(Vexing) Devil’s Advocate 8 – Summoning 101
July 11, 2013
Concrete shrapnel whistled by my head as a blast of energy narrowly missed me, taking a chunk out of the alley I was running down instead. If I needed any more motivation to keep sprinting through the pain, that certainly provided it. I couldn’t take too many more hits like that.
“Calm down, Eric. Assess the situation. Look for advantages,” I muttered under my breath as I tried to keep up the pace of my sprint. Panic wasn’t going to do me any good, I needed to break things down into manageable bits.
Well, I was bleeding from a gash across my stomach that would have eviscerated me had it been an inch deeper, so that should probably be looked at. I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, my head was pounding with a dull throb that made focusing nearly impossible, and the softly glowing purple runes wreathed around my left hand reminded me that I wasn’t going to be getting any more power without a bit of pain first. Lyzolda, my right hand girl, was banished from my thoughts by some nasty blue spell and I couldn’t remember how to call her despite my best efforts. Meaning I was entirely on my own.
Oh, and the Vendilion Clique was chasing me down some crappy back alley in Ravnica. Meanwhile, their neck-bearded overseer cackled from… Somewhere way behind me.
Yup, I’m pretty much f#%^ed.
God, do I hate blue.
Savor That Commander Flavor 21 – Sibling Rivalry
October 18, 2012
By William aka BlueRam
“Elspeth’s squires do not seek advancement. For them, no knightly glory could surpass the glory of serving their champion.” -Dauntless Escort
It’s perfectly normal to start getting close to your cards. I do it all of the time. People might look at you funny when you start telling them that you consider some of your cards to be your very own special “partner”, but there are also people who understand that feeling. I’ve had plenty of comments and the like of people sharing stories about their generals, and I’ve loved reading them all!
But when you start having conversations with your imaginary versions of these characters? I think it’s safe to say that you might be in a little deep. Currently, I’m up to hips. What do I mean by that? Well first, let’s have a quick re-cap.
Savor That Commander Flavor 20 – Selesnya Supreme
October 11, 2012
By William aka BlueRam
“We will grow an army large enough to withstand the Izzet’s madness.”
-Trostani (Growing Ranks)
I’ll be honest with you. I was going to write a nice narrative this week that paralleled my experience at the Return to Ravnica pre-release, with a title drop and everything. But a few days before the deadline, I decided to scrap it in order to give what I feel is a truer sense of just how special the event was for me. There’s a time for epics recounting the class of demon and dragon, but I’m afraid that today’s story mandates that I recount what actually happened.
Don’t worry, there’ll be a narrative next week (different from the one I was going to post), but today I’m going to recount the amazing events that transpired, and introduce you to the amazing general who blessed me with her very hands.
What’s that? You already know who I pulled? Well if that’s the case, I’d like to direct your attention to this special apparatus in my totally not-digitized hands.
VVWHUUN!
Red In My Ledgers 05 – The Claret Ball
October 2, 2012
I stepped through a back door.and into utter chaos. Liveried footmen and maids fairly flew down the narrow corridors, carrying a host of brooms, dusters, and mops to the far reaches of the manor. I managed to flag down a footman, who only grudgingly led me to the house steward after repeated assurances that, yes, I did realize this was the service area and that, indeed, guests were to enter through the front gate rather than the servants’ door. It was good that he did not recognize me, but all the same, I would have to have a talk with the lady of the manor. Such a lapse in etiquette could not go unremarked!
Read the rest of this entry »Red In My Ledgers 04 – Forgelight Securities, LLC
September 18, 2012
by Gibson aka KapaLin
Glancing up at the looming warehouse, I pulled my coat tighter against the chill wind. The ramshackle, sprawling compound seemed to brood over the street with a purpose as grim as my own. Steeling myself, I ducked inside, and all traces of natural light vanished. The neatly furnished reception area, softly lit by glowing powerstones, wasn’t exactly what I had expected- polished chrome and gleaming brass contrasted sharply with the jagged, makeshift facade. The solemn simulacrum of a secretary seated at the desk glanced up at me as I approached, its eyes flickering with an electric blue light.
“Yes, how may I assist you?” it inquired in a tinny voice.
“I’d… well, I’d, I’d like to buy an army,” I managed to stammer.
“Ah…” rasped the secretary as it stood with a whisper of hydraulics, “I believe you will wish to see Mistress Nin, then.”
Savor That Commander Flavor 16 – Power of the All-Knowing
September 13, 2012
“But Farmer Hogget knew that little ideas…that tickled and nagged and refused to go away…should never be ignored…for in them, lie the seeds of destiny.”
-Babe (1995)
Warning: Exceptionally long narrative ahead.
Magic cards are funny things. Grab any two and they can cause a spark of the imagination. Fan that spark a little and it grows. Fan that flame enough and it could grow out of control into a full-fledged wild fire. This is what we call, “inspiration and enlightenment”.
While I once shared a story about how Baroness Teysa, Orzhov Scion convinced me to grant her an army of the undead, her power came from a long line of decisions and experiences that almost became its own legacy. Not all such stories start from such a long time ago, and not all stories feature the same trials. They may not even share the same setting. But the more things are different, the more the stay the same.
This is one such story. It’s the story of how a certain wizard inspired me to give a controversial enchantment another look. She wasn’t strong, but she was powerful. Her wisdom and vast wealth of knowledge would lead to one of my greatest endeavors ever…