MTG: Lore of the Multiverse – Bloomburrow’s Tiny Heroes
When Bloomburrow is in peril, great folk are called on to act. Sometimes, greatness can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Welcome, Praetors and Planeswalkers, to our ongoing series about the people and places that help make Magic the Gathering incredible. From great heroes and deadly villains to gorgeous locales, the Multiverse constantly evolves to keep the game fresh. Even if you don’t know anything about the story, all the background drives your favorite cards from place to place. You can check out all the previous MTG goodness over here.
Today, we explore a world of tiny tales and big adventure!
The magical plane of Bloomburrow is an idyllic, peaceful land of animalfolk. Here, the mice, raccoons, and other forest creatures live in a relative pastoral paradise. However, they must live in fear of the Calamity Beasts, the great elemental creatures that herald the seasons or bring about disaster. For the most part, they either follow the bend of seasons or rarely venture into Valley, the realm where our heroes live. However, when the Night Owl Maha begins to desolate villages and summon other terrible creatures in her wake, it’s up to a tiny mousefolk named Mabel and her friends to save the day!
Mabel’s Birthday Interrupted
This adventure began the way many do: with a party. Mabel, the young mousefolk baker of Goodhill, was celebrating her birthday. Of course, everyone was there, both for the delicious treats Mabel and her husband Clem baked and for the chance for Mabel to show off her special artifact. Stories are shared, and the celebration is in full swing…until the warning bell rings. A frogfolk has been found at the edge of town, raving about a Calamity Beast. Taking her trusty rapier in hand, Mabel goes to investigate.
The frogfolk is Helga, a nervous weaver from the village of Pondside plagued with visions. She tells Mabel that she saw Maha, the Night Owl, destroy her village and that she’s had visions of another terrible beast. Unfortunately, she cannot control her visions and can offer no further details. Knowing that a Calamity Beast in any part of Bloomburrow means danger for all of it. Retrieving her heirloom, the powerful Cragflame blade, she decides to gather an adventuring party to address the threat.
Bloomburrow’s Defenders
The first to volunteer is Finneas, a rabbitfolk archer of extraordinary skill. His trick arrows and unflinching aim are a welcome addition to Mabel’s team. He is joined by Hugs, a massive badgerfolk, and Gev, a fire-dancing lizardfolk, two-thirds of the “Striped Rapscalions.”
Finally, a batfolk astromancer named Zoraline claims that the stars are out of alignment and that the adventure will restore them. Her team complete, Mabel and the heroes prepare to set out for the village of Pondside. However, at the last moment, Helga herself demands to join them, hoping to right the wrong of abandoning her village.
Pondside and the Necromancers
The party made their way to Helga’s village, and what they found broke their hearts. Pondside was a ruin, homes destroyed and the very ground torn up. Helga was devastated, but the party was resolved to move forward to warn the rest of Bloomburrow about the attack. However, as they made to leave, they heard whispered voices from a nearby embankment, talking about an individual named “Cruelclaw.”
The voices turned out to be a pair of squirrelfolk scouring the ruins of Pondside for whatever trinkets they could find. When the group confronted them, they raised an army of skeletons to fight for them. Mabel and her friends were able to defeat the skeletons, but the squirrelfolk escaped. Left with more questions than answers, the party made their way onward to Three-Tree City.
Storms Over Three-Tree City
The party made their way downstream to the massive Three-Tree City, the largest settlement in Bloomburrow. Here, they hoped to find some answers about Cruelclaw and warn the denizens of the encroaching Calamity Beast attacks. However, no one seemed receptive to their warnings until they met an odd Otterkin. Brash, rude, and apparently constantly annoyed, this Otterkin seemed to have an air of static around himself.
The strange creature introduced himself as Ral and said he was also seeking someone, a man named “Beleren.” Though no one in the party knew this Beleren, Helga realized his description sounded like a vision she had. She showed Ral a drawing she’d done of a foxfolk that matched Beleren’s description, and Ral resolved himself to accompany the seer until she led him to him. Their meeting was interrupted, however, when the water suddenly began to rise.
The Flood Gar
The water around the dock area of Three-Tree City suddenly rose with incredible speed. The boats moored in the river were drowned almost instantly, and countless attendants were swept into deeper water. Mabel saw a monstrous creature in the waves, unlike any fish she’d ever seen before. Realizing it was another Calamity Beast, she tried to get her friends to safety. Unfortunately, they were too close to the water, and the Flood Gar swept them into the river.
Luckily, the strong body of Hugs kept the party from being swept away. They all clung to him as he walked them deeper into the river, trying to find a current that would take them away from the destruction. Mabel asked Ral to bend the tides, as all otterfolk could, but he was unfortunately unable. There was no time to dwell on the strangeness of Ral, however, as they were caught in a downriver current that took them to a large tunnel in the bank. Floundering onto land to dry themselves off, they found themselves staring down the weapons of dozens of ratfolk.
Augury in the Tunnels
Thankfully, a ratfolk elder named Coffey spared the party. He remarked that others had come before them and had been far less than kind. Leading them deeper into the warren, he explained that more Calamity Beasts were awakening and that Maha was only the beginning. Hoping to find their quarry, Coffey and Mabel encouraged Helga to scry on Cruelclaw. Letting her breathing slow, she tranced out and drew a perfect rendition of the weaselkin they sought.
Her vision also pointed them to Fountainport, the frogfolk capital, and Helga’s old home. She had left under difficult circumstances regarding King Glarb and was loathe to return. However, Mabel convinced her that she must for the good of all the valley. Coffey led them to a back exit that would take them closer to Fountainport and wished them well. All seemed to be going well until the distant sound of thunder brought a new danger.
The Dragonhawk
Descending like a storm, the terrifying creature from Helga’s vision descended. It was like no Calamity Beast the animalfolk had ever seen, and the tempest in its wake was a disaster unlike anything on Bloomburrow. Ral identified the creature as a “dragon”, though he admitted he’d never seen a creature like it before. Unleashing his own lightning against the creature, he was able to temporarily drive it off. Mabel and the others were awestruck by Ral’s display, and though they had no concept of Planeswalkers, they knew he was something special.
Glarb’s Betrayal
At long last, they made their way to Fountainport. Rushing quickly to the center of town, they demanded an audience with the King. He was displeased to see his former apprentice but agreed to meet with the adventurers. He heard their story about the Calamity Beasts and the destruction of Pondside, but he seemed unfazed. Helga noticed a curtain behind his throne and used her magic to throw it aside. Glarb had Maha’s egg.
He had hired Cruelclaw to steal the egg, which he hoped to magically control and use to turn back the other Calamity Beasts. As the heroes fought against Glarb, Cruelclaw, and Cruelclaw’s crew, a terrible storm brewed overhead. The Dragonhawk attacked the group, and Glarb and Cruelclaw managed to escape. When all hope seemed lost, Maha herself appeared. She drove away the Dragonhawk, then turned to regard the heroes.
Peace Restored
Understanding what she must do, Mabel scooped up the massive egg. Carefully approaching the Beast, she offered the egg. Maha took the egg and left, the night in her wake now comforting rather than oppressive. Peace was restored at last, and Mabel and her friends returned to Goodhill.
Ral moved on, seeking the Beleren fellow he was chasing, and Mabel offered her home to him should he ever wish to visit. All seemed to have returned to normal. However, during a celebration in their honor, Helga had a terrifying vision:
“The kings in the dark will return. The mage in blue will bring about the end.”
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