Wicked Slumber

The Wicked Slumber was a curse cast in response to New Phyrexia's invasion of Eldraine by the fae lord Talion and the witch sisters Agatha, Eriette, and Hylda.

Description

Those afflicted by the Wicked Slumber appear asleep, swirling with strands of violet mist. Animals are also affected, and even tree boughs droop as if exhausted in areas where the Slumber is prominent. As it spread throughout the Realm, entire villages were wreathed in rivers of violet. Ashiok and Eriette are able to control those in the Slumber — Ashiok being particularly able — and Eriette in turn began teaching the ability to Rowan.

History

Background

Eldraine suffered great losses during the Invasion. It had started subtly in the Wilds and remained undetected. However, within days of Realmbreaker's appearance, the courts of the Realm had fallen, High King Algenus and Queen Linden Kenrith were killed, and Ayara had been compleated, along with her guards and all of Castle Locthwain.

The Curse

Returning from a long trip, Talion, the fae Lord of the Wilds, was forced to join with the three witch sisters Agatha, Eriette, and Hylda to cast the Wicked Slumber on the plane to halt the Invasion. In exchange for helping to cast the Slumber, Talion provided each of the witches with a magical artifact that enhanced their powers: Agatha's Soul Cauldron, Eriette's Tempting Apple, and Hylda's Crown of Winter.

The Fae World under the influence of the Slumber.

However, the curse did not lift after the Invasion's conclusion, but instead Eriette extended the curse to the plane's living inhabitants, including Talion's child, Obyra, hoping to build a realm of her own where all the plane's inhabitants were subservient to her will. Ashiok took advantage of this slumber to use the inhabitants' nightmares against those still awake, while the Kenrith twins, having lost their shared spark, pursued differing methods in reuniting the realms. As acting king, Will ordered that victims of the curse be placed in glass caskets to protect them.

To end the curse, Talion tasked the knight Imodane to kill the three witches. When she was caught by Agatha, Talion handed the task to the half-fae Kellan, promising him information about his fae father. Kellan eventually succeeded in the quest, breaking the curse, though he declined his reward.

Story

The Wicked Slumber is a folktale that tells the story of the sleeping curse.

Excerpt	Card Source
'Twas the cruelest of ironies: the realm, in desperate need of rest, gripped by endless sleep that offered no comfort.	Polluted Bonds (Enchanting Tales, #34)
The king ordered those lost in sleep be placed in glass gaskets, protected and watched in case they might one day wake.	Rest in Peace (Enchanting Tales, #12)

Known Victims

• Syr Damon
• Syr Joshua
• Kellan
• Neva
• Obyra
• Rankle
• Syr Saxon

In-game references

Represented in:

• Expel the Interlopers (Wilds of Eldraine, #381)
• Wicked Slumber

Associated cards:

• Agatha of the Vile Cauldron
• Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator
• Can't Wake Up
• Dream Spoilers
• Eriette of the Charmed Apple
• Faerie Slumber Party
• Hylda of the Icy Crown
• Savior of the Sleeping
• Sleep-Cursed Faerie
• Slumbering Keepguard
• Talion, the Kindly Lord
• Wicked Visitor

Depicted in:

• Cruel Somnophage
• Eerie Interference
• Eriette's Whisper
• Faerie Fencing
• Glass Casket (Wilds of Eldraine)
• Neva, Stalked by Nightmares
• Obyra, Dreaming Duelist
• Obyra's Attendants

Referred to:

• Cerise, Slayer of Fear
• Dunbarrow Revivalist
• Rest in Peace (Enchanting Tales)
• Polluted Bonds (Enchanting Tales, #34)
• Syr Joshua and Syr Saxon

Trivia

• During Vision Design, the Wilds of Eldraine team realized that they needed an in-universe reason for the Wicked Slumber to exist and that having it be a countermeasure to the Phyrexian Invasion made a lot of sense. They requested a card that showed a giant sleeping spell be designed in March of the Machine to support this origin story, which ultimately became Wicked Slumber.