Friendship is Card Games: Daring Do and the Eternal Flower · 11:51am May 1st, 2022
This week, we return to G. M. Berrow’s Daring Do trilogy to see what the middle volume has in store.
Side note: If you’re reading Daily Equestria Life with Monster Girl, you may want to take a look at this if you haven’t already. More Estee-inspired cards are in the works, though I won’t have room in the schedule for them for a few months yet.
Because I got the turbo-deluxe edition of the trilogy which comes in a cardboard treasure chest, there’s a gorgeous frontispiece of Daring and a panicking, mustachioed stallion who shares her coloration riding a dragon over a remote island. Most interestingly, the Mare is in the Moon. Isn’t this supposed to be after Ring of Destiny?
We open on one of the most hostile and tortuous scenes Daring’s ever had to be in; socializing at a fancy event. Specifically of the Equestrian Botanical Society. Following up on the teaser from the previous book has led Daring to the titular Eternal Flower, said to grant immortality.
… You know, between the treasure at the bottom of the ocean, a plant that grants eternal life, and even the wild man who the protagonist tamed and befriended, this feels like we’re retelling the Epic of Gilgamesh piecemeal. Granted, Gilgamesh was not, to my knowledge, a magical pony, but that tablet may be among the ones lost to time.
“Each lucky guest’s place was set with gold-plated utensils, fresh flower petals, and an exclusive party favor.”
I have to wonder if the petals are meant as an appetizer, much like the rose-shaped chocolate truffle mentioned shortly afterwards.
A young mare is described as wearing “diamond-encrusted hoofcuffs,” which I assume are meant to be bracelets rather than a very daring piece of bedazzled police gear. That said, lovely touch with her and her companion “[cantering] off to apply more makeup and make more vague yet supportive statements about the event of the evening.” As Daring’s narration notes, most of the guests are here for the party, not the cause it supports.
Nice bit of plausible deniability with the sparkling cider. No word on whether or not it’s alcoholic.
The society’s journal is named “Flora and Foalna,” and I want to smack Berrow with a newspaper. Puns do not work that way.
It is amusing that Daring’s tuning out a pony talking about ancient artifacts because they’re not the treasures she’s interested in right now. The “Morrow Era” raises interesting questions, especially if it produced coinage dating to 796 BC (Before Celestia, naturally.)
Daring’s mane is “done up in an incredibly uncomfortable French twist.” Because Berrow will happily warp Latin words, but an actual demonym can stay as is. 
Nice touch with revealing just enough information to get the plot moving. Daring spots the authors of the journal article that brought her to this fundraiser, but they’re on the other side of the room. She can read lips, but crowds pass between them often enough for her to miss snippets that can be revealed later on.
Equally nice touch with the aside on the perils of archeobotany. Something forged or sculpted is going to last for several centuries. (Earth pony steel is called out as especially sturdy, which I appreciate.) But rare plant species can end up going extinct between writing the ancient texts and some adventurous soul setting out to find them. Daring tries not to set herself up for disappointment and wasted effort. It’s a good bit of character work.
However, the Eternal Flower is… Well, it’s right there in the name. Its nectar grants immortality, but every time someone drinks from it, it moves to a new spot anywhere in the world. Worse, it doesn’t want to be found, and each successive blossom mutates in ways to make it more elusive to those who seek it out. Specifically those people.
There’s a reason Daring’s seeking out the experts here.
And then, just as she’s about to get to talk to the botanists, Daring gets jumped by some of Caballeron’s henchstallions who’d been disguised as waitstaff. Tunnel vision can be a terrible thing.
Once the brawl begins in earnest, most of the guests filter out of the ballroom, but the band just supplies appropriate fight music. True professionals there.
Then Daring drops a “twelve-tier Crystal Empire chandelier” on a dining table. Yes, she boxes in the henchstallions in the dance floor with the resulting chain reaction, but somepony paid for that thing, Daring.
And while she was doing that, Dr. Caballeron himself took the time to bind and gag the botanists. Daring really needs to work on her situational awareness.
The high-society ponies may be grumbling about getting a refund on their tickets, but they raise a good point about poor security. I suppose the quality guards are usually hired for archeology events.
