Hey everyone! So glad you could join me for today's story time. This is the biggest video yet for this channel, and it's gotten an insane amount of comments. I do read every one of them, and really appreciate all your support and kind words. I'd like to answer some of the more frequently asked questions real quick: 1. "The God Phenax made it so Ashiok would not be detected by the other Gods, so that's why they can move in and out of the Underworld." I did forget about Phenax granting that power, but even so, it doesn't explain why Ashiok can move freely between the worlds of the living and dead. I don't think that depends on Erebos being able to actually see you. When Harry Potter put on the Cloak of Invisibility, he still could not apparate on the school grounds, because that rule was absolute. Likewise, I would expect whatever barriers are present on Theros to still function regardless of if they can see you or not, but I guess I'm going to have to accept the Magical Phenax Hall Pass. 2. "Gideon should become the new white god!" Gideon Jura is dead, and from Theros, and was a white Planeswalker, so it makes sense he should be the one to replace Heliod, right? Well, unfortunately, Gideon died on Ravnica, while the Immortal Sun was active. The official book makes it clear that as he is dying, he has a vision of his old friends and life on Theros, but he never makes it back there. (The card Heartwarming Redemption is just a dying dream of Gideon. It does not show him actually returning to Theros.) Mark Rosewater has confirmed Gideon is dead and died on Ravnica and is really really dead. So, I do not think we'll be seeing him ascend to Godhood any time soon. (Nor escaping from the Underworld to fight Titans.) 3. "Where did you get this story? Just from flavor text?" Wizards of the Coast put out an official story summary for Theros Beyond Death, found here: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/theros-beyond-death-story-summary-2020-01-10 Note that it is MUCH shorter and less detailed than any story we've gotten in previous memory, which makes many people (myself included) think there was more planned, but it was canceled either due to poor reception of the War of the Spark stories, or some other unknown factor. Mark Rosewater has pledged that this will not be typical for stories going forward, so I have high hopes when it comes to Ikoria (which better not introduce another new planeswalker with an unknown home plane or I swear to Nylea I will break into WotC HQ with a sharpie and start writing lore on everyone's desk for them) Ok and that's it! Thanks again for watching, and I'll be back with another video as soon as I finish some improvements to my home studio (since you all seem to want the black backdrop to return. Ahem.)
@Magic Arcanum-- fist off, love your channel & Manly Mustache(i can never get mine to grow right)! Second, i happen to have a THEORY as to why Ashiok can get in &out of the underworld without being seen : it's been established that Ashiok can move in&out of your dreams at will, as they're "supposedly" made of the dreams of a dead Planeswalker. As long as someone is asleep on the plane, it can slide in&out of it likes it's an open air pavilion...
I just want to say that Elspeth getting the spear out of a dream reminded me more of when Nancy Thompson took Freddy Krueger’s fedora out of her dream in Nightmare on Elm Street more than it did Rise of Skywalker.
@Laser Pictures-- i'm glad i'm not the only old Eighties Horror movie fan to notice that WotC practically Stole almost all of the Nightmare on Elm Street series for this block....
First we had Soren in a wall then we had Emrakul in a moon and now we have Heliod under a rock. I can't wait for the new Zendikar set where we get Nissa trapped in some quicksand.
@@JamesSamson487 Right now White is the dominant color of Phyrexia because Elesh Norn has won the civil war between the praetors. Both Sheoldred and Urabrask have lost, Sheoldred is most likely dead while Urabrask's domain has been completely taken over by Elesh Norn. Jin Gitaxias now serves as Elesh Norn's advisor and mainly focuses on researching how to travel to other planes. Vorinclex doesnt really care about politics, but more of who's the strongest and has acknowledged Elesh Norn as the stronger one. Some Mirrans still live although their numbers are dwindling. With Urabrask's domain gone, they have fled to the most remote mountains of the furnace layer which are hard for Elesh Norn's forces to reach.
If I'm not wrong, Phenax blessed Ashiok with invisibility against the other gods, so they can be sneaky and enter the underworld unnoticed. I don't remember why Phenax did it. Perhaps just to see things get fucked up.
I believe Phenax did it because Ashiok was able to destroy a whole kingdom on Theros with their powers of nightmares and the creation of god Cacophony, who was a representation of everything wrong with the Polis and was a nightmare monster essentially that was insta-killed by Ephara. Ashiok proved their worth to Phenax and he granted them invisibility so Ashiok could continue to screw with Theros without the gods knowing.
@@harbear6276 Actually Ashiok creating Cacophony happened after Phenax granted his boon. This is why Ephara couldn't find Ashiok. What Ashiok did for Phenax was help him create a Necropolis, a city where the Returned could live together.
Also ashiok wanted that boon to sneak into nyx and get gods nightmares, Wich phenax found absolutely a fantastic and amusing idea. I don't remember who's nightmares she got tho
Ashiok managed to prevent peace between the Iretis Kingdom and the Leonin people. This lead to the Leonin killing the populace of Iretis. That, in turn, allowed Phenax to create a Necropolis for the Returned to live. So Ashiok asked to become invisible to the gods and the boon was granted to Phenax's amusement.
Ashiok managed to prevent peace between the Iretis Kingdom and the Leonin people. This lead to the Leonin killing the populace of Iretis. That, in turn, allowed Phenax to create a Necropolis for the Returned to live. So Ashiok asked to become invisible to the gods and the boon was granted to Phenax's amusement.
I would personally cast Tilda Swinton as Ashiok. I feel as she would do a good job at being creepy and mysterious with the perfect body for that androgynous presence
Erebos sees Elspeth defeat Heliod, "Hm, not bad, you can live again." I really liked that part of the story. For a black card he seems to have some fairness to him.
Belief around him has to reach a tipping point though. For example xenagos ascended because practically all of the human cities were celebrating their victory in the war against the minotaurs, and he hijacked all that energy to become the god of revelries. The good news is that there are akroan warriors that venerate Kytheon and follow his example.
@@kyoken8691 isn't there literally a legendary who's flavor text is literally her saying she believes in kytheon or something? the one that turns another creature into a indestructible 4/4. i mean with belief giving people his shield aura thing i can definitely see him getting worship pretty quick
@@BolasSpark Ugin explained to Jace that Bolas has to survive because he did die before and came back, and probably has a backup plan in the event of a defeat. Ugin went on with Jace's help to convince the multiverse that Bolas was dead so that no one could track him down and kill him for revenge and incidentally set him free.
