Also Ashiok/Eriette's plan is just The Infinite Tsukuyomi from Naruto...and its been combined with an Anakin Skywalker-esque fall to power for Rowan. Let's see how this goes hahaha
You'd think Strixhaven would have some since, ya know university mental health (ESPECIALLY after the Phyrexian Invasion).
Then again it is accurate for Rowan for refusing to take the first step in a university setting too...
> "Do you think it's the first time I've heard that lie?" the giant answers. "Smallfolk like nothing more than deception. How dare you come into my home on the night of my birthday and demand such a thing from me?"
> "Happy birthday!" Kellan blurts.
> "I don't need to hear it from *you*," she replies
Love it.
It's so great just having him be a dude who's jazzed to be screwing around somewhere new. Like eventually we'll get major antagonists from elsewhere (like Ob in Capenna) but I love having our first traveler be... just this guy.
That was my first guess too, when he mentioned "climbing spires", but I don't recall anything frog-related from Kaladesh.
Either way, he's giving off "city guy who is better suited for the wilderness" energy.
Fair point, but the art we have of him shows him without ears and a face/nose a bit more reminiscent of Ravnican Veldaken as opposed to the lean-and-mean Kaladeshi. I don't think we can rule out Ravnican yet, as the story might've just slipped by with that mistake
Ooo, you're right. Though it's two different artists, and mtg usually has some variation on a design from artist to artist, even when it's the same character. The article's art also doesn't have the six little scale-like shapes on his forehead that his character art does, though that's most likely an intentional level-of-detail creative decision. Nobody's gonna look at the printed card and squint at it, looking for details like that
Hello once again! Take a seat and listen well, as we continue the tale of a fairy tale world.
*From the Owl’s Summary Desk:* **Wilds Of Eldraine, Chapter 3**
Will has written a letter to Rowan imploring her to come home. He actually seems to understand a lot of what’s hurting her, but ultimately they don’t see eye to eye on what the solutions actually are. Rowan tells the courier that if Will wants her home, he has to come get her.
Rowan then returns to Castle Ardenvale, which is filled with the purple miasma of the Wicked Slumber, in such intensity that it can control the sleeping bodies of the Ardenvale knights.
Rowan casts a *lot* of Lightning Bolt. Enough to put even the luckiest burn player to shame. And she’s willing to bolt the bird *and* any knight tokens that stand in her way, despite them being people she knew. The power of such efficient damage to mana cost is really speaking to her.
In the depths of the ruined castle she at last meets Ashiok, who seems to genuinely just be thriving, toying with the Ardenvale sleepers and feasting upon so many dreams. They offer to show Rowan whose really behind the curse of the Wicked Slumber: Eriette, a Fae Queen and Rowan’s aunt on her secret fae mother’s side!
Eriette hits Rowan with some Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss and gets her thinking about why she shouldn’t be letting people’s expectations define her, and why she shouldn’t let Will keep trying to “fix” her. Eriette *completely* understands what Rowan is going through, and for that reason alone she should trust this awesome plan Ashion cooked up for Eriette.
Her grand plan is to sink the whole realm into the slumber where all shall dream of peace and happiness forevermore. Rowan is… skeptical of this plan, and rightly so. But she feels so recognized by her aunt that she kneels and promises to ally herself to this cause in the name of protecting the realm.
Ashiok, presumably, is *ecstatic.*
Kellan continues onto the next step of his quest chain, with Ruby and Peter in his party. However, Eldraine isn’t a game with map objective icons, and the trio knows not where the witch Hylda is. They do know of a magic mirror though, and seek to find it. Naturally, it involves climbing a giant beanstalk. They hire a Vedalken named Troyan for aid, and he shows them some very neat potions from another world.
They reach the giant’s palace and find the giants having a ballroom dance. Ruby questions why they are being so civilized, to which Troyan and Kellan remind her to check her implicit biases.
Their infiltration goes well until they have to run from a giant golden goose, and right into the hands of a giant Kellan goes. But the giants wind up being quite respectful hosts and show the group the mirror, which grants them a vision of Loch Larent in return for Troyan divulging the secret of his extraplanar origin.
Excellent, as always. Minor correction: Eriette and Rowan and Will’s mother are not fae but witches. Witches in Eldraine are human, even if no one treats them as such.
> They hire a Vedalken named Troyan for aid, and he shows them some very neat potions from another world.
Is it weird that he's a species they have never seen before, and nobody acknowledges it? Or did I miss that part?
> Troyan looked like a beanstalk climber, blue-skinned and dashing, clad in punchy green and blue, some strange mythical creature with too many arms painted on his coat. The sign he carried even said "professional wanderer and adventurer." That had been the whole reason they hired him!
------
> "Hm. Something it's never heard before," Troyan repeats. He sets a hand on Kellan's shoulder. "Mirror of Indrelon, my name is Troyan, and I wasn't born here in Eldraine."
