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{{Character|
{{Infobox character
|image=braids.jpg
|image=Braids, Arisen Nightmare.jpg
|name=Braids, real name unknown
|name=Braids
|birthplace=[[Cabal City]], [[Otaria]], [[Dominaria]]
|aka=Barra<br/> Fulla
|lifetime=~4276-4306 AR
|birthplace=[[Cabal City]], [[Otaria]], [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]]
|race=[[Human]]
|lifetime=Born ~4276 AR
|sources=''[[Odyssey (book)|Odyssey]]'', ''[[Chainer's Torment]]'', ''[[Judgment (book)|Judgment]]'', ''[[Onslaught (book)|Onslaught]], [[Legions (book)|Legions]]'', ''[[Scourge (book)|Scourge]]''}}
|race= [[Nightmare]]<br>Formerly [[Human]]
<card title="Braids">Braids, Cabal Minion</card> was a powerful — and very mad — [[Spellcasters#Dementia Casters|dementia caster]] for the [[Cabal]]. Unlike most dementia casters Braids maintained a fair degree of lucidity, making her much more useful to the Cabal beyond simply being a pit-fighter. The name "Braids" was a nickname due to her hairstyle, as her actual cabalist name was Fulla, while her secret name was ''Barra''.  
|sources=[[Odyssey (novel)|Odyssey]]'', ''[[Chainer's Torment]]'', ''[[Judgment (novel)|Judgment]]'', ''[[Onslaught (novel)|Onslaught]], [[Legions (novel)|Legions]]'', ''[[Scourge (novel)|Scourge]]
|colors={{mana|B}} (main story)<br>{{mana|U}} (alternate reality)
}}
'''Braids''' was a powerful — and very mad — [[dementia caster]] for the [[Cabal]] on [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]].<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/dominaria-united-states-design-part-2-2022-09-05|Dominaria United States of Design, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|September 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/caught-miraris-wake-part-3-2002-06-03|Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 3|[[Will McDermott]]|June 03, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/snap-shots-judgment-2002-05-13|Snap (Shots of) Judgment|[[Will McDermott]]|May 13, 2002}}</ref> She was later resurrected as a [[nightmare]] during the second Phyrexian Invasion.


She was first placed in charge of the Cabalists that were sent to the [[Mer Empire]] capital to catalogue the valuable artifacts held in the vaults. While there, she made a deal with Laquatus to find the [[Mirari]] for him in exchange for being able to keep any interesting artifacts she found. However, her team did not find the Mirari as it instead was first found by [[Emperor Aboshan]], who used it to sink a third of Otaria and also accidentally killed himself in the process. Afterwards, the Mirari fell into Braids' hands, but she was immune to its lures as her mind was already occupied with her dementia visions. Instead of using the orb, she merely pocketed it and made her way back to [[Cabal City]] to give it back to [[the First]].
==Storyline==
Unlike most dementia casters Braids maintained a fair degree of lucidity, making her much more useful to the Cabal beyond simply being a pit-fighter. The name "Braids" was a nickname due to her hairstyle, as her actual cabalist name was Fulla, while her secret name was ''Barra''.  


Upon Braids' return to the city, she soon found herself back in the pits fighting alongside [[Skellum]] in a rigged fight against an [[Order]] squad. She put on a decent show for the audiences but was laid unconscious by an Order justicar. However, unlike Skellum she escaped the fight with her life intact. Afterwards, she presumably recovered and carried on fighting until the Patriarch was exiled by [[Chainer]]. Following this, she began seeing visions of [[Kuberr]] that told her to go south to [[Aphetto]], which she did just to make him be quiet. Along the way she ran into the Patriarch, who told her to go ahead of him and prepare Aphetto for his arrival. This she did and was rewarded by becoming his second-in-command.
===To the Mer Empire===
She was first placed in charge of the Cabalists that were sent to the [[Mer Empire]] capital to catalog the valuable artifacts held in the vaults. While there, she made a deal with [[Laquatus]] to find the [[Mirari]] for him in exchange for being able to keep any interesting artifacts she found. However, her team did not find the Mirari as it instead was first found by [[Emperor Aboshan]], who used it to sink a third of Otaria and also accidentally killed himself in the process. Afterward, the Mirari fell into Braids' hands, but she was immune to its lures as her mind was already occupied with her dementia visions. Instead of using the orb, she merely pocketed it and made her way back to [[Cabal City]] to give it back to [[the First]].


While in Aphetto, Braids again met with [[Ambassador Laquatus]], who tried to make an alliance with the Cabal to help recover the Mirari from [[Kamahl]]. She passed the request onto the Patriarch, who agreed and dispatched Braids to hunt Kamahl down with five serpent assassins that Chainer had originally created to keep guard on the Patriarch. The death squad made swift progress tracing Kamahl, slaughtering several Order patrols, a small mountain village and Kamahl's three former pupils along the way. However, she was unable to claim the Mirari as the barbarians put up significant resistance and killed all five of her snakemen. Defeated, she then met up with Cabal reinforcements and convinced them that they lacked the power to take the Mirari and were better off fighting the Order army that had also come to claim Kamahl and the Mirari.  
===In league with the Patriarch===
Upon Braids' return to the city, she soon found herself back in the pits fighting alongside [[Skellum]] in a rigged fight against an [[Order]] squad. She put on a decent show for the audience but was laid unconscious by an Order justicar. However, unlike Skellum she escaped the fight with her life intact. Afterward, she presumably recovered and carried on fighting until the Patriarch was exiled by [[Chainer]]. Following this, she began seeing visions of [[Kuberr]] that told her to go south to [[Aphetto]], which she did just to make him quiet. Along the way, she ran into the Patriarch, who told her to go ahead of him and prepare Aphetto for his arrival. This she did and was rewarded by becoming his second-in-command.


Following a stalemate battle between the Order and Cabal forces, both sides broke off and gave chase after Kamahl and [[Balthor]] as they fled to [[Krosa]]. Both armies reached the edge of the forest at the same time and fought another indecisive battle in which they both lost significant portions of their forces, while Laquatus tried to ambush Kamahl with his commandos and with [[Burke]], but ended up losing both. Laquatus then intervened and proposed a temporary alliance between the two forces. Braids then zombified [[Balthor]] in revenge for him killing [[Leer]] and then set him loose to hunt Laquatus before teleporting away, leaving the dementia caster [[Traybor]] in charge of the Cabal army. Braids did not reappear until much later when she, Traybor and [[Commander Eesha]] revealed Laquatus's treachery and teleported their forces away from Krosa, leaving the merman alone in the forest. Along the way, Braids somehow happened upon [[Seton]]'s dwelling, where the [[centaur]] was caring for [[Jeska]]. She then killed the [[centaur]] and kidnapped Jeska to take her before the Patriarch.
While in Aphetto, Braids again met with Laquatus, who tried to ally with the Cabal to help recover the Mirari from [[Kamahl]]. She passed the request onto the Patriarch, who agreed and dispatched Braids to hunt Kamahl down with five serpent assassins that Chainer had created to keep guard on the Patriarch. The death squad made swift progress tracing Kamahl, slaughtering several Order patrols, a small mountain village, and Kamahl's three former pupils along the way. However, she was unable to claim the Mirari as the barbarians put up significant resistance and killed all five of her snakemen. Defeated, she then met up with Cabal reinforcements and convinced them that they lacked the power to take the Mirari and were better off fighting the Order army that had also come to claim Kamahl and the Mirari.  


After Jeska was turned into [[Phage]], Braids was charged with taking care of her. Later on, when Kamahl and the First made a truce against [[Ixidor]], she was charged as commander of the Cabal forces. During the fight she became injured and wasn't able to return to Aphetto. [[Akroma]] found her and decided to use her to gain access to the Cabal's secrets, during this time she became an acolyte for Akroma's religion claiming Ixidor as their god. She eventually recovered and managed to escape, and rejoin the Cabal.
===The capture of Jeska===
[[File:Braids.jpg|thumb|265x265px|[[Human]] form. ]]
Following a stalemate battle between the Order and Cabal forces, both sides broke off and gave chase after Kamahl and [[Balthor]] as they fled to [[Krosa]]. Both armies reached the edge of the forest at the same time and fought another indecisive battle in which they both lost significant portions of their forces, while Laquatus tried to ambush Kamahl with his commandos and with [[Burke]], but ended up losing both. Laquatus then intervened and proposed a temporary alliance between the two forces. Braids then zombified [[Balthor]] in revenge for him killing [[Leer]] and then set him loose to hunt Laquatus before teleporting away, leaving the dementia caster Traybor in charge of the Cabal army. Braids did not reappear until much later when she, Traybor, and [[Commander Eesha]] revealed Laquatus's treachery and teleported their forces away from Krosa, leaving the merman alone in the forest. Along the way, Braids somehow happened upon [[Seton]]'s dwelling, where the [[centaur]] was caring for [[Jeska]]. She then killed the [[centaur]] and kidnapped Jeska to take her before the Patriarch.


