No edit summary Tag: Visual edit |
(summarize instead of plagiarize) Tag: Visual edit |
||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
| − | '''Dominia and Its Walkers''' is an essay written by [[Richard Garfield]], detailing the nature of the [[multiverse]] (then called [[Dominia]]) and that of [[planeswalker]]s. The essay was published in the ''[[Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide]]'' ([[1994]]). |
+ | '''Dominia and Its Walkers''' is an essay written by [[Richard Garfield]], detailing the nature of the [[multiverse]] (then called [[Dominia]]) and that of [[planeswalker]]s. The essay was published in the ''[[Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide]]'' ([[1994]]).<ref name=":0">[[Richard Garfield|Garfield, Richard]]. (1994). "Dominia and its walkers." ''[[Revised Edition/Pocket Players' Guide|Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide]].'' [[Wizards of the Coast]].</ref> |
| + | ==Summary == |
||
| − | ==On the Multiverse== |
||
| + | Garfield discusses the cosmology, likening the planes to shifting grains of sand on a beach. The planeswalkers possess a unique skill allowing them to leave their plane, and most of them have learned how to tap into the magical energy of other worlds. Worlds that are rich in mana are guarded from other planeswalkers who would take control over them.<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| − | Garfield imagines the multiverse as a vast beach. The sand shifts constantly, moved mostly by the tide and the wind, but also by the [[creature]]s that scurry across it or burrow beneath. Subtler effects, like compression or changes in temperature, also make their mark. Sometimes the grains cling together, weathering as a single stone until they are broken apart by some other force. |
||
| + | The act of planeswalking is also described as rapid traversal between planes that touch, often through several intermediate planes. Familiarity with a location makes this easier, though experiences planeswalkers may be able to better control their point of arrival. However, shifting planes can cause planeswalkers to become lost. Planes can bond with one another as a crystal, remaining bonded as they shift, and can even become separated from Dominia, which can result in a planeswalker becoming stranded on that plane.<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| − | When each of these grains of sand is seen as its own [[plane|world or universe]], the Multiverse is the collection of universes (the beach). Usually, the inhabitants of a particular world have no interaction with the other universes; they live out their lives believing that their home is the “One World.” Even when some cataclysm on a nearby plane affects the surrounding worlds, the occupants of those worlds can blame the [[god]]s, or perhaps invent nonexistent natural laws to explain the changes in their plane. |
||
| + | Garfield goes on to discuss the diverse relative magic energies of the planes and the means by which wizards access those energies. As they walk the Multiverse, planeswalkers anchor invisible tethers to the mana-rich resources of these worlds that they may tap from other planes. Mana channeled through these lines serves as energy for the spells they cast. Garfield discusses the source and use of each mana type:<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| − | ==On planeswalkers== |
||
| − | A small number of the multiverse’s inhabitants are fully aware of the existence of worlds outside their home plane. These planeswalkers, often called [[wizard]]s, have learned to travel between planes. Most have also developed secret methods of tapping the [[Mana|resources of the various worlds]], and rich worlds are guarded jealously. |
||
| + | {| class="wikitable" |
||
| − | The simplest form of planeswalking is to travel between touching planes. If two planes in the Multiverse touch, a wizard familiar with both planes can usually travel from anywhere on one of the planes to some location on the other. Of course, experienced wizards can control where they arrive better than less experienced ones can. A planeswalker can also travel between worlds that don’t touch each other by walking through a potentially long series of intermediate planes that span the gap. Distance between two planes can be approximated by the number of intermediate worlds traveled through. Since travel between planes is rapid, even trips to extremely distant planes can be quick. However, if the region is unfamiliar, or the paths between planes even slightly unstable, the wizards may accidentally travel far astray or become lost. For this reason, planeswalkers traversing unfamiliar or shifting paths will take their time to make sure they are going to the correct plane each step of the way. |
||
| + | |- |
||
| + | ! Mana Color!! Source!!Use |
||
| + | |- |
||
| + | |{{W}}||The more serene lands||Order |
||
| + | Protection |
||
| + | Construction |
||
| − | Even experienced planeswalkers cannot easily predict how the paths between planes will form and change. Some areas of the Multiverse remain in the same configuration for ages, and the paths that bind them to shift only slightly. Others are in constant turmoil, making walking between worlds perilous. Sometimes a set of planes will crystallize, like sandstone on the beach; in these cases, travel between the united planes stabilizes, but the entire region may shift in relation to the rest of the Multiverse. Planeswalkers have been known to disappear entirely if the universe they currently inhabit relocates radically, or shifts free of the Multiverse itself. |
||
| + | |- |
||
| + | |{{B}}||The more corrupt lands||Ruin |
||
| + | Death |
||
| + | Decay |
||
| − | ==On planes== |
||
| + | |- |
||
