Earlier today I was inspired by a thread in Magic General to write full on short stories for banners I create in my sig shop. When creating banners, I try to portray a sort of unspoken story and make it seem to have context. This is my first attempt at doing so.
Jund Banner created for Aakashortstack's EDH Primer
A Story For A Banner #01: The Dragon's Sacrifice
The man unable to accept his fate, froze in terror as Proshh sat atop the jagged cliff looking down upon him - judging him. With a flap of his massive wings, Proshh fanned the flames below; they almost seemed like a manifestation of his sadistic glee, as he awaited the product of his next experiment. He glanced towards the Birthing Pod, where it awaited hungrily - it’s mouth agate - with an intelligence seething from behind two holes that could only be taken as eyes. To it’s side, his Sage looked on at the man’s spectacle, her facial expression hinting at the slightest sense of pity.
Shadows of the man’s decisions haunted him, as he recalled the mistakes that would soon be his undoing. As Proshh’s glee turned to annoyance, he rumbled:
"Were there any doubt in my mind as to the specifics of my disdain for mortals, your feeble attempts to grasp the inevitable fate sewn from your mistakes would suffice."
His words echoed through the mountains, punctuated by the crushing and crackling of the rocks and lava crawling down the mountainside around them. The man had fallen to his knees and held his head in his hands, screaming unheard cries for mercy and whimpering barely audible curses. He could not truly speak, for his mind was broken; he had gone mad.
"If you’re quite done, I believe it’s time to move on with this experiment", Proshh stated with a tinge of amusement returning to his voice. "Sage, bring him to the birthing pod."
Feeling no remorse, the Sage walked over to the man and picked him up by the metal collar around his neck; his hands and feet were bound, and he could barely move. As he glanced up from the broken lava rock that made up the ground, his eyes met the maw of the birthing pod, and he could not look away. The sickly yellow-green light emitting from it’s bowels faded in and out like lungs breathing air. The rows upon rows of teeth were moist, as though this “machine” was salivating; the teeth stretching outwards in anticipation for the meal to come.
He had not realized that he were now standing before the machine, while his shattered mind gazed into the mouth of his demise. Frozen, mute and deafened by the sound in his own head, the man finally resigned to his fate as the final shove pushed him within reach of the razor jaws. The sound of hideous screaming, gurgling, spitting and bones snapping were barely audible over Proshh’s laughter. The man was a failure, but not a waste - he would soon be reborn, and the cycle would start anew.
Jund Banner created for Aakashortstack's EDH Primer
A Story For A Banner #01: The Dragon's Sacrifice
The man unable to accept his fate, froze in terror as Proshh sat atop the jagged cliff looking down upon him - judging him. With a flap of his massive wings, Proshh fanned the flames below; they almost seemed like a manifestation of his sadistic glee, as he awaited the product of his next experiment. He glanced towards the Birthing Pod, where it awaited hungrily - it’s mouth agate - with an intelligence seething from behind two holes that could only be taken as eyes. To it’s side, his Sage looked on at the man’s spectacle, her facial expression hinting at the slightest sense of pity.
Shadows of the man’s decisions haunted him, as he recalled the mistakes that would soon be his undoing. As Proshh’s glee turned to annoyance, he rumbled:
"Were there any doubt in my mind as to the specifics of my disdain for mortals, your feeble attempts to grasp the inevitable fate sewn from your mistakes would suffice."
His words echoed through the mountains, punctuated by the crushing and crackling of the rocks and lava crawling down the mountainside around them. The man had fallen to his knees and held his head in his hands, screaming unheard cries for mercy and whimpering barely audible curses. He could not truly speak, for his mind was broken; he had gone mad.
"If you’re quite done, I believe it’s time to move on with this experiment", Proshh stated with a tinge of amusement returning to his voice. "Sage, bring him to the birthing pod."
Feeling no remorse, the Sage walked over to the man and picked him up by the metal collar around his neck; his hands and feet were bound, and he could barely move. As he glanced up from the broken lava rock that made up the ground, his eyes met the maw of the birthing pod, and he could not look away. The sickly yellow-green light emitting from it’s bowels faded in and out like lungs breathing air. The rows upon rows of teeth were moist, as though this “machine” was salivating; the teeth stretching outwards in anticipation for the meal to come.
He had not realized that he were now standing before the machine, while his shattered mind gazed into the mouth of his demise. Frozen, mute and deafened by the sound in his own head, the man finally resigned to his fate as the final shove pushed him within reach of the razor jaws. The sound of hideous screaming, gurgling, spitting and bones snapping were barely audible over Proshh’s laughter. The man was a failure, but not a waste - he would soon be reborn, and the cycle would start anew.
(Also known as Xenphire)