Magic: The Gathering Thread XXV: 3 Vorthoses barely clinging to sanity and 45 Spikes

[LaZodiac]

I been thinking about this for a while, and I’m surprised it’s not being talked about much….. is no one going to acknowledge the fact that you can literally see Elspeth’s spark in vanish into eternity?

... where, exactly? I see the Sylux's light blasting through her and her body kinda shattering, but I'm not sure we're seeing a spark?

[HolyDraconus]

... where, exactly? I see the Sylux's light blasting through her and her body kinda shattering, but I'm not sure we're seeing a spark?

It’s that blue mote right at her back. I at first thought it was the background but the smoke and body mass is too thick at that point for that.

[LaZodiac]

It’s that blue mote right at her back. I at first thought it was the background but the smoke and body mass is too thick at that point for that.

I see a blue star looking thing, and stuff like it in the top left corner, but I don't see anything on the same line as the sparks we've seen from Bolas's spark-hunters. Maybe I'm just not seeing the right thing?

[HolyDraconus]

I see a blue star looking thing, and stuff like it in the top left corner, but I don't see anything on the same line as the sparks we've seen from Bolas's spark-hunters. Maybe I'm just not seeing the right thing?

I could be mistaken but I just assumed it was artistic difference with story telling.

[Silly Name]

Looking at the full art, there's four or five blueish-to-white motes of light at Elspeth's back, and looking closer you can see a couple even in front of her.

If anything, it makes me think of Nyx...

[enderlord99]

I really hope that if and when the Universes Within treatment is applied to WH40K Commander, they also add it to Arena.

The Golden Throne would go great in my main deck, as one of the pillowfort/combo elements.

[Dienekes]

So the early spoilers for LotR have dropped.

Spoiler

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Man... I do not like the art design for Sauron. At all. Jeez that looks overdone.

It's interesting that there is apparently a mechanic called tempted by the Ring. But the One Ring doesn't interact with it at all.

Kinda leaning in on the Tom Bombadil being Eru Iluvatar theory. Interesting effect.

Really like some of the art... just not Sauron.

[LaZodiac]

So the early spoilers for LotR have dropped.

Spoiler

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Man... I do not like the art design for Sauron. At all. Jeez that looks overdone.

It's interesting that there is apparently a mechanic called tempted by the Ring. But the One Ring doesn't interact with it at all.

Kinda leaning in on the Tom Bombadil being Eru Iluvatar theory. Interesting effect.

Really like some of the art... just not Sauron.

I for one adore Sauron's design. He looks like his stupid tower turned into an actual physical body, which makes sense to me.

[Dienekes]

I for one adore Sauron's design. He looks like his stupid tower turned into an actual physical body, which makes sense to me.

To each their own. To me it looks like something that came out of Warcraft, feature all their hallmarks: pauldrons that are too big and deny vision, helmets that have lost all sense of design and function, lames that do not work and would restrict movement.

And for some reason he has a palantir set inside his armor at an angle he could not see it. Not that he could see anything with that helmet in the first place. Which is another issue since Pippin describes Sauron doing exactly one physical action: looking. Everything else he does is through some sort of magical link, since he can talk in Pippin's mind and hurt him without touching.

Which of course, doesn't mean you have to like or dislike it. But man, the more I look at this the worse it seems.

[LaZodiac]

To each their own. To me it looks like something that came out of Warcraft, feature all their hallmarks: pauldrons that are too big and deny vision, helmets that have lost all sense of design and function, faulds that do not work and would restrict movement.

And for some reason he has a palantir set inside his armor at an angle he could not see it. Not that he could see anything with that helmet in the first place. Which is another issue since Pippin describes Sauron doing exactly one physical action: looking. Everything else he does is through some sort of magical link, since he can talk in Pippin's mind and hurt him without touching.

Which of course, doesn't mean you have to like or dislike it. But man, the more I look at this the worse it seems.

While all of that is true, I like the implication that it is his very being that is an eye. He doesn't need the upper half of his face visible, since he sees by simply Being. That's the kinda vibe I got there.

Also I honestly just really like the still smoldering stub-fingers.

[Emmerlaus]

While all of that is true, I like the implication that it is his very being that is an eye. He doesn't need the upper half of his face visible, since he sees by simply Being. That's the kinda vibe I got there.

Also I honestly just really like the still smoldering stub-fingers.

Spoiler: Talking about the cards abilities as well!

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We are talking about the art here but the card design is very underwhelming as well, especially for a 5 CMC card. Not bad as a mana sink but... meh. It would be better in the 99 of other Commander decks.

Not a fan of the Eowyn art in the Reprieve card though. The dyed hair make it look the immersion feeling if you ask me but it might be just me.

I think the only card I like is Tom Bombadil. The art is nice and accurate to the lore, the ability is nice and fun as a commander... I mean, I wont buy it but I would be curious to see someone play with it.

Im eager to see the decklist of the Azban commander deck though. Food Token tribal it seems so it will be a Azban lifegain deck? lol

Not a big fan of the abilities of Gandalf the Grey. It would have being better he bounce back in the hand or at least have a Miracle cost to justify going back on the top of the library.

[Dienekes]

While all of that is true, I like the implication that it is his very being that is an eye. He doesn't need the upper half of his face visible, since he sees by simply Being. That's the kinda vibe I got there.

Also I honestly just really like the still smoldering stub-fingers.

I’ll agree with you on the fingers. Though, even then the numbers wrong. Which is just another weird change. Neat visual though.

Spoiler: Talking about the cards abilities as well!

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We are talking about the art here but the card design is very underwhelming as well, especially for a 5 CMC card. Not bad as a mana sink but... meh. It would be better in the 99 of other Commander decks.

Not a fan of the Eowyn art in the Reprieve card though. The dyed hair make it look the immersion feeling if you ask me but it might be just me.

I think the only card I like is Tom Bombadil. The art is nice and accurate to the lore, the ability is nice and fun as a commander... I mean, I wont buy it but I would be curious to see someone play with it.

Im eager to see the decklist of the Azban commander deck though. Food Token tribal it seems so it will be a Azban lifegain deck? lol

Not a big fan of the abilities of Gandalf the Grey. It would have being better he bounce back in the hand or at least have a Miracle cost to justify going back on the top of the library.

I kinda agree, but I didn’t really want to go into how powerful I thought the cards were. Partially because I’m historically really bad at gauging power unless it is blatantly obvious. But also because I kinda think the game plays better when everything’s on the weaker side anyway.

[LaZodiac]

Lord of the Dance or whatever is all well and good (this comment is tongue in cheek) but today begins...

THE MARCH MADNESS OF MACHINES! As usual I'll be providing colour commentary for those who can't quite find the time to read a lot of web fiction at once.

Spoiler: MOM Ep1: Mother Knows Worst

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MARCH EP1: Triumph of the Fleshless

It is good to be Phyrexian.

It is good to be Elesh Norn.

With that our story picks up right where we last left off, Norn facing down the three surviving members of the infiltration team (reminder; Wanderer survived by is in Zhalfir, Koth survived but is back with Melira and the other Mirrans). And so begins the gloating- the writing is phenomenal a view into the head of everyone's favorite dommy mommy, which is a normal sentence to say, as the compleated walkers (and Atraxa!) form up behind her- bringing the tied up true form of Sheoldred with them. Norn orders Nahiri to entrap the survivors in stone- knowing they'll be able to walk out or escape, but being okay with that since she wants them to herald Phyrexia's arrival.

Then, the compleated walkers reveal a surprise- turns out Nahiri bested the whispering one, and stripped her down to the most truest parts of her. Pathetic little upper torso newt that she is, she dares defy the greatness that is Elesh Norn, saying that trapping the walkers instead of killing them is a mistake, and that she cares only about herself and not Phyrexia. She has Ajani execute her for the insult and take the parts away for reprocessing. Now, given Sheoldred's entire thing is being able to seperate herself to pieces, this probably won't stick, but it is a brutal moment that makes it very clear that Norn's endgame really is upon us. No more allowing the weaker ones quarrel and quabble, all must align with HER ideal Phyrexia.

