Core Set 2021 as Told by Flavor Text

"On the eighth day, a blizzard hit. Supplies were lost, and morale plummeted. On the ninth day, Dover found us." ~ *To the Summit: A Tale of Survival*

Within her battalion she was known as the Angel of Arkvale. Until now, that was only a metaphor.

"I sing of benevolence and mercy, of golden wings bringing comfort to the meek and downtrodden."

An aven's gear is enchanted to avoid weighing them down during aerial maneuvers.

Some angels protect the meek and innocent. Others seek out and smite evil wherever it lurks.

Basri carries on his god's legacy, spreading her teachings throughout the Multiverse.

"The will to fight and act as one is not limited to a single world. Oketra's teachings are universal." ~ Basri Ket

"I look to the heavens for hope, but you will kneel."

In the cloudy skies and dim light of autumn, a flash of white wings is a reminder that better times lie ahead.

Some protection requires a bit of finesse.

It's often mistaken for the coming dawn as it gallops across the horizon.

"My family was saved thanks to a single Boros soldier. It's why I joined the Legion. I will be the protector now."

"Rise, knight of New Benalia."

"My falcons are family, as much as any other member of my clan."

Dragons are extinct on Tarkir, but Abzan magic still emulates their endurance.

"Be glad the griffin set you back on your feet when it was done with you. My goat wasn't so lucky." ~ Arram, goatherd

The songs of angels are perceived not as words in the ears but as stirrings in the soul.

When griffins started nesting atop the northern tower, the castellan worried they'd be a nuisance. Instead, they took the entire castle under their protection.

"My lance was once wielded by Venerable Tarrian. In his name and by his might, I cast you down!"

The light washed over him, and in the wind he heard the roars of all the pridemates who had come before.

Their ranks are thin, their formation is improvised, their weapons are borrowed, and you'd best get out of their way.

He will be your loyal champion, and his pack your protectors. All he asks for is a full belly, a spot by the fire, and all the love in your heart.

Empathic words with powerful gestures. Clearly this was playtime.

"A potion is no substitute for a skilled surgeon, but it will hold your bits in." —Torricks, battlefield medic

An untroubled mindnDwells in perfect harmonynWith a peaceful heart.

"I don't know that I'll win every fight. But I have faith, and that's carried me this far."

"You know it's a great show when the Azorius arrest the props, too!" ~ Judith, the Scourge Diva

She raised him from an orphaned pup and gave him a life of love. With his last act, he thanked her.

"All are welcome in the angels' light."

"Gilded with gold from a dragon's trove, it is! And etched with the image of the dragon I slew to take it."

"There's nothing quite as satisfying as delivering a good kick to the face." —Adrasteia, Akroan captain

"I've been carrying a sword since before you were born. I wouldn't give up my oath for all the peace and comfort in the world."

A unicorn chooses only the most virtuous and noble of knights to be its companion.

It's the favored mount of military commanders as well as anyone with a flair for the dramatic.

In dire times, even a place of refuge can become a weapon of war.

"There is no age at which you stop learning."

"I decide what stands in my way."

"I offered to pay him to do the job, but he refused. So I took matters into my own hands." ~ Tahim, the Puppetmaster

"Another village, another angry mob. Why do I even bother unpacking?"

"I'll make ice chimes of your bones."

"Fear is a rational response, but waiting won't make it any easier. Just jump!"

"I specialize in missing manuscripts, pilfered poetry, and lifted letters."

The mage scowled as yet another bolt splashed harmlessly against seemlessly empty air.

"Next time, try something more appropriate for your skill level." ~ Barrin, Tolarian archmage

"I sang of storms, there came a squall. I sang of waves, the seas grew tall. I sang of love, but no voice called."

The crystal pulsed with the power of Teferi's planeswalker spark. Had Jhoira given him a blessing or a curse?

"As the sky opened up, we ran for shelter. Halfway there I came to the sudden realization that, already soaked, there might be more to gain from experiencing the rain than running from it."

