Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
Hi all! So I came up with this idea when the trailer for "Thrones of Eldraine" came out, as it looked like a "faerie tale fantasy" setting I could actually use for Dungeons and Dragons. And I thought, if Magic the Gathering were to ever get another setting book, which one of its (many) planes deserves one?
Quick caveat (or rule); if you feel like Magic doesn't deserve another setting book, take a deep breath and don't post anything. I'd prefer if this thread doesn't get bogged down in that debate, and I agree that other settings like Dragonlance, Greyhawk and Dark Sun get a book first. This is a "what if" question, nothing more.
Also I'm aware that many settings are already semi-official through the released Planeshift articles; you can still argue it should get an official book if you think it deserves one.
Now that the baseline is done, here are some of the more fleshed out options! Check this out for more info and art on them: MAGIC STORY
ALARA (Humans, Vedalken, Goblins, Leonin, Elves)
Alara's five shards are one again, igniting new magics and mayhem. It's all as Nicol Bolas planned. But can he be stopped before this plane is destroyed?
The five shards of Alara were separate worlds for centuries, each one flowing with only three colors of mana. Their worlds and cultures evolved independently: Bant, an orderly, sunlit kingdom; Esper, a hegemony of wizards and sphinxes; Grixis, an undead-infested hellscape; Jund, a primordial hunting-ground ruled by dragons; and Naya, a lush jungle paradise.
But now they have converged into one, and the rejoined plane flows with all five colors of mana once more. Waves of raw power crash across the former planar boundaries, bringing long-forgotten magics to all the shards and mingling them in unprecedented ways.
As the boundaries between the shards dissolve, cultures clash and wars ensue.
The forces of Esper invade the other shards looking for carmot, an element necessary to create more of their dwindling etherium. Hordes of Grixis undead mount an assault to maim, enslave, and drain the life energy from other shards. The warriors of Jund extend their "life hunts" to the newfound game throughout Alara's vast hunting grounds. Naya's forces follow the elves' decrees and march out of the jungle, searching for answers to the Anima's prophetic visions. And the armies of Bant clash with the horrors swarming over their borders, defending their homeland in the name of their guardian angels.
At each front, the shards' legions pummel one another with powerful magics, calling on every spell they know to defeat the other shards.
Nicol Bolas, the ancient dragon Planeswalker, planned this all along. He came to Alara to feed on its rich mana and, in one massive ritual, restore its lost power as part of his multiplanar plan. Only a fellow Planeswalker has hope of discovering his schemes—but even a Planeswalker would likely die trying to stop him.
Alara has become a single plane once more
AMONKHET (Humans, Aven, Khenra, Minotaurs, Naga)
Towering, gold-encrusted monuments break the unending monotony of a horizon formed of sun-blasted sand. Awe-inspiring, animal-headed gods walk among the people, offering them care and protection from the horrors of the desert. A wide, life-giving river offers its abundant bounty, providing for every physical need. Happy, hopeful people offer sacrifices in grand temples dedicated to their benevolent gods, addressing their spiritual needs. They know that this life—wonderful as it is—is just the beginning, the prelude to the perfection that awaits them in the afterlife, promised to them by their God-Pharaoh.
Amonkhet is a plane of dichotomy. Beyond the lush river valley lies endless, scorching desert. Accursed, desiccated mummies roam the desert, while carefully embalmed mummies attend to the needs of the living in the glorious city. The people have everything they need—they are protected from the desert heat and wandering mummies by a magical barrier, and they spend their lives in focused training, honing their bodies and minds to perfection. Yet they eagerly anticipate the time when they will be permitted to die in combat and leave this world behind.
The gods are custodians of the path to the afterlife, established by the God-Pharaoh to purify and perfect the people who follow it and undergo its trials. Each god oversees one of the five trials and instructs the initiates who are preparing to face the trial, helping them to cultivate one of the five aspects of mortal perfection: solidarity, knowledge, strength, ambition, and zeal.
On the surface, Amonkhet seems like a marvelous place to live, but something unsettling and nefarious lurks behind the grand facade. The wise and benevolent God-Pharaoh, said to be busy preparing the wondrous afterlife for the worthy, is actually Nicol Bolas, the malevolent dragon Planeswalker whose schemes reach far beyond this plane.
DOMINARIA (Humans, Goblins, Elves, Angels, Aven)
Home to a rich variety of terrain—cold mountains, wide plains, jungles, deserts, islands—this plane boasts countless historic locations, from the volcanic continent of Shiv to the time-shattered isle of Tolaria to the wretched island of Urborg.
It's also the birthplace of brothers Urza and Mishra, master artificers who discovered ancient stones of power in the Caves of Koilos. In their lust for power, the brothers waged a savage war against each other, devastating Dominaria and plunging the plane into an ice age. At the end of this war, Urza discovered the dark plane of Phyrexia, a hell of flesh, metal, and grease, where the line between living and artificial was blurred.
Phyrexia nearly invaded Dominaria, were it not for the skyship Weatherlightand its crew. The famous flying vessel contained ancient magical technology that enabled the ship to planeswalk. The Weatherlight, its crew of heroes, and a collection of artifacts called the Legacy (including the Planeswalker, Karn) were all instrumental in thwarting the invasion.
Dominaria was also the epicenter of the temporal-planar fractures that threatened all the planes. A host of cataclysms, many caused by Planeswalkers, left Dominaria desolated, destabilizing the fabric of the Multiverse. The damage to time and space spread outward from Dominaria and started affecting other planes. A handful of powerful Planeswalkers intervened to mend the rifts, thus restabilizing all the planes.
Today, after generations of peaceful development, much of Dominaria has managed to rebuild the cultures of its past. Benalia, New Argive, the Tolarian Academies, and Femeref all thrive as primarily human societies, while the Vodalian Merfolk, the Llanowar Elves, and the treefolk of Yavimaya have all also flourished in recent decades.
However, as the cult of the Cabal grows in strength, now under the control of the Demonlord Belzenlok, Dominaria faces new threats…and looks to heroes both old and new to answer them.
FIORA (Humans, Elves, Goblins)
A plane of perpetual renaissance, Fiora's beautiful cities are known across the Multiverse for their breathtaking architecture and the ingenuity of their inventors. Despite its scenic vistas, Fiora is one of the most dangerous planes a Planeswalker can visit. Every sleeve hides a dagger, every smile a lie. In the capital of Fiora—Paliano, the High City—murder and subterfuge are common. Here, the fine print has fine print. Beneath the thin veil of civility, political factions and ruthless thugs vie for control of Paliano. Those who sit in the legislative seats of the High City control the vote, and the laws issued from Paliano mystically bind the populace. Planeswalkers travelling to Fiora should note that murder, manslaughter, and violence have never been outlawed—in fact, they are tools utilized by politicians on a regular basis.
Outside of Paliano, the populace lives in smaller towns run by local government. Although they are not directly involved in the schemes of Paliano, the towns are still rife with corruption and back-alley dealings. The massacre of Drakestown is a grim reminder of this truth. Although far from the High City and bordering the wilderness, everyone was viciously murdered here years ago, their lives lost to an unknown scheme. The expansive wilderness also remains unexplored. The explorer Selvala was one of the first to travel the frontier, trying to find the world beyond the debauchery of nobles. Although the magic of the High City still dictates a citizen's actions, deep in the ancient forests, there is a promise of peace, for a reprieve from the backstabbing—and frontstabbing—of Fioran politics.
INNISTRAD (Humans, Angels, Vampires, Werewolves)
When the light fades and the moon rises over Innistrad, humanity becomes the universal prey. Packs of werewolves are drawn out by the moon, their humanity washed away by animal rage. Vampire families bare their fangs at the scent of human blood. Hordes of walking dead lurch across the manors and moors, driven by an innate hunger for the living. Alchemically created abominations twitch to life in alchemists' laboratories. Geists haunt the huddled human towns and terrify travelers along the dark crossways in between. From Innistrad's depths, powerful demons and impish devils plot humanity's downfall.
The humans of Innistrad have done their best to fight back. They form torch-wielding mobs to cleanse the abominations with fire. They train specialized holy warriors called cathars to strike back against the supernatural horrors. Most of all, they brandish the power of the Church of Avacyn. The Church is named for its leader, the powerful archangel Avacyn who was created by the Planeswalker Sorin Markov to safeguard humanity and allow them to coexist with their predators.
Innistrad's last few years have been tumultuous. First the demon Griselbrand trapped Avacyn in the Helvault with him, weakening the strength of the rites that invoked her and lowering humanity's defenses against the horrors of the night. When the situation was at its worst, with zombie armies marching on the high city of Thraben, the Helvault was sundered and Avacyn was released. But no sooner had Avacyn restored some measure of peace and balance to the plane than a new threat began to spin Innistrad toward its doom.
Madness swept over Innistrad as the fleeting hope of Avacyn's angelic protection turned to horror. Sorin Markov finally intervened, unmaking his beloved creation. But with Avacyn's unmaking, the last protections over the plane fell as well, opening it to new otherworldly intruders....
IXALAN (Humans, Vampires, Merfolk, Goblins, Orcs, Sirens)
Deep in the heart of Ixalan’s verdant jungle lies a treasure beyond imagining. Secure in the ancient golden city of Orazca, the Immortal Sun is an artifact of mythic power that promises boundless wealth, the strength of empire, command over nature, and eternal life. For centuries it was only dimly remembered, veiled in legend, but now legend has become reality, and all the peoples of Ixalan seek the Immortal Sun and the power it promises. They will stop at nothing to claim it for their own.
The merfolk of the River Heralds and the humans of the Sun Empire have shared the continent of Ixalan for ages, sometimes warring, sometimes in an uneasy peace. But outsiders—first the treasure-hungry pirates of the Brazen Coalition and now the sinister fleets of the Legion of Dusk—have disrupted that delicate balance of power. And as the Legion of Dusk seeks to conquer Ixalan, all four peoples are catapulted into a desperate search for the golden city and the treasure it holds.
A whole world waits to be discovered. Ancient ruins from the Sun Empire’s heyday can now be found, overgrown and half-buried, in the depths of the jungle. Sacred springs infused with magical power well up from high mountainsides. Hidden coves hold pirate treasures stowed by captains long forgotten. Brave explorers from all four peoples uncover such sites as they scour Ixalan in search of the golden city.
KALADESH (Humans, Elves, Vedalken, Dwarves, Aetherborn)
The world of Kaladesh is a living work of art, owing its bright existence to the tangible presence of aether. Aether is the raw magical energy that inhabits the space between planes in the Multiverse. While it's nominally present on many planes, on Kaladesh it's a critical part of the ecosystem. The life-giving energy infuses the natural world, sculpting the earth and waterways, drawing trees and plants into delicate twisting patterns, and attracting wild creatures like a magnetic force.
Ever since the ingenious inventor Avaati Vya developed a process to refine volatile raw aether, it has also been inextricably woven into the world's culture of inspired invention. The Consulate, Kaladesh's governing body, recognized the potential of aether as a fuel and designed distribution methods to ensure that it was accessible to all. Their efforts led to a plane-wide inventors' renaissance, a time of hope, optimism, and boundless creativity. Now, clockwork automotons walk the streets, whirling thopters flit over the markets, and elegant gear-driven mechanisms raise and lower the very streets and buildings of the cities themselves.
