Lorwyn And Shadowmoor: The Complete History | Magic: The Gathering Lore

lorwyn shadowmoor morning tide evantide sets of magic the gathering that all take place on the same plane with each having distinctly different aesthetics most worlds in mtg are built to be cohesive characters places ecology races they stick to a reliable script that helps you to easily identify the plane that they come from this is world building but today we examine a world that subverts this idea one that bridges the gap between two distinct feelings and openly switches between them these are the secret tribes of night and day the duality that is whirlwind [Music] lorwyn a world of perpetual midsummer a green sapphire placed at the furthest edges of the multiverse lorwyn is seldom traveled to by planeswalkers but those who have visited this world through the blind eternities recant an almost idyllic utopia of peaceful rolling hills and lush abundant forests unlike most planes the concepts of strife and wants seem to be in short supply here sure there are the rare skirmishes between the established races and tribes here but all in all it's a plane almost as perfect as one could be that is almost the truth is as pleasant as lorwin appears it too hides a dark secret a mirrored reality one that reflects the world itself and inverts it at shrouded dusk lorowin becomes shadowmore on shadowmoor green is an abstract concept as vegetation wilts and dies farms fall to shambles as famine runs rampant the docile demeanors of lorwin's denizens gives way to the ugliest emotions one can think of it's a plane turned on its head but those who live here aren't even aware this change occurs lorwyn and shadowmore are more like two realities sharing the same plane of existence rather than the plane itself going through some change the physical realm the people the places they remain the same but reality is altered as if as the change occurs people hop into a different timeline a timeline in which shadowmoor has always existed their lives in this dark foreboding unpleasant land it has a history and to them it has always been and always will be shadowmore when this change overtakes lorwin every night as the sun sets and the plane becomes shadowmore the denizens in their new forms continue the lives they left off from the previous nights and as the darkness breaks with the rising sun their lives on whirlwind with all their sunlit memories of joy and merriment continue on from the previous day with each reality none the wiser to the existence of the other on this world every being lives a double life and they just don't know it but who are the denizens of this world what is their culture and attitudes when bathed in the plentiful glow of lorwyn's endless days on the plane of lorowin the world plays host to all matter of strange creatures and odd monsters while some of the civilized races here may seem familiar there exists an ever-present air of something just being off about them they hardly fit into traditional molds and things only get weirder as the plane itself goes through an ecological change but we're getting ahead of ourselves humanoid creatures on lore wind are categorized into tribes which traditionally support themselves and stay pretty isolated from other groups or races lorowin is very much a tribalistic plane in that there is little cooperation between the various civilized races trading and communication does exist but as a general rule tribes only care about the safety and prosperity of their own kind making lorwin the perfect plane to play with supported tribal mechanics in magic the gathering these are the tribes of lorowin [Music] let's start off with a very strange creature which doesn't really have a supported tribe in and of itself but actually is every single other tribe on lorowin the shapeshifters known as chainlings have the unique ability to change their bodies to fit whatever object or people are around them now these transformations aren't considered perfect as you can easily tell when a changeling is trying to mimic another person they're given away by this translucent glow that shimmers across their skin and let's just say their transformation is hardly perfect still changelings are a very mysterious race on lorowin their nature is rather docile and oftentimes playful which means they actually get along quite well with other races in lorwin still they mostly live solitary lives not much is known about how changelings reproduce or what their social structure might look like so while the changelings can actually beat any tribe on lorwin they lack the necessary traits to be considered a tribe in among themselves [Music] lorwin is one of the few planes in the multiverse that doesn't have its own native population of humans the closest relative to humans one can find on lurwin would be the kindly kefkin immediately kith can give off a halfling vibe that being they're basically small humanoid creatures known more for their quick agile movements than their physical strength on lore wind they cherish values such as community honesty and cooperation traits that go a long way in preserving the kit contrived from threats to the kitkin cooperation is everything and this is because they share a collective consciousness known as the thought left the thought left is a type of tribal magic that connects the minds of all kitkin making communication even across great distances effortless for this tribe the thought left also acts as an empathic web sharing every individual kitkins emotions and thoughts with the collective every kitkin can quite literally walk a mile in any other individual shoes meaning they're quite a perceptive race tuned to better understand the feelings of others and relate to them this creates a strong social network for the kitchen one dominated by friendliness and empathy this is why it's nearly impossible to see a feud happen between members of the same clan ekitin's civil war is unheard of the sharing of ideas from group to group has gone a long way in advancing kitkin technology as one breakthrough is quickly adopted and improved upon by the collective this has led to the kithkin of lorowin to be some of the most ingenious thinkers on the plane and arguably one of the most technologically advanced they are renowned craftsmen and engineers creating balloon-driven air vehicles while other races still rely on flying animal mounts this collective knowledge is also used in their magical practices making kitkins skilled alchemists and powerful mages specializing in healing salves barriers and auras the thought left not only allows for a civil pact of sorts it's also imperative for their martial independence not being a physically apt race the kithkin could have in years past been easily taken out by stronger tribes such as the elves or giants but the thought left provides the kithkin with a tactical advantage in unparalleled cooperation even in the heat of battle with commands and strategies being relayed in real time they are some of the most efficient and pragmatic battlefield commanders being able to think with a thousand minds and execute orders almost like it was instinct making the jovial kifkin some rather underestimated opponents when the kethgan do go to battle they rely on stories and customs passed down to them by their