At this moment the biggest con is the new walkers that again refuse to leave their home plane. Why is there so much new walkers that simply refuse to planeswalk?
I'm gonna guess the fair. Saheeli and Dovin are both involved in the fair in some manner so that is imo a valid reason why they are not off plane. It like how almost everyone goes back to their hometown for holidays and such. Besides Arlinn which other new walkers have we seen that "simply refuse to planeswalk"?
Another thing that bugs me is Tezzeret vs Pia duel. It is too soon to say anything about it but I honestly hope that Tezzeret doesn't lose. Tezzeret has the ability to manipulate artifacts and bring them to life. This guy should be a god on Kaladesh. Pia is most likely going to win but I hope that it is going to be because of the Gatewatch fighting of Tezzeret. Even Liliana fears Tezzeret and what he can do so it would be beyond stupid if Pia beats him on her own. My bet is that the Gatewatch will arrive and steal Pia in front of him.
I think you spot on there and that is the context of Dramatic Reversal. And despite the danger I'm guessing Jace and Liliana would be willing to fight Tezzeret again if Gideon, Nissa and what looks to be Ajani are backing them up and that is what lets them win against Tezzeret.
I have only one hope for this story and that is that Tezzeret kills Pia before the block is over.
Tezzeret should live up to his reputation. He is one of the three most evil characters in the current story. Liliana had portrayed him perfectly. Tezzeret is dangerous. He is not someone who you want to mess with. He is evil, he is prone to manipulating others, he is prone to violent outbursts and severe punishments and he is not someone who you want to piss off and it seems like Pia has been pissing him off for a very long time. I would love to see the Chandra reunite with her mother only to have Tezzeret separate them forever.
I've been hoping for that too, gives a huge motivation for Chandra to start the revolt. Chandra's Pyrohelix gives me this thought.
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Honestly I don't have a problem with planeswalkers that stay on their home plane. Most people live their entire lives near the place they grew up, only rarely spending much time farther away. If a planeswalker chooses to live on their home plane, only making sporadic trips abroad, I think it's believable.
Not everyone likes traveling abroad. Imagine the levels of culture shock many planeswalkers must come up against.
Vraska's power is clear, but her true motivations are a mystery, even to other gorgons. Unknown to the Golgari Swarm, she spends a significant portion of her time on planes other than Ravnica, using her death-dealing powers to slowly build a collection of petrified victims from across the universe.
with her returning to Ravnica in order to take over the living guildpact.
“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"
Going off plane has to be pretty jarring for most walkers now that they're mortal, too. I mean, it does make sense: a world is a large place and traveling to other worlds may seem beyond risky if you don't know what you're walking into.
With oldwalkers it made more sense, they soon learned that they were basically gods and blending in with cultures and even races from other worlds was not a problem as they could simply shapeshift and use magic to learn about their new surroundings (I feel that this was illustrated very well in Time Spiral when Teferi reads the entire Keldon tome in almost an instant).
Worldhopping quite frankly doesn't make much sense now that the nature of the spark has changed.
There's a lot of ways to explain it away, but really they're just there because a new plane needs new walkers...Really, the fact that it's so easy for walkers to just show up somewhere and communicate with everyone (and I don't only mean the language barrier, also customs), so many of the same walkers constantly being involved in major world changing events, etc...*shrugs* We (I) probably shouldn't think about these things too much
Today's story is interesting. We know where Pia is being held now and that our heroes are heading there to bust her out. So if Pia is dueling Tez...that should be a public event, no? Weren't we assuming that? That means that Chandra and Nissa will probably fall into the trap as they head for the jail cell...
I also noticed that the card Disappearing Act seems to have Baral in it, so I'm predicting they head over to the jail, face off against Baral who then does his disappearing act and the trap is set off. Then Ajani appears, busts them out and they learn that while they were wasting their time Tez has set up a death match to publically display the downfall of the mighty renegade Pia Nalaar. Nissa, Chandra and Ajani arrive but Tez is just too powerfull, but then the rest of the gatewatch arrive because Lilli went to fetch them (I'm guessing she would rather not use the chain veil if she doesn't have to and she figures rallying the other members of the gatewatch might be a good idea).
