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The Missing Factions
I have noticed that I don't know if there are any magic sets that have a cycle of 4 colour factions, like how Alara/Tarkir have 3 and Ravnica has 2. And so, I introduce:
Sarnas
Plane of power
Sarnas is a plane where 5 factions war for power. Not very unusual, all right, except for the fact that all factions use almost all types of magic. The plane itself is relatively unremarkable, like Ravnica, pre-city.
Some of the factions:
~the Sorlef Foundation (non-green)
~the Fray Millitia (non-black)
~the Kaldos Union! (non-blue)
this will be added to as people make new factions.
What the contest actually is
I would like you to select/make a faction (it can be one that has already been chosen) and make any of the following:
~A leader/champion (only one of each for each faction so you can't make one if someone else has)
~normal cards for the faction ("Guildgates" included)
~a custom mechanic that works with the faction.
Thank You!
Sarnas
Plane of power
Sarnas is a plane where 5 factions war for power. Not very unusual, all right, except for the fact that all factions use almost all types of magic. The plane itself is relatively unremarkable, like Ravnica, pre-city.
Some of the factions:
~the Sorlef Foundation (non-green)
~the Fray Millitia (non-black)
~the Kaldos Union! (non-blue)
this will be added to as people make new factions.
What the contest actually is
I would like you to select/make a faction (it can be one that has already been chosen) and make any of the following:
~A leader/champion (only one of each for each faction so you can't make one if someone else has)
~normal cards for the faction ("Guildgates" included)
~a custom mechanic that works with the faction.
Thank You!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
The Sorlef are a mining company and artisans guild mixed together. Ideal mechanics: Explore, can't be blocked, appendum.
The Fray are a people's millitia that attempt to keep down crime and generally make the world better. mechanics: Mentor, battalion, prowess, appendum.
Please make this type of detail for any factions you invent.
The Kaldos are religion/tribale union that believe in the natural cycle of nature, and don't care for new technologies. They seek to live as close to nature as possible, leading them to be nomads. They raise creatures of all sizes, from falcons to bears. They move their camps every few days, making them hard to find. While they do not care for progress, they also do not hinder the moving forward of the other factions, believing it is their natural purpose. That's not to say, however, that some do not protest or even riot at the moving in of the other factions into their ancestral lands. Most of the chieftains of the separate tribes with in the faction have agreed to remain non-violent unless attacked, though some of the younger tribals continue to attack Fray military outposts as well as Sorlef factories and guild houses. There are 7 tribes within the Kaldos, and their names are: Toma(Treefolk, Elves, and Naga), Meelin(Naga, Elves, and Trolls), Egax(Humans, Dragons, and Birds), Edol(Goblins, Elementals, and Dragons), Saksun(Elves, Humans, and Bears), Baiga(Naga, Trolls, and Orcs), and the Hoguuth(Dragons, Treefolk, Goblins, and Giants).Ideal Mechanics: Riot, Amplify, Battle Cry, Landfall, Convoke, and Kicker. Custom Ability: Naturalize( Whenever this creature deals damage to a player, destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment they control)
Even as a young boy, he did not feel at home within his tribe, the Hoguuth. When he had passed, without fail, his tribes coming of age ceremony at the age of 16, and was allowed to choose his path in life, he left his nomadic tribe, seeking the knowledge and battle prowess of the Fray Militia. He served in their military, learning new battle tactics and even becoming a officer. 10 years later, however, he learned of the mining towns being created by the Sorlef Foundation. He heard stories of how they stripped the land of it's wildlife, digging in the ground for their ever so precious metals. He deserted the Fray, returning to his home. He then asked forgiveness for his transgressions against the Union, and begged to be allowed to return, asking only to be allowed to fight to protect the ancestral lands. The Council of the Chiefs allowed him to return, but at a cost. He would have to learn the ways of every tribe before being sent to the battlefield. With great relief, Jidaz gladly accepted the terms of his return. 3 years later, he had completed the trials of every tribe, and he officially re-entered the Union of the Tribes. He went to the frontlines of the war against the Sorlef, and became a living legend. 2 years later, when it came time for the contest of the Chiefs, he entered, and became the official leader of the Kaldos, known as the Arch Chief.
(sry no art)
Here's an idea for the non-white faction:
Name: The Followers of Malazar
Overview: Simply called by the people of Sarnas as the cult, the faction is revolving around their devotion towards an unholy and terrible figure who is called as Malazar. Lead by a their so called prophet Ysilda, the chaotic cult utilizes many combinations of unsavory methods (espionage networks, sacrifices, slaughters, massacres, etc.) to attain their goals, namely to bring Malazar from the immaterial plane to the real world and to turn the world into the chaotic state as it was before the dawn of the civilization.