Then she gets to work; with the ever so lovely Nissa foremost at her side. Elesh Norn adores Nissa; her power is unquestionable and her ability to command the Realmbreaker makes her a vital piece of the puzzle of bringing the Black Oil's embrace to the multiverse. With this, her collected walkers, and the might of Phyrexia behind her, she is unstoppable... and so begins the invasion. Phyrexian symbols appear in the sky, glowing red and ominous from the Realmbreaker's magic. The sheer corruption of the plane seeps in, warping reality so that it matches this grim visage; all the land cards with subtle Phyrexian symbols in'em? That's canon. Even lesser creatures like fish turn. It's some wildly scary stuff!

Next; ordering the generals.

First and foremost: Jace leaves immediately, even before the invasion starts in earnest, to where Norn wishes him. Likely Vryn, given the rest of what happens here, but possibly Ravnica.
Second: Elesh Norn takes a look at Zendikar, and Nahiri demands Nissa show her the Skyclaves. Norn finds these agreeable, and sends Nahiri out to fetch from Kor Battlefortresses from her local gameshop for her WH40K army.
Third: Lukka is asked how he'll bring Ikoria the glory of Phyrexia. His answer is "I shall make them kneel", to which Norn responds, and I'm not joking, "Specifically, Lukka". It's clear that he chaffes under this condemnation, makes some bull**** up about how humanity will fall in the face of compleated Monsters (they should always be falling just from us Lukka!) and leaves. Tamiyo notes that he's probably going to die and Norn is like "Yeah but live or die he'll succeed at being useful in some capacity".
Fourth: Speaking of Tamiyo, it's time for you to look at your home and family and see the invasion tree starting to deploy there and also you must go there and compleat your family Tamiyo you gotta do it Tamiyo or mother will very easily kill you you're so unblooded and pacifistic and researchy even as a Phyrexian and you really must get going Tamiyo. It's... very stressful, you can clearly see the inner Tamiyo (Tezzeret more or less confirms that there's something of the original person in there still) fighting against her programming, and she knowingly touches at one of the iron scrolls... but eventually goes.
Fifth: Ajani shows her Theros, and she catches site of Thassa fighting drop ships... and wants that divine glow for herself. So many ideas... she sends Ajani to go there, though plays with him to see if he understands WHY. He doesn't quite get it, but does show his cleverness by noting that the priests of Phyrexia will be more than sufficient to conquer the gods, given how Theros works. She'll have to fix that part of him.
Sixth: Finally, Atraxa. She'll be sent to Capenna- not to reconnect with their Old Phyrexian breathern there, they failed and should die, but for something else. Atraxa is unsure. The air is poisonous to them there, the plane even now is suffused with so much angel-ness that it burns. Norn makes it clear that it should be fine, and that there are three main goals for her: retrieve whatever cool **** Old Phyrexia felt was worth coming to a plane that is so antithesis to themselves, destroy the Halo reserves, and... ensure the weapon is destroyed. Atraxa now understands... and understands why Ajani was sent to Theros. Norn is proud of her daughter, and sends her off.

And as she lounges on her throne, she dashes away the nightmares that still plague even her waking hours, trying not to think about the Elspeth Monster that is just at the edges of her consciousness at all times.

So this story is ****ing fantastic. Getting a nice, heavy look at Norn's mentality is really fun, especially as we see she's clearly not as perfect as she believes. So personal, so... human, in the way she acts. I wonder if she even recognizes it herself. We also get the set up for where all the compleated dwalkers are going... except Vraska. She's missing entirely from this line up. I've got theories about this... namely that, as Tezzeret said, there are aspects of them still alive in the compleated body. For the spark to exist the soul must still be there and the souls are trapped inside. I'm thinking Jace might have hijacked his body, influencing his compleated brain, and helped Vraska do similar. I wonder what that means...

Spoiler: MOM Ep2: Chandra Suffering Hours, special guest staring my brain breaking

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MARCH EP2: Holding Your Breath

We open on Chandra, in pain.

Waiting is so, so very painful.

It's been a week since the strike team left. They were given two weeks till they're assumed dead. Chandra, Viviene, Wrenn and Seven, and Lilianna await at one of Lili's safe houses- a cottagecore style home away from home on Dominaria she insists is temporary until she rebuilds Vess manor. I see you Vess I know what you're doing. Viviene occupies herself hunting and cooking (she's apparently a fantastic chef!), Wrenn notes that since she's basically a tree waiting isn't that big a deal (Chandra can see the fire in her and knows she's lying though), and Lilianna is... disliking the wait as much as she is. But things aren't like, BAD, just stressful as ****. Lilianna is flexing some of her teaching chops by telling Chandra about stuff, and Chandra is... trying to fill the void that the deaths of Jaya and Ajani and the possible death of Nissa left in her heart by helping Wrenn control said untamed flames.

Specifically, teaching her breathing exercises. This is very difficult, as Wrenn does not have lungs.

It really just makes Chandra feel worse. She feels adrift, without someone to teach her, without all of Jaya's lessons fully understood, and with no ability to be like that for anyone else. She's lost, and doesn't quite know what to do. If Nissa was here she'd be able to help- she can speak tree, at the very least she could help Wrenn.

Then the others arrive.

The news does not land well. Chandra forgets how to breath for a bit. Lilianna is fully in denial- this entire thing was Jace's idea and Jace can't be compleated he's not a failure he doesn't fail! It's honestly beautiful stuff, and I adore seeing Lilianna showing the good side of her Gideon helped her foster so long ago. It also hurts to see- the poor girl has lost everyone she felt would never leave her. Chandra is also massively devastated, and gets it in her head that she needs to go out there and just, burn all of New Phyrexia down with her. The others are... less sure of this. Lilianna, for her part, more or less immediately ****s off. She has students to protect at Strixhaven and not a lot of time to do it. Viviene unsure- she knows we can't just attack New Phyrexia again, not after the failure of a full team. Chandra however cannot stand this; they are failing to protect everyone, at every step, and she's sick of it.

She storms off. As confident as she is, the act of actually walking to Phyrexia is... one she cannot do. She needs to build the courage to do it, but fear and pain is holding her back. Then, a surprising person appears; Wrenn! She was mostly silent during the discussion, and has come to Chandra to offer aid; she thinks she is right. They must go. She can hear the Realmbreaker's howls across the multiverse and it must be stopped. Chandra isn't sure even this is enough, though she appreciates it, and Wrenn notes... there is Teferi. You see, her connection to Teferi she forged back in Innistrad has allowed her to sniff out his soul, and through the weft of nature she has figured out where he is. They'll go get him, get a new tree because Seven isn't up to this task, and together raise allies for the final fight.

They go to leave, but Wrenn catches a hint of... something. But it's only the wind.

Except it's not. Someone is Watching. And the Watcher asks those with them, what are they doing? Why are we seeing this? And the others say, simply; We are here to witness the beginning of the end.

This is a good story. This is a wonderful chapter in this story that is absolutely setting up for more, with some great character work and some good turns of phrase (Chandra gives Seven a "pat on the bark" for example).

But all of this pales in the face of- WHAT THE **** DO YOU MEAN THERE'S FORMLESS UNSEEN WATCHERS WATCHINH EVERYTHI WHAT IS THIS WHAT IS GOING ON EXCUSE ME WHOMSTDVE IS THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

My girlfriend is thinking good ole Emma, I'm thinking Elspeth and... something???, who knows. This is a mystery that legitimately has me on the edge of my seat (and brain) trying to figure out what the **** it could be. Exciting! Very well written! Fantastically done story team!

