Gaea

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Gaea
The Green Lady
Details
Race God
Birthplace Dominaria
Lifetime Myths place her as active from pre-history
Children Lady of Otaria (created)
Relatives Fiers (brother)
Colors
{G}

Gaea is Dominaria's Worldsoul[1], worshiped as a goddess.

Description

Gaea is described physically as having emerald hair in tresses flowing like tendrils behind her luminous, pearl-skinned body.[2]

In 4205 AR, Multani formed a new figurehead for the Skyship Weatherlight in the form of Gaea, with the physical aspects of the recently deceased Hanna. He shaped her torso as feminine and muscular, with a pair of powerful arms sweeping dramatically backward, with a long mantle of hair that twined like a vine about strong shoulders. Her face was beautiful, mysterious, and clear-eyed within those rampant locks. Multani thought that Gaea's representation could borrow Hanna’s face, for as a goddess, she had no face of her own and all faces all at once.[3]

Gaea is believed to be the plane's creator, and many elves and druids worship her. While never physically appearing outside of mythological descriptions, her existence seems to be confirmed by many individuals, and she is believed to have assisted directly in protecting Dominaria during the Phyrexian Invasion.

Character development

In prerevisionist continuity, Gaea was a green based planeswalker revered as a goddess, similarly to Freyalise. Very little is known about her, which makes classifying her very difficult: in the early days, the name Gaea was often just added to cards that the designers wanted to be flavored around nature, without much thought given to the implications. Later, Gaea was re-thought of as Dominaria's "real" goddess, and references to druids and elves being able to hear her started to appear, as well as implications that she created the elves of the plane.

According to dwarven myths in Otaria, Gaea created the world with the help of her brother Fiers, God of Fire.[2]

During the Battle at Argoth, Titania absorbed the essence of Argoth to become an avatar of Gaea. Although this made her very powerful, it also drained the land's last remaining life, and the avatar was killed shortly after during the Sylex Blast.

In the novels, Multani prayed to her, and though she never answered directly, he said he always sensed her answer. Molimo also worshipped her, and the Citanul druids who followed Titania claimed to follow her will: this could be interpreted to mean that all Maro-Sorcerers of Dominaria were in contact with Gaea (being presumably created by her), and served as an intermediary on the plane between her and her worshippers. It is also said that during the Phyrexian invasion, she transmuted fallen Phyrexians into elementals.[4]

Other characters, like Urza and Freyalise, seem to confirm her existence in the way they speak of her. Yawgmoth believed she was, in fact Rebbec, who had gone through a similar transformation as he had experienced. Not many storyline fans believe Yawgmoth's claims, but it has muddled up the debate about Gaea. In the novel Scourge, Karona traveled to Phyrexia and Yawgmoth told her she was the "only true goddess in Dominaria": the meeting has been erased from continuity, as Phyrexia had already been destroyed at that point, and Yawgmoth was already dead.

In the Magic Story for The Brothers' War, Gaea is definitively featured as the plane's Worldsoul.[1]

During the Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria, Nissa Revane communicated with Gaea and was judged worthy.[1] Gaea aided her in the defense of Urza's Tower.

Story appearances

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
The Myths of Magic - The Lady of the Mountain Will McDermott, Daneen McDermott & Jess Lebow, ed. June 2000 N/A Dominaria Lyrin, Dawar, Gaea, Fiers, Lady of the Mountain, Balthor Stoneface, Gardill, Themis
Invasion J. Robert King October 2000 Invasion Dominaria, Rath, Ulgrotha Gerrard Capashen, Hanna, Sisay, Karn, Orim, Tahngarth, Squee, Dabis, Fewsteem, Urza, Barrin, Raddeus Capashen, Tsabo Tavoc, Leda Capashen, Multani, Gaea, Teferi, Benbow, Thaddeus, Agnate, Crovax (mentioned), Eladamri, Takara en-Dal, Sivvi en-Vec, Fhedusil, Molimo, Rhammidarigaaz, Jhoira, Taysir, Daria, Freyalise, Parcher (mentioned), Kristina of the Woods, Bo Levar, Guff, Tevesh Szat, Windgrace
Planeshift J. Robert King February 2001 Planeshift Dominaria, Phyrexia Rath Multani, Gaea, Karn, Urza, Agnate, Eladamri, Sivvi en-Vec, Rhammidarigaaz, Gerrard Capashen, Tahngarth, Sisay, Squee, Tsabo Tavoc, Crovax, Freyalise, Dalwyri, Gemath, Dalepoc, Allisor, Tevesh Szat, Themeus, Orim, Guff, Bo Levar, Kristina of the Woods, Taysir, Daria, Windgrace, Dralnu, Astor, Olvresk, Tajamin, Nemata, Rith, Rokun, Treva, Grizzlegom, Greven il-Vec, Dromar, Ertai, Stokken, Lairsen, Rilgesh, Selenia, Crosis, Yawgmoth, Mishra, Hanna
Apocalypse J. Robert King June 2001 Apocalypse Phyrexia, Dominaria, Mercadia Yawgmoth, Urza, Gerrard Capashen, Hanna, Karn, Sisay, Tahngarth, Multani, Orim, Eladamri, Sivvi en-Vec, Grizzlegom, Windgrace, Freyalise, Bo Levar, Guff, Nadeen Dormet, Nemata, Gaea, Crovax, Ertai, Squee, Selenia, Famebraught, Raddeus Capashen, Leda Capashen, Rhammidarigaaz, Rayne, Barrin, Cho-Manno (mentioned)
Scourge J. Robert King May 2003 Scourge Dominaria, Mercadia, Serra's Realm, Phyrexia, Argentum Karona, Averru, Stonebrow, Kamahl, Ixidor, Sash and Waistcoat, Braids, Kuberr, Oswallyn, Balthor, Laquatus, Elionoway, Dereg, Gertrude, Max, Offkirch, Vigor Mortis, Lowallyn, Multani, Fiers, Yawgmoth, Teferi, Verdana, Joaj, Knuckles, Arien, Serra, Macht, Lomius, Lor, The Boy, Gaea, Jeska, Karn, Memnarch
The Brothers' War - Chapter 5: Exodus Reinhardt Suarez 2022-10-26 The Brothers' War Dominaria Chandra, Nissa, Kaya, Saheeli, Teferi, Wrenn, Seven, Gaea, Nahiri, Jace, Jodah, Elspeth, The Wanderer, Kaito Shizuki, Tyvar Kell, Lukka, Vraska

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Referred to:

References

  1. ↑ a b c Seanan McGuire (October 26, 2022). "The Brother's War - Chapter 5: Exodus". Magicthegathering.com.
  2. ↑ a b Will McDermott & Daneen McDermott, Jess Lebow, ed. (2000) "The Lady of the Mountain", The Myths of Magic, Wizards of the Coast
  3. ↑ J. Robert King. (2001.) Planeshift, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-1802-0.
  4. ↑ Flavor text for Gaea's Protector
Story publications
Blocks and Sets
Weatherlight crew
Nine Titans
Other characters
See also
Sets
Supplemental
Dominaria storyline
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