Ixalan (plane)

Ixalan
Information
First seen	Ixalan
Last seen	Rivals of Ixalan
Planeswalkers	Huatli
Rabiah Scale	4
Status	Unknown

Ixalan is a Mesoamerican-inspired plane full of uncharted jungles where dangerous beasts, magnificent ruins, and lost treasures lie waiting to be discovered.

History

On this plane, the planeswalker Azor created a powerful artifact, known as the Immortal Sun, in order to trap the evil Nicol Bolas. For this reason, Planeswalkers could enter Ixalan, but until recently could not leave.

The Immortal Sun was once guarded by holy custodians in a mountaintop monastery on the continent of Torrezon. Its presence gave the local monarch a disproportionate amount of influence in regional matters. The monastery fell under attack by the forces by rival king Pedron the Wicked who stole the Immortal Sun but in turn lost it to an unidentified winged being. Eight hundred years ago, the mountainous nation called Torrezon (it later gave its name to the whole continent) split into three parts when its monarch died, with each portion ruled by one of the monarch's children. A long religious war ensued. It raged on for three centuries, before the first vampire, Elenda of Garrano, ended it. After the unification, many of Torrezon's nobles undertook Elenda's transformative ritual, and it became known as the Rite of Redemption by the church. The united Legion of Dusk began a series of wars and eventually took over the whole continent. When the last city-states were conquered, its inhabitants took to the sea and formed the Brazen Coalition.

On the continent of Ixalan, the River Heralds were once the dominant inhabitants of Ixalan with a large power of their own, and their strength was once enough to keep the Sun Empire out of the interior. The Sun Empire was first founded from Orazca by Chacanto Intli, who united the various city-states into a central empire. Following a devastating war with the River Heralds under Apatzec Intli I, who had gained possession of the Immortal Sun and used it without restraint, their civilization was reduced to a few coastal cities, with Orazca being lost to them. The empire still confronted the Heralds on its borders. The latest emperor, Apatzec Intli III asserted control, and is expanding again.

The Sun Empire recently was besieged by pirate raids by the Brazen Coalition and the advance of the Legion of Dusk which is seeking the Immortal Sun. All factions close in on the Lost City of Orazca, which is said to hide the ancient artifact. The Immortal Sun was found by several of the factions, but then was stolen and removed from the plane by a henchman of Bolas. The barrier was now broken and several planeswalkers left the plane. Meanwhile, in a level playing field, the Sun Empire seemed to take control of the continent of Ixalan, and was hungrily eying Torrezon.

Known locations

Map of the continent of Ixalan

Ixalan has at least two large continents that are separated by the sea. Further north, travelers meet only unmelting ice.

Stormwreck Sea

The Stormwreck Sea is the home to numerous pirates.

• The floating city of High and Dry, the base of the Brazen Coalition
  • The Burning Port, an ale house
  • The Boatswain's Rear, another ale house
• The Spitfire Bastion, the base of Captain Vance on an island east of the Sun Coast
• "Useless Island", where Jace Beleren was cast away following his defeat against Nicol Bolas.

Ixalan (continent)

Treasure Map

Ixalan, the western continent, bears the same name as the plane (or the other way around). Covered in vast jungles and rivers. It is home to large dinosaurs, that some of the natives managed to domesticate, and numerous secrets hidden within the forests.

• The Sun Empire
  • Sun Coast, the eastern coast.
  • Pachatupa, its capital. Standing where the coastal plains rise into the high mountains.
    • Tocatli, the emperor's palace
    • The Temple of the Burning Sun
  • Other cities
    • Atzocan, located on the low coastal plain
    • Otopec, located in a high alpine forest at the western edge of the Sun Empire's lands.
• Queen's Bay.
  • Miraldanor, the island stronghold of the Legion of Dusk
    • Adanto, the First Fort. Strongest fort of the vampires.
    • Conqueror's Foothold
    • Leor, the Edge of Exile.
    • Dúrran, the Fort of Faith
• Jungle Region
  • Lost cities Ancient ruins from the Sun Empire's heyday can now be found, overgrown and half-buried, in the depths of the jungle.
    • Quetzatl, once the home of a self-proclaimed king who challenged the authority of the emperor.
    • Pecatli, known for its grand temple of the Threefold Sun.
    • Techepec, a former retreat for the emperor and the imperial family.
    • Tanaztac, a fortress-city marking the former western edge of the empire.
  • Icalaquiampa, the temple of sunset. The focus of a religious sect that tried to replace the emperor with a high priest and establish a theocratic rule.
  • The Great River
    • The Nine Tributaries, Tishana, Kumena, Pashona, Vuhana, Mitica, Notana, Falani, Tuvasa, and Kopala.
  • The Deeproot Tree, a remnant of an ancient Merfolk city
• Mountain region
  • Lost Valley
  • Temple of Aclazotz
  • Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, a sacred forest for both merfolk and humans.
  • The Primal Wellspring, the sacred source of the Great River. Infused with magical power.
• Inner Sea
  • Hidden coves hold pirate treasures stowed by captains long forgotten.
    • Treasure Cove
  • Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin. A thriving population center until a prolonged conflict with the River Heralds caused it to sink into the waters.
  • Tonalixco, Temple of the eastern sun
• Orazca, the lost city of gold.
  • The Threefold Temple
  • Atzal, Cave of Eternity
  • Metzali, Tower of Triumph
  • The Tomb of the Dusk Rose
  • The Sanctum of the Sun
  • The Winged Temple

Torrezon

Torrezon is the eastern continent. Ruled by an alliance between a powerful church and an iron-fisted monarch. Vampires dominate the continent after a series of wars with other realms. Refugees and exiles from the defeated nations fled to the sea and established the Brazen Coalition.

