Written in Blue


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In a place not too different from yours, there thrive four kingdoms and their citizens.  In this place, there were no wars or quarrels or brawls or gambles.  This was a place where kingdoms coexist in harmony, their kings and queens being allies, not enemies.

This is the Land of Suits, four separate but equal kingdoms surrounding a body of water.  In the middle of this vast span of blue is an island, a meeting place for the kings and queens of the four kingdoms:  the Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts.  Here is where my story begins.  Or, rather, should I introduce myself first?

My name is Alfred Jones, ruler of the Kingdom of Spades alongside my faithful queen and hard-working jack.  I write in this journal the accounts of my reign, all that has happened during my short rule as king over this land, in hopes that someone will soon find it and carry on my legacy for me.  I have knowledge that I will not have my throne much longer.  I must write everything down as I remember it exactly.

Some of my citizens would happily burn this journal in absolute hatred, after recent events.  But maybe you will decide differently.  Who knows who you are?  Are you a Spade, one of my own?  A Heart?  Are you even from the same world as I?  I'll never know.  This is your choice now:  Stop reading, and end this king's journey right here.  Or, of course, you can read on.

Well?  What's your decision?








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I'm glad you saw it my way.

I guess if you are not from this place, you should at least have some basic knowledge about the inner-workings of the Land of Suits.  There are four kingdoms, as I wrote earlier:  Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs.  We coexist equally, having had no wars, or a reason for one.  Each kingdom has a king—that would be me, in the case of the Spades—a queen, and a jack.  Together, the three run their lands as one unit, each sometimes taking part in their own activities.

I, as king, am general of the Spades army.  I oversee all security, as if we had ever needed it before...certain events took place.  My queen, a man by the name of Arthur, is in charge of the navy and kingdom relations.  He may also take the throne in my leave, if I were to ever... disappear, so to speak.  Yao is the Jack of Spades, in charge of all politics, checks-and-balances, and finances to the Spades kingdom.  I have an Ace, my brother Matthew, who is commander of my army as well as my personal guard; and a Joker, whom I had not met until the situation was at hand.  Said Joker watches over the Spades kingdom, and also the kingdom of Clubs.  He is the Black Joker, as many may call him, with the ability to see into the past.  His counterpart, the Red Joker, watches over the Hearts and Diamonds and sees into the future.

The Spades kingdom is the second largest in the Land of Suits, falling after the clubs.  We, as a whole, are known for our excellent strategies and education to citizens.  We were the ones who first started to educate our people, so for quite some time we were at the top of the world.  That is, until the Clubs stepped up their game— oh, but I won't burden you with that tale.

The Hearts has the largest population of citizens, though it is the smallest in land mass.  Their many towns and villages make it an ideal place for opportunity when seeking work.  The Clubs, on the other hand, are more rural and generally value citizen safety over logic.  This has lead to more than one bad decision on several occasions, but it was nothing worth mentioning here.  The Diamonds is the wealthiest kingdom, with citizens of mostly royal or aristocratic descent.  They supply the land with their exotic goods.

I guess that is all you would need to know about this place for know.  I suppose a lengthy tale is ahead, but it is quite worth the read.  Come along with me and adventure into the high mountains of the Clubs, towns of the Hearts and posh castles of the Diamonds.  Stay with me in my castle of Spades and learn about the history of the kings before me.

Welcome to the Land of Suits.