Is there a chance that Bolas hasn't intimated to Ral that Bolas and Jace are enemies? Bolas doesn't have to mention the Gatewatch to Ral, or that he hates Jace. If Bolas is masterminding, he may not be revealing long-term plans to Ral. If this is the case, I'd love to see Ral show up where Bolas sends him, only to run into Jace again. Bolas may also not know that Jace and Ral were working together. This may add some nice complexities to the situation.
I would very much support a Lim-Dul connection to the Veil. If Lim-Dul became tied to the Veil through the Onakke, I could see him speaking across planes to Liliana (having sensed her latent spark somehow). Lim-Dul also had his original connection with Leshrac, who connects to Bolas in the Time Spiral novels... I don't think there's anything there, but who knows. Linking Lim-Dul to powerful artifacts and intrusions into others' bodies is/was within his power. We had some stronger links to Shandalar with the Core set, so... who knows.
I would also love to see Garruk show up as Lilina continues to utilize the Veil (with him being drawn to it), but that's a bit of a digression...
As for the current chapters/episodes, I eagerly await the next installment. The pacing and build-up is much better than prior sets.
I'm okay going out on a limb with some of the storytelling (like the Gatewatch's lack of being sneaky), as this is not true high epic fantasy. We're no longer reading The Brothers' War (and haven't been reading that for over 20 years, actually) and the Weatherlight Saga. We're in a different medium and a slightly different genre. For what the story is, I'm enjoying it. When I need something more fleshed out or epic, I turn to other reading. For a weekly column, I like what WotC has done with continuity (and their connection once again to plot and card art).
I'm pleased with Amonkhet's story thus far. I had not seen the original posting with Chandra's and Nissa's conversation, but the most recent version that is available is quite clear after my first reading. Chandra's interest in Nissa is evident. While I would prefer to see Chandra's past with Gideon be developed, I'm also curious to see how Nissa and Chandra will progress.
I do wish the Gatewatch was a bit more incognito while in Naktamun, as their obvious strolling around should raise questions. I also don't think there are any elves on the plane, so Nissa should be a huge red flag.
Gideon is also buying into the gods too easily, but I wonder if there is some aura/compulsion going on. I'm okay with his development here, but he should be war-oriented enough to notice a trap.
Those concerns aside, I like what I'm reading. The plot is moving forward at a nice clip while offering interaction among the Gatewatch members. The denizens of the plane are not a focal point at all, but this is not a plane where they are important: the fight against Bolas is. We saw some locals in Kaladesh (like Pia), so the trade-off is fine.
It'd be a cool connection to the past, but I'd prefer Jay's alternative where it's Karn's fault. That exchange between Karn and Elspeth (once she's reborn) would be fraught and could add tension or uncertainty for the two of them.
I agree with Caranthir's post above regarding Ludevic. As a Dr. Frankenstein, we've got the blue identity as a stitcher, and if we assume his alchemy is based on lighting to shock-start his creations (like Frankenstein's Monster), then the red identity works. The word "necro" is misleading, but he is still raising the dead (but not through black-mana means).
I enjoyed the story, but I find that there seems to be an inordinate focus on Nissa rather than Chanra (given that they're after Pia on Kaladesh). I expected more Chandra focalization.
The alleged Saheeli art is missing any of the filigree, and Saheeli has not been identified as being a warrior type. Yes, she can send artifacts into the pits (I just had a flashback to Odyssey block), but I don't know if by that image alone we can conclude it is Saheeli.
Planar portal technology would be the easiest answer to the question as to what Bolas wants of Tezzeret on Kaladesh (in Ghirpur). I wonder, too, if we'll see Doctor Jest within Tezzeret's mind as a safeguard as we did in Test of Metal. I most definitely hope we do. I think the simplest answer will be the most common direction moving forward with the plot so that it clicks along and can be easily followed by all players (on the cards). Also, simple plots allow for new players to easily catch up on the plot as they join the game.
PS. Now that we know where Tezzeret is, perhaps I should continue my Mirrodin fanfic, and pick up where Quest for Karn left off (the story in my sig takes place before the novel and ties up some loose plot threads).
I fully expect him to be there at Bolas's decree. Aiming for a Planeswalking device would make sense with our Phyrexian thread, and he could easily lead up to Amonkhet and Bolas. This would tie the various plot threads together so future storytelling won't be as disparate.
Of course, I'd like to see some of the Gatewatch go after Bolas and the rest go get Elspeth to then lead us back to Mirrodin. A divided Gatewatch can keep the overall story flowing while following two groups of protagonists.
I was intrigued with the following exchange from "Homesick":
Baan lowered his eyes. "May I assume, based upon your reactions, that Miss Nalaar never spoke to you of this?"
"Not a word," Gideon said. He stared at his unfinished meal, one hand curling into a fist.
Jace looked at him sympathetically, "She didn't confide in any of us."
Gideon shook his head slightly. "But she should have felt that she could."
We know that The Purifying Fire happened to some extent in-universe, still. Gideon knew Chandra in the set-up to Battle for Zendikar. We knew Chandra's backstory from Purifying Fire had changed, but the above exchange seems to suggest that she never told Gideon her story (as she does in the novel. I thought perhaps Gideon was covering it up ("curling a fist" has he reflected), but then he continues with, "But she should have felt that she could," which drives the point home (I think) that she did not tell him.
While the love story potential between Gideon and Chandra has been played down since Origins, this seems to put much of it to a halt. We know Gideon still sought out Chandra on Zendikar in Rise of the Eldrazi, so there is some connection between the two, but there now seems to be no moment on vulnerability--other than the fact that Chandra was willing to walk into the Purifying Fire.
I don't think there is too much to discuss on this point at this time, but I had not noticed this mentioned elsewhere (I apologize if someone did bring it up and I missed the post).
I know Liliana did not bargain with Nicol Bolas until after she ascended and that the Raven Man appeared to her before she ascended, but the Raven Man in this story reminded me a bit of Tezzeret's Doctor Jest. Could Bolas have planted a control in Liliana from the start? This may be a bit far-fetched, but Bolas did orchestrate the demonic contracts; I wonder if he tried implanting a failsafe in Liliana as he did in Tezzeret.
Seeing as how the battle scenes of Zendikar were not overly well-received by the vocal/consistent members of this forum, I'm not sure why we need more Eldrazi battles on Innistrad. This story isn't about Eldrazi battles like Battle for Zendikar was. We are looking at the resolution of the mystery and Liliana's role here.
I appreciated Nissa's immediate distrust of Liliana and the Chain Veil. I'd like to see that relationship develop, especially as Chandra and Nissa already get along.
I would also love to see Garruk show up as Lilina continues to utilize the Veil (with him being drawn to it), but that's a bit of a digression...
As for the current chapters/episodes, I eagerly await the next installment. The pacing and build-up is much better than prior sets.
I do wish the Gatewatch was a bit more incognito while in Naktamun, as their obvious strolling around should raise questions. I also don't think there are any elves on the plane, so Nissa should be a huge red flag.
Gideon is also buying into the gods too easily, but I wonder if there is some aura/compulsion going on. I'm okay with his development here, but he should be war-oriented enough to notice a trap.
Those concerns aside, I like what I'm reading. The plot is moving forward at a nice clip while offering interaction among the Gatewatch members. The denizens of the plane are not a focal point at all, but this is not a plane where they are important: the fight against Bolas is. We saw some locals in Kaladesh (like Pia), so the trade-off is fine.
PS. Now that we know where Tezzeret is, perhaps I should continue my Mirrodin fanfic, and pick up where Quest for Karn left off (the story in my sig takes place before the novel and ties up some loose plot threads).
Of course, I'd like to see some of the Gatewatch go after Bolas and the rest go get Elspeth to then lead us back to Mirrodin. A divided Gatewatch can keep the overall story flowing while following two groups of protagonists.
We know that The Purifying Fire happened to some extent in-universe, still. Gideon knew Chandra in the set-up to Battle for Zendikar. We knew Chandra's backstory from Purifying Fire had changed, but the above exchange seems to suggest that she never told Gideon her story (as she does in the novel. I thought perhaps Gideon was covering it up ("curling a fist" has he reflected), but then he continues with, "But she should have felt that she could," which drives the point home (I think) that she did not tell him.
While the love story potential between Gideon and Chandra has been played down since Origins, this seems to put much of it to a halt. We know Gideon still sought out Chandra on Zendikar in Rise of the Eldrazi, so there is some connection between the two, but there now seems to be no moment on vulnerability--other than the fact that Chandra was willing to walk into the Purifying Fire.
I don't think there is too much to discuss on this point at this time, but I had not noticed this mentioned elsewhere (I apologize if someone did bring it up and I missed the post).
I appreciated Nissa's immediate distrust of Liliana and the Chain Veil. I'd like to see that relationship develop, especially as Chandra and Nissa already get along.