With the recent storylines tying up loose ends, and old villains Eldrazi and Nicol Bolas being defeated or 'handled', there have been whispers and hints at the more pernicious villain, the Phyrexians, is rising once more.
We knew that New Phyrexia rose and took over Mirrodin from Karn's folly, spreading from Xantcha's heartstone, and corrupting the entire plane through Memnarch's actions (formerly the Mirari). In that battle of New Phyrexia, Venser gave his life to save Karn through Melira's ability to cure Phyrexian corruption, and Elspeth was forced to flee by Koth.
The last we heard, Elspeth (who was born on a Phyrexian corrupted plane) was killed, but has escaped the Theros Underworld, while Karn is seeking tools and allies to stop the potential spread. The Gatewatch is scattered after the loss of Gideon, and Liliana and Nissa's departures, and the War of the Spark. The current Gatewatch may only comprise of Jace, Chandra, Ajani, Teferi, and Kaya, with support from planeswalkers who they worked with, such as Arlinn, Kiora, Saheeli, Huatli, Niko, Sorin, Ugin, Karn, or Tyvar. Tamiyo, as we will cover below, is lost...
During Dominaria (~2 years ago in story):
The Gatewatch was still gathering planeswalkers to fight Bolas, and Karn was met on Dominaria, seeking the Golgothian Sylex. He retrieved it, and took it with him, hoping to use it against Phyrexia's growing threat.
War of the Spark (~1.5 years ago in story):
The beacon and the war brought many planeswalkers together. Many met the Gatewatch, and saw Gideon's sacrifice. The list above includes some that may be interested in working with the Gatewatch again in the future. They have met, and several are actively speaking about the potential threat to the multiverse of Phyrexia.
Kaldheim (0.5 years ago to Present):
A mysterious, interplanar contact hired Kaya to stop and kill Vorinclex, green praetor, on Kaldheim. While she was met with help on the plane, she was in the end unsuccessful in stopping his efforts or killing him. We do not know who was the hiring agent, but it must be someone with knowledge of what the Phyrexians are up to, and with access to multiple planes. The Phyrexians are working with Tezzeret currently, who has within him the Planar Bridge, an artifact made on Kaladesh that can transport non-living material between worlds. His discomfort at seeing planeswalkers turned to aid Phyrexia unquestioningly has led us to suspect he may be the one hiring Kaya.
Vorinclex's plan on Kaldheim, beyond spreading the Phyrexian gift to the realms of Kaldheim and potentially corrupting Tibalt, was to steal a sample of Tyrite. Tyrite on Kaldheim is made from the sap of the world tree, and grants the Gods of Kaldheim their godhood, powers, and immortality. Vorinclex not only retrieved a sample and left the plane, but he also managed to start corrupting Esika, God of the Tree.
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow (Present):
While no Phyrexians were found or discovered during the recent events on Innistrad, Teferi questioned Arlinn Kord after their success in restoring daylight. He specifically asked if she heard of the Phyrexians on Innistrad, or oil, or metallic flesh, to let the Gatewatch know. He let her know to be ready, too - for what may come.
Kamigawa: The Neon Dynasty (Present):
Kaito Shizuka, a native planeswalker of Kamigawa, discovered the reality chip and met Tamiyo, in efforts to aid the Wandering Emperor, and stabilize her planeswalking. However, in this effort, they encountered Jin-Gitaxias, blue praetor of Phyrexia. Tezzeret assisted Jin-Gitaxias, and in the end, managed to manipulate the Reality Chip and kidnap Tamiyo to New Phyrexia, where Jin-Gitaxias compleated (phyrexian-ized) her, creating the first Phyrexian Planeswalker. At this point in the background, we see Tezzeret scowling at Tamiyo, and she wonders if he is a threat to Phyrexia. He does not seem fully thrilled at seeing a planeswalker becoming compleated.
Soon...
Next we head to the streets of New Capenna, where we may encounter more compleating, or not. Summer 2022 brings another Dominaria expansion, and 2023 is still shrouded in mystery!
With the new Kamigawa set releasing in January 2022, we're excited to be able to catalog some of the new lore and history for the plane. It has been 1200 years in lore since the original Kamigawa block of sets, and so we present some of what has occurred and the lore of the set as it releases! This blog catalogs all the lore, story, videos, manga, official AMV, official soundtrack, and more released by Wizards of the Coast, plus guides and content using official materials made by fans. You'll find it below in the order listed in the table of contents.
Table of contents of items below:
Japanese AMV anime trailer
Official CGI trailer
Saga Stories
Planeswalker's Guide to Neon Dynasty
The Legends of Kamigawa - stories behind cards
Teaser Trailer
Main Story - Side Stories Fiction (text)
Maps of the Plane
Sagas Art
Official Manga adaptation of the story
Weekly MTG first look at Kamigawa
Plane official site from Magicstory page.
