May 4, 2024

Vox Maxima Gallery 4: The Jatku Outcasts

What would you give up, if it meant you had one more day? What would you consider an acceptable surrender in the name of salvation? What is it about your fundamental assumptions about your own ability to exist, your own continuity of life?

The Iacon have stitched steel to their skin. The Kraivh turn bones into machines. There are worse and older things hiding in the deep. What the question lingers, what would you do to live, survive, and thrive in a world where the air itself can become poison?

Thus is the question of the Jatku outcasts. The Jatku who stand outside of the Emperor’s forces. The Jatku whose Process is considered heresy, and whose very name is considered a swear. The Jatku who the Emperor refuses to refer to as a faction, claiming they befoul the name of his daughter and her mother – the great mage researcher Jatku herself. The faction that calls itself The Million Eyes.

Vox Maxima is a custom magic set created by Talen Lee. It’s composed of 187 cards, with 71 commons, 60 uncommons, 41 rares, and 15 mythic rares. Vox Decima is a custom Magic: The Gathering set, with at least one card spoiled a day, on Cohost, Kind.Social, and the r/custommagic subreddit.

WOTC Employees: This post in full presents unsolicited custom Magic: The Gathering card designs, which I understand current employee practices forbid you from looking at unsolicited. You shouldn’t be here!