Caballeron uses the hostage to negotiate an easy getaway, flaunting a leaf that is apparently worth a lot when sold to Ahuizotl. The botanists seem to think the leaf is inconsequential, so Daring goes for it. Caballeron still takes a moment to taunt/flirt with Daring, complimenting her on the dress. “Daring Do had never been more irate. Nopony told her she looked nice.”
We get a hint of Daring’s university days in the bunker-like botanical library. I was wondering if she actually had a degree.
Huh. Leather sofa. That raises some uncomfortable questions.
“The whole point of this evening, my dear, was to recruit you for a mission.”
I can’t help but feel that that could have been accomplished in a much less roundabout manner. Though the Botanical Society’s budget department may have had a hoof in this approach.
Huh. Tobacco usage in a pony novel. Most unexpected, but one of the botanists, Thaddeus Vine, smokes a pipe.
Ah. The mission was just supposed to be retrieving the Eternal Flower, but the stallion leading the project has gone missing. Moreover, that stallion is Gallant True, who Daring know as her uncle Adventure. Whose description is actually nothing like the stallion in the frontispiece; Gallant has a milk chocolate coat, dusty yellow mane, and wire-framed glasses. There may have been a communication issue with the artist, or the fellow riding the dragon with Daring could be someone else entirely.
Oh ho. Good old Uncle Ad was the one who taught Daring to love the quest for treasure, both hunting for clues in cryptic documents and trekking through the wilderness. Also, Daring apparently grew up in the Horseshoe Bay area. Interesting tidbit there.
“As a result of her uncle’s visits, Daring had grown to love all things thrilling. But he was a busy man with important research to do.”
In any case, Adventure lost touch with his niece over the years, consumed by his own research and quests. When last they spoke, he’d been on the trail of something he’d sworn would change ponykind forever.
I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.
Ah. It was apparently Adventure’s idea to lure Daring in with rumors of the banquet and it connection to the Eternal Flower, because she’s far too stubborn to actually show up to an event when invited to it. We did see that in the previous book, what with her paranoia nearly dooming three towns. Still, it does seem like they could have simply offered to share the necessary information, but I clearly don’t understand the mind of an adventure archeologist.
Daring dreams of sharing her own exploits with her uncle. “There had been so many priceless antiquities put safely in museums and powerful relics saved from the wrong hooves.” There’s also the uncomfortable question of whether the locals might have wanted those relics in right hooves that would have kept them in their native cultures, but it’s not yet time for Daring to face the imperialist assumptions of her genre.
In any case, Daring’s on the job! Though there’s some contradictory body language from Dr. Vine in terms of his previous willingness to let a leaf plucked from the Flower go and his current remorse, to say nothing of his general jumpiness and strange aversion to being touched. (Though he may just be on the spectrum.)
The other botanist, Madame Willow Fern, provides a daffodil-shaped key of rusted bronze that will no doubt be plot-critical down the line.
Oh. Apparently “down the line” is eight pages later. I should’ve known the giant portrait of Daring’s uncle hid a secret compartment. One with another leaf from the Flower—an “Everleaf”—and Gallant True’s journal tracking his search for the plant. Especially interesting is calling it “that living entity of ponykind’s mystical desire since Star Swirl the Bearded.” That destiny spell did hint at Star Swirl trying to escape the bonds of mortality…
Okay, so when put together, the two Everleaves point the bearer to the Flower, and apart, they point away from it… but doesn’t that just mean that you can use one and head in the opposite direction? There’s no indication that that wouldn’t work.
Hmm. Apparently the only part of the Flower that doesn’t change from iteration to iteration is its root structure, which forms “an intricate pattern of braided infinity symbols.” Neat.
… Huh. So Ahuizotl wants to find the Flower, which implies that he isn’t already immortal, which just raises further questions.
Oh hey, Caballeron has a female henchpony, a blue pegasus who I’m sure is very trustworthy and has no agenda of her own.
“Her cutie mark was a white rose with prickly thorns, which implied that she was pure sweetness laced with danger. In other words, the worst kind of mare.”
Imagine the very icon of your soul is something that people interpret as a sign that you are untrustworthy. Horrifying.
“You’re cursing Equestria to an eternity of a beast who terrorizes ponykind for his own personal evil plots!”
I fail to see how this is different from the current state of Equestria. Caballeron, meanwhile, has been paid handsomely and thus couldn’t care less. Where does Ahuizotl get all those bits, anyway?
