Which ones? Marit? Phyrexia? Name one Theory that existed past "Nahiri is manipulating mana on the plane to destroy Innistrad and get Revenge on Sorin" that was actually plausible? Sorry Emerakul was by far the single most obvious answer to the mystery, and if that is the answer WOTC completely wasted ALL Of our time with this clue Bullcrap because a mystery that drops the singular most obvious answer as it's solution is a terrible mystery.
If Emmy does show up, I seriously hope they kill off the last Titan at the end so that the Eldrazi stop showing up to utterly ruin sets.
Besides Chris' excellent answer, I want to add a couple things.
First, what is 'obvious' from a storytelling perspective and what we actually have evidence for are two separate things. That's really important, because even an educated guess is still just a guess until we have evidence.
The assumption of Emrakul is based on the storytelling principle Chekhov's Gun. If we have a third Eldrazi running around, they're clearly going to use that third Eldrazi. Except Wizards creative regularly leaves the gun right where it is, abandoning possible story hooks all the time. We knew Emrakul was going to come back at some point, but there were no guarantees that it would be on Innistrad.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
The Phyrexia theory was always a little off the wall, but just keep in mind that what we know as die hard story fans and what the general player base knows are two very different things.
Also... why would SOI be ruined by Emrakul's presence? This block has been on point so far, and it's clear that they've found their footing with the new paradigm.
Besides Chris' excellent answer, I want to add a couple things.
First, what is 'obvious' from a storytelling perspective and what we actually have evidence for are two separate things. That's really important, because even an educated guess is still just a guess until we have evidence.
The assumption of Emrakul is based on the storytelling principle Chekhov's Gun. If we have a third Eldrazi running around, they're clearly going to use that third Eldrazi. Except Wizards creative regularly leaves the gun right where it is, abandoning possible story hooks all the time. We knew Emrakul was going to come back at some point, but there were no guarantees that it would be on Innistrad.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
The Phyrexia theory was always a little off the wall, but just keep in mind that what we know as die hard story fans and what the general player base knows are two very different things.
Also... why would SOI be ruined by Emrakul's presence? This block has been on point so far, and it's clear that they've found their footing with the new paradigm.
Thank you for the commendation I have to add that additional eyes are a thing for at least Kozilek, just not Emrakul until now. And I believe that the people fearing Emrakul might ruin Innistrad really do fear that this will lead to Eldritch Monn degenerating into "Battle for Innistrad", I can't think of many other reasons.
For those who are arguing that it can't be Emrakul because wizards wouldn't want to kill off the Eldrazi, I would ask: why do you think Innistrad will survive? They had two blocks devoted to the "horror" genre now, regardless of how beloved Innistrad is, can they really do a third? I absolutely do not automatically assume that Innistrad will survive, I would not be surprised if Emrakul destroys the plane, just as Tamiyo predicted.
For those poor, deluded, stubborn souls who insist on denying that this is going to be the Emrakul set, this may be an opportunity for them. They will have a chance to look back on the prior 3-4 months or so and ask themselves: why was I so sure it couldn't be Emrakul even though so many others concluded that it had to be Emrakul? Why was I so unwilling to see what so many other intelligent Magic players and story fans clearly saw?
For those poor, deluded, stubborn souls who insist on denying that this is going to be the Emrakul set, this may be an opportunity for them. They will have a chance to look back on the prior 3-4 months or so and ask themselves: why was I so sure it couldn't be Emrakul even though so many others concluded that it had to be Emrakul? Why was I so unwilling to see what so many other intelligent Magic players and story fans clearly saw?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Reflecting on, admitting and learning from past mistakes. This is heresy, such things aren't allowed on these forums. Each time we see something we must act as though it is the first time we've seen anything like it, so it can't be compared to what we've had before, and yet it is obviously inferior to anything we've had before.
For those poor, deluded, stubborn souls who insist on denying that this is going to be the Emrakul set, this may be an opportunity for them. They will have a chance to look back on the prior 3-4 months or so and ask themselves: why was I so sure it couldn't be Emrakul even though so many others concluded that it had to be Emrakul? Why was I so unwilling to see what so many other intelligent Magic players and story fans clearly saw?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Reflecting on, admitting and learning from past mistakes. This is heresy, such things aren't allowed on these forums. Each time we see something we must act as though it is the first time we've seen anything like it, so it can't be compared to what we've had before, and yet it is obviously inferior to anything we've had before.
