Palladia-Mors
| Palladia-Mors | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Elder Dragon |
| Birthplace | Dominaria |
| Born | c. -25,000 AR |
| Died | Bef. 0 AR |
| Children |
Darigaaz Rith |
| Parents | The Ur-Dragon |
| Relatives |
Arcades Sabboth (brother) Chromium Rhuell (brother) Merrevia Sal (sister) Nicol Bolas (brother) Ugin (brother) Vaevictis Asmadi (cousin) Lividus (cousin) Piru (cousin) Ravus (cousin) Rubra (cousin) |
| Colors | |
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| Sources | |
| Legends | |
Palladia-Mors is a vicious, reddish green, elder dragon with curling horns. She was spawned by the Ur-Dragon, along with her brothers Arcades Sabboth, Nicol Bolas, Ugin, and Chromium Rhuell, her sister Merrevia Sal, and their cousins Vaevictis Asmadi and Piru. She is the mother of the Primeval Rith.[1]
History
Youth
Upon her birth, she was uninterested in the other dragons and was only interested in hunting and eating.[2] When approached by her younger siblings the twins Nicol and Ugin, she denigrated their size and their hunting techniques.
Elder Dragon War
Palladia-Mors was easily impressionable and therefore one of the first to partake in the Elder Dragon War, as instigated by Nicol Bolas.[3] She was one of the most notorious survivors.[4]
The Legend of Mors Ridge
After the Dragon Wars, nothing is known about her until much, much later, when the events told in the Legend of Mors Ridge happened. Afterward, this legend was told every year on the anniversary of the Dominarian town by Arcus, a member of the High Council of Mors Ridge. According to the legend, an enchanted child wandered to an ancient cave, where she found the Elder Dragons Chromium and Palladia-Mors. Chromium was so surprised that any human could come so close to them and not be afraid that he spent hours listening to her and ignored Mors' anger. The townsfolk soon came looking for the missing child and found her in the cave. The ignorant town wizard pronounced the dragons evil and rallied the townsfolk. Palladia-Mors shrieked a battle cry and flew off to destroy the humans. Hundreds of people were killed and the town was set ablaze in the battle. During the battle, a stranger appeared and cast a spell that caused Palladia-Mors to fall to the earth; the villagers later buried her. The stranger stayed in Mors Ridge and became the first "Tickery Man".
The Battle of Mors Ridge
When the warlord Red Donald and his daughter Ad'Amra arrived in the town eighty years later, it was the boy called Ham who performed the "Tickery" magic to keep Palladia-Mors at bay. Donald didn't believe the story and when a magical storm picked up, his Dragon Whelp familiar convinced him to start digging canals in the ridge. This awoke Palladia-Mors. Then, the dragon whelp was revealed to be her cousin Vaevictis Asmadi. He had manipulated Donald to awaken Palladia, needing her to lift the curse that had turned him into a whelp. Palladia did so, and together with an army of zombies and orcs the two Elders started wreaking havoc, killing Red Donald. This caused Ad'Amra to take the lead of the Army of the Valley in the battle against the dragons.
Throughout the chaos, Ham had been acting strangely. He refused to hurt Palladia and pushed away Ad’Amra, who had fallen in love with him. In the end, it was revealed that Ham was the benevolent Elder Dragon Chromium Rhuell. Chromium convinced Vaevictis to turn on Palladia, but Palladia reversed one of Vaevictis' spells, and he disappeared from the battle. Finally, Ad’Amra and Chromium managed to put the sleep spell back on Palladia.[5]
Gallery
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Card art in Legends.
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Palladia-Mors awakens.
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Palladia-Mors necromantic powers.
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Chromium Rhuell defeats his sister Palladia-Mors.
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Trivia
- In Latin, "Pallida Mors" translates as "Pale Death". It could be a reference to Horace (Caeminum, 1, 4, 13-14): "pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas, regumque turres." which translates to 'Pale death comes equally to the hovels of the poor and the towered palaces of kings', though Legends designer Conard suggests the reference was unintentional.[6]
- Palladia is the plural for palladium, like the element, which from Latin is also the name of the statues of Athena (aka Pallas) that surround Troy. They were believed to protect the city and the word represented "safeguard"; with "mors", this suggests Palladia-Mors is "guarded against death". Given how Palladia never dies even at the end of her story, it is a fitting name.
Story appearances
In-game references
- Represented in:
References
- ↑ Roy Graham (September 1, 2022). "The Legends You'll Find in Dominaria United". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (June 13, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: The Twins". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (July 18, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: Blood and Fire". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Elder Dragons (comic)
- ↑ Jay Annelli (January 4, 2024). "Killed by Chromium to stop her rampage". Twitter.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November, 2008). "Ask Wizards - November 2008". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.