Gather round, weary travelers, and listen to my god-story. Theros: Beyond Death is right around the corner, but it's been five years since the light of Nyx last shone upon us. For those of you who weren't around last time, or maybe just wanted a refresher on the plane, this article is for you. To set the mood, make sure to watch the Theros Block Reels.

What is Theros?

Theros is Magic's top-down greek myth plane, a world where the gods are real but mercurial enough that you may wish they weren't. The gods exist in the realm of Nyx, seen as the night's sky in the moral realm. The gods have a tangible effect on the lives of the mortals of Theros, and in turn mortal belief shapes the gods. Nyx is connected to the collective unconscious of Theros, and the gods reflect mortal belief. Outside of a handful of exceptions, neither the gods nor the mortals of Theros are aware of this connection.

Starfield of Nyx by Tyler Jacobson

If you want to know more about the worldbuilding of Theros, check out the Planeswalker's guides from the first time around:

• A Planeswalker's Guide to Theros Part I, Part II, Part III
• A Planeswalker's Guide to Born of the Gods
• The Gods of Born of the Gods
• A Planeswalker's Guide to Journey into Nyx.

The Mythology of Theros

On Theros, there is little difference between myth and history. Tales of the past are always suspect, and people's recollections of events are mythologized more quickly than one would expect. Still, there is history on Theros worth talking about, starting with the central character to all the Theros sets: Elspeth Tirel.

Elspeth's Story

Gods Willing by Mark Winters

Much of Elspeth's story comes before Theros, but it's central to her character and what she's going through during her time on Theros. Here's what to read if you want to catch up on Elspeth:

• Shards of Alara Era

  • Honor Bound (Elspeth's Backstory)
  • Alara Unbroken (Ebook)

• Scars of Mirrodin Era

  • Gathering Forces
  • Scarred
  • Dark Discoveries
  • Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn (Ebook)
  • The Lost Confession (Scars of Mirrodin Epilogue/Theros Prologue)

While I enjoyed Alara Unbroken, Elspeth is a relatively minor character as the novel focuses on Rafiq as the POV character from Bant. Elspeth's webcomic, Honor Bound, is required reading for her character, and covers her arc in Shards of Alara quite well by itself.

Moving on to Scars of Mirrodin, I would not recommend reading The Quest for Karn. Most of the interesting parts are also represented in the webcomics I've listed here, and you can read my old article The Rise of New Phyrexia for a detailed breakdown of the plot. The Lost Confession is a great epilogue that bridges the gap between Scars of Mirrodin and Theros.

Theros Story

The story of Theros took place around a transition period for Magic Story. Theros: Godsend Part I and Journey Into Nyx: Godsend Part II were the last books we'd see for another five years. Theros was where would start to see the conception of story spotlights (not called such yet), with artwork featuring core story moments becoming a priority. This was a big departure from what Magic had been doing for the previous decade. Here's a list of the main plot-related stories for the original Theros block.

• Thank the Gods (Xenagos's Origin)
• Theros: Godsend Part I (Ebook)
• Kiora's Followers
• Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
• Journey into Nyx: Godsend Part II (Ebook)
• Drop for Drop
• Ajani's Vengeance
• Release (Epilogue Featuring Ajani)

Vanquish the Foul by Eric Deschamps

I go into detail about the plot of Theros in Theros: Elspeth's Tragedy, but here's the gist. Fresh off a crushing defeat on New Phyrexia, Elspeth Tirel headed to Theros, a plane she hadn't visited in a long time. There, she learned Godsend, the sword she had discovered on Theros as a youth is actually a divine weapon capable of slaying a god. Heliod, God of the Sun tries to smite her for her audacity of 'stealing' it, but Elspeth believes him to be testing her, and casts a spell that protects herself from his divine might. Transforming the blade into a spear, Heliod charges her with taking the sword to his temple in Meletis.

Meanwhile, Xenagos, the Reveler is plotting to usurp a place among the gods, and Elspeth fits nicely into his plans. He has loosed Polukranos, World Eater on Meletis. Elspeth gets there just in time to stop the hydra, with the aid of Daxos of Meletis, an oracle of Heliod. Xenagos' plot manages to rile up multiple gods to the point where Kruphix, God of Horizons calls a Silence, returning all the gods to Nyx before they cause devastation in the mortal realm.

Solidarity of Heroes by Eric Deschamps

Elspeth and Daxos grow close over her months in Meletis. When they learn Akros is in danger from an impending minotaur invasion, they rush ahead with a small contingent alongside Anthousa, Setessan Hero. The King and Queen of Akros, Anax and Cymede, work with the newcomers on a plan (subtly influenced by Xenagos himself). They flood the minotaur out of their battlements, and in the victory celebrations afterwards, Xenagos gets a huge surge of power. He appears to Elspeth and compels her to murder Daxos, and afterwards ascends to godhood as Xenagos, God of Revels. Elspeth is blamed for Daxos's death and Xenagos's ascension and is forced to flee.

On the run, Elspeth is joined by Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, and together they journey to stop Xenagos. They hitch a ride from Kiora, the Crashing Wave (in disguise) and make their way into Nyx through Kruphix's portal at the edge of the world. In order to enter the god-realm, Elspeth makes an impulsive deal in her grief with Erebos, God of the Dead. She pledges to trade her life for Daxos's. With the bargain struck, she's allowed into Nyx and slays Xenagos with Godsend. But as she and Ajani try to escape, Heliod betrays her. The prideful god can't handle a mortal having the power she does, and knowing of things he doesn't, so he takes Godsend away and stabs her with it before shattering it. Ajani is allowed to bring her body back to Theros, and spreads the tale of Heliod's betrayal. Erebos upholds his end of the bargain, but with a cruel twist. Instead of being truly alive, Daxos becomes Daxos the Returned.

Art by Jason Chan

Ashiok's Mystery

Ashiok's tale takes place independently of Elspeth's story. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver's story culminated in a confrontation with Dack Fayden that left off on a cliffhanger for years, until it was mentioned in passing during War of the Spark: Ravnica before Dack's death.

• Building Toward a Dream Part I and Part II
• Dreams of the City
• Magic: the Gathering - Theros (IDW Comic) (Ebook)
• War of the Spark: Ravnica (Dack's Chapter's Background)

We first meet Ashiok as they're manipulating the king of a small polis, Iretis, into a war with the neighboring leonin. Posing as the king's advisor, we see Ashiok broker and then sabotage a peace deal. It turns out Phenax, God of Deception had struck a bargain with the mysterious planeswalker, and in exchange for delivering a new polis for Phenax's Returned, Ashiok is granted the ability to be essentially invisible to the gods.

Duress by Michael Komarck

Ashiok uses this power to cause nightmares across the plane, and runs afoul of Dack Fayden due to Ashiok's manipulation of dreams. Ashiok's proto-god created through dream manipulation, Cacophony, is quickly subsumed by Ephara, God of the Polis. Ashiok notes how new gods must be born all the time in Nyx, but that they're quickly absorbed into the existing ones.

Ashiok's fateful encounter with Dack leads the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse heading into the Underworld to stop Ashiok... for reasons. You can read a summary in my article Planeswalker Spotlight: Dack Fayden Part II . What exactly happened to Dack was only revealed later in War of the Spark: Ravnica, where Dack mentions escaping the Underworld with the help of Ravos, Soultender.

Seeking the Horizon

Theros: Beyond Death Key Art

That's all for today, folks, but all I've lots more to say about Theros in the weeks to come. Keep an eye on this space as I talk about the gods, metaphysics, and legends of Theros.