MTG's Aetherdrift...I gotta say, it looks pretty rad.

This past Saturday, Pun posted some info on the Patreon project known as Planeshifted over at the Halls of the Nephilim.  This creator (Gabe Rodriguez, aka /u/letterephesus on Reddit) produces incredibly detailed and really high-quality 5e D&D supplements based on Magic: The Gathering lore, typically focusing each release on one of the planes of reality in which the MTG story takes place (hence the moniker, which also echoes the name of a series of unofficial D&D supplements based on MTG worlds that WotC released on their website).

One of the upcoming projects that I'm definitely looking forward to is a supplement based on the new MTG set coming out next weekend (with prereleases in just a couple of days, although I don't think I'll be able to make one): Aetherdrift.  For years now, I think the Magic story team has just been killing it (in a good way, in case that isn't obvious) with some aspects of the lore, mainly as they've started taking risks that seemed impossible when I started playing the game 25 years ago.  To me, Aetherdrift kind of seems like a culmination of those efforts; it's a set based upon a freaking road race that spans multiple planes in the MTG multiverse.  And it looks awesome!

From here.

The Aetherdrift story is certainly not without its detractors.  And...I do understand why.  Some of the most legitimate criticisms I've seen of the Magic story in recent years have been concerns that elements of the lore just didn't feel like the more traditional "magepunk" fantasy of earlier sets.  And yeah, when there's a Western-themed set, and we see that a known character is now wearing a sort-of-cowboy hat...well, it's easy to think that seems a little silly.

More directly for me...I loved that they returned to the plane of Ravnica -- my favorite in the MTG multiverse -- for the "murder mystery" themed set (I even picked up a copy of the Clue/Cluedo crossover release).  I think Ravnica represents a lot of what is great about Magic's lore, and it is apparently pretty popular, as that set (Murders at Karlov Manor) was essentially our fourth trip to the plane.  BUT...now there are a bunch of characters wearing detective-style garb, when we'd never seen that before in the city-plane of Ravnica.  And it can feel a little...eh, weird.  I don't think it's overdone, and it really is a minor detail, but I can understand why such things feel like a pebble in the shoes of devoted MTG lore fans as they explore a multiverse they've enjoyed for more than two decades.

(And by the way, it has not been overlooked by observers that -- especially when you also consider the Art Deco stylings of the set Streets of New Capenna, and the retro gangster archetypes many of those characters evoked -- maybe it's just that the Magic story team has a weakness for silly hats...)

SO...with Aetherdrift...yeah, the mixing of SF and fantasy is going to throw some people off.  At this point, though, we've seen with the cyberpunk-fantasy set Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (which got a Planeshifted guide that I wrote a little about back here) that the team is very capable of pulling off a setting that infuses interesting bits of speculative fiction into the fantastical base you expect from a game called Magic.  I'll admit that there are a couple of things -- specifically the set symbol (a checkered racing flag) and a new mechanic called Start your engines! -- that didn't initially hit me as spectacular additions to the game's background...but as I've gotten used to them, they're starting to feel normal.  It has to be near-impossible to take the risks necessary to keep planes fresh and engaging without occasionally overstepping into bits that don't immediately mesh 100%.

This art is for the card Pedal to the Metal.  I'm certain that name won't please everyone... (From here.)

Additionally, similar to the 10 guilds of Ravnica that are defined by each two-color pairing in the game, Aetherdrift features 10 different racing teams with different goals and methods according to the colors of mana that they represent.  Since the five-color mana system is probably the coolest part of MTG to explore, I am there for this.  (I would say I'm along for the ride, but...I shouldn't.)  The fact that interplanar travel is a key part of the story is just icing on the cake!

If you're interested in looking into the set or its story more, the landing page for the new release is here.  The official story archive, with several installments of tales from the set (many of which have audio versions), can be found here.  I haven't even made my way through all that much of the actual story yet (although I have listened long enough to realize that I was apparently incorrect in believing those first two syllables to be pronounced EE-thur, as opposed to AY-thur...that's gonna be a tough habit to break).

I think I'll create a character connected to the setting soon.  Since I still need to get around to statting out Sergiu Pijha, who I brought up long ago in a post about Manaball...

...I think I'll also stat out a character inspired by this card, from the black/red racing team known as the Endriders...

Whatever system I use (ideally something that will morph into my Monstrous Heartbreaker), it might be cool to see how two Human Warriors repping red mana can be differentiated.

Alright...[insert racing pun meaning "thanks for reading, and goodbye" here]!