ancestors in the book of keth and ken an ancient dome categorizing their people's triumphs and failures kithkin society is a tight-knit world of kinship and camaraderie there are mostly a farming people tending to land and livestock like the spring jacks a goat-like creature the kid can often ride to battle and also farm for their milk and wool kevkin live in villages known as clachans where its mayor known as asen provides over important matters big clatchens such as gold meadow and kinsbale become epicenters of kitkin society and important leaders such as goddaktig are looked at by others as rockstars of the community another living legend of the kitkin is the stout ranger bridget bailey from the clatton of king's bale bard sings stories of her many victories repelling invaders with her remarkable aim at the bow she was even able to assist in the massive events that plagued lorwin in its plain story she's gone down as one of the true heroes in kithken lore a big part of the public life of ekithkin revolves around civil practices such as celebrating the llama style holiday it's a time where kids can come together to dance drink and most importantly strengthen the thought left the bonds of kinship can be frayed throughout the years and this llama-styled celebration is a means of repairing those damages and ensuring that the thought left is never lost the llamas died is also a time to share in stories and myths to reinforce their faith in the greater elements of lorwin these are beings that embody abstract concepts like dreams love and guile who the kid can see as powerful omens and shapers of the future hifkin by their very nature are a rather suspicious tribe because of their thought left they're adept at feeling the emotions of their own kind but struggle to connect with those outside of their race while kithkin aren't known to be aggressive to outsiders they're always treated with a certain amount of suspicion hitkin are a fairly isolated race insulated by their own culture and strange customs while courteous and kind a stranger ought not press their luck when treated as a visitor [Music] the tree folk of lorwin are by far the oldest sentient race on the plane as well as the longest lived tree folk here much like tree folk on other planes are sentient trees able to walk think and communicate with others they're in all real respects physically a tree that has the magical ability of free will as such the tree folk here begin life simply as any other tree would as a seed that's been pollinated planted and taken root in fact a tree folk can grow and be confused for any ordinary tree for the greater part of its early life it's not until a process known as the rising occurs does a tree folk of lorowin take on its normal physical attributes and wrenches itself from the earth during its formidable years trevo grow in nursery groves watched over by mature tree folk who protect it as their guardian while rooted the potential tree folk absorbs the ancient knowledge of the plane learned by this race over the centuries in this they share a communal history of the world much in the same vein as kiff can share a single consciousness when the rising takes place the young tree folks become mobile and set out on their own to share their ancient wisdom of the world with those they deem worthy of it eventually settling down and creating a grove of their own as some tree folks groves can be massive in size they often expand into small kitkin villages so long as their non-tree residents respect the sanctity of the grove the tree folk guardian of said grove would in turn protect that kitkin village showing that this race can be protective towards more than just its own kind as they're just sentient trees tree folk of lorwin aren't defined as a single species of trees but rather can awaken from any number of different tree variants all with differing attributes and personalities as tree folk for example are seen as generally the friendliest variety while also being some of the strongest warriors and wisest lore keepers black populars are scholars of healing arts they're shamanistic by nature and they heal other tree folk by magically absorbing whatever pains the victim into themselves in that the black popplers are some of the most selfless tree folk out there taking on the pain of others however this leaves many feeling bitter and secluded rowan tree folk are by far the most magically inclined they're the traditional mages and scholars of this race while mysterious speaking often in riddles they're approachable and offer help to other sentient races elder tree folk are the longest lived of this long-lived species with many being ageless leaders of great groves in trefo communities they produce a special flower often used in kitkin healing salves oak tree folk are the great warriors of this race growing far taller and stronger than any other of this tribe the tallest among them are known as cloud crowns and can stand up against even the mightiest of giants on lorowin and finally there are the rare utree folk this is an elusive variant of this tribe that once numbered in the thousands but have since gone nearly extinct the you are clever crafty but also mischievous with poisonous berries on record kolfenor was the final yew tree folk on laura win and played a huge role in the storyline of this world while kolfinor may be one of the most famous tree folk of lorwin another character many commander players would recognize is doran the siege tower doran is a gigantic black poplar tree folk whose age has bestowed to him thick unyielding bark he's a rather gentle tree folk preferring to travel lorwin in search of knowledge and sharing what secrets he has learned to whomever seeks them doran practices a unique type of shamanism that enhances the natural durability of tree folk spark turning their strongest defensive aspect into an equally potent offensive weapon as he wanders you can often hear him muttering his mantra each year that passes rings you inward with memory and might wield your heart and the world will tremble [Music] the merfolk species of lorwin are known as the marrow and unlike many others throughout the multiverse the marrow of lorwin have the tales of fish and thus are unable to traverse on land this is rather odd for merfolk and match at the gathering as we have several examples of bipedal mobility found in this race on other planes making the aquatic locked marrow of lorwin a unique interpretation of this race there are some examples of marrow possess seem strong magic that can allow them to travel by land but the majority stick to the water while bound to the water the marrows still provide an important purpose to life on lorwin filling the roles of essential merchants and couriers to the other denizens norwin as a plane does not have any oceans or even large lakes rather the world is dotted with channels and systems of rivers and streams they act almost as roads for the marrow able to bring them to all the far-flung corners of lorowin this series of waterways are known as the marrow lanes for obvious reasons used by this tribe to quickly get to any destination they want it's easy enough to track the marrow lanes as they crisscross above the surface but what many don't realize is that they extend far below in subterranean canals