| − | Each plane has its own laws, though these can change as the plane shifts into new regions. Some planes have no domestic magic at all: wizards traveling in these regions must draw entirely on extra-planar resources. Others are so replete with magic that the occupants can be dangerous, even to wizards with the forces of many planes at their call. Planeswalkers who spend a great deal of time on a particular plane can often master the laws that govern it, allowing them to control the plane or at least tap its resources more effectively. |
||
| + | |{{G}}||The wild lands|| Life |
||
| + | Nature |
||
| + | |- |
||
| + | |{{U}}|| The oceans and islands||Artifice |
||
| + | Water |
||
| + | Air |
||
| − | ==On mana== |
||
| + | |- |
||
| − | The resources of a plane can be called upon by lines that connect to that plane. These are invisible except to one who knows how to perceive them. The lines carried by a typical wizard will connect to many worlds of the Multiverse. The lines which provide wizards with raw energy for their spells, the [[mana]] lines or [[leyline]]s, usually connect to the lands of the various planes. Lands in most parts of the Multiverse can be divided into five [[basic]] types, each of which provides energy for a different kind of magic ([[white]], [[blue]], [[black]], [[red]] and [[green]]). |
||
| + | |{{R}}||The mountainous regions||Destruction |
||
| + | Chaos |
||
| + | |} |
||
| + | Planeswalkers can also create tethers to creatures they may summon from afar, spells they may cast, or artifacts with magical powers, all of which are accessed using the mana lines. Any of these ties to lands, creatures, spells, or artifacts can be weakened over time or at great distances. If the planeswalker stretches the line too far, it destroys the line and the tether must be reestablished.<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| − | Lines will fade and become unreliable at great distances from the source; at extreme distances, they can vanish altogether. Extreme care is practiced by wizards that deal with these lines for any length of time. The others die out. The lines carry the power of worlds. |
||
| + | Planeswalkers cannot be governed. No power or rule can hold them back due to their talent for escaping whatever plane they are on at a moment's notice. Even if one should kill a planeswalker before they can escape, wizards often have backup plans allowing them to continue their existence after death. Garfield characterizes planeswalkers as individualistic, territorial, and generally fickle when it comes to alliances. Clashing planeswalkers may compete for one another's domains, a dangerous venture since magic is so unpredictable.<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| − | == External links == |
||
| − | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160707120238/http://www.phyrexia.com/forum/messages/11/6163.html Transcription on phyrexia.com] |
||
| − | {{Story sources}} |
||
| + | == References == |
||
| − | [[Category:Short stories]] |
||
| + | {{Reflist}} |
||
Revision as of 15:50, 26 June 2021
| Dominia and Its Walkers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publishing Information | ||||
| Author(s) | Richard Garfield | |||
| First printing | March 1994 | |||
| First appeared in | Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide | |||
| ||||
Dominia and Its Walkers is an essay written by Richard Garfield, detailing the nature of the multiverse (then called Dominia) and that of planeswalkers. The essay was published in the Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide (1994).[1]
Summary
Garfield discusses the cosmology, likening the planes to shifting grains of sand on a beach. The planeswalkers possess a unique skill allowing them to leave their plane, and most of them have learned how to tap into the magical energy of other worlds. Worlds that are rich in mana are guarded from other planeswalkers who would take control over them.[1]
The act of planeswalking is also described as rapid traversal between planes that touch, often through several intermediate planes. Familiarity with a location makes this easier, though experiences planeswalkers may be able to better control their point of arrival. However, shifting planes can cause planeswalkers to become lost. Planes can bond with one another as a crystal, remaining bonded as they shift, and can even become separated from Dominia, which can result in a planeswalker becoming stranded on that plane.[1]
Garfield goes on to discuss the diverse relative magic energies of the planes and the means by which wizards access those energies. As they walk the Multiverse, planeswalkers anchor invisible tethers to the mana-rich resources of these worlds that they may tap from other planes. Mana channeled through these lines serves as energy for the spells they cast. Garfield discusses the source and use of each mana type:[1]
| Mana Color | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
 |
The more serene lands | Order
Protection Construction |
 |
The more corrupt lands | Ruin
Death Decay |
 |
The wild lands | Life
Nature |
 |
The oceans and islands | Artifice
Water Air |
 |
The mountainous regions | Destruction
Chaos |
Planeswalkers can also create tethers to creatures they may summon from afar, spells they may cast, or artifacts with magical powers, all of which are accessed using the mana lines. Any of these ties to lands, creatures, spells, or artifacts can be weakened over time or at great distances. If the planeswalker stretches the line too far, it destroys the line and the tether must be reestablished.[1]
Planeswalkers cannot be governed. No power or rule can hold them back due to their talent for escaping whatever plane they are on at a moment's notice. Even if one should kill a planeswalker before they can escape, wizards often have backup plans allowing them to continue their existence after death. Garfield characterizes planeswalkers as individualistic, territorial, and generally fickle when it comes to alliances. Clashing planeswalkers may compete for one another's domains, a dangerous venture since magic is so unpredictable.[1]
References
- ↑ a b c d e f Garfield, Richard. (1994). "Dominia and its walkers." Magic: The Gathering Pocket Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.