Mirage block was literally a summary, some character portraits with information, and some worldbuilding. And was also the first triple set. Couple years before Thran.
Not quiet. As I realized a planeswalker's guide is a given on the first visit to a plane, after that its a short summary for a plane that is being returned. So where OG Innistrad only had its massive planeswalkers guide, Theros Beyond Death won't even have that.
Previously, on Theros . . .
To fight the sun god Heliod, the forge god Purphoros created a sword capable of damaging the divine. The two gods battled, disrupting the celestial resting place of an ancient and powerful hydra: Polukranos, World Eater. Enraged, the hydra stormed through the mortal realm of Theros until it was sealed by Heliod and the hunt god Nylea.
The Planeswalker Elspeth arrived in Theros during the climax of Heliod and Purphoros's battle. She saw Purphoros' sword flung from his hands, and planeswalked away with it. She returned to Theros fifteen years later and faced an angry Heliod. But the god regained his bearings and realized Elspeth could help him, so he reforged the sword into the spear Godsend. Wielding this weapon, Elspeth was able to defeat the newly awakened Polukranos.
Meanwhlie, the satyr Planeswalker Xenagos had hatched a plan to ascend to godhood. By cultivating belief and devotion among his followers, he was able to transcend mortality and join the other gods in their home of Nyx. Xenagos planned to use his new status for ill, so Elspeth vowed to stop him. She journeyed to Nyx and stabbed Xenagos with Godsend, destroying him once and for all.
Fearful of her power and knowledge of the multiverse, Heliod stabbed Elspeth with her very own weapon, which shattered afterwards. Dying, Elspeth's soul became trapped in the Underworld of Erebos where it remains . . . for now.
Now, we return to Theros . . .
Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis
Dying on Theros doesn't mean your story is over, and Elspeth's next chapter is just beginning. Something has been disturbing her well-deserved rest in Ilysia-and whats up with that strange black spear?
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
Ashiok continues to spread a unique brand of nightmares throughout Theros. Not even the Underworld is safe from such dark power, and Elspeth's twisted memories are all too delicious for Ashiok to ignore.
Athreos, Shroud-Veiled
Athreos is the god responsible for taking the dead across the Rivers That Ring and into the Underworld. When he lays his staff across the water of one of the five rivers, it becomes a boat to carry the dead.
^
Word Count: 352 words
Character Count: 2,123 characters.
Its still in progress but this is basically where all the story they want to share on the website will be. They even state that you should check in with this page to see updates to it later on as more cards get revealed.
I am not really sure I understand the measuring of story in word count. Is that an actual criteria? Like, does a set have more story if the marketing team wrote more surface level (and often contradictory) summaries than another set with weekly online stories?
Not quiet. As I realized a planeswalker's guide is a given on the first visit to a plane, after that its a short summary for a plane that is being returned. So where OG Innistrad only had its massive planeswalkers guide, Theros Beyond Death won't even have that.
Previously, on Theros . . .
To fight the sun god Heliod, the forge god Purphoros created a sword capable of damaging the divine. The two gods battled, disrupting the celestial resting place of an ancient and powerful hydra: Polukranos, World Eater. Enraged, the hydra stormed through the mortal realm of Theros until it was sealed by Heliod and the hunt god Nylea.
The Planeswalker Elspeth arrived in Theros during the climax of Heliod and Purphoros's battle. She saw Purphoros' sword flung from his hands, and planeswalked away with it. She returned to Theros fifteen years later and faced an angry Heliod. But the god regained his bearings and realized Elspeth could help him, so he reforged the sword into the spear Godsend. Wielding this weapon, Elspeth was able to defeat the newly awakened Polukranos.
Meanwhlie, the satyr Planeswalker Xenagos had hatched a plan to ascend to godhood. By cultivating belief and devotion among his followers, he was able to transcend mortality and join the other gods in their home of Nyx. Xenagos planned to use his new status for ill, so Elspeth vowed to stop him. She journeyed to Nyx and stabbed Xenagos with Godsend, destroying him once and for all.
Fearful of her power and knowledge of the multiverse, Heliod stabbed Elspeth with her very own weapon, which shattered afterwards. Dying, Elspeth's soul became trapped in the Underworld of Erebos where it remains . . . for now.
Now, we return to Theros . . .
Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis
Dying on Theros doesn't mean your story is over, and Elspeth's next chapter is just beginning. Something has been disturbing her well-deserved rest in Ilysia-and whats up with that strange black spear?
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
Ashiok continues to spread a unique brand of nightmares throughout Theros. Not even the Underworld is safe from such dark power, and Elspeth's twisted memories are all too delicious for Ashiok to ignore.
Athreos, Shroud-Veiled
Athreos is the god responsible for taking the dead across the Rivers That Ring and into the Underworld. When he lays his staff across the water of one of the five rivers, it becomes a boat to carry the dead.
^
Word Count: 352 words
Character Count: 2,123 characters.
Its still in progress but this is basically where all the story they want to share on the website will be. They even state that you should check in with this page to see updates to it later on as more cards get revealed.
Its going to be very awkward if Theros is going to be the first set in a long time that hasn't had short stories attached to it. People sometimes forget, but the only magic set that hadn't had at least a comic attached to it was A/B/U/R/C and the numbered editions, that is until Garruk's M15. Even Arabian Nights and Homelands had extra reading material behind them. The only other one lacking a story was Battlebond which was literally "coliseum sports world".
Innistrad block had no story.
So a planeswalker's guide is the minimum yes? You want to know the herculean task, pun-intended, that Theros Beyond Death would have to live up to when compared to the original Innistrad block for a planeswalker's guide?
The total word-count of the entire planeswalkers guide for Innistrad block is 22,109 words OR 135,343 characters. Most of that, around 16,000 of that, is just from the first set. And that is excluding around 800 words that are just card names and artist credits if you were just to read it as a text document, which if included makes it nearly 23,000 words.
Theros, the original block, it's word count for its entire planeswalker's guide is: 12,826 words or 76,121 characters (including artist's credits and card names). 12,298 words or 73,431 without artist credits and card names. Also the original Theros Block had two novellas, 5 comics, and 30 story articles on top of its planeswalkers guide
Now lets go to something more recent, Eldraine. Its word count for a planeswalkers guide is 7190 words or 42,138 characters (including artist's credits and card names). Without, its 6,980 words or 40,934 characters. The Eldraine set had one novella to back up the planeswalkers guide.
So using Innistrad's first set of approximently 16,000 words for a planeswalkers guide as a fair measuring stick, it is the bare minimum for Theros Beyond Death to live up to if its going to lack story articles, novels/novellas, or comics.
The reason its also herculean task for Theros Beyond Death compared to others is that:
Short Story – Up to 7500 words,
Novelette – 7500 – 17500 words,
Novella – 17500 – 40000 words,
Novel – More than 40000 words.
As you can see, if taken for its full length, Innistrad's Planeswalker Guide technically counts as a 'Novella', Theros's is a 'Novelette' and Eldraine's is a 'Short Story'.
Its going to be very awkward if Theros is going to be the first set in a long time that hasn't had short stories attached to it. People sometimes forget, but the only magic set that hadn't had at least a comic attached to it was A/B/U/R/C and the numbered editions, that is until Garruk's M15. Even Arabian Nights and Homelands had extra reading material behind them. The only other one lacking a story was Battlebond which was literally "coliseum sports world".
It seems awfully coincidental to me that Klothys has satyr horns...
...Did she always have satyr horns? Did the worshippers always think she was a satyr? Did she only get the horns because they're partially confusing her with Xenagos now? Worse, has Xenagos or his dead essence partially fused with her, and is that why she has the horns? They say she was chained up in the Underworld...was she there before Xenagos ascended? Did she even exist before Xenagos ascended? ...Is it possible that Klothys is made of discarded beliefs in Xenagos?
I do like the implications of an RG god handling destiny, including that destiny may be a whole bunch of unfixed hooey. (I'm personally not a believer in destiny myself.)
We don't know yet about Klothys. I would assume also that Xenagos's followers would direct their prayers to her without realizing it. That their beliefs and faith warp her. But if its not that, its another coincidence.
I’ve been wondering if the temple of abandon had been hinting at Klothys before as well. It’s strange to have a new god emerge like this. Was it always planned? Klothys was never mentioned, not even by Kruphix, although forgotten gods were. It’s confusing how she existed without devotion. As an enchantment I suppose...
Ashiok is carrying Kedarick’s crown. The former king of Iretis
thatdamnaussie asked: Was there a RG God before Xenagos' ascension? If so, who is it and what happened to them?
