Hey there, I'm yoshiislander and you're listening to Vorthos Audio Files, the podcast where I read to you Magic the Gathering stories for your relaxation, while flavoring your knowledge of the multiverse.

Welcome to episode 13, and the first installment of the Zendikar arc: With the Eldrazi loose on Zendikar, Gideon Iora and the future Gatewatch fight for the survival of the plane aided by the Planeswalker Kiora. Learn how the Gatewatch was founded during the massive battle at the arc's conclusion.

If you're listening to this series, you'll probably enjoy playing Magic with me, live on Twitch, Sunday evenings, Pacific Standard Time, @yoshiislander. The link is in the shownotes.

Our first installment takes us into a side story following Kiora.

Merfolk Planeswalker Kiora came to Theros during the events of Theros block and the novel Godsend. She was—and is—on a quest to find the greatest denizens of the seas of many worlds. Kiora hopes to return to her native Zendikar and fight against the world-devouring creatures called the Eldrazi with the help of her summoned allies. But she will not return until she has found a weapon worthy of the fight.

Kiora arrived on Theros during the Silence, a time when the gods of Theros were magically barred from interfering in the mortal world. She took full advantage of this circumstance, posing first as an avatar of the sea god Thassa, then as the mythic rareal navigator Callaphe. The native merfolk, called tritons, were desperate for any sign of their god's return, and many of them embraced Kiora's claims.

Elspeth Tirel and Ajani Goldmane, meanwhile, sought to journey into Nyx to stop the ascended Planeswalker-god Xenagos. They recovered Callaphe's ship, the Monsoon, but they needed a navigator. "Callaphe" soon arrived, and the trio set out for Kruphix's temple at the edge of the world. Like Callaphe herself, however, their journey was not what it seemed. The Monsoon was a living creature, and it—not Kiora—knew the way to the edge of the world. Kiora had a different destination in mind, and instead urged the Monsoon to take them to the legendary lost city of Arixmethes—which she knew was not a place, but a massive living creature with an entire city built upon it.

The novel Godsend followed Elspeth and Ajani's path into Nyx, leaving Kiora's tale behind. When we last saw Kiora, she was locked in combat with Thassa herself, and the outcome of that battle has been unknown—until now.

Cue the story.

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Read along FREE on the official Magic the Gathering site: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/drop-drop-2015-05-20

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