Elspeth Conquers Death

A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won't trigger again.

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases (such as that of this Saga's second chapter), then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters.

Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.

If a creature on the battlefield has {X} in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

You choose which kind of counter to put on the returned permanent after it has entered the battlefield. You may put a +1/+1 counter on a planeswalker or a loyalty counter on a creature, but this isn't normally going to have any effect.

The effect of the second chapter lasts until your next turn even if this Saga leaves the battlefield before then.

If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.

Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.