At a very basic level, the narrative is quite simple, but, rather like some of those larger franchises like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars , theres a sense of the need of world building, says Geraghty
I say additional because in the hands of a Mulrotha or Teval player, milling cards is very close to drawing them, so you get ample resources for 3 mana
In a game where starting at 20 life is supposed to matter, Necropotence proved that life totals are often just a suggestion
The anthem effect is nice, but the ability to shut down decks that like to steal creatures is arguably more useful in many playgroups
On the more tragic side, Millicent was a Mayor and Captain of the Guard of a town that was completely destroyed during The Trevails - a stretch of time where Innistrad was attacked by the Eldrazi
Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield