Disappearances had become so common place that the citizenry were beginning to question their leaders. Knights questioned if there was hope to be had in such places as this. What beast or power could be slipping under the nose of the True Ruler.
In the high court a discussion took place before the queen. A crowd of the highest rank was gathered to watch and partake.
"What isss to be-eee done of thisss? Thee peee-ple live in feear annd the crown hassss no ansswersss." Comes the words of one of the ancient aristocrats who's body had long warped and changed to the pacts of demons and great beasts.
"Perhaps assassins sent by those zealots? We should wage war against such impertinence." Comes a voice from the crowd.
Murmurs of agreement, clear in their anger.
"We could entreat with those old powers. The ones forbidden to all but the queen?" Comes another voice. This time it was clearly from a servant.
A hush came over the whole court. The servant held their gaze at the queen.
The True Ruler watches them with unwavering poise.
"Be my guest." She says casually.
The servant takes their leave.
By the end of the next day the servant had done just as they was set to do. They had gone to seek that old knowledge. They invoke with careless abandon. Their mind ripped apart by what they learn.
Back in court.
"My queen, the loose tongued servant was found gibbering madness. They did just as they said. We've put scribes on shifts to record their insights at all hours. What little we've gathered has lead to some interesting leads." Says one of the knight captains.
"Weee rely on thee prattling of a low bornnn? This issss your plannn, my queen?" Comes the voice from another noble of warped body. Perhaps the same great house.
"Yes, the old powers are not to be ignored. In fact, you and yours are now in charge of these disappearances. Send off a contingent to those nature worshippers. We might find what they know. Perhaps they'll have some lead." The True Ruler speaks.
The patrician bows and excuses their entire great house. The patricians begin a ruthless investigation turning the kingdom upside down looking for a culprit. All working off the ramblings of the madness in a servant.
It wasn't long before a small force was sent off to the Treefolk. Hopefully they could come to an understanding.
An ancient order would march day and night. The Pact Forgers were a militant group of warlocks who were so bound up in pacts and oaths that they rarely showed their warped forms from behind their armor.
Pseudo-story: Amassing an army. "The atheists have agreed to a shared strike on the fools between us" said Brune Thorson, "but I think they have personal rather than chivalrous reasons for it." "Should we use the blood creatures?" asked Sveech. "We do not have as many as we thought, as the barbarian we took them from died before producing more." "I have access to a number of the tribes here." said Brune. "I can likely form a real military out of them. We wouldn't even need to put our original followers at risk." (I made Lizard Warrior and Viashino Warrior into one card.) https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/lizard-warrior-8 "Perfect! We would only need about a hundred soldiers, as between us we could bolster each individual into something that would cause stars to run in fear." said Nel Athoon. "Of course we would not need that much power." said Heletok. "We are not fighting those who are at all trained, only some foolish peasants." "Our military forces might also be attacked by the atheists after we finish clearing the rebels up." said a council member. "That is a secondary problem." said Brune Thorson. "I propose that superior ape Ben Panthere lead the military. Under my guidance, of course." End
@Tonysparks@KorandAngels I just realized neither of you are on my Discord server, so I'll let you guys know that I've been having some delays due to personal reasons. I plan to work on things this morning or tomorrow.
Crackles, flickers, speckles and shimmers. The land grew wild, vibrant, violent. As a song rang across the land, it hummed, rumbled, and roared. The maelstrom tried to fight back, ripping and tearing at the aether as though an animal trying to escape its cage. As strings of fabric, reality was being woven together, but like a misbehaved child, the storm pulled every loose thread until each and every one snapped. Those watching in the distance saw the dancing of lights, crashing into each other like waves in an ocean of magic, and soon, the tides dulled down before roaring like a tsunami.
The land was mended but fractured. Reya had been repaired, but as onlookers watched, the borders and the land between suddenly cracked, like glass smashed with a hammer. The territories, like shards, seemed to break away as the skies turned a shade of grey. Reya was sent falling away as the shards seemed to spiral in space and time, being pulled into a whirlpool of raw, arcane power. Those that were not careful fell in, finding themselves pulverized instantly. And before long, a scream howled across the fractured plane as the startled Salvians pondered what to do. Reya was stable, so what went wrong?
