I am pretty sure the baby in the story planeswalked. After he ate the bread he became very vital, and it was said that Merret 'could see an undeniable spark in his eyes'. This may just seem figure of speech, if it wasn't almost immediately followed by 'I think he is going to walk any day now'. Quite subtle, but probably foreshadowing that the baby is indeed a 'walker.
I am pretty sure the baby in the story planeswalked. After he ate the bread he became very vital, and it was said that Merret 'could see an undeniable spark in his eyes'. This may just seem figure of speech, if it wasn't almost immediately followed by 'I think he is going to walk any day now'. Quite subtle, but probably foreshadowing that the baby is indeed a 'walker.
The problem is that that is all explained in the story by the fact that the baby had been munching on bread soaked in the spilled elixir that Merret had stolen from his boss. It’s all very odd but a literal baby planeswalker who can’t even walk apparently seems unlikely.
Not to mention baby comes back with organic material...whereas Huatli still could not. So I don't see why this baby would be able to walk with organic material but no one else could.
Not to mention baby comes back with organic material...whereas Huatli still could not. So I don't see why this baby would be able to walk with organic material but no one else could.
Who knows, it might be the baby's "special ability"?
Not to mention baby comes back with organic material...whereas Huatli still could not. So I don't see why this baby would be able to walk with organic material but no one else could.
Planeswalkers all have the capacity to walk with organic material. Namely: their clothes. That being said, it typically doesn't seem to extend much further than that. Acknowledging that, a planeswalker could potentially bring food to/from a plane should they take care to keep it very close to their body.
The whole plot for Bolas though is he cannot move organics through his planar gate hence his new Eternal Army to get around that issue.
Clothes is BS and you know it that is done in most series to stop characters from being nude all the time, its a handwave. Same reason in most series that during fights the clothing does not take nearly as much damage as it should from energy blast and the like.
I agree food could be transported if stored in the mouth lol.
I perceived the ones I quoted feared we would have been left with just Nicky Drayden stories about the context of Ravnica, so without stories about the main arc. The climax is the whole Ravnica "block" considering the plot started many years ago. And by any plot point I meant they will give us the plot diluted in the same format we already know from magic story articles (or slightly shorter). They wrote just a few days ago that Weisman will also write the web fiction that tells the end of the story arc.
I am pretty sure the baby in the story planeswalked. After he ate the bread he became very vital, and it was said that Merret 'could see an undeniable spark in his eyes'. This may just seem figure of speech, if it wasn't almost immediately followed by 'I think he is going to walk any day now'. Quite subtle, but probably foreshadowing that the baby is indeed a 'walker.
This would have been a lovely hint... But, I don't know, could the baby just be a teleporting mage? I mean that it could also not be planeswalking... The fact the father never saw the fruit does not mean it's not sold a few kilometers (or hundreds) away from his house...
I perceived the ones I quoted feared we would have been left with just Nicky Drayden stories about the context of Ravnica, so without stories about the main arc. The climax is the whole Ravnica "block" considering the plot started many years ago. And by any plot point I meant they will give us the plot diluted in the same format we already know from magic story articles (or slightly shorter). They wrote just a few days ago that Weisman will also write the web fiction that tells the end of the story arc.
There are two things I'm worried about here.
First, I'm concerned that we'll basically just get a quick summary of the events that happened in the novel. At worst, it won't really be fiction at all, just a list of plot points. At best, it'll be a story about some random side characters talking about what happened in the novel, without actually showing us firsthand. It would still be a summary, just a summary delivered to us by the characters in-universe.
Second, I'm concerned that even if we do get an actual story, it won't match up to the story in the novel. They've made similar mistakes in the past, with the events described in the fat pack booklets or the art books contradicting the events we see in the actual fiction. It's not unreasonable to think they'll make a similar mistake here, except this time it'll be the novel that takes precedence over the web stories in terms of the MtG canon, rather than the web stories taking precedence over the supplemental materials. So we might still need to read the book in order to see the true canonical ending to this years-long storyline.
I'm not saying that's what will happen, maybe I'm wrong and the web fiction will end up being an enjoyable and full-fledged story experience in its own right that dovetails perfectly with the novel. But I think I have valid cause for concern, especially considering how sloppy WotC has been about these things in the past.
Second, I'm concerned that even if we do get an actual story, it won't match up to the story in the novel. They've made similar mistakes in the past, with the events described in the fat pack booklets or the art books contradicting the events we see in the actual fiction. It's not unreasonable to think they'll make a similar mistake here, except this time it'll be the novel that takes precedence over the web stories in terms of the MtG canon, rather than the web stories taking precedence over the supplemental materials. So we might still need to read the book in order to see the true canonical ending to this years-long storyline.
On that note Greg Weisman is writing both the web fiction and novels so that should keep things a little more cleaner with continuity.
I'm gonna wait and see what story content is in what before I decide. Too many times people jump to conclusions and then end up angry over nothing.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I'm very much in favor of this new direction, since it gives plenty of space for exactly the kind of side-stories we've been asking for. With modern digital book distribution systems, I don't think anybody has to worry too much about not being able to read the novel if they want to.
I probably won't read the novel, because I generally don't find novel-length MTG stories worthwhile, though Greg Weisman is a pretty strong draw for me. But I'm still not worried about not being able to get the whole plot without reading the novel; that's what wiki pages and outlines are for. I've never read any of the old novels (with the exception of Lorwyn, which was garbage), but I'm quite happy with the degree to which I've absorbed the old stories. I'm never gonna be at Jay13x's level (congratulations, Jay!), but I'm still a happy Vorthos.
The whole plot for Bolas though is he cannot move organics through his planar gate hence his new Eternal Army to get around that issue.
And a part of the Battle for Zendikar story was the temptation for Nissa to leave when she was given a bag of seeds of Zendikari plants to be taken to another plane and planted there so that some part of Zendikar would survive the Eldrazi.
The point is that small pieces of organic matter kept very close to a planeswalker's body are seemingly protected from the blind eternities. Bolas's plot enables him to instantaneously transport a decently sized and well-trained army between planes, which is several steps above that and far more useful.
-I already like these sides to the guides, the Izzet sewer worker and a laid back mushroom eating golgari
- Ravnica has sewer sirens which look like rats but can't hurt you unless you put your hand in their mouths. Also sewer eels.
-A note to the main plot, the Izzet higher ups have been putting a lot of pressure on the lower members to make more and bigger discoveries.
-Again pacing seems to be a bit fast.
-Wow this turned dark fast.
Overall nice little story, total didn't except the turns it took, but I really liked the world build of these stories. I wish they would/ could do two sets of stories a week, ones like these the world build and ones the focus more on the plot.
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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"
This is one of my favorite Magic stories I’ve ever read. I didn’t like the dimir one that much, but I could see myself joining the Izzit, Golgari, Boros, Simic, and Selesnya, but not the Dimir, Azorius, Orzhov, Gruul, or Rakdos, so I think I’ll enjoy the stories about guilds I would like to join more.
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Modern
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
I've really enjoyed both of these Drayden stories. She does a great job world building while keeping the focus personal. Zeroing in on a couple of, well, regular folks in the lower rung of their guilds is neat, and I like that they have normal, relatable concerns. Mereck needs to feed his family and hates his douchebag boss. Leighton is trying to move her career forward while trying to stay true to her ethics. These are very low stakes stories in the grand scheme of things, but very high stakes for the characters themselves. In the background, we are getting hints about the larger coming conflict and how it is trickling down into the lives of these bit players. From the Dimir monitoring suspicious weapons shipments to the Izzet ramping up demands on their members to make breakthroughs, we are seeing a ramp up to war, with the common folk unaware. Drayden is certainly doing her job providing entertaining stories that set up the larger main story well. Hopefully the standard she is setting for the round of Ravnica holds throughout.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
This was another solid story. I like these single-serving views into the guilds. And damn, the Dimir are truly everywhere (and nowhere). Digging it. Looking forward to Boros and Selesnya, which shouldn't have as dark a tinge as these two, but may, and that's going to be interesting.
I liked the story, good writing but I keep asking myself what race the characters were... I keep thinking about Tamsym as a goblin almost the whole story. Oh, and we got Leighbet's name only halfway through the story, it was kinda odd...
I liked the story, good writing but I keep asking myself what race the characters were... I keep thinking about Tamsym as a goblin almost the whole story. Oh, and we got Leighbet's name only halfway through the story, it was kinda odd...
When I'm writing a short story first person, it feels really weird to say/write the person's name or describe them until someone else does. How often do you walk around telling yourself your name, or describing yourself to yourself? Feels strange. The author might feel the same way. If you don't go around thinking "I'm Bob, and I'm a human," why would a first person character do that?
But I'll admit, it can be frustrating. For instance, after the mention of white hair at the temples, I thought this was maybe a Ral origin story. Had no idea it was a woman until that was mentioned.
So what factions and planeswalkers are going to be on Team Bolas in the next set? We've got Ral leading the Izzet, Vraska leading the Golgari, and it's all but confirmed that Dovin Baan will be leading the Azorius. I'm guessing we'll see Kaya with the Orzhov, not as a leader but as the one who paves the way for Teysa to take control by killing the Ghost Council. That leaves either the Gruul or Rakdos as Bolas' last faction. If it's the Gruul, I have no doubt it'll be Domri Rade in charge; if it's the Rakdos, I'm not really sure. Tibalt? Liliana? She is good at killing demons, after all.
I imagine most of them will end up turning against Bolas in the finale, possibly all of them. Tezzeret too.
So what factions and planeswalkers are going to be on Team Bolas in the next set? We've got Ral leading the Izzet, Vraska leading the Golgari, and it's all but confirmed that Dovin Baan will be leading the Azorius. I'm guessing we'll see Kaya with the Orzhov, not as a leader but as the one who paves the way for Teysa to take control by killing the Ghost Council. That leaves either the Gruul or Rakdos as Bolas' last faction. If it's the Gruul, I have no doubt it'll be Domri Rade in charge; if it's the Rakdos, I'm not really sure. Tibalt? Liliana? She is good at killing demons, after all.
I imagine most of them will end up turning against Bolas in the finale, possibly all of them. Tezzeret too.
Don't forget Simic. But yeah I also think that it'll be between Rakdos and Gruul. Hallowed fountain pretty much confirms the Azorius and Godless Shrine hints at the Orzhov but besides them there's nothing. I'm hoping for Rakdos led by Tibalt. Gruul could also be led by Ramaz.
Simic and Azorious, with Orzhov being "We have no idea where their true loyalties lie because they are Rules Lawyers and will loophole everything." Gruul and Rakdos are too Chaotic to really serve Lord Nicolas.
describing yourself to yourself
Define describing, but I think "God I am fat" quite often.
Simic and Azorious, with Orzhov being "We have no idea where their true loyalties lie because they are Rules Lawyers and will loophole everything." Gruul and Rakdos are too Chaotic to really serve Lord Nicolas.
describing yourself to yourself
Define describing, but I think "God I am fat" quite often.
Chaotic isn't an issue for Bolas at all. It's all about what you use them for. If you just get them to cause more chaos that could very well be all he needs from them. Or maybe he can organize them better.
Yes but would THEY be for the deal? Serving Bolas would mean they would have to care about who they target..and that isn't how Rakdos rolls, they just sort of paint the streets red with blood.
Nicol Bolas "Okay Rakdos Guildmages..attack..and don't kill the Golgari people."
Rakdos Guildmage 1 to Rakdos Guildmage 2 : "Hey..hey what if we kill everyone..including the Golgari and eat their hearts"
Yes but would THEY be for the deal? Serving Bolas would mean they would have to care about who they target..and that isn't how Rakdos rolls, they just sort of paint the streets red with blood.
Nicol Bolas "Okay Rakdos Guildmages..attack..and don't kill the Golgari people."
Rakdos Guildmage 1 to Rakdos Guildmage 2 : "Hey..hey what if we kill everyone..including the Golgari and eat their hearts"
Rakdos Guildmage 2 : "SURE!"
