Two suns chase one another up the sky, climbing higher and higher before coming apart, painfully, slowly, and descending to the west and east of Thanreus. The Tidewall, along the edge of the flat world where the sea rises into the sky, is visible in the far distant, a surging and roiling wall of white foam and spray that turns the horizon into a wavering line of color. Night fades in gradually, and then all at once; there is no moon, but Thanreus is illuminated by fiery red nebulae and swirling blue clouds of dust, the homes of gods and demons.
The world breathes in and out to the rhythm of reality - in time with the cycling of day and night, of high and low tide, with the seasons and the spinning of nebulae high above. It sings a soothing song of life and peace and balance. But the breathing grows faster, and the song strained and warped.
Soon, the breath will become nothing, and the song, a scream.
♤ ♤ ♤
Welcome!
We're back; did you miss us? The Magic Wars is a revival of a loved competition conceived by NotoriousLynx, coming to you better than ever as the June/July combined monthly qualifier! We'll be beginning the Winter Pro Tour season with something magnificient.
The theme of this contest is the narrative that we'll build with writing and snippets of flavor which we call the lore. Think of the Josh Brauer ARG that happened with Innistrad before its release. You will begin with an entirely new race of creatures that will inhabit Thanreus. We won't get the entire story down in writing; as much of this story will be the experience as the writing in the days to come. With your help, with your seriously commitment and enthusiasm, we're hoping this will be a stunning experience.
Disclaimery Nonsense.
Here's a warning: The Magic Wars will require your commitment. A lot of it. The only way The Magic Wars can succeed - not just as a contest, but as a narrative and project - is with everyone actively participating, maintaining enthusiasm and devoting time to it. If you can't afford the time or effort these months, this might not be your kind of competition.
So, Sign Ups.
How do we begin? Right here. You'll sign up by creating your race for the competition and filling out the form below. After we have 20/24 people, we'll split everyone into four teams. Your teams will be your allies - both in story and in competition - and your foremost collaborators. You'll be able to do small edits to your race throughout the two months; just nothing too drastic.
Races can only be up to three colors.
Races should be able to exist by themselves; parasitic races that can only survive by using other lifeforms are not allowed. Obviously there's some leeway with this.
No X-men mutant-like race (AKA a special subset of a larger race).
The race does not have to be humanoid or too intelligent, but anything too out there might hurt you in the long run (unless you want a challenge.)
It must use a new creature type.
Your race can have up to 5 mechanics and themes. Evergreen mechanics like flying do not count to the five. Examples include bouncing lands as a cost (e.g. Soratami) or lands matter (e.g. Zendikar).
Name: What your race is called.
Color: The colors of your race.
Description: A quick introduction to the race.
Physical Description: What your race looks like.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Information about your race as a whole, including their culture, beliefs and how their society works.
Additional Information: Anything else you want to talk about.
Mechanics: The mechanics/themes of your race. Up to 5.
This is the basic skeleton. You can add other sections, such as pieces of descriptive writing, if you want.
Notice how things such as History and Location are sort of missing. While you can certainly include them, History is best left open so you can fill it with lore later, and Location might be something you want to co-ordinate with your team mates later.
Rules & Explanations.
You'll want to learn what you're getting into, right? Well, here it is; read this stuff, you're going to need it.
THE PRO TOUR
The Magic Wars is a two-month long event that fires off the Winter Pro Tour season. Because of this, it's a double qualifier - both first and second place will get an invite into the Winter Pro Tour!
SCORING
Players work in teams which they stay in until the end. During the contest, you will be accruing both individual scores and an overall team score. Individual and team scores are determined below.
ROUND MAKEUP
There will be 8 Rounds for the two months. Each Round take place over 7/8 days, with 4 days for entries and 4 days for critiques. Each Round will involve the main challenge, giving you three card creation challenges from which you pick two. Such challenges may involve working with teammates, and multiple players submitting one card together - when it comes to these, the card should be judged the same for both players.
Your individual score is determined by fellow critiques. Critiquing will be done sort-of like a CCL; you'll be assigned a team to critique and then ranking the players of that team. So instead of a Top 3, it's more like a Top 5/6. This is slightly more work but in exchange, giving reviews/critiques is absolutely optional. We want to reduce the complexity of the critiquing system as much as we can so as to make your jobs easier. Your average rank will then be calculated, multipled by 10 and then added to your score; for example, let's say that there are 6 people in a team and you were ranked 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th and 6th. Then your average rank is calculated in terms of points (with 1st = 6, etc.) and multipled by 10 to give you a final +38 to your score.
Each Round will also end with a review posted by Megiddo, Diefi00 and myself (sometimes one or another judge won't be able to contribute, but at least 2 reviews will be made each round, promise!). Each review is marked out of 30 and the average of the three scores will be your team score gain for that Round. The scoring is as followed:
Cards (15)
Teamwork (10)
Lore (5)
LORE CHALLENGES
So, every round has card design challenges, right? That's the main challenge. But then we also have the lore challenges. These will be little summaries that guide how the overall storyline on Thanreus is progressing, and push it to its inevitable conclusion. Purely optional, but they give you some inspiration for making more lore. And we worked hard on it, so don't let us down, okay? =D The lore challenge occurs in the main discussion thread and your team threads, while each Round's main challenge will be posted in a new thread.
THE FIRST LEG
Rounds 1 - 4 happen in June. At the end of the month, the three teams with the lowest team scores are eliminated.
THE SECOND LEG
Rounds 5 - 8 happen in July. Teams scores are no longer necessary. Individual scores are reset at the beginning of the second leg; you get a new starting score which reflects your rank in your team. For example, if you were the highest scoring player in your team when the first leg ends, you get the highest starting score when the second leg begins. This is so that people that are behind are able to catch up.
At the end of Round 7, the highest scoring players of both teams are taken for the final matchup in Round 8. The epic showdown, if you will, with both teams able to support their champions as they've always done. By this point, both winners will have an invite into the Pro Tour; they're just competing for First Place (and more Pro Points). The winner is then decided with a poll; voters will make their decision based on the Round 8 cards and lore, to up the stakes just that tiny bit more.
Pro Points will be distributed as normal, except for two differences: 1) Second Place gets an invite, and 2) 9th - 12th (or however many more than 8 we have) also get 2 Pro Points. Basically, if you make it through to July, you're in for some Pro Points. Ranks will be determined by some nonsense which basically means that the 2nd player in the winning team is 3rd, the 4th player in the losing team is 8th, etc.
Working with your teammates is perhaps the most important part of The Magic Wars. After being put in your teams, you open up a team thread in the CCC+G forums, and you're allowed basically free reign - you choose the team name, how the storyline goes and how your races came together, and whatever you want to discuss. Your team threads will have most of your discussion, pitching card designs to the current challenge to one another, and working on whatever storyline/lore is happening. Your teams will be available to help with your challenge choices for the round (especially since some challenges will involve teammates and even the entire team coming together), card designs, critiques and talking about storyline. Again, working together will be extremely important. You might even want to open your own IRC channel for discussion (simply go here and type in a new channel into the bar; the client will automatically create a new channel for you to mess about in.)
If you want to see how a Team thread might look, check out the old Team Legion thread (yes I'm biased to its awesomeness, shoot me brothers.)
This thread is mostly for the race profiles & immediate questions about the sign ups.
General discussion should go to the Discussion thread.
The Magic Wars planned by NotoriousLynx, Diefi00 and yours truly.
Megiddo would also like credit but he's a greedy *****.
That's a sweet banner, Lanxal. Sign-up holding, need to do some editing of my old post to reuse the Lisandarians.
UGLisandariansUG
Lisandarians are near-humanoid; the upper portion of their body looks (mostly) human. However, instead of two legs like humans, Lisans have a number of snake-like tentacles (the exact number depends on the Lisan in question - they can range from one to more than a squid, although most are at either end (ie. one or a lot)) which they use to move around. They are often covered in a slimy liquid which they use to make it easier for them to slither around. Although they have these extra appendages, most Lisans you will meet will look normal to you - as a powerful spellcasting race, they are capable of temporarily disguise their form. Usually, this is done non-maliciously, as a way to not scare the people they live around and work with.
Most Lisans are slightly shorter than humans, as their tentacles are not large enough to push them above the height advantage legs bring. When they transform, they are usually the same height because they look and function like, well, a human.
Originally, the Lisandarians were all wild like the current Donarians and were more in the colours of . Living in the wild forests and swamps (fitting, huh?) of Thanreus surrounding the Lake of Tales, the Lisandarians were shamanic knowledge-seekers who were xenophobic, much like the current Donarians. They lived for many hundreds of years as they were, but one day, an envoy of unknowing Lefari passed through their territory. One of the younger shamans, Evelus, left with the Lefari traders.
Evelus is now known as the Oracle. When he returned a year later, he brought with him tales of great cities, other races and civilisations spanning hundreds of kilometres. While most of he elders of the times dismissed his claims as brainwashed fantasies, his tales inspired a generation of Lisans and their xenophobic nature was destroyed forever. The Lisans began open trading and knowledge exchanges with a number of other races and building a great city, Evelus, named after their forerunner. One particular sect of the Lisans, what are now known as Donarians, refused to join in with them and evicted the 'New Lisans' from the forests and swamps, forcing them to move to Evelus (even in an uncompleted state). Even today, over a century on, the Donarians have a tenuous relationship with the city Lisans.
Most Lisandarians (known sometimes as Lunarians) believe that they must work with others and become a valued member of the world around them. There are a large number of scientists within the Lisandarian society, all who aim to benefit the world in some way and improve on nature without being too intrusive (ie. not like the Simic). Many merchants and politician Lisans are also aligned with this faction, causing many non-Lisans to like them. Common classes among them are Advisors and Wizards
As a side, there are mono-G Donarians which are much closer to nature than the others, as they live among it. Donarians believe that true Lisandarians should live away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They live in small settlements in swamps and wild woods, distrusting all forms of technology and live savage lives. They believe the natural would believe should be left as it is - they act as guardians, in a way, of the nature around them. Common classes among them are Shamans and Druids.
Lisandarians, being knowledge-motivated peoples, aren't very interested in warfare and the chaos it brings, preferring instead to live and research (well, most of them). Most Lisans are able to fight quite well if necessary, however. The Lunarians are magic-based, and the Donarians fight with tooth and claw. Not that they actually have claws.
Lisans like the night sky and have numerous festivals surrounding it. Due to the scientific and secular nature of their society, however, they do not believe in any sky gods. They are able to note the effect of the moon and stars on the tides of the Lake of Tales (yes, even the stars), and respect the power of the celestial bodies.
The Silver City
Most Lisandarians live in the 'Silver City' Evelus. The great water-city floats directly on the center of the Lake of Tales, anchored to the sea floor by a giant tower - the Eclipse Vista. The city was built over a period of ten years by an alliance of Lisans and a few other races. Originally a makeshift town of giant yumid leaves and wooden huts, the city is now a sprawling city built of alchemised materials with great mansions and buildings. Imagine, if you will, the Islands from Ravnica: City of Guilds.
The Eclipse Council
The Lisandarians of Evelus are governed by a council of thirteen chief Lisans, representatives of the twelve sections of the city, and one that acts as a minister for foreign affairs. They create laws and decide on important things that affect all Lisans, and are elected to the office. They hold regular meetings at the top or bottom floor of the Eclipse Vista, the great tower that runs through the middle of Evelus. Lately, there are talks of an fourteenth member of the Council, a representative of the Donarians. Whether this is true or not is yet to be seen, but the link between the two halves of the race has slowly closed over the last century and it is very much a possibility that a Donarian is now a member of the governing body.
Daros Fa
While each of the other 13 Eclipse Council leaders presides over a section of Evelus (or, as in the case of Zisca, the Donarian territories), Daros' job is to maintain relations with races outside of the Lisans, forging trade agreements, sending ambassadors and all that. As he is in contact with many outside races, his mastery of shapeshifting is one of the best of all living Lisans, and he can copy with relative accuracy the features of someone he has only seen for a short period of time.
Lisans have no night vision. They are completely blind at night, meaning they are surprisingly dependent on fire and heated light, especially for a semi-aquatic race. While the city Lisans have the use of non-fire based light, the Donarians, considered 'backwards' by the rest of the Lisans, have no such luxury.
The cards will contain the creature type "Lisan" (mostly to save space), although they may be referred to otherwise in names and flavour text.
The closest thing to a one-'legged' Lisandarian would be a Lamia (one of the Final Fantasy variants) or Coiling Oracle without the reeallly long tail. A multi-'legged' Lisan would be somewhat closer to Sheoldred if she had tentacles instead of a creepy spider thing.
MorphX (You may cast this card as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
With the ability to transform and assume normal shapes, the ability to fit in with everything else as a completely uninteresting 2/2 fits the Lisandarians perfectly. Lunarians try to experiment with their transformations to see if they can be made better (ie. when turned up effects), while Donarians are more simplistic and just have Morph as an alternate way to cast their dudes.
Lisans care about night time using the same trigger as Innistrad's werewolves. They may use transform to show changes, they may not. The flavour will be different to werewolves though.
There is a lot of +1/+1 counter manipulation, mostly through Lunarians doing stuff. However, the Donarians can also do things with that.
Counting. Eg. "Where X is the power of/number of cards/etc."
Because of the knowledge based nature of Lunarians, you have some zone manipulation which can involve cycling cards around your library, hand, graveyard and even battlefield. The library is more the zone of the Lunarians (eg. with scry/fateseal-like effects), while the Donarians get more graveyard stuff. Stuff like Noxious Revival.
also how awkward would it be if you didn't get the base number of people you expected?
The Vassav - or "shadow chosen" as the local wisewomen call them - are a grotesque race of pale, hairless, and sightless quasi-humanoids. Surveying expeditions have uncovered holdouts of the foul creatures within the local cave systems, and they have continued to prove a constant, if easily manageable nuisance to our mining operations on the mainland.
Their form is truly ghastly. White as a belfry geist, with triplet rows of horrid Razorjaw teeth, they bear slight resemblance to a deep ocean predator mounted on stunted limbs, each bearing an uncannily human set of viciously clawed digits.
Our scouting biologists have seemed to discern that they subsist almost strictly through vampirism, despite being terribly maladapted to the task - one would almost take pity on there were they not so obviously beyond redemption. There have been obscene reports of victorious hunters regurgitating the contents of their stomachs into seemingly purpose-built receptacles, and although these reports are yet to be substantiated, the very thought sends chills down my spine.
The Vassav are incapable of biological reproduction, and appear to be entirely sexless, but no matter how many we slay, their numbers never seem dwindle. Our soldiers have even killed beasts with almost identical scar markings consecutive nights in a row, suggesting they possess a degree of regenerative abilities surpassing even that of our best healers. It is as yet unknown how this process is achieved, and preliminary studies by out field biologists have proved inconclusive.
While lacking the trappings of more civilised cultures such as art, science, law, and language, the Vassav do appear to indulge in a form of primitive idol worship, often accompanied by seemingly ad-hoc rituals culminating in a sacrificial offering. They do not appear to be averse to sacrificing each other or even themselves. Other than these "death rites", the Vassav exhibit no behaviours atypical of the Lesser Races, and I'd heartily recommend they be dismissed as nothing more than a perverse species of beast - there is no semblance of civility within these creatures.
What few scrolls remain of the region's history seem to suggest that Vassav excursions beyond the walls of Yavan Manor were directly preceded by the death of the last living proprietor of Yavan Estate. It cannot be discerned for certain what the relation between the events are, but local folklore portrays Lady Yavan as a homocidal shut-in, and a powerful practitioner of the so called "Black Arts". Civilised logic suggests that the race is simply a raiding party, having found easy lodgings amongst the Estate's generations of riches, but the fear of the locals cannot be dismissed.
Regardless, it pains me to go on about this wretched frontier backwater.
How's Helen?
Yours cordially,
Chevon
Persist, deathtouch, lifelink. Other things? Who knows!
"The tides are relentless and all-powerful. Their one flaw is that they are predictable." - Gorzii, ventblade of Mestalo
The Ayomis originated in the undersea volcanic flats, and like some burning vapor they rose from the ocean floor. Ever since they have dwelled in submarine cities or on artificial desert islands, comfortable both with air and water, and endlessly curious about both the surface world and the ocean.
Imagine an iridescent, hunched-over, humanoid lionfish with the upper-body build of a gorilla. Ayomis are typically 6-7 feet tall, and are most comfortable walking on their webbed feet and powerful clawed knuckles, but can stand erect with some effort. Any instrument or weapon they wield must be able to stand up to a strong but clumsy four-fingered grip.
The Ayomis have a scientific and metaphysical bent, and they are very concerned with the definition of chaos. They explore the patterns they believe the world falls into and the laws of nature, and then do everything they can to circumvent or cheat these. This, they believe, is doing the world a favor; a state of chaos is a state of infinite possibility, whereas order must necessarily constrain ultimate progress.
They are masterful architects, and their cities of energy-dispersing deepglass are a wonder to behold.
Ayomis are more or less anarchistic but recognize the central authority of the Whorl, a group of the three most powerful Ayomis mages who act as wandering overseers of the chaos-science.
Clash
Instant and sorcery manipulation (copying and target changing)
Feint (:xmana:: Switch the blockers of this creature and another target attacking creature.)
Innervate (Once per turn, when you activate an ability, you may pay less to activate it.)
Stratagem - Whenever you cast a spell during combat, [foo].
Description: The Mysti are a race that worship mystical dieties, and are divided into castes.
Physical Description: Tall and humanoid-looking, they have blue skin often marked by ritual scars. These scars can vary in length, but are usually between three centimeters and one meter. Most of the race are around 175 cm in height. The hues of blue vary from a lighter turquoise to a much darker navy. Hair color is usually blue, black, or blue-black, but turn redder with age. Their eyes glow purple or red, and they are usually well-muscled and are able to keep up with even the most athletic of humans.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The Mysti worship gods who are all-powerful and allow the Mysti to invoke their power. They scar themselves to devote emotions to the gods. The three castes are Priest, Warrior, and Hierarch. Hierarchs are blue and rule the tribe, warriors are red and defend the tribe, and priests are white and connect the gods to the tribe. The tribes are traditionally in groups of one hundred for smaller tribes, all the way to ten thousand or more for some of the larger tribes. In society, although Hierarchs are considered "above" priests and warriors, each caste is well-respected.
Additional Information: Each caste has a special way that they attune with the gods. The warriors summon avatars from the gods to defend them. The priests scar themselves to get special powers from the gods. The hierarchs invoke godly powers to command other Mysti.
Mechanics: There will be cards based by color depending on caste.
Mechanic 1: [Warriors] "Whenever CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put N 2/2 red Avatar creature tokens onto the battlefield." This represents the familiars the warriors summon to aid them in battle.
Mechanic 2: [Hierarchs] "T: For each other Mystus you control, {EFFECT}." This represents their ability to lead.
Mechanic 3: [Priests] "Put a -1/-1 counter on ~: {EFFECT}" This represents the scarring to attune with gods.
Mechanic 4: [Gods] "As an additonal cost to cast CARDNAME, put N -1/-1 counters among creatures you control." This represents the ritual scarring to worship gods. Gods will be colorless and will be a new creature type, "Mystus Deity".
As an example, I will post cards that may be something like what finalized versions will look like.
DISCLAIMER: THESE CARDS ARE EXAMPLES ONLY! THEY ARE NOT ENTRIES OR FINALIZED VERSIONS OF CARDS. THESE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ENTERED INTO THE ACTUAL MQ!
Mystus Warrior-General(R/U)(R/W)RR
Creature - Mystus Warrior
Whenever ~ enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 red Avatar creature token onto the battlefield for each other Mystus Warrior you control.
2/2
Mystus Hierarch-General(U/W)(U/R)UU
Creature - Mystus Advisor T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each other Mystus you control.
2/2
Mystus Priest-General(W/U)(W/R)WW
Creature - Mystus Cleric
Put a -1/-1 counter on ~: Each other Mystus creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2
Mystus Flockherder5
Creature - Mystus Deity
Trample
As an additional cost to cast ~, distribute five -1/-1 counters among Mystus creatures you control.
9/9
Description: Telepathic tentacle pods that control mobile servants.
Physical Description: Pods are roughly oval, naturally stone-like in texture. A typical adult is 2-3 feet in diameter, but they continue to grow as they age, and a few revered elders have grown larger than humans. Colors of the pods themselves range from blue and purple to brown and cream colors. Each pod has from 3 to 8 holes that can accommodate numerous thin tentacles, generally less than an inch wide but capable of reaching out at least the diameter of the pod. The tentacles are ridged and rubbery, and also come in a range of colors and mottling patterns, but they do not have suckers like an octopus would. Pods have one orifice through which they consume vegetable matter and some small vertebrates like fish or snakes. It is not known what sort of internal structure the Pods have.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Pods possess a psychic sense, through which they can detect, communicate with, and even control other living beings. This is particularly evident on land, where they make up for their limited mobility by employing a variety of psychically controlled mounts, from giant crabs and spiders to large birds and even humanoids, some of which welcome the chance to share the Pods' knowledge and powers. They are most at home in the sea, however, where they cluster in reefs of hundreds or even thousands of individuals.
Pods are also fairly tactile, using their tentacles to frequently feel out their surroundings. As such, their decoration or clothing tends to ignore visual aesthetics in favor of certain textures, with many Pods choosing to attach feathers, shells, leaves, and so on to themselves or the areas they inhabit. They are adept weavers, using strong seaweeds and plant fibers to protect themselves and their chosen allies. They have also recently discovered the principles behind bladed and piercing weapons, and have proved adept at incorporating natural materials into these designs and wielding them with extra tentacles while controlling mounts.
Additional Information: Pods have only started to make coastal colonies in whatever area we are in. There are a few colonies that have come into contact with different races.
Mechanics: The major mechanic is asymmetrical Soulbond, where only the creature paired to the Pod gets some kind of advantage or they get different advantages. Other themes focus on providing bonuses to other creatures in other ways, like +1/+1 counters, as well as enhancing activated abilities, and psychic hand/library manipulation.
Round 1 Sinew Binder1G
Creature - Pod (C)
Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Sinew Binder is paired with another creature, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
0/2
SkygrabberGU
Creature - Pod (C) T: Target creature gains flying until end of turn. T: Target creature loses flying until end of turn. Pods have adapted well to the jungle canopy, melding with tall trees to control the network of branches and vines as extensions of their own bodies
1/1
Appearance:
[22:44] <Balefire> Small, prehensile cross between Shellder and Omastar
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Hitmonlee
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Wailor
[22:44] <Balefire> Wailord*
[22:44] <Zdrac> mating with a skitty
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Pikachu
Mechanics:
[22:45] <Zdrac> Bands with Slivers
[22:45] <Balefire> Bands with Brushwaggs
[22:45] <Zdrac> +1/-1 counters
[22:45] <Balefire> Bands with Brushwaggs
[22:46] <Zdrac> and shadow, but can block as though it didn't have shadow
[22:46] <Zdrac> oh, and they have reach AND flying
[22:46] <Balefire> And cumulative upkeep costs based on alternate costs
[22:47] <Balefire> Best race
[22:47] <Balefire> Auto win on Magic Wars
Name: Dream Wisps
Color: WU
Description: The Dream Wisps are little pieces of mind that inhabit your dreams. They love to fiddle with them and, if they are powerful enough, can be materialized into reality.
Physical Description: There are two kinds of Dream Wisps: Nether and Abstract. Nether Wisps are "void space" in your dreams, stuff that help complete the image in your dream but you never encounter. Abstract Wisps fuel the creativity of your dreams and look like my avatar.
C/B/S: Being a ethereal race, they do not have much cultures or society. All Dream Wisps, however, wish to become reality and escape dreams.
Additional Information: I have no idea.
Mechanics:
1. Flickering - Dream Wisps are ethereal and are supposed to be in dreams. They are often unstable in reality.
2. Library - Dream Wisps have lots and lots to do with the library. The library is the "dream" and they have abilities that you can activate while in the library or can just bounce back to it.
3. Vanishing - Dream Wisps are often unversed in reality and so if they do get out, they can only stay for a little bit. Dream Wisps go to zones other than the graveyard, however.
4. Dreamwalk - Dreamwalk is (This creature is unblockable as long as the defending player controls a tapped creature.) This is to provide an evasion option that differs it from spirits and because it is extremely flavorful.
5. Off-end mechanics - Tapped creatures matter, suspend, and cascade may be used.
Description: A black/blue species that prefers to keep to itself and will do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
Physical Description: An amphibious humanoid race with large, blubbery bodies, bulging frog-like eyes, and long stringy hair growing sparsely around wide mouths and below bulbous noses. Their short arms and legs end in webbed hands and feet, designed more for swimming and giving them a lurching gait on land. Despite their preference for lakes and swamps, they can survive on land indefinitely, though will more quickly succumb to dehydration in hot environments.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Generally loners, most Vodnik prefer to stay removed from the affairs of land-dwellers. For those that do venture into civilization, their strange appearance and stilted speech often cause others to underestimate their intelligence—an error the Vodnik are happy to use to their advantage. Though most weapons a difficult for a Vodnik to use, their sheer mass, slick skin and large mouths make them deadly in hand-to-webbed-hand combat.
Additional Information: Physical description is based on the Wiki's Vodyanoy page, with some of the race's mythical attributes and abilities unceremoniously stolen from the Ningyo: specifically the karmic retribution for killing one and the special effects of eating their flesh.
Mechanics: Mechanically, Vodnik are mid-sized creatures (3/3 ± 1/1), with access to the evergreen mechanics bounce, defender, discard, intimidate, island- or swampwalk & regeneration. Block mechanics are: Death triggers effecting the creature that killed it, Wither (you don't heal quickly after a Vodnik takes a bite of you), poor interaction with equipment (possibly with new keyword "unequipable"?), granting indestructibility or regeneration, and Soulsnare (Whenever a creature dies while attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may exile that creature and put a soul counter ~.)
The Guaroga are a race of life and death worshiping humanoids. Resembling large, mostly flightless bats, their hideous visage has steered them towards savagery and seclusion. While their eyesight is about that of the average human, their hearing is what sets them apart. Capable of distinguishing the heartbeats of every living thing within 100 yards, the Guaroga have become deadly hunters. Standing between 6 and 7 feet tall, their thin and often malnourished-looking figure can be misleading. Their wiry frames are better suited for speed and agility over brute strength and stamina.
A few hundred years ago on a distant plane, the Guaroga existed as reclusive tribe of nomads who revered the cycle of life and death. This was normal on their plane though, as it was ruled over by Vitani, the Archangel of Life and Mortifax, Demon Lord of Death.
The humans of the plane were as scattered and diversified as any one might find on other planes, but one tribe in particular, the Lionheart Warriors, stood out. They considered themselves the champions of Vitani and self-appointed themselves to cleanse the plane of all darkness. While the Guaroga considered themselves neutral to most conflict on the plane, the Lionhearts viewed them as hideous mockeries of humans and agents of Mortifax. The Guaroga were able to survive by remaining hidden in their tree-top homes in the Maurgolan Rainforest until the Lionhearts discovered an ancient artifact of great power, the Realm-Slayer Scepter. Using this device to drive their warriors into an insatiable fury, the Guaroga were quickly tracked down and enslaved.
Only a handful of Guaroga remained safe from the Lionhearts, one such being Yortuna, a young but skillful lifeline shaman. In a desperate attempt to save her father and the lives of her kinsmen, she struck a deal with the Demon Lord Mortifax. Mortifax would strike down every Lionheart in exchange for a promise of indentured servitude. Yortuna hesitantly signed the deal in blood, freeing her people from slavery. However, she could not fathom the scale of Mortifax's plan. As the Guaroga were freed from their shackles, they were transported via Mortifax's magic to the plane of Thanreus.
The Guaroga arrived on Thanreus in the year 893 CE and have been patiently waiting for orders from Mortifax, their demon master. Since arriving, Yortuna has acted as head shaman and leader of the Guaroga. She is advised by her father, Kruvo, the oldest Guaroga and most skilled lifeline shaman. Recently, Yortuna has had dreams and visions of a far away city in which she and her tribe must travel to...
Yortuna, Warden of Balance: Guaroga chieftain and head shaman, she is also the one responsible for the Guaroga's debt to Mortifax. She struck a deal to save her people in exchange for a debt to a demon. Well-versed in both life and death magic, she acts as the balance between the two and a mediator for Guaroga conflict. She wears a pale bone mask with a faint glow reminiscent of the pale-gold moon of her home plane.
Untani, Warden of Life: Son of Yortuna and twin brother of Delko, he acts as his mother's and the tribes spiritual guide through life. An expert in life magics and celebrations, he wears a mask of sprouting green wood enchanted to keep its color and youth. One of the first Guaroga born on Thanreus and thus has a stronger connection to the life magic of the plane.
Delko, Warden of Death: Son of Yortuna and twin brother of Untani, he is responsible for helping the tribe members with passage into the afterlife and communications with those that have passed. An expert in death magics and ceremonial rites, he wears a mask of withered and brown wood enchanted to remain sprouting. The other of the first two Guaroga born on Thanreus, he also possesses a stronger connection to the plane's magic.
Mortifax, Demon Lord of Death: One half of the ruling power of the Guaroga's home plane. When Yortuna sought to free her people from the abusive slavery of the Lionheart Warriors, she struck a deal with Mortifax. For every Lionheart whose life he stole, she promised the allegiance of one Guaroga soul for the yet unnamed task Mortifax had. While the exact nature of his power is unknown, he was able to transport exactly 2000 Guaroga to Thanreus in the blink of an eye. He does not have a physical form on Thanreus, but he can communicate with Yortuna and her offspring.
The otherwise unfavorable image of most Guaroga has lead them to practice the dark rituals of outcasts, hermits, and savages. They rely mostly on hunting for sustenance. Most Guaroga wear self-made masks that denote cultural status and hunting prowess. The mask of a well-known hunter might include the claws or teeth of the beasts he or she has slain while the mask of a renowned shaman might be enchanted with an otherworldly glow. Their fascination with the cycle of life and death stems from their relative seclusion from the rest of the sentient world. With no one else to interact with, the Guaroga became obsessed with the life and death of living beings and ways to manipulate the life lines of others. While the average lifespan of a Guaroga is around 80-100 years, a practiced lifeline shaman might easily age beyond 300 years.
Each day on Thanreus is one more day away from home. In the 28 years that the Guaroga have been on Thanreus, they have not once heard from Mortifax, their savior and slaver.
Yortuna rose from a deep sleep. The same dream has been troubling her for several days now. A vast city in a far off flatland covered in blood beckoning to her as if it were home. The faint whispers of Mortifax emanate from its walls, but when she uses her lifeline spells to seek out an answer, the only response she gets is that of screaming agony. Wiping in the sweat from her brow, she picks up her mask from the bedside and lightly sets it upon her face. Perhaps she would dream more clearly if Kruvo had not disappeared...
As Yortuna walks out of her treetop shack, she can already see the forms of her tribesmen stirring, silhouetted against the shadows of a rising sun. Not knowing if this would be the day they pick up and move, every able-bodied Guaroga begins to pack up his or her tent while the tribes hunters begin the morning's rituals for a favorable bounty.
Across the small clearing they have been inhabiting for the past week, Untanti and Delko stir from their respective dwellings. They descend in unison to meet the tribe's hunters and finish the morning's rituals. Once completed, they go their separate ways and begin preparing the regents for the days ceremonies.
As the day goes on, hunters return with various kills ranging in size from the small but savory razor hares to the occasional Primataur youth. Each prize is blessed by a lifeline shaman, and then prepared by the Guaroga who have been preparing for a feast since dawn.
High in her tree-top dwelling, Yortuna attempts to contact Mortifax again. Her normal rituals seem to be lessening in effectiveness, as all she can make out are a few jumbled words and phrases. Only one word comes in clearly: "Anabyn"
-Bat people
-Excellent hearing, excellent hunters
-Life and death magic
-Wear masks to hide ugliness/show status
-Creature types: Guaroga, Shaman, Warrior
1. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, effect.
Represents keen hearing and tactical abilities
A hunter knows his enemy, gains advantage when a new enemy appears
Might add ability word for flavor
2. Huntsman (whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, put a kill counter on this creature)
Represents hunting prowess
Paired with another ability; card gets boosts to p/t or abilities for more counters
3. Vital cast X (You may cast this card by sacrificing X creatures.)
Represents understanding and inevitability of death
Additional effects for vital casting
You sacrifice creatures as a cost instead of paying mana
4. Masks as Auras, minor Auras matter theme.
As long as CARDNAME is enchanted, effect
Cards representing different professions/statuses
05-29: Origin story added, removed "scattered tribes" bit. Guaroga live in one tribe all together.
05-31: Key Players added, Day in the life added
U// Sedris and the Traitor Kings U// G Seshiro, the Appointed G B// Vaevictus Asmadi - "I'm 'exy and I know it" B// W// Treva, The Renewerer W// B/ Rakdos, Lord of Grouphate B/ W//// Cromat the Charmer W////
As I'm terrible at introductions, I'll skip to the meat:
The Vaelshii are generally extraordinarily tall beings, with a dark blue and black scales. They are largely humanoid, with bodies hunched over to better carry their heavy heads. They don't have traditional limbs so much as large bundles of intertwined tentacles or cables with twitch and writhe when moving. Where most humanoids have hands and feet the Vaelshii have their "arms" or "legs" break off into smaller bundles, capable of acute motor control. Their heads are moderately large, and adorned with tough exposed bone plating over their foreheads. Their eyes are mostly dull purples, greens, and reds; face out to the side and are placed near the back of their heads.
Vaelshii are covered in mechanical plating and steampunk-esque replacements for parts of their body. The cables of Vaelshii limbs are often replaced with flexible tubes which transport liquidized mana and vital fluids. Robotic eye enhancements are fairly common, and often metallic plating is visible, indicative of an artificial internal organ. Connecting most mechanical enhancements are small tubes which transport liquidized mana to power them. On their backs are brilliantly colored tanks in the shape of crystalline spines, which are used for storing mana.
On top of unique mechanical enhancements, the Vaelshii have many biological enhancments, with artificial limbs, bone plates, and other more unusual additions.
The Vaelshii are the decendants of a the Xanten, an extinct race who hundreds of years ago controlled all of Thanreus. They were a just rule, who's only goal was scientific advancement of their society. Specifically, the Xanten sought to enhance all functions of organic life by infusing mana into it. Many underground labs worked tirelessly on willing Xanten subjects to create methods of harnessing mana and injecting it into Xanten bodies. For the most part they were successful.
A new breed of mechanically fueled supermen were created, but it became immediately apparent the needs of their inplants were far more than the society could bear, with many dieing because their new mana charged organs would simply run out of fuel. The society spurned the need of the Vaelshii, the soulless as they were called, and left them to die when their demands became too great. In retaliation, the Vaelshii turned on their former people, destroying them for cursing and then forsakening them. With the Vaelshii's enhanced ability, the internal war was short, with the Xanten being nearly obliterated by the Vaelshii.
After the war, most of the Vaelshii died off, but the few that remained established massive machines for collecting and condensing mana in the ruins of the Xanten capital. In the many years that followed, the Vaelshii would work to further the designs that made them what they are. The other races that followed the Xanten all steered clear of the Vaelshii, seeing them as a blight, and horrible machinations.
The Vaelshii are held together is small groups of research cells known as studies. Each study has it's different area of biological testing and expertise, and you are accepted into a study based on your discovered skillset. Any individuals not intelligent enough are put on the patrols, they're tasked as border guards manning the edges of Turen, the massive destroyed city Vaelshii call home.
Collections of between five and thirty studies are lead by Arbiters. Arbiters are heavily enhanced and exceptionally intelligent individuals who were determined most capable of leadership. Often, arbiters are so heavily enhanced that they are no longer recognizable as Vaelshii, being something closer to a golem or an abomination depending on how they were improved.
Children are tasked with raising themselves. Food is provided by each Arbiter for the children, but otherwise they learn for themselves how to survive and study the environment. Upon reaching an adequate age, adult Vaelshii subject themselves to any mechanical or biological enhancements they choose, and are assigned to a study or to the patrols.
-Aura/Equipment tokens.
-Attachments matter.
-Artifacts
-Card Draw
-Ability Word: Enhanced - ~ gets/gains [Stuff] as long as a permanent is attached to it. (A permanent is attached as long as it is equipped to or enchanting this permanent)
Physical Description: The Asura are about four feet tall, and their bodies generally follow the same proportionality of human bodies. They typically have slender builds, with the head, hands, and feet in somewhat exaggerated proportions. Their head is a wide, flat ellipsoid whose width is extended further by large ears which usually droop from the sides of the head. Asura eyes are large and come in a variety of colors, their skin varies along tans, as well as black to white, and they typically have dark hair (if they happen to have hair). Male and female asura are very similar in appearance; they are mostly differentiated by voice and ear structure. See this image.
Abilities and Magic: The Asura are a fairly weak race in terms of raw physical power, though they are surprisingly quick and agile. Where their true strength lies is in the arcane; Individual asura will dedicate an entire lifespan to building a portfolio of successful projects or becoming the foremost expert of some tiny aspect of magic. They are attuned with light, darkness, electricity, air and earth.
Habitat: In order to progress their discoveries, many Asura choose to venture out into the world. Those that do not live in Asuran cities, which are giant floating constructs. The largest of these cities, Rata Sum, is composed of huge floating cubes, which in turn composed of smaller and smaller cubes connected by bridges. These cities are mobile, can can be relocated as necessary, though the area within is considered sovereign Asura territory, regardless of the land below. The Asura tend to prefer lush environments, but don't really mind living anywhere.
Over the years the Asura have developed a network of gates based on acient discoveries which link all of their floating cities, and have gained a foothold on warp magic, being able to teleport short distances.
Culture: Rather than organized government, the Asura prefer to utilize small, efficient task forces led by the most experienced member, designed to maximize efficiency. The Asura also have a group known as the Arcane Council who are responsible for the mundane parts of Asura city life. The members of this council rotate - membership to this council is granted to those who benefit society, but it is rarely desired as it interferes with one's own research.
Religion-wise, the Asura believe that the whole world is controlled by an arcane set of rules. Much of their research and experimentation is focused toward understanding and proving the existence of these laws. The Asura believe that once they have harnessed the power of these laws, all secrets will be revealed, and they will stand as Thanreus' greatest race. To that end, some Asura thrive on controlling power and knowledge, and some of their experiments are not particularly ethical.
Additional Info: The Asura value intelligence and intellectual superiority over all other attributes; they constantly seek to prove their own intellectual superiority, and by extension the superiority of the asura race. This sometimes results in Asura being arrogant to the point of rudeness towards others, especially towards non-Asura races. While the Asura are somewhat peaceful and tolerant, they believe they have acquired intellectual and magical superiority over the other races and view them as useful primarily for heavy lifting, taking risks, and asking stupid questions.
The Asura are a small race, comparable to Kithkin, so the average might of a single one is 2/2. However, they are nimble and tricky, so expect to see some amount of evasion. Additionally, they are ingenious wizards, so expect many tap abilities.
The Asura specialize in the Arcane, so expect many instants and sorceries. Also, while Arcane will not return, Splice will.
To represent the Asura's spellcasting, there will be a prevalance of ETB/LTB effects.
To represent the Asura's teleporting abilities, as well as their gates, there will be lots of bouncing, along with the following mechanic:
Warp [COST] ([COST]: Return this to your hand. Activate this ability only during your upkeep.)
The Asura are not combat prone, so when it comes to heavy lifting (or fighting), they utilize golems, though these golems are less mechanial and more elemental in nature.[/CARD].
Description: Primataurs are a proud, valiant race. The primataurs dwell in the dense jungles of Gurro. They are capable of making simple tools, but often use their speed and wits to take down opposing enemies. A pack of primataurs is a wild sight to see, equally capable of storming across land or swinging above the ground. They have a strong sense of family, and will fiercely defend any of their kin that is threatened. They are territorial by nature, and protect thier home from rival clans.
Physical Description: The primataurs resemble the gorilla, if a gorilla had the shape of a centaur. They have six limbs, with each limb containing six toes (four middle digits and two thumbs on the outer edge). Younger primataurs are capable of launching themselves through the air on their powerful hind legs, then grasping an outlying vine or branch. They proceed to swing or climb with ease. Older primataurs tend to be heavier set and more often stay grounded, but their increased bulk make them fierce warriors. Their thick fur protects them from the various insects that inhabit their home, and can be various colors, often ranging from black to brown but occasionally with swathes of red, white or grey. The primataurs are omnivores, and as such, have both sharp incisors and strong molars meant for chewing. Finally, male primataurs have small dual horns on their forehead, laying beneath the skin.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The primataurs believe that the strongest survive, so the eldest primataurs are often the leaders and shamans of the tribe. While they have a tribal structure, primataurs are expected to leave the tribe for a period of years before they return. When they return, they must bring tokens or gifts to prove their worth to the tribe. The experience is invaluable for the tribe, as it often gleans information about the outside world, potential enemies, or advanced knowledge.
Primataur tribes are fiercely territorial of both their land and their fellow tribe members. One must be careful when dealing with a primataur, but once accepted, there are no racial distinctions made within the tribe.
Additional Information: The primataurs live both in the trees above and the ground below. The younger primataurs tend to form communities higher in the trees, and as they get older and less able to climb, they begin to live closer to the ground. As a sign of respect, some elders are honored with the title "Bound to the world", as it indicates they've lived to an impressive age, and the soil refuses to part with their spirit.
Mechanics: Family/clans matter (creatures that share a family name gain bonuses, ie. Jurarch of the Gudru/Moktar of the Gudru)
Dual purpose enchantments (ie ability or raw power)
Probably one more
Description: Feyrin are small, long-lived humanoids with wings that embrace the sky as their primary habitat.
Physical Description: With an average height of about half that of humans, Feyrin are small, thin and graceful. Their skin and hair color vary, but Feyrin belonging to the same clan tend to have similar features. Feyin appear similar to humans but have a pair of long, semi-transparent wings upon their backs. These wings often appear similar to those found in insects, whether they resemble the delicate green wings of the dragonfly or the more exotic shapes and coloration of butterflies. But the style and property of these wings depends both on heredity and environment, and Feyrin exposed to the supernatural when young may even develop more striking formations, such as vaguely wing-shaped flames or wispy iceicles. Males only rarely sprout mustaches or beards, and, when they do, they are sparse and wispy. Hair length and style also vary greatly, but females tend to wear it long, and males tend to cut it to shoulder length. Feyrin's eyes can be a variety of colors, ranging from normal hues such as blue and green, to more unusual colors, like orange and violet. Feyrin, while reaching adulthood at about the same time as humans, often live much longer than humans, sometimes up to 1000 years.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Feyrin are often very playful and find a way to turn even the most serious of challenges into a sport or game of some kind. It is often very difficult to upset a Feyrin, as they usually find one way or another to make a situation more pleasant or cheerful than it really is. Their joyful nature, coupled with their natural attractiveness, makes them easily acceptable in most places. Feyrin are also very intelligent and clever, making them excellent leaders. Similar to the sky they represent, they try to be around anything that they find interesting, learning as much as they can before, invariably, they see something else equally as interesting. A Feyrin that has her curiosity overwhelm her and strikes out into the world tends to be a good-natured sort, making friends easily with those with a quick laugh and being a bane of annoyance to those more serious or bad-tempered.
As a society overall, Feyrin tend to be an accepting sort, and except against those that would harm the natural places of the world, have no ill will toward other races or cultures. They are, more often than not, positively enamored with outsiders. Since they're creatures so absorbed in the moment, foreigners set their natural curiosity into overdrive. As their personalities may suggest, the Feyrin do not organize themselves into a fixed doctrine or dogma (or religion). Being a long-lived species with a relatively small population, the Feyrin govern based on consensus, and they can afford to have years of discussion before reaching a decision that affects their society.
Feyrin prefer living in open, unobstructed areas with easy access to the sky, and settlements can often be seen near seaside cliffs, tall mountain peaks, or shadowless plains. They're naturally disinclined from making very large communities, and many individuals blend in with other races that interest them instead of remaining with their family or tribe. Feyrin are in touch with their emotions and tend to be honest with their feelings, making their communities (and relationships) very close-knit. Trespassing against another Feyrin beyond the usual practical joke, especially in her own tribe, would be unthinkable.
Past History: ~-10000 CE (Far past): Legends say that the first Feyrin materialized as literal personifications of the forces of cosmos, though later scholars have revealed evidence that they first evolved as spirits given form as embodiments of the elements that inhabit the Feywild, a supernatural alternate dimension filled with mystical energies.
-10000 CE~-2400 CE: The Feyrin gain an understanding of their position in the world, and eventually form a civilization prospers throughout the ages, unmolested from outside forces.
-2400 CE~-2050 CE: As a long-lived but slow-breeding species, the Feyrin are eventually greatly outnumbered by other sentient species. The humans, hungry for land and resources, eventually began being hunting down and driving the Feyrin out of their homes. Led by the visionary priestess Astraia, Feyrin successfully defended their right to exist against humanity’s campaign of extermination after a terrible war of several centuries. It was during this war that Feyrin experienced the worst that humanity had to offer, and such devastation so early in the species’ history in turn shaped their philosophy of consensus and acceptance, so that such tragedy may never again occur.
-2050 CE~0 CE: Through the past two millenia, the Feyrin slowly recovered from the wounds of the war. Their long lifespans meant only a few generations had passed since the end of the war. For most of the ages, Feyrin have kept themselves out of Thanreus' political affairs. While not completely isolated, they stood in the sidelines as Xanten took the center stage, and as other empires rose and fell. Throughout the long period of rest, they took a deep look behind the reasons such a war came to be, and came to the conclusion that they need to be more curious and informed of their surroundings. Their young begin exploring the world around the same time the human Edvar monarchy took throne.
0 CE~927 CE (present): It's been a generation since Feyrin as a species began re-exploring the worlds, and they have forged strong relationships with many of the species that occupy the surrounding lands. Though the war is now a distant memory even for the oldest Feyrin, every young Feyrin still learns of this history to remind them of the failures of greed and malevolence. Despite their outwardly playful and easygoing nature, the Feyrin still carry within them the power of a waterfall, the fury of an avalanche, and the wisdom of the nine winds, and are always willing to fight for what is right.
Additional Info: An individual Feyrin is just as likely to have studied the arcane as the martial. The Feyrin do not limit themselves to a small number of professions but participate in whichever interest that sparks their fancy, and it isn't unknown for a Feyrin to begin their lives as a scholar and yet fight in the frontlines of a war as a mercenary a century later, then become a renowned wizard after another 300 years.
Mechanics
Obviously, (almost) all non-fallen Feyrin have Flying (but it's an evergreen keyword so doesn't count).
Considering their size, the Feyrin don't really lend themselves to a P/T greater than 3/3, and a 4/4 would be really pushing it - although you can conceivably set it to 4-5 given humans can go up to 6, 7, or 8.
1. Rapidfire N(During each combat damage step, if this creature would deal combat damage, you may have it deal its combat damage N times instead.)
Instead of brute force, the Feyrin can use their stature and speed of flight as an advantage to hit multiple times in the same time other species would strike once. This is captured with the keyword, Rapidfire.
Rapidfire is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. During combat damage assignment, each attacking or blocking creature with Rapidfire N assigns combat damage equal to its power, then repeats this until N total assignments are completed for that creature. Each additional combat damage assignment follows the same rules as the first assignment. Each damage assignment done this way is treated as a a separate instance of combat damage. Combat damage assigned this way is still dealt simultaneously as all assigned combat damage.
2. Ambush (mana cost)(If a source would cause you to reveal this card, you may cast it for its ambush cost.)
The Feyrin also have an expansive and accommodating mind, and thus have an easier time coming up with new ideas than other species. This is captured by the new keyword, Ambush (mana cost).
Ambush is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with Ambush is in a player's hand or library. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. "Ambush" means "If a source would cause a player to reveal this card, that player reveals it, but may exile it instead of putting it back into its original zone" and "When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it for its ambush cost. If that player doesn't, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard."
3. Uncover N(keyword action)
As a species built on consensus and understanding, the Feyrin are closely attuned with the flow of ideas. This manifests itself with many of its abilities involving revealing cards, with a benefit based on the properties of the revealed cards, captured in the new keyword action, Uncover.
Example for a creature:
Whenever this creature attacks, uncover N. (reveal the top N cards of your library, then put them on the bottom of that library in any order.) The creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is equal to the number of Feyrin cards revealed this way.
Example for a spell:
As an additional cost to cast this spell, uncover N. (To uncover N, reveal the top N cards of your library, then put them on the bottom of that library in any order.) You may choose up to X additional targets for this spell, where X is equal to the combined converted mana costs of all cards revealed this way.
To "uncover N" means to reveal the top N cards of your library, then put them on the bottom of that library in any order.
4. General theme 1
Despite their accommodating nature, if there's one thing that Feyrin despise, it's the wicked and the undead. They cannot fathom creatures that feed on others to further selfish desires, and will never tolerate backstabbing or tampering with souls. This manifests itself with a general theme of punishing sacrificial or discard effects.
5. General theme 2
Their longevity and expansive minds mean that older Feyrin have mental prowess other species can only dream of. This translates into extensive library manipulation and spellcasting rule change abilities, such as a legend that can decrease the casting cost of Feyrin spells.
Description: A people who just love slime - they live in goo, the exude ooze out of their pores, they can't live without it. They are even born of it. They can survive without being immersed in it, but are severely weakened.
Physical Description: Somewhat humanoid, but severely squat, and rotund. And the number of limbs they have varies by individual - usually two legs, and often 2 arms, but there are some with tentacles, some with upwards of 8 arms, some with just a single pseudopod to stand on. They usually get bigger with age, and sometimes develop more limbs, but those that do grow more appendages usually get smaller as the limbs take shape. They each have a head, with a single eye each. They all have mouths and ear-holes, always 1 mouth and 2 ears. The shape of the head varies drastically, though, as some are sunken into the body, while some are suspended above it on a wiry neck. They excrete various colors of slime, and breath through their skin,and are usually coated in good. Their skin comes in all the colors that human eyes come in (brown to blue, with green in between).
Culture/Beliefs/Society: They gather around water, build towns around rivers and lakes, because their slime dries out if they aren't hydrated enough. They have developed ways of transporting water a long ways, too, to protect the goo. The goo is their life, and water sustains it, and they all-but worship water. They actually worship a god who they say lives in the water - don't think Poseidon, think Aquarius, bringer of water and knowledge. They also have a god of land, who is also their god of death and war. The land is dry, and they will return to the dry eventually, and they will be taken care of, but to appease the land god, they will seek out others to kill and send to his care, so that when they die their afterlife will be luxurious. They believe that in the afterworld, the gods' roles are reversed, because what is land is water and water is land in the afterlife. They have no proof, but that's the basis of their religion.
So they build around water, and build temples to celebrate water, full of fountains. They build temples of dry earth, too, solid constructions like tombs to celebrate the afterlife. They build these because they believe in those gods. And they live near them to worship those gods. They are social that way - They are also social with their offspring - who are born out of puddles of ooze that they all excrete during their daily lives, so the offspring could belong to anyone, even an entire community of 50+. But outside their race and communities, they are generally hostile, passive aggressive. They war upon other nations, though don't go looking far for a fight.
Additional Information: Onite Architecture is usually made of solid stone, because besides generating their own offspring, the slime that they create sometimes creates other oozing life forms that dissolve away the walls gradually, so wooden walls would be eaten instantly, metal would corrode and become toxic, packed dirt and clay would wear through way too quick. Hard stone also breaks down slowly, but lasts much longer then other buildings they might create.
The Onite diet consists of water, dirt, and decomposing organic material. When they kill an animal or foe, they bring the corpse to their village or town, let it sit out in the sun for a few days, then cut it up and eat. They have teeth, just made of stone rather than bone, and digestive organs (though they are varied between individuals - some chew cud!).
Mechanics: Graveyard Matters (they eat rotting corpses), Tokens (ooze tokens, 9 times out of 10), variable power/toughness at ETB (individuals are rarely alike). Often islands or Swamps will matter one way, other lands otherways ("Tap target basic land. If it is an island or swamp, <effect>. Otherwise, <Effect>."). Fortifications matter, but are quickly consumed. Regeneration. <-6, but regen, tokens, and variable P/T are common enough, and so is graveyard matters.
More notes: As Saprolings are to Treefolk and Funguses, so oozes are to these guys, though oozes also show up completely separated and unrelated from Onites, too. Certain out-of-color Onites can also create Weirds. Onites are kinda dumb, too, but smarter than ogres. Like, smart ogres, perhaps.
The every day life of an Onite is serving the community. They sleep during the night, but when they wake up, they walk or slide out from their dwellings, and do what they can for each other. They look after the wild young running about, find non-Onite slime creatures running wild in the community and corral them, hunt for food, whatever they can do.
They do take roles, usually based on their abilities. Those capable of hunting hunt, those capable of hauling large stones to build and repair do so. Other then that, they usually idly walk through their settlements, drinking out of the water that they build by, or eating the rotting carcasses that the hunters lay about the streets. A few study magic, study the earth and the water, sometimes religiously, other times to improve their quality of life.
The settlements these idle, peaceful slime-people build are built with open streets, usually with channels for water to flow through, and others for the slime they exude to gather in. They pave their roads with stone, often large slabs, and though it gets coated in slime, keep them otherwise clean. The buildings are stone, built to the sides of their roads, and are sunken into the ground, where they dig out pits then slide in stone slabs. They prefer three-room buildings, using walls with open doorways to separate them. A room where sleeping takes place, a room to store animal bodies and dirt for eating, and a room in the front where visitors can join them for meals. Unclaimed animal bodies (or those of enemies) get thrown to the sides of the streets, against buildings. They also build buildings on top of other buildings, sometimes, building stone stairs.
The settlements not built by water are built with canals and wells to provide water. Usually they use stone pipes/aqueducts to bring water from the nearest source.
Description: The annaki are a small race known as the Dream Children. They have a racial tie to the Dreamweave, a net of constantly shifting mana controlled by the subconcious desires of all who are tied into it.
Physical Description: The annaki are small, furry humanoids, standing about five feet tall. Their fur is generally thin and soft, and ranges between black and yellow, with browns being most common. Their heads are slightly larger than human scale, and their craniums tend to slope off into a slight backwards-facing cone. The eyes are pure black and quite large, while the rest of the facial features are subdued.
Their frames are generally on the lighter side, but they can become quite pudgey. Because of their ties to the Dreamweave, they always have enough food to suit their mood (it just appears around them, grows rapidly, or scurries out of the dreams for them to catch), so a lot can be determined about the personality of an individual annaki from their looks.
Annaki only live to be about forty or fifty years on average. However, they don't go through most of the rigors of aging that affect other peoples. Their fur often starts to turn silver at about age thirty, and it isn't uncommon for an elder to be stark-white, but otherwise they remain in good health until they pass away peacefully.
Annaki's clothing and many personal posessions are formed out of wisps of dream material. Those who live in cities typically dream up clothing that mostly fits into their adopted culture (though it is always strange and unnatural), while those who live in the wild either don't dream up clothing at all or wear truly bizarre mixtures of wispform materials.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The annaki don't have much in the way of religion, but they do believe that when their physical bodies die they become one with the Dreamweave, and annaki spirits have been seen operating with in to confirm this belief. The ability to make their dreams reality makes them balance on a strange edge between practicality and fancy: sometimes they'll focus very hard on dream-logic, using it to construct objects or magics to help them in the real world, while at other times they'll abandon their focus on the real world for days or weeks on end and get lost in wild dreams.
Annaki don't generally build long-term dwellings, instead relying on their dreamweaving abilities to provide just enough shelter from the elements; should weather get particularly bad, they'll retreat to caves, hollows of trees, or the villages of friendly neighbors. Those who join the cities of others will typically find a home in a building owned by someone else, although they sometimes buy their own homes.
Annaki that don't join with other races live in very lose bands of about ten to fifty. When they meet with other bands, they'll typically spend a few festive days together, and when they separate often individuals will leave the original band for the new one.
While overall they tend to be slightly more mercurial than humans, many of them develop quite in-depth philosohpies. Their short lifespan combined with the lack of material need makes them focus more on abstract ideas than practicalities. Despite having a wide variety of philosophic views, it is almost unheard of for annaki to have disagreements that rise to the point of an actual feud. In the rare cases this does happen, both parties usually find themselves on the outside of society, as very few other annaki want to deal with anyone who would pollute the dreamweave with hatred.
Additional Information: Almost all annaki will have a philosophic bent that leans towards a single concept as central in their life. Whatever this concept is tends to determine their color identity. Annaki who focus on simple living in harmony with the natural world are green, those with ideals more suited to strong communities are white, and ones who focus on the fluid, mercurial nature of dreams are red.
Mechanics: 1. Dreaming: All annaki have the creature type Annaki Dreamer. Some also have other class creature types, like warrior or wizard, but this is rare because it require commitment to something other than relying on the dreamweave for their needs. Likewise, some other races can be Dreamers, but no other ones have a natural connection to the Dreamweave, so it has to be learned and is uncommon. Many enchantments have the Dream subtype, and those enchantments interact with Dreamer creatures in a variety of ways. Most are positive, but there are a few negative Dreams.
2. Non-tribal: Annaki don't have members that give tribal benefits, because they view themselves in terms of the greater community. When they give benefits to other creatures, it is without regard to creature type.
3. Color-changing: Some annaki have activated abilities which change their color permanently and also change their abilities. Generally, these annaki start out as normal-powered vanilla creatures of the first color, and for a fairly large investment of mana including a particular other color, they change color, get larger, and gain one or more abilities. Going outside of green, white, and red is very rare, and only Legendary Annaki might do that (and in all cases, they start out within those colors).
4. Limited mana-fixing: Annaki are more likely than other creatures to have mana-fixing abilities, but when they do this mana typically can only be used to cast Dreams, or activate the abilities of Dreams and Annaki.
Description: Imagine a cross between new-world monkeys, moths, pangolins, and hornets; they have a mostly eusocial society, though they do have individual personalities.
A wide collection of variations on a theme; combinations of new-world monkeys (specifically the Callitrichidae and Pitheciidae families) and members of the order Lepidoptera (ie- butterflies and moths), they have four different stages of life, known as instars: Eggs, larvae, chrysalids and adults. Though all Lepitho are born with the potential to be fertile, most females are fed a special substance by the current Queen to stop them from developing such faculties.
-Eggs: As basic as it sounds, a growing zygote covered by a hard, somewhat leathery husk.
-Larvae: The childhood stage. Picture a type of elongated simian. It's body is 3 to 4 feet in length, It has two forward and two back legs, as well as up to six pairs of prolegs, which are pseudo-limbs formed from specialized muscles that end in calloused stubs. (Imagine one of these guys, but tailless and elongated into the body-shape of a caterpillar) It's face is quite monkey-like, often fringed by wild manes of hair that serve as extra-sensory whiskers/antennas. This is the wildest stage of a Lepith's life, when they are free to explore and play as they please, learning all about the world through direct contact with it. This is also the most fragile form a Lepith takes in its life, as they often toddle into very dangerous situations as their curiosity overtakes them.
-Chrysalids: When a larva progresses to this stage its hair begins to fuse together in scales similar to those of a pangolin. The chrysalid's movement becomes slower, and it loses the usage of any prolegs it may have had, as the begin to curl back up into its body. Chrysalids not only move slower, they also spend far more time sleeping, only waking to eat as necessary. When a chrysalid has stored up enough energy it will become fully encased in its scales, hibernating until it is ready to emerge as a fully-grown adult. This last stage of childhood is known as the 'Breathing Slumber', as the breathing patterns of chrysalids are often noticeable during this hibernation as their enhusked forms quiver and shake subtly.
-Adults:A fully-grown Lepith is often quite a sight to behold. The animalistic characteristics that so tied them to the ground before are all but faded, leaving only the subtlest of hints to their background. Their faces look all but human, the main difference being their overly-large eyes and vibrantly colored manes of hair. Traditionally a Lepith gathers up its husk after they emerge from it, and fashion the armor they will wear for the rest their life from those remains. This dull carapace sits on them in stark contrast to their vibrant bodies. Both wispy and sharp, they hover (rarely submitting to the forces of gravity) lightly above the ground, anywhere from 5 to 7 feet tall, with lithe forms complete with two pairs of arms, one at their shoulders of regular human size, the other emerging from their chests, some choose to keep them covered, some using them to wield a third regularly-sized weapon, others to wield two undersized ones.
-Variant Adult: The Dissents, having forsworn the military, artificial ways of traditional Lepith society decided to create their own hives. As time went on they grew physically different from their cousins. Their adults forms are short, stockier, more rotund-but in s solidly-built, jolly manner. (More like Pitheciidae) [The 'traditional' Lepitho being more reminiscent of tarsiers, especially in the face, slimness of figure and long, trailing tail.] They depend more on their carapace-armor, because of their lack of flight, and decreased dexterity. Thusly their armor is much rougher in texture, and heavier. (Like a stick, or leaf-bug).
-Cast-offs: Though taboo in Lepith society, those Lepitho unable to successfully make the transition from larva to chrysalid, or (more commonly) chrysalid to adult, are quickly taken away by military's surgeons to be...'processed'. These barely-living masses of flesh are grafted into metal and carapace armatures, used as machinery in covert projects, or cannon fodder in secret military actions. Whether they were free-willed before processing, or afterwards, is unknown. The authorities use them as they see fit, but always with secrecy in mind-fearing the backlash if the citizenry ever found out about their existence {Living Weapons}.
Groups of Lepitho are usually organized into hives, though there are males who form roving bands of mercenaries, thieves or other kinds of knaves. Those in hive-families swear their complete allegiance to their queens and countries (as each hive is large enough to function as a city-state in its own right), with differing customs, fashions and dialects replete among them. They often choose to ally with other hives, either to fight against other species or against larger hives looking to take their territory. Should a hive be conquered it's inhabitants (excluding its queen, whose body will be displayed as proof of complete domination) will be taken as willing slaves of the victorious hive, as the Lepitho abhor suicide, unless achieved by way of selfless military action, even if taken with full knowledge that death will be the most likely result.
The religion of the Lepitho is based around the worship of the ancestral line that their current queen belongs to, and to a lesser extent the current queen. These former queens sometimes come back in spirit form, as do other high-ranking officials such as general, princes, monks, etc.
[Added 5/28]-The Hives are loosely organized into a type of very informal confederation. All members have complete autonomy, except when it comes to allegiance to the lead hive, known as Apio. Here resides the direct descendant of the original Ancestral Line of Queens (the queens of other hives being various offshoots or different branches that have diverged for various reasons at different times).
-At some point in the near past, the was a schism among the Lepitho, with those seeking a more nature-oriented way of life breaking off and forming a different kind of hive, with more equality among their members, and all females being fertile-leading to nuclear families. Because of the change this has had on their biology, these Lepitho no longer grow wings when they reach adulthood, instead resembling a stick-bug/monkey hybrid, though rarely a winged Lepith will be born among them. After the initial conflict the two groups came to an agreement: The dissenters (who had come to be known as Phasmoa by this point in time) would be allowed to organize themselves as they like, as long as they still pledge allegiance to Apio, and follow all of the rules of inter-hive interaction.
-The current Queen styles herself Empress Hypogaea, and is stricter than the last few Queens, instilling a strong military rule in Apio, and encouraging a more militant stance among all Lepitho. The Phasmoa aren't too fond of her, but respect her respect for their existence, and her continued guarantee of protection for them from outside threats.[Added 5/28]
-[Added 6/7] Though most of Lepith society seems fairly benign, if a bit overly militant (or overly hippy-esque), deep within Apio there is a secret society of clerics whose duty is to twist the dead (Lepith or other) into more useful forms, and in a few very rare cases apply 'The Process' an incredibly risky set of rituals in which a non-Lepith being may become a member of the race. These cleric, known as the Necro-Bishops, are known only by the highest ranking officials of the Empress's army, the Empress, the other Queens, and the member of the order themselves. Their experiments are mechanically either creatures with 0 toughness, Living Weapons, or (perhaps only a single, Legendary) Lepith-other race creatures combining the strengths of the two races into one. [Added 6/7]
Additional Information: My main inspirations for this race were the Kithkin and Elves of the Morningtide/Shadowmoor block (or what little I know of them filled in with what I thought seemed coolest), the eusocial organization of many insects, monkeys, and old-school, idealistic, feudal chivalry- knights honorably fighting for the Crown, with everyone playing their part to help to further the goals of the righteously appointed monarchs.
Mechanics: Threshold- As more Lepitho die, those left alive fight with an even stronger furor. Transform-To show the changes in form of a Lepith as he or she grows from egg, to chrysalid, to adult, to spirit. Living Weapon-The way in which those who didn't survive the move from egg to larva or chyrsalid are able to work for the hive. These twisted remains are so mutated and unnatural that they are not longer green or white, but black. Theme- 0 toughness and anthem-like effects-The Spirits of Lapitho past often come back in ethereal form, drawing strength from their still-living brethren to bolster their forms and allow them to interact with the material world. Without this support they quickly fade back into the spirit realm-though in that instant that the are in the land of the living they may impart boons to their allies. This is shown by 0-toughness creatures with 'Enters the battlefield' and 'Leaves the battlefield/dies' triggers. Theme-Spirits/stuff in graveyardsDearly Departed, Riftstone Portal, et al. Perhaps an enchantment reanimation of some sort. This represents the strong ties the Lepitho have with their ancestral spirits.
The main focus of these mechanics is the enhancement of permanents, as the Lepith mindset focuses on bringing out the best in whatever they have to work with- whether themselves, their allies, or the land that they live in. History: To Be Decided Location: To Be Decided
Name: Lefari
Color: WUG
Description: The lefari are a race of sapient porcupinces that have an uncanny knack for the arcane, due to the ancestors living too close to the planar rifts.
Physical Description: The lefari are race of sapient porcupines who dwell in the rainforests of the plane. The lefari usually grow to a height of about 4 feet (when standing on it's hind legs). The Lefari's hide also contain the same coat of sharp quills present in their ancestors.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The lefari live all together in a colony in the rainforest present on the plane. They are sometimes seen in trade cities of other races, but they usually keep to the colony, which is protected by their magic and the surrounding landscape. This is due to the rest of the races on the planet viewing them as "pets" due to their non-sapient brethren (the porcupines whose ancestors did not get affected by the rifts) being used as pets in the other race's societies. The Lefari, however, do not war with other race's, and have been at peace with them for the past 1000 years.
The lefari's culture is based around the 5 colors of mana, and the magic of those colors. However, the large majority of the race is within the WUG colors, so those are the only ones that matter in their system. Each member of the race, during childhood, is assessed by the "council" (the governing body, comprised of the 11 best mages in all of the Lefari) to determine the affinity of magic the child has. Most of the times, each Lefari exhibits an affinity of one color of magic, and is placed in the school of magic of that color. However, there are rare cases where a child exhibits affinity for either R or B magic, or even presents multiple affinities. Since the Lefari don't have schools for those colors (or color combinations) of magic, the council takes those children under their care and trains them. (To date, only 300 out of all 1000000 Lefari have exhibited this. 2 of these cases are sages on the council, with affinities for RB and WUG respectively).
Arcane Affinity [Color(s)]: (Not to be confused with "Affinity for X") Each member of the Lefari exhibit a certain affinity for a specific color (or colors) of magic. While the Arcane Affinity ability does nothing, a Lefari could have an ability that references his/her Arcane Affinity Color.
Spiked X: Each Lefari has a sharp coat of quills that they can harden into a protective armor at will. Each Lefari with Spiked X has "Whenever THIS is dealt combat damage by a creature an opponent controls, you may have THIS deal X damage to that creature.
Passive: Lefari don't normally attack other creatures, and so are not very adept at combat. However, they are very adept at their magic, and will use it when they feel threatened.
Physical Description The Trezzen are a race of humanoids. They stand 3 to 4 feet tall and have red-tinted skin and white hair. The Trezzen are a very magical race. Elder Trezzen usually sport long, white beards. The average Trezze has a lifespan that usually lasts around 100 years. The Trezzen also have pointed ears and two rows of strong teeth. These teeth are necessary to consume a Trezzen's favorite food, Crantobere fruit, which has a juicy inside but a hard and thick outside.
Culture/Beliefs/Society The Trezzen are also great builders and innovators who create useful instruments that are somtimes powered by magic. One specific instrument endemic to the Trezzen race is the Krarshjar, a type of kiteshield with a point that ends in a sword. Krarshjaren are still used in battle, but older krarshjaren are used more for ritualistic purposes. Since the Trezzen are red and blue, intelligence and emotion are both valued. Most typical Trezzen fall into the "Spunky wizard upstart" category. Cities of Trezzen are ruled a council of elder wizards. The number of elders on each council differs depending on the city, but the number is also constant. That is, if one elder dies or retires, exactly one new elder will fill in. The grand elder council, or Heppedkrezzakan, rules over all of the Trezzian cities.
Additional Information The Trezzen's source of livestock are the Xekken, a race of pygmy yak-like creatures. Xekken meat is a staple food in Trezzian society. The Xekken are used also used as transportation, since they can pull carriages and be ridden. Basically, the Xekken provide the Trezzen a very large amount of useful resources and tools that the Trezzen use to survive.
A common practice is for Trezzian wizards to "enchant" a Xekke when it is still a calf. After it grows, it could have magically-imbued wool that can be knitted into a nice sweater, or magically enchanted horns that make the bearer invincible in battle, etc. This practice has grown considerably and now virtually every Xekke is enchanted from birth for a specialized purpose, for example a Xekke meant to be ridden would be enchanted to be faster and stronger and a Xekke meant for meat would be enchanted to be fatter.
Mechanics Seals: These are enchantments that have "N, sacrifice ~: do X" where N is any cost, or even an absence of cost, and X is some extraneous effect.
Enchantments-Matter: Trezzen cards might have effects that get better based on how many enchantments you have. This synergizes with the seals and enchantment creature mechanics.
Enchantment Creatures: Since Xekke are enchanted from birth, they are considered to be "enchantment creatures."
The Ursk are a proud race of centaurean bears with the bodies of bison
::Physiology::
An average Ursk stands just over ten feet (just over 2 meters) tall, and and typically weigh over 1,500 Pounds. Their large torsos are covered with thick fur, common colors including Black, Brown, Gold, and even Pure White. Their thick muscular arms have padded paws with 5 non-retractable claws, one of which is opposable. A Ursk's lower body has a shaggy coat of hair on its front half, but the hindquarters have a finer glossy coat. A rare trait that runs through the blood of some Ursk is that of wings, sprouting from where the torso meets the lower body, these massive feathered wings are said to have been a gift of the angels many centuries ago.
::History::
The majority of Ursks follow the rule of the throne, currently seated by Fotheir Grazmark VIII. From the creation of the Gladeren Kingdom only two families have ever ruled, the Urkots line ended when Queen Herrkit Urkot was unable to bare as son, The Havenfard Grazmark from the line of General Kiliadose Grazmark of the Angel's War, stepped forward to rule.
The Angel's War was a battle the by all accounts the Ursks should have lost. As a last attempt at victory over the Faliskins (A race of Humanoid Crocodiles that specialize in necromancy), Two Generals, Kiliadose Grazmark and Algren Urkots, forced their way through the Kine Gates into the Celestial Halls to to seek help from the Kieleian Angels. Impressed by their sheer force of will the angel planeswalker Kiele granted flight to the Urskican armies. After the war, the wings left the Ursk except those of the two generals.
::Lore & Life::
The Gladeren Kingdom looks much like Medieval Europe would have, had it taken place in South America. Strongholds and small stone huts rise out of the forest floor, only to be riddled with crawling vines, and other jungle life. But the Usrk aren't ones to fight with vegetation, they recognize that many of the plants inhabited these lands long before themselves, and are merely trying to cultivate a land where both of them may prosper.
Each morning as the sun graces the horizon, the Ursk wake and turn to the the Riggnoth Mountains, where their ancestors had forced the Kine Gates, and recite a prayer and thanks to Kiele. This is done by almost every Ursk, from the farmers to King Grazmark. After a personal mealtime, the Ursks depart for their occupational work. For cubs this is martial schooling, every Ursk is expected to be able to defend both themselves and their kingdom. At midday, the Usrk rejoin their families to share a meal which is followed by another prayer, and then resume work. as evening approaches, the Ursk gather in the square for a large meal together, attended by the lowest and the highest, the Ursk eat, drink, and even sing together before retiring for the night, saying a final thanks for Kiele before going to sleep.
The Ursk use this pattern of mealtimes and prayer to reflect on ones self, ones loves ones, and then ones community, and how they are all woven together. While an Ursk is taught to be strong alone, they know and respect that their power can grow exponentially together, but they prey that they won't need to use this power.
::Mechanics:: .:Battle Cry & Exalted:.
Ursk are trained to be versatile in battle oftentimes having to switch tactics at a moments notice.
.:Toughness Matters & Toughness Pumping:. Many Ursk have abilities that scale with their toughness, as well as ways to boost that toughness
.:Avenge:.
A new ability wordwhich signals that a spell or ability has different effects, additional effects, or may only be used if a creature you controlled died during the previous turn.
.:Bolster N:.
Bolster is a triggered ability. “Bolster N” means “Whenever this creature blocks a creature, it gets +N/+N until end of turn for each other creature blocking that creature.”
Evergreen keywords that are common include:
Vigilance, First/Double Strike, Defender, Trample, Lifelink and Flying (legends only)
The Pamantine are an ancient races of spirits that are also noted for haunting discarded armor and weaponry
The Pamantine were known to be the first humans that inhabited this earth, however legends tell that other races also joined the humans in the afterlife making a collective group.
Many say that the Pamantine below in the Halls of Limbo, a place where spirits and ghosts become trapped until there is a purpose for them in the living world.
The Pamantine are intelligent enough to follow the beliefs on the current locale they haunt. This helps to ensure they are not chased out.
None yet.
Colors - Colorless and Artifact Haunt
Being ghosts, they are most known for their antics in haunting the living.
Animate N(:Xmana:, Exile this creature: Target noncreature artifact becomes a X/X colorless Spirit Construct. When the artifact leaves the battlefield, return this card to the battlefield.)
This is one of the ways that the Pamantine can be useful in the living world. It's also a great pasttime for them to scare the living.
Absorb
Being incorporeal allows most Pamantine to shrug off some of the damage they take.
The Anabyn are a vicious, cruel, and religious zealots. A theocratic species that believes it is their divine right to eat inferior creatures.
Physical Description:
The Anabyn are a humanoid race that most closely resemble hyenas. They are extremely tall, the average member of the race standing on average between 7' and 7'6", though Anabyn are relatively lean for their height, Anabyn skin is a blackish-grey, and their furry hide is light or dark brown. They can move at a rapid pace and have a high metabolism, giving them a perpetual need to feed.
Culture/Beliefs/Society:
The Anabyn worship a two headed goddess of both Creation and Destruction. They believe their hunger was a curse put upon them by Delcora (the Godess of Destruction). However, they were saved and shown the way by (Elnora the Godess Of Creation) and given a way to prove themselves to her.
If they succeeded they would ascend to a paradise without the Eternal Hunger. But if they failed they would be dragged below, forced to forever be hungry but never find anything to eat. Given their relatively short life spans (about 35 human years), they are highly motivated to succeed.
Due to this they view themselves as the chosen race of their Goddess. Giving them an arrogant,ambitious,and cruel world view. Believing that their hunger was a necessary "curse" in order to extinguish the weaker and undeserving "creations" of their deity and only by doing so would they be free of thier "curse". They believe any species not able to hold it's own in combat and warfare to be inherently weak and therefore food.
This also drove them to evolve from solitary living to form war-like city states. These city states in turn spread outward to conquer,loot, and eat any thing that gets in their path.
The species fuctions on a caste system. Each city state has members of each caste system with in it's walls.
Order of the Hidden Word (B/): This caste serves as both religious figures and political icons. They are keepers of their religion, performers of the sacrificial rites of their Godess and also the lawmakers . Gifted with necrotic magic and holy might, they are able to suppress their hunger by branding a series of runes onto their hands and feet. They wear a veil over their mouth,only revealing their teeth during certain ceremonies. Suppressing their hunger makes them appear more benevolent and kind than their more feral counterparts in public. However in private they can be just as sadistic as any member of their species preferring hidden sadism over outright brutality. The Order are the ruling caste the Abayn.
The Ravaging Legion (W/): Always hungry, and itching for a fight they serve as the holy warriors, hunters and providers for each city state. They believe that they are enforcers of the will of their Goddess, handed down to them by the Order. Divided into Packs at birth, the young Anabyn, eat, train, and kill together raised in barracks and taught by the Order. Aggressive,forceful, and persistent, they will track an opponent down by any means. Instructed in brutal and bloody combat, they are a terrifying force that considers it a great honor to eat their opponents, and only leave enough survivors to be sacrificed in their post-battle rituals. Some particularly clever and brutal members of this caste are promoted to Elnor, that function as Generals and the highest rank in the Legion.
The Chosen Unclean (B/): 1 out of every 4 Anabyn will be born with a defect causing their skin and fur to be a pale white. They are deemed as unclean in life, and treated as the lowest caste, performing manual labor, disposing of the dead, even commerce (seen as a low profession in their theocratic society). They often have to be reduced to scavengers eating the dead in order to survive However once they die they are taken by The Order and using ancient magic’s, the Order raises them, and fuses them with primal magic turning them into Délcor. Undead warriors that are loyal only to the Order, they are considered honored in their new form having transcended the hunger and serve as the spies, assassins, and personal guard for the Order.
Additional Information:
Originally primitive Anabyn roamed the Savannahs of Calyon in the southern regions of the plane. They formed loose packs, but initially could not even trust members of the their own pack. Eventually the Order of the Hidden Word was founded, and soon became the prime and only religion of the Anabyn. Their rituals though brutal and sacrificial, seemed to quell the Anabyn hunger enough for them to begin to form closer societies. Members of The Order passed down edicts and implemented the caste system,manipulating it to becoming the ruling class amongst the Anabyn. Under this rule however, the packs were soon able to settle and grow from villages, to theocratic city states. They began to focus thier hunting on other species as opposed to infighting amonst cities, and soon human settlements in the region began to be massacred by Anabyn Raiding Packs.
297CE- Primitive Anabyn roam Calyon Savannah, in loose packs
382CE- Order of The Hidden Word established becomes dominant and only Anabyn religion. First recorded instance of Anabyn magic use. Anabyn evolve from loose packs, to established villages
432CE- Capital city-state of Tamjal established. Other Anabyn settlements follow suit.
506CE- Human settlements on the border of Calyon Savannah massacred by Anabyn raiding packs
917CE- Vordon,a member of The Order, become High Prophet and unities all Anabyn city-states under him in a series of brutal campaigns.
Mechanics:
The Anabyn, are a essentially a predatory death cult, they are hungry,warlike, and believe that anything weaker then them is food that they have the divine right to eat. To that end they are brutal so mechanics like "deathtouch, first strike, and haste" will come into play. as well as "regenerate" for the darker and more mystic edges of the species. Here are few other mechanics that are key.
Gravestrike (Damage dealt by this creature also causes target opponent to exile X cards from his graveyard, X being this creatures power)
- Both some of the B Order as well as the B Unclean will have the ability to "eat "graveyards.
Berserk [cost] - (When this attacks, you may double its power. If you do, sacrifice it at end of turn.)
- Sometimes you can't control the hunger, and when that happen in this species case they go a bit...well beserk. Doing the most damage but in end going to join their Goddess.
Color: Cloudwalkers are primarily blue and white, with a touch of red every now and then. Description:The Cloudwalkers, descendants of the ancient race known as the Vosuj, are a desperately secretive sky-dwelling folk that attempt to keep aloof from the affairs of the world.
In basic form, Cloudwalkers resemble humans: they have a head, torso, and four limbs. Instead of flesh, however, Cloudwalker bodies are made of thick, transparent glass filled with swirling, turbulent mist, the color of which varies between Cloudwalkers. Their heads are smooth and featureless, with no face to speak of. Some Cloudwalkers also possess small orbs of glowing light within their bodies. These are usually the trapped bodies of the Adonai, light elementals closely tied to Cloudwalkers from which Cloudwalkers draw power, though Cloudwalker magic allows them to imbue themselves with the power of any being's soul.
As beings closely tied to the sky and the winds, Cloudwalkers are able to manipulate and generate clouds, and a small number can even can walk upon them as though on solid ground.
Cloudwalkers don't sleep. They are active throughout all hours of the day and night, though they generally have much more energy in the day, and their public functions occur then as a result. Cloudwalkers spend the night engaged in familiar activities and private entertainments. Night is also the Cloudwalker time of worship, for it is the time when the Nebula is most visible in the sky above. Although the Church of the Celestial Cloud doesn't hold regular services, religious Cloudwalkers dedicate up to an hour each night praying and meditating on the Nebula.
Cloudwalkers also don't eat solid food, which leads to the misconception among other races that they don't eat. Rather, Cloudwalkers subsist entirely on light absorbed from the sun and from the Nebula, and water drawn through their glass-like skin from the clouds constantly drifting across Marenhelm. An interesting Cloudwalker practice is to place a pane of colored glass between themselves and the sun, an act that, though it decreases slightly the nutritional value, gives the light what they describe as a different "flavor."
Cloudwalker reproduction is vastly different from that of most species. They don't engage in what others would call physical intercourse. Rather, they participate in a process known as the Union, in which between two and four Cloudwalkers join hands and touch foreheads, releasing their mists to mingle with each other. Although Cloudwalkers are incapable of experiencing physical pleasure, the extreme positive emotions of this time are said by Cloudwalkers to be greater than the physical joys of any other race. During the Union, light and blank white mist spread out from the joined hands and foreheads of the Cloudwalkers, and when it is complete and the mist clears, a small sphere of glass filled with swirling clouds rests between them. Over a period of six months, during which the sphere cloaks itself in a dense fog and must be kept perfectly still, the sphere forms into a baby Cloudwalker, which grows into an adult in much the same way as a human would, though at a slightly faster pace.
Little is known about the Cloudwalkers by other races, for their keep to themselves and rarely, if ever, permit outsiders entrance into their majestic city in the clouds. Until recently, even their method of communication was a mystery to all but the Esferi. A Cloudwalker's voice is heard like a soft, silken whisper inside the head. Politics
The Cloudwalker capital and sole place of residence is Marenhelm, a gleaming city of metal and granite stretched over several great islands of floating rock in the sky above Thanreus. Cloudwalkers have a democratic society headed by a senate, which consists of representatives from the twelve major districts of Marenhelm as well as a representative from the Martials, the Church of the Celestial Cloud, and the Unveilers, the three major factions that hold power within Marenhelm.
Power in the Senate does not lie with any specific individual. Rather, the position of Leader rotates between each of the Senate's fifteen members, which each senator acting as the order-keeper on a different day. The Senate meets every other day, except when their meeting would meet on the only major Cloudwalker holiday, the Mourning of the Break, which occurs once per year.
The Senate meets in a grand amphitheater approximately in the center of Marenhelm's largest island, Iphaor. Cloudwalker citizens are well aware of its meeting schedule, and are welcome to attend. By following the proper procedure, average citizens are even allowed to speak and introduce topics in the Senate. Because there are not a great number of Cloudwalkers, having too many in attendance is not generally a problem, especially when the size of the amphitheater is taken into consideration. When an issue of great importance is brought to vote, present citizens are allowed to voice their opinions.
The Church of the Celestial Cloud
The Church worships the shining Nebula in the sky above Thanreus, and teaches that the Vosuj, ancestors of the Cloudwalkers, carried the very power of the Nebula in their bodies. This is, in fact, true. The Church believes that, some day, they will be able to claim that ancient power and once again fill the bodies of the Cloudwalkers with celestial light.
It is to this end that the Cloudwalkers imbue their bodies with the souls of the Adonai, spirits of light believe to be the last vestiges of the Vosuj's divested power. Although imbued Cloudwalkers do see an increase in power, the Church has yet to be successful in their endeavors to recreate the glory of the Vosuj.
Although the Church maintains a grand building known as the Temple of the Night Sky, it does not hold regular services. Cloudwalkers are expected to keep shrines in their homes to the Nebula, and meditate upon it at night on their own time. Aside from keeping Cloudwalkers educated about their past and preparing Marenhelm for the Mourning of the Break each year, the Church has few responsibilities, and serves mainly a political role.
The Martials
The Martials are Marenhelm's law enforcement. They ensure that the laws passed in the Senate are practiced by the citizens of Marenhelm. The title of the Martials encompasses both the physical and legal enforcement of the law, and thus, a captain and a judge are both members of the same organization. The Martials are generally autonomous, but they answer to the Senate in times of need.
The Martials are the only Cloudwalkers permitted to carry weapons, though there has been much legal discussion as to whether wizard's staves should be counted in this proscription. Cloudwalker weapons, due to their centuries-long isolation, are made purely to combat other Cloudwalkers, and as such, involve no slashing weapons, which are extremely ineffective against the Cloudwalker's glass skin. Rather, they involve heavy bludgeoning weapons, which shatter Cloudwalker flesh, and pierching weapons, which put all of their force on a single point.
Higher ranking Martials wear armor, but it is largely decorative. Cloudwalker weapons, too, are ornate, and often finely detailed.
The Unveilers
The Unveilers are a much newer faction than either the Church or the Martials, both of whom came into existence soon after the founding of Marenhelm around 500 BCE(Note: I'm not sure about this date. It depends greatly on what years, exactly, the Xanten were in power, and when they fell, and in what point on that span they ruined the Vosuj). Although Cloudwalker scholars have always existed, mostly within the Church, the Unveilers were formed several hundred years ago to ask questions that the Church would not. The great libraries of Marenhelm maintained by the Unveilers contain not only vast amounts of Cloudwalker history, but also the history of Thanreus in general, at least since the Unveilers began recording and observing it. Since their founding, the Unveilers have observed the other races of Thanreus, both through scrying and the direct observation by their scouting teams, known as Kites. These Kites are formed entirely of Cloudwalkers still able to literally walk on clouds. Because only about a quarter of Cloudwalkers retain this ability, the Unveilers actively seek them out and attempt to convince them to be scholars and expedition leaders.
The Unveilers are students not only of history, but magic. A great many wizards number among the Unveilers, and their knowledge of the arcane is deep. The Unveiler's wizards have contributed greatly to the continued secrecy of the Cloudwalker civilization as a whole, and they work more closely with the Church than any other Unveilers.
The Unveiler's desire to know about the rest of the world is greatly at odds with the beliefs of the Church, which would rather all Cloudwalkers simply keep to themselves. Although, until present times, the Unveilers have had as little desire to contact the outside world as any other Cloudwalkers, their discovery of the events looming on the horizon has convinced them it is time to break their isolation.
Culture
Cloudwalkers have a merchant economy, and it is rare for a Cloudwalker to not produce any sort of good. Often, groups of Cloudwalkers who enjoy producing similar goods get together and rent the space for a stall either in Marenhelm's Grand Bazaar or in one of the several smaller markets. Here, Cloudwalkers shop primarily for things to entertain, though of course functional items such as clothing and tools are also sold. Cloudwalkers, who see by "tasting" the colors and shapes in the light around them, have a very strong appreciation for things which are aesthetically pleasing. They tend to fill the shelves of their houses with small, hand-crafted "pretty things," and the walls with colorful paintings. There is a huge demand in Marenhelm for well-conceived games, and Cloudwalkers play games reminiscent of chess, goo, and mahjongg, though the most successful vendors design their own original types of games. Colored panes of glass to "flavor" light are also very popular.
Cloudwalker clothing, when worn at all, is often light and flowing, and consists primarily of robes and veils. It is all at once reminiscent of ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Asia. It tends to leave most of their bodies uncovered.
Esferi
When the Cloudwalkers settled the islands that would evolve into Marenhelm, they discovered them to be already occupied by the Esferi, a relatively primitive, simple folk resemble intelligent ermines. Though simply intrigued by the Esferi at first, their cultures slowly became more and more intertwined. The Esferi still live in their own settlements, but it is very common for Cloudwalkers to take Esferi into their homes in a pet-like role, and for Cloudwalker wizards to take Esferi as familiars. In both cases, they bond intimately and view each other as family.
Perhaps what most interested the Cloudwalkers in the Esferi initially was the Esferis' proclivity for spirit magic. It was from the Esferi that Cloudwalkers learned to tap into the power of the spirits, particularly light spirits such as the Adonai. Centuries of Cloudwalker study have changed slightly the practice of this spirit magic, but its roots lie still with the Esferi, a fact Cloudwalkers still recognize and respect.
I need help here with the dates, but here's a general flow. 1.The Vosuj have been around since the beginning of time, but for a long time they were very few in number, having less than a dozen members. The Cloudwalkers inherited their tendency simply to observe from the Vosuj, who simply watched the happenings on Thanreus from the clouds after they descended from the Nebula. They first Vosuj watched the Elves rise from the muck and form a civilization. 2. After a long time watching the civilizations below them multiply, the Vosuj formed the desire to be more in number, and began to replicate. Unfortunately, this resulted in them being slightly weaker, and they lost their incredibly long lifespans. This happened around the height of the Elvish civilizations. 3. After reaching a stable level of power over the aeons, the Vosuj are discovered by the Xanten, overpowered, and used in experiments. Though the Cloudwalkers give it a specific date, it's really over the course of several years that the Breaking of the Vosuj occurs. This sharp reduction in power results in an entirely new race, the Cloudwalkers, who have little memory of what they once were. 4. As more and more Cloudwalkers are born without the ability the walk on clouds, the previously nomadic Cloudwalkers settle in the floating islands, founding the city of Marenhelm in 1787. Marenhelm begins as an Oligarchy.
On these same islands live the Esferi, with whom the Cloudwalkers reside in peace. 5. Within a year of the founding of Marenhelm, the Martials and the Church of the Celestial Cloud have become political bodies. 6. Over the years, the kings of the oligarchy are replaced by elected officials, who are in turn replaced by the Senate. 7. 429 CE — The Unveilers are formed, and begin observing other races and chronicling Thanreus's history in detail. 8. The Unveilers recognize it's time to break the silence and reach out to other races.
Cloudwalker Martials, their body of law enforcement, are primarily White, but occasionally dip into Red.
Cloudwalker scholars, the Unveilers, are primarily Blue.
Members of the Cloudwalker government can be either Blue or White, or sometimes both. They are the least likely to use Red mana.
Cloudwalker Clerics, like those in government, are both White and Blue, but they occasionally have touches of Red.
Church of the Celestial Cloud:
Noctiluminescent Iro Voi
• Head of the Church
Senator Korian The Martials:
Imperator Mavarian
• Head of the Martials
Senator Shendor The Unveilers:
Grand Questioner Norlan Evet
• Leader Elect of the Unveilers
Grand Kestrel Veisham
• Leader of the Kestrels, the Unveiler’s Scout division
Questioner Imrahim
• Main driving force behind contacting the Feyrin and others
Senator Ivnarian
• Ally of Imrahim
Chell, Kestrel Farwalker
• Leader of the team that discovered the squad that discovered the Consuming Ruin and witnessed the Cataclysm
Chell has a very close relationship with Esferi in general, because one of its Makers (the Cloudwalker equivalent of a parent) was a sort of Cloudwalker version of a petshop owner. Of course, the Cloudwalkers view the Esferi as companions, not pets, and her Maker's real job was to find good matches between young Esferi and young Cloudwalkers, so that they could bond and grow up together. Chell was bonded with Avi Avi within days of both of their births, and as a result, the two are extremely close. Because of all of its years working with Avi Avi, Chell has become intimately familiar with the way he and other Esferi think, and as a result, it is excellent at directing them tactically.
Chell is an extremely talented cloud manipulator. As one of the few Cloudwalkers able to walk on clouds, Chell was conscripted at a young age to join the Kestrels, the elite sect of the Unveilers responsible for scouting around Thanreus and collecting information on current events and the other races. In the course of Chell's training, Chell and its superiors realized that Chell was even more gifted than previously realized. Chell has the ability to manipulate clouds so that they will support the weight of others, and not just Chell. This is an ability that hasn't been seen for many decads.
Other Senators:
Senator Avariel, District I, Library District
Senator Kin Shal, District II, Market District
Senator Orayin, District III, Agora District
Senator Roh, District IV, Hill District
Senator Eshalen, District V, The Colonnades
Senator Aujuria, District VI, Lighthouse District
Senator Quarin, District VII, Goldbridge District
Senator Etan, District VIII, Valley District
Senator Fa Iney, District IX, Lake District
Senator Cor, District X, Arashiinen (Small Island) District
Senator Enette, District XI, Western Edge
Senator Ilyora, District XII, Northern Edge Others of Import:
Ambassador Auratus, Esferi Envoy
Avi Avi, Chell’s Esferi
Mechanics and Themes 1. Imbue (2: Exile a creature card from your hand haunting this. When this leaves the battlefield, return that card to your hand.)
Imbue represents the Cloudwalker's ability to draw on the souls of other beings for strength. Cloudwalkers who are imbued gain various bonues, from power and toughness boosts to keyword abilities and more. It uses "haunt" as terminology to interact both with older haunt cards and Achren's Esferi (pending his approval, "Infusion" will be changed to Haunt.)
Note: I've bounced back and forth between two ways for haunt to work: The current way, and "return ALL CARDS HAUNTING IT to your hand." I feel the current way is better because it does less actual exile recursion. 2. Theme: Secrecy. Cloudwalker's primary tactic is to make sure their enemy is unable to find them. They excel at misdirection. Though some Cloudwalkers will have hexproof, more will have quasi-hexproof, like Frost Titan, and other ways of preventing themselves and other from being targeted. They will also have multiple Ghostly Prison/Propaganda-type effects, and other ways of taxing enemies' attempts at "invading" or seeking information. 3. Theme: To relate somewhat to Imbue, Cloudwalkers will have several exile-matters cards. Flavorfully, this ties in with their cloud manipulation and their tendencies to kill indirectly by transforming their enemies into mist. Cloudwalker-related instants and sorceries will occasionally have abilities that make them function like enchantments while they are exiled. 4. Cloudwalkers do a lot of messing with how much things cost. Generally, this takes the form of increasing the cost of opponent's spells, but they also occasionally decrease costs of ally's spells. Their taxes and discounts can be temporary or permanent. Note that the flavor behind this is based in the Cloudwalker's ability to generate clouds: Generally, the Cloudwalkers will be increasing the cost of harmful, targeted spells, or giving a cost to things that normally cost nothing, like attacking, which becomes difficult in a dense bank of clouds. 5. Mistveil X (If damage would be dealt to this, prevent that damage unless its source's controller pays X).
Mistveil represents the Cloudwalker's ability to manipulate mist and clouds to protect themselves from bodily harm. The most common value will be 2, but other strengths will also appear.
1. Enchantments matter. 2. "Soft" removal and countering.
Description:
A race of rather fey, ermine-like creatures that have developed unusual talents in the use of magic and manipulation of latent soul and spirit essences. They are primitive by traditional standards, lacking any discernible form of technology, tool-use, or obvious language, but still exhibit surprising capacities for intelligence amongst themselves. Such intelligence is not the 'civilized' sort, but rather more primal in nature; Esferi understand and can communicate feeling and emotion quite adeptly, they are self-aware and develop individual personalities and opinions, they possess the ability to grasp certain general concepts, and so on. They likewise have a notable respect for the concept of death, going so far as to bury their deceased kin in burrows and graves. Regardless, to most observers they would likely be cataloged as peculiar, magical, animals (which is, in many ways, an accurate judgment, for it is largely how the race lives).
Physical Description:
They are small, ground-burrowing, and most closely resemble something between an ermine and a ferret. Their body size varies, typically between one to two feet in length and with a bushy tail of matching length. Their fur is almost exclusively white, regardless of their habitat, and gives off a strange, perhaps supernatural, glow that varies in color with availability of light. In brighter environments it results in a more golden appearance, while in darker environments it is more silvery. A single horn crowns the top of their head, curving backwards with a typical length of three to six inches.
Culture/Beliefs/Society:
Amongst themselves, the Esferi are largely social and incredibly playful animals. They live in large, widely-spread communities made up of several smaller groups, and are notably selfless, often placing the survival and comfort of others in their group above their own self-preservation. Body language is their primary form of communication, though they also rely heavily upon their spirit-magics to convey emotion and desire; a detectable aura of warmth might express happiness, a fainter and more chilling one might express fear. They have a profound understanding of and connection to death and the spirits of their dead; the loss of any individual is mourned by all who witness it, even those of other groups and communities. To outsider races, they are quite benign—even playfully curious—unless provoked: if any individual member or aspect of their group is threatened, a veritable army will swiftly and fiercely respond to the attacker. They are profoundly protective of their homes and their kin.
The spirits and essence of fallen kin play a significant role in the lives of Esferi. Strange, ethereal spirits and creatures are common sights within Esferi territory, mingling and interacting with the living in various ways. Such spirits often behave as if they are still alive; ghostly Esferi playing with their living counterparts, for instance. The Esferi can also manipulate the essence of less-corporeal spirits to accomplish various feats, examples of which range from forming illusory images that aid communication or frighten predators, to summoning more tangible benefits such as flight via ethereal 'spirit' wings.
History and Habitat: The Esferi inhabit the sky islands of the Cloudwalkers, and in fact lived on them far before the Cloudwalkers arrived. While the Cloudwalker city of Merenhelm consumes the largest, central island, the Esferi reside within the clusters of outlying islands, which are mostly made up of plains and meadows, while being peppered occasionally by a few sparse forests or lakes. While the Esferi population on most of the islands is somewhat dominant, larger, predatory species also exist as a constant concern for them.
Since the arrival of the Cloudwalkers, a deep and lasting bond developed between the two races, with the Esferi growing to view their Cloudwalker neighbors as family. Over time, the Cloudwalkers learned the ways of the Esferi's connection to spirits and the magics relating to them, and many Esferi established a loving companionship with the Cloudwalkers that learned from them, many even moving on to live within Merenhelm as pets, familiars and the like. They communicate through a variety of methods, some magical and some more primal; expression of emotion, use of spirit images, body language, and other mental tricks. In most cases, Esferi will be as protective of the Cloudwalkers as they are of their own kin.
Mechanics: Martyrdom and reverence of death: Death, sacrifice for the 'greater good', respect for the fallen, and interactions with the spirits of the dead is a significant part of the race's culture and identity. Even in death, such spirits can aid those still living. This usually manifests itself either as a spirit aiding the living, or the living harnessing and manipulating the "essence" of a soul to achieve some magical feat. An example of this connection might include: Infusion (When this creature dies, you may exile it infusing a creature you control.)
Infusion is one of the primary ways that Esferi aid their kin as spirits after they pass. Infused creatures will gain various abilities or benefits
Enchantments, spirits, and tokens: As stated, many of the race's abilities are "powered" by harnessing the energies of fallen souls, which will typically take the form of 1/1 "Soulsprite" tokens. Enchantments play a similar and important role.
Evasion, trickery, misdirection, and defensive nature: They are quick, flighty animals, and as such are remarkable keen at going unseen or escaping harm. At the same time, they are fiercely protective of their kin. This usually involves things like damage prevention or briefly 'blinking' out of the battlefield.
The Magic Wars
Sign Ups
In Wait of Devastation
Two suns chase one another up the sky, climbing higher and higher before coming apart, painfully, slowly, and descending to the west and east of Thanreus. The Tidewall, along the edge of the flat world where the sea rises into the sky, is visible in the far distant, a surging and roiling wall of white foam and spray that turns the horizon into a wavering line of color. Night fades in gradually, and then all at once; there is no moon, but Thanreus is illuminated by fiery red nebulae and swirling blue clouds of dust, the homes of gods and demons.
The world breathes in and out to the rhythm of reality - in time with the cycling of day and night, of high and low tide, with the seasons and the spinning of nebulae high above. It sings a soothing song of life and peace and balance. But the breathing grows faster, and the song strained and warped.
Soon, the breath will become nothing, and the song, a scream.
Welcome!
We're back; did you miss us? The Magic Wars is a revival of a loved competition conceived by NotoriousLynx, coming to you better than ever as the June/July combined monthly qualifier! We'll be beginning the Winter Pro Tour season with something magnificient.
The theme of this contest is the narrative that we'll build with writing and snippets of flavor which we call the lore. Think of the Josh Brauer ARG that happened with Innistrad before its release. You will begin with an entirely new race of creatures that will inhabit Thanreus. We won't get the entire story down in writing; as much of this story will be the experience as the writing in the days to come. With your help, with your seriously commitment and enthusiasm, we're hoping this will be a stunning experience.
Disclaimery Nonsense.
Here's a warning: The Magic Wars will require your commitment. A lot of it. The only way The Magic Wars can succeed - not just as a contest, but as a narrative and project - is with everyone actively participating, maintaining enthusiasm and devoting time to it. If you can't afford the time or effort these months, this might not be your kind of competition.
So, Sign Ups.
How do we begin? Right here. You'll sign up by creating your race for the competition and filling out the form below. After we have 20/24 people, we'll split everyone into four teams. Your teams will be your allies - both in story and in competition - and your foremost collaborators. You'll be able to do small edits to your race throughout the two months; just nothing too drastic.
Name: What your race is called.
Color: The colors of your race.
Description: A quick introduction to the race.
Physical Description: What your race looks like.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Information about your race as a whole, including their culture, beliefs and how their society works.
Additional Information: Anything else you want to talk about.
Mechanics: The mechanics/themes of your race. Up to 5.
This is the basic skeleton. You can add other sections, such as pieces of descriptive writing, if you want.
Notice how things such as History and Location are sort of missing. While you can certainly include them, History is best left open so you can fill it with lore later, and Location might be something you want to co-ordinate with your team mates later.
You'll want to learn what you're getting into, right? Well, here it is; read this stuff, you're going to need it.
The Magic Wars is a two-month long event that fires off the Winter Pro Tour season. Because of this, it's a double qualifier - both first and second place will get an invite into the Winter Pro Tour!
Players work in teams which they stay in until the end. During the contest, you will be accruing both individual scores and an overall team score. Individual and team scores are determined below.
There will be 8 Rounds for the two months. Each Round take place over 7/8 days, with 4 days for entries and 4 days for critiques. Each Round will involve the main challenge, giving you three card creation challenges from which you pick two. Such challenges may involve working with teammates, and multiple players submitting one card together - when it comes to these, the card should be judged the same for both players.
Your individual score is determined by fellow critiques. Critiquing will be done sort-of like a CCL; you'll be assigned a team to critique and then ranking the players of that team. So instead of a Top 3, it's more like a Top 5/6. This is slightly more work but in exchange, giving reviews/critiques is absolutely optional. We want to reduce the complexity of the critiquing system as much as we can so as to make your jobs easier. Your average rank will then be calculated, multipled by 10 and then added to your score; for example, let's say that there are 6 people in a team and you were ranked 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th and 6th. Then your average rank is calculated in terms of points (with 1st = 6, etc.) and multipled by 10 to give you a final +38 to your score.
Each Round will also end with a review posted by Megiddo, Diefi00 and myself (sometimes one or another judge won't be able to contribute, but at least 2 reviews will be made each round, promise!). Each review is marked out of 30 and the average of the three scores will be your team score gain for that Round. The scoring is as followed:
Cards (15)
Teamwork (10)
Lore (5)
So, every round has card design challenges, right? That's the main challenge. But then we also have the lore challenges. These will be little summaries that guide how the overall storyline on Thanreus is progressing, and push it to its inevitable conclusion. Purely optional, but they give you some inspiration for making more lore. And we worked hard on it, so don't let us down, okay? =D The lore challenge occurs in the main discussion thread and your team threads, while each Round's main challenge will be posted in a new thread.
Rounds 1 - 4 happen in June. At the end of the month, the three teams with the lowest team scores are eliminated.
Rounds 5 - 8 happen in July. Teams scores are no longer necessary. Individual scores are reset at the beginning of the second leg; you get a new starting score which reflects your rank in your team. For example, if you were the highest scoring player in your team when the first leg ends, you get the highest starting score when the second leg begins. This is so that people that are behind are able to catch up.
At the end of Round 7, the highest scoring players of both teams are taken for the final matchup in Round 8. The epic showdown, if you will, with both teams able to support their champions as they've always done. By this point, both winners will have an invite into the Pro Tour; they're just competing for First Place (and more Pro Points). The winner is then decided with a poll; voters will make their decision based on the Round 8 cards and lore, to up the stakes just that tiny bit more.
Pro Points will be distributed as normal, except for two differences: 1) Second Place gets an invite, and 2) 9th - 12th (or however many more than 8 we have) also get 2 Pro Points. Basically, if you make it through to July, you're in for some Pro Points. Ranks will be determined by some nonsense which basically means that the 2nd player in the winning team is 3rd, the 4th player in the losing team is 8th, etc.
Working with your teammates is perhaps the most important part of The Magic Wars. After being put in your teams, you open up a team thread in the CCC+G forums, and you're allowed basically free reign - you choose the team name, how the storyline goes and how your races came together, and whatever you want to discuss. Your team threads will have most of your discussion, pitching card designs to the current challenge to one another, and working on whatever storyline/lore is happening. Your teams will be available to help with your challenge choices for the round (especially since some challenges will involve teammates and even the entire team coming together), card designs, critiques and talking about storyline. Again, working together will be extremely important. You might even want to open your own IRC channel for discussion (simply go here and type in a new channel into the bar; the client will automatically create a new channel for you to mess about in.)
If you want to see how a Team thread might look, check out the old Team Legion thread (yes I'm biased to its awesomeness, shoot me brothers.)
General discussion should go to the Discussion thread.
Megiddo would also like credit but he's a greedy *****.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Most Lisans are slightly shorter than humans, as their tentacles are not large enough to push them above the height advantage legs bring. When they transform, they are usually the same height because they look and function like, well, a human.
Evelus is now known as the Oracle. When he returned a year later, he brought with him tales of great cities, other races and civilisations spanning hundreds of kilometres. While most of he elders of the times dismissed his claims as brainwashed fantasies, his tales inspired a generation of Lisans and their xenophobic nature was destroyed forever. The Lisans began open trading and knowledge exchanges with a number of other races and building a great city, Evelus, named after their forerunner. One particular sect of the Lisans, what are now known as Donarians, refused to join in with them and evicted the 'New Lisans' from the forests and swamps, forcing them to move to Evelus (even in an uncompleted state). Even today, over a century on, the Donarians have a tenuous relationship with the city Lisans.
As a side, there are mono-G Donarians which are much closer to nature than the others, as they live among it. Donarians believe that true Lisandarians should live away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They live in small settlements in swamps and wild woods, distrusting all forms of technology and live savage lives. They believe the natural would believe should be left as it is - they act as guardians, in a way, of the nature around them. Common classes among them are Shamans and Druids.
Lisandarians, being knowledge-motivated peoples, aren't very interested in warfare and the chaos it brings, preferring instead to live and research (well, most of them). Most Lisans are able to fight quite well if necessary, however. The Lunarians are magic-based, and the Donarians fight with tooth and claw. Not that they actually have claws.
Lisans like the night sky and have numerous festivals surrounding it. Due to the scientific and secular nature of their society, however, they do not believe in any sky gods. They are able to note the effect of the moon and stars on the tides of the Lake of Tales (yes, even the stars), and respect the power of the celestial bodies.
The Silver City
Most Lisandarians live in the 'Silver City' Evelus. The great water-city floats directly on the center of the Lake of Tales, anchored to the sea floor by a giant tower - the Eclipse Vista. The city was built over a period of ten years by an alliance of Lisans and a few other races. Originally a makeshift town of giant yumid leaves and wooden huts, the city is now a sprawling city built of alchemised materials with great mansions and buildings. Imagine, if you will, the Islands from Ravnica: City of Guilds.
The Eclipse Council
The Lisandarians of Evelus are governed by a council of thirteen chief Lisans, representatives of the twelve sections of the city, and one that acts as a minister for foreign affairs. They create laws and decide on important things that affect all Lisans, and are elected to the office. They hold regular meetings at the top or bottom floor of the Eclipse Vista, the great tower that runs through the middle of Evelus. Lately, there are talks of an fourteenth member of the Council, a representative of the Donarians. Whether this is true or not is yet to be seen, but the link between the two halves of the race has slowly closed over the last century and it is very much a possibility that a Donarian is now a member of the governing body.
Daros Fa
While each of the other 13 Eclipse Council leaders presides over a section of Evelus (or, as in the case of Zisca, the Donarian territories), Daros' job is to maintain relations with races outside of the Lisans, forging trade agreements, sending ambassadors and all that. As he is in contact with many outside races, his mastery of shapeshifting is one of the best of all living Lisans, and he can copy with relative accuracy the features of someone he has only seen for a short period of time.
The cards will contain the creature type "Lisan" (mostly to save space), although they may be referred to otherwise in names and flavour text.
The closest thing to a one-'legged' Lisandarian would be a Lamia (one of the Final Fantasy variants) or Coiling Oracle without the reeallly long tail. A multi-'legged' Lisan would be somewhat closer to Sheoldred if she had tentacles instead of a creepy spider thing.
With the ability to transform and assume normal shapes, the ability to fit in with everything else as a completely uninteresting 2/2 fits the Lisandarians perfectly. Lunarians try to experiment with their transformations to see if they can be made better (ie. when turned up effects), while Donarians are more simplistic and just have Morph as an alternate way to cast their dudes.
Lisans care about night time using the same trigger as Innistrad's werewolves. They may use transform to show changes, they may not. The flavour will be different to werewolves though.
There is a lot of +1/+1 counter manipulation, mostly through Lunarians doing stuff. However, the Donarians can also do things with that.
Counting. Eg. "Where X is the power of/number of cards/etc."
Because of the knowledge based nature of Lunarians, you have some zone manipulation which can involve cycling cards around your library, hand, graveyard and even battlefield. The library is more the zone of the Lunarians (eg. with scry/fateseal-like effects), while the Donarians get more graveyard stuff. Stuff like Noxious Revival.
also how awkward would it be if you didn't get the base number of people you expected?
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
Flip about the place like a wet fish. Probably.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Vassav
BGW
The Vassav are a race of warped once-humans constructed by the lichess Yavan-Viss to serve as her living phylactery.
The collected letters of Admiral Chevon Merasso.
28th of Ulvid's Rise, 437CE
Your Esteemed Lordship,
The colony is prospering famously, anfgduhdfdsvghbsasdfgryewsusdfdguwn INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTRO INTROgfgubhiteopf
The Vassav - or "shadow chosen" as the local wisewomen call them - are a grotesque race of pale, hairless, and sightless quasi-humanoids. Surveying expeditions have uncovered holdouts of the foul creatures within the local cave systems, and they have continued to prove a constant, if easily manageable nuisance to our mining operations on the mainland.
Their form is truly ghastly. White as a belfry geist, with triplet rows of horrid Razorjaw teeth, they bear slight resemblance to a deep ocean predator mounted on stunted limbs, each bearing an uncannily human set of viciously clawed digits.
Our scouting biologists have seemed to discern that they subsist almost strictly through vampirism, despite being terribly maladapted to the task - one would almost take pity on there were they not so obviously beyond redemption. There have been obscene reports of victorious hunters regurgitating the contents of their stomachs into seemingly purpose-built receptacles, and although these reports are yet to be substantiated, the very thought sends chills down my spine.
The Vassav are incapable of biological reproduction, and appear to be entirely sexless, but no matter how many we slay, their numbers never seem dwindle. Our soldiers have even killed beasts with almost identical scar markings consecutive nights in a row, suggesting they possess a degree of regenerative abilities surpassing even that of our best healers. It is as yet unknown how this process is achieved, and preliminary studies by out field biologists have proved inconclusive.
While lacking the trappings of more civilised cultures such as art, science, law, and language, the Vassav do appear to indulge in a form of primitive idol worship, often accompanied by seemingly ad-hoc rituals culminating in a sacrificial offering. They do not appear to be averse to sacrificing each other or even themselves. Other than these "death rites", the Vassav exhibit no behaviours atypical of the Lesser Races, and I'd heartily recommend they be dismissed as nothing more than a perverse species of beast - there is no semblance of civility within these creatures.
What few scrolls remain of the region's history seem to suggest that Vassav excursions beyond the walls of Yavan Manor were directly preceded by the death of the last living proprietor of Yavan Estate. It cannot be discerned for certain what the relation between the events are, but local folklore portrays Lady Yavan as a homocidal shut-in, and a powerful practitioner of the so called "Black Arts". Civilised logic suggests that the race is simply a raiding party, having found easy lodgings amongst the Estate's generations of riches, but the fear of the locals cannot be dismissed.
Regardless, it pains me to go on about this wretched frontier backwater.
How's Helen?
Chevon
Persist, deathtouch, lifelink. Other things? Who knows!
UR
Chaos Lords of the Briny Deep
The Ayomis have a scientific and metaphysical bent, and they are very concerned with the definition of chaos. They explore the patterns they believe the world falls into and the laws of nature, and then do everything they can to circumvent or cheat these. This, they believe, is doing the world a favor; a state of chaos is a state of infinite possibility, whereas order must necessarily constrain ultimate progress.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Color: RUW
Description: The Mysti are a race that worship mystical dieties, and are divided into castes.
Physical Description: Tall and humanoid-looking, they have blue skin often marked by ritual scars. These scars can vary in length, but are usually between three centimeters and one meter. Most of the race are around 175 cm in height. The hues of blue vary from a lighter turquoise to a much darker navy. Hair color is usually blue, black, or blue-black, but turn redder with age. Their eyes glow purple or red, and they are usually well-muscled and are able to keep up with even the most athletic of humans.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The Mysti worship gods who are all-powerful and allow the Mysti to invoke their power. They scar themselves to devote emotions to the gods. The three castes are Priest, Warrior, and Hierarch. Hierarchs are blue and rule the tribe, warriors are red and defend the tribe, and priests are white and connect the gods to the tribe. The tribes are traditionally in groups of one hundred for smaller tribes, all the way to ten thousand or more for some of the larger tribes. In society, although Hierarchs are considered "above" priests and warriors, each caste is well-respected.
Additional Information: Each caste has a special way that they attune with the gods. The warriors summon avatars from the gods to defend them. The priests scar themselves to get special powers from the gods. The hierarchs invoke godly powers to command other Mysti.
Mechanics: There will be cards based by color depending on caste.
Mechanic 1: [Warriors] "Whenever CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put N 2/2 red Avatar creature tokens onto the battlefield." This represents the familiars the warriors summon to aid them in battle.
Mechanic 2: [Hierarchs] "T: For each other Mystus you control, {EFFECT}." This represents their ability to lead.
Mechanic 3: [Priests] "Put a -1/-1 counter on ~: {EFFECT}" This represents the scarring to attune with gods.
Mechanic 4: [Gods] "As an additonal cost to cast CARDNAME, put N -1/-1 counters among creatures you control." This represents the ritual scarring to worship gods. Gods will be colorless and will be a new creature type, "Mystus Deity".
As an example, I will post cards that may be something like what finalized versions will look like.
DISCLAIMER: THESE CARDS ARE EXAMPLES ONLY! THEY ARE NOT ENTRIES OR FINALIZED VERSIONS OF CARDS. THESE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ENTERED INTO THE ACTUAL MQ!
Mystus Warrior-General (R/U)(R/W)RR
Creature - Mystus Warrior
Whenever ~ enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 red Avatar creature token onto the battlefield for each other Mystus Warrior you control.
2/2
Mystus Hierarch-General (U/W)(U/R)UU
Creature - Mystus Advisor
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each other Mystus you control.
2/2
Mystus Priest-General (W/U)(W/R)WW
Creature - Mystus Cleric
Put a -1/-1 counter on ~: Each other Mystus creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2
Mystus Flockherder 5
Creature - Mystus Deity
Trample
As an additional cost to cast ~, distribute five -1/-1 counters among Mystus creatures you control.
9/9
Color: GU
Description: Telepathic tentacle pods that control mobile servants.
Physical Description: Pods are roughly oval, naturally stone-like in texture. A typical adult is 2-3 feet in diameter, but they continue to grow as they age, and a few revered elders have grown larger than humans. Colors of the pods themselves range from blue and purple to brown and cream colors. Each pod has from 3 to 8 holes that can accommodate numerous thin tentacles, generally less than an inch wide but capable of reaching out at least the diameter of the pod. The tentacles are ridged and rubbery, and also come in a range of colors and mottling patterns, but they do not have suckers like an octopus would. Pods have one orifice through which they consume vegetable matter and some small vertebrates like fish or snakes. It is not known what sort of internal structure the Pods have.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Pods possess a psychic sense, through which they can detect, communicate with, and even control other living beings. This is particularly evident on land, where they make up for their limited mobility by employing a variety of psychically controlled mounts, from giant crabs and spiders to large birds and even humanoids, some of which welcome the chance to share the Pods' knowledge and powers. They are most at home in the sea, however, where they cluster in reefs of hundreds or even thousands of individuals.
Pods are also fairly tactile, using their tentacles to frequently feel out their surroundings. As such, their decoration or clothing tends to ignore visual aesthetics in favor of certain textures, with many Pods choosing to attach feathers, shells, leaves, and so on to themselves or the areas they inhabit. They are adept weavers, using strong seaweeds and plant fibers to protect themselves and their chosen allies. They have also recently discovered the principles behind bladed and piercing weapons, and have proved adept at incorporating natural materials into these designs and wielding them with extra tentacles while controlling mounts.
Additional Information: Pods have only started to make coastal colonies in whatever area we are in. There are a few colonies that have come into contact with different races.
Mechanics: The major mechanic is asymmetrical Soulbond, where only the creature paired to the Pod gets some kind of advantage or they get different advantages. Other themes focus on providing bonuses to other creatures in other ways, like +1/+1 counters, as well as enhancing activated abilities, and psychic hand/library manipulation.
Sinew Binder 1G
Creature - Pod (C)
Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Sinew Binder is paired with another creature, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
0/2
Skygrabber GU
Creature - Pod (C)
T: Target creature gains flying until end of turn.
T: Target creature loses flying until end of turn.
Pods have adapted well to the jungle canopy, melding with tall trees to control the network of branches and vines as extensions of their own bodies
1/1
Round 2
Coming soon
[22:45] <Prophylaxis_> shasonrdtychu
Appearance:
[22:44] <Balefire> Small, prehensile cross between Shellder and Omastar
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Hitmonlee
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Wailor
[22:44] <Balefire> Wailord*
[22:44] <Zdrac> mating with a skitty
[22:44] <Balefire> Wrapped in a Pikachu
Mechanics:
[22:45] <Zdrac> Bands with Slivers
[22:45] <Balefire> Bands with Brushwaggs
[22:45] <Zdrac> +1/-1 counters
[22:45] <Balefire> Bands with Brushwaggs
[22:46] <Zdrac> and shadow, but can block as though it didn't have shadow
[22:46] <Zdrac> oh, and they have reach AND flying
[22:46] <Balefire> And cumulative upkeep costs based on alternate costs
[22:47] <Balefire> Best race
[22:47] <Balefire> Auto win on Magic Wars
Name: Dream Wisps
Color: WU
Description: The Dream Wisps are little pieces of mind that inhabit your dreams. They love to fiddle with them and, if they are powerful enough, can be materialized into reality.
Physical Description: There are two kinds of Dream Wisps: Nether and Abstract. Nether Wisps are "void space" in your dreams, stuff that help complete the image in your dream but you never encounter. Abstract Wisps fuel the creativity of your dreams and look like my avatar.
C/B/S: Being a ethereal race, they do not have much cultures or society. All Dream Wisps, however, wish to become reality and escape dreams.
Additional Information: I have no idea.
Mechanics:
1. Flickering - Dream Wisps are ethereal and are supposed to be in dreams. They are often unstable in reality.
2. Library - Dream Wisps have lots and lots to do with the library. The library is the "dream" and they have abilities that you can activate while in the library or can just bounce back to it.
3. Vanishing - Dream Wisps are often unversed in reality and so if they do get out, they can only stay for a little bit. Dream Wisps go to zones other than the graveyard, however.
4. Dreamwalk - Dreamwalk is (This creature is unblockable as long as the defending player controls a tapped creature.) This is to provide an evasion option that differs it from spirits and because it is extremely flavorful.
5. Off-end mechanics - Tapped creatures matter, suspend, and cascade may be used.
Name: Vodnik
Color: UB
Description: A black/blue species that prefers to keep to itself and will do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
Physical Description: An amphibious humanoid race with large, blubbery bodies, bulging frog-like eyes, and long stringy hair growing sparsely around wide mouths and below bulbous noses. Their short arms and legs end in webbed hands and feet, designed more for swimming and giving them a lurching gait on land. Despite their preference for lakes and swamps, they can survive on land indefinitely, though will more quickly succumb to dehydration in hot environments.
Vodyanoy by Ivan Bilibin, 1934.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Generally loners, most Vodnik prefer to stay removed from the affairs of land-dwellers. For those that do venture into civilization, their strange appearance and stilted speech often cause others to underestimate their intelligence—an error the Vodnik are happy to use to their advantage. Though most weapons a difficult for a Vodnik to use, their sheer mass, slick skin and large mouths make them deadly in hand-to-webbed-hand combat.
Additional Information: Physical description is based on the Wiki's Vodyanoy page, with some of the race's mythical attributes and abilities unceremoniously stolen from the Ningyo: specifically the karmic retribution for killing one and the special effects of eating their flesh.
Mechanics: Mechanically, Vodnik are mid-sized creatures (3/3 ± 1/1), with access to the evergreen mechanics bounce, defender, discard, intimidate, island- or swampwalk & regeneration. Block mechanics are: Death triggers effecting the creature that killed it, Wither (you don't heal quickly after a Vodnik takes a bite of you), poor interaction with equipment (possibly with new keyword "unequipable"?), granting indestructibility or regeneration, and Soulsnare (Whenever a creature dies while attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may exile that creature and put a soul counter ~.)
The Guaroga are a race of life and death worshiping humanoids. Resembling large, mostly flightless bats, their hideous visage has steered them towards savagery and seclusion. While their eyesight is about that of the average human, their hearing is what sets them apart. Capable of distinguishing the heartbeats of every living thing within 100 yards, the Guaroga have become deadly hunters. Standing between 6 and 7 feet tall, their thin and often malnourished-looking figure can be misleading. Their wiry frames are better suited for speed and agility over brute strength and stamina.
A few hundred years ago on a distant plane, the Guaroga existed as reclusive tribe of nomads who revered the cycle of life and death. This was normal on their plane though, as it was ruled over by Vitani, the Archangel of Life and Mortifax, Demon Lord of Death.
The humans of the plane were as scattered and diversified as any one might find on other planes, but one tribe in particular, the Lionheart Warriors, stood out. They considered themselves the champions of Vitani and self-appointed themselves to cleanse the plane of all darkness. While the Guaroga considered themselves neutral to most conflict on the plane, the Lionhearts viewed them as hideous mockeries of humans and agents of Mortifax. The Guaroga were able to survive by remaining hidden in their tree-top homes in the Maurgolan Rainforest until the Lionhearts discovered an ancient artifact of great power, the Realm-Slayer Scepter. Using this device to drive their warriors into an insatiable fury, the Guaroga were quickly tracked down and enslaved.
Only a handful of Guaroga remained safe from the Lionhearts, one such being Yortuna, a young but skillful lifeline shaman. In a desperate attempt to save her father and the lives of her kinsmen, she struck a deal with the Demon Lord Mortifax. Mortifax would strike down every Lionheart in exchange for a promise of indentured servitude. Yortuna hesitantly signed the deal in blood, freeing her people from slavery. However, she could not fathom the scale of Mortifax's plan. As the Guaroga were freed from their shackles, they were transported via Mortifax's magic to the plane of Thanreus.
The Guaroga arrived on Thanreus in the year 893 CE and have been patiently waiting for orders from Mortifax, their demon master. Since arriving, Yortuna has acted as head shaman and leader of the Guaroga. She is advised by her father, Kruvo, the oldest Guaroga and most skilled lifeline shaman. Recently, Yortuna has had dreams and visions of a far away city in which she and her tribe must travel to...
Yortuna, Warden of Balance: Guaroga chieftain and head shaman, she is also the one responsible for the Guaroga's debt to Mortifax. She struck a deal to save her people in exchange for a debt to a demon. Well-versed in both life and death magic, she acts as the balance between the two and a mediator for Guaroga conflict. She wears a pale bone mask with a faint glow reminiscent of the pale-gold moon of her home plane.
Untani, Warden of Life: Son of Yortuna and twin brother of Delko, he acts as his mother's and the tribes spiritual guide through life. An expert in life magics and celebrations, he wears a mask of sprouting green wood enchanted to keep its color and youth. One of the first Guaroga born on Thanreus and thus has a stronger connection to the life magic of the plane.
Delko, Warden of Death: Son of Yortuna and twin brother of Untani, he is responsible for helping the tribe members with passage into the afterlife and communications with those that have passed. An expert in death magics and ceremonial rites, he wears a mask of withered and brown wood enchanted to remain sprouting. The other of the first two Guaroga born on Thanreus, he also possesses a stronger connection to the plane's magic.
Mortifax, Demon Lord of Death: One half of the ruling power of the Guaroga's home plane. When Yortuna sought to free her people from the abusive slavery of the Lionheart Warriors, she struck a deal with Mortifax. For every Lionheart whose life he stole, she promised the allegiance of one Guaroga soul for the yet unnamed task Mortifax had. While the exact nature of his power is unknown, he was able to transport exactly 2000 Guaroga to Thanreus in the blink of an eye. He does not have a physical form on Thanreus, but he can communicate with Yortuna and her offspring.
The otherwise unfavorable image of most Guaroga has lead them to practice the dark rituals of outcasts, hermits, and savages. They rely mostly on hunting for sustenance. Most Guaroga wear self-made masks that denote cultural status and hunting prowess. The mask of a well-known hunter might include the claws or teeth of the beasts he or she has slain while the mask of a renowned shaman might be enchanted with an otherworldly glow. Their fascination with the cycle of life and death stems from their relative seclusion from the rest of the sentient world. With no one else to interact with, the Guaroga became obsessed with the life and death of living beings and ways to manipulate the life lines of others. While the average lifespan of a Guaroga is around 80-100 years, a practiced lifeline shaman might easily age beyond 300 years.
Each day on Thanreus is one more day away from home. In the 28 years that the Guaroga have been on Thanreus, they have not once heard from Mortifax, their savior and slaver.
Yortuna rose from a deep sleep. The same dream has been troubling her for several days now. A vast city in a far off flatland covered in blood beckoning to her as if it were home. The faint whispers of Mortifax emanate from its walls, but when she uses her lifeline spells to seek out an answer, the only response she gets is that of screaming agony. Wiping in the sweat from her brow, she picks up her mask from the bedside and lightly sets it upon her face. Perhaps she would dream more clearly if Kruvo had not disappeared...
As Yortuna walks out of her treetop shack, she can already see the forms of her tribesmen stirring, silhouetted against the shadows of a rising sun. Not knowing if this would be the day they pick up and move, every able-bodied Guaroga begins to pack up his or her tent while the tribes hunters begin the morning's rituals for a favorable bounty.
Across the small clearing they have been inhabiting for the past week, Untanti and Delko stir from their respective dwellings. They descend in unison to meet the tribe's hunters and finish the morning's rituals. Once completed, they go their separate ways and begin preparing the regents for the days ceremonies.
As the day goes on, hunters return with various kills ranging in size from the small but savory razor hares to the occasional Primataur youth. Each prize is blessed by a lifeline shaman, and then prepared by the Guaroga who have been preparing for a feast since dawn.
High in her tree-top dwelling, Yortuna attempts to contact Mortifax again. Her normal rituals seem to be lessening in effectiveness, as all she can make out are a few jumbled words and phrases. Only one word comes in clearly: "Anabyn"
-Bat people
-Excellent hearing, excellent hunters
-Life and death magic
-Wear masks to hide ugliness/show status
-Creature types: Guaroga, Shaman, Warrior
1. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, effect.
05-29: Origin story added, removed "scattered tribes" bit. Guaroga live in one tribe all together.
05-31: Key Players added, Day in the life added
Custom Race: Guaroga
G Seshiro, the Appointed G
B// Vaevictus Asmadi - "I'm 'exy and I know it" B//
W// Treva, The Renewerer W//
B/ Rakdos, Lord of Grouphate B/
W//// Cromat the Charmer W////
As I'm terrible at introductions, I'll skip to the meat:
Vaelshii are covered in mechanical plating and steampunk-esque replacements for parts of their body. The cables of Vaelshii limbs are often replaced with flexible tubes which transport liquidized mana and vital fluids. Robotic eye enhancements are fairly common, and often metallic plating is visible, indicative of an artificial internal organ. Connecting most mechanical enhancements are small tubes which transport liquidized mana to power them. On their backs are brilliantly colored tanks in the shape of crystalline spines, which are used for storing mana.
On top of unique mechanical enhancements, the Vaelshii have many biological enhancments, with artificial limbs, bone plates, and other more unusual additions.
A new breed of mechanically fueled supermen were created, but it became immediately apparent the needs of their inplants were far more than the society could bear, with many dieing because their new mana charged organs would simply run out of fuel. The society spurned the need of the Vaelshii, the soulless as they were called, and left them to die when their demands became too great. In retaliation, the Vaelshii turned on their former people, destroying them for cursing and then forsakening them. With the Vaelshii's enhanced ability, the internal war was short, with the Xanten being nearly obliterated by the Vaelshii.
After the war, most of the Vaelshii died off, but the few that remained established massive machines for collecting and condensing mana in the ruins of the Xanten capital. In the many years that followed, the Vaelshii would work to further the designs that made them what they are. The other races that followed the Xanten all steered clear of the Vaelshii, seeing them as a blight, and horrible machinations.
Collections of between five and thirty studies are lead by Arbiters. Arbiters are heavily enhanced and exceptionally intelligent individuals who were determined most capable of leadership. Often, arbiters are so heavily enhanced that they are no longer recognizable as Vaelshii, being something closer to a golem or an abomination depending on how they were improved.
Children are tasked with raising themselves. Food is provided by each Arbiter for the children, but otherwise they learn for themselves how to survive and study the environment. Upon reaching an adequate age, adult Vaelshii subject themselves to any mechanical or biological enhancements they choose, and are assigned to a study or to the patrols.
-Attachments matter.
-Artifacts
-Card Draw
-Ability Word: Enhanced - ~ gets/gains [Stuff] as long as a permanent is attached to it. (A permanent is attached as long as it is equipped to or enchanting this permanent)
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
Physical Description: The Asura are about four feet tall, and their bodies generally follow the same proportionality of human bodies. They typically have slender builds, with the head, hands, and feet in somewhat exaggerated proportions. Their head is a wide, flat ellipsoid whose width is extended further by large ears which usually droop from the sides of the head. Asura eyes are large and come in a variety of colors, their skin varies along tans, as well as black to white, and they typically have dark hair (if they happen to have hair). Male and female asura are very similar in appearance; they are mostly differentiated by voice and ear structure. See this image.
Abilities and Magic: The Asura are a fairly weak race in terms of raw physical power, though they are surprisingly quick and agile. Where their true strength lies is in the arcane; Individual asura will dedicate an entire lifespan to building a portfolio of successful projects or becoming the foremost expert of some tiny aspect of magic. They are attuned with light, darkness, electricity, air and earth.
Habitat: In order to progress their discoveries, many Asura choose to venture out into the world. Those that do not live in Asuran cities, which are giant floating constructs. The largest of these cities, Rata Sum, is composed of huge floating cubes, which in turn composed of smaller and smaller cubes connected by bridges. These cities are mobile, can can be relocated as necessary, though the area within is considered sovereign Asura territory, regardless of the land below. The Asura tend to prefer lush environments, but don't really mind living anywhere.
Over the years the Asura have developed a network of gates based on acient discoveries which link all of their floating cities, and have gained a foothold on warp magic, being able to teleport short distances.
Culture: Rather than organized government, the Asura prefer to utilize small, efficient task forces led by the most experienced member, designed to maximize efficiency. The Asura also have a group known as the Arcane Council who are responsible for the mundane parts of Asura city life. The members of this council rotate - membership to this council is granted to those who benefit society, but it is rarely desired as it interferes with one's own research.
Religion-wise, the Asura believe that the whole world is controlled by an arcane set of rules. Much of their research and experimentation is focused toward understanding and proving the existence of these laws. The Asura believe that once they have harnessed the power of these laws, all secrets will be revealed, and they will stand as Thanreus' greatest race. To that end, some Asura thrive on controlling power and knowledge, and some of their experiments are not particularly ethical.
Additional Info: The Asura value intelligence and intellectual superiority over all other attributes; they constantly seek to prove their own intellectual superiority, and by extension the superiority of the asura race. This sometimes results in Asura being arrogant to the point of rudeness towards others, especially towards non-Asura races. While the Asura are somewhat peaceful and tolerant, they believe they have acquired intellectual and magical superiority over the other races and view them as useful primarily for heavy lifting, taking risks, and asking stupid questions.
Color: RG
Description: Primataurs are a proud, valiant race. The primataurs dwell in the dense jungles of Gurro. They are capable of making simple tools, but often use their speed and wits to take down opposing enemies. A pack of primataurs is a wild sight to see, equally capable of storming across land or swinging above the ground. They have a strong sense of family, and will fiercely defend any of their kin that is threatened. They are territorial by nature, and protect thier home from rival clans.
Physical Description: The primataurs resemble the gorilla, if a gorilla had the shape of a centaur. They have six limbs, with each limb containing six toes (four middle digits and two thumbs on the outer edge). Younger primataurs are capable of launching themselves through the air on their powerful hind legs, then grasping an outlying vine or branch. They proceed to swing or climb with ease. Older primataurs tend to be heavier set and more often stay grounded, but their increased bulk make them fierce warriors. Their thick fur protects them from the various insects that inhabit their home, and can be various colors, often ranging from black to brown but occasionally with swathes of red, white or grey. The primataurs are omnivores, and as such, have both sharp incisors and strong molars meant for chewing. Finally, male primataurs have small dual horns on their forehead, laying beneath the skin.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The primataurs believe that the strongest survive, so the eldest primataurs are often the leaders and shamans of the tribe. While they have a tribal structure, primataurs are expected to leave the tribe for a period of years before they return. When they return, they must bring tokens or gifts to prove their worth to the tribe. The experience is invaluable for the tribe, as it often gleans information about the outside world, potential enemies, or advanced knowledge.
Primataur tribes are fiercely territorial of both their land and their fellow tribe members. One must be careful when dealing with a primataur, but once accepted, there are no racial distinctions made within the tribe.
Additional Information: The primataurs live both in the trees above and the ground below. The younger primataurs tend to form communities higher in the trees, and as they get older and less able to climb, they begin to live closer to the ground. As a sign of respect, some elders are honored with the title "Bound to the world", as it indicates they've lived to an impressive age, and the soil refuses to part with their spirit.
Mechanics: Family/clans matter (creatures that share a family name gain bonuses, ie. Jurarch of the Gudru/Moktar of the Gudru)
Dual purpose enchantments (ie ability or raw power)
Probably one more
Club Flamingo Wins: 1!
Physical Description: With an average height of about half that of humans, Feyrin are small, thin and graceful. Their skin and hair color vary, but Feyrin belonging to the same clan tend to have similar features. Feyin appear similar to humans but have a pair of long, semi-transparent wings upon their backs. These wings often appear similar to those found in insects, whether they resemble the delicate green wings of the dragonfly or the more exotic shapes and coloration of butterflies. But the style and property of these wings depends both on heredity and environment, and Feyrin exposed to the supernatural when young may even develop more striking formations, such as vaguely wing-shaped flames or wispy iceicles. Males only rarely sprout mustaches or beards, and, when they do, they are sparse and wispy. Hair length and style also vary greatly, but females tend to wear it long, and males tend to cut it to shoulder length. Feyrin's eyes can be a variety of colors, ranging from normal hues such as blue and green, to more unusual colors, like orange and violet. Feyrin, while reaching adulthood at about the same time as humans, often live much longer than humans, sometimes up to 1000 years.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: Feyrin are often very playful and find a way to turn even the most serious of challenges into a sport or game of some kind. It is often very difficult to upset a Feyrin, as they usually find one way or another to make a situation more pleasant or cheerful than it really is. Their joyful nature, coupled with their natural attractiveness, makes them easily acceptable in most places. Feyrin are also very intelligent and clever, making them excellent leaders. Similar to the sky they represent, they try to be around anything that they find interesting, learning as much as they can before, invariably, they see something else equally as interesting. A Feyrin that has her curiosity overwhelm her and strikes out into the world tends to be a good-natured sort, making friends easily with those with a quick laugh and being a bane of annoyance to those more serious or bad-tempered.
As a society overall, Feyrin tend to be an accepting sort, and except against those that would harm the natural places of the world, have no ill will toward other races or cultures. They are, more often than not, positively enamored with outsiders. Since they're creatures so absorbed in the moment, foreigners set their natural curiosity into overdrive. As their personalities may suggest, the Feyrin do not organize themselves into a fixed doctrine or dogma (or religion). Being a long-lived species with a relatively small population, the Feyrin govern based on consensus, and they can afford to have years of discussion before reaching a decision that affects their society.
Feyrin prefer living in open, unobstructed areas with easy access to the sky, and settlements can often be seen near seaside cliffs, tall mountain peaks, or shadowless plains. They're naturally disinclined from making very large communities, and many individuals blend in with other races that interest them instead of remaining with their family or tribe. Feyrin are in touch with their emotions and tend to be honest with their feelings, making their communities (and relationships) very close-knit. Trespassing against another Feyrin beyond the usual practical joke, especially in her own tribe, would be unthinkable.
Past History:
~-10000 CE (Far past): Legends say that the first Feyrin materialized as literal personifications of the forces of cosmos, though later scholars have revealed evidence that they first evolved as spirits given form as embodiments of the elements that inhabit the Feywild, a supernatural alternate dimension filled with mystical energies.
-10000 CE~-2400 CE: The Feyrin gain an understanding of their position in the world, and eventually form a civilization prospers throughout the ages, unmolested from outside forces.
-2400 CE~-2050 CE: As a long-lived but slow-breeding species, the Feyrin are eventually greatly outnumbered by other sentient species. The humans, hungry for land and resources, eventually began being hunting down and driving the Feyrin out of their homes. Led by the visionary priestess Astraia, Feyrin successfully defended their right to exist against humanity’s campaign of extermination after a terrible war of several centuries. It was during this war that Feyrin experienced the worst that humanity had to offer, and such devastation so early in the species’ history in turn shaped their philosophy of consensus and acceptance, so that such tragedy may never again occur.
-2050 CE~0 CE: Through the past two millenia, the Feyrin slowly recovered from the wounds of the war. Their long lifespans meant only a few generations had passed since the end of the war. For most of the ages, Feyrin have kept themselves out of Thanreus' political affairs. While not completely isolated, they stood in the sidelines as Xanten took the center stage, and as other empires rose and fell. Throughout the long period of rest, they took a deep look behind the reasons such a war came to be, and came to the conclusion that they need to be more curious and informed of their surroundings. Their young begin exploring the world around the same time the human Edvar monarchy took throne.
0 CE~927 CE (present): It's been a generation since Feyrin as a species began re-exploring the worlds, and they have forged strong relationships with many of the species that occupy the surrounding lands. Though the war is now a distant memory even for the oldest Feyrin, every young Feyrin still learns of this history to remind them of the failures of greed and malevolence. Despite their outwardly playful and easygoing nature, the Feyrin still carry within them the power of a waterfall, the fury of an avalanche, and the wisdom of the nine winds, and are always willing to fight for what is right.
Additional Info: An individual Feyrin is just as likely to have studied the arcane as the martial. The Feyrin do not limit themselves to a small number of professions but participate in whichever interest that sparks their fancy, and it isn't unknown for a Feyrin to begin their lives as a scholar and yet fight in the frontlines of a war as a mercenary a century later, then become a renowned wizard after another 300 years.
Mechanics
Obviously, (almost) all non-fallen Feyrin have Flying (but it's an evergreen keyword so doesn't count).
Considering their size, the Feyrin don't really lend themselves to a P/T greater than 3/3, and a 4/4 would be really pushing it - although you can conceivably set it to 4-5 given humans can go up to 6, 7, or 8.
1. Rapidfire N (During each combat damage step, if this creature would deal combat damage, you may have it deal its combat damage N times instead.)
Instead of brute force, the Feyrin can use their stature and speed of flight as an advantage to hit multiple times in the same time other species would strike once. This is captured with the keyword, Rapidfire.
