The wait is over; the twinned plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor returns in Lorwyn Eclipsed. But much has changed in the years since our last visit, and there is even more to discover about what lies in Lorwyn, Shadowmoor, and the strange places where the two meet. We recently published an overview of the set’s cards and Booster Fun treatments, and now you can arm yourself with an inside scoop on the places and people of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor.
Lorwyn Eclipsed has a global release of January 23, 2026, and is available for preorder now from your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold. Without further ado, it’s time for an insider’s look at Lorwyn Eclipsed.
Welcome back to the plane of light and shadow.
Lorwyn-Shadowmoor was once a plane that would shift between its two aspects in intervals of approximately three hundred years. This event was known as the Great Aurora. Lorwyn is the name given to its daytime aspect, where the sun never fully sets, and the summer never ends. Shadowmoor is the name given to its nighttime aspect, where the moon cycles endlessly through a cool night. When we last visited the plane, the queen and mother of all faeries, Oona, had been defeated and destroyed, and her control over the cycle of day and night had ended. But during her meddling, she broke something fundamental about the plane. Or perhaps this fixed something long broken, like a pipe being unclogged or a wheel being greased.
The two aspects of the plane began to bleed into one another, day into night and night into day. They chafed and grinded, blanketing the land and coloring it like a marbled cake whose white and black colors swirled endlessly around each other. For the first time in Lorwyn-Shadowmoor’s history, its people were living beside another aspect of their plane, one that felt alien and familiar at the same time. In Lorwyn, people could see a sunlit, meandering path give way to a gnarled, impenetrable darkness. In Shadowmoor, people could watch thorny, moonlit brambles transform into flowering, bright-green bushes.
Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is about duality. It is a place where, across the boundary, you might become someone else, with twisted memories of your past and a personality you don’t recognize. Where the greatest dangers might not be to your body, but to your mind. Where you must ask the question, “Which am I, really?” and be satisfied when that answer is “Both.”
Lorwyn
Lorwyn is a world of idyllic meadows and verdant forests that have never known night. The sun sits high in the sky for most of the day and, though it sinks low, never extinguishes. Humble granges dot the countryside, and hamlets foster community among different species. The known and tamed expanse of Lorwyn has historically been known as the “Blessed Nation,” after the supposedly blessed caste of elves who claimed dominion over them, a term that fell out of favor with the advent of the Pendulum Year. The areas beyond are known as the “Primal Beyond.”
Shadowmoor
Shadowmoor is a land of dark and mysterious forests and brambles, pitched in eternal night. The moon circles the sky as a facsimile of a full night occurs. Great monuments of stone lie covered in moss, carved with symbols of civilizations long since unmade. Torrid bogs, always aflame, sink unsuspecting wanderers and drown them in their depths. The land teems with danger, but the mysteries that lurk within seduce even the most cautious minds. Though Shadowmoor is rife with threats, the land is full of life that blossoms in the harsh conditions and haunting environment that surrounds it. Every dark pass and shaded glen is suffused with magic, overflowing like a bountiful cornucopia of power and energy.
This energy is known as wild magic. Wild magic is inherent to the land of Shadowmoor and is a deep well of power that anyone can draw upon. This power is chaotic and volatile, and any use risks the appearance of catastrophic backlashes that destroy both its caster and the surrounding environment.
The Dynamics of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor
The plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is unique from other planes due to it containing two distinct planar entities. Lorwyn, the day aspect, and Shadowmoor, the night aspect, are divided and kept separate, either by the Great Aurora, as they were during the Age of Oona, or by auroras in the current age. With auroras, the two aspects directly border one another. These borders can shift slowly, keeping balance between day and night. Rarely, entire plots of land can suddenly shift, instantly transforming everything within them. The cause of these shifts is untraceable to ordinary people, but the whims and footfalls of Eirdu and Isilu are one source of these changes.
In Lorwyn, the plane is in eternal daytime, with the sun always visible, never dipping below the horizon in its cycle across the sky.
In Shadowmoor, the plane is in eternal night, with the moon hanging in the sky, traveling back and forth but never disappearing. The moon cycles between full and new.
Auroras and the Tides
During the Age of Oona, the entire plane would shift between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor because of the Great Aurora, a magical convergence orchestrated by the faerie queen herself. Now, the plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is constantly at odds, with massive swaths of land covered by the light of Lorwyn or the darkness of Shadowmoor, their boundaries ebbing and flowing due to myriad bizarre conditions and unknown influences. Sometimes, deaths or births within a particular mass of land might expand or shrink the size of Lorwyn or Shadowmoor. Other times, these boundaries might shift due to the influence of Eirdu’s or Isilu’s footfalls. And even more frequently, these borders will grow or shrink without rhyme or reason as a way for the plane to naturally correct imbalances in power, influence, or size. In recent years, these boundaries have grown more stable, resulting in some relatively permanent borders. However, the danger of sudden transformation still threatens anyone close to them.
When these boundaries shift, everything within them transforms. This includes creatures and all other living entities. Though there are methods to suppress this change, these are rare, and creatures or other objects that are immune to these changes are even rarer. Where the boundaries of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor abut, you can see beyond their current aspect and into the other. Stepping into the other aspect and out of your own induces an immediate change in whoever stepped over the boundary.
Native-born creatures on the plane have two forms: a Lorwyn form and a Shadowmoor form. When an aurora occurs and Lorwyn becomes Shadowmoor or vice versa, all creatures and aspects of the landscape within that area undergo a massive transformation. To cross from Lorwyn to Shadowmoor is known as Eventide; to cross from Shadowmoor to Lorwyn is Morningtide. Though creatures do not change their species, they are physically and mentally altered. Memories of their time in the other aspect become murky and muddled, like an itch that they can’t reach in the back of their mind. They might also undergo dramatic personality shifts. Overall, denizens of Lorwyn are more communal and orderly, while denizens of Shadowmoor are more individualistic and chaotic. Neither side has a monopoly on good or evil, since anyone can be a hero or a villain depending on their circumstances.
Those who cross into another aspect are transformed into their Lorwyn or Shadowmoor counterpart, a version of themselves with darkly reflected memories of their prior lives that are inaccurate and strangely shifted. They regain their true memories of their Lorwyn or Shadowmoor self if they recross the threshold. A kithkin who had lived the last ten years of their life in Shadowmoor might step over the threshold, transforming into their Lorwyn self and realizing that their prior childhood had been lived in Lorwyn. Their mind would twist their Shadowmoor life into a hazy memory, tricking them into thinking their life actually took place in Lorwyn.
These changes in memory aren’t undocumented, however. Many species understand the danger of crossing the threshold and the pain that may accompany it. Even if they desired to know their other self, they would lose the life they know in the process.
The Eclipsed Realms
Where the boundaries of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor grind against one another, pockets of new environments emerge. These pockets are known as eclipsed realms and represent a third state of neither light nor shadow that the plane can take. These places attempt to resolve the chiral relationship between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor across a different dimensional axis, transforming the world into something unrecognizable.
The eclipsed realms are strange and otherworldly, even when compared to the rest of the plane. They exist along the borders between aspects, with some eclipsed realms appearing as slivers and others covering massive swaths of land. In eclipsed realms, the sun and moon float high in the sky, locked in place as an unmoving mirror of the eternal day and night of the realm’s neighbors. In every shadow, there are beacons of light, and in each sunbeam, there are wells of deep darkness.
Eclipsed Creatures
Within eclipsed realms, a denizen of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is not immediately transformed into another aspect of themself. They retain all memories of their time outside the realm and slowly regain any memories of their time spent in the other aspect. However, as they remain in an eclipsed realm, they slowly and permanently transform. Their memories of one aspect try to combine with the memories of the other, and the contradictions between them cannot fully resolve. These eclipsed creatures lose their desires, emotions, and connection to the world outside, eventually turning into husks who cease movement entirely. When this occurs, they are known as calciform creatures, or simply calciforms.
Incarnations of Light and Dark
As a consequence of Oona’s downfall, the aspects of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor were no longer held at bay from one another. As the aspects merged, two great beings awoke from the firmament above the plane: Eirdu, the incarnation of the sun, and Isilu, the incarnation of the moon. Their appearance initially caused chaos … until it became apparent that they had no interest in the lives of the people of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, or in one another.
These massive beings wander Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, the land changing beneath their footfalls. While one is awake, the other is meant to slumber and await their turn at balancing the plane between light and dark. What their presence entails remains unknown. Still, many have taken to worshiping these two beings as deities, despite their seeming indifference to the people who live on the plane.
Eirdu
Eirdu is the living embodiment of Lorwyn and a symbol of the sun. Its presence feels like a soft breeze and the gentle warmth of spring. Being near Eirdu is rejuvenating for both the body and the spirit and produces a contentedness with life itself. For now, Eirdu has had no reason to defend itself, but when threatened, it can bring down the ruinous heat of the sun upon its enemies with blinding pillars of endless light.
Adherents of the Sun
The worshipers of Eirdu lay claim to all of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor and seek to convert the entire plane into Lorwyn. They wear armor with sunburst motifs and wings, symbols they’ve taken from the body of Eirdu and rallied behind.
Worshipers of Eirdu gather on cold days, when the light of the sun gleams less warmly than before, to perform sacraments in the Festival of Idyllglare. A pyre is erected at the center of an ancient dolmen, or at the center of a settlement should there be no standing stones around. An idolatrous costume in the shape of Eirdu itself is placed atop an elemental and paraded around the circle until the pyre gives out. As the pyre burns, adherents will feed its flames with crops and valued heirlooms, extending the ritual’s time until the elemental collapses with exhaustion or no more offerings can be produced.
Isilu
Isilu is the living embodiment of Shadowmoor and a symbol of the moon. Its presence feels like a calming silence and the gentle chill of autumn. Those near Isilu are filled with understanding and peer into the beyond for answers to questions they never knew they had. For now, Isilu has had no reason to defend itself, but when threatened, it can cause the blackest of nights, blanketing the world with a darkness that no light could ever pierce, choking the will to live from those inside the void.
Adherents of the Moon
The worshipers of Isilu lay claim to all Lorwyn-Shadowmoor and seek to convert the entire plane into Shadowmoor. They wear armor with moon motifs and clouded headwear, symbols they’ve taken from the body of Isilu and rallied behind.
The adherents of the moon hold vigils over their dead buried deep beneath the massive stone structures that dot the plane. No matter the species, no matter their creed or inclination, all hold these burial grounds as sacred places where no violence is done. At the entrance, an elemental draped in a costume meant to resemble Isilu stands watch, a sign that a sacred ritual is being performed within.
Reliquaries of Dawn and Twilight
While the transformations might seem inevitable to the common folk of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, there was once an ancient relic known as the Crescent of Morningtide, empowered by a great elemental, that could bridge the gap between aspects without changing. In the same way, the people of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor have constructed reliquaries from pieces of the incarnations of day and night.
A reliquary allows a person to retain their physical form and memories between aspects. These reliquaries are fashioned from pieces of Eirdu and Isilu. Such items are rare and often sacred, representing the distilled essence of either Lorwyn or Shadowmoor. To resist the Eventide, you must carry a Reliquary of Dawn fashioned from a piece of Eirdu; to resist the Morningtide, you must carry a Reliquary of Twilight fashioned from a piece Isilu. It is said that possessing both allows you to traverse eclipsed realms unchanged.
Reliquaries can take many forms but are commonly designed as lanterns or pendants that light or shadow the way. Their form often depends on the piece of the incarnation they are fashioned from. For example, a feather might be turned into a brooch, while a glowing scale could be placed inside glass and turned into a lantern.
History
The Age of Oona
Millenia ago, Oona, queen and mother of all faeries, used the Great Aurora to perserve her memories and body between the cycles and grant herself control of the plane. Every three hundred years, the plane would shift to the other aspect. This continued until the cycle was disrupted over forty years ago by the Great Mending, an event that healed the entire Multiverse of damage from accumulated time rifts. For the first time in eons, Oona feared she might be affected by the Great Aurora. After the first avatar she created rebelled, she created a duplicate Maralen, a Mornsong elf, and instilled this duplicate with a piece of her soul so that she would not lose her memories. However, Maralen’s duplicate gained sentience and joined with others from across Lorwyn to investigate Oona and her trickery. Once the Great Aurora occurred and transformed the plane into Shadowmoor, Oona was defeated by a coalition consisting of Maralen, an elf named Rhys, a kithkin named Brigid, a merrow named Sygg, a flamekin named Ashling, and a treefolk sapling named Colfenor. Though Oona was defeated and her body was destroyed, her consciousness remains hidden, slowly recovering strength in secret while she searches for the means to reclaim her throne. Following the end of her reign, the plane began to fuse together, triggering the start of the Pendulum Year. Maralen took on the mantle of queen of the fae and bound herself to Rhys with a death pact. If there is ever a sign that Oona might return, Rhys is to kill Maralen. Until that day, he can never die.
The Pendulum Year
Across Shadowmoor, pockets of Lorwyn sprouted up in the darkness. The plane was thrown into turmoil, since any person or place could be transformed in a moment. Entire villages were split in two, and anyone crossing these new borders changed instantly. Farmers were cut off from their farms or forgot their trade entirely; communities were estranged from their neighbors, unable to contact anyone through these new borders. At times, there were even periods of day into night into day, mimicking the day and night cycles of other planes.
Soon, there was a slowing of these transformations. Borders seemed to stabilize and inched forward like gentle tides rather than crashing waves. People began to see two great beings in the far-off distance that seemed to walk along the horizon: Eirdu, the incarnation of Lorwyn, and Isilu, the incarnation of Shadowmoor. The twin worldsoul of the plane had emerged again to control the ebb and flow of the plane’s auroras.
For the next forty years, the plane enjoyed peace maintained by the existence of these two incarnations. Sometimes, startling tales would emerge from a distant village, that their neighbors and homes had been caught between the light and darkness and succumbed to something that was both and neither at the same time. These areas came to be known as eclipsed realms.
The Phyrexian Invasion
The Phyrexian invasion destroyed the fragile power balance of the plane and forced species to cooperate with each other in ways they had never considered before. In particular, the Lorwyn elves that had once terrorized the denizens of Lorwyn were nearly decimated, their dominion over the plane turned into networks of power for the Phyrexians. The compleated elves used their cruelty and prejudice to great effect, the oil having hardly even changed their behavior toward other species.
The elves that remained untainted were pushed back and, in a desperate gamble, allied themselves with the other species of Lorwyn. In doing so, they were finally able to gain ground and make a stand at Lys Alana. The Phyrexians would resort to new tactics, like infecting kithkin and using the thoughtweft to poison their comrades’ minds, or sending corrupted faeries to stealthily infect water supplies.
In Shadowmoor, chaos reigned as each species mounted assaults against their invaders in any way they saw fit. Their scattered approach was less effective than the unified front of Lorwyn, but they saw far fewer losses as a result. Only the boggarts and kithkin made courageous stands against the invaders. The boggarts formed the vanguard, riding their cavalry into the enemy lines and gutting them from within. They suffered massive casualties, as they expected.
As Halo poured through the Multiverse, it was the isolationist Shadowmoor kithkin that led the last charge to destroy the invaders. Driven by a xenophobia that surpassed anything they’d ever felt toward their fellow planar denizens, they crushed ranks of Phyrexians and trampled them underfoot. Afterward, with their fears of outsiders made manifest, the kithkin holed themselves up in their homes, unwilling to see guests even years after.
