The Vorthos Cast

Do you ever look at your Magic cards and think "What does all this really mean?" This week in our Magic 102 series, we're discussing the building blocks of Magic, the card types and core mechanics of the game, and what they mean to the flavor, worldbuilding, and story. Magic is a game, but it's also a storytelling experience, where you are a powerful mage locked in battle with other powerful mages, casting spells and summoning creatures, and this episode will explain how that translates to the cards. If you'd like to support the show, you can find us on Patreon at Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast! All supporters get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses around the world are telling stories and discussing Magic with each other! All patrons get access to early episode releases, and patrons at our $3/month tier can listen to us record episodes live!

Hello all our listeners! We just turned eight years old, which is very young for a person and very old for a podcast. We're celebrating our anniversary with a special episode featuring all five co-hosts and also Jay, co-host emeritus to talk about the past year of the podcast, our favorite moments and episodes, and what we're looking forward to in the next year. Thank you so much to all our Patreon supporters who have kept us recording weekly episodes since 2018! We wouldn't be here without you. If you'd like to help keep the podcast running, you can join at Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and receive exclusive access to our Discord server and early episode releases!

Welcome to the world of Magic story! In the spirit of our Magic 101 series, this week we're giving listeners an updated basics of Magic lore, including understanding what the multiverse is, the planeswalkers who inhabit it, and what happened during the Mending and Spark Rupture. If you're looking to learn more about this wonderful fantasy setting, this is your place to start. MTGStory.com MTGLore.com MTG.Wiki If you'd like to support the show, you can find us on Patreon at Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast!

We're starting a new series this week with Let's Cook: Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, a deep dive into the mechanics of the plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, from its original inception to its most recent release. This isn't a typical set review or Flavor Gems, but a look at the worldbuilding and flavor of the setting through the lens of its card game mechanics. How flavorful is Evoke? What about Clash? And how well was Hybrid Mana utilized in Shdowmoor and Lorwyn Eclipsed? Let us know how you feel about this new series, and look out for visits to planes in the future such as Ravnica and Arcavios! If you like this episode and want to hear more of this style, let us know! You can reach out to us directly at TheVorthosCast@Gmail.Com, but the best way to get your message to us is via Patreon! Supporters at Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast get access to our Discord server for only $1 a month, as well as early releases of episodes! For $3 a month, you can listen to us live and let us know when we mess up in our listener chat!

The Story Circle reconvenes for one, special episode in honor of the truly most powerful wizard from Dominaria: Barrin. Before he was Barrin, though, he was Barrinalo, a young scribe whose life would be forever changed by the death of another wizard, Pharon. This story by Paul B. Thompson originally appeared in The Secrets of Magic anthology from 2002, edited by Jess Lebow. It is read by the incredible Christopher Wilson. We will return next week with regular episodes, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy this audio version of a beloved Magic story. If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

We welcome Seanan McGuire back to the podcast this week to talk about Lorwyn: Eclipsed, her most recent story for Magic! We talk about what it's like balancing writing a brand new cast of characters in a legacy setting that's nearly 20 years old and characters who have loomed large in player nostalgia since 2007. She also gives us a little more detail about Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos and writing the first Magic novel since 2019. If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

Lorwyn: Eclipsed is a special set for Magic as it marks the first full return to the plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, last visited nearly 20 years ago! The world has changed considerably, but you'll find that the flavor has only gotten better with age. The care and dedication put into this return is undeniable, with art and designs honoring the past and showing how far Magic has come since 2007. Our flavor gems are only a first serving, and we encourage you to return to the table and share your own delicious findings! If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

We've talked about the main story of Lorwyn: Eclipsed, but there's still more Magic story! Lorwyn: Eclipsed also came with three side stories by both new and returning authors, adding depth to the world of day and night. This week we're going to talk about "Much Ado About Thieving" by Tobi Ogundiran, "Three Dreams, Three Truths" by K. Arsenault Rivera, and "Star Crossed" by Akemi Dawn Bowman. Read all three stories at MTGStory.com because they're all very good! If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

2025 was one of the best years for Magic story ever, with huge hits like Edge of Eternities and Tarkir: Dragonstorm alongside announcements for a new novel and comic book line. This week, we're go through everything Vorthos from last year and discuss the hits and misses for worldbuilding, narrative, and story releases. Where did Magic excel and where did it fall flat? And what the **** was that D&D supplement? For all our Patreon supporters, thank you all so much for another year of The Vorthos Cast! We wouldn't be able to do it without you! Even just $1 a month is enough to let us know you value our podcast in your lives and that keeps us going. You're the best! If you aren't a Patreon supporter, you can be! It's easy! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and give us $1 a month to access our Discord server and listen to episodes early! That's only $12 in a year, which is less than the cost of one digital copy of Lorwyn: First Light! You could spend that money on us instead and get like 50 hours of podcast where we won't even tell you to go buy a second podcast to understand the first one. For $3 a week you can listen to us record live and hear our thoughts on the Justice League and baseball.

