Post by herziquerzi on Dec 26, 2018 7:54:49 GMT
SET FILE
(Uses M15 Mainframe, Mainframe Tokens, Mainframe Walkers)
Planesculptors
Follow the Pages
Banner art by Dave Greco
Set Name: Barten's Journal
Three Letter Abbreviation: BTJ
Number of Cards: 155
Design & Development Team: HerziQuerzi
After the disappearance of a fellow academic, Rahit sets out alongside Argent Regam to follow the paranoid clues left in a single hidden journal.
{Opening Pages} "Professor?"
Rahit sighed as he looked up from the bundles of papers he was futiley trying to cram into drawers. Research papers mixed with unmarked exams and letters and memos. He had given up on trying to keep them properly sorted weeks ago, knowing the chaos of the subplane incident would only keep throwing things off track. When everything calmed down, organization could become a concern again.
Looking up, he gave a tired smile to his assistant nervously peeking around the door. "Sorry, I'm just heading home. People can beg for some bonus marks tomorrow."
"Ah, no. Uh, it's-"
Gayle was cruelly cut off as an armoured gauntlet pulled him out of sight to be replaced by a tall woman, her style of dress radically different from the fashions of Arcanum. In place of sweeping coloured clothe bound by gilded joints, she wore rugged steel and leather, functional and without extranious frill. Upon her tabard was the iconography of an eye, in white and black. The symbol of her ship, the Last Horizon.
"Argent," Rahit greeted warmly, rising up to meet her.
"Please," she laughed, crushing Rahit's hand in her own. "Call me Captain."
"What brings you here?"
"Don't act the fool. Same as every time; me and my crew have finished another trip, which means you get to repay me with some of that Kaladesh artifice."
Rahit gave a thoughtful hum, leading Argent back out of his office and past the hand wringing Gayle. "A good trip?"
Argent nodded. "Months in, I'd hope we worked out all the kinks. It was a good send-off."
"You don't mean-" Rahit stopped in his tracks, turning to Argent, receiving a wide grin in return.
"I do. Every last refugee has been ferried over. And at a good time, too. The horizon was starting to fall apart, the past few days." She grabbed Rahit's shoulder with a firm hand. "So I'm expecting something good today, as an upgrade."
With a chuckle caught between nervousness and relief, Rahit brushed Argent's hand away and started walking once more. "We have other artificers, but fair enough. Though first," he shrugged, "I was hoping to catch up on a collegue of mine. Hasn't shown up for awhile, and I want to make sure he hasn't been so caught up in his reading that he's taking to eating paper. You're free to join me."
"Sure, if only to make sure you don't sneak off."
"I wouldn't dare."
The two headed down the halls, a strange pair. Even beyond their differences in dress, their reputations illicited radically difference responses from those they passed. To Rahit, there were warm smiles and handshakes. Students eager to ask questions on his latest lectures, and perhaps squeak into a passing grade through goodwill alone. Argent however, while still respected, was given a wide birth. The services of her and her crew was appreciated, but her appearance was an unfortunate reminder of Aerida's crimes. Of the festering sore that had grown within their own hallowed halls.
Not that their distance seemed to bother the planeswalking captain. She merely kept her focus on Rahit, switching between stories of the refugee transfer, and drama amidst her crew, and repairs that needed to be made to her ship. Repairs that seemed to be endless, and were always accompanied by pointed looks at Rahit. He bore them with the patience and smiles that left him so popular with his students, understanding why she was so unconcerned with the opinions of the locals.
To her, her crew and her ship were all that mattered. The start and end of her world. And thanks to her unique ability to bring them with her across the planes, she was never left adrift. When you could travel to countless worlds, while also keeping the one that matters close at hand, what did it matter if strangers on one such world were nervous around you?
