Khans of Tarkir as Told by Flavor Text
Stone to endure, roots to remember.
"Wherever I walk, the ancestors walk too."
The fastest way across the dunes is above.
"These roads are desolate and changeable. Follow me, or die in the wastes."
"The Sultai take our dead, so we shall take their living!" —Taklai, Mardu ragesinger
"Hold the line, for family and the fallen!"
Some ainok of the mountains are accepted among the Temur as trusted hunt-mates.
The appearance of a kirin signifies the passing or arrival of an important figure. As word of sightings spread, all the khans took it to mean themselves. Only the shaman Chianul thought of Sarkhan Vol.
The Temur welcome bears into the clan, fighting alongside them in battle. The relationship dates back to when they labored side by side under Sultai rule.
Supplicants offer flesh and silver, flowers and blood. The altar takes what it will, eyes gleaming with unspoken promises.
Rarely at rest on the Amber Throne, Anafenza always leads the Abzan Houses to battle.
The stature of the fighter matters less than the depth of the cut.
Lightning burns its own path.
Every shaft is graven with a name from a kin tree, calling upon the spirits of the ancestors to make it fly true.
The Abzan avoid extended supply lines by incorporating weapons stores into their battle formations.
First the thunder, then the rain.
"Hold the high ground, then bring it to your enemy." —Surrak, khan of the Temur
When Temur warriors enter the battle trance known as "awakening the bear," they lose all sense of enemy or friend, seeing only threats to the wilderness.
Crude tactics can be effective nonetheless.
"The Sultai came hunting for a bear hide. Now I have a belt of naga skin, and my friend has a full belly."
"Here you lie then, Ugin. The corpses of worlds will join you in the tomb." —Sorin Markov
"The stronger our enemies seem, the more vulnerable they are." —Sultai secret
Some efreet abandon their homes in the volcanic Fire Rim to embrace the Jeskai Way and discipline their innate flames.
The adept underwent months of preparation to withstand pain, until he was finally ready to receive the efreet master's teachings.
"Death is merely another foe the Mardu will overcome."
Where dragons once triumphed, their bones now molder.
Enduring the most desolate and dangerous conditions, Abzan sentries unfailingly guard the stronghold gates.
Victory is certain. The price, negotiable.
"People are often humbled by the elements. But the elements, too, can be humbled." —Surrak, khan of the Temur
"Your corruption will burn, serpent, until there is nothing left to defile." —Asmala, bloodfire mystic
"Even the greatest inferno begins as a spark. And anyone can snuff out a spark." —Chanyi, mistfire sage
The broken Qal Sisma foothills make poor terrain for cavalry, but a perfect setting for ambushes.
"We are the swift, the strong, the blade's sharp shriek! Fear nothing, and strike!"
"We are the shield unbroken. If we fall today, we will die well, and our trees will bear our names in honor."
"Our own selves are the greatest obstacles to enlightenment." —Narset, khan of the Jeskai
Do not fear the lightning. Fear the one it obeys.
The greatest idea the zombie ever had in its head wasn't even its own.
In the silence of the ice, even dreams become still.
When Anafenza holds court under the First Tree, the gates of Mer-Ek are sealed. No safer place exists in all of Tarkir.
Got a diving lesson —Sultai expression meaning "was fed to the crocodiles"
The crocodiles' putrid jaws swallow everything but the screams.
"If weakness does not exist within the Temur then we shall force it upon them." —Sidisi, khan of the Sultai
"Stand where the whole battle can see you. Strike so they'll never forget." —Anafenza, khan of the Abzan
"You have returned from fire, traitor. This time I will see you leave as ashes." —Zurgo, to Sarkhan Vol
"You are beneath contempt. Your lineage will be forgotten."
Long after death, the spirits of the Disowned continue to seek redemption among their Abzan kin.
What once soared high above Tarkir is now reduced to a seat.
"When we were lost and weary, the ainok showed us how to survive. They have earned the right to call themselves Abzan, and to wear the Scale." —Anafenza, khan of the Abzan
"We are the flicker of the flame and its heat, the two sides of a single blade."
The Abzan turn to this spell only as a last resort, for its inevitable result is what they most dread: to be alone.
"We have a word for enemies too mutilated for military service: furniture." —Taigam, Sidisi's Hand
Arel dreamed of winter's end. The next morning she followed a strange trail and found a seedling in the snow.
The Sultai would rebuild the empire on the backs of the dead.
Her palm flared like the eye of a waking dragon. Then all was calm.
"Truth is hard enough to see, let alone understand. We must remove all distractions to find clarity." —Zogye, wandering sage
Dragons are extinct on Tarkir, but Abzan magic still emulates their endurance.
The Temur believe three things only are needed in life: a hot fire, a full belly, and a strong companion.
"What warrior worth the name fears to leave a trail? If my enemies seek me, let them follow the ashes in my wake."
Where dragons once slept, their bones now rest.
There are many Jeskai styles: Riverwalk imitates flowing water, Dragonfist the ancient hellkites, and Flying Crane the wild aven of the high peaks.
Where an enemy once rode, not even a whisper remains.
"The most powerful dreams visit those who shelter in a dragon's skull." —Chianul, Who Whispers Twice
If you fear the dragon's fire, you are unworthy to wield it.
"Have you spent a winter high in the mountains, where the ice walks and speaks to the wind? It is not a place for those who have not learned respect." —Ulnok, Temur shaman
Goblins, like snowflakes, are only dangerous in numbers.
"We all want to know what's going on in someone else's head. I simply open it up and look."
"Anything a falcon can do, a bat can do in pitch darkness." —Urdnan the Wanderer
"Naga shed their scales. We wear ours with pride." —Golran, dragonscale captain
Designed by an ancient artificer, the finest Mardu bows are carved from dragon bone and strung with the wind itself.
In the high caves of the Qal Sisma mountains, young hunters quest to hear the echoes of their fierce ancestors.
"Bring down a stag and fix its horns upon her head. This one hears the whispers." ~ Chianul, at the weaving of Arel
Its wings produce a high-pitched, barely audible whirring sound in flight. Only Jeskai masters are quiet enough to hear one coming.
Interlopers in Sultai territory usually end up as crocodile chow or baboon bait.
"Leave no scraps, lest you attract pests." —Mardu threat
"Do not think the sand or the sun will hold back the breath of winter."
The bonds of family cross the boundaries of race.
Abzan soldiers march to war confident that their Houses march with them.
Discipline to persevere, insight to discover.
Discipline is the first pillar of the Jeskai Way. Each member of the clan trains in a weapon, perfecting its use over a lifetime.
They range from Sage-Eye Stronghold to the farthest reaches of Tarkir.
It stares through the empty, pain-twisted faces of those it has drained.
Its hunting instincts have long since rotted away. Its hunger, however, remains.
Mardu archers are trained in Dakla, the way of the bow. They never miss their target, no matter how small, how fast, or how far away.
The passing years add new rings to the tree's trunk, bolstering the spirits that dwell within.
"The amber of the tree and the blood of my veins are the same."
"The Abzan replaced my savagery with a noble heritage. I would give my life for my House."
"Strength batters down barriers. Discipline ignores them."
"Water shifts and confuses, but as ice it holds the stillness of truth." —Arel the Whisperer
Mantis riders know their mounts owe them no allegiance. Even a mantis ridden for years would consume a rider who loses focus for only a moment.
Speed to strike, fury to smash.
"Make sure he's pointed in the right direction before you light him. And don't let the goblins anywhere near the torch." —Kerai Suddenblade, Mardu hordechief
"There may be little honor in my tactics, but there is no honor in losing."
"Those who have never ridden before the wind do not know the true joy of war."
The horde grows with each assault.
The most ferocious saddlebrutes lead the assault, ramming through massed pikes and stout barricades as if they were paper and silk.
"No body can contain so much fury. It reminds me of another battle, long past." —Sarkhan Vol
"The Way has no beginning and no end. It is simply the path." —Narset, khan of the Jeskai
"The past and the unwritten are frozen. To understand their meaning requires heat." —Arel the Whisperer
Flesh wounds are meaningless to those who discard their flesh so readily.
"The arrow strikes one bird down, but the flock remains." —Jeskai teaching
The calligraphy of combat is written with strokes of sudden blood.
The blades of a Sultai assassin stab like the fangs of a dragon.
When asked how many paths reach enlightenment, the monk kicked a heap of sand. "Count," he smiled, "and then find more grains."
"There are no obstacles, only different paths."
The remains of ancient sky tyrants now feed the war-torn land.
"Only the weak imprison themselves behind walls. We live free under the wind, and our freedom makes us strong." —Zurgo, khan of the Mardu
The dense jungle surrenders to a lush and lavish expanse. At its center uncoil the spires of Qarsi Palace.
Where dragons once prevailed, their bones now sink.
"To conquer is to eat." —Edicts of Ilagra
"Death fills me and makes me strong. You, it will reduce to nothing."
Rakshasa offer deals that sound advantageous to those who forget who they are dealing with.
The voice of a rakshasa is soft, its breath sweet. But every word is the murmur of madness.
Abzan ancestors died to protect their Houses, and they protect them still.
"I will wash you from my hooves!" —Mardu taunt
"From your death, new life. From your loss, our profit." —Kirada, Qarsi overseer
Adepts of the Riverwheel Stronghold can run through rain and never get wet; masters use the raindrops as stepping stones.
Mastodons became extinct long ago, but foul forces of the Gurmag Swamp sometimes animate their decaying remains. The Sultai happily exploit such creatures but consider them inferior to their own necromantic creations.
The Mardu charge reflects the dragon's speed—and its hunger.
"No one petal claims beauty for the lotus."
These winged warriors meditate in flight, tracing mandalas in the clouds.
His arrows whistle like a serpent's hiss.
The Sagu Jungle's thick undergrowth conceals even the largest predators—if they wish to remain hidden.
"Soldiers win battles, but supplies win wars." —Kadri, Abzan caravan master
That which endures, survives.
The Temur believe that scaldkin are born when eruptions melt the frozen whispers of sleeping ancestors.
"There is nothing so free as the spring river born of winter's ice." —Nitula, the Hunt Caller
"I am in my element: the element of surprise." —Mogai, Sultai scout
Rakshasa trade in secrets, amassing wealth from their careful revelation.
The Temur call the flickering lights the Path of Whispers, believing that they lead the way to ancestral knowledge.
"I don't know where my destiny lies, but I know it isn't here."
The envoy spoke, and Sidisi replied.
"Let the world behold what becomes of those who defy us." —Taigam, Sidisi's Hand
The ogre's mind snapped. The bow was next. The archer followed quickly after.
The Sultai distinguish between pet and slave by the material of the chain.
The mere approach of an Abzan war beast is enough to send enemies fleeing in panic.
"They thought their fortress impregnable . . . until we marched up with ours, and blocked out the sun." —Golran, dragonscale captain
"The dragons thought they were too strong to be tamed, too large to fall. And where are they now?" —Khibat the Revered
"See your enemies from a thousand sides. Then you will find a thousand ways to kill them."
Sure-footed, strong-willed, and ill-tempered—and so is the ram.
The Temur have no patience for subtlety.
Power to dominate, cruelty to rule.
"Strike," the fumes hiss. "Raise an empire with your ambition."
"You can have the body, necromancer. I just want the skin."
Since they guard armies of walking carrion, Sultai aven are never far from a meal.
The naga of the Sultai Brood made deals with dark forces to keep their power.
"Do you hunt the yetis of the high peaks, stripling? They are as fierce as the bear that fears no foe and as sly as the mink that creeps unseen. You will be as much prey as they." —Nitula, the Hunt Caller
Both his rank and his scars were earned in single combat against a cave bear.
In the Gudul delta, bloodfly bites are indistinguishable from spear wounds.
Shintan sensed the malice in his opponent, but he did not strike until the orc's muscles tensed in preparation to throw the first punch.
"The Jeskai would have me bow in restraint. So I have found a people unafraid of true power."
"Many scales make the skin of a dragon." —Abzan wisdom
Savagery to survive, courage to triumph.
"The best servants are made from those who died without a scratch." —Sidisi, khan of the Sultai
"The voice calls me here, yet I see only bones. Is this more dragon trickery?" —Sarkhan Vol
"Unwelcome thoughts crowd my mind. Are they my own madness, or the whispers of another?" —Sarkhan Vol
"Meat sustains the body. The spirit requires different sustenance." —Arel the Whisperer
Countless delights drift on the surface while dark schemes run below.
"Do you hear that, Sarkhan? The glory of the horde! I made a legend from what you abandoned." —Zurgo, khan of the Mardu
A band of Temur hunters, fleeing the Mardu, dug a hideout beneath such a creature as it slept. The horde found them and attacked. For three days the Temur held them at bay, and all the while the great beast slumbered.
One quiet word sets off the stampede.
All at once Sarkhan's mind fell silent.
"The man whom I call father killed the orc who sired me, offering his world and his blade in return."
"I came seeking a challenge. All I found was you." —Zurgo, khan of the Mardu
Mardu riders' greatest fear is that a battle might end before their weapons draw blood.
Lammasu are the enigmatic travelers of Tarkir, soaring high above all lands in all seasons. None know their true purpose, but they often arrive on the eve of great conflicts or turning points in history.
Gold buys death. Death earns gold.
"The Houses always hope for peace, but we always pack for war." —Gvar Barzeel, krumar commander
The wardens guard the sacred documents of Tarkir's history, though they are forbidden to read the words.
No battle means more to a Mardu warrior than the one that earns her war name.
"Be as water: untamed and unheld, yet inexorably flowing toward a greater goal." —Shensu, Riverwheel mystic
Temur shamans speak of three destinies: the now, the echo of the past, and the unwritten. They find flickering paths among tangled possibilities.
As a test of calm and compassion, a Jeskai monk softly approaches a grazing sambar and offers it a lotus from his or her hand. If the creature eats, the student ascends to the next level of training.
"When the last dragon fell, its spirit escaped as a roar into the wind." —Temur tale
Where dragons once roared, their bones now keen.
"The mountains scream with the dragons' throats." —Chianul, Who Whispers Twice
It strode through the clash of dragons, the fall of Ugin, and the rise of the khans.
Where dragons' breath once burned, their bones now freeze.
Even among the hardiest warriors of the Temur, loxodons are respected for their adaptation to the mountain snows.