Agadeem
| Agadeem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | Zendikar |
| Colors |
 |
| Type | Island |
| Part of | Silundi Sea, Ondu |
| Formerly part of | Makindi Empire |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Agadeem is an island off the coast of Ondu, on the plane of Zendikar.
Description
Agadeem is the largest of Ondu's three islands and appears more like an extension of the mainland than a separate landmass. It is possible to walk from mainland Ondu to Agadeem and neighboring Beyeen without using a boat, likely due to natural causeways or ancient bridges.[1]
The island’s surface is covered in savanna broken by shallow canyons reminiscent of the Makindi Trenches, though less deep and extensive. Ancient stone hedrons, ranging from a few inches to dozens of yards in length, litter the sodden earth. Many lie partially buried, but since the rise of the Eldrazi, some have risen from the ground to drift and spin in unpredictable patterns. These floating hedrons sometimes cluster together in starlike shapes before drifting apart again.[2]
The greatest concentration of these relics is found in the Fields of Agadeem. The laws of nature twist strangely around these hedron fields, producing bizarre, magical, and gravitational phenomena. Massive discs of earth have been known to rise from the ground, rotate in midair, then settle at odd angles in a distortion of the Roil. Humid winds swirl into knotted eddies, forming spheres of elemental air that trap groups of floating hedrons—and sometimes ensnare flying creatures within. Scholars believe that, if properly harnessed, the power of these hedron fields could fuel spellcraft of unimaginable scale, but the hedrons' chaotic motion makes controlled experiments dangerously unreliable.[3][2]
Kabira is a plateau once used as hunting grounds for the kor. It formerly hosted a crossroads settlement near the hedron fields[3] until it was destroyed by Ulamog's brood.[4]
Deep beneath the island lies the Crypt of Agadeem, a vast burial complex once used by an ancient human civilization.[2] The crypt is from the Eldrazi era, meaning it is about 6000 years old.[5] The crypt's entrance stands on a canyon shelf where no sunlight reaches, flanked by elaborate carved pillars and guarded by huge stone spikes jutting from the canyon wall like a warning. Beyond its archway lies the Crypt Maw, a cavern the size of a cathedral, lit by pale purplish light and filled with thousands of bats and malevolent spirits.[2] At the rear of the Crypt Maw stands the massive Cryptlock, a mystic stone sculpture that bars access to miles of trapped tunnels lined with countless corpses. The Cryptlock is said to open only rarely during the "death-hour" just before dawn, and only when the correct incantations are spoken.[2]
Mad human, goblin, and vampire mages known as Witch Vessels have bypassed the lock, navigating the deadly tunnels and communing with the dead in a lost "ghost tongue." Many believe their cryptic prophecies foretold the rise of the Eldrazi.[2]
History
In 4557 AR, Nissa Revane, Sorin Markov, and Anowon passed through Agadeem on their journey to Akoum. Traveling from the Piston Mountains in Makindi, they were ambushed by a brood of Eldrazi and forced to fight before continuing to Beyeen.[1]
During the Rise of the Eldrazi, Kabira was devastated by Ulamog, leaving it a corrupted ruin.[6]
During "the death-hour," the Witch Vessel Vivias released the ghosts sealed within the crypt, sending them to torment the living.[7]
Gallery
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Agadeem concept art. -
Agadeem, the Undercrypt -
Crypt of Agadeem -
Kabira Plateau
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Referred to:
References
- ↑ a b Robert B. Wintermute (2010) - Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum, Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ a b c d e f James Wyatt (January 5, 2016) - The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Zendikar, WotC
- ↑ a b Magic Creative Team (November 11, 2009). "A Planeswalker's Guide to Zendikar: Ondu". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2019-08-12.
- ↑ As seen in Corrupted Crossroads
- ↑ James Wyatt (April 2016) - Plane Shift: Zendikar, WotC.
- ↑ As seen in Corrupted Crossroads.
- ↑ As seen in Agadeem's Awakening.