Update: Being that it is Christmas Day, I decided to forgo my reguarly scheduled weekly contribution and provide you with one of my favorite posts from the year. This year I had a blast experimenting with Magic flavor text, and quite liked the result of the Battle for Zendikar cut-up experiment. Here, reposted for your enjoyment, Happy Holidays and I will see you next week.
Love – Derek
The Cut-Up Technique has roots in Dadaism. The simple method of taking a pre-existing text, slicing the paper down the middle, and rearranging it forms new juxtapositions and sometimes even new words. I have taken the entire flavor text of Battle For Zendikar, organized and typed out in numerical sequence, and sliced it up, shifted the pages, and took note of what appeared when I created the new text.
As an additional exercise most Persons of Interest were removed. This was done both to distill the direction of the overall language and also because the language itself was focused entirely on the same subject: Zendikar and the Eldrazi. Taking this into account the resulting text should sound as though it is coming from the unified mouths and perspectives of the Zendikari Collective Voice.
The goal is to find the hidden moments inside the world in question, as the language is ostensibly war-torn. My cut-ups reveal silences, pictures, and landscapes that may not have been apparent in the original text.
This is part one of two, which will appear next week. You may enter the text at any point.
the continent was ravaged it knows nothing of eldrazi or its lush jungles and cascading rivers in its territory — the elements lost everyone and everything — they act speak louder than words — only the smallest measure of vengeance — amounts of wreckage — while we fell — with precise coordination and wait as we bicker — we are losing this even brought down — no matter he that you will not be here to witness no matter how voracious your appetite a slave — if you would be free then fight will win — no matter place — whatever volcanoes dream no matter how voracious your appetite — like a living organism will win —
it embodies all possible abruptly and ruthlessly — the great scourge will win — it embodies all possible working as one — as the soldiers beneath her raised head arrived at sea gate too late their span seeming to cover the sky — enough time to lead its survivors — they just want me to knit enough time to lead its survivors tight — why then are you so of our world something horrible is grow to mindless servitude beneath that we had imagined — the eldrazi hunger and they are loyal — we can spare them continue to sweep through the incurable concoctions by mixing basilisk already seemed absolute — our people and fluids of a dozen other poisonous never were —
hung sense of community that embraces all of the eldrazi continue to sweep through the dry lands — this fight is already seemed absolute — our bodies our never were — we no longer fight for eldrazi brings life and death in turn — to exist — dust and memory are all that — if you can see it its too late — voracious as time itself —there are more sights on among the scouts of the stone havens the worshippers learned that she was has fallen survivors are on the move will they abandon their temples to the god —
no more fear no more failure days theres no shortage of food for triumph this day and our armies will fly walking through zulaport at night among the scouts of the stone havens — terrible fury — excellent aim — has fallen survivors are on the move surely as the shifting stones — some refuge — stay hidden stay safe — the trail behind him converting is ready for anything a phrase whose wounds never heal — no don’t — its me — emergence — quiet now you dreadful vermin — I up close steeling their stomachs wanted to return them to stasis — the swirling mass of any dreams of victory — I watch in his wake — we leave this world together — even in the tide of chittering heaving flesh —
they seek the potential of hedrons in the fight the wind in ones hair the sun on ones came ready made with pointy bits — even mine died at sea gate — you go to yours — the hunger of the titans will — has given us among the scouts of the stone havens the scale — on moors even the trees grow has fallen survivors are on the move — I will nurse it back to health — if refuge — stay hidden stay safe — prepared to die —
its not interested in you it surveys withering landscape blade carved deep into the drones of the stone havens — call upon the spirit lost equilibrium and tumbled from the lands you have lost — they seek in my downtime i used to paint the wing in ones hair the sun on ones downtime — all generation must know this kind of eldrazi — the swirling mass needs neither reins nor bridle — we in his wake — we came into this world of hardship all cries out we leave this world together — even in cry reaches far beyond —
the hunger of life from every part of zendikar continue to sweep through — dust and memory are all that but i’ll take any steady mount voracious as time itself — triumph this day and our armies will fly that world out last time? also called among the scouts of the stone havens on contact — each time it is refuge — stay hidden stay safe — the fall from the clifftops —
we can to is ready for anything a phrase peeled back and its bones lay bare to the emergence of the eldrazi — the refuges peacefully — when a limb is gangrenous up close steeling their stomachs the continent lies beneath it through their first year of life can branches tangled so thickly that some it surveys the landscape volcanic continent bizarre vegetation of the stone havens call upon the spirit peaks rise high into the air — for the lands you have lost — the continent is a vast future we must hold nothing back — meandering rivers — the gods known to way so that we could escape — they seek memories of a monstrous entity — the wind in ones hair the sun on ones heat and decay —
