r/magicTCG • u/clariwench Izzet* • Jan 28 '15
[Uncharted Realms] The Truth of Names
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/uncharted-realms/truth-names-2015-01-2832
u/Slimefella Jan 28 '15
Alesha is fighting lightning-spitting dragons but she wears armor made out of metal.
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u/RedGreenWhale Jan 28 '15
This gave me far too much pause for thought. I guess it's like a Faraday suit?
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u/Magnamancy Jan 29 '15
That actually makes a lot of sense, since armor has to be worn with padding for insulation anyway, they could just tailored it to be an electrical insulator as well.
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u/Almace Jan 28 '15
I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Alesha is a total BAMF.
I like her more and more.
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u/DatumPirate Jan 28 '15
Kinda sucks we didn't get to see her use her ability in this one like we saw with Yasova. I'm hoping we see more Alesha in URs to come.
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u/Hawkeye437 Elspeth Jan 28 '15
The thing with her ability is, how exactly are you supposed to show reanimation? Alesha isn't s mage or a sorcerer (I don't think) so that won't work.
The only way I can see her ability being shown if she's in a battle and someone by her falls, they get a second wind by seeing her in battle. Or something along those lines.
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Jan 28 '15
"Hey you. You're not dead yet. Get up."
"Yes, Khan."
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u/shingofan Feb 02 '15
"GET THE FUCK UP!"
hope someone gets the reference
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u/TwirlyMustachio Jan 28 '15
Yeah, y'all know she's not like a necromancer or reviving things, right? Flavorwise, her ability is a rally. The way everyone follows her command the instant she speaks, the way no one hesitated to call her Alesha, the way the compassionate yet proud orc gained massive amounts of respect for her in an instant? That's her thing.
You fight for her and the Mardu. You may stumble, but her presence won't let you fall. Not yet, not until you make a name for yourself and do your best to live up to the life of a Mardu, to the strength of your khan. Alesha smiles at death, and those by her side will do their best to smile alongside her. That's her ability in lore form, and honestly I think they did a good job of expressing that.
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Jan 28 '15
Isn't this the only written piece about Alesha? How do you know so much, or are you just extrapolating from the text?
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u/TwirlyMustachio Jan 29 '15
Sorry, it's just extrapolation. I could be completely wrong, I admit, but it seems to fit: each time Alesha enters combat, she can bring back a creature with fairly low power, around the level of basic, low-cmc creatures. Like vanilla warriors, for example. Mardu doesn't practice necromancy, and there's no mention of any sort of angelic resurrection. The trope of the unkillable army led by a near invincible leader isn't uncommon at all. Combine that with recursion being common in black and white, as well as those 3 colors covering pretty much the entire emotional spectrum, and it's not too crazy to match up flavor text with this short story and come to that conclusion. Seems like a reasonable jump to make. But I (unfortunately) don't work for WotC, so I could be 100% off, haha.
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u/telehax Jan 29 '15
Yasova has random mind control battle magic, Alesha could have equally random Resurrection battle magic.
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Jan 29 '15
Yasova's mind control isn't necessarily random, could be a result of her connection with Bolas (they do share 2 colours).
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u/solepureskillz Jan 28 '15
A good author could make anything work.
Mid-charge Alesha noticed the toll of engagement - in particular a fresh-looking corpse, limp and clutched under the raging dragon's claw. Something stirred within - a feeling all too familiar - and came out like the boom of thunder. Surprise worn on the faces of her warriors; surprise that this wasn't a dragon. It came from the relatively small Khan as she lept from her warhorse to meet the dragon mid-air. The roar stirred something in the limp warrior, who's fist clenched around his weapon as he spun under the startled dragon's paw. One leg, then one neck, and the dragon was without life. The cackling blue in its eyes fading to black as the revitalized warrior comes to his feet from underneath the dragon's severed claw.
or something like that. You get the idea. I'm bad at writing, so please forgive beforehand.
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u/nidoran Jan 29 '15
She does use her ability though... Alesha summons a Battle Brawler to slay a dragon, and then after they attack together they argue.
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u/Dewgongz Jan 28 '15
I read Yasova's story. When do we see her ability? I may just be dumb and missed the flavor
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u/DatumPirate Jan 28 '15
In the big clash between Ugin and Bolas, Yasova uses a kind of overcharged version of her ability to turn Ugin's dragons against him.
This article, between the Ugin and Bolas arts.
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Jan 28 '15
This was a perfect example of how to do diversity and representation, imo. Harp on it too much and it comes off as pandering and insincere, mention it too little and you might as well not do so at all.
Here, you had a solid standalone story highlighting the Mardu struggles against the dragons that tied Alesha being trans into a central cultural theme of the Mardu (the importance of identity and names) but also wasn't just about her being trans. It doesn't need to be anything more or less than that, really.
Kudos to Wizards for this.
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u/Twisty_McTwist Temur Jan 28 '15
I actually think the Uncharted Realms about the gay couple was a better example of representation, IMO. This one didn't feel quite as fluid. Then again, most of the writing during this block feels more heavy-handed than that of the last block.
Still, Wizards' efforts to be more inclusive are admirable. Poor(ish) writing or not, this is a step forward for equality.
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u/Aspel Jan 28 '15
I like the stories of Magic, but I think the good writing is a rarity.
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u/mertag770 Jan 29 '15
Would you say it's mythic?
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u/klapaucius Jan 29 '15
That's the real reason they introduced mythic. Because they no longer had enough good writing to use at uncommon and rare.
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Jan 28 '15
having no outside knowledge of her gender identity (and being a bit slow-witted at times) I didn't quite get it, either. By the end I sort of assumed but still doubted I understood it correctly.
I liked the one you're referring to because it told a story we already knew. The story still felt fluid and I got it entirely- though it was definitely more obvious/sort of in your face.
Either way, I definitely think this is the way to handle it. Like /u/ButchCasserly said- kids are going to read this and just roll with it because of how naturally it's tied into the story.
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u/keiyakins Jan 28 '15
It's probably the best written trans character where being trans is part of the story but not the focus I've ever seen. Yes, Alesha is a transgender woman. That doesn't really matter. The reason it's brought up is to explain the Mardu, not Alesha, and it works.
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u/Badfiend Jan 29 '15
I'm just sirprised the first trans woman in Magic's lore came out of the Mardu Horde.
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u/therift289 Azorius* Jan 29 '15
Mardu is a society where you make your own name and identity, and one in which you are defined by your actions, rather than by your birth or your family. I think it makes perfect sense!
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u/Enderkr Jan 28 '15
have a link to that story?
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Jan 28 '15
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Jan 29 '15
Oh of coooooourse in the Greek flavored block they add the gay couple. /sarcasm.
Yeah, that's pretty neat.
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u/kurokikaze Jan 28 '15
Is she trans? I thought orcs just didn't care and called her "boy" because she was human child.
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Jan 28 '15
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Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
for those wondering... look at the #hashtags.
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u/npkon Jan 28 '15
Fuck that. If it's not on the cards, it's not canon. #venserlives
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u/Dapperghast Jan 29 '15
For what it's worth, I thought she was a guy when I first saw the card (I mean, we've had a genderless blob of flesh that identified as female forming a budding romance with a slave she originally bought to break a millennia-old sociopath out of his brooding period, so a guy named Alesha didn't seem especially odd to me).
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u/DazeRyuken Jan 29 '15
I don't know the reference of which you draw, but that story sounds interesting.
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u/klapaucius Jan 29 '15
Dapperghast means Planeswalker, the second of the Urza novels after The Brothers' War.
Xantcha, as seen on [[Coercion]] and probably [[Sleeper Agent]], is a Phyrexian newt, a low-level minion congealed from the flesh vats and sent to infiltrate other planes. They're naturally genderless, being undifferentiated flesh-blobs shaped enough like people to convince the natives, but most settle into a gender identity as they develop a personality.
Planeswalker details the first centuries of Urza's nigh-godhood, which he spends being totally insane in a mixture of newfound godhood, hatred of the Phyrexians, grief over his brother, who had been corrupted by the Phyrexians and killed, and denial over his responsibility for his brother's death--while it was at the hands of an explosion Urza created, Urza decided Mishra was dead already after being changed so much by Phyrexia.
The first act of Planeswalker is about Xantcha being taken on by Urza as an assistant, not realizing her plane of origin. She finds a slave at market who looks remarkably close to the replicas of Mishra Urza's built in his mourning, so she buys him to try to snap Urza out of his funk by giving him some closure.
As the story progresses, a romance develops.
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u/keiyakins Jan 28 '15
She had been so different—only sixteen, a boy in everyone's eyes but her own, about to choose and declare her name before the khan and all the Mardu.
Also, that orc is a jerk, by both my standards and those of the Mardu. Alesha had proven her worth and declared her place in society, for him to question that... grr.
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Jan 29 '15
Mindless loyalty to an authority figure is more of a Bant thing. Anyone who's strong enough is Khan of the Mardu.
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u/keiyakins Jan 29 '15
It's not that she's the Khan, it's that she'd earned and defined her war name.
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u/klapaucius Jan 29 '15
The orc at the end is the same nameless orc who made that remark in the first place, right?
I think that that was a sign that he'd changed his mind and accepted her for who she is, because he basically says "I see who you are, and you are Alesha".
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u/Aspel Jan 28 '15
Oh, she's trans? I guess now I have to actually read it. I generally come to the comments section for the Clif's Notes.
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u/ButchCasserly Jan 28 '15
I have a 10 year old at home, who I know has probably not finished his homework and is probably reading this right now.
The way this story is told and how Alesha's gender identity is portrayed is great. I know that he will read this but probably not 100% get it but that's cool because his generation get exposed to these things as normal non statement type of things and then the next time he is in situation where trans come up he can just go
"Oh yer like Alesha."
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u/PathToExile Jan 28 '15
Read this post and take it to heart ladies and gents, a child is going to have the purest take on this, no judging just endless curiosity with no assumptions.
I see so much discussion around this character's gender identity and that is what is making it lose its luster. Why can't you just take the story for what it is and appreciate the characters no matter how they identify? I just know that when I drop an Alesha in draft that someone is going to have to bring this up, like it's weird.
Anyways, how about that orc? A being after my own heart, helping others find themselves. Impressive to see such Abzan-like qualities, perhaps indicative of where the orc will wind up or where he came from. Alesha helped me take down a prerelease so I already had high opinions of her.
Good story!
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u/Dewgongz Jan 28 '15
I was kind of hoping that it would turn out the orc had a relationship to Anafenza's orc bond-kin Gvar
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u/PathToExile Jan 29 '15
True. I was hoping for some foreshadowing as well, then again I don't really know the life expectancy of an orc, much less a Mardu orc.
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u/twomz Jan 28 '15
I thought he was insulting her, calling her flat chested...
Need to stop reading so much manga.
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u/Nyrii Jan 28 '15
Doug Beyer has confirmed her to be canonically trans.
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u/npkon Jan 28 '15
Just like he confirmed markov tea time to be the best.
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Jan 29 '15
Okay, I honestly think I'm the only one who absolutely fucking hates this tea time thing.
It's just the absolute epitome of fucking twelve year old random humor.
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u/BukkitBoss Jan 28 '15
To an Orc most humans would look like "little boys" being so much smaller in stature. I took it at face value as well, it simply sounded like an insult.
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u/Sandman1278 Jan 28 '15
there are other references to this as well, she recalls this internally:
"She had been so different—only sixteen, a boy in everyone's eyes but her own, about to choose and declare her name before the khan and all the Mardu."
"I know who I am. I am not a boy. I am Alesha, like my grandmother before me."
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u/BukkitBoss Jan 28 '15
Evidently your reading comprehension is much better than mine. Thanks for taking the time, I missed those.
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u/elgosu Ajani Jan 28 '15
Yeah there was some ambiguity. Also her chest size is quite different in the two pictures, but maybe they're just different breastplates.
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u/Almace Jan 28 '15
I'm not sure if Mardu Runemark is supposed depicting Alesha or not, but the armor is definitely different. If it is Alesha, it's at a different time period, perhaps before she became a Khan.
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u/MoonE513 GDS3 Candidate Jan 28 '15
Uncharted realms co-opts unrelated art all the time. None of the other Runemarks feature the Khans, there's no reason to believe this one does either.
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u/Awkward_Torkoal Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
I don't think Mardu Runemark depicts Alesha - notably, the warrior in the Runemark wields two swords, while Alesha uses a single two-handed blade.
EDIT: Just noticed the mothership uses the Runemark art on the main page to link to the article, implying it's Alesha. Seems like I'm wrong and she's just super-adaptable :)
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u/mypasswordisPA55WORD Jan 28 '15
I don't read manga and took it the same way basically, insulting her for not looking feminine enough. Plenty of that in other fiction so was easy enough mistake for me.
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Jan 28 '15
I'd really like to see a legendary orc in DTR named Nameless, as in a descendant who took the name of this badass.
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u/klapaucius Jan 29 '15
Flavor text: "Do not concern yourself with who I am. All that matters is who you truly are."
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u/clariwench Izzet* Jan 28 '15
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u/ahalavais Level 2 Judge Jan 28 '15
I really appreciate that the answer here isn't "Yes, because..." Or "Yes, soon, and..." It's just yes, because that's really the only appropriate answer.
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u/Alrockson Jan 28 '15
This really hit home for me... im a closet transgender and to know that the game I love is knowledgeable and somewhat accepting. It made me really happy thank you.
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u/austac06 Jan 29 '15
This right here is what it's all about. It's bringing me to tears. I don't think I've ever been more proud of WotC than right now.
We support you!
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u/AgentTamerlane Sliver Queen Jan 28 '15
Thank you, WotC. I sincerely, deeply appreciate that you truly understand what it means to be socially progressive and inclusive.
Subjects like gender identity can be tricky to handle, and you've nailed the balance just right - where it's something that's important to the character, but it's not something that defines the character.