No red-green god recently existed in the pantheon; at the time of the Theros set, Theros had fourteen gods. If there had ever been a RG god before Xenagos, it was long ago.
(In reference to this, the Temple of Abandon was barely a temple at all, little more than a gathering place and an empty wooden throne. Its name implied that if such a god was ever to exist, its domain would be recklessness and immoderation — but it also hinted that the position was currently abandoned.)
We been told by Kruphx the mortals of Theros are "forgetful" and have cycled through gods in the past with Kruphix unsure if he was even the first god of horizons. I laos believe Klothys is or took over as the god of love Kruphix mentions. Love and destiny could easy be linked with a deity.
Klothys still being around is sure odd but we still don't fully understand now Nyx and the gods works still. Since it seems like she was chained in the underworld (the video as well as Warden of the Chained and the underworld basic lands screams) and it could be due to her power. In greek myth the gods still could be overpowered by two things, destiny and love, and thus I could see the rest of the pantheon locking away Klothys. Due to this power she was able to keep herself going or the dead in the underworld are able to worship her maybe hoping once free she can change their fates.
So the name of the temple is quiet literal due to the mortal's forgetfulness? Huh. I guess that makes sense.
As for the love goddess area, I guess that would make Xenagos a perversion of that. Also that Xenagos would just be purely coincidental as he wouldn't know of Klothys.
Also with the chains they only appear on Island and Mountain which seems like a correlation to Tartarus. Plains and Forest are depicting Elyisum. Swamp I would assume is the equivalent of Hades.
If the worshippers did exist, as some would still cling to their faith even if she can't answer them or meet them, how come no mention of them was made? Was Xenagos previously a worshipper of Klothys, who felt betrayed and tried to break of his fate/destiny? As his outfit in retrospect seems awfully similar to Klothys's. Or was that merely a coincidence with Xenagos's appearance and motivations?
Was the Temple of Abandon always known as the Temple of Abandon or was that due to a change in belief because the worshippers of Klothys believed that she had abandoned them? Would we get a different temple for her? If not and its still one of 'abandon', did her worshippers always feel like that she 'abandon' them or that one should 'abandon' their freewill to their destiny/fate as its an inevitability?
The whole underworld leaking concept is unnecessary and overstated for the purpose of justifying a mechanic, which I find silly. It’s always been a theme to “escape from the underworld” or have thing play or cheat death in Greek myth.
Anyway, I am more interested in our promo constellation art of Thassa depicting her with the Bident once again. Purphoros or devotion must have granted her another one. Makes sense but I wonder which it was
I would wager devotion. As the followers of Thassa have always associated a bident with her. So a god without their iconic weapon would seem quiet absurd to them.
I still don't get how the underworld is only now 'leaking'. Unless this is a soft-retcon.
Simple, things are retuning fully instead of the return with no soul or memories and/or more gates to the underworld are opening.
EDIT: Is it just me or does Ashiok walker deck art look like they have Heliods crown and sitting in a throne? O.o
I think its more column B, than A, as people have escaped without masks before in Theros.
No? The whole point is being a return was the only way to escape before.
As for the corwn, it does looks similar to Heliod's.
I'm wondering if Elspeth works for/tricked by Ashiok into killing Heliod (or its something they take advantage of after). Her spear looks like Ashioks horns and has been seen smoking at point similar to Ashioks magic.
So now we got the office art we can see Godsend? is looking pretty corrupted. Wonder if its to her escape, Erabos/Phenex influence or maybe even Ashiok since it seems like they are doing something.
EDIT: I put this else were but I'll say it here I think we will get a new RG weaver god who was also trapped in the underworld.
Are you happy that is all the story you will get out of it? There is no more articles after it, no comics, no novels, not even a planeswalker's guide.
To fight the sun god Heliod, the forge god Purphoros created a sword capable of damaging the divine. The two gods battled, disrupting the celestial resting place of an ancient and powerful hydra: Polukranos, World Eater. Enraged, the hydra stormed through the mortal realm of Theros until it was sealed by Heliod and the hunt god Nylea.
The Planeswalker Elspeth arrived in Theros during the climax of Heliod and Purphoros's battle. She saw Purphoros' sword flung from his hands, and planeswalked away with it. She returned to Theros fifteen years later and faced an angry Heliod. But the god regained his bearings and realized Elspeth could help him, so he reforged the sword into the spear Godsend. Wielding this weapon, Elspeth was able to defeat the newly awakened Polukranos.
