What's the deal with Shadows over Innistrad?
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Nov. 1, 2015, 7:11 p.m. by Mortem
Look, I know someone else has another thread about SOI, but my question to you is... what will be the plot? Why did the feather turn into blood? Why did the Collar bend?
Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm8CdY75K-s
Only one rule: NO ELDRAZI THEORIES!
Epochalyptik says... #3
Why didn't you just post this in the existing SOI thread?
November 1, 2015 7:44 p.m.
Epochalyptik I wanted to be able to get answers about specifically the lore of the set, and not the expectations and nostalgia.
November 1, 2015 8:30 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
I think if you had tried asking there you would have gotten a response. Some of the current discussion has to do with the lore.
You're technically allowed to post a new thread if you want, but I think it's in everyone's interest to keep the number of threads about any given spoiled set to a minimum. It would be nice to keep the discussion in one place if possible.
November 1, 2015 8:36 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #6
My theory: when she (kind of) cured garruk, she got touched by the veil curse. It took time to manifest so her not only is her power wreaked, it's going corrupt, leading to her angels going into rampant insanity or death.
November 1, 2015 8:38 p.m.
Aliens. Innistrad's moon has big-headed, doofy aliens living on it that are casting literal shadows over Innistrad. Also they have psychic powers that can turn feathers into blood and warp stone and branches. Happy?
November 1, 2015 9:36 p.m.
CastleSiege says... #8
If you'd bother reading the other thread, I and plenty of others have already posted several theories on what we think is going to happen in SOI.
November 1, 2015 11:29 p.m.
Shadows over Innsmouth is way too similar to Shadows over Innistrad to be a mere coincidence. Incidentally, this novella was written by the master of Eldritch horrors, H.P. Lovecraft AND includes a mention of Cthulu. Additionally, with the "horror" theme of Innistrad, the strange warping of the stone, and the fact that the story seems to be in the "Eldrazi" I expect Emrakul or Kozilek to at least make a token appearance, but be nowhere near the focal point besides maybe to make Lili realize that there's actually things out there that are more pressing concerns than her problems. What I expect is that this story will be Liliana focused, with her learning more about the Chain Veil, potentially coming to terms with Garruk's curse and stalling her hunts to find a way to help Jace/Garruk.
Or maybe that tombstone was morphing as a result of something strange happening with Nahiri. Who knows.
November 2, 2015 12:18 a.m.
PepsiAddicted says... #10
i am with JA14732 on this. it is WAY too similar to shadow over innsmouth to NOT be connected. also the eldrazi story line draws alot attention to the game and it is an "unfinished" story (except maybe if we see the two other titans return to zendikar in oath - and I doubt that)... two reasons to move it somewhere else even tho i dont think we will have playable eldrazi titans in innistrad... that would turn out to be too similar to bfz. lili sounds possible <3
November 2, 2015 5:08 a.m. Edited.
I agree with JA14732 its seems way too similar to be a coincidence. It also fits well with the current storyline
November 2, 2015 11:54 a.m.
Monsmtg, PepsiAddicted, JA14732
I think that the very reason it's so similar would be proof that the Eldrazi won't be happening; Wizards would get sued for copyright for sure.
Also, please no more Eldrazi ideas.
November 2, 2015 3:25 p.m.
Mortem, it doesn't make any sense to rule out eldrazi theories, especially, when they seem very reasonable.
November 3, 2015 8:58 a.m.
I'm not sure how reasonable they are. Come to that, the "Avacyn is dead" theories don't seem that reasonable either when compared to the actual video. What could possible cause the Collar to bend like that? I get that it could be symbolism, but lets think more literally. That specific statue was probably just a roadside shrine; definitely not in Thraben, probably just a small village maybe in Gavony. Avacyn's death or corruptment (?) would probably not be able to affect something like that at all, and even if it could, why that specific one? Something else to consider is the trees shirking away from it. Now maybe that's just whatever force bent the statue, but I think it may be that whatever force it is repels life. What's more important than the statue itself is the feather, in my opinion, as it seems to affect not just religious symbols but living entities. The feather turning to blood could suggest Vampire envolvement, and who is everyone's favorite vampire. That's right, and who does Jace need to find, who does Ugin need to find? Sorin is the answer to both of those questions. Jace is also in a piece of artwork for SOI, (here's a link http://www.magicspoiler.com/shadows-over-innistrad/) I think Jace could be looking for Sorin on his home plane. I'm not sure right now what that has to do with the feather, but there could be some connection.