As they neared their destination, Rahit finally managed to find an opening to participate in the conversation beyond simple 'ah's and 'oh?'s. "So," he asked as Argent became distracted avoiding some children playing catch, "with your work done, I imagine you'll be moving on soon?" He quickly raised his hands. "After I help with your upgrades of course."
"Of course," Argent repeated dryly, ducking as the leather ball whizzed past. "But no, I imagine we'll be staying for a few days longer. It's been months, but it's been months of daily work. The crew hasn't actually had time for proper shore leave." She paused a moment in thought, counting off fingers. "I've got... five? six? crew members with family here, who they haven't had a chance to spend time with yet. It'd be cruel to whisk them away already."
"I think its safe to say," Rahit started, pushing open the front gate to a small house, "that you're softer on your crew than I am on my students."
"You watch your dirty mouth," Argent chided, following close behind. "Who're we checking up on, anyway?"
"Barten. He's an old friend of mine. Bit of a recluse." Rahit leaned to the side as he approached the front door, trying to peer through the windows. "I'm not seeing any lights. Hope we're not waking him."
"Worse things to wake to than a visit from a friend." Lightly pushing past Rahit, Argent went to give the door a solid rapping, only for it to swing open after the first knock. Peering into the gloom beyond, Argent frowned. "It wasn't even latched."
Returning the favour in turn, Rahit conjured a ball of light and quickly shoved past Argent to get inside. Already imagining a violent tableau, of flipped tables and broken furniture, the scene inside was far from what he expected. Though also far from comforting. There no signs of break-in, or theft, or any sort of struggle.
There were no signs of anything at all.
Every wall was bare, every shelf emptied. Couches were unadorned by cushions, candles fresh and free of bulbous drips of wax. No shoes sat by the door, no papers strewn across tables. Following behind Rahit, Argent looked around, confused. "When people say 'recluse', my first thought isn't neat freak."
"He isn't," Rahit said slowly, turning in circles. "There should be piles of books, mounds of papers. Candles precariously balanced and at risk of setting everything ablaze. I'm not sure I've ever even seen his floor. But now, everthing is just..."
"Gone," Argent finished, striding forward and through to the next room.
"Anything in there?" Rahit called after, nearly scampering to rejoin her, the barren atmosphere setting him on edge.
"Nothing," Argent answered with a shake of her head, stepping aside to reveal a master bedroom. Everything as blank and untouched as the rest.
Except for the nighttable next to the bed, upon which rested a single leatherbound book, done in simple blue. "What about that?" Rahit asked, quickly making his way over to it.
Argent's eyes tracked his progress across the room with confusion. "What about what?"
"This," he insisted, laying a hand upon the book. The leather was smooth, of good quality, and sent a small shock through his hand.
"Oh." Argent shook her head before refocusing. "Sorry, must've glanced right over it."
Baffled, Rahit took a half step back to gesture at it. "How? It's the only thing in here."
The second his hand left the book, Argent's gaze drifted away from the book, inspecting the walls and shelves. "Hm?"
Carefully, Rahit placed his hand back on the book, and immediately Argent's gaze snapped back to it. More confused than ever, Rahit picked it up. Flipping it over to inspect the back and spine, he found them as unmarked as the front. Only more smooth blue leather. "It must be warded," he mused aloud. "But why? And why am I the only one who can see it?"
Near collapsing onto the bed, mind racing from worry and confusion, he began to flip through the pages. "Barten... where did you go?"
Rahit sighed as he looked up from the bundles of papers he was futiley trying to cram into drawers. Research papers mixed with unmarked exams and letters and memos. He had given up on trying to keep them properly sorted weeks ago, knowing the chaos of the subplane incident would only keep throwing things off track. When everything calmed down, organization could become a concern again.
Looking up, he gave a tired smile to his assistant nervously peeking around the door. "Sorry, I'm just heading home. People can beg for some bonus marks tomorrow."