Why was Ajani there? He learnt of them through Tamiyo's gossip circle.
The only blank spot left here is the timing of the confiscation of all the inventions. Does Tez confiscate everything and then fight Pia to showcase his dominance, trying to quell any kind of resistance showing that it's futile (though that could backfire if you make her into a martyr figure) or does he order the confiscation after being forced to retreat. Whatever the case, all of this ends up causing the Aether revolt to break out.
The last thing we haven't been shown anything on though is the new planar portal device. I wonder where that will come in.
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but then the rest of the gatewatch arrive because Lilli went to fetch them
Since creative seems to prefer having the interactions within the gatewatch to follow the Magic colours circle, I assume that Liliana went to fetch the gatewatch. Then Liliana and Nissa are going to have an argument over who is the better friend, because Liliana went to actually get help, while Nissa claims that she at least stood by her friend, while Liliana just disappeared. Then Chandra butts in and says that they were both helpful and wants them to stop fighting.
The only blank spot left here is the timing of the confiscation of all the inventions. Does Tez confiscate everything and then fight Pia to showcase his dominance, trying to quell any kind of resistance showing that it's futile (though that could backfire if you make her into a martyr figure) or does he order the confiscation after being forced to retreat. Whatever the case, all of this ends up causing the Aether revolt to break out.
Confiscation Coup (5/5) comes after Fateful Showdown (4/5), so it's safe to assume that Tezzeret somehow escapes and demands all the inventions after the duel.
but then the rest of the gatewatch arrive because Lilli went to fetch them
Since creative seems to prefer having the interactions within the gatewatch to follow the Magic colours circle, I assume that Liliana went to fetch the gatewatch. Then Liliana and Nissa are going to have an argument over who is the better friend, because Liliana went to actually get help, while Nissa claims that she at least stood by her friend, while Liliana just disappeared. Then Chandra butts in and says that they were both helpful and wants them to stop fighting.
The only blank spot left here is the timing of the confiscation of all the inventions. Does Tez confiscate everything and then fight Pia to showcase his dominance, trying to quell any kind of resistance showing that it's futile (though that could backfire if you make her into a martyr figure) or does he order the confiscation after being forced to retreat. Whatever the case, all of this ends up causing the Aether revolt to break out.
Confiscation Coup (5/5) comes after Fateful Showdown (4/5), so it's safe to assume that Tezzeret somehow escapes and demands all the inventions after the duel.
I think while Tezz is fighting Pia, Chandra, Nissa and Ajani crash the duel, followed by the rest of the GW. Because of the interference, Tezz confiscates the inventions under the guise of 'The Resistance is revolting, I need to use your stuff to fight them', conflating the GW with the Resistance.
I stand corrected!
I really didn't know the new info about Domri
It kinda new?, and it doesn't detail much just says he's off Ravnica.
Timeline-wise it gets fuzzy too, since we don't if those walkers where even around during the main RTR storyline. Vraska could have been MIA for years. Narset has been to other planes but we don't know how man years she has been a planeswlaker before she bumped into Sarkhan.
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"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
A little out of the blue, but...
What if aetherborn can absorb planeswalkers sparks when they absorb living essence?
They went out of the way to characterize a secondary character that happens to be an aetherborn capable of absorbing life-force from living things and his inner struggle on not wanting to do that, plus his (or it? Aetherborn are asexual beings, right? The "they" pronoun just feels wrong) hostility towards the consulate.
I hope this just doesn't amount to nothing (it would be another interesting character going down the drain just because the gatewatch has to be kept in the spotlight).
So...
What if Yahenni manages to absorb Tezzeret's spark during Aether Revolt?
Also, supposing Aetherborn can actually suck the spark out of planeswalkers, would the spark give them access to a way to absorb Aether to keep themselves alive for longer periods?
I know it is not going to happen, but it would be a strange turn of events.
That's actually... A really cool idea!
The only problem I have with it is the fact that I like most of the planeswalkers we know will feature in the story... I think the only one I'll trade for an Aetherborn 'walker (which sounds cool and interesting) is maybe Baan, and that only because he's my least liked option...
