THE HANGED MAN

Traditionally, The Hanged Man represents sacrifice, suspension, and a shift in perspective. Basically, something must end in order for something else to begin.

In The Solstice Treaty, that moment comes with the death of Bobby McCoy on the top of High Rock.

Bobby is not a willing sacrifice and, by all appearances, he is simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. An ordinary man whose death creates an extraordinary consequence. That said, without his death, there would have been little chance his sister Tess would return to Beaver Hollow—and no chance she would reunite with Luke Steele. To put it bluntly, the pain of Bobby’s passing was greater than the one she had carried with her for more than a decade.

Bobby wasn’t an obvious choice for The Hanged Man, but I liked the idea of seeing him later in the books as a skeleton hanging from a tree, detonation cord wrapped around his neck. Traditionally, this card implies a kind of awareness or acceptance, but here neither applies.

And that’s the point.

This is where Fritz’s influence comes into play. Fritz doesn’t care about the meaning of the card. He only cares about its function. A sacrifice is required to move his plan forward, and Bobby becomes that sacrifice, whether he understands it or not.

THE DEVIL

Within the Major Arcana, the Devil represents control, manipulation, and the illusion of power. It speaks to bondage, but not always through force, but through influence. The Devil carries chains but doesn’t shackle in plain site, but rather, in secret.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Devil is represented by Director Fritz von Ehrlichmann.

Fritz is not a conqueror in the traditional sense. He does not rule through armies or spectacle, although he has been given the authority to do so if he were so inclined. Instead, he patiently works in the margins, shaping events so that others believe they are acting of their own free will. He does not force decisions. He creates the conditions where only one decision feels possible. He manipulates fate ever so slightly to gain advantage.

This was one of the easier cards to assign. Fritz may not be the most visible character in the story, but he is the most important. Everything traces back to him in some way. What interested me about The Devil wasn’t the idea of evil in a traditional sense, but control through subtlety. True, Fritz ordered an entire village to be sacrificed in order to open a portal, but in the long run, he carefully engineers death and destruction from the shadows.

Fritz does not need to stand on the board.

He only needs to move the pieces.

THE MAGICIAN

The Magician represents creation, willpower, and the ability to shape reality through knowledge and intent. It is the card of action, of taking what is given and turning it into something more.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Magician is represented by Yokoto CEO Takashi Okahara.

Takashi is a man of purpose. Driven by vengeance but guided by intellect, he enters the Öthershade not as a passive observer, but as someone intent on achieving success through decades of commitment and planning. He is not chosen by fate in the same way others are. He chooses his own path, and his relentless drive to avenge his father and reclaim his lost childhood makes him a juggernaut.

But The Magician is not without consequence.
Takashi’s journey begins with calculated control and vengeance, but ultimately gives way to understanding and sacrifice. In the end, his power and his legacy are not defined by what he can take, but by what he is willing to give. Takashi was always a natural fit for The Magician, but in my original novel he was a two-dimensional character. I never really fleshed him out, and I certainly didn’t give him the redemption story he, or his father, deserved. In fact, he originally died in a hail of bullets from Tess’s gun. A stretch even for me.

Jacopo and I had many conversations about the man, and it was his idea to continue inserting panels of Takashi looking back as a child. Ultimately, Takashi became my favorite character and the favorite of many of my friends.

I mean, who doesn’t love a redemption story?

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

The Wheel of Fortune represents cycles, change, and the turning of fate. It is the card of movement, of inevitability, of forces that rise and fall regardless of human intervention.

In The Solstice Treaty, the Wheel of Fortune is represented by The Three. More specifically, Mr. Eto, Mr. Ozu, and Mr. Seo.

The Three are bound by the practice of Onmyōdō, taught to them centuries ago. They are not bound by a single purpose but exist across time, following the flow of the river of Fate. Where fight fate or try to shape it, The Three do not resist the turning of the wheel. They understand it.

Because of this, they are neither fully aligned with Takashi nor entirely opposed to him. They recognize the pattern he seeks to exploit, but they also see the larger current that carries all things forward. Their actions are not driven by control or vengeance, but by balance.

