This was an amazing post by Jenna Helland! When I saw Odric's picture I didn't know what to expect, then I started reading and thought it might be an analysis of his backstory, then I found out it was a story.
I am so impressed.
That was magnificient.
Please, please do this with Sorin, Liliana and Avacyn if there is time. One simple article full of flavor and story can do wonders. WotC, I love you for this. And Jenna Helland, you have my thanks.
This was an amazing post by Jenna Helland! When I saw Odric's picture I didn't know what to expect, then I started reading and thought it might be an analysis of his backstory, then I found out it was a story.I am so impressed.That was magnificient.P
It was a very captivating story. Ironically, since Garruk at this point is seeking out Avacyn, Odric is giving Garruk exactly what he wants.
As for the other walkers, I'm sure there will be time... this is a new weekly column, the successor to Savor the Flavor. Mrs. Helland will be spinning us many more yarns in the weeks to come.
It was a very captivating story. Ironically, since Garruk at this point is seeking out Avacyn, Odric is giving Garruk exactly what he wants.As for the other walkers, I'm sure there will be time... this is a new weekly column, the successor to Savor t
Im really impressed and whenever i see these kind of articles me and all of my friends gather around really to read em up. Just so much flavor we wish we had more!!! Honestly amazing and cant wait to see more. Really wanna see what happens next. Maybe well find out more about Gideon and Chandra? who knows, it is "uncharted realms"
Im really impressed and whenever i see these kind of articles me and all of my friends gather around really to read em up. Just so much flavor we wish we had more!!! Honestly amazing and cant wait to see more. Really wanna see what happens next. Mayb
This was excellent! I eagerly await what you have in store for us, Jenna! Well done!
:excited::excited::excited::excited::excited::excited::excited::excited::excited:This was excellent! I eagerly await what you have in store for us, Jenna! Well done!
The story was indeed excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Brilliant writing. Keep posting stuff like this.
However, one note: Scott Chou did not do the artwork for Odric, Master Tactician... that's Michael Komark. This is likely just a slight oversight on the post... but it should be fixed.
The story was indeed excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Brilliant writing. Keep posting stuff like this.However, one note: Scott Chou did not do the artwork for Odric, Master Tactician... that's Michael Komark. This is likely just a slight oversight
Excellent story! My favorite part was the offhand mention that Gisa had been arrested and captured. It always bothered me that we never learned the fates of the various side characters after the "main plot" was wrapped up in the third set of the block.
Excellent story! My favorite part was the offhand mention that Gisa had been arrested and captured. It always bothered me that we never learned the fates of the various side characters after the "main plot" was wrapped up in the third set of the bloc
Not Jenna's fault or anything, but I am getting awfully sick of reading about Odric. I just know I'm going to end up facing him in the prerelease, and he's going to be miserable and unfun and stupid, and reading some new article about him almost every single day on this site is grinding down my desire to even attend.
Anyway, good story, hurray for flavor, all that jazz. Just please no more Odric. He's not a selling point; he's the worst thing about this set.
Not Jenna's fault or anything, but I am getting awfully sick of reading about Odric. I just know I'm going to end up facing him in the prerelease, and he's going to be miserable and unfun and stupid, and reading some new article about him almost eve
At first I read the story as a completely standalone thing. And I didn't really like the way it ended: Odric deep in his world-weary cynicism, predicting the doom of his optimistic lieutenant.
I was reminded of the vignettes during Kamigawa block: which I liked, in theory, but they were quite consistently bleak, even (or especially) the ones for white and blue cards. Everything being such a downer gets quite depressing after a while.
But then I re-viewed today's story as the first of many storyline snippets, that will tell us more of the stories of Garruk and the other legends and 'walkers, and I like it very much from that point of view.
(As for the card, I like Odric, I'm looking forward to playing him, and I like the way he shows that white can have multiple different strategies within a single set.)
So as everyone else has said, this is a good start to an exciting new column. I've never got into reading the webcomics (mainly because I browse dailymtg from work, and a big bold colourful comic on-screen is a bit blatantly non-worky where a page of text is more innocuous). I might actually get to follow some of the Magic storyline now!