Current Day
The current age of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is one of tenuous peace. Not all changes are predictable, as villages might be transformed at a moment’s notice and their inhabitants made unaware that they once had lived a different life. The emergence of the mysterious eclipsed realms threatens to further confuse the people of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, who are now wary of yet another unknowable change to their world.
In the political realm, the empire of the Lorwyn elves has dwindled in power, allowing other species to gain footholds in the world where they were previously denied. Without Oona pitting the other species against one another, trade and commerce flourishes, each species leveraging their unique talents to achieve newfound prosperity.
The Creatures of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor
Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is home to no native humans. Instead, it is primarily populated by kithkin, boggarts, elves, merrow, and humanoid elementals (known as flamekin, rimekin, and cinders). Sapient species seen more seldomly include giants, treefolk, changelings, and noggles. The plane is also home to great beasts, known as greater elementals, that embody concepts and ideas, sometimes charming and other times terrifying. When a creature native to Lorwyn-Shadowmoor crosses a boundary, willingly or not, they are transformed into their opposite self but maintain their species.
Kithkin
Kithkin are small humanoid creatures who value community and live simple lives in small villages, called clachans in Lorwyn and douns in Shadowmoor. They are pastoral farmers but are capable of heroic feats when confronted with danger. They are mentally bound together by the magical thoughtweft.
The Thoughtweft
The thoughtweft is an empathetic web that connects the minds of all kithkin. Through it, nearby kithkin can share their emotions and thoughts. The thoughtweft is not a hivemind—individual members are attuned to each other’s emotions but retain control of their own thoughts and feelings. In Lorwyn, this connection fuels comradery and openness, fostering healthy communities where individualism gives way to collectivism in service of the betterment of all kithkin and even their allies across the plane. In Shadowmoor, this web stokes paranoid fears of betrayal, prompting uniformity within douns and across the plane. There can be no secrets held from others in the thoughtweft, and those who attempt to obfuscate their thoughts are exiled from their community, or worse. The thoughtweft is sometimes known as the mindweft among Shadowmoor kithkin, but usage of the term mindweft has fallen out of favor as the kithkin seek uniformity even across the boundaries of the two aspects.
Lorwyn
The kithkin of Lorwyn are pastoral farmers who value community. Though typically humble and peaceful, kithkin are proud defenders of their homes and kinfolk. Kithkin society has established robust trade routes with the other denizens of Lorwyn, and they are happy to provide their new allies with grain and produce in exchange for iron tools, bottled spells, and artwork to decorate their homesteads.
History
In the Age of Oona, Lorwyn kithkin lived most of their lives under the yoke of the elves, whose cruelty was not often directed toward the kithkin. Despite not being the primary target of elvish tyranny, the kithkin still yearned to live lives without the threat of elvish violence looming overhead. After Oona’s downfall, kithkin lived as peaceably as possible among the ensuing chaos. Their stability allowed them to flourish … as much as the elves would allow in their domain.
During the Phyrexian invasion, Lorwyn kithkin used the thoughtweft as a powerful weapon to bolster their communications. A lone kithkin village would immediately call for reinforcements across the plane, and Phyrexians often found themselves flanked before they understood what was happening. Eventually, the Phyrexians were able to exploit the thoughtweft, which caused a turn in morale, thoughts, and personality. As the glistening oil seeped into one kithkin, the rest were subjected to the voices of the Mother of Machines and their former allies, tempting them with compleation. Rather than suffer, many kithkin cut themselves off from the thoughtweft entirely.
Society
Most Lorwyn kithkin live in tight-knit communities, but more have begun choosing to live alongside the other creatures of Lorwyn. Integration is the new strategy of the clachans, though plenty are still comprised of mostly kithkin. The Book of Kith and Kin, a tome that holds the collected cultural heritage of all kithkin, is regularly updated with new passages as their towns and villages expand to welcome other creatures.
Lorwyn kithkin are naturally superstitious and tend to regard many ordinary happenstances as good or ill omens. A rake turned the wrong way or a plow losing its wheel could be a sign of misfortune or a portent of great luck. Most of their superstition is thrust upon the greater elementals of Lorwyn, whose appearance and behaviors are the greatest of omens, both good and bad. Augers are important to the kithkin for their ability to discern these behaviors and make coherent readings.
Nomadic Kithkin
In the aftermath of the Phyrexian invasion, Lorwyn kithkin who cut themselves off from the thoughtweft found they were unsuited to life within their clachans. As they attempted to rejoin communities, the echoing cries of their compleated allies would eventually return, sending their pain through the thoughtweft. These kithkin chose to leave and form nomadic bands with others who had suffered this same pain. They now wander the plane in search of work and a meaningful life after the war.
Shadowmoor
Shadowmoor’s kithkin are insular and paranoid, preferring to cloister themselves in their villages with wrought-iron gates and stone ramparts, seperating themselves from the rest of the world. They choose to protect their own at the expense of others and build elaborate defenses to safeguard their interests.
History
The kithkin were not the most powerful species in Shadowmoor, but they were still one of the most organized species on the plane. Their tight-knit communities seemed impregnable to outsiders. They did work together with the elves to enact some order on the plane, but such truces were far and few between. After Oona’s downfall, very little changed for the kithkin. To them, the emergence of Lorwyn as a twin to Shadowmoor proved that the outside world was dangerous and unknowable.
During the Phyrexian invasion, Shadowmoor kithkin put aside their xenophobia for brief moments of comradery. Though it was not friendly in attitude, their help was instrumental in driving back the Phyrexians at the final hour. The Hound of Bristlebane, a young kithkin woman who rode a springjack mount into battle, took the combined belief and paranoia of her comrades and singlehandedly drove a spear through the body of a Dominus, skewering it from neck to knee as she leapt along one of the Invasion Tree’s branches. Though her actions were heroic, the invasion stoked kithkin paranoia, and now they never leave the walls of their douns except to ward off attacks.
Society
The social hierarchy of Shadowmoor kithkin is not based on merit or achievement. For all their paranoia about outsiders, internally they are egalitarian. Each month, a tribunal is held to determine their leader until the next month. The process is a grueling exposé of a person’s deeds and secrets, which they willingly submit to. Those elected by the tribunal are called Sul, the eyes of their people. They are led to and locked inside a tower with a panoramic view of their village. These towers, known as Inslintur, can see everything around them. No one will know if the Sul’s eye is upon them, watching for any potential sign of crime or treason.
When trouble comes to a doun, Shadowmoor kithkin are liable to risk one of their own rather than open their gates. A hero is chosen among them and granted the full belief of their community, empowering them through the thoughtweft beyond the means of a normal kithkin. It is said a hero can challenge fifty boggarts and live to tell the tale.
Scarecrows
Scarecrows are kithkin constructs, typically made from the wood of dead treefolk. They have no real intelligence or place in the world, content to act in parody of their builders’ intent. Scarecrows continue to be constructed on a regular basis, despite how frequently they slaughter their creators. Though forging alliances with other species to help their villages thrive would be far safer, xenophobia prevents Shadowmoor kithkin from pursuing these other, less dangerous means.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Burrenton: Burrenton is a clachan known for its smiths and bottled fires. It is near Spinerock Knoll and trades with its flamekin neighbors. In Shadowmoor, it is called Barrenton.
- Kinsbaile: Kinsbaile is the largest clachan in all of Lorwyn and host to the Festival of Tales. It was repopulated after the entire population of its Shadowmoor counterpart was killed by Oona. It is known as Kinscaer in Shadowmoor.
- Goldmeadow: Goldmeadow is a small farming community where militia train among the fields. It is known as Mistmeadow in Shadowmoor.