AR game (taken down)
Papercraft throwing star (origami)
MTG-multiverse official concept images
Hatsune Miku song
YRS TRULY Official Interactive Novel
Official Soundtrack
Prerelease Roundtable - Worldbuilding
Weekly MTG: Worldbuilding Panel
Plot Synopsis of story
Other smaller notes, comments, and official collaboration art from Japan
All stories compiled
Beedle and Grimm's In-World Field Guide on Spirits
Japanese Anime Official Trailer by WIT Studios
History
During the original Kamigawa block, three novels were released to tell the stories. However, many side stories (and some told after the Kami War) were released. Here is an archive of them. The novels were all following the life and story of Toshio Umezawa, concluding with his actions helping end the Kami war, and start the path towards the modern age.
Official Trailer:
There is also a plot synopsis at the end of this article, for the Neon Dynasty, with Implications for the future story.
Neon History - Saga Stories
The Kami War was several thousand years ago. It ended with the death of Emperor Takeshi Konda, bringing Michiko Konda (with Kyodai) to the Throne.
The Life of Toshiro Umezawa. A story of Toshio's journeys, and battle with Kami and Emperor alike, he was key in the end of the Kami War. At the end, his patron, the Myojin of Nights Reach, found a portal and sent Toshiro to
the subcontinent Madara on Dominaria, thousands of years in the past of the current age.
The Dragon-Kami Reborn. In the time after the Kami war, many of the Dragon-Kami had perished. During the Shattered States Era, they built a plan to be reborn in new forms.
Era of Enlightenment. In this Era,
realizing the Kami plane and the Mortal Plane were starting to overlap,
the Jukai found a way to welcome the Kami to the conjoined worlds.
This is your guide to all the organizations, social structure, physical locations, and regions of Kamigawa. There is some history of the Champions era, but it shows how the history has also updated to this cybernetic world in 1200 years since then.
Map of Kamigawa during the Kami War (1200 years before the current era, Champions of Kamigawa Block)
Map of Current Kamigawa, in the Neon Dynasty, present day.
Other articles and lore guides:
The sagas of Kamigawa - showing all the special artwork and history from Champions to Neon Dynasty.
The sagas also are the living portrayal of the history and characters of Kamigawa. From the rules article: "The Sagas also feature two new icons. The Living Historians is a group
of storytellers on Kamigawa that pass on tradition through performance
and music. You'll see several of them in the set, often using fans in
their routines, so we felt that was a beautiful choice to represent the
telling of these stories. On each front face, you'll see a closed fan.
On the back face, the fan has opened, representing the conclusion of the
tale, and if things are going well, the conclusion of your opponent's
tale as well.". So the enchantment creatures on the back of Saga cards in this set are living actors, embodying the historical characters in a story, much like Kabuki theater of Japan.
The Kamigawa Plane - Lore official page, describing areas and legends of Kamigawa.
You can experience an AR game of Kamigawa. Scan the QR code then hold the samurai image over the one on this picture. (from Minimax Games in Chicago). Link https://neo.mtg-ar.com . This site was shut down by wizards on 2/18/22 (release day!)
Ten years ago, Kaito was training to be an Imperial, when he met the Emperor of Kamigawa. Growing to be friends with her, his training would be sparring with her in combat. Yet one night, an intruder invaded Eiganjo, and Kyodai was disturbed thereafter (the spirit of the realm for the Spirit realm semi-plane), and the Emperor was missing. Kaito chased a man with a metal arm across the roofs, yet he escaped. Kaito swore he would find her.
Nine years ago: Kaito's origin, and meeting with Tameshi.
In present Day, Kaito has sought the Emperor across multiple worlds and all over Kamigawa, with no success. He learns from his Sister that his trusted Moonfolk friend Tameshi, may have been meeting with a man with a metal arm in secret, despite knowing Kaito's quest. He investigates and spies on his friend, and learns far worse, Jin-Gitaxias was the true mastermind behind capturing Kami, the disruption ten years ago, and that they murder his friend Tameshi just before he arrives to their secret lab in flames. Tameshi, dying, tells Kaito the name he has sought: Tezzeret.
Kaito seeks evidence of a Ratling Village being destroyed by extra-planar forces and Tezzeret, and meets Tamiyo, who has adopted the only survivor of that day. Together they discuss the dangers of Tezzeret, and in a rush, Kaito investigates Tameshi's lab, taking the strongest invention- the reality chip from it, before being discovered by Jin-Gitaxias. He is chased by hired ninja - but saved from a mech attack, by 'The Wanderer', who is, indeed, the Emperor herself.
