So Avacyn heard 10,000 prayers. Is this the first time we have an official census count of the human population of a plane? There could be more, who don't pray to Avacyn or are corrupted, etc. but it's a nice ballpark figure of Innistrad's general human population count?
I think that right now the most likely theory is Emrakul. But for everyone that is really opposed to that theory, I think it will play out completely differntly that BfZ, to the extent that Emrakul will not even get a card and we will see at most two eldrazi creature cards. Itshe will be a background plot element, the source of the madness. Fundamentally different execution than with Kozilek and Ulamog.
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned but:
EPISODE 03: UNWELCOME
Jace Beleren has come to Innistrad searching for the vampire lord Sorin Markov, who he hopes can help him unravel a puzzle. But Innistrad is unfamiliar territory, and the only person Jace knows who might be able to guide him is likely to be less than helpful...
So it seems like our main plot will begin moving forward this week as Jace the Investigator is about to show up. I didn't expect to see Liliana so soon but this synopsis seems to suggest that she might be showing up. I wonder why she would even be on Innistrad in the first place. Doesn't she have places to go, demons to slay?
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned but:
EPISODE 03: UNWELCOME
Jace Beleren has come to Innistrad searching for the vampire lord Sorin Markov, who he hopes can help him unravel a puzzle. But Innistrad is unfamiliar territory, and the only person Jace knows who might be able to guide him is likely to be less than helpful...
So it seems like our main plot will begin moving forward this week as Jace the Investigator is about to show up. I didn't expect to see Liliana so soon but this synopsis seems to suggest that she might be showing up. I wonder why she would even be on Innistrad in the first place. Doesn't she have places to go, demons to slay?
I asked about this earlier. I expect Liliana will show up as a card in Eldritch Moon, bit be present in the storyline before, like Jace in BfZ.
If I had to take a guess I'd bet that Jace agrees to help her with the veil on the condition that she helps hom locate Sorin.
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned but:
EPISODE 03: UNWELCOME
Jace Beleren has come to Innistrad searching for the vampire lord Sorin Markov, who he hopes can help him unravel a puzzle. But Innistrad is unfamiliar territory, and the only person Jace knows who might be able to guide him is likely to be less than helpful...
So it seems like our main plot will begin moving forward this week as Jace the Investigator is about to show up. I didn't expect to see Liliana so soon but this synopsis seems to suggest that she might be showing up. I wonder why she would even be on Innistrad in the first place. Doesn't she have places to go, demons to slay?
I kind of thought Liliana would play a role like Nissa did in BFZ, where the first set focuses on Jace but features the main cast of walkers as part of the story as necessary from the beginning, and the second set would follow the second protagonist character which in this case would be Liliana, so it's not strange to me. I kind of like that set up anyway. Dunno if it will be one that persist or if thigns just lined up the last two blocks to allow it.
And Liliana actually is not fighting her demons right now, at least as far as we can gather. the prologue to BFZ story had her going to Jace to find a way to remove herself from the need for the Chain veil which is having adverse effects on her, but the Chain Veil was what allowed her to beat the demons in the first place. In other words, if she doesn't want to keep using the veil, and the Veil is her means to slay the demons, she wouldn't still be actively seeking demons to slay if she was just trying to find another means to do so and thusly is allowed room in the narrative to take a break and head to Innistrad. Even without that justification for her to not be plane-hopping hunting demons, it shouldn't be that strange to come across her on what's become a plane associated strongly with her past and one she's characterized as rather liking to an extent, so I don't think there even really needs to be a plot reason for her to be there, in my opinion.
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They didn't care that he was the savior of Fort Keff, the great hunter of Ondu, the champion of Kabira. To them, he was just another piece of flesh, a thing with life to be drained away.
The new spoiler rule is in effect, and this is the only thread it affects. Please keep any story details not current with the articles in spoiler tags.
