Magic 2014 as Told by Flavor Text
"It hurts more if you think about it." —Hooks, Cabal torturer
"Take a quiet moment to reflect on your sins." —Cleph, Order of Redeemed Souls
"Wonders hide where the trees grow thickest." —Mul Daya proverb
An Auriok shield is polished to a mirror finish even on the inside, enabling its bearer to watch foes ahead and behind.
Even dragons fear its silken strands.
A single eye, blinded by rage.
A symbol of ambition in ruthless times.
"Healing is more art than magic. Well, there is still quite a bit of magic."
You're too busy recoiling in fear to realize that it's already hit you.
Masters of adaptation, galeriders serve multiple purposes useful to the hive. When they're not patrolling their territories, their majestic wings serve to circulate cool air through the vast hive chambers.
A symbol of ferocity in oppressive times.
They move in a synchronized swarm, turning entire squads into heaps of bloody rags and bones in an instant.
A strict upgrade over the cinder hatchet.
When the bog ran short on small animals, Ekri turned to the surrounding farmlands.
"Though the slivers may sometimes resemble us, they are not human. Anyone who fights them must remember this." —Sarlena, paladin of the Northern Verge
"I see in their interconnectedness a strange embodiment of the natural order." —Dionus, elvish archdruid
Immolation is the sincerest form of flattery.
"Let nothing own the skies but the wind." —Dejara, Giltwood druid
Follow the light. In its absence, follow her.
"At my feet, invasions end." —Statue inscription
"Few can coax the creatures within the magma to be cooled and take form." —Koth of the Hammer
"If you threaten its territory, it produces spores. Actually, no matter what you do, it produces spores." —Hadi Kasten, Calla Dale naturalist
Raising the bones of Hekjek the Mad proved far easier than getting them to lie back down.
Lightning reflexes, thunderous might.
"I'm not running away! I'm figuring out the best routes."
As demons are drawn to suffering, angels are drawn to acts of benevolence.
Some days you stand to greet the horizon. Other days the horizon stands to greet you.
"The common folk call it the breaking of the crust or the spilling of fire. Geomancers call it target practice." —Ryda, geomancer
"The key to unlocking this puzzle is within you." —Doriel, mentor of Mistral Isle
Seacoast drakes have been known to follow ships for hundreds of miles, waiting to snap up garbage, bait, and the occasional sailor.
"Rage courses in every heart, yearning to betray its rational prison." —Sarkhan Vol
"My commands shall echo forever in their dusty skulls."
"Only when my sword lies idle shall I rejoice."
"This is why I hate settlements. They lull you into a false sense of security." —Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist
He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and the shape of that unfortunate birthmark on your backside.
"Oathbreaker, I cast you out!"
A symbol of passion in indifferent times.
Even the wicked have nightmares.
"We don't like interlopers and thieves cluttering our skies." —Dionus, elvish archdruid
In nature, not a single bone or scrap of flesh goes to waste.
One misstep in the swamp and the evil that sleeps beneath will rise to find you.
Untold riches await those who forsake the bustling world to search the secret, silent places.
Creatures displaced from time still turn up every year, stranded by the temporal disaster that once swept across Dominaria.
"I fear no army or beast, but only the morning fog. Our assault can survive everything else." —Lord Hilneth
"Some treasures aren't worth finding, let alone stealing." —Dack Fayden
A symbol of conviction in uncertain times.
"For every living person there are generations of dead. Which realm would you rather rule?" —Liliana Vess
"One emitted a strange series of buzzing clicks and guttural commands, then clawed arms emerged from all of them. Is there no limit to their adaptations?" —Hastric, Thunian scout
There are worse ways to die, but not many.
"Yesterday you were just a figment of your master's imagination. I liked you better then." —Shai Fusan, archmage
Nature abhors a lot of things.
Slivers destroy those who come close to the Skep, the central hive. Shards of torn metal litter the ground as a warning to any artificers inquisitive about the hive's inner workings.
A skilled Izzet chronarch can carry out an epic vendetta between the fall of one hourglass grain and the next.
"Perhaps you could try throwing a rock? That might be better suited to your intellect."
"It's not just you. Everyone makes it angry." —Ardenoth, elvish nature advocate
The ingenuity of goblins, the depravity of demons, and the smarts of sheep.
"The construction of a defense is not accomplished by adding bricks." —Jace Beleren
Kapsho merfolk have infiltrated fortresses as remote as the desert citadel in Sunari in their relentless quest for arcane knowledge.
"You harbor such vast potential. It would be such a shame to let you die of old age." —Zul Ashur, lich lord
Six feet of earth muffled his cries.
Chandra never believed in using her "inside voice."
Dragon birth lairs are littered with treasure to entice the young from their eggs.
Ogres are driven by passion, rage, and another ogre standing behind them with a whip.
He was left with just enough memory to understand what he had lost.
"You were defeated the moment you declared your aggression." —Gideon Jura
Early sailors thought they were tricks of the mind or perhaps manatees. As more and more ships were classified as lost to "manatee attacks," the truth began to dawn.
The good news is it's so simple a goblin could use it. The bad news is it's so simple a goblin could use it.
Its tines cannot be rung by mere physical force. Only magic of great power can start its eldritch resonance.
"Blood is constant. Every drop I drink, someone must bleed." —Vradeen, vampire nocturnus
"All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark." —Sun Tzu, Art of War, trans. Giles
"By all means, keep trying."
When you need to convey that special kind of message.
"It reflects the purity of Mirrodin-that-was." —Koth of the Hammer
A symbol of sagacity in bewildering times.
"Don't worry, your death will be as informative as possible." —Gorghul, augur of skulls
"I'll make ice chimes of your bones."
"Bottled life. Not as tasty as I'm used to, rather stale, but it has the same effect." —Baron Sengir
On still nights you can hear its rotted teeth grinding tirelessly on scavenged bones.
"Look at that. Shuffling, wobbling, entrails placed haphazardly. It's shameful. Who would let that kind of work flap about for all to see?" —Lestin, necromancer
An inferno is just a gesture away.
"Wind is forceful, yet ephemeral. It can knock a dragon out of the sky, yet pass through the smallest crack unhindered." —Jestus Dreya, Of Elements and Eternity
The thunder of its hooves beats dreams into despair.
"I have seen countless petty warmongers gaze on it for a time before turning away." —Sarlena, paladin of the Northern Verge
"They're smart enough to understand that war means lots of carrion." —Griv, condor rider
They make terrible pets . . . unless you don't like your other pets.
"What you attempt to pull from the Æther, I can spread onto the wind." —Jace Beleren
"Your world is formed from the same power that wraps my burning hand around your throat." —Shrazik, lavamancer
"When I said we needed more swords to protect the realm, this was not quite what I had in mind." —Olander, tactician of the Northern Verge
The travelers were warned to watch out for children on the road.
"And all this time I thought we were tracking it." —Juruk, Kalonian tracker
"The work that went into creating this magnificent specimen. Horrific, deadly, well-balanced. Not all necromancers do elegant work like this." —Lestin, necromancer
"The walls of the wicked will fall before us. Ready the siege engines. We proceed to war!" —General Avitora
"There is one hour of the night even we do not watch." —Sedva, captain of the watch
"I hope none of those were important!"
When you see the world as a dragon sees it, everything looks fit to burn.
Choose your battles carefully. For example, avoid the big guy.
"How can you serve me? By dying."
"What a pity. You should have written it down." —Liliana Vess
"Where metal is tainted and wood is scarce, we are best armed by faith." —Tavalus, acolyte of Korlis
"It is not in me to tread lightly." —Ryda, geomancer
The dread gases didn't kill Farbid. But as he lay in the muck, miserable and helpless, watching ghouls and rats advance on him, he wished they had.
"The forest is my cover and I hold it close. In such a tight embrace, there is no room for wickedness."
"Those dragons grow fast. For a while they feed on squirrels and goblins and then suddenly you're missing a mammoth." —Hurdek, Mazar mammoth trainer
The murderous horrors of Raven's Run are legendary, but even that haunted place goes quiet when the night wolves howl.
Masters of the arcane savor a delicious irony. Their study of deep and complex arcana leads to such a simple end: the ability to say merely yes or no.
"They are the finest companions in the realm. Swift, clever, and easily trained to hunt intruders." —Almira, falconer
She crushes darkness beneath her charger's hooves.
"Do not weep for the frail. Their time couldn't have been that far off." —Nathrac, plaguesower
Empires rise and fall, but evil is eternal.
A prayer to bring demons to their knees.
"You will be reimbursed for your donation.""The reimbursement is spiritual." —Temple signs
The wise always keep an ear open to the whispers of power.
Some worlds possess a hidden core where life's essence constantly surges.
"It is as if this world has been expecting our blessings." —Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Minds, like mountains, are never so grand and mighty that they can't be reduced to dust.
"I am neither their drover nor their leader. To these majestic beasts, I am simply their herdmate and nothing more."
"One of my greatest teachers." —Garruk Wildspeaker
He doesn't hate small folk. He just likes the squishing sound they make.
"Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety." —William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part I
He who hesitates is lunch.
"Life grows everywhere. My kin merely find those places where it grows strongest." —Nissa Revane
No matter how much the slivers change, their collective might remains.
With an armory of light, even the squire may champion her people.
"United, our roar will level mountains."
"Opportunity isn't something you wait for. It's something you create."
When the hive must feed, every appendage becomes an additional mouth.
"Words of power never disappear. They sleep, awaiting those with the will to rouse them."
"We'll scale these cliffs, traverse Brittle Bridge, and then fight our way down the volcanic slopes on the other side." "Isn't the shortest route through the canyon?" "Yes." "So shouldn't we—" "No."
"The hardest thing is finding the right ingredients."
"You shouldn't be so attached to something as fragile as flesh." —Zul Ashur, lich lord
"Keep one eye on the cliff road or you may fall to your death. Keep one eye on the sky or your death may fall on you." —Manfried Ulmach, Elgaud Master-at-Arms
"Your flesh is unprepared for my gifts."
"Some gaze upon the forest and see trees. I see true power."
In the dim light beneath the vast trees of Deepglade, baloths prowl in search of prey. Their guttural calls are more felt than heard, but their attack scream carries for miles.
"You old, immobile clod! If I could stuff your doltish head with knowledge, I'd do it just so someone else could fully comprehend what your stubbornness has cost me!" —Bruse Tarl, Goma Fada nomad
Even baloths fear its feeding time.
Victory favors neither the righteous nor the wicked. It favors the prepared.
Four claws, two wings, one beak, no fear.
Every world is a work in progress, constantly reshaped by time, disasters, and even the powerful magic of Planeswalkers.
Some are born to rule. The rest are born to bow before them.
Its back bubbles like a witch's cauldron, and it smells just as vile.
"No simple coin toss can solve this riddle. You must think and choose wisely." —Shai Fusan, archmage
"Sometimes I come across a stone finger or foot and I know I'm in cockatrice territory." —Rulak, bog guide
The necromancer's touch strips away memory and loyalty, and only strength and malice remain.
With the Stonehorn, piety and power are one.
"Tell the cooks to prepare the fires. Tonight we feast!" —Tolar Wolfbrother, Krosan tracker
Cowards watch. Heroes act.
They call it "stitcher's anesthesia," a spell to deaden the senses while the mad doctors begin their grisly work.
"It has a quickness about it that seems unnatural for its large size, yet its hunger is about right." —Endril, Kalonian naturalist
When he began to curse what he held holy, his strength grew unrivaled.
"Looks like that wasn't darksteel after all." —Koth of the Hammer
"My 'condition' is a trial. The weak are consumed by it. The strong transcend it." —Sorin Markov
"The air stirred as if fanned by angels' wings, and the enemy was turned aside." —Tales of Ikarov the Voyager
"May your day never match your expectations." —Scriptus Fleen, flectomancer
No guts, no glory.
Once a griffin sentinel adopts a territory as its own, only death can force it to betray its post.
"In memories, we can find our deepest reserves of strength."
Even the thrums, the lowliest of slivers, become deadly in its presence.
"The victim was either clawed to death or struck by lightning. Possibly both." —Pel Javya, Wojek investigator
"You trust in the shadows of a breeze." —Noyan Dar, Tazeem lullmage
Grave robbers digging down cautiously listen for anything digging up.
"He expects a reward, but the only piece of silver he'll get from me is my blade in his gut." —Shelac, necromancer
"Their appendages are sharper than our swords and quicker than our bows." —Hastric, Thunian scout
"When your cities and trinkets crumble, only nature will remain." —Garruk Wildspeaker
"You don't survive in the wild by standing in plain sight." —Garruk Wildspeaker
"In the gathering there is strength for all who founder, renewal for all who languish, love for all who sing." —Song of All, canto 642
It stalks the Regathan highlands, leaving behind melted snow, scorched earth, and the charred corpses of would-be temple robbers.
The more important the message, the larger the messenger.
"This creature has innate perceptiveness. It knows when to rise and when to vanish into the tides." —Jestus Dreya, Of Elements and Eternity
"Your mind is too filled with foolish concerns to hear the subtle whispers that the breeze brings."
Many have heard the slither of dragging armor and the soft squelch of its voice. But only its victims ever meet its icy gaze.
For the first time in his life, Grakk felt a little warm and fuzzy inside.
Through its watchful gaze, all slivers may see.
Shepherds in Kalonia know it's better to let sheep roam than have them be trapped when the wurms are feeding.
On Evos Isle, the swift and formidable aven enforce the will of the ruling sphinxes.
Sliver young are sorted into clutches according to their potential and their future role. Human scholars can only guess how those are determined.
Gryffid found his way home and resumed life as best he could, constantly hiding his newfound fear of clouds.
"Virtue can't survive without strength." —Ardanna of the Angelic Council
Every inch of a sliver's body is a potential claw, appendage, or projectile.
He protects Benalia as much with his reputation as with his force of arms.
Goblin generals don't distinguish between troops and ammunition.
Sins that would be too gruesome in the light of day are made more pleasing in the dark of night.
"You're in luck. I brought enough to share." —Chandra Nalaar
The undisputed master of the mountains of Shiv.