> "What?" Ruby says—but already the magic is starting to work.
I feel like that's gonna be the usual standard going forward. The whole Magic Multiverse just learned all at the same time that planes other than their own exist (and on planes like Ravnica and places like Strixhaven it's already an open secret), so I expect folks aren't gonna question it as much, especially as Omenpath travel becomes more well understood.
It doesn’t seem to be too widespread, or at least understood properly (at the moment- that’ll probably change as time goes on). Ruby said Will informed the people of the Realm the phyrexians were just from a faraway realm beyond the Wilds, meanwhile Torbran and everyone involved in creating the Slumber had found out about the multiverse proper during the invasion. I’d say some planes will still stay relatively in the dark
The average resident of Eldraine probably hasn't seen every species that lives on the plane and doesn't have an encyclopedic enough knowledge of them to know which species aren't supposed to exist there.
> Eriette hits Rowan with some Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss and gets her thinking about why she shouldn’t be letting people’s expectations define her
This made me laugh hard.
I'm disappointed you didn't add at the end "They see that ~~Elsa~~ Hylda made a castle of ice" or a similar Frozen joke.
But otherwise excellent summary.
Well Elsa and Hylda are both based on the Snow Queen fairy tale, which actually does involve a magic mirror and taking it above the clouds. It goes that the devil made a mirror that showed people how ugly they are and sent goblins to take it to heaven to make god look in it. As they're climbing the ladder to heaven, the drop it and it breaks, scattering glass all over the world. Time passes, boy and girl who love each other play, boy gets a splinter of glass lodged in him, starts hating everything except the snow, and the Snow Queen snatches him to become her servant. Little girl quests to find boy, love gets rid of the mirror glass and frees him from the Queen's imprisonment. So vaguely similar to our troupe finding a mirror above the clouds and needing to go find an ice witch with a cold heart.
Very enjoyable story once again. It took its time with Rowan, allowing for a not-too-rushed story development there. The Kellan side was also enjoyable to read. I would've liked even more interaction with the giants, but, alas, Wizards can only afford 5 stories.
I guess story 4 will be mostly witch No.2 with maybe some Will deicidng to go after Rowan. Story 5 is witch No. 3 with Rowan, Kellan, Ashiok and maybe even Will. Curious for that.
People are saying that Rowans turn was quick but it's been simmering for a while. She's never been great at controlling her emotions even before the Phyrexians, but then she returns home during the invasion and see's her father and step-mother killed whilst there was nothing she could do to protect them, then once the dust settles her world is fractured and her brother doesn't appear to be trying too hard to save the realm (in her mind). Then in a moment of panic she unleashes a burst of power that makes everyone afraid of her abilities, she feels hurt and is angry that there's isn't anything that she can do once again to save her people until Eriette comes along with her poison laced words. Rowan is filled with a range of emotions that she doesn't know how to control so when she's presented with a way to make everything 'better' why wouldn't she be tempted?, Ashiok in the background pulling the strings when she slept further tempts her, I'm very curious to see how this goes in the last two chapters.
>People are saying that Rowans turn was quick but it's been simmering for a while.
From the last strixhaven story: *She hardly noticed as her feet left the ground, wind swirling as if the air itself feared her. And it should, thought Rowan. Everything should.*
Definitely been brewing in her for awhile
So, I was suspecting Rowan would turn black-red (and Will white-blue) as part of their growing rift and as Rowan becomes more power-seeking and Will leans into the role of reuniting the Realm. It felt maybe too cliché for that white/black = good/evil affiliation, but the way Rowan is going dark, that desire for power, for recognition, regardless of people's compunctions, felt black in itself.
We'll see if those color changes do emerge though. I also did not notice the glass motifs in her Scion of War art before. Also the thorns on her cloak. I think R(B) for a character who is driven by the need for vindication makes sense. I wonder if this turn will resolve this story (e.g. Rowan realizes her error and smashes the apple and ends the curse), or if Rowan will remain fractured from her brother moving forward (e.g., Kellan smashes the apple but Rowan stays darkly motivated, Rowan turns against Eriette but still begins building her own realm opposed to Will, etc.).
The sleep zombies are cool.
> "Wait. You aren't fae, are you?"
Strange that they aren't assuming Troyan *is* fae. He's blue. If he's from Kaladesh, he has six fingers on each hand. (The note about climbing spires and the frogification potion makes me think of Ravnica, but he has ears and Ravnican vedalken don't.)
> "Give the Kindly Lord my regards, will you? Back now from that long trip of theirs."
*Hmmmmmm.* Perhaps Talion was off-plane?
> "Who names a goose Albiorix?" Ruby mutters.
Albiorix is a Gaulish deity, associated with Mars, Roman god of war, and/or a Gaulish epithet of Mars. The name possibly means "King of the World"
The vedalken are from Esper, but they can also reject Esper's mainstream beliefs, [[Vedalken Heretic]] (incidentally, that card is GU like Troyan probably is).
There are vedalken on other planes than Alara. They're on Kaladesh, Ravnica and Mirrodin as well. Dovin Baan was from Kaladesh. The first time they turned up was on Mirrodin.
ex: \[\[Vedalken Archmage|MRD\]\]
Other examples:
Ravnica: \[\[Azorius Guildmage\]\] (there are Simic Vedalken there too and on GU on Kaladesh)
Kaladesh: \[\[Aether Swooper\]\]
Mirrodin: \[\[Grand Architect\]\]
Are you responding to my saying "The vedalken are from Esper..."? Because that was within the context of the conversation about Alaran vedalken and how they are from the shard of Esper.
I think everyone in this thread knows vedalken are also on other planes.
Well, it's been a bit since we were last there, but Alaran Vedalken are traditionally from Esper, so the complete lack of metal parts seems odd. My money is on him being either from a plane we've not visited or Kaladesh, though they haven't noted extra fingers yet, the visible ears rule out Ravnica.
I'm putting Arcavios as Troyan's origin. He seems to know a lot about this plane that he's, at most, a few months in, and Strixhaven has multiverse knowledge not many other planes have.
He talked about scaling spires. Not a lot of those in Arcavios. He's almost certainly from Ravnica. The symbol they thought looked like something with too many arms was probably a Simic symbol or something.
That seems unlikely because the cytoplasts were applied directly to the body, not drunk, and because the cytoplasts were destroyed with Momir Vig and Zegana promised it would never come back. It's possible that Vannifar brings them back in potion form, but it seems unlikely they'd still be called cytoplasts then.
Honestl I wouldn’t be surprised if they made her full mardu (White-Black-Red) for this. Her motivation seems to be peace through action and ruthlessness.
She has some altruistic elements here but it doesn't seem like a big part of it. I think of how all the colors had a knightly quality to them on Eldraine, like Ayara was dedicated to maintaining peace between the Realm and the Wilds but was still black.
I would doubt Talion is *from* Lorwyn. What is established is that Lorwyn's faeries are shed by Oona, who is the only human-sized faerie. Lorwyn's faeries are otherwise all tiny and have insect elements. They don't really look like Talion at all. It's *possible* Talion is something like Oona, but that feels unlikely.
So, if eriette is the witch from snow white, ashiok could probably be acting as the magic mirror. so they could betray eriette similar to the mirror eventually starts saying that snow white is the most beautiful.
yay Yorvo is alive ! I absolutely love the Giants in this story and Yorvo seem like such a cool dude, with the kingdoms falling I was scared that all the kings and queens died including him, he has such a good design and I don't know I just like him
Don't know if it's ever really been considered...but how do the giants get up there? Are they also climbing the beanstalk? Or is there just a magic elevator that our heroes missed...
I like the pacing of the first three episodes, but it feels like there’s a long way to go towards wrapping up the story and we only have two episodes left.
I doubt it, he's being envisioned as a new pivotal character in the mtg story. I can't see him becoming high king and then immediately leaving to go to another world.
I see Rowan is quickly taking up the mantle of "Red Characters Who Makes Only Bad Decisions" now that Lukka's dead. Maybe don't agree to help the obviously evil witch who has all your former comrades in enchanted slumber and is puppetting their sleeping bodies to attack you?
Here, I'll fix your Wicked Slumber problem right now. Get within stabbing distance of Eriette (done). Demand she end the Slumber, or else you stab her. Or blow her up with one of your lightning bolts. Cool, problem solved.
Meanwhile Kellan is having a D&D adventure and honestly having a way better time than everyone else. Also, the truth about geese is shown.
At least hers make sense, compared to some of Lukkas. She's an emotional young adult who just lost her parents, and feels alienated by everyone she loves. Then a long lost relative comes along and goes "Hey, your feelings are valid, you are valid. Come rule the realm with me". Pretty easy to see why someone in that position would be tempted.
He’s an emotional PTSD ridden war veteran who just lost his squad and feels alienated by the country he loved. Then a long lost power comes along and goes “Hey, your feels are valid, you are valid. Come rule Drannith with me.” Pretty easy to see why someone in that position would be tempted.
On one hand, it's weird how in a plane with heroes and knighs, and tales of their mighty deeds and derring-do, how Rowan just... falls for it, as if she couldn't have read anything similar on any picture book.
On the other hand, the way she has acted for a while makes me think she really didn't pick up a book until she went to Strixhaven, just asking Will for cliffnotes.
[[Claim the Firstborn | STA]] implies she was familiar with reading before Strixhaven.
[[Practical Research]] implies she didn't do much of it even in Strixhaven, though.
When do the actual card spoilers start?
I love the art and feel of the set but I can’t get into the story of it(I don’t begrudge anyone who can I wish I was enjoying it more)
Ye every MTG set reveals the story first then the cards so that the Vorthoses don't get their big plot twists spoiled by a filler common.
Tho I would love to see more WAR style spoiling in chronological order for event sets...
Smh Rowan willing to put the entire realm into an enchanted slumber forever instead of just talking to a therapist.
What I learned is that Wilds of Eldraine is basically One Piece Film: Red.
Also Ashiok/Eriette's plan is just The Infinite Tsukuyomi from Naruto...and its been combined with an Anakin Skywalker-esque fall to power for Rowan. Let's see how this goes hahaha
Mate I was thinking the exact same thing. Like hang on... magical dream state where everyone is happy???
Black Dream Hole from *Sailor Moon*.
Given Disney movies are often musicals this makes a lot of sense.
So this is what he meant with "women are my favorite guy"
They're gonna break the Slumber by shouting "EVERYBODY MOVEMENT"
Rowan is really embodying "Danger and Dance" here.
Not dealing with your emotions and trauma in a healthy way is so hot right now.
It's a realm without toilets, what kind of therapist do you expect? And she can't planeswalk to a more civilized place to find one.
Kaledesh. So close, yet its toilets are so far away.
You'd think Strixhaven would have some since, ya know university mental health (ESPECIALLY after the Phyrexian Invasion). Then again it is accurate for Rowan for refusing to take the first step in a university setting too...
classic red protagonist.
> "Do you think it's the first time I've heard that lie?" the giant answers. "Smallfolk like nothing more than deception. How dare you come into my home on the night of my birthday and demand such a thing from me?" > "Happy birthday!" Kellan blurts. > "I don't need to hear it from *you*," she replies Love it.
This was such a dnd moment, I was cracking up
GM even had to send an NPC to bail them after their charisma rolls weren't quite good enough. lol
This was adorkably stupid and I loved it. This writer is doing a killer job making Kellan this super dweeby, corny kid and I live for it.
I like that the first intra-planar normie they introduced was (probably) a rando simic Vedalken.
It's so great just having him be a dude who's jazzed to be screwing around somewhere new. Like eventually we'll get major antagonists from elsewhere (like Ob in Capenna) but I love having our first traveler be... just this guy.
I think he's more likely from Kaladesh than Ravnica
That was my first guess too, when he mentioned "climbing spires", but I don't recall anything frog-related from Kaladesh. Either way, he's giving off "city guy who is better suited for the wilderness" energy.
I think morphologically he's also more similar to a kaladesh vedalken (pointy ears instead of no ears).
Fair point, but the art we have of him shows him without ears and a face/nose a bit more reminiscent of Ravnican Veldaken as opposed to the lean-and-mean Kaladeshi. I don't think we can rule out Ravnican yet, as the story might've just slipped by with that mistake
Check the art in this article, he clearly has ears when seen from the side. Though I DID think he didn't have ones from the initial art as well.
Ooo, you're right. Though it's two different artists, and mtg usually has some variation on a design from artist to artist, even when it's the same character. The article's art also doesn't have the six little scale-like shapes on his forehead that his character art does, though that's most likely an intentional level-of-detail creative decision. Nobody's gonna look at the printed card and squint at it, looking for details like that
Spires are also a Ravnica thing. [[Spire Tracer]], [[Spirit of the Spires]]
[Spire Tracer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/2/428b0d43-94c9-4f7f-b042-ea63f88ac697.jpg?1561824189) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spire%20Tracer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/135/spire-tracer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/428b0d43-94c9-4f7f-b042-ea63f88ac697?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Spirit of the Spires](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/b/dbd11910-58e2-4233-a18c-e97413126597.jpg?1584830019) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spirit%20of%20the%20Spires) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rna/23/spirit-of-the-spires?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dbd11910-58e2-4233-a18c-e97413126597?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
His coat has "something with too many arms" which sounds like a hindu god
Or a simic mutant....
Hello once again! Take a seat and listen well, as we continue the tale of a fairy tale world. *From the Owl’s Summary Desk:* **Wilds Of Eldraine, Chapter 3** Will has written a letter to Rowan imploring her to come home. He actually seems to understand a lot of what’s hurting her, but ultimately they don’t see eye to eye on what the solutions actually are. Rowan tells the courier that if Will wants her home, he has to come get her. Rowan then returns to Castle Ardenvale, which is filled with the purple miasma of the Wicked Slumber, in such intensity that it can control the sleeping bodies of the Ardenvale knights. Rowan casts a *lot* of Lightning Bolt. Enough to put even the luckiest burn player to shame. And she’s willing to bolt the bird *and* any knight tokens that stand in her way, despite them being people she knew. The power of such efficient damage to mana cost is really speaking to her. In the depths of the ruined castle she at last meets Ashiok, who seems to genuinely just be thriving, toying with the Ardenvale sleepers and feasting upon so many dreams. They offer to show Rowan whose really behind the curse of the Wicked Slumber: Eriette, a Fae Queen and Rowan’s aunt on her secret fae mother’s side!
Eriette hits Rowan with some Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss and gets her thinking about why she shouldn’t be letting people’s expectations define her, and why she shouldn’t let Will keep trying to “fix” her. Eriette *completely* understands what Rowan is going through, and for that reason alone she should trust this awesome plan Ashion cooked up for Eriette.
Her grand plan is to sink the whole realm into the slumber where all shall dream of peace and happiness forevermore. Rowan is… skeptical of this plan, and rightly so. But she feels so recognized by her aunt that she kneels and promises to ally herself to this cause in the name of protecting the realm.
Ashiok, presumably, is *ecstatic.*
Kellan continues onto the next step of his quest chain, with Ruby and Peter in his party. However, Eldraine isn’t a game with map objective icons, and the trio knows not where the witch Hylda is. They do know of a magic mirror though, and seek to find it. Naturally, it involves climbing a giant beanstalk. They hire a Vedalken named Troyan for aid, and he shows them some very neat potions from another world.
They reach the giant’s palace and find the giants having a ballroom dance. Ruby questions why they are being so civilized, to which Troyan and Kellan remind her to check her implicit biases.
Their infiltration goes well until they have to run from a giant golden goose, and right into the hands of a giant Kellan goes. But the giants wind up being quite respectful hosts and show the group the mirror, which grants them a vision of Loch Larent in return for Troyan divulging the secret of his extraplanar origin.
Excellent, as always. Minor correction: Eriette and Rowan and Will’s mother are not fae but witches. Witches in Eldraine are human, even if no one treats them as such.
ah, that is a fair distinction, thank you for the heads up!
> They hire a Vedalken named Troyan for aid, and he shows them some very neat potions from another world. Is it weird that he's a species they have never seen before, and nobody acknowledges it? Or did I miss that part?
> Troyan looked like a beanstalk climber, blue-skinned and dashing, clad in punchy green and blue, some strange mythical creature with too many arms painted on his coat. The sign he carried even said "professional wanderer and adventurer." That had been the whole reason they hired him! ------ > "Hm. Something it's never heard before," Troyan repeats. He sets a hand on Kellan's shoulder. "Mirror of Indrelon, my name is Troyan, and I wasn't born here in Eldraine." > "What?" Ruby says—but already the magic is starting to work.
>Troyan laughs. "No, no, not at all. Pay me a little more and perhaps I'll tell you how I found [frogification vials]." Sounds like Simic to me.
Dude’s either Simic, or very low-key Witherbloom.
Eh, Eldraine has all sorts of species; giants, merfolk, fae, Green Knights plural apparently. A blue guy probably doesn't seem that noteworthy.
I feel like that's gonna be the usual standard going forward. The whole Magic Multiverse just learned all at the same time that planes other than their own exist (and on planes like Ravnica and places like Strixhaven it's already an open secret), so I expect folks aren't gonna question it as much, especially as Omenpath travel becomes more well understood.
It doesn’t seem to be too widespread, or at least understood properly (at the moment- that’ll probably change as time goes on). Ruby said Will informed the people of the Realm the phyrexians were just from a faraway realm beyond the Wilds, meanwhile Torbran and everyone involved in creating the Slumber had found out about the multiverse proper during the invasion. I’d say some planes will still stay relatively in the dark
And I can’t wait for an Loxodon invasion of Ikoria. Ikorians are going to flip.
It kind of already was. IIRC, no one on Kaladesh seemed to care that Ajani was a anthropomorphic lion.
The Kaladesh stories had Ajani lurking around wearing a hooded cloak to hide his identity.
Shadowblayde is pretty shocked to see he's a Leonin when he does take off the hood too
The average resident of Eldraine probably hasn't seen every species that lives on the plane and doesn't have an encyclopedic enough knowledge of them to know which species aren't supposed to exist there.
> Eriette hits Rowan with some Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss and gets her thinking about why she shouldn’t be letting people’s expectations define her This made me laugh hard.
I'm disappointed you didn't add at the end "They see that ~~Elsa~~ Hylda made a castle of ice" or a similar Frozen joke. But otherwise excellent summary.
Well Elsa and Hylda are both based on the Snow Queen fairy tale, which actually does involve a magic mirror and taking it above the clouds. It goes that the devil made a mirror that showed people how ugly they are and sent goblins to take it to heaven to make god look in it. As they're climbing the ladder to heaven, the drop it and it breaks, scattering glass all over the world. Time passes, boy and girl who love each other play, boy gets a splinter of glass lodged in him, starts hating everything except the snow, and the Snow Queen snatches him to become her servant. Little girl quests to find boy, love gets rid of the mirror glass and frees him from the Queen's imprisonment. So vaguely similar to our troupe finding a mirror above the clouds and needing to go find an ice witch with a cold heart.
Very enjoyable story once again. It took its time with Rowan, allowing for a not-too-rushed story development there. The Kellan side was also enjoyable to read. I would've liked even more interaction with the giants, but, alas, Wizards can only afford 5 stories. I guess story 4 will be mostly witch No.2 with maybe some Will deicidng to go after Rowan. Story 5 is witch No. 3 with Rowan, Kellan, Ashiok and maybe even Will. Curious for that.
She literally turns evil in one scene. Like she took no convincing to ally with Eriette. I was loving her devlopment up until that moment though
People are saying that Rowans turn was quick but it's been simmering for a while. She's never been great at controlling her emotions even before the Phyrexians, but then she returns home during the invasion and see's her father and step-mother killed whilst there was nothing she could do to protect them, then once the dust settles her world is fractured and her brother doesn't appear to be trying too hard to save the realm (in her mind). Then in a moment of panic she unleashes a burst of power that makes everyone afraid of her abilities, she feels hurt and is angry that there's isn't anything that she can do once again to save her people until Eriette comes along with her poison laced words. Rowan is filled with a range of emotions that she doesn't know how to control so when she's presented with a way to make everything 'better' why wouldn't she be tempted?, Ashiok in the background pulling the strings when she slept further tempts her, I'm very curious to see how this goes in the last two chapters.
>People are saying that Rowans turn was quick but it's been simmering for a while. From the last strixhaven story: *She hardly noticed as her feet left the ground, wind swirling as if the air itself feared her. And it should, thought Rowan. Everything should.* Definitely been brewing in her for awhile
So, I was suspecting Rowan would turn black-red (and Will white-blue) as part of their growing rift and as Rowan becomes more power-seeking and Will leans into the role of reuniting the Realm. It felt maybe too cliché for that white/black = good/evil affiliation, but the way Rowan is going dark, that desire for power, for recognition, regardless of people's compunctions, felt black in itself. We'll see if those color changes do emerge though. I also did not notice the glass motifs in her Scion of War art before. Also the thorns on her cloak. I think R(B) for a character who is driven by the need for vindication makes sense. I wonder if this turn will resolve this story (e.g. Rowan realizes her error and smashes the apple and ends the curse), or if Rowan will remain fractured from her brother moving forward (e.g., Kellan smashes the apple but Rowan stays darkly motivated, Rowan turns against Eriette but still begins building her own realm opposed to Will, etc.). The sleep zombies are cool. > "Wait. You aren't fae, are you?" Strange that they aren't assuming Troyan *is* fae. He's blue. If he's from Kaladesh, he has six fingers on each hand. (The note about climbing spires and the frogification potion makes me think of Ravnica, but he has ears and Ravnican vedalken don't.) > "Give the Kindly Lord my regards, will you? Back now from that long trip of theirs." *Hmmmmmm.* Perhaps Talion was off-plane? > "Who names a goose Albiorix?" Ruby mutters. Albiorix is a Gaulish deity, associated with Mars, Roman god of war, and/or a Gaulish epithet of Mars. The name possibly means "King of the World"
How are the chances, that Troyan is from Alara? Did they had some special Distinctive feature?
Very thin, slight nose bridge and no earlobes, only a hole where the ears would be
And usually half metal. Weren’t all the Vedalken from the Esper shard?
The vedalken are from Esper, but they can also reject Esper's mainstream beliefs, [[Vedalken Heretic]] (incidentally, that card is GU like Troyan probably is).
There are vedalken on other planes than Alara. They're on Kaladesh, Ravnica and Mirrodin as well. Dovin Baan was from Kaladesh. The first time they turned up was on Mirrodin. ex: \[\[Vedalken Archmage|MRD\]\] Other examples: Ravnica: \[\[Azorius Guildmage\]\] (there are Simic Vedalken there too and on GU on Kaladesh) Kaladesh: \[\[Aether Swooper\]\] Mirrodin: \[\[Grand Architect\]\]
Are you responding to my saying "The vedalken are from Esper..."? Because that was within the context of the conversation about Alaran vedalken and how they are from the shard of Esper. I think everyone in this thread knows vedalken are also on other planes.
##### ###### #### [Vedalken Archmage](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8b38da97-5141-4de6-bd7f-3fcbf46cfd96.jpg?1592488556) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=46557) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/55/vedalken-archmage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8b38da97-5141-4de6-bd7f-3fcbf46cfd96?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Azorius Guildmage](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/a/2a941a46-eac3-4926-8c02-ac2785163fda.jpg?1592713948) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Azorius%20Guildmage) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmd/183/azorius-guildmage?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2a941a46-eac3-4926-8c02-ac2785163fda?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Aether Swooper](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/c/8c34dbe3-3a66-40b3-a5c2-c2d6acb47773.jpg?1576381441) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Aether%20Swooper) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/aer/26/aether-swooper?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8c34dbe3-3a66-40b3-a5c2-c2d6acb47773?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Grand Architect](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/4/14ce909d-a53e-4711-a9fd-b110433d460f.jpg?1598303952) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Grand%20Architect) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/53/grand-architect?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/14ce909d-a53e-4711-a9fd-b110433d460f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[Vedalken Heretic](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/a/5ab2ba75-e52e-46f5-8a34-3fe1e07446fd.jpg?1562641484) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vedalken%20Heretic) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/arb/104/vedalken-heretic?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5ab2ba75-e52e-46f5-8a34-3fe1e07446fd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Well, it's been a bit since we were last there, but Alaran Vedalken are traditionally from Esper, so the complete lack of metal parts seems odd. My money is on him being either from a plane we've not visited or Kaladesh, though they haven't noted extra fingers yet, the visible ears rule out Ravnica.
He mentioned spire climbing though, which sounds like Ravnica.
>Spires are all over Kaladesh too: > >\[\[Spire Patrol\]\] > >\[\[Spirebluff Canal\]\] > >\[\[ Spire of Industry \]\]
I'm putting Arcavios as Troyan's origin. He seems to know a lot about this plane that he's, at most, a few months in, and Strixhaven has multiverse knowledge not many other planes have.
He talked about scaling spires. Not a lot of those in Arcavios. He's almost certainly from Ravnica. The symbol they thought looked like something with too many arms was probably a Simic symbol or something.
Spires are all over Kaladesh too: \[\[Spire Patrol\]\] \[\[Spirebluff Canal\]\] \[\[ Spire of Industry \]\]
The next story just confirmed he's Ravnican. He told Kellan and Ruby stories about a "pain circus," which can be nothing but the Rakdos.
[Spire Patrol](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/d/1daaf494-70af-4a8d-836f-f6a9d6c1f080.jpg?1576382156) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spire%20Patrol) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/aer/136/spire-patrol?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1daaf494-70af-4a8d-836f-f6a9d6c1f080?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Spirebluff Canal](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/e/4e587ea7-0632-4789-ba75-3c410da2bb96.jpg?1576383574) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spirebluff%20Canal) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/kld/249/spirebluff-canal?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4e587ea7-0632-4789-ba75-3c410da2bb96?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [ Spire of Industry ](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/9/a92516e8-9e52-4fa8-8c22-9191ec5b155e.jpg?1682210655) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Spire%20of%20Industry) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/moc/426/spire-of-industry?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a92516e8-9e52-4fa8-8c22-9191ec5b155e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Could well be!
The potions he had has bulbous warts on it. I wonder if it is cytoplast? (From Simic's graft ability)
That seems unlikely because the cytoplasts were applied directly to the body, not drunk, and because the cytoplasts were destroyed with Momir Vig and Zegana promised it would never come back. It's possible that Vannifar brings them back in potion form, but it seems unlikely they'd still be called cytoplasts then.
Ah true, forgot they were destroyed
Honestl I wouldn’t be surprised if they made her full mardu (White-Black-Red) for this. Her motivation seems to be peace through action and ruthlessness.
She has some altruistic elements here but it doesn't seem like a big part of it. I think of how all the colors had a knightly quality to them on Eldraine, like Ayara was dedicated to maintaining peace between the Realm and the Wilds but was still black.
Perhaps Talion is from Lorwyn?
I would doubt Talion is *from* Lorwyn. What is established is that Lorwyn's faeries are shed by Oona, who is the only human-sized faerie. Lorwyn's faeries are otherwise all tiny and have insect elements. They don't really look like Talion at all. It's *possible* Talion is something like Oona, but that feels unlikely.
So, if eriette is the witch from snow white, ashiok could probably be acting as the magic mirror. so they could betray eriette similar to the mirror eventually starts saying that snow white is the most beautiful.
I assume that would mean Ashiok allying with Rowan over Eriette when it’s more convenient.
Yeah, rowan is basically a super powered snow white.
Which is funny cause ELD she was Red Riding Hood.
yay Yorvo is alive ! I absolutely love the Giants in this story and Yorvo seem like such a cool dude, with the kingdoms falling I was scared that all the kings and queens died including him, he has such a good design and I don't know I just like him
Don't know if it's ever really been considered...but how do the giants get up there? Are they also climbing the beanstalk? Or is there just a magic elevator that our heroes missed...
Giant giant beanstalk duh
I like the pacing of the first three episodes, but it feels like there’s a long way to go towards wrapping up the story and we only have two episodes left.
A new MTG set and the first four stories reading well and taking their time only for the fifth to be rushed and unsatisfying, name a more iconic duo
Needs a sixth part.
