Stronghold (location)

Stronghold
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Stronghold exterior.jpg}}|250px]]
Information
Plane	Rath, later Dominaria
Part of	Urborg

For the Magic: The Gathering expansion, see Stronghold.

The Stronghold was the central seat of power for the Evincar of Rath. It was located inside a volcano, suspended above the City of Traitors. It could be reached via a treacherous route through the Death Pits, the Furnace of Rath, and Volrath's Gardens. It was later shifted to Urborg on Dominaria.

Purpose

The Stronghold as seen from below

The Stronghold served a dual purpose: first, as the main Phyrexian military base on Rath, and second, as the center of production of flowstone, the nano-robotic "metal" that was essential for building up the mass of Rath to enable the Rathi Overlay of Dominaria. For the people of Rath, the Stronghold was a symbol of their oppression and the iron will of their Phyrexian overlords.

Description

The Stronghold was over a mile-and-a-half high and the volcanic cone that housed it towered a mighty three miles above the surface of Rath. The cone's peak touched the maelstrom of energy that functioned as Rath's sky, and the peak's tip was where that energy coalesced and was sucked into the stronghold to power the creation of flowstone.

The Stronghold was partitioned into several different areas. It contained a large carapace that housed several docks for skyships like the Predator, housing warrens for its large contingent of mogg troops, quarters for its human soldiers, private chambers for the evincar (such as the Dream Halls and the Map Room), and a network of dungeons and torture chambers where prisoners were experimented upon and turned into monstrosities. The crater beneath the Stronghold housed the City of Traitors, the grim home to the il-Kor, il-Vec, and il-Dal.

Flanking the docking carapace were a pair of gardens that were added by an evincar who was preoccupied with plant life. These gardens were home to numerous plants and animals, but the animals were little more than food for the plants which were predominately and sometimes aggressively carnivorous. Few of the plants ate their prey's flesh: rather, they drank its blood. Some species were seeded upon the plains to test their tenacity.

Many unusual animals captured from Dominaria lived in the menagerie. Volrath performed experiments on them, reworking them in the hopes of finding a place for them in his schemes.

The Map Room was a cavernous chamber with a large brass-plated mechanism at the center. Within the mechanism sat a pool of white crystalline liquid veined with swirling blue. This liquid had been "taught" to display a map of Dominaria. The map can be flattened and enhanced to focus on individual buildings and troop movements. The ceiling mechanism housed several black coils made of a mimetic metal. These coils were able to curl down around the globe, simulating Mercator lines and measurements, as well as writing and anything else needed to explain the evincar's plans to gathered generals. While the generals would be seated in the four rows closest to the map, there was an outer ring distinctly set apart for the footsoldiers to gather if a larger assembly was required. Moggs were not allowed entry to this room.

The Dream Halls were created by Volrath himself. The Dream Halls housed physical manifestations of his unconscious: his memories of the past, and his desires for the future. He often went to the halls to examine the events of his past (colored with his perspective) and to run through events he wishes to play out in the future. Physically, the halls were massive and filled with translucent mists that engulfed a single wide walkway that stretched the length of the room. Above, running along the ceiling, was the monstrous, arachnid-shaped dream machine that maintained the images plucked from Volrath's mind. Dream catchers were lowered from this machine, and each held and preserved a single memory.

The evincar's personal quarters were unknown even to workers within the Stronghold, and housed his most private machines. These included a device to monitor activities across the plane, control of the portals to Dominaria that many thought were random, and a planar portal of his own.

However, the bulk of the Stronghold was a flowstone factory.

History

On Rath

When the final stage of the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria neared completion, the Stronghold was the prison of Captain Sisay and later other members of the Weatherlight crew. Although they were eventually freed, the crew lost Mirri, Ertai, and Crovax; suffered severe damage to the Weatherlight; and left Karn, Tahngarth, and Sisay deeply affected by their experiences there. Despite various incursions by rebel forces led by Eladamri and Liin Sivi, the disappearance of evincar Volrath, the subsequent dispute over his successor, and the attempted sabotage of the reactor by Belbe, the Stronghold remained firmly in control of Rath until its overlay with Dominaria.

On Dominaria

The Stronghold's ruins

Arrival and destruction

Following the overlay, the Stronghold was placed precariously within a dormant volcano in Urborg. The number of troops stationed within the Stonghold reinforced the Phryrexian advance troops already there and enabled the Phyrexians to gain a dominant position in the region, serving as their central command headquarters. It took a combination of Yavimayan, Metathran, Keldon, Elven, and Talruum forces to successfully besiege the base.

The Stronghold was ultimately destroyed by the stone dwarves, who used their magic to cause the previously dormant volcano to erupt and consume the fortress with lava. However, Stronghold's final purpose had already been achieved: The planar portal within its throne room had allowed Yawgmoth to enter Dominaria personally.

The Weaver King

After the Invasion, from the ruins of the Stronghold emerged the Weaver King, a once-human shadow creature who toyed with the minds of Urborg's people.

Belzenlok

Liliana Vess raises Urborg's dead to assault the Stronghold.

Sixty years after the Mending, Belzenlok's Cabal had gained control of the Stronghold. He found its foundations intact under the magma crust. By conscripting Bogardan lava mages he was able to raise it again and reawaken the sleeping volcano, putting it back at full power. Its defenses were constantly changing, and the ways in and out were rebuilt on Belzenlok's whim. A long stone walkway bridged the old canals and moats that terraced the sloped ground in front of the volcano. The canals were now filled with muddy water and some extremely hungry scaled creatures, and the walkway was interrupted by walls with heavy gates, all well guarded by armored grimnants and robed clerics, where passwords and other proof of identity would be asked for. One side of the volcano had been carved down smooth, and the walkway led up to the towering half-circle wall built out from it. The gate through that wall was round, still bearing the spiked shape of some Phyrexian weapon. Within, the Cabal built a Fighting Pit.

In-game references

Represented in:

• Cabal Stronghold
• Volrath's Stronghold

Associated cards:

• Stronghold Arena
• Stronghold Assassin
• Stronghold Biologist
• Stronghold Confessor
• Stronghold Discipline
• Stronghold Furnace
• Stronghold Gambit
• Stronghold Machinist
• Stronghold Overseer
• Stronghold Rats
• Stronghold Taskmaster
• Stronghold Zeppelin

Depicted in:

• Flame Rift
• Skyshroud Archer
• Skyshroud Elite
• Swamp (Dominaria) (#258)
• Terrain Generator
• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Referred to:

• Being an Evil Minion Sucks
• Cabal Evangel
• Essence Warden
• Hull Breach
• Oraxid
• Sunlit Marsh (Dominaria United)
• Symbiotic Deployment

Inside:

• Death Pits of Rath
• Dream Halls
• Ensnaring Bridge (Stronghold)
• Furnace of Rath
• Volrath's Dungeon
• Volrath's Gardens
• Volrath's Laboratory

Map of the Citadel

Citadel Map taken from "Nemesis" by Paul B. Thompson.

©2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved.