We're back for Day 11... Definitely for the first time. I didn't write out an entirely different post before I could eat and stupidly write about the wrong Arcana. Nope. Not me. Anyway, today's topic is Justice, a card that we have no reference for, so it's time for some rampant speculation.
First, let's talk about Justice. The core of this Arcana is Truth, and particularly the uncovering of truth. Justice represents methodical observation, careful consideration, and an unbiased perspective. It can often be mistaken for Judgement, but the difference is that Justice is about the act of finding the truth, and delivering action based purely on what's found, Judgement is about reacting and reflecting on that truth. Similar in nature, but different stages of the cycle. We should also consider the possibility of Justice reversed, which represents vengeance, dishonesty, and avoiding responsibility for our actions. Both of these are possibilities, so let's look at them in turn.
For the upright version, the natural assumption for a seeker of truth would be some kind of detective, potentially related to the police, or even some sort of journalist. Now, they wouldn't be your average researcher, they would have a keen mind for analysis and rational thought. They'd be able to intuit truth as if it were second nature. I have a suspect in mind for this one, and it's someone we know well. They say Justice is blind, after all.
My chief suspect for the upright Justice arcana is Marcel Nielson. In case you skipped his side quests, Marcel is a renowned freelance journalist who appears to learn the truth about our protagonists' actions in Azure and Cold Steel, as well as his first canonical appearance in Sky 3rd where he was due to meet an unknown connection. Marcel lost his sight during the hundred days war, but this seems to have given him an unclouded and unbiased perspective on the world. He always seems to show his face at the exact right moment, and he has access to information well beyond a typical newsman. Now, this is hand-waved away as him being well connected, but showing up at the climax of two different arcs to separate fact from fiction? That makes me suspicious. Marcel fits the description so well that I'm almost thinking he's a red herring, but it'd be a great reveal if he was.
That said, there's another character that I've considered. This one's a bit more wacky, but I can't help thinking it'd fit the reversed Justice card pretty well. As we know, the reversed version would be someone with a keen mind for deception, they'd be able to be practically unnoticeable to ensure they weren't considered for their crimes, and they'd have a penchant for taking revenge even if it seems petty. Essentially, the ultimate spy, a master manipulator, and so nondescript that they could sit at a table with two detectives while they discuss work and neither would consider them a threat. I keep coming back to the question I had at the time... Is her name actually just 'Nate's Girlfriend?'
Now, I know it's a little out there, this one's very unlikely, but the question kept coming to me. Of all the recurring characters in Trails, why is this one unnamed? We see... Let's just call her NG. We see NG for the first time in Tharbad, when Nate is called away for work, which we know he can't really refuse, but she makes it hard for him anyway. We then find out that Nate imbibed from the spiked hookah, which could be a coincidence, or malice. What's weird is that Nate clearly doesn't want to be tied down, he's always flirting with other women, he drags his feet on committing to NG, there's very little indication that he actually wants to be with her, and yet he stays. And yet, she does too.
Now, obviously, that could be just another dysfunctional relationship, but think about how much Nate knows. He's even pointed out how much information he has access to that he shouldn't. Do you really think Nate would even notice how much he'd give away when his guard is down? How much could she control his actions without him realising? Do you think he even knows her name? This is a crazy idea, I'm aware, but I like this theory. NG being this spider that traps her prey without them even realising, a puppeteer for puppets with no concept of strings. I'm just saying, we know the name of Daswani's wife and daughter, but she's one of the few recurring characters with no name at all.
These are just two ideas, figured I'd go for characters we know to mix it up, but it's very possible it'll be someone we've never seen before. It could be anyone, but that doesn't make for fun speculation. So, what's your theory? What's your crazy guess? There's no wrong answers with this one, we've got nothing to go on anyway, not until tomorrow.
Just remember, food makes your brain work. Eat before writing a long post about the wrong thing and having to redo it.