Tovolar is a werewolf and the main antagonist of the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt storyline of Magic: the Gathering. While mentioned during the original Innistrad block as the leader of the Mondronen howlpack, he gained infamy when he became the pack leader of the Dire-Strain.
Biography[]
Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Blocks[]
Not much is known about Tovolar's youth, but his earliest recorded actions were when he adopted a newly sired werewolf named Arlinn Kord into his pack. He tried to coax her to embrace her lycanthropic nature in all of its aspects, including the ability to cause death and destruction. She ultimately refused to join in Tovolar's lifestyle and after two years together, she challenged Tovolar for control over his pack when he wanted to slaughter a group of foresters. The battle between them left them injured and resulted in Arlinn leaving the pack. While Arlinn formed her own pack consisting of wolves she befriended and after she ascended as a Planeswalker, Tovolar grew his family until it became the dreaded Mondronen Howlpack. It consisted of around 60 members and they had access to some dark magic. They normally avoided human civilizations but after Avacyn was trapped in the Helvault and her wards weakened, Tovolar and his pack moved closer to human settlements. After Avacyn was freed, the Mondronen Howlpack was disbanded and many of its members were either driven into hiding or slain by angels. Now that darkness seems to be lasting longer on Innistrad, Tovolar sees an opportunity to lead again.
Midnight Hunt[]
Two years after Emrakul was imprisoned in Innistrad's moon in events referred to as the Travails, the nights on Innistrad seem to be lasting longer than usual. Tovolar formed a new family in the form of the Dire-Strain Howlpack. Driven by his fierce pride in werewolf-kind, he wanted all wolf and werewolf packs under his control and wanted other werewolves to experience true freedom by unleashing the beast within. Once he gained a big enough following, he planned to stop the Dawnhart Coven and keep Innistrad in permanent darkness. Doing this would prevent the sun from rising again.
Harvesttide Massacre[]
Arlinn Kord and her Planeswalker allies recovered the Moonsilver Key and brought it to the Celestus in the hopes to return the day and night cycle to normal. Once they arrived, Tovolar and his pack launched a full-scale assault on the Harvesttide Festival. When the wards meant to hold off the werewolves failed, the chronomancer Planeswalker Teferi casted a spell to delay the sunset and prevent the lycanthropes from transforming completely. The Dire-Strain fought Arlinn and her allies and killed many humans in the process. Arlinn tried to convince Tovolar to stop the assault and Tovolar attempted to convince her to join in the carnage and give in to her animal instincts. Both failed in negotiations and the two clashed until Tovolar summoned the members of Arlinn's pack. This caused Arlinn to hesitate and gave Tovolar the opportunity to overpower her. Teferi's spell wore off and the sun began to set. This allowed all of the werewolves in the area to completely transform.
Now transformed into werewolves, Arlinn and Tovolar continued to fight and both managed to injure the other. Arlinn's old pack had joined with Tovolar's with the exception of Patience and while they fought Tovolar again tried to get Arlinn to embrace her true self. Arlinn seemed to surrender, but she managed to get the upper hand and caught Tovolar in a deathgrip around his chest. Realizing his old friend had betrayed him again, Tovolar and the Dire-Strain surrendered and retreated. Though Tovolar failed in stopping the Dawnhart Coven, his plans would ultimately succeed because of the vampire Olivia Voldaren.
Crimson Vow[]
The Gatewatch and their allies flooded into the Voldaren Estate to stop Olivia's plan to control Innistrad's angels and unite the vampiric bloodlines under her rule. Arlinn was wounded by Olivia when she stabbed her with her dagger-like fingernails and she howled for assistance before she fell. Tovolar answered her call and he and his pack came to Arlinn's aid. She made it very clear that nothing has changed between them, but she still accepted his help in tracking Olivia down. The group found her talking with her charmed groom and the progenitor of all vampires on the Plane Edgar Markov. Edgar wanted her to stop her plans and Tovolar wanted to attack Edgar, but Arlinn held him back. Olivia dropped the Moonsilver Key and the two vampires fled, barely avoiding Tovolar's wrath. Tovolar and Arlin parted ways shortly after without settling their differences.
Gallery[]
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