Phyrexia is Hell | A 30-Year History of Magic's Most Sinister Villains

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This video traces a 30-year history of Magic's oldest villains - the Phyrexians - and showcases the evolution of their visual design. It also provides an introduction to the esoteric Phyrexian language.
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🦉 Guests:
Fernando Franco Félix
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ϕ Deciphering Phyrexian Playlist:
• Deciphering Phyrexian
🎵 Music:
In Obscurity Lies the Gate - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
www.epidemicsound.com/track/o...
The Golden Spiral - Yi Nantiro
www.epidemicsound.com/track/0...
Atomic Numbers 1 - August Wilhelmsson
www.epidemicsound.com/track/X...
Shapes of Shadows - Franz Gordon
www.epidemicsound.com/track/C...
Spook - JH Coleman
www.epidemicsound.com/track/C...
My Moon and Your Sun - Hampus Naeselius
www.epidemicsound.com/track/V...
Willow Wonder - Guustavv
www.epidemicsound.com/track/2...
Feeeeelings - Guustavv
www.epidemicsound.com/track/n...
In Pieces - Madison York
www.epidemicsound.com/track/j...
The Tired Summer - Franz Gordon
www.epidemicsound.com/track/t...
Autumnal Equinox - Ave Air
www.epidemicsound.com/track/l...
📘 Chapters:
0:00 Card Kingdom
0:20 Coalesce Apparel & Design
0:43 Prologue: 32 Teeth
3:49 Part I: The Primordials
13:54 Part II: The Viral Prismatic Empire
30:57 Part III: The Metal Tongue
49:03 Part IV: All Will Be One
1:04:28 Nils Hamm Playmat & Token Collection
1:05:28 Epilogue: The Hexadecimal Die
📓 Sources:
docs.google.com/document/d/1s...
#mtg #magicthegathering

[@soorian6493]

There's something wonderfully thematic about the fact that despite Phyrexian being written vertically, it is displayed horizontally on cards. The idea that a Phyrexian would be most comfortable reading the name of a land or creature when it is tapped (aka exploited) is perfect.

[@adrianmartinez-lq5he]

Underrated comment Brilliant

[@daveSoupy]

This comment needs to be pinned.

[@thewigglyninja]

As I was watching this video I was telling my girlfriend that if I'd have tried to translate it, I'd have stumbled at the first hurdle... that being the presentation the text horizontally on the card. I finished the video and came to the comments and instantly had my mind blown. The text IS the right way up on the card, the Phyrexians ravenous consumption of resources means that they would scarecly see untapped resources. It's storytelling that transcends the limitations of it's form. They're no longer just conveying narrative through the card art or the flavour text, but through the fundamental mechanics of the game, it's astounding.

[@felipearaujodominici3057]

That's an awesome analysis, thanks for that

[@ttd0000]

OH.

[@keanureef271]

The fact that this was basically a feature film and it came out only two months after your last video is insane. Thank you for all the work you put into your art.

[@piercearora7681]

@Don't Read My Profile Photo Oh fuck off

[@SerechII]

Writing a script and panning pngs for an hour =/= feature film

[@BBQChippie]

Totally agree, really high-quality content every time. It's a beautiful video essay and also a wonderful bit of journalism.

[@StoicDivinity]

Adderall is a thing.

[@warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165]

@@HesJuanShot Given the concept of this video, this is a very apt comment ^^

[@ABonafideSkeleton]

Boy, those Phyrexians sure are really cool villains that have had a lot of effort put into them. Sure hope this multiversal war they're staging has a good conclusion.

[@maxlove8707]

I sure hope its not quarter baked and i hope its not the last nail in the coffin before mtg becomes expensive cardboard funkopops

[@ABonafideSkeleton]

@@maxlove8707 That would be _awful._

[@Ahrpigi]

Surely the culmination of 20+ years of planes and walkers wouldn't be mostly resolved with a handwave off screen

[@johndoe9343]

@@Ahrpigi where can i find out more about that. didn't realize that lore wise there were these problems.

[@rightwingersexposed8800]

I wonder if such stories that are this ambitious or large can actually have satisfying conclusions

[@Alpharius93]

I've never heard anything about Magic lore or Phyrexia, and clicked on this just out of curiosity. I was definitely not expecting such an in-depth and superbly composed essay about a creepy yet oddly fascinating fictional race. Now excuse me while I "perfect" my vocal chords so I can properly speak Phyrexian

[@zenalias3131]

Came in for lore and analysis behind art pieces and I never expected a long segment about the language. Fernando's dedication truly demands every respect I can give.

[@HighlyEntropicMind]

Thank you so much, but this is only possible because the magic community at large is just so fucking cool

[@toastghost9145]

Now I want to learn this language. I'm utterly fascinated by it

[@jorgemarin2376]

@@HighlyEntropicMindbless your autism . This is amazing

[@nathanl8622]

I'm also curious what the Phyrexian language _can't_ say. Considering how much they strive to strip away everything that doesn't fit with their warped vision of 'perfection,' a simple expression of physical need like "I'm thirsty" might not even be in their lexicon.

[@DefaultSeaTurtle]

One thing that might be of interest we've speculated on - there doesn't seem to really be pronouns in the English sense (namely "I"). First person can be done with conjugation, but there's not really a word for it.

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

​@@DefaultSeaTurtleI wouldn't be surprised. The Phyrexians are, if not a hivemind entirely, then a collective. They have no need to distinguish themselves - every Phyrexian individual is just one piece of their mission to spread perfection.

[@dragonfire72]

​@@noesunyoutuber7680I wouldn't be surprised if first person pronouns were reserved for Praetors- those who lead are the only ones who need to think. I am Phyrexia, I am Perfection, I am Ambition, I am Refinement, I am Nature.

