Magic Origins as Told by Flavor Text

Stray into the Morkrut and it may rise to claim you.

"I want to help Zendikar. Show me the way."—Nissa Revane

"I will not rest until the stench of eyeblights is eradicated from these woods."

Doors, walls, skulls . . . it matters not. All barriers will be broken.

"The rare and beautiful butterflies inspire the design of our thopters. The larvae, however, are a different story entirely."—Kiran Nalaar, Ghirapur inventor

"I do not reject the gods. I reject their authority, their pettiness, and their arrogance."

On Innistrad, Liliana embraced necromancy, honing her powers by practicing on scores of undead—and sometimes the living.

In the moment before her execution, she realized what it meant to be a pyromancer, to be alive, to be Chandra.

"Faith can quicken the stones themselves with life."—Writings of Mikaeus

"Your swords and wards have no power here."

"To be a knight, Gideon, is to be the shield for the meek against the cruel."

"Nature can't be stopped. It rips and tears at Ravnica's tallest buildings to claim its place in the sun."

"Don't be rude, Beleren. We just want to enjoy the view with you."

"I hope to meet Jaya Ballard someday. I think we'd get along."—Chandra Nalaar

She will not be content until hers is the highest head in the sky.

"People's thoughts just come to me. Sometimes I don't know if it's them or me thinking."

As the price of wood and coal rose, smiths found creative ways to keep their forges burning.

"The soul sheds light, and death is its shadow. When the light dims, life and death embrace."—Nantuko teaching

"I will be your most demanding master, Liliana. But I have great things in mind for you."

Their strength is no mere numbers game. An intangible force augments the wolves when they run together.

"Canyons in the Phoberos badlands are essentially gates to the Underworld."—Mirinthes, Akroan captain

War after war, a healer's enemy is always the same—death itself.

Liliana viewed the attention of the angels as a testament to her power. Even so, they were an annoyance.

"Arise. You have been anointed by the light. Go forth and fight without fear, for you shall be victorious."

When things get ugly above ground, goblins resort to alternate routes of passage.

One faerie distracts the judge while a second steals the law.

The distinction of bearing the gods' banner is nothing compared to the glory of being closer to Nyx.

The artificers of Kaladesh strive ceaselessly for perfection, progress, and the ultimate expression of elegance.

"Ribbit."

The owls learn of mana from the mages who know it best.

As unstoppable as it is unsteerable.

Driven away by his living kin, he wanders mourning through the wilderness, seeking the dead city of Asphodel.

"A long and difficult incision revealed that all vital organs are housed in the head, save for a long chain of stomachs, forty in all, leading from its throat to the end of the tail."—Mulak Ffar, Vastwood Biodiversity

"Seal the gate. This is our fight now."

"The entire murder scene was covered in dripping, oozing slime. No need for a soothsayer to solve that one."—Pel Javya, Wojek investigator

"The cathars killed my skaabs down below. Let's see how high their swords can reach."—Ludevic, necro-alchemist

"I know what you're thinking," Jace whispered in the mage's mind. "It's not going to work."

"Get up. You're not finished yet."—Liliana Vess

He grants endless wishes, as long as you always wish for a blade.

Nothing of nature nor of mortals can stand forever.

Its screeching is the sound of you losing your mind.

"You were defeated the moment you declared your aggression."—Gideon Jura

To the elves, her spear is a compass; to the boggarts, a harbinger of doom.

The blade glows only for Zendikar's chosen.

If you stare at the sun for too long, you'll lose your ability to see clearly.

"All dead move to the hollow rhythm of necromancy."—Savra

Chief among the tenets of Purphoros is that one must destroy in order to create.

The Boros legionnaire saw a noble sacrifice, the Rakdos thug a blazing suicide, and the Izzet alchemist an experiment gone awry.

"I've broken three swords, eighteen lances, and countless shields, but this little blade has survived every battle, just like I have."

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

Ending her life won't end the infestation.

"Master your mind, or I shall master it for you."

Creatures of darkness instinctively hide from the light.

The evil inside the mountain pulsed at Nissa in a shock wave of madness.

Nissa had only the space of a heartbeat to react, her instincts steering her blade.

The wealthy in the city of Ghirapur outfit their lives with grand machines, entrusting even their children to filigree and gears.

Chandra's gift set her apart and others aflame.

With each honor he earns, Gideon paves the path to his redemption.

"Well, this got out of hand."

The city of Ghirapur is a living thing, and living things defend themselves.

"I was wrong. Zendikar isn't after me. It isn't after any of us. It's not evil or vengeful. It's magnificent . . . but it's in pain."—Nissa Revane

"You've never considered the implications of dealing with another telepath, Jace."

