Well as par the course for SOI thus far that was quite good! As others have said the switch from third person to 1rst person threw me a little bit but I understand it was intentional and I think it did show the sense of delirium that existed in the manor.
Tamiyo studied w/ and under Jenrik, and I'm inclined to believe she did feel a sense of friendship w/ him, as near as moonfolk can anyway, the fact he went and not her indicates to me that either she was trapped somewhere or busy investigating something else and needed him to go to Markov manor. It should also be noted that to our knowledge Tamiyo doesn't have any mind control abilities, she may have asked Jenrik to go to the manor but in the end the decision to go there was all his own.
@Jenrik: .....um...sorry dude. On the bright side look at it this way, your namesake wasn't just faded into obscurity, he played a major story role, and he went down alongside a whole castle of vampires. That's more than most cathars can say and Jenrik was a scholar. I guess now your best bet is waiting for them to print "Jenrik, the moongeist"
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My Decks:
UG Merfolk RG 8-Whack BWG Abzan midrange GRB Living End UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin" RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!" BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
This is Innistrad. Jenrik could still get a card as a giest. Or at least Jenrik can continue to hope. As others have said, the transition was awkward but overall it was a good story.
This is very cool. I would love a geist Jenrik. On the other hand, Jenrik, the Astronomer, is now relegated to the Hopefully in Commander list.
Speaking of good ol' Eddie, I was able to get a hold of the high-res version of Foreboding Ruins. (view vull version here) I zoomed in, and located the statue of Edgar. It's a bit grainy, but it gives us some idea of what he looks like.
Here go my two cents:
First of all, I'll just reiterate what others have said – the switch from 3rd person to 1st person narrative was abrupt and aesthetically unpleasant. Considering the fact what we're getting is, in part, a noir story with Jace as the Phil Marlowe character, I would really enjoy a full 1st person treatment. This, however, did not work as intended.
The style itself reminded me of Ex Oblivione and Nyarlathotep (the vignette, not the character), and, once again, the 1st person narration works well here. I was looking for any and all allusions to The Fall of the House of Usher real hard, but I didn't see anything that could be considered intentional. Did I miss it, or do I overestimate Wyatt by even considering the possibility?
What I find surprising is the unexpected order of events. From thet flavortexts of Pore Over the Pages and Markov Manor clue token, I automatically concluded that by the "fate of Markov Manor", Tamiyo meant the destruction, and on the clue token she reminds herself to send Jenrik to investigate. I have never expected that she meant to send Jenrik to the Markov Manor when BEFORE anything happened there, when it was full of Markov vampires, and most probably very much not a safe place for any man to be at all.
Now, the content of the story, that's the main issue here. As Caranthir said, the order of events seems illogical. Tamiyo sent Jenrik to investigate the Markov Manor, but he arrived before the proverbial fall. Does that mean there was something else happening even before Nahiri came? I'm not going to dwell on why did Tamiyo send Jenrik to his death – the more important question is why did he have her journal on him (a metalingual aside: that's a crapload of pronouns going on here). Are we getting an in-story explanation or is it just Creative macguffining their way out of well thought out plot again?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
standard: BUG The Baron (it doesn't work, but I try anyway)
I don't mean to be rude but Jenrik (user) does seem to gravitate towards very niche characters. The fact he hasn't responded yet to the story makes me think he's curled up in a dark corner somewhere...
<inserts Josh Groban CD> "Don't give up. It's just the weight of the world...."
Niche is no reason to kill a character right off the bat when they finally debut in the core story. Which is something I got a lot of hate about when I claimed to like Jenrik during the original Innistrad days when I first joined Magic. "He's just a style guide detail! He's just some old unknown who worked with Tamiyo, she was irrelevant to the story!" Now he's the focus of this week's story which revolves around investigating said work with Tamiyo, and Jenrik is killed as soon as creating a card for him became relevant.
Thassa, Bident stolen.
Avacyn, killed by Sorin.
Choryu, killed by Hidetsugu.
Jenrik, killed by Nahiri.
Serra, probably dead already.
Venser, dead.
Marit Lage, MIA.
I just hope when they kill Arixmethes and Thassa, that it's Marit Lage who does it. At least that way it's reasonable. You know, before the Gatewatch kills her too of course. How easy it is to off legends like Jenrik while planeswalkers walk around nigh-immortal against even Eldrazi titans.
Who knows, this is Innistrad. Jenrik's thoughts linger, fossilized vampires appear to blink, memories invade Jace's mind. I'll try not to overreact and let the story play out. Jenrik was feared by the Stormkirk for his vast knowledge and power, after all. Tamiyo sent him to what he should have known, as a local, was a dangerous area and he still agreed to go there. It was Nahiri that killed him, after all. Or spared him. But I'm no longer optimistic about him ever seeing a card now. Even as a geist. Which would be insulting anyway.