• Magan, a walled village massacred during the Apostasine War.
• Garrano, birthplace of Elenda
• Iedo, birthplace of Vona
• Luijo, birthplace of Adrian Adanto

Luneau

Luneau is an island kingdom under the influence of the Legion of Dusk. In its capital of the same name, a dance known as the "Tourdion with the Truculent Thunder" is a popular observance. In smaller settlements, an annual festival involves the running of juvenile raptors in the streets while adolescents steal their feathers.

• The opulent city of Luneau, full of Byzantine alleys and baroque balconies.
  • The Hall of Treasures, a taxidermist museum.
  • The Royal Menagerie, a collection of animals.
  • The Perfumed Court, the royal palace.

Inhabitants

The Brazen Coalition

• Goblins (e.g. Wily Goblin)
• Humans
• Orcs (e.g. Ruin Raider)
• Sirens (e.g. Dreamcaller Siren)

Sun Empire

• Humans

• Dominated animals:
  • Dinosaurs, see below

• Constructs:
  • Golems

River Heralds

• Merfolk
  • Land-favoring (e.g. Waker of the Wilds)
  • Water-favoring (e.g. Kopala, Warden of Waves)
  • Hybrid (e.g. Tishana, Voice of Thunder)

• Harnessed magical beings:
  • Elementals (e.g. Air Elemental (Ixalan), Soul of the Rapids, and Wildgrowth Walker)

Legion of Dusk

• Vampires (e.g. Bishop of Rebirth)
• Humans (e.g. Seeker's Squire)

• Domesticated animals:
  • Bulls
  • Horses
  • Mastiffs

Other sentient races

• Demons (seen in Dark Nourishment)
• Dryads (e.g. Blossom Dryad, Old-Growth Dryads, Tendershoot Dryad; seen in Verdant Rebirth)
• Harpys

Dinosaurs

Ixalan is home to a vast array of dinosaurs:

• Ankylosaurs
  • Aegisaurs
• Ceratopsians
  • Cacophodons
  • Ceratops
    • Siegehorns
  • Frillhorns
  • Horncrests
  • Snubhorns (Protoceratops)
  • Tuskodon
• Dimetrodons
  • Frillbacks
• Hadrosaurs
  • Herdcallers
  • Spinebacks
• Pachycephalosaurs
  • Hammerskulls
• Pterosaurs
  • Aerosaurs
  • Heliopterus
  • Pterodons
  • Sunwings
• Sauropods
  • Altisaurs
  • Brontodons
  • Whiptails
• Stegosaurs
  • Armasaurs
  • Platetails
  • Spinetails
• Theropods
  • Deathgorge Scavengers
  • Dilophosaurs
    • Deathspitters
  • Oviraptors
    • Egg-eaters
  • Raptors
    • Clawfoots
    • Ferocidons
    • Needletooths
  • Spinosaurs
    • Sailbacks
  • Tyrannosaurs
    • Bladetooths
      • Daggertooths
      • Swordtooths
    • Dreadmaws
    • Monstrosaurs
    • Regisaurs
    • Tyrants

Other wildlife

• Bat Imps (e.g. Blight Keepers)
• Bears
• Birds, including albatrosses, seagulls, and hawks
• Chupacabras, typed as Beast Horrors (e.g. Lurking Chupacabra and Ravenous Chupacabra)
• Coatls (seen in Favorable Winds)
• Fishes, including island fish (e.g. Fleet Swallower), sharks, and coelacanths
• Frogs
• Griffins
• Insects (e.g. Skittering Heartstoppers)
• Lemurs
• Panthers
• Plants , including carnivorous plants (seen in Crushing Canopy)
• Saber-toothed Cats
• Oysters
• Sunbirds (e.g. Rekindling Phoenix)
• Trilobites (seen in Shore Keeper)
• Wildebeests

Trivia

Besides by the mesoamerican civilizations, Ixalan is inspired by the Age of Discovery and Piracy when legends such as El Dorado were created. A lot of what inspires both the Sun Empire and the River Heralds comes directly from the Maya and Aztec and the succession of control from one to the other. Another source is the Lost world trope. Torrezon and Luneau themselves draw inspiration from colonial Spain and France, respectively.

Planeswalkers

Native

• Huatli

Visitors

• Angrath
• Azor
• Jace Beleren
• Ral Zarek
• Tezzeret
• The Wanderer
• Vivien Reid
• Vraska

In-game references

Associated cards:

• Ixalan's Binding

Referred to:

• Angrath's Marauders
• Arguel's Blood Fast
• Blossom Dryad
• Crash the Ramparts
• Grazing Whiptail
• Heartbeat of Spring (Secret Lair)
• Hijack (Ixalan)
• Snapping Sailback
• Verdant Rebirth

External links

• Map of the continent of Ixalan
• Chas Andres (October 25, 2017). "Ten Burning Questions from the Ixalan Story". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.