As she came back, she helped Phage and the recently born [[Kuberr]] survive the First's assasination attempt, and she killed him instead with one of her [[nightmare]] [[beast]]s. In the following events, she stayed alongside Kuberr in the [[Grand Coliseum]].
After Jeska was turned into [[Phage]], Braids was charged with taking care of her. Later on, when Kamahl and the First made a truce against [[Ixidor]], she was charged as commander of the Cabal forces. During the fight, she became injured and wasn't able to return to Aphetto. [[Akroma]] found her and decided to use her to gain access to the Cabal's secrets, during this time she became an acolyte for Akroma's religion claiming Ixidor as their god. She eventually recovered and managed to escape, and rejoin the Cabal.


After [[Karona]] appeared, Braids led a force of Cabal members claiming that she was theirs to take, because since everyone wanted to see her, everyone could pay the Cabal to see her at their events. In the end, like many other Otarians, she fell in a state of fanaticism, and ended up trapped in her own dementia space while trying to space from being buried alive. Whether she is still trapped there or has died in it hasn't been revealed yet.
===Succumbing to Dementia===
As she came back, she helped Phage and the recently born [[Kuberr]] survive the First's assassination attempt, and she killed him instead with one of her [[nightmare]] [[beast]]s. In the following events, she stayed alongside Kuberr in the [[Grand Coliseum]].


The idea for her character came from a piece of art for [[Odyssey]] that was inappropriate for its original card (<card>Diabolic Tutor</card>), and her ability was taken from a card that wasn't used in [[Invasion]].
After [[Karona]] appeared, Braids led a force of Cabal members claiming that she was theirs to take, because since everyone wanted to see her, everyone could pay the Cabal to see her at their events. In the end, like many other Otarians, she fell into a state of fanaticism and ended up trapped in her own dementia space while trying to keep from being buried alive. For a long time, it was unclear if she was still trapped there or had died in it.


== Alternate reality ==
===Dominaria United===
In dementia space, Braids was trapped, torn apart again and again by her own nightmares, until a desperate conclave of Cabal summoners performed a ritual to drag her back to Dominaria (and unfortunately blowing up all their heads in the process). Braids escaped from her dementia space during the second [[Phyrexian]] invasion, but split in two.<ref name="Shards">{{DailyRef|magic-story/shards-nightmares-2022-08-17|Shards of Nightmares|[[Phoebe Barton]]|August 17, 2022}}</ref> Now a [[nightmare]] herself, she allied with [[Shanna Sisay]], [[Tiana]], and [[Rafwyn Capashen]] to kill her shard-self. Afterwards, they witnessed the [[compleation]] of the [[Skyship Weatherlight|''Weatherlight'']].


[[Image:braidsar.jpg|thumb|left]]
Now, she intends to lead the Cabal into a new golden age.<ref name="DMU Legends">{{DailyRef|feature/legends-youll-find-dominaria-united-2022-09-01|The Legends You'll Find in Dominaria United|[[Roy Graham]]|September 1, 2022}}</ref>


In the [[Planar Chaos]] set, the card <c>Braids, Conjurer Adept</c> depicts an alternate version of Braids, where she became a magical researcher (possibly eventually joining the [[Riptide Project]]) instead of joining the Cabal.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Braids MTGA avatar DMU.png|[[Magic: The Gathering Arena]] avatar.
</gallery>


{{Story-stub}}[[Category:Characters]][[Category:Storylines]][[Category:Mirari Saga]]
==Story appearances==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title !! Author !! Publishing date !! Set !! Setting (plane) !! Featuring
|-
|{{ArticleArchive|magic-story/shards-nightmares-2022-08-17|Shards of Nightmares}} || [[Phoebe Barton]] || 2022-08-17 || ''[[Dominaria United]]'' || [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]] || [[Shanna Sisay]], [[Tiana]], [[Rafwyn Capashen]], [[Slimefoot]], [[Arvad]], Braids
|}
 