[@meshuggahshirt]

"This word could have been a fuel meter."

[@micos3820]

I'm impressed by the effort Wizards put into the Phyrexian Language. I thought it was just an Alphabet but to hear that it's a full fledged language with its own rules and words is amazing.

[@alexforest4190]

I am also very impressed. I do find it scary with all the implications.

[@sefatsilverlake3816]

I wonder what team did they hired to do it, just genius

[@robt2704]

What's even more impressive is the effort put into the language, and the flaccid fart of a storyline that followed.

[@CharonsNightmare]

@@robt2704 🤝

[@PhoenicopterusR]

​@sefatsilverlake3816 I'm unsure of the team as a whole, but the head linguist they have for phyrexian is named Mary Kathryn Amiotte-Beaulieu. There's a couple interviews on KZbin she's included in.

[@Jerorawr_XD]

"I have these nightmares where I lose my teeth" is the most jaw-dropping (no pun intended) intro lines to any video you've ever done. Masterful work, sir.

[@very_not_emo]

sets up the visceral metalness of the rest of it perfectly

[@1000Tomatoes]

I like that they added unhuman sounds. Most conlangs I know of don't do that even if the are spoken by creatures without a semblance of similarity to humans.

[@sirearlgrey2036]

Still trying to get the inflection right with the "sounds of disharmonious bells"

[@mikeciul8599]

I want a Phyrexian text-to-speech engine that can do all the sounds!

[@MrWarptime]

It's an odd coincidence how one of the notable features of Phyrexians has been the huge amount of teeth, while one of the ways to spot AI art in the current iterations are the images having way too many teeth.

[@d.b.624]

New game mechanic: Dentistry

[@vladislavpetkov6120]

Abominations made from the stolen, stitched together artworks from non-consenting artists are an amazing parallel to phyrexians, I agree

[@ryanspruce7447]

I remember the Jin Gitaxias text reveal. It’s insane that members of the community have such a strong dedication towards a manufactured language that the translation was pretty much spot on

[@Frater_Maven]

Dude, at the community college in my home town you can literally earn credits towards your degree by taking a class studying Tolkien's Elvish language from LOTR. He actually made up 4 languages (Dwarven, Elvish, Entish, and Mordorian) but Elvish is the most developed and polished by far.

[@quint3ssent1a]

I think Yawgmoth is the most fitting man to sing a song "I'm only human, after all". Because he was just that, only a human, not even a planeswalker, but he created the most wicked hell in all multiverse, not even a fucking dragons could match the sheer level of MALICE this dude casually threw around.

[@pokegard]

In all fairness he did have many children who could help, but fair/true

[@ogrogordo6084]

The Ur - Incel of the Thran.

[@henkdachief]

Phyrexia was build by the dragon phyrex who was a descended of atrax, the esper brother of bolas who build chromium. Yawgmoth just wore his crown and made their world his own, but Yawgmoth was a puppet of atrax all along. Hail atrax the greatest creator!

[@comradecameron3726]

@@henkdachiefPhyrex died. Yawgmoth became a God.

[@loremaster6828]

@@henkdachief I'm gonna need that sauce guy

[@noteveryday]

So ... this whole time Wizards has had like a handful of people making the Phyrexian language that is rich and complex and borrows from all sorts of real languages?

[@Kydrou]

They have a couple of employees, whose main job is to maintain phyrexian language. It's the ladies in the end of the video. They even have a special title.

[@AlixL96]

They actually had a professional linguist create the language back in Scars

[@commentas2190]

and yet they chose to promote Secret Lair.

[@ijuhi]

Yeah i seriously doubt that they keep people on salary just to maintain this script.

[@felixrivera895]

I means typically that's the proces you follow to make a conlang

[@mothballsva]

the recent Phyrexian focus in magic has very nearly dragged me back into the game. Phyrexia as a concept hits deep for me, and i can’t describe why.

[@alejandrorivas4585]

Are you a horror fan? A sci-fi enjoyer? Perhaps you are religious or have religious trauma? Do you have mommy issues or have been through an abusive relationship? Perhaps you like giger, or pseudo romans. Do you enjoy stories about resisting authoritarianism? Like the phyrexians tick a lot of very specific boxes and do it all very very well.

[@Kamishi845]

Recently came back to the game but I had never been much into the lore side of things, because I only briefly played some MtG:A a couple of years ago and then went on a long hiatus. Coming back, I really like Wilds of Eldraine and all the Phyrexia cards. I think what I enjoy the most about Phyrexia is that there's a sense of ethereality to the cards; you can often sense a resemblance of something you've seen before, but the way it's depicted is so foreign you can't say where it comes from. It seems almost illusory, not quite real, and the mystery makes you want to keep looking despite also being deeply disturbing. Yet there's elegance and odd beauty, shapes accord to mathematical formulas of balance and attraction, at the same time they're also similarly grotesque and it's like your mind can't decide which one you think is correct. It's simultaneously neither and both. The only other instance I can think of that evokes a similar feeling with its art direction as Phyrexia is Bloodborne, where the world is just as fascinating as it is disturbing.

[@mikefett5989]

Very borg meets hellraiser demons for me

[@daniiltkachuk7519]

same for me, I can feel you, mate

[@Scania114AzulGelo]

I've been aware for a long time now that cards written in phyrexian were a thing, but I always thought the language was commonly known, explained on a blog post or else. This whole section on linguists working to decipher it is completely new to me, and I have to say... I've never seen anything so COOL before!!! These guys are heroes in the fandom of MTG, and they deserve recognition! What an adventure they are having, IRL, inside Magic's lore!

