Skibo, that's incorrect. Teferi's mentioning that Karona's meeting did not involve him in any way is irrelevant to whether or not Yawgmoth is still alive, for a number of reasons. First, it only proves that Teferi--the real Teferi--was not present at the meeting. Second, we know that Ixidor was at this meeting, as he confirms it in the very next chapter. So the meetings did occur, and we only have evidence that the real Teferi was not at the meeting. Third, regardless of whether or not it was the real Yawgmoth at the meeting, Karona met him again later on in the same book by traveling to Phyrexia. All of this is evidence that he's still alive.
But of course, we also have evidence that he's very much dead. Let's completely ignore Windgrace's flavor text on Tomb of Yawgmoth. It's possible he's being poetic, just as it's possible he's being factual. We do know, from the books, that Windgrace somehow confirmed that Yawgmoth is dead. But we only have his word on this. Obviously, a planeswalker isn't a great source of information on anything, but I see no reason for him to be intentionally misleading. The book doesn't mention just how Windgrace possesses this information or what he had to go through to get it; but it was the Time Spiral Cycle, ambiguity is the name of the game.
So as it stands we have information pointing to him being alive, and we have information pointing to him being dead. All we can really know for certain is that he might or might not be alive. Which is extremely annoying, wherever you stand on the "do/don't bring Yawgmoth back" fence. Hopefully we'll know next year for certain.
(I'm straddling the fence. My brain tells me what a stupid idea it would be to bring him back, but my brain also wants to see him kill that stupid ****ing lizard a thousand times over.)
Actually, there's also another reason why his hair was black. In Invasion, Barrin started out with his normal hair color. But his hair was singed when he and Urza battled the Phyrexians in Shiv (before Teferi phased it out).
I've always thought that there was some kind of discrepancy between the writer and the continuity team when it came to Barrin's hair. It seemed like according to the writer, his hair was black because it was singed. But according to the continuity team (and I think this was an Ask Wizards question long ago), it was black because he deliberately drank more slow-time water than normal.
It's interesting. I've never noticed this. But the special "spark" that Gix mentions was when he telepathically made contact with her mind (in what basically equates to rape in Xantcha's views). But if he placed bits and pieces of Mishra's flesh into the vat, that's a pretty damned cool detail.
Bolas took over or created the Consortium. He found Alara(how ocnveniant) and began TEH PLAN on alara and in the process found Tezzeret. Tezzeret rebeled and took over the ocnsortium(which still doesn't make sense to me, Bolas at the time should have had the strength to birch slap Tez into submission). Since Tez owned the consortium he ran into Jace, who in turn runs into Chandra because the consortium was interested int he scroll. Liliana ran into Jace directly because of Bolas and afte rLiliana met Jace she wanted to be free of her demons, thus indirectly because of Bolas when Liliana went to get the veil she ran into Garruk.
While the plan was in action Bolas met Vol because Vol wanted to worship him. Bolas sent Vol out to walk about Jund and so happened he met Ajani. Vol later meets Chandra because somehow (TEH PLAN!!) Bolas found out about Chandra. he then runs into Jace because Jace was looking for Chandra.
Thus, technically, they all ran into eachothe rbecause of TEH PLAN! The only ones that were not affected by TEH PLAN (Elspeth) never met another walker yet in the storyline. Nizza and Sorin will run into eachother because of TEH ELDRAZI. Right now they are the only plausable "Walker meet up" because Nissa lives on Zendikar and because of Sorin's past involving the Eldrazi, which I bet is a part of Bolas' TEH PLAN!
Hmm. When you put it that way, yes, in this case it really seems to all be part of Bolas's plan. We know that he wants to return all sparks (not just his own) back to the way they used to be. To do that he'll (for some reason) need bradywalkers. He'll still end up eating them before it's all over with. I mean, it's Bolas.
@ Keeper - Minor gripe: Szat ascended before Urza. And I very much like your theory.
There was very nice line in Time Streams that played Urza as a character who wanted to solve his problems (but was absolutely terrible at it). Let me see:
Quote from Urza »
"This is Phyrexia--nine stacked planes, one within the another. This top layer is the only one where a human might survive, for a few hours. It is inhabited by dragon engines, some five hundred feet in length, and creatures discarded as useless, creatures that would make our [artifact] runners and pumas and scorpions seem like mechanical fleas. The dense forests in this region are made of semi-metallic plants--poisonous, with razor-edged leaves--that grow in the light of the ceaseless lightning storms that fill the soot-black sky. Each layer downward grows worse--with mutilated priests, demon hordes, witch engines, titanic worms, poison and acid and fire. At the base of it all, there is a figure deeper, darker, more hideous than any Dominaria has ever known.
"I have awakened this creature. I have drawn him here. That is how deep and ancient my mistakes are. I am responsible for the plague of Tolaria, yes, but also for the gradual collapse of a realm of angels, the long ice age of this world, the destruction of Argoth, and the very introduction of evil into the world. That is the scale of my failures. All of that is what I strive to undo ..."
Bolas wasn't from Dominaria. It was confirmed that Bolas took part in the first planeswalker duel on Dominaria. And, if Bolas himself is to be believed, he was old before Dominaria was created.
Well, it wasn't that Teferi "pulled a Teferi" because he didn't like Urza. He felt that Urza's methods were abominable (probably because they were) and that Urza wasn't mentally stable enough to pull it off (because he wasn't).
The problem is that no one knows that for sure. Yawgmoth wanted the Mightstone and Weakstone because he believed they'd make him a planeswalker, so unless he was simply wrong, there must have been a Spark inside them.
Well, sort of. I mean, he intentionally put a very large powerstone into Glacian, but it was more to keep him perpetually sick. I don't think Yawgmoth ever realized Glacian had the potential to become a planeswalker. 5,000 years later he didn't really care about the stones--other than wanting them out of the way so he could return to Dominaria.
I have to agree. Only one sentient being in a million has a Spark, and only one Spark-bearer out of a million manages to ascend. How high is a planeswalker's chance to meet an another of his/her kind? I still believe they should have explained it somehow - you know, something like "each planeswalker is able to feel the Spark within other beings". Pre-Mending 'walkers could recognize it, why can't these do the same?
I think it's still in effect these days, but much less so than it used to be. I believe (damnit, I've read Agents of Artifice three times, I should remember this stuff better) that Jace says something about bradywalkers being able to sense other bradywalkers. But that still wouldn't explain why they always run into each other. They should throw a clause into the mix stating that they are likely to appear next to each other because of "the destiny the multiverse holds in store for them" or something.
Edit: OOOOH! Or how about they always run into each other because it's all teh part of Bolas's plan!!!1
Alright, I'll give you that since you did say "one of the few" because there really were several others that were in the same boat.
Of course, while thinking of this I came up with the best plot summary of Dissension: "Guildpact breaks, sh*t gets real."
No disagreement there. There are a few Magic books that are more "mature" in that they really employ literary techniques in ways that LOTS of them don't. The Gathering Dark is a good example, I think: "Jodah learns to use magic but finds that some magic-users want to abuse his phenomenal talent for future gain." There's a hell of a lot more there.
But Guildpact is a good example of one that, honestly, there's not much there besides the excellent summary you gave.
Edit: Hmm. Just realized that you could substitute "Jace" for "Jodah" in my TGD blurb and pretty much get a blurb for Agents of Artifice. But I think the same "there's more to than that" would apply to that book as well.
But of course, we also have evidence that he's very much dead. Let's completely ignore Windgrace's flavor text on Tomb of Yawgmoth. It's possible he's being poetic, just as it's possible he's being factual. We do know, from the books, that Windgrace somehow confirmed that Yawgmoth is dead. But we only have his word on this. Obviously, a planeswalker isn't a great source of information on anything, but I see no reason for him to be intentionally misleading. The book doesn't mention just how Windgrace possesses this information or what he had to go through to get it; but it was the Time Spiral Cycle, ambiguity is the name of the game.
So as it stands we have information pointing to him being alive, and we have information pointing to him being dead. All we can really know for certain is that he might or might not be alive. Which is extremely annoying, wherever you stand on the "do/don't bring Yawgmoth back" fence. Hopefully we'll know next year for certain.
(I'm straddling the fence. My brain tells me what a stupid idea it would be to bring him back, but my brain also wants to see him kill that stupid ****ing lizard a thousand times over.)
I've always thought that there was some kind of discrepancy between the writer and the continuity team when it came to Barrin's hair. It seemed like according to the writer, his hair was black because it was singed. But according to the continuity team (and I think this was an Ask Wizards question long ago), it was black because he deliberately drank more slow-time water than normal.
Hmm. When you put it that way, yes, in this case it really seems to all be part of Bolas's plan. We know that he wants to return all sparks (not just his own) back to the way they used to be. To do that he'll (for some reason) need bradywalkers. He'll still end up eating them before it's all over with. I mean, it's Bolas.
@ Keeper - Minor gripe: Szat ascended before Urza. And I very much like your theory.
Hmm, wonder if there was a Elder Human War, Elder Merfolk War, and Elder Fungus War to explain why those creatures appear everywhere too ...
Yes! Thanks, Wizards! Whew. A Multiverse without Venser is a great Multiverse indeed.
Well, sort of. I mean, he intentionally put a very large powerstone into Glacian, but it was more to keep him perpetually sick. I don't think Yawgmoth ever realized Glacian had the potential to become a planeswalker. 5,000 years later he didn't really care about the stones--other than wanting them out of the way so he could return to Dominaria.
I think it's still in effect these days, but much less so than it used to be. I believe (damnit, I've read Agents of Artifice three times, I should remember this stuff better) that Jace says something about bradywalkers being able to sense other bradywalkers. But that still wouldn't explain why they always run into each other. They should throw a clause into the mix stating that they are likely to appear next to each other because of "the destiny the multiverse holds in store for them" or something.
Edit: OOOOH! Or how about they always run into each other because it's all teh part of Bolas's plan!!!1
No disagreement there. There are a few Magic books that are more "mature" in that they really employ literary techniques in ways that LOTS of them don't. The Gathering Dark is a good example, I think: "Jodah learns to use magic but finds that some magic-users want to abuse his phenomenal talent for future gain." There's a hell of a lot more there.
But Guildpact is a good example of one that, honestly, there's not much there besides the excellent summary you gave.
Edit: Hmm. Just realized that you could substitute "Jace" for "Jodah" in my TGD blurb and pretty much get a blurb for Agents of Artifice. But I think the same "there's more to than that" would apply to that book as well.