| “ | As Zendikar has bled, so will Innistrad. As I have wept, so will Sorin. | „ |
| ~ Nahiri. |
Nahiri is a kor Planeswalker from the Plane of Zendikar and the main antagonist from the Shadows Over Innistrad Block and the story of Zendikar Rising from Magic: the Gathering. She is a kor artificer and has mastered the art of lithomancy, the ability to control stones with magic. As a pre-mending Planeswalker, she has been a part of Magic's story for a long time and it was because of her experiences that shaped her behavior and outlook on life. Though she would eventually work with former enemies to stop the Phyrexians from corrupting the multiverse, she would eventually be Compleated into a deadly Phyrexian herself.
History[]
The Three Against the Eldrazi[]
After her spark ignited, Nahiri met the vampiric Planeswalker Sorin Markov and the two soon became close friends. Sorin saw Nahiri as a metaphorical daughter and the two traveled the Multiverse together with Sorin teaching Nahiri how to defend herself. During their travels, they discovered the Eldrazi Titan Ulamog devouring a forgotten Plane. Seeing the Eldrazi as a threat to the Multiverse, Nahiri and Sorin joined forces with the Spirit Dragon Planeswalker Ugin to stop them. To do this, they planned to imprison the Eldrazi on a plane and someone would have to prevent them from escaping. It was decided that Zendikar, Nahiri's home plane, would serve as a prison of the Eldrazi.
The Three, as they called themselves, began to use their magic to deal with the Eldrazi. Sorin used his magic to enhance the appeal of Zendikar's mana to attract the Eldrazi, Ugin used his colorless magic to weaken the Eldrazi, and Nahiri used her lithomancy to bind the Eldrazi. Their plan worked and Ulamog, Kozilek, and Emrakul were imprisoned and the rest of the Multiverse was safe from their presence. The Three met in the Eye of Ugin and put certain fail-safes to ensure the Eldrazi wouldn't be unleashed. After this, the three parted ways.
Guarding Zendikar[]
While Sorin and Ugin left Zendikar, Nahiri stayed and guarded the Eldrazi and would alert Sorin and Ugin if the Eldrazi attempted to escape by sending them a beacon. She also managed to commune with the other kor and she was content in her position. She also taught the kor how to fix the hedrons increase they were ever damaged. Zendikar's mana managed to attract other Planeswalkers and the demon Planeswalker Ob Nixilis came to Zendikar to cause chaos and to cure himself of his demonic curse. Nahiri interfered with Ob Nixilis's plan by inserting a hedron on his head. This item severely weakened the demon and Ob Nixilis retreated.
After centuries of guarding the Eldrazi, Nahiri began to long for death seeing as those around her aged and died as she did not. She trapped herself in a cocoon made of stone and slept for many more centuries. During this time, her teachings were misinterpreted and she and the Eldrazi Titans were viewed as gods by both her people and the other sentient races of Zendikar. When vampires(who weren't originally natives to the plane) made a shrine on the hedrons, some of the Eldrazi brood managed to escape, causing Nahiri to awake from her hibernation. Nahiri activated the signal, defeated the Eldrazi, and fixed the hedrons. To her surprise, Sorin and Ugin never appeared. Fearing that her friend was in trouble, Nahiri Planeswalked to Innistrad to find Sorin.
Imprisoned on Innistrad[]
Nahiri being imprisoned in the Helvault.
After arriving on Innistrad, she discovered that Sorin was fine. She asked why she didn't come to her aid and Sorin told her that the signal never reached him and was blocked by the Helvault, a giant silver-made structure designed as one of the plane's safeguards from external threats. Not happy with the truth, she tried to convince Sorin to help her monitor the Eldrazi. Sorin however wanted to protect his home Innistrad first and told Nahiri to find Ugin(whom Nahiri didn't trust and neither knew was killed at the time). Now angry and feeling betrayed, Nahiri threatened Sorin with violence if he didn't help. Sorin's angel Avacyn intervened and the two briefly fought each other. The battle ended with Sorin imprisoning Nahiri in the Helvault.
