Multiverse (Magic: The Gathering)

The Multiverse is the shared fictional universe depicted on Magic: The Gathering cards, novels, comics, and other supplemental products.[1] Though Magic is a strategy game, an intricate storyline underlies the cards released in each expansion. On the cards, elements of this multiverse are shown in the card art and through quotations and descriptions on the bottom of most cards (called flavor text). Novels and anthologies published by HarperPrism and Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), and the comic books published by Armada Comics expand upon the settings and characters hinted at on the cards. WOTC also publishes a weekly story (most often related to the plane explored in the current expansion set) in the Magic Fiction column, previously known as Official Magic Fiction and Uncharted Realms.

In the early days of the game, the name 'Dominia' was used to describe the story universe but, due to confusion with the name of the plane/planet where the central events of Magic occur (Dominaria), it fell into disuse and was replaced.[2]

Cosmology

The Multiverse is a collection of planes (described somewhat like pocket universes) which are usually named after the primary planet contained within them. Travel between these planes is possible, and powerful beings known as Planeswalkers are capable of traversing between them.[3]

The Blind Eternities

The Blind Eternities is the term more commonly used to describe the space between the planes of reality. Filled with chaotic, raw energies such as Aether, Mana and temporal energy, it is a place where matter and life as known within the planes of reality cannot subsist. (The only exceptions are the Planeswalkers, who briefly pass physically through it when they "walk" between planes.) As such, not much is known or understood about the Blind Eternities. Unfathomable, reality-warping cosmic horrors known as the Eldrazi are said to be born there.

Aether

Aether (previously spelled Æther) is the main type of energy filling the blind eternities, although it can also appear in variable quantities within the planes. It is inextricably associated with magic within Magic's shared fictional universe and the use of the word in several Magic cards implies that casting magic involves channeling and manipulating Aether. Similarly, "summoning" the creatures around which combat and much of gameplay in Magic revolves is described as "pulling (them) from the Aether".

Dominaria

The majority of the Magic story was set on the plane of Dominaria prior to Mirrodin, encompassing long time periods each detailed in certain card sets or books. Dominaria is a unique nexus between all the other planes of the Multiverse. Occasionally, such as in Time Spiral, the storyline returns to it.