What makes you think they'd know they work for Bolas? The Amonkheti and their gods didn't know. Apparently neither does Ral Zarek. Given Dovin's personality, neither might he. Seems like Bolas mainly uses Tezzeret as a middle man for most things. It's entirely feasible Bolas uses other means to control the gruul/rakdos, should he wish to do so.
Having that said, the Simic don't really strike me as a guild that is very easy to corrupt. Momir Vig didn't really operate under any sort of Simic goal. He wanted to take over Ravnica, that's not very core-simic. Narratively, if you want to make a guild fall under Bolas, you want to use something the guild stands for, rather something an individual wants, to corrupt.
Then again, Bolas also corrupted the Izzet, which kinda have the same problem as the Simic in this regard. So shrug.
Anyway, my money is on the last two bolas-controlled guilds (besides Golgari, Izzet and Azorius) being Orzhov and Gruul. The Gruul are probably as easily swayed as the Golgari and the Orzhov probably think of themselves superior to Bolas, being already dead and all. But between Orzhov, Gruul and Rakdos, it really could go either way.
I just really hope it won't be Simic, because that'd be so out of the left field and not mesh all that well with what has been established with the guild. They've already had a remake in RTR. I don't want them to drastically change again. Then again, the last story kinda implied that the Simic have returned to their laboratory "do crazy experiments" kinda days a bit. So maybe that's a hint of Bolas hiring them to research another strain of super soldier. *shrug*
WiJ
Peasant 540 Cube
The problem is that that is all explained in the story by the fact that the baby had been munching on bread soaked in the spilled elixir that Merret had stolen from his boss. It’s all very odd but a literal baby planeswalker who can’t even walk apparently seems unlikely.
Who knows, it might be the baby's "special ability"?
Planeswalkers all have the capacity to walk with organic material. Namely: their clothes. That being said, it typically doesn't seem to extend much further than that. Acknowledging that, a planeswalker could potentially bring food to/from a plane should they take care to keep it very close to their body.
Clothes is BS and you know it that is done in most series to stop characters from being nude all the time, its a handwave. Same reason in most series that during fights the clothing does not take nearly as much damage as it should from energy blast and the like.
I agree food could be transported if stored in the mouth lol.
This would have been a lovely hint... But, I don't know, could the baby just be a teleporting mage? I mean that it could also not be planeswalking... The fact the father never saw the fruit does not mean it's not sold a few kilometers (or hundreds) away from his house...
There are two things I'm worried about here.
First, I'm concerned that we'll basically just get a quick summary of the events that happened in the novel. At worst, it won't really be fiction at all, just a list of plot points. At best, it'll be a story about some random side characters talking about what happened in the novel, without actually showing us firsthand. It would still be a summary, just a summary delivered to us by the characters in-universe.
Second, I'm concerned that even if we do get an actual story, it won't match up to the story in the novel. They've made similar mistakes in the past, with the events described in the fat pack booklets or the art books contradicting the events we see in the actual fiction. It's not unreasonable to think they'll make a similar mistake here, except this time it'll be the novel that takes precedence over the web stories in terms of the MtG canon, rather than the web stories taking precedence over the supplemental materials. So we might still need to read the book in order to see the true canonical ending to this years-long storyline.
I'm not saying that's what will happen, maybe I'm wrong and the web fiction will end up being an enjoyable and full-fledged story experience in its own right that dovetails perfectly with the novel. But I think I have valid cause for concern, especially considering how sloppy WotC has been about these things in the past.
On that note Greg Weisman is writing both the web fiction and novels so that should keep things a little more cleaner with continuity.
I'm gonna wait and see what story content is in what before I decide. Too many times people jump to conclusions and then end up angry over nothing.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I probably won't read the novel, because I generally don't find novel-length MTG stories worthwhile, though Greg Weisman is a pretty strong draw for me. But I'm still not worried about not being able to get the whole plot without reading the novel; that's what wiki pages and outlines are for. I've never read any of the old novels (with the exception of Lorwyn, which was garbage), but I'm quite happy with the degree to which I've absorbed the old stories. I'm never gonna be at Jay13x's level (congratulations, Jay!), but I'm still a happy Vorthos.
