The Vorthos Cast

Spoilers ahead as we finish off our discussion of War of the Spark: Ravnica by Greg Weisman, the climax of the Bolas arc. We cover a bunch of minor characters, discussion the specifics of major plot elements, and muse about metaphysics. If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 01:09 – Loreley Wrote Some Stuff for Arena Link: https://twitter.com/_SEV8/status/1121460059425394689 02:23 – War of the Spark Web Fiction Started Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/war-spark-ravnica-old-friends-and-new-2019-05-08 03:51 – Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane 07:24 – Minor Character Discussion 25:01 – Set Piece/Metaphysics Discussion 50:30 – Final Thoughts

War of the Spark: Ravnica, the new novel by Greg Weisman, is finally here! We're taking two weeks to break down the juicy information within that goes beyond the set's plot that was revealed on the cards. SO MANY SPOILERS AHEAD, so don't listen if you don't want to know things that happen in the novel! If you do listen, then enjoy the discussions! If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 01:30 – Japanese Alt Art Planeswalkers Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/japanese-alternate-art-planeswalkers-2019-04-22 Link: https://twitter.com/ghirapurigears/status/1120484459877478405 04:40 – War of the Spark: Ravnica Introduction 07:34 – Teyo Verada 12:23 – Araithia Shokta AKA Rat 15:24 – Kaya 19:30 – Dack Fayden, the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/cursed-blade-2011-10-24 27:04 – Jace Beleren 32:59 – Vraska 35:32 – Gideon Jura AKA Kytheon Iora (RIP) Link: https://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2019/05/finally-rest-and-peace-gideon/ 39:20 – Ral Zarek and Tomik Vrona #Jesguys 43:05 – Liliana Vess 49:57 – Novel Recommendations (Final Thoughts)

War is upon us. But it's been waged behind the scenes inside Wizards of the Coast for years. Today we have a very special guest in Gavin Verhey, game designer for Magic who worked on the set. Gavin chats with us about War of the Spark and how it was a set designed with so many Vorthos elements for us to enjoy. If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! No timecodes this week, folks, just enjoy the meandering discussion!

It's been the final of three preview weeks for War of the Spark, and we're talking about the climax of this multi-year story arc! Lots of announcements were made about the near future of Magic Story as well, so make sure to check out all the ways you can read about the game's characters. If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 01:15 – War of the Spark Story News Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/war-spark-story-hype-2019-04-18 02:00 – Signature Spellbook Gideon Link: https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/18/18412105/magic-the-gathering-war-of-the-spark-planeswalker-death 03:35 – War of the Spark Mythic Edition Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/war-spark-mythic-edition-2019-04-18 05:03 – Podcast Schedule News 05:59 – WAR Act 2 Spotlights Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/content/war-story-scenes 08:05 – WAR Act 3 Spotlights 35:27 – WAR Planeswalker Previews 39:55 – WAR Week 3 Flavor Gems 42:43 – Final Thoughts

Over the last few years, Nicol Bolas has assembled disparate pieces of a scheme to regain ultimate power. Unleashing the Elderspell on his victims, he nearly achieved his goal. Nearly. Today we have two special (and free!) preview cards to share with everyone. Nicol Bolas is defeated, so listen and learn how he lost and what his final fate will be.

It's been the second of three preview weeks for War of the Spark, so we're back with even more flavor gems from this action-packed set! Some great content was published last week to catch up newer story fans with this finale, or make sure to check them out for a refresher! If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 01:17 – Nicol Bolas’s Grand Scheme Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHjeg1DTFs 02:31 – Magic Story 100: Alara to War of the Spark Link: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/jayannelli-04092019-magic-story-100-alara-to-war-of-the-spark 03:54 – WAR Act 2 Spotlights Link: magic.wizards.com/en/content/war-story-scenes 10:01 – WAR Planeswalker Previews 27:01 – WAR Week 2 Flavor Gems 45:04 – Final Thoughts

War has begun on Ravnica. With a set packed so densely with stories, flavor, and characters, we're taking each of the three weeks of previews to polish the Vorthos gems of the set. If you've been out of the loop, we also recap the news from PAX East! If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 02:31 – War of the Spark: Forsaken Novel Announced Link: https://www.amazon.com/War-Spark-Forsaken-Magic-Gathering/dp/1984817949 03:02 – War of the Spark Trailer Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5W9t62t10I Trailer Song Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLL2Gx3I_k Ice Age Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_FY8dKyJFo 06:45 – Other Plane In WAR? Link: http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/183944682753/will-all-of-war-take-place-on-ravnica-or-will-we 08:08 – WAR Act 1 Spotlights Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/content/war-story-scenes 12:13 – WAR Planeswalker Previews 21:21 – WAR Week 1 Flavor Gems Link: https://twitter.com/rpancoast_art/status/1113803037338951680 49:42 – Final Thoughts

