Kaya Cassir

Kaya Cassir
Kaya Far-Traveler
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Kaya, Ghost Assassin.jpg}}|250px]]
Details
Race	Human Planeswalker Spirit (in Ghostform)
Birthplace	Tolvada
Lifetime	Born c. 4530 AR
Colors
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Kaya Cassir, a.k.a. the Ghost-Assassin, is a human planeswalker from Tolvada with a growing reputation as an accomplished ghost hunter. She was the nominal guildmaster of the Orzhov Syndicate on Ravnica between 4560 and 4562 AR. For an undisclosed reason, she cannot use her family name. On Kaldheim, she was called Kaya Far-Traveler and Slayer of the Bloodsky Sire.

Appearance and characteristics

Kaya is a dark-skinned young woman with dark hair. At the time of the War of the Spark, she was close to thirty years old. Kaya usually wears a thief's leathers and a pair of long daggers on her wrists. She is a confident, roguish duelist with the ability to become partially incorporeal, allowing her to slip through solid items and to touch and assassinate spirits. As an exception to the rule that planeswalkers can't bring organic materials across the Blind Eternities, Kaya can safely transport one creature or person, by ghosting into her spirit form and simultaneously extending her necro-magic to include her passenger, much like she does with her clothes or daggers. When she does this, it leads to a merger of body and personality. The process, however, tends to cause extreme nausea for Kaya and her passenger upon separating at their arrival point. Even while solid, she moves noiselessly.

Kaya acts as though she is driven by a desire for money, but often her sense of justice is greater than her desire for personal gain. It just happens to be convenient when her personal and financial ambitions align. After becoming the Orzhov guildmaster, she released any debt she found unfair, taking on the burden of the debts herself, showing a remarkable degree of selflessness that wasn't fiscally aligned. She believes all beings deserve fairness, regardless of stature, and took her Gatewatch oath on that belief.

Kaya is centered in both black and white mana. When going intangible, the affected portions of her body turn a translucent purple. Drawing on the Blind Eternities to enhance her powers, she glows with prismatic colors resembling the skies over Kaldheim. When going fully intangible, she notes it causes her heart to stop beating for the length of the duration, potentially a threat if overused. Kaya can detect spirit energy, and therefore see through, and undo, illusions.

Kaya's entourage

Kaya has formed a bond with the youngsters Teyo Verada and Araithia Shokta, who both have become her travel companions along with the mysterious Ana Iora. In 4563 AR, she and Kellan became companions of the detective Alquist Proft.

History

Tolvada

Kaya's homeplane is Tolvada. She was born in a village with less than a hundred inhabitants. She is descended from a noble lineage, though she and her kin had never stood on ceremony. Kaya's family relationships can be best described as "complicated". She once had a relationship with someone called Janah. She doesn't miss Janah, but she misses the feeling.

The blue sky of Kaya's homeplane is shot through with scintillating cracks, like a zig-zagging rainbow, and the world goes a little madder every year. When she met with Nicol Bolas, he had promised her he would heal the sky in return for her assistance in killing the Obzedat on Ravnica. Looking back, Kaya suspects that the troubles of her homeworld have been created by Nicol Bolas himself.

Fiora

Kaya kills Brago

Kaya initially appears on Fiora while taking an assassination contract for the ghost of Paliano nobleman Emilio Revari's mother. As she tangled with the spirit in its former home, she uncovered the reality that Emilio was directly responsible for his mother's death. Disgusted by this act of kinslaying, she ended her battle and led Emilio back into the house under the pretense that the specter had been slain. Once the nobleman had been lured inside, Kaya revealed that she knew the extent of his crimes and left him to the wrath of his slain mother. With the Revari contract settled, she could now attend to a much larger payday. Her next job came through a contract from Marchesa to assassinate the ghostly King Brago. Utilizing her incorporeal powers, she successfully infiltrated Brago's dining room and plunged her rondel dagger into his spectral neck. In the aftermath of her triumph, Kaya was confronted by Brago's captain of the guard, Adriana. After several swings of Adriana's sword passed through Kaya's unharmed body, the ghost assassin retaliated with an elbow to the jaw. Kaya would leave Adriana otherwise unscathed, departing from the dining hall with remarks about Brago's tyranny.