As bright and wondrous as Kaladesh is, it still faces its share of strife. A faction known as the renegades believes that the Consulate is infringing on their freedoms. They refuse to adhere to safety regulations and aether quotas, and they undermine the Consulate's efforts to provide structure and lawfulness. But renegade activity aside, this is a time of celebration. The Consulate has recently announced the Inventors' Fair, a month-long festival to celebrate the myriad inventions of the Great Aether Boom. Airships will race, automaton constructs will battle, genius minds will face-off, and elegant design will reign supreme.
The head judge of the fair has installed the meticulous and diligent vedalken Dovin Baan as Senior Inspector, and Dovin has promised that the fair will go off without a hitch. He has recently elicited the help of the Gatewatch to mitigate potential renegade threats. Nothing will stop the people of Kaladesh from basking in the brilliance of their genius creations.
KAMIGAWA (Humans, Ogres, Orochi, Kitsune, Nezumi, Soratami, Akki)
For many hundreds of years, Kamigawa's denizens peacefully worshipped the spirits of their world. Then suddenly their gods attacked, forcing the world into brutal war.
Reminiscent of sengoku-era Japan, this plane contains two symbiotic worlds: the utsushiyo, or material realm, and the kakuriyo, or kami spirit realm. Each kami was a divinity, and the way to happiness was to honor these gods and live by their ways. The inhabitants of Kamigawa were content with this life of devotion. Then the unimaginable happened. Their gods turned on them.
Slowly at first, the kami began to take form in the material world. Some scholars believed they were delivering a message or a warning. But their appearance was so alien and surreal, no true meaning could be discerned.
Meanwhile, the plane's most powerful warlord, the daimyo Takeshi Konda, ruled over the Towabara Plains from his stronghold at Eiganjo. Even as his armies and samurai secured more territory in Konda's name, the kamimanifested in ever-greater numbers.
Then came the night that changed Kamigawa forever. A few miles from Eiganjo Castle, the kami set upon the town of Reito. Scores of spirit-world monstrosities swept through the town, killing nearly every living thing. Hundreds were slain and few survived. The Kami War had begun. Over the next twenty years, spirits of every shape and size would descend on the plains, ravaging everything in their path.
Throughout this siege, Konda remained within his stronghold, mysteriously safe from harm.
Kamigawa's people wondered why the kami betrayed them, even as they fought for survival. What had they done wrong?
In truth, it was the proud daimyo Konda who had begun the war. With aid from moonfolk allies, Konda kidnapped a kami to secure his own power and immortality. This outraged the great O-Kagachi, kami of all things, igniting an ire that would claim countless lives.
Only Konda's daughter Michiko and a stolen kami—an entity who calls herself Kyodai—have any hope of placating the kami and restoring a fragile peace to the land.
LORWYN/SHADOWMOOR (Kithkin, Merrows, Elves, Flamekin, Changelings, Boggarts)
Lorwyn is an idyllic world where races of fable thrive in perpetual midsummer. Its dark reflection, Shadowmoor, exists in perpetual gloom, its citizens bitterly transformed and locked in a desperate battle for survival.
Lorwyn is the land where the sun never set. Covered with dense forests, meandering rivers, and gently rolling meadows, it knows no nights or winters. One of the few planes without humans, it's populated by the short-statured kithkin, hot-tempered flamekin, petty-thief boggarts, territorial treefolk, diplomatic merfolk, iconoclastic giants, and mischievous faeries, all living together in harmony.
Also among them: the elves, Lorwyn's most favored and feared race. In a world of unspoiled nature, they consider themselves the paragons of this beauty. Signs of elvish supremacy are widespread, from their gilded forest palaces to their mercilessness toward "lesser" races. Despite the elves' dominion, Lorwyn's people thrive, respecting community and tradition.
The land itself, ancient and verdant, is locked in a perpetual cycle—and every three centuries, that cycle transforms the plane into Shadowmoor.
The mirror-image of Lorwyn, Shadowmoor is a realm of perpetual dusk and gloom. Here, the plane's races, without knowledge of their previous selves, are locked in a life-and-death struggle for survival. Like the plane itself, its denizens are transformed into darker versions of themselves.
The kithkin, once communal and cooperative, are isolated and xenophobic. The helpful, silver-tongued merfolk are now assassins and saboteurs. The boggarts, once mischievous and hedonistic, are vicious and warlike. The blighted treefolk are murderous. Wrathful giants drag around huge pieces of the land.
The transformations of the flamekin and elves are perhaps the most dramatic. Once bright and seeking transcendence, the flamekin are now smoking skeletons seeking revenge. Meanwhile, the vain elves are humbled and heroic in Shadowmoor, protecting every glimmer of beauty and light.
Only one race and one place remain unchanged: the faeries and their home of Glen Elendra. The fae are the fulcrum of this transforming plane—for it was their queen, Oona, who caused it.
NEW PHYREXIA (Goblins, Leonin, Elves)
Mirrodin, originally known as Argentum, was created by the Planeswalker Karn. Mirrodin's caretaker Memnarch slowly went mad, abducting mortals from across the Multiverse to populate the plane. On this world of metal, the inhabitants brought to Mirrodin were shaped by the harsh environment and became masters of artifacts and weaponry.
Karn was the bringer of the Phyrexian oil to Mirrodin, which began the slow process of transforming the creatures it touched deep beneath the world's surface. Slowly losing his mind, Karn became the Father of Machines and the leader of Phyrexia. The slow spread soon became an active campaign to alter, or compleat, the world of Mirrodin. The Mirrans fought many battles, but they soon were overwhelmed by the Phyrexian forces.