Hmm. A rainstorm strikes just as Daring demands to know the whereabouts of her uncle. Caballeron muses about “the Curse of the Pegasus Tzacol,” named for a Mayan sky god. The book’s glossary says he entered a forbidden, sacred weather temple and “later became a protector of the sky.” Most intriguing; I do love seeing local mythology.
Furthermore, this storm proves resistant to cloudbucking.
Ah. The new mare, one Rosy Thorn, follows Daring through the storm, claiming that she was just working for Caballeron because she was strapped for cash herself. Daring refuses to let her tag along—despite correctly noting that Daring has no idea where she’s actually going—until Thorny says she knows where Gallant is.
Daring may be proud and stubborn, but she’s not stupid.
Oh. Oh wow. Apparently the Rings of Scorchero sat upon the Pillar of Burnination. I can only assume the Fortress of Talacon was originally a temple dedicated to Trogdor.
In any case, Rosy leads Daring to a similar step-pyramid structure. Apparently these are Ahuizotl’s preferred hideouts. I have to respect the commitment to the aesthetic, though it’s not clear how close this place is to Canterlot.
Rosy oh-so-casually tries to milk Daring for information regarding the Eternal Flower. Daring isn’t having it. Indeed, she’s so intent on not having it that she plans on destroying the Flower to keep it out of the wrong appendages. That which cannot be contained must be destroyed. So sayeth the Do.
Ahuizotl emerges from his coastal fortress and leads an expedition of many of his followers, along with a carefully guarded Gallant True, along the path indicated by his sole Everleaf. Rosy wants to swoop down. Daring wants annoying blue sidekicks to stop ruining carefully planned ambushes.
Ah. Gallant’s answer to a broken wing is “a Horavian Unichain, a metal cylinder made from interlocking steel chains” that blocks his magic. This is apparently “one of the cruelest, most humiliating punishments known to ponykind.” Makes me wonder how and why the devices were created in the first place. The glossary has nothing to offer there.
“Daring shuddered as she imagined a world in which Ahuizotl was immortal. An eternity of chaos and disturbance for ponies everywhere?”
Again, not seeing a notable difference from the typical state of Equestria.
And just before trying to retrieve the key to the Unichain, Daring demonstrates that she works alone for a reason by flat-out telling Rosy that if she get captured, Daring isn’t going to come back for her. Way to instill faith and loyalty into your allies, Daring. Yes, she’s probably up to something, but at least try to make her hesitate before the double-cross.
Ah. The plan is to buzz Ahuizotl, force him to drop the Everleaf in an attempt to swat the pegasi out of the sky, and make off with important items in the confusion. Important to note that Ahuizotl’s minions are aimless and indecisive without his direct commands. The ones who are taking action are firing poisoned arrows at the mares who are right next to their apparently mortal master. Not the sharpest crayons in the box, these fellows.
I do love Ahuizotl’s dramatic shout showing Daring just where the leaf drifted off to. And good on Rosy for grabbing the key, even if she did fall prey to the hostage situation Daring’s sidekicks tend to. And even Gallant’s breaking free of the ropes binding him (one tied to each leg an held by one of Ahuizotl’s cronies.)
And Daring rescues her uncle… and, as warned, abandons Rosy to Ahuizotl’s tender mercies. I’m sure this won’t come back to bite her.
Wow. Wow. Gallant had stolen the key to the Unichain the night before, making Rosy’s sacrifice completely pointless. This family has issues. Also, Gallant is British for no adequately explained reason. I suppose he doesn’t need one, but it’s still a bit incongruous.
Mention is made of “the three rubrics,” cryptic rules to finding the Flower in a carving found in one of the sites where it once grew before being found by one Mooncurve the Cunning, which is certainly a good name for an ancient unicorn.
Ah. It’s not just a matter of following where a single Everleaf doesn’t point. There’s a Shadow of the Colossus-esque guiding laser involved. In this case, pointing towards the dragon-controlled Isles of Scaly, which non-dragons can only visit with a draconic escort.
At which point Daring pulls out a shell and blows on it to summon one.
No, we’ve never seen this shell before in this book.
No, nor the previous one.
This is none other than Knuckerbocker’s Shell, as in the relic that would eventually find its way to the School of Friendship and Cozy Glow’s plot to steal all the magic in the world. I see it was just as poorly explained in its inception. 
