#homarids

It probably would be the correct design decision, but I really need to get this lil guy as a token in paper first:

If I had gotten into Magic earlier than I had, I would be fanatical about The Dark, Arabian Nights, Legends or Antiquities expansions(to be fair, I am slightly fanatical about these expansions, partly because they are “before my time,” but mostly because they have great flavor)(and, while Legends and The Dark were still on sale when I started playing, I didn't start buying until 1995). But my Vorthos was first triggered like an immune response by the history recorded in the volumes of The Sarpadian Empires; Fallen Empires.

Icatia, Vodalia, Havenwood, Trokair, Delif, Oliver Farrel, Endrik Sahr, Tourach, Leitbur, Svyelune, Thelon, Humans vs. Goblins, Merfolk vs. Homarids, Elves vs. Thallids, Orcs vs. Dwarves, Thrulls versus everybody! This set hinted at so much flavor! Civilizations, religions, battles, new organisms; a lot to spark your imagination, especially since the cards barely hinted at the things that happened. And, not only was it hinting at past events, it hinted of an ominous future(Ice Age!)!

To many Magic fans I know, this set is right up there near Homelands in terms of its popularity, especially since, I believe, it existed in the shadow of two great, and big, sets; Legends and Ice Age. But in the Vorthos recesses of our minds(I believe dear Maro himself said that everyone is a little Vorthos and a little Mel), this set, and what it introduced, has continued to resonate with us Magic players. And it resonates with the designers at Wizards, still. While the rest of us Homarid fans believed that Wizards was never going to give us walking crustaceans again(and volume suggests that they are reticent to do so), they kept throwing us bones, or carapaces, in Alliances, Time Spiral and Dominaria. Thallid and Saproling fans were much luckier, being that they are the Fungus creature type, and have seen more sets with cards that create Saprolings; Dominaria even gave Fungus lovers a Legendary Fungus creature to build Commander decks around(“There can be only on…fungus!”).

Further triggering the Vorthos gland is that many questions arise from this set alone. Was Farrel radicalized before Icatia was set upon? What was the cause of the schism that led to the creation of the following of Leitbur and the following of the Ebon Hand? Are you telling me the Elves were overrun by the very Thallids that they were farming? And, if the cooling climate favored the Homarids, why have they been so limited in expansions since?

To be fair, it has been a while since I have read the Magic novels, and all my burning questions might be answered in Jeff Grubb’s great book, The Gathering Dark, or some other piece of MTG literature(which still pleases my Vorthos to this day). A piece of me even hopes that this will reach the eyes of a Magic designer and we will get a plane, not filled with Merfolk, but with loads of Homarids!

BY FORCE OF WILL

FORGED BY MIGHT

DRIVEN BY FIRE

BORN BY DEATH

TO RISE ETERNAL