Otaria

Otaria

Otaria is a long and thin continent, running North-South, on Dominaria. It lies east of Jamuraa, south of Shiv and west of Terisiare. It is the primary location for the Odyssey and Onslaught blocks.

Description

History

Otaria did not figure into any tales until after the Phyrexian Invasion (save for its northern subcontinent Tamingazin). It had survived that war relatively unscathed and was one of the first areas to recover and grow powerful once more. As a result, many of the survivors from other regions of Dominaria sought refuge on the continent. Despite all of this, many of Otaria's cultures were warlike and barbaric, ruling by terror and arena combat.

A century after the Invasion the Mirari appeared there, initiating a destructive war that devastated much of the continent. This sent its aven population fleeing to Benalia.

Inhabitants and wildlife

At least four groups of humans called Otaria home, including the nomads of the Daru Plains, the Pardic barbarians, the Krosan druids, and the people of the Cabal.

Besides humans, Otaria was also home to many races, including dwarves, goblins, centaurs, giants, ogres, and gorgons, as well as several found nowhere else, such as nantuko, cephalids, and the various species of aven. Viashino are native to Otaria's subcontinent Tamingazin, but are a reclusive species and were not referenced in Odyssey or Onslaught blocks. After the Invasion, numerous other races migrated to the continent in search of new homes, among them elves and minotaurs.

Many of Otaria's people were mutated into bizarre forms by the Mirari's influence. It's unknown if all of these mutations bred true, though crookclaws at least survived into the Time Spiral era.

The continent also had an incredibly diverse (and spectacularly dangerous) range of wildlife. Dragons, wurms, firecats, anurids, griffins, lhurgoyfs, orggs, and a vast array of other beasts menaced Otaria's people. Zombies, vampires, specters, and other undead were disturbingly common thanks to the Cabal. Later in Otaria's history a plague of slivers was unleashed on the continent thanks to the Riptide Project. In addition to these monstrous creatures, normal animals (squirrels, bears, elephants, etcetera) were also common.

Locations

• Tamingazin, the northern subcontinent of Otaria.
• Daru Plains, the plains sprawling across the northern edge of the continent.
• Cabal Holdings. The Cabal held most of the continent's eastern region. Most of Otaria's large cities were under its influence.
  • Cabal City, the greatest city of the Cabal. Most famous for its pit fights.
  • Aphetto, the second largest city of the Cabal.
• Krosa, is a large forest reaching from Balshan Bay on the east to the continent's western coast. Inhabited by centaurs, nantuko, druidic humans, and a wide variety of beasts.
• The Mer Empire, a huge undersea power, the Mer Empire lead by the Cephalids was a dominant force in Otaria.
  • The Southern Cephalid Palace off of the continent's southeastern coast, the capital of the Mer Empire.
• Balshan Bay, a wide inlet toward the northeastern reaches. A breed of griffins is native to the area, as well as some aven and human communities noted for their wizards.
• Pardia, a mountainous country streching along the continent's western reaches from Krosa in the north to Wirewood in the south. The northern peaks were inhabited by dwarves and human barbarians, while the southern Skirk Ridge teemed with goblins.
• Wirewood Forest, an open, airy birch wood forest to the south of the Pardic range. Many elves immigrated to the forest from elsewhere on Dominaria after the Phyrexian Invasion.
• The Otaria Chasm, also called the Otaria Trench, a submerged part of the continent, hiding place of Laquatus.

In-game references

Represented in:

• Otaria

Depicted in:

• The Mirari Conjecture

Referred to:

• Annex (Onslaught)
• Aura Extraction
• Blade Sliver
• Brood Sliver
• Cabal Coffers
• Crafty Pathmage (Ninth Edition)
• Darkwater Catacombs
• Essence Sliver
• Fade from Memory
• Imagecrafter
• Mobilization (Onslaught)
• Mossfire Valley
• Pardic Arsonist
• Primoc Escapee
• Rorix Bladewing (Eternal Masters)
• Shadowblood Ridge
• Silver Knight (Scourge)
• Skirk Prospector (Dominaria)
• Skycloud Expanse
• Sungrass Prairie
• Tremble

Map of Otaria

• 

  Map of Otaria. Copyright © 2018 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved

• 

  Outdated map of Otaria. Copyright © 1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved

External links

• Will McDermott (May 20, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Will McDermott (May 27, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Will McDermott (June 03, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Will McDermott (June 10, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 4". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.