EPISODE 3: THE SAGA OF TIBALT
Lore forum
Posted on Jan. 20, 2021, 11:32 a.m. by TheRealSpecialK
In which the great deeds, exploits, and utter chaos of a certain well-dressed and cunning Planeswalker are shared for his admirers.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/episode-3-saga-tibalt-2021-01-20
TheRealSpecialK says... #3
I hadn't thought about the 'Horrible Beast' being Vorinclex - but that is an interesting thought. Vorinclex struck me during the first week's story as more primal and beast-like than cunning and sentient. Even the flavor text on the card Rotted Hystrix says "Vorinclex had no grand plan. The oil did its own work, evolving creatures into worthy predators." That being said, there are quite a few cards that reference flavor text from him, so he isn't just primal beast. If he is working as an agent of Elesh Norn, I'm sure he could be the horrible beast referenced.
Also, do you guys feel like there are a lot of similarities between Oko and Tibalt? Not design-wise, but flavorfully? I definitely think so, and think it is interesting because they occupy such different parts of the color pie.
January 20, 2021 12:22 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #4
I, also, presume that the "horrible beast" whom Tibalt encountered was Vorinclex, since it fits in with what we know, so far, and I wonder why Vorinclex is on Kaldheim.
We already suspected that Tibalt had a very high opinion of himself, but this story made that very clear, so he is very similar to Ertai, in that regard.
Tibalt definitely wishes to kill Kaya, so I wonder if he shall succeed in doing that, as WotC is very cautious about killing off major characters, but I would like this story to feel as if it has genuine tension and danger, so that it is not too tedious and predictable.
January 20, 2021 3:25 p.m.
TheRealSpecialK says... #5
DemonDragonJ - I agree, plot armor definitely takes the edge off of stories :/. Even if characters survive, having something happen that reminds us of their morality would be refreshing. Have we ever had a character lose an arm? Be injured to the point that it forever impedes the use of their magic? Things like that. And yes, I know War of the Spark happened, but outside of the exceedingly few losses that happened there, there isn't much that comes to my mind.
I have a background in marketing, and Wizards is interesting to look at through that lens. While I can't find much concrete demographic info, it wouldn't surprise me if the majority of their player base consists of adults over 20. That is certainly true for the percent of their player base in terms of purchasing power. Yet, almost all of their writing is cheap and seemingly geared towards pre-teen/teen audiences. In my opinion, this is one of their greatest weaknesses, and I hope that their Netflix series (if we ever get it) is tonally appropriate for a more adult audience.
January 20, 2021 3:36 p.m. Edited.
TheRealSpecialK says... #6
As an amendment to my last comment, there are times where the writing is great. This Tibalt POV is one of them - I thought it was fantastic. It is mostly their published stories that I am upset with.
January 20, 2021 4:30 p.m.
Personally, I hated this recent story. It read like Wizards told a high school student "give me a point of view story from a trickster demon" and the high schooler went with all the most boring clichés possible to depict Tibalt's inner monologue.
Despite the terrible prose, there were some kernels of interesting information in the story--in particular the reference to the "Horrible Beast" and the Seed. The otherwise nameless horror that strikes Tibalt's interest struck me as how Tibalt is likely to describe a Phyrexian, and the implantation of a the "seed" seems a lot like Glistening Oil (whose overtaking the host is akin to something growing once planted).
I have to disagree with RicketyEng though--I do not think it is Vorinclex. There is too much manipulation--not only was the seed implanted in Tibalt, the "Beast" used it to compel Tibalt's actions, saying he would be released if he complied. That's too forward-thinking for Vorinclex. Assuming it is, in fact, a Praetor, I think it is safe to assume whoever sent Vorinclex to Kaldheim is the one who is manipulating Tibalt. It refers to the "Monsterous Beast" as a "he"--making Jin-Gitaxias the most likely of the Praetors to be the manipulator.
January 22, 2021 1:33 p.m.
Mcat1999 - I don’t think it has anything to do with ratings - it is entirely possible to create a point of view menacing agent of chaos without leaving the PG realm Magic’s lore exists in.
Case in point: C.S. Lewis’ _The Screwtape Letters. The novel is told through a series of letters from a demon named Screwtape to his nephew, instructing his nephew on how to sew discord and chaos in the heart of a man. Screwtape is clever, witty, devious, malicious, manipulative, and can, at times, get quite angry - everything a complex tempter should be, while still maintaining Lewis’ “PG” writing.
I don’t expect Wizards to hire anyone close to Lewis’ caliber - he is one of the Titans of literature, after all - but it would have been nice to see something that at least resembled Screwtape’s complexity, and not the amateur rubbish we received.
RicketyEng says... #2
Ha, beat me to it. So I'll see about removing the thread I was typing while you created this one.
In which we learn some detail about Tibalt's schemes behind the scenes. He is indeed the one causing the impending doomskar. It was Tibalt who unleashed the world serpent on Starnheim while Niko was there. It was also hinted that he was cornered by a Horrible Beast and poisoned with a "seed." Could this be Vorinclex and does this mean Tibalt is infected with glistening oil and expected to spread the Phyrexian influence? This chapter of the saga finishes with a very ominous prophecy that the end of this story will see him killing a female planeswalker.
Any thoughts on Kaya's seemingly impending death? Vorinclex's "desperate" need of Tibalt to cause a distraction? What part Niko will play in this as she and the valkyries pursue the world serpent hoping to discover who set him on Starnheim?
January 20, 2021 11:55 a.m.