I feel like adding a jailor figure to any story kinda necessitates the escape of the imprisoned, pretty much like immortality with a caveat absolutely always ending in the downfall of the immortal. (e.g. Achilles, with his heel, mirrored by Haktos in mtg's case or Siegfried's leaf-shaped weak spot on the back)
I feel like white aligned villains tend to be the easiest for me to despise because they generally use their power of authority for personal gain. Just like Heliod, or the antagonist of Kamigawa. (Lord Honden?)
@@somerandomdude3729 That would be awesome but it would have to be in a special set like Modern Horizons. I would be surprised if we ever saw Phyrexian anything in standard anymore. Feel like those cards by now (story wise) should be too powerful for the standard meta. If they do bring them back I hope to God they kill Karn.
Ashiok received a boon from Phenax, Theros's god of deception, that makes him invisible to the other gods. If sealing people into the underworld is something Erebos has to consciously do, Ashiok may have just slipped the net. Either that, or the fact that Ashiok is a sentient nightmare himself. Maybe nightmares don't have souls, and only being with souls can be sealed in the underworld? That would raise more questions than answers though.
The soul theory doesn't hold water; as Ashiok is a planeswalker, so it has a soul. That being said; Calaix outright breaks all the rules of becoming a planeswalker, so there's some next-level fuckery going on with the lore behind a planeswalker spark
@@GreenFenril well, it's been stated a Spark can't be created artificially, but Karn shows that an artificial creature can have a Spark. Granted, Karn's was gifted to him, but it still maintains that creations like constructs can hold them. We've been told that sentient living things can have Sparks, And Nyxborn are living things, so them having a Spark is even more likely. Also, I think Calix and Ashiok being able to leave and enter the Underworld is cause they're not dead. Elspeth was, so she had to leave and "be alive" again to be able to 'Walk away from Theros. Plus, Ashiok did have the boon from Phenax that makes them invisible to all the other gods.
@@azurewusky3830 The only flaw with that is that Calix was created by Klothys just to take down Elspeth and drag her back to the underworld. The fact that Calix is; by definition, a creation of a Theros God (bound to Theros) should make the existence of having a dormant planeswalker spark impossible UNLESS Klothys knows the existence of planeswalkers and understands how a spark functions.
@@GreenFenril yes he's a creation of Klothys (whom is bound to Theros) but that doesn't mean that Calix himself is bound to Theros. And it's not impossible for the gods to know of other Planes. Kruphix did, and if Klothys can see the destiny of a creature, is it that far a jump to think she knows as well?
It will be interesting to see how Calix evolves as a character. Now that he knows the multiverse exists will he keep pursuing Elspeth? Or will he become an ally of Elspeth
About the "How can Ashiok go to the underworld when he wants"-question. As far as I remember Ashiok made some deal with Phenax that allows him to go undetected on the plane of Theros.
"Even though Wizard got a little bit lazy with the narration, our trusty neighbourhood Ryan managed to put a great video tog-" "M O U S T A C H E M I N U T E" "O h n o"
They did state that each planeswalker's spark is a little different, so I wouldn't be surprised if Calix can only planeswalk after Elspeth. That's all the depth his character has anyway.
This whole time I've been trying to find a way to remember ashiok's name because her picture was on of first magic images I ever saw, and I have it! And what a way to remember!
I'd assume Phenax Boon is just so Ashiok is not noticed by Erebos while snooping around and get thrown out. The whole entering-escaping one I'd mark down as the souls of the dead are in the underworld but Ashiok is a Nightmare come to life, so...no soul there to be bound to the underworld rules I guess.
@@RiseInAfterlife Actually it was to not be seen by the gods, so I'd would believe to think that it pertains to all the gods. Plus, Ashiok isn't a nightmare, he's a nightmare weaver.
I would read a whole book about the Returned. I opened a Thryx, the Sudden Storm, a mono blue Legendary elemental giant that I want to build around and know more lore about. Great job as always guys, keep up the good work!
Yeeees! The Phyrexians are coming back! (They were mentioned in Dominaria, Tezzeret has ties there and is on the run, and Elspeth has unfinished business with them also...)
It's fun and easy to catch up with these. Perfect length, entertaining, good narration, I love the connection of mechanics and story. It's some of the best Magic content out there and certainly the best for story.
New to this channel and instantly subbed! You have a very simple and clear way to explain happenings in the MTG-universe that i have not yet seen in other mtg-lore channels. Hats off man, gonna burrow myself in your channel for the next couple of days.
I think that Ashiok was able to get into the underworld because during the Theros story she makes a deal with Phenax after plaguing the people of the plane to be able to hide from the gods, so they probably entered the underworld (although the gates were locked? Maybe Ashiok got in after the war started) without Erebos or Athreos or the other gods knowing
Wow, this sounds like a great 3 set block with lots of innovative and clever mechanics that could only be adequately explored with complete, tight cycles with some kind of online story released with the WOTC Website written by employees familiar with the characters. You know, maybe a tight cycle of 2C or 1CD gods in Set 1 coupled with an unnerfed Constellation Mechanic, followed by an Escape-driven set where french vanilla Escape creatures flow like wine and "on the bottom of its owner's library" graveyard hate in G and creature hate in W could be especially elegant, simple design space to explore, followed by a third set that resolves things nicely while hinting at a Phyrexian Invasion, perhaps wrapping up the story with a return of Sagas?
Thanks for this! I'm still new to magic and haven't left Ravnica besides Eldraine so I'm litteraly lost without lore drops. Lore drops are important to because they lead to flavor and flavor leads to mechanics of the set.
my first Arcanum video and i am on board! I love how you explain things, you must be a teacher. and the mustache minute is the fun way to get a little bit of your character while i'm mostly here for the lore. keep it up!!
I’ve come across a lot of CZcams channels and podcasts on mtg lore, but something about yours is really hitting the mark. Thanks for doing what you! It’s great to finally know the main beats of the this story, but it leaves me with a big question: where’s Gideon? Seems like the whole afterlife jailbreak thing was a set up for getting Gideon back...