Though there are various tribes among the cult of Malazar, and their main leaders are consist of mainly (legendary creatures) who act as the lieutenants of their prophet Ysilda. There are currently three known leaders:
Serena Nightshade (UBR), a wild vampire that is unlike the ones who like to reside in their fortress as she likes to hunt her preys personally, who is also the master of the vampire cabal;
Drakkor the Grim (BRG), a lich lord who possesses a deep knowledge over necromancy, who is the master of the undead hordes, and;
Zavros (GUR), an elemental who is also hating the civilizations because people are destroying the nature. In addition, Zavros is also an extraordinary elementals who has large authority over the fire, earth, nature, and water.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/mirret-exploiter-of-secrets
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/quideem-causes-justifier
Kaldos (originally intended as a blend of Orzhov & Gruul) -
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/castout-innominate
Since red is characterized as chaos, independence, and freedom, maybe have the non-red group be either hive-mind or just overly-controlling/organizing towards it's people
Mechanically, I could see counters, removal, and debuffing working well for that theme
I like what Je_Suis_Oluwa did with them being defensive since they are missing the aggro of red, but I think you can still be aggressively controlling/manipulating within the color-scheme
Just an idea I had
non-black faction
Leader of the Fray Militia and the blade he stole from a demon lord from a different plane.
Dropping from the sky centuries ago, this heavenly being saved the plane from a major crisis, slaying a great hydra. Those that saw the battle were almost struck dumb from the wonder; As they watched, Meltos withdrew his sword and slashed the air in front of him, severing the hydra's connection to the plane. Many watched as the massive beast simply faded into nothing. Many soldiers flocked to Meltos, in awe of his raw, unfiltered power. In the following centuries, Meltos set up his own righteous empire in the rugged low lands of the massive Kaldos Mountains. He forged an uneasy alliance with Jidaz and the Clans of Kaldos, ensuring a realative peace in the northern territories. He also funded Jidaz's war against the Sorlef Foundation, providing him with much needed supplies.
What most don't know is that Meltos is a being from another plane, one which is excruciatingly close to Sarnas, close enough that when an Elder Demon cast Meltos into Oblivion, he was instead thrown through the planar divide and crashed on Sarnas. On that plane, and this, he was considered a living god. Though a benevolent ruler, Meltos believes in harsh punishment against those who go against his statutes.
They consist mostly of Humans, Viashino, and Ainok, with several Angels and Elementals. There are rare cases of other beings accepted into their ranks, with those that do being exceptional military specimens of their species.
They are a strictly military society, with the branches of governance controlled by a section of the military.
Ideal abilities include Battalion, Mentor, Flanking, and Adamant.
Custom ability Smite (Meltos' Smite is a slightly different version, denoting his immense power.)
These guys are advisors for Meltos.
Cards coming soon.
Occupation: Lady of the Night Cabal
Skills: Swordsmanship, persuasion (she can be very persuasive sometimes)
Powers and abilities: Vampiric strength, speed, and reflexes, adept in mind spells
Once a common militia soldier from the Fray Militia who deserted due to the loss of her fellow soldiers and family. Having nowhere else to go, A noble from the notorious Night Cabal vampires captured her and broke her mind, and in the end turned her into a full-fledged vampire who steadily rose in the rank due to her cunning and ruthlessness, in spite that life should be enjoyed at its fullnesss instead of being the slave of the governmental hierarchy.
Occupation: Lich Lord of the Blackgrave
Skills: Mastery in necromancy
Powers and abilities: Undead, able to resurrect himself as long as his soul is still intact, control over the dead
Originally a common goblin who had an unusual amount of intelligence and curiosity, until one day he stumbled in a human ritual site and raided it with his fellow goblins because violence is what goblins do, except for Drakkor, as he finally able to make a pact with a demon, by using the captured humans as the ritual offering. Now the former goblin is a known ruler of the Blackgrave region, after he scoured the province with his armies of his relentless undead of course.
Occupation: Rogue elemental
Skills: ?
Powers and abilities: Avatar of the elements, immense physical size, immunity to most spells
Not much was known how the rogue elemental was swayed under the servitude of Ysilda, the current apostle of the dread demon Malazar. But what certain is, Zavros sees civilizations as the parasite who slowly destroy the nature, especially the human kingdoms.
Since it really doesn't go with your lore @sanjaya666, as this role is occupied by Malazar, tell me if it's ok to somehow implement this little wraith, maybe as a scion or inquisitor of the demon, or just deny it if it breaks your lore too much.
But, Malazar himself would never truly appear in Sarnas, since that would reduce his overall power if he went out from the Abyss. And since he's also not a simple-minded demon who hellbent towards death and destruction, he would exert his influence towards subtle manipulation of the people by showing them visions about him, and occasionally also granting them unholy powers, to spread his influence (like a sort of demonic cult). Hm, it is actually a demonic cult. No matter then.
So, there will be no card for the real Malazar since the demon prince is too stronk (but you can make cards that represent his avatar), and since he's probably just sitting in his throne in one of the layers of the Abyss.
And hey, the character you made is also fitting storywise to be an inquisitor. That guy can just become like an insane version of a jehovah witness, travelling across the land with his party of converted people, knocking door-to-door and shouting 'GREETINGS MEWLING HEATHEN; DO YOU HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO HEAR ABOUT THE GOOD WORDS OF OUR LORD MALAZAR'; all while slaughtering the ones who don't want to be converted in the religion of demented fun.
Ok, so it is cool then. I mean your character.