This is a compilation of five different themes that could’ve been explore in an Innistrad sequel that kept their veins into ghotic horror tropes, without appealing to the cosmics horror of the eldrazi. I brainstormed the main ideas and created reasonable guides for the storyline to follow. The starting point would be Avacyn Restored, from where everything should go sour once again.
The point of this thread is to show that ghotic horror tropes are diverse enough that they have multiple avenues to explore, and just because you used something en passant doesn’t mean you can’t delve deeper into that idea afterwards. This is also a sort of bet that I had with the people at the Magic Storyline forum.
Every idea will have a brief storyline of introduction. This is, after all, the personal writing forum. In the poll above, you can pick your favorite one (you can pick more than one). In the comments below, you can give your suggestions of modifications and improvements, or even implement your own story!
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Geralf was in a miserable state. He had lost his beautiful skaab army to such an amateurish technique as lightning them on fire! That was utterly unacceptable. Meeting Liliana sparked something into his heart and made he forget about his mishappening, but soon after returning to his concealed laboratory he realized how much he had lost. Just in raw material alone he was short 48 brains, 132 limbs and 437 upper and lower body parts. His annoying sister would walk around the grafs singing her despicable songs and raising shambling rotting carcasses of useless corpses, while he would need to go back to grave robbering.
The stitcher sunk his head onto his hands for a moment, deciding to make an inventory of what was left on his lab. It would take weeks of work, but he wouldn’t let that affect him. He would make an army greater than ever before, and get his rightful title of best stitcher to have ever existed. Maybe then he could surpass even Ludevic, his old master.
…
So lost in thought was Geralf that he didn’t notice the intruder who had followed him and was unmaking all his ghoulish traps to get closer to his lab. After a few moments and many traps deactivated, there was a loud knock on the door. Geralf couldn’t believe it. Someone was daring to knock on his door! The stitcher decided he had found the first donor of new bodyparts for his skaabs. He sent one of his crushers to ‘welcome’ the uninvited guest and forgot about the issue. He could just as well retrieve the body parts later.
There was a clear thud sound followed by absolute silence. That was unusual, thought Geralf, since his zombie servants weren’t very stealthy. In fact, they made almost as much noise as they smelled really bad. The stitcher decided to go and check for what was happening. Barely had he touched on the doorknob of the room, he was launched against the wall with tremendous strength by the thing that chrashed through the door. It was a petrified statue of a winged creature, moving around with a hideous face. A gargoyle. In its hand there was the ripped head of one of his crushers. Great. 49 brains now. A man walked through the door, dressed in unusual nobility clothing, and stood right behind the gargoyle. “You must be the famou stitcher Geralf, yes? I’m Laldrum, the alchemist. I think we have a lot to talk about.”
This story would focus on the alchemist trope commonly associated in ghotic horror. Laldrum would be a mad genius scientist in search of the eugatian stone (made up name for the philosopher’s stone), an artifact that would drastically increase his powers of transmutation (different from most Innistrad’s alchemists that reanimate and improve dead creatures, Laldrum would be versatile in animating non-living matter). Laldrum had an idea of what would be the ideal Innistrad, one that he could only fulfill once he found the eugatian stone.
The first block would focus on alchemic rituals that are based on a type of magic Avacyn and her angels can’t stop with the cursemute, while also explain Laldrum’s motivations and plans. He was set to end the eternal devotion that humans had for either angels or demons. He thought that worshipping such creatures was wrong, and felt like mankind should stand on their own legs, guided by alchemical principles. The second block we would have the apparition of the eugatian stone to explain Laldrum’s endgame. He intended to turn all mana-beings of the plane into solid statues with the power of the stone. Laldrum’s gargoyles and Avacyn’s angels would fight for trying to recover the mystical artifact. Some regular wizards and people who are suspect of angels and demons would take his part on the fight.
The alchemic transformations could be an inspiration for a new type of ‘transform’ mechanic. Lorewise, Laldrum would be helped by Geralf (among others) who would find this new type of magic fascinating. It would be a battle of people who believed Innistrad would be better off without angels and demons and people who disagreed with that.
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“Master Runo, Avacyn has returned,” spoke the Stromkirk heir to his headmaster.
“I’m aware Dustaff, leave it be. It is of no consequence. Our plans will come to fruition in the next Harvest Moon.”
The vampire heir bowed to the leader of his house and retreated into the shadows. From Runo’s point of view in his castle he could contemplate the shoreline of Nephalia. The sea reflected the light of the moon, while the waves made their eternal ebbing and flowing. It was a beautiful, tantalizing sight. The ancient vampire remembered how the old costumes had been forgotten, how the adoration for false idols had begun while true God was ignored. That would no longer be the case.
Everything had been set in motion. Runo could hear the call of the sea once again, in every crash of its waves, in every cold gust of wind that blew from its far horizon. Innistrad would once again hear the true call of a real God. There was only one pesky little inconvenience – Edgar Markov. The ancient vampire alchemist would comprehend the changes that Runo intended to bring upon Innistrad and he would do everything in his power to prevent them, because he was weak and unworthy. Yet, despite being a pathetic creature, Edgar intervention could be enough to compromise the delicate ritual of awakening. That could not be allowed. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take matters on his own hands, for the vampire families had a truce that lasted millennia. Especially now, with the return of the guardian angel, Runo believed that pact should be observed. He would have to find a solution someplace else.
…
The necromancer felt the stench of blood before the headmaster of the Stromkirk even set foot on the ground floor of the castle. Blood and a hint of sea breeze, that’s what it smelt like. Liliana felt as if it was appropriate.
“I see you took interest in my proposition,” spoke Runo Stromkirk as he descended the staircase, not wasting words on small talk. All right then.
“Yes, I did,” answered Liliana with a smile, “I’ve been known to take interest in questionable bargains.”
“It is a simple task,” spoke Runo with his distant, wandering voice. Liliana wondered why all ancient vampires talked like that. Being a millennia-old creature must make you forget what it is like to speak properly. “Slain the head of the Markov, and the gifts that our God shall bestow upon you will certainly be enough to release you from your current burden.”
“And what guarantee do you offer me that you will keep your end of the bargain?” Asked her, already conscious of the probable answer.
“None.” Yeah, that’s the problem of having an ancient, unmeasurably powerful and mysterious artifact slowly consuming your insides. You are not left with much leverage.
Liliana took a deep breath, and pondered just for a minute what she was about to do. Then she smiled again, and looked Runo into his cold unblinking eyes. “That’s a deal.”
This storyline would explore in-depth the Sea God idea that was used as a red herring for the current SOI block. The tropes explored here would be cultists (looking like fish even better) getting together with the Stromkirk vampires to resurrect a supposedly all-powerful entity that would tip the scales in Innistrad.
In the first block we would have Edgar Markov and Runo Stromkirk showing up, with Liliana trying and devising a plan to murder the Head of the Markov family with the intention of getting rid of the curse of the Chain Veil. Her plan might succeed at great cost, when the Sea God would awake for the second part of the story, drastically changing the landscape of Innistrad and making the angel flights and some planeswalkers to unite with the intention of bringing it down. The sea creatures would be emphasized on the second block, with transformations being focused in people turning into sea monsters hybrids, much like the crew from the Flying Dutchman in Pirates of the Caribbean 2.
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Odila moved her hands close to her chest, and whispered an almost incomprehensible sound to herself. That was a strong evocation to be used, and she was glad that now there was someone to answer it. The demons had returned at last! Her patrons, who in the past appeared to have abandoned her, have now returned. Oh, the glorious days will soon be back! No more weak curses. No more asking for the favors of reapers or lesser demons. Now she would speak with the true darkness.
The witch felt the power coursing through her body once more. There was a crackling sound coming from amidst the ashes of the burnt bonfire. She felt her skin growing cold, and the light and sound coming from outside were quenched. She muttered more words in the demonic language, she chanted more hymns, and finally she made an offer of her own flesh. When she cut the palm of her hand and let the blood drip, the darkness came. It was so enveloping that she couldn’t see the forest outside the shrine where she performed her ritual. She couldn’t hear the sounds coming from the woodland. She could only hear his voice inside her head. She could only see his overwhelming presence. Ormendahl, Profane Prince.
…
“The witches,” spoke the cathar to the council, “they’re spreading. Their magic is more powerful now than it had been before, our men are being outmatched.”
“Avacyn will keep us safe,” replied bishop Carlien, one of the most faithful members of the Church, “she made the vampires and ghouls retreat, it is a matter of time until she takes care of the witches as well. We need not fear the creatures of the dark any longer.”
“I will disagree with you brother,” spoke another bishop, Lohain. “If we learned something in our protector’s absence is that we shouldn’t stay idle. We should not give the forces of darkness pause to recover. We have to strike them, right here and RIGHT NOW!” The eyes of the bishop had a frenzied, disturbed look in them. He recovered his composure and proceeded in a softer tone: “what example are we giving to our protector if we merely wait for her to rescue us? What will she think of the whole corpus of our Church? We should make our stand, in her name of course.”
Some bishops felt a little disquieted with that opinion, but one of the older among them finally asked “and what do you suggest, brother?”
Lohain turned his head to the battered cathar in front of him, and barely hid a smirk. “If the brothers agree, we should let be known in all provinces that witchcraft is a crime punishable by death at the stake or at the gallows. Let it be known that the Church will organize and will hunt for all of those who are suspect of witchcraft and other dark arts, and they shall be put to our fair judgment. If they’re innocent, they will be set free. However, if we deem them guilty, they shall be set as an example. Collect the inquisitors, we will give them a new purpose.”
Most bishops nodded in agreement. Lohain looked at them, laughing inside. Moving his hands out of sight, he rubbed the piece of cloth he would use as a blindfold later that day. He had news to share with the Skirsdag.
This story would focus on three main ghotic tropes: the presence and widespread use of witchcraft, the creation of the Church inquisition and the spread of a secret, darker society inside the members of the Church. The idea here is to show that the witches and the Skirsdag are part of opposing factions of demon worshippers. The Skirsdag use their influence to try and shut the witches down while the witches spread their cult and offer themselves as consorts to gain the demons’ favors. In the crossfire the Church is utilized to create an inquisition, meeting all the tropes required.
The first block would focus on the rise of witchcraft and curses and the inquisition that follows. In the second block we would have the skirsdag more on focus and an active fight against them. The overall idea is for the story to have more intrigue and dialogue in the first block, while the second block you would have a more ‘all-out’ demon war where the presence of the Skirsdag in the Church is discovered and Thraben is taken by demonic forces. The cathars, who were focusing on the witches, are taken by surprise with the new enemy and feel betrayed, some abandoning their faith and some fighting to purge the city.
In this meantime we will have plenty of opportunities in the first block for Avacyn to question her duty to protect the humans as she see the monstrosities caused by the Inquisition. The second block she will restore her faith when she sees cathars (and regular people) actively fighting against demons that they might have no chance of beating just to protect the innocent as best as they can. The reasoning behind this story arc is that with the demons released from the Helvault their reformed essences feel the need for vengeance, and both the witches and the Skirsdag help them fuel this need.
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“How are the horses?” Asked the farmer in a wheezing voice.
“They’ll be alright sir,” answered Thalia from as close as she could get to the old man. He was in his last moments before the Blessed Sleep. The disease marked his body, with pustules all over it festering and oozing a dark liquid. It was a disturbing sight, and made the cathar feel that much worse for lying about the horses. When she reached the farm, every single one of the animals was either dead or dying.
“Good,” continued the old man who Thalia didn’t even know the name, “you see, I was afraid for them,” he smiled peacefully while speaking. “I have no wife, no children, all that I have is this farm and my horses, and I couldn’t die peacefully without knowing they’ll be well.”
The cathar, graduated on Elgaud Grounds as one of the best swordsman that ever lived, had to be strong not to cry in front of the man. She felt terrible sorrow for him, and there was absolutely nothing she could do. There was no amount of swordsmanship that could cure that man’s disease, or even ease his pain. She could only pray for Avacyn and hope for some guidance. That was all she did until he passed away.
…
Nothing was making sense. Thalia had been riding all over the province, and there was no place in Gavony that the plague hadn’t reach. Reports from other provinces clearly stated that Kessig was suffering the same fate, while Nephalia and Stensia were still unnafected. The disease was spreading at an unnatural rate. After Avacyn and her angels had returned she thought the land would finally know peace, and for a while they did. That was until the first report came from Lambholt that flocks of sheep were dying. From there on, the land was ravaged with this plague that spared no soul in its wake, and it didn’t seem as if it was about to end.
Thalia let her horse and her men take some rest. She was close to the Moorland now, and the situation didn’t seem to be getting any better. The number of zombies and ghouls had risen more than ever before, especially here, while the number of people in the cities dwindled. She was praying for more guidance next to an old shrine when a creaking sound came from above. It was metallic and unpleasant, but even more unpleasant was seeing the one producing it: a man with grey hair descending from the skies with an apparatus that seemed to mock the beautiful wings of the angels. Ludevic of Ulm.
The necro-alchemist barely had time to unstrap his wings while Thalia approached him with sword in hand. “Wait!” Cried Ludevic raising hir arms, his naturally hoarse voice barely making a high-pitched sound.
“You’re a wanted criminal Ludevic, and I already have too many problems to deal with.”
“That’s precisely why I searched for you Thalia of Thraben,” answered the alchemist, his hands still raised up in the air “I know how to eliminate this disease.”
The plan here is to have a different type of world-enveloping story. It would explore a common trope from the horror gender which is a deadly disease wiping out everyone, based on the real world events of the spread of bubonic plague. This plague would consume Innistrad from the inside out, especially people from Kessig and Gavony, and that would cause famine and riots in the streets. There would be local fights of people trying to reach Stensia to become vampires (imunes to the plague) or Nephalia, both places with less people affected. It would be a civil war of sorts, where humans would seek explanations from the church and wouldn’t get any. Meanwhile Ludevic, Thalia, and one or two more legends would go in a group deep inside Somberwald to try and find an specific type of mushroom that only grew there because the alchemist believed it had a property to cure the disease.
