Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum
| Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum | |||||
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| Publishing Information | |||||
| Author(s) | Robert B. Wintermute | ||||
| First printing | April 6, 2010 | ||||
| ISBN-13 | 978-0786954766 | ||||
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Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum is the Zendikar block novel, written by Robert B. Wintermute.[1] It was released on April 6, 2010.
Overview
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum | Robert B. Wintermute | April 2010 | Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi | Zendikar | Nissa Revane, Hiba, Sutina, Stina, Rawli, Gloui, Sorin Markov, Anowon, Khalled, Raspin, Margen, Lysene (mentioned), Smara, Indorel, Aleen, Brinelin, Ser Amaran, Mudheel, Biss, Shir, Ugin (mentioned) |
Featured events, characters, and cards
Featured events
Featured characters
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Blurb
| “ | Lurking in the space between the aether and the physical plane, there is a great evil waiting to emerge ...
Zendikar is a land of danger and adventure, a world of deadly risks and priceless treasures. It is also a prison to one of the most deadly threats the Multiverse has ever known: the dreaded Eldrazi. Nissa Revane, a planeswalker and proud elf warrior, is witness to what they can do when she stumbles into a vanguard wave of the monstrous brood. What she doesn't know is that these monsters are but pale reflections of the still-imprisoned titans. But the ancient vampire planeswalker Sorin Markov knows all too well the power of the Eldrazi titans. He was among the original jailers of the aether-borne scourge, and he has returned to Zendikar to make sure they do not escape. Both have their ideas about what has to be done, but neither knows what's in store as they set out across the land in search of the source of the Eldrazi uprising. |
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Plot
Nissa Revane, a Joraga elf and planeswalker, comes to Turntimber to learn the art of climbing and hunting from the Tajuru, a canopy elf tribe. However, Eldrazi attack, killing Speaker Sutina and Nissa's friend Hiba, and destroying Mosscrack, a village in the Tajuru home tree. Nissa encounters the strange human Sorin, and the vampire archaeomancer Anowon, who has become enthralled to the Eldrazi but is freed when the brood are killed. Sorin appears deeply familiar with Zendikar, yet says he is lost and needs a guide. He recruits Nissa to help him reach Akoum, where the Eye of Ugin lies. Eager to see the two men away from Turntimber—and curious about the new Eldrazi threat—Nissa agrees.
Sorin and his companions travel to nearby Graypelt to meet Nissa’s friend, an old merfolk cartographer named Khalled, and gather supplies for the journey. Khalled offers what help he can, including a piece of the puzzle tower Tal Terig, so they can find their way. The trio descends into the Makindi Trench and, after avoiding The Roil several times, encounters a massive band of Kor refugees. Shortly thereafter, they come across a Kor of a different kind: a babbling Kor woman traveling with a large group of goblins. The trio shares a campfire with her. She speaks only in bursts of ancient languages, which fascinates both Sorin and Anowon. The goblins explain that the woman is named Smara and that she is a "witch vessel" carrying a spirit trapped in the crystal she holds. They too are traveling to the Eye of Ugin, and Sorin suggests they journey together.
Eventually, the mismatched group reaches the Piston Mountains and Zulaport beyond. They stay the night in Zulaport, intending to find a way to cross the ocean in the morning, but a vampiric death blamed on their group forces them to flee. Nissa steals a boat and summons a massive beast to swim the ocean and pull the boat. They soon regret their hasty departure, as their provisions quickly run out and the goblins begin to vanish one by one. Nissa cannot sleep without dismissing the behemoth, and with no food or rest, she survives only by repeating her hard-learned Joraga fasting mantras. During this time, Sorin finally reveals the truth of their mission and admits he too is a planeswalker. He explains that the ancient “gods” of Zendikar—the Eldrazi titans—are bound beneath Akoum, and it is his duty to ensure they remain sealed. The next morning, they approach the beaches of their destination.
Landing in Akoum proves perilous. The bays are littered with shipwrecks and crystal reefs, but the greatest danger is the Moon Kraken that rules those waters. Brinelin demands tribute from their boat, and Sorin casually kills one of the remaining goblins to satisfy the creature. When that proves insufficient, Sorin reveals more of his true nature. Brinelin recognizes Sorin and is disturbed by his return but still refuses to let them pass. Since Sorin’s intimidation fails, Nissa tries diplomacy. She tells Brinelin of Sutina’s death—Sutina was the kraken’s friend—and speaks of the return of the brood. Saddened by the loss and alarmed by the Eldrazi’s reappearance, Brinelin relents and guides them safely through the reefs.
After accosting a group of climbers to bring them up the cliffs, the party approaches Tal Terig, now surrounded by brood, and is captured by a group of elves Nissa has never seen before. These are the keepers of Ora Ondor, who plan to sacrifice the group to nourish their sacred Kolya fruits. In their zeal, they underestimate the brood, who soon besiege Ora Ondor. Nissa and her dwindling group—now reduced to just Smara, one goblin named Mudheel, and the original trio—escape during the chaos. As they flee, Ora Ondor is overtaken by Eldrazi. Mudheel agrees to lead them to the Eye of Ugin, as his knowledge of Akoum outstrips Anowon’s, but the group, without supplies, soon collapses in the wastes. They are saved by a scout who shares water with them—only for Anowon to kill the man with Sorin’s permission, shocking Nissa.
Afterward, the group becomes aware they are being followed. That night, they are ambushed by an army of Nulls led by the two vampires Biss and Shir. Nissa falls in battle and awakens as their prisoner. The vampires say they are hunting “the Mortifier,” whom Nissa assumes to be Anowon. They carry her for days, leaving her puzzled as to why she is kept alive, until her companions finally rescue her. When Nissa questions Anowon about the Mortifier, he denies being the target, and she begins to sense the deeper truth about Sorin. After some insinuation from Nissa, he admits to being a vampire and the real reason so many around them have vanished during the trip.
Upon finally reaching the Eye of Ugin, Sorin's plans diverge from what Nissa expects. Rather than helping reinforce the spell imprisoning the Eldrazi, Sorin prepares to act alone. Nissa, believing the titans should be freed to return to the stars, shatters the central hedron and dissolves the binding enchantment. With the Release of the Eldrazi, the titans—Emrakul, Kozilek, and Ulamog—are unleashed. Nissa expects them to leave Zendikar, but they remain. Horrified, Sorin abandons the plane and the "foolish elf" who refused to listen, leaving Nissa to face the consequences of what she has done.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (April, 2010). "Magic Novels:Zendikar". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.