Storylines

• The Thran: The Thran were a race of master artificers who were destroyed by Yawgmoth and his Phyrexians (converted Thran following him) during the Thran-Phyrexian War about 5,000 years before the Brothers. They are only hinted at in the game, but J. Robert King's novel The Thran explores their culture in some depth.
• The Brothers' War: War between Urza and Mishra, two brothers who were trained by the archaeologist and artificer Tocasia in creating magical devices based on ancient Thran technology. As their powers grew, so did their enmity, eventually erupting in an all-out war utilizing powerful constructs. Marshalling vast armies aided by their impressive machines (some of the old Thran Empire, some newly made) the brothers staged a series of battles. The war devastated the land of Terisiare on the plane of Dominaria and culminated in a world-devastating climax on the island of Argoth. This caused the Dark, the climate changes which led to the Fall of the Sarpadian Empires and finally to the Ice Age. This story is the basis for the Antiquities expansion and later the Urza's Saga Block.
• The Dark The devastation wrought by the Brothers led to the fall of many civilizations and the beginning of a Dark Age in Dominaria. The destruction of Argoth caused a nuclear winter that would later lead to the Dominarian Ice Age. This story is portrayed in the Fallen Empires and The Dark expansions. In this age Terisiare's survivors were bitterly opposed to magic. Tiny, insular villages dotted a wasted, goblin-infested landscape. Fanatical priests controlled a few powerful city-states. Preachers and witch-hunters hunted the countryside for the few remaining wizards. Despite this oppression, it is during this era that mortal wizards first discover the five-color nature of magic. This story is fully explained in the novel The Gathering Dark by Jeff Grubb. The following Ice Age is detailed in Eternal Ice and The Shattered Alliance, also by Jeff Grubb.
• Fallen Empires The harsh climatic changes that followed the destruction of Argoth caused the southern continent, Sarpadia, to struggle for survival. The elves and humans of Sarpadia begin breeding primitive but adaptable subspecies: saprolings and thrulls, respectively. These creatures soon turn on their creators and terrorize the people of Sarpadia, while the Merfolk suffered an invasion of crustacean-like homarids, which benefitted from the cooling oceans. Barraged by invading orcs, goblins, homarids, thrulls, and even fungus, the civilizations of Sarpadia are destroyed, and the continent falls into darkness.
• The Ice Age: The climate-altering effects of the devastation continued leading to a global ice age. New empires rose and fought in the cold. Eventually this cooling climate was reversed and life returned to normal. This story is portrayed in the Ice Age, Alliances, and Coldsnap expansions, and in the novels Eternal Ice and Shattered Alliance by Jeff Grubb. Jeff Grubb also wrote a short story "continuing" the story for Coldsnap, which is located in the Player's Guide insert you can find in a Coldsnap Fat Pack.
• The Homelands This short interlude depicts the decimated plane of Ulgrotha, in which many civilizations struggle for power against Baron Sengir, a powerful vampire who has manipulated a number of other characters into serving his ends. The planeswalkers Serra and Feroz turn the balance in favor of the light, but are killed in battle against a crazed alien planeswalker. The story has no concrete ending.
• Jamuraa: The story concerns three of the most powerful nations of Jamuraa (a tropical continent) — the militaristic kingdom of the Zhalfirins, the religious state of Femeref, and the trading province of the Suq'Ata empire. Zhalfir was the warrior nation, based mainly on red. Femeref was mainly white, and featured clerics and healers, while the seafaring traders of Suq'Ata were mostly blue. Mirage concerned these three nations and their struggle against the evil wizard Kaervek. Kaervek has imprisoned the powerful wizard and diplomat Mangara in an amber prison and the bulk of the story details the Jamuraans attempting to free Mangara. In addition to these events the planeswalker Teferi has caused his island to disappear from existence for almost 200 years. It is the phasing of the entire island that led Kaervek and Mangara to Jamuraa in the first place.
• The Phyrexian Invasion: After millennia of peace, the machine-like Phyrexians, who originate on a hellish mechanical world, invade the world of Dominaria led by the former Thran Yawgmoth from the pocket universe of Rath. The Phyrexian invasion divides in many sub-stories.
  • The Urza Saga: Following the destruction of Argoth, Urza becomes a planeswalker and foresees the invasion of Dominaria. Urza's travels lead the war to the peaceful universe of Serra's realm which is destroyed by Phyrexian armies; survivors of the plane flee to Dominaria and Ulgrotha. In preparation for the invasion, Urza creates the Tolarian academy, a research and development laboratory-school in which he and other mighty wizards train mages for the upcoming invasion and experiment on weaponry development, time-travel and genetic manipulation in hopes of creating a defensive army. The time experiments lead to a temporal collapse and the academy becomes laced with time fractures, which are both dangerous and useful to the inhabitants. Urza himself develops a fearful Legacy Weapon and Karn, a self-aware golem which, combined, can defeat any foe. This story arc is linked to The Thran, Antiquities, The Dark, Ice Age and Homelands and is depicted in the books The Brothers War, Planeswalker and Time Streams.
  • The Legacy: This follows the travels of many brave adventurers from all across Dominaria who, aboard Urza's vessel "The Weatherlight", seek to collect the different artifacts left by Urza and necessary to assemble the Legacy Weapon. Opposed to them, many Phyrexian allies or lords will try to stop them from their quest. This story arc is the longest in the Magic continuity, and its characters are depicted in the Weatherlight, Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus, Mercadian Masques, and Nemesis card sets; later, the story continues and concludes in the Invasion arc.
  • Prophecy: Parallel to the "Legacy" history, and following the Mirage and Urza's Saga histories, in Dominaria the warrior kingdom of Keld ensues war all across Jamuraa. Many wizards from the Tolarian academy aid the federation of Jamuraa and succeed in stopping the Keldons' warmongering.
  • The Invasion: The dreaded Phyrexians finally come to Dominaria across many "planar portals" and Urza, who has been spending thousands of years planning a defense against the Invasion, implements his plans. The Weatherlight leads the Dominarian forces, but the widespread chaos, and the uncompromising nature of Urza's tactics, threaten to destroy the plane. The arrival of Yawgmoth himself leads to the Apocalypse, but he is finally defeated by the fully assembled Legacy Weapon. The Invasion itself occurs in the Invasion block, but is linked to all previous story arcs. From this point on, the publishers switch to a series of self-contained plotlines with occasional links to older stories, rather than sweeping epics spanning years of card releases.
• Odyssey: One hundred years after the devastation of the Invasion, Dominaria is still in the process of rebuilding. This part of the story takes place in Otaria, a devastated continent that was, surprisingly, the place least affected by the Invasion. It centers on Kamahl, a barbarian, and his quest to get the Mirari, a magical orb of seemingly endless power.
  • Onslaught: Having acquired the Mirari with devastating effects, Kamahl renounces it and tries to be rid of it, but the events he triggered have gone far beyond his control. The story shifts to a battle between Akroma, an angel, and Phage, Kamahl's corrupted sister, who kills with a touch. As zealous armies gather behind each of them, Kamahl needs to end their escalating conflict before Otaria itself is decimated. To this end, he recovers the slumbering Mirari and allies himself with three ancient gods who have been waiting for these events to happen again. This story is linked to Mirrodin, and sets the scene for the first major storyline not set on Dominaria.
• Mirrodin: The story of Mirrodin takes place on a new, metal world, created by the planeswalker Karn and populated by races stolen from other worlds. Glissa, an elf, and her allies strive to assemble the mythical Kaldra, so that they can defeat the crazed Memnarch, who lives inside the hollow world. All the while, we learn about the history of Mirrodin, and its loose, but nonetheless present, connection to previous storylines based on Dominaria. The Mirrodin story is the first of the new year-long, three-set story arcs, having started in 2003 with the release of Moons of Mirrodin and continuing with 2004's The Darksteel Eye and The Fifth Dawn.
• The Kami War: The plane of Kamigawa is naturally divided in two: the kakuriyo Kami world (spirit world) and the utsushiyo material world; both working and operating harmoniously until the Kami began to attack the material world twenty years before the story opens. The books follow the lone samurai Toshiro Umezawa and the princess Michiko as they try to bring peace to Kamigawa. As well as giving the game an unusual, strong Oriental feel, this storyline is interesting in that the designers deliberately tried to give the story a strong influence over the game itself. Instead of relying on the traditional "color wheel" conflict (the game of Magic: the Gathering is based on a five-point circle of allied and enemy color affiliations), the color of any given card may often be less important than whether it has a Kami or Material theme.
• Ravnica: Ravnica is a plane covered almost entirely in cityscape. The city's ten "guilds", political organizations each based on a different two-color mana pairing, warred for a long period of time. After the conflict, a magical document, the Guildpact, was created to ensure that the plane remained at peace and that the guilds would constrain themselves to their social roles. The main storyline begins 9,999 years later, as anticipation of the decimillennial anniversary builds. The once-noble guilds have corrupted and decayed over time, and a great political gridlock is all that keeps Ravnica stable. A series of protagonists - most notably Agrus Kos, a law enforcement officer from the Boros League, and Teysa Karlov, a lawmage from the Orzhov Syndicate, uncover the plots of the various guildmasters, as well as the ambitions of the "secret guild", House Dimir. The flavor of the cards again exerted considerable influence over the mechanics of the game, encouraging players to build decks devoted to a particular guild.
• Time Spiral: The Time Spiral block returns to a post-apocalyptic Dominaria. Teferi, a planeswalker, abandoned Urza during the Phyrexian Invasion by "phasing" (temporarily removing from reality) two landmasses known as Shiv and Zhalfir out. He returns to Dominaria to find it in a state of ruin. In addition to having been almost totally devastated by the Apocalypse, mysterious "time rifts" have opened in the skies across the plane, making planeswalking and spellcasting more difficult. Teferi wants to ensure that Zhalfir and Shiv return to Dominaria safely - however, the time rifts, and the considerably deteriorated state of the plane itself, mean that the two continents no longer "fit." Should Zhalfir and Shiv land, Dominaria and the entire Multiverse would be destroyed. The Time Spiral block was billed as Magic's nostalgia block, and would revisit themes and characters from every storyline up to the end of the Otaria arc. As the Invasion did before, the Time Spiral story is linked to any other story arc before it, harkening back to many earlier settings and characters, even those outside of Dominaria. It was during this block that The Mending occurred, greatly reducing the powers of all planeswalkers.
• Lorwyn: Whereas most blocks consist of three sets, it was decided to turn the 2007/08 block into two mini blocks of two sets each. The focus of the first is the plane of Lorwyn, an idyllic, perpetually sunlit world populated by a wide variety of civilized species. These tribes are generally peaceful but keen to keep to themselves. The story centers around an elf outcast named Rhys who has triggered a series of events foreseen by his mentor, Colfenor, and a flamekin pilgrim named Ashling who believes her path and Rhys's are the same. The coming Aurora, an annual event when the plane darkens and lights appear in the sky, is the key to whatever it is that Rhys needs to do.
  • Shadowmoor: Rather than passing harmlessly as it normally does, the Aurora instead transforms Lorwyn into an eerie reflection of itself. The idyllic, sunlit world is replaced by the shadows and omnipresent malice of Shadowmoor. Landscapes, races and even individuals become twisted alternatives with no indication that their Lorwyn selves ever existed. Ashling, now known as the Extinguisher, has a central role in this shift, and it falls to Rhys (an elvish hero in this place) and Maralen, a mysterious elf and one of the very few unchanged by the transformation, to discover why.