Charts and instruments work fine, but the best navigators aren't above a spell or two to nudge the tides in a more favorable direction.

"The best denials are simply that: a beginning and end unchanged, a dream with no memory."

Some who die senseless deaths return as formless spirits, seeking answers where there are none.

"Stop locking your knees as you strike! Now satnd up and try it again."

Great literature can transport the reader.

Truth lurks in the depths, Invisible from the shore.nKnowledge inundates.

"What is this that is neither future nor past?"

The Blessed Sleep doesn't come easily to a mind chained by regrets.

Lost at sea doesn't have to mean lost forever.

"Fine, you know more than me. But do you have to be such a show-off about it?" ~ Chandra Nalaar, to Teferi

Teferi's legacy lives on in Tolaria through the study of time magic and a tradition of irrepressible mischief.

"Tarassel's sixth law of temporal recursion is easy to understand as long as you know the first seven."

Fishing boats often follow hunting drakes to find the largest schools of fish.

"It's contemplative, resourceful, and original. Everything else aside, it's the perfect student." ~ Naban, dean of iteration

Sometimes knowledge takes on a life of its own.

"Nicely done, Jace. You always were good at disappearing acts." ~ Liliana Vess

The Vodalian Empire tends to be insular. The scholarly Volshe caste are the exception, using education as an antidote to xenophobia.

On the open sea, there is nowhere to hide.

"What wishes do they grant? Mostly pinching-related ones." ~ Omik, superintendent of waterworks

There are still places where a smile and a handshake are all you need to seal a deal.

"Some savor the hunt. I savor the kill."

"Six consecutive life sentences" takes on a new meaning when necromancy is involved.

"Even the rats refuse to set foot inside. I fear to think what might be waiting in there." ~ Gravedigger's journal

"Nature is not always gentle or kind, but all life begets life." ~ Marwyn of Llanowar

Resistance is unthinkable.

"Cruelty? No. This is necessity." ~ Kaervek

"In this world, it's kill or be killed. I'd rather not be the latter."

"First, the darkness fell. Terror came next. After that, only despair remained." ~ *The Tragedy of Morein*

"I welcome the use of even the foulest magic if it will rid us of the monstrosities that plague our world." —Munda, ambush leader

As blood touched the empty page, it formed words that seared themselves into the wizard's mind.

One who is marked by a demon in life is sure to be remembered as one in death.

"Defy me and I will burn the flesh from your bones. Betray me and I will steal the breath from your lungs."

Liliana inspires horror in many and fanatical admiration in a few.

The purple banner of the House of Vess is a symbol of death wherever it's flown.

Servants at Vess Manor are chosen for their strong work ethic and respectful demeanor. Being alive is not required.

Her footsteps are whispers, her passage a last breath.

Many an inventor has collapsed under the pressure to create a flawless design.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. When your eyes bleed, and your brain leaks out your ears, then we'll talk about lost sanity." ~ Braids, dementia summoner

"Your crops will rot. The air itself will turn against you. You will suffer as I have suffered." —Karaz, outcast

"I love those who are eager to serve." ~ Liliana Vess

Renounce all limits, False chains binding potential.nPower knows no bounds.

"Drink from the vein? How provincial." ~ Lord Duchorvin

Being trapped between two forms of unlife is a fate worse than mere death.

"Soul, flesh, even eyes—none of these are strictly necessary for deadly precision." ~ Modriss of Zargoth Fen

Rakdos cultists are her best customers. They never flinch at pain and are seldom good at math.

"You were so eager to take and consume. Yet when asked to give, you refuse?"

"Through the blood of the wicked, we shall be redeemed. Let us pray."

"Feeding a normal army is a problem of logistics. With zombies, it is an asset. Feeding is why they fight. Feeding is why they are feared." ~ Jadar, ghoulcaller of Nephalia

The best recipes start with reliable cookware.

The shaman rattles not to inspire a battle fury but to drown out the shrieks of those fleeing the Eldrazi.

Its spark is worse than its bite.

