The Deck of Dragons is a set of wooden cards used for divination. Those capable of using the Deck for divination purposes are called Readers, Talents or Adepts. In common usage, 'Reader' refers to someone with enough talent or skill to divine the future using the Deck of Dragons to a greater or lesser degree (or at least convincingly pretend to do so), while 'Talent' usually refers to someone with little or no formal training that possesses a natural ability to use the Deck (such as Fiddler). Finally, an Adept is someone with surpassing skill and/or talent with the Deck of Dragons, able to glean far more information from a reading than lesser readers - for example, the cards often appear animate to an Adept and are sometimes used as a conduit by Ascendants during a reading (see Tattersail's reading for Tayschrenn in Gardens of the Moon).
Each card within the deck has its own aspect and title, as well as a relation to other cards. During a reading or other usage of the Deck, these cards represent personages and actions related to events in the present or near future.
Many of the cards are based on and carry the same name as roles within the High Houses of the Pantheon. These cards' aspect is similar to the nature of the role within the High House. For example, if The Assassin of Shadow card is correlated to a person during a reading, then he or she may hold that position in the near future. These positions are not permanent.
Cards of High House Life
Cards of High House Death
Cards of High House Light
Cards of High House Dark
Cards of High House Shadow
Cards of the House of Chains
Cards of High House War
Master of the Deck
Obelisk
Crown
Sceptre
Throne
Orb
Chain
Oponn
Lifestealer
Deathslayer
The Apocalyptic
Dessembrae
The City (custom card used by Tiserra)
The Tyrant (custom card used by Tiserra)
Tattersail is a skilled and experienced Adept. During the events of Gardens of the Moon, she performs several readings.
The first reading is shortly after the Enfilade of Pale, with the company of the newly soul-shifted Hairlock.
Her second is a few days later, at the behest of Tayschrenn who is blocked in his own efforts to read the Deck.
Her third reading is a complete layout of the Deck in an effort to sense the motivations of all the players surrounding the coming convergence in Darujhistan.
In Deadhouse Gates, Pust performs a reading of the Deck foreshadowing the renewal of Sha'ik.
In Deadhouse Gates, Kalam trys to avoid a reading of the Deck while sheltering from a sandstorm in Ladro Keep.
Fiddler's readings of the Deck take a similar form to card games, with Fiddler as the dealer issuing cards to players.
The first such game to appear in the series is in Darujhistan during the events of Gardens of the Moon.
Later, in the Bonehunters, Fiddler deals another game at the request of Adjunct Tavore before the Bonehunters return to Malaz City.
He deals another game at Tavore's behest in Letheras during Dust of Dreams, though it is dissimilar to his usual style and is more of a reading than a game.
From Steven Erikson: 'you also have questions about roles in the Deck of Dragons. Are they filled all the time? Probably, somewhere, with individuals in certain scenarios assuming the archetypes as required. (Q and A with malazanempire No 1 (2003))
Ganoes Paran: 'You believe the Houses of the Azath and the Houses of the Deck are one and the same.’
Silverfox: 'Yes. Or linked, somehow. Think on it!’
...
Ganoes Paran: 'Wait! Kellanved and Dancer went into Deadhouse – why didn’t they take that aspect – the aspect of the House of Death?'
Silverfox: 'I’ve thought about that myself, and have arrived at one possibility. The realm of Death was already occupied, Paran. The King of High House Death is Hood. I believe now that each Azath is home to every gate, a way into every warren. Gain entry to the House, and you may . . . choose. Kellanved and Dancer found an empty House, an empty throne, and upon taking their places as Shadow’s rulers, the House of Shadow appeared, and became part of the Deck of Dragons. Do you see?’
...
Ganoes Paran: 'What of the Deck’s Unaligned?’
Silverfox: 'Failed aspects? The imposition of chance, of random forces? The Azath and the Deck are both impositions of order, but even order needs freedom, lest it solidify and become fragile.’
MoI, UK Trade, p.117-9
See also: The Deck of Dragons Project