Azusa
| Azusa | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Azusa25.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Human |
| Birthplace | Kamigawa |
| Lifetime | During, and after, the Kami War |
Azusa (ah-ZOO-sah;[1] Japanese:
History
Azusa belonged to the sacred order of Jukai Forest and was the pupil of Dosan, but lesser known than her master.[2]
If Dosan was a quiet oak, Azusa was the wind that nourished it and rustled its leaves. Not content to sit and meditate in Jukai, Azusa left to explore Kamigawa's corners after living a nature-priest's life at Okina for almost eight years. She set out to "look into the eyes of the world", and spent the rest of her life wandering from realm to realm. She had no map or plan but kept a diary for many years, and its contents served to validate historical works for centuries. Azusa's travels affected her as well; by the end of her life, she had become a powerful shaman. Those who wrote of her claimed she could draw mana from a barrel full of dust.[2]
Her fellow member of the order, Iwamori of the Open Fist, considered her a master tracker.[3]
Journeys
Azusa had always had a restless nature, but in the wake of the Kami War, her wanderings took on a more purposeful nature. As she traveled, she began to document the lives and stories of those affected by The Kami War, as well as changes in how the mortal and spirit realms interacted with each other. Throughout Azusa's life, she filled dozens of diaries, which became pivotal documents in helping preserve a record of Kamigawa after The Kami War.[4]
However, the more Azusa traveled, the more she began to fear that the past was in danger of quietly vanishing as the nature of the Plane itself changed. Together with Reki, she founded the Living Historians to preserve stories and memories of history, keeping them alive for future generations.
Azusa was last seen journeying to the Tendo Peaks at the heart of the Sokenzan mountain range. For centuries, her fate was unknown. It wasn't until recently when Itsuki, the current head of the Living Historians, was granted permission by the kami to enter Jukai Forest that Azusa's final diary was discovered safely hidden in an abandoned forest shrine. The diary was only partially complete. Its final entry described lands of "ice and frost, where trees grow in twisted spirals and strange beasts swim through the snow," unlike any place ever seen before. This has led to much speculation about whether she'd discovered a new place on Kamigawa or somewhere else altogether. Some even believe that she somehow managed to wander into the spirit realm itself and glimpse for herself what it looked like unfiltered through mortal perception. Attempts to find this last fabled land of Azusa's journeys have been unsuccessful.
To commemorate this momentous discovery, the Living Historians commissioned a kimono that was painted with detailed scenes of locations and stories described in Azusa's final diary. Some of the stories provided new, never-before-known perspectives on events, such as the account of Azami, the head librarian of the wizard academy of Minamo, after the academy was destroyed in The Kami War. The kimono stands on display in the entryway of the Living Historians' headquarters, greeting all who enter with the accomplishments of their founder.
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
Gallery
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Card art by Todd Lockwood in Champions of Kamigawa.
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Card art by Benjamin Ee in Commander Masters.
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Secret Lair art
References
- ↑ Magic Arcana (September 14, 2004). "A Kamigawa Glossary, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b (2004). Champions of Kamigawa Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Rei Nakazawa (2005), "Personal Battles", magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Emily Teng (January 14, 2022). "Azusa's Many Journeys". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.