Temporal crisis of Dominaria

In 4500 A.R. Dominaria experienced a temporal crisis. Nations that had survived the Phyrexian Invasion three centuries earlier now faced the legacy of several accumulated apocalyptic events.

Causes

The Sylex Blast had generated one of the first tears in the fabric of time and space, known as time rifts. The destruction of Urza's time machine created another rift on Tolaria. Rifts also occurred during the Rathi Overlay in Urborg when the Stronghold was transplanted into one of the island's volcanoes, and in Keld where Freyalise deposited the overlaid Skyshroud forest. Others came in existence above Shiv and Zhalfir, when they were phased out of the time stream by the planeswalker Teferi.

Karona's appearance also had a lasting impact. When she was created, only she had access to the mana on the plane. When she died, although Dominaria's magical power became accessible again, its flow had changed, becoming difficult to access and cutting off the land from its lifesource. Karona's death also changed the inherent properties of the time rifts, making them a more deadly phenomenon.

Effects

The Rifts started to draw all mana from the plane, causing mana droughts that devastated all forms of life on the plane and distorted their environments. Those who survived struggle for their lives in this barren and toxic world.

The mysterious rifts also connected Dominaria to its alternate realities, where history could choose another way for past, present or even possible futures. Many people were lost in those rifts finding themselves in another reality, but also many creatures emerged from them. Soon, Dominarian wizards adapted to this new environment, mastering temporal chaos rather than becoming its victims.

Closing the rifts

Teferi, feeling it right to return Dominaria to its whole state, came home to this wasteland. Determined to fix what he had caused, he recruited the necessary help of several Dominarian inhabitants and restored Shiv to its place in the world, sealing the time rift over Shiv at the cost of his Planeswalker's Spark.

Many other lasting effects were caused by the sealing of the time rifts.

• Freyalise sacrificed her life and her adopted home of Skyshroud to seal the rift over Keld.
• Lord Windgrace sacrificed himself to seal the rift over the Stronghold in Urborg. An aspect of Windgrace's life force remained, protecting his homeland for all time.
• Karn was sent back in time in an effort to close the massive rift over Tolaria. He succeeded at the cost of his own spark, but saw a fearsome vision of what was to come and fled to his plane of Argentum.
• Jeska used part of Radha's life force to seal the rift over Zhalfir, removing the phased-out portion of Jamuraa from the multiverse.
• Jeska closed the rift at Yavimaya, sacrificing Radha's spark and temporarily destroying Multani.
• Nicol Bolas sealed the rift at Madara using the unwilling Leshrac as a sacrifice.
• Jeska finally closed the most massive rift over Otaria. This killed Jeska and also caused the Mending, a multiversial change of the planeswalker's spark. Planeswalkers lost their immortality and godlike powers and much of their additional magic power.