What Happens in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan? 

My favorite thing about WOTC releasing a new set is getting a new story time video. Love this channel.

I am hoping the next arc on Ixalan is that Aclazotz and the vampires succeed in stopping the sun on the surface, only to then have to fight off the massive fungal infection that comes to the surface without the sun.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that misses the charm of the original Ixalan setting. An article from wotc described that this set was its own original plane but got switched to ixalan midway in design. And that switch can definitely be felt. Lost caverns seems like an entirely different plane.

Hey friends! Thanks for stopping by to hear What Happens in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. I just want to let y'all know that I tried my best to use authentic pronunciations for the characters, locations, and items that appear in this set, and even though I know I didn't get it perfect, I hope you can respect the effort and intent behind it. Thanks again for watching, and I hope you enjoy all the cool vampires, pirates, dinosaurs, and merfolk that come with The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. 😁

Ixalan is my second favorite plane, Tarkir being first, but I think what made them so interesting was that that had multiple sets or blocks to tell their stories. Things didn’t feel rushed, you got to live on the plane for more than a month before planes walking to someplace different. I feel until they get back to multiple sets, stories will suffer.

This is _another_ single set that really feels like it needed a second set to flesh out the story. New Capenna, Kaldheim, Ikoria, and now Ixalan 2 Electric Boogaloo. All great locations with fun lore snippets, dragged down by the fact we didn’t get to spend enough time there to get to know what’s going on. I really would love it if we could go back to two-set blocks to help flesh out things, one set to introduce the main characters and establish the story and the second set to wrap things up.

I will say I am very intrigued by the idea that the Fomori are a former race of interplanar Giants that had the means of traveling from Plane to Plane to create this massive empire that was summarily dismantled with the original Mending event. Cause Magic needs more antagonistic forces so this is a step in the right direction.

So Mark Rosewater mentioned that this set was originally meant to be set on another plane before they decided to move it to Ixalan, and I have a conspiracy theory that it was originally going to be a Universes Beyond set for Minecraft that got canned. Crafting is a mechanic in Minecraft that lines up pretty well with the craft ability in LCI. This stands out to me because artifacts have never been a relevant theme on Ixalan until now. Mining is a prominent theme in LCI that is also a huge part of Minecraft, which also ties in with descend. Exploring could have easily been a mechanic they would have repurposed for a Minecraft set, it's another thing you do in Minecraft. Similarly, the discover mechanic is an easy fit. And just look at some of the cards they printed: Deep-Cavern Bat, Mineshaft Spider, DIAMOND PICKAXE??? I rest my case

Amalia has one of the coolest kinds of magic I have ever seen. The vampires always had a religious aspect to them, so, at least a part of their empire, so that was not really weird, in my opinion. We only saw the pirates of the coalition before, but it was established that they had citys, high and dry comes to mind, so downtown, I love the wordplay, is not really that strange as a concept and a resonable explanation for Malcom and breeches to be there. I really liked the story and the different factions at play. Was the cast to big? Yes, probably. Was Kellam forced as hell into the story? Definetly. (Sidenote for a little prediction I would like to make. I predict that Kellam will appear in every story until Oko appears again, and potentially afterwords depending on the outcome of that meeting, picking up a native character just like he did with Amalia and forming a sort of traveling group along the way.) Would be interested in your opinion on the sidestroke, which sets up a really interesting 5, or 6 depending on how the cards fall in the Sun empire, way conflict for torezone.

Thank you so much for these videos. I'm not a fan of WOTCs recent lore, but you make it work and entertaining. Thank you!

These videos are the only way I keep up with the MTG lore

It does become a bit noticeable that this was originally supposed to be a different plane before they skinned it onto Ixalan.

I really like how the story is now constrained to a limited location due to planeswalking being more rare. It makes the setting much more relevant, rather than just the characters. I hope they keep the stakes at this level for a while.

If wotc intend to make more new planeswalkers further down the road (aside from Kellen), I could definitely see Amalia taking Sorin's spot as the vampire walker. Sorin can easily just be desparked and left on Innistrad since his home plane is about the only thing he cares about anymore, no point sending him out into the multiverse just to gripe about being somewhere other than home. Amalia's powerset is incredibly unique and can definitely be spun into some interesting loyalty abilities.

Tysm for these videos man. Mtg stories for some years now are not usually worth the read. Not imo at least. Your videos with ur narration and ofc the mustache minute is the only reason why i am still following the lore. A few questions though: 1. Did they 'fix' the core being caged by the bat god? 2. What about the door in the city where the core is? Was that sealed again? 3. Do they know that Mycotyrant is still alive?

As a Mexican, I applaud the effort you put in the correct pronunciation of the words in Spanish and in the prehispanic-like syllable sounds. Aside from the word Bartolomé, I think you nailed it! I guess the Gomez in you had something to do?

Love how lengthy this video is. Always great to have more Story Time!

The creature in the glass container has big MCU post-credits scene energy

Amalia is the new best girl, and I'm looking forward to her and Kellan's multiverse shenanigans. Also, Quintorius is my new favorite Planeswalker. This set has awakened my inner childhood and has reminded me why I love Magic's setting.

Fantastic recap of the story! Well done.

Good story. I still miss the podcast you two had. You had the special coffees. It was fun to listen to

I've been waiting for this video. Thanks so much for your efforts!

So great to find your channel! I'm new to magic and will certainly be sticking around. I love Quintorius, and I love this set! I agree with all your points, I think WotC's writing team is brilliant but given far too few resources and is just shunted along between sets too fast to really finish with what they're doing. It's a case of there being too much, so cutting something would in theory improve the story, but I like each element too much to cut. I think if they had more opportunity to write a longer story, it would have suited the magnitude of the set. Honestly I think having two connected stories, one above with the old factions and one below with the new, but related and tied together with characters somehow able to communicate might have been preferable, it wouldn't stretch the pirates into miners for example. It's an idea.

Always a pleasure listening to your vids. Id like to see wizards produce a story that answers more questions then it asks....maybe one day.

I talked with others in the discord about the Fomori (not saying I was the first to notice, lol) so super hyped to see you mention it here! Great video, and thanks as always!

I WAITED FOREVER FOR THIS VIDEO TO DROP! THANK YOU RYAN AND NICOLE!

I was really waiting for this🤩🤩🤩i love this set and Ixalan so much! Thanks Ryan!!!!

Great to see! I’m also excited for you talking about the side story, and maybe also talk about the planeswalker’s guide, which is MASSIVE. I feel like us lord mages can’t ignore that!

I've waited for this video to release ever since I knew about LCOIs existence. Great video!

Great video as always!!

Was waiting for this video!

It's my favorite time of each set. STORYTIIIIIME!

each set i look forward to the magic arcanum video. keep up the good work!!

New to Magic. I always enjoyed the art and such. Been enjoying learning how to play. Now knowing that there is actual story too, I'm even more invested. I'm a sucker for a good story

Ixalan is my favorite plane/story. The original and Rivals were fantastic. The factions from those were coherent and made sense. Im a huge dino nerd and love archaeology, history, the golden age of pirates, and the age of exploration so naturally this series seemed like the perfect intro for me to get into Magic. Ive only been into MTG for a few years, and sadly Ixalan & Rivals happened before i was introduced, but ever since i have been trying to get my hands on as many of those cards as i can. Jace Beleren instantly became my favorite planeswalker because of that series. Jace x Vraska was peak as well. RIP to both of them, they deserved better. I really enjoy this video for painting a solid picture of what happens in the lore. You have a new fan. Now im gonna go binge the rest of your videos🤙

my favorite part of new sets is these videos

I love getting to hear the story from you! It's much appreciated. Also, if you can, I would love it if your merch shirts went up to 5xl

Ixalan is the pinnacle of Magic plane design imo. It's inspired by real world Mezo-America and colonialism, but still has its unique identity and puts a twist on everything. It's the perfect middle ground between something like Theros (just Greece) and Ravnica (totally original), giving us touchstones without feeling lazy or played out. I love it.

Wonderful. Thank you.

Thanks so much for the video! I love immersing myself in Magic’s story, but can’t take the time to read it myself.

The flavor text of Huatli's Final Strike is giving HUGE Tyvar's Stand vibes!!

Was waiting for this story time! Wanted to see what happens now xD

You know more then 6 stories would be nice heck Grimm captain feels like a cool side story like not all factions need to be a main story like a few side stories would have helped

Imagine going from this adventure to ravnican dinner theater, that's what's happening with kellan

Amalia is easily my favorite new character from the set, her “cartogramancy” is really cool. Excited to see where she pops up next.

I really got into MTG with LCI (the commander precons rock, dinosaurs and pirates ftw), thanks for summarizing the story!

