Coil
| Coil | |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Origin | Naya |
| Creator | Empire of the Clouds |
| Status | Destroyed |
The Coil was a complicated system of one hundred and twenty-one laws of the Nacatl on Alara, engraved on a giant disc of granite. In their uprising, Marisi and his followers shattered the disc, an event known as the Breaking of the Coil.[1]
History
The Nacatl used to dominate Naya, with the Empire of the Clouds operating an extensive system of roads, bridges, and aqueducts across the plane — all constructed out of rocks and timbers so finely cut that mortar was unnecessary.[2] During the years of the empire, the Nacatl didn't have a spiritual culture. The Nacatl embraced a code of ethics called the Coil in which each was free to pursue happiness however they wanted as long as they didn't hurt another Nacatl. The Nacatl chiseled the details of the Coil in their pseudo-written language on the Binding Wall, a massive white granite slab outside of Antali, the capital of the Empire of the Clouds.
As the Nacatl Empire expanded, it faced internal pressures as some Nacatl prospered under the Coil and the division of wealth became uneven.[2] Some argued that the Nacatl had abandoned their true feline nature, which was warlike and nomadic, and had become soft and corrupted. For decades this low-level discontent rotted the civilization from the inside, with more and more Nacatl turning away from the Coil. The situation came to a head when a young Nacatl named Marisi formed an anti-civilization group known as the Claws of Marisi. After years of simmering discontent, Marisi rallied a huge uprising against the Empire of the Clouds. Many cities were sacked and burned. During the destruction of Antali, the wall was defaced and in some parts smashed. For the members of the Claw, it was a symbolic breaking of the strictures of society that kept them down and subjugated their warrior nature.
By the time the Empire of the Clouds fell, the Coil had become so convoluted that most Nacatl couldn't understand it or follow it even if they wanted to.[2] The Coil was enforced at first by societal pressure. Eventually, the Pride of Judges, an elite group of Nacatl, threatened the citizens with physical harm unless they followed the letter of the law, looping a coil of rope that looked disturbingly like a noose over an offender's door. Soon there was open warfare in the streets as the Claws of Marisi and the Pride of Judges fought for dominance. In the end, Marisi's revolutionaries triumphed and the Coil was broken. For the members of the Claws, it was a symbolic breaking of the strictures of society that kept them down and subjugated their true nature.[3]
In-game references
- Associated cards:
References
- ↑ Doug Beyer (2009), "Alara Unbroken", Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ a b c Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland (2008). A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951246
- ↑ Jenna Helland (September 10, 2008). "Running Wild". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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