Dominaria as Told by Flavor Text
The shield took a year to craft, a month to enchant, and a decade to master—all for one glorious moment.
"My flock flew from a distant continent ruined by cataclysm and war. Benalia gave us shelter to end our exodus."
"The walls of Argive were built by a peaceful dynastic union that has guarded us against war for fifteen centuries. The lesson is clear."
"The true measure of all heroes is not what they achieve, but who they inspire." ~ Triumph of Gerrard
"Some aspire to climb the mountain of Honor. The Benalish are born upon its peak, and from there ascend among the stars." —History of Benalia
Enchanted by mage-smiths and blessed by priests, Benalish windows let in light and cast out darkness.
A new gathering for a new age.
Benalish citizens born under the same constellations share a star-clan. Their loyalty to one another interlaces the Seven Houses.
"Honor rides before us. All we have to do is catch up." —Danitha Capashen
"Go swiftly, clever arrow, and teach The philosophy of stillness." —D'Avenant verse
"I will protect the less fortunate. I will love bravely. I will face despair and fight on. As a Capashen, I can do no less."
The Benalish aristocracy is hereditary, but the loyalty of its subjects is earned.
"Rise, knight of New Benalia."
"Light from the Null Moon took form—a mirage made real, alone in grandeur, isolated in a world that once had been its own." —Fall of the Thran
On Amonkhet, Gideon lost both his sural and his faith in himself. But he can still throw a punch, and he still knows a bad guy when he sees one.
"Whatever faith you have in Serra, she has more in you." —Lyra Dawnbringer
"Let go of all that harms you. Cast your burdens into the darkness, and build for the faithful a house of light." ~ Song of All, canto 1008
A light to pierce the shadows.
The mage-smiths of New Benalia have perfected the art of blending fine steel and enchanted glass into weapons that are both beautiful and deadly. Only elite knights are entrusted with these martial works of art.
Descendant of a vanished land, student of a forgotten general, and master of blades no smith could forge anew. He honors them all by living a life worthy of song.
"You are not alone. You never were."
The unicorns of Sursi are a manifestation of Serra's joy and compassion. They frolic and dance like children, offering blessings to anyone they encounter.
"The spirit of Serra raised Brindri high and commanded her to keep the balance." —Song of All, canto 524
A pegasus chooses its rider, bearing the worthy into the clouds and tossing all others to the ground.
"When history becomes too mournful, even good souls may choose to forget." — Shalai, voice of Plenty.
An ancient nemesis rendered harmless long ago.
Knights get the glory. Soldiers get things done.
The angel remembers her past lives like dreams. Her song held up meadows. Her blade drove back darkness. Her wings carried her across the ages.
Theologians now believe the Ancestor was another divine form of Serra.
"The Ancestor saved us for a purpose."
"In a healing world I write—I, who will never be healed. Let my last gift be one of memory: from a thousand lost thoughts, choose one, and remember my name."
Centuries ago, one man's vengeance plunged the world into ice and darkness.
"We don't choose who comes here. We choose how long they stay."
The Tolarian Academies are known for their magical research, powerful sorcerers, and accidental destruction of ecosystems.
"The trick to talking sense into Keldons is getting them to hold still. I learned that from Radha." –Jhoira
For generations, the inhabitants of Orvada have hungered for turtle soup. For generations, the turtles have frustrated their ambitions.
For cryomancers, studying the Ice Age isn't just an academic exercise.
Archaeologists don't just dig in the dirt. They excavate time, scraping off the years grain by grain.
"Half of your studies will be learning the laws of magic. The other half will be bending them." —Naru Meha, master wizard
"Homarids spread northward from Sarpadia as the climate cooled, raiding coastal settlements for supplies." — Time of Ice
"Your contract is in default. You belong to me now. Serve, or die." — Nicol Bolas
Centuries ago, a quest to harness time became a spiral into chaos.
Saved from destruction by one planeswalker's sacrifice, the Eliterate colony forswore the taking of life.
"Perfect. Now do it again."
The crystal pulsed with the power of Teferi's planeswalker spark. Had Jhoira given him a blessing or a curse?
Her knack for tampering with wards got her kicked out of the academy, but they also got her back in.
With just a few seconds to escape, Deryan saved Hurkyl's editions on restoring physical objects from ash.
Though it was laid to waste by the brothers, many schools of magic trace their origins to the College of Lat-Nam, including the first Tolarian Academy.