Welcome to 2026! We're starting the year by finishing the story of Lorwyn Eclipsed, wherein we learn the true identity of a mischievous blue and green faerie and say goodbye to an old friend. And, yes, we will briefly discuss that last scene of the story. You know the one. If you want to read the story, and you definitely do, go to MTGStory.com and read it! It's good! If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

We return this week to the story of Lorwyn: Eclipsed! All episodes of the main story are out, but for part 2 of our discussion we'll be talking about episodes 4 and 5. A lot happens to our cast of characters in these two chapters, including the return of Ashling to the story and the introduction of a very mean elf! We'll be away for the holidays next weekend, so no regular episode until January 5th! If you want to read the story, and you definitely do, go to MTGStory.com and read it! It's good! If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

Welcome to our first episode discussing the story of Lorwyn: Eclipsed! We're talking about episodes 1 through 3 this week. All parts of the main story of Lorwyn Eclipsed are written by the amazing returning author Seanan McGuire. They tell the story of four unfortunate students from Strixhaven who literally fall into Lorwyn thanks to a mischievous fae and accidentally disturb the cycle of Morningtide and Eventide that has kept the plane in balance since the fall of Oona. If you want to read the story, and you definitely do, go to MTGStory.com and read it! It's good! If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

The story of Lorwyn: Eclipsed begins today on mtgstory.com! But before you go and read that, we're checking in with the Dark Horse Comics Untold Stories series with the first two issues of Untold Stories: Elspeth! This series tells the story of Theros Beyond Death with incredible art and writing. You can read issue #1 now, and issue #2... well, we'll talk about it! If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

Last week, D&D and Magic smashed together to give us a setting supplemental for D&D that gives you tools to play a game in the world of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor. This $15 digital-only release on DNDBeyond has some new stat blocks, playable species, and backgrounds. Emphasis on the "some." For this week's episode, we're going to tell you what you can find in this little book and if we think you should buy it. If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

We continue to delve into the past of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor in preparation for Lorwyn Eclipsed, and this week we decided to take a look at the flavor gems of a block (or two, depending on who you ask) that came long before the Vorthos Cast existed! We talk about the cycles, standout cards, and our cast favorites from Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, and Eventide! And, of course, a little speculation on what might return in Lorwyn Eclipsed.

How has Lorwyn-Shadowmoor changed since our first visit? We're digging in on major highlights from the Planeswalker's Guide to understand how the world has fared, and what aurora-evading trickery awaits on the twinned plane. To close our discussion, we indulge in a healthy dose of story speculation for Lorwyn Eclipsed and the finale year of this arc. If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

With the story for Lorwyn Eclipsed only a month away, we're taking our dear listeners into the past to tell the story of our first (and only) trip to the plane of Lorwyn. We follow Rhys, Ashling, Maralen, Brigid, the sapling of Colfenor, and nearly every other named legendary creature from original Lorwyn-Shadowmoor block on their adventure to stop Oona and end the Great Aurora's influence over the plane. If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

With Lorwyn Eclipsed on the horizon, we turn our attention to the plane of faeries and boggarts, elves and kithkin, and its shadowy second self, Shadowmoor. To get everyone prepared for this field trip, we've put together an overview of the worldbuilding of the plane as it was, before the end of Oona's reign and the invasion of Phyrexia. Next week, we'll tell you all about that quest to unseat the faerie queen... If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.

It's Halloween season, so the podcast has decided it's the perfect time to share our thoughts on horror in Magic story, as well as some of our favorite scary stories that you can read for free on the Magic Story website. Read these: "His Eyes, All of Them" by Margaret Killjoy: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/his-eyes-all-them-2021-09-17 "Sacrifice" by Michael Yichao: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/sacrifice-2016-03-23 "The Blight We Were Born For" by Ken Troop: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/blight-we-were-born-2016-01-13 "Grasp in the Dark" by RJ Taylor: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/edge-of-eternities-grasp-in-the-dark "Children of the Carnival" by Mira Grant: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/side-two-children-of-the-carnival-part-1 and https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/side-three-children-of-the-carnival-part-2

This is an unusual Flavor Gems episode for us, as this is an unusual set for Magic! We're exploring the planes (and the Edge of those planes) this week to talk about the online exclusive Through the Omenpaths set! This set is a reskin of the Marvel's Spider-Man set, presenting a challenge to the creative team behind it to somehow make 25 unique representations of the "human spider" creature type line. Did they succeed? Well, it's complicated! If you want to support the Vorthos Cast, you can! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and contribute as little as $1 a month to get access to our Discord server, as well as early episode releases! And for $3 a month, you can listen to episodes recorded live on Thursday nights at 7pm Eastern time! We'd love to have you. Our Patreon supporters keep the podcast free and ad-free.