Magic and Meaning
Lead Us Not Into Temptation: The Ludonarrative of Temptation in Tales of Middle-earth
July 6, 2023
10 min to read
Jacob looks at the the tension between designing the temptation mechanic for gameplay, and the realities of temptation within Tolkien’s work.
Race and Representation in Tales of Middle-earth
June 2, 2023
11 min to read
Answering questions of authorial intent and adaptation in The Lord of the Rings.
Review: Magic the Gathering – The Visual Guide by Jay Annelli
December 19, 2022
6 min to read
Jacob provides a review on the most recent visual guide book to come out.
Excavating Antiquities: A Brothers’ War Companion, Part 2
October 26, 2022
8 min to read
Experience the original story of the Brothers’ War through the flavor text of lands and artifacts from Magic: The Gathering’s first expansion set.
Excavating Antiquities: A Brothers’ War Companion, Part 1
October 19, 2022
9 min to read
How do we piece together the history of The Brothers’ War from the flavor text of Antiquities cards?
Top 10 Magic Churches Through Which To Work Out My Real World Feelings About Religion
September 21, 2022
11 min to read
A more serious top 10 approaches.
Legends, the Bible, and Worldbuilding Through Allusion
July 18, 2022
9 min to read
Explore seven cards from Oegends that most obviously reference stories from the Bible.
The Splendor of Nightlife
May 16, 2022
8 min to read
What the splendor of nightlife shows us, of course, is at best a shadow of the real.
What’s in a Name? A Glossary of Sacred Spaces in Kamigawa
February 23, 2022
10 min to read
Jacob explores the terms for sacred spaces in Japanese religion as they appear on the plane of Kamigawa.
The Secret of the Fox
February 9, 2022
8 min to read
The fox is both trickster and guide, elusive loner and the healer of communities.
As Hallowtide Approaches, Negotiating Faith and Festival
October 27, 2021
8 min to read
The story of Harvesttide in Midnight Hunt offers a constructive vision interfaith collaboration in the face of real world challenges.