I am so glad to see Daxos again. Ever since Theros and him being one of my first commanders that character, in particular, has been like a pet-card to me. I'm so glad he's back and kicking and relevant to the story (the other demigods are great but I really only care about "old friends I've already known" xD) and now you're saying he got to meet up with Elspeth again before she left? Aweee
thanks for the great summary. i love to learn about the lore bit by bit and card by card. but i never would've been able to see the bigger picture lke that
Klothys' existence is so exciting to me. Because it raises so many questions about Xenagos' mantling of the red and green God slot. He was known as the God of Revels, and she is Destiny. It is never clearly stated how Xenagos's giant revel would make him a God. And Klothys' imprisonment of the Titans means that she would have lost her Godly power. But she couldn't have to contain the Titans, they are massively powerful. So many questions. Xenagos has some words to say about his rather brief existence as a God. That it took incredible focus and concentration just to keep form. It is said that he surrounded himself with Nyxborn creatures, and that helped him. Worshippers for the God, it makes sense. Were these Nyxborn Klothys's creations? Regardless of all this, I love the mirror that the two Gods show. One of Chaos, one of duty. Even thought they share colors, they do not share purpose. Though that would betray the nature of the Gods. Could there have been Gods before the ones we know now? Ugh, I love this set so much😂😂😂
Kroxa looks like the Last Giant/Giant King from Dark Souls 2 and Heliod’s punishment reminds me of Atlas holding up the sky in Greek mythology. I couldn’t gleam any of this lore from the cards myself (though not knowing much about the previous Theros block didn’t help) so I’m very glad that you released this explanation
hi. i'm really a big fan i know all the recent stories starting from Dominaria from your vids and i really enjoy it. i was maybe hoping for older stories from the older sets to learn more about the lore. i'm in a medical field so i dont have time to read but i can listen to you tell the stories all day man.
I do get requests for older stories and plan to get to them some day, but right now I have my hands pretty full staying on top of current events and characters. Usually during the summer Core Set I have extra time (as those sets don't advance the story) but this year we're not getting one, so that kind of complicates my plans for the next couple of months!
The ability of ashiok to leave unseen the underwolrld, i think, is a consequence of the fact that in the original theros block, they made a pact with phenax in witch ashiok would find a city for his returned and in exchnge phenax would grant them the ability to be invisible from the gods' eyes
Anyone else disappointed by Magic's storytelling quality? Ever since Ixalan, I feel like the story keeps tanking, especially with how great War of the Spark should have been.
Had absolutely no idea Callix was Nyxborn. Love this channel, you always teach me something that helps me appreciate the story more (even if it is Swiss cheese at times).
Ugin: I will watch over Nicol Bolas for all time to make sure he doesn't escape. Magic Arcanum: what is it with jailers in magic having a really bad time? Me: man thats ominous.
I like the fact they sticked with the idea behind greek mythology : Gods are hugely boosted humans, so are their egos. You stressed brilliantly, good job.
This video, and the sentence and a half relevant, has inspired me to make a Dimir Nightmare and Phyrexian deck with an Ashiok or four to hold it together.
I didn't realize the situation with TCGplayer...seems like channels keep dumping the reasons for showing up in the first place...glad to see you are still here...hang in there man...I will be linking your channel shortly to my main blog and adding you to my vuefeed ...
I assume ashiok gets in and out of the underworld not by planeswalking but rather through nightmares, which is something only ashiok can do and only in theros where dreams are more powerful than most other planes
You forgot about Lucent Liminid - It is a herald of the sun goddess, projected from the hallowed glass whenever her light passes through. Expansion: Future Sight (Common) it sounds like there is another plane with a goddess of the sun.
The flavor of this set is by far my favorite, it was also the set that got me back into MTG and the one that I introduced my gf too for her first time. I love these videos because they remind me why Magic is such a great game.
Love the series. Always a fun listen. Really appreciate what you guys do. NGL tho, at the beginning I was a little concerned you were going to read a manifesto, make a series of demands, and then execute a hostage to show law enforcement you mean business and are not to be trifled with.
Thank you for always giving a shit about the Magic narrative, even when WotC doesnt seem to care. Super happy to still see Arcanum going strong post-TCGplayer, cause yall were some of the best content that channel had.
To answer the Elspeth/Erebos soul thing, I believe she originally made a Deal with Erebos for Daxos' soul that when she succumbs, the God of Death could claim her's in Trade. I believe that also was a factor in her betrayal.
Would you be interested in doing some older stories? I think the Dominaria (Mirage, Urza, Timespiral and the last 2018 Dominaria) stories are fascinating but still, you do you. Awesome vids!
Yes. As my ability to produce videos picks up speed, I would like to circle back to some older stuff, but right now I have my hands full staying current. Thanks for the support!
Callaphe is probably Theros' Ulysses. Do you agree? It can be interesting to propose alternatives for Ulysses (probably theare aspects of the character reflected somewhere else) or other greek mythological characters. For example, Haktos clearly references Achilles.
"With no dangling story threads..." I'd like to point out that Elspeth's new spear appears to be dripping with ichor/oil. If Ashiok's magic truly allows nightmares to manifest, what's to say that spear didn't get subconsciously dunked in a little sauce from a different nightmare? I'd say potential drops of Phyrexian oil on Theros counts as a super dangly story thread if ever there was one.
It's not truly phyrexian, merely a construct of nightmare made in the image of one. Phyrexian oil ultimately is tied to the essence of yawgmoth and just because Ashiok was able to create mimics of it doesnt mean it follows the same rules as a true phyrecian would. This is why Ashiok planeswalked to Mirrodin, to study them further. Edit: to New Phyrexia i mean, praise be to Elesh Norn, the new mother of machines, All will be One.
So I'm sure they didn't intend this, but one concept I like is that the Underworld is in fact the overlap of Planes. The Plane of the Dead and the Plane of the Living. While there you can interact with both sides, however you are not truly on one side or another. When Elspeth leaves the Underworld she is also leaving the Plane of the Dead completely. However when Calix visits the Underworld he has not truly passed into death, and thus is still on the Living side of the mirror and can Planeswalk. Think of it like a very fancy prison with an upper floor and catwalks for guards and a lower floor for prisoners. Instead of floors, the prisoners all have "outfits." (In this case the aura of the Dead, ooo, that would be a cool Enchantment.) Passing through out of the Underworld removes this aura, thus returning them to the living.
Ashiok had some kind of deal with erebos for invisibility from the gods which only makes sense if it includes erebos for how he is immune to it being stuck in the underworld
I feel like Ashiok's original role on Theros before they became a Planeswalker was that of an entity like,the Fates from Greek Mythology, which might be the reason why at least to that particular person the underworld is traversable.
I think I missed this part of the last Theros story. I was about to assume she was dead and in the Underworld when her spark ignited that's why she has the will to exit on her own. While on the other hand, Elspeth was a PW before dying in Theros... XD
@@savagenoble2978 Yeah check out the old story, Ashiok's nightmare magic ran around the city unchecked and created a new God and Phenax showed up and killed it. Ashiok tried to pull something from his head and he found her and they made a deal, he gave her the "Vale" and she escaped the other Gods looking for what created the new God.
