Thunder Junction

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Thunder Junction
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Information
First seen Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Last seen Alchemy: Thunder Junction
Rabiah Scale 5[1]
Status Opened to the omenpaths and colonized by outlaws.

Thunder Junction is a plane of the Multiverse, introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction.[2][3]

Description

Thunder Junction is an American Wild West-inspired frontier world, favored by some of the most famous villains of the Multiverse, who use the Omenpaths to travel through the Blind Eternities. Thunder Junction is a massive desert plane, characterized by wide vistas, cacti, tumbleweeds, rattlesnakes, canyons, railroads, small wooden towns, and many other Wild West tropes.[4] The plane has no governing force. Solar powered pylons provide power to settlers across the plane.[5]

Winter on the plane is thunderstorm season, and the desert rain is hard and sudden.[6]

History

Before the Omenpaths opened, Thunder Junction was an unspoiled, uninhabited plane.[7][8][9] The only structures on the plane that predated the Omenpaths were Maag Taranau and several mysterious runecarved obelisks.[10][11] The plane was not a target in New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse.

After the opening of the Omenpaths, Thunder Junction was overrun with outlaws, and crime became a way of life. Riveteers of New Capenna constructed railroads on the plane,[6] while Ral Zarek from Ravnica was building relay towers for a communication network across the Omenpaths.[12] Peace is kept by the Sterling Company.

Thunder

Thunder rifle concepts

The opening of the Omenpaths awoke the wild magic of Thunder Junction.[13][14] Appearing as blue lightning, it is chaotic and destructive.[15] Settlers dubbed it "thunder" — eventually becoming the plane's namesake — and put it to use in everything from farming tools to melee weapons to a variety of firearms, known as "thunder blasters."[16] A shooting competition known as the "Thunder Trial" is held in Omenport.[17] These tools come in a variety of forms, including:

  • Thunder bows. Heavy, well-balanced crossbows.[6]
  • Thunder pistols, small but heavy.[16][15]
  • Thunder rifles[12]
  • Thundercuffs, used by lawmen.[18]

Known locations

There are only two major settlements on Thunder Junction — Omenport and Prosperity — with the rest falling into the category of smaller towns.[14]

  • Hardbristle, a settlement of Cactusfolk along a train line near the hills.[14]
  • Ironstone, a roadside town with little to offer beyond a single card den, an abandoned mine, and a rail station.[19]
  • Omenport, a town built in the desert region where an unusual number of Omenpaths open and the location of a relay tower built to establish interplanar communication.[14][12] The town features wooden buildings with triangular rooftops and faded paint, dotted with clusters of cacti. Triangle motifs reminiscent of the Omenpaths are common in the architecture. An enchanted fountain in the town's plaza perpetually bubbles with cool water. Mission bells ring each day at sundown. It is connected to Prosperity by the Omenport Express.[20]
  • Prosperity, the wealthiest metropolis on Thunder Junction, under the control of the Sterling Company.[12][10] Tall gray boulders mimic towering skyscrapers, and its buildings are pristine and whitewashed. ornate trains move through the heart of the city, connecting it to stations across Thunder Junction. Two long roads paved with clean white stones run alongside the raised tracks, and are patrolled by nearly a dozen Sterling Company guards. The town is home to many saloons.
    • Prosperity Station[21]
    • The Sterling Company headquarters.
    • The Voyager Grande, a ten-story tall hotel, casino, and entertainment megaplex.[19] Jagged, triangular rooftops and wide-reaching windmills loom from its rooftop. Colorful bunting stretches from its balconies, and spherical lights are strung up along blue-striped gables. The grand front room holds wooden card tables and staircases and elevators leading to a second floor containing restaurants, dance halls, and theatres. The tenth floor, accessible by key, is for the hotel's most-exclusive customers.
      • The Slickshot headquarters, contained in the basement.[19]
    • The Prosperity Post, the local newspaper.
  • Rustwood, a remote and failed ranching town now mostly abandoned.[10]
    • The Wildcard Saloon, the hideout of Oko's band of outlaws.[10]
  • Saddlebrush, a quiet, isolated town where Annie Flash's ranch sits on the outskirts. Around the town are badlands and dunes.[22]
  • Tarnation, a town built around the vault by Akul and the Hellspurs.
    • Maag Taranau, also known as The Vault, an ancient artifact locked away at the center of the plane, rumored to hide untold riches and power.
  • Thief's Folly, a graveyard for prospectors.[16] The necropolis is composed of fields of tombs, graves, and mausoleums surrounded by a high stone and iron wall.[9] Long-dead trees reach toward the sky. The architecture of the tombs and design of the grave markers are a patchwork amalgam of dozens of planes; some of the bodies were brought from off-plane, or buried elsewhere and then moved. Grave markers are written in the way of the corpse's homeworld, with a line of clarifying text in Thunder Junction's script. The majority also have small sigils etched into the corners of the marker forming an incantation.
  • The wilderness, the uninhabited land
    • Blacksnag Bog, a treacherous swamp containing an old mining trail and lost treasure, and the bones of those who searched for them.[23]
    • The Eversaloon, a respite that appears at the moment it is most needed.[24] Referred to as "extraplanar," it may be another plane connected by an Omenpath or a pocket plane of Thunder Junction.
    • Fool's Fall, headwaters of a river guarded by strange snakes[25] and mysterious djinni.[26]
    • Redrock[27]
    • The Southern Trail[28]
    • Spinegully[29]
    • Spinewoods[30]

