The castle was in disrepair where it sat, among the barren mountains of what was once a great nation. The west wing had been encased in an avalanche some years back, and they had never managed to dig out all that snow. The east wing was simply abandoned, with no one living over there. Some rooms of the main castle were decaying, the roof sagging in or having collapsed entirely. In fact, there were only a few rooms left that were still accessible, including the armory, the food stores in the basement, the main hall, and the bedrooms that people shared to keep heat between them as to stave off the encroaching cold.
Today, they were all gathered around Tokashi Shinten's bed. He was an old man, from before the days of the endless winter, and he had been strong for many years. Yet, now, he had taken to sickness, and it seemed none of the riders they had sent out to find medicine would be returning in time. He seemed so small now, coughing beneath his thick furs, surrounded by his family and retainers, few as they were. Twenty two men and women all together. All were kneeling in respectful silence, a single oil lantern lighting the room.
Tokashi slept through most of the day, but, around sunset, he stirred, looking more alert than he had in days, and, looking around in a mild panic, he locked eyes on Masakenshi. Reaching up, he urged the samurai to lean down above him, draw his ear up to his lips, and whispered, his voice faint against the distant howling of mountain winds, "Restore us to our former glory, Masakenshi."
A trembling hand lifted up his wakizashi from where it rested next to his head, and pushed it into Masakenshi's hand, "You are the Diamyo now."
A moment later he seemed to fall asleep once again, and he breathed no more.
Mana Bank:3WWW Experience: 0/25
Rafe RadethiR
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer 2, T: Put a charge counter on target artifact.
1/1
Rafe's cupboard was empty.
But that wasn't the greatest of his worries. He was also out of scrap metal to work on his creations. How woeful this was, that he had a warm, stone house in one of the last secure bastions in this blasted winter land, partially buried beneath the permafrost, with a raging furnace and tools to practice his craft, but he had no metal with which to work! Oh, calamity indeed. This would not be so irksome if he could go to the cupboard and grab a snack, but it seems he had eaten the last of the auroch jerky yesterday.
Well, he had some gold to spend, about five pieces. Perhaps he could go about to any of the other shops and see if they had any metal to spare. Maybe he'd even get lucky and find a caravan rolling in. He should probably get some more food while he's out as well.
Racking his mind, he compiled a list of different possible locations he could go. There was market street, but they mostly sold food and furs, which he probably didn't need, but that was where the caravans would be, if there were any there. There were the sparse forges spattered across the walled village as well, so he could visit them one at a time. Lastly, he could go about to the neighbors on his street. They usually didn't have metal, but, it was just outside.
Mana Bank:3RRR Experience: 0/25
Vergant(B/G)
Legendary Creature - Rhino Shaman
Sacrifice a creature: Target creature other than Vergant gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1/1
This place was horrible.
Sure, the normal world was all starving and covered in snow, but they at least didn't have to deal with tophat-wearing frogs the size of buildings and rivers of blood and tar every five minutes. Still, this place served it's purpose, and Vergant had paid a lot of money to be able to project himself down here. Right now, he was actually in a coma-like dream up in the material world, and his mind was giving him physical form down here. If he could find some objects while he was here, though, he'd find them in his hand when he woke up, which would be in about five hours.
So far he'd spent three hours of his nap to get up on top of a mountain and take in the lay of the land. Looking out, he saw a tangled wood to the east and south as far as the eye could see, with giant frogs hopping about and having tea parties with the slightly-less-immense granddaddy long-leg spiders (who were wearing monocles and mustaches). He could probably guess that there were some magical teas and plants out there, but he'd have to deal with the giant creatures constantly.
To the west was that river of tar and blood he'd come out next to, with inky-black lakes of tar and shores of stone that bled when you walked on them. Among them were the lake people he had met before, and they could be friendly enough, but they would cry at the drop of a hat, and he swore, the sound of that crying unhinged his sanity a little bit more every time. They would probably have some information, if he could understand them this time, but, really, it was just an uncomfortable experience.
To the north were some more tarry fens, but, beyond that lay a chessboard with what appeared to be an Egyptian pyramid (not that Vergant knew what Egypt was) in it's middle, and, beyond that, mountains towering into the clouds. Clouds which took the shape of hands grabbing at the mountain side. On the slope of this mountain was actually something that caused the Rhino some alarm: A pile of giant, black and yellow poker chips piled up in a haphazard way that gave the strike appearance of a castle. That was a place of Underland royalty, and they were particularly demented and powerful. Sure, he could probably steal some mountain of magic from there, but, chances were that he would get caught and... he didn't want to think about it.
So the question was: Which way?
Mana Bank:1BBGG Experience: 0/25
Ace Sheeke(R/G)
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
Ace Sheeke gets +2/+0 if you control a red or green Dragon creature with converted mana cost 6 or more.
1/1
Ace had to leave his tribe.
It was a common practice in this times. With the eternal winter and the dwindling sources of food, the strongest tribesmen would take more than their fair share, leaving less and less for the weaker tribesmen. Now, Ace was by no means small, but there were far larger men in the tribe, and the lack of food had already killed off all of the truly small tribesmen. Then things had escalated, and now Ace didn't have enough food for himself. Even when he had taken down a beast by himself, he would be the last to eat.
This had happened to others, many of Ace's friends. One had even died, falling before a Rex because he was too weak to run. But most had decided to leave, and become lone wolves, keeping what they had killed. They had all gone towards the fields in the north and east, knowing they would have better chances out there than in these forests. But there was also the mountains in the distant west and south, and there were rumors that there were still dragons in those craggy reaches.
There wasn't really anyone to tie him to this place. He only had a couple of friends remaining, Shank and Bullet, and they knew he wanted to leave. Maybe he could visit them one last time and convince them to come with him, but, beyond that chance, he simply had to decide when and how he would leave.
Mana Bank:1RRGG Experience: 0/25
Lewys Beynon(W/U)
Legendary Creature - Kor Cleric
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may exile Lewys Beynon. Then return him to the battlefield.
0/2
Lewys knew the man on the table before him.
Lewys had been a member of a street gang for years, here in Essin, before the day he had narrowly escaped death in a duel, and instead managed to skewer his foe. It was that day, looking down at the bloody corpse of his enemy, that he had decided to leave the violent world of street fights, and join the church as a cleric.
Now, Essin was on the coast near the equator, and they were spared from the bitterest winter storm, and they could gather up lots of crabs from their trap fields, resulting in a larger sustainable population than any other place in the world (that Lewys knew of). Large enough to even have different castes, and even a delinquent population, but when Lewys had joined the church, he had left behind that delinquent population, joining a different caste entirely. It had been years since he had seen this boy, and now here he was, thawing out on the altar, while Lewys sprinkled holy water on his head.
The boy had been named Artys, and he'd been a viashino in the same gang as Lewys had been. He was taller now, and whoever had killed him, they had beaten him pretty badly, but it was definitely Artys. It was painful for Lewys to look at his former friend, as the viashino had died in pain. Had he been right to choose cleric over rogue?
Mana Bank:1WWUU Experience: 0/25
Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade(B/R)
Legendary Creature - Elemental Assassin
Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade gets +1/+1 and can't block as long as seven or more creature cards are in your graveyard.
1/1
"You don't have to do this!" the old man pleaded.
Stranglefume was surrounded by the wreckage of their little caravan, five corpses on the ground. Two guards and three holy men. Strangely enough, the holy men had put up more of a fight than the guards. They had just taken a couple of cuts and they were on the ground, but the holy men had thrown holy water in his face. One had even kept fighting after his neck had been cut. Not long, mind you, but long enough that the cinder was surprised. He was just glad he had chosen to throw in a small bomb to take their wagons down, else he'd never had caught them back up.
Now all that was left was the actual target, the old man. Some kind of saint or something, on a pilgrimage to Essin, with three retainers and two cheap guards who had clearly been hired to deter polar bears, not assassins. He couldn't run or anything, so it would be a ridiculously easy task.
Kill Elder Priest Telor.
Challenge Rating: 5 Opponent
20 life.
One card in hand. WWW open.
Five creatures in graveyard. (Two "Winter Huntsman." Three "Defenders of Peace.")
One creature on battlefield. (Elder Priest Telor) You
20 life.
Three cards in hand.
Mana Bank open.
Your Legendary Creature on the battlefield.
Winter Huntsman(G/W)
Creature - Human Druid
Bear, Elk, and Wolf creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays 1.
0/1
Defender of PeaceW
Creature - Human Cleric 2W, T: Tap target creature.
0/2
Elder Priest Telor1W
Legendary Creature - Kor Cleric
Whenever Elder Priest Telor blocks, you gain 5 life.
