mtg, Lost Caverns of Ixalan [1]
So I'm really looking forward to the next set of magic the gathering - it's going to be the first set where I go to a prerelease event!
I really like the setting - aztec/mesoamerican inspired fantasy PLUS dinosaurs & pirates & vampires & merfolk - it's got enough worldbuilding to be really fascinating, and enough "just throw lots of things into the pot" energy to make it feel fresh.
re: mtg, Lost Caverns of Ixalan [2]
It also is clearly inspired by strong understanding of mesoamerican mythology & society, including parts that are less well known:
* Things are discovered by going DOWN, rather than outwards.
* Time is counted in sets of 20.
* The importance of the sun, and the idea that this is not the first sun.
Plus, the story also prominently features a sapphic couple - Huatli, a warrior-poet from Ixalan, and Saheeli, an inventor of gadgets from Kaladesh.
re: mtg, Lost Caverns of Ixalan [3]
I'm also way more interested in the stories now that we're in a new arc.
The end of the last arc (the Phyrexia arc) saw the titular villains invade the entire multiverse all at once by tearing holes (omenpaths) between the different planes.
The phyrexians were defeated, and have left several interesting storytelling hooks in their wake...
re: mtg, Lost Caverns of Ixalan [4]
Previously, only planeswalkers could travel between planes, and they couldn't take anything or anyone with them. Now anyone can travel between planes, if they find an omenpath that links the two.
On top of this: most of the old planeswalkers have either lost the spark they need to planeswalk (leaving them stranded all over the place) or are dead.
And I think it's great: it shows a real change to the status quo in the stories they can tell!