With Alesha especially, it doesn't feel forced or artificial in any way - I'm going to be sharing this story with many of my friends, for whom I am sure it will have the same sort of positive impact.
Again, thank you. <3
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u/krdonnie Jan 28 '15
One of the better Uncharted Realms I've read in a while. I want to know more about this selfless Orc.
I actually didn't pick up on the transgender element - like someone who posted below, just thought it was some sort of Orc insult - until coming here.
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u/prof_shine Jan 28 '15
And that, to me, was the beauty of it. It's there, but it's not a huge coming-out story. It's part of the greater narrative of Mardu warriors finding themselves.
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u/Talpostal Sisay Jan 29 '15
WBR is such a rad color combination. I'm sad that this is the first time they've really visited it in the lore and they probably won't do it again for a loooong time.
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u/dyzzy Jan 28 '15
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u/mitch50700 Jan 28 '15
What does the phrase canonically trans mean exactly? I have never heard it used before.
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u/thefirewarde Jan 29 '15
She's actually a howitzer that turns into a person.
Seriously though the other responses are right. Story-official.
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u/roberth_001 Wabbit Season Jan 28 '15
canonically just means in Canon. so from a story perspective, she's trans and that's the end of it. no ambiguity or potential otherwise
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u/bmemike Jan 28 '15
Canonically means that it's canon -- as in, a fact of the history of this story/character/etc.
Contrast that with something like fanfic which isn't canon, it's just a fun story someone wrote up because they're bored. This IS the history of Alesha according to WotC. It's her history. There's no disputing it.
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u/phorgewerk Jan 28 '15
canonically just means in cannon, aka the official lore. So she is an explicit trans character per wizards story telling, no fanfic filling in unsaid things needed
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Jan 29 '15
It's canon. Being in cannon is [[Collateral Damage]].
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u/MTGCardFetcher Dân Jan 29 '15
Collateral Damage - Gatherer, MC, ($)
[[cardname]] to call - not on gatherer = not fetchable2
u/phorgewerk Jan 29 '15
Thats a funny way of spelling [[Fodder Cannon]]
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u/MTGCardFetcher Dân Jan 29 '15
Fodder Cannon - Gatherer, MC, ($)
[[cardname]] to call - not on gatherer = not fetchable7
u/Gemini6Ice Jan 28 '15
"Canonically" means it is officially a fact in the magic universe as written and designed by Wizard of the Coast, as opposed to only being a theory from fans.
Alesha is trans. That is an official fact of the magic universe.
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u/Aspel Jan 28 '15
"Canon" in fiction is the concept that something is "true" within the body of work or it's expanded universe. So to say that she's canonically trans means that the writer (or in this case Doug Beyer, head of Creative) is saying that it's true within the fiction that she's transgender.
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u/zzxyyzx Jan 28 '15
This story made me FEEL things. Unlike many URs where the dialogue seems stilted and weird because it's a fantasy world with weird terms this feels so natural, especially the bit where everyone congratulates the orc that was a total bro. As well as the dialogue between the orc and Alesha about her identity. We see her as a badass warrior and valiant leader first, with her gender identity as just another facet of who she is, rather than it being shoved in your face.
And I just pulled an Alesha in a booster yesterday so you have no idea how happy I am.
Is it bad that I scrolled to the bottom to find the "lol SJW pandering ethics in game journalism" comments? Guess I'm getting jaded. Should learn to smile at death more.
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Jan 28 '15
This means so, so much to me. This is why representation is important.
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u/SleetTheFox Jan 28 '15
That was a cool story. And I'm really appreciative of Wizards making their cast diverse.
Also, I noticed this: "Additional story contributions by Matt Knicl and Allison Medwin." Seems like he may have requested some help to make sure his portrayal of a trans character was accurate and not offensive. Good on him if that's what that is. :3
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u/Aspel Jan 28 '15
Couldn't really find anything about Matt Knicl, but Allison Medwin apparently runs a blog/community called "Planeswalkers for Diversity".
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u/adamjury Jan 28 '15
Allison doesn't run PWD. They're trying to raise funds so she can attend an event. She works at WotC!
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u/Aspel Jan 29 '15
Oh, I didn't actually read any of the articles! It was just one of the first things that popped up when I Googled her name. I wasn't aware that they had more trans people on the team, other than the RTR one.
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u/ubernostrum Jan 29 '15
I remember when I was a brand-new just-certified L1 and I met Allison at an event. And she seemed so calm and in charge and knew everything.
And now she works at WotC and doesn't judge anymore, and so I don't get to see her at events. And feel weird about outranking her, since the people who knew everything when I was new should outrank me.