and tunnels that allow this race to travel without disruption as amaro dives deep below the surface though they face the dangers found in the dark meanders most mero avoid these treacherous deep waters because of their lack of light and dangerous predators but still some more adventurous marrow regularly explore this unknown though dangerous these underground systems allow the marrow to get almost anywhere in lorowin even right up to city centers via their well water making market transactions surprisingly effortless for this waterbound tribe much like the tree folk of lorowin marrows class themselves into certain traits and occupations based on the type of schools they're a member of schools are designated groups of marrow who either share similar traits values or skills each school is led by a ruggieri which is sort of a mix between a teacher and a government leader much like the son of the kitkin there are five known merrow schools which include the stony brook a group of merchants and collectors of aquatic trinkets they're often trout herders and craw herders which essentially corral these marine life forms for farming purposes the wearwinders these are what you describe as gossipers of the marrow tribe they use the marrow lanes to venture into town's centers and through the well systems converse and well gossip and exchange secrets with the denizens there these type of merfolk are known locally as well gabbers the silver gale these are the police force of the marrow more folk that ensure the integrity and security of the marrow lanes they're known as tide shapers and aqua techs mero who are skilled in water magic to help repair and reinforce the riverbanks the paper fin these aren't the mischievous scribes of the marrow tribe they understand the marrow lanes better than most making them excellent companions for travelers acting as what this group calls rudders or maryland guides and finally the ink fathom this is the most elusive and misunderstood school of the marrow these merfolk are obsessed with the dark meander and frequently travel to the darkest depths in search of ancient or lost knowledge of their ancient people it is a risky and dangerous profession but the ink fathoms see it as their solemn duty to plunder the black and forgotten past one of the most famous of the marrow is sig goran gulalula silvar or otherwise more simply known as the river guide because of his profession sig is considered a rudder amero who uses their knowledge of the merrell lanes to guide others while he could belong to any of the schools sig is likely a paper fan who are known for their great navigational skills sig is friendly almost to a fault assisting in the story that would take place in the lorowin set [Music] elementals on heroin take on a similar role to the gods found on the plane of pharos if the mortals of this plane believe in something and believe in it strongly then it can coalesce into a physical form and exist for as long as it's believed in these entities are powerful and aloof acting upon the aspect in which spawn them and not really deviating outside of that they have no real aims or goals or allegiances purely acting out that which created them in the first place the vast majority of elementals on lurwin are of the lesser variety spirits and echoes of feelings being expressed in the here and now they're often fleeting but much more aggressive only lasting as long as this temporary emotion is expressed the best example of this would be elementals of war strife and despair these specific elementals may spring up when active war or battle is taking place but will only exist for as long as that conflict rages once peace has returned it's possible to see these elementals go extinct this is just one small example but in truth any event with strong emotional ties that cause heavily felt feelings to occur in mass can cause elementals to spawn by contrast there exists beings known as the greater elementals those worshipped by many denizens on lorwin including the kithkin these are more powerful almost permanent elementals that represent more natural and static ideas of vigor hostility and guile their presence is seen as an omen a prediction of what the future can bring as their chain to those specific values and their powerful magic can cause almost anything to happen their physical form is just as strange as the abstract ideas that inspired them many of the greater elementals take on a strange mosh posh of animal forms because of their huge size greater elementals cannot be ignored but still they're simple creatures who care little about the tribalistic conflicts of lorwin's inhabitants though the lesser and greater elementals may be absent-minded of the struggles between the lord when tribes a close relative to them is often caught right in the middle these are the flamekin humanoids made of purifier and stone given life their origins are a mystery but because of their physical attributes many have speculated that they're the offspring of a greater fire elemental whatever the case flamekin are incredibly passionate with an intense drive to accomplish greatness they have a will and mind of their own but many are driven to prove themselves as valuable players on the lorewin stage in the past flamekin has been treated with much suspicion and kept an arm's length by the other tribes of lorawin because of their fickle nature making a deal with a flame kin was seen as a terrible investment a flame gan's mind could change on a dime depending on how they're feeling they also tend to burn rather hot not physically but emotionally prone to outbursts with a pun intended firing nature funnily enough the actual flame coming from their bodies burns cold however a flame can can turn up the heat as it were using its body as a weapon should it choose to as the landscape of lorwin changes and tribes are becoming more and more important some flamekin have looked to distance themselves from their people's previous stereotypes a group known as the brighthearth routinely send out envoys to other tribes in order to boost cooperation with the flamekin and repair their tarnished reputation the bright earth go out and provide essential services to villages to build up goodwill such as providing flame-lit light fixtures and materials for bonfires or assisting with fueling local smith furnaces regardless of their beliefs all flame can have a spiritual connection with the greater elementals of lorwin flamekin regard their creators as totems symbols of life and their original progenitors in flamekin society they're treated as demigods and are used for both creative inspirations and frustrating misunderstandings in flamekin society there are those who seek to heal their tribes jaded reputation and others who seek fiery vengeance on their enemies playing right into the other tribe's stereotypes the famous flamekin ashling tried in vain to travel lorowin to find something better for her people rebuilding the frayed relationships with other tribes however her fate would become all too complicated thanks to the events of lorwin's story but nevertheless ashling has gone down in history as a legend to the flamekin [Music] people aside from humans goblins are the most prominent race found throughout the multiverse but just as lorwin bucks the trend of native humans it too is a world that sees goblins in a much different light goblins here are known as boggertz and they come in a wide array of different shapes sizes and colors there's no perfect blueprint to what makes a boggart and what it could look like with some sporty and impressive horns and tails and others who don't the boggarts of lorowin are less about a homogeneous appearance than they are about a unique society with its own customs rules and taboos boggertz much like goblins of other planes don't really have a set of laws they follow being some of the less civilized of the lorwin tribes however they do have one imperative aspect to their culture the idea of sharing sharing doesn't usually go hand in hand with a goblin race but the biggerts of lorwin are huge proponents of this altruistic practice of course limiting the sharing to those of their own race but what they decide to share is rather interesting much like magpies and dragons bogger to cherish shiny things bobble sword scepters dory you name it it doesn't matter if it glitters a blogger wants it but it's not just gold that's sought after but rather any new or strange experience they're known as collectors of sensations and while they may not be intelligent per se boguts are very perceptive and read into almost everything they experience simply tasting feeling or even smelling something new brings on a rush that's hard to describe so as a collective tribe the boggarts work together to search for new sensations and share them with their kin this idea of sharing sensations is held in such high regard that any member of this tribe caught keeping something new to themselves are branded a hoarder and are oftentimes exiled from boggart society exile is one of the worst punishments a boggart can face as they are starved of new sensations provided to them by the various other members of the tribe they sink into a deep depression as all joy in their existence seems to end boggerts are surprisingly social creatures thus making the sentence of exile particularly harsh bogart society like other tribes on lorawan are broken down into specific subgroups known as warrens each warrant is differentiated by the types of treasures they covet along with how they pursue those sensations take the squeaking pie warren for example this bugger group searched for culinary delights making their own recipes from ingredients stolen from others often with questionable results still with each meal a new sensation comes with it or the stink drinker warren which are some of the sneakiest boggarts on lorowin housing some of the rarest treasures stolen right under the feet of giants or strangers still the mud button warren the real party animals of bogart society they explore more carnal sensations though their attitudes towards life is a bit mixed leading many others in baghdad society to think this warrant is quite crazy each warren is led by a boggart elder called in their tribe aunties aunties are usually the oldest boggart of the warren with the most wisdom and knowledge to pass down to the younger generation mostly these are teachings of survival techniques hunting strategies and warnings of enemies and predators while the term auntie often refers to a female bogart the title can too be used for males of this species who live long enough to reach this status probably the most famous auntie and boggart society is auntie grubb who has inspired countless folklore and tales passed down from bogger to boggert [Music] the giants of lorwin have a similar bill to others of this race on different planes and that build is huge without a doubt giants are the strongest individual warriors on lorowin with a marginal skill to match that strength however this is countered by their lack of true cooperation within this tribe as we have seen with other lorwin tribes working together goes hand in hand with that tribe's survival giants on the other hand have a much more relaxed view on communal civilization rather than build up large villages of like-minded giants this tribe is far more individualist they will on occasion share areas of rest with fellow giants but as a tribe they're nothing like other races on whirlwind giants here are hermits by nature travelers of the land isolated and often alone and as every individual differs in their goals each giant can differ wildly in their personalities giants have emotions that match their monstrous size when a giant is happy and friendly they can be some of the most jovial creatures on lurwin but if one is angry and bitter oh you better watch out and not be stepped on in general you can have really angry giants or really nice giants and there's no blueprint on how one will act if you approach them unlike the stereotypical hulking dimwitted giants of other planes those on lurwin again come in a wide array of intellectual capacity we see plenty examples of those much less educated giants those who just throw big stones at anything running past them but we also see great giant philosophers whose shamanistic leaders practice complex magic and even oracles or harboringers who commune with greater elementals unlocking and even sharing the great secrets of lorowin with others the level of curiosity a giant here can achieve is directly related to how far they're willing to travel the wisest among this tribe are great hermits sacrificing social interaction for profound wisdom because of their size giants often have very large territories with some being quite hostile when protecting their borders the one true constant of giants outside of their size is that they seem to be very singularly focused they become almost obsessed with one particular activity and will practice it over and over and over again so if a giant is really into let's say smooshing goblins well they're going to become a master in that and if one is focused on exploration then they will travel the world and reap the benefits of their findings this is how giants can really be polar opposites even between individuals one giant who took this trait to a legendary extreme would be brian stoudarm a wandering sage who quite enjoyed the act of tossing smaller creatures as far as possible still brian wasn't aggressive by nature even working alongside his siblings to aid an exiled elf named rise helping secure the fate of lorwyn in its story [Music] while lorwin seems to be a picturesque plane a world of never-ending day free of much strife there are darker sides to it take the elvish population of lorwyn the only tribe to be outwardly aggressive to the others on this plane elvish culture on lorwin is one dictated completely by the physical appearance of others rather than a caste system based on one's wealth elvish culture here bases wealth on one's individual attractiveness as such egos run high in every elvish pack there is no room for empathy no room for debate you're either born beautiful and with privilege or you live a life in the muck the laws of beauty have created four distinct tiers of owls which act more as social classes the first are the faultless which are any elves who possess the minimum threshold of beauty and grace while beauty may seem subjective to us to the elves of lorowin it's quite objective and those who are at least noticeable can achieve this lowly status the next are the immaculate these are beautiful elves who can serve as civil leaders and act as dignitaries they're a higher level of class and perform more important duties which offers them greater opportunities the next are the exquisite these are pack masters leaders of local elvish groups or war bands they're acting commanders hunters and are given the exclusive privilege of talking with the most beautiful and influential elves in their society and those elves are known as the perfect perfect is the rank given to those objectively stunning elves the unquestioned leaders of this tribe with looks that are unparalleled to be considered a perfect one not only needs to meet physical peaks but also be shrewd intelligent and crafty though only a few of these perfects exist perfects are given authority over any matter and their word becomes law they can also kill those of lesser ranks faultless and under with impunity to be perfect means that you rule the elves of lorwin while these four ranks exist in elvish culture there is one final tier reserved for those deemed too ugly to even lay eyes on these are known as eyeblights this rank is granted to those with physical deformities average appearances or those not of the elvish race yes all other tribes on lorwin to the elves are considered iblites and that means they can and elves are encouraged to kill them at their leisure because of their cultural mindset owls have given themselves the title of lord's own lorawin believing they claim exclusive rights on all the lands that exist here they are naturally tyrannical abusive and genocidal meaning most of the other tribes often build up defense measures simply to protect themselves from elves the elves often create pacts or hunting parties to go out and scrub eyelights from lorawin in this gruesome act the elves employ a poison they cultivate from a white flower known as moonglove this is a rare plant that only the elves have access to but when combined with magic it becomes an alchemic poison that can kill even giants with a single tipped arrow in this the elves of lorwin are different from those on other planes not working alongside nature to protect it but using it for their own means and often seeing flaws in nature that they would change or improve upon they use nature as a tool rather than see it as their ally in this they use a powerful form of magic on a plant called metal vines normally the nettle vines employ a toxin to protect themselves from predators but the elves amp this up and use it in binding spells on their enemies the nettle vines act as parasites sinking deep into the victim's tissue taking over their minds and bodies this painful experience results in a vine bred minion zombies twisted and bound to the elves will among the elves one individual stands out as someone who stands against his people's more barbarous practices rise a member of the exquisite class and leader of his own pack was well traveled and came to learn the benefits of the other tribes through conversations with ancient beings and the sharing of wisdom rise has grown a new respect for those he once deemed iblites however this change didn't go over well with his people and so ryze was exiled but in doing so the elves sent him down a path that would save all of larawin [Music] the fey of lorwyn are bar none one of the strangest races to exist on this plane they're creatures driven purely by selfish desires and emotions essentially fairies embody some of the more toxic aspects of one's personality while not nearly as egotistical as the elves fairies exhibit cruel and vindictive tendencies holding deep grudges and carelessly pranking any and all they see fit pranks to the fae is their most cherished leisure activity but these are far from harmless misadventures bordering on sadistic a fairy praying can often end with the victim's death all while the fairies watch on and cackle with smug satisfaction unlike the elves who are more lawful evil following their own laws as corrupt as they may be fairies are truly chaotic acting on whatever fancy passes them by while the fey are prominent presence on the landscape of lore when very little is known about their lives biology or species origins while their indifference is well recorded little else is truly known as fairies live very secretive lives it's said that all fairies believe they're born from a figure known as the great mother a singular being of worship in fairy culture they claim to serve this figure the queen of the fae known as una but to what purpose is still unknown una is seldom seen only discussed in fae culture so many believe it to be strictly a mythical entity meant to represent the fairy's origin story however una is anything but a fairy tale the queen of the fae is in fact a real individual who holds sway over every fae born on lorowin they do her bidding and act on their queen's behalf one of the most important tasks charged by their queen is the collection of a substance known as dreamstoff fairies are unable to dream on their own in fact it's not even known if they can biologically sleep so rather than try to dream on their own fairies go out and farm dreams from other sentient beings this sparkling energy is magically extracted from other creatures and then later consumed at their queen's discretion likely experiencing the dreams devoured in almost a hallucinogenic manner it's unknown what other purpose this dream stuff could be used for but some on the plane have noted that dreams in fact hold magical properties on this plane the amount collected by the fey could represent a stockpile of untold magical energy maybe this dream stuff is the power that keeps the location of the fae and their queen hidden from the rest of lorawin while the fey and una call glen elandra their home is another task entirely to find its exact location a secret the race as a whole guard with their lives aside from their personalities and their leader fairies are only known to live extremely short lives in this the fey are much like insects who exist only for a fleeting fragment of time before they die and are replaced by another of una's brood it's believed that it's this limited lifespan that leads to the fae's childlike behavior and naive cruelty rarely does a fairy ever travel alone more often than not you'll find them grouped together with three or six members forming what are known as clicks clicks are a social group who look out for one another and perform complicated pranks that require more than one single fairy these clicks represent the only real social structure of the fae outside of the direct leadership of oona herself this is famously represented by the vendillion click the personal click of queen una who performed her most personal requests this clique is made up of three fairy triplets visa entry and ileona each member of this clique brings its own personality and quirks but still works seamlessly together to accomplish whatever their queen wishes [Music] planeswalkers are a unique race to lorowin that being it was the very first set in magic the gathering's history to introduce these characters and this card type planeswalker cards have since come to define modern entity world building and lore as it's a primary card mechanic for the game of course planeswalkers as a whole aren't native to the world of lorwin simply being added to the set as an experiment a proof of concept in fact of these planeswalkers introduced with lorwyn none are natives to this plane and to our knowledge none have even visited lorowin as they played no role in the overall story of this world when discussing planeswalkers tied to lore when we have no currently known planeswalkers native to this plane however we do have at least one recorded journey of a planeswalker on laura wynne that being the elf nissa ravine as a very young planeswalker nissa first traveled through the blind eternities and encountered lorwyn because of her unique magic nissa communed with the world soul of lorawan which was vastly different from her native home of zendikar nissa could feel the pain of this otherwise idyllic plane as the world soul ached with the coming great aurora while traveling on lorowin nissan met with the native elves here who impressed the young planeswalker nissa cherished their beauty in how elvish civilization was considered the pinnacle here she believed the elves to be the bulwark of lorwin and ideal for others to live up to but that belief was quickly subverted as nissa joined a pack for a hunt esnes was tracking down bulgars with the laura when elves who had come to admire her otherworldly appearance she began to understand the true depravity of this quote pinnacle civilization when once nissa's supremacy beliefs would have enjoyed the lord when elves stationed in society she now found their egos distasteful discovering that the boggarts in fact were not a threat to the elves but were being hunted simply because of their appearance nissa left the hunt just as the great aurora overtook lorwin transforming it to its dark reflection of shadowmoor this strange and powerful magic was enough to cause nissa the plains walk away before she could study the consequences of such a spell setting the elf down a journey throughout the rest of the multiverse it's unclear we will ever again see a planeswalker visit lorwyn [Music] while the tribes of lorwin are presented in a certain light for good or bad the plane itself lives in relative harmony with camps and lines drawn between the races and only minor conflicts flaring up aside from the elvish hunts warwin is noted as being one of the most peaceful and idyllic planes in the entire multiverse but this world carries with it a secret a cycle lasting 300 years while lorwyn is bathed in constant daylight and the tribes benefit from perpetual spring harvests a natural event known as the great aurora threatens to change everything we know about lorowin lorwin is a world plagued by two extremes night and day mirrored realities that overtake one another in a natural cycle this change is known as the great aurora a glimmering beautiful display of lights in the night sky often celebrated by the denizens of lorowin hides a terrible magic that switches this plane inwards and upside down a new reality blankets the once peaceful idyllic lorowin and in a flash shadowmoor becomes reality shadowmoor is the inverse of lorowin rather than endless days with an abundance of food and cheer found on lurwin shadowmoor is a dark twisted quagmire of swamplands salted flats and inhospitable landscapes everything on shadow more becomes dangerous aggressive and upside down right down to its denizens while many of the races on lorwin are delightful in their own unique ways maybe not as welcoming as you would like but still very level-headed once shadowmoor arrives its magic taints anything that was once good about their tribe the whole plane retreats further into their corners untrusting paranoid and fearful when the great aurora happens every sentient life form is changed right down to their memories very few will ever be able to recall the rolling green hills of lorowin a switch and their mentality is flipped and they can only ever remember their lives on shadowmoor though some special few seem to be exempt from this rule they're considered the rare exceptions as this is a natural occurrence a part of the magical essence of this plane there's no real way to stop the great aurora from happening it's a force that normally happens as the sun sets every day by day this plane is lorwin and by night it is shadowmore this effect and all the consequences of it are meant to happen repeatedly on a regular day night cycle but as we'll see later there are those who succeeded in controlling it for now let's run down how exactly the tribes of lorewin become affected by this change what happens to them in shadowmoor [Music] as shadowmoor occurs the tribes go through a great number of changes all based on their mana alignments being altered slightly from what they were on morrowind kith can go from green white to white blue marrows go from blue white to blue black tree folk from green black and white to just green and black and so on but how do these new mana alignments brought on by the great aurora impact their personalities the kid can take on a new more frightening appearance taking on aspects of a nocturnal animal the kids can become more beastial in their behaviors as well their eyes become larger and glow with reflective light as they strain to see through the unrelenting darkness of shadowmoor their clutch ends or villages become not welcoming open cities of camaraderie but downs towering fortresses with sturdy walls meant to repel rather than hosts and their thought left their communal web of consciousness it remains but instead of profiting from the empathy of others feelings of rage anger and paranoia are shared effectively putting the entire tribe in a state of panic when a threat is detected any small minor slight that enters the thought left an entire kit can doom can tilt to a riot while the captain weren't always the most open and trusting of the other tribes they certainly practiced in trade and discussions with others outside of their race now on shadowmoor the kitkin have fallen deeper into isolation trusting no one outside of their tribe and going to extreme lengths to keep outsiders well outside rather than rely on their ability to heal through salves and potions kithkin and shadowmoor use their alchemy to craft deadly poisons defend all threats instead of keeping a book of knowledge on how to help others in their tribe the book of kith and kin becomes the book of other folk detailing the terrors of the other tribes and how best to vanquish them this is certainly a polar opposite to the kittcan we see on lorwyn but such is the power of the great aurora the tree folks still practice shamanism but with a decidedly darker tinge as shadowmoor is a world almost devoid of green tree folk lose all flowering branches and any semblance of leaves their once resilient bark is dried and wilted as they appear more like tree skeletons than anything alive like kifkin the tree folk of shadowmoor have become distrustful of other races unwilling to share their knowledge and fearful of their actions in one proverb of the tree folk in shadowmoor it's said that the other tribes have quote breath ablaze with unnatural fire and the flames shall consume and purify our rage a prediction of the end times for this race which goes to show you just how much they don't trust the other races of shadowmoor the boggarts too go through a physical change as well as a behavioral one they become much more animalistic almost deformed in some of their body proportions while bogarts were never the smartest tribes of morrowind in shadowmoor they become outwardly aggressive beyond reason rather than share sensations with one another boggertz on shadowmoor only share in their display of violence with those who commit the most heinous acts being the most respected they become mindless brutes a shadow of their former selves who at times on warwin could show flashes of respectability as a race as the change overtakes them though even their aunties aren't spared as wart a famous auntie becomes a raid mother a leader in constant war dictating attacks on the other tribes without mercy the marrows of shadowmoor still stick to the waters but their purpose in the marrow lanes has changed from guidance and trade to ruthless piracy the marrow's physical appearances take on more of a deep dwelling in aquatic form resembling the dark meanders that they so feared when the plane was lorowin now the marrows embrace the darkness of the crushing deaths and use it to their advantage while stalking the other tribes the marrow of shadowmore are more pirates than honest merchants raiding any civilization that wanders too close to the water's edge and using the connecting rivers as their own personal highways to plunder they exploit kidnap and murder without hesitation with even one of their greatest figures sig becoming nothing more than an unruly cutthroat the elementals of shadowmoor are decidedly darker becoming avatars of wrath and destruction and as their scions the flame can too have taken on a far more foreboding visage the flame kind of shadow more no longer go by their lorowin name but instead are known as cinders cinders always burn bright hot but sometimes in faintly unnatural colors like purple cinders are physically much more imposing than their harrowing counterparts much more explosive with far greater density of fire than rock the culture of cinders is an exaggeration of those flamekin who seek vengeance on the plane that was so hostile to them to the senders this fear is taken to an extreme they truly believe they don't have a place in shadowmoor and so rather than share it with those who would see them perish the cinders lash out and attack any and all those that don't glow bright in the night the old tree folk proverb they have on shadowmoor yeah that's directly referencing the cinders who use the wood and skin of tree folk as cold affords their weapons believing the magic of the tree folk enchant their weapons as well affected too is their relationship with the greater elementals who own lore when they once worshipped here on shadowmoor the centers believe these elementals hold secrets of fire that they have lost so as a tribe they capture and perform painful experimental fire elementals seeking the secrets that they may keep the giants of shadowmoor lose most of their positive traits as lorwin is lost to the dark knight when once they were a race of fairly varied temperaments with many being gentle wanderers and shamans now have fallen to more stereotypical giant behaviors shadow more giants seem to have a constant need to settle down rather than the hermits that we saw on lorwin they desperately seek a place to permanently reshape the land for their needs regardless of whomever may currently be living there shamans still exist among the giants but they use their magic to shape mountains and valleys for their homes displacing entire villages of other races in the process even those without magical abilities still value land even if it's not their own often becoming quite jealous of the other tribe's houses giants will smash the residents of other races simply out of spite in wishing they too had a home and finally we come to the elves which in a bizarre twist of fate actually become a little less tyrannical on shadowmoor as compared to lorawan where previously during the day the elves lorded over the other races who simply couldn't compete with their skill in combat now are threatened just like every other tribe on shadowmoor in shadow more resources are scarce and threats loom in every dark corner each tribe becomes more aggressive and thus wars flare up all the time as a result elves couldn't build their long lasting kingdom and get to their lorwin level of supremacy like any other tribe on shadowmoor the elves must meek out survival thus humbling them the idea of beauty to the elves is expanded as shadowmoor twists everything around them beauty is in short supply so the elves can't be as picky as they were on lorowin other creatures can display beauty so long as they're not ravenous murderous madmen a low bar to clear i know but this is what the elves look for now on shadowmoor they take on a noble quest from birth to protect the scarce beautiful things found on shadowmoor saving it from the encroaching darkness and ugly denizens who look to taint all things in this the elves of shadowmoor are much more altruistic than they are on lorowin even uncivilized races like the changelings take on a much more darker aesthetic rather than playfully adopting their surroundings changelings on shadowmoor are known as mimics who use their shapeshifting ability to hunt prey which goes to show that the power of the great aurora doesn't just impact the civilized tribes of warwin but even plants and animals while many of the tribes experience a drastic change from lorwin to shadowmoor often times for the worst there is one group who have avoided any such consequence of this natural event the fae yes fairies are the same on shadowmoor as they are on lorwyn and that includes their memories as such we don't really need to explain how the shift to shadow more impacts this race as it effectively doesn't but what's interesting is how the fae prevent the loss of their memories and change in behavior and that's all because of their queen una long ago una the progenitor of all fae on this plane somehow came to learn about the day night cycle of this mirrored world through trials and experiments una was able to slowly realize when the great aurora occurred and how it impacted the world and even herself and her children oona didn't like what she and her fairies would become each night when shadowmoor settled so the great mother looked to prevent it this is where it's believed the collection of dream stuff the magical dream energy harvest from the other tribes comes into play its strong magical potential likely was used in a spell by una to cast a shroud over all fairies so that shadowmoor didn't impact them like it did the rest of the plane but una wasn't happy with just existing through this cycle over and over she also looked to manipulate the great aurora itself to her benefit being able to retain one's memory during the great aurora was already an amazing boon however uno wanted more she wanted to be able to dictate when this change occurred with the other tribes being none the wiser uno would secretly be the most powerful being on lurwin or shadowmoor so slowly with her minions collecting more and more dream stuff una began weaving a spell into the very fabric of the plane's world soul with each passing day uno was able to extend the daylight at first by merely seconds then minutes then hours then months and then even years oona artificially extended the day meaning the plane remained as lora went until it was laurel win for 300 years straight this was ideal for una as the tribes during this time were more easily manipulated than their darker counterparts but still the great aurora couldn't be held back forever and as the day was extended so too was the night so when the great aurora eventually did come it too lasted 300 years before the sun again broke past the horizon 300 years as lorwyn then 300 years of shadowmoor this was the new cycle completely in control of una queen of the that is until one day the great aurora arrived outside of una's control [Music] many monsters that don't exist on warwin come skulking from the shadows or dark depths once this world changes to shadowmoor the most apparent new threats are relatives to lorwin's goblins the boggarts these are subspecies who hide and sleep during the day hunting at night through shadowmoor these include the murderous redcaps their physical features such as huge eyes and small figures make them dangerous hunters in low light unlike lorowin boggarts red caps are actively homicidal for personal pleasure dying their hats in the red blood of their victims others are the spriggans an odd type of goblin with yellowish skin and long pointed ears they possess the power to grow in size and often live in the forests of shadowmoor other strange creatures who exist only in shadowmoor with no apparent presence on lorwyn include the subterranean dargers these are an offshoot of the dwarven race who by all knowledge only surface on this plane when it's shadowmore the darger are master diggers and miners creating large sprawling cities deep underground some civilizations of this race are so far down that many don't even believe that the surface world exists many are so delusional that when evidence of the surface is presented the doggers lash out in paranoid anger shadowmoor also introduces the seldom seen creature type hag hags seen on other planes are female beings with strong magical ties and typically cast dark spells at the expense of others hags show up in the swamplands of shadomore and prey on those who wander too closely to their rotten farmlands while standard hags are believed to be goddesses who fall from grace leaving them wild and aggressive other hags like the gualian exist these are beings who simply practice witchcraft but are otherwise normal civilized humanoids well as civilized as a hag could get one of the other creatures on chattamore are the nagal this humanoid race is defined by their small kitkin-sized bodies accompanied by the head of a horse or donkey while they have hands with normal digits they walk on hooved feet and have prominent haunched backs noggles believe that the oldest race on shadowmoor seen the other races and tribes as intruders on their world as such most noggles are kleptomaniacs stealing everything they see under the misguided impression that everything on shadowmoor belongs to them trowels are the native race of trolls on shadowmoor they're about as smart as trolls on other worlds gets that being not very but are also much smaller than their multiversal counterparts they're a rather obscure race with the trout territory only being the moors of shadowmoor their diet is mostly carrion the rotten corpses of the dead that wash up in their swamps like the trow the olfi come out only during shadowmoor again these are small humanoids who are more of a nuisance than a fresh new threat to this dark world they covet treasure and trinkets and are beings of pure magic and mysticism even simple constructs like scarecrows take on a much darker air in shadow more scarecrows that exist on lurwin are built by kitkin farmers to help keep their crops safe and free of birds yet as nightfalls the kid can have shattermore enchant their scarecrows with magical spells to make them more effective at their jobs unfortunately some of the spells work too well and if the scarecrows get loose from their creators they can take on a life of their own an out branch of these sentient scarecrows have even built their own pseudo-civilization led by the frightening reaper king and lastly the tragic and rarely discussed selkies selkies are a new addition to the waters of shadowmoor joining the nasty merfolk in the marrow lanes selkies are humanoids but unlike the marrow their bottom half is that of a seal rather than a fish making them closer relatives to centaurs little is known about this race but they act as if they're not even natives to shadowmoor selkies pine for the open waters of oceans and large lakes bodies obviously missing from lorowin or shadowmoor they feel trapped by these small rivers of the marrow lanes making them bitter and melancholy they can be heard singing sad songs by the lane's edge tragic sirens with cold and unknown meaning because of this constant despair some believe that selkies are somehow not native to shadowmoor but rather trapped here from another world norwin is a world plagued by change whose natural behavior has been bastardized by an unnatural force the soul of this plane reminds us all the dark world of innistrad who too suffers from cycles of change but unlike innistrad lorowin and its counterpart shadowmore don't share a common soul but rather are two opposed forces struggling between day and night the two live in balance but what happens when that balance is threatened how do the denizens on this world who forget their very natures when the plane shifts ever hope to save it from ruin is this cycle of lorwin and shadow more destined to override one another time and time again how can heroes hope to rise up when in shadowmoor they're damned to become villains the story of the larawin and shadowmore blocks takes us on an adventure of the collective tribes of this plane banded together to stop an invisible threat to their world one they've all experienced before but could never remember now the fate of lorowin and shadowmore hangs in the balance just as the mending threatens the careful plans of una and gives the heroes an opportunity to act be sure to click the subscribe button and take the notification bell in order to catch the complete history of lorowin and shadowmore story if you're interested in learning the story be sure to follow the links in the description below as always thank you all so much for watching this video and i hope you enjoyed your time learning about this unique world if you want to show your support for this content consider leaving a like sharing the video or becoming a member to the channel as always thank you all so much for joining me and i'll see you next time see ya [Music] you

Channel: Aether Hub

Views: 73,037

Keywords: mtg, mtg lore, aether hub, magic arcanum, magic the gathering, what are the eldrazi, mtg history, innistrad history, midnight hunt, crimson vow, sorin markov lore, midnight hunt spoilers, midnight hunt preview, crimson vow spoiler, lorwyn, lorwyn story, shadowmoor, shadowmoor story, sygg, mtg documentary, mtg complete history, magic the gathering story, mtg story, return to lorwyn, return to shadowmoor, the first planeswalkers, new planeswalkers, first planeswalker cards

Id: rh-d6YyWOn8

Length: 60min 28sec (3628 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 02 2021