MS: The Hand that moves
Lore forum
Posted on April 26, 2017, 12:01 p.m. by AgentGreen
In today's story (my opinion on it will come later), We find Nissa looking for clues into Bolas' suspected corruption of the plane. To do that she seeks the God of Knowledge Kefnet; and takes one step towards her foretold color shift
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/hand-moves-2017-04-26
RussischerZar says... #3
I found this story very weird and hard to follow. It suggested some things but since they were kind of visions, it's unclear as to what they specifically meant.
However it seems clear that some residue of Emrakul stayed with her.
inb4 Nissrakul, the Color Pie Torn
April 26, 2017 12:15 p.m.
Hell yeah, more tentacle monsters.
That is, if anything, Nissa is shaping up to be more black than blue. It's like Bolas is getting to her. Those seem like the kind of things Bolas would say.
April 26, 2017 12:42 p.m.
Homura_Akemi says... #5
What the heck. Is Emrakul to Nissa as the Raven Man is to Liliana now?
April 26, 2017 1:19 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #6
This story was great.
I think it is very clear that Nissa's quest for truth and answers is the first hint of her gaining blue alignment. I really liked how Nissa learned to think about what she's doing with leylines instead of simply using intuition. That is another blue trait she gained. By the end of the story she gained a new confidence and a new motto, "Be the hand that moves." Those show a much greater alignment to blue.
Nissa's leyline manipulation abilities were labeled as amateurish. It helped to show us how much prowess Bolas must have if he was able to weave so much of his own magic into the very fabric of the plane. It also demonstrated how, as of yet anyway, Nissa is no match for him and isn't able to directly undo the work he has done. Yet.
The part I actually found the most strange was that the angel representing Emrakul (Emeria) was female. Amonkhet specifically only has male angels. This definitely gives evidence that the angel was manifesting from within Nissa's mind and not from an external source from the plane. Maybe some of Emrakul's confidence has rubbed off on Nissa and this was her subconscious way of convincing herself to have more confidence and to think for herself more often.
I think we can trust the things the visions revealed. By that second phase of the trial Nissa was using the power in the trial's leylines completely for her own purpose of gaining information. Kefnet's anger and accusations of mocking his trial are typical reactions of someone with something to hide (whether he knows what he is hiding or not). It would seem that Bolas seeks to devour whole planes in order to regain his pre-mending power level. It also appears that Amonkhet is the first, so we may be able to deduce that Bolas is still nowhere near achieving his ultimate power goals.
The notion that the plane's pain has anything to do with eldrazi was also very clearly put to rest. Nissa can tell the difference in how the blights feel in the leylines. I wonder if it is possible that getting the eldrazi released was part of the world devouring plan. Once he has tapped a plane for all it's worth to him, the eldrazi would come and clean up the leftovers and remake the plane. That sounds like a renewable resource plan if ever I saw one.
April 26, 2017 1:20 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #7
Nissa: "I can see the Matrix."
I move that Nissa, Steward of Elements be dubbed Neo Nissa.
April 26, 2017 1:43 p.m.
JerichoDarkstar says... #8
That actually works because it could also be interpreted as "New Nissa," which I am all down for. I love what they are doing with her specifically.
April 26, 2017 2:04 p.m.
AgentGreen says... #9
I didn't like the way the story was written; felt rushed and confusing.
Also, don't like that they're making her blue. I want her to go back to mono-. SHE MUST STAY PURE!
April 26, 2017 2:17 p.m.
@AgentGreen She's finally on the path to becoming pure, dont stop her :P She needs to gradually weed out the green xD
April 26, 2017 2:32 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #11
I think the idea of an Origins walker gaining a second colour is intriguing from a character development perspective. I have seen many people complain that the Gatewatch members need better character development. If Nissa having a blue shift doesn't satisfy those nay-sayers then I don't know what will.
I've actually entertained the thought of what if gradually all of the Gatewatch shift colours as they learn to work together more effectively?
April 26, 2017 2:55 p.m.
Homura_Akemi says... #12
Jace: WU
Gids: GW
Chandra: RW
Liliana: WB seems likely, although I think she'd be a great Sultai walker or as mono black.
Ajani: maybe just Naya?
April 26, 2017 3:08 p.m.
AgentGreen says... #13
Zaueski NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! rushes to save Nissa from the corruption that is blue
April 26, 2017 3:59 p.m.
If the gatewatch is going to follow Nissa and go enemy colors... I could see:
Chandra - She gains white as she learns to function as a group and begins supporting her hotheadness with a bit of tactics
Nissa - This one's canon, 'nuff said
Liliana - This one is a little bit iffy, I don't see her changing too much but then again Golgari is pretty much mono-black but a little bit meaner which I can easily see Lili becoming depending on how her fight with Razaketh goes.
Jace - Jace is honestly too whiny to be mono-blue. Until he goes back to Mindsculptor attitude, he doesn't exemplify his color properly atm and I feel this is a better fit for his rapidly spiraling out of control emotions.
Gideon - Zombie gids? lmao In all seriousness, I can definitely see the corruption of Oketra breaking Gideon. If/When he breaks, if he doesn't die, it'll easily scar him enough to embrace the Black because it's the second time something like that would've happened
April 26, 2017 5:45 p.m.
AgentGreen says... #16
Lili would be better as . She was a healer before she became a necromancer
Gids is likely . Remember, he was reckless and arrogant when he attacked Ebros and got his Irregulars killed pre-spark in the redirect.
April 26, 2017 6:13 p.m.
If we upset the color-balance then yes, there are some slightly better colors for them all to become... but given that Nissa went Simic and not Golgari... this seems to be the best arrangement to maintain color parity between their 5 biggest walkers.
April 26, 2017 6:30 p.m.
It's much more likely that The Gatewatch members will get other colors based on how much the other characters are influencing them.
Nissa went , and this probably has something to do with her and Jace's connection, and how easily they work together though Jace's telepathy.
Following this logic:
Chandra becomes , due to Nissa's influence like meditation, calming her thought, etc.
Gideon goes , due to Chandra's influence regarding not following the rules in order to do good.
Jace and Lili stay Jace ad Lili. They're not really being influenced by anyone but each other, and that hasn't changed either of them so far.
April 26, 2017 7:11 p.m.
So Nissa finally has a concrete flaw once again... Emrakul was present when her spark ignited, took over her mind briefly on inistrad... and now we learn she has become the little angel on Nissa's shoulder.
If it weren't for the "overcoming racism and believing in yourself" fiasco she went through on Zendikar/Lorwynn, Nissa might just be my favorite walker of all time. As it stands, still preferring tezzeret.
April 26, 2017 8:46 p.m.
RicketyEng says... #20
Yes there were 8 gods. 3 disappeared at Bolas's advent but of course we have no idea yet as to how or why.
For colour shifts I was actually thinking as per below. I think they would keep a balance of colour representations but not necessarily all allied or all enemy pairs.
Nissa: - Neo Nissa is so cool.
Liliana: - I think she would be more likely to embrace life magic as a compliment to her death magic than order and co-operation.
Jace: - he starts to embrace the idea of having some emotions and develops the opposite way of Nissa by realizing he doesn't need to be absolute control all the time.
Apparently it took me too long to write this and someone else already picked the same enemy pairings I would have picked.
In other news, a friend pointed out to me some imagery which I had missed the first time. Nissa's visions foretold the Gatewatch getting their butts kicked. A sputtering flame, broken clock, a mangled mummy, a dying tree, and a broken shield. But then in the next bit there was also a falling dragon.
I think the first few scenes were of the past when Bolas took over the plane. Then all the scenes in quick succession could be glimpses of a possible future.
I am very curious about the significance of the blue ore. It was being mined among the visions of the past. Then we see its application in the blue metallic giants.
April 27, 2017 10:33 a.m.
If they are all to get a second color I would expect Jace to get Black, Lili White, Gideon Red, and Chandra Green.
Jace gets black from delving through all of the intrigue with Liliana, Razaketh and Bolas. He just turns jaded, heartless. methodical, manipulative and subversive - still remaining in the gatewatch, just with a more ruthless style.
Lili originally cared deeply for others. She hasn't for a long time and is now arguing with the Raven Man over her feelings for the gatewatch. Long term, the story of a redeemed Liliana would offer tons of value as all her past discretions lay dormant, waiting, along with the ever-persistent question, "Has she truly changed?"
Gideon stops trying to be statesman and starts aggressively barking at gatewatch members he is straining to tolerate. This would interplay with Jace's change in tact. I think a silent, long term power struggle over differing tactics would develop well.
Chandra continues to use Nissa as a source for personal growth as their meditation sessions and lessons bear fruit.
This is all ignoring the thought that it would be ideal story-wise if at least one of them fell easily and permanently to a Bolas scheme,
April 27, 2017 7:55 p.m.
emrakulinsmugglers says... #22
im wondering how this (amonkhet story so far) ties in to the magic storyline... bolas corrupted amonkhet like, say, a few decades ago? liliana was at amonkhet before that, post mending, which was way before bolas corrupted amonkhet? but she came to amonkhet because of bolas? does anyone have an idea of how this all ties together?
April 28, 2017 2:03 a.m.
emrakulinsmugglers: She came to Amonkhet with Bolas to strike a deal with Razaketh, who lives there and always has. Bolas acted as a deal-broker or middle-man for Liliana after he found her complaining about having lost so much power after the mending, in exchange for eventually helping him reclaim his Consortium/get revenge on Tezzeret for having taken it. That was all before Bolas eventually returned to corrupt it, likely choosing it because he already was on a good basis with Razaketh to implement the death curse.
She's now returned, ironically to fight Bolas with the Gatewatch, but more personally to kill Razaketh so she no longer owes him her soul.
===========
On the topic of planeswalker color guesses, I think they'll intermingle between several colors back and forth, always maintaining their primary color, as the story necessitates.
Chandra is getting closer with Nissa, meditating with her (and maybe crushing on her? unclear), so she may turn green at some point, but we know from Kaladesh that Lili is very effective at being a bad influence on her, so she could be black at some point too. And while we haven't seen much of it, there is very clearly a sense of comradeship with Gideon, so as that develops we may get a WR version of her. The only thing I can't see Chandra gaining is blue, as her interactions with Jace or few and unimpactful.
Jace could turn red as he starts to accept his emotions, possibly with support from Chandra (which may allow her to go blue, who knows), but as he learns more from Nissa as well, mostly regarding nature and leylines connecting everything, minds and bodies, he may go green at some point too. And when he and Gideon resolve their silent clash over who the leader(s) is, he may gain white. I don't think he'll turn black though, mostly because he's naturally selfless, though not transparent, and it's fairly inevitable that Lili will betray the Gatewatch one way or another, eventually.
Gideon will likely gain blue if/when Jace gains white, as their conflict resolves. He may turn red either when Chandra turns white, or when he fights/defeats Erebos, accepting his own arrogance and emotions in the act that killed his Irregulars, though black is also an option there. He probably won't turn green though, if only because it doesn't fit his invincible theme; green often implies mortality, and indestructibility is kinda against the current, there.
I don't think Lili will change. If I am correct and she betrays the Gatewatch, if/when she returns, she may turn white with humility, or blue to align herself more with Jace, but probably not much else, if even those.
April 28, 2017 5:21 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #24
I liked the further character development for Nissa in this story, but I hope that she does not become able to manipulate gods too easily or frequently, because that would make her too powerful, although it was interesting that this story implied that gods are being of pure mana, akin to angels, demons, and elementals.
Where is Ajani? Why did he not join the others on Amonklhet? This seems to be a lame excuse to have only the five core members of the Gatewatch remain together, while every other planeswalker who works with them is only a temporary ally, a trend that I find to be very annoying.
April 30, 2017 9:26 p.m.
emrakulinsmugglers says... #25
DemonDragonJ don't fret, we'll probably see ajani soon. ajani joined the gatewatch, and he is merely going to find more allies for the gatewatch (possibly tamiyo, narset, and the story circle) to fight bolas with them, but the gatewatch decided to go to amonkhet immediately anyways.
April 30, 2017 9:31 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #26
I also do not expect Nissa to remain green/blue beyond this block; this was merely a temporary color shift, to show how she is developing as character by learning to be more thoughtful and less reckless (although that could also be said of Chandra's character development, as well), as each of the original five members of the Gatewatch is a paragon of their color, so will likely remain mono-colored for the foreseeable future.
April 30, 2017 9:40 p.m.
Ajani wanted them all to wait until they had a better plan and more intel. The gatewatch wanted to jump right in and catch bolas off guard. So ultimately they went behind ajani's back and he has no idea they're there already
I loved how nissa rearranged the mana flowing thru kefnet to change his mind. She was definitely going to die otherwise. She kinda barged in too. Like her last act of mono G before she decided to smarten up
kanokarob says... #2
I'm eager to see what parts of her visions will be relevant in future blocks' stories.
Sorta disappointed that we still don't know why she's blue, but we do have a better understanding of what the Gods are, what Bolas did to them, and how Amonkhet might resolve. If Nissa doesn't use her influence on Kefnet, it's likely she'll at least use her newfound knowledge of the Gods to repair them if/when Bolas flees Amonkhet (because ffs he better not die here.)
April 26, 2017 12:10 p.m.