But the Wheel of Fortune is not a promise of order. It is a reminder that all things change.

When I created the Three, they were there only there to move the story along. Jacopo alerted me to this mistake and it was his idea that they should play a greater role in the story. It was Jacopo’s idea to resurrect them and mine to use them to save Luke and give him a measure of immortality in the blood transfer.

Fun stuff!

THE LOVERS

The Lovers represents connection, choice, and the bonds that define us. It is not simply a card of romance, but of union and the decisions that allow two people to move forward as one.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Lovers are represented by Luke Steele and Tess McCoy.

Luke and Tess are bound by a shared past, one marked by love, loss, and years spent apart. Their connection must be rediscovered, rebuilt, and ultimately chosen. Because that is the true nature of The Lovers. In doing so, they become more than two individuals caught in the same story. They become a force that shapes each decision.

Luke and Tess were always the emotional center of the story. It was never just about whether they would end up together. It was about how they would find their way back to each other. BTW, Luke is named after my son and I liked the last name of McCoy for two reasons. First, the legendary McCoy’s were from WV so this seemed appropriate. Second, I’m a Star Trek fan so I was thinking of the good doctor affectionately called Bones!

So yes, at its heart, this is a love story.

It just so happens it’s set in a bonkers world.

JUSTICE

Justice represents balance, consequence, and the inevitable reckoning for one’s actions. It is the card of truth, where all things are measured.

In the novels, Justice is represented by Aggaroth the Seeker, a minor dread from another dimension.

Aggaroth is not a judge, at least not in the sense humans define it. The creature does not weigh right against wrong. It is summoned and, when bound, can be called upon to fulfill a singular purpose: to find the thing a heart desires. In the comics, we discover that what Takashi wants most is the answer to his vengeance. Aggaroth leads him to it, pointing to the location of the bomb before breaking free and killing everyone except the CEO.

Green speaks of Aggaroth briefly, and the dread reminds him that the demi-god must “honor the pact.” This serves as a red herring, suggesting that this may be the treaty referenced in the title. In reality, it is an eons-old deal between the Solstice King and the world of the Cthulhu, a pact that keeps these creatures from invading the Öthershade.

Green makes a calculated decision to break this truce in order to save Tess and Luke. In the end, however, Green pays the price as Aggaroth exacts his promised revenge.

So why didn’t Aggaroth drive everyone mad when he appeared. Because Akio summoned him in a diminished form, one their minds could grasp… that of a demon.

THE FOOL

The Fool represents beginnings, ignorance, and the willingness to step forward without understanding the consequences. It is the first step in a journey, often taken blindly.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Fool is represented by Triple R President Eugene Gibbles.

Gibbles is driven by selfishness and short-sighted ambition. He believes himself to be in control, but in reality, he is easily manipulated. His desire for profit blinds him to the larger forces at work around him, making him the perfect mark.

Takashi recognizes this immediately and uses Gibbles to gain access to High Rock, setting into motion a chain of events that ultimately leads to the discovery of the root of the World Tree.

I have personally known men like Eugene where they never have enough and are willing to sacrifice family, friends and their own integrity to obtain more. I actually felt a little sorry for Eugene. If you think about it, he ultimately never received his payday as Takashi would never return to sign the deal to buy Triple R. Oh well, that’s how the cookie crumbles.

Anyway, Gibbles never understood the role he played in this grand play.

He simply took a fateful step off the cliff of greed.

THE TOWER

The Tower represents sudden destruction, upheaval, and the violent collapse of what once stood strong. It is the card of ruin, where false foundations are stripped away and something buried is revealed.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Tower is represented by High Rock Mountain, a once-lush peak in West Virginia reduced to a barren hill through years of strip mining by Triple R.

What was taken from the mountain was done in the name of profit. What was uncovered was something far greater. Hidden beneath its vast coal deposits lay a root of the World Tree, buried for ages and disturbed by those who had no understanding of what they were unearthing.

