What if Bolas absorbs a UN-ignited spark? Will he emergency-planeswalk in near death or traumatic experience? For example when the Gatewatch or whoelse is just about to give him the final hit?
Also, some thinks, from a storytelling device used in the trailer (which is absolutely not a hint to timetravel by the way), that Teferi might go superman to save the day, but did Teferi even do something to the full extent of the time-space continuum like they suggest EVER? I know he can use time magic locally in a really small space, but to the entire multiverse? I don't think he can, unless historians here say otherwise.
One little thing more: the beacon is most probably not a beacon in the actual term, it's more likely a "tractor beam" (with the examples of Angrath AND EVEN MORE SORIN) triggering planeswalking to Ravnica. Also this opens a discussion on WHAT DID PREVENT THE BEACON TO ACTIVATE ON THE ABSENT PLANESWALKERS?
Many planeswalkers are not here because they are needed elsewhere for story reasons, says Wiz. Then there is something lorewise that CAN dispel the magic of Lightning Bug. Or there exist some conditions under which the beacon cannot summon planeswalkers.
More than expressing my personal idea on the matter of Mu, what I am doing is indulging in the idea that we should not rely on clothing to identify the ??? Planeswalker with NOT-Yanling. Nothing is carved in the stone... this is even more important for a character supposedly moving from a promotional space to an extremely central plot point in the canon.
Arguably the only thing I'd consider in the ??? Planeswalker is the hat. That hat may not be there to do anything but hide a face (in a strikingly clumsy way, I'd say) and there should be no need to hide a face we don't know. We got that white blue mage without anything covering her face, why is this other one covered? A provocative question, but I think quite important.
Mu Yanling and the mysterious walker in the hat look almost nothing alike. She and Jiangg don’t even have any story do they?
Also who the hell is Li Shan?
Well, while we are accustomed to characters from 80s-90s cartoon who did not EVEN ONCE change their clothes, we can't actually say she does not seem like Mu, because we only see arms and legs of her. Consider Mu is extremely tamiyo-ish in the original art for the global series (blu dressed, white hair similar to white moonfolks appendages-ears), so maybe they tried to revamp her style in a way that could strongly differentiate one from another EVEN in a great picture including more planeswalkers, for example promotional illustrations or even cards'. We should doubt more about the type of weapon she is brandishing than her clothes. It's more like a plummage weapon or a lance with wind/sonic effect than water (even though water should have more that aspect of pale transparency than freaking sky-blue, especially in the winter of ravnica)
Edit: on second analysis Tamiyo is more of a green-ish turquoise hue than blue...
One: they might be wrong but the "entire" world, including some pretty enfranchised entities, are sure that the hatted one is Mu Yanling (it would be strange if she didn't follow Yanggu afterall)
Two: Li Shan is named MANY times "wanderer" and he disappeared...
One thing really upsets me... Dack Fayden and NO cards? Is this OCD Hell?
On the topic of Ravnica's unknown history (which I know isn't covered in the book, but this thread is effectively the current train for the Ravnica storyline/plane discussion):
My current headcanon is the "Forgotten Gods" are simply the Nephilim and in an even further stretch, the Nephilim are simply evolved surviving Eldrazi Spawns/Scions after the Titans were done rebooting the plane that would become Ravnica. Sure, it's stated the Spawns/Scions die without their parent Titan's presence, but Eldrazi research isn't exactly the most documented of facts. We all know the Nephilim weren't exactly powerhouses compared to the actual powerhouses of Ravnica, which might fall in line since Spawns/Scions were relatively weak and if Eldrazi could really evolve, that process would take eons, so the Nephilim could just be a "teen" equivalent at best (or even just children).
Or it's just me thinking it's an awesome idea to leave little lore "clues" to imply all natural planes of existence have "remnants" of Eldrazi meddling with them eons ago, all to imply their purpose in the larger multiplanar ecosystem, but never to again bring that to the forefront, because we all can clearly attest that the Eldrazi become outright terrible "characters" (or "plot devices to be used by oldwalkers" if current record is any indicator) when they are brought to the forefront.
I think it's a good theory. I like it. But we are also a bit fixed on Gods and Eldrazi nowadays, aren't we? Remember that in the past days "Gods" were just mad men powerful enough to bind and bend the earth behind their feet to their will. They could have been Eldrazi, yes and the Nephilims might be what remains of them... (I like the parallelism between judaic Nephilim being half angel half humans and here being half Eldrazi half Ravnicans).
