Phyrexia
Phyrexia is an artificial plane of entirely mechanical "life" created by an ancient planeswalker. Little is known of this planewalker, aside from the fact that he preferred to assume the form of a dragon. This world was not so different from Mirrodin until Yawgmoth arrived, brought there by the planeswalker Dyfed. Yawgmoth, with the remnants and descendants of the phthisis-inflicted Thran whom he "saved" through the process he referred to as "Phyresis" (essentially the replacement of weak mortality with artifice) came here when they were forced out of the Thran Empire as traitors. The ensuing war destroyed the nation of the Thran.
Structure of Phyrexia
The plane consisted of nine nested spheres, each with its own purpose and, often, mechanical ecosystem.
First Sphere
The First Sphere of Phyrexia is a mechanical parody of life. It is covered by artificial jungle bedewed by oily rain. Streams of oil also run through the first sphere's landscape. It is home to a few forms of dragon engines and many others mechanical animals simulating true life. Rusting artifact debris lay around long plains filled with metallic dust and soot. Huge furnaces spew ash into the air. Newts are brought to this Sphere, likely to select those worthy for completion.
Second Sphere
Scraps and ruins from the first sphere are contained in the Second Sphere. Metal beams, pipes, and other structures make up the roof. Smokestacks from lower levels also appear in this level of Phyrexia. These are all that offer any source of light. Gargantuan ammunitions dumps as large as entire communities are located here.
Third Sphere
The Third Sphere is filled with metal pipes, which create space distortions that prevent planeswalking to lower spheres. Horrors of Phyrexia stalk this place.
Fourth Sphere
The Fourth Sphere is where the bulk of Phyrexia's population exists. Here are more smokestacks, as well as the vat facilities where newts are grown and compleated. Vat priests work here, monitoring the Phyrexian newborn and performing the operations of transforming them into Phyrexian machines and warriors. Phyrexian warriors are trained in this place as well.
Phyrexian portals, reinvented versions of old Thran portals, were built here and opened to new planes that would be conquered for Yawgmoth. They were opened only through sacrificing artifacts or the use of a great amount of energy.
Fifth Sphere
The Fifth Sphere is an ocean of Glistening Oil used by Vat Priests of Fourth to breed newts, called the Boiling Sea. Massive steam creatures also live here.
Sixth Sphere
The Phyrexian Inner Circle is housed in the Sixth Sphere. It is a realm for the Phyrexian governmental body; here are the most prestigious of Yawgmoth's servants, such as Phyrexian Demons, the Praetors, and other officials.
Seventh Sphere
The Seventh Sphere of Phyrexia is an eternal furnace of flames used both to power the plane and punish those who have failed Yawgmoth. Gix is the only Phyrexian known to have survived the Seventh Sphere. It is a hellish place known as the "Punishment Sphere." Prisoners, artificers, and failures of any sort are brought here for torture. Phyrexian Gremlins live on this Sphere.
Eight Sphere
The Eighth Sphere is a place of pure energy. Little else is known of it.
Ninth Sphere
The Ninth Sphere is the control center for all of Phyrexia. Up until the Invasion, it was where Yawgmoth resided, plotting his eventual takeover of Dominaria. Yawgmoth also stayed here, dormant within his sanctum for some time, while his minions acted in his will and saw to it that his plans were executed.
Phyrexian life forms
The first stage of any Phyrexian's life is that of the Newt. These creatures are grown in vats of Glistening Oil, and appear as androgynous, hairless humans. They are grown to adulthood then prepared and released for life in the dark plane.
Newts are later put through a process called Compleation. At this point, they are transformed to serve any of a number of purposes for Phyrexia.
Here are the different varieties of Phyrexians:
- Sleeper Agents — Sleeper Agents are fully grown and sometimes genetically modified newts who have not been compleated, appearing as regular human beings, sent to spy on other planes and perform clandestine operations outside of Phyrexia. Some are completely unaware of their status and task, simply dropped off on other planes secretly being used as hidden cameras.
- Cults — Yawgmoth and the Phyrexians have active cults around the planes, mainly in Dominaria, who worshipped machines and the power of artifice. The Cult of Gix was one such example, which existed for the later duration of The Brothers' War. Those who participated in the cult would augment themselves with metal, embedding it in their skin in all sorts of ways, as a sign of their willingness to become machine from flesh. Gix, a Phyrexian Demon, orchestrated the Cult from its center and even gave Phyrexian technology and instruction to his worshipers. Similar cults were active on various planes and areas at different times up until the Phyrexian Invasion. The card Priest of Gix depicted a Phyrexian cultist from the time of the Brothers.