For 6,000 years, Nahiri was trapped in the Helvault with numerous demons who tortured her and drove her insane. Ironically, Avacyn was trapped in the Helvault as well thanks to the demon Griselbrand. She would eventually escape when Liliana Vess forced Thalia to destroy the Helvault to free Griselbrand. Nahiri planeswalked to Zendikar only to find the Eldrazi free and devouring her world. At that moment, Nahiri vowed to have her revenge on Sorin and on Innistrad.
Revenge[]
Nahiri summoning Emrakul to Innistrad.
Once she returned to Innistrad, she went to Markov Manor and tore it apart. She also imprisoned all of the vampires in the manor's walls. They were still alive, but they were forced to suffer eternal pain. While executing her revenge, she was worshiped by many of Innistrad's humans(some of which thought she was a vampire). She created artifacts called cryptoliths to channel Innistrad's mana to summon Emrakul. She even received help from Gisa and her zombies. When Avacyn was unmade by Sorin, Emrakul came to Innistrad and started transforming the inhabitants into Eldrazi mutants. Sorin went on a campaign of vengeance to stop Nahiri permanently and hired the vampires of the Voldaren bloodline to help him. Sorin and his vampires fought against Nahiri and her cultists. Sorin and Nahiri clashed and were evenly matched. Sorin thought he claimed victory when he subdued Nahiri and drained her blood but Nahiri used her magic to bind Sorin to a wall. With her victory, Nahiri planeswalked away.
War of the Spark[]
Nahiri fighting Sorin on Ravnica
Nahiri was summoned to Ravnica because of Nicol Bolas. To her surprise, Sorin escaped from her wall and the two clashed yet again. Even the threat of Bolas and their containment by the Immortal Sun couldn't break their hatred for each other. While the two didn't play a major role in the story, it is known that Sorin and Nahiri managed to put aside their feud and fought against the Dreadhorde. They were present during the final stand against Bolas and both survived the war. The two remained enemies after Bolas's defeat.
Zendikar Rising[]
Nahiri, Heir to Ancients
During the events of Zendikar Rising Nahiri decided to sponsor the Sea Gate Expeditionary House, as means to acquire artifacts found in the Skyclaves. She intends to use them to stop the Roil, Zendikar's perpetual storm that serves as its defense mechanism. She would eventually find a useful artifact in the lithoform core.
Initially she asked for Nissa's assistance in retrieving the core of the Akoum Skyclave. But after Nissa witnessed its effects on organic life, she grew concerned about the core's power. Fearing that Zendikar's plants, animals, and elementals would be harmed, she turned on Nahiri and they fought until Nissa Planeswalked to Ravnica. Reading the runes in the Skyclave revealed that in order to unlock the core's full power, she must obtain the other portion in the Murasa Skyclave. Figuring she would need a team for this mission, she traveled to the Sea Gate Expeditionary House to gather the greatest adventurers she could find.
Her party consisted of the skilled kor climber Akiri, the trickster merfolk Zareth San, the fire wizard Kaza, and the knowledgeable kor Orah. The group made the arduous climb to the location of the core. Once she found it, the group was immediately attacked by an elemental. After trying to escape, Nahiri used the core to destroy the elemental, but Zareth was killed in the process. Mourning the death of her friend and heeding his warning about Nahiri, Akiri attempted to take the core so Nahiri couldn't harm others. Nahiri paralyzed Akiri with a nearby hedron, reclaimed the core, and pushed Akiri to her death. Little did she know that Akiri was saved by Nissa and Jace.
Nahiri's next task was to bring the core to the Singing City to escape Nissa and Jace. It became known how the city got its name when Nahiri was overwhelmed by the melody played throughout the city. Thanks to Jace, the song was muted enough to not be a problem and the two came to some kind of agreement. Nahiri explained that the city had a focal point where she would use the core's power to terraform Zendikar with the use of the plane's leylines. Jace proposed a deal to not interfere with Nahiri's plans if Jace could study the core on Ravnica to see how it worked. He was intrigued by the core and wanted to know if it could heal other planes as well.
