-First off Kate how dare you remind me how much I'm missing GoT this summer
-Some more clarity for how the Mardu turned to Kolaghan, leaving behind anyone who can't keep up instead of what their worth to the clan is.
-Yasova showing off her trickery and blue side against Atarka is cool
-Tae Jin seems to be hi-jacked by Ugin? and telling...
-THE EDLER DRAGON WAR
-Bolas "reigned justly and fairly, with order and peace" sounds like Bolas propaganda to me, clever for him to twist the dragon killers as evil to their future generation to keep them from not fighting
-At this time its noted Bolas still isn't fully done growing
-Bolas kingdom gets attacked by Vaevictis brood and chases one back to meet his cousins the now named brothers of Vaevictis, Lividus, Ravus, and Rubra. This starts a dragon war, tho we do know Vaevictis lives and his bros die and we get to see them taken down.
-And the spark of the war starts, by Bolas first telling how Vaevictis turned on his brother to their brood and then mentions to his sister that Vaevictis could be taken down. This leads to dragons fighting dragons until we know only 5 mange to survive it all.
-I think we got enough info to know what happened but enough wiggle room if creative decided to further detail it without too many retcons happening.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Hopefully we get the story of Bolas fighting the Leviaathan Walker and his defeat by Tetsuo Umezawa. i know we already have those stories but would be interesting to see from Bolas's perpesctive
I don't know how Ugin would know about this story unless he lifted it directly from Bolas' mind. Then again, I don't know how/why Bolas would think to interfere in the goings-on of Tarkir when he believes Ugin to be dead for 18 years. I'm curious to see who is responsible for Tae Jin's visions.
I am glad I was wrong and we did get a Bolas centered story this week. Looking forward to seeing if they continue this next week and possible get Bolas' spark ignition.
I love how rich, textured and enveloping this writing is. It's easy to be immersed and believe Tarkir to be a true world in the context of fantasy writing. I'd love to see this author write for Theros in the future. We get a sense of culture, history, distance, weather, elements, fatigue, reasoning, etc. It's not like other stories where characters seem to just teleport to where they belong, advance the plot because they must, and come face to face with gods, resorting to humor of all things. Whereas before the writing felt like Saturday morning cartoons, I'm pleased to see how grand and horrifying Atarka is as a dragonlord, the influence she and the dangers of the world have on the band of travelers, and the effort it takes to travel such a vast world. The plane doesn't feel small, the Legends in power aren't pushovers, there's actual dimension to everything here. If she can write dragonlords this well, I'm dying to see this author write Greek Theros gods.
Hm, didn't expect the Elder Dragon War to actually be described. Cool! I wonder who sent this vision, since Ugin wasn't part of the events.
This story also more and more shows how horrible the humanoid species of Tarkir have it under the dragons. I wonder what Ugin thinks of this. We never heard his opinion on the current state of his adopted home plane after all...
This story also more and more shows how horrible the humanoid species of Tarkir have it under the dragons. I wonder what Ugin thinks of this. We never heard his opinion on the current state of his adopted home plane after all...
What are you saying?! It is crystal clear that during the old timelines under the Khans things were really worse for the humans population, dragons are surely better and sympathetic rulers, how cannot you agree?!
Really good story this time, continuing the high quality of this whole block.
The story voice this time reflects Nicol Bolas's perspective, not Ugin's. That's why it is so fawning and aggrandizing toward him. This is the Bolas propaganda version of the Elder Dragon War.
I'm really loving the Tarkir sections, especially. I think the author is doing a great job of creating believable, differentiated characters with understandable personalities and motivations. And the depiction of Tarkir as a setting, with the beauty and danger of the landscape, the weather, and the material living conditions of the Atarka tribe -- man, it's great.
It's making me want a new Tarkir set, that's for sure.
I don't know how Ugin would know about this story unless he lifted it directly from Bolas' mind. Then again, I don't know how/why Bolas would think to interfere in the goings-on of Tarkir when he believes Ugin to be dead for 18 years. I'm curious to see who is responsible for Tae Jin's visions.