Welcome to the end of War of the Spark speculation, folks! We're spending three weeks pouring over the stained glass Planeswalker art to talk about the history and potential futures of each character. This week we're focused on Ugin and the other planeswalkers that lack an affinity for the Gatewatch or Nicol Bolas. What will their roles be in the upcoming war? If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:00 – ??? 02:44 – Ugin 05:46 – Sarkhan Vol 10:49 – Narset 11:40 – Kiora 13:37 – Sorin Markov 15:19 – Nahiri 17:12 – Arlinn Kord 19:18 – Jiang Yanggu 20:18 – Davriel Cane 22:20 – Teyo Verada 23:06 – Big Hat Lady 25:11 – Hooded Redhead Lady 33:39 – Tezzeret and Dack Fayden, the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse 36:25 – Death Predictions 37:32 – Final Thoughts All samples used in this episode from FreeSound.org Bar_Chimes_Sweep_Up.wav created by pjcohen

Welcome to the middle of War of the Spark speculation, folks! We're spending three weeks pouring over the stained glass Planeswalker art to talk about the history and potential futures of each character. This week we're focused on the bad guys: Nicol Bolas, his minions, and a few other villains. Will Bolas's nefarious plot come to fruition? If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 01:01 – ECCC Magic Story Panel Announcements Link: http://www.randomhousebooks.com/campaign/magic-gathering-newsletter/ Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OODLifvdGHk 08:48 – Nicol Bolas 12:39 – Liliana Vess 14:20 – Ral Zarek 17:23 – Vraska 20:04 – Dovin Baan 23:41 – Kaya 28:20 – Domri Rade 32:43 – Vivien Reid 34:56 – Ashiok 39:25 – Ob Nixilis 45:04 – Tibalt 47:18 – Angrath 49:04 – Final Thoughts

Welcome to the beginning of War of the Spark speculation, folks! We're spending three weeks pouring over the stained glass Planeswalker art to talk about the history and potential futures of each character. This week we're focused on the good guys: the Gatewatch and their closest allies. Will they get to be the heroes they want to be? If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:43 – Greg Weisman on Weekly MTG Link: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/395516943 12:26 – Gideon Jura 13:38 – Jace Beleren 15:37 – Chandra Nalaar 16:46 – Ajani Goldmane 19:12 – Teferi 20:08 – Karn 21:38 – Jaya Ballard 24:27 – Nissa Revane 25:12 – Samut 26:18 – Saheeli Rai 26:50 – Huatli 29:04 – Tamiyo 31:35 – Some Extra Speculation 33:39 – Final Thoughts

Slightly more than one year ago, The Vorthos Cast was born. Today's episode brings back original cohost Cary for a fully armed and operational podcast panel that looks back at where this show started, how it's evolved along the way, and the five wonderful folks who make it all happen. Let Jay, Loreley, Cary, Brian, and Ashley lead you down memory lane and divulge the behind-the-scenes history of the show. If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 02:26 – Greg Weisman on Weekly MTG/Panel at ECCC 03:43 – Jay, Loreley, and Cary Start a Chat Link: https://www.mtgsalvation.com/articles/49659-who-is-the-raven-man 13:22 – The Vorthos Cast Is Born 19:14 – Cary Leaves, Brian and Ashley Join 27:05 – We Start a Patreon 28:55 – Listener Question: Full Episode with Arjun? 30:03 – Listener Question: Arjun/Annie Crossover? 30:45 – Listener Question: Will Elli Ever Get to Speak? 31:52 – Listener Question: What Made Y’all Start the Podcast? 34:56 – Listener Question: Favorite Episode of The Vorthos Cast? 37:42 – Listener Question: Favorite Podcasts to Listen To? 43:51 – Listener Question: What Is Each Cohost’s Official Role? 46:21 – Listener Question: Favorite Part of Making The Vorthos Cast? 49:19 – Listener Question: Could Cary $#!%post So Hard They Believe Themselves? 52:37 – Listener Question: What Do Y’all Do for a Living? 56:31 – Final Thoughts Link: https://twitter.com/JodiesJumpsuit/status/1103660116258185216

What a big week for Vorthos fans! Besides the final Ravnica Allegiance story being published, this year's innovation set, Modern Horizons, was announced with two deliciously flavorful cards! We also find time for a few listener questions and congratulate Autumn Burchett on their Mythic Championship victory! If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:39 – Announcing: Modern Horizons Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-modern-horizons-2019-02-28 02:59 – MH1 Preview: Serra the Benevolent Link: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/jayannelli-03202018-the-song-of-serra 08:12 – MH1 Preview: Cabal Therapist 10:09 – MH1: The Mystery Art Link: https://vorthosjay.tumblr.com/post/183126555111/awesome-reveals-from-modern-horizons-serra 14:03 – Listener Question: Best Way to Summarize The Secretist? Link: https://www.mtgsalvation.com/articles/49732-ravnica-the-living-guildpact 16:22 – Listener Question: Did Amonkhet’s Trials Exist Before Bolas? 17:21 – Listener Question: Vitu-Ghazi Weakened Due to Trostani’s Discord? 18:57 – Magic Story: The Ascension of Reza Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/ascension-reza-2019-02-27 29:17 – Magic Story Discussion Link: https://soundcloud.com/user-438748113/episode-70-nicky-drayden-interview 40:18 – Final Thoughts

Wizards of the Coast surprised us with the first War of the Spark teaser trailer...right after we recorded an episode! Don't worry, as this week we catch up with all the public information about this climactic set. We also cover the Orzhov story and question where Ajani goes to the bathroom. If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:14 – War of the Spark Trailer & Promo Art Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn_0ZjpjntE Link: http://mtg-realm.tumblr.com/post/182920955281/magic-the-gathering-war-of-the-spark 06:06 – Announcing Core Set 2020 and Commander 2019 Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-core-set-2020-and-commander-2019-edition-2019-02-21 07:56 – Listener Question: Has “The Gathering” Ever Been Referenced in Lore? 11:27 – Magic Story: The Ledger of Hidden Fortunes Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/ledger-hidden-fortunes-2019-02-20 24:05 – Story Discussion 32:54 – Final Thoughts

We love Magic Story, but it stood us up on Valentine's Day! So we hung out with our mailbag and answered a wholeee bunch of listener questions. You folks asked about old characters, planar metaphysics, pizza, and more! We had a blast, and hope y'all enjoy this episode! And yes, we'll talk about the War of the Spark teaser trailer next week. :-P If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:44 – Announcing the Ravnica: Inquisition Game Link: http://www.dicetowernews.com/ravnica-inquisition-a-social-deduction-game-set-in-the-magic-the-gathering-universe/57452 02:43 – Listener Question: Why Are Ravnican Ogres Different? 04:17 – Listener Question: Why Are Dimir Logos Everywhere? 05:57 – Listener Question: What’s with the Orzhov “Cyclops” Helmets? 06:27 – Listener Question: Can Flamekin Be Planeswalkers? Link: https://multiverseinreview.blogspot.com/2015/09/prelude-to-war.html 10:04 – Listener Question: Any Info on Circu, Dimir Lobotomist? 11:30 – Listener Question: What Is the Nature of The Sisters of Flesh and Spirit? 13:09 – Listener Question: How Catastrophic Would Slivers in Velis Vel Be? 15:38 – Listener Question: Any Non-Card Named Ravnican Vampires? Link: https://mtg.gamepedia.com/List_of_secondary_characters 18:07 – Listener Question: Natural Metaphysics of Planar Fusion? Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/savor-flavor/ajani-faces-planeswalker-2008-10-29 20:21 – Listener Question: Magical Weapon Power Ranking? 26:33 – Listener Question: Where Did the Five-Legged Shrew Go? 27:19 – Listener Question: Where Feather? 28:40 – Listener Question: Which Plane Is Most Likely to Invent Pizza? 33:57 – Final Thoughts

In this week's episode we cover the Simic fiction, discover that Jay has been hiding new information from us, and uncover the metaphysical mysteries of souls in the Multiverse. There's no Magic story on February 13th, so our next episode is going to be a mailbag column! If you have a question you're dying to ask us, you can reach us on our Twitter or Tumblr accounts: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVorthosCast Tumblr: https://thevorthoscast.tumblr.com/ If you enjoy The Vorthos Cast, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thevorthoscast! 00:35 – 2019 Planeswalker Calendar Link: https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Wall-Calendar-Day-Dream/dp/163571527X 03:37 – Listener Question: Where Do Spirits Go When They Die? 16:30 – Listener Question: Which Color Pair Is Most Misunderstood? 21:49 – Magic Story: The Principles of Unnatural Selection Link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/principles-unnatural-selection-2019-02-06 33:33 Story Discussion 40:02 – Final Thoughts