Welcome to the club.

"You hit like a kobold!"

"From a great bonfire at the dawn of time, the first Gruul kindled their rage. The same flame burns in you." ~ Kroshkar, Gruul shaman

"Is it purebred? No, but it's pure fire." ~ Chandra Nalaar

"I think Chandra just wanted something to blame random scorch marks on." ~ Jace Beleren

"I don't think they'll appreciate my . . . adjustments." ~ Karavin, renegade saboteur

"Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. I am."

"One day the mountain's fire will rise up to burn away our chains and end this age of oppression." ~ *The Molten Prophecy*

Klothys set out to mend the destiny of Theros, her fury guiding every stitch.

Those who only believe themselves infected with lycanthropy can be as dangerous as those who really are.

With great power comes great risk of getting yourself killed.

"Quiet in the library" soon gave way to larger concerns.

To the Rakdos, screams of delight and screams of terror are one and the same.

"I'd rather go out in a blaze of glory than fade away and be forgotten."

"We'll pay no more tribute to that tyrannical lizard. A new age starts today!" —Mayor Kadrim, now deceased

Bedbugs aren't the only things you need to worry about biting you at night.

Some dogs just aren't meant to be indoor pets.

The ogres you know are nothing like the Onakke. Possessing both intellect and industry, they had brute strength without being brutish.

The ingenuity of goblins, the depravity of demons, and the smarts of sheep.

Rage smolders within, An all-consuming wildfirenBurning fear to ash

As the blaze raced towards her, Syr Ameril closed her eyes and pictured Castle Ardenvale so her last thoughts would be of home.

"The beauty of it is they never see it coming. Ever." ~ Razzix, sparkmage

There was no witty retort, no confident boast to accompany the attack. There was only pain.

Freed from their respective labs, the two weirds formed a partnership, feeding on the arcane energies of war.

To survive imminent doom, it sometimes takes a foolhardy soul who acts first and fears later.

"Right now, in these first moments of creation, it is simultaneously nothing and everything."

"Remind me again, what's the going rate for betrayal these days?" ~ Captain Rhenmir

"I'd like to introduce you to the new and improved me."

"If it wasn't a blackened, stinking, melted abomination before, it certainly is now." ~ Koth of the Hammer

Common Gruul career aspirations: berserker, shaman, catapult.

Might doesn't make right, but it does win the fight.

"The common folk call it the breaking of the crust or the spilling of fire. Geomancers call it target practice." —Ryda, geomancer

Seeing it coming a mile away is little comfort if you can't get out of range in time.

"I do not miss Jukai Forest. It is not my home. My home is Kamigawa, its people my family. Whenever I set my pack and rest my head, I am home."

If a tree fells you in the forest and no one is around to hear it, "does it make a sound" is the last thing you need to worry about.

The forest's cover offers shade, shelter, and an increased risk of sudden death.

If you feel the ground quake, run. If you hear its bellow, flee. If you see its teeth, it's too late.

All seeds share a common bond, calling to each other across infinity.

What the rangers thought to be warning growls turned out to be nothing but monstrous snoring.

Dogs beg. Cats lay claim.

"We're all food for something in the end." ~ Cevraya, Golgari shaman

"It certainly takes after its master: big and brutish, and you can smell it from a mile away." ~ Liliana Vess

"Wherever the strong would harm the weak, I will be there." —Ajani Goldmane

The hunt ends. Lunch begins.

For hydras, most problems can be solved with the addition of a few extra heads.

"Humans bring nothing but suffering and deceit. They are not welcome in my forest."

"If you believe the God-Pharaoh tests you, charge with me to prove yourself. If you believe he betrayed us all, join with me to fight for tomorrow!" ~ Samut, former Tah-crop initiate

The elves of Llanowar look to their past to determine the shape of their future.

Nature's way of saying "take the long way home."

The shaman looked at the world through Ghalta's eyes and understood that everything else was his prey.

"Never underestimate the ability of natural forces to adapt to unnatural influences." ~ Molimo, maro-sorcerer

"You don't survive in the wild by standing in plain sight." —Garruk Wildspeaker

"Yes, nature is stronger. You don't see little buildings sprouting on trees." ~ Emmara

"What did you catch today, my pet? Ah, it looks like a bit of vampire stuck between your teeth." ~ Atla Palani, nest tender

"I hope the idiot who introduced these creatures to the jungle was their first meal." ~ Opar, veteran guide

Beneath bright blossomsnVerdant with spring's rich bounty, The soul blooms in song.

In nature, not a single bone or scrap of flesh goes to waste.

In the heart of Setessa, the warriors of Leina Tower defend the polis and train its daughters.

"No sight is more beautiful than a clear sky."

"Let's lure the drakes to the webs over the Samok Stand. Keep the spiders content." ~ Aurelia

It spins its web throughout the undercity, strange growths sprouting in its wake.

It cares more about preserving the herd's territory than about preserving itself.

The massive dominate through might. The tiny survive with guile. Beware the tiny who become massive.

Scents fade and footprints wash away, but some trails can never be erased.

Its exploits are the stuff of legends among local chefs and fuel for nightmares among the forest thallids.

Weak and strong alike seek shelter beneath its branches.

"I have faith in your potential."

Explosions aren't necessarily failures, just a different kind of success.

"Just a nibble for now. I wouldn't want to ruin my appetite."

"My roots are ash, my heart a smoldering ember. What I could not protect, I will avenge."

"The enlightenment I never found in etherium I have found traced in the coatl's scales." ~ Ranalus, vedalken heretic

No one is as dedicated to perfection as a stitcher working on their latest masterpiece.

Rumors swirl of a pair of deadly Golgari assassins only known as the Left and Right Hands of Ochran.

Visitors marvel at its design, unaware of the other world that inspired it.

Who would you trust to watch your back more than yourself?

Many names and many memories bound together in grim purpose.

It was built to withstand the ages, but no one remembers who built it or why it keeps its eternal watch.

"And if I'm lying," he began . . .

The myr are like the Glimmervoid: blank canvases on which to build grand creations.

Even its shadow is a dazzling rainbow.

"Sometimes the only difference between a martyr and a hero is a sword." —Captain Sisay, *Memoirs*

"These terms are acceptable to House Dimir. Shall we shake on it?"

The municipal senate makes extensive use of the thopters, mostly to gather dirt on rival senators.

Dominaria's most extravagant crypt nevertheless holds an empty grave.

"No owners allowed." ~ Sanctuary sign

From here, the path to anywhere may be found.

"All peoples treasure a place where the weary traveler may drink in peace." —Ajani Goldmane

"There is no age at which you stop learning."

The Blessed Sleep doesn't come easily to a mind chained by regrets.

"Wherever the strong would harm the weak, I will be there." —Ajani Goldmane

Some protection requires a bit of finesse.

As blood touched the empty page, it formed words that seared themselves into the wizard's mind.

In nature, not a single bone or scrap of flesh goes to waste.

"Basri has shown me the way forward, and I will follow."

"As long as we survive, we can rebuild." —Basri Ket

"All right. Warm-ups are over."

"Come and listen. I'll tell you the story of a nation lost to time, and of the man who caused it."

The problem wasn't that fish had learned how to fly. It was that sharks had adapted to follow them.

"We're done here."

"This arm's got plenty of use left in it. Who'd throw such a nice thing away?"

Great evil weighs on the soul.

"You're not setting foot in here. Not on our watch!"

He became elder shaman when his predecessor was mysteriously struck by lightning on a cloudless day.

"The strong eat. The weak are eaten. That's the way of things." ~ Garruk Wildspeaker

If you're lucky, the centaurs will give a single warning to leave their territory before driving a spear into you. If you're unlucky, the spear is the warning.

Basri carries on his god's legacy, spreading her teachings throughout the Multiverse.

"The will to fight and act as one is not limited to a single world. Oketra's teachings are universal." ~ Basri Ket