Two more chapters of the March of the Machine story were released today, taking readers deeper into the world and Phyrexian invasion of Arcavios and Ikoria.
Arcavios: A Radiant Heart follows Quintorius, Rootha, Dina, Zimone, and Killian as they seek to cast the Invocation of the Founders in the Biblioplex. Strixhaven originated with the powerful spell, and the group of one member from each school hope that casting it can save the college and repel the invasion. As they travel through the assaulted Biblioplex, they run into compleated professors, including Dean Shaile of the Silverquill college.
The harrowing journey leads to the group reaching the center of the Biblioplex and finding the Invocation of the Founders. Casting it requires all five members to read passages simultaneously, but as they do the group is attacked and Rootha is interrupted by her mentor, a corrupted Dean Nassari of the Prismari.
Quintorius acts quickly and takes up Rootha’s position, funneling magic into her petal while maintaining his own. As Quintorius pulls off the miraculous, his planeswalker spark is ignited. As he is consumed by the light of his ignition, the Invocation of the Founders goes off, halting the Phyrexian invasion for a moment.
Liliana arrives to the aftermath and begins organized a relief effort to treat the wounded. The Phyrexian portals open back up, leading Liliana to summon an army of the dead from underneath to join in the fight.
Ikoria: Survival of the Fittest takes readers to Raugrin, where Jirina Kudro leads her people and injured to Lavabrink for a reprieve and potential safety. Ikoria is under attack and a compleated and bonded Lukka is ravaging the plane. Vivien and Chevill are hunting Lukka.
The resistance’s remaining army manages to trap Lukka momentarily, hitting him with a barrage of arrows and rope to pin him down. Lukka is barely affected, so Vivien fires off magical arrows at him, but the first is caught and tossed aside. She fires another, this one transforms into a magical Colossal Dreadmaw, but Lukka also easily handles the massive dinosaur.
Lukka breaks free and rampages on the army, sending troops scattering in fear. With hope lost, Vadrok, the apex monster of Raugrin, attacks Lukka. The elemental dinosaur cat goes blow-for-blow with Lukka, but the compleated planeswalker lands an attack on Vadrok that appears to start the spread of oil on its wings.
Vadrok retaliates with an amazing breath of blue fire that ignites the bonded creature body of Lukka, which gives the apex predator a chance to snatch Lukka from the mech-like monster body. With Lukka in Vadrok’s jaws, Vivien lets loose a flurry of arrows, killing the compleated planeswalker.
Vadrok takes off after the killing of Lukka. Other monsters from Ikoria look to have developed a way to be resistant to the Phyrexian oil, so it is assumed Vadrok will survive as she appeared to be immune to the lingering attack from Lukka.
The story concludes with the remaining army and its leaders marching on to Lavabrink as the plane continues to be attacked.
What do you think of Quintorius becoming a planeswalker? Can the answer to the Phyrexians be found on Ikoria with how the monsters developed an immunity to Phyresis? Let us know what you think in the comments on Facebook and Twitter.