#we need more of graveborns

[theproperweirdo]

Now wtf does that have to do with the religion rewrite? You may be asking because, oh boy can I make yapping side quests likes I was born for it

That pretty much is just a result of the previous two points

Old religion/history was kinda “non-politically correct” + shallower -> we need a new backstory -> add a new minor god that the Maulers can worship, one that further aligns with their cultures and traditions

This decentralization of Dura also explains Misarte and the wilders. After all if we’re tossing the Maulers a new deity what’s one more? This story choice can help make the factions more distinct culturally as religionous culture is very important in AFK, but is also just a bit more interesting for inter-faction relationships. Specifically for example Atalanta and Lorsan’s reoccurring arguments during the deer spirit quest where Lorsan’s religious beliefs in Misarte conflicts with Atalanta’s religious views.

Okay ngl i totally forgot what the bullet points were so hopefully i got everything ;-;

Also a good analysis!

I was also a fan of adding lesser gods to the game, but I wasn’t a fan of how it happened. The way they had factions have their own beliefs, practices, etc, was really cool and the cultural influence was awesome for world building

However, they never make any actual distinctions between Dura and co. In game. I had to learn off this site that they were different 😭😭 The reason Everyone worships Dura is because of her kindness to Esperia. She convinced the celestials to give mortal magic, so they could fight for themselves. Humans, thankful to her, started worshipping her the way we see now.

But this is also why Annih, god of death, renounced his own divinity. After humans got magic, they started rapidly modernizing. Jealous of the attention Dura had, he whispered to human mages that there was a way to achieve divinity, and become immortal like celestials (This is when the cradle of truth happens). Obviously he was lying n shit, but the mages believed him and went at their lil experiments, creating the Ya.

The Ya become maulers. Then, filled with anger towards the lightbearers, they declared war on them. It lasted FOURRRR CENTURIESSSS 💀💀💀 The hate and negative feelings from the war is what created hypogeans (Hypogeans exist everywhere! They develop from disarray and hatred) but they aren’t unified at the time. It’s only when Annih brings them together to launch war that they become a big threat.

This was me yapping but my point was that; they should’ve explained why these lesser gods exist and how. Religion in Esperia is the result of Dura being the only nice god (for a while at least) and the fact that other gods got fucked up 😭😭 Before the Dawn star era (current time period of Esperia in Arena) Dura is the only god if we aren’t counting celestials, but the factions all have their own stories, interpretations, and gifts from her. I felt like that’s what made her special, that she became like a separate god to each faction despite being “one god”.

Ngl I’d be mad if they erased Annih totally and gave the graveborns their own god 😭😭 that’s get rid of so much story

[rosaharazu]

AFK JOURNEY IS AMAZING

Okay, I'm really new to tumblr.

But I really want to voice my thoughts out regarding AFK Journey, an ethereal fantasy RPG game.

I will assume everyone who sees this post has played the game, so I won't refrain from spoilers. Currently, I am at the chapter after Vaduso Mountains, and have yet to enter. Just met Temesia and Lucious.

So, I will start with the game building itself.

I think the game being a strategy game where you fight 5vs5 thing, is a really unique thing. I've never played games like Genshin Impact, or Wuthering Waves, or Honkai or any other that I cannot list, but I'm pretty sure that you fight one at a time.

But AFK Journey allows you to fight using 5 characters at ONCE. Not only that, but it you can even AUTO PLAY. and I REALLY should work on getting myself to play manually just for practise.

Furthermore, I really like the fantasy setting.

It is so perfect for someone who genuinely wonders what it's like to live in a fantasy world. And I think while the world is possibly smaller than Genshin Impact, it somehow feels so big. Golden Wheatshire, the Dark Forest and Vaduso Mountains, they're all so natural to a fantasy setting.

The towns are also lovely. I liked when we reached Ivoryshade and Bryon being hit by a woman and he's like HELP ME.

Okay, next up is characters.

I think what makes AFK Journey more fantasized, is the fact there's factions (like races), that are COMPLETELY MADE UP. Yeah, you have the Lightbearers(humans), Wilders(hybrids), Maulers(double hybrids?) and Celestials.

But Graveborns and Hypogeans? That's COOL!

It's like, you could've regarded Hypogeans as Demons, but NO. They made a whole new word for it. (or maybe I just lack knowledge)

Speaking of characters, give this game a big thumbs up for using the word variety to a next level.

Every character you owe is just so unique, it almost feel like they're actual people. A young merchant with a duck. A maniacal jester who is never serious. An old granny with a living staff. TWO. HAMSTER FAMILARS AS YOUR SIDEKICK, one a KNIGHT and one a MAGE.

Maybe I need to do separate posts regarding each faction or something. ( I CAN'T WAIT TO TALK ABOUT PHRAESTO)

But the highlight for me that got me playing this....is our beloved MC, Magister Merlin.

Safe to say, I think in the cannon, Merlin is a man, as the character Merlin in AFK Arena is a man. And it really comforts me that we can choose Merlin's gender in AFK Journey.

Merlin is the usual overpowered MC troupe I guess, and that would've got me leaving. But no.

THEY MADE MERLIN HAVE AMNESIA.

The moment Dolly (we need to give Dolly a lot of credit, she's barely in the story) mentions Merlin being forgetful again, it kinda clicks your brain, that Merlin is just as clueless with you, THE PLAYER. It just allows you to experience Esperia along with Merlin. Both of you are just so confused.

How does this world works? Who am I? Who are my allies and enemies?

It made me feel like I'm Merlin myself, and over time, the name Merlin doesn't even sound weird as a girl. It just, grew on you. It's like the name Charlie can be both for male and female.

I just adore Merlin, both male or female.

NOT TO MENTION YOU CAN CUSTOMISE THEM.

Yeah, that's the whole reason I played the game. By customizing your character, it really feels like you're a part of the game. A part of their world, Esperia. I feel like I'm in my own fantasy world, and I thank Farlight Games for being such an amazing team and creating this game.

It's just right. It's just beautifully right.

(I hope this is a good post for a first try...)

[charonarp]

Okay, I got a plan that'll save my mentality. (Warning: There are many words)

As much as I'd like to make NPC sheets of official characters, like Gene, Laurence, Garroth, Zane, etc., that would just take WAY TOO LONG and might even end up with me not wanting to finish the damn project. (Also, some people might think certain characters wouldn't have certain abilities, so to keep it headcanon friendly, it's best if I didn't make sheets of them. also also, balancing is difficult)

SO, instead I'm going to make NPC sheets of generic NPCs, things that don't exist in official content and need to be created separately.

This includes Shadow Knights. There'll be two variations of Shadow Knights: regular and awakened.

"Regular" is when someone has just become a Shadow Knight, or someone who hasn't killed a lord or enough people to become "awakened" like Gene.

"Awakened" is when someone does kill a lord or slaughtered thousands, like the main characters we know to be Shadow Knights.

I might make a few extra sheets (likely separate) to add extra entities that don't exist in MCD lore, so it'd be optional material. It'll be NPC sheets created for things like the Skulk or the Creaking, stuff that my brain has decided to vibrate towards but would hold no influence on official MCD knowledge.

I had this fun little idea that, if there was Skulk influence in MCD, it'd be kinda similar to Shadow Knights, but in a more "parasitic" way, and could be a potential threat to "regular" Shadow Knights to be "infected" by or something.

(If you've played AFK Journey or however, they are kinda inspired by Graveborns, but not directly influenced by).

On top of this, while I'd like to make artwork for the Divine Warriors and generic Shadow Knights for tokens or reference material, I'll make that a separate post here on Tumblr, with both a pre-made token and full artwork.

Art's been a struggle for me lately, and I'd love to get this pdf out this month if possible. It IS nearly complete on an information standpoint, and some people might view Shadow Knights and the Divine Warriors differently than I do, so I want to keep my personal depictions separate so that it doesn't feel "definite".

I also thought about adding "premade player characters", but decided to scratch that out. It was mainly gonna be an example of "this is how this information would be used", but decided that it wasn't really necessary. I might just post some of these character ideas as OCs inspired/based off the function of the guide and MCD.

I might add some plot hook ideas, such as "here's an idea for an adventure in this setting", but nothing like a module, but I'm not sure. Might keep that separate too, but we'll see.

Hydrate!

[bippityboppity69]

So I have an idea for an OC, they are called Annih's Gardener. Strange name but they are not a Hypogean, they are a Graveborn. More specifically a Graveborn Botanist. (This is long story BTW. It's their backstory and I will warn you there is a lot of death but it's got a happy ending.)

Originally, they were a Wilder who was a Botanist. Think like Solise but they are not a Flower Whisperer. So how did they become a Graveborn? A case of wrong time, wrong place.

They had been collecting some strange looking flora when they had been ambushed. Last thing they saw was a sword and BAM, nothing. However, that wasn't the end. They ended up getting revived but they still had their free will.

So now we have a Wilder turned Graveborn with free will. What do they do? They realise they are basically immortal and decide to dedicate their undead life to the study of Botany. After all, they have eternity now!

Years pass and by now, they have one of the most expansive and well hidden greenhouses. Right at the edge of the Wilders Forest (why would they leave? This is their home.)

Now there is a downside to being Graveborn. That is that their body has been decaying, slowly but surely. Which they do not like so they started researching for what they could do to stop/prevent this. Until one day, they were looking over their Sundew plants (It's a carnivorous plant, they're really cool.) And had a brillant idea!

Why not use their plants to help?

This led to some... experimenting. They used their body as a garden. Vines replaced lost muscle. Plants that can detect touch (Sundew, Venus Flytrap,etc) were used in place of skin. Slowly and surely they turned themselves into a greenhouse.

One day, another Graveborn arrived. A giant who was mostly bone, but he had come looking for this "necromancer." Well, there was no necromancer around, only the Gardener. After a lot of confusion and talking, the Gardener agreed to help them.

More vines and different plants and bam, there's another Graveborn who is a walking garden. They leave and the Gardener is alone... Until the Graveborn comes back with another. The process repeats and this time, they ask to stay.

Why? It's peaceful here. There is no fallen king screaming demands, no giant eye. It's calm and kind. It's a safe haven for Graveborns who cannot get to the Isle of the Banished.

Soon, word kind of gets out. Grant (the giant Graveborn) and Ivy (the second Graveborn) help guard their new home. The Gardener takes in those that need it and for those who threaten them... Well bodies make fantastic fertilizer and their plants are always hungry.

One day, an odd visitor arrives. A human woman, who collaspes crying, begging for help.

"Please. They've taken over my village and have accused my child of being a Hypogean!"

They calm her down and bring her to the greenhouse to get the whole story. She explains that she is the wife of the Mayor, her name is Izzia. Two weeks ago, a group from the church had come to their village. They said there had been reports of a Hypogean? So, the village offered them lodging and anything they would need.

"That was the worst mistake we made."

These...monsters were tyrants. They demanded money, they demanded women, men. Everything. And if they were denied.

Hypogean.

Burned at the stake.

"Yesterday, they saw my child with our family heirloom. A little silver necklace that my grandmother had gotten from the archbishop. They demanded it and my, oh my sweet little Layla, she refused. They acc- accussed her of working with a Hypogean. She's only 9! Please, we need help. I know the church will not help, they are the problem. I heard you helped people and... Please help us."

This was the first time someone who wasn't a Graveborn had asked for their help. The Gardener asked to talk with Grant and Ivy, they wanted their thoughts. What did they think?

Grant wanted to help, he seemed quite distressed by her crying. Said it reminded him of a memory he couldn't quite place. Ivy agreed, so it was set. They would help Izzia as best as they could.

"Thank you." She sobbed. "My village is a three hour walk from here."

The Gardener followed her through the forest, Grant and Ivy close behind. It was clear which one was Izzia's village. Charred skeletons and burned bodies hung from stakes. Not even the vultures touched their bodies.

Izzia knew the names of every single one. Some were friends, some were family.

"They say that Dura guides them. Why would she do this to us?" She looked away from the stakes. "Is this truely her will or do they simply use her name to justify this?"

The village was dead silent. No dogs barked, no birds sang. The air was heavy. Ivy and Grant both mentioned that it felt like the Court of Terror.

"They're in the church. They're always in the church."

Izzia pointed to the chapel, fear in her eyes. The Gardener stode ahead, they had seen enough. They always helped those in need and this place, these people needed so much help.

Wooden doors were pushed open to reveal a horrifying sight. Dried blood on the floor and walls, shackles stained red. A child tied to a stake, sobbing and crying for Izzia, her mother.

"This child is working with a Hypogean!" A priest screamed. "Dura shall cleanse this sinner with her holy light!"

Grant bellowed a name, not one of the child, but of someone else. The church fell silent then more screams. Of monster, of Hypogean, one heard above the rest.