- Dundoolin: Dundoolin is known for its scholars and sages. It once had a magnificent belltower that infamously crumbled a long time ago.
- Longlake Clachan: A clachan located along a small brackish lake, known for its shipbuilding and for producing the best swimmers among all kithkin.
Shadowmoor
- Ballynock: A kithkin doun surrounded by pastures on all sides. Known for a large population of game hunters and trappers. In Lorwyn, it is called Ballyrush.
- Bristlebane: Home to the Hound of Bristlebane and the most violent douns in Shadowmoor. Even among kithkin, Bristlebane is considered dangerous.
Boggarts
Boggarts are goblin creatures whose goal is to pursue novel sensations and experiences. They are often animalistic, wild, and casually violent, though the types of violence that are acceptable vary from village to village and across Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. These villages are often known as warrens. They have loose social hierarchies, but the most revered boggarts are aunties, matrons whose magic can make the impossible possible.
Boggart Magic
Magic builds naturally in a boggart’s body. The older a boggart is, the more magic accumulates in their body, and the eldest boggarts are also the most powerful. When a boggart dies, their bodies are placed in a swamp where they integrate with the ecosystem. These locations are highly magical, as are the flora and fauna that live within them. Resources gathered from swamps are made into foci for their magic. These can include bones of relatives, the turtle shell of a deceased familiar, or even a particularly cool stick.
In Lorwyn, magical expressions are ritualistic and organized. Rituals are accompanied by the recitation of a parable or limerick and include several convoluted and arbitrary steps. A famous example is the Boon of the Spider, consisting of the following: first capture a spider and whisper it a story under the new moon, then peel off its legs and insert the body into a hollowed acorn along with a drop of your blood, then wear the acorn around your neck for protection from hexes.
In Shadowmoor, the magic that accumulates in boggarts’ bodies is chaotic and primal. The more of it they have, the more volatile they become. In their communities, the deceased are wholly cannibalized for their magic. Shadowmoor boggarts tend to practice cursecasting, often with gruesome components and methods. For example, the enactment of a curse might involve steps such as sticking porcupine quills into the heart of a goat or cooking the intestines of a toad that swallowed its own young.
Lorwyn
Boggarts in Lorwyn are chaotic and playful, living in small warrens under the guidance and leadership of an auntie. They venture across the plane to seek out new experiences and, if they survive, return to their warrens to share these experiences with their communities, which encourages other boggarts to venture out into the world. They are not particularly cautious, likely to lose a limb or their life in their pursuit of adventure.
History
After the Age of Oona and before the Phyrexian invasion, elves frequently and cruelly slaughtered boggarts for sport. The elves considered them eyeblights, a term for ugly and detestable creatures. The boggart population was heavily culled, with some communities dwindling to extinction. This led to the splintering of the remaining communities and the end of the boggarts’ feasts, elaborate celebrations that centered around bizarre foodstuffs. This mass culling brought about the loss of their oral traditions and nearly severed their connection to boggarts of the past.
The Phyrexian invasion presented a unique opportunity to Lorwyn’s boggarts. As elves tried to battle the Phyrexians openly and suffered major losses because of their arrogance, the boggarts holed up in their swamps and kept the Phyrexians at bay with magic and guerrilla tactics that were empowered by a home-terrain advantage. Once the invasion ended, they took advantage of the ensuing instability and reestablished themselves and their society in the swampland.
In the aftermath, Lorwyn boggarts began holding feasts and sharing stories again, finding many of the old parables that survived had diverged and evolved. They started collectively developing new magics and writing them down using a rudimentary, pictographic language. This language was originally etched into bark and stone to convey simple messages such as “danger,” “safety,” “resources,” or most commonly “adventure awaits.”
Society
Lorwyn boggarts can live long but often don’t due to their lack of discretion. Those who do accumulate vast amounts of magical energy in their bodies. Aunties are the most magically powerful and oldest boggarts, and they are the leaders and pillars of their warrens. They exert great authority and are able to command respect and break up infighting (though friendly biting is permitted).
While there is a greater effort toward preserving their history and community, Lorwyn boggarts are disorganized and impulsive by nature. This means that structure and law are often suggestions rather than requirements. Boggarts are still hoarders and mischief makers with a penchant for dying early; however, death is neither feared nor mourned. A death—even a foolish one—is to be celebrated if it was in the pursuit of new experiences.
Shadowmoor
Shadowmoor’s boggarts were once simple beings driven by hunger and violence, but after the downfall of Oona, the elves, and later the Phyrexian invasion, rendered their destructive and mindless way of life unsustainable. Since then, they have learned caution, though they are no less ravenous. Many have left behind their nomadic ways in favor of establishing territory. They possess powerful, volatile magic, which they use to enact their chaotic whims.
History
The Shadowmoor boggarts have never recorded their deeds; instead, they give in to their destructive urges and destroy themselves through endless battle. No boggart warrens have ever survived more than a generation, and no other species on the plane have chronicled boggart history, preferring to ignore these marauders for as long as possible.
During the Phyrexian invasion, Shadowmoor boggarts remained disorganized and chaotic; however, their combat prowess remained threatening despite this. Some cleaved to the old ways, turning their ravenous appetites toward destroying the Phyrexians. Others, rather than change their ways, gave themselves up to compleation. As their numbers dwindled, many were forced to take refuge in groups and establish territories with defenses in hard-to-reach places—oftentimes swamps, but not always.
In the wake of the Phyrexian invasion, there was hardly any land left unblemished for Shadowmoor boggarts to storm and consume as they once had. With their old lifestyle made obsolete, they had to find other ways to channel their impulses. In and around the swamps, some have formed small communities—notably smaller than their Lorwyn counterparts—that are tight-knit, secretive, and well-guarded. Others have continued as solo nomads, zealously pursuing revenge or simply seeking a new purpose.
Society
Shadowmoor boggarts live isolated from the other denizens of Shadowmoor, typically only interacting with them through violence. Their warrens are small and simple, with purely practical architecture. Their limited hierarchies are supported by force, whether magical or martial. Boggart warriors who have done well in battle affix their bodies with crude iron plates found while raiding, hammering the nails directly into their bones. When boggarts fight one another, the victors strip these plates from the bodies of the fallen and attach them to themselves.
The eldest and most powerful aunties of the Shadowmoor boggarts do not tend to stay with their communities, since their ambitions cross the borders of their warrens. These aunties are nomads and loners—fickle, idiosyncratic, and cruel. They’re quick to anger and can hold on to a grudge forever. An encounter with a Shadowmoor auntie is the stuff of nightmares for the other species. They are known to spring arbitrary and bizarre tests on their victims, often with no correct answers. If they don’t like the victim’s response, they will curse them in an ironic and disturbing way, but if they’re feeling magnanimous, they might present the victim with a powerful gift or boon. No one can predict whether an auntie will be hurtful or helpful, though the latter tends to be much less common.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Mudbutton Warren: Known as the most chaotic and raucous warren. The boggarts here love a good time, though they often wake up missing a foot or a friend.
- Toetap Mire: The waters of Toetap Mire are used in all manner of potion-making by boggart apothecaries. The mire consumes corpses and plants, resulting in a liquid with strange properties.
Shadowmoor
- Pokeprodder Bog: Most creatures would contract a plague from sloshing around these swamps, but the boggarts that call this place home are immune to its properties and have even become poisonous as a result.
- Wretchgrinder Warren: Boggarts deemed too weak to fight in battle are sent here to die. Should a boggart survive the ordeal, they are known as a “wretch” and are sent to die again, but in battle.
- Rotbog Warren: Rotbog Warren is one of the most calm and stable warrens in Shadowmoor. Boggarts here have built a massive tower through rudimentary means, though its frequent teetering betrays its slipshod creation.