They went out of the way to characterize a secondary character that happens to be an aetherborn capable of absorbing life-force from living things and his inner struggle on not wanting to do that, plus his (or it? Aetherborn are asexual beings, right? The "they" pronoun just feels wrong) hostility towards the consulate.
Aetherborn do not have genders, and have been referred to using they/them pronouns consistently throughout flavortext, so if you want to be accurate they is the correct term for them.
A little out of the blue, but...
What if aetherborn can absorb planeswalkers sparks when they absorb living essence?
They went out of the way to characterize a secondary character that happens to be an aetherborn capable of absorbing life-force from living things and his inner struggle on not wanting to do that, plus his (or it? Aetherborn are asexual beings, right? The "they" pronoun just feels wrong) hostility towards the consulate.
I hope this just doesn't amount to nothing (it would be another interesting character going down the drain just because the gatewatch has to be kept in the spotlight).
So...
What if Yahenni manages to absorb Tezzeret's spark during Aether Revolt?
Also, supposing Aetherborn can actually suck the spark out of planeswalkers, would the spark give them access to a way to absorb Aether to keep themselves alive for longer periods?
I know it is not going to happen, but it would be a strange turn of events.
If somehow an Aetherborn did manage to have a spark and ascend, wouldn't they pretty much die on their very first planeswalk? I mean, the aetherborn of Kaladesh were, well, something of a sentient elemental made of the aether that flows all over the plane. But as Nissa said, a plane that is so-infused with aether like Kaladesh is not commonplace. In such a welcoming environment full of aether, they already have such a measly lifespan; if they end up planeswalking to a plane which obviously has significantly less free aethers in the air, wouldn't that impact them VERY severely? It's like trying to take an ice elemental to a walk across a mountain trek during severe heatwave (a.k.a, the Blind Eternities) then end up arriving nearby a caldera (the other, non-aetherized plane)...
Depends if the spaerk allows the aetherborn to access a source of energy that can be used to sustain their life force (access to the mana of a plane for example).
The blind eternities should not pose much of an issue as they are pretty much filled with aether and another plane, while uncomfortable, could still be habitable if the spark itself can provide for enough lifeforce for their sustenance.
They could even, if they wanted to, say that being exposed to the raw aether of the blind eternities replenishes them, extending their lifespans.
Aether doesn't appear to have a diametric opposite the way that fire/ice oppose each other, so I don't think there's really anything to indicate that exposure of non-Kaladeshi levels of aether on a plane would deplete them any faster than on Kaladesh.
Additionally, I thought the point was made that the Aetherborn do not metabolize anything, including aether. They are born and start dissolving until they die. I don't see why they would be worse off in a world without aether.
If an aetherborn can somehow manage to obtain a spark, there is no longer any reason to prevent angel or elemental planeswalkers tbh.
It would just be a matter of plot convenience from that point on.
Karn already was the first step in that direction anyway though, but aetherborn are basically elementals.
Considering that I want an angel planeswalker, that's a plus in my book though.
Despite that I don't like the idea of an aetherborn planeswalker much though. Their expiry date is kind of the most defining characteristic of them and we already have a black planeswalker beyond her natural age that desperately tries to dodge death by any means possible.
Considering that we already have both a Demon planeswalker and a Devil planeswalker (Demon form, half-devil, whatever.) there really wasn't any reason not to have at least a planeswalker that was angelic in appearance even before the Aetherborn were ever created.
Also, Lorwyn Flamekin could have the potential to be planeswalking Elementals. They do possess souls, or partial souls, or soul like equivalents, it'd barely take a handwave or so and Boom. Planeswalker.
The problem with an angel planeswalker isn't that they can't figure out a way to do them, they have plenty already, it's that they need a reason to bend this rule and 'why not' isn't a good reason.
Considering that we already have both a Demon planeswalker and a Devil planeswalker (Demon form, half-devil, whatever.) there really wasn't any reason not to have at least a planeswalker that was angelic in appearance even before the Aetherborn were ever created.
Ob Nixilis and Tibalt aren't really demons/devils, though. They're humans who look like demons/devils because they were corrupted by demonic/diabolical influences. They still have physical bodies, they're not made of mana like real demons/devils are. For instance, if Ob Nixilis was killed, he wouldn't simply reform like Innistradi demons do.