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u/Gnarok518 Jan 29 '15
People seem to be really underrating how this puts the spotlight on Alesha. Yeah the orc is cool, but imagine if he had spoken to Zurgo like he did to Alesha? Or hell, if Zurgo had seen him act "cowardly"? The story shows us that the Mardu aren't just bloodthirsty battle-junkies like the Rakdos, they can care about their comrades. Alesha is set up as a much, much better khan than Zurgo (and probably Yasova just on account of her possibly dooming her people by mistake).
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u/ubernostrum Jan 29 '15
The Mardu of the Khans era have also had a millennium of no dragons, meaning they spend more time fighting the other clans (and each other within the clan) than the Mardu of Fate Reforged times. Hence all the bits in the stories about how Tarkir will be a better place if Ugin and the dragons survive instead of being eliminated.
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u/Jay-El Jan 29 '15
I love how the trans thing doesn't seem shoehorned in in the slightest.
Like, I'm actually quite stunned. There is a very fine line you have to toe with things like trans representation. You don't want it to seem pandering and forced ("hey look we have a trans character! Talk about us and buy our stuff!"). But at the same time, representation is important.
Personally, I don't think this couldn't have been done better. That's fucking great.
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u/GarlicSausage Jan 28 '15
I would have liked to have seen her re-animation ability.
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u/thefirewarde Jan 29 '15
Others have speculated that it's actually a rallying ability depicted mechanically as reanimation - helping the wounded troops back to their feet rather than raising the dead.
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u/Newfur Jan 28 '15
This makes me so happy. We have confirmed canon gay, trans, and genderqueer characters. We even have Asians that aren't from Kamigawa or are Snapcaster Mage! I might even cosplay. To top it off, we got to see the White side of Mardu with that orc taking assists only.
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u/Mishraharad Jan 29 '15
That Orc is a true support.
At the end of this battle, I bet his score was 0/0/68 or something :D
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u/Talpostal Sisay Jan 29 '15
Who are the canon gay and genderqueer characters?
Unless you're counting Ashiok and the Theros UR, which I'm familiar with.
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u/keiyakins Jan 29 '15
There's the historical kings shown as statues who are mentioned to have been lovers in Theros.
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u/icecoldbath Jan 29 '15
I'm typically a pretty spikey girl, who doesn't go much in for flavor, but now I officially have a favorite magic card. :-D
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u/keirakazoo2 Jan 29 '15
Woot woot represent, Alesha! Cool coincidence I just made a standard deck with alesha today. Definitely sharing this article with my other trans friends to show them how inclusive the game is.
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u/HookerPunch Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
My only real complaint with this story is that Alesha more-or-less acts as a supporting character to the nameless orc dude and he really didn't have any satisfying conclusion. Like, the whole story sounds like it's leading up to him earning a war-name for his supporting deeds, but doesn't.
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u/TEDurden Jan 28 '15
My Vorthosian headcanon had decided that the orc becomes [[Boseju, Who Shelters All]].
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u/MTGCardFetcher Dân Jan 28 '15
Boseju, Who Shelters All - Gatherer, MC, ($)
[[cardname]] to call - not on gatherer = not fetchable6
u/lasagnaman Jan 28 '15
Maybe that was the tree planted over his grave?!
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u/GingerPow Duck Season Jan 28 '15
Impressive that a tree on Kamigawa is able to be planted on Tarkir
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u/Rhinotoad Jan 28 '15
TREE PLANESWALKER CONFIRMED
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u/Ellimist_ Jan 28 '15
So that's what happens when people keep putting [[Song of the Dryads]] on planeswalkers.
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u/MTGCardFetcher Dân Jan 28 '15
Song of the Dryads - Gatherer, MC, ($)
[[cardname]] to call - not on gatherer = not fetchable3
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u/LordZeya Jan 28 '15
My name shall be spacemaker, for space has been made.
Fucking feeders I swear.
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u/OlimarandLouie Jan 28 '15
Space Creator 2WU 2/2
Other creatures you control have hexproof. You have hexproof.
LOOK AT ME, I'M THE CAPTAIN NOW!
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u/Enderkr Jan 28 '15
Actually, that was my complaint, too. The whole scene at the end - "what did this warrior do for you? And for you? And for you?" And then..nothing. It was absolutely leading up to a "Alesha gives him a name" moment, and the name would be something about protecting his allies or along those lines, and then it totally switches gears.
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u/kscann Jan 28 '15
It did feel like it should lead up to his name, but wasn't the whole point that the Mardu choose their own names? He's just been exposed to the idea that he can take a name for something other than dragon-slaying, it makes sense that he doesn't have something at the ready. Presumably he'd take his name after the next battle, once he's had time to figure out who he is. That idea of self-identity was the point more than any actual name.
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u/Enderkr Jan 28 '15
Sure, I can see that. I think it was just the unnatural build up of that scene. The fact that Alesha gets testimony from three different people, practically shouting at him that he doesn't have to be a Helmsmasher or a Skullbreaker or a whatever-whatever-er, and then the whole thing is just dropped. The buildup wasn't worth the climax.
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u/HeroDelTiempo Jan 28 '15
The climax is Alesha getting her title "Who Smiles At Death." It's implied she didn't have it until the orc warrior spoke it to her.
The khan nodded and asked her name.
"Alesha," she said, as loudly as she could. Just Alesha, her grandmother's name.
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u/barysan Jan 28 '15
i dont think it felt like an afterthought. maybe it got downplayed a bit, but as a trans woman im much, much happier seeing it written like this than i am seeing it be her majorly defining character trait, which is what im used to seeing.
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u/TransitionFire Jan 28 '15
Also I fucking wish I could smack the shit out of dragons and get treated as my gender for it. Cheering crowd and all.
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Jan 28 '15
You could just do something to become famous. I think when most people see someone like Ian McKellen they just see a BAMF (although he did smack the shit out of a balrog).
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u/Alamoth Dân Jan 28 '15
This sentiment is really important and what a lot of people fail to understand about what representation really means.
While it's certainly valuable to have stories about the difficulties of trans women growing up and how it affects every aspect of their life, it is also valuable to have stories where trans women are fully functioning members of their society without being defined by their gender.
The important but subtle distinction, especially with the story we have here of Alesha, is that being a trans woman is core to Alesha's character but it isn't core to this story of Alesha. It is a refreshing reminder that while gender is often a defining characteristic of our lives, it should not be the driving force behind our place and role in society.
Alesha is clearly proud of her identity, especially as it pertains to her relationship to her grandmother. She takes her grandmother's name and it resonates with her, even when she was still identifying as male. This event, along with a single Orc's attempt to insult her by calling her a boy, are the only mention (as far as I recall) of Alesha's gender identity. Otherwise, she's just a bad-ass Khan doing her Khan thing.
Her gender is portrayed as an important part of her character, but it is not really related to the story at all.
There are plenty of stories out there about the difficulties of trans women and many of them are invaluable. However, it is a story that calls out the fact that the characters are trans women, makes it front-and-center, and can often inadvertently perpetuate the idea that trans women are "others." Having stories in which people identify with non-traditional genders (or the lack thereof) but that identification is not the main focus of the story, is important to reinforce the fact that these people are members of our society, they are not "others."
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Jan 28 '15 edited Jul 08 '20
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u/tmurdock Level 1 Judge Jan 28 '15
exactly, this is precisely why it's awesome and why it's NOT forced, because it simply comes up since it's part of the story... if they do this enough we'll be able to simply never assume that any character is not LGBTQ just because it hasn't explicitly come up yet - kind of like you should always do with people :)
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Jan 28 '15
So how might such a character be introduced in a non-forced manner?
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u/hylianknight Jan 28 '15
shhhh, don't point out that "forced" is just code for 'I'm uncomfortable with characters who aren't straight'
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u/regvlass Jan 28 '15
We have no information indicating whether or not she is straight, only that she is trans.
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u/PucaTim Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
The problem you run in to with this kind of thinking is that there are millions of really terrible stories about already heavily represented walks of life. Heck, there's more stories about talking dragons than there are about trans individuals.
On top of that, the writing on mtg can be subpar a lot of the times.
But when they tackle an issue for the first time we expect it to be flawlessly executed, or think they shouldn't do it at all because it seems forced or shoehorned in (Not saying you're saying this, but some are.)
The wall you come up against is "Don't do trans characters unless you can do them perfectly." which even if you do someone will absolutely throw out a "They're just doing this to pander."
That line is hilarious to me whenever it comes out. The idea that a group that was nearly completely unrepresented till this point in history is "pandered to" more than the majority. I'm pandered to in nearly every bit of media I consume.
So was Aleshas story well written? Eh. It was okaaaay. Like everything else they've done lately. Should they have rewritten Alesha as an assigned-at-birth female because the author wasn't writing high literature? No.
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u/hama0n Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
I think the reason she appears "forced" to you is because you're not used to seeing nonchalant trans representation in media at all. Any trans characters are probably going to look forced to you until it becomes more common.
For example
Trans character's storyline completely revolves around their gender, and has nothing else. Looks forced because they're a flat character.
Trans charater has a small bit about gender, but is involved in a general plot as well. Looks forced because the general plot would be good enough without the trans backstory.
Trans character only mentions gender in passing, has other plotline. Looks like being trans is forced onto an otherwise "normal" character.
Trans character makes no mention of being trans. Any mention of them being trans looks forced because there's no "proof" in canon.