Hell of a ****ing start to Mother's Machine March I tell you what.

[enderlord99]

Bold (and unlikely) prediction: the next Wrenn will not be "Wrenn and Eight" but rather

Spoiler

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"Wrenn and Worldbreaker"

...This just became way more likely.

[LaZodiac]

...This just became way more likely.

Yes it did! And thank you for posting!

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MARCH MADNESS MOVERLOAD!

(which is to say, I'm gonna be skimming a LOT because there's two stories every day and this is now a catch up post)

Spoiler: MOM Ep1: Kamigawa Blights, and Zodi Once Again Hews Close to MTG Story

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MARCH EP3: Mother, Son, and Story

Tamiyo returns to Kamigawa and begins her part of the invasion, splitting the Boseiju in half and beginning to read from the second of the three Iron Scolls! We learn that she was an old-walker and that these scrolls were made when she was one, and the simple act of writing these down caused them to turn into a great and powerful magic that she was frightened of, so she sealed them away in iron. This is exactly what I predicted was the case, and I predicted the contents of this second Iron Scroll from my MTG DND campaign, so hell yeah. Said contents is the story of Phyrexia, starting with Urza and Mishra, tracing all the way to Karn and Argentum and Memnarch and the Praetor's being born. All of this to help bolster Phyrexia's power.

Meanwhile Kaya and Kaito fight to protect Kamigawa. Kaya is sent off to get some spiritual aid while Kaito goes to take out Tamiyo himself, as it is personal... but he encounters Nashi, Tamiyo's adopted Nezumi son. He wants to- NEEDS to, try and talk to her. She's his mom and she promised she'd love him forever. This has to be able to get through to her.

It can't. They fight, it's genuinely very cool, then Kaya returns... with The Wandering Emperor and Kyodai in tow. Kyodai empowers the Emperor's force-eating sword with holy flames, and she does what she does- Tamiyo falling in two pieces. But before she dies, she read that final scroll of hers... and from it, words and magic rise up to reveal a fragment of her soul, a living will, to say goodbye to Nashi. It is very emotional and makes me sad, and very well written.

Spoiler: Tyvar is no Coward, Pia will not die, and Atraxa gets bullied by Italians

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MARCH EP4: Beneath Eyes Unblinking

Tyvar, in Kaldheim, his brother by his side. They are prepping for their ragnarok. Before them the collected warriors of the realms- demon and ghost, the valkryies and dwarves, man and mer alike. Tyver is genuinely pretty worried that this is the end, but his brother hands him an axe and gives a speech to rouse the masses; one single brilliantly blazing moment of unity will not end their ancient grudges. But if they do not put aside their greivances today, they will not live to hate each other tomorrow. So let us fight, SO THAT WE MAY CONTINUE TO FIGHT EACH OTHER! It's genuinely very good and the writer has made Harold look like a fantastic orator. Then, from the distance, we see that Cosma, the great serpent, has been compleated... and Tyver throws himself towards it. Win or Lose, Tyvar will not be known as a Coward.

Pia Nalar, in Kaladesh. She's done her absolute best to prepare the plane, to prepare Ghirapur, but it is not enough. Violence rages through Kaladesh, and she does her best to get through it, helping how she can. She meets up with Saheeli, who activates project Golden Scales- a bunch of her life-crafted Ixalani dinosaurs, who help turn the tide! It's not perfect, they're still capable of being turned, this is mostly a dent in Phyrexia's armour, but it is here and it will help. The Aetherflux Reactor is being targeted, and they MUST stop them from reaching it no matter the cost. She loads up in a fighter drone with the pilot and their way... only for the pilot to get sniped by a Phyrexian. Pia takes the controls, and thinks to herself; She has tea with Chandra next month. She WILL NOT die here.

Atraxa, in Capenna. She's setting about her task, even as the air scratches against her armoured flesh. She compleats folk as she goes, storming the plane and trying to find out where the Phyrexian ship is (I'm like 90% sure that this chapter teases that New Capenna the city is built on or of the ruins of said ship). Atraxa, much to her agony, has connected with enough minds that she now knows what "beauty" is and it hurts her. It grieves her so. It feels like poison as the word ripples through her brain, equally threatening to corrupt her as much as poison her. She destroys a museum full of faux Phyrexian statues out of pure rage, and then comes face to face with some angels- angels who may or may not still have been in their statue forms. She crushes them to dust, then flies off to continue her destruction of the plane.

And, watching her, are the lingering spirits of those seraphs, and the Watcher. The Watcher wants to know why they didn't stop her. They explain that it's not yet time... and that when the time comes, you'll know. We're almost at the end. Keep faith.

So it's Elspeth. Elspeth is communicating with the remnant white mana of the Blind Eternities that creates angels. That's my big guess here.

Spoiler: MOM SIDE1: School's Out For Ever

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MARCH SIDE STORY1: Radiant Heart

The Strixhaven five have been recruited by Lilianna to find the Invocation of the Founders, a spell that'll help push back against the Phyrexian invasion. They infiltrate the Biblioplex to find it, which has become overrun (like much of Strixhaven. Lilianna is one of the only professors still alive apparently). There they meet the compleated Shaile, who tries to kill them, only for her counterpart in Silverquill, Dean Tiger Dad Embrose Lu, to show up instead. He makes his last stand against the Phyrexian hordes to buy his son and his friends some time... and as Killian is well aware, and as Quint (our viewpoint within the five) reminds him, Embrose would not do this if he did not believe he would succeed.

Our heroes find the Invocation, and it is a warm, living thing, that requires them all to unite, which they do- and in stating to cast it, they realize what it is. It's a spell that Defines Strixhaven, in such an intense way that once it is compleated it should oust Phyrexia from it. Strixhaven has many things, but the machine-demon is not part of it. Unfortunately they get interrupted... by the compleated Dean Nassari, which hurts me deeply cause they are cool and good. They're able to fight them off to a degree, but in the end it is Quint taking in the spell by himself and casting it in an incomplete state that saves them... and the doing causes him to burn up- or rather, ignite, as his spark sends him hurtling through reality.

The spell causes the Biblioplex to collapse. Much of Strixhaven has collapsed at this point- but a fair number of phyrexian's have had the metal stripped from them, leaving them a twitchy, dying mess, and the invasion branches are cut off... for the time being. Our heroes are alive (though Rootha, Nassari's student, is catatonic in autistic trauma, which is relatable as ****) and Embrose somehow ****ing survived getting a building dropped on him. Lilianna is glad her students did it... so she ramps up her necromancy and begins to raise an army. This is her last home, her last place of solace, and she will rebuild it on their ashes.

Spoiler: MOM SIDE2: Rip Lukka He Never Scored

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MARCH SIDE STORY 2: Survival of the Fittest

Ixalan is being invaded. General Kudro (the daughter, and Lukka's ex) is leading the survivors of Drannith to Firebrink for protection. Vivien is hunting Lukka with the Monster Hunters of the plane, hoping to kill him quickly... unfortunately, the dude has started becoming a horrificly gross clump of meat and metal, consuming every creature he comes across. As he says later, all will know perfection and purpose and unity within him. The trap works to slow him down, but eventually Lukka gets free and continues rampaging... and the best hunter in the plane quits, telling Vivien you don't become the best by fighting fights you can't win. Fail!

Seeing Vivien's signal that Plan A has failed, it is time for Plan B- she redirects the party to what we later learn is the nest of the Alpha Vadrock. Lukka, arrives and announces himself the prodigal son returning to Drannith, traitor-city, to consume them... which given he already destroyed Drannith is HILARIOUS because it means this ****er has been thinking of good one liners for AWHILE. Perfect encapsulation of his fail-son character. Vadrock appears and they fight, Vivien shooting arrows on occassion to help. It seems as though Lukka might win, but ultimately Vadrock Godzilla's up and roasts his bonded body to pieces, rips his silly little man body out, and together with Vivien put him out of his misery.

Fun side note: monsters help Kudro's group, and we see them start to get infected... but then crystalline growths on their black glow, and it fights back against the oil. You cannot out-wit a plane that evolves to fight you!

Spoiler: MARCH SIDE 3: The Power of Lesbians and Dinosaurs

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MARCH SIDE STORY 3: Three Hundred Steps Under The Sun

This story is presented in a weird flashback style to better fit the pacing (it works really well in the reading!) but it is not conducive to recapping. Sorry you wonderful writer you!

The long and short of it is this; The Empire of the Sun beat back the colonizers and stole their boats and learned how to make those boats and are now prepping to invade Torrezon. Eat **** vampire spain! Unfortunately for their war-hungry emperor however, a black smog begins to cover the sky... it turns out the invasion started here and no one NOTICED! Partly because there's so much sea to the plane, Phyrexia's branches just kinda opened up over it where no one could see. Partly because they were busy fighting each other. Now, it is on their shore, and ruthlessly tearing things apart. The smoke blocks out the sun, and an eternal night falls upon the Sun Empire.

Huatli, to her credit, manages to convince the insane emperor to let her try a desperate plan to save the plane and bring back the threefold son. Thinking about her lover Saheeli (and we do get some TRULY romantic **** in this episode, if you like gay girls kissing do yourself a favor and read this story!!!) and how she promised/lied that things would be okay, she takes the vampiric and piratical prisoners, along with some loyal volunteers, and heads out to the Winged Temple of Orazca to call upon the primal Elder Dinosaurs. Mavren is with her, and is completely chill about the correct statement that he's not very trustworthy and that colonization is bad, because at this point he just wants to Not Die Today.

They get to Orazca, the fighting is fierce since it's been overrun by Phyrexia, and um Etali the Primal Storm has been compleated and he's the one making the sun-blocking smoke! Uh oh! Upon the Winged Temple Huatli makes her call to Death, to Savagry, to the Seas and to the Dawn and to Chaos, to come to their aid. Theye've stolen brother Hurricane and you must strike them from reality. And the primal dinosaur's descend like a wave, Zetalpa fighting and injuring Etali, the water one whose name I always forget dashing Phyrexian's upon her torrents and flooding them out of Orazca, Tetzlicopik and a horde of predatory beasts ripping the Phyrexia's apart, and Ghalta smashing his way into the city to ravage the strongest of them... and then, when Etali seems to regain strength and the Phyrexian's begin retreating to fight another day, Zacama arrives. The compleated Ixalani are frozen in terror, and Norn's host are not enough to take down the tri-headed Calamity, which atomizes them with its horrific flame scream, grips into Etali with her three heads, and rends him asunder.

Huatli sees the sun rise on the battlefield, and knows that while the day is not yet won... it is here.

Spoiler: MOM EP5: No Crying Till Its Over

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MARCH EP5: Cathartic Reunion

Chandra and Wrenn arrive on New Phyrexia. They meet up with Koth and Melira, and say they're here to help no matter the cost. Koth is... unsure, he's so tired the poor guy, but Melira convinces him they need to take this shot. After all, Wrenn might be a unique solution to this problem... and she is. She's going to bond with the Realmbreaker, direct it (likely to Zhalfir in the phase-out zone) and stop the invasion. Chandra is there to burn everything to ash, and Teferi is waiting in the wings (thus my guess that they'll direct a branch to Zhalfir so the whole of it can come crashing down on the tree).

They go with this plan, and with Urabrask's help yeet Chandra and Wrenn to the tree, while they charge Norn head on to save Karn and otherwise serve as a distraction. Chandra and Wrenn land, and are immediately set upon by Centurions under Norn's RTS style control, and Nissa who OH GOD SEVEN IS DEAD. Nissa without any restraints is ****ing horrifying and rips the poor Innistradi tree asunder, leaving Wrenn brutalized... then she meets Chandra.

She forces the centurions to turn away, and they talk. Nissa is sure that this is the end. They're going to fail, because Chandra has never succeeded. Chandra cannot save her... but Nissa can. Come, join with me under Phyrexia. I'm taking Wrenn, I can take you too.

It is, emotionally charged and there is so much ****ing sadness in this moment. Chandra and Nissa are some of my favorite characters so this bit was hard to read through, almost cried. It's, a lot. Strongly, strongly recommend it, if I had more time I'd spend more time on it, but I can't. Suffice to say it is perfect; Chandra regrets everything. Regrets not talking to her after Amonkhet. Regrets Gideon and Jaya's and everyone else's deaths. Regrets not being able to save her, to tell her how she feels until it was too late... and, in part, regrets being unable to say yes. Chandra says she cannot give up.

For the briefest of moments it is the Nissa she loves again. Confused by what Chandra is saying and Chandra unable to word well enough to explain it. Two autistic women trying to communicate their feelings towards one another. Heat hotter than the sun begins to build as she outright refuses, and the horrid machine inside replaces any gentleness Nissa had- but too late. Chandra erupts, the tree area they're on collapsing around them, sending Nissa flying. Wrenn is safe to continue her plan- but she'll have to do it alone.

End of chapter.

All in all PLEASE READ THIS STORY! Every chapter has been so good! The worst of them is better than some of the best of older sets, and the addition of ten additional chapters is really helping it all kinda FIT. I beg of you, read this- if anything so y'all will post something so I don't have to build up a back log again oof oof ow.

[DrakeRaids]

The innistrad fiction was maybe my favorite thing I've read in a while.

[LaZodiac]

Speaking of Innistrad Fiction, lets talk about it!

Spoiler: MOM SIDE4: I can't think of anything funnier than the actual title legit I'd have called it Family Game Night if it had any other title

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MARCH SIDE 4: Family Game Night

Gisa Is Bored. Last time we were with her, she was crashing on her brother Geralf's couch, but now she's in Engelthrum, a place where angels once doth tred, but now is home for the rank and dead. And, as stated, she is Bored. Brother won't fight with her, even when she agreed to all his dumb rules and stuff too! He also claims he isn't responsible for the weird branches in the sky... then, one day, something comes to clear up that boredom. A compleated cathar squadron. She kills them (after they ruin a perfectly good ghoul!), learns her ghoulcalling can only sort of move them (and they instantly fall down after a shuffle or two) and that they were definitely using magic swords, the cheaters! If Geralf's responsible for this he's gonna pay.

His return letter is a genuinely earnest plea to his sister to stay safe, in the form Geralf can. Ludevic told him about Phyrexia and he's storing up his defenses to protect Havenghul and while he can't really write it down it's clear he is asking for help and hoping she is okay. Gisa finds this amusing, suggests they team up, and together they slaughter the **** out of some Phyrexians. What's fun is we get to finally see stitching and ghoulcalling in a more detailed action (especially stitching!) and we get to see these two really pushed to the limits of what they can accomplish. Geralf gets an Ulvenwald Behemoth skaab, Gisa gets a reanimated Hullbreaker Horror (as per the writer's twitter, in text they are a Behemoth and "my lobster" respectively, which is hilarious), but even those aren't enough.

Geralf requests he combine the two. Gisa is upset about her broken lobster, and agrees to help in a tantrum-y way that is very fitting. The resulting behemoth slaughters the remaining Phyrexian's in Havenghul, and promptly collapses due to logistics regarding size. Bonding over a bonfire of Phyrexian carcasses, the siblings... immediately go back to bickering.

As the story itself says, somethings even Phyrexia can't change. Perfect ****ing story, beginning to end.

And of course we also have Eldriane's story...

Spoiler: MOM SIDE 5: Fey. Not Even Once

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MARCH SIDE 5: The Adventures of Rankle, Master of Love

Gonna get this over with nice and quick.

