Atarka
| Atarka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | Elder Dragon |
| Birthplace | Tarkir |
| Lifetime | From before the Khanfall (the Thaw) until present |
| Colors | |
  | |
| Scryfall Search | |
|
lore:"Atarka" watermark:"Atarka" | |
Atarka (/ətɑːrkə/ uh-TARK-uh)[1] is one of the five elder dragons of Tarkir. She is a robust beast with antlers, horns, and fur. She breathes green flames. The ultimate predator, Atarka spends her days, and most of her nights, hunting and feasting.[2]
Atarka's Brood
Atarka and her brood emerged full-fledged from Ugin's dragon tempests and were drawn to Tarkir's mountain slopes. They were driven by hunger alone. Like their progenitor, Atarka's brood breathe fire.[3]
Original timeline
Atarka and her brood were revered by the Temur Frontier for their savagery. After Ugin's death, they lost the battle against the clans of Tarkir. No new brood was created and all died. Atarka never reached elder status.
Current timeline
In the current timeline created by Sarkhan Vol, Atarka's barely sapient mentality proved to be the salvation to the Temur, as Yasova satiated her hunger by feeding her mammoth carcasses, distracting the dragons from attacking her clan.[4] Fearful of the elementalism wielded by the shamans of the Temur, the Atarka dragons eventually initiated a purge that only a few could evade and outlawed the title "Dragonclaw".
Eighteen years after the Khanfall of Tarkir, Atarka confronted Yasova's hunting band after the death of two Atarka and Ojutai broodlings. The band were only saved because Tae Jin had a vision of Nicol Bolas, and impressed Atarka with his tale.[5]
Clan Atarka
Led by Surrak, the Hunt Caller, the former Temur of the present remained fairly independent - as long as the dragons were fed. Savagery and strength were their greatest assets. The clan was joined by the Efreet of Qadat (formerly Jeskai Way). They had been won over by Atarka's promise to spread the glory of fire to all the world. Atarka was worshipped and fed by her subjects at Ayagor, the Dragon's Bowl. The dragons spent most of their time hunting or fighting among themselves. Atarka serving-goblins coated themselves with grease imbued with noxious herbs, hoping to discourage their ravenous masters from adding them to the meal. The frontier ainok sometimes hunted alongside the humans of the clan. They quickly grabbed a share of the meat and scattered to their dens before the dragons could notice and catch them.
Warriors of the Atarka were much like warriors of the bygone Temur, in that they understood how to survive in their frontier wilderness.[6] In the current timeline, the most important force in the frontier were the huge, hungry Atarka-brood dragons, so for the humans, ainok, and other hunters to eat, they had to make sure the dragons are fed first.
Within the Atarka, dissent brewed as a young shaman, Arel, had visions of a Tarkir without the tyranny of the dragonlords.
Defeat
The invasion by New Phyrexia resulted in substantial casualties for the dragons, which, combined with reduced dragonstorms, sufficiently weakened the dragonlords' grip on power.[7] The humanoid rebellions were able to gain traction, evolving from scattered militias and guerilla operations to overt and open rebellions under the banners of the old clan names.
The former Planeswalker Narset hoped to find a way to end what she saw as a perpetual battle of attrition that would leave Tarkir as little more than ruins.[7] In her research, she uncovered a spell scroll for the Stormnexus Ritual. Though hesitant to use the ritual due to its potential dangers, was convinced by the other rebellion leaders that this was the best way to ensure a unified Tarkir.
The magic called up a massive dragonstorm, and in its swirling energies, five mighty spirit dragons emerged.[7] In a flash of power, the dragon spirits and what would become the new clan leaders were bound. As the ritual was enacted, the dragonlords and their remaining broods attempted to stop the rebellion's plans. A fearsome battle ensued between the dragonlords and the newly formed spirit dragons, the storm raging around them. In the end, the dragonlords were defeated and seemingly swallowed up by the massive storm.
Story appearances
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
- Commune with Lava
- Conifer Strider
- Destructor Dragon
- Dragon Fodder (Dragons of Tarkir)
- Dragonlord's Servant
- Dragon-Scarred Bear
- Harbinger of the Hunt
- Hardened Berserker
- Heritage Reclamation
- Magmatic Chasm
- Qal Sisma Behemoth
- Roast
- Seismic Rupture
- Stampeding Elk-Herd
- Stoke the Flames (March of the Machine)
- Summit Prowler (Dragons of Tarkir)
- Surrak, Elusive Hunter
- Surrak, the Hunt Caller
- Tread Upon
- Verdant Catacombs
- Volcanic Rush
- Atarka's brood:
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2015). "Here's a pronunciation guide for some of the names that were requested earlier today.". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (March 18, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-03-21.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (February 25, 2015). "Breath weapon rundown". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Kelly Digges (February 18, 2015). "Khanfall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (July 18, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: Blood and Fire". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (April 02, 2015). "Warriors of the Atarka are a lot like warriors of the bygone Temur". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c Lauren Bond & DK Billins (February 21, 2025). "Planeswalker's Guide to Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
