#Mavren Fein

[goldstarknight]

Legion of Dusk Sketches (2024)

Some sketches I made of the Legion of Dusk when LCI came out. Mostly to practice hands and faces in a cartoony style. And to amuse myself, of course.

The Legion is one of my favourite factions in MtG. The conquistador-vampire aesthetic is on point and I have a soft spot for villians who are uncompromising zealots.

Also, I have some headcannons about Ixalan/Rivals of Ixalan and Vona's and Mavren's travels as they look for Orazca. I like to imagine them as a comedic duo of sorts. And now they have become bitter rivals, which is really fitting, I think.

Lastly, thanks to everyone for being so nice to me and reposting/liking my art! I'll likely do another MtG x Octopath diorama at some point in the future, but they take a lot of time and effort to make and I want to make non-MtG art too, so please be patient. :D

[dominarianplowshare]

Another sneak preview of a coming project, for real this time:

“The unspeakable infinite lay within Mavren’s hunger. It whispered, it begged, it snapped its jaws, it wept, it flung itself in the walls of his soul; but beneath that terrible beast, he perceived dimly, as twilight through black gossamer, the boundless depths of the eternal. He could lose himself in it; he was lost; he was not; he was unhe for there was no he, only it, hunger, and its twin, the parallax image: life.

“Like the frost of a distant star, like the golden gush of hearthfire. That was what we swum in, now, not water, but life, here it was, just on the other side of hunger.

There was a rattling sound, like leather sliding across rotted paper, whistling, crackling, percussing in rhythm like poetry; but no, not poetry, prayer, for, Mavren noted, the voice was his own.

“‘O holiest of holies, give me food that I may not hunger, drink that I may not thirst, life everlasting that I may not ache…”

[almostlookedhuman]

[abzanascendancy]

Realistically, I think St. Elenda went to Useless Island to make sure Azor didn't get compleated. He was insufferable enough already.

Personally, I think she endured Azor so that Mavren Fein could ride a dinosaur, and it is for this that she is a living saint.

Can we asssume from the card Elenda and Azor, Azor is no longer stuck on useless island?

I would say probably not

[danco110]

“W-Whoa! Calm down there…boy…?”

Mavren Fein cried out in a panic as the enormous dinosaur he was riding gave a ferocious roar and crushed yet another Phyrexian underfoot. The shaking from the dinosaur’s charge jostled the church mounted on its back, and sent it leaning to one side. Mavren gave another cry and quickly slapped the dinosaur’s hide with the side of his spearhead.

“Ghalta! No! The church!”

The titan gave a snort, as though annoyed at having to make an adjustment for the diminutive man, but did as it was told. The dinosaur leaned back to the other side, and the church on its back slid back into position, much to Mavren’s relief.

“Oh, thank you dear…girl? Er, anyways! You look hurt. Let me patch you up again.”

Mavren waved his spear through the sky. The point glowed, and Ghalta’s body was enveloped in a dazzling light. The nearby Phyrexians were stricken blind, and Ghalta’s minor wounds were healed, leaving it free to crush the stunned soldiers.

“Just imagine…friend, we’ll go down in history! The first dinosaur rider pair not from the Sun Empire! They might even mint a commemorative coin for us!”

Ghalta slowed to a stop, and made a rather confused noise. Mavren tilted his head, equally puzzled.

“What’s wrong? Oh, what I said about the coin? It’s a…well…it’s just a little coin that has our picture stamped on the front. Okay, it’s not that grand when you really-”

Ghalta reared back and loosed a roar of triumph, clearly ecstatic about the idea of the coin. Meanwhile Mavren laughed boisterously at the reaction.

“Yes! Glad to finally meet some…saur…who shares my interest in…THE CHURCH!”

Mavren tried in vain to calm Ghalta as the church slid from the dinosaur’s back, and landed on the ground below with a thunderous crash.

[loreleywrites]

Command Zone: The Legends of Ixalan

Ixalan offers ample opportunity to explore, from sailing the vast white-capped sea to wading through the deep jungle bogs. And, like any other new Magic set, it offers new legendary creatures to explore in Commander.

This is a tribal set built around four creature types: Dinosaurs, Pirates, Vampires, and Merfolk. Each tribe gets a legendary creature in their colors at mythic rare, while Pirates, Vampires, and Merfolk get an additional monocolored creature at rare.