Merrow
Merrow are merfolk creatures, typically working as merchants, couriers, and intermediaries between other species. Their control over the rivers and tunnels across and under the plane, known as Merrow Lanes, makes them adept at connecting communities through trade. Though they have difficulty moving across land, their unique abilities make them an indispensable part of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor as a species that others depend on for survival.
Glamers
Merrow have glamers, a magic they use to change their appearance and voices. Visually, they can change their colors to either disguise or attract, whereas vocal glamers are used both as a manipulation tactic and a secondary form of communication. Sometimes merrow will even use vocal glamers against land dwellers to subtly affect emotions, which aids them in diplomacy and bartering. These glamers are easily recognized by (and don’t work on) other merrow and are instead used among their own kind as an emotional flavor to speech—a layer of communication that only merrow can perceive.
The merrow of Shadowmoor use their glamers almost exclusively to run cons. They can change their voices to lure or control the weak-minded and can create illusions to help sell a lie or disguise an underhanded action. These illusions are derived from water magic and have an appearance like colorful mist upon closer inspection.
Lorwyn
The Lorwyn merrow present themselves as an aristocratic society built on the back of fair trade. They have a history as merchants, but their neutral pleasantry and glamers also make them fantastic barterers and envoys. They are mercantile, diplomatic, and elusive, sticklers for equity and rules—some of which they arbitrarily designed and forced upon themselves.
History
In the Age of Oona, Lorwyn merrow were able to avoid the tyranny of the elves better than most other species. The elves begrudgingly considered them trade partners and used their unique assets to help connect their empire in exchange for safety. However, elvish society would occasionally make a show of force against merchants they suspected of deception, brutally slaughtering them.
When the Phyrexians came, Lorwyn merrow arrogantly believed that they would be safe in the water, but this was not the case, and without proper defenses, they found themselves at the mercy of the Phyrexians. Many were forced to flee into the deepest parts of the Wanderwine.
The Lorwyn merrow are now a smaller community, and all the more elitist for it. They have put concerted effort into reestablishing themselves—rebuilding their home, regrowing their numbers, and all but forcing themselves back into the niche they maintained before the Phyrexian invasion.
Society
Lorwyn merrow split themselves into large, self-contained cliques called schools. Each school has its own unique presentation, customs, and glamers, which they maintain with great pride. They have a concept of “the elite” or royalty within their schools—not in relation to a bloodline, but rather a performance of virtues and a capacity to lead. They compete with other schools and other species to monopolize a particular field, such as merchantry, trade, and water travel. While they view wealth as a marker of success, they also place great value on fair trade and don’t respect those who come into their money by fraudulent means.
Lorwyn merrow keep small storefronts along the banks of the river, places for other species to stop by and engage in trade. These are often decorated and guarded in an effort to attract clientele through glamer and reliability.
Lorwyn merrow somehow manage to be both haughty and endlessly polite at the same time. They are indirect and subtle. Much of their double-speak is indecipherable to anyone apart from other merrow, since it’s deeply steeped in their own culture, muddled by their difficult-to-read expressions, and contextual to a life spent underwater. They often feel the need to dumb things down for the land dwellers, but when speaking to one another—especially merrow from a rival school—they hold nothing back. Competing elites will have entire conversations that appear like nothing more than polite chatter to the errant observer but are in fact viciously veiled and deeply personal insults to those in the know.
Shadowmoor
The opportunistic merrow of Shadowmoor are notorious for their cons and swindling, using traps and clever tricks to get their way. Though not the strongest or most powerful species on the plane, they pride themselves on being the cleverest and have no reservations about using that to their advantage.
History
In the Age of Oona, the merrow of Shadowmoor were relentless scavengers known for drowning land dwellers, going so far as to drag themselves across land to steal and kill. They were wracked by an envy of others’ wealth and driven by a deep desire to take it through any trickery necessary.
During the Phyrexian invasion, the Shadowmoor merrow suffered just like any other species. Their tricks, lures, and glamers did not work on the Phyrexians. A craven species at heart, they escaped to the Dark Meanders, tunnels deep under the plane, hoping to wait out the invasion beneath the water. Over time, Shadowmoor merrow bodies changed to adapt to their environment in the Dark Meanders; many gained bioluminescence and even poison compounds in their bodies due to their new diets.
In the wake of the invasion, the Shadowmoor merrow find it easier than ever to trick desperate people out of what little wealth and resources they possess. At the same time, the smaller amount of territory across the plane means that Shadowmoor merrow have fewer targets and less connection to each other than ever.
Society
Most Shadowmoor merrow live in schools that run cons and amass wealth together. Most often, they will simply take their spoils and run, though if presented with the opportunity, they may also lure their victims down into the depths to drown. When they find a scam that works, they’ll travel from place to place, running it until the land dwellers catch on.
Shadowmoor merrow employ a variety of cons. A common scam is to convince others to pay them with some promise of increased return, only to run with the money. Another is to sell fake wares and claim they are “potently magical,” a lie propped up with illusion magic that swiftly vanishes as soon as they’re out of sight. One of their favorite cons is to create facsimiles of boggart trinkets, claiming that they possess all of the same magic with “none of the boggart nastiness.” If they can find a particularly weak-willed land dweller, they’ll charm them into either assisting with a scam as a plant or directly stealing from others. Once the scam is over, they’ll command the land dweller to toss themself into the water to drown.
The most covetous and greedy of Shadowmoor merrow will travel alone to keep all the wealth for themselves. These can range from roguish, picaresque types to obsessive wealth hoarders. These solo wanderers are particularly adept travelers—they can jump rivers, navigate the Dark Meanders with ease, and have even been known to pop out of wells. They cause trouble wherever they go, easily coming into and out of wealth and barely escaping scrapes by their wits alone.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Wanderwine River: A massive winding river that stretches across Lorwyn. All down its length are hubs where merrow trade and store goods. In Shadowmoor, this river is known as the Wanderbrine River.
- Porringer Basin: What was once Porringer Valley has flooded, causing an influx of merrow who have set about repurposing the valley into a nursery.
Shadowmoor
- The Dark Meanders: Subterranean aquatic tunnels that Shadowmoor merrow frequently explore. Though some of these tunnels are in Lorwyn, their merrow do not explore them unless absolutely necessary.
- Druim Calad: The only major aboveground port in Shadowmoor. Merrow do most of their trading here, though the water is said to run red, since trade often goes awry.
Elves
The elves of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor are idealistic lovers of beauty—both their own beauty and the beauty in the world around them. Elves spend their short lives with a sense of intentionality that they dedicate to achieving something meaningful. They are the most influential species on the plane, inserting themselves into the lives of other species in service of their ideals.
Moonglove and Moonglow
The elves of Lorwyn cultivate a poisonous plant known as moonglove, which they distill into a poison called moonglow. Even a small amount of moonglow is enough to topple giants. Perfects at the Dawn’s Light Palace now cultivate moonglow and have bestowed this flower with a religious significance. Moonglove can be seen as part of the royal ensemble, a subtle gesture that, while the elves’ empire has diminished, their blades are still lethal.
Dawnglove and Dawnglow
Dawnglove is Shadowmoor’s mirror of moonglove. Originally only found in the deepest recesses of the darkest parts of Shadowmoor, dawnglove is considered the apex of beauty for the Shadowmoor elves and is distilled into a potion called dawnglow. Dawnglow can be used to cure nearly any ailment, including death itself, but its priceless beauty means that Shadowmoor elves rarely consider using even a petal of this precious flower. Living dawnglove will change with the auroras like anything else, but if plucked, it retains its form, making it an incredibly rare and valuable material in Lorwyn.