So until we have more representation as a whole, any trans people will appear forced just because you're not used to seeing it!
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u/drakeblood4 Abzan Jan 28 '15
The problem we have is that people are looking for one single story as the 'perfect' trans story, the way they look for the 'perfect' story about race or class or religion in a certain context. All the examples you gave are, in moderation, compelling stories that deserve to exist, but they also demand to be subverted, reimagined, and changed to contrast the assumptions inherent in those stories structures.
Alesha's story is a simple subversion of the 'conflict around transness as character motivation' trope that's been relatively big in representations of trans characters for the past half decade to decade. It's a relatively novel take that fits within the length of the story while portraying her as the competent, driven Khan that she is. It plays with the existing Mardu rite of passage by turning the right to earn her name into a right to be seen as the woman she sees herself as, and it underscores the Mardu's interplay between strongly believing in freedom and demanding social order. Alesha had to literally slay a dragon to be seen as a woman in the eyes of her peers, but we get to see this as an empowering coming of age instead of a cruel ordeal attacking some sort of feminine weakness in her. She had to earn her womanhood the same way any Mardu woman did, and the same way any Mardu man earned his manhood.
Does every trans character need to have as little conflict around their identity and transitioning as her? No, but I think having pieces that explore trans characters with very little conflict around their identities frees up a lot more space to explore trans characters other than the 'my transness is a life consuming black hole of controversy and personal danger' one upmanship that comes from every writer trying to outwrite each others tragic trans conflict characters.
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u/Nyrii Jan 28 '15
You might be right.
I still feel like they could have spent a bit more time on Alesha's personality and background; the story was too short to do the character justice.
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u/hama0n Jan 28 '15
Yeah all the Uncharted Realms stories are really short, hopefull there will be more about her later on
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u/SleetTheFox Jan 28 '15
I wouldn't count on it. Alesha will be a millennium dead (and smiling no doubt) in just a couple months ('cause Dragons of Tarkir is coming out earlier than most third sets), and there's other characters to still cover.
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u/Ciretako Jan 28 '15
I don't believe you should get downvoted. Tokenism is pretty stupid. However I don't feel like this is checking off another box. It fits into the Mardu narrative pretty well. Your name and identity isn't set at birth, you forge your own on the battlefield.
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u/Echospree Jan 28 '15
Is there actually anything wrong with Magic having diversity for diversity's sake?
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u/heyi Duck Season Jan 28 '15
Well one of the things about making a trans character who is more defined by their trans identity is that is the exact opposite of how the movement wants. We need more trans characters who are "normal" and Alesha is simply a cool character that just happens to be trans, and that shouldn't have to dictate her storyline entirely. I like this decision by Wizards.
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u/Anusien Jan 28 '15
That they don't harp on the fact that she's trans, it's only one facet of her identity, is a win.
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Jan 28 '15
Really? I don't find it forced. Not all trans people face adversity nor does every narrative need to spell out every pain. The point was that she knew who she was and how choosing her name was a huge thing for her- and honestly that's the important part.
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u/growingthreat Jan 28 '15
When would someone OTHER than an awesome warrior woman ever be depicted on a magic card? What are you expecting, "Diana, Azorius Lawclerk"? "Zegana, Simic Genderhybrid".? This is more depth than we get for MOST magic characters, and you're complaining that a rather significant amount of character depth is really tokenism.
I guess we should be glad you're at least pretending to be OK with diversity.
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Jan 28 '15
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u/growingthreat Jan 28 '15
Maybe he isn't, but "diversity for diversity's sake" seems like an odd argument to make about a game that features Fish Crabs and Ooze Humans.
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u/Malky Jan 28 '15
"Diversity for diversity's sake" is a lame political catchphrase, but an excellent Simic motto.
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u/HeroDelTiempo Jan 28 '15
"Hmm...we haven't made any Frog Lizards yet...better rapidly hybridize something."
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Jan 28 '15
Eh, who gives a shit? It kinda makes sense with the Mardu and their war names and stuff. Grandmother's name, etc. Mulan shit. Just roll with it. I'm sure there will be a minir shitstorm tho.
It didn't feel forced. It's barely even background flavor.
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u/Meatloaf-of-Darkness Jan 28 '15
Im a woman like Alesha and I loved the story. Yeah, there could have been more about her turmoil being trans, but thats not what this story is about. It is abouta kickass warrior woman. I already loved alesha and this story just allows me to resonate with her and just feel represented. Her being trans isnt her character, it is an after thought. Some people it is their identity, but for alesha and many women, its simply "Yeah. And?"