"Bubble of Time 3UU Enchantment When Bubble of Time enters the battlefield, exile your hand and the top three cards of your library. As long as these cards remain exiled, you may play them and spells cast this way cost 1 less to cast. When you play the last of these cards, sacrifice Bubble of Time. Jatku’s study touched esoteric time magic, seemingly dismantling someone else’s mystic locks."
"Functional Hive 3U Enchantment — Aura Enchant artifact Enchanted artifact is a creature with undying and base power and toughness 4/4 in addition to its other types. (When it dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) The Million Eyes always find more hands."
"Glow-Way Creeper 2U Creature — Insect Creatures you control with +1/+1 counters on them can’t be blocked. Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) The Million Eyes see many paths. 1/1"
Ksen, Jatku Heir 4U Legendary Creature — Human Insect This spell costs 2 less to cast for each poisoned opponent you have. Ksen can’t be blocked. 2: You lose a poison counter. Ksen’s owner draws a card. Only your opponents may activate this ability. 3/2 ---Other Side--- The Necrocalypse 4BG Enchantment — Saga I - Destroy all creatures and planeswalkers II - Destroy all artifacts and other enchantments III - At the beginning of each player's next end step, they get three poison counters.
"Soulless Wrack 1BG Artifact Creature — Skeleton Horror Trample, lifelink As long as it’s not your turn, Soulless Wrack isn’t a creature. If they didn’t act on its own, the Cazas would ban them — horrified by the desecration of the dead. 4/4"
"Crown of Chitin BBB Enchantment Skip your draw step. At the beginning of your end step, put a verse counter on Crown of Chitin. Then, you lose 1 life and draw a card for each verse counter on it. “No kings, no emperors, no masters! Some queens are necessary, though.” —Belisari, Jatku Messenger"
"Elise, Cunning Infiltrator 1B Legendary Planeswalker — Annelise Starting Loyalty: 1 As long as it’s your turn or Elise is in any zone other than your hand or library, she’s a 1/1 Human creature that’s is still a planeswalker. 0: Elise gets +X/+0, where X is the number of loyalty counters on her until end of turn and can’t be blocked this turn. +1: Each opponent who was attacked this turn discards a card."
"Suffocating Swarm XB Instant Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. Then, target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. Then, target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. You may cast Suffocating Swarm from your graveyard by sacrificing X creatures in addition to paying its other costs. The Million Eyes have countless mouths."
"B’aktu, Multitude Soul 3GG Legendary Creature — Insect Horror Whenever you control more lands than creatures, create 1/1 black and green Insect creature tokens equal to the difference. Tokens can’t be sacrificed and their power or toughness can’t be increased or decreased.// Twelve souls, one purpose, and then, the Million Eyes. 1/1"
"Lost Laminae G Creature — Dryad Horror T, Sacrifice Lost Laminae: Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a basic land card. Put that card onto the battlefield and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. The Million Eyes see dark depths. 1/1"
Gravecaller Scarabkin UB Creature — Human Insect Horror If one or more cards would be put into an opponent’s graveyard from anywhere but the battlefield, exile those cards and create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token instead. “We see your crimes with a Million Eyes! We know where you’ve been!” 2/2
"Hexed-Wing Catcher 3UB Creature — Insect Centaur Flying Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you may pay 1. If you do, create a token copy of that creature and sacrifice it. What rivers of death the centaurs already knew, they remembered post-Process. 4/3"
"Jatku’s Secret 2UB Instant Counter target spell. Return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. The Process involved the understanding that a soul was not a thing that made things live, but a thing that lives made."
"Lamplight Navigator UB Creature — Human Wizard Vigilance, deathtouch Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) So many think the Jatku cold-blooded, when most have no blood at all. 1/2"
"Chorus of Claws 1BG Enchantment — Aura Enchant creature you don’t control When Chorus of Claws enters the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature you control. Enchanted creature gets -2/-2. What’s worse, unthinking chittering mouths or intentionally vicious outcasts?"
"Cura of the First Harvest BBGG Legendary Creature — Human Insect Knight Eminence — As long as Cura is in the command zone or on the battlefield, each other creature you control has “2, Sacrifice this creature: Draw a card.” Flying, vigilance “Cura? My father’s bodyguard, Cura? For the Swarm?” — Kraivh IV, Ynvei’s Daughter 3/3"
"Glittering Chelicerate BG Creature — Insect T, sacrifice Glittering Chelicerate: Create a treasure token. Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) Even the least Jatku share all. 2/2"
"Tunnel Gratt 2BG Creature — Insect Horror Deathtouch You may cast Tunnel Gratt from your graveyard by sacrificing an insect in addition to paying its other costs. “I thought I killed that thing already?” — Jatku II 4/4"
"Amber Glade Guard GU Creature — Insect Flying As long as Amber Glade Guard is on the battlefield and you don’t control a commander, it’s a land. T: Add U, B, or G. The Million Eyes wait patiently. 3/4"
"Glimmering Recycler GU Creature — Insect Flying Whenever a creature you control leaves the battlefield, if it had +1/+1 counters on it, put those counters on Glimmering Recycler. “Oh — he’s like a little angel!” “For now.” — Kraivh IV and Jatku II 1/1"
"Jatku’s Gembug GU Creature — Insect T: Add C. 3, T: Draw a card. Activate only if you control a creature with power 4 or greater. Kraivh often ask what person each bug once was, not realising the question is itself malformed. 2/1"
"Wingshell Scrapper GU Creature — Human Insect Scout Flying Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) The Process’ horrors are only dreadful to those not experiencing it. 2/2"
"Belisari, Jatku Messenger BGU Legendary Creature — Human Insect Horror Protection from players Belisari, Jatku Messenger is attacking. Whenever Belisari attacks, for each opponent it’s not attacking, create two 1/1 black and green Insect creature tokens that are tapped and attacking that opponent. “A Million Eyes! One hatred!” 2/3"
"Bolbo Sera, Endless Voice BGU Legendary Creature — Insect Shaman At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a counter from a permanent you control. Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) The Million Eyes’ calmest voice. 3/3"
"Chitin Shredder 3BGU Creature — Human Insect Warlock Sacrifice a creature: Chitin Shredder deals no combat damage this turn. Any player may activate this ability but no more than once each turn. The Jatku revel in attrition— 7/7 ---Other Side--- Hymoneptric Haemmorhage T: Add C 3, T: Add BGU —since every Jatku is an army."
"Coronat the Approachable BGU Legendary Creature — Human Insect Horror Deathtouch At the beginning of each opponent’s end step, you may have Coronat fight up to one target creature they control that didn’t attack or enter the battlefield this turn. When this ability resolves, if a creature died this turn, create a Food token. “Impatience? Tediously human.” 1/7"
"Endless Defiance BGU Enchantment — Aura Curse Enchant player Creatures attacking enchanted player have trample and undying. (When they die, if they had no +1/+1 counters on them, return them to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on them.) The Swarm descends, seemingly without order, supplies, or any intention of stopping."
"Grand Carapace BGU Creature — Insect Horror Grand Carapace can’t attack unless a creature died this turn. Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.) Of course, some of Jatku’s followers took to their new forms with monstrous glee. 4/6"
"Jatku’s Immortal Truth 1BGU Legendary Enchantment As long as Jatku’s Immortal Truth isn’t on the battlefield, it’s a 1/1 Insect creature in addition to its other types. At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, create a 1/1 black and green Insect creature token. Insect creatures you control have flying. The Million Eyes is a horrifying underestimation."
"The Swarm Feasts 1BGU Sorcery Choose one or both— • Destroy target creature. Draw a card. • Destroy target enchantment. Draw a card. “Jatku claimed she wanted no armies, no nation, no state; why then, are her perfected swarm tearing at our innocent blood?” — Cazas II"

