This is the original card text for In the Heart of his Realm (henceforth referred to as ITHOHR):
Some of this card’s effects are actions caused by passive conditions, which can be responded to. Conversely, some are just ongoing effects that are implemented when ITHOHR resolves. To parse these distinctions further:IN THE HEART OF HIS REALM
Each company moving in a Dark‐domain draws one less card at the start of its movement/hazard phase (to no minimum). Additionally, any sage at a site in a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth, or moving with a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth in his site path, loses his sage skill. No character at a site in a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth, or moving with a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth in his site path, can use spells, light enchantment or rituals. Discard when any play deck is exhausted.
Because this effect creates a new restriction in the rules rather than actively affecting the company within the game, this is an ongoing effect of the card upon resolution rather than an action with a passive condition after the card is in play, and thus it cannot be responded to. When ITHOHR resolves, this effect becomes active immediately.Each company moving in a Dark‐domain draws one less card at the start of its movement/hazard phase (to no minimum).
Because this effect actively affects entities within the game based on specified conditions (specifically, applying a modification to a conditionally defined character’s skills), this is an action caused by a passive condition. This means that the application of the effect onto the character’s attributes will be the first action declared in the chain of effects that immediately follows the chain of effects in which ITHOHR resolves. A player could respond to this action during the new chain of effects with a card requiring a sage, which would resolve before In the Heart of his Realm’s conditional action resolves per the last-in-first-out nature of chains of effects; but unfortunately, the sage can’t play Marvels Told because it is a ritual, which is prohibited by ITHOHR’s third effect:Additionally, any sage at a site in a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth, or moving with a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth in his site path, loses his sage skill.
Again, because this effect creates a new rule, rather than directly modifying a character or its attributes, it is an ongoing effect rather than an action. For further reference, this effect is comparable to Bane of the Ithil Stone; it doesn’t actively change some aspect of the in-game state when it resolves, but merely creates a new rule specifying that certain actions cannot be taken while the card is in effect. This means that, once ITHOHR is resolved, this third effect becomes active immediately and no character at these sites or moving through these regions can play Marvels Told in the subsequent chain of events, because it is a ritual.No character at a site in a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth, or moving with a Dark‐domain or Gorgoroth in his site path, can use spells, light enchantments, or rituals.
With all of this in mind, here is an example of what can and cannot be done by a player going to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring when ITHOHR is played:
Resource player (Player A) has only one company consisting of Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam. Frodo is bearing a Precious Gold Ring. They move to Mount Doom. Both players draw cards. Hazard player (Player B) plays In the Heart of His Realm. Player A has Marvels Told in their hand and an untapped Gandalf, but they can’t play Marvels Told to discard ITHOHR in response to the declaration of its play, because ITHOHR has been declared but not resolved; it’s not in play yet, so it can’t be targeted. Therefore, Player A has to wait for ITHOHR to resolve in order to play Marvels Told to discard it (although they won’t be able to do it later either).
Player A also has Wizard’s Test in their hand. They may play Wizard’s Test in response to the declaration of ITHOHR, since ITHOHR hasn’t entered play and its spell-negating effect is not active yet. Therefore, player A decides to play Wizard’s Test in response to ITHOHR.
Until now, the declaration chain has been:
1. Player B plays ITHOHR.
2. In response, Player A plays Wizard’s Test.
No more actions are declared in this chain of effects. Proceeding into resolution:
1. Wizard’s test resolves. Player A rolls a 5, which is not enough for a One Ring result.
2. ITHOHR resolves, and its ongoing effects are implemented. Now it can be targeted by other cards like Marvels Told because it is in play. However, now that the ongoing effects have been implemented, no character in a company moving with Gorgoroth in its site path can play rituals, and Marvels Told is a ritual.
Now, let’s consider the same example, but in a different order. The same company moves to Mount Doom and cards are drawn, hazard limit is set, etc. Player B plays Pukel-men. Player A thinks it’s a good idea to test the Precious Gold Ring that Frodo is bearing now, since a One Ring result would provide the option of canceling a strike against its bearer. Player A plays Wizard’s Test after Pukel-men resolves but before strikes are assigned, but now Player B has a chance to play something in response, and decides to play In the Heart of His Realm. Again Player A would like to play Marvels Told to discard ITHOHR, but they can’t because ITHOHR has been declared but not resolved and so it’s not in play (yet). This time the chain of effects goes like this:
1. Player A plays Wizard’s Test
2. Player B plays ITHOHR in response
No more actions are declared in this chain of effects. Proceeding into resolution:
1. ITHOHR resolves, and its ongoing effects are implemented.
2. Wizard’s Test tries to resolve, but since the no-spell effect of ITHOHR is already implemented, it is negated and discarded without effect.
Note that this ruling overturns CoE Ruling Digests #38 and #74 Q25.