Selhoff
| Selhoff | |
|---|---|
| The spires of Selhoff | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | Innistrad |
| Colors |
  |
| Type | Town |
| Part of | Nephalia |
Selhoff — also known as "the spires of Selhoff" — is a fog-shrouded port town in the Nephalia province of Innistrad. Situated on the delta of the Ospid River where it meets the Bay of Vustrow, Selhoff is infamous for its dense spirit-mist known as the Nebelgast, which ebbs and flows with the tides and draws restless geists to haunt its shores. The town’s skyline is dominated by distinctive tall towers and spires, home to wealthy merchant families and necro-alchemists who exploit geist energy through eldritch machines. Selhoff's eerie atmosphere and high supernatural activity make it a place of dark intrigue, attracting both those who fear the restless spirits and those who seek to harness their power.
Description
In the Innistrad province of Nephalia, the foggy, quiet port of Selhoff is where the Nebelgast, the spirit-mist, is most active.[1]
The Ospid flows through the lowlands of Nephalia and forms a small delta where it empties into the Bay of Vustrow. On the fertile ground of the delta stands the foggy, quiet port of Selhoff, where the Nebelgast is thickest and most active. The wealthiest merchants of the town live in distinctive towers and spires, unlike those found in other towns of Innistrad, giving rise to the phrase "the spires of Selhoff" to refer to the town as a whole. These merchants form a council governing the town under the leadership of Councillor Lira Kurash.
Necro-alchemists are drawn to Selhoff for its tall towers and spires, where they install eldritch machines designed to harness the energy of wind and storms. These scientists harvest geists from the Nebelgast both for research and as a fuel source for their experiments. The most extreme among them reject "stale" geists that have long since died, instead binding unwilling living subjects into machines to extract the "fresh" spirit at the moment of death. Notable among these mad scientists are Hadaken, who animates skaabs and grants them flight using geist-fueled engines; and Dierk, who experimented with binding geists into armor until he was torn apart by eldrazi-infected werewolves at Vess Manor.[2]
Selhoff is often described as a city on the edge of the world.[3] Mist almost perpetually covers the town and the nearby Morkrut Swamp. The high spirit activity has repelled some human inhabitants, while attracting others, primarily skaberen and alchemists who experiment with geist energy. The town’s elite reside within the towers and spires that distinguish Selhoff from other Nephalian settlements; hence, the phrase "the spires of Selhoff" is commonly used by locals to denote their southernmost city.
The monstrous Kraum is often seen flying above Selhoff’s rooftops, cackling maniacally, making Ludevic, Kraum’s creator, a wanted man among the town’s residents.
The Nebelgast
The Nebelgast, or 'Breath of the Sleepless,' is a geist-filled fog surrounding much of Innistrad. Along the Nephalian coastline and in Selhoff, these spirits ebb and flow with the tide; though fewer spirits are present at low tide, they do not vanish entirely. The moon’s gravitational pull influences the tide and thus the spirits’ presence, drawing them into the living world to haunt. The Nebelgast mainly consists of marei (drowned sailors and shipwreck victims) and niblis (frost phantoms), alongside a variety of other ghosts and spirits drawn by the moon.[4]
Innistrad’s galleons venture into the thinnest parts of the Nebelgast at low tide, skirting the shore from a safe distance, but captains return to port before high tide to avoid becoming prey to the spirits.
Vizag Atum
Due to the abundance of geists in and around Selhoff, a large oracular cult known as the Vizag Atum communes with geists to divine secrets beyond mortal knowledge. The most famous Vizag is Minaldra, a tall, pale woman who sits in a near-constant trance, engulfed in fumes from a brazier smoldering with mandrake root. Some of her dire oracles are quoted by fanatics convinced that Avacyn’s madness foretells the world’s end. Despite angelic efforts that reduced the cult to a handful of members, Minaldra’s utterances have grown increasingly ominous and often obscure.[2]
Locations
- The Bay of Vustrow – the cold, misty body of water into which the Ospid River empties, bordering Selhoff’s haunted port. Its tides help shape the Nebelgast’s flow, drawing restless spirits inland to prowl the coastal town.[2]
- Morkrut
– A large, fog-draped marsh surrounding Selhoff and the delta of the Ospid. Few venture into Morkrut except ghoulcallers, who themselves risk becoming lost in its mists. The swamp is a common dumping ground for murder victims and unclaimed bodies, making it rife with vampires, banshees, and other malevolent geists. The infamous necromancer Jadar haunts the Morkrut, plundering graves for miles around the delta. A witch named Odila is said to dwell within the swamp, serving a demon rumored to inhabit the marsh.[2] - The Ospid River – winds through the lowlands of Nephalia and forms the fertile delta where Selhoff stands. Its waters feed the Bay of Vustrow and the surrounding swamps, making it central to the region’s eerie, geist-haunted landscape.[2]
- Sarka Manor – An estate near the Ospid River, just above the delta. It is home to the Ospid Horror, a hereditary monstrous corruption that manifests as a hideous, inhuman creature every other generation.[2]
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Referred to:
References
- ↑ Magic Creative Team (October 19, 2011). "A Planeswalker's Guide to Innistrad: Nephalia and the Undead". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03.
- ↑ a b c d e f James Wyatt 2016, "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad".
- ↑ Aysha U. Farah (October 29, 2021). "The Edge of the World". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March, 2012). "Ask Wizards - March 2012". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23.