MTG Salvation

Two weeks of strong stories in a row? There's hope for UR yet.

I agree with whoever said that their treatment of the Legendary creatures has been much better than the planeswalkers. But I think that is due to the limited window they have to display the legends.
the legendary creature has to be established and presented as engaging, with personality and feats to match their cards, and their stories resolved, all in the course of one short story.

In any case, Noyan was a very interesting character. a continually pissed-off blue/white mage made for an excellent read.

Best story in the BFZ series yet. Noyan was great fun and I hope that's not the last we've seen of him.

Why is Wizard's website always crackheaded? It may be something wrong with my browser, but it still says episode 11 coming soon, but clearly other people have read it.

Could someone please post a link or tell me what I'm doing wrong in navigating wizards website?

Edit: found it, read it, loved it

This story was amazing. I like Gideon even more than before. I really like the fact they are shaping up his personality.

Noyan Dar was a very fun character. I really hope we get more of him.

Here's hoping for more good stories.

Quote from whiskey_ginger »

Why is Wizard's website always crackheaded? It may be something wrong with my browser, but it still says episode 11 coming soon, but clearly other people have read it.

What? No, people are commenting on Episode 10, 'Shaping an Army'.

So I hope this UR has pleased all of the Gideon-haters out there.

I wasn't a big fan of Ken Troop's Theros work, but both "Memories of Blood" and this story have been home runs for me, and I wasn't expecting Noyan Dar to be so entertaining...and so grumpy. Well-drawn characters, good contrasts to Gideon's Big Damn Hero philosophy, love to see the callback to the Cosi/Ula stories told by Kiora. Also looks like we get confirmation that Coralhelm is a place, and it's on Tazeem.

I think everyone suspecting that Kozilek is still around and manipulating everything from behind the scenes might be right, and here's the evidence from today's UR:

"Gideon turned back. 'One question, though, before I leave. In the story you were telling me, the one about Cosi and Ula, who ended up with the pearl?'

Noyan smirked. 'Cosi did, of course. That's how most Cosi stories end up, with Cosi convincing Ula to do something that Ula hadn't initially wanted to do, and then Cosi ends up benefiting from it.' Noyan loved the Cosi stories."

Quote from PiscesJazz13 »

I think everyone suspecting that Kozilek is still around and manipulating everything from behind the scenes might be right, and here's the evidence from today's UR:

"Gideon turned back. 'One question, though, before I leave. In the story you were telling me, the one about Cosi and Ula, who ended up with the pearl?'

Noyan smirked. 'Cosi did, of course. That's how most Cosi stories end up, with Cosi convincing Ula to do something that Ula hadn't initially wanted to do, and then Cosi ends up benefiting from it.' Noyan loved the Cosi stories."

I think the bit at the end about cosi always getting what he wants was not a reference to Kozilek still being on Zendikar (although I don't doubt that's still a possinility) it was a young in cheek reference to how Gideon came and convinced Dar to do something he hadn't wanted for Gideon benefit. Hence his smile turning into a "flat stare." HE'D realized bed been hoodwinked.

Yeah, the Cosi/Ula story is a parallel to the Gideon/Noyan Dar story with Gideon as Cosi and prideful Noyan Dar as Ula, I don't believe it has any greater relevance to actually Kozilek.

Regardless, the story was fantastic.

2 home runs 2 weeks straight. Solid work out oof creative here. I loved Noyan's perspective of Gideon and the part where he throws a joke in about the sural feels like a bit of catharsis for the vorthos communities distaste with the "whips his sural back and forth". And seeing Gideon through a non walkers eyes was nice. I really enjoyed Noyan having the outlook that Gideon was an idiot, just to be fooled by him in the end. Gideon isn't as dumb as we think. He's no genius but still not an idiot.

Quote from Kazooki117 »

Wow, this was the best Uncharted Realms I've ever read I think. Not necessarily a lot of narrative movement, but it was endlessly entertaining. I didn't think a Noyan Dar story would be that interesting, but the author makes Noyan Dar and the roilmages into some of the quirkiest and readable characters I've seen yet in an Uncharted Realms, definitely topping Zada from last week, as delightful as she was. The author even managed to eke humor out of stoic Gideon. Masterfully done.

That's it boys, can only be down hill from here. The Battle for Zendikar is over, and Noyan Dar has won it. Ready for Oath now.

Fully agreed. This was one of the most funny UR I ever read, and it came quite naturally.

I also liked the portrayal of Noyan Dar as a character who spent his life practicing one way of thinking and life, and now he was forced to adapt to living in a state on the borderline of insanity.

His thinking of the ol' Stoneface Gideon was an amazing inside joke - the authors making fun of the character himself. Until now, I have seen him as a really annoying version of Captain America...now also Captain Obvious

I love that they made fun of Gideon's Sural Technique.

I have a feeling someone at creative has to have been reading feedback.

Overall, great UR. I'm glad they're incorporating the legends into the story. Outside of Omnath, we've covered everyone.

Quote from Rockon101000, of Artanes CS »

I think the bit at the end about cosi always getting what he wants was not a reference to Kozilek still being on Zendikar (although I don't doubt that's still a possinility) it was a young in cheek reference to how Gideon came and convinced Dar to do something he hadn't wanted for Gideon benefit. Hence his smile turning into a "flat stare." HE'D realized bed been hoodwinked.

I can't believe I missed that. Yeah, its probably what they were getting at.

Still it seems like the writers must be making a point bringing up Cosi and Ula in a story that so far as been only about Ulamog.