As an aside, does anyone know what happened to Withengar and Ormendahl? Did the story ever specify if they were killed or captured again? Are they still active? Were they corrupted by Emrakul?
As an aside, does anyone know what happened to Withengar and Ormendahl? Did the story ever specify if they were killed or captured again? Are they still active? Were they corrupted by Emrakul?
I think Withengar was never mentioned again, but the Artbook mentioned that Ormendahl was corrupted by Emrakul and became part of Brisela's forces.
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The problem with an angel planeswalker isn't that they can't figure out a way to do them, they have plenty already, it's that they need a reason to bend this rule and 'why not' isn't a good reason.
People want one is as good a reason as any other Planeswalker pretty much.
Considering that we already have both a Demon planeswalker and a Devil planeswalker (Demon form, half-devil, whatever.) there really wasn't any reason not to have at least a planeswalker that was angelic in appearance even before the Aetherborn were ever created.
Ob Nixilis and Tibalt aren't really demons/devils, though. They're humans who look like demons/devils because they were corrupted by demonic/diabolical influences. They still have physical bodies, they're not made of mana like real demons/devils are. For instance, if Ob Nixilis was killed, he wouldn't simply reform like Innistradi demons do.
As an aside, does anyone know what happened to Withengar and Ormendahl? Did the story ever specify if they were killed or captured again? Are they still active? Were they corrupted by Emrakul?
Hence the parenthesis.
I acknowledged, if offhandedly, that Ob is not actually a demon, and Tibalt isn't actually a devil, but likewise an "angel" planeswalker wouldn't actually have to be an angel.
We have both pseudo-demon and pseudo-devil planeswalekrs. There's zero reason there couldn't be a pseudo-angel as well.
But yeah, seems like as long as a being is sentient and not an artificial construct, it has a chance to become a planeswalker. An aetherborn planeswalker is thus not unlikely, though I still have to ask how that can circumvent their short lifespan.
(About artificial construct, I know Karn is manmade, but he becomes a planeswalker because of the souls of other planeswalkers currently residing in him, so he's special case as I understand it; Normal constructs wouldn't have such a benefit)
I find an aetherborn walker pretty unlikely but at the same time it seems like it would be pretty easy for them to say that since thwyre able to suck the life out of people that one they spark their connection to the server of the blind eternities sustains them.
Aetherborn likely can't have a spark, like other beings created by artificial methods.
That said, they're beings made from aether. And they're black-aligned. We have examples of both being able to traverse the Blind Eternities without sparks.
Since Rashmi's teleporter seems to kill living creatures (exposure to Blind Eternities seemed to be the implication), maybe an Aetherborn will use it and survive.
Aetherborn likely can't have a spark, like other beings created by artificial methods.
They're not really all that artificial. They are a byproduct of the aether refining process. Nobody is sitting there with the intention of creating aetherborn. They're not biological, but I would say they're natural, just how crystals are.
Aetherborn likely can't have a spark, like other beings created by artificial methods.
They're not really all that artificial. They are a byproduct of the aether refining process. Nobody is sitting there with the intention of creating aetherborn. They're not biological, but I would say they're natural, just how crystals are.
Is pollution in the real world natural? No one is sitting around saying "You know would be nice? Smog." except maybe some Captain Planet villains. I think you might be confusing 'artificial' with 'non-biological'.
Artificiality has nothing to do with whether or not something is biological. Crystals occur naturally. Humans can also make artificial crystals. Neither are biological.
The Aetherborn are most definitely artificial. It doesn't matter if they are the intended outcome or not, they only occur due to the refinement process. They explicitly only started appearing when the refinement process began. That makes them artificial rather than naturally occurring.
Sparks are explicitly only for intelligent creatures that are born through natural processes (literally born) because they get souls. Although they can be transferred artificially, like with Karn.
I'm gonna guess the fair. Saheeli and Dovin are both involved in the fair in some manner so that is imo a valid reason why they are not off plane. It like how almost everyone goes back to their hometown for holidays and such. Besides Arlinn which other new walkers have we seen that "simply refuse to planeswalk"?
