Fate Reforged as Told by Flavor Text

"To survive, you must seize every opportunity." —Daghatar the Adamant

His beasts move the great siege towers of the Abzan across the endless sands.

"The Mardu rush headlong toward extinction. We ensure the longevity of our clan by protecting our territory, not rampaging through it."

"A tempest is coming. Turn your faces toward the wind!"

"Greet death with sword in hand."

Boundaries drawn on maps or marked with stone have no meaning for the Mardu.

The Abzan merchants soon discovered why this route was clear of dragons.

The defenses of the Abzan extend well beyond the walls of their fortresses.

"We'll have time to put out the fires when those trapped within the ruins are safe."

"If you must die today, make your death worthy of legend." —Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

"We think of the naga as creeping cutthroats, slitherers in the swamps. But they are equally at home in the trees." —Goton, Qal Sisma shaman

"Why would I kill you all? Who then would be left to worship me?"

"Her hunger knows no limit. Left unchecked, she would feast on all of Tarkir." —Yasova Dragonclaw

"We do not hide from the dragons that pretend to rule the skies. If we did, the dragons would become our rulers, and our way of life would be lost."

The scent of cooked flesh lingers in the charred landscape of Tarkir.

Every time he returns from battle unscathed, he feels a tinge of disappointment.

Krushoks clear debris from fertile fields, fallow fields, and battlefields.

Bloodfire practitioners train to focus their rage, building it deep inside themselves until they are ready to release it as a devastating attack.

"If the Mardu were more in tune with their beasts, they would not scare so easily." —Jilaya, Temur whisperer

The glittering scales in the Abzan vaults represent mighty deeds of the past and protection for generations to come.

It is much easier to create fire than to contain it.

Ugin's whispered summons led Sarkhan Vol to the moment that would echo down the centuries and seal Tarkir's fate: the primal battle between Ugin and Nicol Bolas.

"The opponent who blocks the path, becomes the path." —Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

"Our victories will protect a thousand generations."

The first khans of the Sultai relied on the magic of the rakshasa to ensure the survival of the clan.

"I have no clan, but I still have purpose."

After countless attacks on the Salt Road where it passes through the frozen tundra, the Abzan began to refer to the area as Atarka territory rather than Temur lands.

"Our emissaries are gifted negotiators." —Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

The Mardu warrior was overjoyed when Tasigur set him free and granted him passage through the jungle. He failed to notice the Sultai leader's cruel smile.

He has spent years training his eyes and ears to detect the subtle signs of a dragon's approach.

"Dragons in the skies of Tarkir—for the first time, it feels like my home." —Sarkhan Vol

"Dragons seek war. I bring it to them."

"The bane of countless shattered weapons, each a failure to slay her." —Daghatar the Adamant

"Study the topography of your enemies, and you will have a map to victory." —Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

The energies of the Temur lands are readily unleashed upon intruders.

On Tarkir, dragons emerge from enormous tempests, phenomena tied to Ugin's very presence on the plane.

In a stunning act of diplomacy, Yasova Dragonclaw ceded a portion of Temur lands to the Sultai. Her clan protested until they saw she had given the Sultai the breeding grounds of the krushoks. They hadn't realized she had a sense of humor.

Anger can empower those who embrace it.

"Never tell goblins to 'fire at will.'" —Urut Barzeel, Mardu hordechief

Each bronze disk on its harness is an offering from a young Temur hunter, a sign of respect to the spirits of the wild.

"As the clans carved out their territories, we saw allies where the Mardu saw only obstacles." —Yasova Dragonclaw

"I will be the ancestor my descendants call upon for aid. On that day I will take up my sword for my family once more."

Dragonfire spawned many imitations. Some were more dramatic than others.

"The Mardu are like the gore swine. We are wild, hunt in packs, and rarely clean the blood from our blades." —Vallash, Mardu warrior

So long as death follows life, the supply lines of the Sultai will never be cut.

Perfectly suited for life in the Shifting Wastes, the krushok is well protected by its horn, its hide, and its temper.

The invader hoped he could survive the beast's jaws and emerge through its rotting skin.

If everything in the Gurmag Swamp hungers for human flesh, what bait could be more effective?

The Shifting Wastes provide refuge to those who know where to look for it.

The best swords are forged with dragonfire.

"Their origins are shrouded in mystery. I believe they are the protectors of the lost secrets of our world." —Jilaya, Temur whisperer

It seldom rains in Abzan lands. When it does, the khan marks the occasion by honoring the families of the fallen.

"You were once Mardu, so your body and will are strong. Now we must train your mind." —Houn, Jeskai elder

No clan is as adept at saying "go away" as the Temur.

Dragons scorn the weak, even among their own kind.

"The one who conquers the mind is greater than the one who conquers the world."

Dragonslayers learned to keep silent about their deeds after seeing the terrible vengeance wrought by Kolaghan and her brood.

"The lotus takes root where body and mind intersect. It blooms when body and mind become one."

Every action has a foreseen purpose.

The currents of the Marang wash away both tracks and blood.

The Mardu all enjoy war, but only the goblins make a game of it.

"Those who died in battle deserve their rest."

He enjoys his work, for he sees only the worst Abzan criminals: those who betray their own kin.

"The bells may one day ring as an anthem of our own end." —Kyu, Sage-Eye mystic

"The quieter the skies, the calmer the mind."

"Speak little. Do much."

"To defeat your enemies, you must remove their ability to make war against you."

Dragons of Silumgar's brood begin to digest their prey even before consuming it, letting their caustic breath do much of the work.

"When I battled Ojutai, I realized my learning had only begun." —Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

"Words have yet to halt an arrow."

The most skilled Jeskai artisans can craft imposing golems with such precision that they will last an eternity—the time believed necessary to master the Fires of the Jeskai Way.

By studying dragon anatomy, Jeskai monks have learned how to locate clusters of nerves that will incapacitate even the mightiest dragons.

"Take inspiration from your enemies, and make their strengths your own." —Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

"Hear me, nameless, and obey."

"Every failure, every death only makes my strength greater."

"The family is a tree, and in times of need, every branch can be a weapon." —Daghatar the Adamant

"Is it better to be a fool or a coward? Fools may get things done occasionally, but cowards live longer." —Ghelesh Shadowmane, rakshasa mage

"Before you can open your third eye, you must prove you can open the first two."

"Dragons are feared for their breath and their bite, but it is their wings that make them unconquerable. Bring them to earth, and they die like any other beast." —Kassur, Sultai hunter

A single battle affects countless others.

In the Shifting Wastes, more are killed by sand than by steel.

A mastodon's path always leads to an oasis.

First, whispers of ancient days. Then, visions of things to come.

"Show the enemy the true path, and the spirit will yearn to follow it." —Houn, Jeskai elder

Dragons of the Kolaghan brood are always on the move. They are the driving force behind the Mardu's nomadic way of life.

"They were your friends, your family, your clan. They want only to welcome you." —Tasigur, the Golden Fang

"No machinations, no puppet strings, no plots. Just pure, sweeping death." —Tasigur, the Golden Fang

The efreet are drawn to the Kaisham Wanderers, a loosely organized Jeskai school where trickery is employed to challenge the status quo and upend the belief systems of others.

Ugin's magic reaches beyond the dragons. The clans have adapted it for war.

"There is no secret buried so deep that we will never find it." —Kurtar, Sultai necromancer

To the Sultai, Ugin's power was just one more resource to be exploited.

A skullkeeper is the first to arrive after the palace archers strike down intruders, probing their brains for choice bits of knowledge.

"Ice can be shaped to any form, even the whisper of a memory." —Mytha, Temur shaman

The cruelest tortures leave no mark upon the flesh.

Few truly live in the moment.

The Temur see themselves as a pack, their bonds more primal than the Abzan's.

When Tasigur sent his ambassadors to the Abzan outpost, the true envoys were not the naga but the infectious rats they carried with them.

While trapping the Eldrazi on Zendikar, Ugin learned little from Sorin, but he gleaned the rudiments of lithomancy from Nahiri.

"Every choice alters the path of fate." —Sarkhan Vol

"Learn from your enemies, but do not tolerate them."

"No sun or fire can warm my blood quite like a war flare." —Urut Barzeel, Mardu hordechief

Dromoka's brood emerge from the dragon tempests covered with tough scales that protect them from most clan weapons and magic.

The maneuvers of the Abzan formation intrigued Ojutai in both their complexity and their futility.

She speaks only in whispers but can be heard over the fiercest storm.

Never mistake deception for cleverness.

A howl on the wind hides many dangers.

The charm of a naga is undeniable.