Gerrard Capashen
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Gerrard Capashen is a warrior who commands the crew of the flying ship Weatherlight in the fantasy collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. His image is based off the card Master of Arms, which appeared in the Weatherlight expansion. Gerrard is fairly impulsive, very skilled, and occasionally rash with decisions. He is from among the ruling families of Benalia, having been eugenically selected by Urza in order to be bred to be the perfect warrior. Though he is the product of Urza's plans against the dark god Yawgmoth he has very little respect for the way the planeswalker fools around with the lives of mortals. Gerrard is a kind of fatalist and an unlikely savior for Dominaria.
[edit] Background
Born to inherit the Legacy - a collection of artifacts destined to overthrow the evil forces of the multiverse- Gerrard has endured much hardship during his life. As an orphaned baby, Gerrard was sent away to live among the war clans in Jamuraa and raised by Sidar Kondo, a military leader of some renown. Gerrard has been the best of friends with the catwarrior Mirri and the Llanowar elf Rofellos since they trained together under the maro-sorcerer Multani.
Gerrard and Vuel - later to become Volrath - were blood brothers before Vuel fell from the grace of his father, Kondo, and turned on Gerrard, holding him responsible. Meanwhile Gerrard’s parents designed and collected the Legacy to battle the Lord of the Wastes (Yawgmoth). Gerrard’s destiny has always been tied to the Legacy, and from the beginning, the Jamuran captain Sisay knew of his perceived resposibility to take up his heritage. Long ago Gerrard and Sisay were shipmates aboard the Weatherlight, seeking the Legacy together.
Gerrard, Mirri and Rofellos joined the Weatherlight, just looking for adventure, unknowing of his true heritage. The loss of his childhood friend Rofellos to the Lord of the Wastes’ machinations convinced him that he and Sisay no longer shared the same ambitions. After she at last revealed his heritage, he realized that Sisay was secretly maneuvering him into accepting his destiny as heir to the Legacy. The burden of responsibility became to much for him and he departed in anger. While Sisay raced to challenge the Lord of the Wastes, Gerrard went of to chase separate adventures. His departure also ended his romantic relationship with Hanna, the Weatherlight’s Navigator and Archivist. He spend his time pursuing his fortune and glory across Dominaria, ending up as a Benalish Master of Arms.
[edit] Tempest
After Sisay had been kidnapped her crew, - most of whom had served alongside both Sisay and Gerrard during their mutual quest- turned to the one man who was both indirectly responsible for her capture and capable of her rescue: Gerrard. Gerrard agreed to return to the Weatherlight and to lead the rescue for his former captain and mentor.
As the Weatherlight arrived in Rath to rescue Sisay, they were immediately attacked by Volrath's ship, the Predator. The Weatherlight capsized and threw Gerrard overboard, but his fall was broken by the Skyshroud Forest. He then found himself amidst a gathering of the Vec, who believed Gerrard to be a prophesized hero, The Korvecdal. After that Gerrard and the crew allied themselves with the Skyshroud elves of Eladamri, Lord of Leaves. Together they made plans for reaching Volrath's Stronghold.
Following the plan the Weatherlight travels through the Cinder Marsh, the Furnace of Rath and the Death Pits of Rath towards the Stronghold...
[edit] Apocalypse
After countless preparations, Yawgmoth sent legions of his Phyrexians into the plane of Dominaria, and the human defenders could do little to hold them back. The Weatherlight crew joined in on an attack and closed a portal linking Phyrexia and Dominaria. However, this hardly hindered Yawgmoth's plan. He used a large magical burst to cause the Phyrexian-infested plane of Rath to overlap Dominaria, infusing the plane with its own energies, and the Phyrexians to magically appear. The second stage of the Invasion was an overwhelming defeat for the human defenders, as Gerrard pledged himself to Yawgmoth in order to restore life to his fallen love, Hanna. Urza Planeswalker also pledged himself to the Phyrexian God, and the world seemed doomed.
However, after a long battle and the decapitation (but not death) of Urza, Gerrard broke free of Yawgmoth's control and escaped back to Weatherlight. There he led his crew in one final charge, now empowered with Urza's guidance (as a planeswalker his head can survive without the body) and fought the giant entity that was Yawgmoth.
Yawgmoth arrived in Dominaria in his complete godly glory, spreading forth waves upon waves of black mana that killed millions and brought untold billions of the rotting dead back to life. This left Gerrard with one remaining plan-shoot down the white mana that had been contained within the Null Moon for centuries on the demon god.
The crew of the Weatherlight utilized the full strength of the artifacts of the Legacy (most notably Urza's powerstone eyes which contained Glacian's soul, Gerrard himself, bred to be the ultimate warrior, and Karn, the silver golem and keeper of the Thran Tome). The Legacy Weapon was born and obliterated Yawgmoth with a single shot.
Weatherlight was destroyed. Gerrard and Urza died, though Karn the Planeswalker claimed that "I do not mourn them because they are here in my head", and he was known to have many minds added to his as of ascending. Many millions around the globe were killed and millions more would die in the wreckage. However, the greatest threat to Dominarian life was extinguished.