The glossary says that Daring freed Knuckerbocker from magical imprisonment several books ago, but that doesn’t make this feel like any less of a draco ex machina.
“The beast had been kind enough to bow down and let the ponies wrap the rope around his body, understanding the older one was nervous. Dragons could be intuitive and wise, if they cared to be.”
The beast. The beast. Well, you hear that, Knuckerbocker? You’re a credit to your race.
Seriously, flipping through the next few pages, the dragon never speaks. There’s no indication that he’s capable of doing so. In the same setting as Spike. Part of me wants to blame this on A. K. Yearling herself never encountering dragons in her actual adventures. It would certainly explain how the Shell ended up in Celestia’s possession. Part of me just thinks it’s inconsistent writing on Berrow’s part. Still, I do like the Watsonian explanation.
In any case, during the ride, Daring asks why her uncle didn’t just ask her… and he correctly points out that after he disappeared on her for years, she’d be too resentful to take him up on the offer. Again, this family has issues.
There are five Isles of Scaly, “One for each of the dragon tribes of the sea,” forming claws in a geographic dragon’s hand. I have a lot of questions about these dragon tribes. Five is a rather significant number for my purposes, after all…
We do get some nice bits with Knuckerbocker signaling his approach with flames and the local grass instantly regenerating and growing more lush after exposure to dragonfire, but again, no indication that dragons are as sapient as ponies. Despite what may well be a brief mention of Spike’s actual biological parents. (It’s a pair of purple dragons. Not like we have a lot to go on there.)
And then Ahuizotl was there. “You aren’t the only one who knows how to be persuasive with dragons,” he says, but that doesn’t explain how he knew to come here in the first place… though I suppose the magical green guidance laser wasn’t exactly subtle.
Oh, and Thaddeus Vine is with him, hence the jumpiness back at the banquet. And he’s almost certainly Mooncurve, going by how he talks about “taking what belongs to me.”
And there’s Rosy, because it’s not like Daring left a good impression on her. Though Daring does object to being characterized as selfish. “‘We said it was everypony for herself!’ It was one thing to be a traitor, but a revisionist as well? Despicable.”
Also, she’s Vine’s sister. This is why I said almost certainly.
And Gallant agrees to go along with it for that irresistible temptation for any scholar: The chance to prove his theory was correct.
The Isles of Scaly, despite being beautiful and lush, are apparently also full of poisonous insects, sinkholes, acid rain, and, you know, dragons.
Huh. You’d think Ahuizotl of all creatures would know how to move through a jungle without trampling everything in his path.
“A random blast of fire shot up into the sky in the distance, and Ahuizotl tried to hide his fearful shivers. What a coward Daring’s nemesis truly was, to be afraid of dragons!”
Yes, because fear clearly isn’t the rational response to enormous, nigh-indestructible engines of destruction who barely consider you a mouthful, and who you may have coerced into carrying you to this place.
“Soon I will be the only creature in all of Equestria who will LIVE FOREVER!”
… Celestia. Princess Celestia. She’s been moving the sun for over a thousand years. Maybe you’ve heard of her? She has a little sister as well. Are the Daring Do books set in an alternate universe? At the very least, this book may be proof that A. K. Yearling can come up with plots for her books without actually living them.
Daring tries to concoct an escape plan, but her uncle is too busy burning the local vegetation and watching it regrow.
“[Daring] could tell he was savoring this explanation. Vine was incredibly proud of himself and wanted kudos for setting it all up.”
I have to appreciate this. It’s an important lesson for the intended reading level: This is why villains monologue, kids. They’re really insecure.
And then, just when all seemed lost, a dragon started attacking! One conveniently afraid of water despite living on an island! Just after Gallant made a raft to show up Ahuizotl’s struggling henchponies!
Don’t get me wrong, this has been enjoyable for the most part, but you can really tell when Berrow writes herself into a corner.
After a bit of river rafting, uncle and niece find their way to a giant carved dragon skull, the river pouring through its eye sockets like tears.
And then Ahuizotl was there. This is becoming a theme. Apparently Vine copied Gallant’s magical raft synthesis, because any unicorn can copy a spell another performed by looking at it once. (Granted, Vine does have a botanical special talent, so weaving together vegetation into a serviceable watercraft should be relatively easy for him, but come on, Daring literally escaped seven pages ago. Why even bother?)
Through the dragon skull is a paradisiacal glade, the Grove of the Moon. This is where the Eternal Flower resides… and Ahuizotl immediately starts racing from blossom to blossom, because someone hasn’t done his research.
And then Daring is suddenly sucked under the river… and “Daring Do was shocked to discover that she was in some sort of other dimension.”
Effects keep happening, and causes seem to be an afterthought.
In any case, this backside of the Grotto has swapped earth and air while leaving the plants intact, leaving Daring in a realm of root systems sprouting out of the ground. Which is very convenient given the Infinity Root structure. Apparently reciting the third rubric, which instructs the seeker to examine the roots, triggered the displacement.
Oh. How did I not see it? This is a floral analogue of the Grail Room from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, complete with the Eternal Flower being one of the smallest, most unassuming blossoms in the grove. And Ahuizotl chooses… poorly. Though his flower just shrinks him to the size of a mouse. That’s what you get for drinking Poison Joke nectar.
Thaddeus Vine, meanwhile, samples from a Southern Swelling Rose that leaves him puffy and floating up into the trade winds, his sister chasing after him. Very Potteresque, that one.
Gallant strokes the Eternal Flower once and, satisfied, is ready to go home. Very noble, but I hope there’s an explanation for this sudden pivot in a quest that has consumed much of his life.
Ah. It was more about the chase for him. That works.
“Nopony or beast should live forever, my dear. What an awful curse to have upon one’s head!”
Did no one catch this in editing? Really? Or were they just that focused on adapting the movie?
Gallant also destroyed his notes and the Everleaves. He’s much more excited about the regenerating plants they found on the Isles of Scaly, but still, rude. Still, I suppose it’s better than boxing it up and abandoning it in some warehouse.
In all, this is certainly entertaining, but things get progressively more random and disconnected as the climax approaches. I have to wonder if it got trimmed down to reach an editorially mandated page maximum. There certainly isn’t a field guide portion this time. Still fun stuff, but not quite on par with the previous volume. Diegetically speaking, I have to think that Daring made up this novel more often than not; it just doesn't mesh with the world in general. And I suppose it would be thematically appropriate to mislead any readers who might know A. K. Yearling's secret in case they get any bright ideas...
In any case, let's see what treasures I brought back from this expedition:
Harrying Gambit 1W
Instant
Convoke (Your creatures can help you cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Tap up to two target creatures.
It’s hard to focus when a pegasus keeps poking you in the back of the head.
Hobnob 1W
Instant
For each player, up to one target creature that player controls connives. When a creature an opponent controls connives this way, prevent all damage that creature would deal this turn. (To have a creature connive, its controller draws a card, then discards a card. If they discarded a nonland card, they put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)
Horavian Chainmaster 1W
Creature — Pony Soldier
Vigilance
Activated abilities of creatures can’t be activated.
Far from Equestria, the battlesmiths of Horavia have never abandoned their old grudges against the other tribes.
2/2
Junior Explorer 1U
Creature — Pegasus Scout
Level up 1U (1U: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.)
2/1
Level 1-2: Flying
Whenever Junior Explorer attacks, scry 1.
2/2
Level 3+: Flying
Whenever Junior Explorer attacks, draw a card.
4/4
Thorough Researcher 1U
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
When Thorough Researcher dies, investigate. (Create a colorless Clue token with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
He was clever enough to solve his murder before it even happened… though not clever enough to prevent it.
2/1
Dissipated Dilettante 1UU
Creature — Pony Noble
T, Sacrifice Dissipated Dilettante: Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard.
“I’m sure that’s all very interesting to a less important pony.”
1/1
Mooncurve the Cunning 3UU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
If it’s neither day nor night, it becomes day as Mooncurve the Cunning enters the battlefield.
If Mooncurve would die, exile it instead. It gains “When day becomes night or night becomes day, return Mooncurve to the battlefield under its owner’s control.”
4/3
Octavian Dindiwig B
Creature — Insect
Deathtouch
2R: Octavian Dindiwig gains first strike until end of turn.
Dragons may rule Octave, but visitors need to be wary of everything that calls the isle home.
1/1
Nemesis Bond 1B
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature you control
As Nemesis Bond enters the battlefield, choose a creature you don’t control. If you can’t, sacrifice Nemesis Bond after it enters the battlefield.