Ravnica

Bolas hires Kaya to kill the Obzedat

Kaya resurfaced on Ravnica as part of the Orzhov Syndicate. Bolas hired her to kill the Obzedat and become guildmaster of Orzhov in exchange for him helping her "troubled family". Promised the support of Teysa, Kaya worked with Ral Zarek, Hekara and Vraska in an attack on Orzhova. While the others distracted the Orzhov troops and thrulls with an attack of rot zombies through the sewers, Kaya passed through the Orzhov defenses of the catacombs mostly without a problem, although she had some difficulty defeating a couple of giants. When she found them, she killed the Ghost Council easily, but while doing it she suddenly felt all the Orzhov contracts physically weighing her down. Through a loophole in Orzhov law, she had become the new guildmaster of the Syndicate. In addition, she discovered that Bolas has maneuvered her in this position, and that she now had to do his bidding in return for aid to her broken home plane, as originally agreed, but also for extrication from her current predicament.

Most of the Orzhov refused to acknowledge her status or respect her authority. Despite Teysa warning against it, Kaya freed many people from the debts they owed the guild, particularly the bound ghosts. On the other hand, she also heightened the tithes on the population to compensate for the economic losses caused by forgiving so many debts, raising them from 10% of people's incomes to 40%. This quickly led to riots, which had to be quelled by Azorius forces; to pacify the masses, she brought the tithes down to 18%. Kaya's habit of forgiving debts and raising taxes made her even more unpopular and caused Teysa to end their partnership, further undermining her position.

Kaya and Teysa attended the guild summit on behalf of the Orzhov, and witnessed its dissolution after the murder of Isperia. Afterwards, she helped Ral Zarek engage the Golgari, to conquer a location that was needed for his manipulation of the Implicit Maze. During the attack, she was almost killed by one her priests who called her a traitor. As he returned to Orzhova, she found that the hierarchs had pressured Teysa to arrest her. With the help of Tomik Vrona, who thought that Teysa was making a mistake, Kaya discovered that all the hierarchs owed debts to the true heir of Patriarch Karlov. She turned the tables, had Teysa arrested, and offered the hierarchs a deal.

Free of internal guild struggles, Kaya leads an army gargoyles to attack Dovin Baan's thopters and to help Ral Zarek to enter the Beacon Tower to activate the Interplanar Beacon.

War of the Spark

Guildmaster

Ral Zarek activated the Interplanar Beacon to bring other planeswalkers to Ravnica for help, but it turned out that was exactly what Bolas was counting on. Once the Beacon was active, Bolas brought the Immortal Sun to Ravnica, trapping the planeswalkers there. Having become aware of Bolas' treacherous nature, Kaya defected from him for good.

Bolas' invasion began shortly after that, and the Eternals of the Dreadhorde marched forth from the dragon's Planar Bridge. She befriended Teyo Verada, a newly-ignited planeswalker who had just arrived on Ravnica. With the help of a Gateless street urchin named Araithia Shokta (nicknamed Rat), Kaya and Ral helped explain the situation to Teyo. Alongside many other planeswalkers and Ravnicans, Kaya fought against Bolas' forces.

She tried to rally the Orzhov Syndicate against Bolas, and she met with the Syndicate's ruling triumvirate, consisting of the human pontiff Armin Morov, the vampire tithe-master Slavomir Zoltan, and the angel warrior-executioner Maladola. She faced resistance from them, but the Syndicate's chief enforcer – the giant Bilagru – convinced them that Bolas posed an existential threat to all of Ravnica and, by extension, to the Syndicate's economic interests. (Unbeknownst to Kaya, Bilagru had been persuaded to help her by an Orzhov representative Tomik Vrona.) Swayed by Bilagru's arguments, the triumvirate agreed to have the Orzhov Syndicate join the fight.

During the invasion, the trapped planeswalkers got together with Ravnican leaders to strategize. At Jace's recommendation, they decided to split up into teams to focus on specific tasks. Kaya, Teyo, and Araithia were sent to persuade the guilds that remained neutral (Selesnya, Gruul, Golgari, and Rakdos) to join the fight against Bolas. They received an audience Emmara Tandris, acting guildmaster of the Selesnya Conclave, who initially refused their plea for help. However, her decision was overruled when Trostani awakened and ruled in favor of helping the Gatewatch. The group then went to speak with Borborygmos of the Gruul Clans, and Araithia convinced the cyclops to support their cause.