The fire spell stuttered and broke. Its pieces reached Teferi out of rhythm, meaningless.
The first to arrive on Dominaria from their distant home, the marids are the oldest tribe of djinn and the most respected by storm and sea.
"My ancestor Toshiro used to say, 'Life is a series of choices between bad and worse.' I'm a master of making great bad choices."
The Tolarian Academies embrace a tradition of study and research while discouraging the kinds of experiments that ruined the original island of Tolaria.
"A problem is only a problem if you don't have the tools to correct it." —Jhoira
The Vodalian Empire tends to be insular. The scholarly Volshe caste are the exception, using education as an antidote to xenophobia.
In lives that have stretched for centuries, there are bound to be a few awkward silences.
"The second mage learned to dissipate blasts of lightning. Threat and response: thus did the study of magic progress." —Naban, dean of iteration
"I do as I please, little mortal. Do go on about your wishes, though—they amuse me to no end."
"My heart is not mine, it is Belzenlok's. All hearts are his, and all blood." —"Rite of Belzenlok"
"All hail the Demonlord Belzenlok, Evincar of the Stronghold, Scion of Darkness, Doom of Fools, Lord of the Wastes, Master of the Ebon Hand, Eternal Patriarch of the Cabal . . ."
"The Demonlord has ruled every age. Every ruin, myth, and nightmare proves his power." — "Rite of Belzenlok"
"Take their faces. The lips of these unbelievers may yet honor the Demonlord."
"Your life is finished, your name lost, and your work forgotten. It is as though Mazeura never existed." — Chainer's Torment
"I have pustules of the great Ratadrabik, very cheap. No? Surely you'll want a tincture of Nevinyrral's pulverized remains. Genuine!"
"Nature is not always gentle or kind, but all life begets life." —Marwyn of Llanowar
In the Cabal, death is just another mark of devotion.
Flittersprites collect unusually valuable things: coins of fallen empires, baby teeth, and memories of treasured names.
"The forest surrounding the Vess estate became the Caligo Morass, a vast bog stalked by horrors too terrible to name." — "The Fall of the House of Vess"
The Cabal assured the Seven Houses that hostages receive all the food and rest they require.
"Fear the dark if you must, but don't mistake sunlight for safety." —Josu Vess
"Urborg used to be lovely—scenic volcanoes, respectable lich lords. Since the Cabal came with their nightmares and thrulls, it's all gone to the worms." —Mister Lostspoons, Skulltown gossip.
"Sleep now, brother. That is the one gift I can give you." —Liliana Vess
To thallids, the whole world is just a pile of mulch to grow saprolings in.
A shadow to swallow the light.
"True power never dies, but lies awake, waiting for its name to be spoken." — The Eldest Reborn
Wreckage from the Phyrexian Invasion provided the rats with a seemingly unlimited number of breeding grounds.
"You bound me with a contract only your death could end—and you thought me the fool?" —Liliana Vess
The first mistake the Grimnant knights made was bullying the owner of an Urborg corpse shop. Their second mistake was dying.
Thelon of Havenwood created thallids as a food source in times of darkness. Thallids did the same with saprolings.
Some of the thallids that escaped into the fens of Urborg began emulating the Cabal's bloodsoaked rituals in their own peculiar way.
As the phantom flies overhead, the city of Vhelnish screams in silence.
"Look how they beg for the knife! The Demonlord has trained them well."
Acolytes of the lost Lord Windgrace fight to keep Urborg relics out of Cabal hands.
When Belzenlok's lieutenant Yar-Kul grew too ambitious, the Demonlord transformed him into a maggot. The frog that ate the maggot grew and grew, until a ravenous spirit burst from its body.
Centuries ago, a mad god offered a simple trade.
The stone whispers tales of darkness and fire. She replies, "Tell me more."
Grand Warlord Radha's challengers are always defeated, but she rewards the most passionate with the Flame of Keld. After that, they burn for her.
"The flame paints a bright wheel on the sky, then shifts into a stabbing spark. The enemy falls; the smoke of victory rises. — "Legends of the Firedancer"
Burning something is easy. Choosing a target can be more difficult.
"The best way to learn from a book on pyromancy is to burn it." —Jaya Ballard
The versatile "fiery gauntlet" is among the first spells young Ghitu mages learn.
"The heat in our hearts sometimes rises to the surface." — Valduk, keeper of the Flame.