Enchanted creature has indestructible.
When the chosen creature leaves the battlefield, sacrifice Nemesis Bond.
Burden of Immortality 2BB
Legendary Enchantment
As Burden of Immortality enters the battlefield, choose body or mind.
• Body — You don’t lose the game for having 0 or less life. At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top six cards of your library.
• Mind — You don’t lose the game for drawing from an empty library. At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 3 life.
Caustic Deluge 2BB
Sorcery
Casualty 2 (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power 2 or greater. When you do, copy this spell.)
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Most creatures hide when the acid rains come. Dragons use them to polish their scales.
Combat Chorale 1RR
Creature — Pony Bard
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
“Looks like Discord is taking an interest. Turn to ‘Prancing Mad,’ everypony.”
2/3
Priest of Ahuizotl 2R
Creature — Pony Cleric
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Priest of Ahuizotl exploits a creature, exile target artifact.
“My master demands tribute, invader.”
3/2
Oafish Henchpony 5R
Creature — Pony Minion Warrior
Oafish Henchpony attacks each combat if able.
Blitz 3R (If you cast this spell for its blitz cost, it gains haste and “When this creature dies, draw a card.” Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Nopony likes a grunt who thinks for himself.
5/6
Talacon Ambusher GG
Creature — Pony Archer
Flash
Reach, deathtouch
Ahuizotl’s followers keep the ancient temple-fortress defended from every angle, especially above.
1/1
Thriving Dragongrass 1G
Enchantment — Aura
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may reveal a Dragon card from your hand.
Enchant land
Thriving Dragongrass enters the battlefield with a growth counter on it and an additional growth counter on it if you revealed a Dragon card or controlled a Dragon as you cast this spell.
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, its controller adds an additional G for each growth counter on Thriving Dragongrass.
Botanical Society 3G
Creature — Unicorn Druid
Alliance — Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, untap target creature or land.
Half of the Society’s budget goes to fundraising galas meant to bolster its budget.
2/4
Scars of the Moon 1BG
Enchantment
Sacrifice a creature: Add an amount of C equal to the sacrificed creature’s mana value. Spend this mana only to cast creature spells. Activate only once each turn.
8BG: Transform Scars of the Moon. This ability costs 1 less to activate for each creature card in your graveyard.
Memory of the Nightmare
Creature — Eldrazi Nightmare
Alicorn (This creature is also a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
Flying, trample
Ward—Sacrifice a creature.
Memory of the Nightmare’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in all graveyards.
*/*
Gallant, Eternity Seeker 1GW
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Scout
Gallant, Eternity Seeker enters the battlefield with a quest counter on it.
Whenever Gallant deals combat damage to a player, you may remove a quest counter from it. If you do, search your library for a legendary card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
At the beginning of your end step, if you control a permanent with indestructible, draw a card.
3/3
Rosy Thorn, Ingratiator 2UB
Legendary Creature — Pegasus Rogue
Flying
Rosy Thorn, Ingratiator enters the battlefield under the control of an opponent of your choice.
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
Rosy’s owner can play the top card of your library and may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast spells this way.
2/5
Unite the Everleaves 2GU
Legendary Enchantment
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn.
Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to an opponent, draw a card. Then you may reveal your hand. If two or more legendary cards with the same name are revealed this way, transform Unite the Everleaves.
Grotto of the Moon
Legendary Land
T: Add one mana of any color.
GU, T: Creatures you control gain indestructible and hexproof until your next turn.
Wherever the Eternal Flower blossoms, the earth overflows with life.
Invert the Earth 3(gu)
Sorcery
Put any number of lands you control on the bottom of their owners’ libraries. Draw that many cards.
“Sometimes you just need to look at the problem from a new perspective.”
—Daring Do
Dragonskull Ritualist 3BR
Creature — Dragon Warlock
Flying
Dragonskull Ritualist has deathtouch as long as you control three or more Swamps.
Dragonskull Ritualist has menace as long as you control three or more Mountains.
Even among dragons, some will grasp at every source of power they can get.
3/3
Everleaf Procession 4(rg)
Creature — Pony Warrior
(rg), Discard a land card: Draw a card.
With the guiding leaf in his clutches, Ahuizotl triumphantly led his followers… in the completely wrong direction.