I had a suspicion for a few moments that Tar Jin might be Chromium, who would know all of this. But then I thought that is unlikely. But then I thought about it again. It just doesn't make sense for Ugin to define Bolas that way, let alone know all about this history and what happened (Bolas is the sole 'survivor' of the canyon/rocks/army scene before Vaevictis brother appeared; who else would know it but Bolas?). But if Bolas sent the visions, then he would know Ugin wasn't full dead. So I dunno.
I don't know how Ugin would know about this story unless he lifted it directly from Bolas' mind. Then again, I don't know how/why Bolas would think to interfere in the goings-on of Tarkir when he believes Ugin to be dead for 18 years. I'm curious to see who is responsible for Tae Jin's visions.
I had a suspicion for a few moments that Tar Jin might be Chromium, who would know all of this. But then I thought that is unlikely. But then I thought about it again. It just doesn't make sense for Ugin to define Bolas that way, let alone know all about this history and what happened (Bolas is the sole 'survivor' of the canyon/rocks/army scene before Vaevictis brother appeared; who else would know it but Bolas?). But if Bolas sent the visions, then he would know Ugin wasn't full dead. So I dunno.
I don't think that Bolas would need to be actively involved in manipulating Tae Jin's storytelling at that moment in time, rather it's possible that after he "killed" Ugin he cast some sort of enchantment that would influence the tellings of Tarkir's history to make himself not the bad guy. He's just that narcissistic, really. Also, he seems the type to add insult to injury, making himself out to be the reasonable one in spite of Ugin.
So the story could be Bolas' doing, but Bolas wouldn't necessarily have to be aware of the events on Tarkir after he "killed" Ugin.
Or conceivably Bolas and Ugin have some kind of psychic link, and as dormant Ugin struggles, some kind of Bolas persona is throwing out its own stories?
Maybe this is Elder Fight Club and there never was an Ugin anyway.
This week’s entry just rocked my world. So many revelations, and so much to appreciate here. Things I loved:
- Bolas being known to his first kingdom as The Second Sun.
- Bolas's continued sensitivity to being called "little," "runt," and "least-born." You can just see how it gets under his skin. "That their insults weren't even clever just made it worse." Hahaha.
- The Elder. Dragon. War. I like how it started as small-scale a turf war between Vaevictus and Nicol, and how it involved humans as well. It was bigger than just a mighty dragon brawl--as it grew and unfolded, it involved mighty armies and entire kingdoms. Reading the opening battle gave me a feeling I haven’t had in Magic fiction since reading J. Robert King’s The Thran. Bolas's first open foray into warfare had almost that same old, legendary feeling as the Battle of Megheddon Defile. A war of antiquity, long before the Antiquities War.
- Bolas with his back to wall, outmatched in power and forced to rely on his wits alone to get out alive. (We were all beginners, once.)
- The narrator's constant references to Bolas's benevolent and peaceful rule, even as he's shown terrorizing his own generals and getting all his people killed.
- This sentence: "When (Arcades) had defeated them, he threw their marrowless bones into the sea where the waters churned them into pale sands that washed shores all the world round."
Also some fascinating insights into Bolas’s character:
An irritating flash of thought crackled in his mind with the timbre of Ugin's voice scolding him: If it is wrong to kill dragons when the humanoids do it, then it is wrong for us to kill our kinfolk. Or did Merrevia Sal die for nothing, Nicol? Was it never about her at all but only about the humiliation you felt at not saving her?
Their sister's death and the vengeance he'd taken had been different, not that Ugin had the wit or discernment to acknowledge this truth. And anyway, Ugin was wrong. Vaevictis was a bully, and his descendants were bullies who would rip apart the harmonious kingdom for the sport of it.
It's been speculated here and elsewhere that Bolas's real reason for seeking vengeance and dominion over humans has less to do with actual concern over his sister's death and more with his own threatened pride. Whatever the truth, it's interesting that Bolas is bothered by that interpretation and wants to believe that this is really about his sister and not just himself.
