This is the third in a series of profiles of some of the planeswalkers appearing in War of the Spark. In this article, we discuss the life and work of Tamiyo, a historian who often becomes involved in the events she tries to observe.
The Moon Sage
Tamiyo is a member of the soratami people from the plane of Kamigawa. Her magical abilities are based on storytelling, and she casts spells by reading relevant stories from scrolls she carries with her. She is also notable for being one of a very few planeswalkers with a family and a social life: she has a husband and three children on Kamigawa, and she regularly meets with other planeswalkers, including Narset and Ajani, as part of a “Story Circle” that trades information about the Multiverse.
Tamiyo spent several years studying the effects of Innistrad’s moon on its inhabitants. She documented the reappearance of the plane’s missing protector, the archangel Avacyn, and the changes in Avacyn’s behavior as Emrakul began to influence the plane. When Jace came to Innistrad looking for Sorin, he tried to persuade her to help him destroy Avacyn and save the plane. She refused, since she was there to watch and record events, not to influence them.
When Sorin destroyed Avacyn and Emrakul emerged on Innistrad, Tamiyo found herself swept up in events anyway, helping the Gatewatch seal Emrakul away. During the battle, Tamiyo was possessed by Emrakul, who forced her to read a spell she had sworn never to cast. The spell generated the mana necessary for Emrakul to seal herself inside Innistrad’s moon. Rattled by the experience, Tamiyo refused to join the Gatewatch and went home.
At the time of War of the Spark, Tamiyo appears to have recovered from her adventures on Innistrad and returned to her research. She arrived on Ravnica to observe and record the events of the battle, but an encounter with the eternalized zombies of Amonkhet’s gods convinced her that she could no longer remain a neutral observer, and must fight to protect Ravnica and its people.
Collector of Tales
This decklist represents Tamiyo’s practice of observing history without interfering in it. Control spells and Tamiyo’s planeswalker abilities clear the way for flying creatures to do what they do best: attack.
Creatures
4 Narcomoeba
4 Pteramander
4 Dream Eater
4 Siren Lookout
4 Mist Raven
Noncreature Spells
2 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
4 Tamiyo’s Epiphany
4 Dazzling Lights
4 Turn Aside
Lands
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Breeding Pool
16 Island
Alex is an Azorius bureaucrat who dreams of joining the Selesnya Conclave. Their favorite color of mana is green, and they love brewing for Commander variants.