Not much to learn, though - the whole chapter is centered at two narcissistic elvish women, Peradala and Maralen, from the Mornsong tribe. The first one is an excellent singer, who has a Chorus assigned to her, singing 24/7, if she decided to burst into singing. She is about to be married to Eidren from the Gilt Leaf tribe, who is able to shape living trees. Maralen is Peradala's assistant and handmaiden.
There are four elvish castes, the Perfect, the Exquisites, the Immaculates and the "mere" Faultless. There are some animals named "cervin" that are used as mounts. There are at least two elvish tribes, the Mornsong and the Gilt Leaf. Lys Alana is the name of the Gilt Leaf capital.
Maralen remembers something about "seeing something back home in Arbor Morning" - maybe a hint to the day/night construction?
The bridal party including Peradala is ambushed and murdered by killing vines and insects. Only Maralen flees, but in the end, she is captured as well. In the end, she hears a dark voice that asks her questions, and she answers.
Poor Maralen. She'll break her horns, and won't be beatiful anymore after this fight and poison affecing her body so directly...
I suspect she'll later try to warn other elves, but they won't listen and they'll want to kill her - unperfect and ugly in their eyes...
I don't know about you, but after reading the chapter it seems more like a preface than anything else, to explain the elf society, and establish that something sinister is going on. (Especially with the last few lines of the chapter)
We won't be seeing Maralen again, for (what should be) obvious reasons.
So when an elf warrior's horns are shattered and his flawless features lost, he knows it is a death sentence. What he can't remember is how it happened or why he should allow himself to be killed. Powerful and ancient magic is at work, and the elf will need to find friends fast before his fellow elves quiet him--permanently.
Maralen isn't a main character.
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I don't know about you, but after reading the chapter it seems more like a preface than anything else, to explain the elf society, and establish that something sinister is going on. (Especially with the last few lines of the chapter)
We won't be seeing Maralen again, for (what should be) obvious reasons.
QFT, seds. That's just the feeling that I got from this chapter - an introduction, that would be, at best, mentioned by some of the true protagonists, as a "day, when it all started", at best.
The Ravnica sample chapter has a similar spirit, and it introduced the RAV world, with the exception that the event was mentioned later in the book, but actually it hasn't any true impact on the story.
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Is it just me, or have the books been getting... well, gorier doesn't really work. Violent does. A lot more death than I ever remember. Still, it looks good. Can't wait to pick it up!
Is it just me, or have the books been getting... well, gorier doesn't really work. Violent does. A lot more death than I ever remember. Still, it looks good. Can't wait to pick it up!
From my understanding, they've never really been cakewalks.
I gotta say, if those elves and their castes are main villains in the story... let me just say I won't be creeped out by a bad guy from the 'Exquisites'.
Still seems interesting. Can't wait to find out more.
Perhaps the whole thing is based on the fact that the Elven tribes are under the influence of magic which drives them to accept only perfection and destroy disorder or ugliness. Meanwhile there is a group somewhere striving to "free" them from this enchantment and encourage diversity.
I have to say that the Elven tribes mentioned here sound more White than Green. Green values the diversity of nature, it's different forms and gifts.
White strives for complete order and the restriction of anything outside it's defined boundaries of what is right. Repression of difference for the "greater good" is white's thing. Green wouldn't care if you're horns are broken or your face is scarred, it would celebrate the fact that you had faced adversity and overcome it, obvoiusly at great cost. What you have learned from the experience makes you stronger and more valuable to the community.
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I'm old school, about as OLD school as they get. think 4th Edition/Ice Age old school. Unfortunatley in the "Real world" you cant Incinerate your bank manager and sadly now I have joined the ranks of the older population, and my time is taken up by things like reasearching Mortgage Refinance Rates and where to get the best possible mortgage quotes. I have however discovered the joys of Online Forex Trading which at least allows me to keep the bills in check!
this just grabbed my attention, when did we last see a group of Treefolk?
we had 4 of them in total in the FS block (not counting Mistform Ultimus), and before that none at all, at least through Onslaught (didn't check further and not counting base sets).
*ahems*
Did you include Sheltering Ancient in that claim too, from Coldsnap? If not, here's a list of all the treefolk pre-Onslaught block (in descending set order):
Still, the "opening" chapter does feel like a prelude more than anything. Seems like a very vile, feral, dark and "diva"-ish setting to me. Names a little goofy though. "Gilt Leaf"? WTF is that? Is the pimp/drug dealer of the bunch called "Milk Weed" as well?
Perhaps the magic used here can hint at the use of auxiliary means to look beautiful, i.e. enchantments? Maybe they used that approach in order to base the enchantment theme on when making the set itself.
'buster
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Perhaps the magic used here can hint at the use of auxiliary means to look beautiful, i.e. enchantments? Maybe they used that approach in order to base the enchantment theme on when making the set itself.
'buster
Let us hope so.
I would love to see more crazy enchantments such as the one in FS that is 'enchant enchanted creature'.
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The insects involved in this teaser could easily be pixies/fairies of some sort. Comics' Grant Morrison depicts fairies as evil beings able to control larger folk by "stinging" them with poison tipped weapons while riding atop their insect mounts. I'd bet the "insects" themselves were the ones asking the questions at the end of the chapter.
All in all, despite this being one of the same authors, it's seeming MUCH better than the ravnica books. I couldn't stand that Agrus Kos: P.I., magical cop crap.
I sorta like the idea of a multi-caste system, perhaps one that extends throughout the colors so that we get a "poor but desperate" group rebelling against the "rich but too-proud-before-falling elite"? Perhaps each color has a subset of magics extraeffective against itself? Not hosers, per se, but more like Electrostatic Bolt where if a certain condition is met (whether "color" or "class"), it shifts/pumps the effect... [EDIT: Note that I'm not doomsaying a return of Kamigawa-esque spirits and non-spirits...what I'm thinking is a little more subtle and diverse.]
Regardless, I like how this reads; I certainly wouldn't mind seeing the quality of these books increase.
Hmm does this mean that we'll be seeing Poison return? They have mentioned that Poison will be getting better in the future when Future Sight came out. I wonder perhaps these elves will have nifty poison abilities... Snake Cult Initiation comes to mind!
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Not much to learn, though - the whole chapter is centered at two narcissistic elvish women, Peradala and Maralen, from the Mornsong tribe. The first one is an excellent singer, who has a Chorus assigned to her, singing 24/7, if she decided to burst into singing. She is about to be married to Eidren from the Gilt Leaf tribe, who is able to shape living trees. Maralen is Peradala's assistant and handmaiden.
There are four elvish castes, the Perfect, the Exquisites, the Immaculates and the "mere" Faultless. There are some animals named "cervin" that are used as mounts. There are at least two elvish tribes, the Mornsong and the Gilt Leaf. Lys Alana is the name of the Gilt Leaf capital.
Maralen remembers something about "seeing something back home in Arbor Morning" - maybe a hint to the day/night construction?
The bridal party including Peradala is ambushed and murdered by killing vines and insects. Only Maralen flees, but in the end, she is captured as well. In the end, she hears a dark voice that asks her questions, and she answers.
Enjoy, and discuss!
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the vines and bugs worked as a team to catch them all..
natural affinity? of magical interruption?
i go for a crazed wizard...
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Although it does look like a good read already. I want my book!
I don't know about you, but after reading the chapter it seems more like a preface than anything else, to explain the elf society, and establish that something sinister is going on. (Especially with the last few lines of the chapter)
We won't be seeing Maralen again, for (what should be) obvious reasons.
Maralen isn't a main character.
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QFT, seds. That's just the feeling that I got from this chapter - an introduction, that would be, at best, mentioned by some of the true protagonists, as a "day, when it all started", at best.
The Ravnica sample chapter has a similar spirit, and it introduced the RAV world, with the exception that the event was mentioned later in the book, but actually it hasn't any true impact on the story.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Vines and bugs still seem very much green magic I am excited by the mention of poison... hopefully it translates to cards....
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Oooh Dicey:
[dice=1]100[/dice]
From my understanding, they've never really been cakewalks.
Still seems interesting. Can't wait to find out more.
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I have to say that the Elven tribes mentioned here sound more White than Green. Green values the diversity of nature, it's different forms and gifts.
White strives for complete order and the restriction of anything outside it's defined boundaries of what is right. Repression of difference for the "greater good" is white's thing. Green wouldn't care if you're horns are broken or your face is scarred, it would celebrate the fact that you had faced adversity and overcome it, obvoiusly at great cost. What you have learned from the experience makes you stronger and more valuable to the community.
*ahems*
Did you include Sheltering Ancient in that claim too, from Coldsnap? If not, here's a list of all the treefolk pre-Onslaught block (in descending set order):
- Ebony Treefolk
- Magnigoth Treefolk
- Mirrorwood Treefolk
- Nemeta, Grove Guardian
- Treefolk Healer
- Verdeloth the Ancient
- Living Terrain
- Treefolk Mystic
- Yavimaya Scion
- Weatherseed Treefolk
- Blanchwood Treefolk
- Cradle Guard
- Hidden Ancients
- Treefolk Seedlings
- Heartwood Treefolk
- Redwood Treefolk
- Rowan Treefolk
- Yavimaya Ancients
- Wormwood Treefolk
- Argothian Treefolk
- Ironroot Treefolk
.Included cards like Hidden Ancients & Living Terrain that either make a treefolk or become one.
Still, the "opening" chapter does feel like a prelude more than anything. Seems like a very vile, feral, dark and "diva"-ish setting to me. Names a little goofy though. "Gilt Leaf"? WTF is that? Is the pimp/drug dealer of the bunch called "Milk Weed" as well?
Perhaps the magic used here can hint at the use of auxiliary means to look beautiful, i.e. enchantments? Maybe they used that approach in order to base the enchantment theme on when making the set itself.
'buster
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.
Meh. Treefolk don't really faze me much. They're just...well...there. Creating oxygen to the air, and moving.
'buster
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.
Let us hope so.
I would love to see more crazy enchantments such as the one in FS that is 'enchant enchanted creature'.
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All in all, despite this being one of the same authors, it's seeming MUCH better than the ravnica books. I couldn't stand that Agrus Kos: P.I., magical cop crap.
Regardless, I like how this reads; I certainly wouldn't mind seeing the quality of these books increase.