0/5
Mana Bank:1BBRR Experience: 0/25
KorsaG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Druid T: Lands you control gain "T: Add G to your mana pool." until end of turn.
1/1
It was time for Korsa to leave the herd.
Snow drifted lazily from the sky where they were gathered, everyone paying their respects to the Druid as he stood in silent respect to those who had been his family for his entire life. It was tradition that, when a centaur of the Shuul clan reached a certain age, they would go out on their own, and return, maybe months, maybe years later, with something to strengthen the herd, such as the location of a lush field of cud, or a spell to make their lives easily.
Some chose to go into the Underland for their pilgrimage, but that was usually considered to be suicide, as very few ever returned from that strange place. Those who did, though, always brought something of great value back, but Korsa was more interested in the leylines of the natural world anyways. Besides, they didn't have access to a portal right now, not since that cult had overtaken the one at the bottom of the Testen Gorge.
The high priestess slowly approached Korsa as he stood there, carrying a thick blanket and a basket of grass. When she reached her fellow centaur, she carefully lay the quilt over his back, and embraced him to fasten the basket of cud around his shoulder. She was an ancient centaur, the high priestess, so she could only whisper the words to Korsa, "Here is a quilt to keep you warm in this cold world, and a month of cud to feed you should you wander in a barren way. Now go, and find whatever you will find."
And she pulled away, the herd watching in silence as their brother decided which way he would travel.
Mana Bank:3GGG Experience: 0/25
Isos Bartoque(U/R)
Legendary Creature - Spirit Monger (U/R), T, Discard a card: Draw a card.
0/2
There was a walled village in the distance.
Isos had never been on this side of the Great Plains before. There was a wide river that ran through the middle of the Plains, with tall pine forests for miles on either bank, and most of the time it was flowing too fast and too deep and too cold to hope to cross. However, this year, as bitter as the cold was, it had actually been frozen over, so he could just walk across it to see about exploring this side of the Plains for some artifacts worthy of salvaging.
He'd been walking several days now, and this was the first thing he had seen, looming in the distance between two mountains like a fortress of some sort. Isos would probably be happy if it were, they would probably have a vault and lots of stuff to salvage, but it looked like there were trails of smoke above the place, and he thought he could hear the distant chatter of women and children on the wind.
Well, surely he could approach them to gather the lay of the land, or maybe drum up some business for after finding something, but, would he just walk up to the front gate?
Before all of this, they had been powerful, strong, respected. And yet, in those years, even their castle was a mere shadow of its former self; fallen into disrepair and chaos, just like the rest of the world had.
Even as the young Masakenshi knelt, he wondered why he bothered to stay. It would be so easy for him to leave at this point; it would be so easy to leave behind the life that his parents had planned for him, to make his own path through the dangerous world. But he knew exactly why he stayed, and although the realization was bitter he knew it to be the truth; it was just how it had always been, and their words and threats still held him caged.
The samurai had never cared much for Tokashi in his later years, serving him faithfully out of his sense of duty alone. When the old man beckoned him forward, he obeyed with the same, expressionless look on his face that he always had. But when the wakizashi was handed to him and the old man took his last breath, a brief flash of panic twisted the Samurai's traits.
This changed everything. With a duty as big as this one falling upon his shoulders, there was absolutely no way he could run away now. The more cynical part of his mind wondered if this had been his parents' plans all along; if he had reached where they had intended him to reach, having played into their hands perfectly. Daimyo of the Shinten clan... the biggest honor that a samurai of his stature could ever hope to achieve, and one that he wasn't even sure he had properly deserved. What did old Tokashi see in him?
There would be time for those considerations later, however, as Masakenshi knew he had to act fast. His own plans foiled or not, his status had suddenly increased, and he knew that his first move needed to make sure everyone knew that. Twenty-two they may have remained, but a rebellion from even just one person was difficult enough to quell honorably. He had read enough history books to know this much.
Bowing his head respectfully to the deceased, the bitter samurai turned towards the remnants of his family. Calmly, coldly, he held the weapon of the Daimyo for all to see, the crest of the Shinten clearly evident on its handle.
"His soul has departed for the next world," the young man declared, "and there is much work that remains to be done. By my honor and my life, I, Masakenshi Shinten, swear to answer our former Daimyo's last request and lead the Shinten to a new era of prosperity."
A mechanical, almost repeated speech; but it was what was expected of him, he knew. Furthermore, it would allow him to gauge their reactions to his power play. He never had much patience for politics, but he knew that he had to play that game for the time being.
Legendary Creature - Elemental Assassin
Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade gets +1/+1 and can't block as long as seven or more creature cards are in your graveyard.
1/1
"You don't have to do this!" the old man pleaded.
Stranglefume was surrounded by the wreckage of their little caravan, five corpses on the ground. Two guards and three holy men. Strangely enough, the holy men had put up more of a fight than the guards. They had just taken a couple of cuts and they were on the ground, but the holy men had thrown holy water in his face. One had even kept fighting after his neck had been cut. Not long, mind you, but long enough that the cinder was surprised. He was just glad he had chosen to throw in a small bomb to take their wagons down, else he'd never had caught them back up.
Now all that was left was the actual target, the old man. Some kind of saint or something, on a pilgrimage to Essin, with three retainers and two cheap guards who had clearly been hired to deter polar bears, not assassins. He couldn't run or anything, so it would be a ridiculously easy task.
Kill Elder Priest Telor.
Challenge Rating: 5 Opponent
20 life.
One card in hand. WWW open.
Five creatures in graveyard. (Two "Winter Huntsman." Three "Defenders of Peace.")
One creature on battlefield. (Elder Priest Telor) You
20 life.
Three cards in hand.
Mana Bank open.
Your Legendary Creature on the battlefield.
Winter Huntsman(G/W)
Creature - Human Druid
Bear, Elk, and Wolf creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays 1.
0/1
Defender of PeaceW
Creature - Human Cleric 2W, T: Tap target creature.
0/2
Elder Priest Telor1W
Legendary Creature - Kor Cleric
Whenever Elder Priest Telor blocks, you gain 5 life.
0/5
Mana Bank:1BBRR Experience: 0/25
The cinder takes a quick look and decides to end this with flair. The target was old, but not frail. Additionally he was covered in thick layers of furs to shelter him from the cold. More strikes would be wasted trying to cut his throat. But the weight would make the portly kor clumsy and susceptible to tripping.
The weakness of the flesh is that it is not blessed with the through spark of vital fire, Stranglefume pondered, All they have is winter cloaks and furs to keep the fleeting warmth inside. But that will not last.
"You are right", Stranglefume replied to the pleading and enjoyed the glance of false hope in the clergy's eyes as the blades disappear in their sheaths under the wide cloak, "I don't have to do this."
A moment just to build up his expectation. "I choose to do this." Another moment to let understanding wreck what has been build. Then it was time to dance.
It takes just a swift step forward and a strike far below the man's center of mass to make them flail trying to recover balance. Clutching the clothes of the elder close by the neck Stranglefume moves to jerk the man around. The sudden violent motion could be enough to cut off the victim's air, but the impact itself would likely be the lethal blow to snap the man's neck.
Throw About
Illustration: Cinder Stranglefume tosses the kor priest Telor into a tumble down a snow-covered rocky slope. Mood: effortless disposal
(C)
Instant - Feat
You may tap an untapped Assassin you control rather than pay ~'s mana cost.
Switch the power and toughness of target creature you don't control until end of turn.
OOC: I'm not sure where this falls on the "cheating" scale (getting yourself to use less mana) since I actually invest a finite or at least tangible resource in its place. The alternate cost line is there for flavor first though and I can forfeit the alternative cost to pay no experience if necessary.
EDIT:
Life Total: 20
Hand: Two cards
Mana Bank:
Battlefield: Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade
Stack: Throw About targeting Elder Priest Telor
Experience: 0/25
Vergant stood atop the mountain and stared over the domain. Perhaps one day he could claim all of this as his own? Was that a good goal? He chuckled to himself in a deep rumble at his childish thoughts. He still had no idea how his power compared to those of this realm, and visiting only in dreams would make the idea unfeasible in any case. Perhaps if he found his own way into the realm...
He began his trudge down the mountain, slow and steady, as his thoughts continued to meander nowhere useful. This was, foremost, a reconnaissance mission. He was to learn about the area in order to form true goals for himself. Goals that led him on the path to power.
He had chosen northwards, to the fens and beyond.
Private Mod Note
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I'll bet you wish you had a non-unglued/unhinged card that shared your first name.
Ace hated the cold more than anyone else in his tribe. He loved lighting his prey on fire, and just the thought of remaining in an increasingly cold environment made him shiver with fear for his own survival. The dragonfire within could only last him so long in these conditions, and if he burned out, he would be a goner for sure.
