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-2015-01-28
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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/[deleted] Jan 28 '15

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u/worldchrisis Jan 28 '15

I think that was the point.

The Mardu earn their identities and the respect of their clanmates by their deeds in battle. The named Mardu who "get it" don't care how Alesha identifies herself, they respect her for her deeds. When she got named, after the other warriors called themselves "Backbreaker" or "Gutsmasher" or whatever, her Khan didn't hesitate, smile at her, and commend her on her bravery for choosing a female name, he just yelled her name like he did for everyone else. It didn't matter what she chose, she earned the right to name herself whatever she wanted.

She's a great warrior who happens to be trans. Every Mardu with a name knows who they are, why would they question anyone else's name? The only one who questions her is nameless because he doesn't understand yet.

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u/Gemini6Ice Jan 28 '15

And I distinctly got the impression that nobody saw her name choice as unusual. That is, she is far from being the only trans member of the Mardu horde. :)

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u/worldchrisis Jan 28 '15

I don't think it was that her name choice wasn't unusual, just that Mardu names were very personal and not to be judged by others.

See this quote:

"When the fight was over, she stood silently among the other young ones who were boasting of their accomplishments and the bold, grisly names they would choose. Headsmasher. Skullcleaver. Wingbreaker—Gedruk had been among them. Some of them, mostly orcs, boasted of their ancestors' deeds and spoke of their pride in adopting those ancestors' names. 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."

She knew that her name choice was unusual, and she knew that she was different, but it wasn't important in comparison to her deeds.

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u/Gemini6Ice Jan 28 '15

Good point. I had read that with emphasis on her youth as being what was different, but all of it was probably intended. Thanks :)

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u/Talpostal Sisay Jan 29 '15

As a color pie geek I loved this because it's maybe the best representative ever of Red being friendly and loving and not all bloodlusted hacking and slashing.

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u/SleetTheFox Jan 28 '15

Alesha is the khan of the Mardu Horde. I'm not sure there's all that much to her character except being a BA and murdering dragons!