Rankle! He's a fairy! A rumpelstiltskin type! He gets beat up by a prank and decides to leave. Finding Chulane the Teller of Tales, he hears about the coming invasion... and doesn't care! He's busy sulking! Then they meet Ayara, whose chariot seeps darkness and whose fingers are long and pointy (the Big Bad Wolf style line Chulane says here is actually pretty funny). She invites Chulane into her carriage to explain the situation... but Rankle doesn't care about any of that, because he's fallen head-over-heels for Ayara!

So off he goes to get a love potion of some sort. The witch he bothers tells him this is creepy, and that he should be focused on coming to the Wilds to discuss how to save this plane with the Elves, like she is. Rankle doesn't care though he wants his **** wet. So she sends him off on a quest to get a love flower, really just making him ****ing Leave. He gets attacked by a Phyrexian, but Torbran, the Thane of Redfell, saves him! He mentions how all the Courts have fallen and that the Kenrith rulers are dead, and Rankle thinks to himself... this dwarf has a shiny ring. What if it's a wishing ring?

He steals it in the night, and it is in fact a ring! Torbran tries to get it back before he wastes all three wishes of it on stupid ****, because it's part of a big scheme to stop at the Phyrexian invasion- or at least put a stop to the Furnace Queen and her fallen flying kingdom of Locthwain. Rankle however has other plans, and has it rain love potion on the Phyrexian hordes- causing them all to focus on him beyond all else. He takes them to a cliff, where a large portion of the Locthwain horde falls to its death... and then a mass Cinderella Sleep Spell hits the plane, sending all the remaining Phyrexians (and Rankle) to sleep, and much to my chagrin DND rules applies and he doesn't plummet to his death, instead landing gently on the corpse throne.

****ing fey.

(The story is good I just disliked it for personal taste matters, and really want to see the actual contents of what the **** is happening in Eldraine please)

All in all, fantastic stories even if my personal least favorite is now firmly set in stone probably.

[enderlord99]

Posting so Zodi can analyze today's stories without double-posting, and also to mention that I just read them myself and thought "wow."

[LaZodiac]

*highfives*

So, we've reached the tipping point. Half way through- and today grants us two main plot stories, the beginning of the second half. Lets get this done.

Spoiler: MOM EP6: The Last To Leave

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MARCH EP6: THE LAST TO LEAVE

We open on what we know, or will know, is Elspeth, watching events in her past unfold. Her mother- her old mother, old when she was young, dying to a Phyrexian on Capenna to save her. It's why she was captured instead of killed, though in this dream she strikes down the beast and tries to console the child. The child, in her mother's voice, tells her she did the right thing... and Elspeth recognizes it as her own, noticing a scar along the cheek from when she was a young child. Her mother told her scars belong to the flesh, and that if we wear them, it is a choice. A symbol.

As Elspeth remembers, reality closes in. She's here, in Capenna, watching the bloodshed and carnage of Atraxa's war on beauty. The voice, her mothers voice, but slanted- still comforting all the same- tells her she has one last choice left to make. One devoid of moral want or desire, but one of crystaline clear purpose. She must choose to intervene. And so they look upon New Capenna, in all its radiant splendor, Elspeth's first home. Capenna is a good place, her mother's voice says; it welcomed her long ago, and grown so much bigger, so much more like home, than she expected.

Those of you who aren't trying to read this at work while describing it to your girlfriends may have noticed Something about this statement.

It welcomed Elspeth too, decades later, when she returned to find herself. Elspeth has seen all the good and evil of this place, from people undercutting her to people holding out their hands in assistance. This is a good place, and it has its guardians, its protectors. She must intervene- but not here.

Then, to Theros, her third home. Theros is in ruin. Three of the gods have fallen- so says the voice of Daxos to her spirit. She sees Ajani and his priesthood anointing the faithful into Phyrexia, sees those struggling to fight back. It sickens her, to see such a true and noble friend twisted like this. She could intervene here, save his soul through death, reunite with Daxos once again... but to what end? The gods would still be raging, the invasion still moving. This plane has its defenders too, she cannot act here.

She turns her gaze upon every plane, each aflame, and judges, and finds none needing, none where her intervention will hold the most meaning.

Then, New Phyrexia. The invasion tree, with Norn at her garden viewing platform atop her throne. Jin and Vorinclex by her sides, Urabrask before her in a torture wrack that mixes his screams with her keening choir. The last of the Mirran resistance- a dozen or so souls, Koth and Melira among them. Karn on his slab, just a head. Later (after the moment I describe below but put here for pacing) Chandra and Wrenn, beaten and broken (Wrenn's her upper torso and not much else) by a half-melted Nissa. Elspeth watches the events unfold- Urabrask's torture ends with him divided and conquored in a literal sense, his pieces sent out for repurposing. Norn has Jin prepare to finally kill Karn for the last of his parts, then begin compleation of the last resistors.

Elspeth knows what she must do; here is where she must intervene.

Then, her mother speaks to her, and mentions a beneficent woman of white and gold, who once make a realm of her own. Remember the stories I told you, Elspeth.

And it is here that I just about screamed to my girlfriend What This Means, because the line above about Capenna finally kicked in with all the force of a semi-truck.

Serra, Elspeth's mother, the radiant soul of light and life, tells Elspeth that for all of Norn's preaching, she is wrong. She is not the center of the invasion, she is not the truth of Phyrexia. Jin raises his gleaming claw to begin his great work.

The time is now. Life stands still. Elspeth must make her choice.

She realizes the answer; Wrenn must reach the Realm Breaker. She must stop Nissa from stopping her.

Knowing what she now must do, she admits she is afraid- after all of this, after all has been put aside, she is afraid. Her mother comforts her, letting her know that... fear is the last to leave, once a choice has been made. But she believes in her. Serra, now called as such directly in text, then reforges Elspeth as she's always been- an archangel.

Time resumes. Jin's claw comes down- on a radiant Godsend.

End of chapter.

Spoiler: MOM EP7: That One Dril Tweet About Good and Evil

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MARCH EP7: DIVINE INTERVENTION

We open with Karn, witnessing the events and thinking about his failures. He asked his friends not to follow him, because he know this quest to eradicate Phyrexia would be his death. The only reason it HASN'T yet is due to two factors; the pain he feels, that reminds him that he yet lives despite everything, and the shame for not living up to poor stupid Venser's sacrifice. He goes over every failure he's ever had, cursing it all, wishing, hoping, that he can do SOMETHING. Anything.

Then Elspeth arrives. The woman who, along with Koth and Venser, saved him in the first place. She is resplendent glory and power, an archangel, and she is terror incarnate to the Phyrexians. Norn screams, rising from her throne so hard that it topples over onto two of her minions. Jin scuttles behind her, begging a retreat (that she strangles out of him). Elspeth for her part is completely no-selling everything they do, as Norn hucks her throne at her and it just shatters against her. She goes about healing the others and sending them off to the tree to do their business, Koth and Melira calling the remaining Mirrans, now emboldened, to action.

Karn thinks on his words. He asked his friends not to come with him. And yet Venser followed him all the way to this moment, and his friends with him.

He cannot give up.

------

Wrenn is very pleased. She had a feeling this would happen, and is glad it didn't since it'd mean they'd all die. She's quite glad to see Elspeth, and approves of her Autumn colours. She kinda bites at Chandra's ankles and asks her to please take her to the tree because she has no more limbs, and they begin running. The plan is (as I expected!) to get Realmbreaker to find Zhalfir in the phased out space, connect to it, and bring the united might of Zhalfir, who have spent centuries training to slaughter the Father of Machines, to come kill the Mother.

They run afoul of Nissa. Wrenn doubts Chandra can fight her. Things seem... dire.