Decent, boring but needed, story. I do however love that Sorin tested Liliana when she first got to Innistrad.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I don't mind this one. These guys (the planeswalkers) need some time between epic battles to interact, and these moments humanize them and give them some depth. It sets the stage for Jace's role in this story and organically keeps us abreast of where Liliana is at the moment. I can dig it.
Always interesting when depowered old walkers tell neo-walkers "Back in my day..."
So, the fact that you're a werewolf doesn't show up in any of a telepath's mental scans? I guess he was only looking for directions, but I would assume a secret that big would constantly be at the forefront of your thoughts.
Jace is actually effective in a fight. Nice. Then he is totally useless in another. So, basically his only hope in a fight with a Black aligned mage, specifically a necromancer, is to give the mage the Alhammeret treatment and then die to the undead's obedience to their last command?
The little verbal chess game between Jace and Liliana was entertaining as usual.
Overall, an enjoyable story. Why does Jace ever travel alone though?
I really liked this. Sure, just a scene-setter, but I liked how much of the background canon it covered, and the acknowledgements of some of the out-of-story discussions (eg. no way would Lili join the Gatewatch, or even see it as anything more than 'a little club' ). Nice touch about Sorin testing her and then setting out his rules for her staying so long ago, and that Lili is still, if not scared, then at least in no doubt about how easily Sorin could kill her. It's good to get an in-story acknowledgement of his power from someone who's no slouch for power herself.
And I liked the references to Jace's coat. It *is* a nice coat.
ETA: Blurb for next week's story looks cool. 'A Gitrog Toad's Tale' perhaps? Join us next time to find out. (Join us. Join us. Join us...)
I liked a lot about this story, and felt that it was well written. The dialogue flowed much better than some recent stories, and I like Jace's positioning on a plane with entities he can't easily manipulate with thoughts or illusions. Yeah, Jace's powers might be OP against normal people or humanoids, but I think it's cool that his power is kept in check because he can't really affect anything physicially, so things like Eldrazi, undead, gods, robots, etc. are really tough for him to handle. I think it raises the stakes nicely, because he won't just be able to "woops mind control lol" to overcome every encounter like he might if he were on Ravnica. Though to be fair I think this was always true to some extent because of the inclusion of magical, undead, artificial, and otherworldy entities in the first place, but I feel like it's accentuated more on Innistrad.
Really looking forward to the storyline for this block.
I guess that Sorin was far more Black or even Red-Black those days. I liked his reference.
Their talking had some ups and downs, but generally interesting read. I loved the beggining and Lili's uncomfortness when it came to Innistrad terrors. Not so much their flirt, mainly because as usual it was half-assed.
An ok story. You'd think Jace would be far more careful on a world he knows very little about. Also, since his newest card has Unsummon on it, why can't he ever use a telekinetic spell to deal with threats he can't mind affect.
Well, if there's anything I liked about this, it's the reminder that Liliana still respects (or at least, is wary of) anybody who is equal or more powerful than herself. Even with Jace it was a bantering of "It's going to be a lose-lose scenario for both us, remember?"
I liked that it solidified the concept that Liliana generally uses Innistrad as a base of some sort (if not her main base) and it wasn't without interference long ago from the Lord of Innistrad himself, considering Jace had a relatively easy time finding her (loads easier than Ugin, at least). I think she's going to be the "Ugin" of this block, because Sorin is likely going to take a more active role given what happened between him and Nahiri.
Drawing parallels to the BFZ block setup...
Gideon/Jace = Jace (and maybe Tamiyo) - Main investigators
Nissa = Sorin - Most power on homeplane
Chandra = Probably Arlinn - The wildcard of sorts
Ugin = Liliana - Powerful being behind-the-scenes
Ob Nixilis = Nahiri - Wrecking the landscape... oh wait that's Ulamog.