Today’s article is going to explore the possibilities of each of these new commanders. It’s a wide-open world for them out there, and each one is eager to hunt/loot/conquer/protect with every ounce of their being.

Welcome to Gishathic Park

No joke caption. I’m just so excited to build a Dinosaur Commander deck.

DINOSAURS.

Now that that’s out of my system, meet Gishath, Sun’s Avatar. They’re the full manifestation of the Sun Empire’s triplicate solar deity, and it’s not surprising that this theropod is a being fit for worship. Vigilance, trample, and haste on a 7/6 mean that as soon as Gishath hits the battlefield, they’re ready to bring the pain. They even have 7 power, the magic number to knock out an opponent with commander damage in only three hits.

The trick is that Gishath costs eight mana. That’s a lot! You’ll want your deck to have plenty of mana ramp (Other Dinosaurs are also expensive to cast.) It also makes Gishath the perfect place for Command Beacon, which lets you get another shot at a (relatively) cheap Gishath when commander tax adds up. Since you won’t be casting this Dinosaur many times, you’ll want to make the most out of it each time. While they already have haste, Gishath still benefits greatly from the protection offered by Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots. Just make sure to find a cobbler that can adjust them a few sizes larger.

Oh, have I not mentioned the part where Gishath brings a bunch of friends along whenever they smash face into an opponent? Because Gishath does that. They’re damage trigger is what fuels them as a tribal commander. You don’t just want to beat face with Gishath, you want to play all the Dinosaurs. And you’ll really need to play almost all of them. Gishath requires you to hit Dinosaur cards with their ability even when you’re only revealing a few cards. In your 99, you’ll probably want twenty-five to thirty Dinosaur cards. Ixalan can support that right now, but there are quite a few underwhelming creatures there. Free cards are still good; don’t let overall Dinosaur quality get you down. Also remember that Rivals of Ixalan will be expanding their roster in just a few months.

If you’re looking for a ramp deck that can spew out more creatures than typical slower decks, then don’t ignore Gishath, Sun’s Avatar. They hit hard on their own and prove that yes, Dinosaurs do move in herds.

[pirate phrase]

[pirate joke]

Pirate puns are pulpier than a dead horse by now. I will not make them. Gonna play this one straight.

You know who plays nothing straight? Admiral Beckett Brass, who loves looting so much that it’s how she interacts with the entire Pirate tribe. Smashing three (or more!) Pirates into a single player’s face is going to be difficult. It’s not like the Admiral is sneaky about it; her ability is right there! Your opponent know what you’re up to. This is where her anthem effect is tricky too; Break Through the Line would be the perfect card is she didn’t help get your Pirates above 2 power!

Flying seems like the best way to take advantage of Beckett’s kleptomaniacal proclivities. Even cards like Levitation solve this problem. And remember, she counts as one of the Pirates too!

Pirates tend to be smaller creatures, so other than the awkward card interactions, the anthem effect is great at helping this tribe compete in Commander. Evasion mechanics like flying and menace also help them chip in for damage. Many of the Pirates in Ixalan have you drawing cards, so expect to be able to sculpt good hands. Consider playing redundant copies of cards that eliminate your hand size too, such as Reliquary Tower and Thought Vessel. Pirates also have you discarding a lot of cards, so you can tap into Black for a bit of graveyard shenanigans.

Finally, Pirates make those fancy new Treasure tokens. Blue and Red have lots of Commander-worthy cards that care about artifacts, so that might be a subtheme you build into your Pirate deck.

Admiral Beckett Brass knows who she is (a thief), but the rest of the Pirate tribe is a hodgepodge of peeps doing their own things. How you put all those pieces together is up to you, but the result is sure to be a flexible, and underhanded, concoction that always keeps your opponents guessing what happens next.

I Vona Suck Your Blood

She is legit Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas.

The Legion of Dusk conquered the continent of Torrezon using the power of the Immortal Sun before it was stolen from them centuries ago. Now they’re sailing to Ixalan’s shores to get it back.

Vona, Butcher of Magan is a war hero from those vampiric wars across the sea. Her new task is to lead the Legion’s conquistadors on an expedition to find the lost city of Orazca, the rumored location of the Immortal Sun. Let’s hope she dies trying.

Five mana for a 4/4 vigilance lifelink already has me excited. Vigilance is one of the best keywords to have in multiplayer Magic, which Commander usually is. Vona gets to swing at your enemies while also dissuading you from cracking back. That also makes lifelink twice as good, as you can gain life on offense and then have the opportunity to gain more on defense.

