I once pitched a New Phyrexia novel to WotC. I never heard back from them, which I took to mean “we’re not interested”. Here was the story outline, for posterity’s sake.
A New Phyrexia Novel Proposal
Mirrodin is no more. New Phyrexia is compleated. The legacy of Yawgmoth lives on in the corrupted shells of Karn’s creations. The Mirran rebellion is decimated, the last vestiges of resistance mercilessly and methodically absorbed into the Phyrexian engine. Without Yawgmoth, however, the single-mindedness of the great synthesis is as shattered as Karn’s mind. The five praetors all vie to usurp Karn and ascend to the title of Father of Machines. But the conflict the praetors create as they betray each other is nothing compared to that brewing within the vats of the glistening oil, oil that has been infected by the clouded, confused and courageous emotions of the Mirrans.
“I hear murmurs of dissension in the dross. Tell me, exarch, how that is even possible?” – Sheoldred, Whispering One
Sheoldred, right hand of Karn, holds tenuous sway over the Mephidross, competing with her fellow thanes for the title of Praetor. Although Karn is pretender to the throne, Sheoldred believes herself to be the puppet-master, influencing the mad planeswalker with advice and misinformation designed to pave the way for her ascension. However her rival thanes, Azax-Azog and Kranox have already reached out to the other Praetors to find a way to undermine the Whispering One. But in New Phyrexia, the enemy of my enemy is merely another useful tool to be discarded once its usefulness has been outlived.
“If we are different then one of us has yet to attain perfection.” – Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
The heir to the legacy of Gix, Jin-Gitaxias pretends to be above the squabbles of his fellow Praetors. His work in the Progress Engine to create the supreme synthesis must not be interrupted by the factionalism that is erupting around him. Drawing power from Sheoldred’s interpretation of the Phyrexian Scriptures and Elesh Norn’s Argent Etchings, Jin has plans to open a portal to a new plane and lead New Phyrexia through it and thus claim his right to the throne. Using the Panopitcon, Jin keeps an eye on the spymaster herself, Sheoldred, through her puppet Karn. Soon he will unleash his secret weapon against her; the resurrected, synthesized husk of the planeswalker, Venser.
“I care not who turns the wheel, just that the wheel turns.” – Ubarask the Hidden
Quiet in the furnace layer lies chaos itself. The refugees of the war, Auriok and Vulshok, hide amongst the Furnace machinery, taking advantage of the indifference of Ubarask. In some ways Ubarask is their only hope; as long as he turns a blind eye to their operations, as long as the Furnace keeps producing the metal need for phyrisis, they may yet live. But Ubarask has other plans for the fleshlings. And he is patient.
“Emotion has no place in the orthodoxy, only faith.” – Elesh Norn
Elesh Norn has noticed a change in her minions. An unpalatable question of doubt has arisen amongst the Machine Orthodoxy. Even amongst the Apostles there seems to be growing reservation about his divine right to rule. Thus Elesh has initiated the seraphs and cenobites to begin the Grand Examination to uncover what lies at the bottom of this betrayal of faith. As her minions take Nim, Moriok, Dregs and Stokes come under the knife of celestial questioning and each confession is borne out, Elesh creeps closer to the most unsettling realization of all; that the uncertainty may be coming from within the oil itself.
“Nature finds away, Glissa. Rebirth cannot be denied forever.” – Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Perhaps the one most aware of the oncoming evolution of New Phyrexia is Vorinclex. Hidden within the remnants of Tel-Jilad, he confers with Glissa, the true leader of the Tangle. Once the savior of Mirrodin, Glissa’s betrayal stabbed through to the core of the metal plane. Now her plans lie with the throne itself and she will use Vorinclex, or any other Phyrexian, to achieve her ends. For now she is distracted by the hunt for Melira. If the Troll’s last prophecies are true, if another evolution is to occur, then surely the twice-cursed Sylvok is at the heart of ultimate, grand, perfection.