Shank and Bullet were the only human friends he knew. He had a couple of feral friends in the form of juvenile fire dragons, but they weren't the same as real people one could rely on. Making up his mind that this was the day he was leaving the clan, he visited the two one last time, explaining to them that he was heading southwest. He asked the two if they wanted to join him in his long journey to the crags bordering the now-frozen wasteland, looking for a volcanic wasteland to hunt on instead--the biome he was familiar with from having studied feral dragonkind for so long.
Ace Sheeke
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
Ace Sheeke gets +2/+0 if you control a red or green Dragon creature with converted mana cost 6 or more.
1/1
Mana Bank: 1RRGG
Experience: 0/25
Private Mod Note
():
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A mere ten days after the Mending, a young knight of Valeron and a young ranger of Eos made a discovery that would change Alara forever.
After sprinkling the holy water on Artys's head, Lewys pondered the myriad events that could have took place in order for this to happen. His former friend was one of his buddies in the street gang they were both in, but after that miraculous close call with that duel, Lewys decided that he wanted none of it. He retreated to the local church in Essin, which, being a part of the caste system, had a large amount of power. Now, as he saw the dead body of his friend, he thought, "Was I right? Should I have cowardly escaped the street life rigor for a privileged existence here in the church?"
At that moment, Lewys made a decision. He would find out what exactly led to this chain of events - what happened for Artys to lay dead on the table before him? Who killed him, and why? He knew his life was about to make a dramatic turn - before, his goals were mainly focused on his studies, and the religious theology. But now, to see this brutal injustice right before his eyes - he knew that he needed to return to the streets, armed with the insight his church teachings blessed him with.
Hi. Sorry. I had my wisdom teeth pulled the other day and I've been fading in and out of lucidity ever since. I'll get a post up tonight. Consider this a placeholder.
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Legendary Creature - Human Samurai
Bushido 1
1/1
The Shinten Diamyo was dying.
The castle was in disrepair where it sat, among the barren mountains of what was once a great nation. The west wing had been encased in an avalanche some years back, and they had never managed to dig out all that snow. The east wing was simply abandoned, with no one living over there. Some rooms of the main castle were decaying, the roof sagging in or having collapsed entirely. In fact, there were only a few rooms left that were still accessible, including the armory, the food stores in the basement, the main hall, and the bedrooms that people shared to keep heat between them as to stave off the encroaching cold.
Today, they were all gathered around Tokashi Shinten's bed. He was an old man, from before the days of the endless winter, and he had been strong for many years. Yet, now, he had taken to sickness, and it seemed none of the riders they had sent out to find medicine would be returning in time. He seemed so small now, coughing beneath his thick furs, surrounded by his family and retainers, few as they were. Twenty two men and women all together. All were kneeling in respectful silence, a single oil lantern lighting the room.
Tokashi slept through most of the day, but, around sunset, he stirred, looking more alert than he had in days, and, looking around in a mild panic, he locked eyes on Masakenshi. Reaching up, he urged the samurai to lean down above him, draw his ear up to his lips, and whispered, his voice faint against the distant howling of mountain winds, "Restore us to our former glory, Masakenshi."
A trembling hand lifted up his wakizashi from where it rested next to his head, and pushed it into Masakenshi's hand, "You are the Diamyo now."
A moment later he seemed to fall asleep once again, and he breathed no more.
Mana Bank: 3WWW
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
2, T: Put a charge counter on target artifact.
1/1
Rafe's cupboard was empty.
But that wasn't the greatest of his worries. He was also out of scrap metal to work on his creations. How woeful this was, that he had a warm, stone house in one of the last secure bastions in this blasted winter land, partially buried beneath the permafrost, with a raging furnace and tools to practice his craft, but he had no metal with which to work! Oh, calamity indeed. This would not be so irksome if he could go to the cupboard and grab a snack, but it seems he had eaten the last of the auroch jerky yesterday.
Well, he had some gold to spend, about five pieces. Perhaps he could go about to any of the other shops and see if they had any metal to spare. Maybe he'd even get lucky and find a caravan rolling in. He should probably get some more food while he's out as well.
Racking his mind, he compiled a list of different possible locations he could go. There was market street, but they mostly sold food and furs, which he probably didn't need, but that was where the caravans would be, if there were any there. There were the sparse forges spattered across the walled village as well, so he could visit them one at a time. Lastly, he could go about to the neighbors on his street. They usually didn't have metal, but, it was just outside.
Mana Bank: 3RRR
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Rhino Shaman
Sacrifice a creature: Target creature other than Vergant gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1/1
This place was horrible.
Sure, the normal world was all starving and covered in snow, but they at least didn't have to deal with tophat-wearing frogs the size of buildings and rivers of blood and tar every five minutes. Still, this place served it's purpose, and Vergant had paid a lot of money to be able to project himself down here. Right now, he was actually in a coma-like dream up in the material world, and his mind was giving him physical form down here. If he could find some objects while he was here, though, he'd find them in his hand when he woke up, which would be in about five hours.
So far he'd spent three hours of his nap to get up on top of a mountain and take in the lay of the land. Looking out, he saw a tangled wood to the east and south as far as the eye could see, with giant frogs hopping about and having tea parties with the slightly-less-immense granddaddy long-leg spiders (who were wearing monocles and mustaches). He could probably guess that there were some magical teas and plants out there, but he'd have to deal with the giant creatures constantly.
To the west was that river of tar and blood he'd come out next to, with inky-black lakes of tar and shores of stone that bled when you walked on them. Among them were the lake people he had met before, and they could be friendly enough, but they would cry at the drop of a hat, and he swore, the sound of that crying unhinged his sanity a little bit more every time. They would probably have some information, if he could understand them this time, but, really, it was just an uncomfortable experience.
To the north were some more tarry fens, but, beyond that lay a chessboard with what appeared to be an Egyptian pyramid (not that Vergant knew what Egypt was) in it's middle, and, beyond that, mountains towering into the clouds. Clouds which took the shape of hands grabbing at the mountain side. On the slope of this mountain was actually something that caused the Rhino some alarm: A pile of giant, black and yellow poker chips piled up in a haphazard way that gave the strike appearance of a castle. That was a place of Underland royalty, and they were particularly demented and powerful. Sure, he could probably steal some mountain of magic from there, but, chances were that he would get caught and... he didn't want to think about it.
So the question was: Which way?
Mana Bank: 1BBGG
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
Ace Sheeke gets +2/+0 if you control a red or green Dragon creature with converted mana cost 6 or more.
1/1
Ace had to leave his tribe.
It was a common practice in this times. With the eternal winter and the dwindling sources of food, the strongest tribesmen would take more than their fair share, leaving less and less for the weaker tribesmen. Now, Ace was by no means small, but there were far larger men in the tribe, and the lack of food had already killed off all of the truly small tribesmen. Then things had escalated, and now Ace didn't have enough food for himself. Even when he had taken down a beast by himself, he would be the last to eat.
This had happened to others, many of Ace's friends. One had even died, falling before a Rex because he was too weak to run. But most had decided to leave, and become lone wolves, keeping what they had killed. They had all gone towards the fields in the north and east, knowing they would have better chances out there than in these forests. But there was also the mountains in the distant west and south, and there were rumors that there were still dragons in those craggy reaches.
There wasn't really anyone to tie him to this place. He only had a couple of friends remaining, Shank and Bullet, and they knew he wanted to leave. Maybe he could visit them one last time and convince them to come with him, but, beyond that chance, he simply had to decide when and how he would leave.
Mana Bank: 1RRGG
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Kor Cleric
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may exile Lewys Beynon. Then return him to the battlefield.
0/2
Lewys knew the man on the table before him.
Lewys had been a member of a street gang for years, here in Essin, before the day he had narrowly escaped death in a duel, and instead managed to skewer his foe. It was that day, looking down at the bloody corpse of his enemy, that he had decided to leave the violent world of street fights, and join the church as a cleric.
Now, Essin was on the coast near the equator, and they were spared from the bitterest winter storm, and they could gather up lots of crabs from their trap fields, resulting in a larger sustainable population than any other place in the world (that Lewys knew of). Large enough to even have different castes, and even a delinquent population, but when Lewys had joined the church, he had left behind that delinquent population, joining a different caste entirely. It had been years since he had seen this boy, and now here he was, thawing out on the altar, while Lewys sprinkled holy water on his head.
The boy had been named Artys, and he'd been a viashino in the same gang as Lewys had been. He was taller now, and whoever had killed him, they had beaten him pretty badly, but it was definitely Artys. It was painful for Lewys to look at his former friend, as the viashino had died in pain. Had he been right to choose cleric over rogue?
Mana Bank: 1WWUU
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Elemental Assassin
Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade gets +1/+1 and can't block as long as seven or more creature cards are in your graveyard.
1/1
"You don't have to do this!" the old man pleaded.
Stranglefume was surrounded by the wreckage of their little caravan, five corpses on the ground. Two guards and three holy men. Strangely enough, the holy men had put up more of a fight than the guards. They had just taken a couple of cuts and they were on the ground, but the holy men had thrown holy water in his face. One had even kept fighting after his neck had been cut. Not long, mind you, but long enough that the cinder was surprised. He was just glad he had chosen to throw in a small bomb to take their wagons down, else he'd never had caught them back up.
Now all that was left was the actual target, the old man. Some kind of saint or something, on a pilgrimage to Essin, with three retainers and two cheap guards who had clearly been hired to deter polar bears, not assassins. He couldn't run or anything, so it would be a ridiculously easy task.
Kill Elder Priest Telor.
Challenge Rating: 5
Opponent
20 life.
One card in hand.
WWW open.
Five creatures in graveyard. (Two "Winter Huntsman." Three "Defenders of Peace.")
One creature on battlefield. (Elder Priest Telor)
You
20 life.
Three cards in hand.
Mana Bank open.
Your Legendary Creature on the battlefield.
Creature - Human Druid
Bear, Elk, and Wolf creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays 1.
0/1
Creature - Human Cleric
2W, T: Tap target creature.
0/2
Legendary Creature - Kor Cleric
Whenever Elder Priest Telor blocks, you gain 5 life.
0/5
Mana Bank: 1BBRR
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Centaur Druid
T: Lands you control gain "T: Add G to your mana pool." until end of turn.
1/1
It was time for Korsa to leave the herd.
Snow drifted lazily from the sky where they were gathered, everyone paying their respects to the Druid as he stood in silent respect to those who had been his family for his entire life. It was tradition that, when a centaur of the Shuul clan reached a certain age, they would go out on their own, and return, maybe months, maybe years later, with something to strengthen the herd, such as the location of a lush field of cud, or a spell to make their lives easily.
Some chose to go into the Underland for their pilgrimage, but that was usually considered to be suicide, as very few ever returned from that strange place. Those who did, though, always brought something of great value back, but Korsa was more interested in the leylines of the natural world anyways. Besides, they didn't have access to a portal right now, not since that cult had overtaken the one at the bottom of the Testen Gorge.
The high priestess slowly approached Korsa as he stood there, carrying a thick blanket and a basket of grass. When she reached her fellow centaur, she carefully lay the quilt over his back, and embraced him to fasten the basket of cud around his shoulder. She was an ancient centaur, the high priestess, so she could only whisper the words to Korsa, "Here is a quilt to keep you warm in this cold world, and a month of cud to feed you should you wander in a barren way. Now go, and find whatever you will find."
And she pulled away, the herd watching in silence as their brother decided which way he would travel.
Mana Bank: 3GGG
Experience: 0/25
Legendary Creature - Spirit Monger
(U/R), T, Discard a card: Draw a card.
0/2
There was a walled village in the distance.
Isos had never been on this side of the Great Plains before. There was a wide river that ran through the middle of the Plains, with tall pine forests for miles on either bank, and most of the time it was flowing too fast and too deep and too cold to hope to cross. However, this year, as bitter as the cold was, it had actually been frozen over, so he could just walk across it to see about exploring this side of the Plains for some artifacts worthy of salvaging.
He'd been walking several days now, and this was the first thing he had seen, looming in the distance between two mountains like a fortress of some sort. Isos would probably be happy if it were, they would probably have a vault and lots of stuff to salvage, but it looked like there were trails of smoke above the place, and he thought he could hear the distant chatter of women and children on the wind.
Well, surely he could approach them to gather the lay of the land, or maybe drum up some business for after finding something, but, would he just walk up to the front gate?
Mana Bank: 1UURR
Experience: 0/25
Before all of this, they had been powerful, strong, respected. And yet, in those years, even their castle was a mere shadow of its former self; fallen into disrepair and chaos, just like the rest of the world had.