I liked it. I wouldn't want him meeting and proposing his objective to Liliana to be rushed into a passage or two in an article so I think this deserved a whole piece. And by the end we're on the move, so that's a plus! Multiple stories of Gideon and Nissa playing with Ashaya/looking for allies was a formula that (so far) isn't being replicated, thank goodness.
An ok story. You'd think Jace would be far more careful on a world he knows very little about. Also, since his newest card has Unsummon on it, why can't he ever use a telekinetic spell to deal with threats he can't mind affect.
Whatever fits the writing. He'll get there, he did use some TK against eldrazi (and Kiora for that matter). I'm sure eventually he'll force push Sorin or some foe off of Liliana to save her. *swoon/barf*
My favorite SOI UR yet. I really loved this one. This is what Innistrad is all about for me! I love Jace and Lilliana's interactions. To the point that I actually lol'ed when she whispered in his ear. They're a mess HAHA
I always love stories with Jace and Liliana. I just really enjoy Lili's character..the anti-hero is definitely my favorite kind of character. Plus she makes me laugh with how she teases Jace: "I'm sure you have some forms to file..." This was kind of "Catching Up" part two and I loved it. Not much happened, yes, but like others said, it was a necessary step onto what it next. We also learned that Lili met Sorin years ago and he tested her abilities. Interesting. So far I am absolutely loving each of these SOI stories. Innistrad is just the coolest setting and it's so nice to actually get a narrative story this time around!
Looking forward to next week -
EPISODE 04: SACRIFICE
Miles from Stensia, in the Nephalian highlands, something crawls to the surface of dark Lake Zhava.
I gotta say that I'm disappointed Lilliana has apparently just been sitting around her manor, rather than doing stuff. :/ I guess it hasn't really been too long, though. I get the feeling BFZ happened in a month or three.
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Cyme we inne frið, fram the grip of deaþ to lif inne ðis smylte land.
Also, since his newest card has Unsummon on it, why can't he ever use a telekinetic spell to deal with threats he can't mind affect.
The story expostioned (is that a word?) that possibility away when Jace was thinking how his telekinesis isn't much more effective than his physical muscles, but it does grant him an exceptional degree of telekinetic dexterity. I agree that abilities on cards that aren't acknowledged in stories can be frustrating. I found it funny when he was discussing his lack of trust in "people" with Lili an apt line would have been "I don't trust people any farther than I can throw them", which according to this story is not a considerable distance at all.
A chill rain fell from patchy clouds, and something howled in the night. Jace had only been on Innistrad for two days, and he already hated it. The only saving grace so far was a new leather coat he'd bought to keep the rain and some of the cold at bay.
He just happened to find a leather coat that complements his costume, gauntlets and all?
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
EPISODE 03: UNWELCOME
Jace Beleren has come to Innistrad searching for the vampire lord Sorin Markov, who he hopes can help him unravel a puzzle. But Innistrad is unfamiliar territory, and the only person Jace knows who might be able to guide him is likely to be less than helpful...
So it seems like our main plot will begin moving forward this week as Jace the Investigator is about to show up. I didn't expect to see Liliana so soon but this synopsis seems to suggest that she might be showing up. I wonder why she would even be on Innistrad in the first place. Doesn't she have places to go, demons to slay?
I asked about this earlier. I expect Liliana will show up as a card in Eldritch Moon, bit be present in the storyline before, like Jace in BfZ.
If I had to take a guess I'd bet that Jace agrees to help her with the veil on the condition that she helps hom locate Sorin.
I kind of thought Liliana would play a role like Nissa did in BFZ, where the first set focuses on Jace but features the main cast of walkers as part of the story as necessary from the beginning, and the second set would follow the second protagonist character which in this case would be Liliana, so it's not strange to me. I kind of like that set up anyway. Dunno if it will be one that persist or if thigns just lined up the last two blocks to allow it.
And Liliana actually is not fighting her demons right now, at least as far as we can gather. the prologue to BFZ story had her going to Jace to find a way to remove herself from the need for the Chain veil which is having adverse effects on her, but the Chain Veil was what allowed her to beat the demons in the first place. In other words, if she doesn't want to keep using the veil, and the Veil is her means to slay the demons, she wouldn't still be actively seeking demons to slay if she was just trying to find another means to do so and thusly is allowed room in the narrative to take a break and head to Innistrad. Even without that justification for her to not be plane-hopping hunting demons, it shouldn't be that strange to come across her on what's become a plane associated strongly with her past and one she's characterized as rather liking to an extent, so I don't think there even really needs to be a plot reason for her to be there, in my opinion.
But the people behind the barrier knew.
We already have one!
Modern - Cheeri0s (building), Belcher (building), Lantern (building), UW Control (building)
RIP Magic Duels. Wizards will regret what they did to you.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/unwelcome-2016-03-16
What to say? Introduction/filler, some neat Jace-Liliana moments.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Click the pic for more info.
So, the fact that you're a werewolf doesn't show up in any of a telepath's mental scans? I guess he was only looking for directions, but I would assume a secret that big would constantly be at the forefront of your thoughts.
Jace is actually effective in a fight. Nice. Then he is totally useless in another. So, basically his only hope in a fight with a Black aligned mage, specifically a necromancer, is to give the mage the Alhammeret treatment and then die to the undead's obedience to their last command?
The little verbal chess game between Jace and Liliana was entertaining as usual.
Overall, an enjoyable story. Why does Jace ever travel alone though?
And I liked the references to Jace's coat. It *is* a nice coat.
ETA: Blurb for next week's story looks cool. 'A Gitrog Toad's Tale' perhaps? Join us next time to find out. (Join us. Join us. Join us...)
Really looking forward to the storyline for this block.
Their talking had some ups and downs, but generally interesting read. I loved the beggining and Lili's uncomfortness when it came to Innistrad terrors. Not so much their flirt, mainly because as usual it was half-assed.
I liked that it solidified the concept that Liliana generally uses Innistrad as a base of some sort (if not her main base) and it wasn't without interference long ago from the Lord of Innistrad himself, considering Jace had a relatively easy time finding her (loads easier than Ugin, at least). I think she's going to be the "Ugin" of this block, because Sorin is likely going to take a more active role given what happened between him and Nahiri.
Drawing parallels to the BFZ block setup...
Gideon/Jace = Jace (and maybe Tamiyo) - Main investigators
Nissa = Sorin - Most power on homeplane
Chandra = Probably Arlinn - The wildcard of sorts
Ugin = Liliana - Powerful being behind-the-scenes
Ob Nixilis = Nahiri - Wrecking the landscape... oh wait that's Ulamog.
Whatever fits the writing. He'll get there, he did use some TK against eldrazi (and Kiora for that matter). I'm sure eventually he'll force push Sorin or some foe off of Liliana to save her. *swoon/barf*
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Looking forward to next week -
EPISODE 04: SACRIFICE
Miles from Stensia, in the Nephalian highlands, something crawls to the surface of dark Lake Zhava.
OOOOO....maybe the Gitrog Toad??? So fun.
The story expostioned (is that a word?) that possibility away when Jace was thinking how his telekinesis isn't much more effective than his physical muscles, but it does grant him an exceptional degree of telekinetic dexterity. I agree that abilities on cards that aren't acknowledged in stories can be frustrating. I found it funny when he was discussing his lack of trust in "people" with Lili an apt line would have been "I don't trust people any farther than I can throw them", which according to this story is not a considerable distance at all.
Wish one of his cards would summon illusion tokens. at 5 CMC this one should have hd 4 abilities with +1 summon a 2/2 Blue Illusion token IMO.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
He just happened to find a leather coat that complements his costume, gauntlets and all?
Yes thank yoooou, I've been wanting a Jace for my illusion deck forever.
I don't think Lili will join the watch
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi