Teysa Karlov
| Teysa Karlov | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:TeysaMurdersAtKarlovManor.png}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | Human |
| Birthplace | Ravnica City, Ravnica |
| Lifetime | ~9962 ZC |
| Died | c. 4563 AR |
| Sources | |
| Guildpact, Dissension | |
Teysa Karlov was the guildmaster of the Orzhov Syndicate. She was the Matriarch of the Karlov family.[1] She was assassinated around 4563 AR as part of a series of murders beginning at Karlov Manor.[2]
Description
Teysa was a smart and savvy Orzhov lawmage and always had been very ambitious. With a few well-chosen words and a couple of well-planned smiles, she could make practically anyone dance to her tune.[3] She was more than one hundred years old and walked with a cane because of her lame leg.[4] Though she made an effort to appear fit, walking had become increasingly difficult for her as she aged.[5] She wore a small silvery labret piercing that hung down to her chin and another piercing above her left eyebrow.[6]
History
Advokist
The scion of one of the most respected Orzhov families, House Karlov, Teysa was employed as a notable "advokist", or lawmage, with a name and reputation that preceded her until she was made a baroness of the Utvara Reclamation Zone.[7] There, Teysa came into contact with Zomaj Hauc, who had schemes to control Ravnica; but, with an assembled force of warriors recruited from various sources, including the Ravnican guilds, as well as her wealth of experience, arcane knowledge, and magic that allowed her to control a dragon, she was influential in stopping Hauc and, in return, gained her the respect of the inhabitants of the area and consolidated her power and authority.
Later on, Karlov was called upon by Feather as her advokist and entangled in the nephilim attacks and the events surrounding the disappearance and subsequent return of the Parhelion.[8]
Grand envoy
After the breaking of the Guildpact and the Decamillennial, Teysa was intimately involved in the drafting of a new, non-magical Guildpact for the peace, order, and good government and relations of Ravnica[9] and has been made the first and only Grand Envoy of the Orzhov Syndicate, thereby becoming the official speaker and ambassador for the guildmaster, the Obzedat.[10]
Staging a coup
Not satisfied with that position, she conspired with the Boros knight Tajic to remove the Obzedat from power.[11] Tricking the Living Guildpact in providing her with the means to enter the Obzedat's Chamber, she almost retrieved the final evidence of the financial corruption of the Obzedat. In the end, she was foiled by her ghostly grandfather and stripped of her office of advokist and grand envoy by the Ghost Council.[4]
Awaiting her time
Teysa remained in prison for a long time, because the Ghost Council was extorting corrupt officials to make sure they kept her locked away.[12] At the same time, she was magically kept alive to prevent her from becoming a ghost. Thanks to the efforts of her apprentice, Tomik Vrona, she had been able to keep abreast of the events in the outside world. Sent by their mutual friend, Nicol Bolas, the planeswalker Kaya came to free Teysa, but Teysa insisted that their involvement should stay hidden.[13][14] As Ral Zarek, Hekara and Vraska staged an invasion of rot zombies as a distraction, Kaya infiltrated the catacombs and killed Grandfather Karlov and all other members of the Obzedat. Through a loophole in the Orzhov rules, Kaya immediately became the new leader of the guild.[15] With the ascension of Kaya as head of the Orzhov Syndicate, Teysa was reinstated as the most powerful oligarch of the guild (second only to Kaya herself). She patiently awaited further events.[16]
Staging another coup
Kaya and Teysa attended the guild summit on behalf of the Syndicate and witnessed its dissolution after the murder of Isperia.[17] Despite Teysa's warning against it, Kaya later freed many people from the debts they owed the guild, particularly the bound ghosts.[18] This quickly led to unrest among the hierarchs, as it eroded the foundation of the Orzhov guild. Kaya was almost killed by one of her priests who called her a traitor.[19] As Kaya returned to Orzhova, she found that the hierarchs had pressured Teysa to arrest her. But Tomik Vrona felt that Teysa was making a mistake, and helped Kaya to force the hierarchs to comply with her will. Teysa was then arrested.[20]
Matriarch
After the War of the Spark, the new Living Guildpact assigned Kaya the task of assassinating Liliana Vess. This cleared the way for Teysa to take the reigns as Matriarch of Orzhov's leading oligarch family.[1] Joining up with the Dimir guildmaster Lazav to gain the ultimate power, she managed to play her competitors, the members of the Triumvirate, and put them out against each other. While Kaya stayed as the nominal leader, and Tomik Vrona managed the guild daily, Teysa was content to be the power behind the curtain.[21]
Phyrexian Invasion
Teysa fought in defense of Ravnica during New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse. Using an unrevealed source, she supplied critical intelligence about the movements of Phyrexian forces that saved countless lives.[22][23] While Kaya was off-plane during the Invasion, Teysa outmaneuvered her and claimed the title of guildmaster of the Orzhov.[5]
Murders at Karlov Manor
A year and some months after the invasion, Teysa hosted a party at Karlov Manor in celebration of both Kaya's defense of the plane and the Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations's guardianship following the invasion.[5] After Zegana was assassinated at the party, Teysa avoided questioning by the Azorius.[24] Three days later, Kaya discovered Teysa's body within her Manor, stabbed through the chest with her own cane.[2] Beside her was a paper note written in her own hand in Phyrexian. Because she warded her soul before her death, she could not be summoned and did not immediately appear as a ghost after her death.[25]
Story appearances
Gallery
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Teysa, Orzhov Scion. Art by Todd Lockwood.
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Teysa, Orzhov Scion. Art by Sara Winters
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Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts. Art by Karla Ortiz.
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Teysa Karlov. Art by Magali Villeneuve.
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Revival. Art by Paul Scott Canavan.
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Ignoring Teysa's warnings, Kaya as Guildmaster unleashes many spirits that are servants of the Orzhov.
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Secret Lair art
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Art Series
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
- Borborygmos
- Cryptwailing
- Horncaller's Chant
- Immortal Servitude
- Karlov of the Ghost Council
- Kaya's Wrath
- Mana Confluence (Commander Legends)
- Mystic Genesis
- Obzedat's Aid
- Orzhov Guildgate (Dragon's Maze)
- Orzhov Guildgate (Ravnica Allegiance, #253)
- Tithebearer Giant
- Urbis Protector (Gatecrash)
- Wasteland Viper
Sources
- Cory J. Herndon. (2006.) Ravnica Cycle, Book II: Guildpact, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786939893.
- Cory J. Herndon. (2006.) Ravnica Cycle, Book III: Dissension, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786940011.
References
- ↑ a b Greg Weisman (May 22, 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica – Rallying the Reluctant". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Seanan McGuire (January 9, 2023). "Murders at Karlov Manor - Episode 3: Shadows of Regret". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Rei Nakazawa (January 9, 2006). "Signing Onto the Guildpact". Magicthegathering.com.
- ↑ a b Alison Luhrs (November 11, 2015). "Family Values". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c Seanan McGuire (December 5, 2023). "Murders at Karlov Manor - Episode 1: Ghosts of Our Past". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (April 30, 2013). "Does Teysa have a piercing on her chin?". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Cory J. Herndon. (2006.) Ravnica Cycle, Book II: Guildpact, Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Cory Herndon (2006), Dissension. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Adam Lee (August 29, 2012). "Ravnica, Then and Now". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (December 12, 2012). "Planeswalker's Guide to Gatecrash: Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Adam Lee (April 10, 2013). "Teysa Karlov". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt (January 2019). "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Ravnica". Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Django Wexler (June, 2019), The Gathering Storm/Chapter Two.
- ↑ Django Wexler (July 3, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Five.
- ↑ Django Wexler (July 18, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Seven.
- ↑ Flavor text for Teysa Karlov
- ↑ Django Wexler (August 14, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Ten.
- ↑ Django Wexler (August 28, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Twelve.
- ↑ Django Wexler (September 11, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Fourteen.
- ↑ Django Wexler (September 18, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Fifteen.
- ↑ Greg Weisman (November 2019). "War of the Spark: Forsaken". Del Rey.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (Apr 3, 2023). "March of the Machine Learning, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Teysa Karlov
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 8, 2024). "Murders at Karlov Manor - Episode 2: Monsters We Became". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 10, 2024). "Murders at Karlov Manor - Episode 4: Justice Before Mercy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
