The Legends of Duskmourn: House of Horror
For those of you who've dared to dive into the plane of Duskmourn, you've likely encountered many of the House's inhabitants, ranging from ruthless survivors to monstrosities from beyond the pale veil of the Magic Multiverse. Prepare to face living nightmares, undead amalgamations, and a few remaining glimmers of hope when you explore Duskmourn: House of Horror.
Duskmourn: House of Horror products can be preordered now. Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Commander decks, and more are all available at your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.
The story of Duskmourn: House of Horror has been published in its entirety, with a main story focusing on rescuing Nashi and side stories that showcase other parts of the House. You can read the story right here on DailyMTG or listen to it on The Magic Story Podcast. No matter how you choose to take your first steps into Duskmourn, tread carefully, because you may never leave.
We've received a transmission from the archives of Duskmourn with information on various legends of the plane. After removing any residual curses (or at least most of them), we've gathered that data here for you to educate yourself on the goings-on of this brand-new plane.
Legends of Duskmourn: House of Horror
Toby, Beastie Befriender
Toby had never felt comfortable around other people. He'd always felt the pull of something outside the safety of the survivors' camp. Despite the clear danger, he was always trying to slip off on his own. One day, he'd managed to sneak out without anyone noticing and wandered until he found the source of the call: a beastie. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of belonging. Amongst these strange, speechless creatures, he felt more at home than he ever had surrounded by other humans. He never returned to his original survivor group. Instead, he chose to live amongst the beasties. Toby innately understands beasties and gives them all the affection and care they crave. In return, they guard him with unmatched vigilance and fierceness.
The Mindskinner
The Mindskinner embodies the fear of razorkin. It's the first nightmare spawned from something within the House itself rather than a preexisting fear from before Valgavoth's ascension. Unlike other nightmares, which simply devour their victims, the Mindskinner is more insidious in its hunting tactics. When it latches onto its victim, it slices away the target's memories one by one until nothing remains but an all-encompassing fear that shines like a beacon and makes any chance of escape impossible. The only way to protect yourself is to have your glimmer nearby. This will keep further memories from being sliced away, though it can't restore the ones already lost.
Valgavoth, Terror Eater
Cruel and vast, the demon Valgavoth has an insatiable appetite for fear. Ages ago, he was summoned out of the plane's demonic realm and into the mortal realm, a place he had never been before. Greedily, he tried to gobble up everything he could. Too greedily, as it turned out: His summoners quickly realized what manner of being they'd called forth and tried to banish him. Though he was powerful enough to resist the banishment, he was weakened from forcing his way through the barrier between realms. The summoners managed to neutralize him by binding him to the structure of the house where they'd conducted the summoning, burying him beneath the basement. They swore to maintain a vigilant watch to prevent him from breaking free. But, as time passed and all the original summoners died, the house passed into the hands of others. All the while, Valgavoth bided his time, waiting for someone to come along and loosen his shackles—someone like the troubled, unsuspecting Marina Vendrell.
Norin, Swift Survivalist
Norin is the first to tell anyone who will listen that he isn't meant to be here. Alive during the time of Dominaria's temporal crisis, he was caught up in a time rift and wandered in it for what felt like three days, at least to him. He finally managed to find his way out onto a Dominaria of the future … only to stumble straight through an open door and find himself on Duskmourn. His ultimate goal is to find a way out and back home. In the meantime, a keen sense of self-preservation and a strong nose for danger has kept him alive … so far.
Altanak, the Thrice-Called
Altanak is a human-insect fusion that Valgavoth created early on during the House's expansion as he experimented with his increasing powers. Its name is derived from the sounds it made during its creation, which some survivors believe to have been its attempt to cast a spell capable of killing Valgavoth. Because of this, there are many who try to recreate the spell, using the syllables of Altanak's name as a starting point. The problem with that is that Altanak is tormented by the sound of its name. Hearing its name reminds it of the agony it went through in Valgavoth's hands. In a cruel twist of fate, Altanak also has the keenest sense of hearing out of any entity on Duskmourn, making it capable of hearing its name even when spoken in whispers. Survivors who invoke his name once too often find themselves hunted down and killed as Altanak desperately tries to suppress the painful memories of its own origins.
