Moonlit Wake

Moonlit Wake was released in 1999 as part of the Mercadian Masques expansion for Magic: The Gathering. The set is themed around the plane of Mercadia, a bustling, mercantile world defined by intrigue, deception, and a unique socio-economic hierarchy. Designed to capitalize on the set's focus on creature sacrifice and graveyard interactions, the card allows players to gain life whenever a creature is put into a graveyard from play, reflecting the melancholic, ritualistic tone of the world's governing classes.

The artwork was created by the renowned fantasy artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt. The brothers, celebrated for their iconic Lord of the Rings illustrations and Star Wars posters, brought their characteristic high-fantasy sensibility to the card. They utilized a dramatic, chiaroscuro-heavy style to capture the ethereal essence of the wake, emphasizing the transition between life and death. The piece was well-received by fans of the era for its atmospheric depth and the hallmark illustrative precision that defined the Hildebrandt brothers' contributions to the game during the late 1990s.