As much as I hate to say it, I think Kiora's gonna bite the dust this block. My reasons?
1) The Eldrazi are supposed to be a serious threat, and they need to do some real damage to show that things are getting real. Since Zendikar itself is apparently going to survive, the next logical thing would be to kill off a main character.
2) Kiora's entire character is tied very strongly to Zendikar and defeating the Eldrazi, much as Koth's is with Mirrodin and the Phyrexians. Once this block is over, what else would they do with her character? Most likely she would fade into the background like so many other characters and not be seen again.
3) We have art of Gideon, Jace, Chandra, and Nissa surviving in Oath of the Gatewatch. Why wouldn't Kiora be there too? Does she have something better to do?
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She could serve a role in Return to Theros. I think you have a good theory, but I feel like she is tied to that world as well.
She's not really though. She was only there to get more means to fight the Eldrazi and she didn't really do much to tie herself to the plane. Her biggest role there was to get Elspeth and Ajani to Kruphix' temple. We don't know the ramifications of her theft from Thassa on Theros but even that doesn't really tie her to the plane.
Yo what about the bident, they can't just kill her off and leave the bident on zendikar, that would have huge repercussions (I'm thinking about how the Gods can just disappear, maybe without her bident thassa disappears and Kiora actually becomes the sea god)
Yo what about the bident, they can't just kill her off and leave the bident on zendikar, that would have huge repercussions (I'm thinking about how the Gods can just disappear, maybe without her bident thassa disappears and Kiora actually becomes the sea god)
The Therosian Gods disappear if they don't have devotion. As long as people believe in her she will exist. We also don't know what effects the bidents absence has on Theros AND what effects being away from Theros has on the bident. It could very well lose it's power just as Kiora goes up against Ulamog and that's how she dies for all we know.
It would be an interesting story for her to die, and I suppose on how you look at it she isn't actually "tied" to Theros as a plane. She is, however, connected to the Theros storyline through the bident and her confrontation with Thassa storyline. I am just saying there are reasons for her to live. She could very well be just a plot device to prove how bad the eldrazi really are. People have been speculating about tons of different ways to prove that, and I think something like the destruction of another plane would prove a lot more to the players than the destruction of an individual. Now, something like Ob Nixilis killing her in all the confusion? Now I'm hooked.
I doubt that they would kill Kiora so quickly after hyping her with a duel deck and giving her a great short story. I would guess that she will be in this block somehow, and then turn up for Theros 2. Hopefully we return to Innistrad before then to hear from Tamiyo, or hear more from Tibalt.
Kiora has no remaining connections to Theros. Just because she stole the bident why would she return to Theros? If she survives fighting the Eldrazi what reason that isn't contrived crap could you come up with for her to return to Theros? If I stole something of such great power from someone of even greater power why the hell would I go back? There was nothing else for her there. The actual reason she was there was to find Leviathans to fight the Eldrazi. She got away with what she viewed as a consolation prize. She has no reason to return to Theros. Kiora is the perfect person to kill here. She is a native of the plane, she has no real story anywhere else, she could become a martyr to the fight or she could break the will of the allies. "She gave her life so that we may fight on" or "She was really powerful and she died, how can we hope to win?"
The way I see it is that she has made a powerful enemy, and one that we don't have any real hold on the extent of her power. Who's to say that after the Eldrazi's defeat/victory/stalemate that she doesn't return to Theros to try to solidify her claim as a "god", either to gain more power to fight the eldrazi, or just to settle a score. With Ajani spreading the true nature of Heliod, Elspeth most likely returning, Ashiok running amok, and reports of Dack Fayden in the area... The Bident could be the first of several relics to fall into the hands of mortals, and Xenagos could not only be the first God to die, but also the first walker to ascend.
The way I see it is that she has made a powerful enemy, and one that we don't have any real hold on the extent of her power. Who's to say that after the Eldrazi's defeat/victory/stalemate that she doesn't return to Theros to try to solidify her claim as a "god", either to gain more power to fight the eldrazi, or just to settle a score. With Ajani spreading the true nature of Heliod, Elspeth most likely returning, Ashiok running amok, and reports of Dack Fayden in the area... The Bident could be the first of several relics to fall into the hands of mortals, and Xenagos could not only be the first God to die, but also the first walker to ascend.