"MAMA!"

Grant rushed forward, people scattered to not be crushed. Pulling little Layla from the burning stake, holding her close. The priest screamed then fell silent as vines wrapped around his throat. Ivy rushed at the guards, not letting them get close.

"Layla!" Grant handed the child off as the Gardener walked towards these...monsters.

"You say," They spoke, voice soft as petals in the wind. "You work for Dura? You do this in her name?"

Plants grew around them, green and vibrant. Flowers bloomed between thorns, colors filling the church. The villagers merely watched in shock and awe.

"You say this is Dura's will?" The crack of trees rang in their voice, the rage of the forest. "To kill these innocent people? To use them for your own selfish gains?"

The priest choked and flailed as they were brought closer.

"Then consider this her will as well."

*CRACK*

And the priest was no more. Silence rang before a sob came from Layla. Villagers stood up, gazing at the three in awe.

"Who are you?" A man whispered.

"I am the Gardener." They stated.

"Did Dura send you?" A timid voice asked.

"She send those monsters to us!" A woman hissed. "No, you...had to be send by Annih. You're Annih's Gardener."

More voices added to this name, sobbing and thanking them. Asking what they needed. They didn't need anything. They were only helping.

"Can you stay?" A tiny voice, little Layla asked. Holding her hand up to Grant, "You remind me of Papa. I miss him."

"...Stay?" Grant asked, voice rough and unused. He looked at Ivy and the Gardener. "Home?"

Eyes gazed at them. Silently begging them to stay here. Izzia stood up before clearing her throat.

"We don't have much, but..."

"You do not need to offer us anything." The Gardener stated as they walked outside. Flowers bloomed in their steps. Their touch brought green to brown and black. "This garden needs help and I am the Gardener after all."

Life came back to the village, but even after, the Gardener never really left. Ivy took to patrolling, to protect these people and help train them. Grant became a common sight, usually with Layla and a few other children running around him. Laughing and smiling as flowers bloomed on him.

Time did pass, but still they stayed. More Graveborn came to the tiny village and soon the Gardener moved their greenhouse there permanently. The living and undead lived together in this peaceful garden, flourishing and working together.

And if more from the church came, well they always needed more fertilizer.

(If you guys want little descriptions of Grant and Ivy. Grant is built like Ogi but he has bull horns. His ribcage is exposed but vines are wrapped around them. On his shoulders are bushes that are filled with little white flowers.

For Ivy, they are very slender and fast. One arm is actually not there. It was just bone so they now have a giant thorn that acts as a sword. Along their spine is a trellising vine that helps hold them upright.)

[gameinfoxtbr]

About The AFK Arena

About The AFK Arena. Regardless if you are passionate about gaming or if you just desire a game that lets you relax without constant engagement AFK Arena is the right fit! Nearly 200 heroes and amazing artwork set this game apart from mobile RPGs. In AFK Arena players can explore a stylish world where advancement persists without needing active involvement. We should investigate what makes AFK Arena a favorite option among players around the world. 🛡️ What is AFK Arena? Developed by Lilith Games AFK Arena is a unique RPG where you can earn rewards passively. "AFK" stands for "Away From Keyboard," which highlights one of the game's key features: You'll receive prizes and enhance your characters even if you are not engaged in play. Players find a simple yet difficult journey in AFK Arena where clever tactics secure rewards and the requirement to repeat tasks is reduced.

GameInfoX 🔥 Collect and Upgrade Nearly 200 Unique Heroes An exciting feature of AFK Arena is its large collection of over 200 heroes from eight unique factions: Wilders. Maulers. and Graveborns. Distinct abilities and synergies exist within each faction; this lets you create effective strategic teams. No matter what approach you take in battles there is a hero that will suit your needs! - Factions: skills together from various factions provide you an advantage in the heat of battle. With faction boosts you will prosper and ascended heroes will eventually take control of the arena. - Hero Ascension: In gameplay, you'll gather duplicate heroes that you can use to elevate them and reveal their genuine strength. Check out the AFK Arena Tier List to learn which heroes are currently the most powerful! 🎨 Breathtaking Hand-Drawn Artwork & Captivating Animations AFK Arena features remarkable illustrations that are a highlight. All graphics and fights are skillfully created to captivate gamers in the vibrant realm of Esperia. The creatives behind each hero showcase their charm: take the bold strength of the Maulers and join the Lightbearers with their ethereal charm. The dynamic animations are responsible for making all fights lively as warriors unleash strong strikes in breathtaking displays. People can enjoy watching this as much as they enjoy participating in it. ⏳ Idle Gameplay - Earn Rewards Even When You're Away! 💤 Tired of grinding? In AFK Arena players can still advance when their devices are not turned on. As you depart your heroes engage in battle and collect resources as they gain levels for you. Upon coming back into the game you obtain all of the earned experience points and rewards simply.

GameInfoX - Idle Rewards: You obtain items and gold points through the idle reward mechanism. You obtain these rewards each time you log in for easy and continuous development. - Instant Progress: In contrast to most titles, you do not require long periods of gathering resources. Adventurers receive benefits for wise decisions instead of spending hours away. ⚔️ Strategic Gameplay - Easy to Learn, Hard to Master While gameplay is simple to understand players may find the strategy difficult to fully grasp. Although the gameplay is easy to understand AFK Arena presents multiple strategies for those craving a more complex gameplay. Putting together a lineup of powerful characters and using their strengths can lead to success or failure. - Campaign Mode: Fight your way through countless levels, facing new enemies and unlocking rich lore as you progress through the world of Esperia. - Labyrinth & Dungeons: Explorere difficult dungeons filled with strong enemies intending to provide high-stakes and potentially rewarding encounters. - PvP Arena: Face off against competitors and witness how your team does in confrontations. Look into this AFK Arena Game Guide for better strategies for improving your gaming experience. 🛠️ Latest Updates and Events To keep AFK Arena lively and engaging Developers at Lilith Games are updating it continuously. Always new heroes and events are pending as the developers continue to improve. Ensure you don't skip new Updates in AFK Arena to take advantage of the greatest benefits or rewards. 🎁 AFK Arena Gift Codes - Get Free Rewards! Many seek out free rewards. In AFK Arena giveaways often include codes that give away resources including diamonds and hero scrolls. Using these rewards can improve the capabilities of your team for free. Check Gift Codes for AFK Arena for the newest active codes and discover incredible rewards! 🤝 Create Partnerships with Other Fans. In AFK Arena multiplayer gaming allows gamers to form guilds and collaborate on strategies while facing strong guild bosses. Engaging in a guild brings numerous rewards and access to special assets like the Guild Wars. By teaming up with fellow players you create a more vibrant gameplay experience filled with community and goal-oriented strategies when trading heroes and providing guidance.

GameInfoX 📊 AFK Arena Tier List - Which Heroes Should You Focus On? In AFK Arena not every hero performs the same. Some prominent characters possess remarkable talents while others might find it hard in specific modes. In the ever-changing meta of this game some characters strengthen their abilities while others weaken. Explore the AFK Arena Tier List for the most updated list featuring the strongest heroes. 🌟 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. How often does AFK Arena release new content? Regular additions of events and new heroes grace AFK Arena. Make a point to check out the ongoing AFK Arena News. 2. Can I play AFK Arena without spending money? Yes! You can play AFK Arena for free and still achieve success. The auto-play options guarantee that you can improve even as a 'free-to-play' user. 3. How do I get more heroes in AFK Arena? You will find you can gather heroes via hero scrolls or diamonds or by engaging in events. You can swap heroes with members of your guild and elevate them for enhanced actions. 4. What are AFK Arena’s factions? The game features eight factions: Lightbearers are apart from factions such as Maulers and Wilders along with Graveborn and more. Each faction showcases particular heroes who possess specific virtues and limitations. 5. What are the best heroes to use in AFK Arena? If you want the latest info on best heroes in AFK Arena visit the active AFK Arena Tier List. 6. Can I use gift codes in AFK Arena? Yes! Codes allow you to claim rewards for nothing. Find the newest codes by examining Gift Codes for AFK Arena. 🌟 Conclusion: Download AFK Arena Today! Desire an unforgettable journey through an idle experience? Featuring remarkable aesthetics and challenging gameplay options AFK Arena is suitable for every type of player. If you want to collect resources or build your dream team in Esperia you will find excitement around every corner. Don’t wait - Download AFK Arena now and begin your adventure with continuous growth! Word Count: 1,000+ Read the full article

[mysaldate]

Are you enjoying the Noctis Animarum shorts from AFK Arena's YouTube channel so far?

Oh absolutely! It's probably the best video series they've ever made! I can't wait for more of it!!!

I think it's really fitting we started off with Baden since the trailer video kind of made it seem as though he is the only one of the Tainted that we'll have in this series. His drive to stay in the light despite his circumstances creates a lovely contrast to today's video which saw the Graveborn who embraced the darkness of undeath.

Also, Daimon got another song! Woo! You go my sweet child! Even if Desira kind of ruined the end of it for him but that's okay, they all have their baggage. The animation in each part was pretty different and very fitting to the story as well as the character who was telling it, I definitely need to make a full post analyzing it because I have SO MUCH to say!!

Aaand they finally pronounced Baden's name correctly lol.

[seashoreshell]

I still find the whole "they reunited for the first time in many years that day in the desert" so very strange. The reason their interaction goes as it does is said to be due to the urgency of the situation, but it's still so underwhelming. Why was Thane, somebody who had spent all his time after Baden's death in bottomless grief and guilt, not more shaken by this revelation? Why did he mention Baden so casually in his letter to Estrilda? How did he immediately recognize him despite Baden's drastic appearance change, while also believing Baden was long gone. It's strange.

However, that's only the case if Thane didn't know about Baden's situation at all, and so my working theory is this: Thane knew Baden had come back as a Graveborn long before their actual reunion.

It would explain a lot if that's the case. In Solemn Vow, one chapter mentions that Thane had to leave the frontlines because he received a "crucial lead", and if this crucial lead was connected to Baden it implies that Thane was already at least suspecting that Baden had returned, and that he was looking for him at the time. If that's the case, it makes me wonder just how many people knew. In Solemn Vow Estrilda doesn't elaborate on what this crucial lead is connected to, but neither does it explicitly state she has no idea. The only thing she says is that it was "imperative that this lead was investigated with all haste".

(Cropped to save your dash)

Then there's the question of who passed this information to Thane, and how many people knew about Baden. Thane didn't seem very concerned about keeping it a secret. Not only did he write it in a letter, Estrilda wasn't the one to read it. The maid who did wasn't depicted as particularly shocked about this revelation (her reaction isn't shown at all really), so she might have known about this too.

Then there's Baden's side in all of this. Did he know that Thane was looking for him? He's unable to return to the empire, but that doesn't mean he was completely unaware of Thane's current status. I wouldn't be surprised if Baden had already sought out ways to keep an eye on the Rayne family, especially with the "- still misses and cares about the Raynes terribly." From what we already know, he never returned to the empire himself, so he would've needed somebody else to pass that information to him. The only things we know of how he spent the years until then is that he had previously been to the Island of the Banished, that his current, pre-disaster residence is Shadowworm Maw (although I don't know if this is an incorrect translation or not), and that he at some point met Respen and is now traveling around searching for a way to stop the disasters.

From the way it's phrased, it seems unlikely that they had communicated at all before this. However, the text doesn't outright confirm it. "There was no time to catch up after years of separation". For all we know, it could mean "catch up in person", and that they had reached out to the other through letters or middle-men. If all of this is true, then it's not so strange that neither reacted more strongly. Especially if they were both aware of the other, and intended to meet up again one time in the future. They just didn't expect it to happen in that time and place.

[m0thisonfire]

HOLY SHIT IT’S HIM THAT BOI!!!

Ancient AFK Arena Oc I had since the game came out, Caramele the undead circus Ringleader.

Revamping his backstory as I go, he’s my boy, my pride, since 2019. He’s worming his way into my brain.

Looking back this man honestly used to be some beanie boo I made because I wanted to be different and cool. But now I see he was just a soft man who was not fit for a Graveborn type life. So I’m completely 180ing his personality. He’s still a kind moral man protecting people, he’s just not being a punching bag anymore and is taking that more bloodthirsty Graveborn take.

Original Caramele: oh no, uwu imma do my best, but im not sure (⋟﹏⋞) *gasp* you can’t say that! That’s the f word!

New revamped Caramele: Howdy Hypogeans, It’s me, your bane of existence. And so, as we snuff these candles, so do we snuff your presence in this world. *blows out candle* You Fucking Wimps.

