The Ceaseless Orphan
"One may find a certain condolence in doubt. But that child offers no lies or excuses." ~The Knife Missing
Purists have spent long night in debates and arguments over rulings concerning The Ceaseless Orphan. Mostly due to the ambiguous original rule to her that translates simply to, "Mothers are lost from house."
The current rulings most often played under however state:
When played in a house position, the Lady Of The House is removed from play. This being the second card from the left, or the position to the right of the Head Of The House.
If played in a house position of a house owned by a mother (A female player of or current with child) of where no card holds the Lady Of The House position, the player is removed from play.
Records indicate that the child need not be present at the game for this rule to apply, that simply having a child, if even at home and away from the game, is enough to remove the player. There also exist some notes that mothers witnessing the game have been asked to leave when their husbands have received the card.
For those wondering as why The Ceaseless Orphan does not remove "Mother" titled cards from play. The generally accepted argument is that those cards deemed "mother" cards are elevated and often represent an already "dead" entity or spirit of corrupting guidance. And the card is meant to therefor apply to those cards considered living character cards. It is further noted that the card's portrait inexplicably changed at some point in the past, with the original bearing remarkable similarity to Claritia Charlet. Whom had notoriously and unapologetically stabbed no less than four of her step mothers. Claritia died at age fourteen from starvation and exposure, alone in the woods.