Kaya's Ghostform

They were joined by Ral, who accompanied them to the Undercity. In Vraska's absence, the other leaders of the Golgari Swarm squabbled for control of her throne, but Vraska returned and united them. Despite Ral and Kaya's suspicion of the gorgon, Vraska pledged the Golgari to the fight against Bolas. With the help of Ajani and his team of planeswalkers, they were able to evacuate many civilians to the tunnels beneath the city, where they would be safe from the Dreadhorde.

After that, Vraska, Ral, Kaya, Teyo, and Araithia journeyed to Rix Maadi to negotiate with Rakdos. The demon lord was initially hostile due to the death of his emissary Hekara, and the blood witch Exava ordered the group to leave. However, the Orzhov representative Tomik showed up with Hekara's corpse, and the Rakdos cultists resurrected Hekara as a blood witch. After defeating Exava in a fight, Hekara used her newfound authority as a blood witch to lead the Rakdos against Bolas.

Once all ten guilds were on board, Nissa performed a ritual at the ruins of the Embassy of Guildpact: with the help of a representative from each guild, she was able to repair the leylines that empowered the Living Guildpact (which had been disrupted when Bolas destroyed the Guildpact Chamber by opening his portal there). Kaya served as the representative for the Orzhov Syndicate. Using a device that Niv-Mizzet had constructed before his death to preserve his consciousness, they were able to resurrect Niv and grant the power of the Living Guildpact to him. Niv came back to life just in time to save the others from the God-Eternal Kefnet: using his newfound power, Niv was able to completely incinerate Kefnet in a torrent of flame, although the strain of channeling enough energy to kill a god caused him to fall unconscious.

Kaya survived the battle and was present during the Planewide Celebration that followed. Seeking to atone for her past mistakes, she joined the Gatewatch. Later, she was confronted by Niv-Mizzet and the other guildmasters (with Tomik now representing the Orzhov Syndicate in her place). They decided to spare the planeswalkers who formerly worked with Bolas but defected before the battle, on the condition that they make amends by hunting down the planeswalkers who stayed loyal to Bolas or defected too late. As her penance, Kaya was assigned the task of assassinating Liliana Vess, whom the guildmasters had condemned to death for killing thousands of Ravnican citizens with the Dreadhorde.

The hunt for Liliana

Oath of Kaya - “So everyone gets what they truly deserve, I will keep watch.”

Still bound by the debt contracts she inherited from the Obzedat, Kaya contemplated declaring all those debts forgiven. But she knew that such an act would destroy the Orzhov, and feared that the delicate balancing act that was Ravnica would topple with it. The contracts also prevented her from planeswalking away. However, Tomik Vrona discovered a legal loophole that allowed Kaya to temporarily transfer her Orzhov contracts and guild responsibilities to him. With Tomik now the acting guildmaster, Kaya was free to planeswalk away for short periods, and so Kaya and her entourage along with Jaya Ballard set out on their quest. Kaya used her necro-magic abilities to envelope and transport Rat on their journey. The group first traveled to Gobakhan to help Teyo Verada, as it was his first time to intentionally planeswalk. Afterward, Jaya guided them to Caligo on Dominaria in search of Liliana but soon left after refusing to go further.

Liliana was found outside the House of Vess working in a nearby garden and a trance. While Rat went off to learn more about the mansion and its inhabitants, Teyo attempted to remove the gold collar from Liliana's neck which jolted her back to her senses. Liliana fought against Kaya and Teyo but was knocked unconscious by Rat. They discovered that an imposter Liliana Vess controlled the estate by wearing a choker with a blue sapphire amulet that contained a large and very powerful djinn. Liliana regained consciousness and agreed to let Kaya kill her in exchange for defeating her imposter and freeing her people.

During the fight, Rat stole the sapphire amulet and destroyed it which released the djinn named Zahid. Seeking vengeance, Zahid attempted to kill Teyo who had been using his shield magic to contain the entity. While Rat retrieved the Spirit-Gem and returned it to Liliana, Kaya tried to kill the djinn but was knocked across the room. Liliana then used the Chain Veil to subdue Zahid whose only request was to take Liliana Vess as his prisoner. Realizing Zahid was referring to the imposter, Liliana agreed, but Kaya killed the mistress out of mercy. Zahid was forced to leave empty-handed.