The first part of the block would be separated in two parts: 1) the self-contained story of Thalia, Ludevic and teammates facing struggles to get to the place in Somberwlad where the mushroom grows and 2) the fight among the people that are trying to take their anger on the church and/or reaching one of the ‘safe haven’ provinces.
The second block would reveal that the disease (now already being treated) was initially created by the forgotten people of the woods, or the ‘Fair Folk’ (which mechanically were more likely to be faerie creatures). The idea here is that with the return of Avacyn the growth of the human population became really significant. It steadily increased up to a point where the spirits of nature were losing their houses and habitats to places that were becoming farmlands. As revenge, the faeries released this plague in Innistrad so the humans would dwindle and they would survive. This wasn’t black magic ‘per se’, but more of a balancing act of the Fair Folk (which is also the name of this common trope).
The first block should have indications of the actions of the forgotten people of the woods and the second block wouldn’t end in a big war or conflict (that was the job of the first block). It would rather try to be a conflict of interests that could be solved with peaceful dialogue and integration of the Fair Folk as part of Innistrad lore. You could have a ‘bad’ fairy and a ‘good’ fairy, a ‘bad’ human and a ‘good’ human, meaning: you could have characters that are trying to keep themselves isolated and kill the other group (bad) and characters that are trying to find a peaceful resolution (good).
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The archmage of the goldnight Arlinn Kord had to ask herself: what is their point in all of this? She had seen the retreat of the powers of darkness with the restoration of Avacyn. She had seen the vampires reduce their attacks, the corpses that would rise from the ground to remain buried and the werewolves, her kind, to be turned into something else. However, even after all that, the devils had not stopped. If anything, they increased in numbers. Her bite would tear their acid bellies open, her claws would rip their throats, and they would keep on coming. Lambholt wouldn’t be able to stand this much longer.
When she saw the extension of the fire from the Ulvenwald forest, she knew something had gone wrong. As the alpha of her pack, she commanded them into helping the humans. Tamed werewolves could almost pass for wolfir these days, and no one in Lambholt seemed uncomfortable in having more allies. Still, the fire consumed everything and fissures erupted from the center of the city spilling more of the red-skinned creatures who cackled maniacally while sinking their pointed claws in human flesh. It was pure madness, and she was feeling exhausted. In her werewolf form she had improved senses, stamina, and strength, but despite being a far superior match for the devils, she and the other combatants were vastly outnumbered. It would be a long and difficult night.
…
Lambholt sustained the attack, barely. Arlinn hardly made through the night, with multiple cuts and bruises all over her body and the pain she felt in her lungs from breathing too much smoke. The truth is that devils, the little cruel creatures, were starting to become a serious issue. Before, it was just Ashmouth and Devil’s Breach, but now there were openings happening all over the provinces. They would spare no soul. They could harm humans, vampires, werewolves, geists, even angels! It was an epidemic, and nobody seemed to know why it was happening. She needed to know. She needed to help.
The idea of this story is to focus on constant attacks from devils on Innistrad. Devils, who are the manifestations of demons’ unearthly desires, can be dangerous if in big numbers, and this would be an epidemic of devils taking over the provinces. The idea of the first block is to show the multiple conflicts arising while the people from Innistrad try to face the little creatures, and some of the legends of the block, including the planeswalker Arlinn Kord, are trying to understand what is causing them to show up.
The second block would reveal that the planar layer that separated the devil’s underworld from Innistrad was thining, due to the coalescence of all the demons’ essences that were trapped in the Helvault becoming one giant demonic lord, seeking retribution. The manifestation of this desire for retribution would be the army of devils showing up in Innistrad. The second block would show Innistrad starting to ‘merge’ with the demonic underworld (hence the name “Hell”) and would demand Avacyn’s sacrifice to break the demonic lord essence into minor demons and send the other plane back to its proper dimension. This would be a planar-wide event involving multiple legends and races.
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Heh, that may be true! I don't know. In any case you can still vote for your favorite
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The sea god one is my favorite. It's different enough from Innistrad 1 to feel unique, but still Gothic Innistrad at heart.
My personal idea for an Innistrad sequel is something along the lines of following the threads of Avacyn Restored. Focus on a more good vs. evil bent, angels vs. demons in a very Gothic setting. Kind of like your fifth idea, with an impending demon apocalypse. In order to fight the demons, and strike a balance, they would have to refound the fourth flight of angels, and release the fourth sister from wherever she was imprisoned.
I might develop this a little more tomorrow. Would you mind if I posted it here?
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"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Oh dear......Flying Dutchman option....tapping into one of my favorite movie antagonists and myths of all time...
I was actually hoping for something like that before we even knew anything of SOI. Nephalia as a coastal city always seemed so primed for flavor in the old block. Wish it had been explored more than it has been in this Eldrazi block
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Vorthos-player with way too much time on his hands and a love of thematic decks.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
Oh dear......Flying Dutchman option....tapping into one of my favorite movie antagonists and myths of all time...
I was actually hoping for something like that before we even knew anything of SOI. Nephalia as a coastal city always seemed so primed for flavor in the old block. Wish it had been explored more than it has been in this Eldrazi block
If you were to ask Maro about that, he would probably say that's exactly what they did, since Emrakul rose from the sea.
Side note: I'm a stickler for planar details. Nephalia is not a city. It is a coastal province, noted for its rocky coastline, silver beach, and inland marshlands. The three major cities in Nephalia are Havengul, Dranau, and Selhoff.
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"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Oh dear......Flying Dutchman option....tapping into one of my favorite movie antagonists and myths of all time...
I was actually hoping for something like that before we even knew anything of SOI. Nephalia as a coastal city always seemed so primed for flavor in the old block. Wish it had been explored more than it has been in this Eldrazi block
If you were to ask Maro about that, he would probably say that's exactly what they did, since Emrakul rose from the sea.
Side note: I'm a stickler for planar details. Nephalia is not a city. It is a coastal province, noted for its rocky coastline, silver beach, and inland marshlands. The three major cities in Nephalia are Havengul, Dranau, and Selhoff.
Huh, I honestly never knew that. Thought it was the Province and city, like a New York City, New York type-deal. Any chance you'd know which is depicted on Nephalia, which seems to be the largest of the three and the most depicted?
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Vorthos-player with way too much time on his hands and a love of thematic decks.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
Huh, I honestly never knew that. Thought it was the Province and city, like a New York City, New York type-deal. Any chance you'd know which is depicted on Nephalia, which seems to be the largest of the three and the most depicted?
It's from the Planeswalker's Guide. Check it out. It's an awesome read. Alternatively, the Art Book comes out Tuesday, which should include most of the PW guide. In any case, I'm working on my map for Innistrad. (I recently posted a rough sketch of the landmass, check the link in my signature.) I hope it helps people who work more visually.