"Ah, no. Uh, it's-"
Gayle was cruelly cut off as an armoured gauntlet pulled him out of sight to be replaced by a tall woman, her style of dress radically different from the fashions of Arcanum. In place of sweeping coloured clothe bound by gilded joints, she wore rugged steel and leather, functional and without extranious frill. Upon her tabard was the iconography of an eye, in white and black. The symbol of her ship, the Last Horizon.
"Argent," Rahit greeted warmly, rising up to meet her.
"Please," she laughed, crushing Rahit's hand in her own. "Call me Captain."
"What brings you here?"
"Don't act the fool. Same as every time; me and my crew have finished another trip, which means you get to repay me with some of that Kaladesh artifice."
Rahit gave a thoughtful hum, leading Argent back out of his office and past the hand wringing Gayle. "A good trip?"
Argent nodded. "Months in, I'd hope we worked out all the kinks. It was a good send-off."
"You don't mean-" Rahit stopped in his tracks, turning to Argent, receiving a wide grin in return.
"I do. Every last refugee has been ferried over. And at a good time, too. The horizon was starting to fall apart, the past few days." She grabbed Rahit's shoulder with a firm hand. "So I'm expecting something good today, as an upgrade."
With a chuckle caught between nervousness and relief, Rahit brushed Argent's hand away and started walking once more. "We have other artificers, but fair enough. Though first," he shrugged, "I was hoping to catch up on a collegue of mine. Hasn't shown up for awhile, and I want to make sure he hasn't been so caught up in his reading that he's taking to eating paper. You're free to join me."
"Sure, if only to make sure you don't sneak off."
"I wouldn't dare."
The two headed down the halls, a strange pair. Even beyond their differences in dress, their reputations illicited radically difference responses from those they passed. To Rahit, there were warm smiles and handshakes. Students eager to ask questions on his latest lectures, and perhaps squeak into a passing grade through goodwill alone. Argent however, while still respected, was given a wide birth. The services of her and her crew was appreciated, but her appearance was an unfortunate reminder of Aerida's crimes. Of the festering sore that had grown within their own hallowed halls.
Not that their distance seemed to bother the planeswalking captain. She merely kept her focus on Rahit, switching between stories of the refugee transfer, and drama amidst her crew, and repairs that needed to be made to her ship. Repairs that seemed to be endless, and were always accompanied by pointed looks at Rahit. He bore them with the patience and smiles that left him so popular with his students, understanding why she was so unconcerned with the opinions of the locals.
To her, her crew and her ship were all that mattered. The start and end of her world. And thanks to her unique ability to bring them with her across the planes, she was never left adrift. When you could travel to countless worlds, while also keeping the one that matters close at hand, what did it matter if strangers on one such world were nervous around you?
As they neared their destination, Rahit finally managed to find an opening to participate in the conversation beyond simple 'ah's and 'oh?'s. "So," he asked as Argent became distracted avoiding some children playing catch, "with your work done, I imagine you'll be moving on soon?" He quickly raised his hands. "After I help with your upgrades of course."
"Of course," Argent repeated dryly, ducking as the leather ball whizzed past. "But no, I imagine we'll be staying for a few days longer. It's been months, but it's been months of daily work. The crew hasn't actually had time for proper shore leave." She paused a moment in thought, counting off fingers. "I've got... five? six? crew members with family here, who they haven't had a chance to spend time with yet. It'd be cruel to whisk them away already."
"I think its safe to say," Rahit started, pushing open the front gate to a small house, "that you're softer on your crew than I am on my students."
"You watch your dirty mouth," Argent chided, following close behind. "Who're we checking up on, anyway?"
"Barten. He's an old friend of mine. Bit of a recluse." Rahit leaned to the side as he approached the front door, trying to peer through the windows. "I'm not seeing any lights. Hope we're not waking him."
"Worse things to wake to than a visit from a friend." Lightly pushing past Rahit, Argent went to give the door a solid rapping, only for it to swing open after the first knock. Peering into the gloom beyond, Argent frowned. "It wasn't even latched."