At odd moments, when he visited the birth mountain or when he was flying above water, he thought of Ugin. In his hearts, he felt obliged to believe an invisible wind roused by sorcery had ripped Ugin away, because if it hadn't been sorcery, then Ugin was nothing more than a coward who had abandoned his brother just when Nicol needed him most. He could not bear to believe Ugin was so weak and dishonorable.
Bolas may be a manipulative and vain, but on some level he really does care about Ugin and wants to think well of him. It's fascinating that he admitted to "needing" Ugin. This is a very rare admission of vulnerability on Bolas's part. In last week's story Ugin despaired because he felt like Bolas had never really cared for him, but now we see that wasn't quite the case. Bolas would have used him, certainly. And their relationship might not have been very healthy. But Bolas cared, in his own way, and he wanted Ugin with him.
At odd moments, when he visited the birth mountain or when he was flying above water, he thought of Ugin. In his hearts, he felt obliged to believe an invisible wind roused by sorcery had ripped Ugin away, because if it hadn't been sorcery, then Ugin was nothing more than a coward who had abandoned his brother just when Nicol needed him most. He could not bear to believe Ugin was so weak and dishonorable.
Bolas may be a manipulative and vain, but on some level he really does care about Ugin and wants to think well of him. It's fascinating that he admitted to "needing" Ugin. This is a very rare admission of vulnerability on Bolas's part. In last week's story Ugin despaired because he felt like Bolas had never really cared for him, but now we see that wasn't quite the case. Bolas would have used him, certainly. And their relationship might not have been very healthy. But Bolas cared, in his own way, and he wanted Ugin with him.
This emotion right here is heavy. It is a real care, Bolas probably cared more about Ugin than he has ever or could ever care about anything that is not himself. Its the type of emotion that tricks people into staying in abusive relationships because "he really does care about me in his own way". You know that if Ugin was privy to these thoughts shortly after he walked he would have ran right back to comfort him and assure him he didn't abandon him.
Its interesting to see that over 25,000 years they both stay more or less the same but become more callous. Each devaluing life for different reasons. For Bolas only his life has value and others derive their value from how they serve him, while Ugin has the view Life is the value so a life is inconsequential.
I'd like to back up a bit to the first story
If you wish to master the way, then you must learn and repeat and remember. Knowledge is also memory. To forget the past is to lose a piece of ourselves. How much more so for an entire people who lose their past.
My own story is a simple one. The one I loved best in all the worlds is the one who killed me.
How did it happen? That is less simple, and will take longer to tell. Listen carefully, for he may come here someday, and if that happens, then you must beware, for whatever words he speaks to flatter and persuade you will be lies.
I'm unsure what I first thought when I read it but it seems Bolas killed Ugin once, I assume causing him to become a spirit Dragon, and is thus setting up a warning for when Bolas comes to kill him again; obviously too late now but these words were some of the first he spoke to the Jeskai, they really should have propagated this warning at least. If this is the case do you think this story line will end with Ugin's first death?
I love how rich, textured and enveloping this writing is. It's easy to be immersed and believe Tarkir to be a true world in the context of fantasy writing. I'd love to see this author write for Theros in the future. We get a sense of culture, history, distance, weather, elements, fatigue, reasoning, etc. It's not like other stories where characters seem to just teleport to where they belong, advance the plot because they must, and come face to face with gods, resorting to humor of all things. Whereas before the writing felt like Saturday morning cartoons, I'm pleased to see how grand and horrifying Atarka is as a dragonlord, the influence she and the dangers of the world have on the band of travelers, and the effort it takes to travel such a vast world. The plane doesn't feel small, the Legends in power aren't pushovers, there's actual dimension to everything here. If she can write dragonlords this well, I'm dying to see this author write Greek Theros gods.
Yes, one reason why Tarkir was such an amazing plane also, and much went wasted in the new timeline.
Hm, didn't expect the Elder Dragon War to actually be described. Cool! I wonder who sent this vision, since Ugin wasn't part of the events.
