Aetherdrift Lore & Story Summary

Kickoff Celebrations | Illustration by Evyn Fong

If you’ve been caught up with most of Magic’s story as of late, you’re aware that the game has taken an interest in more modern (or even sci-fi) aesthetics: New Capenna had magic-powered cars and guns, Kamigawa is a magic-based cyberpunk world now, Thunder Junction has magic-powered trains and magic guns, and Duskmourn has ghost-infused technology that casually resembles tech from the ‘80s.

If you’ve paid attention, you’ll notice a trend here: All of these things are explained away as “well, it’s magic” one way or another. That’s where this latest set gets kinda weird: We’ve got combustion-engine vehicles now. Just good old cars. Cars with spikes and flame-throwers and bombs, but at the end of the day they’re still cars.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s take a look at Magic’s latest set, the multi-planar death-race of Aetherdrift.

Aetherdrift Setting

The Aetherspark | Illustration by Donato Giancola

The opening of the Omenpaths and the new-found interconnectivity of the multiverse changed things for everyone. This gets us to the Aetherdrift, an inter-planar death-race that has a very coveted prize: The Aetherspark, an artificial planeswalker spark that was created by an Avishkari inventor during the New Phyrexian Invasion.

Let’s take a look at the when and where of this set.

When

The events of Aetherdrift takes place around two years after the Invasion. Most planes have healed from the aftermath and are even starting to take advantage of the Omenpaths.

Where:

This set takes place on three different planes: Avishkar, Amonkhet, and Muraganda.

• Avishkar: This is the plane most of us first knew as Kaladesh. After the Indigo Revolution and the beginning of the Omenpath Era, the new government decided to change the name of their country and plane to symbolize the triumph of the revolution and the start of a new age.
  As a bit of trivia, the original name of Kaladesh came from the sanskrit words “kalā” (meaning “tomorrow” or “art”) and “desh” (meaning “country” or “home”), which translate as “country of tomorrow.” However, the word “kālā” can be translated to “black” and is usually used with racist and colorist connotations, making the plane’s name somewhat controversial. The new name, Avishkar, comes from the sanskrit word “aavishkar,” which translates to “invention.”
• Amonkhet: Amonkhet is another plane that we’ve previously visited. Long ago twisted and forced into servitude by Nicol Bolas’ tyrannical rule, the plane underwent an apocalyptic event known as the Hour of Devastation. It has since spent long years trying to heal and rebuild from it. The process has been slow and hard, and the proliferation of those who worship the insect gods has definitely not made it any easier.
• Muraganda: This is our first proper incursion into Muraganda. It's wild plane, inhabited by massive flora and fauna, dinosaurs, giant slime, and other wondrous (and dangerous) creatures. Muraganda was the first plane known to host dinosaur creatures, but it never got its own set. With the arrival of Ixalan, a proper trip to Muraganda seemed unlikely or even impossible. I suppose a death race is as good an excuse as any to take a good look at one of the wildest planes out there.

Main Characters

Sita Varma / Spitfire

Sita Varma, Masked Racer | Illustration by Kai Carpenter

Sita Varma is the only daughter and heir to Mohar Varma, an impressively affluent former consul from Avishkar. She’s an engineer and a respectable member of society. She’s also Spitfire, a masked underground racer and folk hero on the streets of Ghirapur. She participates in the second Ghirapur Grand Prix as part of Pia Nalaar’s team, the Aether Rangers. She wants the Aetherspark so that she can escape her asphyxiating father and the life he tries to impose on her.

Mohar Varma

Sita’s father, Mohar is a former consul that thoroughly despises the Renegades and the changes their revolution brought. He believes his daughter to be a good, obedient girl, unaware of her racing escapades. If there’s one thing Mohar wants, it’s to bring the old regime back to Avishkar.

Pia Nalaar

Pia Nalaar | Illustration by Tyler Jacobson

Revolutionary hero, engineer extraordinaire, and Chandra’s mother. Pia is one of Avishkar’s most renowned heroes, being one of the most important figures in the Renegade movement. She joins in on the GGP as captain of her own team, with Spitfire as her co-captain.

