The Wicked Slumber was a curse cast in response to New Phyrexia's invasion of Eldraine by the fae lord Talion and the witch sisters Agatha, Eriette, and Hylda.[1]
Description[ | ]
Those afflicted by the Wicked Slumber appear asleep, swirling with strands of violet mist.[2] Animals are also affected, and even tree boughs droop as if exhausted in areas where the Slumber is prominent.[3] As it spread throughout the Realm, entire villages were wreathed in rivers of violet.[4] Ashiok and Eriette are able to control those in the Slumber — Ashiok being particularly able — and Eriette in turn began teaching the ability to Rowan.[5]
History[ | ]
Background[ | ]
Eldraine suffered great losses during the Invasion. It had started subtly in the Wilds and remained undetected. However, within days of Realmbreaker's appearance, the courts of the Realm had fallen, High King Algenus and Queen Linden Kenrith were killed, and Ayara had been compleated, along with her guards and all of Castle Locthwain.[6][7]
The Curse[ | ]
Returning from a long trip, Talion, the fae Lord of the Wilds, was forced to join with the three witch sisters Agatha, Eriette, and Hylda to cast the Wicked Slumber on the plane to halt the Invasion.[8][9] In exchange for helping to cast the Slumber, Talion provided each of the witches with a magical artifact that enhanced their powers: Agatha's Soul Cauldron, Eriette's Tempting Apple, and Hylda's Crown of Winter.
However, the curse did not lift after the Invasion's conclusion, but instead Eriette extended the curse to the plane's living inhabitants, including Talion's child, Obyra, hoping to build a realm of her own where all the plane's inhabitants were subservient to her will.[10][4][11] Ashiok took advantage of this slumber to use the inhabitants' nightmares against those still awake, while the Kenrith twins, having lost their shared spark, pursued differing methods in reuniting the realms. As acting king, Will ordered that victims of the curse be placed in glass caskets to protect them.[12]
To end the curse, Talion tasked the knight Imodane to kill the three witches. When she was caught by Agatha, Talion handed the task to the half-fae Kellan, promising him information about his fae father.[13] Kellan eventually succeeded in the quest, breaking the curse, though he declined his reward.[14]
Story[ | ]
The Wicked Slumber is a folktale that tells the story of the sleeping curse.
Excerpt | Card Source |
---|---|
'Twas the cruelest of ironies: the realm, in desperate need of rest, gripped by endless sleep that offered no comfort. | Polluted Bonds (Enchanting Tales, #34) |
The king ordered those lost in sleep be placed in glass gaskets, protected and watched in case they might one day wake. | Rest in Peace (Enchanting Tales, #12) |
Known Victims[ | ]
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
Trivia[ | ]
- During Vision Design, the Wilds of Eldraine team realized that they needed an in-universe reason for the Wicked Slumber to exist and that having it be a countermeasure to the Phyrexian Invasion made a lot of sense. They requested a card that showed a giant sleeping spell be designed in March of the Machine to support this origin story, which ultimately became Wicked Slumber.[15]
References[ | ]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 25, 2023). "Ten Stories Tall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (August 9, 2023). "Wilds of Eldraine - Episode 2: Wandering Knight, Budding Hero". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt et al. (2023). "D&D Monstrous Compendium: Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures". Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b K. Arsenault Rivera (August 11, 2023). "Wilds of Eldraine - Episode 4: Ruby and the Frozen Heart". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (August 10, 2023). "Wilds of Eldraine - Episode 3: Two Great Banquets". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Jenna Helland (March 22, 2023). "March of the Machine - Eldraine: The Adventures of Rankle, Master of Love". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Emily Teng (April 11, 2023). "Planeswalker's Guide to March of the Machine: The Phyrexian Invasion of the Multiverse". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wilds of Eldraine Debut (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (August 15, 2023).
- ↑ The Preview Panel at MagicCon: Barcelona (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (July 28, 2023).
- ↑ The Preview Panel at MagicCon Minneapolis (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (May 5, 2023).
- ↑ Jubilee Finnegan (July 28, 2023). "A First Look at Wilds of Eldraine". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Rest in Peace (Enchanting Tales, #58)
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (August 8, 2023). "Wilds of Eldraine - Episode 1: Pure of Heart". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (August 14, 2023). "Wilds of Eldraine - Episode 5: Broken Oaths". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater & Roy Graham (September 22, 2023). "Drive to Work 1071: Wilds of Eldraine Story with Roy Graham"