After the conflict, Liliana answered Kaya's questions and was allowed to live, although proof of a kill would be needed. Teyo suggested that Liliana give up the Veil, who reluctantly did so with a little help from the Spirit-Gem. Before returning to Ravnica, Kaya and her entourage promised to meet Liliana in Paliano on Fiora. Teyo used his shield magic to transport the Veil and delivered it as proof of Liliana's death.

As promised, Kaya, Teyo, and Rat traveled to Fiora and met with Liliana who had changed her name to Ana Iora. There they began to help Ana on her path to redemption. Asked where they would go next, Kaya explained that she had unfinished business on her homeworld of Tolvada.

Kaldheim

A well-paying anonymous (later revealed as Tezzeret) employer hired Kaya to hunt a hazardous monster on Kaldheim that had already destroyed the plane. This monster turned out to be none other than Vorinclex, one of New Phyrexia's praetors. She joined up with Inga Rune-Eyes, the leader of the Omenseekers faction of humans on the realm of Bretagard and her crew. Reaching Aldergard forest, the party engaged Vorinclex who almost managed to defeat them if not for Asi, one of the members of the party revealing himself to be Alrund, God of the Cosmos. Alrund used his magic to create a mystical barrier between Vorinclex and Kaya's people and the praetor left Bretagard, with Kaya soon following by way of Cosima's longship.

Kaya is hired by an anonymous client to kill Vorinclex on Kaldheim.

Being steered to Gnottvold, Kaya didn't find Vorinclex. Instead, she found a gathering of trolls seemingly rallied to war by the god Valki. She quickly saw through the disguise and revealed the planeswalker Tibalt doing his dirty work. Tibalt set both the Hagi and Torga trolls up against her, and she only escaped them with the help of the just arriving Tyvar Kell. Meanwhile, Tibalt escaped, by creating an omenpath with the Sword of the Realms.

The pair followed Tibalt to Immersturm where they were accosted by a couple of demons. Because of this, they were unable to prevent Tibalt from creating a Doomskar before they managed to take the sword from him. Led by Varragoth, thousands of demons streamed through a giant rift in space to attack another realm. Kaya felt defeated, but Tyvar persuaded her to stay and fight.

In Bretagard, Kaya, Tyvar, and the leaders of the Clans were advised by Alrund to take the Sword of the Realms to Halvar, so that the god of battle could end the Doomskar. Mounted on a giant raven, Kaya, Tyvar, and Arni flew toward Halvar, but near the destination, they were attacked in midair by the demon Varragoth who wanted the Sword for himself. Kaya used her powers to save her companions from death, but they ended up falling close to the Dread Marn, Karfell's army. Arni stayed behind to slow the zombies while the two planeswalkers took the Sword. In the middle of the way, Tyvar heard the sound of the horn of Skemfar's army and separated from Kaya to warn his brother of what was happening.

After separating from the elf, Kaya was attacked by Varragoth but was saved by Cosima. Even with the efforts of the god, the demon was only delayed. During the battle, Kaya saw Koma enter into Bretagard after being expelled from Starnheim by the Valkyries and Niko Aris. The Cosmos Serpent was responsible for closing Karfell's Omenpath and destroying several draugr (accidentally). At that moment, the Valkyries and Niko also arrived in Bretagard. Niko and Kaya ended up saving each other's lives during the battle. Near the location of Halvar, Kaya was attacked once again by Varragoth but was saved by the elves. While Tyvar and the army of elves fought the demons and zombies, Harald helped Kaya to reach Halvar. Tyvar used his transmuting powers to strengthen his allies and hinder opponents and tried as hard as possible to stop Varragoth, but the demon was only stopped by Kaya who cut the demon's throat with one of the axes Tyvar had made for her.

After the great battle and the end of the Doomskar, Tyvar met Kaya and praised her for killing Varragoth and promised that the skalds would not forget any detail of this feat when telling this saga. He told Kaya that he was now ready to walk the Multiverse and help those in need on other planes. Kaya met with Sigrid, Inga, Arni, Fynn, Niko and Harald after the battle. Sigrid told her they would have a lot of work to hunt down the invaders that remained in Bretagard. Harald and the leaders of the Clans agreed that elves and humans must live in peace until the elves manage to return to Skemfar. Inga asked about the monster Kaya was hunting and Kaya replied that he must be in other realms far away. Realizing that Kaya was a planeswalker, Niko approached her to speak further.

