Riptide Project

The Riptide Project was a conglomeration of blue wizards established around 4305 AR on an island off the coast of mainland Otaria. It was founded by Empress Llawan as a means to further the understanding of magic of both the surface dwellers and the Mer Empire, in an attempt to repair relations between the surface and the Empire following the actions of Aboshan and Laquatus. The most significant piece of research undertaken by the project was the study of slivers, based on fossilized remains discovered in Urborg. The project succeeded in recreating slivers, but without the control of the Sliver Queen, the slivers ran wild and slaughtered most of the researchers. They then escaped the island and made it to mainland Otaria, and soon they spread rapidly over all Dominaria.

Sources

• Rei Nakazawa (Tuesday, January 14, 2003). "For They Are Legions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Rei Nakazawa (Monday, March 08, 2004). "A Sliver Story". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.