Kona, Rescue Beastie
Friendly, trusting, and keenly intelligent, Kona is unique amongst beasties in that she doesn't form attachments to individual survivors. Rather, Kona prefers to split her time between as many survivor groups as possible. Since she's able to travel the halls more freely than survivors, she helps carry messages and supplies between multiple groups, giving each a better chance at obtaining the resources they need to survive. Each of her masks is fashioned from a treasured toy that belonged to a member of one of her adopted groups, serving as a reminder to herself and everyone else who's under her protection.
Tyvar, the Pummeler
Prince of Skemfar's elves on Kaldheim, Tyvar is a committed braggart who dreams of glory and having his stories told alongside the sagas of old. Despite the loss of his spark following the Phyrexian invasion, he's well on his way to the glory of his dreams. Tyvar is a golden-hearted hero and a lover of a good, old-fashioned brawl, all qualities that led Kaito to recruit him for the mission into the House. He provides the muscle needed to round out the team members' other strengths.
Arabella, Abandoned Doll
Arabella's deceptive porcelain facade conceals a deep hatred for survivors and a burning desire for vengeance. When she first quickened, unlike most other toys, it wasn't into bloodlust. Rather, she developed an immediate affection for her owner. Her owner, however, reacted out of fear and tried to destroy her by shattering her body and dropping her into a Boilerbilges furnace. Arabella managed to escape destruction but was badly damanged. She soon discovered that she wasn't alone: the Boilerbilges was teeming with other toys and dolls, all similarly damaged by frightened owners, and all just as hungry for revenge on the ones they had previously loved. Under Arabella's command, they now roam the House's hallways in hunting packs, ruthlessly mutilating and killing any survivors they encounter.
Victor, Valgavoth's Seneschal
The leader of the Cult of Valgavoth is also known as the First Child of the All-Devouring Father. His stern, paternal aura masks a chilling blankness and utter lack of self. He's undergone the Rite of the Threshold over three dozen times—more than anyone ever has in House memory. It's not clear if the man Victor used to be exists anymore, or if his mind has been completely scoured clean of his sense of self, reducing him to little more than a mindless husk that carries out Valgavoth's bidding. He's the only person who communicates directly with the All-Devouring Father, interpreting Valgavoth's whispered suggestions into directives for the rest of the cult. He's also the only one who knows the location of the entrance to the Below, where Valgavoth's lair is located.
Nashi, Searcher in the Dark
Nashi is a rebellious teen nezumi from Kamigawa and the adoptive son of the deceased Planeswalker Tamiyo. He carries on his mother's legacy by traveling the Multiverse to collect stories, using the Omenpaths to roam from plane to plane. He's troubled, angry, and grieving the death of his mother—a grief only exacerbated by the fact that he carries with him a magical scroll-recording of a non-Phyrexianized Tamiyo. He currently avoids the rest of his family but maintains a connection to his homeworld through his association with the Reckoners, who ask about his travels and nothing about his family, just the way Nashi prefers it now. Nashi still considers Kaito an older brother figure but has conflicted feelings about the Wanderer, whom he can't help but resent for the death of his mother.
The Swarmweaver
While traveling through the Hauntwoods, an elvish scout accidentally disturbed a hive of corpse-bees: carnivorous bees that gnaw their way under a person's skin and nest in their muscle tissue, sustaining upon the host as a living nest while they feed. The elf tried to flee but it was too late: The corpse-bees had already burrowed into him. Desperate to escape the pain, the elf reached out and grabbed the nearest wickerfolk hand, ready to be transformed and rendered impervious to the corpse-bees … only to discover that the transformation had left his sense of feeling intact. And the bees were still inside of him. Now the wickerfolk known as the Swarmweaver roams the House, seeking other survivors for its swarm of corpse-bees to colonize, providing it with a temporary reprieve from its constant infestation.
