It's time to go exploring again. Today the Geocaching event for Rivals of Ixalan was announced. Like last time participants will be able to track their travels for a chance at unlocking previews. Signups will begin on November 28 and close on December 1.

There is a twist this time. Participants will be assigned a tribe - one of Dinosaurs, Merfolk, Pirates, or Vampires - and their travels will go towards their tribe. Why? The tribe with the most miles traveled will control the city of Orazca at the end of the Rivals of Ixalan story. This real world promotion will affect how the Magic storyline plays out.

Be sure to read the full announcement for details and sound off - who should control the lost city?

Today Blake Rasmussen announced a new promotion for Ixalan. Starting next week, trackable game pieces will be distributed to " stores, fans, volunteers, and some well-known community folk" with the intent that these pieces will travel the world.

Using Geocaching.com, the distance each piece travels will be logged. Once pieces reach a certain threshold, preview cards from Ixalan will be revealed. Blake also goes on to tsay that the distance different pieces travel "could actually influence how the story of Ixalan plays out."

After the first batch of pieces start on their journey, different markers for the four major tribes of Ixalan - Dragons, Pirates, Merfolk, and Vampires - will be distributed in and their distances traveled for a promotion with Rivals of Ixalan.

The announcement is well worth a read. Of note is the chance for something outside of the game itself to affect the story. There was some blowback from the Mirrodin Besieged Prerelease (with faction packs), where the results had no bearing on the next release. While it was always going to be New Phyrexia, art was also commissioned for Mirrodin Pure, leaving the outcome vague.

This is not the first time a Trading Card Game has allowed factors outside their creative department to shape the story line. The Legends of the Five Rings TCG was well known for having tournament results affect the direction the game took. While this promotion is not on the same level, it shows a deeper level of engagement between those who make Magic and the games' fans.