High Rock does not fall in a single moment. It is stripped, piece by piece, until nothing remains but the truth beneath it.

And from that ruin, everything begins.

It should be noted, that I have nothing against strip mining. I actually know very little about it or about the men and women who rely on the process to make a livelihood. I just thought it was an interesting place to start the story. There you go.

THE WORLD

The World represents completion, wholeness, and the totality of all things. It is the card of a closed system, where cycles begin and end in perfect continuity.

Here, The World is represented by the Öthershade, one of the nine realms beneath the boughs of the World Tree.

It is a place where the seasons are born, die, and are born again. Sustained by the World Tree itself, the Öthershade is both primordial and ever new, ancient in its origins yet renewed with each passing moment.

It cannot be brought low by fire or water. It endures. More than that, it is aware.

The Öthershade protects itself and its inhabitants, not only from the worlds beyond, but from the very beings that rule beneath its shade. In order to preserve this balance, it closed the gates to the other realms, sealing itself off from all that might threaten its existence.

It is not simply a world. It is a living one.

In the original novel, the Öthershade was simply called The Shade. However, I wanted to have an interactive map to allow the reader to better understand the geography of this aberrant land. So I renamed it, picked up the .com and am really happy how the map turned out!

THE SUN

The Sun represents vitality, renewal, and the life-giving force that sustains all things. It is the card of warmth, growth, and the promise of rebirth.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Sun is represented by the Summer Prince, the Jack in the Green.

Like the season he embodies, the Jack in the Green is reborn each year. With each passing, he carries forward the wisdom of those who came before him, adding their knowledge to his own so that nothing is lost.

But even the Sun can cast a shadow.

Green longs for the world of Midgard, a desire that grows over time. When Fritz presents him with the cursed circlet of Judas’s coins, that longing is amplified, twisting his purpose. It drives him to betray his brother Frost and pushes him toward a singular goal: escape, no matter the cost.

In the end, Green is brought low by Aggaroth, but he is not beyond redemption. Forgiven by his brother, he will rise again on May Day, as he always has.

And perhaps this time, he will remember.

The book was inspired by the singular question ‘How would the Third Reich get a bomb onto American soil if the skies and seas were owned by the Allies?” Once I had that down I needed another dimension and the beings that lived there. I was listening to Jethro Tull at that time and the song The Jack in the Green was playing. That was the inspiration. Thanks Ian Anderson!

THE CHARIOT

The Chariot represents determination, willpower, and the drive to press forward against impossible odds. It is the card of victory through discipline, where purpose carries one through chaos.

In the book, The Chariot is represented by Captain John Roberts, his crew, and the Gypsy Belle, their C-47.

Roberts is a man who does not stop. Given impossible orders in the final days of World War II, he presses forward without hesitation, leading his men into the unknown. Whether in the skies over occupied France or beyond the boundaries of the world itself, he refuses to yield, adapting, enduring, and pushing on when others would turn back.

That resolve carries him further than any mission ever could, forging unlikely alliances and setting into motion events far greater than himself.

Because that is the nature of The Chariot. It does not question the path.

It drives forward.

Roberts is named after my dad Robert Marsh. Dad died a few years ago at the age of 89. When I wrote the dialogue between him and Luke (my son), I cried like a baby. Miss you dad. Godspeed.

THE HIEROPHANT

The Hierophant represents tradition, duty, and the passing of belief from one generation to the next. It is the card of structure, of order, and of those who follow a path that has been laid before them.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Hierophant is represented by Ryota Okahara, a distinguished officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the father of Takashi Okahara.

Ryota is a man defined by duty. Bound by honor and shaped by the rigid structure of the world he serves, he does not question the path set before him. He follows it. His mission is clear, his purpose unwavering, even as he is drawn into forces far beyond his understanding. But the Hierophant is not only about the path.

It is about what is passed down.

In his final days, suffering from the effects of radiation poisoning after Nagasaki, Ryota begins to see the world differently. The hatred he once carried fades, replaced by a quiet acceptance of what has been done to him. He no longer blames the Americans for his fate and, in his final moments, tries to pass that understanding on to his son.

