The Trials of the Five Gods are the core of the faith of the people of Amonkhet.
Description
The Trials of the Five Gods are a series of tasks performed on the plane of Amonkhet that each inhabitant of the world aspires to complete. Originally, the Trials predated Nicol Bolas intrusion into the plane and were only held once in a sun-cycle. Bolas took this tenet and perverted it to hold the population of Naktamun in a never-ending state of exercise.[1] An initiate who undergoes a trial is awarded a Cartouche upon its completion.[2] The God-Pharaoh teaches that this record of the initiate’s achievements preserves the initiate’s essence, safeguarding their life force for the journey to the afterlife. Only the best of the best attain the "worthy dead" and have the honor of being personally killed by Hazoret after completing the 5th trial. The corpses of the survivors are shipped through the Gates of the Afterlife at the end of the Hekma, and are believed to stay in a hidden oasis. It was thought that upon his return, Bolas would grant an afterlife to the worthy dead. This "afterlife" was revealed to be the transformation into an Eternal. With the deaths of most of the gods, it remains to be seen if the trials will continue.
Here are the Trials in the order that the citizens of Amonkhet complete them:[3]
- The Trial of Solidarity (
) — This Trial tests your ability to work with others. It involves recovering Oketra's arrow as a team, fighting through her angels, mummies, horned beasts, and viziers. - The Trial of Knowledge (
) — This Trial tests your mental capacity. It involves figuring out one's way out of a labyrinth of water and illusion, catered to the initiates' basic fears, without being drowned. Magic dampens instincts and emotions. - The Trial of Strength (
) — This Trial tests your physical capacity. It involves climbing through a wall full of poisonous thorns, whose toxins prevent spellcasting, then fighting through hordes of wild beasts and recovering the antidote on a basilisk's scale, then keep traveling the jungle. - The Trial of Ambition (
) — This Trial tests your willingness to do what must be done. It involves moving through several dark chambers full of traps and monsters, encouraging crop members to sacrifice each other until they arrive at a clear water body full of poisonous snakes, whose only means of crossing involve sacrificing the heart of a fellow crop member. - The Trial of Zeal () — This final Trial is a fight to the death. The initiates fight whatever Hazoret deems worthy.[4] During the last Trial before the Hour of Devastation, the Worthy had to face dissenters and heretics to prove their faith.
In-game
In game the Trials are represented by a cycle of uncommon enchantments, which have an enter the battlefield effect, which reflects their color. Trials also have a clause, where whenever a trial's owner plays a cartouche, they return it to their hand.
- Trial of Solidarity () — Creatures you control get +2/+1 until end of turn.
- Trial of Knowledge () — Draw three cards and discard a card.
- Trial of Ambition () — Target opponent sacrifices a creature.
- Trial of Zeal () — Deals 3 damage to any target.
- Trial of Strength () — Creates a 4/2 Green Beast creature.
References
- ↑ Alison Luhrs (June 7, 2017). "The Hour of Revelation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Dave Humpherys (April 4, 2017). "Developing Amonkhet". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 17, 2017). "Amonkhet Down to Business, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text of Glorybringer
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