Athreos
| Athreos | |
|---|---|
| God of Passage | |
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Athreos.jpg}}|250px]] | |
| Details | |
| Race | God |
| Birthplace | Theros |
| Colors | |
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Athreos is the God of Passage on Theros. In his role of easing the passage from life to death, he is associated with white and black mana.
Description
The shrouded Athreos is the River Guide, the divine ferryman of the dead across the Rivers That Ring the World to the Underworld. Silent, bent, and tattered, he patiently fulfills his role. Athreos is never without his signature staff, a gnarled length of dark wood. When he lays his staff over one of the five Rivers, it becomes a boat to carry the dead.[1]
Athreos cares little for the other gods' conflict with mortals: his primary concern is safe passage for the dead.[2] When he gathers the newly dead to be ferried across the Five Rings, Athreos sends skeletal griffins to fetch those who stray.[3] The custom on Theros is to craft a funerary mask of clay for the newly departed. In this way, the identities of the deceased are "framed" for Athreos, so that he can mark their proper passage. Such masks are broken into shards called ostraka and used as barter in the Underworld.
Ravos was an oracle of Athreos and Kunoros is the guardian dog of the god.
Phyrexian Invasion
During New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, the Phyrexians invaded the Underworld, compleating all they touched. However, when they reached the titan Kroxa, the void of its maw obliterated them so thoroughly that no glistening oil remained. Seeing this, Athreos struck the chains binding Kroxa, allowing it to rampage through the Underworld and destroy Phyrexians. To ensure that it didn't escape again, Athreos also sent his hound Kunoros to accompany the titan.
Story appearances
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tragedy | Jennifer Clarke Wilkes | 2013-10-23 | Theros | Theros | Penthikos, Iroas, Heliod, Purphoros, Athreos, Erebos |
| Cowardice of the Hero | Matt Knicl | 2014-01-22 | Born of the Gods | Theros | Vinack, Athreos, Heliod, Pharika, Zerili, Mogis |
| The Walls of Akros | Kelly Digges | 2014-02-26 | Born of the Gods | Theros | Leandros, Kyrillos, Bardas, Borias, Haemon, Nikasios, Xanthos, Mnesos, Diocles, Pallas, Eumalos, Athreos, Iroas, Mogis |
| Desperate Stand | Matt Knicl | 2014-04-16 | Journey into Nyx | Theros | Vinack, Aesrias, Solon, Kedarick VI, Kytheon Iora, Erebos, Athreos |
Gallery
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Quoted or referred to:
Inspiration
The character of Athreos is inspired by Charon, a Greek mythological figure and ferryman to the underworld.
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 16, 2019). "The Theros Beyond Death Story on Cards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Flavor text of Aegis of the Gods
- ↑ Flavor text of Sentry of the Underworld
External links
- The Magic Creative Team (April 02, 2014). "Planeswalker's Guide to Journey into Nyx". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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