The Fall of Elspeth

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

We had provided a summary and review of the latest Magic: the Gathering eBook 'Journey Into Nyx, Godsend Part II' by Jenna Helland in this post here.  What we attempted was to avoid speaking about any major spoilers until the community at large had an opportunity to give this book a read.  Given all the attention on various forums and blogs, we think it safe to yatter about this now, so if you had not read Godsend yet, avert thine eyes now.

In summary, it appears that everyone's favourite planeswalker, Elspeth, met a sticky end on the plane of Theros with Erebos, God of the Dead claiming Elspeth's soul.  We suggest you may be well served by having a look at the 'Stinger' video posted by WotC which shows all Three Theros Block Trailers, with Additional Content at the end.  This Journey into Nyx video now shows some additional memories from Elspeth’s life, before she was killed by Heliod and claimed by Erebos. And there’s a short “stinger” after the Journey video that confirms Elspeth’s presence in Theros’s Underworld.  What we see is quite clearly Elspeth's weapon 'Godsend' had been fashioned into a funerary death mask which the Returned use in their afterlife.

Doug Meyer who has the popular Voice for Vorthos on Tumblr had this to say -

Like other mortals who die on Theros, she went to the Underworld, where she will reside for eternity unless she’s able to find some way out. She’s unable to planeswalk out of there, sort of in the same way she wasn’t able to planeswalk directly into Nyx — those realms have special properties that are not travel-able by planeswalking. Elspeth will have to find some other way out of the Underworld if she ever wants to planeswalk again someday.

The conclusion of the Journey into Nyx stinger shows a mask with two gems, similar to the shape of Elspeth’s sword / Godsend weapon. So Elspeth’s Returned mask is indeed forged — but she isn’t wearing it. Escaping the Underworld as a Returned, at the cost of her identity, is an option that may be open to her, but obviously it’s not a very palatable one.

As we now conclude the Theros story, Elspeth retains her identity along with the other deceased in the Underworld, in the clutches of Erebos.

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The cliffhanger here really is that we see the death mask but not Elspeth.  Some speculate on the words from Erebos within the stinger video 'true heroes never die', which is followed by a nearly inaudible whisper 'or do they?'.  We think that this may not be the end of Elspeth just yet, and similar to that of the Angel Avacyn (on the plane of Innistrad), she emerges her former self but tainted from her sequestration.

Anywhoos, all very good fodder for speculation.  We'll wrap up with some very cool artwork from Peter Mohrbacher illustrating some alternate death masks for Elspeth.  Singles from the Theros block are available from MTG Mint Card to help supplement your love of the game's storyline.

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Elspeth

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

For today's article on MTG Realm, we are digging through the storyline of Elspeth, one of the favourite white aligned planeswalkers for many Magic: the Gathering players.  Personally we have at least two copies of each printing so we have to admit we are fans as well - a few from lucky booster pack pulls and the rest as singles from MTG Mint Card.  Perhaps one reason is that the one common aspect of each of the three printings is the ability to create soldier creature tokens.  Anywhoos - let's have a look at this card's background / vorthos now . .

A planeswalker and skilled knight, Elspeth wants nothing more than to sheathe her sword for the last time and find a plane to call home. Violence and destruction have a tendency to follow her, and she is constantly driven to take up arms and wield her defensive magic in the service of those who need her protection.

Elspeth was born on an unknown plane dominated by Phyrexians. Her life immediately prior to her ascension was spent as a prisoner along with many other beings, locked tightly away and tortured.  Her 'spark' ignited and she planeswalked away to the fractured plane of Alara and settled on Bant.

In Bant, Elspeth found everything that was missing from her life: community, love, and most importantly peace. She settled in the nation of Valeron and at 17 she began her training as a squire. In a short 3 years she was knighted, younger than almost anyone. Her fellow knights had no knowledge of her ability to planeswalk or of her origins, she kept the nature her origin and abilities secret and allayed any question concerning her birthplace, only admitting to not being from Valeron. She had become close to her squire Aran who fell in battle against incursionists from Grixis.  Elspeth is now suspected to be more than she is after using her magic.  She planeswalks away to self-imposed exile to Urborg where she fights in gladiator games.

Elspeth, Knight-Errant 2WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Shards of Alara
+1: Put a 1/1 white Soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
+1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.
-8: You get an emblem with "Artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands you control have indestructible."
Loyalty: 4

The planeswalker Koth and Venser persuade Elspeth to travel to the plane of Mirrodin where they discover the Vault of Whispers, where they witnessed the emergence of a Phyrexian army that was invading the surface.   Phyrexian forces commanded by the praetor Elesh Norn surround Elspeth and Koth.  Elspeth is injured and planeswalks to Theros.

Elspeth Tirel 3WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Scars of Mirrodin
+2: You gain 1 life for each creature you control.
-2: Put three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-5: Destroy all other permanents except for lands and tokens.
Loyalty: 4
 
Elspeth came to Theros from a war-ravaged plane, hoping to find the one thing that has eluded her—peace. Under the watchful protection of gods, she hoped that Theros would not be in need of guardians like her. But when she arrived, Elspeth was quickly identified as an outsider with powers and skills that further distanced her from the natives of Theros. In the wilderness between two city-states, Elspeth was attacked by a monstrous hydra, which had been responsible for the deaths of countless warriors. Elspeth engaged the hydra alone and, after a bitter fight, emerged triumphant. Afterward, she wanted nothing more than to fade into anonymity.

Elspeth, Sun's Champion 4WW
Planeswalker — Elspeth, Mythic Rare, Theros
+1: Put three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-3: Destroy all creatures with power 4 or greater.
-7: You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get +2/+2 and have flying."
Loyalty: 4
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Bant Planeswalker

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We have some solid confirmation of the abilities but no spoiled or previewed card yet.

We also do have the card art for this white Planeswalker so here is the marriage of the two in a fairly terrible image made with MS Paint (so don't yell at me please).

Here is my mock-up of the Bant Planeswalker, 'Elspeth, Knight-Errant'



Planeswalker - Elspeth / Mythic Rare

+1: Put one 1/1 white Soldier token into play.

+1: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains flying until end of turn.

-8: For the rest of the game, all your enchantments, artifacts, creatures, and land are indestructible.

Loyalty 4

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Some other cards that we are following right now in rumor-mill . . .

Knight of Eos 4w
Creature - Human Knight "Uncommon? Rare?"
When Knight of Eos comes into play, put two 1/1 white Soldier tokens into play.
1, Sacrifice a Soldier: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
2/2

Ad Nauseum 3bb
Instant Rare
Reveal the top card of your library and put that card into your hand. You lose life equal to its converted mana cost. You may repeat this process any number of times.

Knight of the White Orchid ww
Creature - Human Knight "Uncommon?"
First Strike
When Knight of the White Orchid comes into play, if an opponent controls more lands than you, search you library for a plains card and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.
2/2