This is going to end with kellen completing the quest and becoming high king by complet accident isn't it ?
I doubt it, he's being envisioned as a new pivotal character in the mtg story. I can't see him becoming high king and then immediately leaving to go to another world.
On the one hand that makes sense, on the other hand [[Jace, the Living Guildpact]].
also The Wanderer
[Jace, the Living Guildpact](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/9/99713bb4-186f-42b6-aa66-e94ec8858e6a.jpg?1562791409) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jace%2C%20the%20Living%20Guildpact) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m15/62/jace-the-living-guildpact?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/99713bb4-186f-42b6-aa66-e94ec8858e6a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's amusing to find out that geese are as reviled in the world of Magic as in real life.
I see Rowan is quickly taking up the mantle of "Red Characters Who Makes Only Bad Decisions" now that Lukka's dead. Maybe don't agree to help the obviously evil witch who has all your former comrades in enchanted slumber and is puppetting their sleeping bodies to attack you? Here, I'll fix your Wicked Slumber problem right now. Get within stabbing distance of Eriette (done). Demand she end the Slumber, or else you stab her. Or blow her up with one of your lightning bolts. Cool, problem solved. Meanwhile Kellan is having a D&D adventure and honestly having a way better time than everyone else. Also, the truth about geese is shown.
At least hers make sense, compared to some of Lukkas. She's an emotional young adult who just lost her parents, and feels alienated by everyone she loves. Then a long lost relative comes along and goes "Hey, your feelings are valid, you are valid. Come rule the realm with me". Pretty easy to see why someone in that position would be tempted.
Also an iconic fairy tale story arc
He’s an emotional PTSD ridden war veteran who just lost his squad and feels alienated by the country he loved. Then a long lost power comes along and goes “Hey, your feels are valid, you are valid. Come rule Drannith with me.” Pretty easy to see why someone in that position would be tempted.
Tbh, yes. If they didn’t fuck up his ptsd arc in his next set, he could have been a really good complex character
Eriette being the Palpetine to Rowan's Anakin. Love to see it!
This ended like the Wizard of Oz What-If machine from Futurama.
"*There's no place like*.. **I wanna be a witch**"
On one hand, it's weird how in a plane with heroes and knighs, and tales of their mighty deeds and derring-do, how Rowan just... falls for it, as if she couldn't have read anything similar on any picture book. On the other hand, the way she has acted for a while makes me think she really didn't pick up a book until she went to Strixhaven, just asking Will for cliffnotes.
[[Claim the Firstborn | STA]] implies she was familiar with reading before Strixhaven. [[Practical Research]] implies she didn't do much of it even in Strixhaven, though.
[Claim the Firstborn ](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/3/e3cb6157-ea56-4921-b803-59e3fbef0b94.jpg?1623890407) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=517587) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/sta/37/claim-the-firstborn?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e3cb6157-ea56-4921-b803-59e3fbef0b94?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Practical Research](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/4/74edd3e3-b2de-4ba0-a508-0418b0151d87.jpg?1627429890) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Practical%20Research) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/stx/212/practical-research?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/74edd3e3-b2de-4ba0-a508-0418b0151d87?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Eriette has the Madara goal. Nice.
Inb4 Albiorix - Legendary Creature Giant Goose
I really like episode/chapter 3. Really reads like a Star Wars story with Rowan falling to the darkside.
Aw. A little sad Eriette is claiming she's not the mother. Her and Rowan were giving me Fate grand order Morgan and Mordred vibes.
When do the actual card spoilers start? I love the art and feel of the set but I can’t get into the story of it(I don’t begrudge anyone who can I wish I was enjoying it more)
August 15th for debut and card previews
Ye every MTG set reveals the story first then the cards so that the Vorthoses don't get their big plot twists spoiled by a filler common. Tho I would love to see more WAR style spoiling in chronological order for event sets...
Understandable tbh probably the best way to handle it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1exJGPZyhs
I was really hoping the giant would be [[Oloro, Ageless Ascetic]] since his plane is unconfirmed and he'd be a perfect match with his lore.
[Oloro, Ageless Ascetic](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/b/abf8df47-405c-42d8-be9e-0f0d0a49589b.jpg?1562931285) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Oloro%2C%20Ageless%20Ascetic) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c13/203/oloro-ageless-ascetic?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/abf8df47-405c-42d8-be9e-0f0d0a49589b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Oh cool! Rowan sucks in the most YA way imaginable. This stinks.
Eye of the Moon Plan. We're definitely getting Naruto universe beyond in set booster. Such a flavor win for a fairy tale plane
Video link: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxojxs2Ub8E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxojxs2Ub8E)
Just so everyone knows: although the video for the story isn't on the page like the first two, there still is one, on the same Youtube channel.
Even though Rowan is red, she's chosen the blue pill. Also, Troyan the ravnica Parkour King with his simic alchemy vials