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Cosplay: The Chain Veil

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The Chain Veil by Volkan Baga

I was sitting around thinking, “I should go get new socks for my son. We need groceries; I should go get milk and turkey dogs. Running low on diapers; I should go get diapers . . . ” and I had this realization that what was really bothering me was that I didn’t have a Chain Veil.

“I should go get a Chain Veil.”

So I ran over to my local Onakke joint, but they were fresh out.

Onakke Catacombs by Nic Klein

Damn. I had to find one. I mean, I can’t go to Grand Prix Atlanta unarmed, right? What if Garruk shows up and wants to play Punch Out? Bennie Smith has my back, and my elf costume will have a grappling hook, but not sure that’s enough firepower to take Garruk down.

“The Hunter and the Veil, Part 3.” Art by Alex Horley-Orlandelli. Written by Jenna Helland.

Nope, there was no way around it; I decided I must acquire a Chain Veil immediately. I thought about trying to fabricate one myself, but there are some things in this world that look simple but really aren’t. I decided I needed to solicit the help of a fellow Planeswalker, someone more tinkerer-minded.

Hmm, wonder what’s in the box . . . could it be veil mail?

A Planeswalker can make many friends during her travels through the Multiverse, and I’ve had the good fortune to befriend Cary, Sage Artificer. You know Cary, he’s the Zendikar junkie who likes to craft Jeskai flags and hedrons, the really nice person featured in this Ant Tessitore Community Spotlight. Cary even writes for Gathering Magic himself sometimes. This guy:

So I gave Cary a.k.a. Vronos a little buzz through the Eternities and asked a favor: Can you help me procure a Chain Veil? Yes, he said, he could. And while I had his attention, I figured I’d also ask him for his opinion on the Onakke and Raven man.

[gasp of delight] How kind of Vronos to pay for shipping all the way from Shandalar!

1. What was the first step in making the veil? Had you done anything similar before to draw upon?

The first step was finding the reference images—both Volkan Baga's artwork for the card and smaller images from the web comics—to create a template. I'd never done much work with fabric, and it was definitely full of learning experiences.

2. What materials did you end up using?

A lightweight sequined fabric and ribbons of varying thickness were most of the materials. Pellon 805 Wonder-Under adhesive was used to iron the hems for each edge.

Shots from the artificer’s workshop

3. What was the most difficult aspect of construction?

Oddly, the bands that stretch out to wrap around the head and continue inward to construct the eye mask. The intended upward angle made circumference hard to estimate and inclusion of adjustable straps necessary. A shortage of zigzag pattern scissors with the correct depth lead to time-consuming patterns.

4. Were you personally satisfied with the outcome? What do you feel was the most successful part of the prop?

Yes. Improvement was made over the initial attempt, but comfort and length continued to be slightly troubling areas. The most successful part was either the eye-mask details or the infused drop-prevention magic.

Damn, that feels pretty good. Like it’ll never come off. No apparent side effects, yet.

Kor Castigator by Greg Opalinski

5. Can you give us a teaser about what props you've got coming out for Battle for Zendikar?

For me, there is something special about staffs and equipment. Kor Castigator, Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper, and Kiora, Master of the Depths have been added to the list with Battle for Zendikar, though story relevance doesn't give priority over older and more iconic staffs. Also, they’re easy to mount on walls for an arsenal of magical weapons.

Endless Obedience

6. If Liliana Vess were visiting the plane of Earth and you were commanded by Nicol Bolas to take her to the state fair to kill some time before a meeting, what three attractions at the fair would you take her to, and why?

For comedic value, I’d take her to the guess-your-age-and-weight booth and the test-your-strength game. Since those won't take very long, we play Skee-Ball until Bolas texts us back.

Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient by Slawomir Maniak

7. Tell us your personal theory about what the hell the Onakke were thinking when they made The Chain Veil. What's your best guess, drawing on lore, as to what we'll see in the Raven Man/Veil storyline in the future?

Personal theory, not canon: The Onakke were intelligent, "masters of dark arts," and most importantly, they understood artifacts. Still, this doesn't justify the single-spell genocide used against them, an act that we can safely attribute to a pre-Mending Planeswalker. The likeliest threat? Ambulators, devices able to allow them to travel between planes without a spark, in combination with powerstones, especially if the Onakke were "charging" them using space on other planes. That threatens many planes and Planeswalkers and gives them even more power to fuel their malevolent artificery.

How will the Veil and Onakke tie into Raven Man? There is so little to say and, on one extreme, Raven Man could be very strong. Bolas had to guess that the third Planeswalker would come to the Eye of Ugin, but Raven Man started to guide Liliana to the Veil before her spark even ignited. On the other hand, Raven Man could simply be a figment of her imagination, Bolas only knowing of him from Liliana's stories. Until there is a story where Raven Man interacts with another character, I remain unconvinced that he is real.

Raven Man by Chris Rahn


It isn’t safe to go alone, especially when you’re dealing with treacherous legendary artifacts. I’m lucky to have comrades like Cary and James “Teferi” Arnold to assist me in my quests as I crisscross the Multiverse in search of the ultimate artistic expression. However, in this case, even their S-Rank archmage skills were not enough to save my soul, most likely because the darkness in my own heart makes me vulnerable to the siren song of evil. Allow me to show you what I mean.

“Honey! Does this veil make me look fat? Um, I kind of feel this tingle of evil running down my spine . . . ”

“What do you mean I seem “different?” You must be crazy.”

“I just needed to slip into something a little more . . . ”

“ . . . powerful!”

Till next time—if there is one—may Magic be your . . .

-MJ

@moxymtg

www.moxymtg.com


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