For starters we know for sure that Thassa can't planeswalk so she can't go after Kiora. She also doesn't think she's a god so there's no position for her to solidify. There's also no score for her to settle. She got away with more than she deserves and I'm sure she knows that. Thassa is the one with the score to settle with Kiora. I'm sure Kiora is smart enough to know that she got away by the skin of her teeth last time so why should she go back somewhere she will inevitably get into another fight in which Thassa will likely bring backup to. If she escapes there are an infinite number of planes she could go to to gather more power that isn't filled with powerful gods who are all probably grumpy that a mortal showed up one of their own.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I want Kiora to die or anything. Honestly I don't care one way or another. I'm just saying that if someone or something important has to go, since we know Zendikar survives, she is the perfect thing to throw under that large, grey, betentacled bus.
While I am biased in Kiora's favor, it would seem really... uninteresting to make such a big deal about the Bident only to have her wasted by Ulamog.
Sure, it can be an 'oops, you thought this would help when it didn't' moment, but I highly doubt it.
As for her story being tied to Zendikar's, it's no more than Nissa's is. Yes, we have Nissa's art from Oath of the Gatewatch, but really, does Nissa have any story whatsoever that isn't tied to Zendikar? Sure, she's one of the Origins 5, but that only goes to show that any PW that originates as tied to a single Plane can always be given reasons to go elsewhere.
Another possible reason she would return would be her connection with Gideon. He is likely going to recognize a relic from his home plane. And since they will be fighting together this set/block, I'm sure they will talk about it.
While I am biased in Kiora's favor, it would seem really... uninteresting to make such a big deal about the Bident only to have her wasted by Ulamog.
Sure, it can be an 'oops, you thought this would help when it didn't' moment, but I highly doubt it.
As for her story being tied to Zendikar's, it's no more than Nissa's is. Yes, we have Nissa's art from Oath of the Gatewatch, but really, does Nissa have any story whatsoever that isn't tied to Zendikar? Sure, she's one of the Origins 5, but that only goes to show that any PW that originates as tied to a single Plane can always be given reasons to go elsewhere.
I think you overestimate the size of the deal they're making over the Bident. I mean it got the tail end of a single short story. It's not like she went into that battle looking to take the bident. All she wanted was to form a bond with Arixmethes but Thassa wasn't going to let Kiora "take" Thassa's prized possession. The bident was an after thought, a consolation prize. Who's to say that Kiora knows what she's doing with that thing? Sure we've seen her summon up a Kraken but what makes us think that she can use it to even a fraction of it's potential? The number of ways she dies is far greater than the ways she lives.
As far as Nissa goes: Being one of the Origins 5 means that creative has plans for her going forward and that she has been chosen as the Green representative. We have no such indication for Kiora. We don't know if they have any plans going forward for her.
What if, since planeswalkers are not what they were when the Eldrazi were last out, rather than killing Kiora, Ulamog percieves that she has the ability to planeswalk and, for reasons we can't comprehend, decides to take over Kiora's mind and make her a Pawn of Ulamog that can leave with it. She'd become a Silver Surfer type character to herald Ulamog's next attack if it escapes Zendikar, or looking for the other titans to follow/announce/free Ulamog/whatever if it's defeated. Whatever the outcome, she'd then planeswalk away on unfathomable business before the Oath of the Gatewatch is sworn. With Thassa's bident, no less.
Imagine a darker, twisted version of her clutching Dekella and staring with emotionless, white eyes called Kiora, Ula Foretoken appearing as a one-of mythic in the last set of a block to foreshadow the despair coming for the plane's return block.
What if, since planeswalkers are not what they were when the Eldrazi were last out, rather than being killed, Ulamog she's she has the ability to planeswalk and can now easily take over Kiora's mind. She'd becomes a Silver Surfer type of character foreshadowing Ulamog's next attack is he escapes Zendikar, or looking for the other titans to follow/announce/free Ulamog/whatever if he's defeated. Planeswalking away on unfathomable business before the Oath of the Gatewatch is sworn. With Thassa's bident, no less.
