War of the Spark as Told by Flavor Text

Planeswalkers conjured replicas of old allies, reminders of the homeworlds that would fall next if Bolas prevailed.

"Welcome to the Legion. You saved a district—now let's go save the world."

"We agree that order benefits everyone, but not until you enforce it."

"Where did she come from? More importantly, are there more like her?" ~ Gideon Jura

"There's something peculiar about the cats today." ~ Janoc, Tin Street tinker

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

Ravnica's defenders watched in horror as Oketra's shot pierced the body of the pegasus. Gideon tumbled through the air, Blackblade in hand.

"A company of infantry is trapped behind the lines. We need to strike hard and fast to free them, or the casualties will be horrific. Send the griffins." ~ Tajic

The sky boiled over the citadel, dire and dark. then the angels brought the dawn.

To Liliana's surprise, the cost of betraying Bolas did not fall on her.

His triumph came not from victory over his enemies, but from the salvation of those who survived.

"If you can't save yourself, you fight to give someone else a chance." ~ Ajani Goldmane

"We need to block the exits from the plaza! What's big, heavy, and available?" ~ Gideon Jura

"See that no one enters or leaves New Prahv today. And notify me at once of any Planeswalker activity." ~ Dovin Baan

His voice is both war horn and rallying cry, a trumpeting call that stirs even the faintest heart.

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

"If I am to die in service, there is no more worthy fight than this."

"I don't understand. He's normally so well behaved!"

After millenia to craft victory, Bolas had eternity to contemplate defeat.

Even the clouds became a field of battle. Known as the Sky Theater, it saw the Eternals clash with squadrons of angels.

The heart of Ravnica disappeared before anyone could strike a blow in its defense.

Grief is a crucible where resolve is tempered.

Not even a threat to the entire Multiverse could persuade them to put aside their feud.

At Feather's command, squadrons of battle angels swarmed out of the Parhelion II, unsheathing blades made of molten dawn.

Teyo gifted shields to as many allies as possible, knowing he could not always be there to protect them himself.

"Some bend the law. I tie it into knots.

Bolas cared little when his statue fell, thinking it a useful distraction, underestimating the surge of resolve it gave his opponents.

"Would you give your life to save the world?" Gideon murmured. The pegasus snorted and spread wide its mighty wings.

"Precise, clean cuts. No one saw anything. Again. Tag the report with my code and file it." ~ Lavinia

Soaring over Vitu-Ghazi, New Prahv, and Orzhova, the Conclave's trained falcons provided critical intelligence.

"Fear writhes and whispers in the shadows of your mind. It is the enemy you always knew would come." ~ Ashiok

"There is no future save the one my master wills."

"I've never seen the firemane angels so anxious." ~ Tajic

"Together we can unlock secrets no one has even dreamed of. I might even let you remember some of them."

"They make it clear we are nothing to them." ~ Lavinia

"Even gods shall kneel." ~ Nicol Bolas

Niv Mizzet had perfected a plan, but he had no control over the mortal minds who had to agree to implement it.

"All I ask is complete obedience." ~ Nicol Bolas

An Izzet experiment begins with a "what if," gets approved with a "why not," and concludes with a "eureka!"

Ugin saw the gem that connected Bolas to his Meditation Realm as the key to his brother's downfall.

"Inform our allies in the Tenth and throw the circuit. It's about to get weird."

His triumph was not in outsmarting Bolas's plan, but in understanding why ultimate power is self-defeating.

"Hop away now, little Eternal. Go eat some flies." ~ Kasmina

"When your enemy flees, send the sea to pursue them." ~ Kiora

"I recognize that headdress. This one was feared even by her fellow initiates." ~ Samut

"In the disarray of battle, an enemy's attack may be your most convenient weapon." ~ Narset

Jace surmised that they were walking into Bolas's trap. He felt no joy in being right.

They approach in formation, every movement efficient and sure. They halt, listen, and then press on in silent unison.

"Now, little fighter, show me you deserved this second chance."

Courier owls joined the fray, attacking the Dreadhorde with a viciousness usually reserved for mail thieves.

They worked well as a team, but they knew it couldn't last forever.

"What they don't know will definitely hurt them." ~ Lazav

Tamiyo wished only to observe the war, but she soon realized neutrality was not an option.

"The safest place for you is not now."

The arrival of the Planar Bridge caused eddies in the aether, creating some entirely new species while transforming others.

At least this was better than that week at the Juri Revue.

"It's strangely satisfying seeing an undead killing machine from another world standing befuddled in front of a wall of text." ~ Lavinia

"I never liked you. Now get up—we have a fight to finish."

"I wish I could train a pack of them for hunting in the undercity. But I'd never dare turn my back, and I hate to think what I'd have to feed them." ~ Zhosmir, urban huntmaster

"Today we throw off the yoke of death. Either this is an affirmation of the eternal cyclical nature of life, or it's just hilarious—depends on which of us you ask."

"War or no war, your donations are due, as always."

Liliana seized the reins of Bolas's vast army, gritting her teeth behind the Chain Veil.

Shadows coiled around the witness's mind. Then the moment vanished, leaving only the sting of its loss.

The feline Eternal felt Liliana's command, looked at her disdainfully, flicked its paw, and scampered away across the rooftops.

Gideon eyed the Dimir emissary warily. "Could your agents slip inside Bolas's citadel?" The figure met his gaze with icy resolve. "We already have."

The path to power is often paved with atrocities.

"They are called Eternals. They will never stop." ~ Jace Beleren

When you rule by fear, your greatest weakness is one who's no longer afraid.

Amonkhet's dead flowed into a new world in service to their God-Pharaoh.

The Eternals found some sparks to be quite slippery.

"I know I should be more concerned. But a big, blue zombie-potamus from beyond the stars? This is what they're invading us with?" ~ Mileva, Boros legionnaire

Despite their many forms, the Eternals worked in chilling harmony, unburdened by instinct or emotion.

Her triumph came not from escaping her death, but in claiming her independence.

Trapped on Ravnica with no affection for either side, Ob Nixilis sought gratification in random acts of torment.

The moment Liliana defied Nicol Bolas, her contract was broken, and her life was forfeit. But she was free to choose her fate, and she decided it was worth the price.

"It's faster than we are. Draw its attention while the Ledev take aim!" ~ Shauntal, Boros legionnaire

"I see you're out of the wall." ~ Nahiri

With the harvest of Domri's spark, the Elderspell began to fuel Bolas's ascension to godhood.

"I know they're unstoppable fighters created to harvest souls—it's just they're so rude about it." ~ Kaya

"I've always said full war chests win wars, but I didn't mean by bashing enemy skulls with them." ~ Teysa

"No one will ever ride me again, Gideon. Expect no further favors." ~ Rakdos

"I think I cracked a fang."

His blessing is a curse.

"You might have pleaded your case with my queen earlier. Now I am here, and it is far too late."

"Give me a crew like this one and I'd rule any sea I sailed." ~ Angrath

"Peril is in the eye of the beholder. At least, if your aim is good." ~ Jaya Ballard

"Give them everything you've got . . . and some things you don't. ~ Ral Zarek

"Why don't we fight for what's right and let bureaucrats argue over the details?"

"This day will end in death, but not the one you hoped for. This day will end in victory, but not the one you expected."

"You say this Tenth District, not Rubblebelt. But where smash happen, that Rubblebelt. Rubblebelt state of mind." ~ Urgdar, cyclops philosopher

"Now that I've dealt with your little toys, I can focus on the real problem: you." ~ Chandra Nalaar, to Dovin Baan

Her triumph came from not achieving her ideal self, but from rejecting the idea of perfection.

Every storm has an eye.

"For every inch of land they take from us, we take it back or we burn it. Give them nothing." ~ Aurelia

There's no crisis a hellion can't make worse.

What he lacks in patience, intelligence, empathy, lucidity, hygiene, ability to follow orders, self-regard, and discernible skills, he makes up for in sheer chaotic violence.

Under the veneer of the various guilds, each goblin has the same basic need: to run screaming at the enemy and hit a bunch of stuff.

Beneath each gleaming mineral shell rots a once-proud warrior of Amonkhet.

The mage looked within and realized there was still one piece of fuel to burn.

In life, they revered a diverse pantheon of gods. Now they revere only the God-Pharaoh.

"Fall back! You are no match for this." ~ Samut

"We have visitors? Well, it'd be rude not to give them a traditional Keral Keep welcome."

"After the people flee, but before the enemy arrives—that's grabbin' time."

The ancient Planeswalkers Sorin and Nahiri battled across Ravnica, their blows cutting as deep as their grudge.

"Seeing so much easy prey makes her crazy. See how she snorts and drools?" ~ Dhuuz, kronch wrangler

Samut's war was intensely personal. Every hour she faced enemies she once loved as friends and horrors she once revered as gods.

"You once brought havoc to my home and ruined my mind. I'm here to return the favor, Bolas."

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

"Find out whose that is. I like its energy." ~ Judith

Common Gruul career aspirations: berserker, shaman, catapault.

"We fight to stop a tyrant, but we also fight for the gentle creatures who have no concept of what befalls their world." ~ Vivien Reid

"If you don't speak wolf, allow me to translate: 'One step closer and I'll rip out your throat.'" ~ Arlinn Kord

The Eternal armies advanced on Vitu-Ghazi. At Nissa's command, Vitu-Ghazi advanced on them.

In times of peril, the vision the ancient paruns had for their city comes into focus.

"Tread upon these flower beds at your own peril." ~ Emmara

"We agree that life should flourish. We disagree on the optimal number of limbs."

"I call upon the vigor of the grasses, the hopes of the flowers, and the dreams of the trees."

For most, war is a calamity. For some, an opportunity. And for the very few, a pleasure.

"Thanks to my father, I know how to fight. He also showed me why I must."

"To care for yourself, cultivate the world. To care for the world, cultivate yourself."

Some spells sing a quiet tune. Others roar.

The druid knew only one spell, a charm to encourage rapid plant growth. When airborne Eternals invaded her arboretum, she had to get creative.

"Sometimes Mowu is content to gnaw on a bone. Sometimes he wants the whole skeleton." ~ Jiang Yanggu

He listens to the sounds of battle filtering down from above, waiting for silence, waiting for his time to claim the streets.

Looking over two city blocks of destruction, he could only cackle with pride.

Wherever Yanggu goes, Mowu follows—sometimes at his side, sometimes obscuring him from view entirely.

Her triumph came not from destroying the unnatural, but from fostering life.

"There are many kinds of duty, and mine is to see our world grow and endure."

Elite training, singled-minded devotion, and lazotep coating help only so much for invaders who are fundamentally bite-sized.

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

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

The archer's heart broke seeing her compatriots die far below, but she held position until the enemy was in range.

"If we die, we die. But we cannot let him win." ~ Ajani Goldmane

"I thought this was a civilized place. How are there so many feral beasts?" ~ Dovin Baan

"The Eternals had to endure Amonkhet's five trails. Let's see if they can pass the Trial of Ravnica." ~ Jace Beleren

"Grand city? No. This is nothing but another squalid cage."

"Whichever side wins, I'm sure the banquet will be superb."

"They say nothing lasts forever. I say everything lasts forever, just not in the form you may be accustomed to." ~ Vraska

Liliana whispered to whatever consciousness Oketra and Bontu had left. "You are the gods. He is the usurper. You know what to do"

"When civilization teeters on the brink, I'll be there to kick it the rest of the way."

"I see you've learned nothing, Chandra. You'd still put a match to something rather than understand it."

"Be careful. You'll have more than Dovin to contend with if you hope to breach New Prahv" ~ Lavinia, to Chandra Nalaar

Kytheon had known war every day of his life. Now he finally knew peace.

The essence of Ixalan was never far from Huatli's heart.

Death greeted the world with a roar of desert air.

It feeds on the dark energies that course through the deep world—and on any other creature lured by the leyline's pull.

"The ancient places of Ravnica awaken, stirred by the hoofbeats of Ilharg!" ~ Nikya of the Old Ways

Despite their stake in the city's survival, Rakdos cultists are loath to pass up any opportunity to sow chaos.

"So everyone gets what they truly deserve, I will keep watch."

"No one hero will save this day. Today we must all be heroes." ~ Gideon Jura

"Time to find the melting point of lazotep." ~ Ral Zarek

Uthlon the Wise scandalized sphinx society, hooting the answers to riddles as he rampaged through Tin Street. Grangle, on the other hand, sat for hours, deep in thought, largely ignored by fellow goblins.

"If the system is broken, break the system." ~ Domri Rade

"The primary weapon is nothing more than light. It shows them what they are, and they burn of their own accord." ~ Aurelia

As the Eternal's cold fingers tightened around his throat, Domri realized what kind of master he had rushed to serve.

In times of war, only death flourishes.

"The Tenth is under heavy attack, but it's being handled. I sent Mileva." ~ Tajic

"To comprehend the full answer requires years of temporal study. In short, they were now never born in the first place." ~ Teferi

"The hero with the magic sword slays the dragon? Not this time." ~ Nicol Bolas

The city mourned for Niv-Mizzet's death, but he left behind the components for his rebirth.

A dictator's infuriating smirk, an affront to everything Ravnica stood for.

"Hopefully Ravnica will prove harder to break." ~ Karn

"Why would someone have built ... wait, never mind. Send it to the front lines!" ~ Commander Grozdan

"I don't care if it's an all-powerful relic or a street vendor's lucky charm. If it brings you courage, wear it." ~ Saheeli Rai

It didn't budge when the portal opened, nor when the ancient gods emerged. I came to life only when all ten guilds came together to face a common threat.

"Track the source of those thopters," Saheeli told her creation. "And feel free to snack on as many as you want."

The Planar Bridge opened over the Chamber of the Guildpact, reducing the symbol of Ravnica's endurance to rubble.

Guild leaders focused their magic on the portal scar. Where the Chamber perished, a parun could be reborn.

"I can't protect everyone here. But those I can, I will." ~ Karn

Sometimes the strongest weapon you can hold in your hand is another hand.

Ravnica held its breath as the hero of the resistance—their last hope—flew through the sky, his dark sword ready to strike a god.

"Break their formation! Thin their ranks! I'm right behind you!"

"For the Legion! For Ravnica!"

"So much wealth. So much splendor. So much temptation to believe the gilded lie." ~ Kaya

"Of course you're being followed!"

"Pardon me if I seem distracted. Part of me is reconnoitering the Tenth District."

"The Eternals can recognize faces. They just think I look like a blue minotaur."

"Mystery is beauty. Within the unknown we plumb revelation." ~ Vannifar