Rath (Magic: The Gathering)
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In the fictional universe associated with the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, Rath is an artificial plane created by Yawgmoth as the assailing grounds for the invasion of Dominaria. The events of the Rath Cycle (Tempest, Stronghold, and Exodus) occur exclusively on the plane of Rath. The plane is also one of the settings of Nemesis.
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[edit] History
Created by the god Yawgmoth to act as the launching point of an eventual invasion into Dominaria, the plane of Rath was located in a small pocket attached to the plane of Dominaria. The plane was only a few thousand years old, and was never located by any planeswalker, thanks to its hidden location. The plane is made up of flowstone; a quasi-sentient rock material that can be commanded to take on any shape or form. The flowstone was magically produced in a gigantic refinery, centrally located on the plane, and the production was overseen by a series of Evincars; lieutenants of Yawgmoth. The ever-expanding disc of flowstone served two purposes in the Phyrexian invasion plan. First, flowstone was a material commonly used in Phyrexian constructs. Second, the expansion of the artificial plane would eventually reach critical mass, at which point Rath would "overlay" itself on Dominaria, providing both staging point and delivery vehicle.
The edge of the plane was ringed by a dimensional barrier; which appeared as a roiling sky of crackling energy. Anything travelling too high or too close to the edge would be violently ripped apart, or cast into the Shadows. At times, the altitude of the sky fluctuated, creating portals to Dominaria and pulling people, creatures, and structures into Rath, a fate which had befallen almost all of the plane's inhabitants.
During the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, the plane of Rath overlaid itself onto that of Dominaria, returning the various 'snatched' populations home, introducing creatures such as Moggs and Slivers to Dominaria, and delivering the majority of the Phyrexian invasion force. After this point, Rath ceased to exist as a unique location, instead permanently merged with the Dominarian landscape.
[edit] Evincars of Rath
Three Envicars are known to players of Magic (there were more Evincars, but except for some vague mentions about them in the books, nothing is known about them. For example in the book "Nemesis" Evincar Burges is mentioned to be a previous evincar.) Rath was first ruled by Evincar Davvol, then by Evincar Volrath, and finally by Evincar Crovax. Crovax defeated Volrath with the help of the wizard Ertai, who cheated and secretly intervened with magic, forcing Belbe to name Crovax Evincar.
[edit] Locations on Rath
- The Hub. Massive refinery on Volrath's Mountain
- Volrath's stronghold. It hangs suspended by two massive spans of stone within the great hollow mountain.
- Skyshroud, the mangrove-wood
- Rootwater, the marshes under the mangroves
- the Heartwood, occupied by druids, dryads, giants and treefolk
- the Cinder Marsh, region polluted by ventilation ducts
- Furnaces of Rath
- Lair of the Slivers
- Death Pits of Rath
[edit] Inhabitants
[edit] The Kor, Vec, and Dal
The Kor, the Vec and the Dal are three physically distinct races with a common culture developed during their time inhabiting Rath. Each race is primarily nomadic, with the Kor demonstrating the extreme of this way of life, while the Dal attempt to maintain towns on the flowstone plains. The three races are split into two groupings; the en, who struggle to survive on their own, and the il, who have succumbed to the Evincar.
[edit] The Soltari, Dauthi, and Thalakos
Another group of three races taken from Dominaria, the Soltari, Dauthi, and Thalakos never reached Rath, instead finding themselves trapped in the 'Shadows', a non-corporeal realm located in the multiversal space between Rath and Dominaria. The Soltari and Dauthi had been at war at the time of their abduction, with the Thalakos caught in the middle.
The races can see into both realms, but cannot physically reach them, which over the thousands of years has driven the Dauthi and Thalakos insane. The Soltari are kept from this fate only by their oral traditions and strong religious beliefs. This faith allows a small number of Soltari to communicate with the 'real' world, for short periods of time.
[edit] Skyshroud Elves and Rootwater Merfolk
The Skyshroud elves and the Rootwater merfolk once lived together on and under a floating construct on the seas of Dominaria. Together with a large body of water they were swept up in Rath. Though large, the body of water wasn't enough for the needs of both races. Their alliance drifted apart as food dwindled and conflicts escalated into a final bloody battle. The elves decided to create a new home by magical means. In a matter of months a new Skyshroud Forest had grown. At its base, the roots of the forest tangled into an almost solid floor of plant life, floating on the water, choking the home of the merfolk, which was named Rootwater ever after. Above, the forest canopy has thickened so that barely any light reaches the depths of the forest. The Rootwater merfolk have become savage carnivores, with the help from some judicious genetic alteration by the evincars.
