Jeskai Way
| Jeskai Way | |
|---|---|
 Eye of the Dragon | |
| Lore Information | |
| Dragon Aspect | Cunning |
| Khan |
Shu Yun (bef. 3279 AR-c. 3282) Narset (c. 4562-Present) |
| Game Information | |
| Colors |
   |
| Mechanics |
Prowess (Khans of Tarkir) Flurry (Tarkir: Dragonstorm) |
| Creature Types |
Humans Djinni Efreeti Monks Aven |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
The Jeskai Way (/dʒɛskaɪ/ JES-keye[1]) is one of the five Clans of Tarkir. They admire the dragons' aspect of cunning and the dragon's eye is their symbol.[2] Their color wedge is blue (focus color), red and white.[3][4]
Description
The Jeskai Way is a clan of martial artists, mystics, and monks. The Jeskai are staunch in their traditions and beliefs, considering it their duty to guide Tarkir to a better future.[5] Found in the eastern Tiansun mountains of the plane, they live within villages that surround their three monasteries, each specializing in a different philosophy of the Way. They meticulously document the plane's events in illuminated manuscripts and continuously seek out the history lost to the dragonlords.
History
The ancient Jeskai khan Shu Yun attempted a last-ditch effort at survival by summoning the four other khans of Tarkir to Dirgur Stronghold, where they would devise a strategy to destroy the dragons.[6] Unbeknownst to the other leaders, the Sultai khan Tasigur had betrayed them to the broods of Silumgar and Ojutai. The ensuing battle ended with the utter subjugation of the Jeskai, the murder of Shu Yun, the execution of all past dragon-slayers (the ghostfire warriors), and the destruction of all Jeskai historical records. However, Shu Yun's scroll of the day's events survived, hidden away from the dragon.
The Jeskai were reorganized into a new Clan headed by Ojutai and his brood, with the dragons acting as teachers to the humanoids.
Revival of the Jeskai
Under Ojutai, those who dared question the dragonlord's teachings were killed or, at best, exiled from the brood.[5] Those who survived gathered in secret, trading truths of the history of the plane, but they remained a small and primarily intellectual resistance to the dragonlord. During the New Phyrexian Invasion, the scattered exiles flocked to Narset, the former protégée of Ojutai. She took on the mantle of leadership and declared that they would defend Tarkir together.
The invasion weakened Ojutai's forces, allowing the secrets in the hidden Jeskai archives to spread more easily amongst the brood[5]. This shook the foundation of the dragonlord's power and allowed the rebellion to gain more traction.
Yet Narset knew that no matter the strength of Tarkir's people, the dragonlords would not give up their power without bloodshed.[5] The humanoids and dragons would be locked in the same constant warring of the past unless the storms could be quelled or turned against the dragonlords. In her quest for a solution, she uncovered the ancient Stormnexus Ritual. She was convinced to put it into action by the other rebellion leaders, leading to the final defeat of the dragonlords.
Culture
The Jeskai are composed of monk practitioners of the Way and civilians who support the monasteries.[5] The leadership of the clan falls to the council of stewards, the monk leaders of each of the three main Jeskai monasteries, with one of these three chosen as the waymaster. The waymaster governs the rules that pertain to the entirety of the Jeskai as well as their interactions with other clans, while the other stewards have responsibility for their monasteries and the surrounding regions. Civilian leaders will advise the council and local religious leadership. They are largely autonomous in managing the day-to-day needs of the community.
Civilians residing outside the larger villages primarily live agrarian lifestyles, many of them being farmers, herdsmen, and fishermen.[5] Within the villages, there is also a wide range of highly respected craftspeople and artisans, including shipwrights, blacksmiths, weavers, and masons. Life for the civilians within the clan is still shaped by the Way's objectives and principles. Meditation rituals are commonly practiced, and practitioners recite teachings or reflect on how their actions are coordinated with the rest of the Jeskai. People leave offerings at shrines with the intention that another passerby, someone who needs them, may accept the gift.
