Thalia

Thalia
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Thalia.jpg}}|250px]]
Details
Race	Human
Birthplace	Innistrad
Lifetime	Mending Era
Colors

For the Secret Lair, see Secret Lair Drop Series: Thalia - Beyond the Helvault.

The cathar Thalia was the guardian of the Helvault in the city of Thraben on Innistrad. Later she became the Heir of Saint Traft.

History

Rise

Thalia was one of Gavony's most promising cathars. As a young inquisitor, soldier, and vampire slayer, she proved her worth soon after graduating from the academy at the Elgaud Grounds. But it was her obstinately caring soul that distinguished her and earned her a place among Thraben's elite ranks. She attracted the attention of a man called Lothar, the Guardian of Thraben, a revered soldier who led a force of elite protectors in service of the Lunarch. As Lothar's trusted right hand, Thalia learned of the Helvault, the holy silver obelisk in the Cathedral courtyard but she was not told the secret: that the missing archangel Avacyn had accidentally become imprisoned within it.

When Lothar was killed in the Siege of Thraben, Thalia became the Guardian of Thraben in her predecessor's stead.

The breaking of the Helvault

The planeswalker Liliana Vess sought to free the demon Griselbrand from the Helvault to destroy him. Because she couldn't destroy the Helvault herself, she forced Thalia to do so by threatening the lives of her soldiers. With the Helvault destroyed, both Avacyn and the demons were unleashed back into the world.

Avacyn's return caused a surge in the holy magic across the plane. Her presence revitalized the holy blessings of the parish priests and the wards carved into roadside shrines. Flights of angels returned to strike down the monstrous beasts that plagued the provinces. Archmages whose divine magic had been damped regained their power, now able to wield powerful spells in Avacyn's name again.

With Traft's help and using Avacyn's spear, Thalia kills Brisela.

Order of Saint Traft

Avacyn's peace only lasted for a short while, because she became affected by the madness caused by the machinations of yet another planeswalker, the lithomancer Nahiri. The archangel turned against the very humans she was sworn to protect and started to remove every perceived blemish on her plane by killing them. Meanwhile, the Church of Avacyn was infiltrated by the Ormendahl worshiping Skirsdag. Seeing the corruption and being unable to reform the church, Thalia left and created the Order of Saint Traft to battle evil. Rem Karolus gifted her with the spear of the deceased Avacyn. At the Battle of Thraben, the Order made a temporary pact with Olivia Voldaren's vampire army. Joined with Traft's spirit, she battled numerous Eldrazi. Brisela appeared too much for her, but Sigarda came to the rescue battling the monstrosity as the geist of Traft empowered Thalia, healing her wounds and cloaking her in an aura that resembled the angel whose spear she held. Together, Thalia and Sigardia bested the fused sisters. After Brisela's death, Emrakul's presence in Innistrad forced Saint Traft to leave Thalia's body, causing her to almost succumb to madness.

Crimson Vow

Thalia survived The Travails and vowed to restore Thraben to its former glory, expunging the zombie army left by Liliana Vess in the city. Before starting this work she aimed to reunite with Odric. Upon arriving at the place where her friend was, she found it under attack. She was present when Henrika Domnathi, who didn't feel bound by the pact that Olivia Voldaren had made with the humans, tried to raise an army of unholy cathars for Ormendahl and turned Odric into a vampire.

Phyrexian Invasion

With the Gitrog monster

Life was good for the Gitrog monster. Its cultists would bring it food or become its food. All was delicious and plenty, until the day that strange machines came to its lake—machines that tasted awful and tried to hurt it. Knowing it was time to move on, the Gitrog Monster heaved itself out of the waters and headed straight for Thraben, where it found Thalia, the last survivor of her cathar squad, about to be overwhelmed by Phyrexians. Seeing the potential for a new human to bring it food, the Gitrog Monster bowled through her besiegers, saving her. Then, it stood there waiting, and Thalia understood: it was offering to let her ride it. She does so and deals out devastating blows from its back, while it crushes enemies in its tongue's grip. Thalia doesn't control where the Gitrog Monster takes her and remains wary that, should the steady supply of invaders run out, she could become its next meal.

Gallery

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  Original art

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  Secret Lair art 1

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  Secret Lair art 2

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  Secret Lair art 3

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  World Magic Cup Qualifier 2015 Promo art

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  Eldritch Moon Buy-a-Box Promo art

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  Crimson Vow art

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  Crimson Vow Eternal Eternal Frame art

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  March of the Machine key art.

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  Multiverse Legends art

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  With Gitrog monster

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  With Gitrog monster showcase art

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  With Gitrog monster promotional art

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed	Jenna Helland	2011-10-26	Dark Ascension	Innistrad	Mikaeus Cecani, Geralf Cecani, Gisa Cecani, Grimgrin, Alwin, Traken, Avacyn, Lothar, Thalia, "Lili"
The Guardian, the Witch, and The Angel	Doug Beyer	2012-03-21	Avacyn Restored	Innistrad	Avacyn, Sorin, Thalia, Lothar, Mikaeus Cecani, Griselbrand, Geralf Cecani, Gisa Cecani, Liliana, Garruk
Angel's Rise and Demon's Release	Doug Beyer	2012-04-09	Avacyn Restored	Innistrad	Avacyn, Thalia, Liliana, Griselbrand, Garruk, Volpaig, Mikaeus Cecani, Sorin
Lunarch Inquisition	James Wyatt	2016-05-04	Shadows over Innistrad	Innistrad	Thalia, Odric, Manfried Ulmach, Grete, Jerren, Ormendahl, Quilion, Carlin, Dougan, Marta, Haral, Traft
Saint Traft and Flight of Nightmares	James Wyatt	2016-07-13	Eldritch Moon	Innistrad	Thalia, Grete, Halmig, Odric, Seeta, Rem Karolus, Jedda, Dennias, Mathan, Traft, Olivia Voldaren, Brisela, Sigarda, Emrakul
The Blessing of Blood	Marcus Terrell Smith	2021-11-05	Innistrad: Crimson Vow	Innistrad	Odric, Henrika Domnathi, Thalia, Ormendahl

In-game references

Represented in:

• Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• Thalia and the Gitrog Monster

Associated cards:

• Thalia's Geistcaller
• Thalia's Lancers
• Thalia's Lieutenant

Depicted in:

• Knight's Pledge
• Strength of Arms

Quoted or referred to:

• Blasphemous Act
• Burden of Guilt
• Cathar's Shield
• Confront the Unknown
• Evolving Wilds (Dark Ascension)
• Falkenrath Reaver
• Feast on the Fallen
• Griselbrand
• Loyal Cathar/Unhallowed Cathar
• Moonveil Dragon
• Piercing Light
• Radiant Restraints
• Rebuke
• Sanctify
• Spare from Evil
• Tenacity
• Thraben Standard Bearer
• Vorapede