Amonkhet (plane)
Amonkhet | |
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[[File:{{#setmainimage:Amonket.jpg}}|250px]] | |
Information | |
First seen | Amonkhet |
Last seen | Hour of Devastation |
Planeswalkers | Samut |
Rabiah Scale | 5 |
Status | rebuilding |
Amonkhet is an Ancient Egypt-inspired plane overtaken and once ruled by Nicol Bolas.[1]
Description
Liliana believed the plane was created by Nicol Bolas before the Mending, when a planeswalker would still have had the power to do so,[2] though Nissa later discovered that Bolas had instead corrupted a pre-existing plane and warped its culture to worship him instead.[3] Bolas had engineered a world where the inhabitants reach maximum physical perfection before killing one another in the Trials. While the denizens saw this as a righteous path to a glorious afterlife, Bolas's goal was the creation of an army of Zombie warriors known as Eternals, who would be stronger than regular zombies. The plane is orbited by two suns that shroud the plane in perpetual daylight without actual nights.[4] The second one has slowly been making its path to Bolas's Horn Monument. The people believed that when it appeared between the horn, the God-Pharaoh would reveal himself to them.
Amonkhet's leylines are weaker than other planes, pulsing like the veins of a dying animal. When given the chance to examine the leylines within Naktamun, Nissa describes them as "stunted"; not only are they artificially concentrated behind the Hekma, but the leylines of Naktamun are corrupted by a dark, virulent strain that subtly weaves itself through the leylines.
The most unusual aspect of Amonkhet is that things that die on the plane transform into undead, which is referred to as the Curse of Wandering.[5][6][7] If they are embalmed, they become servile mummies.[8] When no flesh remains on their bones, the Curse of Wandering ends. It is unclear precisely where the Curse comes from; when Nissa makes contact with what remains of Amonkhet's soul in "The Writing on the Wall", it describes the Curse as "its gift". In "The Hour of Revelation", the eight gods are described as seeking to protect Naktamun, as it is "all that remains", and failures of the past are referenced. With Nissa's examination of the leylines, it's possible the Curse of Wandering may be the result of some ancient corruption that predates Bolas, a sickness in the plane itself which seems to be slowly killing it.
Much of Amonkhet is covered in desert and ruins. The only known settlement was the city of Naktamun, where the gods dwelled among the population and acted as stewards for the God-Pharaoh until his return. The people within the city were divided into several districts that prepared for the trials of the five gods, an elaborate series of tests overseen by viziers. Groups of warriors were referred to as "crops" that prepared to take the trials together.[9] Dissenters against the God-Pharaoh's teachings were either locked into sarcophagi or banished into the Broken Lands.
After the Hour of Revelation revealed that the God-Pharaoh was, in fact, a malevolent dragon and the majority of their way of life a lie, the survivors fled into the desert, leaving the destroyed city behind in order to forge a new destiny. Protected and guided by Hazoret, the only surviving god, these people face an uncertain future.
During the War of the Spark Nicol Bolas sent Tezzeret on Amonkhet to activate the Planar Bridge. After his defeat at the hands of Karn, Samut, Ob Nixilis and Dack Fayden, Hazoret gave them her spear, reassuring Samut about the condition of Amonkhet's population: the goddess and the mortals brought the last two corrupted gods away from Naktamun; they have repopulated the city and created a new Hekma.
Known locations
- The Luxa River. Turned to blood by Razaketh after the Hour of Revelation.
- Naktamun, the central city-state. Destroyed after the Hour of Devastation.
- The Desert Lands, the desert littered with remnants of lost civilizations and roamed by marauding mummies, ravenous sandwurms, malicious demons, and a host of unimaginable terrors.
- The Great Necropolis, where the Eternals are stored.
- The Horn Monument, erected by Bolas in his own visage, enchanted to appear stationary from every angle. Built to frame the Second Sun on the horizon at the moment of his choosing.[10]
- Shefet, or the Scouring Sands, a chaotic dune sea scoured by sand wurms.
- Ramunap, or the Broken Lands, the cradle of lost civilizations
- Ifnir, also known as the Demon's Nest
- Hashep
- Ipnu
- The empty underground catacombs
- The Lazotep mines; source of the valued blue mineral.
Gods
The gods of Amonkhet predate the God Pharaoh. During his initial assault, Bolas killed every single being old enough to walk, weakening the gods enough for him to overtake them.[10] When Bolas departed Amonkhet, he left behind five gods to steward the plane until his fateful return. Physically exemplary and magically unparalleled, these gods are whom the citizens of Naktamun beseech in their time of need. Unlike the distant gods of Theros, the gods of Amonkhet walk openly among their people. The citizens gladly build monuments to these Gods, as well as to the God-Pharaoh Bolas whose return is prophesied.
