Card of the Week #311: Horizontal Planes

{Background} Albirin is an artifice plane, similar to Mirrodin or Kaladesh, but with a more "modern" lean. Essentially a modern fantasy setting, the plane is currently undergoing something akin to an industrial revolution. Massive Urza-style power plants generate mana that is then pumped throughout cities through an analogue of power lines for public use. Most of the population has access to basic artifacts for everyday use, such as mana-powered automobiles, aetherphones for long-range audiovisual communication, or various home appliances. However, as a side effect of mass tapping of mana, use of actual magic is fairly rare. Most people simply can't tap into enough power to perform spells on their own without the use of a portable mana battery, the most powerful of which are only available to the military and government officials. The main tensions in the plane stem from the shifting political power in this time of rapid techno-magical advancement, and conflicts with environmentalist and traditionalist groups that wish a return to the way things were before industrialization. The former because they fear that the depletion of natural mana will do long-term damage, and the latter simply trying to cling to the power and relevance that they once held.

The Arcanum Reactor represents the pinnacle of technomantic achievement in Albirin. An enormous artifact the size of a small city that can generate vast quantities of mana with far less effort than traditional methods of extraction, it has become a symbol of progress, but some worry about the way it seemingly violates the rules of magic. While proponents believe that similar machines will one day provide near-free, limitless mana for all the world, others fear that there must be some hidden cost to using the Arcanum Reactor, and that it is only a matter of time before the whole world is faced with the consequences.

{Background} Tutusa is an egalitarianist's wet dream. All are equal, all voices matter, each opinion has the same weight. As you can imagine, this has led to some conflicts, so generations ago, they all got together and devised a solution: whenever a problem arose that required a major decision, the people would vote for a Tagata Matua, who would be the temporary leader until the problem was solved, whatever that problem may be. Once that problem's been solved, their term ends. Breakdown of infrastructure? Hold an election. Hurricane predicted to make landfall and wipe out the village? Elect someone to lead the preparedness and relief efforts. Current Tagata Matua abusing their power and won't end their term? Vote in a new one who will kick them out, and possibly exile (or even execute) them in disgrace, if the crimes are grave enough.

{Background}
Past the furthest reaches of the Illucian wilderness, there lies an endless expanse coated in a thick veil of fog. Lying barren of anything larger than the blanket of dry grasses, the air springs alive in color and movement dancing to the tune of the thoughts, fears, and desires of those who dare persevere within. Entranced by an illusion so real, so unbreakable, many lose themselves in an endless trek never to emerge again. Those few who find themselves back in the realms of reality, return only a shadow of their former beings. Their joy and purpose lost upon shrouded currents blown to the ends of their earth.

{Background} Egalius is a plane defined by the great big hole that opened up in the center of the continent. That hole slowly expanded, and recently that expansion has ground to a near halt, and explorers have started scouting the areas on the rim that were abandoned, looking for relics and old magics in the ruins there.

{Background} Aviva is a plane of symmetry along a line, known as the Dlof Fold. The magic that permeates the plane imposes this symmetry on as many things as it can. Proper names are universally palindromes. If a building is built on one side of the Fold, an architect will be magically compelled to create a near-identical building (though mirrored) on the exact same location on the other side. A man who accidentally cuts off one finger on one hand is compelled to cut off the same digit on the other hand. Curiously, planeswalkers are resistant to this effect, though it takes quite a bit of effort on their part. Their presence causes a ripple of weakness in the plane's magic for some distance around them—a welcome change to some but scandalously unnatural to most.