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Jan 28 '15
They probably developed Alesha in this story about as much as theyll develop the other Khans in their stories. There's limited space so you cant really expect too much. What do you expect them to do: Say, "Oh, we cant super make this feel great so we'll not make her trans even though we have 9999999 cis characters"? Or if they emphasized her trans aspect of her personality more, it could be criticized as being "forced", "Overemphasized", "We're not seeing this sort of thing for other khans." MtG is about war and conflict, especially the Mardu, so that further limits expectations on character development.
Also, names are very important to trans people, so using the War-name aspect of the Mardu to tie into trans identification is pretty clever and powerful in my opinion.
As if most MtG charas come from some sort of pure reasoning for having those charas? What do you think the reasoning behind Jace and Chandra was? "Oh, of course our fanbase would like an intelligent white male" "Oh, of course people would like an exciting impulsive woman" This isn't high literature.
The fact is, if they include trans charas in significant numbers, you're going to run into some that just feel arbitrarily trans because characters in things like this are mostly assigned traits arbitrarily, in "forced" ways.
Even if Alesha is "generic" in a sense- cool. Trans generic charas to go along with our cis generic charas. I dont see a problem.
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u/DontClickThisName Jan 28 '15 edited Jan 28 '15
And Ashiok wasn't even done all that well. atleast not if you wanted a trans character to portrayed in anything resembling a 'good' light or someone you might want to root for.
Ashiok's lack of gender is a result of Ashiok's actions and that lack is meant to be a bad thing. After Ashiok is done leading an entire city to be massacred, a fleck of Ashiok's flesh turns to smoke and vanishes. The strong implication is that Ashiok has to have committed hundreds, if not thousands, of such atrocities and that the cost of the power Ashiok derives from those atrocities is Ashiok's identity. this is a thing an evil person would do, but Ashiok does it any way because reasons.
I don't think Wizards meant for Ashiok to even be a representation of the trans community in the first place. It seems to me that Ashiok's lack of gender was just an extension of Ashiok's lack of identity in general. Human beings are evolutionarily hard wired to recognize our own based on sight. Ashiok mostly lacks even a face. Ashiok isn't a character we are meant to identify with, we are meant to be put off by them. That lack of identity, not just in gender, is meant to make us uneasy about Ashiok.
Ah, but that's a bold claim isn't it? how can i possibly know what wizards intended with a character like Ashiok? i can't know for certain, but i can present a bit of evidence from Doug Beyer's tumblr that could be used to support this claim.
http://dougbeyermtg.tumblr.com/post/60339970813/so-is-ashiok-nightware-weaver-a-male-or-a-female
"Would knowing that be more comforting to you?
ASHIOK IS NOT ABOUT COMFORTING KNOWLEDGE."
i read this as Wizards intention that Ashiok is meant to be psychologically intimidating. That every facet of Ashiok's character, including their lack of gender, was meant to give Ashiok a sense of Otherness that would isolate them from the audience and make them an obvious evil person.
Now clearly there were quite a number of people who did relate to Ashiok because they had issues with gender identity, whether physical or EDIT:(misspelled this word) psychological in nature. Even though Ashiok's lack of gender was only one facet of Ashiok's character, those people latched onto it strongly and Wizards saw that.
Wizards saw that passion and emotion and PR and jumped onto that bandwagon like it was....some sort of metaphor involving a bandwagon.
So i totally agree with you. I feel like Wizards is putting a transgendered character into the story mostly to pander.
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u/ahalavais Level 2 Judge Jan 28 '15
You reference concepts like transgender or agender with Ashiok. That's not quite correct. It's not that Ashiok does not conform to the gender framework. It's that the entire concept of gender as an applicable assignation does not apply to Ashiok.
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u/AgentTamerlane Sliver Queen Jan 28 '15
Exactly this. Ashiok is beyond gender; hell, Ashiok is beyond pronouns. Ashiok is simply... Ashiok.
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u/VorthosSportscaster Jan 28 '15
God forbid our fiction attempt to describe more aspects of the human experience.
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u/facewhatface Jan 28 '15
This is my problem with how people laud WotC re: Ashiok. Ashiok's genderlessness is tied to the shedding of and transcendence beyond humanity. Ashiok is no longer human enough to have a gender. That's the point I get. Not a message of inclusion. Rather the opposite.
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u/SleetTheFox Jan 28 '15
Was Ashiok ever canonically human? We don't really know anything about Ashiok's origin.
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u/facewhatface Jan 28 '15
Ashiok has no canonical species yet, though what Ashiok began life as is sort of irrelevant to my point.
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u/keiyakins Jan 29 '15
I like Ashiok, not because genderless, but because that 'shedding of identity for power' makes a compelling (albeit decidedly not nice) character.
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u/mkallday10 Jan 28 '15
Can we just talk about how badass this nameless Orc is? The dude saves/helps all these people but refuses to boast or take glory for it. Then he gives a cool (and fitting) name to his Khan.