[@Jarlaxleify]

Fantastic "For now, though, I'll just have the computer do it"... what a gut punch

[@eragondude70]

speaking of the transhumanist ideal of immortality, the phyrexian word for perfection and perfect is a combination of the words "to make" and "eternal"

[@just-some-menace6138]

As someone who's first set of MTG was scars this was a lovely review of the visions and art which fueled the imagination of my 12 year old self.

[@solaris_cc4353]

I started with Scars as well. Cheers.

[@virtuallycrazy8709]

Scars block gang! Although admittedly I never left… my first and only real Modern deck has been Infect for the last five years or so…

[@just-some-menace6138]

@@virtuallycrazy8709 Only people who started with Scars like infect and count me in that denomination lol.

[@stevesmith5883]

​@@just-some-menace6138 I started in Khans, but lost turn 2 to infect in a game of modern soon after, my immediate reaction was "I want whatever the hell that is" and have never looked back. Haven't played modern in a while (or any 60-card format for that matter) but currently building a Golgari Infect/Toxic deck in commander utilising all the new stuff plus some old favourites

[@liamc.636]

Scars was my first too🤘

[@renhayenfay6108]

I'm absolutely obsessed with the entire Phyrexian aesthetic. Something about it is so subversive while also having meanings within meanings. A message I've always gotten from their aesthetic is something like "Finding the perfections in imperfections while knowing nothing is truly, fully perfect." Even a figure like Elesh Norn who seems perfect still has cracks in her crown/mask and exposed flesh, suggesting that no one is capable of achieving total perfection.

[@DarksteelPenguin]

"Skin is the prison of the blessed and the stronghold of the heretic." -Argent Etchings, plate 64, passage 17

[@godzidanny1567]

The aesthetics that elesh norn and the phyrexians of machine orthodoxy are flayed because the skin for them is a sin, an imperfection that isolates the flesh from the phyrexian world and glory, Its mechanical parts look like cracked porcelain and marble, giving an elegant and grotesque aesthetic due to the organic and anatomical shapes such as teeth and bone, but at the same time shaped like machines, A beautiful and grotesque Phyrexian design, the machine's orthodoxy to release the purity of the individual is to destroy his self, and then sew the flesh, flay the skin, insert mechanical parts, End the individuality of the being and its emotions and conscience to be part of the collective and serve its praetor and phyrexia, the religion of phyrexia worships In the physical, rather than the spiritual, which worships the perfection of the being and skinning the weaknesses that are Sinful, and they worship unity, the collective, they are already perfect, but in their image, not for us, for them, individuality, emotions, flesh and skin, are weaknesses

[@A_Wise_Monkey]

I’m surprised you didn’t explained why the simbol of phi was used as phyrexian emblem. In math phi represent the constant of the golden ratio (1 +sqrt(5))/2=1.6… which is the mathematical translation for perfection hence the reason why phyrexian use it and they are basically named after it. Also in the first expansions the symbol was slightly different since the line cutting the circle wasn’t straight; which I interpreted as a sign of how phyrexian distorted the ideal of perfection. Idk why they came back from this design choice? Maybe to show that they have reached actual perfection and now are unbeatable??😮

[@BurnDoubt]

J. Robert King originally had written Yawgmoths Phyrexia as winning the apocalypse against Dominaria. There was a not-so-subtle protest against the changing of his story in the last book of the Apocalypse cycle

[@Lyubimov89]

Narrative-wise an unbeatable antagonist is a shaky concept. There’s really just a handful of stories you can tell with one of those.

[@balrogdahomie]

… I’m pretty sure it’s just because “phyrexia” and “phyresis” with “phi” phonetically The connection to the golden ratio is interesting, but I don’t know that it’s intentional. And phi isn’t the “mathematical translation of perfection”, it’s just a number with some interesting properties, that often looks aesthetically pleasing when used in art

[@BurnDoubt]

@@Lyubimov89 I see you've never read the books.

[@hannukahcelt2027]

@@BurnDoubt Well, if you think about it, Yawgmoth forced Urza to sacrifice himself to defeat Phyrexia. In a way, Phyrexia in a sense won a pyrrhic victory, as Urza was more or less a huge thorn in their side.

[@Suicidekings_]

Spice8Rack releases Mill vs Discard Yesterday, then my man Sam releases some (what I always assume to be absolute fire) poetic knowledge. This is the best month ever. Love your work man, can't wait to see what drops tonight!

[@anglerdrake2912]

Yeah two nights in a row where I'm going to destroy my chances for a good night's sleep

[@fercanche2279]

The double Whammy of "How we treat mental illness unfairly in our societies and how we can do better, and also how both Mill and Discard can be read as psychological abuse but in different ways" and "How Phyrexia is a representation of Symbolic Misappropriation and Misutilization, and why it is so unsettling, but also look at all the work the designers of this game are putting into it, but also don't fall for the brutal smoke that the Phyrexians (and by extension and comparison with Italian futurists, fascists) are selling you" has been an intense trip. I will go and lie down and cry for the beauty that the analyses of these super dark themes have achieved.

[@obadijahparks]

Right...

[@jessebridgeman767]

Too bade Spice8 can't divorce being a chest pounding communist from his channel

[@oliverdown6287]

I don’t know the logistics of this, but a more involved collab between the two in the future would be lovely to see

[@skyorrichegg]

If anyone is curious what is said in Italian at 49:14 and on it is from Canto III of Dante's Inferno: "Dinanzi a me non fuor cose create se non etterne, e io etterno duro. Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate’." Which can be roughly translated as (Longfellow translation): "Before me there were no created things, Only eternal, and I eternal last. All hope abandon, ye who enter in!"

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

Ah, so it’s like one of the only lines the average layman like myself would know from the poem, usually remembered differently as “abandon all hope, ye who enter here”

[@skyorrichegg]

@@Somerandomjingleberry yeah, it is probably the most famous line from Dante's Inferno and yours is a rendition that other works tend to reference as it makes more sense to a modern reader while still feeling poetically epic. There is some reason I went with the Longfellow translation. I think mostly just because it is available online for free and easily accessible, but I feel like there was another reason. It has been a few months so I do not remember though.

[@keenfrizzle]

26:24 This part still hits me every time. You can tell how familiar sam is with horror with how effortlessly and efficiently he can articulate how each type of horror captures people's imaginations. Gothic and cosmic horror in the Innistrad ep; here, cult and body horror. Just amazing respect for the artform

[@viniciusairesstaub2995]

What does he say there? English is not my first language and I struggle to understand it (it jumpscared me btw)

[@tdimensional6733]

"You are drawn in by a- morbid curiosity. One that disobeys logic. Might I take these offering hands? Where will they lead me? To what does this monument owe reverence? Who took the eyes from the sockets of your ceramic skull? ...Was it her? Did she seduce you with covenant of boundless magnificence? Did you resist?"

[@joshburns1777]

I don’t play Magic or collect its cards. I don’t really have any interest in doing so. I don’t know why this video came up in my recommended. However, I hungrily watched this whole video, engrossed, and wanted more when it was finished. What a fascinating, thorough, beautiful piece of filmmaking. I am a DM (Dungeons and Dragons) and love worldbuilding, and I guess that’s why this video struck such a chord with me. Please keep making such high calibre videos; they are a real gift.

[@SkyMurphy77]

A fellow DM?

[@odarkeq]

As a casual recommendation, I'd say read the original Magic books about the introduction of Phyrexia: "The Brother's War" (Jeff Grubb) and "Planeswalker" (Lynn Abbey) are beautiful novels and could help to inspire new ideas in your DnD campaign.

[@joshburns1777]

Oh great, thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely look into those.

[@jacobsweetser1878]

The sudden jump to a Phyrexian voice around 26:37 legitimately jumpscared me, great work

[@smoolz7818]

I could've pooped myself

[@amberhernandez]

Another note on how progress affects iterations is Ezuri, my favourite creature from the Mirrodin/Phyrexia blocks. Seeing him standing so "valiantly" only to fall and be changed into a hulking Phyrexian beast was such a shock, but there was a long time between Claw of Progress and today. Ezuri, Stalker of the Spheres, perfectly emulates the concept of perfection as a scale, not as a binary. After years of iterations and reiterations, Ezuri became a much more horrifying version of himself: nearly a perfect replica of his original form. He straddles the uncanny valley of familiarity, hearkening back to the development of Phyrexians from the body horror of yore to their newfound mockery of life itself. It's as if he was still resisting perfection upon his transformation, only to be refined once the last of his will was stripped from him. Renegade Leader, Claw of Progress, and Stalker of the Spheres all stand as a microcosm of Phyrexian advancement itself, and I think it's the perfect example to show someone what Phyrexia is.

[@toastghost9145]

I very much enjoy this analysis!

[@BurnDoubt]

Reminds me of back in the day, reading the books going "Look what that bastard Yawgmoth did to my boy Ertai 😢"

[@gusbaaten7003]

Would just like to point out that the writing is insanely good. The diction, prosody, and pacing were so good I was constantly blown away “Thrun smiles with crooked teeth”

[@erixbane8568]

This line brought me to tears

[@thisgoddamusernamestoodamnlong]

@@erixbane8568 why?

[@butHomeisNowhere___]

​@@thisgoddamusernamestoodamnlongart.

[@SovietWarMusic]

@@butHomeisNowhere___ Which card is that?

[@jakepetropoulos1074]

That lone got me so fucking badly

[@franslair2199]

I saw Phyrexian writing before, but always assumed that it's the standard approach to fictional languages, where they're just English written with invented letters. Not only is this not the case here, but the concept of having a consonant that is the sound of a sharpening knife is both understandable and mind-blowing.

[@christina.morris]

What an absolutely phenomenal piece of work, you've outdone yourself this time. Staring at the language so intently through this, I kinda wanna use it for a tattoo...

[@nymphrodellsalavin]

Honestly, yeah me too

[@jeffreydenenberg7101]

and in doing so make your skin just a little more perfect

[@marshallhill5900]

I thought so too so I’m gonna do it

[@TheyCallMeDio]

Next thing you know your skin starts to turn into porcelain

[@SpacemanSR]

Well Sam, this is a masterpiece. I thought Blind Eternities was your magnum opus, but this might take it. Phenomenal

[@origaminosferatu3357]

The sheer weight of world building put into this language and the world it comes from makes the flop of the end of the most recent story arc so much more shattering. Splendid video as always, you fill videos about a card game with such reverence, they're genuinely moving.

[@silence433]

17:08 "More disturbing than the unknown is a distortion of the familiar." Flavor text for Fleshmad Steed, Theros. One of my favorite flavor texts in all of Magic, and one very fitting for Phyrexia as a whole. With the new set especially, we see that those embraced and transformed by Phyrexian influence view themselves as an apex, the perfected beings, while those outside it view it as "the machine hell" or a tortured end, worthy of all the fear and horror it imbues. 10 days late to the video but I have to say, with Phyrexian lore and some of its cards being among my absolute favorites in MtG history, this video was a real treat for me and as always you nailed it. It's always clear how much effort, time, and knowledge you invest into getting your videos right and I know I'm not alone when I say I appreciate it. I rarely have time to play Magic these days but I'm still as much of a fanatic for it as I was when I started and it's content like this that really keeps me absorbed in the fantasy.

