FOILED MORTALIS MACHINA PLAYING CARDSWhere mortals meet machines. This is the realm of Mortalis Machina - a bold fusion of humanity and technology captured in an exquisitely crafted deck of premium playing cards. Every detail has been thoughtfully refined, brought to life in the world's first fully functional, mechanical gear box made entirely of paper. The dynamic open-and-close mechanism is tucked inside a form no larger than a standard deck, defying all expectations.
DESIGNED BY THE PAPER GEAR COMPANYConceptualized and meticulously designed by us at The Paper Gear Company, the Iron (Bronze) and Cobalt (Blue) Editions feature a metallic finish and a revolutionary paper-engineered gear box. We invite you to discover a deck that isn't just part of your collection-but the crown jewel of it. Each edition is limited to 999 copies only.
STANDARD & GILDED EDITIONS: IRON & COBALTThe gilded series features bronze gilding for the Iron edition and silver gilding for the Cobalt edition. Inspired by the clash of man and machine, the design draws heavily from the steampunk aesthetic that fueled this entire project. You'll find lavish layers of Victorian elegance, Baroque curvature, Gothic motifs, and hints of dark fantasy and mysticism laced through every card.
The standard deck contains the same box but no gilding on cards.The design of the cards and the gear box evolved side by side-mechanical elements like cogs and gears are subtly embedded into the artwork to unify the experience.
THE COURTS & JOKERSEach court card and both jokers were painstakingly developed through numerous iterations. The result: intricately detailed characters that feel alive.
The jokers offer a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the human condition-one clutching a heart (love), the other coins and jewels (wealth). Both wear traditional Harlequin garb as a nod to classic card design, yet their message challenges tradition: what we chase for happiness may also bring sorrow.
Jacks [Death Messengers]- Spades - Hellbound
- Hearts - Black Cat
- Clubs - Horse (Apocalyse)
- Diamonds - Raven
Queens [Gods]- Spades - Santa Muerte/Catrina
- Hearts - Koli
- Clubs - Mengpo
- Diamonds - Valkyrie, Hel
Kings [Reapers]- Spades - Reaper
- Hearts - Anubis
- Clubs - Hades
- Diamonds - Yama
JokersThe pipsWe have designed some special pips for this deck
THE FOILED METALLIC GEAR BOXA marvel of paper engineering, the Mortalis Machina "Gear Box" is our proudest achievement. Designed in-house at The Paper Gear Company, this tactile box wasn't born from a single spark, but from trial, iteration, and imagination pushed to its limit.
Opening the foiled gear box reveals a kinetic experience-gears shift, elements move, and a moment of mechanical magic unfolds. We've bronze-foiled the Iron edition and silver-foiled the Cobalt to elevate the visual allure. Made entirely of paper, the box is lightweight, durable, and environmentally responsible.
Despite its complexity, the box remains compact-equal in size to a regular tuck box but engineered with astonishing precision. It's an experience you can hold, open, and marvel at every time.
LIMITED TO 999 COPIESDue to the meticulous craftsmanship required, each edition-Iron and Cobalt-is limited to just 999 copies. Every gear box is manually constructed with care and precision, making each one a unique collector's item.