Inhabitants

Factions

  • The Freestriders {W}{G}- nomadic hunters and outlaws who live off the land and believe in freedom in all its forms.
  • The Hellspurs {B}{R} - bandits and criminals, based in Tarnation. The Hellspurs were led by Akul and relied heavily on the use of Fire and Thunder magic to get what they wanted.
  • Outcasters {G}{U} - scattered groups of hermits and outlaws that huddle in small ramshackle towns across the plane.
  • The Slickshot Gang {U}{R} - a band of outlaws and thunderslingers for hire led by the crime boss Lilah.[19]
  • The Sterling Company {B}{W} - led by Bertram Graywater, they are what passes for the law around Prosperity, although their interest is mainly protecting their riches.

Sapient races

Note: Thunder Junction contained no sapient life before the Omenpaths opened. The inhabitants listed as "sapient" are assumed to all originate from other planes unless otherwise specified.

Other

Flora

Languages

Writing Systems

  • A simplified script used for signage[9]

Culture

Thunder Junction's culture is an amalgamation of the planar diaspora that inhabits it.

Cuisine

Alcohol is common on the plane, in the form of whiskey, cocktails, and birch beer.[31][6][9] Inhabitants also smoke tobacco and eat piñon nuts.

Planeswalkers and other visitors

Native planeswalkers

  • None

Planeswalker visitors

Non-planeswalker visitors

From Capenna
From Dominaria
From Eldraine
From Fiora
From Gastal
From Innistrad
From Ixalan
From Kaladesh
From Kaldheim
From Kamigawa
From Ravnica
From Shandalar
From Tarkir
From Zendikar
From an unknown plane

Trivia

  • Griffins of Thunder Junction resemble bald eagles in their avian parts.
  • Thunder Junction being described as uninhabited before the Omenpaths' opening sidesteps some colonialist aspects of Western tropes but does resemble aspects of American Indigenous erasure known as the "Frontier myth," where the land is described as being 'empty' before it was colonized. However, this is contradicted by various clues throughout the story, suggesting this to be merely to cover the mystery of the building Coin Empire arc.
  • The name of Maag Taranau combines the old Irish "mag" for "plains" and the Welsh "taranau" for "thunder".

In-game references

Referred to:
^† Scryfall does not record flavor text for digital cards. See Alchemy: Thunder Junction/Flavor text.

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (2024-05-13). "The Rabiah Scale, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ 30th Anniversary Panel at GenCon – A Recap of MTG's Past, Present & Future (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (August 5, 2023).
  3. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 5, 2023). "Is Thunder Junction the name of the wild west plane or is it just a location?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. ↑ Harless Snyder and Natalie Kreider (March 26, 2024). "Outlaws of Thunder Junction #74: An Offer of Revenge Recap". The Magic Story Podcast.
  5. ↑ Flavor text of Conduit Pylons
  6. ↑ a b c d Isaac Fellman (March 12, 2024). "No Tells". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ The Preview Panel - MagicCon Chicago (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (February 23 2024).
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 13, 2024). "Does this mean Thunder Junction is actually a truly new, previously uninhabited plane?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  9. ↑ a b c d Seanan McGuire (March 21, 2024). "A Pleasant Family Outing". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ a b c d Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 13, 2024). "Episode 2: The Jailbreak". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Flavor text for Runecarved Obelisk
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 11, 2024). "Episode 1: An Offer of Revenge". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Flavor text for Quick Draw
  14. ↑ a b c d e Jay Annelli (April 30, 2024). "The Omenpath Handbook: Thunder Junction". CoolStuffInc.
  15. ↑ a b Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 22, 2024). "Episode 5: High Moon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. ↑ a b c Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 20, 2024). "Episode 4: Finding Tarnation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. ↑ Clear Shot (Breaking News)
  18. ↑ Shackle Slinger
  19. ↑ a b c d e Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 19, 2024). "A Long Way from Home". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  20. ↑ Cruel Ultimatum (Breaking News)
  21. ↑ Flavor text of Iron-Fist Pulverizer
  22. ↑ H. E. Edgmon (March 14, 2024). "Blood is Thicker than Venom". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  23. ↑ Flavor text for Treasure Dredger
  24. ↑ Flavor text for Another Round
  25. ↑ Flavor text for Mystic Snake
  26. ↑ Flavor text for Djinn of Fool's Fall
  27. ↑ Redrock Sentinel
  28. ↑ Fell the Mighty (Breaking News)
  29. ↑ Flavor text for Creosote Heath
  30. ↑ Spinewoods Armadillo and Spinewoods Paladin
  31. ↑ a b c Alison Lührs (April 2, 2024). "Outlaws of Thunder Junction - Epilogue 2: Bring the End, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  32. ↑ Harless Snyder and Natalie Kreider (April 9, 2024). "Outlaws of Thunder Junction #78: A Train to Prosperity Recap". The Magic Story Podcast.
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