[@ValerieEnriquez]

Discussing Dante's Inferno, Baroque art, linguistics/conlangs AND Magic: the Gathering lore all in one video is a feat in itself. To do it in just over an hour is monumental. Also, yeah, you got me with the audio jump scare too.

[@nemou4985]

Thie video is marketing saying how "high queality" and has "evolved" into the 2010's and 2020's while players know otherwise. Old phyrexian art from Invasion block was lurid and detailed, new "sterile" paintings and aesthetics are sanitized increasingly to be appealing to little kids and morals censors: MTG has become as souless as Phyrexia itself.

[@willowthywisp]

@@nemou4985 You say that as if Crawling Chorus isn't one of the most terrifying things in games. dozens of blank, doll faces grasping out at you.

[@nemou4985]

@@willowthywisp About as "terrifying" as a couple of mannequins, since its neither deformed nor undead nor grafted

[@willowthywisp]

@@nemou4985 and that's the terrifying part. You have a clean Phyrexia, one based on the image of Elesh Norn, a sign of her own narcissism, where everything follows after her

[@nemou4985]

@@willowthywisp Wow, such spooky, mannequin gets her *ss handed and gets obliterated by sudden millenial angel with barely any buildup, legions crumble into dust as a B-movie plot, wow...

[@marcocamaiti212]

Gassman's voice reciting the Terzo Canto of Inferno gave me goosebumps. As always, astounding visual and auditory work, Sam.

[@tomasztrela7873]

Sam, you singlehandedly level up the entire community and the game as a cultural phenomenon, unbelievable.

[@kmoustakas]

Alright, as an old school phyrexian fan, this video is literally touching. I started playing magic with the phyrexian assault preconstructed deck. Damn my babies have evolved since then!

[@TrilainaBloodwind]

This is by far my favorite video I've seen on this channel. The influence and impact of the Phyrexians as a concept has haunted us for decades now, and I'm in awe at the attention to detail and the tender love the team working on Magic has put into EVERYTHING that is tied to this game. It's stunning, and while morbid at times, extremely fascinating.

[@FulmenosQuiesce]

Thanks for another great and insightful look into this game I love. The Phyrexian language was an oddity taht I found interesting, but one I saw as an imitation of other cases like Tolkien's Sindarin. I was unaware that so much work (or indeed, community engagement) went into it! It makes me wonder though, what the endgame for phyrexians at large will be. As you correctly point out, there's fractures in the factions and even in the higher echelons of Phyrexia (that pesky thing "free will" has a way of cropping up despite best efforts) and since there's Phyrexian support of the rebels even, I would love to see if phyrexians can manage to integrate (semi) peacefully into the multiverse proper. After all, I think that when the dust settles, complete extermination would be impossible, Phyrexia will have touched many other planes and, having shown that they're not just your archetypal black hat legions (nowadays, at any rate), there's bound to be some more reasonable ones out there. Especially if whatever cure is sure to pop up in the future doesn't do away with the physical changes but only restores the spiritual aspects of a person.

[@genericusername8337]

Free will isn't necessary for dissent in this universe, much like it isn't in ours. All you need are biological systems, that react to rules/norms/laws with hostility, or ones that don't care for the rules/want to break them by default. Curiosity works too; a desire to explore what the rules are for, what lies beyond them, or how they could/should be manipulated.

[@mr.gagreflex]

You spent 500 dollars on a comment with a typo

[@annatuominen6496]

​@@mr.gagreflex The "MXN" after the amount of money is denoting a different currency, they spent approximately 10 dollars after the currency is converted to usd.

[@magdalenagolomb3905]

As a linguist, and someone who has worked in transcription / palaeography before, the segment about the language hit me SO hard, it's indescribable. I want to know what Fer does as a day job, bc his version of fun sounds a lot like mine!! 😂 As someone who is into the lore, marketing and art of MTG much more than into actual gameplay (I have always sucked at that and have instead since childhood gone for collecting for lore and art), your videos are treasure troves. Please keep on doing what you do!

[@kaitlyn__L]

He's a scriptwriter for PBS Space Time, a physics and cosmology web show. There's a surprising overlap between physicists and conlang-ers I've noticed.

[@magdalenagolomb3905]

@@kaitlyn__L Well, my brother and father are physicists, I myself have always gone more of the musician and linguist route, like my mum. Dang it. It's not that I was bad at math and physics, I was quite good, it's just that I always found it to be less interesting than the other options I had.

[@jgtmtg]

All right, 2 things. One, I got to meet Sam at Magic Con Philly and quickly discuss this video and the mountain of work that it was, I knew it would be something special. Also, I am watching this after having a double root canal and I feel personally invested in the first couple minutes as the pain medicine is wearing off. I thought this would distract me. I was wrong.

[@biomancer3166]

Perfection is a process, and pain is the road it travels; Glory to Phyrexia. Hope you feel better

[@TrilainaBloodwind]

Love that Rhystic was asking some killer questions about the Phyrexian language, and no one knew it was him (at least I think it was ._.;; )

[@dough4prez]

I'm sure they knew who he is.

[@captaincroissandwich6950]

46:20 I found the examples Fer presented in reference to gaps in the Phyrexian vocabulary ("I'm thirsty" "I'm tired") particularly amusing, because from my perspective, there's a pretty obvious explanation for these two specific examples. Fer is not thinking like a Phyrexian here. The Phyrexians are a race in a constant pursuit of their own twisted version of perfection. Concepts such as thirst or exhaustion are phenomena derived from biological processes, things the Phyrexians would consider to be FLAWS of the flesh that they seek to excise from their bodies to become "perfect beings". Why, then, would they bother to allow such *nonsense* (in their worldview) to belong in their language at all? Once Phyrexian perfection is realized in the Multiverse, these concepts being put to pen would be entirely superfluous; useless.

