House of the Unholy

Hello all! The Innistrad  release is fast approaching and today I have for you a new slew of preview cards and backstory for you. Ready? Set. Go!

ON TRAFT:

"In the benighted, vampire-afflicted province of Stensia, there was a man called Traft, and the creatures of the night feared him.

Traft was a young priest in the Church of Avacyn. Strong and valiant, he vanquished all manner of evil creatures, specializing in fighting demons along the Ashmouth (a sulfurous pit that leads down into the bowels of the world). Traft's prowess with the sword and his skill with evil-destroying magic was renowned—so renowned, in fact, that the angels themselves honored him. Avacyn's own ranks of warrior-seraphs trusted Traft's skill in battle and fought soul-hungry demons alongside him.



Together, Traft and Avacyn's angels hunted evil along the Ashmouth, slaying demon after demon. Traft's exploits became famous, and he became recognized as a saint before his fortieth year. But as Saint Traft came to learn, demons on Innistrad do not stay away for long. Kill a demon, and it returns to the world in another form in short order—usually with a grudge. When Saint Traft would slay a demon, the black mana bound within it would be released, and safety would be restored to the nearby villages for a time. But that dark mana would coalesce again in some sunless corner of the world, and another demon would be born. Alchemists and theologians of Innistrad wonder whether demonic energy might be an eternal, unchanging quantity, able to change forms but never waxing or waning.

So where is Saint Traft now? Since Avacyn went missing, and since much of her angelic host vanished along with her, the world of Innistrad could use the talents of a vampire hunter and demon slayer. Sadly, Traft died generations ago."

ON VAMPIRES:

"Aristocratic, richly cultured, and cruelly hedonistic, vampires comprise Innistrad's only nonhuman civilization. The four major vampire bloodlines, like noble families, control manor houses, courts, and castles. Distributed across the plane, but concentrated in the province of Stensia, vampires hunt humans for the sustenance they require and the thrill they crave: the blood of the living.



Vampires have few vulnerabilities, but stakes made from living wood, the reflection of the moon on running streams, and water blessed by the angel Avacyn can all cause particular harm to them. Vampires possess a variety of powers, from flight, to hypnotic glamer magic, to transformation, although their particular abilities vary widely."



OTHER HORRORS:

    

To read the whole tale of Traft's life and death, click here.

To view the visual spoiler of all officially previewed cards, click here.

That's all for this round of previews. Check back soon, as more are surely coming our way. Until next time, may you always have a good demon-slaying ghost hanging around in your attic when you need it.

- Brasif

Innistrad Real Estate - A Brief Overview

Happy Thursday everyone. Today we have some more great Innistrad previews for you and some background history of the plane. Let's go!



Innistrad is divided into four provinces - Gavony, Stensia, Kessig, and Nephalia.



GAVONY

The province of Gavony is where humanity remains safest and strongest. It is home to Thraben, largest city in the known world, which houses the mighty Cathedral of Avacyn, seat of religion in the world and the place where the great archangel, Avacyn, once presided. Smaller towns radiate outward from Thraben across Gavony's rocky moors. Small copses of trees dot the landscape of rolling hills and heaths. While settlements on the outskirts are constantly under assault, Thraben and its massive Cathedral remain relatively safe.



With Avacyn missing, geists of the dead rise in droves to torment the living. Because more of the dead are buried here than anywhere else, Gavony is plagued by ever-

growing undead hordes. Ghoulcallers and skaab-stitchers ply their unholy trade even inside the walls of Thraben while secret cults conspire to serve demonic powers.



Mikaeus, the revered Lunarch, attempts to keep the citizens calm, but he is a pale mote of dust compared to the light of Avacyn. Without the archangel's grace and guidance, his power wanes, and he relies heavily on Thraben's holy warriors to fight off the werewolves and vampires with steel and silver. Mikaeus frantically attempts to solve the mystery of Avacyn's disappearance, but the darkness is fast approaching and time is running out.

    

STENSIA

The province of Stensia is the darkest on Innistrad, both literally and figuratively, but also the most dramatic, the most storied, and the most unexplored. Its valleys range from pastoral rangelands to black bogs into which dead conifers slowly sink. Its forested midlands, riddled with wisps of thick fog, show colors from deep green to purple to orange-gray. Its far-flung indigo and black mountains disappear into the clouds, and humans can only imagine what dwells in the shrouded peaks. The sun never quite seems to break through the oddly colored clouds.

    

The ruling powers of Stensia, the vampire bloodlines, reap the benefits of the region's isolation. The Geier Reach mountain range that dominates the province separates the valleys from each other, making them easier to monitor and control. The long-suffering humans of Stensia have an illogical loyalty to their homeland, but truth be told, most have little choice; they are trapped between the province's narrow mountain passes and bound to their time-honored lives of herding and gathering.


KESSIG



Innistrad's vast, wooded hinterland is called Kessig, a province in a state of perpetual autumn. The deep woods are king here, although small human communities have carved out farming villages, and groups of hunters and trappers venture into the forest to make a living. Even new arrivals to Kessig know not to venture out at night. Even if the wilderness weren't haunted, it wouldn't be safe—werewolves prowl the province, sometimes alone and sometimes in packs.

NEPHALIA

This coastal province is home to a number of small-to-medium port towns, most situated at the mouth of a river that leads further inland. Nephalia's sloughs, sea mists, and mysteries cloak its commerce and crimes; it is populated mainly by humans, geists, and vampires, all of whom seek business, secrets, or solitude. The province's silver sand beaches, punctuated with rocky promontories and sea caves, afford easiest access to its fog-shrouded ocean.

Those Innistrad denizens interested in commerce are attracted to Nephalia. Caravans of merchants ply the busy trade routes between Nephalia's cities, and unscrupulous alchemists and necromancers traffic in nefarious items via Nephalia's underground corpse market. Many of Nephalia's port towns are subject to the ever-present Nebelgast, the salt-soaked fog that rolls in and out with the tide, bringing with it a host of geists from unnamed shipwrecks.

In Nephalia, skaab-stitchers and ghoulcallers alike can find out-of-the-way places in which to practice their art with little interference from suspicious townsfolk or Avacynian authority. Both must remain highly secretive, as their trade is still feared within the general human populace. The Stromkirk vampires and Nephalia's merchants see money to be made, however, so their arcane trinkets and dark services are tolerated as long as they remain
only rumor.

    

    

For four weeks starting on September 28 the Savor the Flavor column on Daily MTG will be showcasing the different provinces of Innistrad in detail - one each week. I know that I'll be checking it out and if today's blog post sparked your interest you should too!

Until next time, may you always choose real estate wisely so that you don't have to live with vampires, werewolves, or evil spirits... unless that's your kind of thing.

- Brasif

Innistrad-ing On...

Hello my friends. Welcome back to the Feast of Magic blog.

Innistrad product information keeps rolling in and the card previews keep on coming... If you haven't already delved into the world of Innistrad, definitely check out A Planeswalker's Guide to Innistrad on the Magic website. It's pretty cool.



Ok, ok, let's have us a look at some brand new preview cards:

    

    

    

    

    

    

I must say that this set is shaping up to be pretty cool artwork-wise. I love the hand-painted look, versus the digital, metallic feel that came along with Scars block. It's nice to see Magic go classic - Let's be honest, it's always been about fantasy and horror. Now it's just intensified. I will say my piece about today's preview cards though... I'm not really feeling Balefire Dragon or Essence of the Wild, as I don't really feel like they fit into Innistrad block. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think "dragon" when I think of classic gothic horror. I understand that every set wants a dragon, but it just feels out of place here. It may be fantasy, but a whole different realm of fantasy, like elves (which you notice were completely left out of the world of Innistrad). The same with Essence... I feel like they really liked the idea and design of it and tried to fit it in where it didn't really make sense flavor-wise. And as long as I'm putting in my two cents, does anyone find the name "Angel of Flight Alabaster" a little odd? Maybe I'm alone here too. The artwork, however, is stunning.

Before I leave you, there is one more thing we should look at and talk about: the preview art and product information for the second set in Innistrad block - Dark Ascension.

Command the Night.

Number of cards: 158

Prerelease: January 28-29, 2012

Release Date: February 3, 2012

Launch Parties: February 3-6, 2012

Design Team:

Mark Rosewater (lead)
Jenna Helland
Zac Hill
Graeme Hopkins
Matt Tabak

Development Team:

Tom LaPille (lead)
Mark L. Gottlieb
Zac Hill
David Humpherys
Ken Troop

Until next time, may you always command the night.

- Brasif

Innistrad-ing the Right Way

Hello all. Today is all about Innistrad.

    

Innistrad is a horror-filled world, where its human inhabitants rely on their faith to shield them from the terrors of their world - demons, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and other undead sorts. The humans believe that their faith in the Church will protect them. But the Church of Avacyn is weak in the abscence of their protector, the Archangel Avacyn. With their greatest defender missing the people have grown weary. Their faith is failing. Their holy relics, shrines, and runes have lost their potency. As the plane of Innistrad runs wild, the people wait for their grace to return.

"Few know why prayers to Avacyn have gone unanswered, but the consequence is clear to all—the old ways no longer carry the power they once had. In her unexplained absence, the power of Avacyn's influence fades, and the power of Innistrad's fiendish ilk grows. The aristocratic vampire families hunt peasant blood for sport and sustenance. Packs of snarling werewolves ravage caravans and villages. Geists float from their tombs and haunt cobblestone alleyways and ancient manors. The unhallowed dead feed their relentless hunger, roused by forbidden magic or stitched together by the inventions of brainsick alchemists. No longer held back by Avacynian magic, the supernatural horrors of the world are now free to prey on humanity."

To view the full article on the world of Innistrad, click here.

For me, a collector at heart, Innistrad is more exciting than your average set. Instead of being a bottom-up design built around mechanics and gameplay needs, Mark Rosewater has assured us that this is the most top-down, flavor-based set in Magic's history. For people like me, and all the other Vorthosians out there, we are in the realm of Magic for one primary reason - the way it makes us feel. We remember the way we felt when we were first introduced to Magic. We relish the excitement of opening up new packs or finding new unreleased art. That's what it's about. For me, preview weeks for the large fall set are the most exciting times of the year. Which brings us to the fun stuff... Who wants to see some awesome preview cards? (Remember, everything you see here has officially been previewed by Wizards of the Coast, and is no longer considered speculation.) Let's go:

This is my personal favorite card from previews thus far. The art is striking and sickeningly sweet. A vampire aristocrat out for a stroll, in misty daylight, amongst his human foes. Pretty cool. Pretty cool.

     

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

Also, Innistrad brings us the new concept/gimmick/mechanic of double-faced cards. Like the idea of flip cards (from Kamigawa), this allows an individual card to turn - or "transform" - into something else. The logistics of this can get pretty tricky... Wizards explains it here.

The jury is still out on these for me...



Lastly, but not leastly at all, are the two Planeswalkers from Innistrad. I'll give you two hints: 1. We've met them before. 2. Oh please... come on... you know you already know...

It's Liliana and Garruk! Take a look:

I must say, you keep surprising me Wizards. I like it. Keep up the good work.

Until next time, may you be protected from the horrors of the multiverse. And as always, happy collecting!

- Brasif