Returning the favour in turn, Rahit conjured a ball of light and quickly shoved past Argent to get inside. Already imagining a violent tableau, of flipped tables and broken furniture, the scene inside was far from what he expected. Though also far from comforting. There no signs of break-in, or theft, or any sort of struggle.
There were no signs of anything at all.
Every wall was bare, every shelf emptied. Couches were unadorned by cushions, candles fresh and free of bulbous drips of wax. No shoes sat by the door, no papers strewn across tables. Following behind Rahit, Argent looked around, confused. "When people say 'recluse', my first thought isn't neat freak."
"He isn't," Rahit said slowly, turning in circles. "There should be piles of books, mounds of papers. Candles precariously balanced and at risk of setting everything ablaze. I'm not sure I've ever even seen his floor. But now, everthing is just..."
"Gone," Argent finished, striding forward and through to the next room.
"Anything in there?" Rahit called after, nearly scampering to rejoin her, the barren atmosphere setting him on edge.
"Nothing," Argent answered with a shake of her head, stepping aside to reveal a master bedroom. Everything as blank and untouched as the rest.
Except for the nighttable next to the bed, upon which rested a single leatherbound book, done in simple blue. "What about that?" Rahit asked, quickly making his way over to it.
Argent's eyes tracked his progress across the room with confusion. "What about what?"
"This," he insisted, laying a hand upon the book. The leather was smooth, of good quality, and sent a small shock through his hand.
"Oh." Argent shook her head before refocusing. "Sorry, must've glanced right over it."
Baffled, Rahit took a half step back to gesture at it. "How? It's the only thing in here."
The second his hand left the book, Argent's gaze drifted away from the book, inspecting the walls and shelves. "Hm?"
Carefully, Rahit placed his hand back on the book, and immediately Argent's gaze snapped back to it. More confused than ever, Rahit picked it up. Flipping it over to inspect the back and spine, he found them as unmarked as the front. Only more smooth blue leather. "It must be warded," he mused aloud. "But why? And why am I the only one who can see it?"
Near collapsing onto the bed, mind racing from worry and confusion, he began to flip through the pages. "Barten... where did you go?"
{Barten's Journal}Barten's Journal is a set composed of five minisets, each taking place on separate planes. These planes are the homes of Barten and his old planeswalking friends, who one by one had gone missing. As Rahit reads through the pages of the journal left for him, and him alone, he'll follow the increasingly paranoid investigation by Barten into their disappearances, in the hopes of finding out where his friend has gone.
Each miniset is composed of thirty cards, split between three colours. One primary, and two secondary. They are not only wedges, or shards, but a mixture of both. And each has three mechanics. A returning mechanic and a new mechanic. And of those two, one is some form of cost reducer, while the other synergizes with it. Either directly, or through promoting similar gameplay. And to round them off, and bind the minisets together, each one also features the return of Investigate. Because apparently we're all addicted to Investigate on MSE.
Each miniset is composed of thirty cards, split between three colours. One primary, and two secondary. They are not only wedges, or shards, but a mixture of both. And each has three mechanics. A returning mechanic and a new mechanic. And of those two, one is some form of cost reducer, while the other synergizes with it. Either directly, or through promoting similar gameplay. And to round them off, and bind the minisets together, each one also features the return of Investigate. Because apparently we're all addicted to Investigate on MSE.
{Final Words}Well, this exercise in world building has finally reached its conclusion, and to show just how long this has been in progress, here's an infinite combo across Carpe Arcanum, Memorium Arcanum, and now Barten's Journal that aggressively didn't come out in the intended order (Barten's Journal was meant to come first).
Enjoy your set file, nerds. Also a Planesculptors
Enjoy your set file, nerds. Also a Planesculptors
is weird, and I don't think the Regrowth riff with delve actually has drawback in the decks that want to run it) but the flavor is pretty lit.
Tasigur just doesn't feel right.