Midnight Hunt

Kaya exorcises the Betzold family mansion so that her companions can enter.

Arlinn Kord goes to Ravnica to ask The Gatewatch for help in finding the Moonsilver Key. She finds and explains Innistrad's situation to Teferi, Kaya and Chandra. The three planeswalkers agree to help Arlin and head to Innistrad. Together with the cathar Adeline, they decide to go to Thraben to investigate.

Kaya, Teferi, Arlinn, Chandra, Adeline, and a group of cathars arrived in Thraben. The city was destroyed and full of zombies (the army Liliana used against Emrakul). Kaya entered the city alone to scout the place. She found a clue in a book about the whereabouts of the Moonsilver Key. The Key should be in the possession of the Betzold family. Arlinn and Adeline knew a bishop of the Church of Avacyn with that last name. They located bishop Worrin Betzold amid the ruins of a church. The group made their way through the zombies until they reached the bishop. Arlinn interrogated the zombie bishop and was given a name, Dennick. The group moved to Gavony, where the family had a mansion. They discover, when talking to an old lady, that the mansion is haunted. Kaya entered the ruins alone and killed the ghosts of the place until she found the spirit of Dennick Betzold, who told the group the location of the Key. The Key had been given by an ancestor of Dennick to Sorin Markov. At Markov Manor, Teferi and Arlinn waited with Sorin for the vampire to hand over the Key so they could help restore balance to Innistrad. The vampire refused and attacked Arlinn when she mentioned Avacyn. The second time Sorin would strike, Sigarda appeared, answering a prayer made by the group before entering the Manor, and stopped the attack. The angel says that the Key is in Sorin's quarters and that she will stop the vampire giving the group a chance to get the Key.

Breaking into Olivia Voldaren's wedding to retrieve the Moonsilver Key.

The party returned to the Celestus in possession of the Key. At this moment, Tovolar launched his army against the Harvesttide festival, but the witches' magical protections managed to stop the werewolves' advance. Arlinn told Kaya to take the Key to Katilda. As Kaya does, the wards fail. Teferi cast a spell to delay the sunset and hence the transformation of werewolves into their wolf forms. Planeswalkers, witches and cathars began their battle against the invaders to defend the humans. During the battle against Tovolar, Kaya stood at the center of Celestus, helping to protect the witches who initiated the ritual. After the battle, Arlinn went there with Chandra and Adeline. When Katilda, with Arlinn's help, would have finished the ritual, Olivia Voldaren appeared and interrupted the ritual by taking the Key with her. Thus, the Eternal Night began.

Crimson Vow

After the Harvesttide festival ritual fails, Kaya along with a group of people from Innistrad and Adeline, the planeswalkers Arlinn Kord, Chandra Nalaar, and Teferi decided to help humans in distress across Innistrad. That is until Arlinn decided to return to Markov Manor and ask Sorin Markov for help. In the crypt of the Manor, the group encountered Sorin who says that Olivia Voldaren "stole" his grandfather. They formed a pact with Sorin and traveled together to the wedding of Olivia and Edgar Markov at the Voldaren estate. When they arrived, all but Sorin were forbidden entrance.

Inside the manor, Sorin managed to disrupt the ceremony and attacked Olivia who dropped the Moonsilver Key. From it, Katilda’s spirit emerged and freed Sigarda who unleashed a blinding holy aura that shattered windows and broke the manor’s wards. The Gatewatch and their forces advanced and entered the manor after Chandra and Teferi burned down the main doors. Kaya went on to free many of the angry spirits imprisoned within the castle who quickly turned on their captors, including those trapped within Olivia’s wedding gown. Emerging victorious, Kaya and the others returned to the Celestus with the Moonsilver Key. The ritual was completed and the balance between night and day was restored.

Fighting the Phyrexians

Teferi, Saheeli and Kaya resolved to find a solution to the Phyrexian problem in the past, and installed the Temporal Anchor in Urza's Tower on Dominaria. She had many interplanar contacts to call upon to defend the planes with. Her role with the Anchor was to render Teferi incorporeal with her ghostform magic to protect both him and the timeline from interference.

