Common methods for indicating this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield
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
Usually, the go-to spice of black cards is to pay life as a resource
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
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
In a game where starting at 20 life is supposed to matter, Necropotence proved that life totals are often just a suggestion