The Debtrospective

The forces of Solana wear thin, now is the time to strike. Sharpen your claws, call forth your servants, your twisted experiments, your Embra, for tonight we feast on noble blood. Heed our tale, of a grave scholar who embraced the Shadows…

The year is 2021, and the forbidden knowledge within Monarch lies just out of reach. Flesh and Blood players are howling to find out what it all means. But nobody was prepared for what was to come - the introduction of the Shadow talent, and a new Runeblade who twisted its power to his whim. Chane’s reveal immediately raised all sorts of questions. Was he too powerful? Not powerful enough? How would he harness the myriad of haunting new cards?

Raised by the Disciples of Pain, Chane quickly learned about the dark side of humanity. As he grew, so did his pain threshold, until eventually his earthly limitations began to break away. Carrying the weight of responsibility was no easy task, but Chane persevered, hellbent on his quest to free humanity from tyranny. Binding himself to the demonic entity Ursur, Chane vowed to expose the true nature of Solana.

Chane hit the playing field like a firecracker in a gunpowder factory. His ability to generate card advantage through the use of Soul Shackles was unmatched. Each turn he would banish more cards from the top of his deck that could be played along with any other cards he had kept in his hand. His hero ability granting go again to these cards was just icing on the cake. Players quickly realised he was a huge threat in the metagame, and they needed a plan to survive until his deck had been completely banished.

But these efforts were futile, as Chane players researched the forbidden arts and perfected their decks, crafting extremely potent late game strategies that could be relied on if the Soul Shackles weren’t rewarding enough. The ever looming threat of Blood Debt, once simply an afterthought, soon became a relevant threat for Chane’s enemies to exploit, forcing him to explore the card pool further and further to find new ways to stabilise the throne of blood upon which he perched.

Chane took everything we knew about card advantage and broke it, showcasing how certain cards may seem insignificant alone, yet are completely ballistic when everything comes together. Just when Chane’s deck was empty and you thought you only needed to survive one more turn, out would come the coup de grâce - Ursur the Soul Reaper - claiming the last drop of life.

Chane would claim his first souls at Calling: Auckland in 2021, in a nail biting final showdown against Levia. He had cemented himself as the scholar’s choice in Monarch draft, a risky option that only the truly dedicated could pull off. Through Road to Nationals season Chane dominated the metagame, forcing more primitive heroes to find a counter, or die trying.

The elemental advent posed a fresh challenge for Chane. He now faced new enemies that could move the earth itself to hinder his attacks, and freeze his gameplan in its tracks. Nevertheless he pushed on, winning several events and placing in top cuts everywhere. But legends have to fall one day, and despite his best efforts Chane knelt before the new Runeblade on the block at the 2021 United States National Championship in a gruelling finals that saw a single Runechant land the killing blow.

Chane’s relentless assault was interrupted by a new threat who quickly stole the limelight. Where once players had sworn to defeat the Shadow Runeblade, they now rallied behind him as he took on Bravo, Star of the Show. His grapple with the Elemental Guardian came to a roaring climax at Pro Tour: New Jersey, with Pablo Pintor taking the title after a rough start losing his first two games. Not long after, Chane scooped up the remaining points needed to be laid to rest for good.

Chane’s time has now passed, and he will always be remembered as the one who dared to question it all, who searched the darkness for knowledge that would open up new possibilities, and one day free Rathe from oppression. His teachings live on in Shadow Runeblade cards, as they beg to be picked up by a new loyal servant of the Demonastery.

To celebrate the 10th set milestone Dusk till Dawn, ten serialized, hand drawn, artist sketch, cold foil Chane, Bound by Shadow can be found hiding within the packs, where they will be discovered by those the Embra have chosen.

But Chane’s legacy hasn’t come to an end! The torch has been passed to a new Shadow Runeblade, one that is prepared to sacrifice everything to achieve the ultimate goal. Vynnset, Iron Maiden, following in the footsteps of the Disciples of Pain, driven by the bloodthirst of Nasreth the Soul Harrower, has finally emerged…