As the Phyrexians continues their attack on the multiverse, Magic’s latest story arc continues to develop. In the new set, Phyrexia: All Will Be One, a band of planeswalkers takes the fight to New Phyrexia. Our heroes attempt to strike down the Phyrexian incursion at its source, and hopefully stop Elesh Norn once and for all.
Assault on New Phyrexia
Episode 1: Uncontrolled Descent
Immediately upon arrival, New Phyrexia is not what it seems. Kaito is greeted by visions of paradise and a desire to accept New Phyrexia as his new home. The Wanderer is able to snap him out of his stupor, and he quickly learns that the entire plane is against him.
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Nahiri fights a Phyrexian nearby, and only receives a small scratch from the monstrosity before defeating it. The plane’s defenses have separated these three planeswalkers from the rest of their group, so they must journey deeper into the plane to find them.
Along the way, they rescue Tyvar Kell from a Phyrexian who has ensnared him in cables. He joins them as they search for a way into the Furnace Layer, where the planeswalkers plan to meet. New Phyrexia’s defenses have disrupted the Wanderer, however, and she is unable to stay on the plane.
The group soon comes across a Mirran camp led by Melira, a healer who is immune to the Phyrexian’s compleation. Koth told her about the Gatewatch’s plan, so she is willing to guide the planeswalkers deeper into the plane. She leads them to Mirrex, which is all that remains of Mirrodin proper before the Phyrexians’ rule.
Yet again, nothing on New Phyrexia is what it seems. Nahiri’s small wound has become infected, and she feels her body transforming already. Since she knows that she’s already doomed, she chooses not to tell the others so that she can help them for as long as she can. On the surface, the Wanderer also finds great danger. She’s able to return to the plane, but she finds the Mirran camp burned to the ground.
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Episode 2: Unstable Foundations
Much like Kaito and the others, Elspeth and Kaya arrive on the outermost layer of New Phyrexia. Unsure who else has survived the journey, the pair quickly discovers a Mirran camp and delves into the plane’s Furnace Layer. Koth is leading a Mirran force on the layer, and they also meet up with Jace and Kaito’s group. Only half of the planeswalkers who made the journey to New Phyrexia are accounted for, but the group decides they can’t give Elesh Norn more time to prepare. They have to move forward with the plan despite their smaller numbers.
Melira explains how the Phyrexians have completely restructured the plane. Below the Furnace are the Hunter Maze the Surgical Bay, the Dross Pits, and then the Fair Basilica. The latter is Elesh Norn’s domain, where Urabrask’s followers are staging their rebellion. Beyond that is the Mycosynth Gardens, and finally the Seedcore. The Seedcore is where Elesh Norn’s corrupted World Tree resides, known as the “Realmbreaker”, and where the group plans to detonate the sylex.
In order to get there, they plan to go directly to the Dross Pits via a Mirran tunnel, then sneak past Elesh Norn while she deals with Urabrask’s revolt. If they manage to reach the Seedcore, the sylex should the Realmbreaker. However, Jace can’t guarentee that the blast won’t destroy the plane entirely. Still, they have no other choice to stop the Phyrexian’s from infecting the multiverse.
Before they descend further, Melira confronts Nahiri. She discovers that the lithomancer has been infected, but decides not to heal her yet. If she did, Nahiri would be unable to join them while she recovered, and they can’t afford to lose anyone else. They choose not to tell the others, and they all descend further.
Read the official story here!
Episode 3: Inconceivable Losses
The planeswalkers and their Mirran allies arrive in the Dross Pits, where necrogen gas is in the air. Not only can necrogen turn the living into the undead, but it can also induce phyresis. To protect themselves, even if for a short while, Elspeth gives everyone Halo to drink from New Capenna.
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The Halo allows Jace’s telepathy to break through New Phyrexia’s defenses, and he senses that Vraska is in distress. The others try to convince him to go forward with the mission, but he refuses and runs to save her. Since he has the sylex, the group has no choice but to follow.