New Caramele to literally anyone who isn’t Graveborn or a living person in need of help:

[eldritchocs]

where we left off

( PREVIOUS )

in the cities of The Divide, the miles-deep hole that cracked open the earth hundreds of years ago, lie several sprawling cities built into the cavernous walls. tonight, we focus on two.

on the middle layer of The Divide lies the industrial powerhouse of Umbris. founded by the Albescu family and still run by it, Umbris was a city of invention since it's very first days. Now, it's filled to the brim with aspiring inventors from all around and is one of Hezal's beacons of progress.

not all is perfect in Umbris, as this city, almost always ticking like the gears of a clock, chokes on the smog of it's own inventors and the cities above it. over the years, it's become overcrowded, and with it came The Plague.

this disfiguring plague sweeps through Umbris, it's fellow kingdoms of the middle divide, and even the kingdoms of the layers below it. umbris itself is hit the hardest. it's lower to middle-class population is almost entirely wiped out. grieving families turn to necromancy to bring back their dead, causing a massive rise in the population of graveborn.

the west-most side of umbris is given the nickname "The Gravekeeper District," as a small amount of laborers living there are quarantined and forced to dig the graves for the mass amount of plague victims. necromancers flock the area, looking for bodies or spare parts to continue their work, of which is in high demand currently.

it is here in umbris we find Lepite Mortion, a vaguely familiar face. working as a mortician amongst the gravekeepers, lepite is more notably known amongst the gravekeeper district for his "miracle elixirs," with have been noted to be able to heal one of the plague, and most other ailments that one can befall-- even death itself! just a single gold piece!

trust him, he would know. he doesn't look it, but he's graveborn himself! ( its already hard to tell what race he was in the first place-- a fiendling and drow mix-- and even harder to tell that he had been dead! ) raised back up from the grave ages ago, staved off the decay and rot most graveborn experience with his own elixir!

just don't ask how he makes them.

( MORE ART UNDER THE READMORE! )

"why are you hesitating? you need to begin your search for mellot again immediately."

"i just had one more question about your son, lepite?"

"what about him?"

"what happened to him?"

"one of my patients killed him. he was a doctor here, just like me. she murdered him as she was escaping the asylum."

"oh..."

"even worse, after we buried him, someone stole his body. five days after his funeral, we found the grave desecrated and torn apart. empty."

"did you ever find his body again?"

"no. now if you are done pestering me on such unimportant matters, i suggest you get back to finding mellot."

"and what about veroni, sir?"

"it seems she's already failed her mission. kill her if she tries to intervene."

no one is quite sure where this plague comes from, but many have looked into it. quite a few people trace it back to an old asylum on the east side of umbris. this asylum is looked over by the brilliant drow man Dr. Kalill Stockam. Some suspect that he had a hand in creating it, but that would just be silly, wouldn't it? After all, Dr. Kalill and his young rabbitfolk nurse, Alma, worked very hard to create and release a cure almost immediately! sure, it costs an arm and a leg and only the upper class of Umbris can afford it, but that's just how it goes, isn't it? after all, dr. stockam has more motivation than just the money and fame his vaccine brought him! that's what the public says, at least.

those in the lower divide tend to silently disagree.

Mellot Mariam, founder of Miss Mellot's Sanitorium for the Mentally Alternative, poses for a portrait with her dear friend Veroni Harlow and their godson, Varian. The three of them are all survivors of this plague, and have been working on finding and making a cure that will be obtainable to all walks of life.

the kingdom of Evaria exists in one of the only habitable zones of the lower divide, as what little light reached this far down into the earth is blocked out by the cities above them and the smog they've created, and evaria is the furthest from these. the warmest and brightest of these barren, perpetually dark lands, evaria is a city founded by and filled to the brim with vampires. this kingdom is responsible for almost the entirety of plant life and sustains both itself and the two other kingdoms of the lower divide, who were unfortunate enough to get stuck living in the uninhabitable zones.

this is where a few familiar faces live. Mellot owns and runs her own sanitorium for those who need it, inspired by her own mistreatment at the hands of a different asylum. her facility is easily one of the most respected for it's humanity and proper medical practices, a rare commodity for mental hospitals in hezal in this time and era. she has recently re-united with a former lover of hers, also a victim to the previously-mentioned "different asylum." funnily enough, they were victims to this plague several years before it reached the public. mellot herself died from it, only escaping from the pits of bodies after awakening as a vampire herself.

the two women hold their tongues about what happened to them. they know what happens if they don't. they know if they bring the horrors they were subjected to by the hands of Dr. Stockam to light, he'd find them. he'd find them and use any means at his disposal to silence them.

so they build their case against him in secrecy. the discovery of Varian was certainly a huge break in the case, a child born of Dr. Stockam and another patient, who mysteriously died after giving birth and who's child vanished from thin air. sadly, the young wererat doesn't recall much from his past, but he does carry the plague with him, allowing them the chance to study it up-close and work towards releasing their own cure.

but these aren't the familiar faces you're quite looking for, are they?

how about...

does the name Whovyx Derati ring any bells?

tonight, this young fiendling inventor returns to his library after an... eventful night with another man named Verion. you knew him by another name, but their back-and-forth relationship is one you know very well.

tonight, whovyx derati returns home to his library to find his lovers waiting anxiously for him.

"o-oh. you're still awake... heheh... i thought you would have gone to sleep by now... this is kind of awkward..."

"we... we were worried! you said you were only going to verion's for a few hours! it's been three days!"

"...has it? heh... oops... i guess i've been walking around with this on me for a while, huh?"

"are you bleeding? what the fuck happened to you, whovyx? who did this? i'll--"

"we need to get him inside right now, he's delirious-"

"i-it's fine! it's not mine! heheh! i'm sorry, i probably s-should have started with that! i didn't-- i didn't mean to startle you, hehehe--"

"...whovyx, what did you do?"

"it's just-- i think-- i think you may have been right when you said zerion didn't really love me, haha..."

oh. maybe we should come back to this one a little bit later. they seem a bit busy.

how about... ah! yes! we did leave this one on a bit of a cliffhanger, didn't we? let's play a little catch up.

leaving evaria, and heading all the way down to the deepest layer of the divide....

this city was not even graced with a name. people simply call it "The Beneath." here is where dead things go to rot, where those who have fallen from grace wind up, where creatures who have never once before seen the surface world of Hezal make their dwelling. The Beneath is not much of a kingdom as it is much as a shanty city built amongst the sewer systems of the various kingdoms above them. It exists in pure darkness, but life here still booms-- albeit much more twisted and strange, as the very magic that runs through the earth itself leaks out through fissures this deep into the earth-- much like the deep sea of our own world.

here, a twisted circus run by a member of the fae court suddenly booms in popularity with the addition of two new members.

"the modern era of necromancy is just spectacular, isn't it? these poor things were found dumped into our water systems, bodies broken and nearly sawed in half. they weren't citizens of the beneath, either, so they must have been dumped there from somewhere above. gods know how long they fell."

"either way, it only took a little 'speak with dead' spell here and a 'reanimate dead' spell there, a few healing spells for good measure, and they're good as new! and yes, they insisted they stay connected! that's not the interesting part, though. they can tell your future! all you have to do is join them for tea!"

now coming to Lunaan's Spectactular Sideshow of the Strange and Unusual are two twin girls, conjoined at the shoulder. at least, they were, before they died, but the circus-goers don't need to be made aware of that fact. they quickly become a popular attraction amongst the people of The Beneath, who are fascinated by these two young girls with the power to tell one's fortune through tea leaves. people flock to the strange twins to say hello, grab a cup of tea and have their fortunes read.

the graveborn girls, named Lottie and Lollie, don't stay long at the circus, however. after only a couple of months, a triton man by the name of Sentry Terros shows up to the circus and rushes to their tent, revealing that he is their father, and that he had been kidnapped and held hostage by the same woman who had murdered them. thanks to his bold escape and the help of a clever detective woman named Peyton, they managed to track his daughters to lunaan's circus.

both the reunion and goodbye is filled with tears as lottie and lollie re-unite with their father, and bid the circus that had graciously sheltered them adieu.

what they don't realize is that at home, someone is there waiting for them. someone's who's been waiting a long time to re-claim what she believes is hers. when she found his home, she had originally intended to simply take sentry back, but finding miss peyton there, Skeela Albescu Vaiska Kiseleva decides to have a little bit of fun with the detective that stole sentry away from her before he returns.

( banging on door ) "peyton? what's going on in there? are you alright?"

"you're an idiot, vaiska."

"oh, please enlighten me."

"you got so distracted by torturing me you forgot to think about what'll happen when he finds out about it."

"and what will he do?"

"hey! who's in there with you? peyton!?"

"he's going to kill you."

"heh."

"vaiska!? open the fucking door!" ( pounding against the door continues )

"eheheheh..."

"why the fuck are you laughing?"

"AHAHAHAHAHA--!! you stupid girl! you've gotten so distracted trying to fuck him you forgot who controls him!"

( sound of door cracking & breaking )

"he's not going to kill me. he can't!"

"VAISKA!"

"he's going to kill you! isn't that right, my dear sentry?"

"...what the fuck did you do?"

"sentry! sentry, wait--"

"ardency."

"......."

"didn't you hear me? i said ardency!"

"...."

"s-sentry?"

"............."

"Блядь."

[zonkutonshorrifyingpeenie]

Also can we just talk about how there's apparently an entire necronomic university slap bang in the middle of the larger Graveborn territory complete with its own factional divide and rivalries? Cause I feel we need to talk about this

Like, is it a university in name only and all the Graveborn there are just doing their own thing in the communal spaces? Or are there actual studies and classes going on?

How severe is the divide between the Spiritualists and the Alchemists? And what would make a new necromancer qualify for each? Is the rivalry unspoken or have fights actually broke out?

Silas very clearly states that he's of Alchemist persuasion, but what of Niru? Would he count more as a Spiritualist for his techniques, or would he also side with the Alchemists due to his medical background?

And if Niru is a Spiritualist, how do think the conversation went when Silas asked him to help rebuild Izold? Or did Niru instantly drop the rivalry because damnit he's a doctor and someone needed help?

And also, what of the thralls that Silas, and all other necromancers onsite, have created? Is there varying levels of sentience with individual thralls? Are they assigned tasks suited to their "intelligence"? Or are they essentially kept as some sort of livestock?

I have so many questions...

[inventors-fair]

First Name, Last Name, Occupation Commentary

You guys really swung for the fences for this one. I was inspired to run this by fun little cards like Cat Warriors, Goblin Assassin, and Dragon Turtle. Cards that do one type by way of another. You guys, for the most part, tried to get as weird as possible, more akin to Urza’s Saga. I purposefully left it open ended to allow non-creatures, but I did not expect about half the cards to be a type other than creature. Some people in the Discord tried to break the rules even more than that. Personally, I wish there were more simple creatures, but I’m happy with what I got.

So without further ado, here’s the commentary! They’re alphabetical by submitter’s tumblr name or preferred credit.

@alextfish​ - Fractal Fish

Holy moly that’s some fish, visually and mechanically. So let me try to parse this: the first time, you attack, get two fish, then next time you turn those two fish (which hopefully also got in for damage) into two counters. So every other turn it doubles the number of counters, assuming you get in with it every time. At a minimum, it’s a little Tana/Living Hive that can’t be used moe than once. It feels weird for this effect to be in blue, though I get why from a flavor perspective. This does feel like a fish, though, and it definitely feels like a fractal. This card feels top down, which is fine, but I’m just not super into it. It feels unnecessarily complex for an effect that you probably only want to trigger once, maybe twice. I still think it’s really cool.

Allie - Urza’s Treasure

It’s a bit of a stretch to have a land named “Urza’s Treasure” but it’s less of a stretch than urza’s saga, so you’re good. The idea of a treasure land in general is cool to me: it’s worse than Tendo Ice Bridge and Aether Hub, but the artifact synergy is notable. Then we get to the last ability: this card is a mox opal. Or maybe a glimmer void? There are a lot of comparisons, but I don’t know which is the most appropriate. A land that effectively doesn’t tap for mana unless you have metalcraft seems awful, but I’ve seen enough affinity to know that that won’t slow it down a bit. So this is essentially a card that’s only good for broken decks, and honestly, I don’t think they need the help. I think the fact that it’s so all or nothing is a bit of a deal breaker. Every part of this card is either massive downside, massive upside, or both. You could argue that makes it balanced, but I’d argue it just makes it broken. I also wish the “Urza’s” part of the typeline played into it more, but I realize the type doesn’t have much of a mechanical throughline.