==Trivia==
[[File:braidsar.jpg|thumb|right|Braids in an alternate reality]]
*Braids originally was never meant to be a [[card]], but when Eric Peterson reinterpreted a [[Matt Wilson]] sketch for what was supposed to be <c>Diabolic Tutor</c> for ''[[Odyssey]]'', the card was so impressive and powerful that [[Creative|Continuity]] and [[R&D]] decided to make Braids her own card.<ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/what-if-odyssey-art-2002-01-11|"What If?" with ''Odyssey'' art|[[Magic Arcana]]|January 11, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/braids-and-wurms-2002-09-27|Braids and Wurms|[[Magic Arcana]]|September 27, 2002}}</ref> Her ability was taken from a card that wasn't used in ''[[Tempest]]''.<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/unlikely-flavorful-inspiration-2002-03-22|Unlikely Flavorful Inspiration|[[Randy Buehler]]|March 22, 2002}}</ref>
*In the ''[[Planar Chaos]]'' set, the card <c>Braids, Conjurer Adept</c> depicts an alternate version of Braids, where she became a magical researcher instead of joining the Cabal.
*<c>Braids, Cabal Minion</c> is banned in [[Commander (format)|Commander (EDH)]].
 
==In-game references==
{{in-game
|cards=
*<c>Braids, Arisen Nightmare</c>
*<c>Braids, Cabal Minion</c>
*<c>Braids, Conjurer Adept</c>
*<c>Braids, Conjurer Adept Avatar</c>
|art=
*<c>Blackmail</c>
*<c>Bosom Buddy</c> (''[[Unhinged]]'')<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/get-it-unhinged-edition-part-1-2017-08-14|Get It? ''Unhinged'' Edition, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 14, 2017}}</ref>
*<c>Head to Head</c> (''[[Unhinged]]'')<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/get-it-unhinged-edition-part-2-2017-08-21|Get It? ''Unhinged'' Edition, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 21, 2017}}</ref>
*<c>Skulltap</c><ref>{{DailyRef|arcana/sketches-skulltap-2003-06-03|Sketches: Skulltap|[[Magic Arcana]]|June 03, 2003}}</ref>
|associated=
*<c>Braids's Frightful Return</c>
|flavor=
*<c>Battle-Rage Blessing</c>
*{{card|Bone Splinters|Dominaria United}}
*{{card|Distress|Tenth Edition}}
*<c>Face of Fear</c>
*<c>Ghastly Demise</c>
*<c>Gibbering Barricade</c>
*<c>Grave Consequences</c>
*<c>Head to Head</c>
*<c>Krosan Constrictor</c>
*<c>Mirari</c>
*<c>Peer into the Abyss</c>
*{{card|Phyrexian Gargantua|March of the Machine|MOM}}
*<c>Restless Dreams</c>
*{{card|Screeching Buzzard|Battlebond}}
*{{card|Skirk Prospector|Onslaught}}
*<c>Spined Basher</c>
*<c>Tattered Apparition</c>
*<c>Unhinge</c>
*<c>Zombie Assassin</c>
}}
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Dominaria|characters}}
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Minions]]
[[Category:Wizards]]
[[Category:Nightmares]]

Latest revision as of 09:25, 13 May 2024

Braids
Barra
Fulla
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Braids, Arisen Nightmare.jpg}}|250px]]
Details
Race Nightmare
Formerly Human
Birthplace Cabal City, Otaria, Dominaria
Lifetime Born ~4276 AR
Colors
{B} (main story)
{U} (alternate reality)
Sources
Odyssey, Chainer's Torment, Judgment, Onslaught, Legions, Scourge

Braids was a powerful — and very mad — dementia caster for the Cabal on Dominaria.[1][2][3] She was later resurrected as a nightmare during the second Phyrexian Invasion.

Storyline

Unlike most dementia casters Braids maintained a fair degree of lucidity, making her much more useful to the Cabal beyond simply being a pit-fighter. The name "Braids" was a nickname due to her hairstyle, as her actual cabalist name was Fulla, while her secret name was Barra.

To the Mer Empire

She was first placed in charge of the Cabalists that were sent to the Mer Empire capital to catalog the valuable artifacts held in the vaults. While there, she made a deal with Laquatus to find the Mirari for him in exchange for being able to keep any interesting artifacts she found. However, her team did not find the Mirari as it instead was first found by Emperor Aboshan, who used it to sink a third of Otaria and also accidentally killed himself in the process. Afterward, the Mirari fell into Braids' hands, but she was immune to its lures as her mind was already occupied with her dementia visions. Instead of using the orb, she merely pocketed it and made her way back to Cabal City to give it back to the First.

In league with the Patriarch

Upon Braids' return to the city, she soon found herself back in the pits fighting alongside Skellum in a rigged fight against an Order squad. She put on a decent show for the audience but was laid unconscious by an Order justicar. However, unlike Skellum she escaped the fight with her life intact. Afterward, she presumably recovered and carried on fighting until the Patriarch was exiled by Chainer. Following this, she began seeing visions of Kuberr that told her to go south to Aphetto, which she did just to make him quiet. Along the way, she ran into the Patriarch, who told her to go ahead of him and prepare Aphetto for his arrival. This she did and was rewarded by becoming his second-in-command.