He looks rather young. I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I imagined him to be older like Lighthouse Chronologist or something. Guess it doesn't matter now that the art I have for him is dead as stone. Literally. The disappointment when I read that he was dead was a very sad drain of enthusiasm.
It's like waiting a whole year for the birthday you thought everyone forgot, seeing your mother walk up with the surprise cake, only to trip over something and hurl the whole thing right at your face.
Anyone else find it interesting that we may have gotten our first depiction or description of the creation of Innistradian vampirism? I don't know what I expected, but somehow a semi-cult like sacrificial rite amongst all of the vampire progenitors wasn't it. I guess I thought Edgar Markov alone performed the rite and then used his alchemy to spread vampirism to the other progenitors; I hadn't thought they were all present for the ritual. Kind of makes me wonder what caused Olivia or Runo to agree to the ritual? Was famine alone enough? And if we're to believe Sorin was alive based on the information we've been given - limited though it may be - when the ritual took place, I'd be curious to know if it was instant eons transmission or more intimate. Did Edgar force it on Sorin? Did Sorin want the condition?
Then again, we'll probably never learn much. Also, apologies to Jenrik. I sympathize with the pain of losing all of your favorite characters.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Vorthos-player with way too much time on his hands and a love of thematic decks.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
Also there are some plot elements that should have been major reveals to him that came off contrived because they read off like bullet points- Tamiyo being a PW from Kamigawa, Avycen's creation by Sorin (how did Tami learn this?), the origin of Vampires.
How are these supposed to be major revelations to Jace? He's never been to Innistrad before. He's never met Tamiyo (and would have her pegged right off the bat, since he apparently HAS been to Kamigawa), never had any reason to wonder what the deal with Innistrad vampires is, and is only aware of Avacyn second hand. How Tamiyo pieced together Avacyn's origins when Avacyn hasn't done so herself is a real question, but also not one Jace has the context to be surprised about.
This is probably the low point of the Shadows chapters so far, but it's still readable. I'm surprised. I thought I'd have way more negative opinions about a chapter where a character that annoys me walks through empty rooms talking to himself while plot points physically emerge from the walls and present themselves to him... Maybe Innistrad is just hard to screw up.
Our previous info on the vampirism ritual was that it was performed by Edgar and his sons.
Yes, Jace has been to Kamigawa. It was while he was part of Tezzeret's Consortium during Agents of Artifice. Most of the interaction we saw him have was with the Nezumi but that doesn't mean he couldn't have been back since or even that there was a moonfolk in the Kamigawa branch of the Consortium.
Also there are some plot elements that should have been major reveals to him that came off contrived because they read off like bullet points- Tamiyo being a PW from Kamigawa, Avycen's creation by Sorin (how did Tami learn this?), the origin of Vampires.
How are these supposed to be major revelations to Jace? He's never been to Innistrad before. He's never met Tamiyo (and would have her pegged right off the bat, since he apparently HAS been to Kamigawa), never had any reason to wonder what the deal with Innistrad vampires is, and is only aware of Avacyn second hand. How Tamiyo pieced together Avacyn's origins when Avacyn hasn't done so herself is a real question, but also not one Jace has the context to be surprised about.
This is probably the low point of the Shadows chapters so far, but it's still readable. I'm surprised. I thought I'd have way more negative opinions about a chapter where a character that annoys me walks through empty rooms talking to himself while plot points physically emerge from the walls and present themselves to him... Maybe Innistrad is just hard to screw up.
He doesn't have to know the context of these things for him to they these are significant details. More significant than he gives them credit. They are significant in the sense that another PW ins investigating Innistrad and that said PW is from a Plane he's visited. That would have been caused me more interesting mental dialogue than apparently it caused him.
I find it weird that secrets that so few knew about were revealed to him in a largely nonchalant manner, in so short a timespan. It's contrived. At least give him more time with the book. The revelations came off like bulletpoints.
I don't mean to be rude but Jenrik (user) does seem to gravitate towards very niche characters. The fact he hasn't responded yet to the story makes me think he's curled up in a dark corner somewhere...
<inserts Josh Groban CD> "Don't give up. It's just the weight of the world...."
Niche is no reason to kill a character right off the bat when they finally debut in the core story. Which is something I got a lot of hate about when I claimed to like Jenrik during the original Innistrad days when I first joined Magic. "He's just a style guide detail! He's just some old unknown who worked with Tamiyo, she was irrelevant to the story!" Now he's the focus of this week's story which revolves around investigating said work with Tamiyo, and Jenrik is killed as soon as creating a card for him became relevant.
Thassa, Bident stolen.
Avacyn, killed by Sorin.
Choryu, killed by Hidetsugu.
Jenrik, killed by Nahiri.
Serra, probably dead already.
Venser, dead.
Marit Lage, MIA.
I just hope when they kill Arixmethes and Thassa, that it's Marit Lage who does it. At least that way it's reasonable. You know, before the Gatewatch kills her too of course. How easy it is to off legends like Jenrik while planeswalkers walk around nigh-immortal against even Eldrazi titans.