The answer suddenly came to light as the land began to reform. Like a toddler with a jigsaw puzzle, scorching land seemed to unevenly fill in the gaps between territories, edges of land being snapped and forced into place. And standing in the center of the plane was a terrifying horror, an avatar of pure fury...
The alliance between the Cult of the True Gods and Alum's Witch Hunters was quite expected, but it was very suddenly tested. As their forces cut down mob after mob, a scream deafened them as the dead and dying suddenly caught alight. Souls being taken in by Alum's spell were igniting as well, deviating from their destination and letting out shrill howls and mournful cries. Soon, it seemed like the new battlefield they found themselves on was turning into a killbox as everyone they had killed was now being reborn as a savage, burning spirit of rage incarnate, infernal, but seeking revenge.
While the battle seemed to drag on, there was starting to become an obvious losing side. The two factions worked together, but there was an ultimate flaw in the Witch Hunter's forces. They had adapted so well to taking on their more magically inclined enemies, and stripping the land they dwelled upon of its magical energies. However, these creatures seemed to be feeding upon this hatred of magic, the burning rage and forsaken energies fueling the burning, wretched wraths. This meant that, by time the flame cloaked spirit in the center of the plane had turned its eyes towards the conflict, they had gathered enough energy to unleash a devastating blast.
Trees burned, waters boiled, and hundreds were scorched. While the other factions were able to withstand the immense explosion (and both Salvia and the Seven Leagues seemed to be spared the blast entirely), Salem was not so fortunate. The town and its people were consumed by flame and grief, by the weight of the destruction they had caused not just before, but in their time on Myria. Their lack of effective measures to counter something beyond magic, something as all consuming as themselves, left them annihilated. The Cult barely survived, and it was clear they would need to regroup and redouble their efforts...
Alum's Witch Hunters Were Eliminated
@TonySparks The Witch Hunters were legitimately one of the most interesting factions that were brought to the table here. Unfortunately, what they fostered in being compelling, they lacked in execution on cards. They balanced out with other factions to start thanks to a great showing on the story end, but it ended up coming down to the cards in the end.
As factions struggle to regain their footing from the calamity, strange emissaries have begun to arrive at the territories. Some arrive on good terms, but some don't seem so friendly...
Burning spirits and strange fellows race through the burning forests, on their way with messages to Valenos, Apothecaria Salvia, and the Seven Leagues. Creatures foreign to the world, carrying weapons set aflame, dance as though fireflies in the dark, arriving as the blood red sky blackens and blocks out the light from above. Their leader bears a message to each of you...
"Comrades or enemies to be. I see you have survived the rift, and bore witness to the awe inspiring power of the Wraths. You're probably quite confused right now, and I'll do my best to explain to you what happened. Our plane, Rashura, was ravaged by constant war, the land tarnished by humans and their need to rampantly consume and kill. We sought a plane bountiful and beautiful, with the resources to maintain our kind, and finally you answered. But, I can see it's happening here too. We need your help; the strange cult, the zombie fellows. They seek to defile nature. We seek to slaughter them. You, being the nature-loving folk that you are... would you join us and the Wraths in our conquest to burn all who would forsake nature's claim?"
@KorandAngels@Nomp The strange folk inhabiting this world seek the ruin of your factions. However, you have more pressing matters at hand; with no explicable reason, the weather within your territories has taken a shift for the horrible. In Cult territory, the weather has plummeted to below freezing, turning the scorching desert into a frozen tundra. In the kingdom of the True Queen, the frozen land has given way to sweltering heat. With the sudden shifts come terrible storms, and this time the situation is so severe it threatens the survival of your people.
Make two to three cards to flavorfully represent your factions manipulating the local weather. At least one of your cards must be a non-Aura enchantment.
Ok, here we go. The unprecedented ice age and grotesque earthquakes have shaken up the pseudo-island territory of the Cult of the True Gods. By now, all of the Omir tribespeople have moved into the Grand Plateau, though almost all of them died on the way due to volcanic activity and suchlike. (Image by TW Landis on Pinterest, I hope.) The various dwellings in the citadel were once empty, but now they are overflowing, and new structures were manufactured by hand and with the aid of the Council's magic. On the walls of the bare stone buildings, some people made cave paintings, and wrote various personal and tribal histories.