While in Aphetto, Braids again met with Laquatus, who tried to ally with the Cabal to help recover the Mirari from Kamahl. She passed the request onto the Patriarch, who agreed and dispatched Braids to hunt Kamahl down with five serpent assassins that Chainer had created to keep guard on the Patriarch. The death squad made swift progress tracing Kamahl, slaughtering several Order patrols, a small mountain village, and Kamahl's three former pupils along the way. However, she was unable to claim the Mirari as the barbarians put up significant resistance and killed all five of her snakemen. Defeated, she then met up with Cabal reinforcements and convinced them that they lacked the power to take the Mirari and were better off fighting the Order army that had also come to claim Kamahl and the Mirari.

The capture of Jeska

Human form.

Following a stalemate battle between the Order and Cabal forces, both sides broke off and gave chase after Kamahl and Balthor as they fled to Krosa. Both armies reached the edge of the forest at the same time and fought another indecisive battle in which they both lost significant portions of their forces, while Laquatus tried to ambush Kamahl with his commandos and with Burke, but ended up losing both. Laquatus then intervened and proposed a temporary alliance between the two forces. Braids then zombified Balthor in revenge for him killing Leer and then set him loose to hunt Laquatus before teleporting away, leaving the dementia caster Traybor in charge of the Cabal army. Braids did not reappear until much later when she, Traybor, and Commander Eesha revealed Laquatus's treachery and teleported their forces away from Krosa, leaving the merman alone in the forest. Along the way, Braids somehow happened upon Seton's dwelling, where the centaur was caring for Jeska. She then killed the centaur and kidnapped Jeska to take her before the Patriarch.

After Jeska was turned into Phage, Braids was charged with taking care of her. Later on, when Kamahl and the First made a truce against Ixidor, she was charged as commander of the Cabal forces. During the fight, she became injured and wasn't able to return to Aphetto. Akroma found her and decided to use her to gain access to the Cabal's secrets, during this time she became an acolyte for Akroma's religion claiming Ixidor as their god. She eventually recovered and managed to escape, and rejoin the Cabal.

Succumbing to Dementia

As she came back, she helped Phage and the recently born Kuberr survive the First's assassination attempt, and she killed him instead with one of her nightmare beasts. In the following events, she stayed alongside Kuberr in the Grand Coliseum.

After Karona appeared, Braids led a force of Cabal members claiming that she was theirs to take, because since everyone wanted to see her, everyone could pay the Cabal to see her at their events. In the end, like many other Otarians, she fell into a state of fanaticism and ended up trapped in her own dementia space while trying to keep from being buried alive. For a long time, it was unclear if she was still trapped there or had died in it.

Dominaria United

In dementia space, Braids was trapped, torn apart again and again by her own nightmares, until a desperate conclave of Cabal summoners performed a ritual to drag her back to Dominaria (and unfortunately blowing up all their heads in the process). Braids escaped from her dementia space during the second Phyrexian invasion, but split in two.[4] Now a nightmare herself, she allied with Shanna Sisay, Tiana, and Rafwyn Capashen to kill her shard-self. Afterwards, they witnessed the compleation of the Weatherlight.

Now, she intends to lead the Cabal into a new golden age.[5]

Gallery

Story appearances

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
Shards of Nightmares Phoebe Barton 2022-08-17 Dominaria United Dominaria Shanna Sisay, Tiana, Rafwyn Capashen, Slimefoot, Arvad, Braids

Trivia

Braids in an alternate reality

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Depicted in:
Quoted or referred to:

References

  1. ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 5, 2022). "Dominaria United States of Design, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Will McDermott (June 03, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Will McDermott (May 13, 2002). "Snap (Shots of) Judgment". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Phoebe Barton (August 17, 2022). "Shards of Nightmares". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Roy Graham (September 1, 2022). "The Legends You'll Find in Dominaria United". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Magic Arcana (January 11, 2002). ""What If?" with Odyssey art". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Magic Arcana (September 27, 2002). "Braids and Wurms". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Randy Buehler (March 22, 2002). "Unlikely Flavorful Inspiration". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 14, 2017). "Get It? Unhinged Edition, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 21, 2017). "Get It? Unhinged Edition, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Magic Arcana (June 03, 2003). "Sketches: Skulltap". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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