11:30 I think Ashiok may have just floated in through the door since he is invisible to Gods, and decided he liked hanging out with Erebos because they both have wacky black horns and enjoy creating nightmarish creatures. 12:00 But seriously, Ashiok IS actor Doug Jones.
I think Ashiok was able to get into the Underworld because of the boon granted by Phenax: what Erebos can't see, he can't detain. As for cards I'd like to pick up, Nyx Lotus, Woe Strider, Dryad of the Illysian Grove, Nightmare Shepherd, and those lovely, lovely Pokémon energy lands.
The fact that Ashiok can planeswalk away from the Theros underworld and Elspeth can't is tied into the way afterlife demiplanes and soul traps work in the MtG multiverse. When someone dies on a plane their soul drifts back to the Blind Eternities where it eventually finds its way back to the plane they are most closely tied to. At which point they can reincarnate. Unless they die on a plane with a network of soul traps or a connected afterlife demiplane that acts as a massive soul trap. This is laid out in the backstory for the first Mirrodin block, the first Ravnica block, War of the Spark, and probably a bunch of other blocks I'm forgetting. Pre Phyrexia Mirrodin was populated by soultraps that stole souls from the blind eternities and forced them to reincarnate on Mirrodin. After Karn came back to check on things he deactivated the soultraps and everyone except Glyssa and her goblin friend reincarnated on another plane in the epilogue of the last book in the block. Ravnica's first block spent a lot of time dealing with the ghost problems of Ravnica caused by Ravnica's ghost town afterlife plane that was created by the Guildpact. Post Mending Ravnica lost its ghost creating properties and its ghost town. At the climax of War for the Spark when Gideon dies his soul leaves Ravnica and finds its way back to the Elysium Fields equivalent of the Theros underworld where he is reunited with his fallen allies. Had Gideon died on pre Mending Ravnica he'd most likely be stuck in Ravnica as a ghost and following the orders of Ghostly Argus Kos. Elspeth can't leave the Theros underworld because she died on Theros at the hands of the gods. Ashiok did not therefore they're free to come and go as they please.
Im excited to add new god cards and new demigods! Plus the actual story cards for the set even if the story of tbd is a page long if that... either way thanks for making this. Its really amazing listening to others express their thought about the story. Thank you
Hey everyone! So glad you could join me for today's story time. This is the biggest video yet for this channel, and it's gotten an insane amount of comments. I do read every one of them, and really appreciate all your support and kind words. I'd like to answer some of the more frequently asked questions real quick:
1. "The God Phenax made it so Ashiok would not be detected by the other Gods, so that's why they can move in and out of the Underworld." I did forget about Phenax granting that power, but even so, it doesn't explain why Ashiok can move freely between the worlds of the living and dead. I don't think that depends on Erebos being able to actually see you. When Harry Potter put on the Cloak of Invisibility, he still could not apparate on the school grounds, because that rule was absolute. Likewise, I would expect whatever barriers are present on Theros to still function regardless of if they can see you or not, but I guess I'm going to have to accept the Magical Phenax Hall Pass.
2. "Gideon should become the new white god!" Gideon Jura is dead, and from Theros, and was a white Planeswalker, so it makes sense he should be the one to replace Heliod, right? Well, unfortunately, Gideon died on Ravnica, while the Immortal Sun was active. The official book makes it clear that as he is dying, he has a vision of his old friends and life on Theros, but he never makes it back there. (The card Heartwarming Redemption is just a dying dream of Gideon. It does not show him actually returning to Theros.) Mark Rosewater has confirmed Gideon is dead and died on Ravnica and is really really dead. So, I do not think we'll be seeing him ascend to Godhood any time soon. (Nor escaping from the Underworld to fight Titans.)
3. "Where did you get this story? Just from flavor text?" Wizards of the Coast put out an official story summary for Theros Beyond Death, found here: magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/theros-beyond-death-story-summary-2020-01-10
Note that it is MUCH shorter and less detailed than any story we've gotten in previous memory, which makes many people (myself included) think there was more planned, but it was canceled either due to poor reception of the War of the Spark stories, or some other unknown factor. Mark Rosewater has pledged that this will not be typical for stories going forward, so I have high hopes when it comes to Ikoria (which better not introduce another new planeswalker with an unknown home plane or I swear to Nylea I will break into WotC HQ with a sharpie and start writing lore on everyone's desk for them)
Ok and that's it! Thanks again for watching, and I'll be back with another video as soon as I finish some improvements to my home studio (since you all seem to want the black backdrop to return. Ahem.)
@Magic Arcanum-- fist off, love your channel & Manly Mustache(i can never get mine to grow right)! Second, i happen to have a THEORY as to why Ashiok can get in &out of the underworld without being seen : it's been established that Ashiok can move in&out of your dreams at will, as they're "supposedly" made of the dreams of a dead Planeswalker. As long as someone is asleep on the plane, it can slide in&out of it likes it's an open air pavilion...
I just want to say that Elspeth getting the spear out of a dream reminded me more of when Nancy Thompson took Freddy Krueger’s fedora out of her dream in Nightmare on Elm Street more than it did Rise of Skywalker.
@Laser Pictures-- i'm glad i'm not the only old Eighties Horror movie fan to notice that WotC practically Stole almost all of the Nightmare on Elm Street series for this block....
but what about droid attack on the wookie?
That moment when Magic Arcanum has more effort put into it than the story article it was based on
First we had Soren in a wall then we had Emrakul in a moon and now we have Heliod under a rock. I can't wait for the new Zendikar set where we get Nissa trapped in some quicksand.
Nah, fam, it's gonna be Jace trapped in another failing romantic relationship
Lol it will be Ajani getting his arm caught between two rocks.
@@brettjohnson4321 Even better: It's just Oko trapped in a lamp on Rabiah
Emrakul put herself in the moon.😅🤣🤣
And Nissa will be in Weeaboo form the entire time.
“Ashiok leaves to go find and study the phyrexians” well if thats not a giant sign pointing to the next BBEG then I don’t know what is.
But the Phyrexians encompass 5 colours. Does that mean Ashiok will become the first 5-colour planeswalker?
@@JamesSamson487 Isnt urabrask like, noped out right now? wouldn't it be just like atraxa?
There is a sign to the next BBEG: the two elder gods who have similar names to the Eldrazi titans, Kozilek as Kroxa and Uro as Ulamog.
I really want more on ashiok always have
@@JamesSamson487 Right now White is the dominant color of Phyrexia because Elesh Norn has won the civil war between the praetors. Both Sheoldred and Urabrask have lost, Sheoldred is most likely dead while Urabrask's domain has been completely taken over by Elesh Norn. Jin Gitaxias now serves as Elesh Norn's advisor and mainly focuses on researching how to travel to other planes. Vorinclex doesnt really care about politics, but more of who's the strongest and has acknowledged Elesh Norn as the stronger one.
