Duskmourn: House of Horror Lore & Story Summary

Last updated on October 31, 2024

Enter the Enigma | Illustration by Chris Rallis

As Halloween draws closer, so does one of the scariest Magic sets. Following at the heels of Bloomburrow is the sinister Duskmourn: House of Horror, complete with another full story, too.

Let’s check out what’s going on in Duskmourn!

What Is Duskmourn About?

Nashi, Searcher in the Dark | Illustration by Johan Grenier

Duskmourn is the second set in the Dragonstorm Arc. It follows a rescue team composed of Kaito, Bane of Nightmares – this set's only planeswalker card –  Niko, Light of Hope, Tyvar, the Pummeler, Zimone, All-Questioning, and The Wandering Rescuer as they venture into the haunted-house-plane of Duskmourn in search of Nashi, Searcher in the Dark.

Duskmourn Setting

The story takes place around 4564 AR, the same year as Bloomburrow‘s story.

This plane is heavily inspired by horror movies from the ‘80s. The plane itself is a massive haunted house filled with horrors like killer clowns, murderous toys and TV ghosts.

At some point, Duskmourn was a regular plane. Its inhabitants performed summoning magic, which eventually led to a demon named Valgavoth being summoned and trapped in the basement of a house. Valgavoth, Terror Eater became one with the house itself and started spreading, consuming the entire plane until everything was the House.

Before the opening of the Omenpaths, the House had negotiated with the survivors that it fed on. In certain spaces like the attic rooms or a circus room, among others, it’d leave them in peace so that the survivors could replenish and reproduce. Anywhere else, it’d hunt them. The opening of the Omenpaths allowed the House to open doors to other planes, meaning it could start baiting outsiders into entering. This led to the end of the truce between the House and the survivors inside it.

Main Characters

Marina Vendrell

Marina Vendrell | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

One of the original owners of the house where Valgavoth was trapped, Marina Vendrell “befriended” the demon and inadvertently helped him gain strength to begin his feeding frenzy. She tried to stop him, asking him to leave everything as it was. Now she wanders throughout the House as rooms become “normal” around her.

Niv-Mizzet

Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact | Illustration by Chris Rallis

The Living Guildpact of Ravnica has been deeply interested in the newly appeared Omenpaths, working to understand and utilize them. Naturally, the appearance of a strange door on his city-plane caught his attention. He helps gather the search party for Nashi, also sending out a member of his own to investigate and understand what’s beyond the door.

Kaito Shizuki

Kaito, Bane of Nightmares | Illustration by Joshua Raphael

Kaito, Bane of Nightmares retained his spark after the opening of the Omenpaths caused several of his fellow planeswalkers to lose their ability to traverse the Blind Eternities. He ventures into the House as part of a rescue team searching for Nashi, who’s been trapped inside for some time.

The Wanderer

The Wandering Rescuer | Illustration by Anna Pavleeva

Finally free from her erratic spark, The Wanderer is settling on her home plane of Kamigawa, attempting to find her place as emperor and as friend to those around her. She’s the one who recruits Kaito to go search for Nashi, both because they care deeply for him and because she feels a deep guilt over Tamiyo’s death, thus making her feel responsible for keeping Nashi safe.

Tyvar Kell

Tyvar, the Pummeler | Illustration by Olivier Bernard

Another former planeswalker, Tyvar, the Pummeler was recruited by Kaito for the search due in part to his martial prowess and his tracking abilities. The boastful elf warrior, always searching after the next epic song that’ll be sung about him, immediately accepts. He’s also the one to postulate the final member of the search party.

Niko Aris

Niko, Light of Hope | Illustration by Aurore Folny

Another desparked planeswalker, Niko, Light of Hope hails from Theros but has been living on Kaldheim for a time. They specialize in a form of magic that utilizes shards as both ways of trapping enemies and protecting allies. They’re recruited thanks to their propensity for ranged combat, as well as their more protective abilities.