When the powerstone in the Temporal Anchor exploded and left Teferi unconscious, Kaya was the only one with any idea how to activate the Sylex. However, she allowed Jace Beleren to telepathically extract this information from her.

Kaya joined the strike team that was to infiltrate New Phyrexia and detonate the Sylex to destroy Realmbreaker. She was the team's last resort, the one who would detonate the Sylex if Jace was somehow compromised. The team sustained serious casualties, but Jace (suffering from phyresis), Kaya, and Kaito were able to arrive at the Seedcore, where Realmbreaker had just established its connection to other planes through the Blind Eternities.

Jace prepared to activate the Sylex, but Kaya expressed concerns that the collateral damage of the Sylex blast had the potential to destroy one or more planes, or even the Eternities themselves. Jace acknowledged the possibility, but moved forward anyway, considering these planes the price for an un-compleated Multiverse. Kaya and Kaito attacked him to interrupt the blast, but Jace evaded them with illusions. Just as Jace began to activate the sylex, Elspeth, who had been fighting the compleated Ajani to buy them time, burst into the chamber, impaled Jace with her Halo-infused blade, and seized the Sylex, planeswalking away.

Kaya, Kaito, and Tyvar were left alone at the foot of Realmbreaker. Kaya watched the branches of Realmbreaker begin to open paths to new worlds and lamented their failure. Suddenly, Elesh Norn entered the chamber, flanked by Tamiyo and the newly compleat Nahiri and Nissa. Norn invited them to join the unity of Phyrexia, but Kaya defiantly told her to go to Hell as the interplanar invasion began.

March of the Machine

After the three witnessed Nahiri being sent to Zendikar to conquer her homeplane, they were able to escape. Norn wanted them to tell their allies of their inescapable fate. After reconvening with their allies, Kaya left with Kaito to defend Kamigawa.

Once the tide had turned and New Capenna's angels led a counter-invasion of Theros, the compleated Heliod was distracted enough to be killed by Kaya, who climbed him and cut his throat.

While she served in the defense of the Multiverse, Kaya's position of Orzhov guildmaster was usurped by Teysa Karlov. Kaya retained her spark through the Desparkening, and whenever she returns to Ravnica she is known to put the guilds on high alert.

Murders at Karlov Manor

A year and some months after the invasion's end, Kaya was summoned back to Ravnica by Teysa to appear at a party representing the Orzhov. Teysa privately chided Kaya for her failure to protect Ravnica during the invasion, though Kaya protested that if she hadn't been on the strike team, the invasion would have succeeded. Privately, she questioned whether this was true. Kaya met several Ravnican dignitaries, as well as Kellan, a celebrated inspector of the rising Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations.

The party came to an abrupt halt when Zegana was assassinated. Kaya assisted the detective Alquist Proft in investigating the case, helping to expose and capture the Dimir agent Etrata, who had attended the celebration in secret. Returning to the Manor three days later, she discovered that Teysa had also been assassinated, and found a note scrawled in Phyrexian in the guild leader's handwriting. She accepted chief of the Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations Ezrim's invitation to lead the investigation into the murders. Taking on Kellan as an assistant, Kaya interviewed Judith, who pointed her to the original Guildpact, now held in Vitu-Ghazi.

When the Guildpact implicated the demon Rakdos, Kaya and Kellan returned to relay the news to Ezrim. Accosted by ruffians along the way, they subdued their attackers but were stopped from questioning them when the thugs took suicide herbs that turned their bodies into moss. Returning to the Agency headquarters, Kaya learned that Teysa's killer had been discovered: a guildless man who claimed to have no memory of the murder. When Aurelia appeared with Massacre Girl in tow, who had attempted to kill the Boros guildmaster while also brainwashed, Kaya was given 24 hours to reveal the mastermind behind the murders before the Boros declared war on the Cult of Rakdos.