@ Ashiok: Sorry for derailing your thread.
Edit: Oops. I forgot. The town, if it's one of the three, is probably Selhoff, the smallest of the towns. Havengull is quite urban, a lot bigger than what is shown. Also, Selhoff is established to be in a region like that shown on the card, it's just south of the Drownyard Temple.
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"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Edit: Oops. I forgot. The town, if it's one of the three, is probably Selhoff, the smallest of the towns. Havengull is quite urban, a lot bigger than what is shown. Also, Selhoff is established to be in a region like that shown on the card, it's just south of the Drownyard Temple.
Yeah, sorry for the derail. Last one, I promise. Totally had forgotten the part in the Planeswalker's guide about the cities in Nephalia. It's cool that someone here on the forums is all about the geography. I just honed in on the creatures and background lore, like Avacyn being a psychochomp for the dead. Oh yeah, THAT sure as hell hasn't been covered by Creative. So who's ushering the dead to the blessed sleep now? I mean Sigarda seems like the next logical choice, but I wish THAT would have been covered. I like the geists and the dichotomy between the sentient Traft ones and the more-emotional Lightning Axe ones. Which is barely being covered.
@Ashiok, Along with the Sea God plot, I did enjoy the idea of the Hell one. Would have been a cool idea if they'd mixed it with the Skirsdag maneuvering to re-manifest Griselbrand in some form to challenge Avacyn again, but with the aid of Tibalt and the devils. Would also have tied in well with the Spanish-inquisition, Skirsdag infiltration plot of SOI that has been dropped like a bar of soap.
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EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
Voted for 3 of the options. Hell, witching hour and sea god, in that order for preference.
Hell and witching hour cause there's got to be SOME repercussions for all those demons being released. Plus I'd really have liked Arlinn getting more of the focus than she has been.
Fantastic work Ashiok - really good concepts and yeah - all better than what we have now. In a way, I really like the Sea God one because it's a toned down, more nuanced and thematically consistent version of what we have now. The 'horror rising' trope fitted carefully into Innistrad's setting rather than slammed down and plastered all over it.
I also really like the Hell option - what we could have had if Tibalt had been chosen to be lead antagonist instead of Nahiri.
The sea god one is my favorite. It's different enough from Innistrad 1 to feel unique, but still Gothic Innistrad at heart.
My personal idea for an Innistrad sequel is something along the lines of following the threads of Avacyn Restored. Focus on a more good vs. evil bent, angels vs. demons in a very Gothic setting. Kind of like your fifth idea, with an impending demon apocalypse. In order to fight the demons, and strike a balance, they would have to refound the fourth flight of angels, and release the fourth sister from wherever she was imprisoned.
I might develop this a little more tomorrow. Would you mind if I posted it here?
No problem at all man, that's one of the original purposes of the thread! You can post it here and I will read it
Edit: Oops. I forgot. The town, if it's one of the three, is probably Selhoff, the smallest of the towns. Havengull is quite urban, a lot bigger than what is shown. Also, Selhoff is established to be in a region like that shown on the card, it's just south of the Drownyard Temple.
Yeah, sorry for the derail. Last one, I promise. Totally had forgotten the part in the Planeswalker's guide about the cities in Nephalia. It's cool that someone here on the forums is all about the geography. I just honed in on the creatures and background lore, like Avacyn being a psychochomp for the dead. Oh yeah, THAT sure as hell hasn't been covered by Creative. So who's ushering the dead to the blessed sleep now? I mean Sigarda seems like the next logical choice, but I wish THAT would have been covered. I like the geists and the dichotomy between the sentient Traft ones and the more-emotional Lightning Axe ones. Which is barely being covered.
@Ashiok, Along with the Sea God plot, I did enjoy the idea of the Hell one. Would have been a cool idea if they'd mixed it with the Skirsdag maneuvering to re-manifest Griselbrand in some form to challenge Avacyn again, but with the aid of Tibalt and the devils. Would also have tied in well with the Spanish-inquisition, Skirsdag infiltration plot of SOI that has been dropped like a bar of soap.
No problem in talking details about Innistrad man. Yeah, I think probably the Sea God would be my favorite option as well! I do like the concept of the crew of the Flying Duthmen being made into cards.
Voted for 3 of the options. Hell, witching hour and sea god, in that order for preference.
Hell and witching hour cause there's got to be SOME repercussions for all those demons being released. Plus I'd really have liked Arlinn getting more of the focus than she has been.
Sea god just cause.
Yeah, I agree. Repercussions are important, they give the story a sense of continuity. I wouldn't mind showing some consequences.
Fantastic work Ashiok - really good concepts and yeah - all better than what we have now. In a way, I really like the Sea God one because it's a toned down, more nuanced and thematically consistent version of what we have now. The 'horror rising' trope fitted carefully into Innistrad's setting rather than slammed down and plastered all over it.
I also really like the Hell option - what we could have had if Tibalt had been chosen to be lead antagonist instead of Nahiri.
Thanks for the compliment man! It took a little time to think of the plotlines and figure which legends would fit better one story. I do think including Tibalt in the last one is an excellent idea! I was thinking of using him in one of the stories and ended up forgetting to do so.
Regarding nuance: most really good horror stories keep things very nuanced up until the last moment when the 'horror' is revealed and shocks the characters and the audience. I think this would explain why a full block of eldrazi doesn't really accomplish that very well, but I will admit that it is hard to be more nuanced when you're telling the story through your cards. If your last block is the one with the horror reveal and you don't want it be 'all over the place' you would have to make some cards pre-horror relevation and some post-horror revelation. Maybe that would look too clunky, I don't know.
Would you like to read Commander stories? Check my latest stories, coming from Lorwyn and Innistrad: Ghoulcaller Gisa and Doran, The Siege Tower! If you like my writing, ask me to write something for your commander as well!
Being a huge fan of demons and angels, I obviously voted for Hell but also for Sea God. Also thought the bubonic plague one interesting with the faeries, i just can't really imagine how you can depict the plagues effect on creatures on cards
I can't pick really. I like a lot of the concepts in general. I think I would go with Sea God like many others, if just because it feels a little more... consistent? Plus it's the kind of thing that could be slotted in with how SOI was done without much hassle. I don't know that I personally would have liked it as much, but I think it would fit Innistrad pretty well.
I like the plague and witchcraft stories which remain true to in innistrad. The sea God seem very interesting but pirates 2 was an insufferable mess so the reference alone let me down
Without these sea mutations things that would be my first choice though.
I like the Sea God story because it sits closer to the HP lovecraft influence that this current story is based off.
Flavorwise the Eldrazi fit perfectly into that influence but they are understandably tired. Would be sick to have seen The God they worship be Marit Liege
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Being a huge fan of demons and angels, I obviously voted for Hell but also for Sea God. Also thought the bubonic plague one interesting with the faeries, i just can't really imagine how you can depict the plagues effect on creatures on cards
Thanks man.
