Maag Taranau
| Maag Taranau | |
|---|---|
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[[File:{{#setmainimage:Maag Taranau cropped art.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Characteristics | |
| Origin | Thunder Junction |
| Creator | The Fomori |
| User | Oko, Jace Beleren |
| Status | Unlocked |
Maag Taranau, also known as The Vault, was a mysterious ancient artifact from Thunder Junction, which was rumored to hide untold riches and power. It was the only structure on the plane that predated the Omenpaths.[1] Akul and the Hellspurs built the town of Tarnation to surround the Vault.
Description
Maag Taranau was an enormous rock with sharp, jagged edges hovering in the sky.[2] Clouds swirled around the tallest spire as if caught in its orbit while lava flowed from the edge, pooling into the twisted rivers that moved through Tarnation, the city below. Its entrance was a round door that split down the middle revealing a wide chamber holding a light grid trap.[3] The chamber ended in a stairway leading to a warded door, behind which was another stairway leading to another door holding a keyhole. The vault within is a seemingly infinite expanse filled with a golden mist and overlapping stairs. At the top of the innermost platform was a metal pod-like structure encased in glass containing the infant Loot, below a mural of a Fomori.
A maze of warped rock foundations wound through Tarnation, surrounded by a circular canyon.[2] Buildings made of solidified lava rock and sharpened bits of wood were everywhere, and animal bones framed many of the doors and windows, illuminated by the colorful lanterns hidden inside. Many saloons populated the city, as well as an old quarry and a dueling grounds.[4] An elevator led to the vault's entrance.[3] Tarnation's location was kept secret by killing those outside the Hellspurs who knew of it, and only Hellspurs were allowed in the settlement.[5]
After the vault was opened, its true form was revealed to be an enormous golden sphere. Over millennia, a rock formation had calcified around the real vault, making it appear to be carved from natural stone.
Key
The Vault's key was separated into six pieces, five of which remained on Thunder Junction, while the sixth was off-plane.[6] Each piece is a small, otherworldly artifact made of time-blackened metal that gleams in fluorescent hues, with a glass dome at the key's center.[1][2]
History
Maag Taranau was created by the Fomori by or before -5000 AR.[7][8]
After the opening of the Omenpaths, several parties raced to take control of the Vault and its treasures. Akul and the Hellspurs built Tarnation around the vault hoping to control it.[1] Bertram Graywater from the Sterling Company was collecting keys to unlock the vault. He obtained the sixth and final key from an unknown source and placed it in a hidden safe in his office. The key was later stolen by Oko's gang, who were hired by the planeswalker Jace Beleren, disguised as Ashiok.[1]
The warlock Kaervek determined that the key was neither Thran nor Phyrexian, but as old, or older. He believed that the artifact was more than a key, and perhaps even more dangerous than Oko and his gang could understand.[8]
When the gang ran afoul of the Hellspurs, the key was taken by Akul.[2] The dragon had a medallion on a chain around his neck, with five spikes protruding from the sides at uneven heights. In the center was a strange carving with six glass domes, all lit with a different color except for one. Akul slotted the sixth key into the medallion, and the edges morphed into another spike. The final glass dome became an iridescent violet. The medallion clicked and moved, turning in place until the spikes revealed a pattern. They weren't six keys — they were six pieces of one key. Oko stole this final key back during a shootout between the Hellspurs and the Sterling Company.
The Company, the Hellspurs, and Oko's gang all descended on the vault simultaneously, hoping to be the first to plunder it.[3] Ultimately, it was Oko who opened the vault, and Jace who got inside. He found what he was looking for, an infant creature that had been in stasis at the vault's center and planeswalked away. In so doing, he triggered a trap that eventually caused the vault to soar into outer space, with Akul sealed inside. It later fell back to the earth, scattering its contents across the plane.[9][5]
Background
The contents of Maag Taranau were revealed in The Big Score (a.k.a. The Vault), a bonus sheet of 30 cards associated with Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Multiple clues on the cards point to the Fomori origin for Maag Taranau.[10]
The name of Maag Taranau combines the Old Irish mag ("plains") with the Welsh taranau ("thunder").
Gallery
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Maag Taranau in the Outlaws of Thunder Junction x Cowboy Bebop trailer.
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
References
- ↑ a b c d Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 13, 2024). "Episode 2: The Jailbreak". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 20, 2024). "Episode 4: Finding Tarnation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 25, 2024). "Episode 6: The Ballad of Thieves and Thunderslingers". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 22, 2024). "Outlaws of Thunder Junction - Episode - 5: Hign Moon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Jay Annelli (April 30, 2024). "The Omenpath Handbook: Thunder Junction". CoolStuffInc.
- ↑ Roy Graham (April 17, 2024). "Akul is from a plane called Gastal!". Twitter.
- ↑ Alison Lührs (April 2, 2024). "Outlaws of Thunder Junction - Epilogue 2: Bring the End, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Akemi Dawn Bowman (March 17, 2024). "Episode 3: A Train to Prosperity". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text for Sol Ring
- ↑ Dusty cupboards (March 11, 2024). "the card nexus of becoming from thunder junction definitely shows a Fomori spacesuit.". Twitter.
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