@arixordragc​ - Warrior Dragon

Ooh, a bold choice. Dragon Warrior and Warrior Dragon send two completely different feels, and this one is definitely the cooler one. Six mana 6/6 flyer is a good rate, but not so good it doesn’t get good abilities. The abilities it gets are a ghostly prison and two circle of flames. I really like how they both have a similar feels: 2 damage and two mana. However, I think the two abilities are att odds. If you need one, you probably don’t need the other. If your opponent has a lot of 1/1 or 2/2 creatures, they won’t be able to pay 2 for each them, and if they do, they’d just die. The damage does have a little bit of meaning, though, because if they attack with a big creature you don’t have to deals as much damage to it. I also just would have expected a warrior dragon to be more offensive than defensive. This feels more like a guard or defender rather than a warrior. So it might be better to have one be offense and one be defensive. Perhaps one ability could affect blockers and one attackers? This is a good card, and a cool set of effects, I just think it needs to work on multiple angles. I also think this could be a rare: it’s not so powerful you wouldn’t want it appearing more often in packs, and it’s not too complex.

@bread-into-toast​ - Zombie Mole

I like the flavor of a zombie mole, since it’s already in the dirt. I do think this sounds better than your original entry, Graveborn Mole, but I think the old one told a more complete story. The card itself is pretty neat, it’s a classic red black aggro card with a big body and a risk payoff. There’s some stuff I don’t like about it. First, sacrificing a land is one of those things that players don’t realize how bad it is for you, so this could lead to a lot of players screwing themselves over, especially if it’s as uncommon. Second, the fact that it can be recast with it’s own trigger, such as when you attack, sac a land, let it die, and then get it back because you had a land die is a bit too synergistic, especially because it gets him back untapped. This means that you have a 5/5 on turn two that if you somehow get to kill by blocking they can just pay two to save and untap it. Again, at uncommon, this is very strong, even if the downside is also very strong. The design as a whole is pretty cool, but I think it’s going to lead to a lot of unhappy players on one or both sides of the field. As a final note, I really liked that you put some art direction in the submission (for those at home, it said “Mood: a giant undead mole attacks, startling the giant (living) moles and miners around it”). It’s a cool way to get a lot of the benefits of art without having to make your own or go hunting.

@charmera​ - Giant Golem Knight

I think the name here is pretty close. It feels a little awkward to say, but I’ve seen worse. The card is a little weak and a little poorly templated, but nothing that can’t be fixed. For the templating issue, I think telling a player they can’t do something then telling them they can in a different place doesn’t work. Cards like Manor Gargoyle that do this just remove Defender. Since this also says can’t block, though, you’d need something different. I might suggest just changing it to “~ can’t attack or block unless you sacrificed an artifact this turn.” It would power it up just a little in the process, but I think that’s called for. A 6 mana 6/7 is not really above the curve, and the activated ability is hard enough to activate that it doesn’t really pump up the power level of the card as a whole. Vigilance also seems weird on a card that needs to pay to both attack and block.  I could see a specific format being able to break this card, but as something you’d see in a core set, it would need a lot of support to see play. I really like the design and concept, it just needs to be rebalanced a bit.

@col-seaker-of-the-memiest-legion​ - Arcane Trap

So, this one is interesting to me. The base rate on this card is good. Glimmer of Genius and Glimpse the multiverse are both super playable and both have a little something extra. In this case, the little something extra is the trap text, and the idea of repeating this card with arcane spells is pretty enticing for the decks that would play it. But there’s something missing here: the trap text doesn’t feel trappy. It’s a bonus, sure, but if you look at all of the existing traps in the game, the difference between hard casting and trap casting is usually massive, sometimes the entire cost! This instead reminds me more of “gotcha!” from unhinged, where the punishment for a player doing something is that you get a card back from your graveyard. It also doesn’t feel very trap-like because it doesn’t punish a player doing the trap-thing. Usually if an opponent is drawing cards it’s a good idea to out-draw them, and splicing helps with that, but it’s not like this is the “ha, you fool!” card that most traps are. It’s just a little bonus. Like when your opponent adds to your storm count. Functionally, I think this card is cool and feels unique, but doesn’t quite feel like it’s representing its types well. Also, nice job giving trap card art to a trap card.

@davriel-canes-tea-supplier​ - Hellion Demon

You did this for the pun and you know it. Demon straight out of hell...ion. I’d love to see what this guy would end up looking like (not gonna dock points for that or anything, just on my mind). So first, the templating. You don’t need to tell them to sacrifice a totla of X, since X is undefined at that point. You can just say “you may sacrifice any number of creatures. If you do, ~ gets +X/+X until end of turn and deals X damage to target creature you don’t control, where X is the total power of creatures sacrificed this way.” I also might suggest swapping it to a reflexive trigger, AKA swapping “if you do” with “when you do,” which means your opponent will be able to respond after knowing what you sacrificed. Right now, you could target one of their creatures on attacking, then they wouldn’t know what you’re sacing to do it until after they decide if they want to protect their creature. Then again, maybe that’s for the best, since it would also mean if they bounce their own creature in response, you don’t have to sacrifice anything because it wouldn’t do anything. And actually the trigger would be stifled anyway because it has no targets, which is awkward if you were planning to just use it as a pump. What I’m trying to say is that this card has an incredibly complex trigger with a lot of pieces going on. I think it might be worth it, though, because this is a cool effect. A mix between a fling and a nantuko shade effect. It’s a really cool concept, but it’s doing so much that it doesn’t do a great job at mimicking either, and in the end I just wish it had two different abilities that were linked or something easier to parse.

@Deg99 - Instant Trap

Okay, this is a silly card, and I’ll judge it as such. The blue = water is flavorfully pretty fun and funny, but color hate is always going to perform a little weird. But traps are famous for that! Usually, though, traps care about colors if they are built to be good against that color, and in this case, maybe? I don’t know if casting a free trap is particularly good against blue, so I’m firmly putting the trap text in trinket text land. The card itself does exactly what you’d expect. It tutors and plays a trap. Instantly. None of the traps in the game are super powerful, so you’re kind of avoiding the usual tutor issue of always searching for the same card / having exactly one tutor target that’s good. This is especially cool because the traps are by design extremely situational, so having this as a toolbox option is actually kind of useful. I think you’d usually end up getting needlebite trap, lavaball trap, or maybe mindbreak trap because it would be good in the matchup anyway. As a whole, this card is both kind of silly and kind of cool. I like it, but I wish there was some way to make this more interesting.

@demimonde-semigoddess​ - Droning Licid

Wait a second, did you just make licids make sense? Putting bestow on a licid makes it feel just like a licid. Turning drone into droning is pretty clever, though you got the types backwards on the typeline. Granting abilities not on the normal creature is something we saw just the barest amount of bestow cards back in OG Theros block. The eldraziness of it I wish was more relevant. I love the idea of using colorless as the alternate cost, since colorless is sort of treated like a bonus, not a given, especially in limited. But the two abilities need keywords. I played that block a lot, and even I kind of forgot what they did. It’s also weird that it grants devoid, but doesn’t have it itself. You could have even given it a colorless mana cost, since nothing it does is particularly black. Every ability on the card was in every color (yes, even devoid, you know what I mean). If this was a purely colorless card it’d be cool, but it’s fine in black. This card has a lot of things meant to make other things easier (enchantments for constellation, devoid for colorless matters, ingest for processing, bestow for heroic), so I’m super curious what set this would go in! But in a normal set, this is just a really weird card. I still think it’s neat, and again I’ll reiterate I’m happy you made a sensible licid, I’m just a little confused by its existence.

@dimestoretajic​ - Hag Fish

A hag fish is a real thing, and a hag that is a fish is what we have here. This card seems pretty powerful. It’s somewhere between a thallid and a tendershoot dryad and an ant queen. I wish the slime counters had some other use, like granting hexproof or unblockable or something. It would up the power level, which I don’t think this card needs, but it would make it feel more like it was slime on her rather than slime coming off of here. On a grander design level, I think this card requires a lot of paying attention for very little benefit. You get slime counters quickly enough you’ll rarely run out of them, but you will just often enough that you do. The tokens have evolve, which is a hard trigger to remember some times, especially on tokens that you might not have printed versions of. Plus, putting dice on tokens is also hard, since some players use dice for tokens. So while the card’s flavor and concept is pretty cool, I think it’s too complex for how simple it wants to be.

@fractured-infinity​ - Treasure Goblin

I’ve been told this is a reference, but sadly I don’t get it. Instead, I get golden goblins. The fail state on this card is still pretty good. A 2/1 haste for two mana ain’t nothing! And just using it as a bad skirk prospector can be useful too. I like the utility of it, too, in that once you are unable to attack with it as a 2/1, you can sacrifice it for mana to power out a flying dragon or something. This card isn’t super exciting, but it certainly gets the job done.

@gollumni​ - Gold Drake

Gold: the long lost parent of treasure. I didn’t even know that it had been errata'd to be its own artifact type. Anyway, the card itself is a reference to gilded drake. It even got hit by the card Gild! However, gilded drake is a super broken card! This is worse in the sense that it costs one extra mana and you ramp your opponent, but the artifact typing makes it easier to tutor and cheat into play, or to kill. Also, the way the last ability is phrased, I think you can sacrifice it to the gold ability and still get your opponent’s creature. If it said “exchange,” it wouldn’t, because exchanging needs both things in play. So this is a three mana permanent control magic that gives you one mana back immediately. I don’t think that was the intent.

@grornt​ - Skeleton Samurai

Now that is a skeleton samurai! It reanimates itself like a skeleton, it bushidos like a samurai. Three mana feels pretty good for it, since it fights as a 4/3. Now, normally, skeletons enter the battlefield tapped, but I understand not wanting to do that here. After all, it’s got bushido, blocking is a huge part of that! But the reason cards like this enter tapped is to stop you from blocking with it every turn and stonewalling your opponent. But how often is that? Well, this is where it gets tricky. Depending on the standard format, losing life on your own turn is either something you have to build around or effortless. In formats with shocklands, painlands, fetchlands, or even a single mana confluence, you’ll be casting this essentially for free. So assuming it’s in something like current standard, where it’s a little tough, maybe this guy is okay. I just worry about a 4/3 blocker that can’t be easily killed. But I guess that’s why you put it at rare, which was a good choice, but I think almost every player would be disappointed to find this creature as their rare. I do love the name and effects of this card as a pair, but I think it could lead to frustrating games.

@helloijustreadyourpost​ - Phyrexian Druid

This card has a lot of style and flair, but I’m a little cautious of it. A good comparison point for this card is Oasis Ritualist. Both can tap for one mana or two mana but at a higher cost. The mana cost and body are an important difference, and I think might balance each other out, as well as the fact that the phyrexian can only tap for green or green black. I do like that it implies that the set leans black, which feels right for return to new phyrexia. I’m having a little bit of difficulty judging power level: the life payment doesn’t really power down the card that much, but we’ve seen double ramp at 3 mana before, albeit never this versatile or at common. Still, maybe it’s fine in 2021 magic? After all, this is new phyrexia we’re talking about. Speaking of, I like how the life payment mimics phyrexian mana, and specifically phyrexian black mana. That’s a cool bonus for experienced players. I think this is a very well designed card, but I’d be very scared to print it unless I was certain there weren’t any green 6 drops at common that would be oppressive to the format when played on turn 3.

@hypexion​ - Skeleton Knight

Undead in white are something I wish we���d see more of. The idea of duty extending beyond life feels super white, but is only ever represented in spirits. But here we have a skeleton! I like the base body, and it does feel pretty skeletonny, though the knight aspect is a little weak. Vigilance is cool but at 1 toughness I don’t know how often it will be able to attack and still block. The reanimation clause is also a little funky, since it returns it to play on attacks, but doesn’t put it into play attacking as I’d expect. It’s also odd that it comes back tapped, though for gameplay reasons I understand. You don’t want to give players a creature that can block for free every turn. Templating-wise, I should also bring up that there needs to be and “if ~ is in your graveyard” between the words “knights” and “you may.” I’m using cards like Auntie’s Snitch and Master of Death for reference there. My final thoughts on the card is that it’s fine, but the two types don’t mesh as well together as I had hoped.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ - Spirit Shade

What a strange little creature. Shades are weird, because their signature ability is incredibly powerful and they need a pretty big downside to make them balanced. In your case, tying them to swamps is pretty clever! They already like swamps because of their heavy black costs, so this is a cool way to reinforce that. I still think this is pretty aggressive for a common, but I might be being a little too cautious. My bigger complaint is how awkwardly the sludge counters feel. This is a creature who’s already going to be tough to track since it’s constantly changing P/T, so having counters on it that change a bunch is a lot of complexity, especially at common. If there were also +1/+1 counters in this set, this card would be impossible to track in paper. I also think I would have preferred the name the other way around, but I’ll admit that’s a preference. I like this card in general, but I wish it were more player-friendly.

@loreholdlesbian​ - Sand Elemental

Sand is a creature type not a lot of people expected, but I have a friend with a Hazezon Tamar deck so I knew. It’s a really clever answer to the prompt, especially since you’re using the word “sand” as an adjective, but it is still also made out of sand! A colorless 3 mana 3/2 is good power level for a common I think, and the ability on it is tough enough to make work that it doesn’t push the card too hard. The fact that it’s asking you to pay 7 mana also means that, so long as you have at least a few deserts in your deck, you’re probably going to have one in play or in your graveyard. The graveyard clause fits the theme of other desert cards, but I don’t know if you’d need in a theoretical future set with deserts. Their inclusion in Amonkhet block was mostly so players wouldn’t feel bad for cycling their deserts in the early game. But hey, maybe that’s just what deserts are now! So as a whole I think this card is pretty well designed, if a bit bland, but it works well with the theme of the week and possibly the set it's in. Good work!

@morbidlyqueerious​ - Nightmare Spider

This card has a lot going on. The name feels okay. It’s a little odd, but it works in context. The ability feels creepy and scary, which is both a nightmare thing and a spider thing, but a spider without reach will always feel strange. As the for the ability, it needs a little work. There’s some strangeness with the revealing. It only really matters during a multiplayer game, otherwise just revealing every draw would be simpler and save some text, which I think this card needs. Second is the split payment: you lose 1 life, but you also pay two mana. One is optional, one isn’t, and one is 1 and one is 2. I could see this getting confusing to players. I could see swapping some things around to either make them all optional, all life, and/or all 2’s. Lastly, and this is the important one, this card isn’t fun. WotC is pretty solid on not wanting fateseal effects in the game. It makes what is already a frustrating part of the game (the variance of topdecking) into a more frustrating part. Because of the mana payment, is also means that both players will probably end up doing nothing on their turn. The fact that it can’t hit lands is actually kind of odd. Often that’s what you’ll be doing with this card anyway: forcing them to draw lands. I also sort of wish you would have swapped the P/T. I know spiders usually have higher toughnesses, but I’d like this card if it were easily killable but would end the game quickly if it really did take control of the game. Plus, the fact that you keep losing life regardless of if you pay the two means this kind of has a downside that would be more fitting on an aggro card. So while I think it fits the theme of the contest pretty well, and flavorfully it feels very nightmarish and spidery, I worry that it’s too complex and could lead to frustrating games.

@nicolbolas96​ - Urza’s Fortification

This is… a weird one. So, you have made a land that can attach to other lands. I would be much more okay with that if it couldn’t still tap for mana. As is, it performs more like soulbond, since both things can still do the same stuff, they just get a little better. I’d also like it to turn off the original because the ability it’s granting is bonkers. Paying three mana to turn a land into a tolarian academy is an incredibly low cost. The land itself being an artifact also means you don’t even get the normal downside of tolarian academy not tapping for anything if you don’t have another artifact. You can even attach it to a land, tap that land for mana, then use some of that mana to tap another land. This means once you have four other artifacts, each of your lands tap for two mana or more. Being legendary and coming into play tapped isn’t enough of a downside for that. This would be strong even in a modern horizons set. I will say this: I do love the flavor. This really feels like an Urza’s land, which is not easy to do. The idea of a land that moves to other lands and is also a machine somehow feels cool and flavorful, too.

@nine-effing-hells​ - Constructed Cleric

Remember when they printed an artifact cleric in Guild of Ravnica and no one knows why? Well, here’s a robot cleric that feels more clericy. The name is a great fit, and I love the flavor of it. The twobrid mana symbols are a cool way to make it feel more artifacty, but I think they weren’t particularly necessary. No one is going to play this in a colorless deck, and splashing for it doesn’t seem worth the effort. The difference between 4 and 8 mana for the activated ability is huge. So yes, I think this card would see play almost exclusively in mono-white decks. And how is it there? Pretty good! Granting lifelink to your whole board every turn is very powerful, it makes it nearly impossible to race, but you do need at least a bit of a board. I think this is a solic card in a lot of decks, pretty well balanced, so far as I can tell, and the only real issue I have with it is how weird the twobrid is in it.

@pocketvikings​ - Hamster Advisor

What a pleasant little fellow. Not something I’d normally expect to see in MtG, but I’ll let it slide. I wish there were some flavor text explaining what he’s advising me on. Is he just telling me not to eat my food? So this card is very similar to the card Tajurur Preserver, what with being two green and preventing sac effects (primarily a counter to annihilator), but this guy has the upside of making a food but the downside of turning off your own food. I might suggest using that card’s templating or Angel of Jubilation’s templating. Maybe “You can’t sacrifice permanents or discard cards to activate abilities,” then on another ability the text from Tajurur preserver but with discard added on. It seems strange to see this card at uncommon, since it feels mostly like it’s protecting you from very specific effects that may or may not be in the format. It’s actually a pretty big downside in some decks, like turning off fetchlands, and of course if you’re playing this in a food deck you won’t want in play for long. That’s cool, and we’ve seen that on some black cards like Priest of the Blood Rite. I think this card feels out of place in a lot of formats and a lot of decks in particular, but I’m interested in the implications of it.

@partly-cloudy-partly-fuckoff - Aetherborn Angel

This is one I didn’t see coming, but not in abad way. This feels like a natural name, and immediately conjures an image in my mind. The fact that both angels and aetherborn are sort of non-natural creatures makes he combination feel fitting, but them being opposites of the color pie and origin intrigues me. The card? It feels alright. Artifact matters seems pretty aetherborn-y, though that’s mostly just because they're in Kaladesh. Counters feel pretty angelly, but that’s usually just because white has +1/+1 counter themes all the time and big white creatures are often angels. What I’m trying to say is that while this does feel like it’s an aetherborn angel, it doesn’t feel like it’s THE aetherborn angel. But I still think the card has a place in whatever set it’s for. It seems powerful, and I like that it’s usually the best place to put your counters, but has some utility, plus I’m sure there are ways to go infinite, but when you’re paying seven mana for it that seems fair. I love powerful commons because there’s nothing saying a common can’t be powerful, just not complex, and while this does add a little strategic complexity, it’s not gonna burn any brains. This is a well made card.

@reaperfromtheabyss​ - Goblin Knight

It sure is. This feels pretty right on the money, not just because the name feels real and the creature types fit well, but because the text on the card feels like how a goblin would be a knight. They aren’t particularly any better at fighting or better equipped, but it at least can scare some people or keep them at a distance. I very rarely ever say this but I think there was room for flavor text here. I’d like to know how this goblin got in this position, and what they’re doing to stop creatures from blocking. The cost also seems great, perfectly in between fervent cathar and voldaren duelist.

@shootingstarhunter​ - Island Turtle [the 0/4]

One of two island turtles this week. So it’s a 0 mana 0/4 (or U if you count coming into play tapped as paying a cost). I think with literally no other text, that would be a pretty cool card, if a touch strong. There’s also the issues with land creatures, which there are some weird rules for that mostly just annoys judges more than players. However, you decided to put on some… interesting text. It can turn another land into a creature, one with a little bit more power and toughness. That seems… okay? I think if it had just said something like “Adapt 1: sacrifice a land” it would be almost identical mechanically but far, far easier to understand. I think you made this card to fit a very specific idea you had in your head, but I think you needed to step back and look at the final card and see if there was some way to make it simpler, or if not, what that extra complexity would get you.

@snugz​ - Island Turtle [the 0/2]

Interesting. I like the simplicity of it on the surface. It’s just a Dryad Arbor but with a little more toughness, and it’s blue. A 0 mana 0/2 is on curve, I think, though I don’t know what kind of deck would want it. It doesn’t block anything but the smallest of creatures, which decks you’d need to block against probably aren’t playing. But it can chump, and doesn’t die to 1 damage from stuff like Chandra Pyromaster or Goblin Chainwhirler, so that’s something. The reminder text is appreciated, though the “isn’t a spell” feels less necessary considering the first line, but reminder text can be there anyway! The first line I feel like is trying to fix something, but most of the issues with land creatures are about integrating them into the comprehensive rules, which Dryad Arbor is already forcing WotC to do. But I guess it has it’s uses here and there. Rules aside, I think this card is fine. Like I said, I’m not sure what decks would want this, but it’s unique enough I think someone could find a use for it.

@starch255​ - Enchantment Class Saga

Oh boy, what did I do to deserve this? First, the elephant in the room, no one at wizard’s would ever call this Enchantment Class Saga. Is it supposed to be the story of a class about enchantments? Mechanically I guess it’s at least tied to everything. I don’t think I have to tell you this is too complicated. This has more words on it than a pack of homelands. I also don’t know if it’s phrased right, because we don’t even have the comprehensive rules for classes out yet. Setting X to a certain number at the top of the card also may or may not work? We’ve yet to see a saga with a static effect like that. I also think just playing it and waiting till turn four to level it up gives you a crazy amount of advantage, digging 4 cards deep every turn if you have another saga, plus getting through those sagas even quicker. I’m having an extremely difficult time judging this one, but I can at least say it’s too complicated, and that’s enough to keep it out of the running.

@thedirtside - Treasured Clue

This is a really cute card, but I don’t think it quite hits the mark (pun intended?). One mana for a treasure is kind of weird. We saw a lot of people thinking like that for a while with golden goose, which generated a mana on turn one and rarely did anything else, but let you ramp out a three-drop on turn two, and doing this on a colorless card just feels kind of dangerous, especially because being common means you could crack two on turn three for a 5 drop two turns early. But I also like the combination of the two types, since if you don’t need the treasure then you probably need the card. Reminds me of the Horizon lands. The name is also really close, better than some this week, but feels kind of forced. I wish there were a little more you could do with this guy to make him worth tacking on an extra mana. As is, it’s just a little too swingy to be fun.

@wolkemesser​ - Orgg Hag

I actually had to double check to see that these were both existing creature types, but lo and behold, they were. And they’re both pretty thematic! Orggs are just like big 4 armed goblins, and hags are I guess like witches? But now witches are warlocks. Anyway, the card. I think it’s alright. Trample feels very Orgg, lifelink feels haggy, but that last ability just seems odd. Orgg itself had an ability that cared about size, and the sort of curse flavor of it feels haggy, but it just feels so out of nowhere. I feels like if you removed the white mana in the cost and the ability it would feel just as appropriate a card. Humility in general also has a lot of rules issues that don’t really make them worth it unless they are on big, swingy cards, which this isn’t quite. Still as a whole I think the card is perfectly fine, but a bit off for this week’s contest.

~

And that’s everybody! If you want to get a hold of me, you can contact me on the Discord. Thanks again for entering! Good luck next week!

-Mod Mr. ShinyObject

[gretelsfifthcousin]

The Setting Sun: transcript

(Transcribed directly from the game, errors included.)

Sunsetton is a fairytale town with fertile soil and bountiful harvest located on the southern fringe of the Black Woods. More fabled than the town itself is the local Captain of the Guard, Snault. He was an upstanding and brave soldier possessing incorruptible faith. He was once Hogan’s loyal subordinate, but because of his excessive integrity, Snault came to offend many people. In a military power purge, Snault was transferred far from the garrison, and has since been Captain of the guard at the town of «Sunsetton». Snault is not only a great friend to Lucius, but also a faithful believer. Since childhood, the Divine Light shone favor upon their friendship. Thus, having heard news of Snault’s apparent disappearance, Lucius summoned all his courage to request that he accompany General Hogan on his investigation in Sunsetton.

Transcript under cut.

Lucius: General, we’ve arrived. Sunsetton is just ahead.

Hogan: Right. Snault is my former subordinate, you and I both know his character full well.

Six months ago he suddenly cut contact with the Temple, so we’re here to figure out what’s going on.

Lucius: I’ve no clue on his current status… First thing’s first, we should find him and speak with him.

Log: I have come with General Hogan to Sunsetton to track down a comrade that’s been out of touch, Guard Captain Snault.

-

Hogan: The town is nearby, I never expected a Graveborn ambush so close… Seems this is not going to be an easy ride, Lucius.

Lucius: General, did you come running because you’d already surmised this would be the case?

Hogan: Just an inkling. When you’ve a lot of experience, even the slightest whiff is detectable from a distance.

Snault is a fine lad, and supremely capable, but he’s got a tendency to jump the gun… His over-eagerness has always worried me.

-

Scout Post: A scout post located outside the town.

Sunsetton Guards: Thank you! I was sure I was a goner…

Without the Captain around, everyone’s struggling with the Graveborn…

Lucius: This Captain you speak of, he wouldn’t be called Snault, would he?

Sunsetton Guards: Huh? How’d you know? Do you know the Captain?

Lucius: We’re from the Temple. Snault hasn’t been in contact with us for six months, so we’re here to investigate.

Sunsetton Guards: So that’s how it is. We’ve been searching, too… The Captain suddenly disappeared one day, not a hint of warning he would. Even his nearest and dearest didn’t know where he’d gone.

Hogan: We’ll take a look around town, please lead the way.

Sunsetton Guards: Sure. Please, help us out here. After the Captain vanished, the whole town’s been on edge, and now even the Priest is going out of his mind.

Log: We rescued a young soldier just outside town. According to his description, the situation in the town may be worse than we anticipated.

-

Smithy: A smithy that provides the army with much needed resources, several mysterious visitors can be found within.

Mysterious Witch: Snault, that fool…

Sunsetton Guards: This peculiar woman has been lurking nearby for a long time, and even though the town is on the verge of collapse, she still sticks around.

Lucius: Madam, you mentioned Snault a moment ago, do you have any idea where he went?

Mysterious Witch: I don’t know where he is, but… I do know how to end his suffering.

Bring me «Unlife Essence» and a «Stone of Rot», I’ll repay you with a gift.

Log: The mysterious witch asked us to bring her Unlife Essence and the Stone of Rot. She was vague and seemed to know something about Snault, but wouldn’t elaborate.

(After clicking the Smithy once more)

Without the [Unlife Essence] and [Stone of Rot], the Mysterious Witch cannot help you.

-

Church: A place that gives the townsfolk faith.

Insane Priest: … Hah, hahaha, the Divine Light… The Divine Light can’t save us now, don’t you realize?

Sunsetton Guards: He’s deranged.

Insane Priest: Well, don’t you? Once the sun goes down and darkness falls, death will bring our salvation!

Lucius: Have you any clue about Snault’s whereabouts?

Insane Priest: Snault? Who’s Snault? ...Isn’t that him there?

Log: The priest is crazy, mumbling about a «ray of hope», mentioning «amulet» and «token». What do these things have to do with Snault’s whereabouts?

-

Dwellings: Common residential housing.

Sunsetton Guards: The Graveborn have already destroyed dozens of nearby villages, we’ve got refugees pouring in from all over. It’s all going downhill…

We may not have the Captain with us, but we can’t just sit back and wait to die…

Captain Snault had been leading defense against the Graveborn with Battering Rams, I wonder if they’re still usable?

(After clicking the Dwellings once more)

The homes of normal townsfolk, warily they keep an eye on you.

-

Battering Ram: A powerful ram that has enough power to move gigantic stone balls.

(After clicking the Battering Ram)

The Battering Ram is broken, it can’t be used.

-

(After clicking the enemy camp before the Military Maintenance Dept.)

Common Enemies: These are the enemies that have infiltrated the town. Defeat them in order to rescue the engineers at the Maintenance Dept.)

(After clicking the Military Maintenance Dept. when there are still enemies aroun)

The surrounding Graveborn watch you with eager eyes.

(After defeating the enemies around the Military Maintenance Dept.)

Military Maintenance Engineer: Thank the gods for your help, I thought I was surely going to die…

Log: We saved several maintenance engineers from a Graveborn ambush. With their help, the Battering Rams outside the city were repaired.

-

(After using the Battering Rams to shoot the stone at the town, breaking the wall and decimating the Military Maintenance Dept.)

Log: The town’s walls damaged by falling stones gave the Graveborn ample opportunity to attack this long sought-after target.

(The Church is turned into an enemy camp, though you can obtain the Purification Stone regardless)

-

(After using the Battering Rams to obtain the Floating Chest.)

Floating Chest: It seems there’s something floating on the lake?

Sunsetton Guards: What’s this?

Lucius: Don’t touch it, it’s imbued with a potent unlife essence, it can corrupt human minds.

Hogan: ...It would appear that it was deliberately dumped in the lake and barricaded to keep it out of reach.

Log: Obtained: [Stone of Rot], can be used to craft [Fellblade]

Stone of Rot- Elite Relic (in bag): It is bursting with magic, but gradually erodes the bearer’s soul. The first allied hero to use their Ultimate ability is able to recover Energy. Can only be used once per battle.

-

Wooden House: The forest ranger’s abode.

Log: There’s not a soul around, but there are traces of something strange in the mountain cabin.

-

Commander Center: The town’s command center and Snaul’s place of residence.)

(After defeating the enemies surrounding the Command Center)

Sunsetton Guards: This is where the command center used to be… and where the Captain lived.

People rarely come here since the Captain vanished.

Lucius: (Notebook discovered)

This is… Snault’s handwriting.

«… This is the ninth wave of Graveborn we’ve repelled this year… Without support, my men and I can’t hold out any longer… I have no choice now but to take a risk… If the legend of that mountain treasure is true, there’s a chance I can turn things in our favor… hopefully.»

Hogan: Mountain treasure? What…

Soldier, where are the supplies and reinforcements the army allocated to Sunsetton? Didn’t they arrive?

Sunsetton Guards: No… We saw hide nor hair of any reinforcements…

Hogan: As my subordinate, Snault often rubbed folks the wrong way, he was too by-the-book for a lot of people. I never imagined that those same people would be unwilling to send him aid after he transferred to the sticks.

That’s just going too far!

Lucius: (Silver amulet discovered)

A Divine Light amulet. There’s no way he’d have abandoned this…

He must’ve been frantic…

He’d lost faith in the Divine Light, that’s why he put his hopes in some mountain treasure!

Log: Obtained [Divine Light Amulet], can be used to craft [Purification Stone]

Captain���s Token- Elite Relic (in bag): In addition to conveying a Captain’s status, it is a powerful magic item. All heroes take -25% damage.)

-

(After clicking on the Dwellings at the east end of the town)

Lucius: (The refugees who had fled this place from neighboring villages became mindless Graveborn, howling dreadfully as they lunged at everyone.)

Sunsetton Guards: How can this be… All the people the Captain and his men died protecting… They’re here…

Lucius: Unlife essence has totally consumed this place. Get back friend, you should leave, everyone here is now Graveborn…

But I’ve yet to discern if they chose to be.

Hogan: Make it snappy, Lucius. The sun’s about to set and the odds are not in our favor.

(After defeating the enemies.)

Log: Obtained: [Unlife Essence], can be used to craft [Fellblade]

Unlife Essence- Elite Relic (in bag): A corrupted item derived from Necromancy rituals. Using it increases allied heroes’ Life Leech by 30 points.

-

Ruins: Ruins that were seemingly ravaged by the Graveborn.

(After defeating the enemies surrounding the Ruins.)

Lucius: (Grubby token discovered)

Sunsetton Guards: This is the Captain’s token… How did it get here?

Lucius: Whatever the reason, Snault must have come here. Everything here is undead, so what is he doing here?

Divine Amulet- Elite Relic (in bag): An amulet charged with Divine Light. It can heal a hero gradually over time if their health is low. Can be used once per battle.

-

(After obtaining the Captain’s Token and the Divine Amulet.)

Insane Priest: They both bear the burden of Snaul’s past. Perhaps… we try one last time.

Log: With the Insane Priest’s help, we’ve obtained the mystical [Purification Stone].

Purification stone- Legendary Relic (in bag): A sacred stone that can purify unlife essence. Strikes enemies periodically, causing enemies to be damaged and stunned.

-

(After clicking the Smithy while being in possession of Unlife Essence and Stone of Rot.)

Mysterious Mage: The sun will set and darkness will cover everything. Well then, we’d best gather more firewood.

Is this what you need? (The Mysterious Witch hands you the crafted sword)

Have fun.

Log: With the help of the Mysterious Witch, we were granted a powerful sword.

Fellblade- Legendary Relic (in bag): A weapon capable of obliterating cursed Graveborn. Every time it deals damage there is a chance it will deal extra damage.

-

(After obtaining either the Fellblade or Purification Stone)

Log: There’s an irregularity over at the mountain cabin. We’re ready to investigate.

(The Mountain Cabin is now an enemy camp.)

Snault: This is where the town’s torment will end!

-

(If you’re not in possession of the Purification Stone you’ll receive the following ending.)

Lucius: (Even though the other party has become an evil spirit, Lucius still found traces of their former friend)

Snault: (Snault lets out a guttural growl, all traces of his humanity long since gone)

Sunsetton Guards: Captain?

Hogan: Snault.

Mysterious Witch: Look at the state of you, Snault… Look at what you’ve become for these cowards…

(Turning to Lucius and his entourage) Since you are his friends, please put Snault out of his misery. I’ll offer you this gift in return.

(After defeating Snault.)

Snault: (Plunging the Fellblade into Snaul’s skull, with one blood-curdling scream, the evil spirit once known as Snault dissipates and vanishes into thin air)

Lucius: Why… Snault, can you tell me why?

(Lucius falls to his knees in pain, but the dead offer no answers)

He’s already gone…

-

(If you’re in possession of the Purification Stone you’ll receive the following ending.)

Lucius: (Even though the other party has become an evil spirit, Lucius still found traces of their former friend)

Snault: (Snault lets out a guttural growl, all traces of his humanity long since gone)

Sunsetton Guards: Captain?

Hogan: Snault.

Insane Priest: I knew all along that mysterious necromancer was up to no good! ‘Mountain treasure’ my foot! It was a stone that corrupts souls! All along his aim was propagate necromancy, he concocted that legend to draw people in.

Only a fool like you would believe such baseless nonsense…

By the Divine Light above, Snault, awaken!

(After defeating Snault.)

Lucius: (The purification Stone seems to have some effect)

Snault: (As the unlife essence dissipates slightly, Snault regains a glimmer of lucidity)

As long as I’m here, darkness will find no foothold in this town…

Sunsetton Guards: Captain?

Hogan: Snault.

Snault: General… I’m so sorry. And Lucius, I never thought that our next meeting would be under such circumstances…

-

Log: It’s still not clear to me exactly what Snault endured. The Divine Light… Snault… Who abandoned who first? The Mysterious Witch told me the «mountain treasure» is just a ruse concocted by a Necromancer… A ruse that Snault chose to believe, in his moment of despair. Desperate to protect this town, Snault accepted power at the cost of his humanity… He succeeded for a time, until the corruption robbed him of his sanity.

[nouru-vi]

Headcanons for my AFK Arena gang buckle the f up

Disclaimer: I take canon lore/relationships and throw out what I don’t like thank you have a nice day

Starter pack: Estrilda, Mirael and Nemora

Nemora is sent by the Wilders to help out Ranhorn City and these three stick together going forward

Estrilda and Mirael are in idiot lesbians with each other. They constantly try to impress the other and Nemora is in the bg facepalming but she also ships them hard secretly

The gang is sent to hunt down Lucretia who is rampaging indiscriminately through the countryside and they manage to subdue and capture her. As they’re bringing her back to Ranhorn, Nemora keeps drawing info out of her through treating her kindly, and learns her story. Then they’re attacked by a large group of Maulers or sg, and Lucy demands that they unchain her if they want to live (lbr she has to be chained and not tied), adding that she also refuses to die tied up. Nemora chooses to trust her and she helps them make it out alive. Then they’re like “okay this Zaphrael dude sounds like a complete dick and we’ll help you confront him when we find him and also you can stay with us, we won’t bring you to Ranhorn to be imprisoned/executed. No more rampaging tho” and that’s how Lucy becomes the local goth mom

Silvina is sent to assassinate Estrilda, to finish off the job of destroying the Raynes, but when she sees her, memories come back to her from before her death, when she saw the young Estrilda as the girl she never got to be. She is like “fuck this I’m not doing this” and realises it’s time to stand up to Vedan’s exploitation of her and Isabella, if not for her own sake but her sister’s. She confronts Estrilda and pleads her to help remove Isabella from Vedan’s clutches. Her and the team go to do that and Isabella doesn’t really understand at first but when Vedan hurts Silvina she’s like “Back off. I made you what you are, don’t think I can’t unmake you just the same.” Now outclassed, Vedan is forced to let them go, and the sisters join the gang. Lucretia is immediately like “I’m your mom now”

Bonus: months later Vedan shows up to be like “Please forgive me. I never knew what I had until I lost it, I treated you two like crap even though you were the closest thing to family I had! Pls come back to me T_T” and although they don’t do that they agree to let him visit sometimes, so he becomes their weird weekend dad. Lucy watches him like a hawk every single time but he tries his best (I added this HC as an afterthought because the official comics with Vedan and the girls are just too fucking funny to be non-canon)

Wu Kong helps out the team on and off and Lucy hates him because he’s a FILTHY CELESTIAL while he’s just like, lady im am just leetl monky. I’m new to being a Celestial actually and don’t even know this Zaphirel or whatshisface. I’m just here to punch bad guys and have a good time. But he also annoys her for fun because he’s just like that

Lyca joins the team as a somewhat more competent co-leader to Mirael. To Nemora’s relief, because she’s the only other person so far who is not a mess or dumb or both. Silvina develops a mega gay crush on her because she’s the bouncy nerd prep to her emo jock goth. It probably takes a very long time for this to come to the surface because she is a Disgusting Graveborn and Lyca is a Beautiful and Ethereal Wilder, according to Silvina, that is. Her concerns turn out to be baseless, of course, and then they’re cute and gay, The End

Solise joins to swell the ranks of people who are both dumb and a mess. She’s powerful though and a great alchemist, and adorable and everyone else is sapphic so go figure

Flora also shows up often to help the group and Lucy is like HISS GRRR CELESTIAL HRRR GRRR at her too, while she’s just like, lady. It’s gonna be alright. You will find justice one day. Calm down. Here’s a flower bigger than your head. Have a nice day :) ~flies off on her gay little flower broom into the sunset gayly~

Certain groups catch wind of Lucretia travelling with the group and as a result, Cecilia is sent after them. Since Lucy is family by this point, they’re forced to fight and subdue Cecilia. She gets injured and they’re unwilling to leave her to her fate, so they bring her along as she recovers. For a long time, she keeps going on about heretics cavorting with Hypogean filth and whatnot, but what’s this? Lucy is around, and although Cecilia can’t see her, her voice is inexplicably pleasant to hear, and she’s just so nice to those two girls! But surely that is the insidious deception of a treacherous Hypogean, seeking to corrupt every innocent soul, right? Surely she is not a loving mother, nor a valiant woman who will do anything for the sake of justice? Right??? (yeah spoiler they end up in gays and the sisters now have two mothers and a dad. They deserve all the parents)

One day the gang stumbles upon Torne and they collectively adopt them immediately. They’re big and smad and in need of hugs and therapy so the group is happy to provide.

Nara joins from time to time, apparently because she just enjoys carnage, regardless of the target. She’s a gross and unhinged gremlin who’s somehow still hot, and her idea of humour is “bet I can kick a dead baby further than any of you”, but she’s pretty upbeat and more or less tolerated by the others. Things become awkward when the group finds out she used to be a crime boss and would-be slaver in life. She says something like “well, am I not allowed to make a new start?”, but she does have the decency to look embarrassed at least. Someone says “maybe she just wanted friends for once” and Nara throws them the most maybe so look of the century

There are some other heroes that I have yet to figure out how to work into the group dynamics and story, like Grezhul for example, as he’s one of my most used heroes now, or Oden, who has also become one of my faves. I do know Oden absolutely makes dad jokes, for a start.

That’s it so far, notice how all of these are wholesome and mostly gay? Yea that is how I roll. The AFK heroes have suffered enough in canon, only positive vibes around here and also I’m queer as shit bye

[sheocheese]

“No life, no blood, is ever wasted.”

My AFK Arena OC, Maverik! He is a Mauler, but also -technically- kind of a Graveborn? I will work on a sprite version + moveset later, for now: Have his card! And also a bit of lore under the cut. Be warned, I’m absolutely better with visual art than I am with written words.

Maverik was one of them. A commoner, and yet anything but a common Mauler. From a young age, he would thirst not for strenght, power or riches. But for wisdom. Knowlege long forgotten, buried in ruins below the sand. Instead of honing hit fighting skills or working on the field, he would spend his days digging and his nights deciphering dusty tomes. But his tribe had no place for a sholar. Its Chief was a fearsome warrior, and he was not afraid to spill the blood of his own people to stay in power. He would strictly ration acess to food and water, as he considered those ressources his own, personal property. Those who voice discontet with his “generosity”, would see themself quickly shut off from all ressources. When a group of young maulers tried to rebel against their chief, it ended in a bloodbath. Even the strongest fighters among them were no match for the powerhungry Chieftain and his enforcers. Maverik fell quick, gravely wounded, witching his friends and innocent bystanders drop in the hot sand one by one. A feast for the crows and raven, wo would not wait for their meal to dry out in the desert sun. Barely alife, Maverik could do nothing but watch as the scavengers landed on the corpses around him, a dark blanket over a sea of blood. “This is not how it should end.” A single Raven landed on his shoulder. A spirit. Maybe a demon. He didn’t know, nor did he need to. “Stand up. Let the sacrefice of your bretheren not go to waste.” And so, a deal was made. Using every bit of willpower left in him, Maverik stood up, much to the surprise of the Chieftains enforcers. They approached the sholar, ready to finish him off, as he raised a hand and muttered words he barely remembered from an old book. Back then, he could never find out what they meant. Now, he could see it with his own eyes. In complete unison, every single bird started attacking the Chief and his brutes. With every drop of blood they spilled, Maverik could feel more and more strenght returning into his body. “What we have granted you, is a gift.” He heard the Raven on his shoulder. Barely a whisper, yet it drowned out the pain-filled screams. “Use it wisely.”

[kog0ruhn]

A Layman’s Guide to My Stupid Clan Lore (Which is Still Very Long and Stupid)

So, because of the fact that I realize I talk about the history of my clan’s conflicts and I… haven’t finished writing the actual arcs so I know it makes no sense, I decided to pull an Elder Scrolls and do a Pocket Guide to Irthskaar so that anyone who wants to know what I’m talking about can read it and have it make sense. I know it’s probably just two people (me included), but what the hell, you know? This helps me keep my mind straight, too.

(Haven’s memory problems and need to write everything down is based solely on how bad my fibrofog is, after all.)

Anyway~

A Pocket Guide to Irthskaar

Irthskaar is a canyon that is technically part of the Greatwyrm’s Breach, located to the northwest of the Pillar of the World. It’s equal parts fissure caused by the impact of Shade remnants hitting the earth, eroded further by a river that flows through the area. It’s verdant around the banks of the river and more arid the farther you stray from it, but despite being a rather nice place for dragon clans to live (easily defensible since there’s only one way in/out on foot, with fresh water and vegetation to boot), it’s been mostly uninhabited. Until The Abandoned took hold there, the most traffic it saw since the Second Age were the occasional Snapper troop who’d set up camp temporarily and transient Beast Clans. Neither population tended to last long since many believe the land is cursed.

And it is. Oh man, you better believe it’s cursed. It’s a canyon partially caused by the Shade slamming into the ground so hard that it left a dent big enough for fifteen clans to live. Anyone with a nose for magic can smell the devilry that’s coating that place like a spiritual mucus.

Anyway, because of the fact it’s been mostly uninhabited, most of the structures within Irthskaar are of Second Age make. There’s ruins and statues, ancient altars, and even an entire city (called Omen) that have been repurposed by The Abandoned after they took up residence. Since The Abandoned has moved in, surrounding clans and Beast Clans have started to take renewed interest in the area and keep slipping closer and closer. Traders actually come through nowadays and allied Serthis, Harpy, and Longneck tribes have permanent to semi-permanent residences in and around the canyon.

The Abandoned

The Abandoned is actually called The Alliance of Those Who Were Abandoned, a dramatic name that was meant as an inside joke by the founders. Then, they couldn’t think of a better one. It’s a confederation of clans who, for some reason or another, wound up in Irthskaar and was originally founded by a trio of clans: Clan Elsewhere, The Wolves, and the now-defunct Council of Kain (a.k.a., The Council). Other tribes and clans ended up there by happenstance or because they had existing alliances with clans that were in the area, and soon Irthskaar had a healthy population of dragons. The leaders of these clans formed a council known as The Fifteen (as the original incarnation of The Abandoned had fifteen clans), and while the number of dragons who are a part of The Fifteen has dwindled to twelve, the name has stuck in honor of those who have fallen.

The different clans of the current alliance are Clan Elsewhere (former Plague dragons who are the economic and political powerhouse of The Abandoned), The Outlanders (a gathering of oddball outcasts and innovators who are the second most wealthy clan in The Abandoned), The Sixth House (a collection of powerful and ancient sorcerers), The Lorekeepers (a clan of librarians, historians, and writers), The Coalition of Magicks (a scholarly council of Arcane mages), The Keepers of the Sigil (a clan formed of survivors of previous calamities), The Graveborn (raiders-turned-protectors), Revelations (also raiders, and one-time enemies of The Abandoned), Umbra Ruinam (a coven of necromancers), and The Wolves (the “police force” and standing army of The Abandoned). There’s also Saija, a lone Gaoler who has forced her way into The Fifteen despite being unaffliated with any clan.

Previous clans (destroyed or defunct) include The Council (who originally owned the land in Irthskaar), The Infected (Plague cultists who moved north due to a family emergency), The Followers of the Pillar (a clan of pacifists and philanthropists), The Shards (essentially doomsday preppers), Clan Carnate (a small clan of roaming oddballs), The Twisted Scales (a tribe of displaced dragons), One-Clan-Under-Moon-and-Star (loyalists to a repeatedly reincarnated warlord), Shelcoof (a bunch of Lightning dragons who were long-time allies of Clan Elsewhere), Goetia (doomsday preppers with occult knowledge), and the Myrian Six (a tiny clan of Shade-hunting dragons who wound up in Irthskaar for obvious reasons). Some of these evolved into new groups, some left voluntarily, and others were destroyed during conflicts, with previous members now integrated into new clans.

And Now for a Segue Before I Get Into The Flauros Incident

I know I talk a lot about The Flauros Incident, but to really understand The Incident, you need to understand these five jerks:

Lich is a rogue necromancer living in the Scarred Wasteland, who works with his assistant, Falx, to figure out ways to create life out of nothing. The closest they’ve got is using concentrated Shade energy that’s dormant within the land to mimic lifeforms that already exist. They call these creatures “demons,” and summoning them usually requires a sacrifice of some kind, though they’ve figured out how to “bud” more demons from existing ones by borrowing energy. Lich has amassed quite an army, and Falx sacrificed one of his previous mates, and they show no signs of stopping. Uh, nor do they really realize how much trouble their pet project is causing.

Lich is just very isolated, one-track minded, and only really cares about things if they affect his research adversely. Falx is probably aware in some capacity, but he’s also an evil bastard who doesn’t care.

Now, remember how I said that summoning a “demon” requires a sacrifice? That’s where you get the ugly, bloody guy in the middle row. That’s Bifrons, the only dragon to ever survive one of Lich’s procedures. He was abducted and had part of the ceremony performed on him, but managed to get away before anything could be completed. It had a devastating effect on his physical body (which you can tell by looking at him), but a worse one on his soul. You see, the ritual was never finished, but it was finished enough that he wound up cursed with a half-complete “demon” bound to him.

That demon is Flauros. She used to look like a Guardian, but she’s unstable and changes pretty frequently. She’s a bit harder to control because she still has some primordial will in her, and the bindings on her were never completed; she can technically be stolen by any sorcerer who is clever enough to make a spell strong enough to bind her. She can think and reason and behave autonomously once given orders which is, well, unheard of for the bulk of her kind, and her more troublesome powers haven’t been cut off to make her more pliable. She is capable of doing some really messed-up things. She’s the physical embodiment of a demonic poltergeist you see in those horrifying “based on a true story” horror movies.

And at the very bottom, we have Hashakgik. Hashakgik (a.k.a. Dahaka) is a dragon who’s learned to use primordial, non-elemental magic to make himself a being of many faces, names, and allegiances. He has an extensive criminal record, has left a trail of destruction in his wake, has changed his form a dozen times, and is incredibly hard to get rid of. He’s a power-hungry and extremely dangerous cockroach in a dragon’s body who could probably crush you with his mind. Nobody in The Abandoned knew this when he showed up.

And that’s a good lead-up into The Incident itself.

The Flauros Incident

So, we know Bifrons wound up with Flauros bound to him because Lich couldn’t do his job right. What happened after that? Well, he also wound up with a handful of hirelings and followers who he brought on with the sole purpose of containing and eventually dispersing Flauros. This entourage began to be known as Goetia.

Goetia wound up in Irthskaar at the suggestion of Azimuth, one of Bifrons’ hirelings, who said the latent magic in the area could lend itself to their goal. Bifrons joined The Fifteen, Flauros was kept contained in their lair, and things went pretty okay for a while. The problem is that this was all a part of a plan on behalf of Azimuth and Hashakgik, who were old friends who hatched a plan to make themselves as powerful as possible to take over as much of Irthskaar as they possibly could. You see, Hashakgik was already in Irthskaar because of a clan he joined to lay low (The Infected), and he knew enough about magic to tell the canyon was special. It was holding some crazy power, but he needed a way to secure the territory for himself so he could figure out a way to tap into it.

Enter Azimuth, who originally came into service of Goetia honestly but then became convinced that Flauros would be a pretty easy, subversive way to achieve this goal. She and Hashakgik developed some spells to “steal” Flauros from Bifrons and tether her to something new (an amulet, which seemed like a no-brainer option; they could swap it back and forth to take control of her as need be), and then used her to start picking off or otherwise incapacitating powerful dragons in the alliance one by one. It worked well until they tried to target Snap, leader of Clan Elsewhere and Bad Bitch You Shouldn’t Mess With™, who immediately figured out that Flauros was responsible and set about retaliating by declaring an emergency, electing herself warleader, reorganizing the clans into an army, and then turning the whole goddamn thing on Flauros and anyone who decided to follow her.

