Quick explanation of MTG Lore
Lore forum
Posted on Jan. 22, 2015, 4:59 p.m. by FAMOUSWATERMELON
So I've looked up some explanations of MTG lore, but most of them are pretty obscure. Can someone give me a SIMPLE explanation of basic MTG lore (if that's possible)? Thank you very much!
gnarlicide says... #5
I got my spark on Jund..
and I travel with a DeLorean
January 22, 2015 5:04 p.m.
PepsiAddicted says... #7
you were born around ~4300 in a small village near innistrad. life was good and simple. it all changed when a crypt ghast killed your favourite goat you became so enraged that your spark ignited. something like that...
January 22, 2015 5:14 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #8
See when my spark ignited, I thought it was puberty.
January 22, 2015 5:18 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #10
Lol, nice. I have no response to that.. You win today, man.
(golf clap)
January 22, 2015 5:22 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #12
Lol Well Ghost, there comes a time in every child's life where his/her body begins to change. It can be very awkward and uncomfortable
/rambles on about uncomfortable subject
January 22, 2015 6:34 p.m.
vampirelazarus says... #13
As for a legitimate story: a dragon who is very old, is causing havoc across several planes, while some other ancient race is causing havoc across several planes, and bad things are inbound.
January 22, 2015 6:44 p.m.
Thousands of years ago, a plane known as "Dominaria" was host to a great war between dragons. Only five of these dragons survived, one of them being Nicol Bolas. Nicol Bolas would eventually become a planeswalker and one of the oldest beings in existence.
Years later, a civilization known as the Thran become lords of Dominaria. One man, named Yawgmoth, managed to seize much power within the empire and tore it into a civil war. The planeswalker Dyfed arrives in the Thran empire and assists Yawgmoth in taking over. In awe of Dyfed's power, Yawgmoth becomes obsessed with igniting a planeswalker spark of his own. Yawgmoth manages to turn the Thran into a race of machines, now known as the Phyrexians, after moving the empire to the artificial plane of Phyrexia.
The above events take place before the Antiquities expansion, while the following takes place during.
Two brothers, Urza and Mishra, discover artifacts of the ancient Thran civilization long after it was gone in the Caves of Koilos. Among these artifacts are the Mightstone and the Weakstone. Each brother takes one before they part ways to undergo apprenticeships in opposite kingdoms.
Unknown to Mishra, his half had been tainted by the same corrupting elements Yawgmoth used to turn the Thran. Not only that, but the brothers had opened up the gateway from Dominaria to Phyrexia when they removed the Mightstone and the Weakstone. After his corruption, Mishra began making attempts at conquering the plane.
The Brothers' War ensued as Urza tried to stop his brother, who descended into madness and corruption. The war lasted 36 years until Urza activated the Golgothian Sylex, killing his brother and destroying an entire continent. The war had stripped Dominaria of many resources. Wrought with guilt and grief over killing his brother and destroying so many lives, Urza's spark was ignited.
After the Sylex's activation, many foul creatures came out of hiding, including orcs and goblins. On the continent of Sarpadia, the adverse weather caused by the Sylex leads to the collapse of several empires (the setting for the Fallen Empires expansion). In other places, people begin to turn on wielders of magic, blaming them for the Sylex Blast. The witch hunts and strife created a dark age, giving us the setting of The Dark.
As Dominaria's weather begins to cool from the fallout, the plane enters an ice age. The drastic change in weather is an apocalyptic event. Parts of Dominaria become isolated from the rest of the multiverse. Shifting alliances and war ravage the plane. Twelve planeswalkers band together to reverse the Sylex Blast by channeling an equally powerful force through the Ice Cauldron, thus ending the ice age. This is the setting of Ice Age, Alliances, and Cold Snap.
During these events, Urza returns to Dominaria after planeswalking across the multiverse, looking for answers regarding the Thran. He discovers Phyrexia and Yawgmoth's plans for power. With this new knowledge, he begins preparing for the incoming Phyrexian invasion. He gathers many planeswalkers and armies to beat back the legions of machines.
Urza also begins experimenting with time travel, building Karn, Silver Golem to visit the past in search of more answers. Urza also constructs the Skyship Weatherlight, who is lead by Captain Sisay and her crew of legendary heroes. The Weatherlight is capable of planeswalking and travels the multiverse in search of any artifacts that might help defeat the Phyrexians.
The Tolarian Academy is established, where Urza begins teaching powerful wizards and planeswalkers his knowledge. They also experiment with new weapons and magics, including the Titan Engines. Notable students include Teferi, Temporal Archmage, Jhoira of the Ghitu, Hanna, Ship's Navigator, and Barrin, Master Wizard.
These events are all depicted in the blocks Mirage, Urza's Saga, and Tempest (which, along with the Weatherlight expansion at the end of Mirage Block, makes up the Rath Cycle).
Whew!
This has been a long post, so from here I'll just give you a link to what happens next from the MtG Wiki:
- The Phyrexians invade Dominaria (Invasion Block).
- Karona, the False God appears in Dominaria (Onslaught Block).
- After the nonstop series of apocalyptic events, Dominaria suffers from fractures in time (Time Spiral Block). This also leads to The Mending, in which the powers of all planeswalkers are seriously hampered.
- After Urza's death, Karn, Silver Golem is able to take his spark and become a planeswalker. He goes on to create Mirrodin, which is where Mirrodin Block takes place, and later, Mirrodin Besieged.
- Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, frustrated at the loss of his powers due to The Mending caused by Teferi, Temporal Archmage, sets out to regain his abilities. Bolas is the main driving force behind the storylines of Alara, Zendikar, and Tarkir.
- The rest of Magic's storyline has taken place in more isolated events regarding single planes. These blocks and expansions include Lorwyn, Ravnica, Innistrad, Theros, and Kamigawa.
January 22, 2015 6:56 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #15
Thank you! That was very helpful (if not a bit complicated - I'll look at those sites some).
January 22, 2015 6:59 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #16
And also, all of this makes me want to build a nice sweet artifact/control deck!
January 22, 2015 7:01 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #17
I read somewhere that Yawgmoth created Phyrexian Obliterator... is this true?
I mean you have to be a mean-spirited, salty motherfucker to come up with THAT creature. You have to have some serious hate in your heart.
January 22, 2015 7:05 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #18
If so, that is pretty mean-spirited. The Obliterator is one of the nastiest creatures I know.
January 22, 2015 7:15 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #19
For real, thats what I said. Thats almost the equivalent of dropping a nuke on a heavily populated city, and have the impact happen at a schoolhouse. Like, whoa.
January 22, 2015 7:19 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #20
I don't think he made the obliterator, but he did make the precursor to it (Phyrexian Negator)
January 22, 2015 7:28 p.m.
Phyrexian Negator is much worse, but with better flavor text.
January 22, 2015 7:51 p.m.
gnarlicide says... #23
Bullshit, the flavor text for the Obliterator is amazing. It's... dare I say... "perfection".
January 22, 2015 7:53 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #24
It does have the advantage of 3 mana and much less devotion, though. But of course the Obliterator is much better, what am I saying??
PepsiAddicted says... #2
you are a planeswalker. you have the spark. you can drawn energy from any plane to cast powerful spells and call magical creatures to aid you in your mighty quest.
January 22, 2015 5:03 p.m.