Baltrice
| Baltrice | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Colors |
 |
| Species | Human |
| Jobs | Wizard, Pyromancer |
| Spark | Planeswalker |
| Birth, Life & Death | |
| Birthplace | Unknown |
| Lifetime | Mending Era |
| Sources | |
| Agents of Artifice, Test of Metal | |
Baltrice is a red-aligned planeswalker, at least 6 feet tall with broad shoulders and ash-grey hair. She is the loyal lieutenant of the artificer Tezzeret, working for the Infinite Consortium. Being a pyromancer, she specializes in fire elementals though she seems to have learned some of the art of artifice from Tezzeret.
Description
Baltrice is tall and powerfully built, over six feet in height and with shoulders broad like a small ogre. Her face and nose are flat, and she has dull, gray eyes and hair, which made her appear older than her actual age.[1] Her hair is close-cropped, in an "I’m too damned busy to waste time doing my hair" style. She dresses in a similarly utilitarian fashion, heavy drakeskin boots, with tunic, pants, and jacket of tightly woven fibers of fire-resistant stonewort. Flames lick from both of her hands, and a swirl of fire dances across her head and shoulders.[2]
History
Agents of Artifice
After Jace Beleren was scouted by the Consortium, Baltrice took an instant and intense dislike to the mind mage and acted irrationally and hot-headed around him. She briefly showed her good side when she let Jace escape in return for having saved her life on Kamigawa, but this served her as well, leaving the position as second to Tezzeret clearly in Baltrice's favor. However, whatever good nature she had was proven a fluke when she repeatedly tortured Jace while he was imprisoned in Tezzeret's sanctum. During the Fall of the Infinite Consortium, Jace escaped, and Baltrice was defeated by Liliana Vess
Test of Metal
|
Ambiguous
Official statements to resolve the conflicts either do not exist, or contradict each other.
Uncertainty has its own allure.
|
Due to continuity issues, it is unclear if Test of Metal is still considered part of the canon
Baltrice was not slain by Liliana but was found by Jace when she attempted to return to Ravnica. Jace nursed her back to health, and soon, she took her position as the right hand of the Consortium once again, working for Jace out of gratitude. She turned up in Esper along with Jace in an attempt to capture Tezzeret after he set off a trap that had alerted them to his survival.
The two planeswalkers fail to capture Tezzeret and, instead, Jace is afflicted with an etherium device which prevents him from using magic, planeswalking, or his mental powers. Tezzeret agrees to remove the device if Baltrice helps him in his search for Crucius the Mad. Baltrice is suspiciously fond of Jace despite the intense hatred displayed during Tezzeret's tenure as lord of the Consortium, causing Tezzeret to believe that Jace had used his powers to mentally alter her disposition. Baltrice assists Tezzeret in his fight when they reach the Crystal Labryinth.
In the final meeting between Tezzeret, Baltrice, and Jace, Tezzeret offers her a sangrite necklace that he claims will make her immune to mental domination. Jace warns Baltrice not to put the necklace on, that it is a trick by Tezzeret. Baltrice becomes suspicious that Jace has done exactly as Tezzeret suspected of him. Jace claims that after the fight with Vess, Baltrice’s mind was so haunted that it was driving her insane, and he only did enough to relieve her of the painful memories. Unsure who is telling the truth, Baltrice leaves Jace and Tezzeret without putting on the necklace.
Trivia
- Ari Marmell intended for Baltrice to have died during the finale of Agents of Artifice. He was surprised when he learned she had survived.[3] With much of Test of Metal's canon having been ignored or changed, Baltrice's actual final fate is left questionable as well.
Story appearances
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agents of Artifice | Ari Marmell | January 2009 | Magic 2010 | Ravnica, Kamigawa, "Kankarras Mountains plane", "Incarnate Soul plane", Grixis, "Iron Tower plane" | Kallist Rhoka, Gariel, Ishri, Liliana Vess, Semner, Errit, Rin, Boricov, Albin, Jace Beleren, Rulan Barthaneul, Berrim, Baltrice, Tezzeret, Gemreth, Emmara Tandris, Delvekkian, Alhammarret (mentioned), Paldor, Ronia Hesset, Sevrien, Bonetooth, Swamp-Eye, Moon-Hand, Mauriel Pellam, Ireena, Xalmarias, Nicol Bolas, Talqez, Darrim, Eshton Navar, Ignixnax, Tanarra, Phanol, Calran, Kaori, Laphiel Kartz, Kerstophe, Caladessa, Malfegor (mentioned), Zafirim, Irivan, Oberilia Zant |
| Test of Metal | Matthew Stover | October 2010 | Magic 2010 | Metal Island, Alara (Jund, Esper) | Crucius, Tezzeret, Nicol Bolas, Silas Renn, Amalex Pannet (mentioned), Jest, Chammie, Baltrice, Jace Beleren, Posner, Nozzle, Sharuum, Faltus Mack, Liliana Vess, Mr. Shinypants, Kemuel, Tiln |
Planeswalkers met
Planes visited
References
- ↑ Ari Marmell (2009). Agents of Artifice, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951345
- ↑ Matthew Stover (2010) - Test of Metal, Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Wizards.com (archived)