Lorwyn
Lorwyn’s elves are largely cruel eugenicists who aim to cultivate beauty through the destruction of those deemed lesser. Their current empire is a shell of its former self, both in territory and influence, but they maintain a great deal of power. Though some elves have sought out reconciliation, most elves maintain that they should rule Lorwyn in whatever manner they please. They still harbor their old views, albeit in secret. Many simply disguise their hatred and direct it toward the people of Shadowmoor in the hope that if the shadowed aspect were eliminated under their leadership, their reign would swiftly return.
History
Elves were the de facto power in Lorwyn until the downfall of Oona. However, no living elf, save Rhys, remembers that time. They ruled over the plane in various clans, each with their own unique brand of cruelty. In particular, boggarts were frequent targets of elvish raids, such as the one that occurred during the Feast of Footbottom. After the merging of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor during the Pendulum Year, elvish society was cut apart, unable to penetrate the darkness. Still, countless years of plundering other species left these elves with vast resources and cruel methods to maintain their authority.
The Phyrexian invasion uniquely harmed the dominance of the elvish empire. Though the elves’ authority had been waning over the past forty years, the Phyrexians laid waste to much of the infrastructure that had maintained the power imbalance in Lorwyn. This vacuum allowed the other species on the plane to gain ground, clawing back ancestral lands and reclaiming sovereignty. At the onset of this plane-wide power rebalancing, Lorwyn elves unified to maintain a veneer of respectability and to lessen the effects of their devastating losses. This came at the expense of their large network of influence.
Now, elvish fiefdoms are largely ceremonial, connected to the Gilt-Leaf as a means of survival. Though most elves still secretly cling to their old ideals, they cannot be openly cruel, since collaboration with their neighbors has become necessary to maintain their opulent lifestyles. Instead of waging war against their fellow Lorwyn denizens, they have found a new goal. Chief among the elves, High Perfect Morcant seeks to rally people under elvish authority to end the existence of Shadowmoor.
Society
Previously, elvish society in Lorwyn placed great importance on physical, unblemished beauty. This was reflected in their caste system, where only the most flawless physical specimens could rule. The devastation of their society at the hands of the Phyrexians caused the collapse of these castes in all but name. Now, their positions are hereditary, reflecting a stagnation in ideals and social order. Elves are organized under the rule of fiefdoms, each with their own leader at the head who is expected to pay tribute to High Perfect Morcant. The fracturing of the plane between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor has caused each fiefdom to develop its own rules, customs, and sometimes secret claims to the elvish throne. Still, many terms from the old, beauty-oriented caste system survive, and those who adhere to the previous order await their chance to rule again.
Terms
- Eyeblight: A term for those whom elves deem unbeauteous, originally either disfigured elves or any non-elf. The term fell out of favor as elvish power waned and is only whispered by resurrectionists behind closed doors.
- Faultless: Originally the lowest caste of beautiful elves. The term is now also selectively applied to foreign dignitaries. As such, it has lost much meaning within elvish society and is seen as a neutral term for fellow elves who have not reached a higher designation.
- Immaculate: The immaculates of elvish society are the public faces of their new order. They are emissaries and dignitaries whose presence disguises the still haughty and discriminatory nature of their leaders.
- Exquisite: A small group of former hunting pack leaders that now rules over small plots of land, commanding their few remaining vassals from forested palaces. Their history of hunting still survives—indeed, their families hunt game for sport—but their culling of other species has been put to an end, at least publicly.
- Perfect: The highest distinction in elvish society, now reserved only for those who inherit significant power. Perfects include the monarchs at Gilt-Leaf Palace and their highest-ranking consorts and officials.
Shadowmoor
Shadowmoor elves are protectors of beauty and the natural world, surrounded on all sides by the indifferent and malicious. Their role has not changed since the Age of Oona, but the territory they oversee has significantly diminished. Elvish safeholds, their bastions of beauty within Shadowmoor, are few and far between, making the elves’ cataloging of beauty more treacherous than ever before. This has not dampened their spirits but rather strengthened their resolve. When an area shifts from Lorwyn to Shadowmoor, these elves take it upon themselves to look for beauty within it, no matter the risk.
History
During the Age of Oona, the Shadowmoor elves were content to wander the plane in search of curios and other beautiful things. When the time came for heroes to bring about the end of Oona and her schemes, the elves of Shadowmoor rose to the challenge. Their role in the downfall of Oona was pronounced; both Maralen and Rhys proved instrumental. Maralen, originally an aspect of Oona, took Oona’s place as queen of the fae, though she instructed Rhys to end her life with deadly moonglow should any hint of Oona’s return emerge.
During the onslaught of the Phyrexian invasion, the Shadowmoor elves valiantly defended their home from the Phyrexians, using ruthless guerrilla tactics up until the moment their safeholds were overrun. Though their territory was lost, the elves were able to preserve their people’s lives through vast caches of beautiful and powerful magical objects they had collected from across the plane. Now, the elves seek to reestablish their dominance.
Since the invasion, Shadowmoor’s elves have blossomed into a stable society among the chaos. Their safeholds are few but well stocked, and their cities the most well preserved of any in Shadowmoor.
Society
The elves of Shadowmoor do not put stock in elaborate social hierarchies. The value of a person is determined by their effort and their dedication to the preservation of beauty. In fact, elves consider the act of heroism itself to be beautiful. When they learned of the existence of Lorwyn, they grew increasingly curious about what sorts of beauty might lie beyond the boundaries of light and shadow.
Those who study the lands and cultures of Lorwyn are known as bloomseekers, a nearly religious position whose tales of beauty beyond the auroras captivate the safeholds’ fireplace audiences. These bloomseekers are the only ones permitted to bear Reliquaries of Twilight, allowing them to traverse the auroras without transforming. Alongside safewrights, elves whose mission is to venture across Shadowmoor in search of beautiful things, bloomseekers are among the most trusted and revered elves.
Though the Shadowmoor elves don’t view other species with disdain, they do see themselves as morally superior beings with a mission that elevates them above the rest of their aspect. This attitude even extends toward their Lorwyn counterparts, whom they view as sad and disappointing, never able to live up to their full potential due to their prejudices.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Dawn’s Light Palace: The last remaining palace of the elves, located in the elvish city of Lys Alana, which itself is tucked deep in the Gilt-Leaf Woods. High Perfect Morcant rules here and concocts plans to rejuvenate her empire. It is known as Caer Ulios in Shadowmoor.
- The Grave of Nath: After Nath, a cruel elvish hunter, was slain by Rhys, his body was interred in a grove. The grove has gone wild, hosting all manner of deadly poisonous plants, and legends say Nath’s soul still yearns for revenge.
Shadowmoor
- Caer Flur: This is the largest safehold in Shadowmoor, within the Creakwood. Elves of every clan helped build this safehold when Caer Flur was established after the fall of Oona.
- Dawnglove Grove: Deep within the Creakwood is a grove of dawnglove, always guarded by the most elite of the Shadowmoor elves, irrespective of clan.
Flamekin
Flamekin are passionate elementals made of flame and living stone with a strong connection to the plane. They deeply value self-actualization and can also communicate with greater elementals. Though flamekin can form or join communities, they tend to forge their own paths and are often nomadic or rootless. They seek knowledge and understanding, a desire inspired by the world around them and the mysteries it harbors.
Rimekin and Cinders
Rimekin emerged from the horrors of the Phyrexian invasion, born from flamekin whose emotions had grown too hot. Unable to contain their flames, they repressed themselves, looking inward, extinguishing their heat, and turning toward cold logic instead—like stars collapsing in on themselves—to become heatless inversions. Their focus is often on the state of the world and the way they can change it. They are also gifted with unique powers, and the weapons they make alongside their flamekin brethren are imbued with icy magic that can freeze even flamekin-made iron.
Though some rimekin exist in Lorwyn, Shadowmoor is where they found their true home. Historically, flamekin in Shadowmoor were known as cinders. They are skeletal and smoky beings that can barely hold flame. After the invasion, their numbers have noticeably decreased, since the presence of an actual threat to their existence in the Phyrexians caused many cinders to question their nihilistic ways.
Lorwyn
The flamekin of Lorwyn are passionate and committed to the ideas of self-actualization and discovery. They are often found traveling the plane, some even venturing into the Primal Beyond. Among their ranks of warriors and sorcerers are pilgrims dedicated to following the Path of Flame, the ultimate form of dedication to their pursuit of understanding.
History
For as long as flamekin society can remember, they’ve shared a connection with the elements and spoken for the natural world. Despite this, they were detested by the elves, who feared they would burn the forests and meadows. The elves’ conquests pushed them slowly to the edges of the plane.
During the Phyrexian invasion, many flamekin were lost to the invading forces, preferring to burn out in glory rather than flee and lose themselves. As the invasion poisoned the land, many flamekin felt called across the plane, traveling speedily to the front lines with their fire. But as conditions grew more dire, many of disappeared underground.
The invasion came to an end, but many flamekin remained in hibernation. They have been going through the slow process of rekindling themselves ever since. Some awoke to find their connection to the land stronger after their long rest, with around half of them having returned as rimekin, their hibernation causing a change in forms. But still more are missing, trapped in sleep under the earth.
Society
Flamekin gather in small, ever-changing towns called flickers, which never grow too large due to flamekins’ tendency to wander. Instead, they enjoy meeting at large events such as festivals or ceremonies in calderas and burnt-out pits to reconnect and share knowledge. These events often occur at the loci of elemental shifts or plane changes, where flamekin are naturally called by their connection to the earth.
Flamekin take on roles as smiths, messengers, and investigators. Their large, forge-like homes produce iron weapons, armor, and tools for the rest of Lorwyn. They act as intermediaries for the greater elementals and fight those who would damage the land. Some flamekin explore and investigate changes to the plane, searching for the missing flamekin that have yet to awaken from their hibernation.
Path of Flame
For flamekin, the all-important process of physical and spiritual self-discovery is called the Path of Flame. The flamekin quest for self-actualization is a way of life. It begins with inner reflection and soul-searching, leading to travel and worldly knowledge before finally manifesting physically with red, yellow, and white flames. The Path of Flame has three states of being: incindiator, blazeform, and soulstoke. The transition from one state to the next requires more than worldly wisdom and an understanding of your own emotions; it also requires some time in meditation to commune more closely with the flame within. There were in earlier times rumors of a fourth path, though many flamekin in the modern era assume rimekin are the formerly unknown fourth path.
Shadowmoor
The original flamekin of Shadowmoor were cinders—husks of burnt-out flamekin that were skeletal, haunting, and unable to hold their flames. In the current age, Shadowmoor has also become home to much of the plane’s rimekin. They seek self-actualization like their Lorwyn counterparts but do so through actively reshaping themselves and the world around them into one that will assuage their grief. They care less about understanding things as they are and more about changing the world into something that suits their vision. This process can be cruel, and often feeds a vicious cycle of revenge, but Shadowmoor flamekin are more concerned with their personal goals than the means of getting there.
History
Shadowmoor flamekin maintain that their original flames were taken away long ago in an event known as the Extinguishing, a source of great despair and grief. This sent their species down what they refer to as the Path of Sorrow. This is a downward spiral toward self-destruction in a desperate bid to rekindle their flame. Even after Oona’s downfall and the merging of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, many remained stuck in that spiral.
The Phyrexian invasion forced these cinders into confronting their own existence. Though the invasion was horrific and destructive, it provided an opportunity for them to reflect on their existence. The cinders found a sadistic pleasure in the fight, using their anger as a weapon to destroy the Phyrexians while regaining their sense of purpose. Many discovered that their power could be used to shape a world that they desired to live in rather than wallowing in despair.
Toward the end of the invasion, some cinders became rimekin, content with the new flame that the change brought them. Others returned to Lorwyn and went through the long and arduous process of regaining their warmer flame.
Society
Shadowmoor flamekin gather in larger settlements than their counterparts and are less prone to travel. They are intent on reshaping Shadowmoor’s societies and landscape to fit their desires. The Phyrexian invasion caused severe damage to the land, motivating these newfound settlements to discover some meaning in the chaos.
Even more so than their Lorwyn counterparts, Shadowmoor flamekin are smiths who mostly produce weapons, which they send out to every corner of Shadowmoor. These weapons are an attempt to control the direction of Shadowmoor’s future, putting it on a path where its people depend on them. Until that future occurs, Shadowmoor flamekin are happy to produce tools of war for those in the market.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Mount Tanufel: The birthplace and home of all flamekin in Lorwyn. Its snowy peaks are home to rimekin and the source of the Wanderwine River’s water. Its Shadowmoor equivalent is Mount Kulrath.
- Spinerock Knoll: A knoll bordering the Burrenton Clachan. It is home to dragon-worshiping devotees who hope to be reincarnated as dragons themselves.
Shadowmoor
- Bellowrath: A village of exiled flamekin, where doomsday cults prophesize that the world will end in a billowing cloud of ash from Mount Kulrath’s eventual eruption.
- The Boreal Ridge: A frosty cliff formed when a branch of the Invasion Tree damaged the land. A congregation of rimekin have made their home here in scattered houses along the cliff’s edge.
Faeries
Faeries are fickle, mischievous, and mysterious pranksters who live for petty intrigues. They have a fascination with dreams and use illusion magic. All faeries originally came from Oona, the oldest and most omniscient being on Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, unseen by other species. Faeries would empower and sustain her by gathering secrets and dreamstuff, a substance pulled from the minds of sleeping creatures. They have historically lived in Glen Elendra, a narrow valley in the mountains protected by the queen’s powerful glamers, which make it nearly impossible for non-fae to find the valley.
Faeries change very little between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, differing only in appearance and the cruelty of their pranks. They share a history and culture across both aspects, largely shielded from the consequences of the auroras by Oona.
History
Little is known about the history of Great Faerie Oona, who once ruled Lorwyn-Shadowmoor in secret. Faeries have largely remained unchanged throughout time, regardless of the catastrophic events that have befallen the plane. Even during the Great Aurora, they did not become any more malicious in their pranks than they’ve always been.
However, when Maralen—an avatar of Oona that gained self-awareness—was created, the stability of faeries and their society began to unravel. Maralen defied and ultimately killed Oona to become the new queen of the fae. Upon Oona’s apparent death, her soul was shattered and cast into the land, forming what would become the Glade of the Aurora Queen.
Society
Maralen is the new great faerie who rules from Glen Elendra and stewards the plane. All lesser fae are born from flowers and have an average lifespan of three years. Many Lorwyn faeries worship Queen Oura, a faerie who proclaimed herself queen by mimicking Oona and gaining power through the collective belief of the fae. Maralen has not seen fit to eliminate the upstart, lest she become more like Oona herself. Faeries do not care for such asinine things like jobs and, instead, sustain themselves with dreamstuff and deal in information. Even the most mischievous and carefree of faeries will become irritable if separated from their clique and will grow desperate if lost altogether.
Fae Magic
Faerie magic centers around illusions and lures. Their glamers are used for just about anything, like ensnaring, escaping, or simply entertaining.
- Illusion glamer: An illusion glamer can be applied to a creature or a faerie. Faeries can use illusions to trick someone into falling in love with the wrong person or falling off the edge of a cliff. For themselves, they often use glamers to beautify their surroundings and clothing.