Nahiri using the hedrons to bind Jace
Nissa arrived shortly after and destroyed the focal point with her elementals. Believing her friend had betrayed her, she prepared her elementals to battle her former friends. Nahiri started to reshape the world to her desire which was an action that the others felt emulated the Eldrazi. The two fought and Nahiri was surprised at Nissa's elemental prowess. She was captured by element griffins and other beasts which kept Nahiri on the defensive. Even after forging over 50 swords, Nahiri was seemingly overwhelmed by Nissa's forces. Realizing that brute force would end poorly, she decided to retreat back to the city to save herself. Jace followed her back and once again tried to reason with her. But nothing was going to change her mind and she immobilized Jace. Jace figuring that this would happen, he conjured an illusion of Sorin to distract her while he controlled Nahiri's mind. He took the core from the kor and forced her to allow Nissa into the city. Jace attempted to make amends with Nissa but she took the core and planned to destroy it. Before she could, the core spoke to her and told her to use its power. While using elementals to keep Nahiri at bay, Nissa used the core and the desolate regions of Zendikar were quickly starting to heal. Wanting to see how her world looked now that plane was finally being restored, she set off to explore the Plane. After Nissa left and used up the power of the core, Nahiri was upset that Nissa used it instead of her. Jace felt terrible for his actions wanted them to apologize but Nahiri shifted the blame to Jace. After this bitter discussion, she planeswalked away.
The Brothers' War[]
Nahiri was one of the many planeswalkers who allied with the Gatewatch against Elesh Norn and the New Phyrexians. The group traveled to New Phyrexia to join the Mirran Resistance along with the Quiet Furnace in their assault against Norn. This meant she would have to work with her enemy Nissa Revane for a common goal.
Phyrexia: All Will Be One[]
Nahiri's compleation
Upon entering New Phyrexia, Nahiri discovered she was with Kaito Shizuki and the Wanderer who was barely able to hold herself on the plane. The group was ambushed by a powerful Phyrexian and though Nahiri slayed it, she got injured in battle. Though it appeared to be a minor cut with no oil present in her blood, this allowed the glistening oil to infect her, beginning the process of turning her into a Phyrexian. She kept this hidden from her allies while they, now joined by Tyvar Kell after being freed from the Glorious Facade and without the Wanderer who had to Planeswalk away, traveled with Melira, the only native of Mirrodin with immunity to the corruption, through the Mirrex and to the resistance camp in the Furnace Layer. Here, the group met up with Jace, Koth of the Hammer, much of the Mirran Resistance, and eventually Kaya and Elspeth. The group discussed their plan to traverse through the depths of New Phyrexia to have both the Mirran and Phyrexian rebellions hold off Norn's forces while the sylex is delivered to the Seedcore and detonated on Realmbreaker, New Phyrexia's invasion tree. Once Nahiri had time to herself to check on her infection, Melira figured she had contracted phyresis and offered to heal her, but the process would put them both out of commission for several days. Nahiri declined as her group was pressed for time and she would prove useful becuase of her Lithomancy. This decision would lead to her compleation.
Nahiri fighting Phyrexians while close to becoming compleated
The group used mine carts to traverse through the Hunter Maze and Surgical Bays undetected. Upon entering the Dross Pits and after ingesting Halo(a magical substance that is both harmful to the Phyrexians and can prevent the contraction of phyresis), Jace reestablished a mental link with his love Vraska who was fighting to survive in Sheoldred's arena. Though most thought reaching the Fair Basilica should be their top priority, Jace went to save Vraska with everyone else following him. Using Jace's illusions as a distraction, the group slaughtered the Phyrexians in the arena only to learn that Vraska was infected with Phyresis. Nahiri and the others wanted to leave her so they could complete their mission but Jace wanted to stay with his love. This resulted in him becoming infected as well. Nahiri, wanting her allies to stop the Phyrexians and whom herself was close to becoming fully compleated, used her lithomancy to send the arena crashing to the Basilica.
