Raven Man
| The Raven Man | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Ravenman.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Appears Human |
| Birthplace | Unknown |
| Lifetime | Unknown |
The Raven Man is a mysterious figure, who haunts Liliana Vess. He first appeared to her on Dominaria, where he claimed to be a supporter of her father.
Nature
The Raven Man appears as an older man with precisely trimmed white hair and beard, and an immaculate - if slightly dated - mode of dress. He has shining gold eyes.[1]
He is able to transform into a flock of ravens.[2][3] Because he has appeared on several planes, Liliana suspects he is a planeswalker.[4] Because the Raven Man always knew where Liliana had been and what she had been doing there. Liliana later began to suspect that he may, in fact, be incorporeal, an affliction of her own mind, a curse or a mental parasite.[5] Noting that he hadn't changed a bit since she had first met him, Liliana later wondered if he was an illusion or a very precise shapeshifter.[1] It is worth noting that his form of a flock of ravens can be seen by other people (e.g. Araithia Shokta), but not his humanoid form.[1]
Although claiming that all he ever wanted was to guide Liliana toward becoming the best, truest and most powerful version of herself, Liliana realizes that all he actually wants is her obedience and to use her.[1]
History
When Liliana's brother Josu was poisoned by her father's enemies, the Raven Man offered his assistance, though he warned that her family would not want her to use his cure. Liliana returned to the castle and despite the warnings of Lady Ana, she used the cure. Truly, it cured Josu of his affliction, but only at the cost of driving him insane and poisoning him anew.
The Raven Man also seemingly orchestrated Liliana's discovery of the Chain Veil on Shandalar.[6]
When Jace Beleren, under the influence of the cryptoliths on Innistrad, tried to mentally assault Liliana in her mansion, the Raven Man protected her and tried to convince her to kill Jace.[7] Later, he repeatedly tried to contact Liliana to convince her to flee from Emrakul's onslaught.[8] In both cases, she defied him and refused to listen to his arguments, suspecting that nothing good would come from acting on his advice.
Despite this, he later reappeared to her on Amonkhet, revealing that he had been keeping tabs on her and even saved her life again by taking control over the Chain Veil. While he tolerated her affiliation with the Gatewatch to gain useful servants, he warned her to not become too attached to them and focus on what really mattered.[5] Back on Dominaria, he plagued Liliana again, taunting her but never giving answers. Here she began to suspect that he had tortured her in her youth to ignite her spark.[9]
After the events of the War of the Spark on Ravnica, Liliana fled home to Dominaria once more. Here, the Raven Man accosted her again.[1] He was utterly disappointed when Liliana, with the help of Ugin, managed to relieve herself of the Chain Veil.
Story appearances
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Raven's Eye, Part 1 | Jenna Helland | 2010-06-17 | Dominaria | Liliana Vess, Ana, Josu Vess, Raven Man | |
| The Raven's Eye, Part 3 | Jenna Helland | 2010-07-01 | Shandalar | Liliana Vess, Raven Man | |
| Liliana's Origin: The Fourth Pact | James Wyatt | 2015-06-17 | Magic Origins | Dominaria, Two unknown planes | Liliana Vess, Raven Man, Ana, Josu Vess, Nicol Bolas, Kothophed |
| Feast | Alison Luhrs | 2017-06-14 | Hour of Devastation | Amonkhet | Liliana Vess, Jace Beleren, Razaketh, Raven Man, Gideon Jura, Chandra Nalaar, Nissa Revane |
| Hour of Devastation | Ken Troop | 2017-07-26 | Hour of Devastation | Amonkhet | Nicol Bolas, Jace Beleren, Liliana Vess, Chandra Nalaar, Nissa Revane, Gideon Jura, Raven Man, Tezzeret |
| Return to Dominaria: Episode 2 | Martha Wells | 2018-03-22 | Dominaria | Dominaria | Liliana Vess, Raven Man, Gideon Jura, Rael, Corin, Josu Vess |
References
- ↑ a b c d e Greg Weisman (November 2019). "War of the Spark: Forsaken". Del Rey.
- ↑ Jenna Helland, Brady Dommermuth et al. (June 17, 2010). "The Raven's Eye, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt (June 17, 2015). "Liliana's Origin: The Fourth Pact". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt (July 29, 2015). "Unkindness of Ravens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Kelly Digges (April 19, 2017). "Servants". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt (July 2, 2014). "Veil of Deceit". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kelly Digges (April 20, 2016). "Liliana's Indignation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ken Troop (July 27, 2016). "The Promised End". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Martha Wells (March 22, 2018). "Return to Dominaria: Episode 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.