Bolas's Citadel

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Bolas's Citadel
Information
Plane Ravnica
Colors Black mana
Status Likely Destroyed
Part of Tenth District Plaza, Tenth District, Ravnica City
Formerly part of Naktamun, Amonkhet
Scryfall Statistics

Bolas's Citadel was a massive and imposing structure originally located in Naktamun on the plane of Amonkhet. It was created by the Elder Dragon Nicol Bolas as part of his grand design to consolidate power and prepare for the climactic conflict known as the War of the Spark. The citadel served as both a symbol of Bolas's godlike dominion over Amonkhet and a crucial staging ground for his invasion of Ravnica, where he intended to harvest the sparks of planeswalkers and ascend to ultimate power.

Description

After arriving on Ravnica, Bolas raised the citadel directly out of the northern end of the Tenth District Plaza, dramatically reshaping the skyline and overshadowing the heart of the city. Shortly afterwards, he erected the God-Pharaoh's Statue in the center of the plaza, further cementing his presence and instilling dread in the city's inhabitants. The citadel itself was a vast rectangular edifice that loomed over Ravnica's spires, crowned with a small pyramid that rose to an open platform used by Bolas to watch the unfolding battle.[1]

Throughout the entirety of the War of the Spark, Bolas remained in his citadel, directing his forces and overseeing the activation of the Elderspell. His lieutenants, Liliana Vess and Tezzeret, operated at his command — Liliana leading the Dreadhorde at the base of the citadel, while Tezzeret controlled the Planar Bridge to funnel Eternals from Amonkhet to Ravnica.[1]

The first direct assault on the citadel came from a battalion of Boros angels led by Aurelia, but they were swiftly repelled by the Elder Dragon's overwhelming power. Much of the fiercest fighting during the war took place in the streets and plazas below, with only a few daring to strike at the citadel itself. Gideon Jura later made a desperate attempt to slay Bolas using the Blackblade, but the attack failed and the weapon shattered.[1]

In the final moments of the war, Liliana defied Bolas by turning the Dreadhorde against him, an act that shattered her binding contract and began to destroy her. Gideon, sacrificing himself, transferred his protective magic to Liliana, saving her at the cost of his own life. Bolas was soon after struck by Hazoret's spear — thrown by the resurrected Niv-Mizzet — and then attacked by the God-Eternal Bontu, who harvested both Bolas's native spark and those stolen through the Elderspell. Overwhelmed by the stolen magic, Bontu was torn apart, and Bolas was ultimately banished to the Meditation Realm by his twin brother Ugin, while Jace Beleren concealed the truth with an illusion showing Bolas's apparent disintegration.[1]

After the war's end, Bolas's Citadel remained standing at the heart of the Tenth District Plaza — a grim monument to the devastation the dragon had wrought. It was at the foot of this towering structure that the planeswalkers who survived gathered one final time to honor Gideon's sacrifice and planeswalk his breastplate back to Theros, closing one chapter of Ravnica's troubled history.[2]

Trivia

Gallery

In-game references

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References

  1. ↑ a b c d Greg Weisman (April 2019). War of the Spark: Ravnica. Del Rey.
  2. ↑ Greg Weisman (November 2019) – War of the Spark: Forsaken, Del Rey.
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