Ixalan - People, Places and Things

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

Today on the Mothersite, Blake Rasmussen sate down with creative Magic: the Gathering Narrative Designer Alison Luhrs for a Magic Story Podcast (conveniently linked right here) focused on the new upcoming set Ixalan.  For a trascription of today's Podcast, do pop on over to Vronos right here who had graciously done the heavy lifting.  

Official Ixalan Previews begin on Monday with a few scattered previews each day, including the weekend.  Wednesday next week the first official Ixalan story is to be posted to DailyMTG - DANG - we are as excited as a Maple Leafs fan, were they ever to get to the playoffs.  Ixalan is a Mesoamerican-inspired plane full of uncharted jungles, dangerous beasts, magnificent ruins, and lost treasures waiting to be discovered, and certainly a broad tapestry to create a rich and vibrant storyline.  Anywhoos, today we present a very brief summary of People, Places and Things as lifted from the Ixalan Magic Story Podcast, so let's go !

PEOPLE

Vraska -  a Gorgon Assassin and Jace’s old nemesis from Ravnica.  On a mysterious mission from her home Plane of Ravnica.  She may have stepped into a "leadership role" on this Plane and we suspect from the artwork has become a Pirate Captain.

Jace - his hard-drive was almost wiped completely clean during the final conflict with Nicol Bolas on Amonkhet (Hour of Devastation).  He had planeswalked away by chance (not design) to Ixalan, his mind fractured.  Going by the previewed art, he just might be a Pirate's Cabin Boy now.

Merfolk - These are the 'River Heralds', who had once been the dominant inhabitants of Ixalan but whose empire now appears to be in declension.  The semi-nomadic Merfolk are not only found in the sea but also inland rivers that run through the dense jungles.These powerful shamans had created a secret city to house a stolen powerful relic.  All but few do not know of the city's location.

Sun Empire - this empire has "a capital and a central power structure" is in ascension.  They are harried by raiding Pirates and the Legion of Dusk.  Cities prosper "fueled by the magic of their sun priests and the dinosaurs that they command".  

Dinosaurs - Ixalan has a variety of dinosaurs both domesticated as beast of burden and mounts for the Sun Empire warriors while others are wild.  Wizards of the Coast has adopted current real-world scientific findings and subsequently provided most of the dinosaurs shown so far with feathers.

Vampires - vampire conquistadors of the Legion of Dusk sail aboard cahtedral-like ships from the eastern continent of Torrezon.  These vampires "are viewed as holy figures, dark paladins" seek a powerful relic which was stolen from them by the Merfolk some time ago.  These blood-suckers do consume blood, but feed on the blood of the guilty - "enemies of war, rebels of the state, or heretics who defy the church".

Pirates - These are the descendants of refugees who had escaped the continent of Torrezon when the Legion of Dusk had conquered that continent through hundreds of years of war.  The pirates belong to a society called the Brazen Coalition and they too seek that powerful relic.

PLACES

Orazca - 'The City of Gold' or Golden City, which houses the powerful relic.  Created and protected by the Merfolk who above all keep the secret of its location.

THINGS

Immortal Sun - A powerful relic, once in possession of the Legion of Dusk and the Church, it now lies secured within the Golden City.  Its power may provide "eternal life be available to all without the need to subsist on the blood of the wicked".  

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