Some Mirrans still live although their numbers are dwindling. With Urabrask's domain gone, they have fled to the most remote mountains of the furnace layer which are hard for Elesh Norn's forces to reach.
That was a more cohesive explanation of the story than the official version we got WOC.
Which is really sad, because is an interesting history and I really liked calix and he deserved better
If I'm not wrong, Phenax blessed Ashiok with invisibility against the other gods, so they can be sneaky and enter the underworld unnoticed. I don't remember why Phenax did it. Perhaps just to see things get fucked up.
I believe Phenax did it because Ashiok was able to destroy a whole kingdom on Theros with their powers of nightmares and the creation of god Cacophony, who was a representation of everything wrong with the Polis and was a nightmare monster essentially that was insta-killed by Ephara. Ashiok proved their worth to Phenax and he granted them invisibility so Ashiok could continue to screw with Theros without the gods knowing.
@@harbear6276 Actually Ashiok creating Cacophony happened after Phenax granted his boon. This is why Ephara couldn't find Ashiok. What Ashiok did for Phenax was help him create a Necropolis, a city where the Returned could live together.
Also ashiok wanted that boon to sneak into nyx and get gods nightmares, Wich phenax found absolutely a fantastic and amusing idea. I don't remember who's nightmares she got tho
Ashiok managed to prevent peace between the Iretis Kingdom and the Leonin people. This lead to the Leonin killing the populace of Iretis. That, in turn, allowed Phenax to create a Necropolis for the Returned to live. So Ashiok asked to become invisible to the gods and the boon was granted to Phenax's amusement.
Ashiok managed to prevent peace between the Iretis Kingdom and the Leonin people. This lead to the Leonin killing the populace of Iretis. That, in turn, allowed Phenax to create a Necropolis for the Returned to live. So Ashiok asked to become invisible to the gods and the boon was granted to Phenax's amusement.
I would personally cast Tilda Swinton as Ashiok. I feel as she would do a good job at being creepy and mysterious with the perfect body for that androgynous presence
Holy shit i hadn't thought of that!
Tilda as Gabriel in Constantine is the perfect example for why she'd be perfect for Ashiok
I thought Ashiok was male.
Counter-offer: Andy Serkis in MoCap
Erebos sees Elspeth defeat Heliod, "Hm, not bad, you can live again." I really liked that part of the story. For a black card he seems to have some fairness to him.
In many mythologies the gods of death aren’t inherently evil, they usually just drew the short straw and have to do the job nobody else wanted to do.
Ajani is going to be very happy when Elsbeth meets up with him. He's seen lots of friends just die before him. Poor Ajani.
This aged weeeeeeeell?
@@ajud Don't know, I haven't kept up with the story. I do know that He's a Phyrexia sleeper agent though. Which is still sad.
@@MyCupOfTea101 Yeah is tragic and the story is great its just all over the place. Magic arcanum's latest video can catch you up
@@MyCupOfTea101 Ajani is Phyrexian and Elspeth is dead again.
@@GoldenSunAlex We don't actually know if she's dead or not. I know it's literally shown on a card but in the story it's more ambiguous than that
So now there's a space in the starfield for a white-aligned god? Well, Gideon's not doing anything at the moment...
Belief around him has to reach a tipping point though. For example xenagos ascended because practically all of the human cities were celebrating their victory in the war against the minotaurs, and he hijacked all that energy to become the god of revelries. The good news is that there are akroan warriors that venerate Kytheon and follow his example.
@@kyoken8691 isn't there literally a legendary who's flavor text is literally her saying she believes in kytheon or something? the one that turns another creature into a indestructible 4/4. i mean with belief giving people his shield aura thing i can definitely see him getting worship pretty quick
gideon's dead yo
@@80000000000085 I mean, there could be a god that's based on kytheon but isnt actually him. Theros is a weird place
@@80000000000085 he's not dead, he's Theros dead. It's totally different.
About Mustache minute: Bravo Rian, now you got me worried about Ugin...
Oh snap, I didn't even consider him!
Ever wondered why Wizards didn't went ahead and just slaughtered Bolas to begin with? of course he is gonna wreck Ugin eventually
@@BolasSpark Didn't they already kill him once? And he just... came back with a bigger attitude?
Bolas is an elder dragon. Death means nothing to him. This is the most permanent fate.
@@BolasSpark Ugin explained to Jace that Bolas has to survive because he did die before and came back, and probably has a backup plan in the event of a defeat. Ugin went on with Jace's help to convince the multiverse that Bolas was dead so that no one could track him down and kill him for revenge and incidentally set him free.
I feel like adding a jailor figure to any story kinda necessitates the escape of the imprisoned, pretty much like immortality with a caveat absolutely always ending in the downfall of the immortal. (e.g. Achilles, with his heel, mirrored by Haktos in mtg's case or Siegfried's leaf-shaped weak spot on the back)
This is a very good point. :-)
Yep, Chekhov's gun and all that.
depends on the caveat, if it's open enough it can be used as any kind of vulnertability, but then again I guess that's not immortality anymore
Agree with the first part, but immortality doesn’t always need to have a caveat. It doesn’t have one more often than not
@@jimmyrivera1830 I didn't say it does, I said IF there's a caveat it always ends in it getting exploited.
So Glad you are quicker than all the other CZcamsrs of Magic Lore. SPONSER THIS GUY!!!!! and nicole
yeah so he can finally get proper sound lol.
Not just quicker but also a much better narrator
Scott’s Lawn-care, please sponsor this channel
Rise of skywalker level hacks
I died
I mean, it is a nyx-based spear made of pure dream-stuff. It’s dream-stuff just changed from “Sun” to “Phyrexian Nightmare”
Really tho...it's more Nightmare on Elm Street than Rise of Skywalker
I feel like white aligned villains tend to be the easiest for me to despise because they generally use their power of authority for personal gain. Just like Heliod, or the antagonist of Kamigawa. (Lord Honden?)
Bradley Arellano Lord Konda
@@nolanbreen7631
Beautiful! Thanks mate!
@@M2Brad No problem, glad to help out
Hey, don't forget our big mama Elesh Norn!
@@Okay_Akei
Good point! Although all the pyhrexians and evil in all colors so I kind of avoid her as an example.