Kellan brought Kaya back to his office for a brainstorming session, in which they concluded that Rakdos had been somehow set up but wasn't a viable suspect. However, they were interrupted by the god Anzrag, who had escaped from an evidence containment capsule in Agency headquarters and was on a rampage. The duo, along with Ezrim, subdued the god and returned him to containment. Later, Aurelia returned to the office and confronted Ezrim, saying that Agrus Kos had gone missing and that she would send the Legion to war against the Rakdos without further delay. Kaya retreated from the conversation and found a courier with a message for her, saying that she should go to Karlov Cathedral, where Teysa's funeral was being prepared, to meet someone. Upon arrival, she found Alquist Proft, who had freed Etrata from prison in exchange for her cooperation in the investigation. She gave the three clues that they hadn't gleaned from their investigation: first, the Phyrexian note with Teysa's body; second, the attempt on Aurelia's life; and third, the attack of the thugs who took suicide herbs on herself and Kellan. This was enough information for Proft to put it all together, and he declared he knew the killer's true identity, but he would need Kaya to arrange a gathering for him before he could explain.

Kaya captures Oba with the help of Etrata and Teysa Karlov.

Proft then invited the guild leaders to Vitu-Ghazi to learn the truth of the murders, where the detective revealed that Oba, the central dryad of Trostani, had organized them in retribution for those she considered traitors to the plane during the Invasion. Kaya used her phasing abilities to defend herself from Oba, who lashed out at the assembled guild members with Vitu-Ghazi's vines, and managed with the help of Etrata and the ghost of Teysa to trap Oba in an Agency barrier ward, after which the dryad's sisters rendered her unconscious. After the case's resolution, Kaya attended Teysa's funeral and was relieved to see her spirit in attendance. Teysa thanked Kaya for pursuing the case but recommended that she leave Ravnica for some time to prevent confusion around her succession. She met up with Kellan the next morning to wish him goodbye, then left for Kaldheim to take Tyvar up on an invitation to hunt a dire Bear.

Artifacts acquired

Kaya's daggers

• Kaya used two long daggers that shine with a pale-purple light and can become incorporeal like herself. They were destroyed in a fight with the trolls of Gnottvold.
• On Kaldheim she uses two bearded axes with the same effect. The metal of the axes was "cultivated" in the soil of Immersturm by the powers of Tyvar Kell, who presented Kaya with the axes since her daggers were broken. Inga Rune-Eyes later imbued the axes with increased power.
• She carried The Filigree Sylex for a time during the planeswalkers assault on New Phyrexia.
• When the planeswalkers were scattered on their arrival to New Phyrexia, Kaya landed with Kaito Shizuki's gear, including his disassembling sword and Himoto.

Planes visited

• Alara
• Amonkhet (non-canon)
• Capenna
• Dominaria
• Fiora
• Gobakhan
• Innistrad
• Ixalan (non-canon)
• Kaldheim
• Kamigawa
• New Phyrexia
• Ravnica
• Theros
• Tolvada
• Zhalfir
• Zendikar

Planeswalkers met

• Ajani Goldmane
• Angrath (non-canon)
• Arlinn Kord
• Basri Ket (non-canon)
• Chandra Nalaar
• Dack Fayden
• Domri Rade
• Elspeth Tirel
• Garruk (non-canon)
• Huatli
• Jace Beleren
• Jaya Ballard
• Kaito Shizuki
• Karn
• Kasmina
• Kiora
• Koth of the Hammer
• Liliana Vess
• Lukka
• Nahiri
• Nicol Bolas
• Niko Aris
• Nissa Revane
• Ral Zarek
• Rowan Kenrith (non-canon)
• Saheeli Rai
• Samut
• Sorin Markov
• Tamiyo
• Teferi Akosa
• Teyo Verada
• Tezzeret (anonymously) (mutually non-canonically)
• Tibalt
• Tyvar Kell
• Urza (a vision of the past)
• Vivien Reid
• Vraska
• The Wanderer
• Will Kenrith (non-canon)
• Wrenn

Gallery

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  Kaldheim style concept.

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  Face explorations.

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  Axe concepts.

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  3D Model.

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  Kaya, Bane of the Dead

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  Kaya as Guildmaster releases souls from their contracts with the Orzhov.

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  Kaya, Ghost Assassin

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  Kaya in ghostform.

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  "You'll never get to the top if you don't know who's already there."

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  Kaya amid Torga trolls.

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  Kaya and Inga meet in Starnheim.

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  Kaya and Inga meet in Starnheim.