I think you spot on there and that is the context of Dramatic Reversal. And despite the danger I'm guessing Jace and Liliana would be willing to fight Tezzeret again if Gideon, Nissa and what looks to be Ajani are backing them up and that is what lets them win against Tezzeret.
I've been hoping for that too, gives a huge motivation for Chandra to start the revolt. Chandra's Pyrohelix gives me this thought.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Not everyone likes traveling abroad. Imagine the levels of culture shock many planeswalkers must come up against.
Vraska at least spends a lot of time off plane http://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planeswalkers/vraska;
with her returning to Ravnica in order to take over the living guildpact.
Also from checking in on the planeswalkers, Domri is currently off plane as well. http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/checking-planeswalkers-2015-2015-08-19
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
With oldwalkers it made more sense, they soon learned that they were basically gods and blending in with cultures and even races from other worlds was not a problem as they could simply shapeshift and use magic to learn about their new surroundings (I feel that this was illustrated very well in Time Spiral when Teferi reads the entire Keldon tome in almost an instant).
Worldhopping quite frankly doesn't make much sense now that the nature of the spark has changed.
There's a lot of ways to explain it away, but really they're just there because a new plane needs new walkers...Really, the fact that it's so easy for walkers to just show up somewhere and communicate with everyone (and I don't only mean the language barrier, also customs), so many of the same walkers constantly being involved in major world changing events, etc...*shrugs* We (I) probably shouldn't think about these things too much
Today's story is interesting. We know where Pia is being held now and that our heroes are heading there to bust her out. So if Pia is dueling Tez...that should be a public event, no? Weren't we assuming that? That means that Chandra and Nissa will probably fall into the trap as they head for the jail cell...
I also noticed that the card Disappearing Act seems to have Baral in it, so I'm predicting they head over to the jail, face off against Baral who then does his disappearing act and the trap is set off. Then Ajani appears, busts them out and they learn that while they were wasting their time Tez has set up a death match to publically display the downfall of the mighty renegade Pia Nalaar. Nissa, Chandra and Ajani arrive but Tez is just too powerfull, but then the rest of the gatewatch arrive because Lilli went to fetch them (I'm guessing she would rather not use the chain veil if she doesn't have to and she figures rallying the other members of the gatewatch might be a good idea).
Why was Ajani there? He learnt of them through Tamiyo's gossip circle.
The only blank spot left here is the timing of the confiscation of all the inventions. Does Tez confiscate everything and then fight Pia to showcase his dominance, trying to quell any kind of resistance showing that it's futile (though that could backfire if you make her into a martyr figure) or does he order the confiscation after being forced to retreat. Whatever the case, all of this ends up causing the Aether revolt to break out.
The last thing we haven't been shown anything on though is the new planar portal device. I wonder where that will come in.
Affinity
UW Control
Commander
Sidisi, Undead Vizier
Purphoros, God of the Forge
Dragonlord Ojutai
Gishath, Sun's Avatar
The Ur-Dragon
Since creative seems to prefer having the interactions within the gatewatch to follow the Magic colours circle, I assume that Liliana went to fetch the gatewatch. Then Liliana and Nissa are going to have an argument over who is the better friend, because Liliana went to actually get help, while Nissa claims that she at least stood by her friend, while Liliana just disappeared. Then Chandra butts in and says that they were both helpful and wants them to stop fighting.
Confiscation Coup (5/5) comes after Fateful Showdown (4/5), so it's safe to assume that Tezzeret somehow escapes and demands all the inventions after the duel.
I think while Tezz is fighting Pia, Chandra, Nissa and Ajani crash the duel, followed by the rest of the GW. Because of the interference, Tezz confiscates the inventions under the guise of 'The Resistance is revolting, I need to use your stuff to fight them', conflating the GW with the Resistance.
It kinda new?, and it doesn't detail much just says he's off Ravnica.
Timeline-wise it gets fuzzy too, since we don't if those walkers where even around during the main RTR storyline. Vraska could have been MIA for years. Narset has been to other planes but we don't know how man years she has been a planeswlaker before she bumped into Sarkhan.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
That's actually... A really cool idea!