But they could have been a work of Planeswalkers. The Old time foolish planeswalking mad men. Nephilims might as well be their creation.
Or, even better, just some dumb creature naturally occuring, but extremely mightier than anything else. In the same fashion we might as well revere dinosaurs as gods.
But I am more than dubious about their return. It's supposed to be hinted that there might be more of them sleeping in cages somewhere inside Ravnica, but the cards referencing them maybe are just an insight on the Plane, pleasing old lore fans and completing a rich mosaic of info about Ravnican society. Nothing that foresees an advent in the latter sets I mean.
I might be mistaking in this, but I read on Twitter that on 23/1 magic story starts.
Flavor fail: the Dimir is the guild that ‚does not exist‘, but is always present in the artwork of these type of cards.
Given the sheer consistency of the Dimir being in the art of these types of cards, I think this presence is intentional.
At any rate, the Dimir's cover was already blown in time for Return to Ravnica. They were already opening their Public Offices last Ravnica block (according to Dinrova Horror). It's now only the guild nobody wants to admit exists (including its own members).
Flavour pass with flying colours (pun unintended): Tablet of the Guilds-esque, the Azorius logo is still on top.
The problem of inconsistency here is that we did not have a clear definition of the secrecy of the Dimir. For some the Dimir is secret, while for others what is secret about them is just the work of information stealing and selling, while the existence of the Guild itself is not a secret. They are leaning toward the latter nowadays.
And add insult to the injury with Feather... I think she was even left out in the lore about Boros in the GM Guide (as I read around here). They really hate her a lot for some reason.
Then they would have to address the whole wing topic, which brings me back to a question I had since forever.
Last of the info. There is a ton more like sections on the differnt races in each of the guilds and such so I encourage everyone who is a vorthos to buy the book, though most the info is focused on the current timeline and dosnt delve to much into the past. Of note it ties down that the all we know about the simic parun is they had the first or last name of Simic and they are non-human, as was all the paruns at the signing of the guildpact.
Is there anything about the angel with 4 wings topic? In the original Ravnica it was stated that the angels are all clones of Aurelia, which means they would also have 4 wings. When Return to Ravnica came around they suddenly had 2 wings, like Aurelia. Is it stated anywhere if this is a new flock and the Aurelia clones "died out", which also wouldn’t work, because we saw one in the Boros story we got.
I am pretty sure the baby in the story planeswalked. After he ate the bread he became very vital, and it was said that Merret 'could see an undeniable spark in his eyes'. This may just seem figure of speech, if it wasn't almost immediately followed by 'I think he is going to walk any day now'. Quite subtle, but probably foreshadowing that the baby is indeed a 'walker.
This would have been a lovely hint... But, I don't know, could the baby just be a teleporting mage? I mean that it could also not be planeswalking... The fact the father never saw the fruit does not mean it's not sold a few kilometers (or hundreds) away from his house...
I perceived the ones I quoted feared we would have been left with just Nicky Drayden stories about the context of Ravnica, so without stories about the main arc. The climax is the whole Ravnica "block" considering the plot started many years ago. And by any plot point I meant they will give us the plot diluted in the same format we already know from magic story articles (or slightly shorter). They wrote just a few days ago that Weisman will also write the web fiction that tells the end of the story arc.
I just reported what he said and, clearly, we will "know the outline of the plot fairly well through Magic Story". The doubt was about us not getting ANY PLOT POINT AT ALL from the site and I wrote what I remember he said.
Then again, obviously, what should he say? "Yeah fine, no prob bro, don't buy our supplementary products, we do them just to throw money... We live off dreams! Peace!"
Presumably they will exploit stuff like Kindle so acquisition outside of America should be easier...if you want a hard copy it might be difficult though.
There is something skeevy though about ending a story in a book series when the rest of the story has been free up until this point. I be fine if they started books again after Ravnica but this seems a transparent cash grab to me exploit interest in the end to a long running storyline by charging cash for it.
I agree, but I will be completely ok if they give away the ebook for free and the paper version will be a paid extra.
MaRo assured us we will be able to know the outline of the plot fairly well through Magic Story, but buying the books we will have another point of view on the story. He admitted though each installment tells the story, each will tell them in such ways that you'll gladly read them both to have a more complete view on the story.
Why would Lazav explain his plan when he was just going to erase everyone's memory anyway? It's a blatant conceit for the reader, as there isn't an in-character reason.