And a part of the Battle for Zendikar story was the temptation for Nissa to leave when she was given a bag of seeds of Zendikari plants to be taken to another plane and planted there so that some part of Zendikar would survive the Eldrazi.
The point is that small pieces of organic matter kept very close to a planeswalker's body are seemingly protected from the blind eternities. Bolas's plot enables him to instantaneously transport a decently sized and well-trained army between planes, which is several steps above that and far more useful.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/testing-dark-waters-2018-10-17
-I already like these sides to the guides, the Izzet sewer worker and a laid back mushroom eating golgari
- Ravnica has sewer sirens which look like rats but can't hurt you unless you put your hand in their mouths. Also sewer eels.
-A note to the main plot, the Izzet higher ups have been putting a lot of pressure on the lower members to make more and bigger discoveries.
-Again pacing seems to be a bit fast.
-Wow this turned dark fast.
Overall nice little story, total didn't except the turns it took, but I really liked the world build of these stories. I wish they would/ could do two sets of stories a week, ones like these the world build and ones the focus more on the plot.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
When I'm writing a short story first person, it feels really weird to say/write the person's name or describe them until someone else does. How often do you walk around telling yourself your name, or describing yourself to yourself? Feels strange. The author might feel the same way. If you don't go around thinking "I'm Bob, and I'm a human," why would a first person character do that?
But I'll admit, it can be frustrating. For instance, after the mention of white hair at the temples, I thought this was maybe a Ral origin story. Had no idea it was a woman until that was mentioned.
I imagine most of them will end up turning against Bolas in the finale, possibly all of them. Tezzeret too.
Don't forget Simic. But yeah I also think that it'll be between Rakdos and Gruul. Hallowed fountain pretty much confirms the Azorius and Godless Shrine hints at the Orzhov but besides them there's nothing. I'm hoping for Rakdos led by Tibalt. Gruul could also be led by Ramaz.
Define describing, but I think "God I am fat" quite often.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
Chaotic isn't an issue for Bolas at all. It's all about what you use them for. If you just get them to cause more chaos that could very well be all he needs from them. Or maybe he can organize them better.
Yes but would THEY be for the deal? Serving Bolas would mean they would have to care about who they target..and that isn't how Rakdos rolls, they just sort of paint the streets red with blood.
Nicol Bolas "Okay Rakdos Guildmages..attack..and don't kill the Golgari people."
Rakdos Guildmage 1 to Rakdos Guildmage 2 : "Hey..hey what if we kill everyone..including the Golgari and eat their hearts"
Rakdos Guildmage 2 : "SURE!"
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
What makes you think they'd know they work for Bolas? The Amonkheti and their gods didn't know. Apparently neither does Ral Zarek. Given Dovin's personality, neither might he. Seems like Bolas mainly uses Tezzeret as a middle man for most things. It's entirely feasible Bolas uses other means to control the gruul/rakdos, should he wish to do so.
Having that said, the Simic don't really strike me as a guild that is very easy to corrupt. Momir Vig didn't really operate under any sort of Simic goal. He wanted to take over Ravnica, that's not very core-simic. Narratively, if you want to make a guild fall under Bolas, you want to use something the guild stands for, rather something an individual wants, to corrupt.
Then again, Bolas also corrupted the Izzet, which kinda have the same problem as the Simic in this regard. So shrug.
Anyway, my money is on the last two bolas-controlled guilds (besides Golgari, Izzet and Azorius) being Orzhov and Gruul. The Gruul are probably as easily swayed as the Golgari and the Orzhov probably think of themselves superior to Bolas, being already dead and all. But between Orzhov, Gruul and Rakdos, it really could go either way.
I just really hope it won't be Simic, because that'd be so out of the left field and not mesh all that well with what has been established with the guild. They've already had a remake in RTR. I don't want them to drastically change again. Then again, the last story kinda implied that the Simic have returned to their laboratory "do crazy experiments" kinda days a bit. So maybe that's a hint of Bolas hiring them to research another strain of super soldier. *shrug*