Also, Scorprix. What do you think?
November 3, 2015 6:12 p.m.
I got almost nothing.
I'm 99.99% sure eldrazis will not appear, especially directly after an eldrazi themed set. Nihiri seems possible though, but I assume the collar and feather are changing due to symbolism, not actual change.
People are making things way too complex. Wizards doesn't ever really go over-the-top on hidden messages, so what's probably happening is the fall of some cities or Angels or blah-blah-blah.
I don't read flavor stuff though. I judge solely on power level, so I only really want a fixed snspcaster, some sweet 
/
/
stuff for attrition-based EDH play (non-combo Tasigur), and some Thundermaw Hellkite power-level dragons for standard in Rakdos.
November 3, 2015 11:19 p.m.
TheGrayMerchant says... #16
About the crest of Avacyn being bent/warped:
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/announcing-duel-decks-blessed-vs-cursed-2015-11-02
Go there. Look at the symbol for the DD. It is the exact same position that the crest of Avacyn was in at the end of the trailer. I think that some part of Avacyn has been cursed and that it is corrupting her.
November 6, 2015 9:03 p.m.
@Mortem, in any case there would be no suing for breaking any copyrights on basis as simple as the name "Shadows over Innistrad". First of all, the name of H.P.'s story is "The Shadow over Innsmouth", which differs from the name of the spoiled set quite a bit, and secondly, because the copyrights of H.P.'s original works are controversial in general and considered to be expired in this particular case especially - if there actually was any other copyright owner aside of H.P. himself at all. Name "Shadows over Innistrad" honors his life's work and literary estate, and this kind of reference is widely used literary device called "intertextuality" in the US as well as around the rest of the world, too.
November 7, 2015 10:25 a.m.
BlueMageBrandon says... #18
Have you guys watched this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUnJrziAM5w
November 14, 2015 8:28 p.m.
FullOctave says... #19
JA14732: Your theory seems plausible, but you are going at it all wrong. There will be no eldrazi coming to innistrad most likely, the players will get bored with the concept after a while if it is implemented into every set (case in point Jace). But who could be the abominations that would reference the "frog-things" from Shadows over Innsmouth? Take a look back to the original lore of Innistrad... and the origins of the Vampires... Sorin was one of the first to become a vampire on that plane and he was the one who infected the denizens of the plane in his first bloodlust. The Vampires grew out of control slaughtering humans without pause.... So he created Avacyn.... Avacyn could possibly be the literal protagonist from Shadows over Innsmouth as she is TURNING INTO A VAMPIRE. Think about it. The feather floating down turning into blood, the literal symbol of vampires. The feather bleeding onto the relic causing it to distort showing the corruption flowing in the reluctant transforming angel. Hell, even the cover art with Jace has her in the background with a fancy vampire collar. This will open up plot for why the gatewatch crew would be there, trying to either cure Avacyn or trying to find a replacement, which is why Jace is shown on the cover in front of a vision of corrupt Avacyn. Take this as you will, but I feel this is the most likely of possibilites to occur.
November 15, 2015 12:14 p.m.
Well, we have no proof that the creepy specter in the Jace art is Avacyn; Innistrad has so many female candidates that it could be. I personally suspect it may be Thalia; the guilt of letting the demons free of the Helvault could have made her go insane, and she somehow has a connection to whatever may be happening to Avacyn. Also, I doubt Avacyn turning into a vampire would be possible. The way vampirism works on Innistrad is as a very deliberate process; simply feeding on a being does not transform them, and, even if it was intended, the second step is the victim consuming a little bit of the sire vampire's blood, something Avacyn would die before she would do. Plus, even if she became a vampire somehow, she wouldn't suddenly turn evil; she could still do her job. And Sorin's spark ignited as he became a vampire; he thus couldn't have "...infected the denizens of the plane in his first bloodlust." as you say.
November 15, 2015 9:57 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #21
I really am hoping that we shall finally see Edgar Markov, the one who is responsible for many of the problems that the plane of Innistrad is experiencing, given that he was conspicuously absent from the first Innistrad block.
November 15, 2015 10:31 p.m.
Actually, Edgar Markov is a potential antagonist for the block. Maybe he's getting revenge on Sorin or something?
November 16, 2015 3:56 p.m.
TheNextRedDude says... #23
The storytelling has changed. Wizards is going to start doing long, multi block stories again. Right now, we are in the middle of the Eldrazi story arc. Jace is almost certainly on Innistrad for the purpose of finding Sorin to help defeat the Eldrazi. Even if they are not present physically as cards, they will play a role in the story simply by existing. Until the conflict is resolved we have to assume that.
With that said, I am confident that the feather and the statue symbolize Avacyn being corrupted. On Innistrad, Avacyn keeps the balance, so something must happen to her for there to be any real plot for the block. (Unless the you-know-what's come)
November 17, 2015 3:25 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #24
In THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING INNISTRAD, terror falls from the skies on blood-spattered wings and nameless horrors lurk in the shadows. These pages, lavishly illustrated with the award-winning art of Magic: The Gathering, are your entry into a world beset by terrible evils on all sides and betrayed by the hope it held most dear. Tread lightly as you follow the heroic Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch as they investigate these dark mysteries.
Explore a dark world rife with deadly horrors, and join the investigation to find clues and unravel the madness plaguing the inhabitants. Follow in the footsteps of heroic Planeswalkers to discover just how deep the madness runs.
REF: http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/The_Art_of_Magic:The_Gathering-_Innistrad
January 25, 2016 7:55 a.m.
- "Explore a dark world rife with deadly horrors, and join the investigation to find clues and unravel the madness plaguing the inhabitants. Follow in the footsteps of heroic Planeswalkers to discover just how deep the madness runs."
Returning Mechanic....? Madness
January 25, 2016 10:26 a.m.
Madness is pretty high on the storm scale, an 8 I think, but I think it's be cool to see again.
January 25, 2016 10:27 a.m.
While true that madness is fairly high on the Storm Scale, if it were to happen again, I think Innistrad would be the most appropriate Plane for it.
January 25, 2016 10:57 a.m.
Deck_Master says... #29
Yeah, maybe... I think you guys just read too deep into it. LOL
January 25, 2016 12:56 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #30
The curious part is: " betrayed by the hope it held most". Avacyn gone rogue? Or did the poppulation killed her after learning what the Lunarch knows about her dark origin?
January 25, 2016 2:12 p.m.
Wow, that's interesting. "Blood splattered wings". Blood red feather? This could contradict Avacyn going rogue; the statement implies plural wings. So, lots of demonic evil angels? I'm liking that a lot more than a corrupted Avacyn.
January 25, 2016 6 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #32
Of course there is the whole "Avacyn is Nahiri" crazy theory. If so, Sorin might have undone the spell to restore Nahiri now that she is needed to fight back the Eldrazi. Anyway, I hope we see tribal and good stuff and not so much of eldrazis around (Emrakul)
January 25, 2016 10:09 p.m.
I buy into the Shadows over Innsmouth connection theory, but I think Wizards is smart enough not to cookie cutter in the exact same story into the story. (Not because of copyright, I'm pretty sure Lovecraft is now in public domain, but because it's not original or creative) Sorry, no Eldrazi, no black menfolk fish-frogs, but I do think that Jace fills the role of the main protagonist of the Lovecraft story pretty well. Jace is the outsider coming to Innistrad in search of answers, and could definitely discover something dark or horrifying about himself that could warp the way he's portrayed going forward.
Considering they did away with the core sets, this is a good opportunity to start adjusting their trademark planeswalkers into something not entirely representative of one color, or even stay on that color. Probably a black-blue Jace could be coming our way once he discovers and accepts the horror within him.
January 26, 2016 6:49 p.m.
CanadianShinobi says... #34
I think that the very reason it's so similar would be proof that the Eldrazi won't be happening; Wizards would get sued for copyright for sure.
Under what legal pretense would WotC be sued? They'd be paying homage to a work, which unless I am gravely mistaken, falls under Fair Use. Also, how is that proof?
Also, please no more Eldrazi ideas.
Why?
January 26, 2016 7:02 p.m.
TheNextRedDude says... #35
Innistrad's moon becomes magically bigger, creating a literal shadow over innistrad with no negative repercussions whatsoever. Who else wants this plot?
January 26, 2016 8:43 p.m.
No eldrazi theories because, as far as I can see, they're all the same. The only discussion would be whether they're valid and why, a discussion we're already having.
January 26, 2016 9:40 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #37
Ok, now with the next set announced - ELDRITCH MOON (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-eldritch-moon-2016-02-08) - maybe we can get back to theories. I noticed tat the inverted avacyn symbol looks pretty similar to Lili's Headband (which was stolen from an Innistrad ANgel btw, see Archangel of Tithes). Lili Lili, what are you up to this time?
February 9, 2016 11:27 a.m.
Maybe the moon is not silver as previously thought, but instead it's Argentum and Karn is returning? or Avacyn falls and Liliana makes a pact with the Avacyn demon.
See I can come up with crazy theories too!
February 9, 2016 11:31 a.m.
New spoiler right now; http://mythicspoiler.com/soi/cards/pouroverthepages.html
The flavor text of this seems to go with the flavor text of this: http://mythicspoiler.com/soi/cards/structuraldistortion.html
Structural Distortion is the destruction of Markov Manor reverenced in Pour over the Pages.
Nahiri must be the antagonist. She's mad at Sorin because he didn't answer her call.
February 9, 2016 5:52 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #40
SPOILER ALERT: Yeah, I am guessing the "crazy ex-girlfirnd revenge" plot is going to be the right one. As some guy previouly mentioned, on the teaser trailer, the avacyn symbol bends, and its made out of stone. So pretty sure we can see a WR Nahiri.
February 10, 2016 8:40 a.m.
Post 25 of this page... Madness... called it!
(Now I just hope they did something good with it.)
February 10, 2016 10:44 a.m. Edited.
I'm not actually sure she'll be W at all. I mean, she appears to be going on a homocidal rampage in a sort of petty vengeance towards a problem that's already been fixed.
Also, we know Tamiyo was on to some dark secret concerning the moon. Thoughts?
February 10, 2016 5:30 p.m.
Deck_Master says... #44
I think nahiri is going "ajani venjant" that cares about equipment and goes along w ogw subtheme. As for tamiyo, what I take from the flavor text is that she investigated the matkov mansion and tought its destruction was correlated w some gliths (lithomancy no doubt). So, is she alive? Captive? Will she get a new card? All good questions for the time being.
February 10, 2016 9:37 p.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #45
It seems that the new set pretty much confirms that we'll be seeing Emrakrul somewhere in the block. (That, along with Nahiri seeking vengeance) This largely aligns with the Wizard's design structure (ie it was supposed to be a three set block originally, with one titan in each) and the Lovecraftian horror ideal.
Would be nice if she didn't have a starring role, but rahther lurks in the background until the second set. Fingers crossed.
February 11, 2016 7:48 a.m.
Actually, everything I have seen of SoI so far strongly indicates that Emrakul will not be making an appearance on Innistrad.
The quote on "Pour over the Pages" mentions how the events transpiring during SoI can be explained through Tamiyo's research.
Tamiyo began her research on Innistrad before the last sighting of Emrakul on Zendikar.
I don't see how Tamiyo could be researching events on Innistrad, which you (and others) are presuming are caused/influenced by Emrakul, during a time where Emrakul is roaming Zendikar.
February 11, 2016 8:33 a.m.
I agree with you. Emrakul on Innistrad would be wasting the last space they have left for the Eldrazi, it would force the rest of the Gatewatch to appear again, and it wouldn't make sense in the story.
Everyone listen to this guy!
February 11, 2016 8:44 a.m.
Deck_Master says... #49
Though at first I was reluctant, I was starting to accept that the eldrazi might have a role in the plot. By now, after seeing the cards and so on, nah. I think Wizards will save the last Eldrazi for a future set, to cause more of an impact. Since they hava stablished the devoid thing now, it would be odd in Innistrad, and, most importanly, would take away the focus on the cool dark monster of the plane. My vote goes to no eldrazi this time.
February 11, 2016 3:21 p.m.
Or Ob Nixilis goes after Nahiri, since he got his spark finallly reignited... where better to start the search than at Sorin.
Also he could band up with his demon buddies freshly released from the Helvault.
GreenGhost says... #2
Possibly Avacyn has been destroyed or possibly her powe has weakened due to Sorin somehow? Idk I'm sure someone else will be able to come up with something more solid than that.
November 1, 2015 7:22 p.m.