Tolarian Academy
| Tolarian Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
| Founded on | Dominaria |
| Founded | Before the Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria |
| Status | Active |
| Membership | |
| Founded by | Barrin, Urza |
| Members | Adeliz, Alexi, Darrob, Dreva, Ertai, Gatha, Hanna, Jhoira, Karn, Naban, Naru Meha, Rayne, Riand, Rona, Skaven, Teferi |
| Information | |
| Colors |
 |
| Species | Humans |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
The Tolarian Academy is an influential institution of magical learning spread across multiple campuses on Dominaria.[1] The original campus was both a school and a research facility founded on the island of Tolaria by Urza and Barrin in 3285 AR.[2][3] The Academy quickly became a center for training elite mages, conducting advanced magical and scientific research, and producing some of the greatest artificers and temporal theorists of its age. Today, its legacy continues through several surviving campuses, each preserving the pioneering spirit and knowledge of Urza and Barrin’s original vision.
Description
The original Academy was used by its founders to train an elite cadre of mages to lead Dominaria's defense in the upcoming Phyrexian Invasion and to conduct research into weapons that could be used in the war. Although originally run by Urza himself, as it expanded, others such as Barrin, Jhoira, and Rayne assumed chancellorship. Especially as Urza's mission took him on longer and further journeys throughout the planes. Notable students of the academy include Teferi, Jhoira, Gatha, Ertai, and Hanna.
The Academy was responsible for many important magical creations throughout its history. Amongst these was the discovery of slowtime water capable of letting mortals live vastly extended lifespans (as used by Barrin, Rayne, and Jhoira, among others), the creation of a time-traveling device, the eugenic manipulation of the Metathran and the Bloodline project, and the building of the Titan Engines, the Soul Bombs and the Skyship Weatherlight.
Tolarian Temporal Disaster
When Jhoira's life was taken by a Phyrexian sleeper agent during a Phyrexian assault in 3307 AR, Karn used Urza's time machine to go back and save her; though he succeeded, the time machine suffered a catastrophic failure, destroying the first academy and leaving Tolaria a shattered temporal landscape.[4] This also created the Tolarian Time Rift.
Headmaster Urza escaped with Mage Master Barrin and thirteen other students and scholars.[5] Karn rescued twenty more, but Jhoira was stranded alone.
The Invasion of Tolaria
The survivors of the academy moved their school to a grand sailing ship named New Tolaria.[6] Ten years later, Urza, Barrin, and Karn returned to Tolaria with a new batch of students to help rebuild the academy and discovered Jhoira still alive, and Teferi trapped in a slow-time bubble. Jhoira and Karn worked hard and eventually devised a method to rescue Teferi. When Urza left the island to visit Shiv and Yavimaya, the Invasion of Tolaria began, with K'rrik's negators swarming over the island in increasing numbers. This invasion was ended only through the combined efforts of Barrin and his students, faculty, and artifact creatures, Jhoira and Teferi and their allies from Shiv including Rhammidarigaaz, Gherridarigaaz, viashino and goblins, as well as the spirit of Multani carried inside Urza.[7]
Destruction
The original Academy was destroyed once again by the Phyrexians during the first stage of their Invasion, while Barrin destroyed the whole island along with all of its occupants while grieving the loss of his daughter Hanna.
The new Tolarian Academies
Nowadays, there exist five particularly well-known Tolarian Academies (though they are not necessarily the only ones). The known campuses are:
- Tolaria West - in the Spice Isles, west of Aerona
- Lat-Nam - an island west of Terisiare
- Orvada - on the island of Walassa between Aerona and the Burning Isles
- Tolaria of the Depths - deep underwater at the ruins where Tolaria originally stood. This campus primarily serves merfolk and other aquatic species like cephalids.
- The Shadow Academy - does not have a particular location, but exists as a secret network using a pocket dimension to communicate with each other.[1][2]
Within these academies there are three main pedagogical lineages: Urzans (systematical and cynical, focusing on artifice, temporal mechanics and genetics), Barrinites (humane and ethical, focusing on sorcery, temporal mechanics, and administration), and Raynians (focusing on improvement of artifacts and recruitment).[2] There are also secret cults of Phyrexian sympathizers (The "Society of Mishra" and Gixians[8]) and a strain of scientists performing illegal genetic experiments ("Gathans").
The primary source of income for the Tolarian academies is tuition and providing expertise to those in need of scientific or magical help. They have also branched out into more practical and immediately vital sciences like Agriculture and Aquaculture.[2] The campuses maintain a network of regular ocean-sailing packet ships that move news and passengers from one campus to another. They hold right-of-passage agreements with a variety of (suboceanic) nations.
During the Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria, the former Tolarian student Ertai was resurrected as a Phyrexian and took control of the academy at Lat-Nam.[9] In the aftermath of the New Phyrexian Invasion, the Tolarians excised the Society of Mishra from their ranks.[10]
Famous students and faculty
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
References
- ↑ a b Blake Rasmussen (March 26, 2018). "Dominaria Card of the Day: Wizard's Lightning and Retort". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-03-27.
- ↑ a b c d James Wyatt (2018), The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Dominaria. VIZ Media.
- ↑ Flavor text of Automatic Librarian
- ↑ Blake Rasmussen (March 30, 2018). "Dominaria Card of the Day: Karn's Temporal Sundering". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09.
- ↑ Jess Lebow (April 1999). "Forgotten Lore: Jhoira de Vivre" The Duelist #36, p.19.
- ↑ Will McDermott (April 1999). "Scars of the Legacy". The Official Urza's Legacy Game Guide
- ↑ J. Robert King (1999) - Time Streams, Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Roy Graham, Ethan Fleischer, Jenna Helland, Gerritt Turner (August 31, 2022). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dominaria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 29, 2022). "Dominaria United States of Design, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ WeeklyMTG - March of the Machine: The Aftermath (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (May 2, 2023).
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (November 13, 2006). "The Legends of Time Spiral". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09.