This story also more and more shows how horrible the humanoid species of Tarkir have it under the dragons. I wonder what Ugin thinks of this. We never heard his opinion on the current state of his adopted home plane after all...
Since Ugin taught the humanoids to use Morph magic, I think he did not intend the dragons to rule like tyrants.
Yeah, I have to agree, this author is great. I especially love how she weaves in little bits of humor here and there (Atarka's and Bolas's demeanor and thoughts, Yasova pushing Naiva away from Tae Jin) without making the characters look ridiculous in the process.
I also really hope we return to Tarkir in the near future. It already felt like this the first time, but it's a world with the kind of scope to it that has been missimg from the last few planes. Ixalan and Dominaria had it in theory, but the stories didn't really get it across.
I appreciate the insights into the Elder Dragon War; the form of the story--as a storytelling moment--made the brevity of its retelling appropriate. We could have had at last four episodes/chapters giving us details, but the framing device of Tarkir works in our favor here: we get the whole war summarized in a satisfactory way. We can visit it later if we need to, but otherwise we get what we need to know.
I like that Ugin has ascended and left: this allows us to have the remaining five Elders be the sole survivors--because Ugin wasn't part of it.
I also think Ugin would have ways to know what happened in the War, if indeed he is the one who speaks to Tae Jin (which I suspect he is). The positive epithets to Bolas suggest it could be our antagonist, but why would Bolas return to Tarkir after his job is done? I think we'll see Ugin by the end of this.
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Dominian Scholar of the Old Guard, specializing in pre-revisionist (Armada comics) and revisionist (Brothers' War through Apocalypse)history
Nicol is a consummate sociopath. That he has anyone's sympathy is mindboggling. The author isn't subtle about his many complexes. But a flash of "concern" for Ugin by way of (paraphrase) "I hope he actually did die and not leave like a cowardous weakling during MY moment of need." and people feel for him? That's a display of care and concern? Uhh. He is constantly thinking, talking, and acting better than anyone else. Murdering, manipulating, and being cowardous himself. "He cares "in his own way.'" And he's the abused one? Really laughable/concerning. I've read about Nicol Bolas for years now, and he only gets darker. Can't wait to see his defeat.
Random tangent but at least Nahiri actually had reason to go balls to the wall against Sorin. Of course she was dead-wrong for coming for all of Innistrad. But Nicol Bolas has done that x100. Yet has peoples' sympathy.
Needless to say, it's my own reading experience of Bolas that has not produced any sympathy at any point. It's just shocking, to me, that it does for others. Nothing about him reads sympathetic big bad to me, but whatever floats your skyship.
Nicol is a consummate sociopath. That he has anyone's sympathy is mindboggling. The author isn't subtle about his many complexes. But a flash of "concern" for Ugin by way of (paraphrase) "I hope he actually did die and not leave like a cowardous weakling during MY moment of need." and people feel for him? That's a display of care and concern? Uhh. He is constantly thinking, talking, and acting better than anyone else. Murdering, manipulating, and being cowardous himself. "He cares "in his own way.'" And he's the abused one? Really laughable/concerning. I've read about Nicol Bolas for years now, and he only gets darker. Can't wait to see his defeat.
Random tangent but at least Nahiri actually had reason to go balls to the wall against Sorin. Of course she was dead-wrong for coming for all of Innistrad. But Nicol Bolas has done that x100. Yet has peoples' sympathy.
Needless to say, it's my own reading experience of Bolas that has not produced any sympathy at any point. It's just shocking, to me, that it does for others. Nothing about him reads sympathetic big bad to me, but whatever floats your skyship.
Um... Where are you getting this idea that Bolas has anyone's sympathy? While I personally found him easy to EMPATHIZE with in the previous four fictions, as of this week's chapter he's very clearly descended into a wicked and villainous character who deserved to be put in the ground. That does not mean we can't identify layered emotions and interesting nuances in his personality and appreciate them for their characterization value.
Un-boggle your mind. No one's feeling sorry for him, just like no one actually feels sorry for Darth Vader, who didn't even deserve his redemption. But like Vader, these rare glimpses of vulnerability help round Bolas out and make him a more interesting character.