Though crashing between the spheres did kill her, her body would still become reanimated and compleated with her hands being replaced with blades. She appeared with Tamiyo, Nissa, and the reanimated Jace as a part of Norn's army when they reached the Seedcore.
March of the Machine[]
A compleated Nahiri attacking Zendikar
Now a compleated planeswalker, Nahiri wanted to return to Zendikar to use the Skyclaves to subjugate the plane along with additional Phyrexian forces. While compleating many of the plane's elementals and recreating a new network of hedrons to allow Realmbreaker to more easily access Zendikar and fusing herself with one of them to act as its keystone, she was confronted by her old former party members, the angel Linvala, and General Tazri at the Emeria Skyclave. Nahiri easily contested her former allies, but her dominance was halted when Linvala unleashed bright, white mana fueled light that caused Nahiri to scream in pain. The group took this chance and managed to briefly knock the Phyrexian planeswalker unconscious. She managed to recover not long after, but her control over the Skyclave is lost and it begins to fall to the ground. While Nahiri's former friends manage to escape, the planeswaker's fate is unknown though she is presumed to have survived.
The Aftermath[]
Nahiri escaped the rubble that was once the Emeria Skyclave supposedly surviving due to the halo covering her body due to her former allies. She removed all the metal grafted to her body (though some marks from her compleation remain). As a consequence of having the sylex being detonated across the multiverse, many planeswalkers, including Nahiri, lost their sparks so they are much weaker than before and could no longer easily travel across the multiverse. Nahiri wished to rebuild the Skyclave, but it was apparent this task would be very difficult without her spark and she expected it would take months to do.
Though she remembered what she did while she served Elesh Norn, she casted that part of herself aside. In addition, she wanted to remove all traces of the Phyrexians from the plane as a way to atone for her actions. While exploring the wreckage, she sensed something from within and discovered a hedron that seemed to contain her spark calling out to return to its home. With a surge of power, she broke through to the roof and bore witness to devastation worse than either the roil or the Eldrazi had caused. Only now did it dawn on her the scale of the damage the Phyrexians and herself have caused and she put the brunt of the responsibility on herself. Ajani Goldmane, the leonin planeswalker and another one of Norn's former heralds, arrived surprised to see her alive. He informed Nahiri about the supposed fates of the other compleated planeswalkers and of the changes of the multiverse while checking to make sure she was no longer serving the Phyrexians. The kor was surprised Ajani still had his spark, but felt his arrival was not as benevolent as it appeared.
Nahiri feared Ajani was sent to Zendikar to kill her to make sure the threat of the compleated planeswalkers were gone. Though he tried in good faith to show he wanted to help her and to heal the multiverse, all it did was remind her that she was alone and was branded with Phyrexia's presence both externally and internally. She now blamed Ajani for New Phyrexia's invasion due to him being compleated early on which she felt was the reason she was recruited for the strike team in the first place. Her response irked the leonin and she threw a stone in front of him intending to create a wall between them, but accidentally made the ground she was standing on collapse. Ajani tried to rescue her, but he was too late.
Nahiri permanently losing her spark.
Now trapped in a cairn of Phyrexian corpses, Nahiri saw a tear in the fabric of the multiverse and tried to investigate, but noticed Phyrexian metal piercing her skin. She got out of it and saw the hedron holding her spark not too far away from her. To her dismay, the hedron was broken and any hope of her spark returning vanished. After she left the rubble, she was tired, injured, and had only her emotions to sort through since she was alone. This led her to the conclusion that the biggest threat to Zendikar was no longer the Phyrexians or even herself, but planeswalkers. Seeing as how other walkers enter other planes, cause trouble, and leave without fixing the damage they cause, Nahiri now seeks to permanently prevent other extraplanar beings from entering Zendikar.
Quotes[]
| “ | Sorin, I’m going to take everything from you. | „ |
| ~ Nahiri |
| “ | You brought this upon yourself, Sorin! | „ |
| ~ Nahiri |
Gallery[]
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 Villains
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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 | ||