The Black Lotus: A Relic to Die For
Gather 'round, boils and ghouls, for The Cards Keeper has a tale to chill your bones! They whisper of a card in that Magic game of theirs, a wretched bloom of power named the Black Lotus. An artifact from the dusty dawn of their little game, it ain't no prettier than me, but collectors covet it all the same! Now what makes this withered blossom so special, you ask? Let's dig down into the dirt...
Scarcity that Stinks of the Grave
It all comes down to a simple, stinking fact: there ain't many of these Black Lotuses to go around.
- Alpha: The original batch, barely more than 1,100 of 'em clawed their way into existence.
- Beta: A bigger pile of around 7,300, but that's still like a handful of worms in a whole graveyard!
- Unlimited: More of these were made, but in this game of cards, that still means precious few.
Then, those Wizards muckety-mucks swore a nasty oath – the Reserved List. Promised those shrieking collectors that the Black Lotus, and other moldy treasures like it, would never be born again the proper way. A promise just as binding as any dusty old curse, wouldn't ya know?
Ghoulish Power in a Tiny Package
Why would anyone lose their head over this Black Lotus? Simple, maggots: it gives you power. Power to make those mana things bubble up like swamp gas on the first turn of their game! Imagine slapping down a creature that costs 5 or 6 on your first go – enough to make your opponent's head spin right off!
Of course, that kind of wickedness is too much for most of their tournaments. Only in that Vintage format can a ghoul play it without getting the stink-eye. There, you see the pure, putrid potential of the Black Lotus, with those "Power Nine" cards cackling right alongside it.
A Treasure Beyond Mere Gold
Funny thing is, the Black Lotus hasn't always been so pricey. Back in the old days, some stiff could buy one for what now gets ya a moldy sandwich. But times change, and greed grows!
The Lotus Now? More Than Just a Game
These days, the Black Lotus is more than just a bit of cardboard:
- Collector's Rot: Ghoulish collectors drool over it, lock it away in glass cases like it's some kinda unholy relic.
- Vintage Fiends: A few lunatics still play the thing in that Vintage format, slinging around history with reckless abandon.
- Fakes and Fools: The rest of those magic players? Scrabbling with counterfeit Lotuses and fancy drafts, pretending to taste the real power.
Prices to Make a Corpse Weep
Even back when it first crawled outta the printer, finding a Black Lotus in a booster pack was about as likely as a zombie learnin' ballet. Nowadays? Forget it! A sealed box of those Alpha or Beta cards could buy ya a whole haunted mansion!
Investment or Icon? Only Time Will Tell
Some fools treat the Black Lotus like any other treasure, hoping the price keeps rotting upwards. But it's more than that, ain't it? A chunk of their game's history, a symbol of power that'll outlast any single collector or player. And that, my boils and ghouls, is why the legend of the Black Lotus will keep on festering, no matter the cost! Cackle cackle!
 - The Cards KeeperÂ