4/4
Knuckerbocker, Oathsworn 4RW
Legendary Creature — Dragon
Flying, vigilance, trample
At the beginning of each opponent’s end step, if sources that player controlled dealt 5 or more damage to you this turn, return Knuckerbocker, Oathsworn from your graveyard to the battlefield.
5/5
Amethyst Broodmate 5UR
Creature — Dragon
When you cast this spell, copy it. (The copy becomes a token.)
Flying, trample
Amethyst Broodmate’s power and toughness are each equal to the greatest mana value among instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard.
*/*
Everleaf Beacon XGW
Sorcery
Search your library for a permanent card with mana value X or less, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
“I knew the leaves would point the way to the Eternal Flower. I didn’t expect them to be so dramatic about it.”
—Daring Do
Crumbling Ziggurat
Land
When Crumbling Ziggurat enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
T: Add C.
1, T: Add B, G, or U.
The old jungle gods’ guardians hold to their duty, even in these days of equine upstarts.
Isles of Scaly
Land
Isles of Scaly enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add U.
3URR, T, Sacrifice Isles of Scaly: It deals 4 damage to target player. Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of those cards into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Naturally, a true man of science sees no drawback to immortality.
Inside Baseball Alert: While Discord probably appreciates the sentiment of Combat Chorale's flavor text, I can't see him getting along with Kefka (whose boss theme is named "Dancing Mad").
As a botanist, I'm almost afraid to see how my profession are portrayed in this.
Daring Do and Starswirl the Bearded seem to have a lot in common. Has anybody written them meeting?
It's hard to believe there was once a time (oh so long ago, before 2003) when "burninate" wasn't a word.
A.K. Yearling lives in seclusion and seemingly only ventures out to go artifact hunting. Maybe she simply doesn't understand how fraught with danger the average pony's day-to-day life is.
I'm just going to point out that ponies have said both 'French' and 'man' in the show itself, the latter multiple times. Only in fanfiction is that something I'd have a problem with. Fiction doesn't have the luxury of being real and all that (or in this case, fanfiction doesn't have the luxury of being official). Granted we are talking about official fanfiction, but, again, precedents in the show proper make both fair game, much as some might take issue with it.
You assume the books get editing. Some of the things I've seen make me question that notion.
Wow, that book seems really weak.
Now for the cards: Is Junior Explorer meant to lose the scry-on-attack ability on hitting level 3?
Hmm, Octave. Does Octavia have any family connection there?
There are a few ways of ignoring the legend rule that could allow someone two copies of Burden of Immortality, including at least one in Standard... though if you let your opponent pull that off, you orobably deserve the loss.
Thanks as always for the book review and cards!
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Or you're saving the enchantment removal for when the enchantment is the only thing keeping them alive.
I actually hope not, because that would make very little sense, even if it is consistent with Quibble's dialogue in season six (see my comment on the Marked Thief blog). This sounds to me like the list of other Yearling books before was not necessarily in order, and that Berrow was specifically attempting to establish a more sensible chronology with this line.
On the other hand, this is a possible argument against. I haven't read the Berrow series myself, so I don't know whether these books have been explicitly referencing the events of the show so far or not. Crystal Empire imports imply being post-season three, despite the Mare in the Moon's appearance. But then again, Daring is an archaeologist, so her being aware of the Crystal Empire before its return isn't that much of a stretch, I guess. And I would like to think that even Berrow wouldn't overlook a continuity error that bad.
Makes the chandelier's destruction even worse to think it's over a thousand years old, though.
"It is vitally important for Equestria's sanity and wellbeing that Ahuizotl dies."
–Daring Do, probably.
No, no, you misunderstand, FOME. Ahuizotl is well aware of Celestia. This isn't ignorance.
It's a threat.
Having followed along with your Berrow blogs, it sounds like there's a lot of interesting ideas here, but at the same time, after hearing all this, the quality of some of Berrow's later writing on the show isn't so surprising anymore.
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Daring thinks that she's an adventure writer, and that the level of danger she faces on a daily basis is abnormal. In reality, the Equestrian public actually considers Daring Do a slice of life series.
Has Discord been in contact with Kefka recently? Just inquiring
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The only contact they'd ever have is Discord's fist to Kefka's face. Chaos is not entropy.