The Feyrin also have an expansive and accommodating mind, and thus have an easier time coming up with new ideas than other species. This is captured by the new keyword, Ambush (mana cost).
As a species built on consensus and understanding, the Feyrin are closely attuned with the flow of ideas. This manifests itself with many of its abilities involving revealing cards, with a benefit based on the properties of the revealed cards, captured in the new keyword action, Uncover.
Example for a creature:
Whenever this creature attacks, uncover N. (reveal the top N cards of your library, then put them on the bottom of that library in any order.) The creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is equal to the number of Feyrin cards revealed this way.
Example for a spell:
As an additional cost to cast this spell, uncover N. (To uncover N, reveal the top N cards of your library, then put them on the bottom of that library in any order.) You may choose up to X additional targets for this spell, where X is equal to the combined converted mana costs of all cards revealed this way.
Despite their accommodating nature, if there's one thing that Feyrin despise, it's the wicked and the undead. They cannot fathom creatures that feed on others to further selfish desires, and will never tolerate backstabbing or tampering with souls. This manifests itself with a general theme of punishing sacrificial or discard effects.
5. General theme 2
Their longevity and expansive minds mean that older Feyrin have mental prowess other species can only dream of. This translates into extensive library manipulation and spellcasting rule change abilities, such as a legend that can decrease the casting cost of Feyrin spells.
Color: GWU
Physical Description: Somewhat humanoid, but severely squat, and rotund. And the number of limbs they have varies by individual - usually two legs, and often 2 arms, but there are some with tentacles, some with upwards of 8 arms, some with just a single pseudopod to stand on. They usually get bigger with age, and sometimes develop more limbs, but those that do grow more appendages usually get smaller as the limbs take shape. They each have a head, with a single eye each. They all have mouths and ear-holes, always 1 mouth and 2 ears. The shape of the head varies drastically, though, as some are sunken into the body, while some are suspended above it on a wiry neck. They excrete various colors of slime, and breath through their skin,and are usually coated in good. Their skin comes in all the colors that human eyes come in (brown to blue, with green in between).
Culture/Beliefs/Society: They gather around water, build towns around rivers and lakes, because their slime dries out if they aren't hydrated enough. They have developed ways of transporting water a long ways, too, to protect the goo. The goo is their life, and water sustains it, and they all-but worship water. They actually worship a god who they say lives in the water - don't think Poseidon, think Aquarius, bringer of water and knowledge. They also have a god of land, who is also their god of death and war. The land is dry, and they will return to the dry eventually, and they will be taken care of, but to appease the land god, they will seek out others to kill and send to his care, so that when they die their afterlife will be luxurious. They believe that in the afterworld, the gods' roles are reversed, because what is land is water and water is land in the afterlife. They have no proof, but that's the basis of their religion.
So they build around water, and build temples to celebrate water, full of fountains. They build temples of dry earth, too, solid constructions like tombs to celebrate the afterlife. They build these because they believe in those gods. And they live near them to worship those gods. They are social that way - They are also social with their offspring - who are born out of puddles of ooze that they all excrete during their daily lives, so the offspring could belong to anyone, even an entire community of 50+. But outside their race and communities, they are generally hostile, passive aggressive. They war upon other nations, though don't go looking far for a fight.
Additional Information: Onite Architecture is usually made of solid stone, because besides generating their own offspring, the slime that they create sometimes creates other oozing life forms that dissolve away the walls gradually, so wooden walls would be eaten instantly, metal would corrode and become toxic, packed dirt and clay would wear through way too quick. Hard stone also breaks down slowly, but lasts much longer then other buildings they might create.
The Onite diet consists of water, dirt, and decomposing organic material. When they kill an animal or foe, they bring the corpse to their village or town, let it sit out in the sun for a few days, then cut it up and eat. They have teeth, just made of stone rather than bone, and digestive organs (though they are varied between individuals - some chew cud!).
Mechanics: Graveyard Matters (they eat rotting corpses), Tokens (ooze tokens, 9 times out of 10), variable power/toughness at ETB (individuals are rarely alike). Often islands or Swamps will matter one way, other lands otherways ("Tap target basic land. If it is an island or swamp, <effect>. Otherwise, <Effect>."). Fortifications matter, but are quickly consumed. Regeneration. <-6, but regen, tokens, and variable P/T are common enough, and so is graveyard matters.
More notes: As Saprolings are to Treefolk and Funguses, so oozes are to these guys, though oozes also show up completely separated and unrelated from Onites, too. Certain out-of-color Onites can also create Weirds. Onites are kinda dumb, too, but smarter than ogres. Like, smart ogres, perhaps.
They do take roles, usually based on their abilities. Those capable of hunting hunt, those capable of hauling large stones to build and repair do so. Other then that, they usually idly walk through their settlements, drinking out of the water that they build by, or eating the rotting carcasses that the hunters lay about the streets. A few study magic, study the earth and the water, sometimes religiously, other times to improve their quality of life.
The settlements these idle, peaceful slime-people build are built with open streets, usually with channels for water to flow through, and others for the slime they exude to gather in. They pave their roads with stone, often large slabs, and though it gets coated in slime, keep them otherwise clean. The buildings are stone, built to the sides of their roads, and are sunken into the ground, where they dig out pits then slide in stone slabs. They prefer three-room buildings, using walls with open doorways to separate them. A room where sleeping takes place, a room to store animal bodies and dirt for eating, and a room in the front where visitors can join them for meals. Unclaimed animal bodies (or those of enemies) get thrown to the sides of the streets, against buildings. They also build buildings on top of other buildings, sometimes, building stone stairs.
The settlements not built by water are built with canals and wells to provide water. Usually they use stone pipes/aqueducts to bring water from the nearest source.
Ashamed of posts from years ago.
Color: The Annaki are Green, Red, and White.
Description: The annaki are a small race known as the Dream Children. They have a racial tie to the Dreamweave, a net of constantly shifting mana controlled by the subconcious desires of all who are tied into it.
Physical Description: The annaki are small, furry humanoids, standing about five feet tall. Their fur is generally thin and soft, and ranges between black and yellow, with browns being most common. Their heads are slightly larger than human scale, and their craniums tend to slope off into a slight backwards-facing cone. The eyes are pure black and quite large, while the rest of the facial features are subdued.
Their frames are generally on the lighter side, but they can become quite pudgey. Because of their ties to the Dreamweave, they always have enough food to suit their mood (it just appears around them, grows rapidly, or scurries out of the dreams for them to catch), so a lot can be determined about the personality of an individual annaki from their looks.
Annaki only live to be about forty or fifty years on average. However, they don't go through most of the rigors of aging that affect other peoples. Their fur often starts to turn silver at about age thirty, and it isn't uncommon for an elder to be stark-white, but otherwise they remain in good health until they pass away peacefully.
Annaki's clothing and many personal posessions are formed out of wisps of dream material. Those who live in cities typically dream up clothing that mostly fits into their adopted culture (though it is always strange and unnatural), while those who live in the wild either don't dream up clothing at all or wear truly bizarre mixtures of wispform materials.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The annaki don't have much in the way of religion, but they do believe that when their physical bodies die they become one with the Dreamweave, and annaki spirits have been seen operating with in to confirm this belief. The ability to make their dreams reality makes them balance on a strange edge between practicality and fancy: sometimes they'll focus very hard on dream-logic, using it to construct objects or magics to help them in the real world, while at other times they'll abandon their focus on the real world for days or weeks on end and get lost in wild dreams.
Annaki don't generally build long-term dwellings, instead relying on their dreamweaving abilities to provide just enough shelter from the elements; should weather get particularly bad, they'll retreat to caves, hollows of trees, or the villages of friendly neighbors. Those who join the cities of others will typically find a home in a building owned by someone else, although they sometimes buy their own homes.
Annaki that don't join with other races live in very lose bands of about ten to fifty. When they meet with other bands, they'll typically spend a few festive days together, and when they separate often individuals will leave the original band for the new one.
While overall they tend to be slightly more mercurial than humans, many of them develop quite in-depth philosohpies. Their short lifespan combined with the lack of material need makes them focus more on abstract ideas than practicalities. Despite having a wide variety of philosophic views, it is almost unheard of for annaki to have disagreements that rise to the point of an actual feud. In the rare cases this does happen, both parties usually find themselves on the outside of society, as very few other annaki want to deal with anyone who would pollute the dreamweave with hatred.
Additional Information: Almost all annaki will have a philosophic bent that leans towards a single concept as central in their life. Whatever this concept is tends to determine their color identity. Annaki who focus on simple living in harmony with the natural world are green, those with ideals more suited to strong communities are white, and ones who focus on the fluid, mercurial nature of dreams are red.
Mechanics: 1. Dreaming: All annaki have the creature type Annaki Dreamer. Some also have other class creature types, like warrior or wizard, but this is rare because it require commitment to something other than relying on the dreamweave for their needs. Likewise, some other races can be Dreamers, but no other ones have a natural connection to the Dreamweave, so it has to be learned and is uncommon. Many enchantments have the Dream subtype, and those enchantments interact with Dreamer creatures in a variety of ways. Most are positive, but there are a few negative Dreams.
2. Non-tribal: Annaki don't have members that give tribal benefits, because they view themselves in terms of the greater community. When they give benefits to other creatures, it is without regard to creature type.
3. Color-changing: Some annaki have activated abilities which change their color permanently and also change their abilities. Generally, these annaki start out as normal-powered vanilla creatures of the first color, and for a fairly large investment of mana including a particular other color, they change color, get larger, and gain one or more abilities. Going outside of green, white, and red is very rare, and only Legendary Annaki might do that (and in all cases, they start out within those colors).
4. Limited mana-fixing: Annaki are more likely than other creatures to have mana-fixing abilities, but when they do this mana typically can only be used to cast Dreams, or activate the abilities of Dreams and Annaki.
Color:
Description: Imagine a cross between new-world monkeys, moths, pangolins, and hornets; they have a mostly eusocial society, though they do have individual personalities.
-Eggs: As basic as it sounds, a growing zygote covered by a hard, somewhat leathery husk.
-Larvae: The childhood stage. Picture a type of elongated simian. It's body is 3 to 4 feet in length, It has two forward and two back legs, as well as up to six pairs of prolegs, which are pseudo-limbs formed from specialized muscles that end in calloused stubs. (Imagine one of these guys, but tailless and elongated into the body-shape of a caterpillar) It's face is quite monkey-like, often fringed by wild manes of hair that serve as extra-sensory whiskers/antennas. This is the wildest stage of a Lepith's life, when they are free to explore and play as they please, learning all about the world through direct contact with it. This is also the most fragile form a Lepith takes in its life, as they often toddle into very dangerous situations as their curiosity overtakes them.
-Chrysalids: When a larva progresses to this stage its hair begins to fuse together in scales similar to those of a pangolin. The chrysalid's movement becomes slower, and it loses the usage of any prolegs it may have had, as the begin to curl back up into its body. Chrysalids not only move slower, they also spend far more time sleeping, only waking to eat as necessary. When a chrysalid has stored up enough energy it will become fully encased in its scales, hibernating until it is ready to emerge as a fully-grown adult. This last stage of childhood is known as the 'Breathing Slumber', as the breathing patterns of chrysalids are often noticeable during this hibernation as their enhusked forms quiver and shake subtly.
-Adults:A fully-grown Lepith is often quite a sight to behold. The animalistic characteristics that so tied them to the ground before are all but faded, leaving only the subtlest of hints to their background. Their faces look all but human, the main difference being their overly-large eyes and vibrantly colored manes of hair. Traditionally a Lepith gathers up its husk after they emerge from it, and fashion the armor they will wear for the rest their life from those remains. This dull carapace sits on them in stark contrast to their vibrant bodies. Both wispy and sharp, they hover (rarely submitting to the forces of gravity) lightly above the ground, anywhere from 5 to 7 feet tall, with lithe forms complete with two pairs of arms, one at their shoulders of regular human size, the other emerging from their chests, some choose to keep them covered, some using them to wield a third regularly-sized weapon, others to wield two undersized ones.
-Variant Adult: The Dissents, having forsworn the military, artificial ways of traditional Lepith society decided to create their own hives. As time went on they grew physically different from their cousins. Their adults forms are short, stockier, more rotund-but in s solidly-built, jolly manner. (More like Pitheciidae) [The 'traditional' Lepitho being more reminiscent of tarsiers, especially in the face, slimness of figure and long, trailing tail.] They depend more on their carapace-armor, because of their lack of flight, and decreased dexterity. Thusly their armor is much rougher in texture, and heavier. (Like a stick, or leaf-bug).
-Cast-offs: Though taboo in Lepith society, those Lepitho unable to successfully make the transition from larva to chrysalid, or (more commonly) chrysalid to adult, are quickly taken away by military's surgeons to be...'processed'. These barely-living masses of flesh are grafted into metal and carapace armatures, used as machinery in covert projects, or cannon fodder in secret military actions. Whether they were free-willed before processing, or afterwards, is unknown. The authorities use them as they see fit, but always with secrecy in mind-fearing the backlash if the citizenry ever found out about their existence {Living Weapons}.
The religion of the Lepitho is based around the worship of the ancestral line that their current queen belongs to, and to a lesser extent the current queen. These former queens sometimes come back in spirit form, as do other high-ranking officials such as general, princes, monks, etc.
[Added 5/28]-The Hives are loosely organized into a type of very informal confederation. All members have complete autonomy, except when it comes to allegiance to the lead hive, known as Apio. Here resides the direct descendant of the original Ancestral Line of Queens (the queens of other hives being various offshoots or different branches that have diverged for various reasons at different times).
-At some point in the near past, the was a schism among the Lepitho, with those seeking a more nature-oriented way of life breaking off and forming a different kind of hive, with more equality among their members, and all females being fertile-leading to nuclear families. Because of the change this has had on their biology, these Lepitho no longer grow wings when they reach adulthood, instead resembling a stick-bug/monkey hybrid, though rarely a winged Lepith will be born among them. After the initial conflict the two groups came to an agreement: The dissenters (who had come to be known as Phasmoa by this point in time) would be allowed to organize themselves as they like, as long as they still pledge allegiance to Apio, and follow all of the rules of inter-hive interaction.
-The current Queen styles herself Empress Hypogaea, and is stricter than the last few Queens, instilling a strong military rule in Apio, and encouraging a more militant stance among all Lepitho. The Phasmoa aren't too fond of her, but respect her respect for their existence, and her continued guarantee of protection for them from outside threats.[Added 5/28]
-[Added 6/7] Though most of Lepith society seems fairly benign, if a bit overly militant (or overly hippy-esque), deep within Apio there is a secret society of clerics whose duty is to twist the dead (Lepith or other) into more useful forms, and in a few very rare cases apply 'The Process' an incredibly risky set of rituals in which a non-Lepith being may become a member of the race. These cleric, known as the Necro-Bishops, are known only by the highest ranking officials of the Empress's army, the Empress, the other Queens, and the member of the order themselves. Their experiments are mechanically either creatures with 0 toughness, Living Weapons, or (perhaps only a single, Legendary) Lepith-other race creatures combining the strengths of the two races into one. [Added 6/7]
Additional Information: My main inspirations for this race were the Kithkin and Elves of the Morningtide/Shadowmoor block (or what little I know of them filled in with what I thought seemed coolest), the eusocial organization of many insects, monkeys, and old-school, idealistic, feudal chivalry- knights honorably fighting for the Crown, with everyone playing their part to help to further the goals of the righteously appointed monarchs.
Threshold- As more Lepitho die, those left alive fight with an even stronger furor.
Transform-To show the changes in form of a Lepith as he or she grows from egg, to chrysalid, to adult, to spirit.
Living Weapon-The way in which those who didn't survive the move from egg to larva or chyrsalid are able to work for the hive. These twisted remains are so mutated and unnatural that they are not longer green or white, but black.
Theme- 0 toughness and anthem-like effects-The Spirits of Lapitho past often come back in ethereal form, drawing strength from their still-living brethren to bolster their forms and allow them to interact with the material world. Without this support they quickly fade back into the spirit realm-though in that instant that the are in the land of the living they may impart boons to their allies. This is shown by 0-toughness creatures with 'Enters the battlefield' and 'Leaves the battlefield/dies' triggers.
Theme-Spirits/stuff in graveyards Dearly Departed, Riftstone Portal, et al. Perhaps an enchantment reanimation of some sort. This represents the strong ties the Lepitho have with their ancestral spirits.
The main focus of these mechanics is the enhancement of permanents, as the Lepith mindset focuses on bringing out the best in whatever they have to work with- whether themselves, their allies, or the land that they live in.
History: To Be Decided
Location: To Be Decided
Name: Lefari
Color: WUG
Description: The lefari are a race of sapient porcupinces that have an uncanny knack for the arcane, due to the ancestors living too close to the planar rifts.
Physical Description: The lefari are race of sapient porcupines who dwell in the rainforests of the plane. The lefari usually grow to a height of about 4 feet (when standing on it's hind legs). The Lefari's hide also contain the same coat of sharp quills present in their ancestors.
Culture/Beliefs/Society: The lefari live all together in a colony in the rainforest present on the plane. They are sometimes seen in trade cities of other races, but they usually keep to the colony, which is protected by their magic and the surrounding landscape. This is due to the rest of the races on the planet viewing them as "pets" due to their non-sapient brethren (the porcupines whose ancestors did not get affected by the rifts) being used as pets in the other race's societies. The Lefari, however, do not war with other race's, and have been at peace with them for the past 1000 years.
The lefari's culture is based around the 5 colors of mana, and the magic of those colors. However, the large majority of the race is within the WUG colors, so those are the only ones that matter in their system. Each member of the race, during childhood, is assessed by the "council" (the governing body, comprised of the 11 best mages in all of the Lefari) to determine the affinity of magic the child has. Most of the times, each Lefari exhibits an affinity of one color of magic, and is placed in the school of magic of that color. However, there are rare cases where a child exhibits affinity for either R or B magic, or even presents multiple affinities. Since the Lefari don't have schools for those colors (or color combinations) of magic, the council takes those children under their care and trains them. (To date, only 300 out of all 1000000 Lefari have exhibited this. 2 of these cases are sages on the council, with affinities for RB and WUG respectively).
Arcane Affinity [Color(s)]: (Not to be confused with "Affinity for X") Each member of the Lefari exhibit a certain affinity for a specific color (or colors) of magic. While the Arcane Affinity ability does nothing, a Lefari could have an ability that references his/her Arcane Affinity Color.
Spiked X: Each Lefari has a sharp coat of quills that they can harden into a protective armor at will. Each Lefari with Spiked X has "Whenever THIS is dealt combat damage by a creature an opponent controls, you may have THIS deal X damage to that creature.
Passive: Lefari don't normally attack other creatures, and so are not very adept at combat. However, they are very adept at their magic, and will use it when they feel threatened.
Take a mechanic from the pre-mirrodin era, and a mechanic after the mirrodin era, and create a card that flavorfully melds both mechanics.
Physical Description The Trezzen are a race of humanoids. They stand 3 to 4 feet tall and have red-tinted skin and white hair. The Trezzen are a very magical race. Elder Trezzen usually sport long, white beards. The average Trezze has a lifespan that usually lasts around 100 years. The Trezzen also have pointed ears and two rows of strong teeth. These teeth are necessary to consume a Trezzen's favorite food, Crantobere fruit, which has a juicy inside but a hard and thick outside.
Culture/Beliefs/Society The Trezzen are also great builders and innovators who create useful instruments that are somtimes powered by magic. One specific instrument endemic to the Trezzen race is the Krarshjar, a type of kiteshield with a point that ends in a sword. Krarshjaren are still used in battle, but older krarshjaren are used more for ritualistic purposes. Since the Trezzen are red and blue, intelligence and emotion are both valued. Most typical Trezzen fall into the "Spunky wizard upstart" category. Cities of Trezzen are ruled a council of elder wizards. The number of elders on each council differs depending on the city, but the number is also constant. That is, if one elder dies or retires, exactly one new elder will fill in. The grand elder council, or Heppedkrezzakan, rules over all of the Trezzian cities.
Additional Information The Trezzen's source of livestock are the Xekken, a race of pygmy yak-like creatures. Xekken meat is a staple food in Trezzian society. The Xekken are used also used as transportation, since they can pull carriages and be ridden. Basically, the Xekken provide the Trezzen a very large amount of useful resources and tools that the Trezzen use to survive.
A common practice is for Trezzian wizards to "enchant" a Xekke when it is still a calf. After it grows, it could have magically-imbued wool that can be knitted into a nice sweater, or magically enchanted horns that make the bearer invincible in battle, etc. This practice has grown considerably and now virtually every Xekke is enchanted from birth for a specialized purpose, for example a Xekke meant to be ridden would be enchanted to be faster and stronger and a Xekke meant for meat would be enchanted to be fatter.
Mechanics Seals: These are enchantments that have "N, sacrifice ~: do X" where N is any cost, or even an absence of cost, and X is some extraneous effect.
Enchantments-Matter: Trezzen cards might have effects that get better based on how many enchantments you have. This synergizes with the seals and enchantment creature mechanics.
Enchantment Creatures: Since Xekke are enchanted from birth, they are considered to be "enchantment creatures."
::Ursk::
The Ursk are a proud race of centaurean bears with the bodies of bison
::Physiology::
An average Ursk stands just over ten feet (just over 2 meters) tall, and and typically weigh over 1,500 Pounds. Their large torsos are covered with thick fur, common colors including Black, Brown, Gold, and even Pure White. Their thick muscular arms have padded paws with 5 non-retractable claws, one of which is opposable. A Ursk's lower body has a shaggy coat of hair on its front half, but the hindquarters have a finer glossy coat. A rare trait that runs through the blood of some Ursk is that of wings, sprouting from where the torso meets the lower body, these massive feathered wings are said to have been a gift of the angels many centuries ago.
::History::
The majority of Ursks follow the rule of the throne, currently seated by Fotheir Grazmark VIII. From the creation of the Gladeren Kingdom only two families have ever ruled, the Urkots line ended when Queen Herrkit Urkot was unable to bare as son, The Havenfard Grazmark from the line of General Kiliadose Grazmark of the Angel's War, stepped forward to rule.
The Angel's War was a battle the by all accounts the Ursks should have lost. As a last attempt at victory over the Faliskins (A race of Humanoid Crocodiles that specialize in necromancy), Two Generals, Kiliadose Grazmark and Algren Urkots, forced their way through the Kine Gates into the Celestial Halls to to seek help from the Kieleian Angels. Impressed by their sheer force of will the angel planeswalker Kiele granted flight to the Urskican armies. After the war, the wings left the Ursk except those of the two generals.
::Lore & Life::
The Gladeren Kingdom looks much like Medieval Europe would have, had it taken place in South America. Strongholds and small stone huts rise out of the forest floor, only to be riddled with crawling vines, and other jungle life. But the Usrk aren't ones to fight with vegetation, they recognize that many of the plants inhabited these lands long before themselves, and are merely trying to cultivate a land where both of them may prosper.
Each morning as the sun graces the horizon, the Ursk wake and turn to the the Riggnoth Mountains, where their ancestors had forced the Kine Gates, and recite a prayer and thanks to Kiele. This is done by almost every Ursk, from the farmers to King Grazmark. After a personal mealtime, the Ursks depart for their occupational work. For cubs this is martial schooling, every Ursk is expected to be able to defend both themselves and their kingdom. At midday, the Usrk rejoin their families to share a meal which is followed by another prayer, and then resume work. as evening approaches, the Ursk gather in the square for a large meal together, attended by the lowest and the highest, the Ursk eat, drink, and even sing together before retiring for the night, saying a final thanks for Kiele before going to sleep.