And if you didn’t get to block with Vona? No biggie. Just tap her and pay 7 life to Vindicate a nonland permanent. This is an ability you’ll probably activate less often than you think. Simply the threat of activating it will persuade your opponents to hold back on their better cards until Vona is dealt with. In the meantime, it’s a great deterrent against attacks. Not only will opponents have to swing into your large lifelinker, they risk a retaliatory strike against their board.

At this point, you might be wondering what this has to do with Vampire tribal. The answer? Not much. Vona is a great card on her own. She doesn’t have to lead a tribal deck. If she does, Vampires have lots of lifegain effects. Use those to fuel her ability.

It’s all a little awkward after Commander (2017 Edition) gave us a bunch of Vampires with a whole other color in them. Edgar Markov is more powerful for Vampire tribal, while Licia, Sanguine Tribune does the whole lifegain thing too. If you want to use Vona, Butcher of Magan as your commander instead, I’d recommend making the most out of her tap ability in order to differentiate her from more colorful options.

Thunderstruck

I’m guessing it’s “thundering waves” thunder, since she’s not a Red card.

Like Vona, Tishana, Voice of Thunder doesn’t specifically interact with her tribe (Merfolk). In fact, the best Tishana decks out there probably don’t run many Merfolk at all. What we have here is a Green/Blue commander that does generic good Green/Blue stuff. You know, like most Green/Blue commanders.

Let’s break down what Tishana cares about. First, her power and toughness beg you to have a lot of cards in your hand. She even alleviates you of your maximum hand size. Thanks, Tishana! Second, she helps fill your hand by drawing you a bunch of cards depending on how many creatures you control (at least one, since she counts herself).

Drawing cards is no problem for this color pair. Whether you draw them over time from Howling Mine or in one shot from Blue Sun’s Zenith is up to you. If you do happen to build a Merfolk tribal deck for Tishana to lead, Kindred Discovery will be one of your best cards. Green has plenty of effects that draw cards equal to the number of creatures you control, which is a thing you’ll probably be working to maximize anyway.

The answer to, “How do I get a bunch of creatures?” is almost always the same: tokens. Green is a master at this, sprouting Saprolings and brooding Insects. Blue is…not as great. It can pump out some Eldrazi Scions (Green can too!), and Homarid Spawning Bed is always sweet tech. If you’re in Merfolk tribal, the new Deeproot Waters can double down on your creature count. Lullmage Mentor is similar, snowballing once you achieve a critical mass of Merfolk.

“Play creatures and draw cards” is fairly open-ended. I can see a lot of different decks being built around Tishana, Voice of Thunder. Merfolk tribal? Tokens? Creature-based control? Her generic abilities give her a ton of flexibility, so feel free to experiment off the beaten path!

Shake Your Booty

Because gold makes a pretty jingling sound.

It’s a shame that Captain Lannery Storm can’t take full advantage of all the Treasure-finding cards in Ixalan. Getting a power boost by doing something you want to do anyway, spend mana, seems like an excellent way to make your opponents dead. Thankfully, Captain Storm is capable of finding her own Treasure.

I love cheap commanders with haste. You can get so many more attacks in with them over the course of a game, which is exactly what this Pirate wants to do. You get a Treasure token whenever she attacks, so extra combat steps are especially profitable.

While you can just sacrifice your Treasure tokens to pump Captain Storm, it’s generally better if you actually give them a purpose. Red has gotten more cards that care about artifacts recently, so that’s a great place to start. Pia and Kiran Nalaar turn that Treasure into extra damage (You cannot use a Treasure to pay for the ability though.) Trash for Treasure can use your Treasure tokens to reanimate much better artifacts (Wurmcoil Engine comes to mind.) Maybe you just want to feed your Ravenous Intruder a shiny meal.

Treasure tokens are also great at ramping you into bigger cards. Using Lannery to crank out more expensive spells in mono-Red is a fine deal. Also, every mana counts for spells with X costs.

I think my favorite thing about Captain Lannery Storm is that she’s a 2/2 that can gain more power mid-combat. Red has a ton of cards that make creatures with power 2 or less unblockable, and those can let her attack in the mid and late game without fear of being blocked by larger creatures. Then you can sacrifice all your Treasure tokens and hit for a whole pile of damage!

Apostle’s Creed

Wow robes. Many humid. Such sweat.

Look, I don’t know why we’re now looking at another 2/2 for three with an attack trigger that creates a token. That’s just how Ixalan rolls, I guess.

Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle is a religious leader in the Legion of Dusk. He’s a mono-White Vampire with a tribal ability, which is a bit awkward since the only mono-White Vampires are in Ixalan. Thus, I think the best way to evaluate him isn’t as a tribal commander, but as a standalone creature that creates tokens when he attacks.

Thankfully for Mavren, he fits into a classic archetype: mono-White tokens. It’s an aggressive deck that wants to fill the battlefield with oodles of creatures. New cards like Anointed Procession and perennial all-stars like Cathars’ Crusade can help this Cleric evangelize his way into leading a bloodsucking army to victory.

I really don’t have a lot to say here. Mavren Fein doesn’t do anything new or original. He’s got unique flavor for the Vorthos fans out there. I think he’s better as part of the 99 in a Vampire tribal deck. But if you like him, then go ahead and build a tokens deck for him. Make sure he’s indestructible or has protection from something so that he can keep attacking. Good luck, and may the quest for the Immortal Sun light your way.

Do the Wave

But also, like, hang ten, brah.

Kopala, Warden of Waves clearly got the 2/2 for three memo. Seriously.

He’s totally aimed at Merfolk tribal decks, granting them a bit of protection against enemy spells and abilities. Taxing your opponents means they’ll have to dedicate more resources to dealing with your threats. That leaves fewer resources available to cast their own threats.

Here’s the problem: in multiplayer Commander games, anyone can deal with your threats. And, as a big-mana format, the game will reach a point where your target tax doesn’t matter anymore. Kopala is definitely geared for play in decks like Modern Merfolk, not Commander. I think he’s an OK addition to the 99 of a Merfolk tribal deck, but I certainly wouldn’t choose him as a commander for one. Especially not when there are multiple legendary Merfolk that give you access to a second color.

Sorry, Kopala, but you’re just not gnarly enough for this format.

Faction Fun

While tribal decks in Ixalan are a nice follow-up to Commander (2017 Edition), not all of these new legendary creatures are restricted to leading their respective tribes. Gishath may want you all-in on Dinosaurs, but Vona is fine just leveraging the broad mechanical identity of her people. Tishana and Lannery Storm don’t even have to command tribal decks at all. No matter how you enjoy playing Commander, Ixalan has a new leader for you.

I’ve already made my plans for Gishath known, Planeswalkers, so which new legendary creature are you looking forward to playing with the most?

[motorizedpitchfork]

The product of this morning’s opening of my first Ixalan boosters. Not bad.

[chiyukiakasuna]

signs i know Mavren is trying to contact me:

-pirate/sea shanty songs all over my YouTube for no reason (well, now that I’ve been listening to them it’s just YouTube’s normal algorithm, but they orignally showed up for no reason)

-vampire and “dark cleric” stuff all over my tumblr dash

-sudden interest in my mind to refresh my spanish speaking ability

[abzanascendancy]

“Do you know of Saint Elenda, criminal?” -- Mavren Fein

Yes, I voiced Mavren Fein! And as a result I’m switching sides to the Legion of Dusk until further notice!

Unlikely partnerships emerge as the hunt for the Golden City begins in earnest.

Original Story: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/race-part-1-2017-10-11

Patreon     iTunes     Google Play     Soundcloud

Voice Credits: Mavren Fein: Abzanascendancy @abzanascendancy Mardia: Jessica Yang https://www.facebook.com/jessica.c.farron Manuel: Biomancer Vona: Sydney “Velolciraptor” Stafl https://twitter.com/TappyToeClaws Navigator: Nova Forsyth Pirate: Liam Wilson https://twitter.com/korybantic Vraska: Maxi Bridgwood https://twitter.com/MarquessM0nk Breeches: Ashe Thurman @pixelsandpins Jace: Isa @ysrnty Huatli: Caitlin Buckley https://caitlinva.wordpress.com/ Tishana: Rachel Shedemah @necromanceher Inti: Junonis @goldnight-catfishgator

Sound Credits: Sound Editing by Christina Eddleman and Grace Nua @formalcasual “Cambodian Odyssey” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sounds from: https://www.audioblocks.com/

[inkytomes]

Getting into Magic The Gathering’s lore after missing out in middle and highschool and I’m loving the range of characters designs. 

Admiral Beckett Brass

Beckett Brass, as captain of the Scourge, earned a formidable reputation for her skills in sword play and enchantment magic. Now Captain Brass has become Admiral Brass, in command of a disciplined, fearsome collection of ships known as the Fathom Fleet.

Tishana Voice Of Thunder

Tishana, the powerful Shaper who claims leadership over every band, can drown a pirate ship or scatter a vampire band with a single word. Her magically amplified voice gives her power that dissuades challengers, but her own people find her a warm and kind elder.

Mavren Fein Dusk Apostle

Mavren Fein is a high-ranking member of Torrezon’s clergy. A powerful man, his voice rings with unshakable authority that makes nobles tremble. Fein seeks Elenda, the guardian of the Immortal Sun, to bring eternal life to his people.

https://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planes/ixalan

[goldstarknight]

Mavren Fein & Vona de Iedo (2022)

Mavren and Vona are my favourite dynamic duo from Ixalan. I kind of got Team Rocket vibes from them in the original story. Now they're bitter political rivals. I'm excited to see how this will play out.

[doctor-roman]

I need to figure out Ian's outfit on Ixalan

[mtgbracket]

Round of 1024 - Batch 2

The second set of 32 matchups is now live for voting!

Today we have two legendary Slivers and two Rat-lovers, Venser, Jhoira, and THRAXIMUNDAR.

Voting is open for one week right HERE.

Full list of matchups:

Sliver Legion vs Trostani Discordant The Mimeoplasm vs Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle Eight-and-a-Half-Tails vs The Haunt of Hightower Alena, Kessig Trapper vs Sliver Hivelord

Sima Yi, Wei Field Marshal vs Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile Llawan, Cephalid Empress vs Liliana, Heretical Healer Oros, the Avenger vs Erebos, God of the Dead Raksha Golden Cub vs Evra, Halcyon Witness

Alexander Clamilton vs Jacques le Vert Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant vs Reyav, Master Smith Venser, Shaper Savant vs Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran Horobi, Death's Wail vs Oviya Pashiri, Sage Lifecrafter

Kenrith, the Returned King vs Kumano, Master Yamabushi Chevill, Bane of Monsters vs Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons Jareth, Leonine Titan vs Riven Turnbull Mishra, Artificer Prodigy vs Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion

Basandra, Battle Seraph vs Anowon, the Ruin Sage Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix vs Haktos the Unscarred Shabraz, the Skyshark vs Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose Vilis, Broker of Blood vs Jhoira of the Ghitu

Ascendant Evincar vs Miara, Thorn of the Glade Thromok the Insatiable vs Patron of the Nezumi Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper vs Drana, the Last Bloodchief Kokusho, the Evening Star vs Marrow-Gnawer

Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin vs Niambi, Esteemed Speaker Triad of Fates vs Rubinia Soulsinger Korlash, Heir to Blackblade vs Dralnu, Lich Lord Grumgully, the Generous vs Yorion, Sky Nomad

Lovisa Coldeyes vs Prava of the Steel Legion Grand Arbiter Augustin IV vs King Macar, the Gold-Cursed Thraximundar vs Timmy, Power Gamer Syr Konrad, the Grim vs Glissa, the Traitor

[vorthosjay]

Let’s Talk About The Flood

It’s back! Magic Story has returned strong with a very character-driven story in The Flood. Fair warning, it has some rather uncomfortable moments from Jace’s memories, including torture. Honestly, though, it’s the best story from a character perspective since Release last year, and addresses basically all the criticisms of Jace’s character.

Flood of Recollections by Magali Villeneuve

"Kumena," a voice whispered from the golden walls. "Kumena the Shaper, child of the Great River, leader of your people. Come set me free."

Could it be? All this time, the golden city was a prison, not a stronghold?

YES.

If you all remember, one of my very first ideas was that Ixalan was some kind of prison. I still love that theory, and knowing that something there was worth Azor giving up his spark to create the Immortal Sun is fascinating.

"There is power here, Kumena. The power that was intentionally designed . . . but also an additional, inert power. A still pond. A mirror in darkness. It can do nothing . . ."

". . . without my own power to reflect," Kumena finished. "Is that it?"

"Follow," said the voice, and the many golden reflections of Kumena's own face echoed it. "Follow."

"Who are you?"

"I am the Sun, Kumena. As you will be. Follow."

This is fascinating. Is this the power of the Immortal Sun? The Threefold Sun? Something different?

I wonder if perhaps the Threefold Sun is merely a reflection of the power of the Sun Empire from centuries before, and if that will change now that others are in charge.

For instance, Blood Sun might be about the Vampires taking control.

"How about two?" she teased. "What do you say, Mavren Fein?" she tossed over her shoulder.

Did she have to use his full name? The full name is meaningless to Kumena and presumably they already know each other so this just feels like a nod to the audience.

The man dropped to one knee. He gripped Jace's hair in a shiny metal fist.

"I'm going to make damn sure you learn from this debacle."

Vraska watched as the man pulled up Jace's shirt and dragged a manablade in long, arrow-straight lines down his back, then one single line down his right forearm. She cringed in horror as Jace screamed.

This is straight from Agents of Artifice. Jace is supposed to be protecting Tezzeret’s mind from Bolas during a negotiation. Nicol Bolas distracts Jace through a mental conversation enough so that he’s able to pierce into Tezzeret’s mind, and they both have to escape his minions.

Upon returning, Tezzeret tortures Jace for his failure.

The shaman leaned over the teenager and drew a line with his finger down Jace's cheek, leaving a brilliant white tattoo in its place. He continued on his chin and arm, and Vraska watched as the shaman diligently painted a braver face on the nervous teenager's own.

She caught a glimpse of the paper the shaman was referencing. A series of symbols was hastily sketched on it—symbols she recognized from this Jace's future cloak. An elongated ring, open at the bottom, with a circle floating in the middle. She wondered what its significance was.

This is new. For everyone wondering how and when Jace got his tattoos, here it is!

Vraska's heart ached. This was so bad, but he was too far lost to pull back the curtain of affection and see the bored cruelty of her intentions.

The entire Fireplace scene is so perfect it hurts. Seeing the relationship through the eyes of an outsider absolutely hammers home how terrible Liliana is to Jace. I don’t want to post more of it because everyone needs to read it.

A distant roar interrupted her. Vraska froze, alarmed by the immense noise in the distance. She stood and stared in the direction it had come from. It was most certainly a dinosaur, but of a size she did not know they could reach.

A woman's face. Her skin was peachy and flecked with freckles, her chestnut hair pulled back from her tired eyes. She was reading to her toddler from a notebook as she wandered the tiny kitchen, excitedly explaining a new healing technique while peeling vegetables for dinner. A peel fell onto the page like a bookmark.

Jace’s mom stuff is pretty heartwarming. That Jace lost this is distressing.

She saw how this mentor had betrayed him, had manipulated and molded him into a tool to be used rather than a student to be taught.

This is a slight retelling of Absent Minds, from an outsider’s point of view.

Alhammarret had ruined him, abused him, torn his mind apart time after time, but what the sphinx was suffering now was a fate worse than death. Alhammarret deserved to perish, but no one deserved this.

This is nice to acknowledge. Jace’s mental abilities are terrifying and losing your identity, in a multiverse where souls definitely exist, is a fate worse than death.

"You're an assassin," he stated as the memory settled into place.

"And a friend," she responded plainly, sadly.

Jace's awareness was distant. He may have found a way to prevent his memories from spilling out again, but he was visibly struggling to his thoughts internally. His voice remained hollow. "Emmara. Nissa. I have so few friends . . ."

Good for you, Jace. With most of your memory back, you know you have no room to judge, and can desperately use friends.

He shook his head gingerly. "It's not all back. There are gaps. I don't remember how I lost my memory, or how I got here."

And here’s the hole presumably Azor is going to fill.

"I would have listened if you had explained why." He shifted uncomfortably. "The people you killed to get my attention back then . . ."

"A murderer, a defiler, and a trafficker of innocents, with names that sounded like planes." She shrugged and shook her head firmly. "I don't regret their deaths, but I do regret thinking it was the only way to get you to listen to me."

"I forgive you for trying to kill me," Jace said softly and honestly in return. "You were doing what you thought was right for your people."

Neither of them could think of anything to say after that.

It’s also nice to address the change in tone from Vraska’s original appearance in The Gorgon and the Guildpact. Vraska isn’t ‘good’, but she’s not a killer of innocents, either. I notice they didn’t address her killing her own minion, though. That might be a retconned detail.