• Alara: The plane of Alara was shattered long ago by an unknown force; it is now split unequally into five unique shards, each having no knowledge of the others. Each shard was denied two of the five colors of magic by the event (the inhabitants of each shard have had no recollection of the missing two colors of mana for centuries), and have evolved around their remaining three: The militant, feudal, sun-dappled plane of Bant; the scientific, order-obsessed, windy and cloud covered plane of Esper; the desperate, lifeless, blackened plane of Grixis; the violent, harsh, volcanic plane of Jund; and the green, lush, stampeding plane of Naya. Many species die off, evolve, or border extinction in each shard due to insufficient mana sustenance (Zombies can't survive without black mana, angels can't survive without white mana, etc.), and others thrived. The force that shattered the plane is unknown, but believed to be the five-headed hydra Progenitus (for unknown reasons) who disappears at the shattering of the plane and reappears in the expansion "Alara - Conflux" when the shards are reunited.
  • Conflux: As the Shards of Alara draw closer together, the millennia-long machinations of a hidden evil come closer to bearing a dire harvest. Nicol Bolas, once one of the most powerful planeswalkers, has been manipulating the civilizations of Alara for his own reasons. As the shards violently collide with each other after centuries apart, war erupts on all sides, and in the chaos, Bolas seeks to harness the power of the Maelstrom, the chaotic center of the plane where all five colors come together in a magical storm of unimaginable energies and power. The planeswalker Elspeth Tirel and the valiant knight Rafiq start to catch wind of an insidious plot and begin investigating.
• Zendikar: A new plane is introduced: Zendikar, a world with powerful, uncontrollable mana and many dangerous features, including the Roil. Planeswalkers are drawn to Zendikar because of its powerful mana. Many of Zendikar's residents must fight against the land itself as mountains become alive and forests move. It is revealed that thousands of years ago three planeswalkers locked powerful, unstoppable beings known as the Eldrazi in a complex prison on Zendikar, causing the plane's complex problems. When three more planeswalkers enter the prison, the Eldrazi are released and start destroying Zendikar as they cannot escape from the plane.
• Scars of Mirrodin: As the storyline returns to the metallic plane of Mirrodin, it is found divided. A corrupted Karn has returned and brought with him the rot of Phyrexia. As the world faces off, Mirran versus Phyrexian, the idyllic plane is brought to a new form. This set also marked a deviation from the five color wheel, instead pushing players to align their decks to the Mirran or Phyrexian side of the conflict; to reenforce this, they created a web site devoted to the war where the player can switch between sides. In February 2011, it was announced that Phyrexia had won, and the set New Phyrexia played out as a war amongst five Praetors of Phyrexia, battling each other for dominance.
• Innistrad: A new plane is introduced: Innistrad, set in a gothic-themed world, where vampires, werewolves, and demons run rampant. Before the events of the block, the human population of Innistrad was constantly beset by supernatural creatures. In response, the planeswalker Sorin created the arch-angel Avacyn to protect the humans. Avacyn set out to eradicate all of Innistrad's demons, leading to an epic battle against the elder demon, Griselbrand. During the battle, Griselbrand was able to trick Avacyn into locking both beings in the magical prison known as the Helvault. With Avacyn gone, the angel's protection disappeared and soon creatures of darkness were free to prey on mankind once more. When Sorin finds out about this he goes straight to Innistrad (presumably from Zendikar) to see what can be done. While he is searching for Avacyn, Liliana Vess is there searching for Griselbrand so she can slay him and release herself from their bargain for Liliana's soul. Liliana discovers the Hellvault and releases Griselbrand and Avacyn. Liliana slays Griselbrand, and Avacyn's restored powers guard humanity from the zombies, werewolves, and dangers of Innistrad.
• Return to Ravnica: Returning to the megalopolis of Ravnica, the guilds have been in a state of constant warfare ever since the events of Dissension, when the Guildpact was dissolved. The Izzet League's guild leader Niv-Mizzet discovers a maze passing through the Tenth District of the city. He sets his entire guild on figuring out the point of this "Implicit Maze". It is learned later in the story that the being who traverses the maze will become the Ruler of Ravnica. Niv-Mizzet makes an announcement all over the city of Ravnica, asking all guilds to send a champion to run the maze. The planeswalker Jace Beleren solves the mystery of the maze and lauds himself the Living Guildpact, settling disputes for the ten guilds.
• Theros: On a new plane, Theros, based on the heroes, myths, and monsters of Ancient Greece, Elspeth arrives and is declared the Champion of the sun god, Heliod. The planeswalker Xenagos becomes the God of Revels, angering the established pantheon of the other Gods. Heliod gives Elspeth the Godsend, a sword with which to slay Xenagos. Ajani Goldmane, another planeswalker, helps Elspeth to kill Xenagos. Meanwhile, the planeswalker Kiora is searching the seas of Theros for something that will help to defeat the Eldrazi that will inevitably eventually destroy the Multiverse. The merfolk begin to worship Kiora, mistaking her for Thassa, the God of the Sea. At this point all of the Gods of Theros are very angry at the planeswalkers. After Elspeth kills Xenagos, Heliod takes the Godsend and kills Elspeth with it, sending Elspeth to the underworld of Theros. Ajani is angered and stays on Theros looking for a way to get even with the Gods.
