Oath of the Gatewatch as Told by Flavor Text

It is consistently inconsistent.

A void as cryptic as reality itself.

"We didn't know where it came from or where it was going. All we knew was that we did not matter." —Akiri, kor line-slinger

As easy to stop as it is to comprehend.

"For those without the Planeswalker spark, the merest touch of the Blind Eternities can kill." —Ugin

In the absence of life, something yet grows.

The wastelands disorient even the most experienced scouts, making them easy prey for Kozilek's drones.

"Through all the terrors we face, I hold on to the memory of the world before the Eldrazi came. I'd like to see that world again."

"Our formation was scattered after Sea Gate fell. If you're fighting the Eldrazi, consider us your newest recruits."

"I've heard it said that a Planeswalker is someone who can always run from danger. But Gideon's right: we're also the ones who can choose to stay." —Jace Beleren

"The light of a felidar's horns can give even an Eldrazi pause." —Zarra, lullmage

"The sun can warm your skin or blister it, nurture your crops or wither them, light your path or blind you. She is a fickle friend, but a far worse enemy." —Nazra of the Stone Havens

"Walk now in my light. When the rest of the world closes its eyes, you will still see." —Iona

When properly aligned, hedrons become powerful tools of binding.

The kor of Zendikar are known for quiet determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

"With rope, I can fly as far as the rope can reach. But with light, the sky is the limit."

For a moment they stood tall, all fear forgotten.

"The Eldrazi have surprised us before. It's my job to make sure that never happens again."

"We may have lost faith in our gods, but we are far from losing faith in ourselves." —Munda, ambush leader

"Do not let yourselves fall now. Zendikar is depending on us—on you!"

"For justice and peace, I will keep watch."

"I will follow the light of Iona into battle, and I will know no fear."

Sometimes gestures of support are small. Sometimes not.

"Light can lay bare our fears. It can also make them go away." —Nazra of the Stone Havens

"Sea Gate may have fallen, but we still stand. We still fight." —Gideon Jura

"Follow me. Step lightly. And resist the urge to kick them."

It glides over the landscape. It also happens to be one.

The makers and menders are the first called to battle and the last to leave.

"The stone speaks. We are merely interpreters."

"Zendikar's true gods have risen. Whether in reverence or agony, all the world will kneel." —Ayli, high priest of the Eternal Pilgrims

It doesn't twist words. It twists worlds.

The Eldrazi twisted in a direction that had no name, and a frontal assault became a panicked rout.

"I never thought I'd miss the gomazoa." —Trinda, Hada spy patrol

Eldrazi break concentration like glass.

After the fall of Sea Gate and the draining of the Halimar basin, the crab set off to find a new home.

"Our time grows short. If we wish to vanquish the Eldrazi, we must unlock the hedrons' secrets." —Jace Beleren

The rampaging Roil creates life out of the most volatile elements.

It's an experience you'll never forget.

Though solitary by nature, the sphinxes did not hesitate to join in the fight against the Eldrazi.

"Eventually, everything returns to silence." —Zarra, lullmage

"For the sake of the Multiverse, I will keep watch."

"The Roil may be unpredictable, but it is not uncontrollable." —Noyan Dar, Tazeem roilmage

He answers questions as readily as he asks them, but his answer is always "no."

The Roil takes many forms. It also takes many victims.

"Sea Gate is gone, the Halimar basin empty. But rebuild the seawall and give these waters time, and they will fill the basin anew."

Faced with the novel problem of inspiring an army, Jace asked himself: "What would Gideon say?"

It left behind an echoing emptiness more horrible than the grave.

When Kozilek emerged at Sea Gate, his brood lineage swarmed to the surface.

Only one Eldrazi stood against them, yet the defenders were outnumbered.

It grew with a terrible swiftness.

In its shadow, everything changed.

Listen to the sound of defeat.

From nothingness, sustenance.

It's bad enough to be torn to pieces. It's worse by far to be torn from the world itself.

Kozilek's brood infiltrates and deceives. The spawn of Ulamog mindlessly consume.

"The Eldrazi are nothing if not thorough." —Jace Beleren

It kills what is, making way for what should not be.

"Eldrazi don't die easy. Sometimes they don't die at all." —Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist

"Ulamog stood before us at Sea Gate, ready to succumb . . . and then Kozilek arose. Whatever hope I had for our world died." —Vandri, Kalastria emissary

"The distraction of your life has ended. Now your service begins." —Kalitas, thrall of Ulamog

"Drana commands me. I command my nulls. And so her bidding is done."

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

"Your blood whispers secrets your mind could never comprehend."

Zendikar's defenders include both healers and vampires. One way or another, the fallen will return to the fight.

"I have suffered a thousand lifetimes of agony on this wretched world. I've far less time to share with you, but I assure you, no less pain." —Ob Nixilis

The amorphous, magically animated residue known as the Fathom Sludge lurks in the Hagra Cistern, attacking its prey with pseudopods and dragging it down to be digested.

"Mindlessness is not weakness. When we are lost to hunger we are unstoppable." —Drana, Kalastria bloodchief

"Zendikar will fight until it has bled its last."

The chains obey her. Everything else would do best to get out of her way.

"What will not yield will be consumed." —Ayli, high priest of the Eternal Pilgrims

"They employ a foul sort of teamwork." —General Tazri, allied commander

It denied the Zendikari the chance to stand and die fighting.

"The Eldrazi make worse than ruins—they make a world where not even ruins stand." —Gideon Jura

Tarek could not tell whether he was losing his blood or his mind.

In the face of extinction, the most perilous endeavors can be cause for hope.

"If someone claims the sky is falling, I listen." —Yon Basrel, Oran-Rief survivalist

It's not the size of the rock. It's how badly you want to lift it.

Chandra used jets of flame to lure hellions into the path of oncoming Eldrazi.

Ob Nixilis had prepared for every eventuality—except Chandra Nalaar.

"I run, and thunder follows."

As Gideon kept the brood lineages at bay, Chandra incinerated the bound Eldrazi titans.

There are old goblins and ambitious goblins, but very few old, ambitious goblins.

Travelers are advised to bring extra swords, preferably shiny ones.

"If it means that people can live in freedom, yeah, I'll keep watch."

Never ask a pyromancer if that's the best she's got.

"A touch of lightning, and anyone can be taught to dance." —Tobin, sparkmage

When Kozilek destroyed Sea Gate, distant Valakut could not contain its grief.

"There's a word for someone who brings too much gear to battle: 'survivor.'" —Zada of Slab Haven

As the Eldrazi adapted to the jungles of Zendikar, some took on the tactics of more familiar predators.

A young baloth channels its energy into playful destructiveness. Over time, it becomes less playful but no less destructive.

Jace discovered the leyline pattern needed to anchor Ulamog and Kozilek to reality, but it was Nissa who could trace it on her world.

The settlement's defenders were glad to have such a massive, ferocious creature join the fight—but less glad to see it flatten their homes along the way.

"My heart and Zendikar's beat as one. Together we will endure." —Nissa Revane

Having no interest in the greater conflict, the trolls continue to prey upon whatever wanders into their domain.

Gideon and Nissa carved a path through the Eldrazi swarm, and their Zendikari allies charged into the fray behind them.

The forest floor of Murasa is home to life as diverse and vibrant as that of the canopy above.

"Killing the Eldrazi is not enough. We must erase all memory of them from this world." —Greenweaver Mina

In the jungles of Tazeem, aerial assault is not always advantageous.

"For the life of every plane, I will keep watch."

"Little flower twirl and bloom, arise from this your rocky tomb. Little warrior slash and brawl, be born again to free us all."

"A good lagac will carry you through thick and thin. A bad one . . . well, it's a tasty dinner." —Raff Slugeater, goblin shortcutter

It is a reminder that spring will always follow winter.

"The land gives of itself. Its abundance provides, even in times of chaos."

"My people blazed these pathways long ago, before the Eldrazi came. We will ride them long after the Eldrazi are gone."

"The most elegant solutions are found in nature. You just have to know where to look."

"Humans use pigs to hunt for mushrooms, don't they? It's like that." —Harak, Malakir bloodwitch

"My people are no longer slaves to the Eldrazi, beholden to the past. We will determine our own future."

"Before the battle, I heard them take an oath near the ruins of Sea Gate. I hope they inspire others to keep watch."

"Some relic hunters have given up exploring and gone to fight the Eldrazi. But I know our work is more important than ever. The secrets we uncover could lead to the world's salvation."

Greenweaver Mina and her twin brother Denn lead the last of the Mul Daya into an uncertain future.

"I swore to take one head for each member of my family they killed. My task is nowhere near its end."

Roilmages' tactics are as chaotic as the energies they channel.

"When I'm done training you, anything will be a deadly weapon."

Once a simple tool, it—like everything else on Zendikar—has been turned into a weapon against the Eldrazi.

Forged for victory in a time of despair.

"If we're going to survive, we have to use every tool at our disposal. Especially the disgusting ones." —Ryza, Oran-Rief scout

"It's endearing, in a mystical, pointy sort of way." —General Tazri, allied commander

A light to bring hope in dark times.

The nomadic kor carry only necessities on their long treks. The coming of the Eldrazi redefined "necessities."

"Sometimes being fast is as important as being smart." —Ryza, Oran-Rief scout

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

"Look, and see the future." —Ayli, high priest of the Eternal Pilgrims

Even in areas of profound devastation, the hedrons remained intact.

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

Once a center for knowledge, Sea Gate now serves as a reminder of what was lost.

"Long after the land has given up the last of its secrets, there will still be mysteries in the depths of the sea." —Kiora

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

Despite the chaos of the Roil and the devastation of the Eldrazi, Zendikar is a world of breathtaking beauty.

Kozilek's presence warped the land, stripping away layer after layer.