the continent was ravaged off more than just the darkness — its lush jungles and cascading rivers very form on the horizon every scent in lost everyone and everything —
over and over we if were already prey we may as well be blood spilled one can be driven off have to bring your own courage — a few of blood — harsh vertical landscapes — after are hungrier — that is why the eldrazi difference between working together and the word infinite — though never stick around long enough for a prevent the massacre he still had them up so they can hurry back to the relative safety — the touch of honor — we battle now for that right the wastes spread as quickly as the wind remains in ulamogs wake — a force as whatever it is searching for it will seen a world fall to its knees — watch much but the residents of sea gate gave no more death no more — will the future is easy when you hold with angels —
sea gate no more than a twisted memory send another griffin when we find the deserted shrines now serve as official motto of every expedition house every step of the coastline both above has been amplified since — i can’t live to see a hundred years more — for a victory only it can see — mystics weather is unpredictable — fallen heroes to defend the refuges — we trudged to the field and the joy of open skies — the next moment perfectly cast in that awful dust peace — as the hand told us not to worry and he walked numbness and finally nothingness — it parted to admit him then closed it pass at a distance —
the air every tremor in the earth — we can use the ways to even the odds — the seas are no less incurable concoctions by mixing basilisk mine as much as it is yours — we are fluids of a dozen other poisonous actions even our words — for vampires blood carries more whatever it is searching for it will minds of blood chiefs can be reclaimed much but the residents of sea gate have theres no shortage of food for the future is easy when you hold the walking through zulaport at night than the eyes can see — terrible fury — excellent aim — no more than a twisted memory and surely as the shifting stones —
some the deserted shrines now serve as trail behind him converting every step of the coastline both above wounds never heal — no don’t — its me — all along the way — sovereigns not these hideous pretenders having gone to the trouble of stealing to get acquainted?
we trudged to the field and came ready made with pointy bits — moment perfectly cast in that awful dust to manageable pieces to prepare for the skittering of eldrazi — as the hand an army and suddenly all the soldiers numbness and finally nothingness — it still left a weapon had a part in it pass at a distance — when i looked are always hungry and there is much on the eldrazi rampaged across zendikar in a mine died at sea gate — you go to yours —
harm the eldrazi — hedron lanterns angry though I’ve never seen that anger working with his noble mount he notices sin death by the or he considers himself the air every tremor in the earth — can make any intruder look small — bony face ornery brute — we can use a foolhardy soul who acts first and if were already prey we may as well be the earth to dust geodes burst from have to bring your own courage — a few — as long as we have walked this world eldrazi in vast cave networks — whatever volcanoes dream harsh vertical landscapes — like a living organism difference between working together and abruptly and ruthlessly —
the touch of zendikar have adapted to live the wastes spread as quickly as the wind in order to avoid the most voracious whatever it is searching for it will such adjustments — i always thought much but the residents of sea gate gave until I saw the eldrazi — even the trees grow no more than a twisted memory — i will nurse it back to health —
but i can dominate your will — blade carved deep into the drones weather on zendikar is unpredictable — lost equilibrium and tumbled from having gone to the trouble of stealing — if i die feed me to a shambles was eager to test its capabilities — you — eldrazi are not preferred prey but do not forget they came as three — in my downtime i used to paint the tether — all of zendikars moment perfectly cast in that awful dust the eldrazi — as long as there is a numbness and finally nothingness —
some eldrazi their purpose vast cave networks birth new eldrazi — others aren’t so harsh vertical landscapes — after watch me really nervous — as the great scourge difference between working together and lent — as the soldiers beneath her raised never stick around long enough for their span seeming to cover the sky — them up so they can hurry back to the food — the land will not wait for the zendikar favors the blades that strike for us to loose them upon and independence has given way to a strong of life from every part — the seas are no less —
the touch in the hottest forges — great soldiers the wastes spread quickly as the wind but i’ll take any steady mount whatever it is searching for it will place locking in an infinite much but the residents of sea gate have understand the hedrons true purpose — when eldrazi on contact — each time it is no more than a twisted memory to return — neither subtle nor pretty —
volcanic continent bizarre vegetation weather is unpredictable — peaks rise high into the air — the having gone to the trouble of stealing — you meandering rivers — the gods known to but do not forget they came as three — memories of a monstrous entity — the tether — we trudged to the field and of heat and decay — young crawl forth moment perfectly cast in that awful dust — rushing waters plunge through narrow the skittering of eldrazi —
Derek Gallen lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York.