Imagine a darker, twisted version of her with emotionless, white eyes and clutching Dekella in her hand called Kiora, Ula Foretoken appearing as a one-of mythic in the last set of a block to foreshadow the despair coming for the plane's return block. Quest for Ula's Temple, anyone?
Yeah probably not. The major difference between The Eldrazi and Galactus is that Galactus can be reasoned with. The Silver Surfer exists because when he was "human" Galactus came to his planet and he offered his servitude in finding planets to eat in exchange for Galactus passing his planet by. Also we have no reason to think that Ulamog, even if he does have some semblance of discernible thought processes, would know that Kiora is a walker.
What does Quest for Ula's Temple have to do with anything?
Ah, the obligatory "Derp, I think this planeswalker is going to die in this block" thread. Planeswalker deaths are supposed to be a somewhat rare thing. Elspeth and Xenagos are kind of the exception because it seems pretty likely that Elspeth is not going to stay "dead", and Xenagos was created for the purpose of getting killed in the Theros storyline.
Wizards loves it when they make a planeswalker that is popular right out of the gate like Kiora was. They aren't going to kill her so quickly.
Yeah probably not. The major difference between The Eldrazi and Galactus is that Galactus can be reasoned with. The Silver Surfer exists because when he was "human" Galactus came to his planet and he offered his servitude in finding planets to eat in exchange for Galactus passing his planet by. Also we have no reason to think that Ulamog, even if he does have some semblance of discernible thought processes, would know that Kiora is a walker.
As I understood it, there's no evidence to say the Eldrazi don't have thought processes and can't be reasoned with, only that they're so incomprehensible and unfathomable that we couldn't even begin to understand them, let alone communicate or reason with them. This doesn't mean that they are dumb beasts working off instinct and hunger, but that we just can't understand. In fact, everything is else is probably the dumb beasts compared to them.
Saying the Eldrazi can't be reasoned with is like an ant saying that humans can't be reasoned with. While technically true from the ant's perspective, it doesn't mean humans, or the Eldrazi, are incapable of reason.
Also, if this did happen, it would most likely be against Kiora's will, so there's no prerequisite for her being able to reason with Ulamog. Ulamog will just do it. For whatever use an Eldrazi Kiora could possibly to Creative's new story "plan" Ulamog's "plan."
I mean, I'm sure that if Wizards goes down this path, they will handle it horribly. But that's never stopped them before and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did something like this, if not now, then during one of blocks for the other two titans.
What does Quest for Ula's Temple have to do with anything?
Just pointing out the fact that while Kiora is the current queen of all things Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent, the theme first showed up in connection to Ulamog. No theories on it, just a bit of apophenia, most likely.
Care to explain why? Does this honestly not seem like exactly the sort of thing Wizards would do?
As I understood it, there's no evidence to say the Eldrazi don't have thought processes and can't be reasoned with, only that they're so incomprehensible and unfathomable that we couldn't even begin to understand them, let alone communicate or reason with them. This doesn't mean that they are dumb beasts working off instinct and hunger, but that we just can't understand. In fact, everything is else is probably the dumb beasts compared to them.
Saying the Eldrazi can't be reasoned with is like an ant saying that humans can't be reasoned with. While technically true from the ant's perspective, it doesn't mean humans, or the Eldrazi, are incapable of reason.
Also, if this did happen, it would most likely be against Kiora's will, so there's no prerequisite for her being able to reason with Ulamog. Ulamog will just do it. For whatever use an Eldrazi Kiora could possibly to Creative's new story "plan" Ulamog's "plan."
I mean, I'm sure that if Wizards goes down this path, they will handle it horribly. But that's never stopped them before and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did something like this, if not now, then during one of blocks for the other two titans.
Just pointing out the fact that while Kiora is the current queen of all things Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent, the theme first showed up in connection to Ulamog. No theories on it, just a bit of apophenia, most likely.
I didn't say that the Eldrazi are without reason. Only that they can't be reasoned with. It is exactly the ant and the human you mention. Humans are unable to reason with the Eldrazi because of the various boundaries. That's not to say that the Eldrazi don't have some form of thought process only that we can't comprehend it and even if we could we can't in any form communicate with them. Unless Kiora gets headcrabbed I don't think it's possible because I don't think the Eldrazi are the ones making those pawns. Note that Pawn of Ulamog is a Vampire and that the Zendikari Vampires have a history of being thrall to the Eldrazi.
Not to mention that while it's all well and good to say that the Eldrazi incomprehensible beasts from beyond the realms once you give them an agenda which another, comprehensible character has to execute you break the story. What purpose could the Eldrazi have for Kiora that the writers could relate to us? Galactus' purpose for the Silver Surfer was that searching for a world to eat exhausted the energy that Galactus gathered by eating the planets so Surfer offered to search out planets so that Galactus wouldn't have to spend that energy. That is a comprehensible agenda that can be related to the readers without great and honestly probably obfuscating effort.
Yo what about the bident, they can't just kill her off and leave the bident on zendikar, that would have huge repercussions (I'm thinking about how the Gods can just disappear, maybe without her bident thassa disappears and Kiora actually becomes the sea god)
The Therosian Gods disappear if they don't have devotion. As long as people believe in her she will exist. We also don't know what effects the bidents absence has on Theros AND what effects being away from Theros has on the bident. It could very well lose it's power just as Kiora goes up against Ulamog and that's how she dies for all we know.
I do wonder what the repercussions are for balance on Theros with the Bident's theft. Thassa is a major god there in a plane of meddling deities that were more or less kept in check by each other's feuding. But now Thassa, who commands a large domain on Theros, the ocean, is missing her weapon. We've already seen Phenax try to manipulate her before. I wonder if he'd even send Ashiok after Kiora to retrieve the Bident and bribe Thassa with it, or Gideon himself recognizing it as from his plane? Who knows. Perhaps it's meaningless and Purphoros does end up forging Thasa something new. Either way, there's no telling how *Theros* through Thassa, is affected by that loss.
I highly doubt Kiora will EVER return to Theros. The fact she survived was major luck and circumstance on her part, and that will offer no benefit in a rematch. Had Thassa, like Kruphix, known what Planeswalkers were and that there were other worlds out there Kiora could escape to (with some stalling) after losing, Thassa may not have bothered making a show out of Kiora's defeat at all. Kiora was defeated and being suffocated just for Thassa's amusement. Mild curiosity alone spared her at the last moment. Thassa could have thrown Dekella and suffocated Kiora right off the bat if she wanted. Hell, Thassa turned a mortal into a siren with just a thought, for punishment. Also if Kiora returned, Thassa would reclaim her Bident. Too many risks, even for the largest Kraken we know in the Multiverse.
No doubt the Bident works off-world to command the ocean as it would under Thassa's control on Theros. There is art already of it doing just that. The Chain Veil works just as well far from Shandalar and its spirits taunt Lilliana across many planes. Dekella won't reflect Nyx unless on Theros though, from what I can tell, but its inherent powers will be consistent.
No doubt the Bident works off-world to command the ocean as it would under Thassa's control on Theros. There is art already of it doing just that. The Chain Veil works just as well far from Shandalar and its spirits taunt Lilliana across many planes. Dekella won't reflect Nyx unless on Theros though, from what I can tell, but its inherent powers will be consistent.
Not to mention the fact that if it didn't work off Theros, having Kiora steal it would be pointless.
Sure, great story and character development could come from stealing a weapon from a god in one world to fight a cosmic horror in another world only to have that weapon only work in the first world. Could have made a great novel about Kiora's series of dramatic and risky failures, but we don't get novels anymore. We get short story episodes and the cards.
That's not an easy story to properly tell through just cards versus "Kiora stole this from Thassa when we were on Theros and now she's powered up!" Especially since story events like that weren't really shown in the cards during Theros, as it may have been had Theros been post-Tarkir/Origins, meaning they're restricted to mentioning that it happened in Battle for Zendikar block cards. Having it then not work would just make players question the point of even mentioning it. And they'd be right. Having the bident not work outside of Theros (at least at first, anyway) would be silly.
That said, Dekella is pretty much guaranteed to work on all planes, not just Theros.
As much as I hate to say it, I think Kiora's gonna bite the dust this block. My reasons?
1) The Eldrazi are supposed to be a serious threat, and they need to do some real damage to show that things are getting real. Since Zendikar itself is apparently going to survive, the next logical thing would be to kill off a main character.
2) Kiora's entire character is tied very strongly to Zendikar and defeating the Eldrazi, much as Koth's is with Mirrodin and the Phyrexians. Once this block is over, what else would they do with her character? Most likely she would fade into the background like so many other characters and not be seen again.
3) We have art of Gideon, Jace, Chandra, and Nissa surviving in Oath of the Gatewatch. Why wouldn't Kiora be there too? Does she have something better to do?
1) Agreed, but that doesn't necessarily mean Kiora, or even any of the planeswalkers, will die. We've already seen pivotal moments in cards and in stories that show just how big of a threat the Eldrazi are, such as the Slaughter at the Refuge. They don't need to kill off any main character to convey that. Though if that is the route they're going, if anyone, I think it'd be Nahiri, due to her Zendikar guardian role, and not being mentioned so far.
2) Sorta, but I think they're doing that for easier story telling more than anything - By keeping Elspeth and Ajani on Theros, Koth on Mirrodin, Ral Zarak on Ravnica, etc..., it keeps their cast of characters from getting too out of hand, yet always accessible should they need to be pulled into whatever plot thread is currently relevant.
3) Just playing devil's advocate here, but who says they survive, all that we know is that those 4 are alive at the beginning of Oath of the Gatewatch. On a more practical note though, I just think that it's WotC making a conscious effort to push the Origins 5 and have a clear face for each color. Nothing more, nothing less.
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1) The Eldrazi are supposed to be a serious threat, and they need to do some real damage to show that things are getting real. Since Zendikar itself is apparently going to survive, the next logical thing would be to kill off a main character.
2) Kiora's entire character is tied very strongly to Zendikar and defeating the Eldrazi, much as Koth's is with Mirrodin and the Phyrexians. Once this block is over, what else would they do with her character? Most likely she would fade into the background like so many other characters and not be seen again.
3) We have art of Gideon, Jace, Chandra, and Nissa surviving in Oath of the Gatewatch. Why wouldn't Kiora be there too? Does she have something better to do?
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She's not really though. She was only there to get more means to fight the Eldrazi and she didn't really do much to tie herself to the plane. Her biggest role there was to get Elspeth and Ajani to Kruphix' temple. We don't know the ramifications of her theft from Thassa on Theros but even that doesn't really tie her to the plane.
The Therosian Gods disappear if they don't have devotion. As long as people believe in her she will exist. We also don't know what effects the bidents absence has on Theros AND what effects being away from Theros has on the bident. It could very well lose it's power just as Kiora goes up against Ulamog and that's how she dies for all we know.
Dont we all already know that it took 3 oldwalkers and several lifetimes of planning to barely contain them?
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For starters we know for sure that Thassa can't planeswalk so she can't go after Kiora. She also doesn't think she's a god so there's no position for her to solidify. There's also no score for her to settle. She got away with more than she deserves and I'm sure she knows that. Thassa is the one with the score to settle with Kiora. I'm sure Kiora is smart enough to know that she got away by the skin of her teeth last time so why should she go back somewhere she will inevitably get into another fight in which Thassa will likely bring backup to. If she escapes there are an infinite number of planes she could go to to gather more power that isn't filled with powerful gods who are all probably grumpy that a mortal showed up one of their own.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I want Kiora to die or anything. Honestly I don't care one way or another. I'm just saying that if someone or something important has to go, since we know Zendikar survives, she is the perfect thing to throw under that large, grey, betentacled bus.
Sure, it can be an 'oops, you thought this would help when it didn't' moment, but I highly doubt it.
As for her story being tied to Zendikar's, it's no more than Nissa's is. Yes, we have Nissa's art from Oath of the Gatewatch, but really, does Nissa have any story whatsoever that isn't tied to Zendikar? Sure, she's one of the Origins 5, but that only goes to show that any PW that originates as tied to a single Plane can always be given reasons to go elsewhere.