Urabrask’s forces fight with the Dross Pit’s Phyrexians, and Jace obscures the group from them with his illusions. He heads towards Sheoldred’s coliseum, where unfortunate souls battle to the death. Inside, Vraska is badly wounded and surrounded by a horde of Phyrexians.
Our heroes manage to defeat them, but Vraska begs them to leave. She’s nearly compleat, too far gone for Melira to heal her. Jace refuses to accept this, so Nahiri steals the sylex and gives it to Kaya. Leaving Jace and Vraska alone, the planeswalkers continue the mission.
Jace stays to comfort Vraska, but her infection takes over. She injects glistening oil into him, and he flees.
Outside, the Phyrexians have noticed the intruders, and an entire army awaits them. In a final, desperate act, Nahiri cleaves the ground so that the coliseum falls to the Fair Basilica, providing an escape for the others. However, this puts a massive strain on her body, and she can no longer fight the phyresis.
With two of their allies compleated and another infected, the group has no choice but to push on.
Read the official story here!
Episode 4: Impossible Odds
The group feels like they’re walking into a trap, but they make their way to Elesh Norn’s throne with ease. They make their way down the Mycosynth Gardens, and into the Seedcore, there, they find that the Realmbreaker has already connected itself to the Blind Eternities. If they have any hope of undoing this, they have to act fast.
The planeswalkers and Mirrans have a suspiciously easy journey through the Fair Basilica. They knew that Urabrask’s rebellion would serve as a distraction, but they don’t face any resistance. Even Elesh Norn’s throne room is left unguarded, giving them quick passage into the Mycosynth Gardens. From there, they make their way into the Seedcore without seeing a single Phyrexian.
Once they reach the Seedcore, however, they find that they may be too late. The Realmbreaker has already breached the Blind Eternities, giving Elesh Norn access to the entire multiverse. If there’s any chance of stopping the impeding invasion, they have to act quickly.
Inside the tree, they find Karn, vivisected and dismembered atop a dias. He tells them that their only chance is to detonate the sylex at the source of the roots. Koth and the Mirrans stay back to help to Karn while the planeswalkers venture further into the tree.
As they near the root source, they see millions of Phyrexian ships preparing for the coming invasion in the branches above. Before they can do anything, though, Ajani and Tibalt approach. Elspeth and Tyvar prepare to face the compleated planeswalkers so the others can move forward and stop Elesh Norn once and for all.
Read the official story here!
Episode 5: Inevitable Resolutions
Kaya, Jace, and Kaito head to the core of the Realmbreaker while Elspeth and Tyvar keep the compleated planeswalkers occupied. Jace’s infection is worsening by the minute, so he prepares to detonate the sylex before he becomes compleat. Kaya, however, has second thoughts. Now that they know the Realmbreaker is connected to other planes, she fears that destroying the tree would destroy those planes as well, and potentially the whole multiverse.
Jace believes they have to activate the sylex. He argues that any plane connected to New Phyrexia is already lost, and that they could save countless other worlds by using the sylex. Kaito and Kaya refuse to destroy some planes to save others, and they battle Jace for the sylex.
With his illusory magic, however, Jace is able to secure the sylex and hide himself from Kaya and Kaito for a short while. He performs the ritual and activates the sylex, but Elspeth arrives as he does. She and Tyvar won their battle against Ajani and Tibalt, and she steals the sylex from Jace and planeswalks away from the Realmbreaker.
After she does, Tyvar reunites with Kaya and Kaito, and Elesh Norn greets them alongside Nissa and Nahiri, both compleated. Jace also rises, having fully succumbed to phyresis. Elesh Norn makes one final offer to join Phyrexia, which the remaining three refuse. Once they do, she begins her invasion on the multiverse.
Read the official story here!
End Step
New Phyrexia is one of the most dangerous and alien worlds Magic has to offer, and there’s still plenty of challenges for our heroes to overcome in The March of Machines. We’ve now covered the main story of All Will Be One, but there are plenty of horrors left to uncover. Keep checking back as we update this story summary with