The Jatku are an external force to the empire but they are infiltrating it constantly. The thing is, the Jatku are people who have transferred their souls into bugs. Not into a bug, but into bugs. Each Jatku is a colony of insects – sometimes shared across multiple souls – that can interface and exchange, and the ‘central body’ is just a convenient form they maintain for some reason, like they like how it tastes food. This is the case for characters advanced through the Process – but there are other characters who aren’t quite there.

This is what the Undying represents; you kill a Jatku they just bring a stronger version of the same body back. Nobody has just one body, nobody is just one form. Everyone has more ways to be a threat, and in the case of longstanding figures in the faction like Bolbo, they have countless bodies.

The Jatku tangibly and actively hate and hunt the Empire and its signs of power. This is not necessarily well understood: Why do these people hate the Empire, what did the empire do? Well, for a lot of Jatku they don’t know either – many of them have forgotten as well. But a lot of them do remember – their memories spread out across enough of a swarm that not all of them forgot, and have brought some of it together again to explain. There are at least two great hatreds for the Jatku:

  • They hate what the Emperor has done to Jatku’s human body
  • They know the Emperor has done something else to cause the damage to the world.

Here we also see two more developments of the plot and the characters – Cura is one of the core group’s members, except she wasn’t a bug who could eat people back then. What’s going on there? Story stuff. Also, we get introduced to Ksen, amongst other very angry Jatku people. Ksen is described as Jatku’s heir, but also, she in her time in the story learns about the Necrocalypse. So part of what happened in the Lost Decade is the actual Necrocalypse happened. That’s strange, that doesn’t match the timeline, and if it happened, why is everything still – mostly – intact?

Some card-by-card-notices:

  • Coronat was designed art first. I had slot for a GUB legendary creature but I liked the idea of this artwork representing a very patient, slow and implacable hunter who would just wait until you showed a moment of weakness then ate you. She’s also extremely tricky to word, and very tight – I basically wanted her to only hunt things that could attack and didn’t. And there just aren’t a lot of 1/7 bodies in the game.
  • Amber Glade Guard continues the attempts to present land acceleration and ramp in a format without the word ‘shuffle.’
  • Ksen uses poison counters to stop you just wanting to cast the Necrocalypse constantly. If you cast her and fire the Necrocalypse off, you die before anyone else does. The funny thing is, it’s so not worth doing anything else with Poison counters if she’s your strategy – there are better commanders for actually taking players out. In this case, the Poison is a resource to make Ksen cheaper and to also give people a reason to keep her around.
  • Belisari has another one of those unique wording things; she has protection from ‘the player she’s attacking.’ As soon as she’s attacking, you have no window to actually do anything about it, and at that point she can’t be blocked or targeted in other ways. I think this is a genuinely interesting mechanism for a protection power.
  • I think the Chitin Shredder is one of the best in the cycle of big brutes that turn into lands if you need them early on, and I think its drawback is really legit. I deadset think that there’s a body of people who would not run the risk of giving your opponents a sacrifice outlet like that, and they can use it every turn. You can use it on your own turn too! It’s just there, free, if anyone wants it!
  • Elise is continuing our weird planeswalkers? She doesn’t have an ultimate, but she can either sit back and exploit openings your opponents present, or she can make some of her own. She is very simply, without more ornate help, a 2/1 for 2 that can’t block or be blocked, which black can get, and it’s not actually that special when you get her. On the other hand, once you’ve made good on threatening other people with attackers, she can sit back and exploit their brains.
  • Jatku herself is the enchantment, because Jatku, the researcher, has transcended human limits. She is now a million eyes and more, she is in so many of these bugs, one great and vast network of meat internet that can be everywhere and do everything. It’s hard for her to talk to her daughter or her body, of course – oh, her body? Yeah, her body is wandering around. Look, there’s a necromancer emperor around here, what are you expecting?
  • B’aktu was an incredibly contentious card to post to reddit! Basically, some people got really confidently wrong about how the card works, and I got to watch as two hundred comments spilled out of trying to explain to people the rules that they, again, very confidently got going. It was a strong reminder of what reddit is.