Zimone Wola

Zimone, All-Questioning | Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

A Strixhaven student doing field work with the Izzet League of Ravnica as part of her studies, Zimone is Niv-Mizzet’s chosen member for the search party. She’s there to help the team and to investigate and gather information on Duskmourn and its anomalies.

Aminatou

Aminatou, Veil Piercer | Illustration by David Palumbo

A mysterious desparked planeswalker who has fate-related abilities, Aminatou, Veil Piercer is brought along by Niv-Mizzet to help. However, she stays behind on Ravnica, refusing to go inside the House as she claims that if it found a way to manipulate her abilities, it could be catastrophic. She gives each member of the search party a small token that’ll change fate if they make a choice that’d end up in their demise, a second chance should a party member need it.

Winter

Winter, Misanthropic Guide | Illustration by Jodie Muir

A young survivor living inside the House, Winter, Misanthropic Guide comes across the Wanderer and Niko. He’s mysterious and cautious, constantly trying to avoid any kind of risk or danger as he helps the outsiders find Nashi.

Jace Beleren

Don't Make a Sound | Illustration by Zezhou Chen

After his antics on Thunder Junction and the brief visit he paid to Bloomburrow alongside Vraska and Loot, the Key to Everything, Jace is now within the confines of Duskmourn. He appears to be alone, searching for Vraska and Loot who’ve been lost within the House.

The Plot

These are simply the most important points in the story for this set. Make sure to check out the amazing short stories by Mira Grant for the complete tale! Plus, it lets WotC know we want the story to keep coming in accessible, free short stories and not whatever the War of the Spark disaster of a novel was.

Episode 1: Don’t Go Past the Old Dark House

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 1

Our story starts out with Kaito attempting to steal one of Tamiyo’s spell-scrolls out of a safe house so he can keep it safe and to honor her memory. He’s interrupted by The Wanderer, who tells him that Nashi has gone missing; he and some reckoner friends went into a mysterious door and never came back.

Enter the Enigma | Illustration by Chris Rallis

Kaito recruits Tyvar as a member of the search party, who in turn invites Niko Aris. They set out to Ravnica, where Niv-Mizzet is coordinating the rescue efforts as another strange door appeared on the plane.

Once there, they meet the rest of their team: Zimone Wola and Aminatou.

Episode 2: Don’t Split the Party

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 2

Once inside the House, the group is immediately met with strange happenings. Doors appear and disappearing for no reason, hallways change shapes and sizes, and the rooms seem impossible.

Vanish from Sight | Illustration by Billy Christian

Before long, the party becomes separated, starting with Tyvar and Zimone, as the elf is baited into a room and Zimone runs after him. Almost immediately afterward, Kaito follows suit as the floor opens up underneath his feet, plunging him into the dark.

Winter's Intervention | Illustration by Cristi Balanescu

The two remaining groups go on exploring the House. Niko and The Wanderer are the first to come across other living beings. The first thing they encounter is a razorkin, prowling and on the hunt. But before they can engage with it, a young man, Winter, distracts it and urges them to escape with him.

Episode 3: Don’t Look Back

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 3

As Winter guides Niko and The Wanderer through the House, he also gives them as much information as he can about it. He advises against stepping on the moth motifs that cover the hallways. As they move forward, they discover glimmers: a manifestation of a survivor’s desires or hopes. This one, shaped like Kyodai, Soul of Kamigawa, starts leading them through the house.

Scorching Dragonfire | Illustration by Marta Nael

Elsewhere, Kaito’s fall is finally broken as he hits the ground, although he does so painlessly, as if the House didn’t want to hurt him; not yet. He finds himself in a forest, with dragons flying over it. Before long, the room shifts into a dark basement. There, out of all the possible people, Kaito meets with another planeswalker lost within the House: Jace Beleren. The two argue over Jace’s disappearance after the Phyrexian Invasion, but ultimately agree to collaborate until they’re out of the House as monsters start attacking them.

Tyvar and Zimone start uncovering some of the House’s history as they rummage through a library. Their investigation is cut short as a seemingly unkillable abomination spawns out of the wall, making the two run away.