[@thisgoddamusernamestoodamnlong]

as appose to card game lingo, which is obviously IMPERATIVE to achieving perfection!

[@ordinarytree4678]

only imperfect beings lose card games

[@DiceTry]

The transition from Phyrexia being only seen in Black to each color was an important change, and it better showcase that evil comes in every color. Not only that, but the philosophies of each version of phyrexian shows how evil is but a matter of perspective, as unification and perfection are noble goals made evil by the process.

[@hunterfriedl9189]

Every single one of these episodes takes me one step deeper into the artistic style of mtg and it’s artists. I love every step down into the inferno.

[@elogee_yt]

"Thrun smiles with crooked teeth" gave me goosebumps. Love my boy Thrun 😭❤

[@MrStimpson38]

When it comes to my mentality as it pertains to the Phyrexians evolution across the years, I can compare it to the vampire Lestat's view of humanity. I was in love, at first, with their beauty. The oil infused horror of guts, bone and metal were mesmerizing. But as the years went on, and the tonal shift happened before my eyes, I felt disconnected from the race that I held in such high regard. I've been looking for my own Louis. Someone, or something, to help me fall back in love with the thing I've held so dear for decades. This video is my Louis. Thank you, for helping me fall back into love with Phyrexians with this expertly crafted documentary. I'm excited to view the rest of your content.

[@zachtheguy6469]

1:02:39 this part literally gave me goosebumps. This was incredibly well done and well presented. Thank you for combining all this information for us

[@ExhaustedElox]

The Phyrexians are so terrifying as they seem so unstoppable and alien. Yet, they came from the mind of a mortal man. Can't wait to see where the story goes now.

[@pro8ord]

Lapsed/former Magic player here. Your videos are an absolute delight. Such meticulous research to contextualize the lore and mechanics of a game I loved as a child (the linguistics part in particular was really interesting for me). I don't think I'll ever go back to playing MTG, but I'll definitely keep my eye on your work. Cheers!

[@elchanneldeluk]

There are no words in this language or any conlang that can express how amazing you are, Sam. This is perfect. You compleated yourself. Also 26:36 I shat myself wtf I was most definitely NOT expecting that...

[@heyzeus7258]

Makes you wonder how learning/crafting a language like Phyrexian might change someone's thinking like in the movie Arrival when they talk about the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.

[@theaeskey2502]

I can’t wait for this one. Your take on all this is 10/10 just got through rewatching your Ravnica and innestrad vids.

[@abcdefghijkl5408]

First! 😉

[@heycidskyja4668]

FIRST

[@theaeskey2502]

@@abcdefghijkl5408 ♥️ spambot

[@theaeskey2502]

@@heycidskyja4668 ♥️ 😘

[@saqvobase4301]

I just noticed that the ends of Elesh Norn's mask sort of look like the symbol at the end of phyrexian sentences. The sharp hook

[@chrisheartman9263]

I've never heard a non-italian pronounce Dante Alighieri's name so right. Good job! Same with Paradiso! Also: hot take, but All Will be One/Phyrexia is more cyberpunk then Neo-Kamigawa. You can't change my mind. Also also: this video is way more serious then how the Wizards take Phyrexia seriously

[@AtrociousNightmare]

I have - ironically - no words to describe how amazing I found this video to be. Thank you so much. I'll share it everywhere.

[@oldking7480]

Whenever I am feeling the Magic burnout, your videos always keep me going back for more.

[@Commander_Skullblade]

I think it's really cool that the Phyrexian numeral system visually follows the order of quadrants in a graph. The number one is in quadrant one, number two in quad two, and so on. It's one more detail that relates Phyrexian compleation with a belief that all things should be pragmatic and logical. And in this sense, I find myself relating to this desire.

[@shoe7393]

I had no idea the lore went this deep. I love Phyrexia in terms of its theme and aesthetic of biomachinery and the amount of effort and detail put into the lore just adds to the beauty of it. Thank you for this amazing video

[@8628416]

You, sir, are a jewel of the MTG community. I remember before you decided to dedicate yourself entirely to these videos. I patiently waited for each one of them. Nowadays I don't watch them as soon as they come out. Not because I don't want to, but because each video of yours needs some time to digest. I hope and trust that you'll find a way of working around the consuming and devastating algorithm of KZbin, so you can keep the quality and depth of your work. Thank you.

[@MehrGills]

Imagine playing a dnd campaign with phyrexia. Having the players figure out pieces of the language as they invade the multiverse of the forgotten realms (or whatever multiverse you want). This would be a massive undertaking, especially now without the full language, and would require all players to also be on-boars. But just imagine how cool it could be

[@joaobender3524]

I did something like this once, players did not get invested. But it really is a nice concept.

[@MehrGills]

@@joaobender3524 yeah. You'd definitely need 100% on-board players, which is very rare for this kind of concept, but I would love to see this successfully implemented

[@GerBessa]

If one player is a druid, he can be on-boar.

[@JungleLadd]

My group is playing a spelljammer campaign atm. Im playing a sleeper agent whose slowly dosing the multiverse with the glistening oil. Its been a blast.

[@yargolocus4853]

I've been in a new phyrexia dnd game for 2 years now, at the time of scars block, and on the side of glisteners, now half phyrexian party. It's been absolutely stellar, with a supporting community and dedication to boot.

[@TrypKingsley]

This video seems to represent the most perfect example of the aim of this channel. A little irl lore, a little in universe lore, a lot of expansion. So much love. Thanks, Sam. This is beautiful.

[@brimerwelpippy4972]

This is a BEAUTIFUL, STUNNING short film. Wow, dude. As somebody just getting back into Magic after years away from it, this is not only perfect in a lore sense, but in every other artistic and philosophical way as well. I literally can't imagine better MtG content existing. Fantastic, instant sub.

