Isilu
| Isilu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Colors |
 |
| Species | Elemental God Worldsoul |
| Birth, Life & Death | |
| Birthplace | Lorwyn-Shadowmoor |
| Lifetime | Mending Era - present |
| Born | The Pendulum Year |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Isilu is an elemental god, the living embodiment of Shadowmoor, and a symbol of the moon. With Eirdu, he[a] is the twin worldsoul of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor.
Description
The moon-headed Isilu's hide is a deep midnight blue, fading toward full-moon silver-gold as it nears his head. His fur-covered neck is almost impossibly long. When his vast wings are fused behind his back, they create the impression of a vast, dragging tail. Aside from the wings, he has six ambulatory limbs, which are divided into four legs and two arms. It is impossible to see the creature's head clearly, as it is shrouded in trailing mist, as if a shifting cluster of clouds surrounds a softly glowing moon. His eyes shine as two smaller moons, devoid of iris or pupil but patterned with the pits and craters of an actual moon.[3]
Isilu is the elemental of night.[4] His presence feels like a calming silence and the gentle chill of autumn. Those near Isilu are filled with understanding and peer into the beyond for answers to questions they never knew they had. For now, Isilu has had no reason to defend itself, but when threatened, it can cause the blackest of nights, blanketing the world with a darkness that no light could ever pierce, choking the will to live from those inside the void. Isilu and his counterpart Eirdu wander Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, the land changing beneath their footfalls. While one is awake, the other is meant to sleep and await their turn at balancing the plane between light and dark.[5] If one were to die, they would eventually regenerate and return balance to the plane.[6]
Worship
The worshipers of Isilu lay claim to all Lorwyn-Shadowmoor and seek to convert the entire plane into Shadowmoor.[5] They wear armor with moon motifs and clouded headwear, symbols they've taken from the body of Isilu and rallied behind. Isilu's adherents invoke his blessings with contemplation at sites marked by standing stones, believing that where there is quiet, there is the moon's inspiration.[7] They hold vigils over their dead, buried deep beneath the massive stone structures that dot the plane. No matter the species, no matter their creed or inclination, all hold these burial grounds as sacred places where no violence is done. At the entrance, an elemental draped in a costume meant to resemble Isilu stands watch, a sign that a sacred ritual is being performed within.
History
As a consequence of Oona's downfall, the aspects of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor were no longer held at bay from one another. As the aspects merged, two great beings awoke from the firmament above the plane: Eirdu, the incarnation of the sun, and Isilu, the incarnation of the moon. Their appearance initially caused chaos until it became apparent that they had no interest in the lives of the people of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, or in one another. Still, many have taken to worshiping these two beings as deities, despite their seeming indifference to the people who live on the plane.[5]
Isilu and Eirdu found a balance where the boundaries between Lorwyn and Shadowmoor would only change gradually. This balance was destabilized when the faerie planeswalker Oko caused Isilu's rest to be disturbed by a group of hapless visiting students from Arcavios.[3]
Story appearances
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
Notes
- ↑ While most of Lorwyn Eclipsed's story refers to Isilu with it/its pronouns, some passages use he/him.[1] In her "DVD Extras" for the story, author Seanan McGuire stated that characters were "not intentionally misgendering Isilu", but that his pronouns were not known to the characters, and that "Magic traditionally gives beasts it/its pronouns."[2]
References
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (December 15, 2025). "Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 6: Full of Hateful Fantasies". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (December 15, 2025). "Full of Hateful Fantasies, the DVD extras.". Rose-Owls and Pumpkin Girls.
- ↑ a b Seanan McGuire (December 8, 2025). "Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 1: Out of This Wood". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (December 9, 2025). "Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 2: Shake Off Slumber". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Neale LaPlante Johnson, DK Billins, Laurel Pratt (September 26, 2025). "Planeswalker's Guide to Lorwyn Eclipsed". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (December 12, 2025). "Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 5: If We Shadows". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Amanda Hamon Kunz et al. (2025). "D&D Lorwyn: First Light". Wizards of the Coast.