The Vorthos Cast

The Story Circle reconvenes for one, special episode in honor of the truly most powerful wizard from Dominaria: Barrin. Before he was Barrin, though, he was Barrinalo, a young scribe whose life would be forever changed by the death of another wizard, Pharon. This story by Paul B. Thompson originally appeared in The Secrets of Magic anthology from 2002, edited by Jess Lebow. It is read by the incredible Christopher Wilson.

We will return next week with regular episodes, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy this audio version of a beloved Magic story.

If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

We welcome Seanan McGuire back to the podcast this week to talk about Lorwyn: Eclipsed, her most recent story for Magic! We talk about what it's like balancing writing a brand new cast of characters in a legacy setting that's nearly 20 years old and characters who have loomed large in player nostalgia since 2007. She also gives us a little more detail about Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos and writing the first Magic novel since 2019.

If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

Lorwyn: Eclipsed is a special set for Magic as it marks the first full return to the plane of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, last visited nearly 20 years ago! The world has changed considerably, but you'll find that the flavor has only gotten better with age. The care and dedication put into this return is undeniable, with art and designs honoring the past and showing how far Magic has come since 2007. Our flavor gems are only a first serving, and we encourage you to return to the table and share your own delicious findings!

If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

We've talked about the main story of Lorwyn: Eclipsed, but there's still more Magic story! Lorwyn: Eclipsed also came with three side stories by both new and returning authors, adding depth to the world of day and night. This week we're going to talk about "Much Ado About Thieving" by Tobi Ogundiran, "Three Dreams, Three Truths" by K. Arsenault Rivera, and "Star Crossed" by Akemi Dawn Bowman. Read all three stories at MTGStory.com because they're all very good!

If you'd like to support the show, we'd like that, too! By going to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast, you can donate as little as $1 a month and get access to our Discord server, where Vorthoses from around the world talk about Magic lore, story, and also the card game sometimes. And if you donate at $3 a month, you can listen to us record live! All paid patrons get access to early episode releases, too!

2025 was one of the best years for Magic story ever, with huge hits like Edge of Eternities and Tarkir: Dragonstorm alongside announcements for a new novel and comic book line. This week, we're go through everything Vorthos from last year and discuss the hits and misses for worldbuilding, narrative, and story releases. Where did Magic excel and where did it fall flat? And what the **** was that D&D supplement?

For all our Patreon supporters, thank you all so much for another year of The Vorthos Cast! We wouldn't be able to do it without you! Even just $1 a month is enough to let us know you value our podcast in your lives and that keeps us going. You're the best!

If you aren't a Patreon supporter, you can be! It's easy! Go to Patreon.com/TheVorthosCast and give us $1 a month to access our Discord server and listen to episodes early! That's only $12 in a year, which is less than the cost of one digital copy of Lorwyn: First Light! You could spend that money on us instead and get like 50 hours of podcast where we won't even tell you to go buy a second podcast to understand the first one. For $3 a week you can listen to us record live and hear our thoughts on the Justice League and baseball.