Keep it up!
At first I read the story as a completely standalone thing. And I didn't really like the way it ended: Odric deep in his world-weary cynicism, predicting the doom of his optimistic lieutenant. I was reminded of the vignettes during Kamigawa block: wh
Excellent story! My favorite part was the offhand mention that Gisa had been arrested and captured. It always bothered me that we never learned the fates of the various side characters after the "main plot" was wrapped up in the third set of the block.
It was also obliquely mentioned on Hunted Ghoul . There's almost always a plan for the story, but it doesn't always come through well in the cards. This and future articles should help make it a lot more clear what exactly is going on.
It was also obliquely mentioned on Hunted Ghoul . There's almost always a plan for the story, but it doesn't always come through well in the cards. This and future articles should help make it a lot more clear what
I very much enjoyed this. I feel slightly less sad now that there hasn't been a decent Magic book in a while. I was hoping to get more story from Innistrad, and here it is.
Looking forward to each new post.
I very much enjoyed this. I feel slightly less sad now that there hasn't been a decent Magic book in a while. I was hoping to get more story from Innistrad, and here it is.Looking forward to each new post.
I don't know what's more exciting, that this column lived up to my high expectations, or we got a conclusion to most of the storyholes of Innistrad.
Yay Progress!!!
I don't know what's more exciting, that this column lived up to my high expectations, or we got a conclusion to most of the storyholes of Innistrad. Yay Progress!!!
That was awesome! hats off! Odric is kinda cool, and garruk's curse is one of the coolest plot designs. My only complaint about Odric is this-he's from a plane we were just on. We never heard of him. He's old enough to have been at this awhile. We should have heard of him.
OOOOOOMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!That was awesome! hats off! Odric is kinda cool, and garruk's curse is one of the coolest plot designs. My only complaint about Odric is this-he's from a plane we were just on. We never heard of him. He's old enough to
I'm afraid I like this more than savor the flavor. That was great! I eagerly await next wednesday and I hope for a sequel to this article, but anything else would be just fine too.
I'm afraid I like this more than savor the flavor. That was great! I eagerly await next wednesday and I hope for a sequel to this article, but anything else would be just fine too.
Like alextfish, I am also reminded of the vignettes from Kamigawa—one of the best things about that block. I'm really excited that you've decided to make this a consistent part of Magic going forward.
Like alextfish, I am also reminded of the vignettes from Kamigawa—one of the best things about that block. I'm really excited that you've decided to make this a consistent part of Magic going forward.
I guess I have two points and a request; 1. Awesome work, this. Thanks to Jenna for bringing back some great flavor. A few of us appreciate it a lot! And for doing it with such style. I never expected a story about Odric to give us details about Garruk!
2. I'm pretty sure this is the first time the flavor of a block has not dead-ended at the beginning of summer. The fact that the Core set ties in (sort of) to the previous and next blocks is pretty cool. But even cooler is that because of that we actually find out what happened on Innistrad after. SOOOOO much better than the way Zendikar, and Alara, and Mirrodin (the 2nd time around) all left us with complete uncertainty.
Please fill us in on what happened to Sorin. He was the poster child for the set (well, Lilianna was literally the original poster child...) and we don't know what happened to him. Simply put, "How dumb is that??"
I guess I have two points and a request;1. Awesome work, this. Thanks to Jenna for bringing back some great flavor. A few of us appreciate it a lot! And for doing it with such style. I never expected a story about Odric to give us details about
That was awesome! hats off! Odric is kinda cool, and garruk's curse is one of the coolest plot designs. My only complaint about Odric is this-he's from a plane we were just on. We never heard of him. He's old enough to have been at this awhile. We should have heard of him.
Allow me to apologize in advance, but I've seen a similar sentiment expressed elsewhere, and I just really need to pick at this nit.
Over the course of a given block, through card names, flavor text and the various other sources of world-building, we will get exposed to about a treble handful of named characters. But planes contain millions of people (though my sense is that Innistrad is more like hundreds of thousands; it doesn't feel like a very big or populous plane). So, to me at least, it is very plausible that a plane contains many, many more important people (including several important enough to merit not only a name, but status as a Legendary Creature) than we could ever hope to run into in a single visit. Odric, Master Tactician is apparently one of the important people we just didn't run into the first time around.