[@TheAmateurDesperado]

This is probably my favorite video about magic lore and history. I watch it like once a month. I love your channel!

[@Infiniteimpossibilty]

56:29 i would argue that The Hunters maze does not represent a rule by anarchy but rather a rule by Primitivism. Anarchy, by its very ideology is built on the concept of communal aid and flat hierarchy. The hunters Maze in contrast establishes a sort of libertarian primitivist notion of survival; one that finds itself intrinsically at odds with the ideological underpinnings of Anarchism. Anarchism sees the world as hostile, but people as fundamentally social, as charitable and ungovernable, who are capable of working together without rule of law. In contrast The Hunters maze bows immediately to its nature's perceived rule. The food chain becomes the new hierarchy, he who eats the most and the best is the Lion, the king of this particularly twisted jungle. This video rules though. A fantastic exploration of Phyrexia

[@andrewgreenwood9068]

I would say anarchy is closer to the furnace than the maze.

[@SickOfItAll1988]

Your work is stunning as always. I'm showing your videos to my girlfriend at the moment, who supports my hobby but doesn't really gets why it moves me like it does. We just finished the Ravnica videos and she really likes it. Your a great part of this community, I highly appreciate your perspective, thanks for creating these videos.

[@wesleymclain9146]

Something interesting I noticed, Phyrexian might not have words for I'm tired or I'm thirsty as they may have no concept of such feelings. The ideal body wouldn't need food, water, or sleep.

[@remigusker6024]

I can't afford to get on a patreon or tip right now, but watching this again, at least I just want to say thank you. These videos, hell, documentaries are better than anything I've seen on TV and just make me happy to watch. This one in particular one especially, as despite their lackluster ending, I remain extremely fond of the phyrexians. Easily my favorite fantasy civilization.

[@justaguy8104]

That was easily some of the best work on the platform. Elegant and carefully crafted. Edit: The loops of callbacks woven throughout were amazing. Felt very like wandering back and forth through the many layers of New Phyrexia itself.

[@CryptonicNova]

Truly a phenomenal dive into the nightmarish plane of Phyrexia. The iconography and atmosphere created in this video along with the music and underlying sounds adds so much to the tone of the video. This is a masterpiece, and you should be proud of this video for years to come.

[@MS-jp3op]

My first introduction to Phyrexia was in the summer between 5th and 6th grade when a friend that was helping teach me the game utterly destroyed me with a Dreadnought. At the time I hadn't seen anything stronger than a 6/6, so the 12/12 monstrosity made a lasting impression. They became my favorite characters in the game, I've always loved a heel. Amongst my friends I took on the roll of "that crazy old man in church" saying one day they'd return. Even now, after their apparent second defeat, I still remain faithful. Perfection is a journey, not a destination. The Father is still waiting, this heresy will not stand. Unlife cannot die, Phyresis is the way.

[@Quartz_Composer]

This channel is so valuable because it provides a means of analyzing a mass market card game with the depth of artistic scholarship only usually available in university level art theory courses. Incredible video!

[@MagicTheNoah]

the phyrexians are the good guys

[@nebricback1430]

So glad I found your comment

[@chicholino4454]

Ever since I was a kid, I've always gravitated towards villains in fiction. The Sith, Decepticons, Cobra... and later the Phyrexians. Villains have always looked cooler in my eyes and I especially like it when they shake up the status quo so, even though they'll most likely be stopped, Phyrexians are causing such a mess in the multiverse right now. I love it! Awesome video!

[@LoganB591]

I feel like it would anti-climatic to make them just lose. I think some planes will become completely destroyed (I think Theros and Zendikar are gonna be completely lost to Phyrexia due to the spoilers)

[@chicholino4454]

​​@@LoganB591 I agree. They have such a big advantage going into March of the Machine that it's hard to believe that there will be a neat and clean solution to the Phyrexian threat this time. The first time around, since everything was centralized on Yawgmoth, taking care of him was enough. But now... taking Elesh Norn down just wouldn't have the same effect as almost every other praetor would actually want it to happen.

[@trunkulent]

@@LoganB591 Would be wild if Zendikar was totally lost. How's the one world with a designated plane-wide immune system croak to a little disease!

[@faerie7dragon]

The Multiverse as we know it is coming to an end. Even if defeated, I can't help but believe an endless war against them has been set in motion, given how far their infection has been spread by The Realm Breaker.

[@MatthewCJoy]

Thats literally everyone

[@Pighway]

I saved parts 3 and 4 of this to watch now, saving it as an "I can only watch this once in my life" body of work. Spectacular.

[@nathan8659]

I am fascinated how the progression of Phyrexian-inspired fear may reflect societal concerns regarding technological advancement, such as those you described from bioconservatism. This is so inspiring. I love how spell-binding MtG art is and want to show it the appreciation that you do one day.

[@MrRib]

Sam, every time you upload there's a feeling of "oh this is the best magic video to come out this year". I have never felt more confident in saying that this is so far the best video focusing on magic in the 2020s. Thank you for making this, I can already feel myself coming back to this in 5 years, after the threat of new phyrexia has been long replaced and reminiscing about what makes magic so exciting.

[@G.Snackwell]

I can't imagine the amount of work that went into making this, well done. Who knew the backstory to mtg was so deep and compelling.

[@jameshayes-barber9340]

I would point out compleation doesn't undo your personality it just redirects it. Ajani still is loyal to his pride and wants to help is friends but now he sees his pride as New Phyrexia and wants to help is friends by showing them the glory of compleation. Tamiyo still loves research and is family oriented but now she studies Phyrexian science and her family is Phyrexian itself.