Who knows, this is Innistrad. Jenrik's thoughts linger, fossilized vampires appear to blink, memories invade Jace's mind. I'll try not to overreact and let the story play out. Jenrik was feared by the Stormkirk for his vast knowledge and power, after all. Tamiyo sent him to what he should have known, as a local, was a dangerous area and he still agreed to go there. It was Nahiri that killed him, after all. Or spared him. But I'm no longer optimistic about him ever seeing a card now. Even as a geist. Which would be insulting anyway.
He looks rather young. I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I imagined him to be older like Lighthouse Chronologist or something. Guess it doesn't matter now that the art I have for him is dead as stone. Literally. The disappointment when I read that he was dead was a very sad drain of enthusiasm.
It's like waiting a whole year for the birthday you thought everyone forgot, seeing your mother walk up with the surprise cake, only to trip over something and hurl the whole thing right at your face.
Um.....chill.
I never implied that Jenrik should be killed, only that it is unusual to form so close an attachment to a fictional character in a fantasy-card-game who had never really been in the story, represented on cardboard or really mentioned beyond small worldbuildng details.
Unusual is not wrong, just unusual.
Don't you think your over-reacting? I mean, Maro even mentioned Arixemethis was popularly asked for so you still have an OK chance there.
However, it does suck when a character you like dies.
I liked Elspeth. She's dead. But I have hopes of seeing her again
I also enjoyed Xenagos but I'm afraid there's not much of a chance seeing him again, Underworld-escapee-PW or otherwise.
Characters we like die. That's life. They wouldn't mean as much to us if that risk wasn't there. (AKA Blandwatch)
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wizards. listen. 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
Anyone else find it interesting that we may have gotten our first depiction or description of the creation of Innistradian vampirism?
We knew the basic of where it came from before. Sacrifice an angel and drink the blood.
There was no indication that the various progenitors were present for the original ritual but having them there makes for a cleaner storyline. This way they can just say that anyone who drank the angel's blood became the progenitor of a bloodline.
Kind of makes me wonder what caused Olivia or Runo to agree to the ritual? Was famine alone enough?
As I recall Edgar was tricked by a demon, he wasn't trying to create vampires.
I recalled incorrectly. Edgar was searching for immortality but he new his experiments would result in people feeding in the blood of others. Shilengar prodded him along and its not impossible that Shilengar influence people like Olivia and Runo to join in.
How Tamiyo pieced together Avacyn's origins when Avacyn hasn't done so herself is a real question, but also not one Jace has the context to be surprised about.
We do know that angels on Innistrad don't think much about why they exist and Avacyn is much more robotic that other angels so its unlikely she ever thought about where she came from. Also there is documentation on Innistrad proving that Avacyn is Sorin's creation. Its not clear where they could possibly have come from but that's a different question.
I don't mean to be rude but Jenrik (user) does seem to gravitate towards very niche characters. The fact he hasn't responded yet to the story makes me think he's curled up in a dark corner somewhere...
<inserts Josh Groban CD> "Don't give up. It's just the weight of the world...."
Niche is no reason to kill a character right off the bat when they finally debut in the core story. Which is something I got a lot of hate about when I claimed to like Jenrik during the original Innistrad days when I first joined Magic. "He's just a style guide detail! He's just some old unknown who worked with Tamiyo, she was irrelevant to the story!" Now he's the focus of this week's story which revolves around investigating said work with Tamiyo, and Jenrik is killed as soon as creating a card for him became relevant.
Thassa, Bident stolen.
Avacyn, killed by Sorin.
Choryu, killed by Hidetsugu.
Jenrik, killed by Nahiri.
Serra, probably dead already.
Venser, dead.
Marit Lage, MIA.
I just hope when they kill Arixmethes and Thassa, that it's Marit Lage who does it. At least that way it's reasonable. You know, before the Gatewatch kills her too of course. How easy it is to off legends like Jenrik while planeswalkers walk around nigh-immortal against even Eldrazi titans.
Who knows, this is Innistrad. Jenrik's thoughts linger, fossilized vampires appear to blink, memories invade Jace's mind. I'll try not to overreact and let the story play out. Jenrik was feared by the Stormkirk for his vast knowledge and power, after all. Tamiyo sent him to what he should have known, as a local, was a dangerous area and he still agreed to go there. It was Nahiri that killed him, after all. Or spared him. But I'm no longer optimistic about him ever seeing a card now. Even as a geist. Which would be insulting anyway.
He looks rather young. I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I imagined him to be older like Lighthouse Chronologist or something. Guess it doesn't matter now that the art I have for him is dead as stone. Literally. The disappointment when I read that he was dead was a very sad drain of enthusiasm.
It's like waiting a whole year for the birthday you thought everyone forgot, seeing your mother walk up with the surprise cake, only to trip over something and hurl the whole thing right at your face.
Um.....chill.
