The land where you fashion your self and your reality
Rhymnir is my first set design project. Rhymnir is a dreamworld, a plane Ashiok created within her own mind. It is a world that exemplifies the creative exuberance of possibility, and one that highlights the power that we all have to shape and craft our person. The creative skeleton was inspired by the Gathering Magic "We design the plane" community thread. I participated in that thread; indeed, it was that experience that probably put card design on the map for me personally. However, beyond the initial idea of designing a dreamworld that involved Ashiok in some way, this project will not bear a strong resemblance to the world created by that community; this plane will be my own and that of those who contribute to this project.
Rhymnir is the first of what, I believe, will be a two-set block. It will be intended for draft as any Standard expansion should be. It will be of standard size for a large set. I'm very excited to be formally working on this project, and am very happy about the help I've already had along the way. (Thank you Flatline, Rocco, and Exodus! )
Design Goals
1) I want to create a fun and novel limited environment, and I want that limited environment to be unique and memorable. Ultimately, I want the limited experience to be (i) immersive and supported by the lore and world and (ii) one that gives players agency and meaningful decisions to make, both during the draft portion and during the games themselves.
2) Philosophy, art, and culture all can deepen and enhance Magic set and card design. Indeed, all are necessary. I am hoping to explore in a robust way the themes of (i) permanence and fleetingness and (ii) the freedom of love and the human pulls toward and away from love. Not only does a setting of a dreamworld with a potential musical subtheme aid in the exploration of these themes, but so does Ashiok's own story.
Mechanics
These mechanics are still under development. However, I'm laying out ones that, at the moment, are at least possible to make it into the set. Vanishing and Vivid will be the flagship mechanics of the set.
1. Vanishing N (This permanent enters the battlefield with N time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
2. Vivify [COST] (If a nonland permanent you control would untap, you may reveal this card instead. If you do, transform it).
3. Impress – When ~ enters the graveyard or at the beginning of your next upkeep after it enters the graveyard, you may pay [COST]. If you do, [EFFECT].
- I wish I could make this less wordy, but it is worded this way both to reduce gameplay complexity (no instant-speed activations) and to allow for greater mana flexibility. Initially I had it be only trigger *when* it entered the graveyard, but I need mechanics to supplement Vivid that allow for greater mana flexibility, not less.
- We're definitely going a little on the scholarly side with the name here. While this naming would be fine in most other languages, in English the word "impress" has evolved a lot more from its initial meaning. The word "impress" comes from the Latin "imprimo, imprimere" which means "to press upon, to mark". The image that the word classically conveys is that of a seal being pressed upon heated wax. Fittingly for this set, that image is used to describe memory all the way back in Plato's dialogues (the Theatetus) and is a philosophical trope picked up later in our Western tradition. I would like to consider "Imprint" as well, but that word is already taken. I like "impress" better than other words I've been bandying around (remembrance, impact, resound), even if it is more archaic.
- I don't think I want the card to be exiled after you use the effect. If I let the card be exiled, then the mechanic could be simpler. "During your upkeep, if ~ is in your graveyard, you may pay [COST] and exile it. If you do, [EFFECT]."
- saying "or" instead of "and" precludes you from activating the ability both as it enters the graveyard and during your next upkeep right?
- We're definitely going a little on the scholarly side with the name here. While this naming would be fine in most other languages, in English the word "impress" has evolved a lot more from its initial meaning. The word "impress" comes from the Latin "imprimo, imprimere" which means "to press upon, to mark". The image that the word classically conveys is that of a seal being pressed upon heated wax. Fittingly for this set, that image is used to describe memory all the way back in Plato's dialogues (the Theatetus) and is a philosophical trope picked up later in our Western tradition. I would like to consider "Imprint" as well, but that word is already taken. I like "impress" better than other words I've been bandying around (remembrance, impact, resound), even if it is more archaic.
- I don't think I want the card to be exiled after you use the effect. If I let the card be exiled, then the mechanic could be simpler. "During your upkeep, if ~ is in your graveyard, you may pay [COST] and exile it. If you do, [EFFECT]."
- saying "or" instead of "and" precludes you from activating the ability both as it enters the graveyard and during your next upkeep right?
4. Replenish N (Choose a type of nominal counter. You may put N counters of that type on a permanent you control. If you don't, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Rule 121.7: There are two types of counters - effective counters and nominal counters.
Rule 121.7a: Effective counters are counters which have ubiquitous meaning and intrinsically alter the battlefield and alter cards regardless of the rules text of a card. Types of effective counters in Magic include: -1/-1 counters, +1/+1 counters, and loyalty counters.
Rule 121.7b: Nominal counters are counters which lack intrinsic meaning. They are markers and have meaning only as a consequence of rules text on cards or in mechanics. Examples of nominal counters include time counters, charge counters, and brick counters.
- This conception of Bulwark requires ample support in its limited environment. Without Exodus's suggestion I might not have arrived at this conception, so thanks to Exodus for his inspiring suggestion. This is basically what Exodus wanted except with one tweak: you won't be able to put, say, four +1/+1 counters or four -1/-1 counters onto something.
- Riffing off of the above point, this rendition of Bulwark is in keeping with MaRo's thoughts about not utilizing +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters to a great extent when you're using other counters in a big way. This is a mechanic that works with counters and plays off of them without introducing added gameplay complexity.
- This rendition is still subject to change, as are its colors. As written though, this mechanic will play out differently than the +1/+1 counter mechanics while still feeling Green-White, and I think it looks fun. Bolster, Support, Outlast, and Renown were all liked by players, and I think players will like Bulwark as well.
- Riffing off of the above point, this rendition of Bulwark is in keeping with MaRo's thoughts about not utilizing +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters to a great extent when you're using other counters in a big way. This is a mechanic that works with counters and plays off of them without introducing added gameplay complexity.
- This rendition is still subject to change, as are its colors. As written though, this mechanic will play out differently than the +1/+1 counter mechanics while still feeling Green-White, and I think it looks fun. Bolster, Support, Outlast, and Renown were all liked by players, and I think players will like Bulwark as well.
5. Nightmare (when this enters your graveyard, flip it) // Nightmare [COST] (You may cast this spell from the graveyard for its Nightmare cost)
- The back side of the card will always be a curse.
- This mechanic accomplishes a few different goals. It gets the nightmares into the first set without the Nightmare creature type. Nightmare creatures will be reserved for the second set. It increases the enchantment count for a potential enchantment subtheme that supports a dreamworld, helping to leave the option open for the 2nd set to develop the enchantment theme further. Thirdly, it just seems fun and flavorful and is a mana sink mechanic which was desperately needed.
- This mechanic accomplishes a few different goals. It gets the nightmares into the first set without the Nightmare creature type. Nightmare creatures will be reserved for the second set. It increases the enchantment count for a potential enchantment subtheme that supports a dreamworld, helping to leave the option open for the 2nd set to develop the enchantment theme further. Thirdly, it just seems fun and flavorful and is a mana sink mechanic which was desperately needed.
Color Pie Philosophy: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsiQWgrr7nacueI8heNeQ00LBgppmA
Mechanics Brainstorm: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsiQWgrr7nacubdxm7ZuLWDGAszkeg
Mechanics Brainstorm: https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsiQWgrr7nacubdxm7ZuLWDGAszkeg
Sentient Creatures
Loxodon : Loxodon are the most populous sentient creatures that inhabit Rhymnir. These are mythical creatures for the people of Aenyr, creatures described only in tales and song, figments of the imagination of many an Aenyr child. How Loxodon found their way into Aenyr tales is unknown. In Rhymnir, Loxodon live close to the land. They are farmers, carpenters, natural healers. They tend to be stubborn and conservative, seeking cultural, religious, and economic stability and resisting change.
Siren : Siren are elusive creatures that inhabit Rhymnir's less-trod places. One may find them along coasts and amongst the crags of the tallest mountains. Always gravitating toward the minor keys, the music they produce is more eerie and melodic than the music found on Ashiok's home plane of Aenyr. Some adventurers are drawn to their music, finding in its melancholy an appealing loneliness and solitude. Others mistrust them.
Satyr : The Satyr on Rhymnir should resonate with the cultural depiction from ancient Greece and Rome, but they will be slightly different here. Their hedonism will be muted, but their association with bounty and growth and excess will be manifest. I decided to use Satyrs on Rhymnir because they are a musical race and because they represent a lot of what Red and Green are doing on Rhymnir. Satyr on Rhymnir constitute the necessary machinery of Ashiok's imagination, machinery which helps enable vivid and creative imaginings and mental creations.
Wendigo : Wendigo are among the most feared native creatures on Rhymnir. Their combat prowess is feared; their ability to survive Rhymnir's coldest harshest living environments the subject of much consternation and angst among the Loxodon. Little do the Loxodon know - Wendigo are the corporeal manifestation of guilt-inducing actions Ashiok has made in her life. As such, they feel no remorse, no pity, no love.
Sandborn : The Sandborn are mountain nomads that are sustained by the imagination-laden earth of Rhymnir. Their lean bodies take on the texture and appearance of whatever ground they are on, indeed their bodies emerge from the ground itself. They are most happy and at their most powerful when dwelling in dry, sandy, mountainous terrain, for there their connection to the core of the earth is most direct. Plato, Plotinus, and various Christian theologians like Anselm all analogize created being as an excess and result of God's activity. In the Proslogion and Monoslogion, Anselm analogizes created being as the deposits left by the flowing of a river. This is sort of how I envision the Sandborn - they are created by the teeming activity of Ashiok's mind and heart. Known throughout Rhymnir as lightning-fast creatures and skilled combatants, they draw their energy and prowess from the vividness of Ashiok's mental imagination. More so than the other races on Rhymnir, the Sandborn seek not to destroy or preserve, but instead deal with the chaos of change and imagination. The shamans of the Sandborn have even learned to harness it.
Humans : Humans are not populous on Rhymnir. Ever since the beginning of song and written history, humans have dwelt amicably among the Loxodon. More so than the Loxodon, they gravitate to urban dwelling, often fulfilling roles in civil service and government. As on Aenyr, humans on Rhymnir are adept at music (of the Classical variety, contrastic with the Romanticism of the Siren's music).
Nymphs : Nymnphs are female water spirits that are sometimes seen around the more secluded and peaceful lakes and rivers. All of the Greco-Roman connotations will be maintained - these exist on Rhymnir as a consequence of Ashiok's inner sexual desires and her desire for freedom.
Non-sentient Creatures
Will-O'-Wisp : Will-O'-Wisps are a common sight in the wilds of Rhymnir. Some are delightful to the eye, and others induce fear. Only a select few wisps appear in broad daylight - more wisps will be found where they are covered by a canopy of trees or at nighttime gliding along the roads. They are elusive, alluring, and seemingly flicker in and out of existence.
Nightmares : Once the stuff of myth and legend on Rhymnir, they have become more and more common the more and more time Ashiok spends on Rhymnir. The Loxodon have noticed this correlation and have grown concerned. Nightmares defy the basic rules of existence, fading in and out of being and time. They appear in dreams and sometimes can be seen gliding across the landscape. Their goal is the unravelling and disintegration of worldly being. With Nightmares, I will have to make a design choice. If Rhymnir is the first of a 2-set block, then I will want to weight their appearance in favor of the 2nd set. If Rhymnir will be a 1-set block, then Nightmares will be the most common creature type across the Grixis colors in Rhymnir.
Unicorns : Unicorns are beloved by the races that inhabit the capital city Alabastra. Their gait, the soft sound they make as they gallop, the music they emit with their horns, their powerful charge...all give them a majesty and pride of place in Alabastran culture. It is illegal to hunt unicorns, and it is a capital offense to cut their horns off. Unicorns are symbols of luck and of an abundance of promise and freedom. Some species of unicorn are known for their elusiveness, while others are as common on Rhymnir as horses are on earth.
Kelpie : Kelpie are mythical horses that dwell in rivers and the ocean. They are wild and vicious. Akhtaman, the high shaman of the Sandborn, believes that the metaphysical first principle of the universe is Janus-faced, the side valuing life creating unicorns and the side valuing dissolution and death creating Kelpie. Horses are indeed an iconic creature type on Rhymnir, spanning across all 5 colors.
Kitsu : Kitsu are a breed of fox commonly found on Rhymnir. This creature race is derived from the Japanese Kitsune - foxes with up to 9 tails, sometimes benevolent, sometimes mischievous, sometimes malevolent, that can induce dreams. In Japanese folklore they can shapeshift after 100 years, but on Rhymnir they won't. On Rhymnir, Kitsu can be found in the wild, and some have been tameable by the dwellers of Alabastra. Their presence in a home is said to bring good dreams and peaceful sleep. Wild Kitsu enjoy sneaking around tradesmen's camps and inducing dreams - the type of emotion the dream induces is based upon the will and disposition of the individual Kitsu.
Shades : Shades are creatures of the void, emerging out of nothingness. The religions of Rhymnir's various peoples have always believed in spontaneous generation and creation in part because of Shades' connection to emptiness and nothingness. Ashiok was told by one of Alabastra's religious leaders that Shades, unlike the recent emergence of nightmares, have always been present on Rhymnir. It is reported that the Wendigoes worship shades, and one or two hunters have reported that the Wendigoes worship a sentient Shade. Shades are ethereal creatures that have physical power and can interact with physical objects on Rhymnir. Although not aggressive, it is generally advised to keep one's distance. Unlike previous incarnations of shades in Magic's history, shades will not be tied to black pump abilities.
Phelddagrif : Phelddagrifs are mythical beasts that can sometimes be seen flying across the natural wilderness of Rhymnir's forests and mountains. They represent youthful hope and the endless possibilities of imagination.
Birds: Birds will be used to give Rhymnir a light, dreamy, aerie vibe. Phoenixes or Alerion ( ) will be representations of teeming imagination. Nightingales ( or ) will further the musical subtheme. Peacocks , Hippogryffs , and Pegasus may also make an appearance.
Hellions : Hellions are known to lurk the mountainsides. Sometimes they appear forged not only by fire but by rock as well, perhaps indicating that anger and vengeful wrath are as deep a part of human nature as are more benevolent qualities. They are the primary reason why the hunters of Rhymnir shy away from hunting mountain goats. If I decide to make this a 2-set block, Hellions will likely be moved to the second set.
Loxodon : Loxodon are the most populous sentient creatures that inhabit Rhymnir. These are mythical creatures for the people of Aenyr, creatures described only in tales and song, figments of the imagination of many an Aenyr child. How Loxodon found their way into Aenyr tales is unknown. In Rhymnir, Loxodon live close to the land. They are farmers, carpenters, natural healers. They tend to be stubborn and conservative, seeking cultural, religious, and economic stability and resisting change.
Siren : Siren are elusive creatures that inhabit Rhymnir's less-trod places. One may find them along coasts and amongst the crags of the tallest mountains. Always gravitating toward the minor keys, the music they produce is more eerie and melodic than the music found on Ashiok's home plane of Aenyr. Some adventurers are drawn to their music, finding in its melancholy an appealing loneliness and solitude. Others mistrust them.
Satyr : The Satyr on Rhymnir should resonate with the cultural depiction from ancient Greece and Rome, but they will be slightly different here. Their hedonism will be muted, but their association with bounty and growth and excess will be manifest. I decided to use Satyrs on Rhymnir because they are a musical race and because they represent a lot of what Red and Green are doing on Rhymnir. Satyr on Rhymnir constitute the necessary machinery of Ashiok's imagination, machinery which helps enable vivid and creative imaginings and mental creations.
Wendigo : Wendigo are among the most feared native creatures on Rhymnir. Their combat prowess is feared; their ability to survive Rhymnir's coldest harshest living environments the subject of much consternation and angst among the Loxodon. Little do the Loxodon know - Wendigo are the corporeal manifestation of guilt-inducing actions Ashiok has made in her life. As such, they feel no remorse, no pity, no love.
Sandborn : The Sandborn are mountain nomads that are sustained by the imagination-laden earth of Rhymnir. Their lean bodies take on the texture and appearance of whatever ground they are on, indeed their bodies emerge from the ground itself. They are most happy and at their most powerful when dwelling in dry, sandy, mountainous terrain, for there their connection to the core of the earth is most direct. Plato, Plotinus, and various Christian theologians like Anselm all analogize created being as an excess and result of God's activity. In the Proslogion and Monoslogion, Anselm analogizes created being as the deposits left by the flowing of a river. This is sort of how I envision the Sandborn - they are created by the teeming activity of Ashiok's mind and heart. Known throughout Rhymnir as lightning-fast creatures and skilled combatants, they draw their energy and prowess from the vividness of Ashiok's mental imagination. More so than the other races on Rhymnir, the Sandborn seek not to destroy or preserve, but instead deal with the chaos of change and imagination. The shamans of the Sandborn have even learned to harness it.
Humans : Humans are not populous on Rhymnir. Ever since the beginning of song and written history, humans have dwelt amicably among the Loxodon. More so than the Loxodon, they gravitate to urban dwelling, often fulfilling roles in civil service and government. As on Aenyr, humans on Rhymnir are adept at music (of the Classical variety, contrastic with the Romanticism of the Siren's music).
Nymphs : Nymnphs are female water spirits that are sometimes seen around the more secluded and peaceful lakes and rivers. All of the Greco-Roman connotations will be maintained - these exist on Rhymnir as a consequence of Ashiok's inner sexual desires and her desire for freedom.
Non-sentient Creatures
Will-O'-Wisp : Will-O'-Wisps are a common sight in the wilds of Rhymnir. Some are delightful to the eye, and others induce fear. Only a select few wisps appear in broad daylight - more wisps will be found where they are covered by a canopy of trees or at nighttime gliding along the roads. They are elusive, alluring, and seemingly flicker in and out of existence.
Nightmares : Once the stuff of myth and legend on Rhymnir, they have become more and more common the more and more time Ashiok spends on Rhymnir. The Loxodon have noticed this correlation and have grown concerned. Nightmares defy the basic rules of existence, fading in and out of being and time. They appear in dreams and sometimes can be seen gliding across the landscape. Their goal is the unravelling and disintegration of worldly being. With Nightmares, I will have to make a design choice. If Rhymnir is the first of a 2-set block, then I will want to weight their appearance in favor of the 2nd set. If Rhymnir will be a 1-set block, then Nightmares will be the most common creature type across the Grixis colors in Rhymnir.
Unicorns : Unicorns are beloved by the races that inhabit the capital city Alabastra. Their gait, the soft sound they make as they gallop, the music they emit with their horns, their powerful charge...all give them a majesty and pride of place in Alabastran culture. It is illegal to hunt unicorns, and it is a capital offense to cut their horns off. Unicorns are symbols of luck and of an abundance of promise and freedom. Some species of unicorn are known for their elusiveness, while others are as common on Rhymnir as horses are on earth.
Kelpie : Kelpie are mythical horses that dwell in rivers and the ocean. They are wild and vicious. Akhtaman, the high shaman of the Sandborn, believes that the metaphysical first principle of the universe is Janus-faced, the side valuing life creating unicorns and the side valuing dissolution and death creating Kelpie. Horses are indeed an iconic creature type on Rhymnir, spanning across all 5 colors.
Kitsu : Kitsu are a breed of fox commonly found on Rhymnir. This creature race is derived from the Japanese Kitsune - foxes with up to 9 tails, sometimes benevolent, sometimes mischievous, sometimes malevolent, that can induce dreams. In Japanese folklore they can shapeshift after 100 years, but on Rhymnir they won't. On Rhymnir, Kitsu can be found in the wild, and some have been tameable by the dwellers of Alabastra. Their presence in a home is said to bring good dreams and peaceful sleep. Wild Kitsu enjoy sneaking around tradesmen's camps and inducing dreams - the type of emotion the dream induces is based upon the will and disposition of the individual Kitsu.
Shades : Shades are creatures of the void, emerging out of nothingness. The religions of Rhymnir's various peoples have always believed in spontaneous generation and creation in part because of Shades' connection to emptiness and nothingness. Ashiok was told by one of Alabastra's religious leaders that Shades, unlike the recent emergence of nightmares, have always been present on Rhymnir. It is reported that the Wendigoes worship shades, and one or two hunters have reported that the Wendigoes worship a sentient Shade. Shades are ethereal creatures that have physical power and can interact with physical objects on Rhymnir. Although not aggressive, it is generally advised to keep one's distance. Unlike previous incarnations of shades in Magic's history, shades will not be tied to black pump abilities.
Phelddagrif : Phelddagrifs are mythical beasts that can sometimes be seen flying across the natural wilderness of Rhymnir's forests and mountains. They represent youthful hope and the endless possibilities of imagination.
Birds: Birds will be used to give Rhymnir a light, dreamy, aerie vibe. Phoenixes or Alerion ( ) will be representations of teeming imagination. Nightingales ( or ) will further the musical subtheme. Peacocks , Hippogryffs , and Pegasus may also make an appearance.
Hellions : Hellions are known to lurk the mountainsides. Sometimes they appear forged not only by fire but by rock as well, perhaps indicating that anger and vengeful wrath are as deep a part of human nature as are more benevolent qualities. They are the primary reason why the hunters of Rhymnir shy away from hunting mountain goats. If I decide to make this a 2-set block, Hellions will likely be moved to the second set.
White: Flickerwisp
Blue: Dream Thrush, Spreading Seas, Reality Acid
Black: Thoughtseize, Duress
Red: Tormenting Voice
Green: Pulse of Llanowar (functional only)
Multi: Mystic Snake, Phelddagrif
Artifacts:
Other: Filter Lands
1st Set: Rhymnir
Ashiok's origin story takes us to the plane Aenyr, the land where art is the source of all magic. On Aenyr, Ashiok was born to a peasant family on the edges of Duskwood in a town called Jarrah, far from the populous city of Delsani. This town had been erected during her grandfather's life when a special wood was discovered there which added healing and medicinal properties to whatever was crafted out of it. Known as Ambross, it became wildly sought after throughout Aenyr, used to make cups and goblets for drinking to antidote the poisons of the spiders of Duskwood, and used to craft musical instruments which, when played, would heal the mind and body of soldiers engaged in battle. Ambross quickly became the favorite wood of the clerics and druids of Aenyr. [The satyr of Aenyr even found a way to make a hallucinagenic drug out of it to use in their revels.]
Lorptin, Ashiok's grandfather, leapt at the chance to move to Jarrah, trading in life in the overcrowded poorer quarters of Delsani for the relative serenity of a pastoral life which Jarrah promised. He established a small orchard on which he grew the fabled Ambross tree, and he also harvested vegetables at the Jarrah community farm, which was used to supply food to the local Ambross growers. This was the orchard and community into which Ashiok was born, and it was the community she would grow up in. The people were simple as is often the case in most rural farming communities. Basic necessities dominated the minds of the people there - defending themselves against the creatures that emerged out of the forests of Duskwood, worshipping the god of harmony, putting food on the table, seeing their sons and daughters getting married. But this community was unique in that its families shared roots in the urban life and a shared fleeing from it. They were determined to live closer to nature and in nature, and often shunned the habits and practices of those living in Delsani. They were hearty and determined to carve out a new way of life for themselves.
Ashiok, though, was different. From a young age she was drawn not to the manual labor demanded of farm life but to the magic of the Ambross wood itself. She was enfatuated by its healing properties. Where her family and fellow villagers saw something to be avoided for the sake of a simple, idyllic life, Ashiok saw great power and meaning. The connection of the wood to the musical magic of Aenyr spoke to her, and her parents began to notice, much to their dismay.
Changelog:Ashiok's origin story takes us to the plane Aenyr, the land where art is the source of all magic. On Aenyr, Ashiok was born to a peasant family on the edges of Duskwood in a town called Jarrah, far from the populous city of Delsani. This town had been erected during her grandfather's life when a special wood was discovered there which added healing and medicinal properties to whatever was crafted out of it. Known as Ambross, it became wildly sought after throughout Aenyr, used to make cups and goblets for drinking to antidote the poisons of the spiders of Duskwood, and used to craft musical instruments which, when played, would heal the mind and body of soldiers engaged in battle. Ambross quickly became the favorite wood of the clerics and druids of Aenyr. [The satyr of Aenyr even found a way to make a hallucinagenic drug out of it to use in their revels.]
Lorptin, Ashiok's grandfather, leapt at the chance to move to Jarrah, trading in life in the overcrowded poorer quarters of Delsani for the relative serenity of a pastoral life which Jarrah promised. He established a small orchard on which he grew the fabled Ambross tree, and he also harvested vegetables at the Jarrah community farm, which was used to supply food to the local Ambross growers. This was the orchard and community into which Ashiok was born, and it was the community she would grow up in. The people were simple as is often the case in most rural farming communities. Basic necessities dominated the minds of the people there - defending themselves against the creatures that emerged out of the forests of Duskwood, worshipping the god of harmony, putting food on the table, seeing their sons and daughters getting married. But this community was unique in that its families shared roots in the urban life and a shared fleeing from it. They were determined to live closer to nature and in nature, and often shunned the habits and practices of those living in Delsani. They were hearty and determined to carve out a new way of life for themselves.
Ashiok, though, was different. From a young age she was drawn not to the manual labor demanded of farm life but to the magic of the Ambross wood itself. She was enfatuated by its healing properties. Where her family and fellow villagers saw something to be avoided for the sake of a simple, idyllic life, Ashiok saw great power and meaning. The connection of the wood to the musical magic of Aenyr spoke to her, and her parents began to notice, much to their dismay.
One day at the tender age of 13 her life's course would change forever. Ashiok was walking toward the Duskwood forests when she spotted a hurt unicorn crying from a nearby thicket. She saw that the unicorn was young, no more than three, had been dealt a serious leg injury and was having a hard time walking. Its horn was white and gold, but smaller than an adult's, and now bloodied. Feeling a strong connection to the unicorn, Ashiok was overcome with emotion and instinctively determined to help it. Naturally, she sought the aid of the Ambross. When she applied the sap of an Ambross tree limb onto the young unicorn's leg, the unicorn stopped whimpering in pain and, although still limping, was now able to stand under its own power. Ashiok was overcome with joy, and began scratching the unicorn's back with the Ambross limb, and then something startling overcame Ashiok. The unicorn was not fully healed. It felt loss, fear, and longing. Ashiok shuddered. How could she know this? Where did this thought come from? Had a god just spoken to her? Had the unicorn spoken to her? After regaining her composure, she focused her mental energies even more on the unicorn, probing it. Why do you feel this way? What is wrong? What is it that you seek and need? The answer came to her - the unicorn's mother had been killed and it was terrified and without a home to go back to. She led it back to her home and explained to her parents what had happened. Upon examining the unicorn and seeing the leg wound in recovery, they were shocked. Word quickly spread around town, and soon enough the news caused quite a hubbub amongst the bard circles in Delsani. Alhendra, the chief lyricist at the Bard College of Restoration, requested the headmaster of the college to send Ashiok an offical summons to the college, and the headmaster granted the request.
Alhendra went to Jarrah as part of the band of the official summons. She never forgot her first encounter with Ashiok. Ashiok's eyes were of a dark brown, almost black. Her hair was black. She was quite tall for her age. But it was her piercing eyes - they seemed to peer right into your soul. She was quiet and discerning, happy but not bubbly or talkative. Alhendra felt that she stood before a girl who could wield the complex power of magic on Aenyr, a magic that required training in the musical and vocal arts. She asked Ashiok if she wanted to come back to Delsani with her to the Bard College of Restoration and commit her life to studying and wielding the magic of Aenyr. Ashiok had always loved the healing power of magic, and had seen that very power in action when she healed her now-pet unicorn, which she had named Corun, and so begged her parents to let her go. Her parents relented, her father feeling that he was perhaps betraying his father's flight from Delsani, but ultimately recognizing that Ashiok belonged at the college.
Ashiok proved to be a star pupil at the college, and within a few years she became an apprentice to Alhendra. Ashiok's musical power was greatest when she wielded the cello, for that instrument's depth and lower notes matched her penchant for mental healing and psychological peace. Ashiok's power was unique in her ability to discern that which lay beneath the surface. What she had detected in the unicorn proved to be something she could detect in others. She was more than a doctor, she was a priest, a spiritual healer.
During her 17th year, she experienced a particularly rough week. Alhendra had been pushing her to the brink of exhaustion in having her learn one of the hardest pieces in the Tome of One Thousand Songs. And her fellow students, who had never grown particularly fond of or close to Ashiok, were not making her struggles any less burdensome. When Friday came, she went up to the spire where the elder apprentices resided, and after drinking some tea, collapsed on her bed.
Ashiok opened her eyes. She lay in a meadow, not in her night gown but in her favorite yellow dress. It was dusk, and fireflies buzzed all around, lighting up the area around the meadow. The meadow sloped down to a brook, beyond which lay a seemingly endless forest. She could barely make out glowing silhouettes among the trees' limbs, but knew not what was it. The air felt light, as did the grass and thistle beneath her. She turned her head and saw a nearby hut with smoke rising from its chimney. Lost and confused, yet content and unafraid, she ventured to the hut. She knocked, and what opened the door surprised her. It was a loxodon! She knew of these creatures only from fable. No one knew the origins of the mythical wisened humanoid elephants. None existed on Aenyr, but yet there were a few stories and songs that made mention of them.
Alhendra went to Jarrah as part of the band of the official summons. She never forgot her first encounter with Ashiok. Ashiok's eyes were of a dark brown, almost black. Her hair was black. She was quite tall for her age. But it was her piercing eyes - they seemed to peer right into your soul. She was quiet and discerning, happy but not bubbly or talkative. Alhendra felt that she stood before a girl who could wield the complex power of magic on Aenyr, a magic that required training in the musical and vocal arts. She asked Ashiok if she wanted to come back to Delsani with her to the Bard College of Restoration and commit her life to studying and wielding the magic of Aenyr. Ashiok had always loved the healing power of magic, and had seen that very power in action when she healed her now-pet unicorn, which she had named Corun, and so begged her parents to let her go. Her parents relented, her father feeling that he was perhaps betraying his father's flight from Delsani, but ultimately recognizing that Ashiok belonged at the college.
Ashiok proved to be a star pupil at the college, and within a few years she became an apprentice to Alhendra. Ashiok's musical power was greatest when she wielded the cello, for that instrument's depth and lower notes matched her penchant for mental healing and psychological peace. Ashiok's power was unique in her ability to discern that which lay beneath the surface. What she had detected in the unicorn proved to be something she could detect in others. She was more than a doctor, she was a priest, a spiritual healer.
During her 17th year, she experienced a particularly rough week. Alhendra had been pushing her to the brink of exhaustion in having her learn one of the hardest pieces in the Tome of One Thousand Songs. And her fellow students, who had never grown particularly fond of or close to Ashiok, were not making her struggles any less burdensome. When Friday came, she went up to the spire where the elder apprentices resided, and after drinking some tea, collapsed on her bed.
Ashiok opened her eyes. She lay in a meadow, not in her night gown but in her favorite yellow dress. It was dusk, and fireflies buzzed all around, lighting up the area around the meadow. The meadow sloped down to a brook, beyond which lay a seemingly endless forest. She could barely make out glowing silhouettes among the trees' limbs, but knew not what was it. The air felt light, as did the grass and thistle beneath her. She turned her head and saw a nearby hut with smoke rising from its chimney. Lost and confused, yet content and unafraid, she ventured to the hut. She knocked, and what opened the door surprised her. It was a loxodon! She knew of these creatures only from fable. No one knew the origins of the mythical wisened humanoid elephants. None existed on Aenyr, but yet there were a few stories and songs that made mention of them.
The Loxodon was burly and gruff, and looked to Ashiok as if he could taken on anything Mother Nature threw at him. He peered down inquisitively at her and said, "All sorts of unexpected visitors today at the Bjorn residence. Where have you come from?" Ashiok replied - "I don't know. I was asleep in my bed in Seleyn back in Delsani, and then I was here in this unknown world. I think I'm dreaming. I know of your kind only in tales and song." Under his breath, the Loxodon muttered a prayer of some kind, as old ladies are often want to do with there crucifixes. He said, "Well, I'm as real as real can be. And so is that unicorn over there. Though that thing is acting mighty strange for a unicorn. I've never seen one be so friendly to a stranger before. Strange times we live in." Ashiok looked over into the other room, a room strewn with hay with some farming equipment strewn here and there. Corun lay in a corner, on top of some hay. He looked palid. "Corun!" Ashiok shouted. The unicorn began nickering as Ashiok embraced it. "Am I dreaming?" Ashiok sensed that this was in fact Corun, his personality and being seeming too deep and real for a dream. Could this be a real world? To Bjorn this was all one great curiosity. What a day! "Miss," he said, "Is this your unicorn?"
Bjorn had just an hour before found this unicorn on his land. It was nearing dusk at that time, and he was out trying to finish up chopping lumber, some to keep for his fireplace, and some to sell to a merchant who would bring it to the craftsmen in Alabastra. Bjorn had seen unicorns before - few souls on Rhymnir hadn't -, but none had ever approached him before. Unicorns on Rhymnir cannot be tamed. Sometimes they choose a master, a great mark of honor to the Alabastran people and a sign that one had been blessed by the cosmos. In Alabastran parlance, a unicorn "destines" itself to a master. Most, however, live in the wild. This one looked sick, and Bjorn figured that it had come from the woods to receive treatment of some kind. Bjorn had walked it to the shed attached to his small home and had given it water, where it collapsed in seeming exhaustion. Many questions now swirled in his mind. I've never seen this girl before, who is she? Unicorns rarely destine themselves to so young a person. How did she meet this creature? What did it see in her?
"Were y'all traveling through? Had y'all lost your way?" Bjorn asked. "Were you looking for him?" Ashiok looked confused and overwhelmed, uttering an undiscernable reply with her head down. Bjorn invited her to have some tea. "Your unicorn will be fine, don't worry. Let him rest, and let's get you a cup of tea. It's cold outside and you look like you could use something warm." Ashiok acquiesced, gently patting Corun and laying his head back down onto the bed of hay. She followed him into a larger, more open room. Though decorated simply, the room had a warm feel to it, with rich mohagany wood furniture and given color by various cloths and curios. On one side there was a humble fireplace. A few rocking chairs were placed by the window, each with its own red woolen blanket. In between the two rocking chairs was a small table with a set of glowing red feathers. Despite it being dusk, the feathers provided plenty of light for the room. "What are those?" Ashiok asked. "Those are the feathers of a phoenix," Bjorn replied, a bit startled and a bit bemused by her ignorance. "Phoenix feathers are magical. They generate warmth, allowing phoenixes to live even on the high snow-covered peaks of mountains. Even after a phoenix dies, their feathers emit warmth for decades and grant light for several more. These feathers came from a phoenix that my father and I found laying injured in the snow a little to the north of here. We put it out of its misery, and now we have the rare gift of phoenix feathers, hopefully for the rest of our lives. These are already beginning to give out though - they are barely warm to the touch now, although their light is still strong." Ashiok touched the feather and felt its warmth. She even felt a certain power, as if it were an Aenyr wood. Then she saw a glimpse of the unthinkable. She saw a phoenix, this phoenix, soaring and then diving toward a pond to drink water. A Loxodon startled it and threw a spear at it. The phoenix was hit in the shoulder and screeched, fluttering away unsteadily. It found a place in the snow to rest, hardly able to move. Then in a flash Ashiok saw two Loxodon approaching, the spearman and a little young loxodon. The young loxodon shouted, "Daddy look! That's a phoenix, like in the stories!" Then in a tone laden with horror, "Daddy, I…I think it's injured!" The father rushed up to inspect the bird, "Bjorn, this might be the only time you ever see one. They are indeed majestic creatures. I've sought them my whole life, and this is the first time I've ever been this close to one." Then in another flash, "Bjorn, we need to put it out of its misery." Then in a final flash, its last utterance. Ashiok sensed that Bjorn had been deceived.
Once tea had been prepared, Ashiok and Bjorn commenced a fairly lengthy discussion. Ashiok shared her own history, describing the world of Aenyr, describing her consternation at this world which Bjorn called Rhymnir. At some point, Bjorn interjected. "This is all so much to take in. And your story, it is almost inconceivable to me. A willingness to leave your family and live elsewhere. Here….life is so precious, so fleeting. We cling to our familes and clans and communities. Life and the bonds of love and togetherness are precious things. We live in fear that they could vanish at any moment. Creatures can meld into form before your eyes. Years later after you've developed a relationship with someone, that person can simply unravel into the aether, joining the bubbling cosmos once more. "Love!" our priests say. "Give yourselves to your community. Do what you can for your community. Cherish those around you. Our mortality necessitates that we give ourselves unto others." Ashiok replied, "Yes, yes. I love my parents, I love my siblings, I love the people with whom I grew up with before I started training at the College of Restoration." But her reply lacked the sense of urgency that the mortal realities of this world seemed to have instilled in the denizens of Rhymnir. Ashiok had always been an independent mind and actor. She hadn't practiced her healing art blindly, as if throwing her love toward everything and everything. She had never viewed her magical power as a font whose flowings were to be dispensed to the many drinking troughs of mankind, to be lapped up without personal connection.
Ashiok awoke, back in her small bed at the College. She dismissed this episode as a dream, but she remembered every last detail more vividly than other dreams, and in the coming weeks she would no longer be dismissing the realities of the world of Rhymnir. But for the moment, only Aenyr was real.
2nd Set: A World into AbeyanceBjorn had just an hour before found this unicorn on his land. It was nearing dusk at that time, and he was out trying to finish up chopping lumber, some to keep for his fireplace, and some to sell to a merchant who would bring it to the craftsmen in Alabastra. Bjorn had seen unicorns before - few souls on Rhymnir hadn't -, but none had ever approached him before. Unicorns on Rhymnir cannot be tamed. Sometimes they choose a master, a great mark of honor to the Alabastran people and a sign that one had been blessed by the cosmos. In Alabastran parlance, a unicorn "destines" itself to a master. Most, however, live in the wild. This one looked sick, and Bjorn figured that it had come from the woods to receive treatment of some kind. Bjorn had walked it to the shed attached to his small home and had given it water, where it collapsed in seeming exhaustion. Many questions now swirled in his mind. I've never seen this girl before, who is she? Unicorns rarely destine themselves to so young a person. How did she meet this creature? What did it see in her?
"Were y'all traveling through? Had y'all lost your way?" Bjorn asked. "Were you looking for him?" Ashiok looked confused and overwhelmed, uttering an undiscernable reply with her head down. Bjorn invited her to have some tea. "Your unicorn will be fine, don't worry. Let him rest, and let's get you a cup of tea. It's cold outside and you look like you could use something warm." Ashiok acquiesced, gently patting Corun and laying his head back down onto the bed of hay. She followed him into a larger, more open room. Though decorated simply, the room had a warm feel to it, with rich mohagany wood furniture and given color by various cloths and curios. On one side there was a humble fireplace. A few rocking chairs were placed by the window, each with its own red woolen blanket. In between the two rocking chairs was a small table with a set of glowing red feathers. Despite it being dusk, the feathers provided plenty of light for the room. "What are those?" Ashiok asked. "Those are the feathers of a phoenix," Bjorn replied, a bit startled and a bit bemused by her ignorance. "Phoenix feathers are magical. They generate warmth, allowing phoenixes to live even on the high snow-covered peaks of mountains. Even after a phoenix dies, their feathers emit warmth for decades and grant light for several more. These feathers came from a phoenix that my father and I found laying injured in the snow a little to the north of here. We put it out of its misery, and now we have the rare gift of phoenix feathers, hopefully for the rest of our lives. These are already beginning to give out though - they are barely warm to the touch now, although their light is still strong." Ashiok touched the feather and felt its warmth. She even felt a certain power, as if it were an Aenyr wood. Then she saw a glimpse of the unthinkable. She saw a phoenix, this phoenix, soaring and then diving toward a pond to drink water. A Loxodon startled it and threw a spear at it. The phoenix was hit in the shoulder and screeched, fluttering away unsteadily. It found a place in the snow to rest, hardly able to move. Then in a flash Ashiok saw two Loxodon approaching, the spearman and a little young loxodon. The young loxodon shouted, "Daddy look! That's a phoenix, like in the stories!" Then in a tone laden with horror, "Daddy, I…I think it's injured!" The father rushed up to inspect the bird, "Bjorn, this might be the only time you ever see one. They are indeed majestic creatures. I've sought them my whole life, and this is the first time I've ever been this close to one." Then in another flash, "Bjorn, we need to put it out of its misery." Then in a final flash, its last utterance. Ashiok sensed that Bjorn had been deceived.
Once tea had been prepared, Ashiok and Bjorn commenced a fairly lengthy discussion. Ashiok shared her own history, describing the world of Aenyr, describing her consternation at this world which Bjorn called Rhymnir. At some point, Bjorn interjected. "This is all so much to take in. And your story, it is almost inconceivable to me. A willingness to leave your family and live elsewhere. Here….life is so precious, so fleeting. We cling to our familes and clans and communities. Life and the bonds of love and togetherness are precious things. We live in fear that they could vanish at any moment. Creatures can meld into form before your eyes. Years later after you've developed a relationship with someone, that person can simply unravel into the aether, joining the bubbling cosmos once more. "Love!" our priests say. "Give yourselves to your community. Do what you can for your community. Cherish those around you. Our mortality necessitates that we give ourselves unto others." Ashiok replied, "Yes, yes. I love my parents, I love my siblings, I love the people with whom I grew up with before I started training at the College of Restoration." But her reply lacked the sense of urgency that the mortal realities of this world seemed to have instilled in the denizens of Rhymnir. Ashiok had always been an independent mind and actor. She hadn't practiced her healing art blindly, as if throwing her love toward everything and everything. She had never viewed her magical power as a font whose flowings were to be dispensed to the many drinking troughs of mankind, to be lapped up without personal connection.
Ashiok awoke, back in her small bed at the College. She dismissed this episode as a dream, but she remembered every last detail more vividly than other dreams, and in the coming weeks she would no longer be dismissing the realities of the world of Rhymnir. But for the moment, only Aenyr was real.
7/1/17: Rhymnir page created. Overview created. Story section created.
7/2/17: Design Goals and Mechanics pages created.
7/3/17: Bestiary page created.
7/21/17: Bestiary is functionally complete and subject to tweaking, expansion, and revision.
8/5/17: Mechanic Brainstorm page created.
8/5/17: Potential Reprint Pool page created.
8/22/17: Color Philosophy brainstorm page created.
8/23/17: Color Philosophy brainstorm page complete, subject to revision and expansion.
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LANK
2
Good luck, doomfish and RaikouRider
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How many more times does this need saying? It's moved beyond critical feedback into being just mean.
Raikou: This hurricane has thrown a wrench into my attempts to streamline things. I'll wait till the original deadline after all because of the confusion.
EDIT:
Scores will be final as of about an hour from now. Check back soon for the final round.Your August finalists are RaikouRider and doomfish, by a pretty big margin, actually. Good luck in the final round, guys. It'll be posted momentarily.
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1
Enchantment (R)
If a player would discard a card, that player sacrifices a permanent or loses the game instead.
Players can't discard cards to pay the costs of spells or activated abilities.
Sorcery (R)
For each card in your hand, target opponent discards a card or sacrifices a nonland permanent.
Discard seven cards.
"Wait, what am I doing here?"
"I don't know. Have we met?"
EDIT: Wait... I'm supposed to hose the previous card, d'oh!
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“The Cycle Begins”
Story Circle, taken from MTG Art by Alan Pollack and Wizards of the Coast
Theme
Card cycles have been a mainstay of Magic design since the very beginning. They accomplish many varied goals, from highlighting the themes and flavor of an expansion set to exploring different approaches to a new mechanic. Card cycles call our attention to the form and function of cards in ways that wouldn't be possible without them.
This month you'll be reimagining existing cards as part of new cycles as well as designing custom cycles from the ground up (or from the top-down, whatever suits your fancy). The choices you make in the first two rounds will determine some of your design stipulations if you advance to the Top 8 and beyond.
Best of luck!
Challenge
The two cards you choose must be:
- Monocolored
- Different colors from each other
- Printed in two different sets than each other that are both modern-legal
(The cards themselves don't have to be modern-legal)
Your contest submission must be:
- Monocolored
- A different color than either of your chosen cards
- Similar enough in mechanics, power, and/or flavor to your chosen cards that they could all three be part of the same horizontal cycle.
Resources
- What is a horizontal cycle?
- Which sets are modern-legal?
- Which cards are part of a cycle?
(Select an expansion, then click "Cycles" under the Mythic Spoiler banner)
Stay tuned for July's CCL Final Poll. Anyone who votes will receive 2 bonus points for August's CCL, divided between the first two rounds.
PLEASE NOTE: This month we will continue with the mandatory Top 3 rule. Your card will receive NO POINTS in any round you fail to submit a Top 3 by the judging deadline. Submitting critiques will still be optional (but encouraged!), and will be worth 2 bonus points per round on its own.
Schedule
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Regarding my July top 4 entry... Now that it's been soundly defeated, let me explain. It's a ridiculous card, and I know it. It was very much a draft of an idea that just never got updated due to time constraints. Everyone was unnecessarily kind in their critiques, which I appreciate.
@doomfish: The combined version of the two triggered abilities of your card would look like this: "Whenever you cast an artifact spell, if ~ is tapped, untap all artifacts you control."
Except for fringe cases, it would function the same.
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(Nauseate is cracking my $**7 up over here. It turns... green!)
Omniportent 2B
Sorcery (U)
Each player may draw two cards and lose 2 life. For each opponent that does, draw a card
Obligation Demon 3BB
Creature - Demon (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may search target opponent's hand, graveyard and library for a creature card and exile it.
When ~ dies, put a creature card exiled with ~ onto the battlefield under your control.
3/3
Orifissure 1B
Instant (C)
Distribute two -1/-1 counters among one or two target creatures that dealt or were dealt damage this turn.
Olfactory Offensive BB
Instant (U)
Creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Exert all tapped creatures.