Look at Yawgmoth as another example. THE THRAN did not make him sympathetic. But it made his evil interesting and comprehensible.
I love how rich, textured and enveloping this writing is. It's easy to be immersed and believe Tarkir to be a true world in the context of fantasy writing. I'd love to see this author write for Theros in the future. We get a sense of culture, history, distance, weather, elements, fatigue, reasoning, etc. It's not like other stories where characters seem to just teleport to where they belong, advance the plot because they must, and come face to face with gods, resorting to humor of all things. Whereas before the writing felt like Saturday morning cartoons, I'm pleased to see how grand and horrifying Atarka is as a dragonlord, the influence she and the dangers of the world have on the band of travelers, and the effort it takes to travel such a vast world. The plane doesn't feel small, the Legends in power aren't pushovers, there's actual dimension to everything here. If she can write dragonlords this well, I'm dying to see this author write Greek Theros gods.
Yes, one reason why Tarkir was such an amazing plane also, and much went wasted in the new timeline.
Hm, didn't expect the Elder Dragon War to actually be described. Cool! I wonder who sent this vision, since Ugin wasn't part of the events.
This story also more and more shows how horrible the humanoid species of Tarkir have it under the dragons. I wonder what Ugin thinks of this. We never heard his opinion on the current state of his adopted home plane after all...
Since Ugin taught the humanoids to use Morph magic, I think he did not intend the dragons to rule like tyrants.
To expand on that line of thinking:
Indications are that Ugin maintained a deliberate balance between the Dragons and the Khans.
Prior to Ugin's death/"death" BOTH the Khans and the Dragonlords existed and it certainly appeared that both groups had a long and far reaching lineage. It was only once Ugin was removed from the picture that one side dominated the other. With Ugin dead there are no more dragonstorms so the humanoid races won out through simple attrition; With Ugin in stasis and the dragonstorms raging without his conscious control, dragons overwhelmed the clans and subjugated the humanoid races.
It'll be interesting to see what (if any) steps he takes to restore that balance.
Nicol is a consummate sociopath. That he has anyone's sympathy is mindboggling. The author isn't subtle about his many complexes. But a flash of "concern" for Ugin by way of (paraphrase) "I hope he actually did die and not leave like a cowardous weakling during MY moment of need." and people feel for him? That's a display of care and concern? Uhh. He is constantly thinking, talking, and acting better than anyone else. Murdering, manipulating, and being cowardous himself. "He cares "in his own way.'" And he's the abused one? Really laughable/concerning. I've read about Nicol Bolas for years now, and he only gets darker. Can't wait to see his defeat.
Random tangent but at least Nahiri actually had reason to go balls to the wall against Sorin. Of course she was dead-wrong for coming for all of Innistrad. But Nicol Bolas has done that x100. Yet has peoples' sympathy.
Needless to say, it's my own reading experience of Bolas that has not produced any sympathy at any point. It's just shocking, to me, that it does for others. Nothing about him reads sympathetic big bad to me, but whatever floats your skyship.
I don't think anyone was saying that Bolas was the abused one. He's clearly the abuser in the Bolas/Ugin dynamic.
lol Bolas feels bad about Ugin because he has one less pawn in his game. One less pawn he grew to know well and who gave him many advantages while still around.
As for Nahiri. A plane was going to suffer with Eldrazi one or or another. Sorin willingly consigned that fate onto Zendikar by luring them there. Nahiri did the absolute most maintaining that prison, and risking her home world. All so Sorin wouldn't have to face the minuscule chance of risking his someday. Meanwhile, he returns and fortifies his with Avacyn. With the Eldrazi wreaking havoc, in part thanks to him sealing Nahiri away, and with a plane having to suffer under Eldrazi one way or another, why not Innistrad? Why Zendikar? Why a completely uninvolved plane? At least with Innistrad, Sorin suffers for his mistakes. Any other plane and it's pointless suffering. Zendikar gave enough.