"What fire forged, fire remembers."
The Ghitu of Shiv are as fierce and uncompromising as their volcanic home.
Tolarians teach the theory of pyromancy. The Ghitu prefer applied research.
"The trick is, once you get moving, don't stop!"
Not since the days of Pashalik Mons have the Rundvelt goblins been so united or effective.
Centuries ago, a pyromancer's spark ignited a fiery conflagration.
Keldon raiders' spoils are limited to what their colos can carry. No matter the value, the rest goes up in smoke.
"The Mountain gave us the Flame to Kradak to light the furnaces of his people's hearts. The wanderers became Keldons, and he the first warlord." — "The Flame of Keld"
Every ancient relic is a weapon if you throw it hard enough.
As the Cabal legions pushed into Shiv, they learned not to stand so close together.
Keldon warriors take advantage of the cyclops's inability to focus on more than one thing at a time.
Keld faced an apocalypse to fulfill a dire prophecy. Now Keldons have nothing left to believe in except themselves.
"Shiv is a restless land. It heaves ash, bleeds lava, and scabs over in black obsidian." — The First Eruption
Sometimes Shivan dragons toy with their food. Other times they just cook it.
"Ready . . . uh . . . fire!"
Deep beneath the ruined continent of Otaria, there's a mine where goblins still work, ignorant of the destruction above.
It skitters across the Shiv, each tendril hitting the ground with a sharp snap.
"You gotta be pretty smart to live long as me, but not being able to die helps."
He watches the pass in both directions, and all must pay his toll.
The hammer strikes. The Flame awakens.
War begins with one red ember.
"The old ways were for a winter world. We do what's best for us, not for the past. We are Keldons!" — Grand Warlord Radha
"The study of magic began when the first mage taught herself to throw lightning." —Naban, dean of iteration
Every odyssey begins with a single step.
Multani's mind grasped for consciousness as rage itself rebuilt his body.
"Llanowar's boughs are ever ready To unleash an autumn of steel leaves." ~ "Song of Freyalise"
A baloth only cares about the many things it eats and the few things that eat it.
"I can't bear to see another plane broken before I make my own home whole. I'm sorry, but my watch is over."
Nothing tastes finer to an ooze than a priceless family heirloom.
The bond between Llanowar elves and their kavu empowers both.
Thallids nurture saprolings, entertain them, and eat them.
Fallen Phyrexians were transmuted into elementals by Gaea long ago, but Yavimaya's other inhabitants still regard them with unease.
Centuries ago, a barbarian laid his rage to rest.
"Druids endure disaster as seeds endure winter. Now Krosa blooms once more."
As patient and generous as life, as harsh and merciless as nature.
"Cherish this world in honor of the martyrs who saved it. We too must be prepared to give our lives." — The Mending of Dominaria
Llanowar elfhames occupy different heights within the great forest. Elves of the Loridalh and Kelfae hames can see neither earth nor sky.
Most spiders of Llanowar disdain elvish alliances. No elf has as many beautiful eyes or as many strong arms.
Midwife to mothers and leader to all.
"As Argoth's last defenders fell to Urza's juggernauts, Titania said, 'Nature cannot be destroyed, only changed.'" —The Antiquities War
Llanowar elves conceal their ballistae in the upper canopy of the forest, ready to clear the skies of any intruder.
"You can hear its tail thrashing from a mile away. Keep in mind that its jaws may already be half a mile closer." — Jenson Carthalion, Yavimaya exile
Thallids herd saprolings from place to place in search of detritus to feed them.
As the irrepressible power of a dormant Multani courses through Yavimaya, the forest passes judgment on travelers and natives alike. Only the fungus prospers.
"The identifying ornamental growths of alpha thallids may be hereditary, or catalyzed by some chemical signal." —Sarpadian Empires, vol. III
One eye open to see the truth of the world. One eye covered to gaze at the goddess within.
"Yavimaya is aware, but not always awake. You will know the difference when you see it. — Karn
A living remnant of the Ice Age.
The first law of Yavimaya is that guests may kill only to survive. As fires aren't needed in the warm weather, cutting trees for wood means death.
The bower shuddered. The stillness broke. The scurf shifted, and a being emerged from the flowers and ferns.
"When their community grows cluttered, thallids begin a traditional bobbing dance, then trek out in all directions." — Sarpadian Empires, vol. III
The passionate intensity of the Ghitu tempered by the cool insight of Tolarian training.
