Amonkhet as Told by Flavor Text

"The gods here may walk among the people, but they are not with them." —Gideon Jura

"The only question we need to ask is how best to fulfill the will of the God-Pharaoh."

What the gods decree, the mummies enforce.

The pain of death is nothing compared to the pain of failure.

"When I wish to be strong, I train. When I wish to be wise, I study. When I wish to rest, I start again."

Rest sometimes requires the right prompting.

"Why cling to these trappings? They are but tools and affectations. True wealth can be possessed only in the afterlife."

"Fly as an arrow through the trials, and never waver in your course." —Oketra, god of solidarity

"I'm never unarmed."

To a trained warrior, there is scarcely a more potent weapon than patience.

"A single grain of sand is insignificant, but a sandstorm can reduce pyramids to dust. Stand with your crop. Become the storm." —Oketra, god of solidarity

"I feel the presence of the God-Pharaoh in the Second Sun, and I rise upon its rays."

Part of the acolytes' training is to walk along the Hekma, staring out at the ravenous horrors kept at bay by the God-Pharaoh's barrier.

Oketra's closest viziers are known as her chosen, though others may have a better claim to that moniker.

"To see gods among the people, part of their daily lives . . . It's inspiring."

"In the afterlife, I'll have no need of sleep. And until then, I have no time for it!"

"Angels? My feelings remain unchanged." —Liliana Vess

Aspiring to earn their place in the afterlife, acolytes train every day against those who fell short of that glory.

"We each have a weight to carry on the road to the afterlife." —Oketra, god of solidarity

"The dead perform all the work here—farming, building, teaching, even embalming their fellow mummies. The living need do nothing but train. What system could be more perfect?" —Temmet, vizier of Naktamun

"Occasionally, there are those who refuse to appreciate all that the God-Pharaoh provides for us." —Temmet, vizier of Naktamun

"You will succeed as one or fail as many."

"You'll need all your strength for the trials to come."

"When the Hour of Promise arrives, the God-Pharaoh will tear down the Hekma, for its protection will be needed no longer." —The Accounting of Hours

The banks of the Luxa River attract all manner of predator but only the most resilient of prey.

From the time they are hatchlings, river drakes are taught to pull the largest prey from the Luxa.

"Let me try one of Kefnet's puzzles. This one was too easy."

Cartouches chronicle the initiates' achievements in the trials.

"Why so many questions?" —Temmet, vizier of Naktamun

"How can there be doubt in the presence of such blessings?" —Ukhat, vizier of initiation

It slithers through the senses, constricting consciousness and poisoning perceptions.

To consult a sphinx is a test in patience. Perhaps that's the point.

"Eyes see only what is possible. A trained mind can explore the impossible." —Kefnet, god of knowledge

"If you want to truly test your survival skills, walk the Obelisk Path when the drakes are feeding." —Etha, initiate of Rhet crop

Dependence on luck is anathema to Kefnet's rigorous studies. Those who hope to escape his maze by chance never succeed.

"It usually appears placid, but don't be fooled. The Luxa River is a snake, and it can swallow you whole." —Neponem, vizier of Kefnet

Strong wings make strong winds.

"The God-Pharaoh created the Hekma to protect us from the horrors beyond and to surround us in his love."

"The answers are here. This is the way through the trial."

"No amount of strength can help you overcome my trial. You must be ready to forgo your body and favor your mind." —Kefnet, god of knowledge

Initiates need worry only about the trials. Everything else is in the hands of the gods.

"All questions will be answered during the Hour of Revelation."

Understanding is a matter of perspective.

The one thing the Gatewatch didn't expect to find on a plane ruled by Nicol Bolas was perfection.

"I do things in my own time." —Etha, initiate of Rhet crop

Though the Luxa River brings life to Naktamun, it's not without dangers.

The anointed work the mines without pause, their cartouches instilling them with tireless purpose.

"The best answers solve more than one riddle." —Kefnet, god of knowledge

The Trial of Knowledge challenges and broadens the minds of initiates.

They are drawn by the brilliant blue glint of the mineral lazotep from the mines below.

Some naga initiates move as silently as the suns' reflections on the water.

Initiates live and train with their crop, the unit that begins the trials together.

"Time is like the Luxa River—though it flows in one direction, it can be diverted."

"I have foreseen that you will not pass my trial."

Only from the sky can one fully understand the horrors of the wastes and the wonder of the Hekma's protection.

"Not all in our crop deserve the afterlife. We must leave the unworthy behind, Samut." —Djeru, initiate of Tah crop

Amonkhet's dual suns don't allow for the darkness of night, so bats are most active under the gloom of the frequent sandstorms.

They are the first to greet dissenters on their journey into exile.

As Gideon watched the initiate murder his crop-mate, his admiration of the city of Naktamun gave way to horror.

"Look! That is why we must never waver. That is what awaits us if we fail." —Djeru, initiate of Tah crop

There is only one fate left to those banished from the God-Pharaoh's city.

The scouring sands of Shefet polish its carapace, and the ranks of the cursed fill its belly.

"The more I see of this place, the less I want to." —Chandra Nalaar

As its parched flesh withers away, its malignant hunger grows.

Those who earn a glorious death are given the highest honor. They are carried on funeral barges through the gate to the afterlife.

In Amonkhet's ever-shifting sands, nothing stays buried for long.

"As a child I saw something walking in the distance, far beyond the Hekma—shadow-dark, and taller than the gods. Even now, it passes through my dreams." ~ Pytamun, initiate of Nef crop

It feeds on dry bones in the sand and desperate pleas in the wind.

"True intentions lie not in the head but in the heart." —Bontu, god of ambition

"There are so many of them. It seems they've just been waiting for someone to serve."

The Curse of Wandering leaves only hatred.

Its breath doesn't assault the senses. It pollutes the mind.

"They are small, but they always want more. Learn from them." —Bontu, god of ambition

"You wish to remember this lesson? I will write it down for you." —Senifet, vizier of Bontu

"You may feel a slight sting."

"The face of mediocrity is wrapped in anointed linen. Aspire to a better end." —Epnokep, vizier of Bontu

"Death has seeped into every part of this plane. I can feel it on my skin and taste it like sand in my mouth." —Nissa Revane

"Wherever you are in the city, you can feel the presence of the God-Pharaoh. Take comfort in that." —Ukhat, vizier of initiation

"All are not equal—neither in life nor after death. Bontu's favorites will stand highest in eternity." —Senifet, vizier of Bontu

Even in the relative safety of the city, there are places best left undisturbed.

"Ambition requires clarity. If you have any doubts, they must be abandoned." —Bontu, god of ambition

Forever restless. Forever growing in number.

All but the gods fear the scorpion's sting.

"Hesitation breeds dissension. To be worthy of the next life, you must never look back." —Anep, vizier of Hazoret

The arrows fell like fiery rain, and for a moment, the sky itself seemed to burn.

"To victory! To glory! To eternity!"

To Hazoret, those who fight for her are her beloved children.

"Oketra had our crop build an obelisk to prove the power of working together. But I am stronger without the weak."

"Dissent? Your gods can't even begin to comprehend the dissent that's about to happen here!" —Chandra Nalaar

The fifth cartouche is the final affirmation of glory, granted only to the worthy dead.

Headlong is the only way to pass through the gate to the afterlife.

The endless expanse of desert surrounding Naktamun sometimes yields threats that the gods themselves must answer.

"Some hid from the storm. I embraced it and learned its name."

"My stride will break only against the twin points of Hazoret's spear."

"Allow zealous flames to light your path and the glory you seek will be revealed." —Hazoret, god of zeal

Never flinch. Never falter. Never fear.

What the initiates face in the final trial is completely at Hazoret's discretion.

"Fight through it."

Hazoret's gift is bestowed only once.

With carrion a rarity in the Broken Lands, the hyenas that stalk the deserts hunt in packs.

"When the time comes, only one of you will be honored by my spear." —Hazoret, god of zeal

"Ashes can't be embalmed." —Neheb, initiate of Ahn crop

In the training ground known as the Gauntlet, initiates are pushed to practice more destructive techniques.

"Those wings are no advantage. I will pin them to the ceiling of the Hekma."

"If you do not feel the thrill of battle, alive like a flame, you will never triumph."

"In the Hour of Glory, the gods and the untested will prove their worth before the God-Pharaoh." —The Accounting of Hours

"The expected way through the trial is far too tedious."

"Combat is a form of worship, the clash of steel a solemn prayer." —Pytamun, initiate of Nef crop

The Hekma may repel storms and monsters, but nothing holds back the heat of the suns.

The sound of its plated tail beating on desert rocks is often mistaken for the footfalls of a much larger predator.

"You are undeserving of the afterlife. You will never feel the God-Pharaoh's embrace."

"Eternal glory awaits you, my child."

Shoulder to shoulder until blade must turn against blade.

Initiates in the heat of combat must be able to adapt to changing conditions.

Minotaurs favor magic that manifests as weapons wrapped in flame.

It falls to the gods to help all become worthy of the afterlife.

"The vizier of poisons teaches an unconventional kind of strength."

The only way to finish the Trial of Strength is with a basilisk scale in hand.

"If it is bigger, you must be faster. If it is stronger, you must be sharper. Anything less, and you will never seize a place in our God-Pharaoh's perfect afterlife." —Rhonas, god of strength

"Everything in the trial has teeth. You will overcome them, or you will feed them." —Rhonas, god of strength

"When all doubts have melted away, the worthy will meet the Hour of Eternity and earn a place at the God-Pharaoh's side." —The Accounting of Hours

"No one is born worthy."

The Broken Lands are littered with the remnants of civilizations long dead and infested by terrors very much alive.

A sandwurm can lie in wait beneath the sands for years until the slightest tremor alerts it to the presence of prey.

"If you fear poisons, it is because you are ignorant of them." —Hapatra, vizier of poisons

A true reflection of nature: death fostering life.

Few can overcome an assault of such aggressive serenity.

Even gods have pets.

Nagas wielding twin daggers excel at the fighting technique known as the Bite of Rhonas.

"I'd like to say that it's our pet, but the reverse may be closer to the truth." —Ixor, initiate of Rhet crop

"Rely too much on your weapons and watch your dreams shatter in your hands." —Rhonas, god of strength

"The lands of the God-Pharaoh are suffused with his breath."

"Like fruits in the field, we will be harvested when the season is right."

Debate rages among the viziers whether comparing the kudu's horns to the God-Pharaoh's is blasphemy or reverence.

Rhonas's monument is home to a wider variety of creatures than anywhere else in the city of Naktamu ~ a feature most initiates fail to appreciate.

The viziers serving Rhonas, the god of strength, maintain the menagerie of animals employed during his trial.

They labor beside the anointed, constructing the vast monuments of Naktamun.

Cantankerous and territorial, sandwurms claim even the skies above their dunes.

Surviving an encounter with it is proof enough that an initiate is ready for the Trial of Strength.

To prepare for the Trial of Strength, nagas shed their old ski ~ and with it their scars, their doubts, and their fears.

Instinct yields the truest insight.

There are no safe paths through the Trial of Strength.

Initiates must train to resist the natural toxins they use as weapons.

Khenra are almost always born as twins. Their instinctual connection lends itself well to their preferred fighting style.

"Instincts to guide. Strength to overcome."

The forked tongue of the naga is sensitive to drifting scent trails from the past, present, and sometimes even the future.

"The Second Sun nears its destination! Let it light the way to ours!"

Many initiates believe it possesses secrets known only to Kefnet himself. Many have become meals trying to learn them.

Her subtle smile is suffused with venom.

Her words inspire action. Her actions inspire victory.

"We do not swerve." —Tah-crop charioteer motto

"My mind is the calm in the midst of the storm, and my javelin the lightning."

"I'll fight no more just for the honor of dying. The afterlife will have to wait."

She can coil a breeze like a string around her finger—or twist it into a noose.

If one of the anointed fails to serve with perfect obedience, the desert is always ready to receive it.

"Your waters sustain the living and carry the dead. Mighty Luxa, let your power flow through me!"

"The worthy shall strive for greatness. Supremacy in life leads to supremacy in the afterlife." —Monument inscription

"They might be dead, but these mummies are masters of their trade." —Jace Beleren

"The worthy shall rush to the God-Pharaoh's side with relentless zeal, rising to overcome every obstacle." —Monument inscription

Blades and bravery go hand in hand.

"The worthy shall cultivate a nimble mind to perceive the glorious wonders that await them." —Monument inscription

Without the God-Pharaoh, there would be no Luxa. Without the Luxa, there would be no life.

"The worthy shall respect the worthy. In the afterlife, all will stand united." —Monument inscription

Five gods, one purpose.

"The worthy shall hone a strong body to endure the boundless energies of the afterlife." —Monument inscription

"When the Second Sun rests between the horns on the horizon, so begins the Hour of Revelation. Then the Hour of Glory, the Hour of Promise, and finally the Hour of Eternity." —The Accounting of Hours

They are tasked with protecting the entrance to the embalming chambers.

"The power that flows here cannot be denied. But where is the source?" —Nissa Revane

Many such monuments dot the wasteland known as Ifnir.

"Don't you ever wonder what lies beyond the Hekma? Beyond the reach of the gods? Beyond the horns on the horizon?" —Samut, initiate of Tah crop

Centuries of scouring sands have carved and polished the rocky terrain of the Shefet Desert.

The only relief in sight is a mirage.

"The fiercest loyalties are earned in battle." —Gideon Jura

Though they are held in high regard as symbols of the god Oketra, cats often lack her sense of solidarity.

Entire valleys have been formed by mummies laboring to find veins of lazotep.

"The nature of this plane makes it almost too easy for me to command the dead." —Liliana Vess

The dead who wander beyond the safety of the city crave only to spread their curse.

On Amonkhet, death is an ever-present part of life.

A mudflow swallowed the lowlands years ago. All that remains are a bottomless mire and an endless rain of ash.

"Prayers will curdle on the tongue and be heard by rotting ears." —Minaldra, the Vizag Atum

With the fate of Innistrad uncertain, some seek solace in remote areas.

The river split into many channels as it flowed to the Halimar Sea. Few travelers could follow the same one twice.

Aether currents in the sky mirror water currents below, including the deadly rapids.

Tazeem's embrace is harsh, but for those that call it home, nothing else will do.

Beyond the chaos of Ghirapur lies a vibrant world where aether flows through nature.

Waterways carve their routes through the land to reflect the paths the aether streams cut through the clouds.