The Jolly Balloon Man
The Jolly Balloon Man is, in his own views, an artist. Who else but an artist can (or will) take the time and care necessary to remove the skin of his victims' heads without damaging their features, all to make timeless balloon mementos of his kills? Who else understands the true artistry of balloon placement to enhance the incomparable atmosphere of the razor mazes? His finest work so far was when he exterminated an entire survivor group, one at a time, and placed the balloon-head of each previous victim in a choice location where the dwindling survivor group would be sure to stumble upon it, thus heightening the survivors' anticipation of their own upcoming deaths.
Rip, Spawn Hunter
Taciturn and reclusive, Rip is a veteran monster hunter who prefers to work alone and is happiest when she's bashing a monster's head in. Almost every survivor group has at least one member with a story of being rescued from near-certain death by Rip, or one of stumbling across a newly established safe zone that she's cleared of a monster infestation and replenished with food and supplies. In the past, Rip used to be a member of the Doorblades, a small band of survivors dedicated to killing the House's monsters, but she left them when she realized that her growing friendships were clouding her instincts, making her less effective as a hunter. She's commonly referred to as "the savior of the House": an epithet that would make her feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable if she ever became aware of it.
Marina Vendrell
The last surviving member of the Vendrell family, Marina Vendrell lives in a bubble of warped unreality that transforms the House wherever she goes, only seeing a normal world, not the horrific environment it's become. Shy, bookish, and serious, Marina spends her days wandering the halls of the House, reading ancient tomes from the library, and going on walks through flowering fields. Her presence repels monsters of the House and, even after she leaves a room, the effect lingers for a while—usually long enough for other survivors to catch their breath and snatch a brief rest. Some believe that Marina is the one person who would be able to defeat Valgavoth, but no one dares try to make her see the House as it really is, as disturbing her causes hordes of cellarspawn to converge on her location, killing all others in the vicinity so that she can maintain her ignorance of what the House has become. The only hope is that someday she'll come to her senses on her own and confront the demon once and for all.
The Wandering Rescuer
The Wanderer is the emperor of Kamigawa, whose name is unknown even to her closest companions. She lost her spark in the aftermath of the Phyrexian invasion and has taken the opportunity to travel at a slower pace, reacquainting herself with her homeworld and leaving governance to her advisor, Light-Paws. Her former planar instability has left her able to sense planar energy in a way few can. When she heard that Nashi had gone missing, her feelings of guilt and sense of duty compelled her to personally facilitate on his rescue.
Zimone, All-Questioning
A prodigy theory-mage and graduate student at the magical college of Quandrix at Strixhaven University, Zimone is a gifted mathematician whose grasp of magical physics is unparalleled. Her mastery of the Vorzani Conjecture has given her an understanding of the structure of the Multiverse unmatched by any other non-Planeswalker. After the Phyrexian invasion, she shifted the focus of her study to unraveling the science of various planes. She was on Ravnica for an independent research study and joined the mission to rescue Nashi in hopes that she could learn more about the curious phenomenon of those strange doors that were appearing everywhere and gather data for her thesis.
Winter, Misanthropic Guide
Bitter, jaded, and cynical, Winter has managed to survive for over a decade using only his intellect after being trapped within the House's walls. His primary concern is his own survival, and he won't hesitate to throw other people into the path of danger if it means the difference between his own life and death. He's willing to share his hard-won knowledge of the House with anyone—for a price. Life and loyalty are all transactional, and Winter is willing to make a deal with anyone (or anything) as long as it benefits him in the end. This unscrupulousness has resulted in him getting kicked out of various survivor groups in the past, leaving him to fend for himself. A dry, cynical sense of humor masks his intentions and keeps any would-be allies at a comfortable arm's length.
Niko, Light of Hope
Born on Theros, Niko is an adventurer and former Planeswalker with the ability to capture their enemies in shards of magical glass. They were prophesied to be an undefeated athlete but left Theros for Kaldheim to evade this destiny, choosing to make their own path instead. Of all the former Planeswalkers, they are the most conflicted by the loss of their spark and feel the most limited by the sudden need to depend on Omenpaths for interplanar movement.