I never implied that Jenrik should be killed, only that it is unusual to form so close an attachment to a fictional character in a fantasy-card-game who had never really been in the story, represented on cardboard or really mentioned beyond small worldbuildng details.
Unusual is not wrong, just unusual.
Don't you think your over-reacting? I mean, Maro even mentioned Arixemethis was popularly asked for so you still have an OK chance there.
However, it does suck when a character you like dies.
I liked Elspeth. She's dead. But I have hopes of seeing her again
I also enjoyed Xenagos but I'm afraid there's not much of a chance seeing him again, Underworld-escapee-PW or otherwise.
Characters we like die. That's life. They wouldn't mean as much to us if that risk wasn't there. (AKA Blandwatch)
I am chill. I just disagree with what felt like dismissing Jenrik's death. He had potential to be as relevant as Jori En, as an example. He grazed the spotlight and was killed, losing this potential. He went from irrelevant, as others once claimed, to his work being center stage, but was offed just as he was realized, and before he was represented on a card, for that work with Tamiyo. Even for what was a niche character on an upswing, that's disappointing.
I'm a scientist. I'm naturally discovery-oriented and drawn to what is vague, mysterious or unknown - not what's obvious and common. It's part of my natural curiosity to be drawn to an enticing, poetic part of the lore. I liked that he was an astronomer too who shut away from the world to focus on studying his passions. Sounds like my life, and a very Blue trait. And I am very much Blue myself. Maro has stated people identifying with characters is an important part of why PWs are humanoid, and why they're diversifying the cast. It's an important aspect of novels, and of many storytelling mediums to connect with people.
I don't really like the idea of shaming anyone for being invested in the game and lore. We're on MTGSalvation because we all care about this game in some way. As a Vorthos, I'm inclined to care more about the characters. There are parts of this forum where users spend $9,000 on a Black Lotus because they care more about playability. Well, this is my version of caring about what I do. To each their own. People cosplay their favorite characters from books, movies, shows. I just get a sense of "I know this is like the most disappointing thing in the game for you but like, stop overreacting."
However, it does suck when a character you like dies.
I liked Elspeth. She's dead. But I have hopes of seeing her again
I also enjoyed Xenagos but I'm afraid there's not much of a chance seeing him again, Underworld-escapee-PW or otherwise.
Characters we like die. That's life. They wouldn't mean as much to us if that risk wasn't there. (AKA Blandwatch)
At least, like you say, there is a good chance we will see Elspeth when we return to Theros. Avacyn, on the other hand, is gone for good. That's two of my favorite white-aligned female characters killed off. At least I still have Nahiri and the Powerpuff girls, but I'm worried they won't last the block. Chandra seems pretty well established, though, at this point, I wouldn't put anything past Wizards.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Vorthos Cartography - Check out my completed maps of Zendikar and Innistrad!
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Actually, if I didn't recall wrongly, Choryu was killed by Toshiro (with the help of Night's Reach), not Hidetsugu. Yes, Hidetsugu killed the Smiling kami of the Crescent Moon that drove Choryu to recklessness, but strictly speaking if we blamed that, it would trace back to the decision to kill Hidetsugu's student back then by that Minamo Student... which makes it that student's fault then (and the Orochi for enabling that, but the student is gone as well and Life's Web herself took punishment to a certain as well, along with quite the number of Orochi themselves). If we want to drag it back further, it's still Toshiro's fault, if he didn't interfere with Marrow-Gnawer's mission then, Choryu wouldn't start the whole thing that resulted involving (and later angering) Hidetsugu in the first place. So yeah... Toshiro.
I don't mean to be rude but Jenrik (user) does seem to gravitate towards very niche characters. The fact he hasn't responded yet to the story makes me think he's curled up in a dark corner somewhere...
<inserts Josh Groban CD> "Don't give up. It's just the weight of the world...."
Niche is no reason to kill a character right off the bat when they finally debut in the core story. Which is something I got a lot of hate about when I claimed to like Jenrik during the original Innistrad days when I first joined Magic. "He's just a style guide detail! He's just some old unknown who worked with Tamiyo, she was irrelevant to the story!" Now he's the focus of this week's story which revolves around investigating said work with Tamiyo, and Jenrik is killed as soon as creating a card for him became relevant.
Thassa, Bident stolen.
Avacyn, killed by Sorin.
Choryu, killed by Hidetsugu.
Jenrik, killed by Nahiri.
Serra, probably dead already.
Venser, dead.
Marit Lage, MIA.
I just hope when they kill Arixmethes and Thassa, that it's Marit Lage who does it. At least that way it's reasonable. You know, before the Gatewatch kills her too of course. How easy it is to off legends like Jenrik while planeswalkers walk around nigh-immortal against even Eldrazi titans.
Who knows, this is Innistrad. Jenrik's thoughts linger, fossilized vampires appear to blink, memories invade Jace's mind. I'll try not to overreact and let the story play out. Jenrik was feared by the Stormkirk for his vast knowledge and power, after all. Tamiyo sent him to what he should have known, as a local, was a dangerous area and he still agreed to go there. It was Nahiri that killed him, after all. Or spared him. But I'm no longer optimistic about him ever seeing a card now. Even as a geist. Which would be insulting anyway.