Ashiok and Phyrexians has to be the most terrifying thing I've ever heard
Imagine the new Ashiok plainswalker card focuses on using Phyrexian Mana... *"shudders"*
@@somerandomdude3729 That would be awesome but it would have to be in a special set like Modern Horizons. I would be surprised if we ever saw Phyrexian anything in standard anymore. Feel like those cards by now (story wise) should be too powerful for the standard meta. If they do bring them back I hope to God they kill Karn.
@@SpaceHeathen Do you think Karn's death will be that he sacrifice himself to heavily damage the Phyrexians?
Ashiok received a boon from Phenax, Theros's god of deception, that makes him invisible to the other gods. If sealing people into the underworld is something Erebos has to consciously do, Ashiok may have just slipped the net. Either that, or the fact that Ashiok is a sentient nightmare himself. Maybe nightmares don't have souls, and only being with souls can be sealed in the underworld? That would raise more questions than answers though.
The soul theory doesn't hold water; as Ashiok is a planeswalker, so it has a soul.
That being said; Calaix outright breaks all the rules of becoming a planeswalker, so there's some next-level fuckery going on with the lore behind a planeswalker spark
@@GreenFenril well, it's been stated a Spark can't be created artificially, but Karn shows that an artificial creature can have a Spark. Granted, Karn's was gifted to him, but it still maintains that creations like constructs can hold them. We've been told that sentient living things can have Sparks, And Nyxborn are living things, so them having a Spark is even more likely.
Also, I think Calix and Ashiok being able to leave and enter the Underworld is cause they're not dead. Elspeth was, so she had to leave and "be alive" again to be able to 'Walk away from Theros. Plus, Ashiok did have the boon from Phenax that makes them invisible to all the other gods.
@@azurewusky3830 The only flaw with that is that Calix was created by Klothys just to take down Elspeth and drag her back to the underworld. The fact that Calix is; by definition, a creation of a Theros God (bound to Theros) should make the existence of having a dormant planeswalker spark impossible UNLESS Klothys knows the existence of planeswalkers and understands how a spark functions.
@@GreenFenril yes he's a creation of Klothys (whom is bound to Theros) but that doesn't mean that Calix himself is bound to Theros. And it's not impossible for the gods to know of other Planes. Kruphix did, and if Klothys can see the destiny of a creature, is it that far a jump to think she knows as well?
@@azurewusky3830 I concede the knowledge point. After all, Heliod speared Elspeth because of that
It will be interesting to see how Calix evolves as a character. Now that he knows the multiverse exists will he keep pursuing Elspeth? Or will he become an ally of Elspeth
Probably the usual cocktail of fight first, then become friends, then maybe date for a bit but it never goes anywhere.
About the "How can Ashiok go to the underworld when he wants"-question. As far as I remember Ashiok made some deal with Phenax that allows him to go undetected on the plane of Theros.
I think Ashiok is a genderless nightmare being FYI, so Ashiok should properly be referred to as them instead of him.
"Even though Wizard got a little bit lazy with the narration, our trusty neighbourhood Ryan managed to put a great video tog-"
"M O U S T A C H E M I N U T E"
"O h n o"
They did state that each planeswalker's spark is a little different, so I wouldn't be surprised if Calix can only planeswalk after Elspeth. That's all the depth his character has anyway.
Vyggdrasil the 5ish paragraphs of story are infuriating
How deep would you be as a person if you literally popped into existence last week with the express purpose to jail a specific person?
Joaquin Pirotto thats a really good point...
If that is all he does, I hope he meets the business end of shadowspear quickly.
Didn't they state in the story on mtg that he 'simply planeswalked after her'
Yes this story is kinda Swiss cheese
This whole time I've been trying to find a way to remember ashiok's name because her picture was on of first magic images I ever saw, and I have it! And what a way to remember!
I just assumed Ashiok was able to come and go from the underworld cuz of the deal they struck with Phenax.
I'd assume Phenax Boon is just so Ashiok is not noticed by Erebos while snooping around and get thrown out.
The whole entering-escaping one I'd mark down as the souls of the dead are in the underworld but Ashiok is a Nightmare come to life, so...no soul there to be bound to the underworld rules I guess.
@@RiseInAfterlife Actually it was to not be seen by the gods, so I'd would believe to think that it pertains to all the gods. Plus, Ashiok isn't a nightmare, he's a nightmare weaver.
I would read a whole book about the Returned. I opened a Thryx, the Sudden Storm, a mono blue Legendary elemental giant that I want to build around and know more lore about. Great job as always guys, keep up the good work!
Yeeees! The Phyrexians are coming back! (They were mentioned in Dominaria, Tezzeret has ties there and is on the run, and Elspeth has unfinished business with them also...)
And Karn.
The Phyrexians will never go away. They were the first villains when magic began, and they will be there when magic ends.
It's fun and easy to catch up with these. Perfect length, entertaining, good narration, I love the connection of mechanics and story. It's some of the best Magic content out there and certainly the best for story.
I love going back to Theros, it's where I first got into magic full on.
Seeing that you have your own channel for this is actually the best news I've heard today!
Holly...This is the earliest I ever been to anywhere...even at work
The threads of fate might actually tie Elspeth and Calix and so they do end up at the same place. Who knows?
New to this channel and instantly subbed! You have a very simple and clear way to explain happenings in the MTG-universe that i have not yet seen in other mtg-lore channels. Hats off man, gonna burrow myself in your channel for the next couple of days.
Can I just say that the music you have for this is amazing? Like, the ending music you have is just *fantastic*
Thanks! I arranged it myself!
Thank you so much for this awesome cover! You tell the MTG stories so well! ❤❤❤
So glad I found your channel. I've always wanted videos like this for Magic
I think that Ashiok was able to get into the underworld because during the Theros story she makes a deal with Phenax after plaguing the people of the plane to be able to hide from the gods, so they probably entered the underworld (although the gates were locked? Maybe Ashiok got in after the war started) without Erebos or Athreos or the other gods knowing
Another great vid! I can’t wait to see Ashiok with the Phyrexians !
Thank you. I love the Magic story and sense they’ve taken it away you’re the only place to get it
With the DnD sourcebook I imagine a five way war between the top gods would be a awesome backdrop for a campaign.
Wow, this sounds like a great 3 set block with lots of innovative and clever mechanics that could only be adequately explored with complete, tight cycles with some kind of online story released with the WOTC Website written by employees familiar with the characters. You know, maybe a tight cycle of 2C or 1CD gods in Set 1 coupled with an unnerfed Constellation Mechanic, followed by an Escape-driven set where french vanilla Escape creatures flow like wine and "on the bottom of its owner's library" graveyard hate in G and creature hate in W could be especially elegant, simple design space to explore, followed by a third set that resolves things nicely while hinting at a Phyrexian Invasion, perhaps wrapping up the story with a return of Sagas?
