[ Note: This file was originally created in May 1994 based only on the info
on the various Antiquities cards. It's not true to the current storyline that
the Wizards have put forth, but it is interesting nonetheless. Enjoy.
-- Editor ]
I've been looking through the Antiquities cards and trying to put together
a bit of the history that they relate. Here's my best shot so far. I've
seen most of the cards, so I think that this should be pretty complete.
All the time ordering and such is my own.
Enjoy!
Stephen.
A long time ago in Dominia, there were two great artifact creators named
Urza and Mishra. These two brothers studied under the great master Tocasia.
She was an intelligent person who taught many of the skills and the ways
of thinking that Urza and Mishra later put to use. Some of this learning
was acquired from the Su-Chi. The Su-Chi were replicas of relics from
the Thran Empire which once ruled Dominia.
The brothers began studying under Tocasia when they were young. In their
childhood, she took them to the sacred cave of Koilos. In this cave, Mishra
discovered the Weakstone in the Hall of Tagsin.
No one is certain what caused the great rift between the Artificers that led
them to a war across all of Dominia. Perhaps it was love for a woman, or
just an attempt to prove who was better.
Less is known about Mishra than of Urza. Mishra lost the war, and there is
something to be said about the winners writing history. Mishra was known
for the creation of the fearsome The Rack which kept mages from using their
full magic capacity for fear of the pain caused by being so drained. The
Ankh of Mishra is another example of the limits he put on opponents. He
also made the great Dragon Engines which smashed the town of Kroog.
Mishra made great Mishra's Factories and produced his machines using immense
resources. Mishra's War Machine was the outcome of this venture. It was
an incredible machine, but it drained the spellcaster controlling it immensely.
Ashnod was Mishra's luitenant. Ashnod studied torture and provided
the Cursed Rack to limit a wizard's power. She also studied the conversion
of life into artifact and created Ashnod's Transmogrant to do the deed.
Not many dared try the device, for it was fearsome. Ashnod's Alter was
used to sacrifice people and power her vile spells. Ashnod's Battle_Gear
was what brought her to Mishra's attention and with this gear many a
battle was fought.
She also created the Staff of Zegon and gave it to the people of that
town to weaken enemy attackers and thereby protect the town.
Urza was a powerful artificer. Early in his training with Tocasia, he
created the Ornithopter. Creating artifacts was difficult work, and so
he used Urza's Chalice to regain his strength. His students did not
understand at the time, but this chalise lent strength to the drinker
whenever artifacts were created.
When battle lines were being drawn, Urza created the Amulet of Kroog and
gave it to the people of that city. The people there chose to follow him
and lent troops to do battle. Unfortunately for Kroog, however, the city
was crushed by Mishra's forces (primarily Dragon Engines) while the
troops were not in the city! Urza was so upset over his failure to defend
his ally that he created the Yotian Soldier so that his ally's homes
would never again be undefended.
Urza spent a good deal of time developing the land to aid his artifact
production. He created Urza's Factory, Urza's Tower and
Urza's Power Plant to feed the massive need for resources. With this
power he began to produce Urza's_Avenger.
Urza was the first to realize that the war would be lost due to lack of
troops rather than lack of power, and so he constructed Rakalite to
heal troops on the battlefield. The Battle of Tomakul taught him another
lesson--do not rely to heavily on reinforcements for Misha's
Obelisk of Undoing lost that battle for him. After that battle, he
used the Jalum Tome to make sure he was prepared for surprises.
Urza's greatest student was Tawnos. Tawnos studied the way of the artificer
and gained master status upon completion of his Clay Statue. He followed
this with the Candelabra of Tawnos, and turned the tide in Urza's favor
with the versatile Triskelion. Late in the war, when resources dwindled,
he replaced Urza's expensive machines with Tawnos's Weaponry, and the
clever use of Tawnos's Wand to evade enemy defenses.
It is speculated that the true turning point was when Urza developed the
Glasses of Urza so that he could spy on his brother's actions. The
Sunglasses of Urza were also made at this time and allowed Urza more
flexibility with his spells.
The war leveled the Forest of Argoth. This angered Gaea and her minions.
The Argothian Pixies and Argothian Treefolk took to fighting when they
had once been peaceful. The Citanul Druids were driven mad by the raping
of their land and dedicated themselves to war against the artificers.
Gaea gave power to her most vengeful followers and the fearsome
Gaea's Avenger was born. Later, the forest creatures mastered the ability
to Crumble artifacts and the Powerleech was formed to help resist them.
Drafna spent his time studying the recreation of artifacts and created the
great Drafna's Restoration and Reconstruction spells. With this
knowledge, he founded the College of Lat-Nam to study this aspect of
magic. The Sages of Lat-Nam advanced his work even after his death.
Drafna's wife Hurkyl was also quite skilled, and is responsible for
Hurkyl's Recall.
The city of Argive produced the Argivian Blacksmiths and
Argivian Archaeologiests. These people learned how to mend the great
machines and to get them working again from the scattered parts.
Early in the war, mages developed the Artifact Blast to counter artifacts.
This spell became popular but was found to be of no use during the war when
already created artifacts rolled onto the battlefield.
The members of the Ivory Tower promoted scholarship over war and provided
help to those who chose to study rather that use their powers.
From the mountains of Sardia came the great Colossus of Sardia. This
beast was uncontrolled, and both Urza and Mishra fought it at one time.
It was immensely powerful but seemed to rest for some time between
onslaughts.
Feldon's Cane was discovered by Feldon in the Ronom Glacier.
The Tablet of Epityr is just a footnote in history. It was once thought
to be one of Urza's work, but it is now known as a forgery.
In the end the land of Dominia was Strip Mine'd and bare of resources.
The people and land were greatly damaged and the great machines left where
they stood until they were discovered just recently. With each day
even more of these vile machines have been dug out. We can only hope that
history does not repeat itself and that these machines do not once again
grind Dominia under.
-- Serrin the White
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