The Ursk use this pattern of mealtimes and prayer to reflect on ones self, ones loves ones, and then ones community, and how they are all woven together. While an Ursk is taught to be strong alone, they know and respect that their power can grow exponentially together, but they prey that they won't need to use this power.
::Mechanics::
.:Battle Cry & Exalted:.
Ursk are trained to be versatile in battle oftentimes having to switch tactics at a moments notice.
.:Toughness Matters & Toughness Pumping:.
Many Ursk have abilities that scale with their toughness, as well as ways to boost that toughness
.:Avenge:.
A new ability wordwhich signals that a spell or ability has different effects, additional effects, or may only be used if a creature you controlled died during the previous turn.
.:Bolster N:.
Bolster is a triggered ability. “Bolster N” means “Whenever this creature blocks a creature, it gets +N/+N until end of turn for each other creature blocking that creature.”
Evergreen keywords that are common include:
Vigilance, First/Double Strike, Defender, Trample, Lifelink and Flying (legends only)
Haunt
Being ghosts, they are most known for their antics in haunting the living.
Animate N (:Xmana:, Exile this creature: Target noncreature artifact becomes a X/X colorless Spirit Construct. When the artifact leaves the battlefield, return this card to the battlefield.)
This is one of the ways that the Pamantine can be useful in the living world. It's also a great pasttime for them to scare the living.
Absorb
Being incorporeal allows most Pamantine to shrug off some of the damage they take.
Atrius' Posts 1W
Instant
You win target thread. If you aren't Atrius, Atrius wins that thread instead.
"Wait, can you actually win a thread?" - Atrius.
Description:
The Anabyn are a vicious, cruel, and religious zealots. A theocratic species that believes it is their divine right to eat inferior creatures.
Physical Description:
The Anabyn are a humanoid race that most closely resemble hyenas. They are extremely tall, the average member of the race standing on average between 7' and 7'6", though Anabyn are relatively lean for their height, Anabyn skin is a blackish-grey, and their furry hide is light or dark brown. They can move at a rapid pace and have a high metabolism, giving them a perpetual need to feed.
Culture/Beliefs/Society:
The Anabyn worship a two headed goddess of both Creation and Destruction. They believe their hunger was a curse put upon them by Delcora (the Godess of Destruction). However, they were saved and shown the way by (Elnora the Godess Of Creation) and given a way to prove themselves to her.
If they succeeded they would ascend to a paradise without the Eternal Hunger. But if they failed they would be dragged below, forced to forever be hungry but never find anything to eat. Given their relatively short life spans (about 35 human years), they are highly motivated to succeed.
Due to this they view themselves as the chosen race of their Goddess. Giving them an arrogant,ambitious,and cruel world view. Believing that their hunger was a necessary "curse" in order to extinguish the weaker and undeserving "creations" of their deity and only by doing so would they be free of thier "curse". They believe any species not able to hold it's own in combat and warfare to be inherently weak and therefore food.
This also drove them to evolve from solitary living to form war-like city states. These city states in turn spread outward to conquer,loot, and eat any thing that gets in their path.
The species fuctions on a caste system. Each city state has members of each caste system with in it's walls.
Order of the Hidden Word (B/): This caste serves as both religious figures and political icons. They are keepers of their religion, performers of the sacrificial rites of their Godess and also the lawmakers . Gifted with necrotic magic and holy might, they are able to suppress their hunger by branding a series of runes onto their hands and feet. They wear a veil over their mouth,only revealing their teeth during certain ceremonies. Suppressing their hunger makes them appear more benevolent and kind than their more feral counterparts in public. However in private they can be just as sadistic as any member of their species preferring hidden sadism over outright brutality. The Order are the ruling caste the Abayn.
The Ravaging Legion (W/): Always hungry, and itching for a fight they serve as the holy warriors, hunters and providers for each city state. They believe that they are enforcers of the will of their Goddess, handed down to them by the Order. Divided into Packs at birth, the young Anabyn, eat, train, and kill together raised in barracks and taught by the Order. Aggressive,forceful, and persistent, they will track an opponent down by any means. Instructed in brutal and bloody combat, they are a terrifying force that considers it a great honor to eat their opponents, and only leave enough survivors to be sacrificed in their post-battle rituals. Some particularly clever and brutal members of this caste are promoted to Elnor, that function as Generals and the highest rank in the Legion.
The Chosen Unclean (B/): 1 out of every 4 Anabyn will be born with a defect causing their skin and fur to be a pale white. They are deemed as unclean in life, and treated as the lowest caste, performing manual labor, disposing of the dead, even commerce (seen as a low profession in their theocratic society). They often have to be reduced to scavengers eating the dead in order to survive However once they die they are taken by The Order and using ancient magic’s, the Order raises them, and fuses them with primal magic turning them into Délcor. Undead warriors that are loyal only to the Order, they are considered honored in their new form having transcended the hunger and serve as the spies, assassins, and personal guard for the Order.
Additional Information:
Originally primitive Anabyn roamed the Savannahs of Calyon in the southern regions of the plane. They formed loose packs, but initially could not even trust members of the their own pack. Eventually the Order of the Hidden Word was founded, and soon became the prime and only religion of the Anabyn. Their rituals though brutal and sacrificial, seemed to quell the Anabyn hunger enough for them to begin to form closer societies. Members of The Order passed down edicts and implemented the caste system,manipulating it to becoming the ruling class amongst the Anabyn. Under this rule however, the packs were soon able to settle and grow from villages, to theocratic city states. They began to focus thier hunting on other species as opposed to infighting amonst cities, and soon human settlements in the region began to be massacred by Anabyn Raiding Packs.
297CE- Primitive Anabyn roam Calyon Savannah, in loose packs
382CE- Order of The Hidden Word established becomes dominant and only Anabyn religion. First recorded instance of Anabyn magic use. Anabyn evolve from loose packs, to established villages
432CE- Capital city-state of Tamjal established. Other Anabyn settlements follow suit.
506CE- Human settlements on the border of Calyon Savannah massacred by Anabyn raiding packs
917CE- Vordon,a member of The Order, become High Prophet and unities all Anabyn city-states under him in a series of brutal campaigns.
Mechanics:
The Anabyn, are a essentially a predatory death cult, they are hungry,warlike, and believe that anything weaker then them is food that they have the divine right to eat. To that end they are brutal so mechanics like "deathtouch, first strike, and haste" will come into play. as well as "regenerate" for the darker and more mystic edges of the species. Here are few other mechanics that are key.
Gravestrike (Damage dealt by this creature also causes target opponent to exile X cards from his graveyard, X being this creatures power)
- Both some of the B Order as well as the B Unclean will have the ability to "eat "graveyards.
Berserk [cost] - (When this attacks, you may double its power. If you do, sacrifice it at end of turn.)
- Sometimes you can't control the hunger, and when that happen in this species case they go a bit...well beserk. Doing the most damage but in end going to join their Goddess.
more later
The Anabyn
Stay Hungry My Friends....
(2/R)WU
Description:The Cloudwalkers, descendants of the ancient race known as the Vosuj, are a desperately secretive sky-dwelling folk that attempt to keep aloof from the affairs of the world.
In basic form, Cloudwalkers resemble humans: they have a head, torso, and four limbs. Instead of flesh, however, Cloudwalker bodies are made of thick, transparent glass filled with swirling, turbulent mist, the color of which varies between Cloudwalkers. Their heads are smooth and featureless, with no face to speak of. Some Cloudwalkers also possess small orbs of glowing light within their bodies. These are usually the trapped bodies of the Adonai, light elementals closely tied to Cloudwalkers from which Cloudwalkers draw power, though Cloudwalker magic allows them to imbue themselves with the power of any being's soul.
As beings closely tied to the sky and the winds, Cloudwalkers are able to manipulate and generate clouds, and a small number can even can walk upon them as though on solid ground.
Cloudwalkers don't sleep. They are active throughout all hours of the day and night, though they generally have much more energy in the day, and their public functions occur then as a result. Cloudwalkers spend the night engaged in familiar activities and private entertainments. Night is also the Cloudwalker time of worship, for it is the time when the Nebula is most visible in the sky above. Although the Church of the Celestial Cloud doesn't hold regular services, religious Cloudwalkers dedicate up to an hour each night praying and meditating on the Nebula.
Cloudwalkers also don't eat solid food, which leads to the misconception among other races that they don't eat. Rather, Cloudwalkers subsist entirely on light absorbed from the sun and from the Nebula, and water drawn through their glass-like skin from the clouds constantly drifting across Marenhelm. An interesting Cloudwalker practice is to place a pane of colored glass between themselves and the sun, an act that, though it decreases slightly the nutritional value, gives the light what they describe as a different "flavor."
Cloudwalker reproduction is vastly different from that of most species. They don't engage in what others would call physical intercourse. Rather, they participate in a process known as the Union, in which between two and four Cloudwalkers join hands and touch foreheads, releasing their mists to mingle with each other. Although Cloudwalkers are incapable of experiencing physical pleasure, the extreme positive emotions of this time are said by Cloudwalkers to be greater than the physical joys of any other race. During the Union, light and blank white mist spread out from the joined hands and foreheads of the Cloudwalkers, and when it is complete and the mist clears, a small sphere of glass filled with swirling clouds rests between them. Over a period of six months, during which the sphere cloaks itself in a dense fog and must be kept perfectly still, the sphere forms into a baby Cloudwalker, which grows into an adult in much the same way as a human would, though at a slightly faster pace.
Politics
Power in the Senate does not lie with any specific individual. Rather, the position of Leader rotates between each of the Senate's fifteen members, which each senator acting as the order-keeper on a different day. The Senate meets every other day, except when their meeting would meet on the only major Cloudwalker holiday, the Mourning of the Break, which occurs once per year.
The Senate meets in a grand amphitheater approximately in the center of Marenhelm's largest island, Iphaor. Cloudwalker citizens are well aware of its meeting schedule, and are welcome to attend. By following the proper procedure, average citizens are even allowed to speak and introduce topics in the Senate. Because there are not a great number of Cloudwalkers, having too many in attendance is not generally a problem, especially when the size of the amphitheater is taken into consideration. When an issue of great importance is brought to vote, present citizens are allowed to voice their opinions.
It is to this end that the Cloudwalkers imbue their bodies with the souls of the Adonai, spirits of light believe to be the last vestiges of the Vosuj's divested power. Although imbued Cloudwalkers do see an increase in power, the Church has yet to be successful in their endeavors to recreate the glory of the Vosuj.
Although the Church maintains a grand building known as the Temple of the Night Sky, it does not hold regular services. Cloudwalkers are expected to keep shrines in their homes to the Nebula, and meditate upon it at night on their own time. Aside from keeping Cloudwalkers educated about their past and preparing Marenhelm for the Mourning of the Break each year, the Church has few responsibilities, and serves mainly a political role.
The Martials are the only Cloudwalkers permitted to carry weapons, though there has been much legal discussion as to whether wizard's staves should be counted in this proscription. Cloudwalker weapons, due to their centuries-long isolation, are made purely to combat other Cloudwalkers, and as such, involve no slashing weapons, which are extremely ineffective against the Cloudwalker's glass skin. Rather, they involve heavy bludgeoning weapons, which shatter Cloudwalker flesh, and pierching weapons, which put all of their force on a single point.
Higher ranking Martials wear armor, but it is largely decorative. Cloudwalker weapons, too, are ornate, and often finely detailed.
The Unveilers are students not only of history, but magic. A great many wizards number among the Unveilers, and their knowledge of the arcane is deep. The Unveiler's wizards have contributed greatly to the continued secrecy of the Cloudwalker civilization as a whole, and they work more closely with the Church than any other Unveilers.
The Unveiler's desire to know about the rest of the world is greatly at odds with the beliefs of the Church, which would rather all Cloudwalkers simply keep to themselves. Although, until present times, the Unveilers have had as little desire to contact the outside world as any other Cloudwalkers, their discovery of the events looming on the horizon has convinced them it is time to break their isolation.
Cloudwalker clothing, when worn at all, is often light and flowing, and consists primarily of robes and veils. It is all at once reminiscent of ancient Greece, the Middle East, and Asia. It tends to leave most of their bodies uncovered.
When the Cloudwalkers settled the islands that would evolve into Marenhelm, they discovered them to be already occupied by the Esferi, a relatively primitive, simple folk resemble intelligent ermines. Though simply intrigued by the Esferi at first, their cultures slowly became more and more intertwined. The Esferi still live in their own settlements, but it is very common for Cloudwalkers to take Esferi into their homes in a pet-like role, and for Cloudwalker wizards to take Esferi as familiars. In both cases, they bond intimately and view each other as family.
Perhaps what most interested the Cloudwalkers in the Esferi initially was the Esferis' proclivity for spirit magic. It was from the Esferi that Cloudwalkers learned to tap into the power of the spirits, particularly light spirits such as the Adonai. Centuries of Cloudwalker study have changed slightly the practice of this spirit magic, but its roots lie still with the Esferi, a fact Cloudwalkers still recognize and respect.
I need help here with the dates, but here's a general flow.
1.The Vosuj have been around since the beginning of time, but for a long time they were very few in number, having less than a dozen members. The Cloudwalkers inherited their tendency simply to observe from the Vosuj, who simply watched the happenings on Thanreus from the clouds after they descended from the Nebula. They first Vosuj watched the Elves rise from the muck and form a civilization.
2. After a long time watching the civilizations below them multiply, the Vosuj formed the desire to be more in number, and began to replicate. Unfortunately, this resulted in them being slightly weaker, and they lost their incredibly long lifespans. This happened around the height of the Elvish civilizations.
3. After reaching a stable level of power over the aeons, the Vosuj are discovered by the Xanten, overpowered, and used in experiments. Though the Cloudwalkers give it a specific date, it's really over the course of several years that the Breaking of the Vosuj occurs. This sharp reduction in power results in an entirely new race, the Cloudwalkers, who have little memory of what they once were.
4. As more and more Cloudwalkers are born without the ability the walk on clouds, the previously nomadic Cloudwalkers settle in the floating islands, founding the city of Marenhelm in 1787. Marenhelm begins as an Oligarchy.
On these same islands live the Esferi, with whom the Cloudwalkers reside in peace.
5. Within a year of the founding of Marenhelm, the Martials and the Church of the Celestial Cloud have become political bodies.
6. Over the years, the kings of the oligarchy are replaced by elected officials, who are in turn replaced by the Senate.
7. 429 CE — The Unveilers are formed, and begin observing other races and chronicling Thanreus's history in detail.
8. The Unveilers recognize it's time to break the silence and reach out to other races.
Cloudwalker Martials, their body of law enforcement, are primarily White, but occasionally dip into Red.
Cloudwalker scholars, the Unveilers, are primarily Blue.
Members of the Cloudwalker government can be either Blue or White, or sometimes both. They are the least likely to use Red mana.
Cloudwalker Clerics, like those in government, are both White and Blue, but they occasionally have touches of Red.
Church of the Celestial Cloud:
Noctiluminescent Iro Voi
• Head of the Church
Senator Korian
The Martials:
Imperator Mavarian
• Head of the Martials
Senator Shendor
The Unveilers:
Grand Questioner Norlan Evet
• Leader Elect of the Unveilers
Grand Kestrel Veisham
• Leader of the Kestrels, the Unveiler’s Scout division
Questioner Imrahim
• Main driving force behind contacting the Feyrin and others
Senator Ivnarian
• Ally of Imrahim
Chell, Kestrel Farwalker
• Leader of the team that discovered the squad that discovered the Consuming Ruin and witnessed the Cataclysm
Chell has a very close relationship with Esferi in general, because one of its Makers (the Cloudwalker equivalent of a parent) was a sort of Cloudwalker version of a petshop owner. Of course, the Cloudwalkers view the Esferi as companions, not pets, and her Maker's real job was to find good matches between young Esferi and young Cloudwalkers, so that they could bond and grow up together. Chell was bonded with Avi Avi within days of both of their births, and as a result, the two are extremely close. Because of all of its years working with Avi Avi, Chell has become intimately familiar with the way he and other Esferi think, and as a result, it is excellent at directing them tactically.
Chell is an extremely talented cloud manipulator. As one of the few Cloudwalkers able to walk on clouds, Chell was conscripted at a young age to join the Kestrels, the elite sect of the Unveilers responsible for scouting around Thanreus and collecting information on current events and the other races. In the course of Chell's training, Chell and its superiors realized that Chell was even more gifted than previously realized. Chell has the ability to manipulate clouds so that they will support the weight of others, and not just Chell. This is an ability that hasn't been seen for many decads.
Senator Avariel, District I, Library District
Senator Kin Shal, District II, Market District
Senator Orayin, District III, Agora District
Senator Roh, District IV, Hill District
Senator Eshalen, District V, The Colonnades
Senator Aujuria, District VI, Lighthouse District
Senator Quarin, District VII, Goldbridge District
Senator Etan, District VIII, Valley District
Senator Fa Iney, District IX, Lake District
Senator Cor, District X, Arashiinen (Small Island) District
Senator Enette, District XI, Western Edge
Senator Ilyora, District XII, Northern Edge
Others of Import:
Ambassador Auratus, Esferi Envoy
Avi Avi, Chell’s Esferi
1. Imbue (2: Exile a creature card from your hand haunting this. When this leaves the battlefield, return that card to your hand.)
Imbue represents the Cloudwalker's ability to draw on the souls of other beings for strength. Cloudwalkers who are imbued gain various bonues, from power and toughness boosts to keyword abilities and more. It uses "haunt" as terminology to interact both with older haunt cards and Achren's Esferi (pending his approval, "Infusion" will be changed to Haunt.)
Note: I've bounced back and forth between two ways for haunt to work: The current way, and "return ALL CARDS HAUNTING IT to your hand." I feel the current way is better because it does less actual exile recursion.
2. Theme: Secrecy. Cloudwalker's primary tactic is to make sure their enemy is unable to find them. They excel at misdirection. Though some Cloudwalkers will have hexproof, more will have quasi-hexproof, like Frost Titan, and other ways of preventing themselves and other from being targeted. They will also have multiple Ghostly Prison/Propaganda-type effects, and other ways of taxing enemies' attempts at "invading" or seeking information.
3. Theme: To relate somewhat to Imbue, Cloudwalkers will have several exile-matters cards. Flavorfully, this ties in with their cloud manipulation and their tendencies to kill indirectly by transforming their enemies into mist. Cloudwalker-related instants and sorceries will occasionally have abilities that make them function like enchantments while they are exiled.
4. Cloudwalkers do a lot of messing with how much things cost. Generally, this takes the form of increasing the cost of opponent's spells, but they also occasionally decrease costs of ally's spells. Their taxes and discounts can be temporary or permanent. Note that the flavor behind this is based in the Cloudwalker's ability to generate clouds: Generally, the Cloudwalkers will be increasing the cost of harmful, targeted spells, or giving a cost to things that normally cost nothing, like attacking, which becomes difficult in a dense bank of clouds.
5. Mistveil X (If damage would be dealt to this, prevent that damage unless its source's controller pays X).
Mistveil represents the Cloudwalker's ability to manipulate mist and clouds to protect themselves from bodily harm. The most common value will be 2, but other strengths will also appear.
1. Enchantments matter.
2. "Soft" removal and countering.
A race of rather fey, ermine-like creatures that have developed unusual talents in the use of magic and manipulation of latent soul and spirit essences. They are primitive by traditional standards, lacking any discernible form of technology, tool-use, or obvious language, but still exhibit surprising capacities for intelligence amongst themselves. Such intelligence is not the 'civilized' sort, but rather more primal in nature; Esferi understand and can communicate feeling and emotion quite adeptly, they are self-aware and develop individual personalities and opinions, they possess the ability to grasp certain general concepts, and so on. They likewise have a notable respect for the concept of death, going so far as to bury their deceased kin in burrows and graves. Regardless, to most observers they would likely be cataloged as peculiar, magical, animals (which is, in many ways, an accurate judgment, for it is largely how the race lives).
Physical Description:
They are small, ground-burrowing, and most closely resemble something between an ermine and a ferret. Their body size varies, typically between one to two feet in length and with a bushy tail of matching length. Their fur is almost exclusively white, regardless of their habitat, and gives off a strange, perhaps supernatural, glow that varies in color with availability of light. In brighter environments it results in a more golden appearance, while in darker environments it is more silvery. A single horn crowns the top of their head, curving backwards with a typical length of three to six inches.
Culture/Beliefs/Society:
Amongst themselves, the Esferi are largely social and incredibly playful animals. They live in large, widely-spread communities made up of several smaller groups, and are notably selfless, often placing the survival and comfort of others in their group above their own self-preservation. Body language is their primary form of communication, though they also rely heavily upon their spirit-magics to convey emotion and desire; a detectable aura of warmth might express happiness, a fainter and more chilling one might express fear. They have a profound understanding of and connection to death and the spirits of their dead; the loss of any individual is mourned by all who witness it, even those of other groups and communities. To outsider races, they are quite benign—even playfully curious—unless provoked: if any individual member or aspect of their group is threatened, a veritable army will swiftly and fiercely respond to the attacker. They are profoundly protective of their homes and their kin.
The spirits and essence of fallen kin play a significant role in the lives of Esferi. Strange, ethereal spirits and creatures are common sights within Esferi territory, mingling and interacting with the living in various ways. Such spirits often behave as if they are still alive; ghostly Esferi playing with their living counterparts, for instance. The Esferi can also manipulate the essence of less-corporeal spirits to accomplish various feats, examples of which range from forming illusory images that aid communication or frighten predators, to summoning more tangible benefits such as flight via ethereal 'spirit' wings.
History and Habitat:
The Esferi inhabit the sky islands of the Cloudwalkers, and in fact lived on them far before the Cloudwalkers arrived. While the Cloudwalker city of Merenhelm consumes the largest, central island, the Esferi reside within the clusters of outlying islands, which are mostly made up of plains and meadows, while being peppered occasionally by a few sparse forests or lakes. While the Esferi population on most of the islands is somewhat dominant, larger, predatory species also exist as a constant concern for them.
Since the arrival of the Cloudwalkers, a deep and lasting bond developed between the two races, with the Esferi growing to view their Cloudwalker neighbors as family. Over time, the Cloudwalkers learned the ways of the Esferi's connection to spirits and the magics relating to them, and many Esferi established a loving companionship with the Cloudwalkers that learned from them, many even moving on to live within Merenhelm as pets, familiars and the like. They communicate through a variety of methods, some magical and some more primal; expression of emotion, use of spirit images, body language, and other mental tricks. In most cases, Esferi will be as protective of the Cloudwalkers as they are of their own kin.
Mechanics:
Martyrdom and reverence of death: Death, sacrifice for the 'greater good', respect for the fallen, and interactions with the spirits of the dead is a significant part of the race's culture and identity. Even in death, such spirits can aid those still living. This usually manifests itself either as a spirit aiding the living, or the living harnessing and manipulating the "essence" of a soul to achieve some magical feat. An example of this connection might include:
Infusion (When this creature dies, you may exile it infusing a creature you control.)
Infusion is one of the primary ways that Esferi aid their kin as spirits after they pass. Infused creatures will gain various abilities or benefits
Enchantments, spirits, and tokens: As stated, many of the race's abilities are "powered" by harnessing the energies of fallen souls, which will typically take the form of 1/1 "Soulsprite" tokens. Enchantments play a similar and important role.
Evasion, trickery, misdirection, and defensive nature: They are quick, flighty animals, and as such are remarkable keen at going unseen or escaping harm. At the same time, they are fiercely protective of their kin. This usually involves things like damage prevention or briefly 'blinking' out of the battlefield.