I think you overestimate the size of the deal they're making over the Bident. I mean it got the tail end of a single short story. It's not like she went into that battle looking to take the bident. All she wanted was to form a bond with Arixmethes but Thassa wasn't going to let Kiora "take" Thassa's prized possession. The bident was an after thought, a consolation prize. Who's to say that Kiora knows what she's doing with that thing? Sure we've seen her summon up a Kraken but what makes us think that she can use it to even a fraction of it's potential? The number of ways she dies is far greater than the ways she lives.
As far as Nissa goes: Being one of the Origins 5 means that creative has plans for her going forward and that she has been chosen as the Green representative. We have no such indication for Kiora. We don't know if they have any plans going forward for her.
Imagine a darker, twisted version of her clutching Dekella and staring with emotionless, white eyes called Kiora, Ula Foretoken appearing as a one-of mythic in the last set of a block to foreshadow the despair coming for the plane's return block.
Quest for Ula's Temple, anyone?
Commander Decks
WDarien, King of KjeldorW - WYomiji, Who Bars the WayW - UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
BPhage the UntouchableB - BShirei,
Shadowborn Ap-Shizo's CaretakerB - RZirilan of the ClawR(W/U)Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper(W/U) - (2/G)Phelddagrif Politics(W/U) - (U/B)Mishra, Artificer Prodigy(U/R) - Karona, God of Voltron
No.
Just no.
Your mods are terrified of me.
What does Quest for Ula's Temple have to do with anything?
Wizards loves it when they make a planeswalker that is popular right out of the gate like Kiora was. They aren't going to kill her so quickly.
Care to explain why? Does this honestly not seem like exactly the sort of thing Wizards would do?
As I understood it, there's no evidence to say the Eldrazi don't have thought processes and can't be reasoned with, only that they're so incomprehensible and unfathomable that we couldn't even begin to understand them, let alone communicate or reason with them. This doesn't mean that they are dumb beasts working off instinct and hunger, but that we just can't understand. In fact, everything is else is probably the dumb beasts compared to them.
Saying the Eldrazi can't be reasoned with is like an ant saying that humans can't be reasoned with. While technically true from the ant's perspective, it doesn't mean humans, or the Eldrazi, are incapable of reason.
Also, if this did happen, it would most likely be against Kiora's will, so there's no prerequisite for her being able to reason with Ulamog. Ulamog will just do it. For whatever use an Eldrazi Kiora could possibly to
Creative's new story "plan"Ulamog's "plan."I mean, I'm sure that if Wizards goes down this path, they will handle it horribly. But that's never stopped them before and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they did something like this, if not now, then during one of blocks for the other two titans.
Just pointing out the fact that while Kiora is the current queen of all things Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, or Serpent, the theme first showed up in connection to Ulamog. No theories on it, just a bit of apophenia, most likely.
Commander Decks
WDarien, King of KjeldorW - WYomiji, Who Bars the WayW - UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
BPhage the UntouchableB - BShirei,
Shadowborn Ap-Shizo's CaretakerB - RZirilan of the ClawR(W/U)Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper(W/U) - (2/G)Phelddagrif Politics(W/U) - (U/B)Mishra, Artificer Prodigy(U/R) - Karona, God of Voltron
I didn't say that the Eldrazi are without reason. Only that they can't be reasoned with. It is exactly the ant and the human you mention. Humans are unable to reason with the Eldrazi because of the various boundaries. That's not to say that the Eldrazi don't have some form of thought process only that we can't comprehend it and even if we could we can't in any form communicate with them. Unless Kiora gets headcrabbed I don't think it's possible because I don't think the Eldrazi are the ones making those pawns. Note that Pawn of Ulamog is a Vampire and that the Zendikari Vampires have a history of being thrall to the Eldrazi.
Not to mention that while it's all well and good to say that the Eldrazi incomprehensible beasts from beyond the realms once you give them an agenda which another, comprehensible character has to execute you break the story. What purpose could the Eldrazi have for Kiora that the writers could relate to us? Galactus' purpose for the Silver Surfer was that searching for a world to eat exhausted the energy that Galactus gathered by eating the planets so Surfer offered to search out planets so that Galactus wouldn't have to spend that energy. That is a comprehensible agenda that can be related to the readers without great and honestly probably obfuscating effort.