The Jeskai grow staple crops such as rice, wheat, lotus, and tea.[5] They commonly trade raw materials such as stone, gems, and metals found in the mountain regions in exchange for resources and food they cannot easily procure within their territory. The Jeskai value the practice of the arts for its skill and discipline more so than its expression. Calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts documenting the history of Tarkir, impressive stonework and sculpture that complement the natural beauty of a location, and fine metalwork for weapons and clothing are all popular. Performers are known to use masks similar to real-world bian lian performance.[7]
Orjsu ball is a popular ball game in both village squares and monastery courtyards that rewards dexterity, precision, and intellect.[5] The game is played in small teams, where players kick a hard leather ball into elevated open nets, aiming to score more points than the opposing team.
The Way
The writings of Shu Yun were found within a hidden archive of the old Jeskai that was spared Ojutai's purge.[5] In them, he inscribed the mantra, "To achieve peace, achieve unity," which has since become the guiding principle of the newly formed Jeskai. Followers of the Way strive toward unity of mind and shared understanding, seeking the "world mind" that acts, thinks, and feels in unity to end suffering and strife. In doing so, the Jeskai hope to bring about a truly peaceful Tarkir.
Three principles serve as methods for achieving unity of mind:[5]
- Cooperative action () — Coordinated efforts lead to the best outcomes. This principle is emphasized at Cori Mountain Monastery.
- Undivided thought () — You must understand each other to work together. This principle is emphasized at Dirgur Lake Monastery.
- Aligned heart () — You must share ideals and goals to work toward an outcome. This principle is emphasized at Storm Crane Monastery.
Jeskai monks primarily live in one of the three monasteries and dedicate their lives to following the Way.[5] Monks often train in multiple monasteries over their lifetime to ensure that the breadth of Jeskai philosophy can be shared across the clan. They leave behind personal attachments and give up material possessions. Within each monastery, monks commonly follow one of two paths: warrior or scholar. Warrior monks specialize in the defense of the Jeskai, while scholar monks focus on strategy and research. Skyriders have taken up the traditions of the former mantis riders of the old Jeskai. The clan has begun to breed a new generation of mantis mounts from the small numbers that were not devoured by the dragon broods. The monks who ride them are specially trained in aerial combat and are also the clan's main dragonriders and caretakers, raising and working alongside both varieties of flying creatures.
Unlike many other clans, The Jeskai rejected Ojutai's teachings of draconic reincarnation.[5] Instead, they focus on the present and their obligations to the living. This can often result in conflicts with other clans, as the Jeskai look down on their beliefs and practices around death and the afterlife.
The annual Athenaeum Festival is celebrated to honor the legacy of Shu Yun and his devotion to keeping Tarkir's history.[5] It is a day for scholars to examine writings in the archives and for monks and elders to recount Tarkiri history to audiences in the villages. At the end of the growing season, the monks leave the monasteries to help the villagers harvest and pack up foodstuffs for winter storage, carrying a portion of the harvest up to the monasteries. A modest but well-attended feast known as the Feast of Union takes place in the monastery to celebrate the unified community.
Magic
Jeskai magic centers around the manipulation of the body and mind, using it for physical augmentation to aid fighting, mental illusions, and healing magic.[5] Very few civilians are magic wielders, while most monks are proficient in some form of magic. Monks believe that mana is pulled in through the second gate.[8] As with the different approaches to the Way, each monastery teaches different forms and styles of magic.
Lotus pose is used for meditation.[8] Cloud-step technique grants the ability to run on water or air, while talon-stance allows the monk to attack with dragonfire.
Relationship with the dragons
The Jeskai revered the feathered, cold-loving brood of Ojutai, who best epitomized the aspect of cunning. Their presence was the reason the old Jeskai carved mountain fortresses for protection. Specially trained monks maintain enchanted dragon bells and sound a warning when enemies approach.[5] In the battle against the dragons, the Jeskai valued strategy, using flexible weapons that entangle and immobilize their enemies. A favored tactic was to ensnare dragons with chains and weighted ropes and then finish them off with hurled spears.[9] The most daring warriors ascended the ropes to engage the dragons in close combat. Having studied dragon anatomy, these monks attacked clusters of nerves that allowed them to incapacitate even the largest dragons.[10]
Dragon hunts
When hunting dragons, the Jeskai tend to focus on the dragonstorms closer to their monasteries and the northern territories of Tarkir, though their emissaries in other clans will sometimes bring back information about storms in other regions. Between their mounted monks and flying monastery, the Jeskai are well prepared to capture dragons just as they emerge from the storms rather than waiting for them to come closer to land. This allows them to remain competitive even when other clans approach the same storm.[5]
Clan dragons
Jeskai monks almost exclusively teach and care for the clan dragons, which reside within the monasteries. The Jeskai prize dragons with intelligence, perception, and calm demeanors. Following the values of communal unity over individualism, these dragons work alongside groups of monks during rituals, ceremonies, training, and conflicts. Jeskai dragons wield ice, blasting enemies with super-chilled streams that freeze opponents in an instant.[5]
Original timeline
While much about the Abzan was the same in the original timeline, there were some notable differences. The clan focused on strategy over strength, planning battles against the other clans from their remote monasteries in misty Tiansun mountain lakes.[11] The Jeskai culture were based in isolated mountain strongholds, each with unique mystical styles and schools of thought.[12] They believed that they alone understood the true nature of reality. As taught by Ugin, they spoke of six fires that lit the way to Enlightenment: the white soulfire, the red bloodfire, the blue mistfire, the black deathfire, and the green vitalfire. While vitalfire and deathfire were taboo for the Jeskai, mastering the other three opened the way to the sixth fire: the colorless ghostfire.[13][14]
Khans
- Shu Yun believed that the role of the Jeskai was the preservation of knowledge of the plane, acting as Tarkir's memory.[6] He was killed by Ojutai in exchange for the lives of his clan members.
- Narset served as Khan for nearly a decade in Tarkir's original timeline before being killed by Zurgo in 4559. In the current timeline, she ignited as a planeswalker and has led the clan since its reformation.
Other members
Creature types
Classes
Inspiration
The Jeskai Way is loosely based on the Chinese Shaolin Monks.[15] In Dragonstorm they draw from early Ming dynasty China.[16]
Mechanics
- In the original timeline, the Jeskai mechanic was prowess, a keyword on creatures that grants +1/+1 until end of turn when their controller casts a noncreature spell.[11][17]
- Under Ojutai, the Jeskai mechanic was rebound. Returning from Rise of the Eldrazi, this mechanic gives the Jeskai more mileage out of their spells, as they are exiled and can be cast again for free during their controller's next upkeep.
- After the rebellion, the Jeskai use flurry. This mechanic describes any ability of a card that triggers when its controller casts their second spell each turn.
Gallery
-
Jeskai concepts by Steve Prescott. -
Jeskai concepts by Evyn Fong.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2015). "Here's a pronunciation guide for some of the names that were requested earlier today.". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast Twitter (@wizards_magic) (July 26, 2014). "The Jeskai admire the cunning of dragons"
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast Twitter (@wizards_magic) (July 26, 2014). "Jeskai are blue red white aligned!"
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 26, 2014). "Can you tell us about which color each clan is focused on?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Lauren Bond & DK Billins (February 21, 2025). "Planeswalker's Guide to Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Kelly Digges (February 18, 2015). "Khanfall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21.
- ↑ Cassandra Khaw (March 3, 2025). "It's called bian lian". Bluesky.
- ↑ a b Michael Yichao (March 5, 2025). "Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Jeskai: The Unknown Way". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (January 7, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Fate Reforged". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-01-07.
- ↑ Flavor text of Pressure Point
- ↑ a b Wizards of the Coast (YouTube) (August 1, 2014). "Magic panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2014"
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. (2014.) Khans of Tarkir infopage
- ↑ Magic Creative Team (September 3, 2014). "Planeswalker's Guide to Khans of Tarkir, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-07-23.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (August 15, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: The Unwritten Now". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 7, 2014). "PAX Australia Magic Panel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 12, 2025). "Building Worlds - Tarkir: Dragonstorm (Video)". Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (August 18, 2014). "Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20.
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