Episode 4: Don’t Give Up

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 4

Shardmage's Rescue | Illustration by Jarel Threat

Winter, Niko, and The Wanderer follow the Kyodai-shaped glimmer into an open area filled with vegetation. There, they encounter Nashi and his reckoner friends, all trapped in cages and surrounded by wickerfolk. The Wanderer throws herself into battle, triggering Aminatou’s figure, as the combat would’ve meant her demise. With a better plan in mind, they confront the wickerfolk and manage to rescue Nashi and two of the other nezumi. Nashi lets the Wanderer know that he’s searching for the scroll with his mother’s story, which was taken and lost inside the House.

Kaito and Jace confront the nightmare attacking them, destroying it without much trouble. The two planeswalkers argue over the events following the Invasion as they walk deeper into the House.

Tyvar and Zimone manage to evade their pursuers using Tyvar’s transmutation magic and keep moving forward.

As Kaito and Jace go on, they fall into one of the House’s traps. A slime-like substance starts dragging Kaito down as shackles tighten around his ankles. Before he can release himself, Jace notices Vraska and Loot overhead. He leaves Kaito sinking further into the slime. Kaito planeswalks back to Ravnica, escaping the House and leaving his trapped friends inside.

Episode 5: Don’t Give In

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 5

Tyvar and Zimone come across Marina. Around her, the house seems to constantly turn back to normal. They try to talk to her, but she becomes scared and runs away, though not before Zimone steals her diary. With it, they manage to better understand the history of the place they’re trapped in.

Betrayer's Bargain | Illustration by Billy Christian

The Wanderer’s group walks on. They eventually come across what Winter calls the cult of Valgavoth. He urges the group to leave as quickly as they can. The group goes further into the lair, encountering the cultists. Winter turns on them as they’re surrounded and taken by the cult. After they wake up, they find out that the cult had stolen Tamiyo’s scroll.

Episode 6: Don’t Die

Read or listen for yourself: Episode 6

The Wanderer, Nashi, and Niko awaken trapped by the cultists. There they’re confronted by Valgavoth himself. Winter asks the demon to finally let him go free, as he gave him enough victims.

Coordinated Clobbering | Illustration by Fajareka Setiawan

Before he can escape, a fight breaks out. Tyvar and Zimone burst in, releasing their companions. Together, along with Kaito’s surprise arrival, they manage to weaken Valgavoth enough to escape. They use a doorway created by Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth. There, Nashi leaves his mother’s weakened scroll, finally letting go of her.

Cathartic Parting | Illustration by Miranda Meeks

Back within the House, Valgavoth takes Winter to start regaining his strength. On Kamigawa, Kaito and The Wanderer look over Nashi, who’s finally forgiven them for what happened to Tamiyo.

Duskmourn Spotlight Cards

Enter the Enigma

The Wanderer, as well as the rest of the group, walks into the House, unnerved by its weirdness.

Vanish from Sight

Kaito falls down as the floor opens up beneath him.

Winter’s Intervention

Winter prevents The Wanderer and Niko from engaging with a razorkin.

Scorching Dragonfire

Kaito runs from the dragon fire. He should have drafted this one, because Scorching Dragonfire is excellent in Duskmourn Limited!

Shardmage’s Rescue

Niko uses one of their shards to rescue Nashi from the wickerfolk.

Betrayer’s Bargain

Winter betrays the group to escape the House.

Coordinated Clobbering

Zimone and Tyvar burst into the cultists’ room, clobbering through them to save their friends.

Get Out

Kaito’s return allows the group to escape Duskmourn.

Cathartic Parting

Nashi lets go of Tamiyo’s scroll, accepting that his mother is truly gone.

Wrap Up

Valgavoth, Terror Eater | Illustration by Antonio José Manzanedo

I really enjoyed Duskmourn’s story. I was pretty cynical about the setting at first, but I think it ultimately works. Although I think it’s on thin ice with the pop culture references and modern aesthetics, it ultimately works just fine.

But enough about what I think. Did you enjoy Duskmourn’s story? What did you like or dislike about it? 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!