• Khans of Tarkir: A new plane (Tarkir) is the setting of this block. Tarkir is the homeworld of Sarkhan Vol, a planeswalker known for an obsession with dragons, and the five warring clans, each aligned towards 3 colours. The Mardu (RWB), The Abzan (WBG), The Jeskai (URW), The Sultai (BGU) and the Temur (GUR). All dragons have gone extinct on Tarkir, hunted to extinction by the 5 clans many years ago, but Sarkhan returns to find the source of the voice within his mind. The Planeswalker Sorin also comes to Tarkir where he discovers that Ugin, one of the Planeswalkers that helped to seal the Eldrazi on Zendikar, has died many years ago. Sorin leaves Tarkir saddened by this loss. With the help of the Jeskai leader Narset, Sarkhan makes his way to the resting place of Ugin and travels back in time through the Nexus (the remains of Ugin form this Nexus) but not before he sees Narset killed by Zurgo Helmsmasher, Khan of the Mardu.
  • Fate Reforged: Sarkhan travels through the Nexus 1000 years into the past and discovers the world of Tarkir before the fall of the Dragons. He discovers that the Dragons are formed within great tempests and that these tempests are powered by Ugin himself. He arrives in time to see Ugin confront his nemesis Nicol Bolas, Sarkhan's old master (although at this point in time Nicol Bolas had not met Sarkhan yet). Sarkhan sees Nicol Bolas kill Ugin and leave Tarkir, leaving Sarkhan distraught that he could not save the great Dragon. Using the power of the Hedron he had recovered from Zendikar, Sarkhan encases Ugin within a cocoon of Hedrons and seals him away to save his life. This act changes the future history of Tarkir, as with Ugin still alive the Dragon Tempests would never end, preventing the humans from hunting the Dragons into extinction. Due to his actions changing his own past, Sarkhan is pulled from the past Tarkir and back into the present.
  • Dragons of Tarkir: Sarkhan returns to the present day Tarkir to find the Dragons have survived and now live together with the humans. Although the 5 clans still clash among each other, they are now led by the powerful Dragon Lords instead of the human Khans of Sarkhan's own past. He sees many people he knew from his own timeline, however none of them remember him and all have changed as Sarkhan's actions have influenced this new Tarkir. Sarkhan travels again to the resting place of Ugin and discovers the revived Elder Dragon is gone. He cannot sense Ugin's power in his plane but takes refuge in the fact that Ugin is safe. Sarkhan then goes to find Narset where he discovers his old friend has now left the confines of the Dragons Clans and has learnt the secret history of Tarkir, including the history of Sarkhan himself. We also learn that Narset's spark has ignited and she has become a Planeswalker. We leave the pair on Tarkir, neither of them intending to leave for a long time, with too much to see and learn upon the reinvigorated plane of Tarkir.
• Battle for Zendikar: The set picks up the storyline of Zendikar where the released Eldrazi devastate the plane. Ulamog, one of the 3 released Eldrazi titans, slowly consumes the land itself. The Zendikari population either flees or unites their strength to fight the Eldrazi together under the leadership of the planeswalker Gideon Jura. Gideon also convinces Jace on Ravnica to help Zendikar. Jace agrees, also since he is partly responsible for releasing the Eldrazi from their prison. He is convinced that the hedrons and leylines of the plane are the key to imprison the Eldrazi once again. The planeswalker Nissa with her unique connection to the plane itself and Kiora, with the weapon she stole from Thassa on Theros join the fight as well. With joint forces the Planeswalker and the Zendikari build a trap of aligned hedrons. For a moment they can imprison Ulamog again, but they were sabotaged by the reignited Demon Planeswalker Ob Nixilis who frees Ulamog, seeking revenge on Nissa and destruction of the plane he despises. He awakens Kozilek as well leaving the Plane with two ravaging Eldazi titans.
• Shadows over Innistrad: The denizens of Innistrad are beset on all sides. Their faith in the archangel Avacyn brought them strength when fighting against demons, werewolves, vampires, and all manners of horrors. But, now the mighty protector of the plane has been twisted into something monstrous by an outside influence. A very familiar force has stepped into the gothic world, and its corrupting tendrils now touch everything. The next set, Eldritch Moon, focuses on the fact that Emrakul, the most powerful Eldrazi titan who had been missing from the Battle for Zendikar storyline, is now on Innistrad. Together, the Gatewatch must find a way to save the plane from Emrakul's influence. This story also focuses on cosmic horror instead of the traditional gothic horror of old Innistrad.
• Kaladesh: The Gatewatch go to Chandra Nalaar's home world, the titular plane of Kaladesh, where she finds her mother (presumed dead) and almost kills Tezzeret. Tezzeret later kidnaps Rashmi, winner of the famous Inventor's Fair, and begins a dastardly plot to control the ruling Consulate. With the Consulate imprisoning inventors and confiscating their devices following the Fair, tensions between the populace and the government reach a boiling point, as depicted in Aether Revolt. The block focuses on a Steampunk aesthetic, with the steam replaced by the powerful material aether.
• Amonkhet: The Gatewatch set out to destroy the evil dragon planeswalker Nicol Bolas after learning of his dominion over the titular desert plane Amonkhet. In the desert, they find a city (Naktamun) teeming with food, water, and life, ruled by five gods, with Bolas seemingly absent altogether. The people of Naktamun train their entire lives to die in ritual combat, hoping to experience pure bliss in the afterlife when the God-Pharaoh (Bolas) returns to Amonkhet. In Hour of Devastation, Bolas returns as prophesied, only to raze Naktamun and reveal the true purpose of the training and combat: to create an army of physically-perfect and combat-adept mummies to serve as an unquestionably loyal army. The block's setting is based ancient Egypt, with themes of social hierarchy and contrast between life and death.
• Ixalan: The plane is home to four primary tribes, each with distinct synergies and advantages that draw off of one another. As for the tale: the golden city of Orazca, buried deep in the jungle, houses a great secret. The immortal sun, an artifact of immense power, is hidden there. Now, that secret has become known. The great forces of the plane gather to combat one another in a contest to see who will claim the mighty prize. The merfolk River Heralds, the vampiric Legion of Dusk, the Brazen Coalition of pirates, and the Sun Empire's dinosaur riders all meet in open conflict to decide the fate of their world.
• Dominaria: A return to the place of so many of Magic: The Gathering's storylines in celebration of the game's 25th anniversary.

