Children of the Nameless

Children of the Nameless
by Chris Rahn
Setting	Magic: The Gathering Multiverse (Innistrad)
Released	December 12, 2018
Publisher	Wizards of the Coast

Children of the Nameless is a novella written by Brandon Sanderson set in the extended universe of the card game Magic: The Gathering. The novella was released for free on the website of Wizards of the Coast, the publishers of Magic, through an arrangement that allowed Brandon increased creative control of the story. It is set on the plane of Innistrad several years after the events of Eldritch Moon. It introduces the original characters Tacenda Verlasen and Davriel Cane and follows their story as they seek to uncover the mystery of Tacenda's entire village being taken by geists.

Cover Synopsis

“ Since the day she was born, Tacenda has been both blessed and cursed. Blessed by a powerful protection spell of unknown origin, she has warded her family and friends against any number of horrors over her 15 years. Cursed because the horrors which visit her small Kessig village are both numerous and frequent. Then, one night, for no reason she can fathom, her sacred song of protection fails. Seeking revenge on the man she believes responsible for the failure and the consequent destruction of everything she loves, she breaks into the manor of the local lord, a known consorter with demons. There she discovers the beginnings of an even greater mystery… starting with the fact the Lord of the Manor is anything but local… ”

— From io9's exclusive

Summary

Tacenda Verlasen is a young woman who lives in a small village in the Approaches, a remote area of Innistrad. She and her twin sister Willia were born with the extraordinary power to protect their village from the encroaching darkness and monsters, Tacenda with her Warding Song and Willia with her skills as a warrior. With this power, however, comes an accompanying curse--Tacenda becomes blind during the daytime and Willia becomes blind during the night, meaning neither can see at the same time.

One day, strange geists attack the villagers, led by a corporeal figure in a mask and cloak who appears to be the Man of the Manor, Davriel Cane. Ignoring Tacenda's Warding Song, they flow through the village, taking each and every one of Tacenda's family, friends and neighbors. Having lost all she has known and loved, she sets out to confront the Man of the Manor. After Tacenda attempts and fails to kill Davriel, he convinces her that he had nothing to do with the geists in town. Though he is initially unconcerned, Tacenda shows him that it's in his best interest to help her get to the bottom of the mystery. Davriel brings his retinue of demons to investigate and finds that the bodies of the villagers are in a state of suspended animation while their souls are gone.

Further clues lead them to the priory, where Davriel confronts the prioress. In the basement of the priory, they find that Tacenda's twin sister Willia is in fact still alive and has been commanding the geists this entire time. Willia is under the influence of a portion of a strange Entity, which has been driving her to collect the souls of the villagers to reclaim its power. When all seems lost, with Willia's geists closing in on Davriel and Tacenda, Tacenda remembers a song which allows her to defeat the geists and her sister and finally reunite the pieces of power belonging to the Entity. Upon taking up this vast power, Tacenda vanishes.

Characters

Tacenda Verlasen

A young woman from Kessig. She has the power to ward her village against evil using the mysterious power of her songs because she holds a piece of the Entity that once inhabited the Bog. She is determined to rescue the souls of the people in her village, leading to her unlikely alliance with Davriel.

Davriel Cane

A planeswalker with the power to temporarily steal spells and innate abilities from others and a great deal of experience dealing with demons. He holds a powerful Entity in his mind but refuses to use its godlike powers anymore, instead electing to hide in relative obscurity and comfort as the Lord of the Approaches. Tacenda convinces him that it is in his best interests to help her save the souls of the people from her village.

Willia Verlasen

Tacenda's twin sister. She has the power given by he Bog Entity to protect the village with her sword and recently converted to worshiping the Nameless Angel at the priory. It is revealed that she is the one who stole the souls of the villagers in order to reunite all the pieces of the Bog Entity's power.

Miss Highwater

A demon seductress in Davriel's retinue who keeps his ledgers.

Crunchgnar

Another demon in Davriel's retinue who serves as a bodyguard.

Merlinda

The prioress of the Avacynian priory in the Approaches.

Rom

An old guard who works at the priory.

Setting

The novella is set in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse. In this multiverse, reality is separated into innumerable planes, each of which is a world or universe separated from all others by a void called the Blind Eternities. Though the planes are generally separate, there are certain individuals who are born with a "spark" and can become Planeswalkers, capable of shifting themselves instantaneously from plane to plane. Each plane is generally a unique setting influenced by real-world historical or literary settings. The plane of Innistrad, where Children of the Nameless is set, is primarily influenced by 18th and 19th century gothic horror. Creatures of the night such as werewolves, vampires, mad scientists, and zombies threaten the human population of the plane, who are protected by angels, holy symbols, and fearless warriors of the light.

The entirety of the story takes place in the Approaches, a remote area of the central Innistrad province of Kessig.

Notes

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