He had gone from child prodigy to spy to victim only to have it all forcibly exorcised from his heart and mind. He had turned, lost and afraid, to people who preyed on the lost and afraid. He had been tortured, ignored, manipulated, and despite it all he was, nevertheless, intact. He had survived.

He was remarkable.

"I've never known a version of myself with my memories unimpaired," Jace said, breaking his silence with weary honesty. "So many people manipulated me into hurting so many people. And sometimes I've done it of my own volition. It was so easy."

We’ve never known a version of Jace like this, either. It’s great to see recognition of Jace’s faults not just being because of what happened to him, too.

"No one ever chooses to be a victim," Vraska interjected. "You are not weak because you were taken advantage of. And the cruelty of what they made you do reflects on them, not you." 

This is a good statement.

"You weren't that out of shape when I last saw you," Vraska teased.

"You're ignoring how often I used to use illusions to make myself look like I was in shape."

Her brows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah," Jace acknowledged. His expression was unguarded, eyes still red from emotion, a lighthearted tilt to his lips. Unapologetically human. He grinned. "I used to be a coward."

He let Not anymore hang unspoken in the air between them, and Vraska caught his smile as he turned to ascend the golden staircase toward Orazca, one strong step after another.

This is both hilarious (because who wouldn’t use illusions to make themselves look buff), and a great turn. The acknowledgement of his own flaws, of his own weaknesses, and his decision to overcome them instead of hide behind them are fantastic. Huge props on the character development in this piece.

[danco110]

“Ready?”

“Do it.”

The vampiric priestess leaned down and bit into her squire’s neck. At the same time, the human lifted a goblet of crimson liquid to her lips and began to drink. Almost instantly, the squire’s skin began to pale. Her ears each grew a fae-like point, and she cried out in alarm just as the priestess set a gilded helmet to rest atop her head.

“What’s wrong?” asked the older vampire. “Let me guess, bit your tongue?”

The squire wordlessly confirmed this with a pained nod, and swallowed the last of the drink before giving a proper response.

“Yes. New fangs. They’re…very pointy.”

The priestess bit back a laugh. “Indeed. So, how do you feel? That blood I gave you should tide you over until we can get you a proper meal, but how are you, otherwise?”

“Good, I think,” the squire answered hesitantly. “Though I would’ve thought, what with how all of you always talked about the curse, it would’ve been…”

“Excruciatingly painful?”

The two vampires turned to face a third who had joined their midst, a youthful-looking woman with an aura of light surrounding her. The priestess and squire immediately knelt in deference to the new arrival.

“Saint Elenda!” gasped the squire. “I-I meant no offense by my statement.”

The saint smirked at her fellow undead. “Oh, stop that. Don’t let Mavren Fein’s sermons about me scare you. Please, stand.”

The two other vampires did as they were told, and the squire awkwardly cleared her throat as she stood.

“Er, Saint Elenda, if I may, I’d still like to ask-”

“We tell you squires that the curse is painful beyond measure, because we don’t want anyone joining us on impulse.”

The squire shrugged. “Doesn’t seem it’s stopped too many of you. Or, us, now, I suppose.”

“…Indeed,” Elenda sighed.

[After Elenda returned to Torrezon, Mavren Fein kept giving his sermons talking the saint up to be a goddess. So, Elenda sat in on the services, interrupting and correcting often to restore her image to that of a well-meaning ascetic, albeit an eccentric one, stemming from her lack of human contact for centuries at a time.]

[abzanascendancy]

In Today’s Magic Story...

The Flood

I’m pretty sure I already used the AZ gif, so I’ll just skip right to the story!

Kumena

Kumena, puncher of the elderly.

Ah, so that’s why he’s using magic, so Granny Tishana can’t find him, the little rascal.

His rivals, huh? Like the Rivals of Ixalan--

Mm, check out those sick blades though! Also did someone burn his head fins when he was a child? They’re looking kinda damaged....

Actually I’m wondering too what’s gonna happen now that Orazca is rising. Hopefully we get a new map by the end of this (as in the RIX story as a whole)

So Orazca was rising when Kumena finds it. Was he not first?

Kumena is laser-focused on the Immortal Sun. The fact that the entire city is made of gold is inconsequential.

Oh no. An inanimate object speaking to people whispering of power? I know it’s not the Mirari, but that doesn’t mean Azor didn’t take some design pointers.

Could it be? All this time, the golden city was a prison, not a stronghold?

Gee, ya think???

No, we don’t know who you are, disembodied voice. Are you Oz? The city does have green jade throughout it....

Side-note, can we get an Oz-like character? One that builds themselves up to be powerful, but really can’t do a lot? Or can only do a lot on their home plane?

"There is power here, Kumena. The power that was intentionally designed . . . but also an additional, inert power. A still pond. A mirror in darkness. It can do nothing . . ." ". . . without my own power to reflect," Kumena finished.

Okay, I think this is very telling. The Immortal Sun is intentionally designed to keep people on the plane, but it can also act as an amplifier of sorts. No wonder Bolas wants it.

I find it very ironic that the Immortal Sun is in the floor. Nice touch, Azor!

Okay, so Kumena does reach Orazca first. He gets the gold medal! Or, well, city I guess. Not that he cares...

OH SHIT IT’S MAH BOY! MAVREN FEIN!

Vona Lisa just hurls Kumena out the fucking window! You go girl!

I have it as my personal headcanon that she just suplexes him out of the window. I will accept nothing less.

Vraska

Okay so while Jace did hit his head, there’s a lot of blood, so don’t trivialize it too much.

...it was a miracle Jace had survived at all.

Ah, the power of plot convenience!

We don’t hear enough about the Ochran, and more’s the pity.

I think being the literal fucking Guildpact is a bit more than a title, Vraska.

Oh shit, son! That’s Zendikar! Kozilek’s handiwork!

I’m questioning the use of this particular artwork of Tezzeret. Do they not have the rights to the Agents of Artifice cover?

Oh shit, she’s seeing him getting tortured by Tezzeret.

I didn’t notice the figures sitting in the bottom center of Gruul Turf before, and now that I do I like it even more.

JACE GOT HIS TATTOOS FROM THE GRUUL TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK COOL. THIS IS PRICELESS!

We'd have torn up the town, she thought with mirth. No bookshop would have been safe.

I want to see the alternate universe adventures of Jace and Vraska terrorizing bookshops.

"This'll hurt like a Rakdos comedy."

I’m guessing that symbol is from Vryn.

Oh shit! It’s Liliana! Bring the popcorn -- this is gonna get good!

Ooh, this is between Eldritch Moon and Kaladesh! Cool!

Okay this got really serious real fast.

I find it funny that Vraska uses that exact phrase, “a bone for the dog”, considering how Liliana referred to him on Innistrad.

Savage Liliana is savage.

So Jace at least told Liliana about Emrakul’s involvement in their ‘victory.’

For someone who hated chess, she sure looked at Jace with the icy scrutiny of a grand master.

I think this says a lot about Liliana.

Vraska is seeing Jace in an emotionally abusive relationship. Girl tell him Liliana ain’t right for him!

Was there anyone in Jace's life who hadn't tried to take advantage of him or his talents?

Don’t sell yourself short, Vraska.

HALLELUJAH! HE REMEMBERS VRYN!

Oh... I wonder if Jace will mistake Azor for Alhammarret... this could get ugly...er.

This description of Alhammarret is... very disturbing.

OH. That’s where the symbol came from. Jace’s symbol is Alhammarret’s collar.

Yeah, he’s remembered Vraska too. Let’s see where this goes...

Okay so Jace hasn’t remembered Nicol Bolas yet. Yet.

Yes, they’re apologizing to one another! This is such a simply beautiful moment.

"Do you remember the last three months?" Jace nodded. He smiled tightly. "It was the best three months of my life. "Vraska dared not blink, lest the spell of utter honesty between the two of them be broken. "That Jace is one of the best people I've ever met."

Ours too, Vraska, ours too.

I’m just loving this simple heartwarming moment between the two of them. No romance, no drama, just good feelings.

"You're ignoring how often I used to use illusions to make myself look like I was in shape."Her brows shot up. "Seriously?"

SERIOUSLY???

Now THAT is a damn good story! Let’s get the relevant plot out of the way, and then go on to the meaningful stuff, the good vibes and feelings! Wonderful! I love it! It was worth waiting 10-ish weeks for this! Really feeling like we’re back in the swing of things!

But will Vona’s hunger conflict with Mavren’s desire for salvation? Does Tishana catch Kumena as he’s flung out of Orazca and give him a harsh scolding? Can Angrath and Huatli make it through Orazca without one of them going nuts? What does Azor think about all this racket? And where’s the bae? WHERE’S SAINT ELENDA??? Tune in next time!!!