Anyway, this was fantastic. I've always loved little nuggets of Magic story like this. Can't wait for next week.
Allow me to apologize in advance, but I've seen a similar sentiment expressed elsewhere, and I just really need to pick at this nit.Over the course of a given block, through card names, flavor text and the various other sources of world-building, we
An impeccable story, but then it's Jenna Helland so this is not surprising. Whatever they're paying her it's not enough. Like gruulsmash I would have been a little happier if the first of these columns could have not been for the same plane we've been on for the past 9 months; closure is nice and all, but I'm more curious about what's going on in the entire rest of the multiverse apart from Innistrad, where we've been, and Ravnica, where we're going. Filling us in on the expanded universe is a way to show us that our interest in the fantasy will always be appreciated, even if we stop buying; talking only about the products that are now on store shelves or soon to appear there is just marketing. Still, at least it's really, really good marketing; that counts for a lot.
I guess I have two points and a request; SOOOOO much better than the way Zendikar, and Alara, and Mirrodin (the 2nd time around) all left us with complete uncertainty.
Not so complete if you read the novels, particularly the Zendikar one. I'll say no more to not spoil, but we do get at least some answers.
Please fill us in on what happened to Sorin. He was the poster child for the set (well, Lilianna was literally the original poster child...) and we don't know what happened to him. Simply put, "How dumb is that??"
Sorin's a planeswalker, so they probably won't provide any very definitive answers as to what happened to him; they don't want to be tied up in continuity issues now when Brand might come along three years from now and say "Sorin's focus-testing well among the new crop of Twilight fanfic writers that just graduated high school; he needs to be in this fall's block no matter how little sense that makes". With Garruk it's reasonable that they may go as far as "And then Avacyn cured his curse and he planeswalked away to parts unknown", since that leaves the character primed to reappear in a future block without complications. But we're not likely to see anything like "Edgar Markov, having discovered that Sorin is the reason Avacyn is hunting vampires to near-extinction, executes Sorin as a race traitor", because if they did that they wouldn't be able to sell anymore Bishie Sorin T-shirts to the Japanese.
An impeccable story, but then it's Jenna Helland so this is not surprising. Whatever they're paying her it's not enough. Like gruulsmash I would have been a little happier if the first of these columns could have not been for the same plane we've b
An impeccable story, but then it's Jenna Helland so this is not surprising. Whatever they're paying her it's not enough. Like gruulsmash I would have been a little happier if the first of these columns could have not been for the same plane we've been on for the past 9 months; closure is nice and all, but I'm more curious about what's going on in the entire rest of the multiverse apart from Innistrad, where we've been, and Ravnica, where we're going. Filling us in on the expanded universe is a way to show us that our interest in the fantasy will always be appreciated, even if we stop buying; talking only about the products that are now on store shelves or soon to appear there is just marketing. Still, at least it's really, really good marketing; that counts for a lot.
I guess I have two points and a request; SOOOOO much better than the way Zendikar, and Alara, and Mirrodin (the 2nd time around) all left us with complete uncertainty.
Not so complete if you read the novels, particularly the Zendikar one. I'll say no more to not spoil, but we do get at least some answers.
Please fill us in on what happened to Sorin. He was the poster child for the set (well, Lilianna was literally the original poster child...) and we don't know what happened to him. Simply put, "How dumb is that??"
Sorin's a planeswalker, so they probably won't provide any very definitive answers as to what happened to him; they don't want to be tied up in continuity issues now when Brand might come along three years from now and say "Sorin's focus-testing well among the new crop of Twilight fanfic writers that just graduated high school; he needs to be in this fall's block no matter how little sense that makes". With Garruk it's reasonable that they may go as far as "And then Avacyn cured his curse and he planeswalked away to parts unknown", since that leaves the character primed to reappear in a future block without complications. But we're not likely to see anything like "Edgar Markov, having discovered that Sorin is the reason Avacyn is hunting vampires to near-extinction, executes Sorin as a race traitor", because if they did that they wouldn't be able to sell anymore Bishie Sorin T-shirts to the Japanese.
i think what he meant is "what did sorin do during avr?" it's not necessarily sorin's conclusion, but rather his actions and why he leaves innistrad. Also I think Mirrodins loose ends are intentional. Will we ever return? Maybe, maybe not, but wizards kinda likes to keep these things up in the air.
Not so complete if you read the novels, particularly the Zendikar one. I'll say no more to not spoil, but we do get at least some answers. Sorin's a planeswalker, so they probably won't provide any very definitive answers as to what happened to him;
I for one seriously hope we'll return to New Phyrexia, given that it had an entire block worth of creative generated for it (all of which I got to see while writing for NPH, and only a fraction of it was ever made public as far as I recall). An entire block set on a world of nothing but villains would be fascinating (granted that's not quite what we have, but for all intents and purposes it should be).
I for one seriously hope we'll return to New Phyrexia, given that it had an entire block worth of creative generated for it (all of which I got to see while writing for NPH, and only a fraction of it was ever made public as far as I recall). An enti
I know they like to leave things open, but some wrap-up would be nice. (For instance, I felt Alara was wrapped up okay, even though we don't really know what happened after the shards were reunited.... On the other hand, Elspeth's whole participation in the block was totally messed up with contradicting cards and web-comics).
@Willpell Regarding Zendikar; I have read all the books (except the Scars one cuz I'm pretending it didn't happen), and it just left us hanging so much about... so much. And there's also the one web-story about Gideon showing up on Zendikar to help the citizens fight the Eldrazi but then nothing more about him.
It's the same old thing that I know I just need to get over. I want this thing (MTG) done well flavor-wise cuz there's so much potential for awesomeness. But flavor doesn't make WOTC money. So I guess I should be grateful for whatever half-baked and half-finished stuff I get. Or stop caring. It is just a card-game, right?
I know they like to leave things open, but some wrap-up would be nice. (For instance, I felt Alara was wrapped up okay, even though we don't really know what happened after the shards were reunited.... On the other hand, Elspeth's whole participati
I know they like to leave things open, but some wrap-up would be nice. (For instance, I felt Alara was wrapped up okay, even though we don't really know what happened after the shards were reunited.... On the other hand, Elspeth's whole participation in the block was totally messed up with contradicting cards and web-comics).
@Willpell Regarding Zendikar; I have read all the books (except the Scars one cuz I'm pretending it didn't happen), and it just left us hanging so much about... so much. And there's also the one web-story about Gideon showing up on Zendikar to help the citizens fight the Eldrazi but then nothing more about him.
It's the same old thing that I know I just need to get over. I want this thing (MTG) done well flavor-wise cuz there's so much potential for awesomeness. But flavor doesn't make WOTC money. So I guess I should be grateful for whatever half-baked and half-finished stuff I get. Or stop caring. It is just a card-game, right?
gideon went to ravnica, remember? it was in one of jenna's stf articles. (hint hint, rtr)
gideon went to ravnica, remember? it was in one of jenna's stf articles. (hint hint, rtr)
I know they like to leave things open, but some wrap-up would be nice. (For instance, I felt Alara was wrapped up okay, even though we don't really know what happened after the shards were reunited.... On the other hand, Elspeth's whole participation in the block was totally messed up with contradicting cards and web-comics).
@Willpell Regarding Zendikar; I have read all the books (except the Scars one cuz I'm pretending it didn't happen), and it just left us hanging so much about... so much. And there's also the one web-story about Gideon showing up on Zendikar to help the citizens fight the Eldrazi but then nothing more about him.
It's the same old thing that I know I just need to get over. I want this thing (MTG) done well flavor-wise cuz there's so much potential for awesomeness. But flavor doesn't make WOTC money. So I guess I should be grateful for whatever half-baked and half-finished stuff I get. Or stop caring. It is just a card-game, right?
Or you could join the Expanded Multiverse project and make your own flavor? Seriously, you should check the project out. If you don't like what's being given, get involved on the boards here and help make something better.
Also, Gideon goes to Ravnica at the end of the very story you mentioned--the one for Near-Death Experience .
@Willpell:
That's a big disingenous. Asking for a resolution to Sorin's activities on Innistrad doesn't mean killing him off. And we already know that Wizards is ok with changing characters for the sake of the story despite the restrictions that places on those characters. See: Garruk, Liliana, Venser, Tezzeret, arguably Sarkhan Vol...
Or you could join the Expanded Multiverse project and make your own flavor? Seriously, you should check the project out. If you don't like what's being given, get involved on the boards here and help make something better.Also, Gideon goes to Ravnica
Innistrad have awesome lore and flavor, but i have some questions that are bothering me for quite a while :
1 - Sorin created Avacyn so the humans don't become extinct and for consequence, the vampires die of starvation. So, Avacyn is really just ''protecting'' humans so they serve as food for the vampires and others. Does no human ever discover this ? What would be the reaction if they did ? They would revolt against her probably. ''Hey guys, Avacyn is only keeping monsters from wiping us out so we serve as food farms for them later!Kill her and then we take our chances against the monster! We live free ou we die free!''
I was disappointed nothing at all in Avacyn Restored pointed at this. And would give an awesome turn of events for a set with horro theme that the very angel they see as a symbol of hope is in fact only hope for the vampires.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope ? More like Avacyn, False God, much more than Karona, since Avacyn only pretends she is protecting them.
2 - It was said somewhere the vampires hate Sorin because he did this. So why don't they tell the humans Sorin created her ? They could get rid of her easily and feast as they please.
3 - The angels. So...where does the angels from Innistrad come from ? By the looks of them, you see they are clearly different from Avacyn. So how does Avacyn gains the reign over them ? Why don't any of them notices she works for Sorin and the real purpose of her ''protection'' ?
4 - Why we never see an encounter between Sorin and Avacyn ? What did he told her when he created her ?
5 - Sorin creates Avacyn to keep balance. Ok. But when she disappears and the monsters were taking over and Innistrad was in desperate times, why he simply didn't create another angel ? Helvault wouldn't be destroyed, demons would stay imprisoned and the world would be in balance again. Well, Avacyn would be forever trapped inside, but it's not like Sorin seemed to care for her anyway. One or two angels, what matters if the balance of the plane.
Would hope this could get answered...feels wrong the humans of Innistrad are simply being tricked of being saved, only to serve as food later.
Innistrad have awesome lore and flavor, but i have some questions that are bothering me for quite a while :1 - Sorin created Avacyn so the humans don't become extinct and for consequence, the vampires die of starvation. So, Avacyn is really just ''pr
Innistrad have awesome lore and flavor, but i have some questions that are bothering me for quite a while :
1 - Sorin created Avacyn so the humans don't become extinct and for consequence, the vampires die of starvation. So, Avacyn is really just ''protecting'' humans so they serve as food for the vampires and others. Does no human ever discover this ? What would be the reaction if they did ? They would revolt against her probably. ''Hey guys, Avacyn is only keeping monsters from wiping us out so we serve as food farms for them later!Kill her and then we take our chances against the monster! We live free ou we die free!''
I was disappointed nothing at all in Avacyn Restored pointed at this. And would give an awesome turn of events for a set with horro theme that the very angel they see as a symbol of hope is in fact only hope for the vampires.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope ? More like Avacyn, False God, much more than Karona, since Avacyn only pretends she is protecting them.
Sorin created her to stop the humans from being wiped out (and thus the vampires from starving), yes. But that's his motivation, not hers. She genuinely cares about the people she protects, and would wipe out all of the evil in the world if she could. Sorin just got tricky and set her up so that her power wanes as the humans begin turning the tides, and thus she can never finish off all the monsters.
Of course, that didn't save the werewolves, so there are some loopholes in the balancing act.
2 - It was said somewhere the vampires hate Sorin because he did this. So why don't they tell the humans Sorin created her ? They could get rid of her easily and feast as they please.
Not all vampires know, mostly just some of the oldest (such as Edgar, Sorin's grandfather). The others more hate him for fighting against his own kind, which is not a secret at all when he goes wading through them with his sword. Plus, the news that Sorin (a vampire) created Avacyn wouldn't change the fact that she is still genuinely their only chance at survival, and that she still genuinely does protect them to the best of her (purposely limited) abilities.
3 - The angels. So...where does the angels from Innistrad come from ? By the looks of them, you see they are clearly different from Avacyn. So how does Avacyn gains the reign over them ? Why don't any of them notices she works for Sorin and the real purpose of her ''protection'' ?
The angels existed before Avacyn. She's just the most powerful of them, so they follow her.
Also, again, her purpose isn't to keep humans as vampire food. She genuinely wants to protect them and would wipe out all vampires if able. Sorin just made sure she would never be able to.
4 - Why we never see an encounter between Sorin and Avacyn ? What did he told her when he created her ?
No clue. I think it's been hinted at that she doesn't even know he created her, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
5 - Sorin creates Avacyn to keep balance. Ok. But when she disappears and the monsters were taking over and Innistrad was in desperate times, why he simply didn't create another angel ? Helvault wouldn't be destroyed, demons would stay imprisoned and the world would be in balance again. Well, Avacyn would be forever trapped inside, but it's not like Sorin seemed to care for her anyway. One or two angels, what matters if the balance of the plane.
Sorin was pre-Mending when he created Avacyn, and even then it cost him some serious mojo to do so. It's not the type of thing you can do whenever you want. And now, post-Mending, he might not even have the power to do so, even if he wanted to. Heck, Avacyn might now be stronger than Sorin is, since he's been seriously weakened.
Sorin created her to stop the humans from being wiped out (and thus the vampires from starving), yes. But that's his motivation, not hers. She genuinely cares about the people she protects, and would wipe out all of the evil in the world if she could
Sorin created her to stop the humans from being wiped out (and thus the vampires from starving), yes. But that's his motivation, not hers. She genuinely cares about the people she protects, and would wipe out all of the evil in the world if she could. Sorin just got tricky and set her up so that her power wanes as the humans begin turning the tides, and thus she can never finish off all the monsters.
I think that hit the spot. We actually know nothing of Avacyn's thoughts and motivations.
We only know :
1 - She was created by Sorin to balance the plane. 2 - She was trapped inside the Helvault because of Griselband. 3 - She gets free and starts purging evil.
Considering we have a whole set with her name, and the entire block revolves around her being around to be a savior, and all the hype around her, we expected much more, for her to be a memorable character.
And she is not.
Akroma, Phage, Kamahl, Sorin, and even many other minor characters etc had much more flavor and appeal and they didn't had an entire set named after them. Even characters from Innistrad itself, like Olivia Voldaren, Mikaeus, Thalia, even those two ghouls who killed Mikaeus, had much more history, motivation, charisma than Avacyn.
And now even a bit about Odric's feelings and thoughts, and he is not even in the block!
Why name a set after a character and then simply don't tell us anything of her ?
And i don't mean : ''She was created by Sorin, got imprisoned, blablabla''. Show us her thoughts! Her motivations and doubts. Does she know she was created by Sorin ? What she thinks of this ? About Innistrad ? The people there ? How the angels of the plane simply accepted an artifical angel that came out of nowhere to speak to them ? Does she know she was created just to avoid human extinction, which in turn prevents vampires from being extinct as well ?
Let the main character speak!
It doesn't make any sense to make a whole set with her name when i think about it.
I think that hit the spot. We actually know nothing of Avacyn's thoughts and motivations. We only know :1 - She was created by Sorin to balance the plane.2 - She was trapped inside the Helvault because of Griselband.3 - She gets free and starts purgi
Odric bashed the blunt end of his sword against the monster's temple, hearing the crack of skull as it shattered under the weight of his blow. It slumped to the ground. He yanked the net off the monster and grabbed a handful of its long matted hair. He yanked it back to expose the bare throat where lifeblood still pulsed through its unnatural veins.
Odric bashed the blunt end of his sword against the monster's temple, hearing the crack of skull as it shattered under the weight of his blow.
the crack of skull as it shattered
...Obviously he didn't die, but uh... what do you do about a broken skull?
So uh... ...Obviously he didn't die, but uh... what do you do about a broken skull?
).