I think you can do it in a lot of different ways actually. You could create creatures with flipsides that are weaker or that turn into different creatures (kinda like loyal cathar, they die and come back as zombies, for instance). You could also have auras that represent the effect of the plagues (like Necrotic Plague or Traveling Plague, but maybe more efficient than that). I will admit that card crafting is not one of my virtues, so there are maybe more interesting/creative ways of implementing it.
I can't pick really. I like a lot of the concepts in general. I think I would go with Sea God like many others, if just because it feels a little more... consistent? Plus it's the kind of thing that could be slotted in with how SOI was done without much hassle. I don't know that I personally would have liked it as much, but I think it would fit Innistrad pretty well.
I think it would probably be the story that would bring more new things compared to the last Innistrad block, which is a good thing imo. Maybe the one focusing on alchemy is also different enough that you would have a lot of design space to explore. Lore-wise I think it is one of the cooler ones, just because it was hinted in some cards before and seems to have more setup already.
I like the plague and witchcraft stories which remain true to in innistrad. The sea God seem very interesting but pirates 2 was an insufferable mess so the reference alone let me down
Without these sea mutations things that would be my first choice though.
Heh, I actually like quite a lot pirates 2, but I also see the withcraft and plague being very well-tuned with Innistrad. My rationale behind the plots in general was to use big historic events that happened more or less at the feudal age in europe (which Innistrad resembles significantly). The spread of a big plague and the Catholic Inquisition come to mind, both themes that are really explored in ghotic horror settings.
The best thing about your stories is the focus on the legendary creatures, instead of crappy planeswalker. I mean, how cool is having Thalia and Ludevic working together instead of stupid Jace again?
I honestly almost always think that stories with legendary creatures are better than the ones with planeswalkers. Part of that reason is precisely because planeswalker get a lot of exposition when I don't think they should. When people are playing a new block they like some legendary cards and want to see what they would inside the lore (especially because of commander). However, most legends are forgotten or have one single story dedicated to them. That is a waste of a good character, and MTG has so many potential good characters that it could develop that is a shame to get stuck with the same group of people over and over again.
I like the Sea God story because it sits closer to the HP lovecraft influence that this current story is based off.
Flavorwise the Eldrazi fit perfectly into that influence but they are understandably tired. Would be sick to have seen The God they worship be Marit Liege
Yeah, I think it would be great. In retrospect I think that Marit Lage has zero setup right now, so maybe if they can hype her up a little more before bringing her back that would be awesome.
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Would you like to read Commander stories? Check my latest stories, coming from Lorwyn and Innistrad: Ghoulcaller Gisa and Doran, The Siege Tower! If you like my writing, ask me to write something for your commander as well!
I mean, Emrakul is gonna be trapped in the moon and Avacyn is dead. Continue it from there in a different direction. I know everyone hates the story but there's no going back now.
I would like to see Devils try to take over Innistrad do the fifth one works, but add "in the aftermath of a horror unlike any Innistrad had seen, reveling horrors loomed over the horizon. Tibalt smirked, "it is finally our turn."
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The point of this thread is to show that ghotic horror tropes are diverse enough that they have multiple avenues to explore, and just because you used something en passant doesn’t mean you can’t delve deeper into that idea afterwards. This is also a sort of bet that I had with the people at the Magic Storyline forum.
Every idea will have a brief storyline of introduction. This is, after all, the personal writing forum. In the poll above, you can pick your favorite one (you can pick more than one). In the comments below, you can give your suggestions of modifications and improvements, or even implement your own story!
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Innistrad: Forbidden Alchemy
Geralf was in a miserable state. He had lost his beautiful skaab army to such an amateurish technique as lightning them on fire! That was utterly unacceptable. Meeting Liliana sparked something into his heart and made he forget about his mishappening, but soon after returning to his concealed laboratory he realized how much he had lost. Just in raw material alone he was short 48 brains, 132 limbs and 437 upper and lower body parts. His annoying sister would walk around the grafs singing her despicable songs and raising shambling rotting carcasses of useless corpses, while he would need to go back to grave robbering.
The stitcher sunk his head onto his hands for a moment, deciding to make an inventory of what was left on his lab. It would take weeks of work, but he wouldn’t let that affect him. He would make an army greater than ever before, and get his rightful title of best stitcher to have ever existed. Maybe then he could surpass even Ludevic, his old master.
So lost in thought was Geralf that he didn’t notice the intruder who had followed him and was unmaking all his ghoulish traps to get closer to his lab. After a few moments and many traps deactivated, there was a loud knock on the door. Geralf couldn’t believe it. Someone was daring to knock on his door! The stitcher decided he had found the first donor of new bodyparts for his skaabs. He sent one of his crushers to ‘welcome’ the uninvited guest and forgot about the issue. He could just as well retrieve the body parts later.
There was a clear thud sound followed by absolute silence. That was unusual, thought Geralf, since his zombie servants weren’t very stealthy. In fact, they made almost as much noise as they smelled really bad. The stitcher decided to go and check for what was happening. Barely had he touched on the doorknob of the room, he was launched against the wall with tremendous strength by the thing that chrashed through the door. It was a petrified statue of a winged creature, moving around with a hideous face. A gargoyle. In its hand there was the ripped head of one of his crushers. Great. 49 brains now. A man walked through the door, dressed in unusual nobility clothing, and stood right behind the gargoyle. “You must be the famou stitcher Geralf, yes? I’m Laldrum, the alchemist. I think we have a lot to talk about.”
This story would focus on the alchemist trope commonly associated in ghotic horror. Laldrum would be a mad genius scientist in search of the eugatian stone (made up name for the philosopher’s stone), an artifact that would drastically increase his powers of transmutation (different from most Innistrad’s alchemists that reanimate and improve dead creatures, Laldrum would be versatile in animating non-living matter). Laldrum had an idea of what would be the ideal Innistrad, one that he could only fulfill once he found the eugatian stone.
The first block would focus on alchemic rituals that are based on a type of magic Avacyn and her angels can’t stop with the cursemute, while also explain Laldrum’s motivations and plans. He was set to end the eternal devotion that humans had for either angels or demons. He thought that worshipping such creatures was wrong, and felt like mankind should stand on their own legs, guided by alchemical principles. The second block we would have the apparition of the eugatian stone to explain Laldrum’s endgame. He intended to turn all mana-beings of the plane into solid statues with the power of the stone. Laldrum’s gargoyles and Avacyn’s angels would fight for trying to recover the mystical artifact. Some regular wizards and people who are suspect of angels and demons would take his part on the fight.
The alchemic transformations could be an inspiration for a new type of ‘transform’ mechanic. Lorewise, Laldrum would be helped by Geralf (among others) who would find this new type of magic fascinating. It would be a battle of people who believed Innistrad would be better off without angels and demons and people who disagreed with that.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Innistrad: The Sea God
“Master Runo, Avacyn has returned,” spoke the Stromkirk heir to his headmaster.
“I’m aware Dustaff, leave it be. It is of no consequence. Our plans will come to fruition in the next Harvest Moon.”
