Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Episode 9 begins with Alpharael and Haliya having a civil conversation about life, their convictions, and broken oaths.
Drifting in space with nowhere to go, the sworn enemies set aside their differences and speak of their upbringings, their motivations, and what they plan to do should fate, and the stone, allow them to live through all of this. After some time passes, Sami’s voice comes through the intercom and informs the pair that the Metalman has arrived.
Now gathered, Sami tells the group that the Metalman’s name is Tezzeret, and requests that no one tell him the nickname they’d been using for him. Moments later, the planeswalker’s ship docks with the Seriema, and Tezzeret appears before them.
After a brief introduction, Tezzeret gets straight to business and makes his way to the ship’s hold with the group in tow. Examining the stone within the stasis cask, Tezzeret reveals the object is called the Endstone, and has”…arranged all this so it will choose [him] as its conduit.” Alpharael speaks up, telling the planeswalker that the Endstone had called him the “chosen one,” to which Sami corrects him, stating that when they touched it, it said “Choosing one,” followed by “Yeah. I heard that, too, the first time I touched it.”
“The same mistake the Dominarians made with the Mirari: mistaking the power it granted for the purpose it sought.” Tezzeret strokes the surface of the stasis field. So much like metal. Space and time made crystal. “Yes. It needs a chooser. But the one who chooses pays the price. I am not interested in paying for the Endstone. I am interested in selling it.”
Failing to hide his disappointment, Alpharael remarks that he thought he was the chosen one, to which Tezzeret tells him “You are the library it needs, but not its maker…” and states that he intends to follow the Endstone back to its maker. Requesting that the cask be opened, Sami cautions Tezzeret about the weird things that happen the first time someone touches the Endstone, but the planeswalker reveals that physical contact isn’t what he is interested in.
“I want to speak with it, Captain Sami,” Tezzeret says with good cheer. “Not so long ago, I would’ve grafted it into my body. Now, I prefer to vet my improvements more thoroughly. Turn this construct off.”
As Sami turns off the cask, Haliya speaks up, and tells the planeswalker that she won’t let him take the Endstone. As Tezzeret turns to meet her gaze, Haliya gasps as her “armor ripples like porridge and closes on her.” Tan moves to assist the Summist, but Tezzeret calmly says “Peace, child. Peace… Let’s see what this Endstone wants of us…” and with a wave of his hand, sends Haliya spinning cartoonishly away.
Distractions removed, Tezzeret produces a map of the Sothera system along with a “crystal that glitters with inner stars.” After dropping the crystal, the group watches as as it bounces a few times before landing on what Tezzeret identifies as Uthros, but is corrected by Sami, who charts the location more accurately.
“Syr Metalman, that’s not … quite … the orbit is Uthros, yes, but that’s not where Uthros is…” “The storm giant is here, see, but the feather points to this place that’s retrograde of it—that’s, uh, behind it as it turns around Sothera …” It’s what we call a libratory point. A balance between the gravitational pull of Sothera and Uthros. A good place to park things.”
With their next destination identified, Tezzeret contacts his allies, a race of engineering mechans known as the Illvoi, who arrive in a ship akin to a bubble. Sami watches in awe as it employs a technique known as cloudsculpting to extend a “helium bubble around Sami’s ship…” and moments later, the jellyfish-like beings flood out to begin their work.
With ships connected, one of the Illvoi makes its way onboard and Tezzeret greets it by the name Mm’menon.
“Mm’menon amuses me,” Tezzeret says. “And advises me. They alerted me to the possibility of the Endstone’s existence.”
Tezzeret goes on to tell Mm’menon that the Endstone wishes to go to “…the eternity column and into the warp beyond…” and once there, he will find its maker and sell the stone to them in exchange for a “glimpse of their power.” Seemingly disappointed by this plan, Mm’menon remarks that they had hoped to keep the Endstone and experiment on it, but Tezzeret shuts the notion down and states that the stone will remain in the ship’s hold until they need it.
“No experiments. Captain Sami’s experiences have convinced me that the Endstone poses a serious danger to my power over myself. And that must be absolute. I will not be changed by any hand except my own.”
After speaking with Tezzeret, Sami explains their plan and the roles for everyone involved. Mm’menon will use the Illvoli craft to push Sami’s far enough for Alpharael and Haliya to send distress messages to their respective factions, at which point Sami will send a third message to Infinite Guideline – the house of Pinnacle – which serves as the gatekeeper of the space between Sothera and Ulthros.
According to Sami, both the Free Company and the Monoists will be waiting at Infinite Guideline to intercept them, but will wait to engage, expecting the other to “make a violent attempt to seize us and will therefore schedule a violent attempt of their own.”Using this grace period, Sami and Tan will request an audience with Infinite Guideline, and while they are distracted, Alpharael and Haliya will sneak off the Seriema and commandeer a warp ferry from one of Infinite Guideline’s docking arms and program it to dock with their ship. After regrouping, they’ll consult the Endstone regarding their next destination and then “make the turn to warp.”
“We must get the Endstone out of Sothera. If we don’t, I think one side or the other will eventually lose the battle to control access to Infinite Guideline. And the losing side cannot let the winning side escape with the Endstone. So, they may destroy Infinite Guideline and the eternity column to prevent our escape. There’ll be no peace in Sothera, or peace for us, until the stone is gone or destroyed.”
With plan in place, the new crewmates take turns voicing their commitment and head off to face whatever comes next.
Read Edge of Eternities Episode 9 in full from Wizards of the Coast.
