Kaladesh is a world of innovation and wonder. A plane where aether — the raw energy of the Multiverse — flows freely, powering extraordinary inventions. But beneath the gleaming surface of this technological utopia, a revolution is brewing against the authoritarian Consulate.
This episode marks the beginning of the Era of the Gatewatch, when the heroes of the Multiverse begin to organize against cosmic threats.
The World of Aether
Kaladesh was unique in the Multiverse. Aether, normally invisible and intangible, was accessible there — refined and used to power extraordinary machines. Flying vehicles streaked across the sky. Automatons served the citizens. Inventors crafted everyday wonders.
But this abundance came at a price. The Consulate, Kaladesh's government, strictly controlled the distribution of aether. Innovation was encouraged, but only within the limits permitted by the authorities.
The Consulate
The Consulate maintained order through tight control of aether. Their inspectors, led by Dovin Baan, a meticulous vedalken, monitored any "unsanctioned" innovation. Their argument was simple: public safety required that only the government could decide how to use aether.
But for many, this control felt like oppression. Independent inventors were criminalized. New ideas were confiscated. Innovation served the Consulate, not the people.
Chandra and Her Origins
Chandra Nalaar, the impulsive pyromancer, believed she had lost her entire family on Kaladesh. Her parents had been executed by the Consulate for developing forbidden technologies — or so she believed.
The truth was more complex. Her mother, Pia Nalaar, had survived and become one of the leaders of the underground resistance against the Consulate.
The Reunion
When Chandra discovered that her mother was alive, she returned to Kaladesh — no longer as a fugitive, but as a planeswalker. The reunion was emotional but brief: Pia was in danger, hunted by the Consulate.
Chandra had not come alone. The Gatewatch — a group of planeswalkers she had joined — accompanied her.
The Gatewatch on Kaladesh
The Gatewatch was a recent alliance of planeswalkers, formed after the Zendikar crisis. Their mission: to protect the Multiverse against threats that no individual world could face alone.
Among the Gatewatch members who came to help Chandra:
- Gideon Jura — The indestructible warrior, always ready to protect the innocent
- Nissa Revane — The elf connected to the land, seeking natural harmony
- Jace Beleren — The telepath, strategist from the shadows
- Liliana Vess — The necromancer, with her own hidden motives
The Revolution
The Gatewatch joined the Renegades — the resistance movement led by Pia Nalaar. Together, they planned a daring strike: to free the imprisoned inventors and expose the Consulate's abuses.
The revolution erupted during the Inventors' Fair, an event at which the Consulate showcased its technological might. What was meant to be a display of power became the catalyst for a popular uprising.
Tezzeret the Usurper
But the Gatewatch uncovered a troubling truth. The Consulate was not the true enemy. Tezzeret, an artificer planeswalker, had infiltrated the government and was manipulating its leaders.
And Tezzeret served an even more dangerous master: Nicol Bolas. The ancient dragon was using Kaladesh to build something — a mysterious machine whose purpose remained unknown.
The Final Battle
The Gatewatch confronted Tezzeret in the depths of the Aether Spire, the Consulate's energy core. The battle was brutal, but the heroes managed to free Pia and expose Tezzeret's crimes.
Tezzeret escaped with his mysterious invention — a Planar Bridge, a device capable of transporting objects (but not living beings) between planes. The Gatewatch did not yet grasp the significance of this theft.
The Aftermath
The revolution triumphed. The Consulate was reformed. Pia Nalaar became one of Kaladesh's new leaders, promising a more just government.
But the Gatewatch knew their victory was only partial. Tezzeret had gotten what he wanted. Bolas now had a Planar Bridge. And no one knew what he intended to use it for.
The answer would come on a very different world — a world of sand, pyramids, and corrupted gods.
In the next episode...
Episode 12: Amonkhet — Bolas's Trap
The Gatewatch follows Bolas's trail to Amonkhet, a world inspired by ancient Egypt. There they discover a civilization that worships the dragon as a god — and a horror that even they could not have imagined. For Amonkhet is no paradise: it is a deadly trap engineered over millennia.
Sources
- MTG Wiki: Kaladesh — The world of aether
- MTG Wiki: The Gatewatch — The planeswalker alliance
- Kaladesh (Magic expansion, 2016)
- Aether Revolt (Magic expansion, 2017)
