granted, a new card can be demanded; the first must be openly discarded beforehand. Once all have had a chance to request a replacement, cards must be shown, and fickle Luck will choose who is now at the tender mercy of the triumphant (and possibly relieved) group.

Fourteen:
In this game the cards are all given a number value, death being one, life being six. Each player is dealt two cards. Players have turns and on their turn they can either discard, get an additional card or call. Players can have as many cards as they want but may not go below one card. If someone calls all players must show their hand; the closest person to fourteen without going over wins, ties goes to the caller. If you go over fourteen but get a chance to discard before someone calls, then having gone over fourteen does not matter. Betting takes place before the game. If you call on your turn AND win than you win the amount you bet from each player (Note: you can not take anything higher from a player than they bet themselves) So if you bet five and someone else bet four you can take four from them, but if someone else bet ten and you bet five you get five from them. If you do not call and you still win than you get the entire pot. Ties go to the caller. This game is typically played by at least 3 people. Calling may not take place on the first round.

Fortune-Telling

Fortune Telling

	Life	Truth	Fate	Lords	Deceit	Death
Sun / Light	Destruction Leads to Rebirth, Fire brings form, To win, prevail	The feared is true, fire brings purification	Unavoidable enemy or struggle, Inner struggle Calm/The Balance	The Harsh Unfairness, harsh judgment, iron rule	Betrayer Treachery, Cheating, lying, conning, also smooth talker	The Scar Permanent injury, Eternal effects, lost mind
Wind / Gem	Sudden Change, Something New, Momentous moment	Beliefs will be revealed true, trustworthiness Cleansing	Whim of Fate, small actions amplified Trial / Enemy	Shifting of power, the upper hand, political change	Things that change still remain the same, tradition	Perpetual Change, Loss of Love, flame burned out
Water / Metallic	New Job, Good Endeavor, Good Omen, Pregnancy	Second Chance, Healing Knowledge is vital	Sudden Gain, Health, or good fortune	Righteousness/ Ends-Vindication for good intentions, good of the many	The Thief Something stolen, bad judgment, bad investment	Poison Lost friend or family, missing cherished object
Stone / Ferrous	Enemy to Friend, Nothing to Something, found The Birth	Follow the facts. Facts point to truth. Direct path. Forgiveness	Uneventful, Non-action, to wait, also compensation Profits	Means- Law Justice, the law, the good of society	Escape from pursuit or bonds, or offenders getting away	Slavery Death, Stopping, rest, retire, settle down

The Deal:
Standard Read - Three cards in a row, Event-Cause-FulcrumIn this deal, the first card indicates a significant event or situation. It is read first because the other two cards are only significant in relation to it. The cause is an interim effect. Often it is already true, but usually it is what leads up to the Fulcrum or comes from the Fulcrum. If it happens before the Fulcrum, then it is unchangeable. The Fulcrum is the pivotal point in the course of events. It is the important time at which the Event can be avoided, if possible. In general, the Fulcrum is the time at which there is the greatest ability to change the Event. Note that it is very important to correctly interpret the Fulcrum. Very often it is easy to tell what the Fulcrum will be, but extremely difficult to tell which path leads to and which away from the Event. This should usually be left for one to decipher for oneself.
The Ordered Read - Three cards set in a half circle, Fulcrum-Cause-EventAlternately Three cards in a half circle, Cause-Fulcrum-EventHere the same pattern as the Standard Read is used, but in an arranged order. The order is set according to first-to-last in time. If Cause precedes Fulcrum, then it is the first Cause and will determine the reason for the entire situation. Otherwise, it will be a final Cause that happens on or after the Fulcrum and is only the Cause of the final Event. Traditionalists do not like this system, as they think it tries to Force the Reading to fit within constraints, and thus makes it less flexible.
Extended Ordered Read - Three Cards in a half circle, Cause-Fulcrum-Cause, around a fourth, EventSame as the Ordered Read, except it adds has a first Cause and a final Cause
Nizza's Cross - A total of 5 cards arranged in a cross. The row is Action- Fulcrum/Cause-Event and the column is Action-Fulcrum-Cause-Event. Note: row crosses column between Fulcrum and Cause.The importance of this innovation is that it clarifies which path will lead to which Event. The Fulcrum and Cause for the column is the same for the row, so the Teller can more easily tell which action leads to which event. Fulcrum and Cause are actually set up in the column and the row has one card to the left, and the other to the right, positioned half way between the Fulcrum and Cause. The Action here indicates what course should be taken to get the Event. Usually this is dealt column first, then two row cards. Nizza's Cross is fairly new and has not gained wide-spread acceptance yet, but legend says it was created by a young homeless girl in Dragonport Swampside.
Standard Answer - Three cards in a column, Stakes-Players-ChoicesThis is used to help guide when a question is asked. Each card is independent of the others. The Stakes are what is to be won or lost, or what is the importance of the question. The Players are those who are involved in the answer, though it is rarely that they are directly pointed out. Usually it is an indication. The Choices indicate the important of the actual options one has. No question can be answered this way, but the Kruth can guide one to find the answer for oneself.

Source: Armageddon