Even the Planeswalkers Koth, Elspeth, and Venser could not turn the tide, and Venser sacrificed his life to restore Karn to sanity. But by then, not even the creator of Mirrodin could stop the Phyrexian machine. Now the Praetors—some of Karn's top lieutenants—and their factions fight for power amongst themselves while the natives struggle daily to survive.
SHANDALAR (Humans, Merfolk)
Abnormally mana-rich, Shandalar is a place where magic flows freely: from the wilds of Kalonia and the kingdom of Thune to the shadows of Xathrid, the peak of Valkas, and the remote Evos Isle. It was once home to the Onakke, an ogre civilization adept at using the plane's abundant mana to craft artifacts of terrible power. Now the inhabitants of this unusual plane must combat the growing hive mind of the slivers, an ever-evolving race that threatens to consume their world.
TARKIR (Humans, Orcs, Djinn, Efreet, Naga, Aven, Ainok)
If this were a different present, Tarkir would be in the clutches of five powerful khans. The deserts and the forests would be rife with bloodshed and plagued by war. The clans would be locked in battle for control of immense fortunes and vast kingdoms. But this is not that present. This present was never the khans' to rule. This present belongs to the dragons.
The mighty dragons of Tarkir owe their existence to Planeswalker Sarkhan Vol. From a dragonless present, he travelled back in time more than a thousand years to a crucial turning point, and there he saved Planeswalker Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, from death. In doing so he ensured the continuing presence of the dragon tempests, the storms that feed on Ugin's magic and birth dragons, and thus he ensured the continuing presence of dragons.
For many years, the clans had been fighting a war against the dragons for their own survival, hoping to gain some advantage in the struggle. But that hope was dashed when Sarkhan intervened. With the dragons' presence secured, draconic numbers grew and soon, the tide of the war turned. Ultimately, the dragons were able to hunt down the khans and destroy them. Then all that was left was for the dragons to claim their place on the vacant thrones.
In this present, the defeated clans are ruled by five legendary dragonlords. Over time, the clans have come to embody the predominant aspects of their draconic masters, and they represent these strengths with draconic symbols. Each clan battles with mana from an allied color pair, wielding its magic on behalf of its dragonlord in a bid to gain control of the entire plane of Tarkir.
THEROS (Humans, Centaurs, Tritons, Minotaurs, Satyrs, Returned, Nyxborn)
Theros is ruled by an awe-inspiring pantheon of gods. Mortals tremble before them, feel the sting of their petty whims, and live in terror of their wrath. It is a plane where barbaric, cave-dwelling minotaurs descend on wayward travelers. Giants stalk the land, drawing strength from the terrain on which they tread. At sea, massive krakens prowl its depths, and sirens lure its sailors to their demise. Yet amid such colossal perils, mortals have found a way to endure, and it is here that the hero's mantle is raised highest.
Not only have the mortals endured, they have managed to thrive, for Theros is also a plane where civilization is protected behind the walls of great poleis, each city-state a bulwark against the raging monsters that roam the more savage places of Theros. Meletis, the polis of learning, progress, magic, and devotion to the gods, is a testament to the achievements of civilized humanity. It is hemmed in by vast golden wheat fields and the Siren Sea, and defended by the Reverent Army. In the polis of Akros, martial prowess is held in the highest esteem. Akroan warriors have reached near-mythic status throughout Theros. The imposing cliff-top fortress of Akros lies at the center of a network of outposts that serve to protect the rest of Theros, a fact that comforts many Therans. Setessa, the isolated polis surrounded by concentric rings of forest, is fiercely independent. Strong bonds connect its inhabitants, and all in Setessa share a veneration of nature.
ZENDIKAR (Humans, Vampires, Merfolk, Goblins, Elves, Kor)
A tumultuous plane of wild mana, unstable weather, and floating terrain, Zendikar is a world of incomparable natural beauty and danger. The plane is wracked by volatile seismic movements known as “the Roil.” Violent shifts in the landscape make life precarious, unpredictable, and full of adventure. Rivers cascaded down from above the skyline. Craggy peaks lurch to crush those who would scale their heights. Lush forests and murky swamps grow over upturned ruins hiding ancient secrets. Massive stone formations known as hedrons, the ancient handiwork of the Planeswalkers Ugin, Sorin, and Nahiri the Lithomancer, remain as a reminder of calmer days on the plane. Days before the Eldrazi escaped.
The Eldrazi were three inscrutable entities of the Blind Eternities, able to travel between planes to devour worlds. Unable to defeat the titans, the ancient Planeswalkers used the hedrons to lure, contain, and immobilize them. They remained trapped in stasis and hidden for millennia until younger Planeswalkers inadvertently released them.
Freed from their imprisonment, the Eldrazi titans summoned their spawn and spread throughout the plane, consuming two of Zendikar's seven continents and leaving chalk deserts and warped Escher-scapes in their wake. The Zendikari who endured the destruction adapted and built alliances; kor and merfolk, elves and humans, even the proud and deadly vampire families of Guul Draz. With the help of the four founding Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch – Gideon Jura, Nissa Revane, Jace Beleren, and Chandra Nalaar – the titans Ulamog and Kozilek were destroyed near the city of Sea Gate. Zendikar struggles to recover, with vast areas depopulated and devastated.
ELDRAINE (Humans, Undines, Fey)
Welcome to Eldraine—a storybook land of castles and cauldrons, of chivalrous knights and trickster faeries. But like the devious creatures and beguiling magic that lurk among the shadows, this world is not all that it seems. Join the five courts of the Realm on an epic adventure for honor and glory, or venture a darker path into the mysterious Wilds. Which path will you choose?
Quick caveat (or rule); if you feel like Magic doesn't deserve another setting book, take a deep breath and don't post anything. I'd prefer if this thread doesn't get bogged down in that debate, and I agree that other settings like Dragonlance, Greyhawk and Dark Sun get a book first. This is a "what if" question, nothing more.
Also I'm aware that many settings are already semi-official through the released Planeshift articles; you can still argue it should get an official book if you think it deserves one.
Now that the baseline is done, here are some of the more fleshed out options! Check this out for more info and art on them: MAGIC STORY
ALARA (Humans, Vedalken, Goblins, Leonin, Elves)
Alara's five shards are one again, igniting new magics and mayhem. It's all as Nicol Bolas planned. But can he be stopped before this plane is destroyed?
The five shards of Alara were separate worlds for centuries, each one flowing with only three colors of mana. Their worlds and cultures evolved independently: Bant, an orderly, sunlit kingdom; Esper, a hegemony of wizards and sphinxes; Grixis, an undead-infested hellscape; Jund, a primordial hunting-ground ruled by dragons; and Naya, a lush jungle paradise.
But now they have converged into one, and the rejoined plane flows with all five colors of mana once more. Waves of raw power crash across the former planar boundaries, bringing long-forgotten magics to all the shards and mingling them in unprecedented ways.
As the boundaries between the shards dissolve, cultures clash and wars ensue.
The forces of Esper invade the other shards looking for carmot, an element necessary to create more of their dwindling etherium. Hordes of Grixis undead mount an assault to maim, enslave, and drain the life energy from other shards. The warriors of Jund extend their "life hunts" to the newfound game throughout Alara's vast hunting grounds. Naya's forces follow the elves' decrees and march out of the jungle, searching for answers to the Anima's prophetic visions. And the armies of Bant clash with the horrors swarming over their borders, defending their homeland in the name of their guardian angels.
At each front, the shards' legions pummel one another with powerful magics, calling on every spell they know to defeat the other shards.
Nicol Bolas, the ancient dragon Planeswalker, planned this all along. He came to Alara to feed on its rich mana and, in one massive ritual, restore its lost power as part of his multiplanar plan. Only a fellow Planeswalker has hope of discovering his schemes—but even a Planeswalker would likely die trying to stop him.
Alara has become a single plane once more
AMONKHET (Humans, Aven, Khenra, Minotaurs, Naga)
Towering, gold-encrusted monuments break the unending monotony of a horizon formed of sun-blasted sand. Awe-inspiring, animal-headed gods walk among the people, offering them care and protection from the horrors of the desert. A wide, life-giving river offers its abundant bounty, providing for every physical need. Happy, hopeful people offer sacrifices in grand temples dedicated to their benevolent gods, addressing their spiritual needs. They know that this life—wonderful as it is—is just the beginning, the prelude to the perfection that awaits them in the afterlife, promised to them by their God-Pharaoh.
Amonkhet is a plane of dichotomy. Beyond the lush river valley lies endless, scorching desert. Accursed, desiccated mummies roam the desert, while carefully embalmed mummies attend to the needs of the living in the glorious city. The people have everything they need—they are protected from the desert heat and wandering mummies by a magical barrier, and they spend their lives in focused training, honing their bodies and minds to perfection. Yet they eagerly anticipate the time when they will be permitted to die in combat and leave this world behind.
The gods are custodians of the path to the afterlife, established by the God-Pharaoh to purify and perfect the people who follow it and undergo its trials. Each god oversees one of the five trials and instructs the initiates who are preparing to face the trial, helping them to cultivate one of the five aspects of mortal perfection: solidarity, knowledge, strength, ambition, and zeal.
On the surface, Amonkhet seems like a marvelous place to live, but something unsettling and nefarious lurks behind the grand facade. The wise and benevolent God-Pharaoh, said to be busy preparing the wondrous afterlife for the worthy, is actually Nicol Bolas, the malevolent dragon Planeswalker whose schemes reach far beyond this plane.
DOMINARIA (Humans, Goblins, Elves, Angels, Aven)
Home to a rich variety of terrain—cold mountains, wide plains, jungles, deserts, islands—this plane boasts countless historic locations, from the volcanic continent of Shiv to the time-shattered isle of Tolaria to the wretched island of Urborg.
It's also the birthplace of brothers Urza and Mishra, master artificers who discovered ancient stones of power in the Caves of Koilos. In their lust for power, the brothers waged a savage war against each other, devastating Dominaria and plunging the plane into an ice age. At the end of this war, Urza discovered the dark plane of Phyrexia, a hell of flesh, metal, and grease, where the line between living and artificial was blurred.
Phyrexia nearly invaded Dominaria, were it not for the skyship Weatherlightand its crew. The famous flying vessel contained ancient magical technology that enabled the ship to planeswalk. The Weatherlight, its crew of heroes, and a collection of artifacts called the Legacy (including the Planeswalker, Karn) were all instrumental in thwarting the invasion.
Dominaria was also the epicenter of the temporal-planar fractures that threatened all the planes. A host of cataclysms, many caused by Planeswalkers, left Dominaria desolated, destabilizing the fabric of the Multiverse. The damage to time and space spread outward from Dominaria and started affecting other planes. A handful of powerful Planeswalkers intervened to mend the rifts, thus restabilizing all the planes.
Today, after generations of peaceful development, much of Dominaria has managed to rebuild the cultures of its past. Benalia, New Argive, the Tolarian Academies, and Femeref all thrive as primarily human societies, while the Vodalian Merfolk, the Llanowar Elves, and the treefolk of Yavimaya have all also flourished in recent decades.
However, as the cult of the Cabal grows in strength, now under the control of the Demonlord Belzenlok, Dominaria faces new threats…and looks to heroes both old and new to answer them.
FIORA (Humans, Elves, Goblins)
A plane of perpetual renaissance, Fiora's beautiful cities are known across the Multiverse for their breathtaking architecture and the ingenuity of their inventors. Despite its scenic vistas, Fiora is one of the most dangerous planes a Planeswalker can visit. Every sleeve hides a dagger, every smile a lie. In the capital of Fiora—Paliano, the High City—murder and subterfuge are common. Here, the fine print has fine print. Beneath the thin veil of civility, political factions and ruthless thugs vie for control of Paliano. Those who sit in the legislative seats of the High City control the vote, and the laws issued from Paliano mystically bind the populace. Planeswalkers travelling to Fiora should note that murder, manslaughter, and violence have never been outlawed—in fact, they are tools utilized by politicians on a regular basis.
Outside of Paliano, the populace lives in smaller towns run by local government. Although they are not directly involved in the schemes of Paliano, the towns are still rife with corruption and back-alley dealings. The massacre of Drakestown is a grim reminder of this truth. Although far from the High City and bordering the wilderness, everyone was viciously murdered here years ago, their lives lost to an unknown scheme. The expansive wilderness also remains unexplored. The explorer Selvala was one of the first to travel the frontier, trying to find the world beyond the debauchery of nobles. Although the magic of the High City still dictates a citizen's actions, deep in the ancient forests, there is a promise of peace, for a reprieve from the backstabbing—and frontstabbing—of Fioran politics.
INNISTRAD (Humans, Angels, Vampires, Werewolves)
When the light fades and the moon rises over Innistrad, humanity becomes the universal prey. Packs of werewolves are drawn out by the moon, their humanity washed away by animal rage. Vampire families bare their fangs at the scent of human blood. Hordes of walking dead lurch across the manors and moors, driven by an innate hunger for the living. Alchemically created abominations twitch to life in alchemists' laboratories. Geists haunt the huddled human towns and terrify travelers along the dark crossways in between. From Innistrad's depths, powerful demons and impish devils plot humanity's downfall.
The humans of Innistrad have done their best to fight back. They form torch-wielding mobs to cleanse the abominations with fire. They train specialized holy warriors called cathars to strike back against the supernatural horrors. Most of all, they brandish the power of the Church of Avacyn. The Church is named for its leader, the powerful archangel Avacyn who was created by the Planeswalker Sorin Markov to safeguard humanity and allow them to coexist with their predators.
Innistrad's last few years have been tumultuous. First the demon Griselbrand trapped Avacyn in the Helvault with him, weakening the strength of the rites that invoked her and lowering humanity's defenses against the horrors of the night. When the situation was at its worst, with zombie armies marching on the high city of Thraben, the Helvault was sundered and Avacyn was released. But no sooner had Avacyn restored some measure of peace and balance to the plane than a new threat began to spin Innistrad toward its doom.
Madness swept over Innistrad as the fleeting hope of Avacyn's angelic protection turned to horror. Sorin Markov finally intervened, unmaking his beloved creation. But with Avacyn's unmaking, the last protections over the plane fell as well, opening it to new otherworldly intruders....
IXALAN (Humans, Vampires, Merfolk, Goblins, Orcs, Sirens)
Deep in the heart of Ixalan’s verdant jungle lies a treasure beyond imagining. Secure in the ancient golden city of Orazca, the Immortal Sun is an artifact of mythic power that promises boundless wealth, the strength of empire, command over nature, and eternal life. For centuries it was only dimly remembered, veiled in legend, but now legend has become reality, and all the peoples of Ixalan seek the Immortal Sun and the power it promises. They will stop at nothing to claim it for their own.
The merfolk of the River Heralds and the humans of the Sun Empire have shared the continent of Ixalan for ages, sometimes warring, sometimes in an uneasy peace. But outsiders—first the treasure-hungry pirates of the Brazen Coalition and now the sinister fleets of the Legion of Dusk—have disrupted that delicate balance of power. And as the Legion of Dusk seeks to conquer Ixalan, all four peoples are catapulted into a desperate search for the golden city and the treasure it holds.
A whole world waits to be discovered. Ancient ruins from the Sun Empire’s heyday can now be found, overgrown and half-buried, in the depths of the jungle. Sacred springs infused with magical power well up from high mountainsides. Hidden coves hold pirate treasures stowed by captains long forgotten. Brave explorers from all four peoples uncover such sites as they scour Ixalan in search of the golden city.
KALADESH (Humans, Elves, Vedalken, Dwarves, Aetherborn)
The world of Kaladesh is a living work of art, owing its bright existence to the tangible presence of aether. Aether is the raw magical energy that inhabits the space between planes in the Multiverse. While it's nominally present on many planes, on Kaladesh it's a critical part of the ecosystem. The life-giving energy infuses the natural world, sculpting the earth and waterways, drawing trees and plants into delicate twisting patterns, and attracting wild creatures like a magnetic force.
Ever since the ingenious inventor Avaati Vya developed a process to refine volatile raw aether, it has also been inextricably woven into the world's culture of inspired invention. The Consulate, Kaladesh's governing body, recognized the potential of aether as a fuel and designed distribution methods to ensure that it was accessible to all. Their efforts led to a plane-wide inventors' renaissance, a time of hope, optimism, and boundless creativity. Now, clockwork automotons walk the streets, whirling thopters flit over the markets, and elegant gear-driven mechanisms raise and lower the very streets and buildings of the cities themselves.
As bright and wondrous as Kaladesh is, it still faces its share of strife. A faction known as the renegades believes that the Consulate is infringing on their freedoms. They refuse to adhere to safety regulations and aether quotas, and they undermine the Consulate's efforts to provide structure and lawfulness. But renegade activity aside, this is a time of celebration. The Consulate has recently announced the Inventors' Fair, a month-long festival to celebrate the myriad inventions of the Great Aether Boom. Airships will race, automaton constructs will battle, genius minds will face-off, and elegant design will reign supreme.
The head judge of the fair has installed the meticulous and diligent vedalken Dovin Baan as Senior Inspector, and Dovin has promised that the fair will go off without a hitch. He has recently elicited the help of the Gatewatch to mitigate potential renegade threats. Nothing will stop the people of Kaladesh from basking in the brilliance of their genius creations.
KAMIGAWA (Humans, Ogres, Orochi, Kitsune, Nezumi, Soratami, Akki)
For many hundreds of years, Kamigawa's denizens peacefully worshipped the spirits of their world. Then suddenly their gods attacked, forcing the world into brutal war.
Reminiscent of sengoku-era Japan, this plane contains two symbiotic worlds: the utsushiyo, or material realm, and the kakuriyo, or kami spirit realm. Each kami was a divinity, and the way to happiness was to honor these gods and live by their ways. The inhabitants of Kamigawa were content with this life of devotion. Then the unimaginable happened. Their gods turned on them.
Slowly at first, the kami began to take form in the material world. Some scholars believed they were delivering a message or a warning. But their appearance was so alien and surreal, no true meaning could be discerned.
Meanwhile, the plane's most powerful warlord, the daimyo Takeshi Konda, ruled over the Towabara Plains from his stronghold at Eiganjo. Even as his armies and samurai secured more territory in Konda's name, the kamimanifested in ever-greater numbers.
Then came the night that changed Kamigawa forever. A few miles from Eiganjo Castle, the kami set upon the town of Reito. Scores of spirit-world monstrosities swept through the town, killing nearly every living thing. Hundreds were slain and few survived. The Kami War had begun. Over the next twenty years, spirits of every shape and size would descend on the plains, ravaging everything in their path.
Throughout this siege, Konda remained within his stronghold, mysteriously safe from harm.
Kamigawa's people wondered why the kami betrayed them, even as they fought for survival. What had they done wrong?
In truth, it was the proud daimyo Konda who had begun the war. With aid from moonfolk allies, Konda kidnapped a kami to secure his own power and immortality. This outraged the great O-Kagachi, kami of all things, igniting an ire that would claim countless lives.
Only Konda's daughter Michiko and a stolen kami—an entity who calls herself Kyodai—have any hope of placating the kami and restoring a fragile peace to the land.
LORWYN/SHADOWMOOR (Kithkin, Merrows, Elves, Flamekin, Changelings, Boggarts)
Lorwyn is an idyllic world where races of fable thrive in perpetual midsummer. Its dark reflection, Shadowmoor, exists in perpetual gloom, its citizens bitterly transformed and locked in a desperate battle for survival.
Lorwyn is the land where the sun never set. Covered with dense forests, meandering rivers, and gently rolling meadows, it knows no nights or winters. One of the few planes without humans, it's populated by the short-statured kithkin, hot-tempered flamekin, petty-thief boggarts, territorial treefolk, diplomatic merfolk, iconoclastic giants, and mischievous faeries, all living together in harmony.
Also among them: the elves, Lorwyn's most favored and feared race. In a world of unspoiled nature, they consider themselves the paragons of this beauty. Signs of elvish supremacy are widespread, from their gilded forest palaces to their mercilessness toward "lesser" races. Despite the elves' dominion, Lorwyn's people thrive, respecting community and tradition.
The land itself, ancient and verdant, is locked in a perpetual cycle—and every three centuries, that cycle transforms the plane into Shadowmoor.
The mirror-image of Lorwyn, Shadowmoor is a realm of perpetual dusk and gloom. Here, the plane's races, without knowledge of their previous selves, are locked in a life-and-death struggle for survival. Like the plane itself, its denizens are transformed into darker versions of themselves.
The kithkin, once communal and cooperative, are isolated and xenophobic. The helpful, silver-tongued merfolk are now assassins and saboteurs. The boggarts, once mischievous and hedonistic, are vicious and warlike. The blighted treefolk are murderous. Wrathful giants drag around huge pieces of the land.
The transformations of the flamekin and elves are perhaps the most dramatic. Once bright and seeking transcendence, the flamekin are now smoking skeletons seeking revenge. Meanwhile, the vain elves are humbled and heroic in Shadowmoor, protecting every glimmer of beauty and light.
Only one race and one place remain unchanged: the faeries and their home of Glen Elendra. The fae are the fulcrum of this transforming plane—for it was their queen, Oona, who caused it.
NEW PHYREXIA (Goblins, Leonin, Elves)
Mirrodin, originally known as Argentum, was created by the Planeswalker Karn. Mirrodin's caretaker Memnarch slowly went mad, abducting mortals from across the Multiverse to populate the plane. On this world of metal, the inhabitants brought to Mirrodin were shaped by the harsh environment and became masters of artifacts and weaponry.
Karn was the bringer of the Phyrexian oil to Mirrodin, which began the slow process of transforming the creatures it touched deep beneath the world's surface. Slowly losing his mind, Karn became the Father of Machines and the leader of Phyrexia. The slow spread soon became an active campaign to alter, or compleat, the world of Mirrodin. The Mirrans fought many battles, but they soon were overwhelmed by the Phyrexian forces.
Even the Planeswalkers Koth, Elspeth, and Venser could not turn the tide, and Venser sacrificed his life to restore Karn to sanity. But by then, not even the creator of Mirrodin could stop the Phyrexian machine. Now the Praetors—some of Karn's top lieutenants—and their factions fight for power amongst themselves while the natives struggle daily to survive.
SHANDALAR (Humans, Merfolk)
Abnormally mana-rich, Shandalar is a place where magic flows freely: from the wilds of Kalonia and the kingdom of Thune to the shadows of Xathrid, the peak of Valkas, and the remote Evos Isle. It was once home to the Onakke, an ogre civilization adept at using the plane's abundant mana to craft artifacts of terrible power. Now the inhabitants of this unusual plane must combat the growing hive mind of the slivers, an ever-evolving race that threatens to consume their world.
TARKIR (Humans, Orcs, Djinn, Efreet, Naga, Aven, Ainok)
If this were a different present, Tarkir would be in the clutches of five powerful khans. The deserts and the forests would be rife with bloodshed and plagued by war. The clans would be locked in battle for control of immense fortunes and vast kingdoms. But this is not that present. This present was never the khans' to rule. This present belongs to the dragons.
The mighty dragons of Tarkir owe their existence to Planeswalker Sarkhan Vol. From a dragonless present, he travelled back in time more than a thousand years to a crucial turning point, and there he saved Planeswalker Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, from death. In doing so he ensured the continuing presence of the dragon tempests, the storms that feed on Ugin's magic and birth dragons, and thus he ensured the continuing presence of dragons.
For many years, the clans had been fighting a war against the dragons for their own survival, hoping to gain some advantage in the struggle. But that hope was dashed when Sarkhan intervened. With the dragons' presence secured, draconic numbers grew and soon, the tide of the war turned. Ultimately, the dragons were able to hunt down the khans and destroy them. Then all that was left was for the dragons to claim their place on the vacant thrones.
In this present, the defeated clans are ruled by five legendary dragonlords. Over time, the clans have come to embody the predominant aspects of their draconic masters, and they represent these strengths with draconic symbols. Each clan battles with mana from an allied color pair, wielding its magic on behalf of its dragonlord in a bid to gain control of the entire plane of Tarkir.
THEROS (Humans, Centaurs, Tritons, Minotaurs, Satyrs, Returned, Nyxborn)
Theros is ruled by an awe-inspiring pantheon of gods. Mortals tremble before them, feel the sting of their petty whims, and live in terror of their wrath. It is a plane where barbaric, cave-dwelling minotaurs descend on wayward travelers. Giants stalk the land, drawing strength from the terrain on which they tread. At sea, massive krakens prowl its depths, and sirens lure its sailors to their demise. Yet amid such colossal perils, mortals have found a way to endure, and it is here that the hero's mantle is raised highest.
Not only have the mortals endured, they have managed to thrive, for Theros is also a plane where civilization is protected behind the walls of great poleis, each city-state a bulwark against the raging monsters that roam the more savage places of Theros. Meletis, the polis of learning, progress, magic, and devotion to the gods, is a testament to the achievements of civilized humanity. It is hemmed in by vast golden wheat fields and the Siren Sea, and defended by the Reverent Army. In the polis of Akros, martial prowess is held in the highest esteem. Akroan warriors have reached near-mythic status throughout Theros. The imposing cliff-top fortress of Akros lies at the center of a network of outposts that serve to protect the rest of Theros, a fact that comforts many Therans. Setessa, the isolated polis surrounded by concentric rings of forest, is fiercely independent. Strong bonds connect its inhabitants, and all in Setessa share a veneration of nature.
ZENDIKAR (Humans, Vampires, Merfolk, Goblins, Elves, Kor)
A tumultuous plane of wild mana, unstable weather, and floating terrain, Zendikar is a world of incomparable natural beauty and danger. The plane is wracked by volatile seismic movements known as “the Roil.” Violent shifts in the landscape make life precarious, unpredictable, and full of adventure. Rivers cascaded down from above the skyline. Craggy peaks lurch to crush those who would scale their heights. Lush forests and murky swamps grow over upturned ruins hiding ancient secrets. Massive stone formations known as hedrons, the ancient handiwork of the Planeswalkers Ugin, Sorin, and Nahiri the Lithomancer, remain as a reminder of calmer days on the plane. Days before the Eldrazi escaped.
The Eldrazi were three inscrutable entities of the Blind Eternities, able to travel between planes to devour worlds. Unable to defeat the titans, the ancient Planeswalkers used the hedrons to lure, contain, and immobilize them. They remained trapped in stasis and hidden for millennia until younger Planeswalkers inadvertently released them.
Freed from their imprisonment, the Eldrazi titans summoned their spawn and spread throughout the plane, consuming two of Zendikar's seven continents and leaving chalk deserts and warped Escher-scapes in their wake. The Zendikari who endured the destruction adapted and built alliances; kor and merfolk, elves and humans, even the proud and deadly vampire families of Guul Draz. With the help of the four founding Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch – Gideon Jura, Nissa Revane, Jace Beleren, and Chandra Nalaar – the titans Ulamog and Kozilek were destroyed near the city of Sea Gate. Zendikar struggles to recover, with vast areas depopulated and devastated.
ELDRAINE (Humans, Undines, Fey)
Welcome to Eldraine—a storybook land of castles and cauldrons, of chivalrous knights and trickster faeries. But like the devious creatures and beguiling magic that lurk among the shadows, this world is not all that it seems. Join the five courts of the Realm on an epic adventure for honor and glory, or venture a darker path into the mysterious Wilds. Which path will you choose?
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