Even as the young Masakenshi knelt, he wondered why he bothered to stay. It would be so easy for him to leave at this point; it would be so easy to leave behind the life that his parents had planned for him, to make his own path through the dangerous world. But he knew exactly why he stayed, and although the realization was bitter he knew it to be the truth; it was just how it had always been, and their words and threats still held him caged.
The samurai had never cared much for Tokashi in his later years, serving him faithfully out of his sense of duty alone. When the old man beckoned him forward, he obeyed with the same, expressionless look on his face that he always had. But when the wakizashi was handed to him and the old man took his last breath, a brief flash of panic twisted the Samurai's traits.
This changed everything. With a duty as big as this one falling upon his shoulders, there was absolutely no way he could run away now. The more cynical part of his mind wondered if this had been his parents' plans all along; if he had reached where they had intended him to reach, having played into their hands perfectly. Daimyo of the Shinten clan... the biggest honor that a samurai of his stature could ever hope to achieve, and one that he wasn't even sure he had properly deserved. What did old Tokashi see in him?
There would be time for those considerations later, however, as Masakenshi knew he had to act fast. His own plans foiled or not, his status had suddenly increased, and he knew that his first move needed to make sure everyone knew that. Twenty-two they may have remained, but a rebellion from even just one person was difficult enough to quell honorably. He had read enough history books to know this much.
Bowing his head respectfully to the deceased, the bitter samurai turned towards the remnants of his family. Calmly, coldly, he held the weapon of the Daimyo for all to see, the crest of the Shinten clearly evident on its handle.
"His soul has departed for the next world," the young man declared, "and there is much work that remains to be done. By my honor and my life, I, Masakenshi Shinten, swear to answer our former Daimyo's last request and lead the Shinten to a new era of prosperity."
A mechanical, almost repeated speech; but it was what was expected of him, he knew. Furthermore, it would allow him to gauge their reactions to his power play. He never had much patience for politics, but he knew that he had to play that game for the time being.
The weakness of the flesh is that it is not blessed with the through spark of vital fire, Stranglefume pondered, All they have is winter cloaks and furs to keep the fleeting warmth inside. But that will not last.
"You are right", Stranglefume replied to the pleading and enjoyed the glance of false hope in the clergy's eyes as the blades disappear in their sheaths under the wide cloak, "I don't have to do this."
A moment just to build up his expectation. "I choose to do this." Another moment to let understanding wreck what has been build. Then it was time to dance.
It takes just a swift step forward and a strike far below the man's center of mass to make them flail trying to recover balance. Clutching the clothes of the elder close by the neck Stranglefume moves to jerk the man around. The sudden violent motion could be enough to cut off the victim's air, but the impact itself would likely be the lethal blow to snap the man's neck.
Mood: effortless disposal
Switch the power and toughness of target creature you don't control until end of turn.
OOC: I'm not sure where this falls on the "cheating" scale (getting yourself to use less mana) since I actually invest a finite or at least tangible resource in its place. The alternate cost line is there for flavor first though and I can forfeit the alternative cost to pay no experience if necessary.
EDIT:
Life Total: 20
Hand: Two cards
Mana Bank:
Battlefield: Stranglefume, Cinder Hushblade
Stack: Throw About targeting Elder Priest Telor
Experience: 0/25
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
He began his trudge down the mountain, slow and steady, as his thoughts continued to meander nowhere useful. This was, foremost, a reconnaissance mission. He was to learn about the area in order to form true goals for himself. Goals that led him on the path to power.
He had chosen northwards, to the fens and beyond.
Shank and Bullet were the only human friends he knew. He had a couple of feral friends in the form of juvenile fire dragons, but they weren't the same as real people one could rely on. Making up his mind that this was the day he was leaving the clan, he visited the two one last time, explaining to them that he was heading southwest. He asked the two if they wanted to join him in his long journey to the crags bordering the now-frozen wasteland, looking for a volcanic wasteland to hunt on instead--the biome he was familiar with from having studied feral dragonkind for so long.
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
Ace Sheeke gets +2/+0 if you control a red or green Dragon creature with converted mana cost 6 or more.
1/1
Mana Bank: 1RRGG
Experience: 0/25
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
At that moment, Lewys made a decision. He would find out what exactly led to this chain of events - what happened for Artys to lay dead on the table before him? Who killed him, and why? He knew his life was about to make a dramatic turn - before, his goals were mainly focused on his studies, and the religious theology. But now, to see this brutal injustice right before his eyes - he knew that he needed to return to the streets, armed with the insight his church teachings blessed him with.