“ | Don’t worry, Gerrard,” said Ertai. “I’m sure the crew will come to your rescue as quickly as they came to mine. | „ |
Ertai is a blue aligned human wizard turned blue and black aligned Phyrexian wizard from Magic: the Gathering. He is a brilliant but arrogant mage who learned from the head wizard of the Tolarian Academy Barrin and signed up to join the Weatherlight Crew. That was until he was abandoned on the Plane of Rath where he joined the Phyrexians.
History[]
Journey to Rath[]
The Evincar of Rath Volrath managed to capture the captain of the Weatherlight Sisay and in order to find her, they need a mage to manipulate the powerstone that allows the ship to travel between planes to find Rath. The ship's engineer Hanna suggested bringing her father Barrin. Barrin declined and instead offered to send Ertai with them. He was one of Barrin's top students and had been certified for explorations. Hanna was skeptical of his qualifications and challenged the mage, resulting in Ertai winning and subsequently joining the group. Once the crew arrived on Rath, they were ambushed by the Phyrexian flagship Predator helmed by Greven il-Vec and the engine was badly damaged. While the rest of the crew went into Volrath's stronghold to find Sisay, Ertai stood behind to open Planar Portal in case things went wrong. While trying to open it, a Soltari named Lyna offered to help in exchange for the rest of his people to use it as well. The two were successful but with the Weatherlight being tailed by the Predator, the ship went through the portal while leaving Ertai behind.
Nemesis[]
After he was abandoned, he was captured by Greven and taken to Volrath's stronghold. He spent much of his time incarcerated but managed to gain the affection of a Phyrexianized elf named Belbe. It was because of her that he was able to control flowstone. Because of their relationship, Ertai was a contender to become the new Evincar after Volrath left. But, one of the other contenders and former allies Crovax was too strong and aggressive to challenge so he spent his time trying to escape. He witnessed the battle between Volrath and Crovax and secretly helped Crovax win. He later found out that Belbe was killed by the elf Eladamri and he used Belbe's portal to escape. With all of the portal's energy gone and with all hope lost, Ertai submitted to Crovax, became a Phyrexian and his servant.
Invasion[]

Ertai, the Corrupted
After the trauma of his abandonment by the Weatherlight Crew and the death of his love Belbe, Ertai resented his former friends and wished to destroy them. After the Rathi Overlay brought the Phyrexians to Dominaria, Ertai joined Crovax on the Predator and caught Gerrard Capashen and the goblin Squee(by accident). They were transported to the Stronghold and Ertai gave Squee resurrection powers. This was done so he and Crovax could endlessly kill him as many times as they wanted. Ertai delighted in slaughtering Squee multiple times, but when Squee accidentally overloaded the Phyrexian healing machine, it exploded and killed Ertai in the process.
Dominaria United[]
During the New Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, Ertai was recovered and resurrected by the New Phyrexian praetor Sheoldred and once again aided the Phyrexians in conquering the plane. His resentment against his former allies remains intact. He was responsible for compleating Aron Capashen and pitting him and the other Phyrexians against Jaya Ballard, Ajani Goldmane, Danitha Capashen(who was Aron's daughter), and their allies. Aron was slain by Danitha and the New Coalition gained ground against the mechanical horrors. The tides turned again when Ertai unleashed a Phyrexian Dreadnought which decimated forces on both sides. Rahda and the Keldons arrived and defeated the monstrosity forcing Ertai to retreat.
He now sought revenge against Squee, the goblin who was both his former ally and the one who was responsible for killing him. He managed to compleat most of the goblins in Squee's kingdom and collected the Salvation Sphere, a part of the Legacy Weapon in Squee's possession. Since Ertai made the goblin king immortal, he instead compleated Squee and wanted to send him to New Phyrexia to be dissected with the sphere in place of his heart. Before he could, Squee cut the ropes holding the boulders the rock jockeys suspended crushing the Phyrexianized goblin while firing his new arm cannon to hit a mana lamp which destroyed the goblin's mountain home and all of the compleated goblins within. Ertai created a shield to protect himself.
Having escaped the destruction of Squee's kingdom, Ertai boarded the Phyrexianized Skyship Weatherlight and piloted it to the Mana Rig. He left the ship to destroy Karn, another of the former Weatherlight crew member he believed abandoned him. After managed to damage Karn by using magical arcs that negated the golem's magical wards and incapacitated him, Ertai revealed he modified himself so he could specifically best Karn in combat. Before he could exact his revenge, Ajani Goldmane arrived and attacked him causing Ertai to lose concentration and balance resulting in him falling off the Mana Rig. His fate afterwards is unclear.
Quotes[]
“ | You're not so special, Karn. Anything that has been assembled can be disassembled. | „ |
~ Ertai |
Gallery[]
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Planeswalkers Phyrexians Multiversal Threats Villains by Plane Mirrodin/New Phyrexia Kamigawa Ravnica Lorwyn/Shadowmoor Alara Zendikar Innistrad Theros Tarkir Kaladesh Amonkhet Kaldheim Ikoria Arcavios Unknown |