Oh I was waiting for this!

I personally was very bummed that neither Jace or Vraska were here, Planeswalker or not, still corrupted or not, whatever, it’s such a key and iconic plane for them that I could see either or both of them having come to Ixalan either during the invasion or afterwards to hide away from the atrocities they surely committed offscreen, so the fact that neither returned to lead the Belligerent’s faction to be, I don’t know, cleansed by Chimil or something, was genuinely disappointing

Since I started playing in revised, I've always enjoyed the implications of plot - the lore drops on the cards themselves - more than any content in any other media. Don't get me wrong, I welcomed the old novels and the chapters today, but the joy is grounded on the card text itself :)

Mid Story, Great Channel, it saves me time I would have lost reading this uneventful tale.

KEEP STAYING PAWZITIVE Y'ALL THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO

Coooooool Runnings!

Thanks for the summery. I get so behind in reading the lore. I do like the fact that there are some new factions for Ixalan with the introduction of Catfolk and Angels.

It really feels like a big step back from eldraine. With woe, we got a comparatively smaller story that felt more focused. With LCI, it just feels they tried to fit a 3 block set into one massive story with way too many characters. I will never understand why they ditched the 3 block format. It was perfect for telling stories.

I feel like this set should have focused on the Vampires vs The Sun Empire on this quest, and have Merfolk & Pirates in the background, then next time were on this plane, reverse it & do a Pirates vs Merfolk on the same quest as that set's theme.

When I saw the chapters i was like "I AINT READ'N ALL THAT" so thank you so much

Prison is basically timeout and the same goes for gimmick quicksand. At this point, I wish magic would go a bit more serious and gritty and leave the timout prison for universe beyond stuff. It would really flesh out things

Thanks!

They wrote so much lore and background for this one, there's room for writing 3 extensions stories

I’m so glad you still do the mustache minute. I was very concerned with you getting support from Wizards that you might start being less critical of their story telling. It feels good to know that you are sticking to your principles.

LCI was basically Wizards version of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". its not a bad set, it's that it feels different than the original because the OG Ixalan block was basically Pirates of the Caribbean feat Jace and Vraska's love cruise. the story had to go forward both after that set AND March of the Machine invasion so we have a lot of stuff that needs to be sorted out in a proper set but even then we have the steps up for that. the Sun Empire is still throwing out on those plans to do a reverse conquista on Torrezon while Elenda's followers are trying to deal with the schism back in their homeland, and again, the pirates were originally formed out of people that were escaping persecution from the vampires so now that the whole gist of the Golden City is off they can now go back to make a home for themselves, specially now that there is a whole continent available for them to explore and settle. the only people that were left without nothign to do were the River Heralds but perhaps in that lack of purpose they will find something else to do(specially now that the Mycotyrant is out in the surface, they probably have the secret to defeat it)

Nice! more Good stuff 🥰

I find the cat tribe in the caves to be kinda of jarring. They throw the vampires into a sand pit and that's it? How long were they down there? Do they live in the core or the surface? They get introduced, used then pushed to the side. I hope there is a side story about the cat tribes.

Ixalan has done nothing but have me wanting to go back to Ikoria even more

So did you like the story? Is it worth the read? I really liked original Ixalan. In fact, I'd say that period of Shadows over Innistrad, Amonkhet and Ixalan, was the best thing they've done since Origins. Lately I've been very disappointed with the lore.

Yay! It's story time! 💚

The problem I have with the magic story as a whole at the moment is, that they in the last few years do dungeon crawls again and again as there main story. We had Zendikar Rising (which in my opinion stared all of this trend), then we had the D&D set which didn't really have a story and only featured dungeons, than Phyrexia: All will be one which was also a dungeon crawl at it's core, than parts of Wilds of Eldrain and now Lost Caverns of Ixalan. That are 5 out of 15. A third of all sets. Why?

I feel very similarly. It feels like the story is just a bunch of plot points of things happening, but it feels like nothing happened because the characters are just there, they do a thing, and then they're done.

Can't Help but Feel like Aclazotz sneaking onto a Ship on it's way to the Vampire's Country where he plans to make power moves being a homage or inspired by the Dracula Novel, where Dracula very much does the same.

Your green cup moment lmao go sunny mushrooms!? xD

Was Saheeli never mentionned at all in the story? Cause like, WOTC established in the Aftermath cards that her and Huatli were PLANES appart without knowning how to find eachother again but then she just like...has a legendary card in this set? So that piece of possible compelling motivation and storytelling is just tossed out the window cause we gotta make more card for commander players or what...?

