Untitled four-color set project

[void_nothing]

So, at the risk of spreading myself too thin, I just have to note down the most recent custom set idea that I can't get out of my head.

I'd like to make a four-color faction set (yes, I know) based on a plane where high/ceremonial/esoteric magic is really developed. The factions would be five nations or city-states whose esoteric traditions were each based on a different tetrad - a set of four things or principles loosely based on some real-life magic or mythical concept.

There are a ton of these to choose from, actually: Four Winds, Four Classical Elements, Four Humors - and that's just in the Western traditions. Then in China alone there are Four Symbolic Animals, Four Perils... you get the idea. What I now need to do is get the concept through successive refinements, in an apropos alchemical metaphor.

[void_nothing]

Bumping for concepts to come.

[Zero_Origin]

So you just said "challenge accepted" to a four color set. I commend you. Although that will surely be a challenge, the idea of basing the faction identities on existing tetrads sounds fascinating. I'm familiar with the classical elements and four humors, but not the ones from eastern traditions. If these systems naturally lend themselves to representing each of the five, four color archetypes, then you have an interesting foundation already. I'm interested to see where this project goes from here when you get around to it!

[void_nothing]

Thanks for the encouragement!

My tentative faction list is the following.

UBRG - The Freistadt of Veckel: Amoral apothecaries and transmuters based on the Four Humors of early European medicine, plus the Four Winds
BRGW - The Taizan Dominion: Proud battlemages with a savage side based on the Four Perils of Chinese mythology
RGWU - The Reenkala Chronocracy: Highly skilled and allegedly insane mystics based on the Four Yugas of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology
GWUB - The Quadrinate of Blessed Edges: Regiments serving one or each of four seemingly perfect, implacable ancient paladins based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from Christian religious tradition
WUBR - The Kingdom of Zawlag: Obsessive bibliomancers and librarians based on various collections of Four Holy Books

The real-world inspirations for each will be held to as closely or as loosely as I think serves the setting in any given moment, lol.

[Venedrex]

Very nice!
I especially like The Quadrinate, and the idea of it's leaders being the Four Horseman.

Hmm, I don't mean to presume or steal your thunder, so feel free to ignore this and make your own, but I was thinking of what each one would look like as cards. Maybe they could have an etb/on-attack trigger?

Could Famine be green?

Famine
Legendary Creature — Avatar Knight (M)
(Some keyword?)
Whenever Famine enters the battlefield or attacks, target opponent sacrifices each artifact they control. (My thought process being food tokens, and or treasures being money to buy food.)
4/4

[void_nothing]

That's a good starting point for sure! And Avatar Knight is totally the typing I'd use.

[Zero_Origin]

Thanks for sharing the faction list! They all seem pretty cool so far. After doing some research into the tetrads I wasn't familiar with, I have some hot takes and questions:

Apothecaries for the humors just makes too much sense. I'm assuming you're rolling the four elements into this faction, since they correspond 1:1 with the humors. Also, how are the four winds (which also seem to correspond to the four seasons) going to be included in the theme here? Is the color combination like this: =Phlegmatic, =Melancholy, =Choleric, =Sanguine?

Is there a reason you are going with the four perils instead of the four auspicious beasts? The latter seem to fit this color combo perfectly, given the colors they represent.

Which Yuga will correspond to which color? Seems like there is more room for creative liscense here than with some of the other factions.

The 4 horsemen as paladins?! Sounds like an interesting contrast for paragons of virtue to be associated with such negative qualities. Makes sense for the color combo though (bant + black). I'm intrigued to see how that will turn out.

Seems like Zawlag is purely your own creation, unless you are basing the holy books on existing tetrads.

At any rate, some these seem to line up really well with the color combos you chose, while some might take a little creative license to work, but hey, that's half the fun.

[void_nothing]

Apothecaries for the humors just makes too much sense. I'm assuming you're rolling the four elements into this faction, since they correspond 1:1 with the humors. Also, how are the four winds (which also seem to correspond to the four seasons) going to be included in the theme here? Is the color combination like this: =Phlegmatic, =Melancholy, =Choleric, =Sangquine?

Given how "elemental" magic is pretty prevalent in any setting in this game, everybody's kind of going to get a bit of that, so I'm not considering the four classical elements as a tetrad. You have my humors assignment scheme spot-on.

Is there a reason you are going with the four perils instead of the four auspicious beasts? The latter seem to fit this color combo perfectly, given the colors they represent.

The Perils are wackier and more fun and have fewer... fictional conventions about their depictions. (There's also two non-overlapping Perils lists, making the whole thing more needlessly difficult interesting to research.) This is basically just a hobbyhorse of mine, and besides, the Black Tortoise of the North isn't especially black in Magic terms, etc.

Which Yuga will correspond to which color? Seems like there is more room for creative liscense here than with some of the other factions.

Krta/Satya - the age of creation - is the basis for the W era and I think R is the obvious Kali Yuga-analogue color. Reenkala's flavor is a bit abstract, I admit.

Seems like Zawlag is purely your own creation, unless you are basing the holy books on existing tetrads.

There are four Vedas, four Gospels, and mainstream Islam recognizes four revealed books (Tawrat, the Torah; Zabur, which may be David's Psalms; Injil, the New Testament; and of course the Quran). Since these are all the scriptures of some of the world's biggest religions, this is the vaguest inspiration for reasons of good taste. The Zawlags are sort of Borges librarians in my early conceptions.

[void_nothing]

Next - my current plan for how to construct the faction themes!

[Zero_Origin]

The Perils are wackier and more fun and have fewer... fictional conventions about their depictions. (There's also two non-overlapping Perils lists, making the whole thing more needlessly difficult interesting to research.) This is basically just a hobbyhorse of mine, and besides, the Black Tortoise of the North isn't especially black in Magic terms, etc.

Xuánwǔ definitely doesn't seem black, although the Tortoise and Snake generals could still fit since they became demons (although they did atone later). Creative licence could make Xuánwǔ's pursuit of godhood into pursuit of immortality via undeath, which would fit black. At any rate, that's just a possibility that occurred to me; but by all means, go with your hobbyhorse!

Krta/Satya - the age of creation - is the basis for the W era and I think R is the obvious Kali Yuga-analogue color. Reenkala's flavor is a bit abstract, I admit.

Yeah, I thought Krita would either be due to the focus on virtue, or because of hunter/gatherer closeness to nature (lack of agriculture/mining, etc.). for Treta could also work, since that age is the beginning of civilization. for the final age makes sense, given that people then are slaves to their passions. So that would leave for Dvapara, which fits the emphasis of both learning and deceit in that era.

Also, given the Hindu theme, it seems like Avatars would make even more sense here than they would for the Four Horseman.

There are four Vedas, four Gospels, and mainstream Islam recognizes four revealed books (Tawrat, the Torah; Zabur, which may be David's Psalms; Injil, the New Testament; and of course the Quran). Since these are all the scriptures of some of the world's biggest religions, this is the vaguest inspiration for reasons of good taste. The Zawlags are sort of Borges librarians in my early conceptions.

Ok, now I simultaneously get the real world inspiration for this faction, while seeing why you would only want to draw a minimal amount of inspiration from said religions. Seems like a good call on your part. I like the idea of them being librarians. I get a lorehold vibe from them so far, and the lack of green seems to fit well here, since they are obsessive bookworms (rather than brawny fighters). Given the established color identity, and the current flavor focus on history, it makes sense if artifacts would be a key theme for this faction.