------

Elspeth fights with the Praetors. Norn, in her fury and fear, throws the heads of her minions, debris, and even one of Vorinclex's wrenched off horns at her, but nothing hits home. Elspeth is akin to a force unstoppable. VERY powerful, very cool... but even this newfound glory has power, as Norn does eventually start to turn the tide thanks to the other two Praetor's.

Much discussion is had. Elesh Norn holds a certain strain of fear towards this living nightmare, and is trying to wear her down with words where she knows violence will not work. Trying to convince her to join Phyrexia. After all... is not this angelic form just another form of Phyresis? Is there really no different between good and evil you moron, you ****ing idiot?

To the slightest credit of the panicked Norn, Elspeth does recognize the glimmers of truth. Phyrexia lives and breathes as one, stares as one. That is an untold of unity. And Norn's arguments have at least oil if not water- "your divine purpose" is just as divine as her own, and to say Elspeth has been unchanged is a lie. The light has altered her forever.

Jin begs she finish this, and Elesh Norn crumples him under machinery, severely injurying him, and it is there that Elspeth realizes two things: this is all to waste her time, and that Phyrexia's house is divided in a way even they could not be.

She frees herself from Norn's grasp, and lays in the hurt. Severing an arm, stabing her through- Norn still lives, but she's also highly injured, bristling with self defense but not much else. Any reinforcements are surging towards the tree, towards the Mirrans, not her- and Jin, wounded as he is, slinks off. No love lost for his abusive master. So Elspeth leaves, to focus on what matters, leaving Norn a screaming mess.

She also notices that Koth is cradling Melira in his arms and she might be dead. Bummer!

And that's the chapter.

And that's the fiction for today! My thoughts?

Spoiler: final thoughts, final countdown.

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Episode 6 is going to go down alongside the episode where Jace and Emrakul play chess as one of the peaks of modern Magic storytelling. It's ****ing phenominal, the build up to Archangel Elspeth, the reveal of the card alongside the art and also HEY ELSPETH'S MOM IS PROBABLY SERRA HUH. She was at least a planeswalker given the words she said about Capenna welcoming her. It all coalesces into this perfect ****ing story of Elspeth finally becoming who she always was- not who she was meant to be, but who she truly IS, at her core. She has risen and now Phyrexia will burn.

Episode 7 was really good, but the fighting with Norn was a little rough in places, tbh. I really liked it, and I appreciate what they did with it! Norn really is just THAT powerful, that even with Elspeth's new upgrades, she's able to hold her own... but of course as the writing makes clear, she's not TRYING to kill Norn, she's trying to take her down enough to go get Nissa instead. It has a weird sorta flow from Ep6 as a result, but ultimately it works.

I'm personally quite glad none of the praetor's have died here (though I wonder where Jin is off to, and what Daddy Vorebucks did after Norn tore one of his antlers off) if only because I want them each to die a fitting karmic death. Maybe Jin will run into Jace, in control of himself enough to rip his mind asunder before dying. Maybe Vorinclex will run into Vraska, much the same, who shows him what true savagery is. And Norn... I truly trly hope Norn, in her final moments, meets Ashiok once again, and they harvest her for all the fear they can muster, before being killed. Because as it is right now, she needs to die in a brutal, forgotten sense- Elspeth's made it clear, and the story has too, that Norn is not the true core of Phyrexia, she just thinks she is. Having her die separated from that One that she loves, after being beat up and dismissed as unimportant by Elspeth, would be fantastic.

But we'll see where things go. Next time; lots of crying probably, because we're gonna see Nissa die probably. We've got three stories left for the main plot, and a full on ****ing FIVE for the side stories if I recall, so... we'll see how things go!

EDIT: A correction-

Spoiler

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Serra is not her mom directly. I forgot how long ago Serra died and did not know that apparently Serra's visited other planes with her host of angels and just kinda left angels to install themselves there. The power stone that held Serra's Realm blew up with the time machine which unsealed a shade of her that drifted about till it found Elspeth and graced her with angelic powers- as befits someone born on a plane where people can just become angels.

[Dienekes]

So read them. Thoughts, spoilered in part for spoilers and in part because I keep feeling pessimistic about things, and don't want to bring down people really enjoying it.

Spoiler

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There is some good stuff in there. I really liked the Innistrad story. But I keep thinking that this is too big and things are happening too quickly. It has some great points in it. But a lot of things just get swept up. It's something I felt in the last story as well. So, the Keldon Twilight occurred in truth this time, bringing the actual heroes of the last days upon the Golden Argosy. And where did this happen?

Oh, you know, offscreen.

It just kinda appears when it's needed.

It's a pretty important event. Cornerstone of one of the main cultures of Dominaria. Revealing the return of a character who admittedly I'm pretty sure only I and 5 other people actually liked, but his un-death being set up either back in the Invasion block or Time Spiral depending on when you want to count. Just not gonna address that.

Or we get a setting that conceptually I love, Eldraine. I love Chivalric Romances, love fairytales, love King Arthur, love courtly politics. How are Magic!Arthur and Magic!Guenevere gonna work in the story? They're a cornerstone that the entire setting is based on. And hell, the first and last venture into that setting basically ignored all that interesting stuff completely and focused on their two dumb kids. A big part of Arthurian legends is him uniting a kingdom to stand against an invasion. Admittedly it's Anglo-Saxon in the legends, but hey an invasion is an invasion. Let's see some Arthurian glory here. Come on Kenriths!

Oh they're dead.

Offscreen.

Cool.

Which again, isn't to say there aren't parts I'm enjoying. Serra's vengeance against Phyrexia played out through Elspeth? Amazing. Loved every second of it. Reread it in fact.

But on the whole, I would enjoy reading a story on Phyrexia's invasion of any one of these settings. Where we can see struggles, the fall of kingdoms, the rise of resistances. But for most of them it's like we're getting the cliffnotes version of things. And I understand, that WotC isn't releasing full books anymore. But it still feels like the entire story is too big for this conjoined short story structure they're limited by.

[LaZodiac]

So read them. Thoughts, spoilered in part for spoilers and in part because I keep feeling pessimistic about things, and don't want to bring down people really enjoying it.

Spoiler

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There is some good stuff in there. I really liked the Innistrad story. But I keep thinking that this is too big and things are happening too quickly. It has some great points in it. But a lot of things just get swept up. It's something I felt in the last story as well. So, the Keldon Twilight occurred in truth this time, bringing the actual heroes of the last days upon the Golden Argosy. And where did this happen?

Oh, you know, offscreen.

It just kinda appears when it's needed.

It's a pretty important event. Cornerstone of one of the main cultures of Dominaria. Revealing the return of a character who admittedly I'm pretty sure only I and 5 other people actually liked, but his un-death being set up either back in the Invasion block or Time Spiral depending on when you want to count. Just not gonna address that.

Or we get a setting that conceptually I love, Eldraine. I love Chivalric Romances, love fairytales, love King Arthur, love courtly politics. How are Magic!Arthur and Magic!Guenevere gonna work in the story? They're a cornerstone that the entire setting is based on. And hell, the first and last venture into that setting basically ignored all that interesting stuff completely and focused on their two dumb kids. A big part of Arthurian legends is him uniting a kingdom to stand against an invasion. Admittedly it's Anglo-Saxon in the legends, but hey an invasion is an invasion. Let's see some Arthurian glory here. Come on Kenriths!

Oh they're dead.

Offscreen.

Cool.

Which again, isn't to say there aren't parts I'm enjoying. Serra's vengeance against Phyrexia played out through Elspeth? Amazing. Loved every second of it. Reread it in fact.

But on the whole, I would enjoy reading a story on Phyrexia's invasion of any one of these settings. Where we can see struggles, the fall of kingdoms, the rise of resistances. But for most of them it's like we're getting the cliffnotes version of things. And I understand, that WotC isn't releasing full books anymore. But it still feels like the entire story is too big for this conjoined short story structure they're limited by.