Um... Where are you getting this idea that Bolas has anyone's sympathy? While I personally found him easy to EMPATHIZE with in the previous four fictions, as of this week's chapter he's very clearly descended into a wicked and villainous character who deserved to be put in the ground. That does not mean we can't identify layered emotions and interesting nuances in his personality and appreciate them for their characterization value.
Un-boggle your mind. No one's feeling sorry for him, just like no one actually feels sorry for Darth Vader, who didn't even deserve his redemption. But like Vader, these rare glimpses of vulnerability help round Bolas out and make him a more interesting character.
Look at Yawgmoth as another example. THE THRAN did not make him sympathetic. But it made his evil interesting and comprehensible.
You literally quoted someone saying he is sympathetic in the previous story in the last page, so that's where (previous page, if you're still having trouble finding "where I got the idea." Not to mention your own posts in this thread.
And, no thanks, please don't tell people what to do. I'll keep my mind boggled at how "fascinated" you are or anyone is with Bolas' sociopathic behavior. You already stated you find nothing heinous about his actions, which was well-responded to by a different user already. (Which you have decided not to address). Your first 5 of 6 points from the recent story that "rocked your world" were about Bolas and borderline admiration of. So yeah, that boggles my mind. And again, that you think Bolas being obliged to believe Ugin was dead because he can't bear to think Ugin was a coward is "caring." Mind boggling. You read that story right? Ugin planeswalked because of Bolas invading his mind and Ugin realizing he'd been doing it to the humans and who knows who else. Yeah, real caring of Bolas!
By all means feel free to think what you think, try a little less to be so defensive at me doing the same. Then again, you found it hard-pressed to understand Ugin's sympathy with man than Bolas' malevolance, sooo, yeah. I can pull quotes if you need reminders again, lmk. Also I have looked at Yawgmoth a long time and never found his evil interesting or comprehensible. He's like 10x worse than Bolas, but Bolas is catching up. What's so fascinating about sociopaths.
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https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/chronicles-bolas-blood-and-fire-2018-07-18
-First off Kate how dare you remind me how much I'm missing GoT this summer
-Some more clarity for how the Mardu turned to Kolaghan, leaving behind anyone who can't keep up instead of what their worth to the clan is.
-Yasova showing off her trickery and blue side against Atarka is cool
-Tae Jin seems to be hi-jacked by Ugin? and telling...
-THE EDLER DRAGON WAR
-Bolas "reigned justly and fairly, with order and peace" sounds like Bolas propaganda to me, clever for him to twist the dragon killers as evil to their future generation to keep them from not fighting
-At this time its noted Bolas still isn't fully done growing
-Bolas kingdom gets attacked by Vaevictis brood and chases one back to meet his cousins the now named brothers of Vaevictis, Lividus, Ravus, and Rubra. This starts a dragon war, tho we do know Vaevictis lives and his bros die and we get to see them taken down.
-And the spark of the war starts, by Bolas first telling how Vaevictis turned on his brother to their brood and then mentions to his sister that Vaevictis could be taken down. This leads to dragons fighting dragons until we know only 5 mange to survive it all.
-I think we got enough info to know what happened but enough wiggle room if creative decided to further detail it without too many retcons happening.
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This story also more and more shows how horrible the humanoid species of Tarkir have it under the dragons. I wonder what Ugin thinks of this. We never heard his opinion on the current state of his adopted home plane after all...
What are you saying?! It is crystal clear that during the old timelines under the Khans things were really worse for the humans population, dragons are surely better and sympathetic rulers, how cannot you agree?!
Obviously that was sarcasm
The story voice this time reflects Nicol Bolas's perspective, not Ugin's. That's why it is so fawning and aggrandizing toward him. This is the Bolas propaganda version of the Elder Dragon War.
I'm really loving the Tarkir sections, especially. I think the author is doing a great job of creating believable, differentiated characters with understandable personalities and motivations. And the depiction of Tarkir as a setting, with the beauty and danger of the landscape, the weather, and the material living conditions of the Atarka tribe -- man, it's great.
It's making me want a new Tarkir set, that's for sure.
