Arcana Ramus Aureus
The secrets of the golden bough
A for profit Limbus Company tarot deck fan project
INTEREST CHECK CLOSES IN:
MODERATORS
Head, Production, Graphics, Formatting
Cerys
A dragon that keeps on finding herself in the position of project manager. The brainworms wouldn’t let her sleep with this concept. Now she’s doing overtime writing documents at 2 am. Been a PM fan since she was 14 and blames ion for it.“I think i’m arriving to the conclusion that i just hate myself”
Co-Head, Finance
Theta
Local coffee-dependent rat creature that lives under Cerys' floorboards. Caretaker of many cats. Is willing and able to learn many skill sets when the situation calls for it, even enjoying it sometimes. Chewing on spreadsheets is their favorite activity."I love having a sleep disorder. It makes these projects so much easier."
Moderation for PMCH Discord Server, Limbus Company English Dub: voice direction, editing and other tasks, Bag of Milk Flawedpeacock Skits: voice direction
Writing Mod
& Tarot Expert
Karakuri
Having continually chanced upon different pieces of fiction referencing various esoteric systems, Karakuri eventually decided to study them a little. And then a little more. And then a little more than that. Today, this remains one of Karakuri’s many interests alongside experimenting with writing techniques, playing elaborate tabletop games, and a plethora of other activities that don't require putting on shoes.“I wasn’t expecting to actually be Doing Occultism for a fandom project, but OK”
Writing mod for Error: Off Script - a Danganronpa 2 Canon Divergence Zine, Intern Writing Mod for DR Ouji Zine - Redesign!, Intern Writing Mod for Kage Chaos Zine, Writing contributor for 20+ Zines
Art Mod
ionite
Fixing teeth by day and drawing anime girls by night, kept alive only by copious amounts of coffee and sweets. Approach with caution because she WILL eat your tasty art.“Money can’t buy happiness but it sure can buy you gacha pulls”
Social Media Mod
Somni
Just a little guy with big ambitions and no motivation! He's just gonna keep on piling up more projects and side quests before actually starting his own, won't he? But hey! The experience will be good, right? Gotta learn the ropes before you try to reign them. They're always excited to take part in these projects, though, and even more so to see them come to fruition.“Never let an autistic guy have money, I don't have room for anymore plastic”
Shipping Mod
Matt
Crafter who has their own shop and loves the process of packing and shipping out orders. Lowkey a larper with both projmoon and tarot, but super excited to be a part of a Limbus fanproject!“Did you know that you can quit League of Legends for good if you get hooked on gacha games instead?”
Motion Graphics Mod
Starsweetie
A little stardust slime who loves daydreaming about silly fantasy worlds. A bit of a one-braincell creature, but she loves learning new things and is always excited to help out!
An OC, worldbuilding and lore enthusiast who could talk anyone's ear off if given the chance."Sometimes your comfort franchise is just so dark and so tragic and that's okay! 😊"
Advisor, Emotional Support
Ghostsjogging
Just a guy who isn't even in this fandom but always willing to help out projects with whatever experience he has gathered wearing a variety of different hats in zines. He helped in a tarot fan project and has made his own oracle decks, so he's here to answer questions."I don't know anything about this but I'm happy other people are happy."
Head Mod of Knifes Edge - a Shuakeshu Horror Zine, Art and Finance Mod of Metamorphosis - a Persona 5 Tarot Project, Graphics and Formatting Mod of Leblanc's Lending Library - a Shuakeshu Writers Zine, and much more (see my carrd).
SCHEDULE
| Item | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Interest Check & Guest Invitations | Aug 1st ~ Aug 29th 2026 | Ongoing |
| IC Results Published | Aug 31st 2026 | Upcoming |
| Contributor Apps Open | Sept 1st 2026 | Upcoming |
| Contributor Apps Close | Sept 20th 2026 | Upcoming |
| Contributor App Results | Oct 10th 2026 | Upcoming |
| Contributor Pitch Phase | Oct 15th ~ Oct 31st 2026 | Upcoming |
| Creation Period | Nov 2026 ~ Apr 2027 | Upcoming |
| Preorders | TBD | Upcoming |
| Production | TBD | Upcoming |
| Shipping | TBD | Upcoming |
| Leftovers | TBD | Upcoming |
All dates subject to change.
ABOUT & APP INFO
Arcana Ramus Aureus is a SFW, for-profit, fan-lead tarot deck project centered on the game “Limbus Company” by the studio Project Moon. The tarot deck is themed around the “Golden Dawn” tarot and focuses around the main cast of sinners, important story NPCs, mirror world identities, and abnormalities/distortions present in the game’s canon.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
The art & writing that is submitted in your application should align with the quality and style of work you are planning to create for the zine.As this zine is a 16+ zine, we will not review sexually explicit NSFW samples (however, gore & body horror is ok). If your AO3 account has NSFW, that's okay, just please make sure it’s tagged correctly.Having works that feature Project Moon characters/universe is recommended but not mandatory.Generative AI will not be used in this project, and portfolios that include works created using generative AI will be disqualified.Communication will be done mainly through Discord and e-mail. E-mail is mandatory, Discord is not.
CARD ARTIST EXPECTATIONS
[Portfolio]
5-10 artworks
2+ of these pieces must demonstrate a good understanding of composition & backgrounds
Card artists will be asked to draw vertical/portrait-orientation pieces for 2 assigned cards featuring the assigned character(s), incorporating mystic symbolism which will be provided and while working closely with the guidebook writers assigned to each card. Opportunities to take on additional cards may be available depending on interest check results, how many artists are accepted, and whether a need for pinch-hitting arises.Artist portfolios will be evaluated on these points:
Anatomy & perspective: How are things put together, and how does the overall picture feel? Do the characters look right? Is the overall piece compositionally interesting? Is the scene easy to understand and visually clear?