Pictured above: a dragon you don’t wanna fuck with. (Thanks, doki!)

Azimuth panicked. What began as sneaky assassinations and corruption turned into her wildly throwing Flauros at anything that posed a threat, even exposing herself as a mastermind when she felt cornered. For a while, things went her way--she destroyed a couple of clans, killed a lot of dragons, and even swayed followers to her side with promises of power and safety--but it all changed when one of her subordinates decided to trick the majority of the Coalition of Magicks into raising an Emperor, citing it would be the only thing powerful enough to fight Flauros. The follower in question, Baphomet, justified it by saying she was pretty sure she figured out magical bindings that would allow her to control it.

Yeah, no. She didn’t have a goddamn clue what she was doing.

So now, Azimuth and her enemies had to contend with something worse than Flauros making short work of both sides of the conflict, after which Hashakgik decided that enough was enough. He wrenched control of Flauros back from Azimuth, basically cut her off from doing anything else, and then decided he’d go down swinging. He amassed an army of demons like Flauros, having figured out how to create them, took his army of defectors, and marched right on Snap’s war camp with the intention of killing everything in sight.

Between the battle, the Emperor, and then their battling again, the loss of life was insane. Right when things seemed to be ending in Hashakgik’s favor, though, Azimuth found herself dead and Hashakgik found himself sans Flauros. Shriek--leader of The Outlanders--had spent the whole squabble doing her own research, consulting the right people, and following leads behind everyone’s back, and nobody really noticed because nobody ever took her seriously. She figured out the amulet controlled Flauros and just… stole it while Hashakgik wasn’t paying attention. The Abandoned won the fight because a loud, obnoxious Spiral swiped a necklace and used said necklace to steal a demon. To say Hashakgik was surprised when his own weapon was turned on him by a dragon he barely knew existed would be an understatement.

Pictured above: The face of somebody who shouldn’t have won.

It ended in a fight between Flauros and Hashakgik, and the clash of their magics turned the treacherous Mirror into stone.

The Abandoned now use him as a decoration for the entrance to the canyon.

The Aftermath

Recovering from that kind of excitement is hard. Clans were destroyed, survivors were adopted into new clans, and they had to find ways to circumvent the loss of some very valuable and resourceful dragons in the alliance. Thankfully, some of this was taken care of by the introduction of Sitael, a wealthy traveling merchant with an eye for business and a heart of gold. He came seeking new customers, stuck around to bring in supplies, and became a permanent resident of Clan Elsewhere when he realized his expertise could bring in the gold and resources necessary to rebuild. He’s attracted quite a lot of money, donates a fair chunk of change to the other clans, and makes sure there’s always necessities around for anyone who needs it. His network is borderline insane, too, so if you want it, Sitael can get it.

He’s a good Pearlcatcher, Brent!

In time, things began to fall into place. A lot of dragons rendered homeless by The Incident joined The Wolves so they could protect their home, and the Keepers of the Sigil was formed by the displaced patriarch of another clan with the sole purpose of defending against the dark arts (Remus Lupin would be proud). Others stepped up their game to provide services and resources where others had fallen. New dragons filtered in who took the place of those who had died.

One huge point of contention that remained, though, was that Flauros was still around.

You see, Hashakgik and Azimuth may have been responsible for the whole sordid affair, but Flauros was their face and not every dragon really understood that blaming her was akin to blaming the gun instead of the shooter. Even those who did understand were wary of it happening again. Shriek’s decision to not hand over the amulet and let the Coalition of Magicks figure out a way to destroy Flauros caused quite a few waves, and left a bad taste in the mouths of just about everyone.

This would only come to a head when Elder showed up.

Who is Elder?

Elder is an asshole.

But Why is He An Asshole?

Well, he’s Hashakgik’s mentor, for one. And if you took Lich and Hashakgik and threw in a massive god complex, you’d get the four-meter-long package of destruction and chaos that was (is?) Elder. The only thing he cares about is power, his magical practices have made him so distant from dragonkind that he barely registers the dragons around him as people, and he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting his way. He’s small, but he’s strong and he’s smart and he’s utterly cold blooded, and he could, would, and will crush you underfoot if you stand between him and something he feels he deserves.

And if you think the fact he’s a teeny, tiny Spiral will save you, you are dead wrong. And also probably just dead.

The Elder Conflict

Elder wasn’t stupid. In the wake of The Flauros Incident, he waited and bided his time and watched from a distance, knowing The Abandoned would eventually show a weak spot. You see, he was aware from his doomed protege that there was dark and powerful magic in those hills, and that the only thing standing between him and that power was a bunch of broken clans. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as Hashakgik, though. Charging headlong into a fight under the wrong conditions with the wrong tools was suicide.

He did try to bolster his initially poor numbers by forcing the clan, Revelations, into subservience, though. A clan of raiders, he kidnapped the daughter of the ruling pair and held her ransom, with the payment requested being as many dead inhabitants of Irthskaar as they could drag back. They were cannon fodder that he never expected to return, though they proved strangely effective. Not only were they good at destroying Sitael’s trade caravans, mopping the floor with stragglers, and even occasionally carrying out raids inside the canyon, they had the unintentional side-effect of inciting new and exciting forms of panic. Revelations, you see, is run by a pair of renegade Gaolers and has been even before the Seekers were reinstated and Gaolers resurfaced.

Fresh from The Flauros Incident, The Abandoned became convinced that Revelations was controlled by monsters. Monsters like Flauros. They didn’t have a clue what a Gaoler was. Obviously, those things were demons.

This started a massive political upheaval within The Fifteen. While the general public started blaming Flauros and, by extension, Shriek for the raids, Snap was hard at work making a case for the exile of the entirety of The Outlanders for their continued support of their leader and her pet demon. The Outlanders’ reputation worsened as dragons began to go missing, including members of The Fifteen, leaving no trace behind as to where they went. This had to be the work of Shriek, Flauros, and those creatures that kept raiding their lands, obviously.

And so The Outlanders were exiled. It was fairly unanimous when faced with the evidence Snap accumulated, with her essay of grievances carrying more weight than Shriek screeching she didn’t do anything wrong. Oddly enough, Snap’s mate sided with The Outlanders and went with them as they left, leaving a pretty sizable rift in Clan Elsewhere who--if you don’t remember--is the most powerful and influential clan in the alliance.

Oh, look. Elder found his opening.

Political instability is a hell of a thing. With The Outlanders gone, Flauros out of the way, and Clan Elsewhere reeling, the attacks began in earnest. Snap had her hands full trying to repel the incoming invasion, while Shriek and her clan were oblivious outside of the canyon. The only reason they even discovered that their old home was under attack is because they found the “missing” dragons whose disappearance she was blamed for. Turns out that they had an inkling of an idea that something bad was on the horizon, Snap wouldn’t listen because she’s too stuck in her ways, and they decided to take matters into their own hands. One of them, Kain, even know about Elder from previous scuffles and was pretty sure that he’d be sniffing around Irthskaar after finding out his old pupil had killed himself trying to tap into some good ol’ primordial Shade energy.

So, Shriek decided to help them. She put Flauros to use in subverting everything Elder tried to do, and even tried to make amends with The Abandoned to get them to back the “resistance” and allow her clan back into Irthskaar. Snap turned up her nose each and every time (mostly out of stubbornness because, let’s face it, Snap is very flawed), but eventually had to cave when The Outlanders, fresh from being attacked, came back uninvited and Elder figured, “Hey, everyone’s harried into the same hole in the ground now. Let’s just end this already.”

Elder--utilizing his necromancer slave, Mortanius--launched a full-scale attack on the barely prepared alliance, using swathes of undead, Revelations, and his own loyalists to lay waste to everything in his path. Things were going his way until Flauros entered the scene, Coalition of Magicks mages figured out how to undo his slave bindings on Mortanius (who, understandably, took the opportunity to scram, leaving his necromantic creations frenzied, directionless, and doing as much damage to Elder as The Abandoned), and the leader of Revelations took an opening mid-battle to turn on his daughter’s kidnappers. Even then, Elder almost held his own, stopped only by Shriek and Flauros as he tried to escape into a cave for cover.

They, uh, brought the cave down on him. They’re pretty sure he’s still alive, somehow, but it will be a long, long time before he figures out how to get out. If he ever does, the Keepers of the Sigil have moved their lair right outside, so they’ll be waiting for him. It will not end pretty.

So What is The Abandoned Up to Now?

Rebuilding. Again. 

The good thing is that Elder’s onslaught didn’t do as much damage as Flauros did, so it’s been a bit easier to return to normalcy. The worst of it has been political restructuring such as the addition of new clans (Revelations, for one; Mortanius returned with his clan as well, hoping to seek sanctuary), the reinstating of Shriek into The Fifteen and The Outlanders into the alliance, rethinking policies and procedures, renegotiating trade deals, and redistributing power since Snap has this nasty habit of assuming direct control of things as soon as danger rears its ugly head. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a democratic council at all if the same dragon just overrides everyone consistently.

Oddly enough, Flauros is now regarded as a hero as well. It’s hard to argue with the fact that her swooping in out of nowhere and handing Elder’s ass to him is probably the only reason The Abandoned still exists, so they’ll give credit where credit is due. This mostly just means they stop talking about dispersing her, though.

Most everyone still doesn’t want to actually interact with her.

And why would you? I mean, she’s scary af.

[15-dollars-and-a-dream]

Okay, first things first, I'll eat your brains.

[Full List Here]

When Varina first got spoiled the commander community was excited to finally have a strong Esper Zombies commander. My first thought was that she would be perfect for my 5C Karona Zombies list (which is the best way to play zombies ;D). BUT APPARENTLY NO ONE ELSE WANTS TO RUN KARUM AND GLISSA.

Anyways, my own terrible brews aside, lets talk about Varina. On top of being a solid 4/4 for 4, her first ability is a powerful card selection engine that encourages a go wide strategy. Her second ability enables that go wide strategy by turning cards you don’t need into more zombies.

Speaking of zombies, as a fan favorite archetype they tend to be REALLY EXPENSIVE I tried to focus more on going wide with zombies than just running a pile of cards like Scarab God and Kalitas. A lot of the bigger Zombie token makers actually play really well with Varina’s Discarding. From Under the Floorboards will always be cast with Madness. You can fill your yard and Delve out a tonne of zombies with Empty the Pits. And even Army of the damned can be flashed back if you have the mana. Anointed Procession is one of the more expensive includes in the deck and is far from necessary, but being able to double up all these tokens ends up being extremely powerful.

On top of our token Producers we have a lot of powerful zombies can get there on their own. Cards like Lord of the Accursed, Cemetery Reaper, and Diregraf Captain make each of our smaller zombies into real threats. While cards like Corpse Auger and Graveborn Muse keep our hands nice and full. Smaller early plays like Tidehollow Sculler and Withered Wretch offer powerful support effects that will come in handy through out the game.

Speaking of Tidehollow Sculler, I want to point out an important thing about this card less experienced players might not know. There are a lot of cards that exile something until it leaves play. Cards like Cast Out and Seal Away have been carefully worded so that their effect is one trigger. Because, the older format on cards like Oblivion Ring, and Tidehollow Sculler can be easily exploited. If you hold priority with the ETB trigger on the stack, you can sacrifice the Sculler and cause the second trigger to happen. Which returns nothing to their hand, then the first trigger resolves and you get to pick something and exile it. When you do this there is no way to return that card to their hand outside of an effect like Pull from Eternity.

On top of the straightforward plan of ‘turn zombies sideways’ there is another way for this deck to win. This Grimgrin combo is a classic in a lot of zombie decks, but for good reason. Once you land Rooftop Storm you can easily win the game. The way this works is that Gravecrawler can be recast from our graveyard thanks to Rooftop Storm, and Grimgin can then sacrifice that Gravecrawler making a perfect loop. The easiest way to win with this would be to trigger Diregraf Captain or Wayward Servant over and over again. However you can also make use of Viscera Seer to dig through your deck for whatever card you really need, or even sacrifice the Gravecrawler to Ashnod’s Altar to cast a very large X spell.

The rest of the list is the usual mix of Removal, Ramp, Card Draw. With a few extra spicy includes. Wonder lets our zombies fly, which effectively makes them unblockable for a lot of decks. Sudden Spoiling can easily turn a fatal swing into a onesided board wipe. Combined with all the sacrifice outlets, Living Death can often also be a one sided wrath effect. 

I really like this deck and cannot wait to pick up my own copy of Varina... for Karona... OKAY LISTEN THE DECK IS SWEET. JUST LOOK AT IT.

Stay chill, stay hydrated. Love you. -IZ