I totally wish the story cards were more numerous, like 15-20 so you actually get a taste of the story from the cards as well!

I think highly-themed deckbuilding in this set is sort of a mess because there are like seven factions and the colors of the existing factions on some cards don't totally match the colors from our last visit to Ixalan. In the previous two Ixalan sets, (especially the first,) there were pretty much only four factions, and the colors of cards almost always lined up with one of these factions. So what I am saying is that the card pool is too small for this many factions. Each faction, theme, mechanic, color, etc. does not have enough cards available to really build a satisfying deck around.

Would be cool if Kellan creates a non-Planeswalker Gatewatch-like group along the way

Hello! Big fan of the Channel :D I wanted to say there is one card describing pirates as miners [[Brass's Tunnel Grinder]]

The ending feels like its setting up for the next Ixalan set

When I first started listening to the video I thought of what I might say in a comment describing my displeasement with wizards, but then I thought this guy doesn't want me to complain in the comments on his nice video. Then I get to the end of the video and there is talk about what wizards has done wrong lol. Glad we can talk about it. It's not just complaining it's spreading awareness. The first set was really great and it's one thing not to have as high expectations, but it's a whole different thing when they deviate from what work. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Whoever is leading the charge over at the magic headquarters are pushing agendas and not doing a good job if they couldn't realize all the potential they had and what they succeeded at in the past. Terrible management. Great reading tho!

Why does Quintorius refer to the Formori as the Coin Empire? Are they known on Arcavios only by the coins they left behind?

Kudos on the pronunciations!

Pirates really shined in the side story with Brass holding her own in negotiations with both the Vampires and the Sun Empire.

It really shows how much we are missing without a "Legends of" article for these sets. I looked forward to those the most for some touch on why these legendary beings and tools exist but nope, theyre not important enough, just one of a kind legendary entities.

I wish they’d go back to set blocks. Give us and the writers lore time to flesh things out instead of rushing through everything. Off the top of my head, since they went to single set stories we havnt had a good story. There was a chance with new phyrexia but nope, resolved that issue in a snap

The red god is such badass looking card. Shame they didn't do much.

Can't wait for the next set. I love murder mystery

Great presentation! There are many gaps in the story..: What is Saheeli doing in Ixalan? Why is Kellan in Ixalan? What is the story of the other 4 gods??

Kind of a missed opportunity. Kellen takes a vampire girl he practically just met, but leaves Ruby behind, who he had an entire adventures length of time to get to know. All well, maybe he’ll come back for Ruby?

18:15 a surprise retroactive merfolk city. What is this, Ravnica?

Some cards depict that Saheeli brought an industrial revolution to Ixalan, so the story just decided to avoid all that and go underground?!

To be honest, i tried to find enjoyment in the Story after March of the Machine but i cant. Hope your doing well, youre videos are great.

The Coin Empire is going to be the story for next year or the year after, right? So I don't think we'll go back to Ixalan by then, except maybe as part of a multi-plane set like March of the Machine

If they were going to bring back Baron Sengir ...this would be the perfect place for it!

I could've sworn I remembered a remark from the set reveal stream that the Enigma Jewel was extremely important to the story, so I was very surprised when I read the chapters and it never showed up in any way. Also, I'm wondering if the "redacted" story arc name in the current overarching plot is "Fomori"

The Torazon(?) set is gonna be soooo sick

My Dinobots are together, it's the more important 🥺❤️

my fav plane was eldrain and my favorite plans walker is oko

Thank you very much for the video and the in depth explanation! I also feel "robbed" that the other gods aside Aclazot , played little to NO importance to the story. The Ancient One is very intriguing and I wonder what kind of lost god was...But nope....nada...Just a 2 mana 8/8 card....no lore behind it...what a shame...

THe set was pretty cool, but I wanted more dinosuars!

It's so sad quint is the only planeswalker on arena that doesn't have voice lines. They did him dirty

I choose to believe that the malamet actually thought the sand pit was just killing people and had no idea it actually just emptied out somewhere else

Well, I liked the story. (disclaimer: this is my first time in Ixalan) I found interesting than kellan tagged along the vampires, as in the pre-release I made a WB dusk Legion deck with kellan 😂 I agree Vito could have been killed many times along the way...