For what it's worth, we have Aftermath to look forward to that might tell some of these stories. I can see it being ten main plot stories, and one side story for each ofhe side stories in MOM. Still would like more of course, but... well, like you said. That's just not how things are done anymore. It's still GOOD, but I do wish we had time for even more.

[enderlord99]

...This just became way more likely.

Fully confirmed now.

EDIT: Aside from the fact that I mistyped it as "world" rather than "realm" in my original prediction.

[thethird]

Fully confirmed now.

EDIT: Aside from the fact that I mistyped it as "world" rather than "realm" in my original prediction.

Yeah and personally I really like it.

[LaZodiac]

Commence the storying- and apparently the next chapters come out tomorrow. When I'm going to be DNDing probably. ****.

Anyway hey, story time.

Spoiler: MOM EP8: Football

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MARCH EP8: Wrenn and Eight

We open on Wrenn being bummed about the whole "probably going to die here" thing. She hates New Phyrexia and how devoid of life it is, when she always used to always feel like she was never far from home... partly because part dryad, partly because there's just so much nature about. But this plane is empty and cold and it sucks and she's probably dying here.

But that doesn't scare her. What she's truly afraid of is not being able to help. What a good little Dryad.

Chandra is carrying her to the tree, tucked under her arm like a football, blasting through Phyrexians alongside the dozen or so Mirrans that remain, Koth, and Melira. It is not going well, especially because Nissa is here and Chandra, the only one hot enough to stop her, can't. It's just too much for the poor girl. Melira gets stabbed through the gut- a blow that may prove fatal. Chandra gets hooked by the ankle and lifted up into the air by a vengeful Nissa, that begins throttling her. Wrenn falls, to her impending death, and...

Catched! A Mirran grabs her and runs. They get felled, but before they die they pass it to Mirran #2, and so on. It is in my honest to go opinion one of the funniest mental images I've ever experienced, tossing this poor Dryad torso around like a football, desperately trying to get to the Invasion Tree. The art for this part, however, is GLORIOUS. A Renaissance Painting by any defnition of the word, a perfect piece of art, one of Magic's best and certanly one of the best of the set. It is brilliant, and it gives the proper weight this scene has earned, more than even my silly little mental image can overwhelm.

Finally, as the Mirran carriers fall, Melira- wounds and all- scores that game winning touchdown!

Except Wrenn can't fully manage it. Not alone. The flames that let her move, that let her bind with trees, is a dangerous thing that she's always had a tough time controlling. It eats away at her hosts, and risks killing her too, and in this wounded state she's not sure she can control it. If Chandra was here, she could help, she can speak fire (wonderful callback to an earlier story) but she's not, she's busy being mandhandled by Nissa. So Melira, fading from her injuries, imparts one last burst of energy, one last immunity to infection, one last glow of the green sun, to Wrenn, and buries her in the Invasion Tree's roots.

Realmbreaker hates this. Wrenn persists, singing a song of oak and ash and wood and nature and please, let me bond with you, let me grow with you, not in the way you've been tainted to believe but in the true way. But it's not enough. The Oneness of Realmbreaker is too much for her on one end, and the flames coursing through her are too hot on the other. She's going to die here, a failure. Melira is going to die here. Koth, the last Mirrans, Chandra, and the Multiverse along with them.

But in those final moments, when all hope is lost, Elspeth returns from beating up mom. Seemingly felling Nissa (though unlikely, Chandra has to be the one to finish this, I know it in my heart) she frees Chandra, and gets her to the tree to help Wrenn. Mirroring the time Chandra helped Nissa channel Zendikar to make a giant lesbian fire laser, mirroring the time she channeled the White Flame to destroy a bunch of weirdo fascists, Chandra helps channel Wrenn's all-consuming flames. She takes them into her, leaving not a singe save at the edges, and Wrenn delves deeper into Realmbreaker.

There, within, his soul. A tiny sapling, his true self, corrupted and controlled by the black oil. Wrenn's flames scorch the oil off, and as she embraces the young tree it shields them both. Dryads are not supposed to do this, but it must be done for the world- she encourages the tree to focus on nothing else but growing. He accepts her, and the plan, though knowing he is likely to die. Welcome, Eight.

The sapling shoots out like a singular piercing branch into the multiverse. Budding, spreading, touching every plane, seeing all that Realmbreaker has seen, till at last, with Wrenn's help, finds Zhalfir in the phased out space. She talks with Teferi through the crack in reality they've made, and Teferi is his jocular self but understands the seriousness of it all. With the last of their strength, Wrenn and Realmbreaker, the true Realmbreaker, shatter an Omenpath into Zhalfir and begin dragging it towards New Phyrexia, trying to incite one of those Realmfalls or whatever that Kaldheim has since hey, Realmbreaker is a World Tree that's a thing they can do. Wrenn burns away, seemingly gone, but dead on Zhalfir, much to her preference.

And Teferi gazes upon the portal, Phyrexia spilling in (including Elspeth, thrown through it by Norn who has rejoined the fight) and finally, finally, after all these years... makes up for the mistakes he made. ZHALFIR STANDS READY!

Incredible ****ing story. No notes, basically perfect.

And now, a side story... the final story of Allison Luhrs before she left the Magic writing team.

Spoiler: MOM SIDE6: Vraska Did Nothing Wrong, Exhibit D

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MARCH SIDE6: One And The Same

Vraska, screaming, as she fights tooth and nail against Phyrexians, resisting her compleation- but waves upon waves of them come for her. She falls, and turns, and she FEELS it, a part of her sensing the part of her that IS her being subsumed by the oil. But she's a skilled assassin, and knows how to compartmentalize. She hides a piece of herself away, behind a familiar bookcase, and lingers.

What follows is Vraska's conquest of Ravnica. Interspersed with Vraska's dreamlike musings and trauma flashbacks are the Compleat side of her overtaking her, text gone red and slanted, as she rips the plane apart and wonders why she feels the things she feels. The Azorius, the Golgari, the Simic (SOME VOLUNTARILY YOU RAT ****ING BASTARDS!) and some of everyone else all fall to her. As they do, Vraska dreams about her torture as a 17 year old girl in The Azorius goals- water torture, everyone in Golgari forced to stand in water at the ankles, no longer in touch with the ground they love. Ludmilla, one of the last known gorgons, tells everyone (and Vraska, her daughter) it'll be okay... and the guards execute her, plucking the eyes from her skull. Compleat Vraska makes sure everyone she graces with the oil is rendered blind in retalation.

She reaches her home, and dreams of all the good times here- reminescing about the compass and how it led to Jace, all her other knickknacks (all things that were set up the first time we saw Vraska's apartment by the way! They include a Lochtwain banner, a drinking horn from Kaldheim, and a chariot from Segovia in a bottle, ah!). Compleat Vraska finds this place disgusting and unimportant and it hurts so much to read. She moves on.

Finally, however, Ral Zarek. He gives a lingering touch to Tomik that sparks jealousy within Vraska that she does not understand, and after storming through the streets they confront each other. Ral deploys the device we learned he was working on back in the first plot episode, that blinds Vraska and makes her feel the oil inside of her flash-dissolve. Her body is disintigrating before her very senses, and as death washes over her...

She finds herself on Useless Island, a beautiful place where Jace became who he truly wanted to be, and Jace is there. A mental image, an impression, a present; whenever she feels at her worst, she would have this quiet place he constructed for her. They make out (and make love, it's wildly ****ing horny but in a pleasant and romantic way), and for a single blissful moment in the hell that is her dying body, Vraska accepts that she is a monster... and that this is okay, because that doesn't mean she's not a good person.

Ral Zarek, two days later, in Aftermath. He is shaken such that even though the day is won, he can't turn off his brain. Tomik is here, though, and that more than anything is what he needs. The images of the invasion will haunt him forever, but at least he can bury his dead friend, knowing his device worked.

