The Wraven's Writing Deck

Black and white emblem of the Wraven, featuring intricate Celtic knotwork. — THE WRAVEN’S WRITING DECK

2022
An ode to storytelling… The Wraven’s Writing Deck is an interactive installation that explores cards as a mode for narrative through the use of digital animation and near-field communication. It integrates new-age technology into age-old storytelling tradition in a venture toward innovative communication. Simply open the book, pick a card, and let the story unfold.

* Music: At the End of All Things Revised by TeknoAXE *

The Wraven's Writing Desk. A raven is displayed on a framed monitor that sits next to three LED candles and an open book book, all resting atop a small apothecary table.

Intricate artwork of the Starz and Keyper figures displayed on a framed monitor, which rests on top of a wooden platform that dispenses a printed inked page.

A hand rests on the cover of The Wraven's Grimoire. Laid out above it are the three suits of cards that make up The Wraven's Writing Deck.

The Wraven's Grimoire lay open on the desk. Above it are the three suits of cards that make up The Wraven's Writing Deck, placed by the three corresponding candles.

Storytelling is simply shaping information for communication.

A successful narrative tends to follow a familiar formula, breaking down the information into key ideas (who, what, and why, or beginning, middle, and end). These ideas can then be broken down further into common archetypes, or universal symbols. In a sense, it is as systematic as it is artistic.

The Wraven’s Writing Deck contains ten cards total; three suits containing three cards each, plus an additional “Wraven” card. The face of each card is a lenticular print, so tilt the card and the image will shift to a negative revealing the title behind the artwork. Flip the card over and you will find an intricate knotwork design surrounding the signature “W” seal, emblematic of the Wraven. This seal conceals an NFC chip that triggers the events throughout the story building process.

The first card is picked from the “Who” suit, casting the protagonist. These character cards are meant to represent the Wraven’s past lives, or shadows, as each takes on a different role of storyteller. The figures draw inspiration from the Major Arcana archetypes of tarot and reflect their different respective strengths: The Fool, The Magician, and The High Priestess.
What stands in the hero’s way? This is decided through the second card, selected from the “What” suit. These cards provide the conflict driving the narrative, based on literary archetypes: Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Supernatural, and Character vs. Technology.
The last card is picked from the “Where” suit, to determine the final destination of the story. And more often than not, this is right where it began. So, inspired by the true cyclical nature of a narrative, I referenced ancient Celtic knots that symbolize the soul’s journey: the Compass Rose knot, the Labyrinth knot, and the Crann Bethadh knot.