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  Closeup of Kaya in the Kaldheim trailer.

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  Inga Rune-Eyes empowers Kaya's axes.

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  Kaya attacks Tibalt.

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  Kaya in Kaldheim key art.

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  Kaya the Inexorable variant art.

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  Kaya finds Vorinclex in a Bretagard cave, but the praetor escapes.

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  Ruining the wedding.

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  Kaya, along with other planeswalkers and Mirran survivors, launches a final assault on New Phyrexia.

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  Kaya watched in horror as the illusion vanished from her hands. Jace held the real Sylex and had activated it before phyresis claimed his mind.

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  Kaya at Valor's Reach for Magic SpellSlingers

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  Magic: The Gathering Arena avatar.

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  Key art for Murders at Karlov Manor featuring Etrata, Kaya, and Alquist Proft.

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  Key art for Murders at Karlov Manor featuring Etrata, Kaya, and Proft

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  Key art for Murders at Karlov Manor featuring Teysa Karlov, Kaya, Kellan, Proft, Agrus Kos, and Etrata.

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  Kaya as she appears in Murders at Karlov Manor.

In-game references

Represented in:

• Kaya, Bane of the Dead
• Kaya, Geist Hunter
• Kaya, Ghost Assassin
• Kaya, Ghost Haunter
• Kaya, Intangible Slayer
• Kaya, Spirits' Justice
• Kaya the Inexorable
• Kaya, Orzhov Usurper

Associated cards:

• Kaya's Ghostform
• Kaya's Guile
• Kaya's Onslaught
• Kaya's Wrath
• Oath of Kaya

Depicted in:

• Anzrag's Rampage (Murders at Karlov Manor, #303)
• Assemble the Team
• Bring the Ending
• Call a Surprise Witness (Murders at Karlov Manor, #289)
• Deadly Complication (Showcase, #312)
• Decisions, Decisions (Unfinity)
• Demand Answers
• Dogged Pursuit
• Ethereal Absolution
• Fall of the Impostor
• Fanatical Stength (MKM, #159)
• Frenemy of the Guildpact
• Grateful Apparition
• Makeshift Binding (Murders at Karlov Manor, #23)
• On the Job
• Path of the Ghosthunter
• Regicide
• Revenge
• Savor the Moment (Secret Lair)
• Spectral Grasp
• The Chase is On
• Thraben Exorcism

Quoted or referred to:

• Audience with Trostani (Murders at Karlov Manor, #152)
• Covetous Geist
• Deadly Complication (Murders at Karlov Manor, #195)
• Delney, Streetwise Lookout (Murders at Karlov Manor, #378) (invisible ink)
• Desynchronize
• Dovin's Acuity
• Fanatical Stength (Murders at Karlov Manor, #310)
• Monumental Corruption
• Orzhov Guildgate (Ravnica Allegiance, #252)
• Soul Partition
• Spark Reaper
• Talisman of Hierarchy
• Teysa Karlov
• Vampire Slayer
• Vizkopa Vampire
• Warleader's Call (Murders at Karlov Manor, #242)

Trivia

• Kaya was created with the Bolas storyline in mind.
• In the D&D campaign released with Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms via Magic Story, Kaya was given a character sheet representing her as a rogue, downplaying her spellcasting and focusing on her stealth, combat prowess, and archetype as an assassin. She has the "phantom" rogue specialization and "shadow touched" feat, granting some ability with necromantic magic but not reproducing her signature intangibility powers. She carries a pair of magic daggers and a pair of magic handaxes, perhaps referencing her traditional weaponry as well as the replacements acquired on Kaldheim. Her alignment is Lawful Neutral, a typical choice for a supernatural exterminator.
• Kaya is the primary protagonist of the Kaldheim cinematic. She also appears in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One trailer.
• Kaya's last name (Cassir) was revealed in November 2022 on her official Planeswalker Profile, after the DailyMTG.com website had received a major overhaul.
• In the video game Magic: The Gathering Arena, Kaya is voiced by Masasa Moyo.

External links

• Wizards of the Coast (August 4, 2016). "'Additional story contributions' credit for Monique Jones". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
• Monique Jones (August 4, 2016). "6 Questions You Might Have About Magic: The Gathering's Kaya, Ghost Assassin Answered". Colorwebmag.com.