He looks rather young. I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I imagined him to be older like Lighthouse Chronologist or something. Guess it doesn't matter now that the art I have for him is dead as stone. Literally. The disappointment when I read that he was dead was a very sad drain of enthusiasm.
It's like waiting a whole year for the birthday you thought everyone forgot, seeing your mother walk up with the surprise cake, only to trip over something and hurl the whole thing right at your face.
Um.....chill.
I never implied that Jenrik should be killed, only that it is unusual to form so close an attachment to a fictional character in a fantasy-card-game who had never really been in the story, represented on cardboard or really mentioned beyond small worldbuildng details.
Unusual is not wrong, just unusual.
Don't you think your over-reacting? I mean, Maro even mentioned Arixemethis was popularly asked for so you still have an OK chance there.
However, it does suck when a character you like dies.
I liked Elspeth. She's dead. But I have hopes of seeing her again
I also enjoyed Xenagos but I'm afraid there's not much of a chance seeing him again, Underworld-escapee-PW or otherwise.
Characters we like die. That's life. They wouldn't mean as much to us if that risk wasn't there. (AKA Blandwatch)
I am chill. I just disagree with what felt like dismissing Jenrik's death. He had potential to be as relevant as Jori En, as an example. He grazed the spotlight and was killed, losing this potential. He went from irrelevant, as others once claimed, to his work being center stage, but was offed just as he was realized, and before he was represented on a card, for that work with Tamiyo. Even for what was a niche character on an upswing, that's disappointing.
I'm a scientist. I'm naturally discovery-oriented and drawn to what is vague, mysterious or unknown - not what's obvious and common. It's part of my natural curiosity to be drawn to an enticing, poetic part of the lore. I liked that he was an astronomer too who shut away from the world to focus on studying his passions. Sounds like my life, and a very Blue trait. And I am very much Blue myself. Maro has stated people identifying with characters is an important part of why PWs are humanoid, and why they're diversifying the cast. It's an important aspect of novels, and of many storytelling mediums to connect with people.
I don't really like the idea of shaming anyone for being invested in the game and lore. We're on MTGSalvation because we all care about this game in some way. As a Vorthos, I'm inclined to care more about the characters. There are parts of this forum where users spend $9,000 on a Black Lotus because they care more about playability. Well, this is my version of caring about what I do. To each their own. People cosplay their favorite characters from books, movies, shows. I just get a sense of "I know this is like the most disappointing thing in the game for you but like, stop overreacting."
I apologize if I came off as shaming you. Again, as I said, your preoccupation is unusual not necessarily wrong.
I am also Vorthos. Hence Why I come on here at least a few times a week.
My comment regarding to over-reacting has nothing to do with being disappointed to Jenrik's death. Such is natural. It is your assumption that the rest of your characters are doomed to the same fate. You have plenty of characters you like that will stay alive. Jace has invincible plot armour, Tamiyo is now story-active, and Arixmethes was apparently liked, Thassa was even more enjoyed by most MTG.
Its ok to be sad. But if I were you I wouldn't pronounce myself MTGlorecursed just yet.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wizards. listen. 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
I wonder if the madness Jace was experiencing was caused by the same thing that made the angels go cuckoo. Also, if I understood it correctly, Tamiyo sent Jenrik to the Manor with her diary? Or did he go there of his own volition? Anyway, not a very bright idea, even if a pissed of lithomancer didn't happen to show up.
On a different note, Jace is investigating weird happenings armed only with a little book? Art of Jace as Dipper simply needs to happen. Tamiyo as Mabel would also be nice
Hmm, a lot of self talking there.. and it got a bit confusing - I had to read carefully word by word. Many thoughts going into Jace mind. Well, his exploration of the manor did get him an item - the journal of Tamiyo. i wonder how he would make use of it?
Anyway, and just last comment on the Git Frog Monster story - I've introduced it to some people on our cosplay group - they're not magic players. Donna-chan (one of my friends) said she liked it, though the end is a bit surprising / disturbing. >< Hmm, story of the frog monster is good enough to be appreciated by people who don't even play magic. ^^
Looking forward to what Jace would discover next on Innistrad.
I am chill. I just disagree with what felt like dismissing Jenrik's death. He had potential to be as relevant as Jori En, as an example. He grazed the spotlight and was killed, losing this potential. He went from irrelevant, as others once claimed, to his work being center stage, but was offed just as he was realized, and before he was represented on a card, for that work with Tamiyo. Even for what was a niche character on an upswing, that's disappointing.
