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