But that is not what Takashi receives. Where Ryota finds peace, Takashi finds purpose. His father’s death does not free him from anger. It binds him to it. And while Ryota is able to forgive others, there is one thing he cannot forgive himself for.

He helped Fritz von Ehrlichmann open a portal to the Öthershade and introduce the Nazi to the Solstice King. Ryota set into motion events far greater than he ever intended: The treaty, the bomb and the future that follows.

Because that is the nature of The Hierophant.

JUDGMENT

Judgment represents reckoning, consequence, and the moment when all actions are brought to account. It is the card of truth revealed, where choices are no longer questioned, only answered.

In The Solstice Treaty, Judgment is represented by Gideon, Captain of the Winter Guard.

Gideon is known for a quick temper and a quicker blade. A trusted confidant to the Jack of the Frost, there is no one in the northernmost reaches of the Öthershade more relied upon to carry out his will.

But loyalty in the Öthershade is fragile.

When the Jack in the Green offers him the Greenwood, Gideon chooses ambition over duty. He betrays his master and turns his blade against those he once stood beside, aligning himself with a promise that was never truly his to claim.
And for that choice, he is judged.

In the end, there is no escape from what he has set in motion. In the presence of Luke, crowned in his Solstice glory, Gideon meets the consequence of his actions.

Because that is the nature of Judgment. It is a day of reckoning.

THE MOON

The Moon represents illusion, uncertainty, and the unseen forces that shape what we believe to be true. It is the opposite of the Sun card but is tied inextricably to its celestial sibling.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Moon is represented by the Jack of the Frost.

Frost is not what he first appears to be. Where his brother burns with life and desire, Frost is quiet, measured, and distant. He is seen as cold, unfeeling, and even cruel. But beneath that stillness lies something else entirely. He is wise and his moral compass led him to kill his father, the Solstice King, before the bomb could fulfill it’s terrible purpose.

Frost understands the danger that lies both within and beyond the Öthershade and the consequences of allowing it to spread. His actions, though often misunderstood, are guided not by malice, but by preservation.

Because that is the nature of The Moon. It hides the bomb, hides the truth and reveals it only to those willing to look beyond the darkness.

THE HERMIT

The Hermit represents solitude, introspection, and the quiet pursuit of truth. It is the card of those who withdraw from the world in order to focus on a singular purpose.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Hermit is represented by Akio Nishimura.

Akio is a man of discipline and unwavering loyalty. Guided by the teachings of Onmyōdō, he has devoted himself entirely to Takashi Okahara. His role is not to question, but to act. Not to lead, but to carry out the will of another.

In doing so, he has closed himself off from everything else.

Where others seek balance or perspective, Akio sees only the path before him. His world is narrow, defined entirely by the purpose he serves.

But that isolation comes at a cost.

Akio’s loyalty is absolute, and in that absoluteness, he fails to see the truth before him. He believes in Takashi with a conviction that is not returned. In the end, it is not his enemies who betray him.

It is the path he chose.

Akio was always going to die in the comic. I loved bringing him back, even though it was only in Takashi’s fevered state. I found him to be very “Hellboy” in that way. Mignola would introduce specters to argue and commiserate with Big Red.

THE EMPRESS

The Empress represents creation, nurturing, and the quiet strength that brings life into the world. It is the card of growth, of abundance, and of the forces that sustain all things.

In The Solstice Treaty, The Empress is represented by the Lady of the May, wife of the Solstice King.

She was not born of the Öthershade but chosen by the King. A woman of wisdom and grace, she answered his riddles not with power, but with understanding. Strength, she knew, was found in love. Depth in the bond between mother and child. And so she became something more.

She walked beneath the World Tree with stars set in her hair, a living embodiment of growth and renewal. Through her, the Öthershade flourished.

But even the most vital force can be undone.

When the Jack in the Green sought the Crown of Sovereignty, she refused him. She would not yield its location, no matter the cost. And so, he killed her.

The Queen never played much a role in the comics and that’s okay. Not all actors get lines 🙂