Except his minion can't find her body. It's gone missing. This is probably fine.

Good stories all around... though the ending hook of Vraska's story has be raising an eyebrow on to what it MEANS. Suppose we'll find out next time.

[thethird]

Really liking Wrenn's art where she is being passed like a football. Very renaissance.

[enderlord99]

I just had a game where I had three copies of Kaya the Inexorable's emblem, then I activated Urza's Sylex and paid the 2 to tutor up the Strixhaven version of the Kenriths. On my next turn, I used the emblems to cast Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider, Will, Scholar of Frost, and the Sylex I had exiled last turn. I ulted Will to get rid of most of my opponents lands, went to activate the Sylex again... and realized I'd only kept one white source last time, then died to my opponent's elementals.

Spoiler: It felt kinda like this

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[LaZodiac]

I just had a game where I had three copies of Kaya the Inexorable's emblem, then I activated Urza's Sylex and paid the 2 to tutor up the Strixhaven version of the Kenriths. On my next turn, I used the emblems to cast Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider, Will, Scholar of Frost, and the Sylex I had exiled last turn. I ulted Will to get rid of most of my opponents lands, went to activate the Sylex again... and realized I'd only kept one white source last time, then died to my opponent's elementals.

Felt like skateboarding with a rake.

Oops! Sometimes you're just, completely going off and then, well, WIPEOUT.

[Zhentarim]

I'd be interested in seeing a Boros vs Sultai story-- they are so different from each other.

[LaZodiac]

Work was murderous today so bit delayed in writing up my write up's, sorry!

Spoiler: MOM SIDE7: Please Don't Spread Nahiri Discou- oops too late

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MARCH SIDE7: Battles In the Fields and Minds

Zendikar, with Nahiri. Nahiri, who has tried so hard to make things right. Nahiri, who tried to solve the problem of the Eldrazi, made to draw them here for imprisonment and then released. Nahiri, who tried to tame the Roil that threatens to pull the plane apart and slaughter everyone within it. Nahiri, who has done nothing but try to do the best she could to make her home survive. She is here to finally succeed where she's failed constantly in the past; through Phyrexia, she will make her plane heal.

This is a legitimately painful thing to read, as someone who likes Nahiri. It's... a lot. Seeing someone who has so much good intention in her, someone who has legitimately tried.. thinking this time, this time will be different. When she's been supplanted by corruption. It hurts to see it. So, Nahiri's plan; go to the Emeria Skyclave, unite it with the Hedron Network, and use its power to split the invasion portals open even further, and let the full force of Phyrexia flood the plane.

Meanwhile, our heroes; Akiri and her polycule from the last Zendikar set! They're looking around for the source of this storm, assisted by Linvala, sent out by Tazri, our main planebound hero from Battle for Zendikar. Her angel halo necklace has been acting up and giving her visions... and our heroes spot the answer. Nahiri, compleated. They're gonna need a bigger boat- and given they don't have ANY, that's gonna be a big ask. Linvala goes back to Sea Gate (which is being overrun again) and brings Tazri with her to the others so they can complete their Party and venture forth to fight Nahiri.

They cut through compleated elementals, walk through an abatoir of things Nahiri has slaughtered, and face off against Nahiri. Nahiri, in the lead up to this, has been rending the plane open with her power, pouring every single ounce of hatred, anger, pain, and grief into her power... and when all of those have been spent down to nothing, she's putting her very life force into it as well. Despite this weakening, none of our heroes can so much as dent Nahiri, her body too tough. Tazri then hears the thoughts of the angel who once wore the halo around her neck, and throws it at Nahiri. The radiant light, like Linvala's own against other creatures, stuns Nahiri enough for them to wrest her from the controls of the Skyclave... and it begins crashing around them. Akiri picks up Tazri and her halo, Linvala soars off, and the rest of the polycule ride on the cool magic broom the witch of them has... and Nahiri, so drained of all will and energy, falls with the Skyclave.

Akiri doubts she's died, since Nahiri is... a tough nut to crack, but I think she's dead. We'll see.

All in all a pretty decent story, though definitely middle of the road. If you love Nahiri this one is going to hurt you deeply. And if you're bad at reading comprehension you're going to get mad at it, as I've seen some people do, but we're just gonna walk on by that nothing to see here.

Spoiler: MOM SIDE8: My Favorite Phrase In the English Language Is "Her Wife"

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MARCH SIDE8: The Fall of Park Heights

New Capenna, in the nightmare of my favorite character from the plane, Errant. She and her wife Parnesse experienced the invasion first hand, and the event (and the days of hiding out, running weapons for the resistance group they're part of) has left them both run ragged and injured. Not as bad as Errant's father though... poor Anhelo.

They end up having to run off from some converter beasts, phyrexian's designed to capture and compleat, and while they get away for a bit (thanks to their magic paint being great distractions, if not great weapons without halo) they are eventually caught in a bad spot... and have to detonate a bomb each to get their way out. There's some stark conversation about life as a robot vs death here, together, and after a nice kiss they decide better dead than alive... but better alive than dead. We're gonna do this risky plan of blowing up some building smashing TNT near by and just kinda pray we throw it hard enough to avoid the brunt of the blast.

To their credit they succeed! Mostly! Errant wakes up in the resistance hospital (and we later learn Parnesse is fine, and less injured even). They heard the explosion, and went to find them... and alongside them, an angel who spent a lot of her halo reserve to heal our heroines up- not good, given what comes next. Pierre, the delightful rhox punchman, and some other characters discuss the logistics of this plan- Atraxa needs to be drawn in, so Falco and the entire rest of the families (those that remain anyway- near we hear Ziatora is the only one alive other than good ole Bird Broker) will be deployed. Of all of Capenna's defenders Falco is the only one to make her so much as twitch, so backed by such a force should serve to get her into position. Then, they'll detonate the core, and sent all of Park Heights down on top of her. And it's up to Errant to do this. She's the only one quick enough and skilled enough to do it (and the Rivateer's BUILT the core, it'd be like slicing their own arms off).

She is of course, distraught about. She's traumatized by all this and she's a painter, not a fighter! None of their slick words convince her... but her wife makes it clear they've gotta do this, whether they like it or not. This convinces her, and after a few days they're all ready.

Errant does what she needs to, but as she goes to leave... Anhelo is there. He tries to convince her to join the new family, but... she knows it isn't him, not any more. She gets away, the place detonates and takes him out, and Atraxa chokes on the city. We don't know if this'll put Atraxa in the dirt, but we do know one other thing this accomplishes... the angels of New Capenna begin a great pilgrimage to other planes, through the invasion paths, to help bring their radiance to others.

And as Errant and her wife Parnesse look upon the ruined, burning city... the only thing she can think is that, they can rebuild. This destruction? Despite everything, it looks and feels like hope.

Really nice story! Again, kinda middle of the pack compared to the others, except for this one it's my two favorite characters from New Cpenna and none of them died! Hooray! Love wins!

And that's it for stories. All good all around... and tomorrow, I believe, will be the final side story (apparently it's only nine side stories? I may be misremembering) and Episode 8 of the main story... then the final in Main Plot 9 and 10, for Wednesday. Maybe, apparently some mothership information was put wrong and stuff so I'm honestly just not sure at the moment, but I distinctly recall it being twenty stories, ten of each.

Whatever the case; looking forward to them! Some loose ends still hanging are Jace's whereabouts, Ajani on Theros, and of course the actual conclusion of the main plot! Any tackers on how it is going to shake out?

[Lord Raziere]

My bet is that Phyrexia will lose and Mirrodin will be restored even, but remnants of Phyrexia will be scattered across the multiverse so that they can just make Phyrexia just be a recurring foe whenever they want.