There are certain types of people who simply seem to be followed in the course of their lives by a symphonic heavy metal soundtrack. The Mexica king, Axayacatl, is a prime example of such people. Even factoring in the Mexica empire’s substantial love of theatre, violence, and theatrical violence, his personal comportment stands out. Axayactl […]
Historically Speaking — Emperors, Stones, and Suns
April 27, 2018 by
Charles Allison 
Historically Speaking — Five Suns, Five Elder Dinosaurs!
February 28, 2018 by
Charles Allison
Lets talk about cycles. Not those cycles, godsdamnit! Not cycling! No, the cycles to which I here refer are a staple of Nahua and Tenocha-Mexica cosmology—and they refer to the nature of reality and the world. This is surprisingly relevant as of Rivals of Ixalan and the unleashing of the five Elder Dinosaurs near Orazca. […]
#decree of annihilation, #decree of savagery, #etali, #Ghalta, #Nezahal, #nimble obstructionist, #Primal Death, #Primal Hunger, #Primal Storm, #primal tide, #rune of protection lands, #Tetzimoc, #Zetalpa, #zetalpa primal dawn Read More »
Historically Speaking — A Tale of Two Cities: Orazca and Teotihuacan
February 13, 2018 by
Charles Allison
The golden city of Orazca—newly home to a massive free-for-all, a deadly and enigmatic artifact and of course, the rising of a bloody sun. Orazca seems to take inspiration from several legendary/mythical cities (such as the mythical El Dorado, the city of gold), but the one that seems most obvious is the city of Teotihuacan […]
#arch of orazca, #azors gateway, #blood sun, #dire fleet daredevil, #expel from orazca, #jungleborn pioneer, #kumena tyrant of orazca, #sun sentinel, #vampire champion Read More »
Historically Speaking — Sun Empire, Snakes, Dinosaurs and Birds!
January 19, 2018 by
Charles Allison
Hello again! We're going to be talking about the Sun Empire and its use of 'feathered serpent imagery', its roots in Mesoamerican culture, iconography and thought, and how that influenced the art-style of Ixalan in regards to the Sun Empire's aesthetic. Also, dinosaurs! Lets get off to a ROARING start! Jurassic Petting Zoo Dinosaurs are […]
#favorable winds, #frenetic raptor, #gishath sun's avatar, #green, #huatli, #naya, #prey upon, #red, #rivals of ixalan, #savage stomp, #selesnya, #white Read More »
Historically Speaking — Merfolk and Mayans, Oh My!
December 22, 2017 by
Charles Allison
Welcome back to Historically Speaking! We’ve covered vampires, cat-people and the distinct possibility of bat-gods in previous articles. Today we proceed to examine the probable cultural influences and aesthetics of the green and blue faction of Ixalan—the River Heralds, those jade-encrusted merfolk who guard the path to the Golden City (more on that later—in a […]
#blinding fog, #deeproot waters, #jade guardian, #kopala warden of waves, #shapers of nature, #sygg, #sygg river guide, #veteran of the depths, #waker of the wilds Read More »
Historically Speaking — 'Nacatl' means what?!
December 12, 2017 by
Charles Allison
Words have weight. A heft, like a cleaver, or a rolling pin. Words like imperator or carnifex, tribune, or legion evoke certain images, certain moods; they carry deep over and undertones and implications. Take the previous examples—they evoke a Roman flavor so before we even see a card, we've drawn expectations. Look at Licia: Words […]
Historically Speaking — Silly Hats, Zero-Sum Games, and Lifelink!
November 28, 2017 by
Charles Allison
Thanksgiving has creeped up upon us, stealthily, like a...stealthy thing. And so of course, instead of devolving into what the turkey meant in Mesoamerica (it was called the Chalchiuhtotolin, or jeweled bird, a favored animal of the Mexica trickster god Tezcatlipoca—oh damn there I go ahead willy-nilly) we will dive into a bit of game […]
#basilica screecher, #black, #Conquest, #extort, #lifelink, #orzhov, #vona butcher of magan, #white Read More »
Historically Speaking — Blood Fast and Bat Gods
November 14, 2017 by
Charles Allison
Welcome to Historically Speaking! I’m Charlie Allison, and I’ll be your guide through mythology, anthropology, and burn spells! I’ve been playing Magic: The Gathering since middle school, and Commander in particular since college, putting about a decade of experience brewing, scheming, and fuming over historical travesties under my belt. When I’m not playing Magic or […]
#Aclazotz, #Alara, #Arguel, #Arguel's Blood Fast, #Bats, #convalescent care, #edh, #enchantress, #form of the dragon, #History, #ixalan, #Maya, #mesa enchantress, #Mexica, #Mythology Read More »