Marvin, Murderous Mimic
In a moment of bloodthirsty whimsy, a razorkin once picked up a lifeless ventriloquist's puppet and used it to terrorize a survivor … only to receive a nasty surprise when the puppet quickened, its dormant seed of life nudged awake with the razorkin's unwitting aid. The first thing the ventriloquist did was turn around, grab the razorkin's machete, and hack the razorkin into pieces. Marvin can absorb the personality and skills of any being by incorporating a body part from that creature into itself, an ability displayed most prominently with its teeth: a complete set assembled one tooth at a time from razorkin, survivors, and cultists alike. It has a special fondness for its very first tooth, taken from the razorkin that helped quicken it to life. Its ultimate goal is to "taste" every single entity in the House, including Valgavoth himself.
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
A skilled ninja and lifelong companion to the Wanderer, Kaito is dedicated to protecting his loved ones at any cost. Kaito acted as an older brother figure to Nashi before his disappearance and is devoted to tracking him down. As one of the few Planeswalkers to retain his spark following the Phyrexian invasion, his relationship with allies is … complicated.
Legends of Duskmourn: Commander
Aminatou, Veil Piercer
Fates, fortunes, prophecies, and destinies. These are all things that the young and powerful Aminatou has foreseen, held in her hands, and played with. Aminatou sparked at a young age and left her home behind to traverse the Multiverse, all because she used her fate-shifting powers to simply will it. Despite being a child, her powers have granted her the knowledge of a lifetime and a calm demeanor due to knowing what might come next. Aminatou follows disturbances and shifts she feels across the planes, sending her fate-shifting moths to other people in order to influence their destinies.
Kianne, Corrupted Memory
The last Zimone saw of Kianne, the former dean of Quandrix College on Strixhaven, she was dead at the hands of the Phyrexian invaders. So how could Kianne be here, on Duskmourn? Or was this thing just her memory of Kianne, given form by the House's psychic abilities? But if so, why did this memory seem so wrong? Zimone knew this mockery couldn't possibly be her professor, but the more she tried to recall what the real Kianne had been like, the less certain she was that Kianne had been anything but the twisted, cruel figure who haunted her.
Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
The wickerfolk called Rendmaw was created not from a single person but from an entire group: the participants of one ritual circle who altered the original spell in an attempt to minimize the unwanted side effects of the wicker transformation. This resulted in wood growing from the participants' flesh, weaving them together, binding the ritualists into a singular entity of branches and living beings. Eventually it attracted the attention of a murder of crows, altered by the House's influence to crave living meat. Feeding on the humans bound to Rendmaw's body created a psychic bond between the wickerfolk and the flock, linking them together inextricably.
The Master of Keys
The Master of Keys is a cellarspawn who is able to use the House's doors as thresholds not just between adjacent rooms but unconnected rooms as well. It's also able to manipulate where other creatures exit, an ability it can employ to help other cellarspawn track down their prey or trap a survivor in an endless loop of rooms with no escape. Some believe it doesn't actually live in the House but rather a liminal space that only exists on the thresholds between rooms, and every time you walk through a door, you risk drawing its attention.
The Lord of Pain
The Lord of Pain is a former survivor and the first-ever razorkin who's devoted to the discovery of new sensations of pain. Countless years ago, in his quest for ever-increasing pain, he managed to catch a cellarspawn and extract its essence to inject into himself, hoping that infusing himself with pure fear would inflict an agony upon him that no one had ever felt before. Instead, he found that it wrenched his mind from his body and flung it into the screens of the House. One of the screens overlooked a survivor's painful death, and as the Lord of Pain watched, he realized that he could feel every moment of pain and agony as if he was experiencing it for the first time. From that moment on, he gleefully abandoned his mortal body to live exclusively within the House's screens, watching and savoring every moment of torture he could find. Somewhere within the razor mazes is a room where his body is stashed. Many survivors believe that if they can find it and destroy it, that will be the end of him, a rumor that the Lord of Pain actively encourages because it means more survivors will willingly enter the razor mazes—where hordes of razorkin eagerly lie in wait.
You've learned plenty about the House, and the House has learned plenty about you. There's a lot more to discover in Duskmourn: House of Horror when the set releases September 27. Play Boosters, Collector Boosters, Commander decks, and more are available to preorder at your local game store, online retailers like Amazon, and elsewhere Magic products are sold.