Quote from OrzhovPlaneswalker »

The next UR is of major Plot Significance!
EPISODE 11: THE LIBERATION OF SEA GATE
A bedraggled and ragtag army brought from all across Zendikar assembles to reclaim Sea Gate from the Eldrazi. As Gideon shoulders the responsibility of commanding this great host, he must learn the difference between being a hero and being a leader.

I don't get the timeline or speed of events in the story at all. Gideon has had time to send people to other continents (by glider!) but Ulamog still hasn't reached Seagate? I though his arrival was eminent. Also are we to assume Gideon has arranged all of this from a base of operations that amounts to a large rock with a small number of starving people on it?

Quote from Caranthir »

Until now, I have seen him as a really annoying version of Captain America

And much like Captain America he doesn't need a parachute.

Quote from EleshNornn »

Yeah, the Cosi/Ula story is a parallel to the Gideon/Noyan Dar story with Gideon as Cosi and prideful Noyan Dar as Ula, I don't believe it has any greater relevance to actually Kozilek.

Regardless, the story was fantastic.

I 100% agree about the parallels between the protagonists and the Eldrazi myth, but because this is such a well-crafted story, I can see it also applying to the greater story arc too. Either way, this is one of my favorite UR pieces in a while.

The bit about Cosi and Ula in this story was clearly first and foremost about Gideon having manipulated Noyan Dar and his roilmages into agreeing to help (I like how Noyan more or less figures out what he's doing very quickly, but then says "Nah, this guy is too dumb to be doing that." His constant irritation and bad mood at the new state of things seems to be making it a little hard for him to accurately assess annoying strangers)

But with two URs so far reminding us that Cosi is a trickster who manipulates events, and flavor text in the set suggesting that despite the titan's seeming absence, Kozilek's lineage seems to be doing something sneaky and mysterious underground, I think the foreshadowing being laid down is very strong.

Amazing UR. Noyan Dar was a very enjoyable character to read, and it is always fun to see someone more sarcastic narrating things from his point of view once in a while. At first I also thought that the bit about Cosi/Ula was some indication that Kozilek was still around, but it makes more sense to think that Gideon fooled Noyan Dar and he only realized in the end.

It is so good to read about fresh characters, it really makes me sad about the fact that the story is locked into Origins 5 mode. I mean, maybe if they start alternating more the points of view, telling stories from the points of different characters with one Origins 5 in it, then maybe things could always be enjoyable as this week's UR. Really hope they keep up the good pace. It is almost making me forget about the moaning Nissa.

I've always enjoyed stories about Legendary creatures more than the stories about planeswalkers. I'm just burned out on the origin 5 at this point.

Noyan Dar being so pessimistic and sarcastic made it a fun story to read. It's nice to take a break from all of the "serious business" the writers try to portray.

Funny how Noyan survives on making something work through irritation, and he didn't believe Gideon used the same tactic. Myth or no myth, didn't it sound familiar?

Also it was the funniest UR I've ever read.

I've always loved Legendaries the most. Thassa, Avacyn etc. I find them more interesting.

Great story. The Ula/Cosi story could easily do both - Gideon duping Noyan Dar, and a foreshadowing of Kozilek. Who knows. I find it amusing though that Gideon, who is from a land built on god myths and manipulated by Erebos hears a story about Zendikar's false gods.

So Coralhelm is on Tazeem after all!

I am also intrigued with the possibility of the story have multiple meanings. Here's some story elements I find most interesting when paralleled with the narrative.

Pearl- Kalni heart

Ula- Ulamog

Cosi- Kozilek

The pearl/heart's sneeze- The Roil, the Zendikari Alliance, Planeswalkers

The 'mucus'- Binding of Ulamog temporarily in Hedron circle

Cosi get's the pearl- Does anyone remember where Khalni heart went? underground The same place Kozi's lineage are permeating and where it is speculated Kozilek may actually be.

All speculation of course but hardly baseless.

I felt Gideon's blatant "indestructability" was new in its presentation. Have we seen this so openly before?

Also, I have been wondering for a while... Origins really focused on the hieromancy, including the brilliant binding tentacle-magic. We haven't seen any of that from Gideon. I'm not complaining, but I thought with the new art and flavor from Origins that we'd see Gideon using some of his hieromancy--especially to bind the Eldrazi! Or does his surral serve that purpose using hieromancy somehow?

Quote from Zazdor »

I felt Gideon's blatant "indestructability" was new in its presentation.

I believe previous stories have mentioned Gideon's ability to come out of fights unscathed. Spells that grant indestructibility are certainly a White thing, even in the lore. Elspeth used a spell like that to when Heliod first attacked her.

Yeah this was a really good one guys, and with next week covering a major plot point I have high hopes for the future. I think the Cosi/Ula parable was definitely referring to Gideon tricking Noyan but I'm still hoping Kozilek is hiding on Zendikar though. I think the foreshadowing is there. Im glad non-planeswalker characters are getting built up so that we can actually be invested in the fate of the Zendakari.

I think Noyan Dar hit a nerve when he mentioned roilshaping's difficulty in not getting yourself or people around you killed to Gideon. Am I imagining this?

Quote from Vorthospike »

The description of roil shaping is really interesting. I can't think of any other kind magic described that way.

That's how most Cosi stories end up, with Cosi convincing Ula to do something that Ula hadn't initially wanted to do, and then Cosi ends up benefiting from it.

This seems to enormously bolster the idea that Kozilek is still around.

Kozi is tricking Ulamog to stay on Zendikar? I mean the other two titans have left, why did Ulamog stay?