Additional plots

There are numerous other smaller plots and subplots that take place in Dominaria and on the many planes of the multiverse of Dominia as well as events after the invasion of Dominaria by the Phyrexians.

• The sets from Weatherlight up to Apocalypse follow the epic story arc of the crew of the airship Weatherlight, their trek across several planes, and their ultimate role in defending Dominaria from the Phyrexian invasion.
• The sets from Odyssey to Scourge, set in the era of upheaval after the Invasion, involve the Dominarian continent of Otaria and the struggle between various factions for the powerful artifact known as the Mirari.
• The sets from Mirrodin to Fifth Dawn are set in the world of Mirrodin, where artificial and natural life are inseparably entwined.
• Several Magic: The Gathering video games have their own storylines and worlds.
• Starting with The Mending during Time Spiral, many of the stories revolve around the newly created, de-powered Planeswalkers. These characters recur in multiple sets, and may receive reprints or entirely new cards in new sets.

Book titles

Harper Prism

Title	Type	Author	release	Isbn	eBook
Arena	Novel	William R. Forstchen	Nov 1994	ISBN 0-06-105424-0	Yes
Whispering Woods	Novel	Clayton Emery	Jan 1995	ISBN 0-06-105418-6	No
Shattered Chains	Novel	Clayton Emery	Mar 1995	ISBN 0-06-105419-4	No
Final Sacrifice	Novel	Clayton Emery	May 1995	ISBN 0-06-105420-8	No
The Cursed Land	Novel	Teri McLaren	Aug 1995	ISBN 0-06-105016-4	No
The Prodigal Sorcerer	Novel	Marc Sumner	Nov 1995	ISBN 0-06-105476-3	No
Ashes of the Sun	Novel	Hanovi Braddock	Mar 1996	ISBN 0-06-105649-9	No
Tapestries	Anthology	Edited by Kathy Ice	May 1996	ISBN 0-06-105308-2	No
Distant Planes	Anthology	Edited by Kathy Ice	May 1996	ISBN 0-06-105313-9	No
Song of Time	Novel	Teri McLaren	Jun 1996	ISBN 0-06-105622-7	No
And Peace Shall Sleep	Novel	Sonia Orin Lyris	Jul 1996	ISBN 0-06-105619-7	No
Dark Legacy	Novel	Robert E. Vardeman	Dec 1996	ISBN 0-06-105697-9	No