Surely it is. But is much clearer this way, and less subtle then how it would have been the other way round...
It could still be possible it was Lazav (in stealth mode) who took the child from the minotaur, put the child on the floor and gave him a fruit (in a nurturing mood). By the way I LOVED the image of Lazav on a dusty armchair cradling the baby on his lap. Nanny Lazav
Also, some thinks, from a storytelling device used in the trailer (which is absolutely not a hint to timetravel by the way), that Teferi might go superman to save the day, but did Teferi even do something to the full extent of the time-space continuum like they suggest EVER? I know he can use time magic locally in a really small space, but to the entire multiverse? I don't think he can, unless historians here say otherwise.
One little thing more: the beacon is most probably not a beacon in the actual term, it's more likely a "tractor beam" (with the examples of Angrath AND EVEN MORE SORIN) triggering planeswalking to Ravnica. Also this opens a discussion on WHAT DID PREVENT THE BEACON TO ACTIVATE ON THE ABSENT PLANESWALKERS?
Arguably the only thing I'd consider in the ??? Planeswalker is the hat. That hat may not be there to do anything but hide a face (in a strikingly clumsy way, I'd say) and there should be no need to hide a face we don't know. We got that white blue mage without anything covering her face, why is this other one covered? A provocative question, but I think quite important.
Well, while we are accustomed to characters from 80s-90s cartoon who did not EVEN ONCE change their clothes, we can't actually say she does not seem like Mu, because we only see arms and legs of her. Consider Mu is extremely tamiyo-ish in the original art for the global series (blu dressed, white hair similar to white moonfolks appendages-ears), so maybe they tried to revamp her style in a way that could strongly differentiate one from another EVEN in a great picture including more planeswalkers, for example promotional illustrations or even cards'. We should doubt more about the type of weapon she is brandishing than her clothes. It's more like a plummage weapon or a lance with wind/sonic effect than water (even though water should have more that aspect of pale transparency than freaking sky-blue, especially in the winter of ravnica)
Edit: on second analysis Tamiyo is more of a green-ish turquoise hue than blue...
Two: Li Shan is named MANY times "wanderer" and he disappeared...
One thing really upsets me... Dack Fayden and NO cards? Is this OCD Hell?
I think it's a good theory. I like it. But we are also a bit fixed on Gods and Eldrazi nowadays, aren't we? Remember that in the past days "Gods" were just mad men powerful enough to bind and bend the earth behind their feet to their will. They could have been Eldrazi, yes and the Nephilims might be what remains of them... (I like the parallelism between judaic Nephilim being half angel half humans and here being half Eldrazi half Ravnicans).
But they could have been a work of Planeswalkers. The Old time foolish planeswalking mad men. Nephilims might as well be their creation.
Or, even better, just some dumb creature naturally occuring, but extremely mightier than anything else. In the same fashion we might as well revere dinosaurs as gods.
But I am more than dubious about their return. It's supposed to be hinted that there might be more of them sleeping in cages somewhere inside Ravnica, but the cards referencing them maybe are just an insight on the Plane, pleasing old lore fans and completing a rich mosaic of info about Ravnican society. Nothing that foresees an advent in the latter sets I mean.
I might be mistaking in this, but I read on Twitter that on 23/1 magic story starts.
The problem of inconsistency here is that we did not have a clear definition of the secrecy of the Dimir. For some the Dimir is secret, while for others what is secret about them is just the work of information stealing and selling, while the existence of the Guild itself is not a secret. They are leaning toward the latter nowadays.
You are getting Razia and Aurelia mixed up.
This would have been a lovely hint... But, I don't know, could the baby just be a teleporting mage? I mean that it could also not be planeswalking... The fact the father never saw the fruit does not mean it's not sold a few kilometers (or hundreds) away from his house...
I just reported what he said and, clearly, we will "know the outline of the plot fairly well through Magic Story". The doubt was about us not getting ANY PLOT POINT AT ALL from the site and I wrote what I remember he said.
Then again, obviously, what should he say? "Yeah fine, no prob bro, don't buy our supplementary products, we do them just to throw money... We live off dreams! Peace!"
MaRo assured us we will be able to know the outline of the plot fairly well through Magic Story, but buying the books we will have another point of view on the story. He admitted though each installment tells the story, each will tell them in such ways that you'll gladly read them both to have a more complete view on the story.
Surely it is. But is much clearer this way, and less subtle then how it would have been the other way round...