- Minions — These are the agents and specialized creations of Yawgmoth, created as versatile instruments in his mad war against all biological life. Minions serve a number of purposes, such as assassins, spies, or shock troops. Minions include the Phyrexian Infiltrator, the Slayer, and the Broodlings.
- Undead — Phyrexia employs the dead in its fight against the Multiverse. Some are made to function through the adding of artificial improvements. The Phyrexian Monitor, Unworthy Dead, Phyrexian Reaper, Scuta, and the Bloodstock are examples of undead in Phyrexian ranks. Some of them are noxious and harmful to life even through a touch. It is also notable that some of the Phyrexians printed as zombies were intended to be minions, but were changed to zombies for set design reasons.
- Carriers — Biomechanical constructs used to spread Phyrexian-engineered plagues. They can all be utilized as suicide strikers, destroying themselves to release their pathogenic load upon the battlefield. These include the Phyrexian Denouncer, Debaser, Defiler, and Plaguelord.
- Mechanical constructs — Phyrexian inhabitants and creations usually involve mechanical parts and additions, but some are entirely mechanical in nature. These are the massive devices and war machines used to wipe out any resistance left after the initial wave of primary combat troops and the release of the plagues. The War Beasts, the Hulks, and the huge Colossi all fall under this category. The largest and most brutal of Yawgmoth's monstrosities is the Dreadnought, another totally mechanical part of the arsenal.
- Horrors — Horrors are frightening monstrosities, sometimes combinations of creatures listed above. Many of them are free-willed and may live apart from the other Phyrexians, not taking part in the efforts of the rest of the plane. They can be dangerous to even their peers. The Rager, Witch Engine, Plague Spitter, Devouring Strossus, Gargantua, and Negator are all Horrors.
- Knights - The most elite of warriors, those that are more intelligent and capable than mere killing devices, are the Knights. They have their human mental attributes, such as free will, but still remain under the command of Yawgmoth. Phyrexian Knights are composed of a few different Orders: the Eastern Paladins, dedicated to eradicating all natural life; the Western Paladins, avid destroyers of all societies that are not of Phyrexia; and the Order of Yawgmoth, the prestigious guard of the Ineffable himself. (There also seem to have been human knightly orders known as the Eastern and Western Paladins on Dominaria that are not connected to Phyrexia.) The Sanguine Guard is another of the knightly orders, though its function is unclear.
Militarization
The plane of Phyrexia had many weapons at its disposal. Aside from the Phyrexians themselves, there were artifacts, biohazardous spores and plagues, and mutational organic implements such as venom sacs.
Typical Phyrexian soldiers made use of nasty blades and saws, though they often were equipped with plenty of claws, fangs, and brute force. Many had venomous fangs implanted in their faces, and others had poisonous stingers. They were stronger and more resilient to pain than the average human being. Power armor, improved upon for centuries from the original suits of the Halcyon Guard, was almost always fitted onto Phyrexians in various ways and appearances, possibly fueled by Phyrexian powerstones.
Phyrexians that were entirely compleated were mainly metallic, some of which took entirely different shapes than the newt, becoming huge behemoths of steel, wire, and gears. The Gargantua is one example, using its sheer size to outmatch any opponents it would meet on the battlefield. Its huge claws were large enough to fit as much material and debris as an earthmover, and were capable of crushing down virtually anything in that space. Mechanical devices were one of the potent forces in Phyrexia's armies. Many of Phyrexia's constructs were semi-magical, while others were complex combinations of purely mechanical processes.
One of Phyrexia's greatest weapons was the engineered plague. Nano-technologically improved spores took out entire populations on Dominaria, these plagues were a major threat during the invasion. They were unleashed by Phyrexian carriers, such as the Plaguelord and the Defiler. There were different pathogens created by Phyrexia, but a few may have also been contained or enhanced specimens of the Phthisis that inflicted the Thran before their fall. Some plagues were tested on Dominaria around the time of Urza's adventures, as well. These were part of an odd concoction, as described in Phyrexian progress notes; according to the text of other carriers, a disease is described that causes rashes, nausea, fever, cough, muscle aches, then delirium, convulsions, and death. This may have been a generic plague outbreak.
Invasion of Dominaria
Post-Invasion
Map of Phyrexia
Note
The forums in Phyrexia.com imitate the nine spheres of Phyrexia.