I do wonder what the repercussions are for balance on Theros with the Bident's theft. Thassa is a major god there in a plane of meddling deities that were more or less kept in check by each other's feuding. But now Thassa, who commands a large domain on Theros, the ocean, is missing her weapon. We've already seen Phenax try to manipulate her before. I wonder if he'd even send Ashiok after Kiora to retrieve the Bident and bribe Thassa with it, or Gideon himself recognizing it as from his plane? Who knows. Perhaps it's meaningless and Purphoros does end up forging Thasa something new. Either way, there's no telling how *Theros* through Thassa, is affected by that loss.
I highly doubt Kiora will EVER return to Theros. The fact she survived was major luck and circumstance on her part, and that will offer no benefit in a rematch. Had Thassa, like Kruphix, known what Planeswalkers were and that there were other worlds out there Kiora could escape to (with some stalling) after losing, Thassa may not have bothered making a show out of Kiora's defeat at all. Kiora was defeated and being suffocated just for Thassa's amusement. Mild curiosity alone spared her at the last moment. Thassa could have thrown Dekella and suffocated Kiora right off the bat if she wanted. Hell, Thassa turned a mortal into a siren with just a thought, for punishment. Also if Kiora returned, Thassa would reclaim her Bident. Too many risks, even for the largest Kraken we know in the Multiverse.
No doubt the Bident works off-world to command the ocean as it would under Thassa's control on Theros. There is art already of it doing just that. The Chain Veil works just as well far from Shandalar and its spirits taunt Lilliana across many planes. Dekella won't reflect Nyx unless on Theros though, from what I can tell, but its inherent powers will be consistent.
|| 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 ||
Not to mention the fact that if it didn't work off Theros, having Kiora steal it would be pointless.
Sure, great story and character development could come from stealing a weapon from a god in one world to fight a cosmic horror in another world only to have that weapon only work in the first world. Could have made a great novel about Kiora's series of dramatic and risky failures, but we don't get novels anymore. We get short story episodes and the cards.
That's not an easy story to properly tell through just cards versus "Kiora stole this from Thassa when we were on Theros and now she's powered up!" Especially since story events like that weren't really shown in the cards during Theros, as it may have been had Theros been post-Tarkir/Origins, meaning they're restricted to mentioning that it happened in Battle for Zendikar block cards. Having it then not work would just make players question the point of even mentioning it. And they'd be right. Having the bident not work outside of Theros (at least at first, anyway) would be silly.
That said, Dekella is pretty much guaranteed to work on all planes, not just Theros.
Commander Decks
WDarien, King of KjeldorW - WYomiji, Who Bars the WayW - UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
BPhage the UntouchableB - BShirei,
Shadowborn Ap-Shizo's CaretakerB - RZirilan of the ClawR(W/U)Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper(W/U) - (2/G)Phelddagrif Politics(W/U) - (U/B)Mishra, Artificer Prodigy(U/R) - Karona, God of Voltron
1) Agreed, but that doesn't necessarily mean Kiora, or even any of the planeswalkers, will die. We've already seen pivotal moments in cards and in stories that show just how big of a threat the Eldrazi are, such as the Slaughter at the Refuge. They don't need to kill off any main character to convey that. Though if that is the route they're going, if anyone, I think it'd be Nahiri, due to her Zendikar guardian role, and not being mentioned so far.
2) Sorta, but I think they're doing that for easier story telling more than anything - By keeping Elspeth and Ajani on Theros, Koth on Mirrodin, Ral Zarak on Ravnica, etc..., it keeps their cast of characters from getting too out of hand, yet always accessible should they need to be pulled into whatever plot thread is currently relevant.
3) Just playing devil's advocate here, but who says they survive, all that we know is that those 4 are alive at the beginning of Oath of the Gatewatch. On a more practical note though, I just think that it's WotC making a conscious effort to push the Origins 5 and have a clear face for each color. Nothing more, nothing less.