I fully admit I supported alternate theories, if only because I didn't want it to be Emrakul. I've come around now, and I don't think the 'I told you so' is very helpful for a civil discussion.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
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Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
Except, Marit Lage's Art DOES show a lot of eyes. So it wasn't an outlandish assumption when the only cards showed mleyes everywhere, especially in something like just the wind.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
Except, Marit Lage's Art DOES show a lot of eyes. So it wasn't an outlandish assumption when the only cards showed mleyes everywhere, especially in something like just the wind.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
Except, Marit Lage's Art DOES show a lot of eyes. So it wasn't an outlandish assumption when the only cards showed mleyes everywhere, especially in something like just the wind.
Like six of them, at most, and they're where you'd expect eyes to be.
20/20 hindsight. compare that to Just the Wind? Some of the other early spoils? It made more sense than Eldrazi until more information came out. Especially when there was heavily implication of a sea God, which Emrakul made no sense for either.
If you want to retread this, just read the SOI thread.
Like six of them, at most, and they're where you'd expect eyes to be.
I don't know where you expect to find eyes 3, 4, 5, and 6, but that's already getting into "unexpected" territory when we get past eye #2.
The thing about mutations is that almost nothing we've encountered *at the time* generally ran into the power or mutation, not even Emrakul to those who didn't get the Art of Zendikar.
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He's not saying it's Emrakul, but he's definitely implying it. I suppose it needed to be pointed out for those that aren't as in deep as us.
Either way, we now have a date for a reveal. June 20th.
He's basically doing everything other than just coming out and saying "hey guys, it's Emrakul". Although he did point out some lattice patterns and other oddities that I missed on a few card arts, which I thought was really cool.
He's not saying it's Emrakul, but he's definitely implying it. I suppose it needed to be pointed out for those that aren't as in deep as us.
Either way, we now have a date for a reveal. June 20th.
Eh, the whole article is as "subtle" as a whack in the head with a baseball bat. Especially the color scheme for the tentacles in the end.
Too bad. With all the interesting cults (Sea god etc.), they are indeed going for the most obvious and lowest hanging fruit. Let us hope that it will be at least done nicely.
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I don't know if it has been mentioned but does anyone think there may be a chance that Emrakul may be a flip card?
Something like Eldritch Moon (a Legendary artifact or enchantment) flipping into Emrakul, Time torn Asunder (legendary creature). Certainly this has been brought up somewhere hasn't it?
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How would Nahiri know that the Eldrazi were freed from the Eye once more? I ask because
according to MaRo - who I know isn't the foremost on this sort of stuff (yet spoke most definitively on this!) - Nahiri was in the Helvault for the past 1000 years.
That in mind, how is it possible for her to know of the Titans' release?
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
Except, Marit Lage's Art DOES show a lot of eyes. So it wasn't an outlandish assumption when the only cards showed mleyes everywhere, especially in something like just the wind.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
Except, Marit Lage's Art DOES show a lot of eyes. So it wasn't an outlandish assumption when the only cards showed mleyes everywhere, especially in something like just the wind.
Like six of them, at most, and they're where you'd expect eyes to be.
20/20 hindsight. compare that to Just the Wind? Some of the other early spoils? It made more sense than Eldrazi until more information came out. Especially when there was heavily implication of a sea God, which Emrakul made no sense for either.
If you want to retread this, just read the SOI thread.
Actually, I'm interested in reading about this sea god. Can you link me to a post?
I don't know if it has been mentioned but does anyone think there may be a chance that Emrakul may be a flip card?
Something like Eldritch Moon (a Legendary artifact or enchantment) flipping into Emrakul, Time torn Asunder (legendary creature). Certainly this has been brought up somewhere hasn't it?
I had a similar thought.
-
Anyway, I realize that the most likely answer is Emrakul, but I still hope WotC throws us a curveball and gives us Marit Lage.
At any rate, since Emrakul is all but confirmed at this point, I think the discussion would be a lot more interesting if we touched on whether or not Emrakul will actually be destroyed on Innistrad, or if she'll continue to wreak havoc on the multiverse.
Given that there's no deus ex Zendikar ass-pull that I can think of (unless they do something dumb with the cryptoliths, which I'm hoping is not the answer), I think it'd be a lot more interesting if they succeeded against Ulamog and Kozilek only to fail against Emrakul.
This also gives Wizards a chance to expand on why Bolas wanted the Eldrazi out to begin with.
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How would Nahiri know that the Eldrazi were freed from the Eye once more? I ask because
according to MaRo - who I know isn't the foremost on this sort of stuff (yet spoke most definitively on this!) - Nahiri was in the Helvault for the past 1000 years.
That in mind, how is it possible for her to know of the Titans' release?
~Lil Kalki
She is a planeswalker, she probably popped back to Zendikar immediately after the Helvault broke on our last visit. She's had time, SOI's story didn't just pick up the second after Avacyn Restored ended; there's been time in between.
She most likely went back, saw how f'd Zendikar was at that point and couldn't figure out a way to stop the rampaging Titans. She did manage to figure out a way to lore Emrakul to Innistrad. She likely studied the Helvault while she was in it (what else are you gonna do for 1000 years?) and thinks she can use Innistrad's moon to bind Emrakul much like Sorin used the Helvault (made from a chunk of said moon) to bind her, Avacyn and the demons. Also get some payback on Sorin via Emrakul wrecking his plane while she works on the spell to trap him/her/it. I'd guess the barrier around Innistrad was doing its job and keeping Emrakul from entering the plane completely, but it was still able to warp Avacyn (and plenty of other beings on the plane) enough that Sorin was forced to kill her, thus destroying the barrier and leaving the plane wide open for ol' Emy to pop in and really get to work and appear in a physical form that Nahiri can try to bind to Innistrad's moon.
He's not saying it's Emrakul, but he's definitely implying it. I suppose it needed to be pointed out for those that aren't as in deep as us.
Either way, we now have a date for a reveal. June 20th.
Eh, the whole article is as "subtle" as a whack in the head with a baseball bat. Especially the color scheme for the tentacles in the end.
Too bad. With all the interesting cults (Sea god etc.), they are indeed going for the most obvious and lowest hanging fruit. Let us hope that it will be at least done nicely.
Your one of those guys who complain that 1 + 2 should be 4 because it would be aestheticly more surprising and less obvious aren't you?
I like surprises but only when I can look back and see that in hindsight the clues were really there and it makes logistical sense. I followed the SOI clues and Emma made most sense to me as the Innistrad's main threat. Just because a story is predictable doesn't mean it's bad, tropes are not bad, they are just done well or poorly. There was enough doubt early on in the story to lend some credulance to doubt but as we put the pieces together the Emrakul theory I think really does fit best.
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How would Nahiri know that the Eldrazi were freed from the Eye once more? I ask because
according to MaRo - who I know isn't the foremost on this sort of stuff (yet spoke most definitively on this!) - Nahiri was in the Helvault for the past 1000 years.
That in mind, how is it possible for her to know of the Titans' release?
~Lil Kalki
She is a planeswalker, she probably popped back to Zendikar immediately after the Helvault broke on our last visit. She's had time, SOI's story didn't just pick up the second after Avacyn Restored ended; there's been time in between.
She most likely went back, saw how f'd Zendikar was at that point and couldn't figure out a way to stop the rampaging Titans. She did manage to figure out a way to lore Emrakul to Innistrad. She likely studied the Helvault while she was in it (what else are you gonna do for 1000 years?) and thinks she can use Innistrad's moon to bind Emrakul much like Sorin used the Helvault (made from a chunk of said moon) to bind her, Avacyn and the demons. Also get some payback on Sorin via Emrakul wrecking his plane while she works on the spell to trap him/her/it. I'd guess the barrier around Innistrad was doing its job and keeping Emrakul from entering the plane completely, but it was still able to warp Avacyn (and plenty of other beings on the plane) enough that Sorin was forced to kill her, thus destroying the barrier and leaving the plane wide open for ol' Emy to pop in and really get to work and appear in a physical form that Nahiri can try to bind to Innistrad's moon.
What's this about a barrier around Innistrad, now?
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He's not saying it's Emrakul, but he's definitely implying it. I suppose it needed to be pointed out for those that aren't as in deep as us.
Either way, we now have a date for a reveal. June 20th.
Eh, the whole article is as "subtle" as a whack in the head with a baseball bat. Especially the color scheme for the tentacles in the end.
Too bad. With all the interesting cults (Sea god etc.), they are indeed going for the most obvious and lowest hanging fruit. Let us hope that it will be at least done nicely.
Your one of those guys who complain that 1 + 2 should be 4 because it would be aestheticly more surprising and less obvious aren't you?
I like surprises but only when I can look back and see that in hindsight the clues were really there and it makes logistical sense. I followed the SOI clues and Emma made most sense to me as the Innistrad's main threat. Just because a story is predictable doesn't mean it's bad, tropes are not bad, they are just done well or poorly. There was enough doubt early on in the story to lend some credulance to doubt but as we put the pieces together the Emrakul theory I think really does fit best.
You had a perfectly reasonable argument but you started it off with an insult (to a former mod of this board, might i add). Why?
Anyway, yes you're right that execution of tropes is what makes them viable or otherwise. But that is honestly all subjectivity; I might think a trope was done great! Caranthir might think it was bad. We're both right because of the subjective nature of peoples' opinions.
The point of Lovecraftian Horror is not for the audience to be kept in suspense. We know things are bad, we know who the monsters are. The characters don't and that's where the story comes from. Seeing their awful realization and feeling their inevitable dread.
I think with this article today they are probably settled in Emrakul being the big bad, which concerns me a lot.
After the tamiyo's journal puzzle it was clear there would be eldrazi involvement. I didn't think it would be anything deeper than a motivation for Nahiri to bring forth something other than a titan, maybe even trying to lure Emrakul itself and failing to do so in the process. That said, with the article giving such emphasis on the tentacles and lattice pattern aspect of the artwork (which is a hallmark of Emrakul) while ignoring altogether the clues pointing to something else, it seems clear that they want it to be Emrakul. The alterations in non-living matter (Avacyn's spear, for instance), the mutations that change eyes and mouths while Emrakul spawn don't have either and the mind controlling effect on Avacyn coming from an evil sentient voice (something Emrakul is not) will be given an alternative explanation, I assume (and hope).
In my honest opinion, I think this is not good. If Nahiri is in fact luring Emrakul, how is the story suppose to go now? Emrakul enters the plane just to be sealed again? Once again the eldritch monstrosity will fail to destroy the world? I can't see they ever destroying Innistrad. I'm trying real hard to see how Eldritch Moon will not become Battle for Zendikar 2.0, because what is the alternative? Emrakul showing up without its spawn? Right now the only thing that comes to my mind so they don't flush in tons of eldrazi creatures once more is to have Emrakul showing up briefly just to be dispatched to another plane. Would they actually print Emrakul in a card? And would they do it without the spawn? It seems kinda crazy to me, I would be mad because that would give a different treatment from Kozilek and Ulamog, who had plenty of space to receive their spawn. I don't know, so many questions with answers that I deeply dislike...
The only thing left to do is wait. I remember when I said, right in the beggining of BFZ, that if they weren't willing to kill the plane the story would suck, because it would take a number of conveniences for the recently started Gatewatch to beat 2 titans. And that's what happened, and the story sucked. Now I want to see how they're going to deal with Emrakul. If the story is about sealing or killing it, it will suck almost no matter what. If the story is about destroying Innistrad I will have to recover my jaw from the floor. The only reasonable alternative is for them to drive Emrakul away.
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I'm guessing a downgrade to 13/13 because Wizards seems to like that number. Would like to see her stay at 15/15 but I don't think that is going to happen. Guess we may have an idea on the 20th then.
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First, what is 'obvious' from a storytelling perspective and what we actually have evidence for are two separate things. That's really important, because even an educated guess is still just a guess until we have evidence.
The assumption of Emrakul is based on the storytelling principle Chekhov's Gun. If we have a third Eldrazi running around, they're clearly going to use that third Eldrazi. Except Wizards creative regularly leaves the gun right where it is, abandoning possible story hooks all the time. We knew Emrakul was going to come back at some point, but there were no guarantees that it would be on Innistrad.
Until more of SOI was released, it wasn't clear at all that Emrakul was the big bad - especially when so much of the imagery showed a freakish amount of eyes. That's something Marit Lage is known for in her art, not any of the Eldrazi. And until the Zendikar Art Book came out and dropped the rather huge detail that Emrakul's spawn are the corrupted inhabitants of the planes she visits, the earliest clues didn't make sense.
The Phyrexia theory was always a little off the wall, but just keep in mind that what we know as die hard story fans and what the general player base knows are two very different things.
Also... why would SOI be ruined by Emrakul's presence? This block has been on point so far, and it's clear that they've found their footing with the new paradigm.
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Thank you for the commendation I have to add that additional eyes are a thing for at least Kozilek, just not Emrakul until now. And I believe that the people fearing Emrakul might ruin Innistrad really do fear that this will lead to Eldritch Monn degenerating into "Battle for Innistrad", I can't think of many other reasons.
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Marit Lage isn't known for a freakish amount of eyes. She's not known for anything even vaguely resembling that. Art on her cards has been a bunch of fish in Curse of Marit Lage, a withered tree Wrath of Marit Lage (Ice Age), frozen Goblins Wrath of Marit Lage (8th edition), a guy on a rocky shore Brine Shaman, some guy dying of dehydration Dehydration, and a frozen/unfrozen Tentacle Monster Dark Depths.
People kept trying to link Marit Lage to body horror, but there's absolutely no association with that anywhere in the art or lore. And thematically Marit Lage has only been associated with leaving things tapped and color hate.
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[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
http://magiccards.info/extras/token/coldsnap/marit-lage.jpg
Like six of them, at most, and they're where you'd expect eyes to be.
If you want to retread this, just read the SOI thread.
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
The thing about mutations is that almost nothing we've encountered *at the time* generally ran into the power or mutation, not even Emrakul to those who didn't get the Art of Zendikar.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
~~~~~
He's not saying it's Emrakul, but he's definitely implying it. I suppose it needed to be pointed out for those that aren't as in deep as us.
Either way, we now have a date for a reveal. June 20th.
He's basically doing everything other than just coming out and saying "hey guys, it's Emrakul". Although he did point out some lattice patterns and other oddities that I missed on a few card arts, which I thought was really cool.
Eh, the whole article is as "subtle" as a whack in the head with a baseball bat. Especially the color scheme for the tentacles in the end.
Too bad. With all the interesting cults (Sea god etc.), they are indeed going for the most obvious and lowest hanging fruit. Let us hope that it will be at least done nicely.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Something like Eldritch Moon (a Legendary artifact or enchantment) flipping into Emrakul, Time torn Asunder (legendary creature). Certainly this has been brought up somewhere hasn't it?
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
How would Nahiri know that the Eldrazi were freed from the Eye once more? I ask because
That in mind, how is it possible for her to know of the Titans' release?
~Lil Kalki
Proud Disciple of the Church of the Wary
I count 9 eyes.
Actually, I'm interested in reading about this sea god. Can you link me to a post?
I had a similar thought.
-
Anyway, I realize that the most likely answer is Emrakul, but I still hope WotC throws us a curveball and gives us Marit Lage.
At any rate, since Emrakul is all but confirmed at this point, I think the discussion would be a lot more interesting if we touched on whether or not Emrakul will actually be destroyed on Innistrad, or if she'll continue to wreak havoc on the multiverse.
Given that there's no deus ex Zendikar ass-pull that I can think of (unless they do something dumb with the cryptoliths, which I'm hoping is not the answer), I think it'd be a lot more interesting if they succeeded against Ulamog and Kozilek only to fail against Emrakul.
This also gives Wizards a chance to expand on why Bolas wanted the Eldrazi out to begin with.
{мы, тьма}
2012: Best (False?) Role Claim - Worst Town Performance (Group) - Best Mafia Performance (Group) - Best SK Performance - Best Overall Player
2013: Best Non-SK Neutral Performance
2014: Best Town Performance (Individual) - Best Town Performance (Group) - Most Interesting Role - Best Game - Best Overall Player
2015: Worst Mafia Performance (Group) - Best Read
2016: Best Town Performance (Group) - Best Town Player - Best Overall Player
She is a planeswalker, she probably popped back to Zendikar immediately after the Helvault broke on our last visit. She's had time, SOI's story didn't just pick up the second after Avacyn Restored ended; there's been time in between.
She most likely went back, saw how f'd Zendikar was at that point and couldn't figure out a way to stop the rampaging Titans. She did manage to figure out a way to lore Emrakul to Innistrad. She likely studied the Helvault while she was in it (what else are you gonna do for 1000 years?) and thinks she can use Innistrad's moon to bind Emrakul much like Sorin used the Helvault (made from a chunk of said moon) to bind her, Avacyn and the demons. Also get some payback on Sorin via Emrakul wrecking his plane while she works on the spell to trap him/her/it. I'd guess the barrier around Innistrad was doing its job and keeping Emrakul from entering the plane completely, but it was still able to warp Avacyn (and plenty of other beings on the plane) enough that Sorin was forced to kill her, thus destroying the barrier and leaving the plane wide open for ol' Emy to pop in and really get to work and appear in a physical form that Nahiri can try to bind to Innistrad's moon.
Your one of those guys who complain that 1 + 2 should be 4 because it would be aestheticly more surprising and less obvious aren't you?
I like surprises but only when I can look back and see that in hindsight the clues were really there and it makes logistical sense. I followed the SOI clues and Emma made most sense to me as the Innistrad's main threat. Just because a story is predictable doesn't mean it's bad, tropes are not bad, they are just done well or poorly. There was enough doubt early on in the story to lend some credulance to doubt but as we put the pieces together the Emrakul theory I think really does fit best.
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
What's this about a barrier around Innistrad, now?
{мы, тьма}
2012: Best (False?) Role Claim - Worst Town Performance (Group) - Best Mafia Performance (Group) - Best SK Performance - Best Overall Player
2013: Best Non-SK Neutral Performance
2014: Best Town Performance (Individual) - Best Town Performance (Group) - Most Interesting Role - Best Game - Best Overall Player
2015: Worst Mafia Performance (Group) - Best Read
2016: Best Town Performance (Group) - Best Town Player - Best Overall Player
You had a perfectly reasonable argument but you started it off with an insult (to a former mod of this board, might i add). Why?
Anyway, yes you're right that execution of tropes is what makes them viable or otherwise. But that is honestly all subjectivity; I might think a trope was done great! Caranthir might think it was bad. We're both right because of the subjective nature of peoples' opinions.
~Lil Kalki
Proud Disciple of the Church of the Wary
After the tamiyo's journal puzzle it was clear there would be eldrazi involvement. I didn't think it would be anything deeper than a motivation for Nahiri to bring forth something other than a titan, maybe even trying to lure Emrakul itself and failing to do so in the process. That said, with the article giving such emphasis on the tentacles and lattice pattern aspect of the artwork (which is a hallmark of Emrakul) while ignoring altogether the clues pointing to something else, it seems clear that they want it to be Emrakul. The alterations in non-living matter (Avacyn's spear, for instance), the mutations that change eyes and mouths while Emrakul spawn don't have either and the mind controlling effect on Avacyn coming from an evil sentient voice (something Emrakul is not) will be given an alternative explanation, I assume (and hope).
In my honest opinion, I think this is not good. If Nahiri is in fact luring Emrakul, how is the story suppose to go now? Emrakul enters the plane just to be sealed again? Once again the eldritch monstrosity will fail to destroy the world? I can't see they ever destroying Innistrad. I'm trying real hard to see how Eldritch Moon will not become Battle for Zendikar 2.0, because what is the alternative? Emrakul showing up without its spawn? Right now the only thing that comes to my mind so they don't flush in tons of eldrazi creatures once more is to have Emrakul showing up briefly just to be dispatched to another plane. Would they actually print Emrakul in a card? And would they do it without the spawn? It seems kinda crazy to me, I would be mad because that would give a different treatment from Kozilek and Ulamog, who had plenty of space to receive their spawn. I don't know, so many questions with answers that I deeply dislike...
The only thing left to do is wait. I remember when I said, right in the beggining of BFZ, that if they weren't willing to kill the plane the story would suck, because it would take a number of conveniences for the recently started Gatewatch to beat 2 titans. And that's what happened, and the story sucked. Now I want to see how they're going to deal with Emrakul. If the story is about sealing or killing it, it will suck almost no matter what. If the story is about destroying Innistrad I will have to recover my jaw from the floor. The only reasonable alternative is for them to drive Emrakul away.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
I'm guessing a downgrade to 13/13 because Wizards seems to like that number. Would like to see her stay at 15/15 but I don't think that is going to happen. Guess we may have an idea on the 20th then.
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."