I'm a scientist. I'm naturally discovery-oriented and drawn to what is vague, mysterious or unknown - not what's obvious and common. It's part of my natural curiosity to be drawn to an enticing, poetic part of the lore. I liked that he was an astronomer too who shut away from the world to focus on studying his passions. Sounds like my life, and a very Blue trait. And I am very much Blue myself. Maro has stated people identifying with characters is an important part of why PWs are humanoid, and why they're diversifying the cast. It's an important aspect of novels, and of many storytelling mediums to connect with people.
I don't really like the idea of shaming anyone for being invested in the game and lore. We're on MTGSalvation because we all care about this game in some way. As a Vorthos, I'm inclined to care more about the characters. There are parts of this forum where users spend $9,000 on a Black Lotus because they care more about playability. Well, this is my version of caring about what I do. To each their own. People cosplay their favorite characters from books, movies, shows. I just get a sense of "I know this is like the most disappointing thing in the game for you but like, stop overreacting."
I can very much relate to this, I often find myself forming attachments to characters in media often and it adds to my enjoyment of the material. We can feel vicariously through the experiences of our favorite characters, fostering an empathic bond through validation, fraternity, association, etc. There's a particular kind of niche character Im drawn to because of how they remind me of someone who had a significant impact on my life. While I had no attachment to Jenrik personally, the manner in which this story played out I can see why you'd be upset. Its not just the death--yes having a beloved character die is unfortunate, but whats truly tragic is having a character die without their story being told. In your head you've already imagined countless possibilities this character encompasses based on the few juicy morsels of information given. Then, when they're finally brought center stage--the author kills them immediately and all the possibilities of who they are, who they were, and what role they might have in the story die in that moment. There is no catharsis as when a character has reached the end of their arc and has a "good" death, just dissatisfaction and emptiness.
As for the story specifically: I hope we get some context on Tamiyo's reasoning for sending Jenrik to Markov Manor because I cannot fathom what either of them realistically intended to accomplish by going. The terror Jenrik felt (which Jace experienced through his lingering memories) seemed to suggest to me that he didn't intend for it to be a suicide mission. Does that mean they honestly expected to waltz into the vampires stronghold, sit down, have some coffee and discuss the contents of the journal with them? I would think anyone who has stayed on Innistrad for as long as I am to understand they have would know better than that. From this conclusion it then seems very unusual, calloused even, for Tamiyo to essentially send Jenrik to his death for nothing.
On another note, Im really hoping the story isn't suggesting that Edgar died. I would hate for the progenitor of Innistrad's Vampires, the lord of the Markov bloodline to have died offscreen without a card or any story involvement.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Tamiyo studied w/ and under Jenrik, and I'm inclined to believe she did feel a sense of friendship w/ him, as near as moonfolk can anyway, the fact he went and not her indicates to me that either she was trapped somewhere or busy investigating something else and needed him to go to Markov manor. It should also be noted that to our knowledge Tamiyo doesn't have any mind control abilities, she may have asked Jenrik to go to the manor but in the end the decision to go there was all his own.
@Jenrik: .....um...sorry dude. On the bright side look at it this way, your namesake wasn't just faded into obscurity, he played a major story role, and he went down alongside a whole castle of vampires. That's more than most cathars can say and Jenrik was a scholar. I guess now your best bet is waiting for them to print "Jenrik, the moongeist"
RG 8-Whack
BWG Abzan midrange
GRB Living End
UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin"
RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!"
BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
Hey there, Arcanis the Omnipotent.
First of all, I'll just reiterate what others have said – the switch from 3rd person to 1st person narrative was abrupt and aesthetically unpleasant. Considering the fact what we're getting is, in part, a noir story with Jace as the Phil Marlowe character, I would really enjoy a full 1st person treatment. This, however, did not work as intended.
The style itself reminded me of Ex Oblivione and Nyarlathotep (the vignette, not the character), and, once again, the 1st person narration works well here. I was looking for any and all allusions to The Fall of the House of Usher real hard, but I didn't see anything that could be considered intentional. Did I miss it, or do I overestimate Wyatt by even considering the possibility?
Now, the content of the story, that's the main issue here. As Caranthir said, the order of events seems illogical. Tamiyo sent Jenrik to investigate the Markov Manor, but he arrived before the proverbial fall. Does that mean there was something else happening even before Nahiri came? I'm not going to dwell on why did Tamiyo send Jenrik to his death – the more important question is why did he have her journal on him (a metalingual aside: that's a crapload of pronouns going on here). Are we getting an in-story explanation or is it just Creative macguffining their way out of well thought out plot again?
BUG The Baron (it doesn't work, but I try anyway)
modern:
RGShaman Aggro
legacy:
UHigh Tide
German highlander:
BUG aggro control
EDH:
a positively unhealthy amount of decks
Thassa, Bident stolen.
Avacyn, killed by Sorin.
Choryu, killed by Hidetsugu.
Jenrik, killed by Nahiri.
Serra, probably dead already.
Venser, dead.
Marit Lage, MIA.
I just hope when they kill Arixmethes and Thassa, that it's Marit Lage who does it. At least that way it's reasonable. You know, before the Gatewatch kills her too of course. How easy it is to off legends like Jenrik while planeswalkers walk around nigh-immortal against even Eldrazi titans.
Who knows, this is Innistrad. Jenrik's thoughts linger, fossilized vampires appear to blink, memories invade Jace's mind. I'll try not to overreact and let the story play out. Jenrik was feared by the Stormkirk for his vast knowledge and power, after all. Tamiyo sent him to what he should have known, as a local, was a dangerous area and he still agreed to go there. It was Nahiri that killed him, after all. Or spared him. But I'm no longer optimistic about him ever seeing a card now. Even as a geist. Which would be insulting anyway.
He looks rather young. I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I imagined him to be older like Lighthouse Chronologist or something. Guess it doesn't matter now that the art I have for him is dead as stone. Literally. The disappointment when I read that he was dead was a very sad drain of enthusiasm.
It's like waiting a whole year for the birthday you thought everyone forgot, seeing your mother walk up with the surprise cake, only to trip over something and hurl the whole thing right at your face.
|| 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 ||
Decks:
Casual
R Burn R
EDH
R Godo Voltron R
RUG ETB Overload RUG
BW Clerics Pain and Drain BW
GW Spirits!!! GW
RUG Landfall Silliness RUG
|| 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 ||
Then again, we'll probably never learn much. Also, apologies to Jenrik. I sympathize with the pain of losing all of your favorite characters.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
B Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief B - Fear of the Dark
WG Sigarda, Heron's Grace WG - Strength in Numbers
RG Xenagos, God of Revels RG - Fullmoon (It's werewolves)
RW Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier RW - The End is Nigh
60 Card Kitchen Table Decks
WUB Avacyn, Spirit Ferrier
RG Arlinn Kord's Howlpack
Decks:
Casual
R Burn R
EDH
R Godo Voltron R
RUG ETB Overload RUG
BW Clerics Pain and Drain BW
GW Spirits!!! GW
RUG Landfall Silliness RUG
This is probably the low point of the Shadows chapters so far, but it's still readable. I'm surprised. I thought I'd have way more negative opinions about a chapter where a character that annoys me walks through empty rooms talking to himself while plot points physically emerge from the walls and present themselves to him... Maybe Innistrad is just hard to screw up.
Yes, Jace has been to Kamigawa. It was while he was part of Tezzeret's Consortium during Agents of Artifice. Most of the interaction we saw him have was with the Nezumi but that doesn't mean he couldn't have been back since or even that there was a moonfolk in the Kamigawa branch of the Consortium.
He doesn't have to know the context of these things for him to they these are significant details. More significant than he gives them credit. They are significant in the sense that another PW ins investigating Innistrad and that said PW is from a Plane he's visited. That would have been caused me more interesting mental dialogue than apparently it caused him.
I find it weird that secrets that so few knew about were revealed to him in a largely nonchalant manner, in so short a timespan. It's contrived. At least give him more time with the book. The revelations came off like bulletpoints.
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
Um.....chill.
I never implied that Jenrik should be killed, only that it is unusual to form so close an attachment to a fictional character in a fantasy-card-game who had never really been in the story, represented on cardboard or really mentioned beyond small worldbuildng details.
Unusual is not wrong, just unusual.
Don't you think your over-reacting? I mean, Maro even mentioned Arixemethis was popularly asked for so you still have an OK chance there.
However, it does suck when a character you like dies.
I liked Elspeth. She's dead. But I have hopes of seeing her again
I also enjoyed Xenagos but I'm afraid there's not much of a chance seeing him again, Underworld-escapee-PW or otherwise.
Characters we like die. That's life. They wouldn't mean as much to us if that risk wasn't there. (AKA Blandwatch)
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
We knew the basic of where it came from before. Sacrifice an angel and drink the blood.
There was no indication that the various progenitors were present for the original ritual but having them there makes for a cleaner storyline. This way they can just say that anyone who drank the angel's blood became the progenitor of a bloodline.
As I recall Edgar was tricked by a demon, he wasn't trying to create vampires.I recalled incorrectly. Edgar was searching for immortality but he new his experiments would result in people feeding in the blood of others. Shilengar prodded him along and its not impossible that Shilengar influence people like Olivia and Runo to join in.
We do know that angels on Innistrad don't think much about why they exist and Avacyn is much more robotic that other angels so its unlikely she ever thought about where she came from. Also there is documentation on Innistrad proving that Avacyn is Sorin's creation. Its not clear where they could possibly have come from but that's a different question.
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
I'm a scientist. I'm naturally discovery-oriented and drawn to what is vague, mysterious or unknown - not what's obvious and common. It's part of my natural curiosity to be drawn to an enticing, poetic part of the lore. I liked that he was an astronomer too who shut away from the world to focus on studying his passions. Sounds like my life, and a very Blue trait. And I am very much Blue myself. Maro has stated people identifying with characters is an important part of why PWs are humanoid, and why they're diversifying the cast. It's an important aspect of novels, and of many storytelling mediums to connect with people.
I don't really like the idea of shaming anyone for being invested in the game and lore. We're on MTGSalvation because we all care about this game in some way. As a Vorthos, I'm inclined to care more about the characters. There are parts of this forum where users spend $9,000 on a Black Lotus because they care more about playability. Well, this is my version of caring about what I do. To each their own. People cosplay their favorite characters from books, movies, shows. I just get a sense of "I know this is like the most disappointing thing in the game for you but like, stop overreacting."
|| 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 ||
At least, like you say, there is a good chance we will see Elspeth when we return to Theros. Avacyn, on the other hand, is gone for good. That's two of my favorite white-aligned female characters killed off. At least I still have Nahiri and the Powerpuff girls, but I'm worried they won't last the block. Chandra seems pretty well established, though, at this point, I wouldn't put anything past Wizards.
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Jenrik, Geist of SCIENCE!!!
|| 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 ||
Actually, if I didn't recall wrongly, Choryu was killed by Toshiro (with the help of Night's Reach), not Hidetsugu. Yes, Hidetsugu killed the Smiling kami of the Crescent Moon that drove Choryu to recklessness, but strictly speaking if we blamed that, it would trace back to the decision to kill Hidetsugu's student back then by that Minamo Student... which makes it that student's fault then (and the Orochi for enabling that, but the student is gone as well and Life's Web herself took punishment to a certain as well, along with quite the number of Orochi themselves). If we want to drag it back further, it's still Toshiro's fault, if he didn't interfere with Marrow-Gnawer's mission then, Choryu wouldn't start the whole thing that resulted involving (and later angering) Hidetsugu in the first place. So yeah... Toshiro.
I apologize if I came off as shaming you. Again, as I said, your preoccupation is unusual not necessarily wrong.
I am also Vorthos. Hence Why I come on here at least a few times a week.
My comment regarding to over-reacting has nothing to do with being disappointed to Jenrik's death. Such is natural. It is your assumption that the rest of your characters are doomed to the same fate. You have plenty of characters you like that will stay alive. Jace has invincible plot armour, Tamiyo is now story-active, and Arixmethes was apparently liked, Thassa was even more enjoyed by most MTG.
Its ok to be sad. But if I were you I wouldn't pronounce myself MTGlorecursed just yet.
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
The writing for his death was so weird. I had to re-read it a couple times to make sure that's what the author was telling us.
On a different note, Jace is investigating weird happenings armed only with a little book? Art of Jace as Dipper simply needs to happen. Tamiyo as Mabel would also be nice
Thanks for the link.
Hmm, a lot of self talking there.. and it got a bit confusing - I had to read carefully word by word. Many thoughts going into Jace mind. Well, his exploration of the manor did get him an item - the journal of Tamiyo. i wonder how he would make use of it?
Anyway, and just last comment on the Git Frog Monster story - I've introduced it to some people on our cosplay group - they're not magic players. Donna-chan (one of my friends) said she liked it, though the end is a bit surprising / disturbing. >< Hmm, story of the frog monster is good enough to be appreciated by people who don't even play magic. ^^
Looking forward to what Jace would discover next on Innistrad.
Nexus MTG News // Nexus - Magic Art Gallery // MTG Dual Land Color Ratios Analyzer // MTG Card Drawing Odds Calculator
Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
I can very much relate to this, I often find myself forming attachments to characters in media often and it adds to my enjoyment of the material. We can feel vicariously through the experiences of our favorite characters, fostering an empathic bond through validation, fraternity, association, etc. There's a particular kind of niche character Im drawn to because of how they remind me of someone who had a significant impact on my life. While I had no attachment to Jenrik personally, the manner in which this story played out I can see why you'd be upset. Its not just the death--yes having a beloved character die is unfortunate, but whats truly tragic is having a character die without their story being told. In your head you've already imagined countless possibilities this character encompasses based on the few juicy morsels of information given. Then, when they're finally brought center stage--the author kills them immediately and all the possibilities of who they are, who they were, and what role they might have in the story die in that moment. There is no catharsis as when a character has reached the end of their arc and has a "good" death, just dissatisfaction and emptiness.
As for the story specifically: I hope we get some context on Tamiyo's reasoning for sending Jenrik to Markov Manor because I cannot fathom what either of them realistically intended to accomplish by going. The terror Jenrik felt (which Jace experienced through his lingering memories) seemed to suggest to me that he didn't intend for it to be a suicide mission. Does that mean they honestly expected to waltz into the vampires stronghold, sit down, have some coffee and discuss the contents of the journal with them? I would think anyone who has stayed on Innistrad for as long as I am to understand they have would know better than that. From this conclusion it then seems very unusual, calloused even, for Tamiyo to essentially send Jenrik to his death for nothing.
On another note, Im really hoping the story isn't suggesting that Edgar died. I would hate for the progenitor of Innistrad's Vampires, the lord of the Markov bloodline to have died offscreen without a card or any story involvement.