"Some aspect of the world is turned against us." said Sveech. "We can fight back their individual actions, but not overcome them overall." "It is quite probable it would destroy this entire plane were we to kill even one of them." said Nel Athoon. "In the meanwhile, we should help bypass this ice age those ignoble deities thrust onto us."
"Nevertheless, the entire environment seems incredibly hostile to us." said Huzizi. "I will take care of any of this plane's entities that try to attack us." Huzizi and some of his cultists, converts from the humanlike species of Ruin Haunters, manufacture some void creatures, who patrol the wasteland borders of the Cult's territory. By the way @Tommia, are the red areas on the new maps land, lava or water, and what are the 2 continents at the top and bottom of the map? (I think the top one is meant to be labeled beyond but you didn't type the Y, correct me if wrong.)
@KorandAngels They're land. There's nothing on the top and bottom, just stuff to provide contrast for text; the top, meanwhile, says "Myria" in Rashuran.
Higfur leaned back and sighed. “Madness, this entire event. An elemental of rage burning the Witch Hunters, followed by some alien prophet wanting us to join the alchemists and the forest to beat Antaias and the cult?” The giant scoffed and waved a hand around. “If this continues, I very well shrink to a third my size!”
“You very well might,” Reni said.
“What?”
The elf chuckled. “First things first, we need to put on a show.” When Higfur looked at her like she’d gone mad, she laughed. “Celebrate that we’ve lived this long. Throw a party. Make sure that anyone watching won’t notice the pieces we’re moving.”
“But…why fight?” Higfur asked.
Reni suddenly looked very somber. “The Leagues have to survive. You saw what happened out there. You know, same as I do."
As the messengers dispersed through the Leagues, their message spread: Antaias and the cult were enemies. Regardless of what the alchemists or forest did, the Leagues were marching to war. Druids started creating towering elementals as warriors started gathering weapons. Spirits of the Great Hunt were called from their rest to act as shock troops. Finally, some commanders were given scrolls with a spell designed to call a creature from the Leagues’ home plane.
@KorandAngels Only reason it isn't happening in this season is because they don't work in the world TBH. It started as a solid demiplane designed to shelter the children of gods and now it's merged with a desert wasteland XD
MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Comments
In the high court a discussion took place before the queen. A crowd of the highest rank was gathered to watch and partake.
"What isss to be-eee done of thisss? Thee peee-ple live in feear annd the crown hassss no ansswersss." Comes the words of one of the ancient aristocrats who's body had long warped and changed to the pacts of demons and great beasts.
"Perhaps assassins sent by those zealots? We should wage war against such impertinence." Comes a voice from the crowd.
Murmurs of agreement, clear in their anger.
"We could entreat with those old powers. The ones forbidden to all but the queen?" Comes another voice. This time it was clearly from a servant.
A hush came over the whole court. The servant held their gaze at the queen.
The True Ruler watches them with unwavering poise.
"Be my guest." She says casually.
The servant takes their leave.
By the end of the next day the servant had done just as they was set to do. They had gone to seek that old knowledge.
They invoke with careless abandon.
Their mind ripped apart by what they learn.
Back in court.
"My queen, the loose tongued servant was found gibbering madness. They did just as they said. We've put scribes on shifts to record their insights at all hours. What little we've gathered has lead to some interesting leads." Says one of the knight captains.
"Weee rely on thee prattling of a low bornnn? This issss your plannn, my queen?" Comes the voice from another noble of warped body. Perhaps the same great house.
"Yes, the old powers are not to be ignored. In fact, you and yours are now in charge of these disappearances. Send off a contingent to those nature worshippers. We might find what they know. Perhaps they'll have some lead." The True Ruler speaks.
The patrician bows and excuses their entire great house. The patricians begin a ruthless investigation turning the kingdom upside down looking for a culprit. All working off the ramblings of the madness in a servant.
It wasn't long before a small force was sent off to the Treefolk. Hopefully they could come to an understanding.