[@Darium856]

I have watched your videos before and been impressed without a doubt but this video captivated me to no end. The detailed work and countless hours that it must have taken to produce this masterpiece is awe inspiring. There may be few words to truly capture my wonder at watching and listening to this work of art. Thank you.

[@SLJB8]

Absolutely gorgeous piece. Real world theology interwoven with game history beautifully organized and narrated. This was the chronicle I've been waiting to watch. You've far beyond earned my sub and I wish I could like and sub multiple times.

[@StegDarkhorse]

Awesome video. Glad to see you cover the Phyrexian's so thoroughly.

[@Otacon2099]

phyrexia, a dark twisted dillusion from a once mortal man. I would LOVE to see rhystic do a standup depiction of yagmoth but a retrospective is always great to ponder on.

[@ackbooh9032]

Phyrexians are brutal, but Compleation is beautiful. Could it have been consensual? Is it really bad in itself? There is biodiversity, change, and shared values in Phyrexia.

[@joeyriddle428]

@Ackbooh yea its pretty easy to get everyone on board when u strip everyone of their free will with metal and bone

[@thaddeusgenhelm8979]

@@ackbooh9032 There is probably *a version* of the Compleation that could be, heh, safe, sane, and consensual, but unfortunately the Phyrexians are stuck with the fact that their original creator and god was a megalomaniacal necromancer who based his entire project on a plague that would poison, kill, and convert his enemies, and since they've never managed to overcome or replace that poison... Wellll I don't think there's any happy endings in store here =P

[@mariapolternest7993]

@@thaddeusgenhelm8979 ain’t the “safe sane and consensual” compleation what urabrasks all about

[@thaddeusgenhelm8979]

@@mariapolternest7993 I mean, arguably, yeah, he's probably the closest to it Phyrexia, as it is, can/could reach without being rebuilt from the ground up. He does not feel *compelled* to destroy/compleate other things just because they're there, he *wants* people to retain their individual "values" so they can contribute to the improvement (rather than just be a piece of) the greater whole, and so on... ... Buuuut he's still got a lot of general Phyrexian baggage. He's definitely "the best Phyrexian", and if his principals and ethics were that of the Phyrexian whole, coexistence would be substantially more possible, but in a lot of ways, he's mostly just a "not that evil guy" who looks like a good guy because all of his contemporaries are *extremely* evil.

[@Varler_]

That video was really interesting and in-depth. Thanks for all the work you did in researching, interviewing, and writing the script! :)

[@synthetic240]

"Gate to Phyrexia" reminds me of some of HR Giger's lesser-known series about lonely biomechanical rooms that he visited in his dreams.

[@DurdleDers]

Not even 4 minutes in and I have actual goosebumps. This is gonna be REAL good.

[@UncleBob216]

Divina Commedia red by Vittorio Gassman was pure class in there. I don't often like a video but this is absolutely amazing. I watch hours of KZbin every day, I don't even play magic, but this might well be my favourite KZbin video, period. Will have to schedule a rewatch every so often now.

[@SelkieTears]

i've literally never played magic in my life and i know nothing of the lore, but i LOVE anything to do with complex, fully realised universes. the uncovering of the phyrexian language is so, so cool and that art of elesh norn is one of the most beautiful and captivating pieces of art i've ever seen. this was really amazing, thank you for giving me an incredible jumping off point to explore magic lore even further!

[@Guevon_Pajaro]

The passion and excellence displayed throughout this makes me emotional. especially as you talked to the guy who became an expert in the phyrexian language in the community - (one of them). amazing.

[@andycic.544]

Really awesome video, the Phyrexian language analysis is nuts!

[@jesusojeda7850]

If at some point you were disappointed or feel sad about the fall of phyrexia, imagine how Fernando Franco must have felt

[@milkinator13]

I have watched this video twice, it is 100% my favorite video of magic ive ever listened to. You have an incredible way of researching and directing this in a way thats both enjoyable to watch and to listen to. Bravo rhystic

[@jwellington7960]

im halfway through the video now, my body is tingling and i feel a sensation of unease. not only are the artworks presented masterpieces, but this video is aswell. freaking awesome job mate, it is mesmerizing.

[@BlazingLee0610]

All your content is Boss, Sam! Looking forward to watching this! Hail Phyrexia!

[@justabeholder4753]

Wow, the MTG tubers I like are all putting out their big vids. First spice 8 rack with Mill VS Discard and now this. Needless to say I'm excited.

[@C._Bradford]

best Day EVER!!!!

[@chrisschoenthal3725]

Truly incredible work, both by you and by your guest! Thank you for the care and wonder that you bring to these videos.

[@torvaldrunarson4219]

This video is just.. AMAZING. And I still haven't finished it. Thank you man and congratulations, the amount of work must have been massive ! Love that the art is well shown and that you always references the mtg cards along their images. Such great memories.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

Interesting thought.... when Fer says he can't tell you he's thirsty or tired in Phyrexian, I have to wonder if language for such concepts even exists in Phyrexian? If these are being that don't experience thirst or hunger or fatigue, why would they have words for the concepts? Also just a note of personal taste. I really didn't like the bone/teeth aesthetic they changed white phyrexia to, and much preferred the really creepy look of the porcelain.

[@lyanderthegreat663]

I truly believe that you are one the most talented creators on this platform or any other. Thank you so much for everything you do for your burgeoning community.

[@StackedEDH]

Gorgeous, sensitive, thorough. Your attention to detail-and ability to render greater themes with them-is unparalleled.

[@williamclay3078]

I deeply appreciate what you create. Your ability to discuss these topics and connect them with rich historical context is unmatched. This might be your best work yet. It’s succeeded innistrad for my favorite at the very least. Thank you!