The vampire heir bowed to the leader of his house and retreated into the shadows. From Runo’s point of view in his castle he could contemplate the shoreline of Nephalia. The sea reflected the light of the moon, while the waves made their eternal ebbing and flowing. It was a beautiful, tantalizing sight. The ancient vampire remembered how the old costumes had been forgotten, how the adoration for false idols had begun while true God was ignored. That would no longer be the case.
Everything had been set in motion. Runo could hear the call of the sea once again, in every crash of its waves, in every cold gust of wind that blew from its far horizon. Innistrad would once again hear the true call of a real God. There was only one pesky little inconvenience – Edgar Markov. The ancient vampire alchemist would comprehend the changes that Runo intended to bring upon Innistrad and he would do everything in his power to prevent them, because he was weak and unworthy. Yet, despite being a pathetic creature, Edgar intervention could be enough to compromise the delicate ritual of awakening. That could not be allowed. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take matters on his own hands, for the vampire families had a truce that lasted millennia. Especially now, with the return of the guardian angel, Runo believed that pact should be observed. He would have to find a solution someplace else.
The necromancer felt the stench of blood before the headmaster of the Stromkirk even set foot on the ground floor of the castle. Blood and a hint of sea breeze, that’s what it smelt like. Liliana felt as if it was appropriate.
“I see you took interest in my proposition,” spoke Runo Stromkirk as he descended the staircase, not wasting words on small talk. All right then.
“Yes, I did,” answered Liliana with a smile, “I’ve been known to take interest in questionable bargains.”
“It is a simple task,” spoke Runo with his distant, wandering voice. Liliana wondered why all ancient vampires talked like that. Being a millennia-old creature must make you forget what it is like to speak properly. “Slain the head of the Markov, and the gifts that our God shall bestow upon you will certainly be enough to release you from your current burden.”
“And what guarantee do you offer me that you will keep your end of the bargain?” Asked her, already conscious of the probable answer.
“None.” Yeah, that’s the problem of having an ancient, unmeasurably powerful and mysterious artifact slowly consuming your insides. You are not left with much leverage.
Liliana took a deep breath, and pondered just for a minute what she was about to do. Then she smiled again, and looked Runo into his cold unblinking eyes. “That’s a deal.”
This storyline would explore in-depth the Sea God idea that was used as a red herring for the current SOI block. The tropes explored here would be cultists (looking like fish even better) getting together with the Stromkirk vampires to resurrect a supposedly all-powerful entity that would tip the scales in Innistrad.
In the first block we would have Edgar Markov and Runo Stromkirk showing up, with Liliana trying and devising a plan to murder the Head of the Markov family with the intention of getting rid of the curse of the Chain Veil. Her plan might succeed at great cost, when the Sea God would awake for the second part of the story, drastically changing the landscape of Innistrad and making the angel flights and some planeswalkers to unite with the intention of bringing it down. The sea creatures would be emphasized on the second block, with transformations being focused in people turning into sea monsters hybrids, much like the crew from the Flying Dutchman in Pirates of the Caribbean 2.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Innistrad: Witching Hour
Odila moved her hands close to her chest, and whispered an almost incomprehensible sound to herself. That was a strong evocation to be used, and she was glad that now there was someone to answer it. The demons had returned at last! Her patrons, who in the past appeared to have abandoned her, have now returned. Oh, the glorious days will soon be back! No more weak curses. No more asking for the favors of reapers or lesser demons. Now she would speak with the true darkness.
The witch felt the power coursing through her body once more. There was a crackling sound coming from amidst the ashes of the burnt bonfire. She felt her skin growing cold, and the light and sound coming from outside were quenched. She muttered more words in the demonic language, she chanted more hymns, and finally she made an offer of her own flesh. When she cut the palm of her hand and let the blood drip, the darkness came. It was so enveloping that she couldn’t see the forest outside the shrine where she performed her ritual. She couldn’t hear the sounds coming from the woodland. She could only hear his voice inside her head. She could only see his overwhelming presence. Ormendahl, Profane Prince.
“The witches,” spoke the cathar to the council, “they’re spreading. Their magic is more powerful now than it had been before, our men are being outmatched.”
“Avacyn will keep us safe,” replied bishop Carlien, one of the most faithful members of the Church, “she made the vampires and ghouls retreat, it is a matter of time until she takes care of the witches as well. We need not fear the creatures of the dark any longer.”
“I will disagree with you brother,” spoke another bishop, Lohain. “If we learned something in our protector’s absence is that we shouldn’t stay idle. We should not give the forces of darkness pause to recover. We have to strike them, right here and RIGHT NOW!” The eyes of the bishop had a frenzied, disturbed look in them. He recovered his composure and proceeded in a softer tone: “what example are we giving to our protector if we merely wait for her to rescue us? What will she think of the whole corpus of our Church? We should make our stand, in her name of course.”
Some bishops felt a little disquieted with that opinion, but one of the older among them finally asked “and what do you suggest, brother?”
Lohain turned his head to the battered cathar in front of him, and barely hid a smirk. “If the brothers agree, we should let be known in all provinces that witchcraft is a crime punishable by death at the stake or at the gallows. Let it be known that the Church will organize and will hunt for all of those who are suspect of witchcraft and other dark arts, and they shall be put to our fair judgment. If they’re innocent, they will be set free. However, if we deem them guilty, they shall be set as an example. Collect the inquisitors, we will give them a new purpose.”
Most bishops nodded in agreement. Lohain looked at them, laughing inside. Moving his hands out of sight, he rubbed the piece of cloth he would use as a blindfold later that day. He had news to share with the Skirsdag.
This story would focus on three main ghotic tropes: the presence and widespread use of witchcraft, the creation of the Church inquisition and the spread of a secret, darker society inside the members of the Church. The idea here is to show that the witches and the Skirsdag are part of opposing factions of demon worshippers. The Skirsdag use their influence to try and shut the witches down while the witches spread their cult and offer themselves as consorts to gain the demons’ favors. In the crossfire the Church is utilized to create an inquisition, meeting all the tropes required.
The first block would focus on the rise of witchcraft and curses and the inquisition that follows. In the second block we would have the skirsdag more on focus and an active fight against them. The overall idea is for the story to have more intrigue and dialogue in the first block, while the second block you would have a more ‘all-out’ demon war where the presence of the Skirsdag in the Church is discovered and Thraben is taken by demonic forces. The cathars, who were focusing on the witches, are taken by surprise with the new enemy and feel betrayed, some abandoning their faith and some fighting to purge the city.
In this meantime we will have plenty of opportunities in the first block for Avacyn to question her duty to protect the humans as she see the monstrosities caused by the Inquisition. The second block she will restore her faith when she sees cathars (and regular people) actively fighting against demons that they might have no chance of beating just to protect the innocent as best as they can. The reasoning behind this story arc is that with the demons released from the Helvault their reformed essences feel the need for vengeance, and both the witches and the Skirsdag help them fuel this need.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Innistrad: The Plague
“How are the horses?” Asked the farmer in a wheezing voice.
“They’ll be alright sir,” answered Thalia from as close as she could get to the old man. He was in his last moments before the Blessed Sleep. The disease marked his body, with pustules all over it festering and oozing a dark liquid. It was a disturbing sight, and made the cathar feel that much worse for lying about the horses. When she reached the farm, every single one of the animals was either dead or dying.
“Good,” continued the old man who Thalia didn’t even know the name, “you see, I was afraid for them,” he smiled peacefully while speaking. “I have no wife, no children, all that I have is this farm and my horses, and I couldn’t die peacefully without knowing they’ll be well.”
The cathar, graduated on Elgaud Grounds as one of the best swordsman that ever lived, had to be strong not to cry in front of the man. She felt terrible sorrow for him, and there was absolutely nothing she could do. There was no amount of swordsmanship that could cure that man’s disease, or even ease his pain. She could only pray for Avacyn and hope for some guidance. That was all she did until he passed away.
Nothing was making sense. Thalia had been riding all over the province, and there was no place in Gavony that the plague hadn’t reach. Reports from other provinces clearly stated that Kessig was suffering the same fate, while Nephalia and Stensia were still unnafected. The disease was spreading at an unnatural rate. After Avacyn and her angels had returned she thought the land would finally know peace, and for a while they did. That was until the first report came from Lambholt that flocks of sheep were dying. From there on, the land was ravaged with this plague that spared no soul in its wake, and it didn’t seem as if it was about to end.
Thalia let her horse and her men take some rest. She was close to the Moorland now, and the situation didn’t seem to be getting any better. The number of zombies and ghouls had risen more than ever before, especially here, while the number of people in the cities dwindled. She was praying for more guidance next to an old shrine when a creaking sound came from above. It was metallic and unpleasant, but even more unpleasant was seeing the one producing it: a man with grey hair descending from the skies with an apparatus that seemed to mock the beautiful wings of the angels. Ludevic of Ulm.
The necro-alchemist barely had time to unstrap his wings while Thalia approached him with sword in hand. “Wait!” Cried Ludevic raising hir arms, his naturally hoarse voice barely making a high-pitched sound.
“You’re a wanted criminal Ludevic, and I already have too many problems to deal with.”
“That’s precisely why I searched for you Thalia of Thraben,” answered the alchemist, his hands still raised up in the air “I know how to eliminate this disease.”
The plan here is to have a different type of world-enveloping story. It would explore a common trope from the horror gender which is a deadly disease wiping out everyone, based on the real world events of the spread of bubonic plague. This plague would consume Innistrad from the inside out, especially people from Kessig and Gavony, and that would cause famine and riots in the streets. There would be local fights of people trying to reach Stensia to become vampires (imunes to the plague) or Nephalia, both places with less people affected. It would be a civil war of sorts, where humans would seek explanations from the church and wouldn’t get any. Meanwhile Ludevic, Thalia, and one or two more legends would go in a group deep inside Somberwald to try and find an specific type of mushroom that only grew there because the alchemist believed it had a property to cure the disease.
The first part of the block would be separated in two parts: 1) the self-contained story of Thalia, Ludevic and teammates facing struggles to get to the place in Somberwlad where the mushroom grows and 2) the fight among the people that are trying to take their anger on the church and/or reaching one of the ‘safe haven’ provinces.
The second block would reveal that the disease (now already being treated) was initially created by the forgotten people of the woods, or the ‘Fair Folk’ (which mechanically were more likely to be faerie creatures). The idea here is that with the return of Avacyn the growth of the human population became really significant. It steadily increased up to a point where the spirits of nature were losing their houses and habitats to places that were becoming farmlands. As revenge, the faeries released this plague in Innistrad so the humans would dwindle and they would survive. This wasn’t black magic ‘per se’, but more of a balancing act of the Fair Folk (which is also the name of this common trope).
The first block should have indications of the actions of the forgotten people of the woods and the second block wouldn’t end in a big war or conflict (that was the job of the first block). It would rather try to be a conflict of interests that could be solved with peaceful dialogue and integration of the Fair Folk as part of Innistrad lore. You could have a ‘bad’ fairy and a ‘good’ fairy, a ‘bad’ human and a ‘good’ human, meaning: you could have characters that are trying to keep themselves isolated and kill the other group (bad) and characters that are trying to find a peaceful resolution (good).
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Innistrad: Hell
The archmage of the goldnight Arlinn Kord had to ask herself: what is their point in all of this? She had seen the retreat of the powers of darkness with the restoration of Avacyn. She had seen the vampires reduce their attacks, the corpses that would rise from the ground to remain buried and the werewolves, her kind, to be turned into something else. However, even after all that, the devils had not stopped. If anything, they increased in numbers. Her bite would tear their acid bellies open, her claws would rip their throats, and they would keep on coming. Lambholt wouldn’t be able to stand this much longer.
When she saw the extension of the fire from the Ulvenwald forest, she knew something had gone wrong. As the alpha of her pack, she commanded them into helping the humans. Tamed werewolves could almost pass for wolfir these days, and no one in Lambholt seemed uncomfortable in having more allies. Still, the fire consumed everything and fissures erupted from the center of the city spilling more of the red-skinned creatures who cackled maniacally while sinking their pointed claws in human flesh. It was pure madness, and she was feeling exhausted. In her werewolf form she had improved senses, stamina, and strength, but despite being a far superior match for the devils, she and the other combatants were vastly outnumbered. It would be a long and difficult night.
Lambholt sustained the attack, barely. Arlinn hardly made through the night, with multiple cuts and bruises all over her body and the pain she felt in her lungs from breathing too much smoke. The truth is that devils, the little cruel creatures, were starting to become a serious issue. Before, it was just Ashmouth and Devil’s Breach, but now there were openings happening all over the provinces. They would spare no soul. They could harm humans, vampires, werewolves, geists, even angels! It was an epidemic, and nobody seemed to know why it was happening. She needed to know. She needed to help.
The idea of this story is to focus on constant attacks from devils on Innistrad. Devils, who are the manifestations of demons’ unearthly desires, can be dangerous if in big numbers, and this would be an epidemic of devils taking over the provinces. The idea of the first block is to show the multiple conflicts arising while the people from Innistrad try to face the little creatures, and some of the legends of the block, including the planeswalker Arlinn Kord, are trying to understand what is causing them to show up.
The second block would reveal that the planar layer that separated the devil’s underworld from Innistrad was thining, due to the coalescence of all the demons’ essences that were trapped in the Helvault becoming one giant demonic lord, seeking retribution. The manifestation of this desire for retribution would be the army of devils showing up in Innistrad. The second block would show Innistrad starting to ‘merge’ with the demonic underworld (hence the name “Hell”) and would demand Avacyn’s sacrifice to break the demonic lord essence into minor demons and send the other plane back to its proper dimension. This would be a planar-wide event involving multiple legends and races.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
My personal idea for an Innistrad sequel is something along the lines of following the threads of Avacyn Restored. Focus on a more good vs. evil bent, angels vs. demons in a very Gothic setting. Kind of like your fifth idea, with an impending demon apocalypse. In order to fight the demons, and strike a balance, they would have to refound the fourth flight of angels, and release the fourth sister from wherever she was imprisoned.
