Serra (Magic: The Gathering)
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In Magic: The Gathering, Serra was the overlord planeswalker of the artificial plane Serra's Realm. Both played an important role in the post-ascension life of Urza.
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[edit] On Serra's Realm
Following Urza's failed assault on Phyrexia, he accidentally stumbled on Serra's Realm. She allowed him to stay, and appointed Sanctum Custodians to stand guard until he had recovered, a process which took five years.
After Urza left Serra, the plane was invaded by Phyrexia. Phyrexia was beaten back, but with terrible losses to both sides. The plane was left in shambles and there was no more Serra could do to alleviate the plane from the severe black mana presence that resulted from the Phyrexian invasion. She proposed a massive Exodus to the citizens of her realm which wasn't gladly accepted by Radiant, one of the realm's archangel lieutenants, seeing this move as cowardly. The planeswalker then took those of her willing followers with her and those who followed the proud archangel stayed.
Urza later returned to Serra's plane, only to find it collapsing from Serra's absence and Phyrexian corruption. As the plane was doomed to collapse soon, and Radiant was under heavy influence of Phyrexian spies (known as sleeper agents,) Urza rescued as many as he could from the dying plane before collapsing it to power the mana battery for the Weatherlight. Since no other options existed, he presented an ultimatum to Radiant: leave or die. The plane was collapsed, with all the remaining inhabitants still inside.
[edit] On Ulgrotha
Despite the harsh event that occurred on Serra's realm, this was not the end of the planeswalker's story. After Radiant took control, Serra left with a group of her creations and fled to many planes until she landed on the devastated world of Ulgrotha (the site of the Homelands Set). There, she met a conservation-minded planeswalker named Feroz. Together, they restored Ulgrotha in its natural beauty and made it safe from the summoning of other planeswalkers. Later, Feroz and Serra married and settled.
[edit] On Dominaria
Serra is also known on Dominaria: the town of Epityr is famous for its Temple of Serra, built at the base of a huge sculpture of her, carved into a mountainface. One of the most active worship sites of Serra in all of Dominaria, it is commissorating the liberating of Epityr by the Serra Angels, brought forth by Thabit of Almaaz. It is believed that if Epityr is truly threatened, Serra herself will appear with all her angels to defeat the enemies of those under her care. In Benalia the Church of Serra is banned, like it was in its predecessor Sheoltun after the rebellion of Epityr. Instead the official church is the Church of (Gabriel) Angelfire.
[edit] Serra's Death
Years after their vow of holy matrimony, Feroz died due to a severe fire elemental-related accident. Devastated, Serra abandoned Ulgrotha and went on a journey of mourning, during which she was critically corrupted during a planeswalker battle when a wizard mistook her wedding ring for a powerful artifact. In the last days of her life, Serra was tended by clerics who erected a cathedral in her honor.
[edit] Serra's Return
It is not known if Serra's supposed death from the struggle for her wedding ring is the canon end of Serra's story. In one part of the Onslaught Block novel, Karona stumbled upon a plane that seems to be Serras' while she was searching for advice upon her newly discovered powers. Although Karona's summoning of the 5 major figures of the Magic color pie was proven false in the recent Time Spiral novel by Teferi, this plane visit wasn't. Many storyline followers come to the conclusion that Serra is still alive and are hoping that Wizards of the Coast retcon events following her Urza's Saga appearance.
[edit] Some remarks
Depictions of both plane and planeswalker exist in Magic: The Gathering cards. The best depictions of the plane come from Urza block cards such as Serra's Sanctum and the Urza's Saga basic land cards of Plains. The Legends card Cathedral of Serra depicts a cathedral built on Dominaria by Serra's worshippers. Though Serra herself has never become a card, she is depicted in a minimum amount of cards from the Urza's Saga set which prime examples are: Humble, Planar Birth, and Worship. Serra is also pictured on the 5th edition Serra Paladin. The rare Serra Angel, contrary to popular belief, depicts a creature created by Serra and not Serra herself.