Either way, still so happy you’re doing this man, literally surprised your not at a million yet but you have my sub nonetheless! Keep it up!!!!
It's story time, ladies and gents! Whoop whoop!
Thanks for this! I'm still new to magic and haven't left Ravnica besides Eldraine so I'm litteraly lost without lore drops. Lore drops are important to because they lead to flavor and flavor leads to mechanics of the set.
Glad to help!
my first Arcanum video and i am on board! I love how you explain things, you must be a teacher. and the mustache minute is the fun way to get a little bit of your character while i'm mostly here for the lore. keep it up!!
Welcome aboard!
The story summary really makes me wonder what the original Theros Beyond Death would have been.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain what's going on Theros. The Ashiok's journey part is very intriguing
I’ve come across a lot of CZcams channels and podcasts on mtg lore, but something about yours is really hitting the mark. Thanks for doing what you! It’s great to finally know the main beats of the this story, but it leaves me with a big question: where’s Gideon? Seems like the whole afterlife jailbreak thing was a set up for getting Gideon back...
Where else can you get such quality magic lore content?!?!? Awesome work!
I've been looking forward to this 😁
You are a savior to MTG players around the world, thank you for all you do
These are some of my favorite MTG videos and I look forward to them every set! Glad you guys are still making them :)
I am particularly glad about this one since I kinda forgot about the entire theros plot and didnt really piece out the cards this time around
I am so glad to see Daxos again. Ever since Theros and him being one of my first commanders that character, in particular, has been like a pet-card to me. I'm so glad he's back and kicking and relevant to the story (the other demigods are great but I really only care about "old friends I've already known" xD) and now you're saying he got to meet up with Elspeth again before she left? Aweee
thanks for the great summary.
i love to learn about the lore bit by bit and card by card. but i never would've been able to see the bigger picture lke that
Just go back into magic again, for the fifth time, thanks to Arena. I wanted to get into the lore this time, and finding this channel was perfect.
U are so underated i wish u had more subscribers
you deserve it
Klothys' existence is so exciting to me. Because it raises so many questions about Xenagos' mantling of the red and green God slot. He was known as the God of Revels, and she is Destiny. It is never clearly stated how Xenagos's giant revel would make him a God. And Klothys' imprisonment of the Titans means that she would have lost her Godly power. But she couldn't have to contain the Titans, they are massively powerful. So many questions. Xenagos has some words to say about his rather brief existence as a God. That it took incredible focus and concentration just to keep form. It is said that he surrounded himself with Nyxborn creatures, and that helped him. Worshippers for the God, it makes sense. Were these Nyxborn Klothys's creations? Regardless of all this, I love the mirror that the two Gods show. One of Chaos, one of duty. Even thought they share colors, they do not share purpose. Though that would betray the nature of the Gods. Could there have been Gods before the ones we know now? Ugh, I love this set so much😂😂😂
Love the video! It's a shame there wasn't more story to go off of.
Kroxa looks like the Last Giant/Giant King from Dark Souls 2 and Heliod’s punishment reminds me of Atlas holding up the sky in Greek mythology.
I couldn’t gleam any of this lore from the cards myself (though not knowing much about the previous Theros block didn’t help) so I’m very glad that you released this explanation
hi. i'm really a big fan i know all the recent stories starting from Dominaria from your vids and i really enjoy it. i was maybe hoping for older stories from the older sets to learn more about the lore. i'm in a medical field so i dont have time to read but i can listen to you tell the stories all day man.
I do get requests for older stories and plan to get to them some day, but right now I have my hands pretty full staying on top of current events and characters. Usually during the summer Core Set I have extra time (as those sets don't advance the story) but this year we're not getting one, so that kind of complicates my plans for the next couple of months!
@@MagicArcanum okay. i'll wait for you man. Thank you for responding i hope you have a great day today and God bless :D
Do happy to hear a Theros lore video from you even though Wizards didn't give us much to work with.
Nyxbloom Ancient has me salivating over its form of mana ramp. Sure, it's a big drop at 4GGG, but I see that as a challenge to overcome.
The ability of ashiok to leave unseen the underwolrld, i think, is a consequence of the fact that in the original theros block, they made a pact with phenax in witch ashiok would find a city for his returned and in exchnge phenax would grant them the ability to be invisible from the gods' eyes
Edit: less potato english
Anyone else disappointed by Magic's storytelling quality? Ever since Ixalan, I feel like the story keeps tanking, especially with how great War of the Spark should have been.
Blake Grose I like how Magic Arcanum tells the story though, but yes I understand.
It took a dip after Khan's block
Magic: great creatures & environment - bad stories
Had absolutely no idea Callix was Nyxborn. Love this channel, you always teach me something that helps me appreciate the story more (even if it is Swiss cheese at times).
Ugin: I will watch over Nicol Bolas for all time to make sure he doesn't escape.
Magic Arcanum: what is it with jailers in magic having a really bad time?
Me: man thats ominous.
I like the fact they sticked with the idea behind greek mythology : Gods are hugely boosted humans, so are their egos. You stressed brilliantly, good job.
Awesome video. Thanks for the short story summary. It's a shame there is no novel this time around.
This video, and the sentence and a half relevant, has inspired me to make a Dimir Nightmare and Phyrexian deck with an Ashiok or four to hold it together.
I didn't realize the situation with TCGplayer...seems like channels keep dumping the reasons for showing up in the first place...glad to see you are still here...hang in there man...I will be linking your channel shortly to my main blog and adding you to my vuefeed ...
I assume ashiok gets in and out of the underworld not by planeswalking but rather through nightmares, which is something only ashiok can do and only in theros where dreams are more powerful than most other planes
Kalix planeswalkes straight in the command centre of new phyrexia
You forgot about Lucent Liminid - It is a herald of the sun goddess, projected from the hallowed glass whenever her light passes through. Expansion: Future Sight (Common) it sounds like there is another plane with a goddess of the sun.
Thank you for your narration, definitely is well done and provides a lot of clarity! Cheers!
The flavor of this set is by far my favorite, it was also the set that got me back into MTG and the one that I introduced my gf too for her first time. I love these videos because they remind me why Magic is such a great game.
Thanks for always reviewing the books! I love your channel and al the lore. You guys are great! :D
My Flowchart:
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Thanks for the content again :)
Also "that is some rise of skywalker hacks" killed me haha
Its nice to see u getting so much support, u fully deserve it man, ur a great content creator
Thank you for this summary. I looove Theros’s lore, one of the best of Magic imo!