Wizards of the Coast

Title	Type	Cycle	Author	release	ISBN	eBook
The Brothers' War	Novel	Artifacts (I)	Jeff Grubb	May 1998	ISBN 0-7869-1170-0	Yes
Rath and Storm	Anthology		Edited by Peter Archer	Jul 1998	ISBN 0-7869-1175-1	Yes
Planeswalker	Novel	Artifacts (II)	Lynn Abbey	Sep 1998	ISBN 0-7869-1182-4	Yes
Colors of Magic	Anthology		Jess Lebow, ed.	Feb 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1323-1	No
Time Streams	Novel	Artifacts (III)	J. Robert King	Apr 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1344-4	Yes
The Gathering Dark	Novel	Ice Age (I)	Jeff Grubb	Jun 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1357-6	Yes
Bloodlines	Novel	Artifacts (IV)	Loren L. Coleman	Aug 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1380-0	Yes
Mercadian Masques	Novel	Masquerade	Francis Lebaron	Sep 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1188-3	Yes
The Thran	Novel		J. Robert King	Dec 1999	ISBN 0-7869-1600-1	Yes
Nemesis	Novel	Masquerade (II)	Paul B. Thompson	Feb 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1559-5	Yes
The Eternal Ice	Novel	Ice Age (II)	Jeff Grubb	May 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1562-5	Yes
The Myths of Magic	Anthology		Edited by Jess Lebow	Jun 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1529-3	No
Prophecy	Novel	Masquerade (III)	Vance Moore	Jun 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1570-6	Yes
Invasion	Novel	Invasion (I)	J. Robert King	Oct 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1438-6	Yes
Planeshift	Novel	Invasion (II)	J. Robert King	Feb 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1802-0	Yes
The Shattered Alliance	Novel	Ice Age (III)	Jeff Grubb	Dec 2000	ISBN 0-7869-1403-3	Yes
Johan	Novel	Legends (I)	Clayton Emery	Apr 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1803-9	No
Apocalypse	Novel	Invasion (III)	J. Robert King	Jun 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1880-2	Yes
The Dragons of Magic	Anthology		Edited by J. Robert King	Aug 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1872-1	No
Odyssey	Novel	Odyssey (I)	Vance Moore	Sep 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1900-0	Yes
Jedit	Novel	Legends (II)	Clayton Emery	Dec 2001	ISBN 0-7869-1907-8	No
Chainer's Torment	Novel	Odyssey (II)	Scott McGough	Jan 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2696-1	Yes
Secrets of Magic	Anthology		Ed. by Jess Lebow	Mar 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2710-0	No
Judgment	Novel	Odyssey (III)	Will McDermott	May 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2743-7	Yes
Hazezon	Novel	Legends (III)	Clayton Emery	Aug 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2792-5	No
Onslaught	Novel	Onslaught (I)	J. Robert King	Sep 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2801-8	No
Assassin's Blade	Novel	Legends 2 (I)	Scott McGough	Dec 2002	ISBN 0-7869-2830-1	No
Legions	Novel	Onslaught (II)	J. Robert King	Jan 2003	ISBN 0-7869-2830-1	No
Emperor's Fist	Novel	Legends 2 (II)	Scott McGough	Mar 2003	ISBN 0-7869-2935-9	No
Scourge	Novel	Onslaught (III)	J. Robert King	May 2003	ISBN 0-7869-2956-1	No
Monsters of Magic	Anthology		Edited by J. Robert King	Aug 2003	ISBN 0-7869-2983-9	No
The Moons of Mirrodin	Novel	Mirrodin (I)	Will McDermott	Sep 2003	ISBN 0-7869-2995-2	Yes
The Champion's Trial	Novel	Legends 2 (III)	Scott McGough	Nov 2003	ISBN 0-7869-3015-2	No
The Darksteel Eye	Novel	Mirrodin (II)	Jess Lebow	Jan 2004	ISBN 0-7869-3140-X	Yes
The Fifth Dawn	Novel	Mirrodin (III)	Cory Herndon	May 2004	ISBN 0-7869-3205-8	Yes
Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa	Novel	Kamigawa (I)	Scott McGough	Sep 2004	ISBN 0-7869-3357-7	Yes
Heretic: Betrayers of Kamigawa	Novel	Kamigawa (II)	Scott McGough	Jan 2005	ISBN 0-7869-3575-8	Yes
Guardian: Saviors of Kamigawa	Novel	Kamigawa (III)	Scott McGough	May 2005	ISBN 0-7869-3786-6	Yes
Ravnica: City of Guilds	Novel	Ravnica (I)	Cory J. Herndon	Sep 2005	ISBN 0-7869-3792-0	Yes
Guildpact	Novel	Ravnica (II)	Cory J. Herndon	Jan 2006	ISBN 0-7869-3989-3	Yes
Dissension	Novel	Ravnica (III)	Cory J. Herndon	May 2006	ISBN 0-7869-4001-8	Yes
Time Spiral	Novel	Time Spiral (I)	Scott McGough	Oct 2006	ISBN 0-7869-3988-5	Yes
Planar Chaos	Novel	Time Spiral (II)	Scott McGough & Timothy Sanders	Jan 2007	ISBN 0-7869-4249-5	No
Future Sight	Novel	Time Spiral (III)	Scott McGough & John Delaney	Apr 2007	ISBN 0-7869-4269-X	No
Lorwyn	Novel	Lorwyn (I)	Cory J. Herndon & Scott McGough	Sep 2007	ISBN 0-7869-4292-4	No
Morningtide	Novel	Lorwyn (II)	Cory J. Herndon & Scott McGough	Jan 2008	ISBN 0-7869-4790-X	No
Shadowmoor	Anthology	Shadowmoor (I)	Edited by Peter Archer & Susan J. Morris	Apr 2008	ISBN 0-7869-4840-X	No
Eventide	Novel	Shadowmoor (II)	Cory J Herndon & Scott McGough	Jun 2008	ISBN 0-7869-4868-X	No
Alara Unbroken	Novel	Alara (I)	Doug Beyer	May 2009	ISBN 0-7869-5201-6	Yes
Agents of Artifice	Novel	Planeswalker (I)	Ari Marmell	November 2009	ISBN 0-7869-5134-6	Yes
The Purifying Fire	Novel	Planeswalker (II)	Laura Resnick	January 2010	ISBN 0-7869-5559-7	Yes
Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum	Novel	Zendikar	Robert B. Wintermute	April 2010	ISBN 0-7869-5476-0	Yes
Test of Metal	Novel	Planeswalker (III)	Matthew Stover	October 2010	ISBN 0-7869-5532-5	Yes
Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn	Novel	Mirrodin	Robert B. Wintermute	April 2011	ISBN 0-7869-5774-3	Yes
Return to Ravnica: The Secretist	eBook	Return To Ravnica (I)	Doug Beyer	November 2012	ASIN B009MYB82Y	Yes
Gatecrash: The Secretist	eBook	Return to Ravnica (II)	Doug Beyer	February 2013	ASIN B009MY9QWS	Yes
Dragon's Maze: The Secretist	eBook	Return to Ravnica (III)	Doug Beyer	May 2013	ASIN B00AD2OXLM	Yes
Theros: Godsend	eBook	Theros (I)	Jenna Helland	April 2014	ASIN B00FUZNL7O	Yes
Journey Into Nyx: Godsend	eBook	Theros (II)	Jenna Helland	May 2014	ASIN B00JNPF4JA	Yes

Comics titles

Armada (Acclaim Comics):