An ancient order would march day and night. The Pact Forgers were a militant group of warlocks who were so bound up in pacts and oaths that they rarely showed their warped forms from behind their armor.
"The atheists have agreed to a shared strike on the fools between us" said Brune Thorson, "but I think they have personal rather than chivalrous reasons for it."
"Should we use the blood creatures?" asked Sveech. "We do not have as many as we thought, as the barbarian we took them from died before producing more."
"I have access to a number of the tribes here." said Brune. "I can likely form a real military out of them. We wouldn't even need to put our original followers at risk."
(I made Lizard Warrior and Viashino Warrior into one card.)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/lizard-warrior-8
"Perfect! We would only need about a hundred soldiers, as between us we could bolster each individual into something that would cause stars to run in fear." said Nel Athoon.
"Of course we would not need that much power." said Heletok. "We are not fighting those who are at all trained, only some foolish peasants."
"Our military forces might also be attacked by the atheists after we finish clearing the rebels up." said a council member.
"That is a secondary problem." said Brune Thorson. "I propose that superior ape Ben Panthere lead the military. Under my guidance, of course."
End
~ The World Trembles - Part 1
Crackles, flickers, speckles and shimmers. The land grew wild, vibrant, violent. As a song rang across the land, it hummed, rumbled, and roared. The maelstrom tried to fight back, ripping and tearing at the aether as though an animal trying to escape its cage. As strings of fabric, reality was being woven together, but like a misbehaved child, the storm pulled every loose thread until each and every one snapped. Those watching in the distance saw the dancing of lights, crashing into each other like waves in an ocean of magic, and soon, the tides dulled down before roaring like a tsunami.The land was mended but fractured. Reya had been repaired, but as onlookers watched, the borders and the land between suddenly cracked, like glass smashed with a hammer. The territories, like shards, seemed to break away as the skies turned a shade of grey. Reya was sent falling away as the shards seemed to spiral in space and time, being pulled into a whirlpool of raw, arcane power. Those that were not careful fell in, finding themselves pulverized instantly. And before long, a scream howled across the fractured plane as the startled Salvians pondered what to do. Reya was stable, so what went wrong?
The answer suddenly came to light as the land began to reform. Like a toddler with a jigsaw puzzle, scorching land seemed to unevenly fill in the gaps between territories, edges of land being snapped and forced into place. And standing in the center of the plane was a terrifying horror, an avatar of pure fury...
~The World Trembles - Part 2
The alliance between the Cult of the True Gods and Alum's Witch Hunters was quite expected, but it was very suddenly tested. As their forces cut down mob after mob, a scream deafened them as the dead and dying suddenly caught alight. Souls being taken in by Alum's spell were igniting as well, deviating from their destination and letting out shrill howls and mournful cries. Soon, it seemed like the new battlefield they found themselves on was turning into a killbox as everyone they had killed was now being reborn as a savage, burning spirit of rage incarnate, infernal, but seeking revenge.While the battle seemed to drag on, there was starting to become an obvious losing side. The two factions worked together, but there was an ultimate flaw in the Witch Hunter's forces. They had adapted so well to taking on their more magically inclined enemies, and stripping the land they dwelled upon of its magical energies. However, these creatures seemed to be feeding upon this hatred of magic, the burning rage and forsaken energies fueling the burning, wretched wraths. This meant that, by time the flame cloaked spirit in the center of the plane had turned its eyes towards the conflict, they had gathered enough energy to unleash a devastating blast.
Trees burned, waters boiled, and hundreds were scorched. While the other factions were able to withstand the immense explosion (and both Salvia and the Seven Leagues seemed to be spared the blast entirely), Salem was not so fortunate. The town and its people were consumed by flame and grief, by the weight of the destruction they had caused not just before, but in their time on Myria. Their lack of effective measures to counter something beyond magic, something as all consuming as themselves, left them annihilated. The Cult barely survived, and it was clear they would need to regroup and redouble their efforts...
Alum's Witch Hunters Were Eliminated
@TonySparks The Witch Hunters were legitimately one of the most interesting factions that were brought to the table here. Unfortunately, what they fostered in being compelling, they lacked in execution on cards. They balanced out with other factions to start thanks to a great showing on the story end, but it ended up coming down to the cards in the end.@Tommia
As for everyone else, I'll have the next challenge up tomorrow. I wanted to make sure everyone knew I was working on this
~ A New Day In the New World
As factions struggle to regain their footing from the calamity, strange emissaries have begun to arrive at the territories. Some arrive on good terms, but some don't seem so friendly...
@SpellPiper2213 @cadstar369 @Aggroman15 ;before your challenge...
Burning spirits and strange fellows race through the burning forests, on their way with messages to Valenos, Apothecaria Salvia, and the Seven Leagues. Creatures foreign to the world, carrying weapons set aflame, dance as though fireflies in the dark, arriving as the blood red sky blackens and blocks out the light from above. Their leader bears a message to each of you...
"Comrades or enemies to be. I see you have survived the rift, and bore witness to the awe inspiring power of the Wraths. You're probably quite confused right now, and I'll do my best to explain to you what happened. Our plane, Rashura, was ravaged by constant war, the land tarnished by humans and their need to rampantly consume and kill. We sought a plane bountiful and beautiful, with the resources to maintain our kind, and finally you answered. But, I can see it's happening here too. We need your help; the strange cult, the zombie fellows. They seek to defile nature. We seek to slaughter them. You, being the nature-loving folk that you are... would you join us and the Wraths in our conquest to burn all who would forsake nature's claim?"
@KorandAngels @Nomp The strange folk inhabiting this world seek the ruin of your factions. However, you have more pressing matters at hand; with no explicable reason, the weather within your territories has taken a shift for the horrible. In Cult territory, the weather has plummeted to below freezing, turning the scorching desert into a frozen tundra. In the kingdom of the True Queen, the frozen land has given way to sweltering heat. With the sudden shifts come terrible storms, and this time the situation is so severe it threatens the survival of your people.
Make two to three cards to flavorfully represent your factions manipulating the local weather. At least one of your cards must be a non-Aura enchantment.
The unprecedented ice age and grotesque earthquakes have shaken up the pseudo-island territory of the Cult of the True Gods. By now, all of the Omir tribespeople have moved into the Grand Plateau, though almost all of them died on the way due to volcanic activity and suchlike.
(Image by TW Landis on Pinterest, I hope.)
The various dwellings in the citadel were once empty, but now they are overflowing, and new structures were manufactured by hand and with the aid of the Council's magic. On the walls of the bare stone buildings, some people made cave paintings, and wrote various personal and tribal histories.
"Some aspect of the world is turned against us." said Sveech. "We can fight back their individual actions, but not overcome them overall."
"It is quite probable it would destroy this entire plane were we to kill even one of them." said Nel Athoon. "In the meanwhile, we should help bypass this ice age those ignoble deities thrust onto us."
"Nevertheless, the entire environment seems incredibly hostile to us." said Huzizi. "I will take care of any of this plane's entities that try to attack us."
Huzizi and some of his cultists, converts from the humanlike species of Ruin Haunters, manufacture some void creatures, who patrol the wasteland borders of the Cult's territory.
By the way @Tommia, are the red areas on the new maps land, lava or water, and what are the 2 continents at the top and bottom of the map? (I think the top one is meant to be labeled beyond but you didn't type the Y, correct me if wrong.)
“You very well might,” Reni said.
“What?”
The elf chuckled. “First things first, we need to put on a show.” When Higfur looked at her like she’d gone mad, she laughed. “Celebrate that we’ve lived this long. Throw a party. Make sure that anyone watching won’t notice the pieces we’re moving.”
“But…why fight?” Higfur asked.
Reni suddenly looked very somber. “The Leagues have to survive. You saw what happened out there. You know, same as I do."
As the messengers dispersed through the Leagues, their message spread: Antaias and the cult were enemies. Regardless of what the alchemists or forest did, the Leagues were marching to war. Druids started creating towering elementals as warriors started gathering weapons. Spirits of the Great Hunt were called from their rest to act as shock troops. Finally, some commanders were given scrolls with a spell designed to call a creature from the Leagues’ home plane.