Meanwhlie, the satyr Planeswalker Xenagos had hatched a plan to ascend to godhood. By cultivating belief and devotion among his followers, he was able to transcend mortality and join the other gods in their home of Nyx. Xenagos planned to use his new status for ill, so Elspeth vowed to stop him. She journeyed to Nyx and stabbed Xenagos with Godsend, destroying him once and for all.
Fearful of her power and knowledge of the multiverse, Heliod stabbed Elspeth with her very own weapon, which shattered afterwards. Dying, Elspeth's soul became trapped in the Underworld of Erebos where it remains . . . for now.
Now, we return to Theros . . .
Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis
Dying on Theros doesn't mean your story is over, and Elspeth's next chapter is just beginning. Something has been disturbing her well-deserved rest in Ilysia-and whats up with that strange black spear?
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
Ashiok continues to spread a unique brand of nightmares throughout Theros. Not even the Underworld is safe from such dark power, and Elspeth's twisted memories are all too delicious for Ashiok to ignore.
Athreos, Shroud-Veiled
Athreos is the god responsible for taking the dead across the Rivers That Ring and into the Underworld. When he lays his staff across the water of one of the five rivers, it becomes a boat to carry the dead.
^
Word Count: 352 words
Character Count: 2,123 characters.
Its still in progress but this is basically where all the story they want to share on the website will be. They even state that you should check in with this page to see updates to it later on as more cards get revealed.
The total word-count of the entire planeswalkers guide for Innistrad block is 22,109 words OR 135,343 characters. Most of that, around 16,000 of that, is just from the first set. And that is excluding around 800 words that are just card names and artist credits if you were just to read it as a text document, which if included makes it nearly 23,000 words.
Theros, the original block, it's word count for its entire planeswalker's guide is: 12,826 words or 76,121 characters (including artist's credits and card names). 12,298 words or 73,431 without artist credits and card names. Also the original Theros Block had two novellas, 5 comics, and 30 story articles on top of its planeswalkers guide
Now lets go to something more recent, Eldraine. Its word count for a planeswalkers guide is 7190 words or 42,138 characters (including artist's credits and card names). Without, its 6,980 words or 40,934 characters. The Eldraine set had one novella to back up the planeswalkers guide.
So using Innistrad's first set of approximently 16,000 words for a planeswalkers guide as a fair measuring stick, it is the bare minimum for Theros Beyond Death to live up to if its going to lack story articles, novels/novellas, or comics.
The reason its also herculean task for Theros Beyond Death compared to others is that:
Short Story – Up to 7500 words,
Novelette – 7500 – 17500 words,
Novella – 17500 – 40000 words,
Novel – More than 40000 words.
As you can see, if taken for its full length, Innistrad's Planeswalker Guide technically counts as a 'Novella', Theros's is a 'Novelette' and Eldraine's is a 'Short Story'.
So the name of the temple is quiet literal due to the mortal's forgetfulness? Huh. I guess that makes sense.
As for the love goddess area, I guess that would make Xenagos a perversion of that. Also that Xenagos would just be purely coincidental as he wouldn't know of Klothys.
Also with the chains they only appear on Island and Mountain which seems like a correlation to Tartarus. Plains and Forest are depicting Elyisum. Swamp I would assume is the equivalent of Hades.
If the worshippers did exist, as some would still cling to their faith even if she can't answer them or meet them, how come no mention of them was made? Was Xenagos previously a worshipper of Klothys, who felt betrayed and tried to break of his fate/destiny? As his outfit in retrospect seems awfully similar to Klothys's. Or was that merely a coincidence with Xenagos's appearance and motivations?
Was the Temple of Abandon always known as the Temple of Abandon or was that due to a change in belief because the worshippers of Klothys believed that she had abandoned them? Would we get a different temple for her? If not and its still one of 'abandon', did her worshippers always feel like that she 'abandon' them or that one should 'abandon' their freewill to their destiny/fate as its an inevitability?
As for the corwn, it does looks similar to Heliod's.
https://twitter.com/wizards_magic/status/1204823217195671552
Which I don't know how much lore significance it has. As it shows Elspeth's reflection becoming Ashiok.