Four years after Nicol Bolas had their turn in War of the Spark, Magic’s multiverse hangs in the balance once again. This time, Elesh Norn is the one responsible for bringing about the end times in the fittingly named Phyrexian Arc. Initially teased in 2020’s Theros Beyond Death, the Phyrexian Arc has delivered all manner of tantalizing reveals. We’ve seen iconic Planeswalkers die, even more being Compleated, and the balance of the multiverse entirely upended. As, in an unusual change to proceedings, Magic’s villains actually succeeded in their evil plans. Activating Realmbreaker and forcibly merging planes together, Elesh Norn actually achieves in Phyrexia: All Will Be One. With one, ish sets left in the Phyrexian Arc, however, it’s still all to play for. Subsequently, as hype for March of the Machine builds, MTG players fervently speculate about what’s coming next in Magic’s deceptively obvious story.
Crystal Clear Coyness
As you might expect, since the fate of Magic’s multiverse hangs in the balance, Wizards is keeping a lot of details close to their chests. For instance, despite it being depicted in March of the Machine’s box art, the ramifications of Realmbreaker’s activation haven’t been explicitly stated. It’s not just these broad strokes that haven’t been defined, as Wizards have also been teasing players with character fates. Teferi, for instance, completely disappeared at the end of The Brothers’ War’s story. Vanishing off into the unknown, Teferi awoke on a mysterious beach, leaving players waiting and wondering to discover his fate. Thankfully, come Phyrexia: All Will Be One, this mini mystery was revealed, as Teferi was safe and sound-ish on Zhalfir.
Not content to make just one Planeswalker disappear throughout the Phyrexian Arc, Wizards pulled the same trick with Elspeth. In case you’re not caught up with events thus far, at the end of Phyrexia: All Will Be One, Elspeth sacrificed herself to save the day. Well, to say Elspeth saved the day might be a little disingenuous, as her heroic act did ensure Elesh Norn’s victory. Nevertheless, sacrificing herself by activating The Filigree Sylex, Elspeth disappeared to “some point beyond the Blind Eternities.” With no indication of where this exactly is, MTG players were once again left to speculate themselves silly.
Where is the World Is Elspeth Tirel?
While March of the Machine’s first major reveals may only be days away now, that hasn’t stopped the fervent speculation. The topic of “where did Elspeth Planeswalk,” for instance, recently did the rounds of Reddit, capturing plenty of community interest. This is despite the fact, as u/Opreich points out, we technically already know where Elspeth is. Answering the question that u/FunPrinciple715 posed, u/Opreich simply stated, “the blind eternities. Vanish into Eternity is pretty clear on this.” Stating that Elspeth consigned herself and the Sylex “to the nothingness in between” by disappearing, Vanish into Eternity gives a very clear-cut answer.
Despite Vanish into Eternity stating that Elspeth is off living it up with the Eldrazi, this answer didn’t appease everyone. Reddit user u/Artemis_21, for instance, reminded MTG players this explanation doesn’t line up with Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s story. “The story says beyond the Blind Eternity, though.” Due to these conflicting reports, there’s no definitive answer to exactly where Elspeth is. This allowed even more baseless speculation to consume players such as u/siwenna, who suggested Elspeth is in Serra’s Realm. While entirely possible, unfortunately for Serra fans, this suggestion doesn’t appear to be too likely. After all, by u/siwenna’s own admission, this suggestion is born from a hope for a Serra’s Sanctum reprint, not actual evidence.
While a trip to Serra’s Realm might be off the table, especially since it’s at a nine on the Rabiah Scale, Elspeth’s future may already be known. This was pointed out by u/Venator61, who noted it appears Elspeth won’t be gone for long. “Since her sword [ Godsend ]is in the expansion symbol for MOM, I expect her to return. Maybe in angelic form.”
Compleat Conundrum
Considering that Elspeth has been the focal point of much of Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s story, their return in March of the Machine seems all but inevitable. Similarly, another major component to the Phyrexian Arc isn’t really much of a mystery, thanks to Wizards being obviously coy. In case you somehow it, during Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Tamiyo became the first Planeswalker to be Compleated. Following this, Ajani Goldmane was revealed to be a Phyrexian sleeper agent in Dominaria United. With a truly beloved MTG character turning evil, players were left wondering, could Compleation be cured? As more and more Planeswalkers got Compleated in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the answer to this question became obvious. Of course, Planeswalkers can be cured.
The first signs of this shocking revelation were first teased back in Streets of New Capenna. Introducing the mysterious magical substance of Halo, Magic’s heroes were given their best weapon against the Phyrexians. Outside of its ability to harm Phyrexians and its angelic source, Halo’s properties were shrouded in mystery. This allowed it, in theory, to be the perfect foil to the Phyrexian glistening oil. Despite Halo’s promising potential, for the longest time, Uncompleating Planeswalkers was merely the hope of Tamiyo and Ajani fans. During Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s Building Worlds video, however, this possibility was made a lot more obvious.
“Although the Planeswalker subject mirror their former selves, the question of the preservation of their soul remains entirely unresolved,” Ladee Danger narrates. “Recurring studies on the ocular cavities, or what commoners call ‘the windows to the soul’ have proven… inconclusive.”
Still Spellbinding Story
Technically, in the Building Worlds video, Wizards merely plays into the mystery surrounding the Compleation of Planeswalkers. However, thanks to the language used, it’s clear there’s a solution should Wizards want to use it. Thankfully, despite this mystery being spoiled via teases, March of the Machine’s story hasn’t already been ruined. Sure, we might know some of the plot points, but there’s still a huge amount of information we don’t know. Even if more details are revealed during the upcoming First Look Livestream, MTG story fanatics should still be in a good time. After all, despite being extensively spoiled via MTG leaks, Phyrexia: All Will Be One’s story was still widely celebrated and enjoyed.
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