Courts

Courts are the people, alliances, property, business interests, and administrative systems surrounding the Arcana. In addition to the personal and familial bonds tying people to courts, courts also provide a focus for political alliance.

The terms 'Court' and 'Throne' are sometimes used interchangeably.

Courts can be disbanded or destroyed through both sanctioned and unsanctioned means.

Alliances
Oftentimes courts embark on semi-formal or formal alliances with each other. For example, an Arcana may be asked to be godparent to children of other courts, even if the associated Arcana do not particularly like one another. The Tower, for example, is the godfather of many scions, including all Lady Justice's living children. Arranged marriages between scions also facilitate more permanent relationships between courts, and can also be used to gain influence with more powerful Arcana, such as the Hanged Man.

Particularly long-lasting and deep alliances between multiple courts can lead to the formation of a power bloc. The Celestial courts, for example, used to be a bloc (Sun, Moon, and Star). The Moral Certainties group consists of Strength, Temperance, Justice, and the Hermit. Their alliance is especially robust, resulting in shared properties (such as the Moral Certainties compound in the Westlands) and the grouping of their suites in the Enclave; should one of the courts be destroyed, the other members inherit the remaining assets. Moreover, they share qualities: Lord Tower says that members of the Moral Certainties are "devout, which is a short step from fanatical."

Courts

 * The Sun Court
 * The Dagger Throne
 * The Lovers' Court
 * The Hourglass Throne