Rumors quickly spread among thieves about a labyrinth without walls and a prize beyond all measures of worth.

When Asha left Bant, she ensured that the world would have protection and order in her absence.

"The bloodlust shall not control me, for my oath is my greatest compulsion."

It's pointless to hold on when you have nothing to hold on with.

They became a single entity, a phalanx in the Temple of Triumph standing against a host of enemies.

A true scribe devotes an entire lifetime to the creation of a single volume, a masterpiece as unique as its maker.

"Boggart blood disgusts me almost as much as the foul creatures themselves."

"Where's the fun in an escape if it's not at least a little daring?"

The harpies descended without mercy upon Akros, only to find their attack put them within range of the javelineers.

"I can think of worse ways to go. On second thought, maybe not."—Ludevic, necro-alchemist

"Beware an eddy where there should be none or a stretch that flows too fast or too slow."—Old Fishbones, Martyne river guide

Alhammarret rose to his feet, and the full force of his mind hit Jace like a storm front.

The wise pay as much attention to what they throw away as to what they keep.

Proud Alkmenos, who would not bow to Erebos in death, is now bowed by his own hubris for all eternity.

"This is our land. We will not allow eyeblights to poison its beauty."

Without the interfering hands of civilization, nature will always shape itself to its own needs.

One orb to guard the body, one to protect the mind, and one to shield the soul.

Once he gets up and going, he will forever shamble on.

The histories speak of two feuding rulers whose deaths were celebrated and whose monuments symbolized the end of their wars. In truth they were peaceful lovers, their story lost to the ages.

"From a tiny sprout, the greatest trees grow and flourish. May the seeds of your mind be equally fruitful."

Each cut stains his blade with fresh blood that he samples to increase his strength.

She haunts the streets, wings spread wide, with carrion on her breath and blood in her eyes.

"There is power in abandon, but far more in control."—Warden Hixus, to Kytheon

Three heads are better than one.

Four claws, two wings, one beak, no fear.

Kytheon and his irregulars worked outside the law to bring justice to the streets of Akros.

Ravnica would be safer if mere coin was all the Dimir could steal.

The ethereal touch brings relief. The physical touch brings peace.

It contains the totality of Alhammarret's notes, theories, and ponderings.

Drakes can swerve to avoid a single arrow, but they can't dodge the whole sky.

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

The essence of nature is change.

Born from the slaughter of an entire army, it bears the wrath of a hundred souls.

"Why does everything the Golgari touch end up sticky?"—Arrester Lavinia, Tenth Precinct

She learned a tragic lesson that day: even the purest can be corrupted when the heart's emotions are twisted.

"Trying to stop it would be foolish. If you feel it coming—run!"—Sergeant Ryda

The sea respects no boundaries, least of all the coast.

The foundries of Kaladesh run like clockwork under the supervision of their formidable overseers.

Blessed by the gods. Coveted by mortals. Beholden to neither.

Rats and vultures devour. It desecrates.

Its blessings are as numerous as the stars of Nyx.

"I was not convinced you had a soul until I saw it for myself."—Liliana Vess

Kruphix hid the most dire prophecies about humankind where humans would never find them and tritons wouldn't care to read them.

Energy surges in Izzet labs are opportunities for experimentation.

Life is such a fragile thing.

It is hunted, but not for the kill. The magic within draws others to its presence.

In time, not even the fire monks could keep up with Chandra.

"A master of hieromancy can see the advantage in any scenario."—Warden Hixus, to Kytheon

"It's all a game. You shouldn't get too attached to the pieces."

After stripping the sunken ships, it rises to the surface for another helping.

He has the biggest bashing stick, so it's a safe bet he's the leader.

Six feet of earth muffled his cries.

"As long as each side thinks it can win, the balance holds, and the mage-rings stand."—Alhammarret

"Come, my beautiful brothers and sisters. Let us hunt."—Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf daen

The spear thrown by Kytheon's own hand was the weapon that felled his friends.

"Drink this, brother. It will bring you rest."—Liliana Vess

All around the foundry, automatons unhitched themselves from their mounts and pivoted to face Chandra.

Jenrik's tower is served by those who once sought to enter it uninvited.

Ravnica's most ancient streets take on a life of their own. A few have decided to move to nicer neighborhoods.

"Your flesh is unprepared for my gifts."

"My scars are my sigils. I will wear them with pride long after you're gone."

"When you are felled by my mace, you shall know it was divine fate."

"Not all nightmares can be escaped by waking."—Ashiok

Grixis is a world where the only things found in abundance are death and decay. Corpses, whole or in part, are the standard currency among necromancers and demons.

When the shadow of the aven falls across the battlefield, hope rises in the hearts of the soldiers.

Not all heroes die in armor.

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.

"The southern fortress taken by invaders? Heh, sure . . . when elephants fly."—Brezard Skeinbow, captain of the guard

"Bant's most gallant knights wear my sigil, and for that I am humbled."

"They started it."

Eidren, perfect of Lys Alana, ordered hundreds of trees uprooted and rearranged into a pattern he deemed beautiful. Thus the Gilt-Leaf Wood was born.

Unpredictable as a storm and destructive as a tidal wave.

It moves through lava with the force of an erupting volcano.

The dead know lessons the living haven't learned.

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

Some will sacrifice everything for but a taste of power.

A weapon best suited for those with good aim and steady hands.

"Every death has a web of consequences. Our job is to find the spider."

"A single tree does not a forest make. We are stronger when we stand together."—Numa, Joraga chieftain

Scholars had puzzled for centuries over the ruins at Tal Terig. Its secrets had always lived within one rune-carved head.

"Pick not the rotten fruit, but neither touch the best. Leave those as an offering for our unseen guests."—Radwick, farmer of Gatstaf

"I've already seen so much evil, so much darkness. Why do you insist on adding more?"—Nissa Revane, to Dwynen

Wear it on your dominant hand and it will follow your lead.

Goblins journey to the sacrificial peaks in pairs so that the rare survivor might be able to relate the details of the other's grisly demise.

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

If you can't take the heat . . . well, that's going to be a problem.

The only thing more ill-tempered than a griffin in a web is the spider that must subdue it.

Accustomed to battling before an audience in the arena, Iroas's champions know how to put on a good show.

True faith is letting the blade fall without parry. True cunning is using that moment to strike a deadly blow.

Thunder doesn't always mean rain. Sometimes it means ruin.

He ensures escape attempts are just that—attempts.

A stitcher's attempt at a skaab with a soul.

Nissa found that the vines of the marsh could ensnare just as well as forest vines could—maybe even better.

The portcullis is superfluous.

It tears the flesh from your bones and then swallows the ash with its fiery maw.

"Her people angered Zendikar, and they faced the land's wrath. That is why Nissa is the last of the animists."—Numa, Joraga chieftain

The Joraga elves never need ask a troll to leave their territory. They merely grant it their combined strength, and it can't resist embarking on a merry rampage.

Loyal to a fault, it heeds its master's every command.

"I don't need your mage-rings or your mana equations. I call, and the sea answers."—Keyta, rebel hydromancer

Waste follows want.

The giant Tarvik dreamed that trinkets and machines caused all the world's woe. When he awoke from his troubled sleep, he took the name Tarvik Relicsmasher.

To stand as a guardian of the sea, one must possess the resolve of a mounting wave.

It was in fields of grain, not fields of battle, that the Champion learned to bear the yoke of duty to the gods. She worked the land long before she was called on to defend it.—The Theriad

"I am the first line of defense. You will not encounter the second."

The reverberations course through the warriors' veins, beat with their hearts, and pound with their footfalls as they charge into battle.

Not all spiders need webs to catch their prey.

"In memories, we can find our deepest reserves of strength."

The metal must be pure. The hand must be steady. The product must be perfect.

"Guilty."

"Even from miles away, I could see our eagles circling. That's when I knew we were needed at home." —Kanlos, Akroan captain

Follow the light. In its absence, follow her.

"The cathars have their swords, the inquisitors their axes. I prefer the 'diplomatic' approach." —Terhold, archmage of Drunau

Of royal blood among the spirits of the air, the Mahamoti djinn rides on the wings of the winds. As dangerous in the gambling hall as he is in battle, he is a master of trickery and misdirection.

Destiny is a flickering path among tangled possibilities.

"Another day. Another avenging angel. Another clump of feathers to toss in the trash." —Liliana Vess

"It saddens me to lose a source of inspiration. This one seemed especially promising." —Ashiok

The thunder of its hooves beats dreams into despair.

Empires rise and fall, but evil is eternal.

"I had hoped to instill in it the loyalty of a guard dog, but with fire's power comes its unpredictability." —Maggath, Sardian elementalist

The undisputed master of the mountains of Shiv.

"Let nothing own the skies but the wind." —Dejara, Giltwood druid

"The desire for its magic horn inspires such bloodthirsty greed that all who see the unicorn will kill to possess it." —Dionus, elvish archdruid

Sometimes violent earthquakes, hurtling boulders, and unseasonable dust storms are wrongly attributed to the Roil.