Magic: the Gathering

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Eldrazi, the Gods of Blind Eternities

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The Eldrazi are the most mysterious creatures in the Multiverse and in this article, you will learn more about their story.

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Eldrazi is a type of creature that describes an ancient race native of the Blind Eternities, which has neither physical form nor color alignment. Their nature is ceaseless hunger, so they travel between planes of the multiverse devouring the world's mana and vital energy until their collapse. It is not known whether there are more titans elsewhere in the multiverse. Each Eldrazi titan lives off the planes. When they want to feed, they extend a part of their "body" into the world, creating a physical manifestation of themselves there as well as an army of drones that are extensions of their body and will.

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The spirit dragon Ugin compared this to a man reaching into a puddle of water; man being the Titan Eldrazi and water a plane. The fish (those that inhabit the plane) sees only a part of the man (his hand). Likewise, the inhabitants of a plane can see only part of each titan. Even though the smaller Eldrazi seem to be independent beings, their physical forms are only part of a larger entity outside the plane.

Three of these Eldrazi titans were introduced to us, some say they are the only ones that exist, others say they can see more of them that we don't know yet. The first one we will discuss is Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, also called Ula by the merfolks of Zendikar who consider him the god of the sea.

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Ulamog is the smallest of the three Eldrazi titans. Its head resembles a bone helmet, but with no eyes or expression. Most of its body has the color of exposed muscles and is covered with bone plates. It moves through a contorted mass of tentacles studded with bony tips below abdomen region. Its two arms split at the elbow into four hands. A stench of rotting flesh, decomposition and sulfur constantly envelops it, earning it the title of "The Stinking Titan".

It is the Titan of Consumption, of ceaseless hunger. His brood consumes living and non-living matter. In doing so, they drain mana and vital energy from everything nearby. Its processors transform the energy consumed into spell-like effects that defy the understanding of the Zendikar wizards, creating plagues, deadly parasites and endless abundant creations. Everything, including water, is transformed into a white shell. Ulamog is a symbol of the plague, the blind ties between parasite and host and overabundance. It is creation and destruction brought with unholy harmony.

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The lineage of the Ulamog litter is characterized mainly by dense masses of fleshy tentacles, multiple withered arms divided at the elbow and bone plates without eyes, in inhumane forms, but vaguely facial. Ulamog's seed grows quickly, from tiny larvae to the size of a wolf. Some have spider-like legs and other tentacles. Ulamog's drones can grow up to three meters in length, they fulfill breeding roles for the smaller Eldrazi and teach then about land consumption. The Eldrazi Ulamog's lineage are fierce and brutal, their footsteps tremble the ground, adept at spreading disease and draining the psyches, as well as the vital energy of their victims.

Kozilek, Butcher of Truth is called Cosi by the merfolks, the god of deception. Kozilek's planar avatar is a titan of humanoid anatomy, but with a mass of tentacles in place of the legs and a complex orifice in place of the head. Its body is covered with eyes and chitin, and a somber adornment floats above its shoulders and extends from its elbows. It looks like they were meant to create "black holes" in reality.

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Kozilek is the Titan of the Great Distortion, a cruel nightmare of relentless insanity. It changes the perception of reality, making it impossible to discern the truth. It corrupts loyalties, confuses thoughts, transforms emotions, induces despair and panic. Kozilek represents deception, puzzles, lies, mastery of the mind, transformation and experimentation. The sages call Kozilek a panic of confusion, a trap of enigmas and a stirrer of thought.

The Eldrazi of the Kozilek lineage have many eyes growing close to the joints or along body ridges, irregular plates or sheets of glossy black mineral protruding or floating around their bodies, and animalistic or insectoid anatomies covered with hard shells. Kozilek's drones can absorb life just by their presence, but prefer to tear the flesh with its dark projections.

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Now let's talk about the third Eldrazi titan and certainly the most powerful creature still alive in Magic. Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, for the merfolk its name is Emeria, the god of the sky, the clouds, the wind. They believe that the floating hedrons and the buildings that make up Emeria, the Ruin of Heaven, were once the home of the Goddess. Supplicants used to offer her fragments of hedron and fruits of the land.

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Emrakul represents Corruption and is the largest and most fearsome of the Eldrazi. It does not affect inorganic matter, such as rocks and water, but it distorts all living things, whether they are plants, animals or other ancient beings. It causes silent terror wherever it flies, incorporating desolation, emotional and physical distance, the cold of emptiness and the terror of being alone.

The brooding lineage generated by Emrakul has several characteristics. The first and most recognizable is the spongy and fleshy lattice incorporated in the anatomy of these creatures. These incomprehensible structures exist without a known purpose. Some scholars in the field have speculated that the lattice in some way allows the Emrakul lineage to flex gravity more strongly than other lineages.

The Eldrazi of the Emrakul lineage also have bizarre color schemes, mixing dark blue with ocher and magenta. This strange coloring is common to most Eldrazi, as its formerly astral forms reflect the light of Zendikar in unnatural ways, but the effect is especially prominent in the Emrakul lineage.

Another visual detail of the Emrakul lineage is the growth of small thin and crooked tentacles, which end in projections similar to fingers or claws. The creatures use these growths to trap their prey before ingesting their vital energies, but they can also use it to powers and amplify the senses.

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In Innistrad, Emrakul's influence corrupted the plan, transforming the monsters into even worse creatures, with tentacles and holes in the skin. Archangel Avacyn kept Emrakul at bay for a long time, but since the archangel was destroyed by Sorin himself, the titan physically entered Innistrad and its influence increased on the plane.

After destroying much of the city of Thraben, Emrakul was confronted by the Gatewatch and Liliana Vess, who are almost distorted by mental influence. Jace communicates with an invention of hers that manifests itself as Emeria, who tells she is "incomplete, unfulfilled, incipient" and that Innistrad must receive it, not reject it. When the Gatewatch performed a ritual to seal her, she voluntarily allows herself to be sealed on Innistrad's moon by possessing Tamiyo, after telling Jace that she "didn't want to play anymore" and "It wasn't her time. Not yet."

Emeria also appeared at the end of Nissa's vision of Nicol Bolas's plane while she was conducting the Trial of Knowledge in Amonkhet. It is not known whether this communication really originated from Emrakul or was some hallucination of Nissa.

Now that you have met the Eldrazi, soon, I will bring you the story that changed Zendikar and originated the Gatewatch.

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