If the latest Magic: The Gathering story articles are anything to go by, it looks like the next MTG planeswalker will be a Strixhaven student – oh, and an elephant. ‘Arcavious: A Radiant Heart’ is one of the latest instalments in the March of the Machine storyline, shared by Wizards of the Coast on March 20. It focuses on the Phyrexian invasion of the Strixhaven school of magic, and it seems to show Quintorious Kand’s spark igniting.
Quintorious (or Quint to his friends) is an Ioxodon student at Strixhaven. He’s a lover of knowledge, exploration, and scrolls, and we first encountered him in the MTG set Strixhaven: School of Mages. If his spark really has ignited, we reckon this anthropomorphic elephant is a contender for most adorable planeswalker.
While we don’t want to say the word ‘confirmed’ just yet, there are a lot of signs Quint is going to be planeswalking pretty soon. It turns out Liliana Vess has sent the gang to cast the Invocation of the Founders, a powerful spell she thinks will push back the invading MTG Phyrexians. When the spell is cast, we see hints of Quint’s transformation.
We’re told a light shines from within the Ioxodon, and it’s powerful enough to destroy Strixhaven buildings and Phyrexian portals alike. The light swallows Quint, and he disappears. When she hears of his absence, Lilianna’s first thought is “Dead . . . or a spark?”. Quint could be still alive if his spark has ignited, but his story ends on a cliffhanger for now, as the remaining Strixhaven residents focus on fortifying the school.
If Quint does join the TCG’s cast of planeswalkers, his past Magic cards may hint at what to expect. For example, ‘Quintorius, Field Historian’ was a legendary creature card found in Strixhaven: School of Mages. This Boros card focused on creating and buffing Spirit tokens.
Quint’s already been spotted in key art for the next MTG set, so we should hopefully learn more about him in the lead-up to the March of the Machine release date. Until then, it’s all eyes on the MTG 2023 release schedule. You can also read the current MTG stories in full on the Magic: The Gathering website.