The Wanderer/Emperor could not control her planeswalking, due to the attack ten years ago by Tezzeret, and Tamiyo and Kaito theorize that the Reality Chip might stabilize her walking. However, Tezzeret has organized an attack on Eiganjo. The Wanderer will protect the capitol, and Kaito and Tamiyo will investigate and blow up the lab. However, it's a trap, and Jin and Tezzeret capture them. The Wanderer joins again with Kyodai, and manages to do a controlled planeswalk to the lab, freeing her friends and capturing Tezzeret, defeating Jin-Gitaxias.
They try to bring the captured Tezzeret to Kyodai to question him, but he reveals even trapped, he can control metal and technology. Tamiyo equips the Reality Chip, and they rush to the battle to help the Emperor, and Kaito defeats Tezzeret by stripping off his technology, and smashing Tezzeret with a rock. However, as a last resort, Tezzeret activates the Reality Chip on Tamiyo, grabs her, and planeswalks away. Kaito assists the Emperor, and they are victorious. However, her planeswalking is unstable again, so she appoints a regent, and vanishes, in sorrow. Kaito now has two quests, to find Tamiyo, and the Wanderer.
In Phyrexia, Jin-Gitaxias is joyous in his compleation of Taimyo, the first Phyrexian walker.
Repercussions and future story
Several things are important about this Kamigawa story, not only the compleation of a planeswalker by Phyrexia. There are several points that tie into the story from other areas, and should be mentioned.
Nashi, Tamiyo's adopted son, is a bit older than when last seen after the first Theros block. He is more active and enthusiastic seeming, but still avoids the history of his family.
Tied to that, Tezzeret sent Jace and Baltrice to Kamigawa and they ended up burning down that village around 5 years ago.
Tezzeret completed the planar bridge back in Kaladesh, which is likely around 2 years ago, since events from the Amonkhet, War of the Spark, Eldraine, Theros Beyond Death, Ikoria, Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim, Strixhaven, and Innistrad 3 have all occurred recently. So he is perfecting it. We're not sure if he took Tamiyo through the planar gate, or just forced her to planeswalk with him using the Reality Chip. Remember too, the gate cannot transport organic life/material, successfully.
Kyodai, who is the core spirit of the Spirit realm (sub-plane) on Kamigawa, connects with Emperors. However, since the Wanderer left the plane, she has been in distress. It's unclear what that means.
Tezzeret, upon seeing Tamiyo compleated, is not... thrilled. He is not compleat by the Phyrexians, and has in the past been given a protection by Bolas' agent to it. He likely does not want to see more planeswalkers compleat, as this would make him less useful to Phyrexia. We do not know what his true objectives are, since Bolas is defeated and he is free.
Kaito is seeking both Tamiyo and the Wanderer now - but seems to have no connection to Tamiyo's story circle of planeswalkers, nor to the Gatewatch. However, Tezzeret and the Wanderer mention having heard about his seeking. So it's a mystery on whom he will encounter next.
"To
clarify a bit of lore about Phyrexia and the Planeswalker Spark: the
spark is NOT an immunity to compleation (or Phyrexianization). That is
fanon - Elspeth, Koth, Venser, and Tezzeret all required other
immunizations to Glistening Oil. Oldwalkers,
that is pre-mending walkers, were immune because they essentially chose
their own form. Makes it hard to compleat someone when they can just
say “actually, no, I look like a gazebo instead”.
This drove Yawgmoth crazy. He thought there was a planeswalking organ. So
the idea that Planeswalkers are immune is a garbling of oldwalker lore
and statements about how Phyrexians can’t be planeswalkers. The
latter bit is because Phyrexians, by their nature, are soulless.
They’re artifact/necromantic hybrid abominations.
Old Phyrexia literally implanted their vat born newts with powerstones
that sucked out their souls, called heartstones. It was a whole thing. Compleating
a planeswalker would make them lose the thing that allowed them to
planeswalk, their soul. The spark is a touch of the Blind Eternities on
the soul.
Up until now, New Phyrexia literally didn’t even understand the concept
of souls. Enter the Neon Dynasty story. Jin-Gitaxias has cracked the problem by studying spirits made manifest.
Now that he has, he’s come up with a solution … and Viola! Behold, perfection!
Since I’m sure this will keep coming up, Venser transferred Melira’s
metaphysical immunity to compleation to Karn with his spark. It wasn’t
just the spark."
Official AMV image of The Wandering Emperor and Kaito from WIT studios' Takuma Ebisu 胡拓磨!
Official art from Yoshiaki Tabata, (Ninja Slayer anime studio), Ninja@ studio