Backgrounds and setting the scene: Can you tell a story through the way you draw the scene? How are the characters arranged and how do they interact with their surroundings?
Expression of character: Are the characters drawn in lively, interesting, and character and context-appropriate poses that guide the eye or bring flow and energy to the piece, rather than just sitting/facing forward? We want the character personalities to come through via their body language and facial expressions.
MERCH ARTIST EXPECTATIONS
[Portfolio]
5-10 artworks
At least 2 of the works must be samples of merch; merch mockups are also acceptable
If applying for a print-related role (i.e., photocard, postcard), applicants must also have at least 1 non-chibi style art, AND a finished illustration with at least a simple background
The zine expects merch artists to do two (2) to three (3) different merch items, some of which may be digital or physical. There may also be stretch goal items that will be assigned on a volunteer basis.Merch artists will be evaluated on similar merits as Card Artists with some caveats:
There is more flexibility in style evaluation
Our criteria will also change depending on the types of merch we are looking to produce (i.e., foil print artist vs transparent photocard vs photocard holder)
You don’t need to be able to draw a background for an acrylic charm, but you need to be able to draw them for prints!
All merch artist applicants will be evaluated for possible merch positions
TAROT GUIDE WRITER EXPECTATIONS
[Portfolio]
3-10 samples with a maximum total portfolio word count of 10k words
At least one work should be a complete work
Due to the nature of the project, samples showcasing your ability to clearly and concisely explain complex concepts are highly encouraged
Including at least one sample related to the works of Project Moon is highly encouraged
Writers will be assigned cards (~10-15 cards per writer) to write about in the card interpretation companion guides for the deck under the guidance of our Writing and Tarot Mod Karakuri. This will involve writing in an informative and analytical style while working closely with the relevant card artists to align art and meaning. Our current plan is to have a short ~150-word entry for each card in the in-box guidebook, and a longer entry for an extended guidebook - depending on interest check results, the extended guidebook may be physical or digital-only, which will affect the target word count.Writers may also be asked to write extra character excerpts or prose for merch depending on interest check results and stretch goal performance.Writers will be assessed on the following criteria:
Spelling and grammar
Understanding of, and ability to express, characterisation and narrative themes
Ability to clearly and concisely explain complex concepts
FAQ
Questions can be sent to our Strawpage
What's a "Zine" or "fanzine"?
Fanzines are non-official, fan-created collections of creative works that are self-published in limited quantities; some analogise them to doujinshis (同人作). Similar to a fanzine, this project will consist of fan created cards in a tarot deck.
Is this project legal?
Yes. Project moon’s guidelines for fanworks can be found here.
What type of tarot deck is this going to be?
We will be using “Golden Dawn” (GD) as the main source of inspiration for our tarot symbology and interpretations, and not the more commonly known “Rider-Waite-Smith” (RWS) interpretation that is used by most tarot decks & projects. Golden Dawn differs from Rider-Waite-Smith in these aspects:
Closer focus on deriving card meanings from Kabbalah (Jewish mystical tradition surrounding the Tree of Life, also referenced by Project Moon in Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina)
Doesn’t always have the same meanings as RWS; thus some of the imagery common in RWS doesn’t apply to GD
Our character assignments are thus based on GD over RW due to PM’s incorporation of Kabbalah in several of their games.
What’s the rating for the project?
The project will be rated 16+ due to the assigned maturity ratings for Limbus Company. Gore and disturbing content may be present in the tarot deck, and will not be censored, but we will not allow any explicit sexual content in the tarot deck.
Will there be spoilers?
Yes, there will be spoilers up to the latest Canto/Intervallo of the game. As of 07/17/2026, that is “Intervallo 7: Mnestic Experience” but this is subject to change with the upcoming Canto X.
Can I use this to do a reading or is this purely decorative?
This will be a usable deck for tarot readings, and a companion booklet will be included to support the interpretation of the cards.
Are ships allowed in the project?
Romantic ships are not the primary focus of the tarot deck, and we will not be including explicitly romantic-themed shipping works in the final products.
Will international shipping be available?
Yes, international shipping will be available! If you are in a country that may have limitations when it comes to receiving international mail, such as those on this list, please feel free to reach out to us to see if we can find an alternative for you.
Contributor FAQ
How many contributors are you looking for?
Depending on how interest check results turn out, we are aiming for 39 card artists and 6 writers, as well as 3-5 merch artists.
How old do you need to be to participate?
As this is a for-profit tarot deck project, all contributors must be 18+ by the time acceptance emails are sent out.
Is this artist only or are you looking for writers too?
We ARE looking for writer contributors as well as artist ones. Please note that writers are not asked to write fic. We will be asking writers to write about the meanings of their assigned tarot cards with a perspective that references the Limbus character(s) associated with the meaning, so that the guidebook is also Limbus themed.
Do I get to pick who I draw?
Sort of. The application form will include 6 lists, and applicants will be asked to select 3-7 characters from each list.
The selections made on the form will tell us which applicants are comfortable drawing or writing about each character; they’ll be assigned a character from their list of selections, but are not guaranteed any one specific character.
Please keep in mind when filling out applications that more popular characters/sinners will likely have a larger number of people selecting them.
Please only select the options you truly feel you would be inspired to create for, especially in a tarot context.
Card assignments for characters/IDs/etc have been planned and will be shared with successful applicants after they are onboarded.
Kabbalistic symbology will be used throughout the project in line with other Project Moon works, so please ensure you are comfortable with this.