I had a suspicion for a few moments that Tar Jin might be Chromium, who would know all of this. But then I thought that is unlikely. But then I thought about it again. It just doesn't make sense for Ugin to define Bolas that way, let alone know all about this history and what happened (Bolas is the sole 'survivor' of the canyon/rocks/army scene before Vaevictis brother appeared; who else would know it but Bolas?). But if Bolas sent the visions, then he would know Ugin wasn't full dead. So I dunno.
I don't think that Bolas would need to be actively involved in manipulating Tae Jin's storytelling at that moment in time, rather it's possible that after he "killed" Ugin he cast some sort of enchantment that would influence the tellings of Tarkir's history to make himself not the bad guy. He's just that narcissistic, really. Also, he seems the type to add insult to injury, making himself out to be the reasonable one in spite of Ugin.
So the story could be Bolas' doing, but Bolas wouldn't necessarily have to be aware of the events on Tarkir after he "killed" Ugin.
Maybe this is Elder Fight Club and there never was an Ugin anyway.
- Bolas being known to his first kingdom as The Second Sun.
- Bolas's continued sensitivity to being called "little," "runt," and "least-born." You can just see how it gets under his skin. "That their insults weren't even clever just made it worse." Hahaha.
- The Elder. Dragon. War. I like how it started as small-scale a turf war between Vaevictus and Nicol, and how it involved humans as well. It was bigger than just a mighty dragon brawl--as it grew and unfolded, it involved mighty armies and entire kingdoms. Reading the opening battle gave me a feeling I haven’t had in Magic fiction since reading J. Robert King’s The Thran. Bolas's first open foray into warfare had almost that same old, legendary feeling as the Battle of Megheddon Defile. A war of antiquity, long before the Antiquities War.
- Bolas with his back to wall, outmatched in power and forced to rely on his wits alone to get out alive. (We were all beginners, once.)
- The narrator's constant references to Bolas's benevolent and peaceful rule, even as he's shown terrorizing his own generals and getting all his people killed.
- This sentence: "When (Arcades) had defeated them, he threw their marrowless bones into the sea where the waters churned them into pale sands that washed shores all the world round."
Also some fascinating insights into Bolas’s character:
It's been speculated here and elsewhere that Bolas's real reason for seeking vengeance and dominion over humans has less to do with actual concern over his sister's death and more with his own threatened pride. Whatever the truth, it's interesting that Bolas is bothered by that interpretation and wants to believe that this is really about his sister and not just himself.
Bolas may be a manipulative and vain, but on some level he really does care about Ugin and wants to think well of him. It's fascinating that he admitted to "needing" Ugin. This is a very rare admission of vulnerability on Bolas's part. In last week's story Ugin despaired because he felt like Bolas had never really cared for him, but now we see that wasn't quite the case. Bolas would have used him, certainly. And their relationship might not have been very healthy. But Bolas cared, in his own way, and he wanted Ugin with him.
Its interesting to see that over 25,000 years they both stay more or less the same but become more callous. Each devaluing life for different reasons. For Bolas only his life has value and others derive their value from how they serve him, while Ugin has the view Life is the value so a life is inconsequential.
I'd like to back up a bit to the first story
I'm unsure what I first thought when I read it but it seems Bolas killed Ugin once, I assume causing him to become a spirit Dragon, and is thus setting up a warning for when Bolas comes to kill him again; obviously too late now but these words were some of the first he spoke to the Jeskai, they really should have propagated this warning at least. If this is the case do you think this story line will end with Ugin's first death?
Yes, one reason why Tarkir was such an amazing plane also, and much went wasted in the new timeline.
Since Ugin taught the humanoids to use Morph magic, I think he did not intend the dragons to rule like tyrants.
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Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
I also really hope we return to Tarkir in the near future. It already felt like this the first time, but it's a world with the kind of scope to it that has been missimg from the last few planes. Ixalan and Dominaria had it in theory, but the stories didn't really get it across.
I like that Ugin has ascended and left: this allows us to have the remaining five Elders be the sole survivors--because Ugin wasn't part of it.
I also think Ugin would have ways to know what happened in the War, if indeed he is the one who speaks to Tae Jin (which I suspect he is). The positive epithets to Bolas suggest it could be our antagonist, but why would Bolas return to Tarkir after his job is done? I think we'll see Ugin by the end of this.
Random tangent but at least Nahiri actually had reason to go balls to the wall against Sorin. Of course she was dead-wrong for coming for all of Innistrad. But Nicol Bolas has done that x100. Yet has peoples' sympathy.
Needless to say, it's my own reading experience of Bolas that has not produced any sympathy at any point. It's just shocking, to me, that it does for others. Nothing about him reads sympathetic big bad to me, but whatever floats your skyship.
Um... Where are you getting this idea that Bolas has anyone's sympathy? While I personally found him easy to EMPATHIZE with in the previous four fictions, as of this week's chapter he's very clearly descended into a wicked and villainous character who deserved to be put in the ground. That does not mean we can't identify layered emotions and interesting nuances in his personality and appreciate them for their characterization value.
Un-boggle your mind. No one's feeling sorry for him, just like no one actually feels sorry for Darth Vader, who didn't even deserve his redemption. But like Vader, these rare glimpses of vulnerability help round Bolas out and make him a more interesting character.
Look at Yawgmoth as another example. THE THRAN did not make him sympathetic. But it made his evil interesting and comprehensible.
To expand on that line of thinking:
Indications are that Ugin maintained a deliberate balance between the Dragons and the Khans.
Prior to Ugin's death/"death" BOTH the Khans and the Dragonlords existed and it certainly appeared that both groups had a long and far reaching lineage. It was only once Ugin was removed from the picture that one side dominated the other. With Ugin dead there are no more dragonstorms so the humanoid races won out through simple attrition; With Ugin in stasis and the dragonstorms raging without his conscious control, dragons overwhelmed the clans and subjugated the humanoid races.
It'll be interesting to see what (if any) steps he takes to restore that balance.
I don't think anyone was saying that Bolas was the abused one. He's clearly the abuser in the Bolas/Ugin dynamic.
As for Nahiri. A plane was going to suffer with Eldrazi one or or another. Sorin willingly consigned that fate onto Zendikar by luring them there. Nahiri did the absolute most maintaining that prison, and risking her home world. All so Sorin wouldn't have to face the minuscule chance of risking his someday. Meanwhile, he returns and fortifies his with Avacyn. With the Eldrazi wreaking havoc, in part thanks to him sealing Nahiri away, and with a plane having to suffer under Eldrazi one way or another, why not Innistrad? Why Zendikar? Why a completely uninvolved plane? At least with Innistrad, Sorin suffers for his mistakes. Any other plane and it's pointless suffering. Zendikar gave enough.
|| 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 ||
You literally quoted someone saying he is sympathetic in the previous story in the last page, so that's where (previous page, if you're still having trouble finding "where I got the idea." Not to mention your own posts in this thread.
And, no thanks, please don't tell people what to do. I'll keep my mind boggled at how "fascinated" you are or anyone is with Bolas' sociopathic behavior. You already stated you find nothing heinous about his actions, which was well-responded to by a different user already. (Which you have decided not to address). Your first 5 of 6 points from the recent story that "rocked your world" were about Bolas and borderline admiration of. So yeah, that boggles my mind. And again, that you think Bolas being obliged to believe Ugin was dead because he can't bear to think Ugin was a coward is "caring." Mind boggling. You read that story right? Ugin planeswalked because of Bolas invading his mind and Ugin realizing he'd been doing it to the humans and who knows who else. Yeah, real caring of Bolas!
By all means feel free to think what you think, try a little less to be so defensive at me doing the same. Then again, you found it hard-pressed to understand Ugin's sympathy with man than Bolas' malevolance, sooo, yeah. I can pull quotes if you need reminders again, lmk. Also I have looked at Yawgmoth a long time and never found his evil interesting or comprehensible. He's like 10x worse than Bolas, but Bolas is catching up. What's so fascinating about sociopaths.