The only problem I have with it is the fact that I like most of the planeswalkers we know will feature in the story... I think the only one I'll trade for an Aetherborn 'walker (which sounds cool and interesting) is maybe Baan, and that only because he's my least liked option...
If somehow an Aetherborn did manage to have a spark and ascend, wouldn't they pretty much die on their very first planeswalk? I mean, the aetherborn of Kaladesh were, well, something of a sentient elemental made of the aether that flows all over the plane. But as Nissa said, a plane that is so-infused with aether like Kaladesh is not commonplace. In such a welcoming environment full of aether, they already have such a measly lifespan; if they end up planeswalking to a plane which obviously has significantly less free aethers in the air, wouldn't that impact them VERY severely? It's like trying to take an ice elemental to a walk across a mountain trek during severe heatwave (a.k.a, the Blind Eternities) then end up arriving nearby a caldera (the other, non-aetherized plane)...
They could even, if they wanted to, say that being exposed to the raw aether of the blind eternities replenishes them, extending their lifespans.
Aether doesn't appear to have a diametric opposite the way that fire/ice oppose each other, so I don't think there's really anything to indicate that exposure of non-Kaladeshi levels of aether on a plane would deplete them any faster than on Kaladesh.
Considering that we already have both a Demon planeswalker and a Devil planeswalker (Demon form, half-devil, whatever.) there really wasn't any reason not to have at least a planeswalker that was angelic in appearance even before the Aetherborn were ever created.
Also, Lorwyn Flamekin could have the potential to be planeswalking Elementals. They do possess souls, or partial souls, or soul like equivalents, it'd barely take a handwave or so and Boom. Planeswalker.
Ob Nixilis and Tibalt aren't really demons/devils, though. They're humans who look like demons/devils because they were corrupted by demonic/diabolical influences. They still have physical bodies, they're not made of mana like real demons/devils are. For instance, if Ob Nixilis was killed, he wouldn't simply reform like Innistradi demons do.
As an aside, does anyone know what happened to Withengar and Ormendahl? Did the story ever specify if they were killed or captured again? Are they still active? Were they corrupted by Emrakul?
I think Withengar was never mentioned again, but the Artbook mentioned that Ormendahl was corrupted by Emrakul and became part of Brisela's forces.
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier from Heroes of the Plane Studios for this sick Signature.
People want one is as good a reason as any other Planeswalker pretty much.
Hence the parenthesis.
I acknowledged, if offhandedly, that Ob is not actually a demon, and Tibalt isn't actually a devil, but likewise an "angel" planeswalker wouldn't actually have to be an angel.
We have both pseudo-demon and pseudo-devil planeswalekrs. There's zero reason there couldn't be a pseudo-angel as well.
*cough*Malach Of The Dawn*cough*
But yeah, seems like as long as a being is sentient and not an artificial construct, it has a chance to become a planeswalker. An aetherborn planeswalker is thus not unlikely, though I still have to ask how that can circumvent their short lifespan.
(About artificial construct, I know Karn is manmade, but he becomes a planeswalker because of the souls of other planeswalkers currently residing in him, so he's special case as I understand it; Normal constructs wouldn't have such a benefit)
That said, they're beings made from aether. And they're black-aligned. We have examples of both being able to traverse the Blind Eternities without sparks.
Since Rashmi's teleporter seems to kill living creatures (exposure to Blind Eternities seemed to be the implication), maybe an Aetherborn will use it and survive.
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They're not really all that artificial. They are a byproduct of the aether refining process. Nobody is sitting there with the intention of creating aetherborn. They're not biological, but I would say they're natural, just how crystals are.
Artificiality has nothing to do with whether or not something is biological. Crystals occur naturally. Humans can also make artificial crystals. Neither are biological.
The Aetherborn are most definitely artificial. It doesn't matter if they are the intended outcome or not, they only occur due to the refinement process. They explicitly only started appearing when the refinement process began. That makes them artificial rather than naturally occurring.
Sparks are explicitly only for intelligent creatures that are born through natural processes (literally born) because they get souls. Although they can be transferred artificially, like with Karn.
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[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath