Ravages in Swilften: Design document
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SETTING DESCRIPTION
In Swilften, the magic that was long forgotten attracted the attention of scholars at first researching in secret, then it lead to a novelty that turns these scholars into a class of performance wizards, that for a fee, demonstrate their abilities to the nobility and the urban classes. Not anymore, with an empty Imperial throne, factions and armies have risen throughout the land, and the budding sorcerers have attracted the interest of the warring leaders. The unleashed power of magic is behind the creation of powerful war machines; magic turns the once thriving farmlands into wastes. Displaced refugees turn to crowded and crime-ridden cities on the verge of Revolution, or go deep into the wilderness, where they mercilessly fight the wannabe tyrants that try to raid this hostile environment. To make things worse the increasing power of the wizards of Swilften has created tears in the surrounding planescape and magical creatures from beyond the Veil have begun to appear. The wild beasts and the horrors of land, sky and sea are a danger to armies and cities; but the more cunning wizards have found allies in the planes beyond the Veil. A capricious Fae queen has delivered aid to those who have asked for very little in exchange: for a modest relic the Fae Queen has given these generals hundred strong slave-soldier warbands of fierce semi-intelligent creatures. The interest of the Fae Queen in Swilften is mystery to all. And from the forests that haven't fallen to the axe of the shipbuilders, the long lost elvenfolk has offered their protection to the weak and starving rural population; the elven preachers roam the land teaching a message of peace, while behind them, their assassins seek to destroy those that misuse magic. The warning of the elven preachers has reached the cities, transformed by humans that speak of prophecies of doom for Swilften, that turn the ailing population to faith in hope of a newfound peace. Will someone hear their pleas?
MECHANICAL DESCRIPTION
An experimental and complex small set (210 cards).
Multiple mechanics both official and custom mechanics. Warfare is an important element to the setting and mechanics like armies and squad will make appearances. A custom pseudo-banding called war band will appear. Cards will also feature military tactics and deception, battles will be fought. Soldiers will be present in 4 colours (WBRG), blue will have pilots and pirates instead, as blue will have sea battles instead. The devastation that comes from warfare will take a prominent role in cards: survivors, refugees and rebels will play a role trying to survive or trying to fight violence with violence Wizards as a tribe, will reflect the evolution of magic in the setting: from researchers, to performers, to cunning battle wizards trained to outwit their opponents. It will be a U tribe with GWR as accompanying colours. Swilften is a human plane but the invaders of the planes that have collided with it are going to be balanced to make being human or not unimportant. Professional types are more important. As Swilften has had its lands untapped for mana for eons, its basic lands give a crisper mana than other magic planes, and so a Basic land matters is also a theme of the set. No legendaries. For a proper limited experience to boost the size of the set to about 300 cards a "special guest" type list of cards will be designated. There will be no reprints in the set.
Custom Mechanics
Warband: a token that is used to attack to which creatures that are able to join it, will grant them their PT and abilities. Relic: a new type of token artifact with exalted. It will be created on the death of a creature. Entomb: a custom mechanic that has a side deck of seals (like an attraction deck) that need to be broken one by one to transform the card. A specific action that happens in the game can break a seal, the breaking does not use the stack. Battles: new types of battles Landmark: a subtype of land that doesn't make mana, it allows for an additional basic land drop on the same turn it entered. Consort: a pseudo (original) companion that requires you control a type of creature. Tradition: inspired by Devotion, but it counts symbols of cards in the graveyard
COLORS
The setting is monocolored focused, with each color delving in several themes and priorities. Color pairs can have associated themes, but the amount of multicoloured cards will be low, and some color pairs will probably not be appearing at all.
White
The strength in numbers theme of white will be important thanks to war bands and squad. In the country spontaneous militias will be fighting for their land, and their defeats will make refugees. In the cities the refugees will find solidarity and turn to fanaticism. The veneration of holy figures will create relics and attract the aid of angels.
Blue
The wizardry color. The evolution of wizardry will be showcased, with an established main academy being formed. Counter magic will be the battlefield of the wizards from opposing armies. At sea, warfare maybe more gentlemanly but beware of pirates. At the top of the creature mana curve, traditional creatures like sea monsters that have broken through different planes will appear. Faeries won't be a big theme, as they seldom fight and all their conflicts are fought by proxy.
Black
Famine due to burned crops and pillaging will be tied to a -X/-X theme. The black soldiers will operate at night, and burn everything in their wake. Horrors from beyond the Veil, and ancient enemies will reappear due to careless research of wizardry. The peasantry has rediscovered, or maybe they never forgot their own types of magic, as they seek the advice of dangerous witches in desperation.
Red
Wizards in the battlefield will deliver direct damage, sometimes to friends and foes. When unopposed by wizardry cavalry will dominate the battlefield. Armies on the offence will resort to mercenaries and borrowed troops from outside the plane. The fed up peasants will revolt and turn to guerrilla warfare.
Green
The elves in the setting are very different from the usual elves in Magic. They are pious clerics, healers and caretakers, instead of nature attuned druids. They only seem to be pacific as a faction. In the recesses of the forest where the Veil has been consumed dryads contemplate the devastation of habitats and mourn fallen trees. The traditional anti-magic color will feature the importance of basic lands. At the top of the creature mana curve, borrowed troops from the fae and allies of the elves, and ancient beasts that were kept sealed in primordial jungles, that have been disturbed by curious magic researchers.
Colorless
Wizards that aren't fond of adventure have resorted to artifice to help their employers. Giant metal golems, that use power stones as fuel are being deployed to the battlefield with and without success. Ships fight in the sea.
Some pairings
Green-Blue: the colours of magical research White-Black: the colour of oppression and misguided Revolution Blue-Black: the colour of espionage and larceny Red-Black: the colour of the dangers that invade from beyond the veil
STATUS
Planning.
I've had the idea for this setting for a long time, and I have many cards that could have belonged to this set if I wanted to make a set instead of just working in random single cards. My approach is to compile all these cards and then start culling or retooling those cards that don't fit completely well with the set.
DESIGN AND GENERAL GOALS
The setting will have a beginning of XIX century Napoleonic era style. Some factions like the elves and the faeries will be more classical fantasy though. The art will be 100% AI generated. I will seek a traditional illustration style that is fitting to Magic cards. As I have already many cards that may go unmodified into the set, I will not focus on a single style, as experimenting with AI image generation also interests me, the style and quality will be changing throughout the development process. As the complexity of cards will tend to be high, I probably won't have ample room to add a copious amount of flavour text, instead I plan to write short stories as accompanying material to flesh out the setting. Release 2025.