- Sleep glamer: Sleep-inducing magic is a faerie specialty. A sleep glamer can cause a creature to become drowsy and enter a kind of sleepwalking state for a while before falling completely asleep. When a creature is properly ensnared and drowsy, faeries can prod them for information that they wouldn’t otherwise give. It is only through a subject’s sheer will that they can break out of the drowsy stage before succumbing to slumber.
- Faerie rings: Small rings of toadstools, flowers, or unusual rocks that act as teleportation waypoints, unknown to other species. Faerie rings require a few minutes of recharge between each use and are historically maintained by the faeries under the all-seeing eye of their omniscient queen.
- Dreamstuff: Faeries use the powerful and ancient glamers given to them by their queen to distill dreams into a sparkling energy that they can carry around like a bee carries pollen. This is used to sustain and power the queen and themselves.
Major Locations
Lorwyn
- Glen Priseil: The seat of the false queen Oura and her band of supporters.
- Warywind Bough: A meeting place for the faeries of Lorwyn that’s secluded beneath a waterfall. Many schemes, both big and small, are hatched here.
Shadowmoor
- Glen Elendra: Formerly the haven of Oona; Maralen makes her home here now. It is glamered to protect it from those in Shadowmoor who would destroy its beauty.
- Grove of the Aurora Queen: A peculiar forest of flowering trees that grew from the corpse of Oona’s flower, which was buried deep in the Creakwood.
Giants
Giants are massive humanoid creatures that spend much of their time asleep and resting. They rarely interact with other species on the plane, and crossing their path can be extremely dangerous, whether they see you or not.
Lorwyn
The giants of Lorwyn are aloof and unconcerned with the day-to-day lives of the rest of the plane, never forming attachments with other species outside of brief interactions to satiate their curiosity. They are territorial when they decide to plant themselves in one place, coming to blows with anyone who encroaches on their temporary home. Increasingly, however, they are seen wandering the world as nomads and explorers. They are often considered wise due to their travels, and other creatures seek them out for their knowledge or their collections of baubles from around the plane. Giants are unfathomably old, surpassed in age only by treefolk.
Name Sleep
When a Lorwyn giant sleeps, it is known as name sleep, which is triggered by any sudden change in their life, like trauma or abundance. Young giants derive their surnames from these sleeps, hence the phenomenon’s name. Their dreams during this time provide direction and purpose to giants, who may even start their life anew based on their experiences within a dream. While some giants accept their new surnames upon awaking, others still choose to be known by family or clan names, keeping their name sleep surname private.
Dolmens
A Lorwyn giant’s resting spot is marked by a dolmen, a massive stone gateway that can be seen from far away. It is both a sign of their territory and a courtesy for those who might be wandering, lest they face a giant’s wrath. These dolmens are not removed when a giant leaves, meaning they can either mark a living giant or the former lair of a giant, the latter of which is often home to fabulous treasure.
Shadowmoor
The giants of Shadowmoor are hibernators, whose long weeks spent asleep cause them to be covered in moss and plants. Unlike their counterparts in Lorwyn, giants in Shadowmoor are more lazy than malicious, not fighting unless driven to extremes. They are much more oblivious, never stopping to redirect their feet away from a village. Giants in Shadowmoor are far more connected to nature as well, often harnessing wild magic in ways other creatures find awe-inspiring.
Hibernators
The giants of Shadowmoor love to sleep, causing their bodies to atrophy as the ages pass. Their muscles are preserved through magic, but their skin has shrunk over them, making their musculature more prominent.
Treefolk
The treefolk of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor are sentient trees with humanoid features and the oldest creatures native to the plane. Treefolk start life as ordinary trees, but through an event called the Rising, they gain sentience and mobility.
Lorwyn
While they are young, Lorwyn treefolk remain in their home groves, tending to the trees and other treefolk and learning from their elders. Once they mature, they venture into the world and seek out those who need their guidance. Treefolk are not all kind, however, and in the past, they have ruled over the plane as tyrants, taking their wisdom and heritage as a right to govern those who have lived less.
Lorwyn treefolk come in many varieties and have different personalities based on their tree type:
- Ash treefolk: Warriors and protectors. Ash treefolk safeguard the forest and people of Lorwyn. They are the most heroic and noble of the treefolk, but their wrath is feared.
- Black poplar treefolk: Healers and masochists. Black poplar treefolk absorb the pain of other treefolk, an experience that they grow to crave in a twisted way.
- Rowan treefolk: An order of luddite cursemongers and hexmages. Staunchly opposed to metal in all forms, they unleashed their wrath upon the Phyrexians and brought down legions on their own. An order of these treefolk known as the Sunrise Brake was once dedicated to discovering the location of Oona. Since her downfall, they have grown more fanatical in their pursuit of destroying all technology.
- Yew treefolk: The rarest of treefolk. There was a single yew treefolk at the end of the Age of Oona, Colfenor, whose only progeny was destroyed defeating Oona. Though they are now rumored to be extinct, there have been sightings of a new yew treefolk in the Great Forest of Lorwyn.
Shadowmoor
Unlike their counterparts in Lorwyn, Shadowmoor treefolk do not engage with other species as protectors. Their role in this aspect is that of vengeful guardians of nature against the ravages of the denizens of Shadowmoor. Most have lost their faces, with only vestiges of their humanoid features remaining. They also lack the distinct social order of their Lorwyn counterparts, remaining isolated and lonely. They come in many varieties, but much of the nuance of their species has been lost in favor of a more violent approach to life overall.
Greater Elementals
Greater elementals are embodiments of ideas and concepts, often weird, whimsical, or terrifying. They are typically massive, dwarfing many of the other creatures on the plane, though they might also take on smaller forms if they so desire. They are forces of nature that are untamable and primal. They are neither good nor evil, existing beyond the typical understanding of morality. Flamekin have a specific connection to these beings, though their communication is often a mix of instinct and guesswork.
Lorwyn
The greater elementals of Lorwyn are physical embodiments of abstract ideas. They take on the appearance of different animals haphazardly stuck together with seemingly no rhyme or reason.
Shadowmoor
The greater elementals of Shadowmoor are terrifying visages of unsettling ideas made manifest. Often, they resemble nightmares, pastiches of great fears borne from the harsh environment of Shadowmoor. They are unfeeling, uncommunicative, and unbothered by the presence of other species, acting with unbridled command of the land that bore them.
Changelings
Changelings are shapeshifters that take the forms of creatures and plants as they see fit. Born in the crystalline cavern Velis Vel, these shapeshifters are poor at disguising themselves; their opalescent and translucent skin gives them away immediately. However, their forms allow them to integrate and bond with the other species of Lorwyn. Every species has their own outlook on changelings, but apart from elves, none would scorn the appearance of these friendly shapeshifters. Changelings are now said to be harbingers of good luck, having proven worthy allies in the conflict against the Phyrexians. If a changeling enters Shadowmoor, they become a mimic, a cruel creature that mocks its victims by taking on the appearance of their loved ones before ending their lives. However, since Oona’s downfall, changelings remain in Lorwyn unless they are driven into Shadowmoor unwillingly.
Other Creatures
Lorwyn-Shadowmoor is home to a panoply of other creatures, such as noggles, bogles, ouphes, duergars, hags, imps, and trolls. Most are found in the far reaches of Shadowmoor, but as the tides shift, these strange creatures have been rumored to appear in Lorwyn as well.
With the emergence of Eirdu and Isilu, stone creatures known as firdoch have begun wandering the lands. They serve the elemental guardians of the plane in mysterious ways, carving paths and managing the boundaries between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor through elaborate wrestling.
Now that you’re armed with knowledge about Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, prepare to venture into the plane’s mysteries with Lorwyn Eclipsed. The set’s main story begins on December 8 and will be available on MTGStory.com.
Lorwyn Eclipsed is available for preorder now from your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold. Thanks for joining us on this guide to everything weird and wonderful about this plane. We’ll see you on the other side!
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