Chandra Nalaar

Chandra, Spark Hunter | Illustration by Devin Elle Kurtz

Interplanar hero, pyromancer extraordinaire, and daughter of Pia Nalaar. Chandra barely needs any introduction by this point, as one of the most renowned planeswalkers in the multiverse. She joins the GGP as part of the Cloudspire Racing Team, the current reigning champions, as a way to increase her chances of winning. She wants the Aetherspark for her lover, Nissa, who lost her spark.

Winter

Haunt the Network | Illustration by Jeff Carpenter

Winter joins the GGP as the Speed Demons’ captain. Valgavoth’s promises and threats are Winter’s motivation to participate in the race, as the demon-god has some kind of dark plans involving the Aetherspark. Winter also has Loot trapped in a cage aboard his car.

Jace Beleren

Unstoppable Plan | Illustration by Borka Pindado

Jace shows up on Avishkar looking for Loot, whom he lost during the events of Duskmourn. He asks Mohar Varma for help in exchange for helping him stage a coup, all in the hopes of getting Loot back from Winter.

Loot

Loot, Exuberant Explorer | Illustration Arif Wijaya

This set gives us the most we’ve seen of Loot so far. We learn he has the ability to spot where an Omenpath will open, as well as the ability to communicate with others telepathically. He starts off the race inside a small cage chained to Winter’s car.

Daretti

Daretti, Scrap Savant | Illustration by Dan Scott

A former planeswalker goblin artificer from Fiora, Daretti leads the Goblin Rocketeers team. He uses his impressive engineering knowledge and skills to construct vehicles that are as fast as they are dangerous.

The Plot

What follows is a very brief recount of major events in the Aetherdrift storyline. For the complete stories, make sure to check them out at Wizard’s official page.

Episode 1: The Dashing and the Desperate

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 1

The story opens with Ishikari, a minor character from Avishkar. She spent her life trying to understand and replicate planeswalkers’ sparks. During the Invasion, she is finally able to achieve her dream: Right before she dies, she creates an artificial spark, the Aetherspark.

Avishkar Raceway | Illustration by Julian Kok Joon Wen

Several years later, Avishkar is about to have its second Ghirapur Grand Prix, an interplanar death-race, with the prize being the Aetherspark. We’re then introduced to Sita, as she has to deal with her overprotective and controlling father. We also learn she is also the famous racer Spitfire and part of Pia Nalaar’s team.

Episode 2: Pit Stop

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 2

Sita lies to her father and has a friend of hers tell him that she’s embarking on an internship at a workshop, all so that she can sneak out of her house to join the GGP. The race is about to start, and all the teams are getting ready.

As Chandra gets ready for the race, she hears the whimper of a small creature in pain. She finds Winter holding a cage with a small, furry creature trapped inside. She tries to confront him, but before the situation escalates, she is called to the starting line.

The race starts, and right as it does, so do the problems: The shoddy construction of the spectator platforms immediately starts falling apart, causing massive debris to begin raining on the tracks.

As the racers speed through the Omenpath and into the Amonkheti sands, elsewhere, Mohar Varma hears a sound in his house. Suspecting an assassin, he goes to investigate, but he finds something much different: a woman with snakes for hair, and a man in a blue cloak. They make him an offer: In exchange for his help, they’ll help him bring order back to Avishkar. They’ll make it Kaladesh again.

Episode 3: Go!

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 3

Once in Amonkhet, the racing gets more and more difficult. Not only is sand a big problem for the more mechanical vehicles, like the ones Daretti and his goblins are riding, but the competition also gets increasingly fiercer. The goblins are consistently attacked by both the Speed Demons and the Endriders, trapping them in a storm of violence.

Places shift and racers overtake each other as they speed through the deserts of Amonkhet. It couldn’t be said that anyone here is playing fair, but Spitfire notices a strange pattern to the Speed Demons: Every time she’s sure they’re falling behind, they surprisingly appear way ahead of where she last saw them. This time, that’s right behind her as they start attacking her. Luckily for her, and much to her own dismay, Chandra saves her from an attack the Speed Demons throw at her.

As the racers escape from a massive sandstorm and into the Muragandan wilds, a counter-revolution starts brewing in Avishkar. Mohar begins gathering allies, supporters of the old order, and former consuls like him. Change is coming to his home, and things will be as they once were.

Episode 4: Little-Guy Shortcuts

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 4

The racers speed their way through the increasingly hostile Muragandan environment. Nature seems to move on its own, mostly to attack the racers around it. Chandra confidently gets herself to first place, or so she thinks, until she spots Winter mysteriously appear before her, stealing her spot.

Perilous Snare | Illustration by Chris Seaman

But it’s not just nature that’s intent on killing the racers: Saurian raiders begin attacking the vehicles. They capture Daretti, and Loot not long after. Following her heroic instincts, Chandra throws herself on top of one of the raiding dinosaurs and reaches the camp where the two were taken, followed by Pia. After releasing Loot and Daretti from their cages, the four get into Daretti’s vehicle and rush out of there. Before things become too dire, Loot lets them know he can spot where Omenpaths will open, allowing them to escape, as well as explaining Winter’s cheating.

Episode 5: First Over the Line

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 5

As it turns out, Loot’s Omenpath opening wasn’t exactly the safest one. The group’s vehicle is thrown into a nosedive from Amonkhet’s skies, crashing right into an oasis.

Stranded in the desert, the group dedicate themselves to repairing their car with some less-than-common engineering, using anything and everything they can find as materials.

While the quartet work and bond with each other, something quite different is happening on Avishkar. As the racers arrive at the finish line at top speed, they’re met with a surprise: The security barriers have been raised. One after another, the vehicles crash violently into the wall, with Spitfire first in line for it. To make things worse, as she’s pulled out of the vehicle, she is identified, and her father is right there to be disappointed at her.

Along with Mohar, Jace and Vraska are also at the crash site, ready to interrogate Winter by any means necessary to find Loot.

Episode 6: The Bloodless Revolution

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 6

Chandra’s group makes it back to Avishkar to find the counterrevolution in full force. She identifies Jace almost instantly, leading to a violent confrontation between the two. Pia, Spitfire, and anyone else still able to fight back join ranks with Chandra. To make things worse, a massive Tarkirian dragon appears in the sky, attacking the city. Luckily, Elspeth shows up to save the day.

Hour of Victory | Illustration by Aaron Miller

After a rough confrontation, Jace escapes with Loot, but the uprising and the dragon are defeated. At the end of the day, it was the Amonkheti who technically drove through the finish line first, making them the winners of the Aetherspark. Winter is taken back by the House.

As celebrations take place all over Ghirapur, Jace and Vraska find their way to the Tarkir steppes.

Aetherdrift Spotlight Cards

Avishkar Raceway

The race starts off in the streets of Ghirapur.

Count on Luck

Chandra, Pia, Daretti, and Loot come back from the Amonkheti desert in one piece, but mostly thanks to luck.

Explosive Getaway

Rescuing Loot and Daretti requires a “reasonable” amount of explosives.

Full Throttle

Spitfire and Chandra put their rivalry aside to crush the conservative insurrection.

Hour of Victory

The Amonkheti team celebrate their victory as they lift the Aetherspark.

Kickoff Celebrations

As Avishkar’s most famous daughter, Chandra becomes the face for the race’s starting celebrations.

Perilous Snare

Following his recent streak of terrible luck, Loot is kidnapped by some saurian raiders on Muraganda.

Push the Limit

Their unbreakable drive and passion is what leads the Amonkheti team to victory.

Tune Up

Stranded in the desert, the engineering masterminds of Daretti and Pia are hard at work trying to get themselves out of there.

Unstoppable Plan

Jace is willing to go ever further to carry out his plan to reset the multiverse, resorting to some more than questionable means.

Victory Lap

Elvish Refueler | Illustration by Carly Milligan

And so our death-race comes to a close. This set was definitely a weird one, but I think the story ended up being a ton of fun, with some very cool action sequences. And I’ll admit I can’t wait to see what the next step involving the Tarkir dragons will be.

But enough about what I think. Did you enjoy this story? Who was your favorite team of racers? Who do you think should’ve won the Aetherspark? Leave a comment below letting us know! And don’t forget to visit the official Draftsim Discord where you can find and join an amazing community of MTG fans.

That’s all from me for now. Have a good one, and I’ll see you next time!