Love the series. Always a fun listen. Really appreciate what you guys do.
NGL tho, at the beginning I was a little concerned you were going to read a manifesto, make a series of demands, and then execute a hostage to show law enforcement you mean business and are not to be trifled with.
My two favorite things in Magic are Phyrexians and Ashiok.
So, this is a pretty great setup. Thanks for the story!
Thank you for always giving a shit about the Magic narrative, even when WotC doesnt seem to care. Super happy to still see Arcanum going strong post-TCGplayer, cause yall were some of the best content that channel had.
To answer the Elspeth/Erebos soul thing, I believe she originally made a Deal with Erebos for Daxos' soul that when she succumbs, the God of Death could claim her's in Trade. I believe that also was a factor in her betrayal.
Would you be interested in doing some older stories? I think the Dominaria (Mirage, Urza, Timespiral and the last 2018 Dominaria) stories are fascinating but still, you do you. Awesome vids!
Yes. As my ability to produce videos picks up speed, I would like to circle back to some older stuff, but right now I have my hands full staying current. Thanks for the support!
Im new to Mtg and this is my 1dt set ever. Itll b memorable to me forsure... thanks for the vid. I pulled heliod yesterday! Woohoo!
Callaphe is probably Theros' Ulysses.
Do you agree?
It can be interesting to propose alternatives for Ulysses (probably theare aspects of the character reflected somewhere else) or other greek mythological characters. For example, Haktos clearly references Achilles.
"With no dangling story threads..."
I'd like to point out that Elspeth's new spear appears to be dripping with ichor/oil. If Ashiok's magic truly allows nightmares to manifest, what's to say that spear didn't get subconsciously dunked in a little sauce from a different nightmare? I'd say potential drops of Phyrexian oil on Theros counts as a super dangly story thread if ever there was one.
It's not truly phyrexian, merely a construct of nightmare made in the image of one. Phyrexian oil ultimately is tied to the essence of yawgmoth and just because Ashiok was able to create mimics of it doesnt mean it follows the same rules as a true phyrecian would. This is why Ashiok planeswalked to Mirrodin, to study them further.
Edit: to New Phyrexia i mean, praise be to Elesh Norn, the new mother of machines, All will be One.
So I'm sure they didn't intend this, but one concept I like is that the Underworld is in fact the overlap of Planes. The Plane of the Dead and the Plane of the Living. While there you can interact with both sides, however you are not truly on one side or another. When Elspeth leaves the Underworld she is also leaving the Plane of the Dead completely. However when Calix visits the Underworld he has not truly passed into death, and thus is still on the Living side of the mirror and can Planeswalk.
Think of it like a very fancy prison with an upper floor and catwalks for guards and a lower floor for prisoners. Instead of floors, the prisoners all have "outfits." (In this case the aura of the Dead, ooo, that would be a cool Enchantment.) Passing through out of the Underworld removes this aura, thus returning them to the living.
Ashiok had some kind of deal with erebos for invisibility from the gods which only makes sense if it includes erebos for how he is immune to it being stuck in the underworld
I feel like Ashiok's original role on Theros before they became a Planeswalker was that of an entity like,the Fates from Greek Mythology, which might be the reason why at least to that particular person the underworld is traversable.
Ashiok still has the "Vale" she received from the God of Deceit. It hides her presence and allows for safe passage through the Underworld.
I think I missed this part of the last Theros story. I was about to assume she was dead and in the Underworld when her spark ignited that's why she has the will to exit on her own. While on the other hand, Elspeth was a PW before dying in Theros... XD
@@savagenoble2978 Yeah check out the old story, Ashiok's nightmare magic ran around the city unchecked and created a new God and Phenax showed up and killed it. Ashiok tried to pull something from his head and he found her and they made a deal, he gave her the "Vale" and she escaped the other Gods looking for what created the new God.
11:30 I think Ashiok may have just floated in through the door since he is invisible to Gods, and decided he liked hanging out with Erebos because they both have wacky black horns and enjoy creating nightmarish creatures.
12:00 But seriously, Ashiok IS actor Doug Jones.
My hope is going to be when we revisit Theros, Ashiok has brought some oil with her, and has started making enchantment phyrexians
Thank you so much for your informative video, I enjoyed it a lot! Many greetings from Belgium. 👍🇧🇪
I think Ashiok was able to get into the Underworld because of the boon granted by Phenax: what Erebos can't see, he can't detain.
As for cards I'd like to pick up, Nyx Lotus, Woe Strider, Dryad of the Illysian Grove, Nightmare Shepherd, and those lovely, lovely Pokémon energy lands.
Hype! So glad you're still making videos.
Would be fun to play a game or two of magic the gathering with you :) front row seat to the story telling
The fact that Ashiok can planeswalk away from the Theros underworld and Elspeth can't is tied into the way afterlife demiplanes and soul traps work in the MtG multiverse.
When someone dies on a plane their soul drifts back to the Blind Eternities where it eventually finds its way back to the plane they are most closely tied to. At which point they can reincarnate. Unless they die on a plane with a network of soul traps or a connected afterlife demiplane that acts as a massive soul trap.
This is laid out in the backstory for the first Mirrodin block, the first Ravnica block, War of the Spark, and probably a bunch of other blocks I'm forgetting. Pre Phyrexia Mirrodin was populated by soultraps that stole souls from the blind eternities and forced them to reincarnate on Mirrodin. After Karn came back to check on things he deactivated the soultraps and everyone except Glyssa and her goblin friend reincarnated on another plane in the epilogue of the last book in the block. Ravnica's first block spent a lot of time dealing with the ghost problems of Ravnica caused by Ravnica's ghost town afterlife plane that was created by the Guildpact. Post Mending Ravnica lost its ghost creating properties and its ghost town. At the climax of War for the Spark when Gideon dies his soul leaves Ravnica and finds its way back to the Elysium Fields equivalent of the Theros underworld where he is reunited with his fallen allies. Had Gideon died on pre Mending Ravnica he'd most likely be stuck in Ravnica as a ghost and following the orders of Ghostly Argus Kos.
Elspeth can't leave the Theros underworld because she died on Theros at the hands of the gods. Ashiok did not therefore they're free to come and go as they please.
Im excited to add new god cards and new demigods! Plus the actual story cards for the set even if the story of tbd is a page long if that... either way thanks for making this. Its really amazing listening to others express their thought about the story. Thank you
Ashiok is invisible to the gods because she had a deal with Phenax, who also granted her the ability to get to the underworld.