Originally, there were eight gods. After Bolas took over the plane, only five remain.[3] The other three were stowed away.[10] Currently, after Bolas's return to the plane, only Hazoret, the god of zeal, as well as the Scarab and Locust God, remain alive.
- God-Pharaoh
- Nicol Bolas, the Great Trespasser ()
- The Five Gods
- Oketra, the cat god of solidarity ()
- Kefnet, the ibis god of knowledge ()
- Bontu, the crocodile god of ambition ()
- Hazoret, the jackal god of zeal ()
- Rhonas, the cobra god of strength ()
- The Three Forgotten Gods
- The Scorpion God ()
- The Scarab God ()
- The Locust God ()
Inhabitants
Sentient races:
- Angels : Angel of Sanctions
- Falcon-Aven : (e.g. Aven Mindcensor); solely as Eternals
- Ibis-Aven
- Criosphinxes : Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
- Demons : Archfiend of Ifnir
- Gods : Hazoret the Fervent
- Humans : (e.g. Anointer Priest)
- Khenra (Jackalfolk) : Flameblade Adept
- Minotaurs : Ahn-Crop Crasher
- Nagas : (e.g. Watchful Naga)
- Sphinxes : Consecrated Sphinx
Domesticated races:
- Anointed mummies : e.g. Anointer Priest
- Camels : Supply Caravan
- Cats : Graceful Cat, Sacred Cat
- Eternals
- Pack beasts
- Snakes
Wild races:
- Ammits : Baleful Ammit
- Antelope
- Basilisks
- Birds: ibises, vultures, gulls, owls, hoopoes
- Cats : Pouncing Cheetah, lions
- Chimeras : Majestic Myriarch
- Cerodons
- Crabs : Ancient Crab
- Crocodiles : Crocodile of the Crossing
- Dragons : Glorybringer
- Elephants
- Hellions : Chaos Maw
- Hippos : Mouth // Feed
- Horrors : Grim Strider
- Horses : Crested Sunmare
- Hydras : Honored Hydra
- Hyenas : Hyena Pack
- Locusts : Swarm Intelligence
- Lizards : Shefet Monitor
- Manglehorns : Manglehorn
- Manticores : Heart-Piercer Manticore
- River drakes : Angler Drake, Enigma Drake
- River serpents : River Serpent [11]
- Sand Stranglers
- Sandwurms
- Golems : Hollow One
- Scarabs : Dune Beetle, Nest of Scarabs
- Scorpions
- Serpents : Cryptic Serpent
- Serpopards :, typed as "Cat Snakes": Prowling Serpopard
- Snakes
- Spiders : Giant Spider, Spidery Grasp
- Zombies : e.g. Cursed Minotaur, Gravedigger, Miasmic Mummy, Tattered Mummy
Planeswalker visitors
- Chandra Nalaar
- Dack Fayden[12]
- Gideon Jura
- Jace Beleren
- Karn[12]
- Liliana Vess
- Nicol Bolas
- Nissa Revane
- Ob Nixilis[12]
- Ral Zarek
- Samut
- Sarkhan Vol[12]
- Tezzeret
- The Wanderer
In-game references
- Blighted Bat
- Dunes of the Dead
- Foul Orchard (Amonkhet)
- Gideon's Reproach (Dominaria)
- Gravedigger (Amonkhet)
- Grim Initiate
- Herald of the Dreadhorde
- Hostile Desert
- Manticore Eternal
- Razaketh, the Foulblooded
- Sandblast (Hour of Devastation)
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 05, 2016). "Is Amonkhet an Egypt-inspired plane?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mel Li, Kelly Digges, Alison Luhrs, Doug Beyer, and Chris L'Etoile (February 1, 2017). "Renewal". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Alison Luhrs (April 12, 2017). "The Writing on the Wall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text of Blighted Bat
- ↑ Michael Yichao (March 30, 2017). "Impact". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text of Lord of the Accursed
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast. Explore the planes: Amonkhet
- ↑ Kelly Digges (April 19, 2017). "Servants". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt (April 5, 2017). "Trust". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Alison Luhrs (June 7, 2017). "The Hour of Revelation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Chris Gleeson (June 2, 2017). "More Amonkhet Art Descriptions". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d Greg Weisman (April 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica". Del Rey.