"I won't abandon the Weatherlight. My destiny is to serve at Jhoira's side. This 'illness' means I must trust my faith more and myself less."
"The future is my gift to Keld."
As she took the wheel of the Weatherlight for the first time in a millennium, Jhoira knew she'd been right to restore the ship. Anything was possible now.
"Chronicles across the ages describe Jodah. They likely refer not to one mage, but to a family or an arcane title." — Arkol, Argivian scholar
"My child grew from rot and ruin, yet she bloomed." ~ Multani
"For the lost and forgotten, I will keep watch."
Centuries ago, five dragons conquered death to rule the living.
"I am heir to many treasures. None is as precious as knowing how my ancestor lived her life."
As Jhoira restored the Weatherlight, a mushroom growing in its hold unexpectedly became her first crew member.
"Yavimaya is one being — one vastness of rippling leaves, one deepness of roots, and one chatter of animals — of which I am one part."
"Nothing is too broken to mend."
An ancient device recovered from a thawing glacier high in the Karplusan mountains.
Neither its appearance nor its temperature varies as the years pass, an eternal testament to the forces that shaped Dominaria.
It spilled the blood of one elder dragon. In Gideon's hands, it may yet taste another's.
"Bring me an angel feather, and I will give you one death in return. There can be no turning back once the candle is lit." —Whisper, blood liturgist
A Thran relic, it has spent ten thousand years doing absolutely nothing.
"The perfection of the lotus reminds me of my hopes for this world . . . and my failures. I will not rest until I've atoned for them." —Karn
Archaeologists depend on automatons inspired by their precious discoveries at Koilos to guard the excavations.
Forged out of flowstone for the queen of Vesuva.
It wails of buried riches and the souls lost seeking them.
Ice may thaw, but malice never does.
"You could say it was my pet project." —Jhoira
"Urza's machines have a splendid habit of excavating themselves." — Rona, disciple of Gix
It has witnessed history's most significant events, one incarnation after another.
A moment in time made tangible, it has the power to realize epic visions.
The Weatherlight can no longer planeshift, but it can traverse Dominaria with ease.
"To the head of Archaeological Findings: The excavation schedule at dig site 93-beta must be revised. Part of the site has walked off." —Tolarian field dispatch
"Light passing through a powerstone is refracted by eternity and colored by planar energy. I wonder how the world appeared through Urza's eyes?" — Teferi
Benalish glazeplate is stained with salts from the Rift Era and enchanted to deflect blows.
"Sometimes the only difference between a martyr and a hero is a sword." —Captain Sisay, Memoirs
Like a cross between a spider and a spyglass, but friendlier.
The trainers were a gift of gratitude from the wizards of Tolaria West to the knights of New Benalia for their aid during the Talas Incursion.
The portal opens not to the past, but from it. Those who step through discover an unimaginable future.
"Truly understanding even one volume can be a life's work." —Naru Meha, master wizard
A missing piece in search of a puzzle.
The seat of Belzenlok's power, the Stronghold serves as the gathering place for the Cabal as their dark influence spreads from Urborg.
The sunlight falls pristine on the temple at Epityr, softened by the remembered shadows of angelic saviors' wings.
"Our ancestors brought down a Phyrexian portal ship, then built our town on its hull. We're pretty proud of that." —Alene of Riverspan
Serra's blessing lies strongest upon Sursi, where her holy chapels are untouched even as the Cabal encroaches.
"We have inherited the mysteries of the Thran, but few of the answers." —Jhoira
"They never found the body of young Josu, or that of his murderous sister." —"The Fall of the House of Vess"
"The wind whispers, 'come home,' but I cannot." — Teferi
The Cabal soldier blinked and found day had become night, he had a face full of thistle seeds, and the old man was nowhere to be seen.
"My father will be happy to see you."
"Long ago, I enchanted an army of statues to guard Zhalfir. My homeland is gone, but its protectors remain." — Teferi
"Everywhere you look, this world is healing from its wounds. Aren't you ready to do the same?" — Jhoira, to Teferi
"Don't worry, they won't bite. They much prefer setting people on fire." — Jaya Ballard, to Chandra
"From the volcanoes of Shiv to the Balduvian steppes, I have sought a worthy teacher. At last, I have found one."
Glaciers, torrential floods, and temporal disturbances came and went. The mountains yet stood, unchanged.
The peaks of Hurloon never fall silent.