I might develop this a little more tomorrow. Would you mind if I posted it here?
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
I was actually hoping for something like that before we even knew anything of SOI. Nephalia as a coastal city always seemed so primed for flavor in the old block. Wish it had been explored more than it has been in this Eldrazi block
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
B Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief B - Fear of the Dark
WG Sigarda, Heron's Grace WG - Strength in Numbers
RG Xenagos, God of Revels RG - Fullmoon (It's werewolves)
RW Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier RW - The End is Nigh
60 Card Kitchen Table Decks
WUB Avacyn, Spirit Ferrier
RG Arlinn Kord's Howlpack
If you were to ask Maro about that, he would probably say that's exactly what they did, since Emrakul rose from the sea.
Side note: I'm a stickler for planar details. Nephalia is not a city. It is a coastal province, noted for its rocky coastline, silver beach, and inland marshlands. The three major cities in Nephalia are Havengul, Dranau, and Selhoff.
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Huh, I honestly never knew that. Thought it was the Province and city, like a New York City, New York type-deal. Any chance you'd know which is depicted on Nephalia, which seems to be the largest of the three and the most depicted?
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
B Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief B - Fear of the Dark
WG Sigarda, Heron's Grace WG - Strength in Numbers
RG Xenagos, God of Revels RG - Fullmoon (It's werewolves)
RW Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier RW - The End is Nigh
60 Card Kitchen Table Decks
WUB Avacyn, Spirit Ferrier
RG Arlinn Kord's Howlpack
It's from the Planeswalker's Guide. Check it out. It's an awesome read. Alternatively, the Art Book comes out Tuesday, which should include most of the PW guide. In any case, I'm working on my map for Innistrad. (I recently posted a rough sketch of the landmass, check the link in my signature.) I hope it helps people who work more visually.
@ Ashiok: Sorry for derailing your thread.
Edit: Oops. I forgot. The town, if it's one of the three, is probably Selhoff, the smallest of the towns. Havengull is quite urban, a lot bigger than what is shown. Also, Selhoff is established to be in a region like that shown on the card, it's just south of the Drownyard Temple.
"You say 'learn from history,' but that does not mean 'learn the same bull***** the people in history learned alongside phrenology and alchemy.'" - The Blinking Spirit
Yeah, sorry for the derail. Last one, I promise. Totally had forgotten the part in the Planeswalker's guide about the cities in Nephalia. It's cool that someone here on the forums is all about the geography. I just honed in on the creatures and background lore, like Avacyn being a psychochomp for the dead. Oh yeah, THAT sure as hell hasn't been covered by Creative. So who's ushering the dead to the blessed sleep now? I mean Sigarda seems like the next logical choice, but I wish THAT would have been covered. I like the geists and the dichotomy between the sentient Traft ones and the more-emotional Lightning Axe ones. Which is barely being covered.
@Ashiok, Along with the Sea God plot, I did enjoy the idea of the Hell one. Would have been a cool idea if they'd mixed it with the Skirsdag maneuvering to re-manifest Griselbrand in some form to challenge Avacyn again, but with the aid of Tibalt and the devils. Would also have tied in well with the Spanish-inquisition, Skirsdag infiltration plot of SOI that has been dropped like a bar of soap.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
B Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief B - Fear of the Dark
WG Sigarda, Heron's Grace WG - Strength in Numbers
RG Xenagos, God of Revels RG - Fullmoon (It's werewolves)
RW Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier RW - The End is Nigh
60 Card Kitchen Table Decks
WUB Avacyn, Spirit Ferrier
RG Arlinn Kord's Howlpack
Hell and witching hour cause there's got to be SOME repercussions for all those demons being released. Plus I'd really have liked Arlinn getting more of the focus than she has been.
Sea god just cause.
I also really like the Hell option - what we could have had if Tibalt had been chosen to be lead antagonist instead of Nahiri.
Regarding nuance: most really good horror stories keep things very nuanced up until the last moment when the 'horror' is revealed and shocks the characters and the audience. I think this would explain why a full block of eldrazi doesn't really accomplish that very well, but I will admit that it is hard to be more nuanced when you're telling the story through your cards. If your last block is the one with the horror reveal and you don't want it be 'all over the place' you would have to make some cards pre-horror relevation and some post-horror revelation. Maybe that would look too clunky, I don't know.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Being a huge fan of demons and angels, I obviously voted for Hell but also for Sea God. Also thought the bubonic plague one interesting with the faeries, i just can't really imagine how you can depict the plagues effect on creatures on cards
Without these sea mutations things that would be my first choice though.
Flavorwise the Eldrazi fit perfectly into that influence but they are understandably tired. Would be sick to have seen The God they worship be Marit Liege
Karador Pattern Rector GWB
Anafenza the Foremost GWB
Meren of Clan Nel Toth (Stax)GB
[Team Stepfathers]: We beat you and you hate us
I think you can do it in a lot of different ways actually. You could create creatures with flipsides that are weaker or that turn into different creatures (kinda like loyal cathar, they die and come back as zombies, for instance). You could also have auras that represent the effect of the plagues (like Necrotic Plague or Traveling Plague, but maybe more efficient than that). I will admit that card crafting is not one of my virtues, so there are maybe more interesting/creative ways of implementing it.I think it would probably be the story that would bring more new things compared to the last Innistrad block, which is a good thing imo. Maybe the one focusing on alchemy is also different enough that you would have a lot of design space to explore. Lore-wise I think it is one of the cooler ones, just because it was hinted in some cards before and seems to have more setup already.Heh, I actually like quite a lot pirates 2, but I also see the withcraft and plague being very well-tuned with Innistrad. My rationale behind the plots in general was to use big historic events that happened more or less at the feudal age in europe (which Innistrad resembles significantly). The spread of a big plague and the Catholic Inquisition come to mind, both themes that are really explored in ghotic horror settings.I honestly almost always think that stories with legendary creatures are better than the ones with planeswalkers. Part of that reason is precisely because planeswalker get a lot of exposition when I don't think they should. When people are playing a new block they like some legendary cards and want to see what they would inside the lore (especially because of commander). However, most legends are forgotten or have one single story dedicated to them. That is a waste of a good character, and MTG has so many potential good characters that it could develop that is a shame to get stuck with the same group of people over and over again.Yeah, I think it would be great. In retrospect I think that Marit Lage has zero setup right now, so maybe if they can hype her up a little more before bringing her back that would be awesome.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Nah, I kid. I like the Hell idea. They could even have the Hell plane be connected to Phrexyian remnants.
I would like to see Devils try to take over Innistrad do the fifth one works, but add "in the aftermath of a horror unlike any Innistrad had seen, reveling horrors loomed over the horizon. Tibalt smirked, "it is finally our turn."