Title	Cycle	Author	release
Magic: the Gathering: The Shadow Mage	Planeswalker War	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik & James Dean Pascoe (art)	Jul 1995
Magic: the Gathering: The Shadow Mage (2)	Planeswalker War	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.) & Val Mayerik (art)	Aug 1995
Magic: the Gathering: The Shadow Mage (3)	Planeswalker War	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik & Rick J Bryant (art)	Sep 1995
Magic: the Gathering: The Shadow Mage (4)	Planeswalker War	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art)	Oct 1995
Ice Age on the World of Magic: the Gathering	?	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Rafael Kayanan & Rodney Ramos (art). Cover by Charles Vess	Jul 1995
Ice Age on the World of Magic: the Gathering (2)	?	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Rafael Kayanan & Rodney Ramos (art). Cover by Charles Vess	Aug 1995
Ice Age on the World of Magic: the Gathering (3)	?	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Rafael Kayanan & Rodney Ramos (art). Cover by Charles Vess	Sep 1995
Ice Age on the World of Magic: the Gathering (4)	?	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Rafael Kayanan & Rodney Ramos (art). Cover by Charles Vess	Oct 1995
Magic: the Gathering: Nightmare	?	Hillary J. Bader (wr.), Anthony Castrillo & Anibal Rodriguez (art)	Nov 1995
Fallen Empires on the World of Magic: the Gathering	?	Kevin Maples & Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Alex Maleev & Rodney Ramos (art)	Sep 1995
Fallen Empires on the World of Magic: the Gathering (2)	?	Kevin Maples & Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Alex Maleev & Rodney Ramos (art)	Oct 1995
Magic: the Gathering: Wayfarer	Planeswalker War/Wayfarer	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art). Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta	Nov 1995
Magic: the Gathering: Wayfarer (2)	Planeswalker War/Wayfarer	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art). Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta	Dec 1995
Magic: the Gathering: Wayfarer (3)	Planeswalker War/Wayfarer	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art). Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta	Jan 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Wayfarer (4)	Planeswalker War/Wayfarer	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art). Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta	Feb 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Wayfarer (5)	Planeswalker War/Wayfarer	Jeffrey Gomez (wr.), Val Mayerik, Rick J Bryant & Gonzalo Mayo (art). Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta	Mar 1996
Antiquities War on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Antiquities War (1)	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Paul Smith & Thomas 'Tom' Ryder (art)	Nov 1995
Antiquities War on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Antiquities War (2)	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Phil Hester & Thomas 'Tom' Ryder (art)	Dec 1995
Antiquities War on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Antiquities War (3)	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Phil Hester & Thomas 'Tom' Ryder (art)	Jan 1996
Antiquities War on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Antiquities War (4)	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Phil Hester & Thomas 'Tom' Ryder (art)	Feb 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Arabian Nights	Arabian Nights	Jeof Vita & Susan Wright (wr.), Alex Maleev & Rodney Ramos (art)	Dec 1995
Magic: the Gathering: Arabian Nights (2)	Arabian Nights	Jeof Vita & Susan Wright (wr.), Alex Maleev & Rodney Ramos (art)	Dec 1995
Convocations: A Magic: the Gathering Gallery	-	Various	Jan 1996
Serra Angel on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Anthology	Margaret Weis & ?	Aug 1996
Homelands on the World of Magic: the Gathering	Anthology	D.G. Chichester (wr.) & Rebecca Guay (art)	Feb 1996
Legend of Jedit Ojanen on the World of Magic: the Gathering	?	Kenn Bell (wr.) & David Boller (art)	Mar 1996
Legend of Jedit Ojanen on the World of Magic: the Gathering	?	Kenn Bell (wr.) & David Boller (art)	Apr 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Shandalar	?	David Quinn (wr.) & Bo Hampton (art)	Apr 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Shandalar (2)	?	David Quinn (wr.) & Bo Hampton (art)	Apr 1996
A Magic: the Gathering Legend: Fallen Angel	?	Nancy A. Collins (wr.), Don Perlin, Dennis Callero & Richard Kane Ferguson (art)	May 1996
Elder Dragons: a Magic: the Gathering Legend	?	Art Holcomb (wr.) & Doug Tropea-Wheatley (art)	Apr 1996
Elder Dragons: a Magic: the Gathering Legend (2)	?	Art Holcomb (wr.) & Doug Tropea-Wheatley (art)	May 1996
Magic: the Gathering: Dakkon Blackblade	?	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Rags Morales & Barbara Kaalberg (art)	Jun 1996
Urza-Mishra War on the World of Magic: The Gathering	?	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Tom Mandrake & Bill Sienkiewicz (art). Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz	Sep 1996
Urza-Mishra War on the World of Magic: The Gathering (2)	?	Jerry Prosser (wr.), Tom Mandrake & Bill Sienkiewicz (art). Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz	Oct 1996

Dark Horse:

Title	Type	Cycle	Author	release
Gerrard's Quest (1): Initiation	Comics	Gerrard's Quest	Mike Grell (wr.), Pop Mhan & Norman Lee (art)	Mar 1998
Gerrard's Quest (2): Legend	Comics	Gerrard's Quest	Mike Grell (wr.), Pop Mhan & Norman Lee (art)	Apr 1998
Gerrard's Quest (3): Crucible	Comics	Gerrard's Quest	Mike Grell (wr.), Pop Mhan & Norman Lee (art)	May 1998
Gerrard's Quest (4): Destiny	Comics	Gerrard's Quest	Mike Grell (wr.), Pop Mhan & Norman Lee (art)	Sep 1998
Gerrard's Quest	Collection	Gerrard's Quest	Mike Grell (wr.), Pop Mhan & Norman Lee (art)	Apr 1999

References

1. http://epicstream.com/news/Magic-The-Gathering-Finally-Meets-Dungeons--Dragons-For-The-Ultimate-Fantasy-RPG
2. Dommermuth, Brady. "Ask Wizards - February, 2007". Daily MTG. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
3. https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/you-are-planeswalker-2008-07-25

External links

• Wizards of the Coast's Magic Expansion Story Summaries
• Phyrexia.com Storyline Central - information about major characters, places, and artifacts.
• The Legends of Magic (Warning: information from this site is pre-revisionist and occasionally inaccurate)
• The Wizards of the Coast Message Board -- Storyline Info Booth
• MTGSalvation Wiki MTGSalvation Wiki with much storyline information