Jeska
| Jeska | |
|---|---|
| Phage | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Race |
Jeska: Human Planeswalker Phage: Avatar |
| Birthplace | Auror Village, Pardia, Otaria, Dominaria |
| Lifetime | Rift Era |
| Born | c. 4280 AR, reborn as Phage in 4305 AR |
| Died | Phage: 4307 AR, Jeska: 4500 AR |
| Relatives |
Kamahl (brother) Matoc (grandfather) |
| Colors | |
Center:  As Phage:  As Karona:    | |
| Sources | |
| Chainer's Torment, Judgment, Onslaught, Legions, Scourge, The Moons of Mirrodin, Planar Chaos, Future Sight | |
| Scryfall Search | |
| art:"Jeska" | |
Jeska was an Otarian barbarian from Dominaria who became a planeswalker. She was the sister of Kamahl.[1][2] Due to the tumultuous happenings of her life she was called Thrice Touched by Infinity and Thrice Reborn.[3] Before becoming a planeswalker, she briefly became an avatar named Phage the Untouchable due to a curse.
Appearance and characteristics
Unlike her large brother, Jeska was of medium height and build, but she had Kamahl's blazing red hair and brass colored skin. Where Kamahl's was cropped close to his head, Jeska wore her hair long, braided dwarf style into hundreds of finger-thick strands. Each braid was interwoven with ribbons or hide or polished stones, and she had gathered them all in the middle of her back with a heavy iron clip. She casually wore a weighted whip, a rare weapon for fighters. She also wore a peculiar metal gauntlet that covered her left forearm. It was etched with runes but unpolished, with two small horns at the wrist edge. It looked like a miniature slingshot, and she could indeed use it for slinging magic projectiles through the use of fire magic. Finally, she carried a wooden baton that was intricately carved and ringed with metal. It was about as long as her arm, and it looked extremely solid. Her muscles lied about it, as well, effortlessly concealing how dense the baton was. In addition to the decorative metal rings, the baton also had a metal core to give it extra punch. Jeska carried herself and her weapons with extreme confidence. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, her jaw was set, and her pace was so stern it seemed more like a march than a hike.[4]
Jeska wore a piercing similar to an arm ring through her left bicep.[5]
As Phage, she was notably thin, lean, tall, and young. She wore a body-suit of black silk marked across the stomach with a jagged red line. She carried no visible weapons. Her hair was short and spiked, the same color as the suit, and her face, throat, and hands were pale. Her eyes were black as a shark's.[6]
History
Barbarian
Jeska lived with her family in Balthor Rockfist's tribe, spending much of her time learning from the dwarves rather than the other humans that made up her tribe. For this, she was slightly shunned for her dwarven-born opinions. She lived peacefully until Kamahl left to seek his fortunes in the gladiatorial pits of Cabal City. Later, concerned for Kamahl's well-being, Jeska and Balthor followed Kamahl's footsteps. When Kamahl returned to the village, he brought the Battle for the Mirari with him. Jeska's brother was deeply enthralled by the influence of the Mirari, and during an assault, Kamahl lost control and went berserk, slaying most of his kin and striking a horrific blow against Jeska.[7] This shattered Mirari's spell, and in deep grief, Kamahl sought out someone who could save the dying Jeska. He left her in the care of the centaur Seton, but she ultimately was captured by Braids and brought to the Cabal Patriarch.
Phage
- Not to be confused with Phlage.
The Patriarch's attempt to destroy Jeska instead gave birth to Phage the Untouchable through the unique combination of Jeska's planeswalker spark, The Patriarch's killing touch, and the intervention of the Numena Kuberr. Phage was cursed so that anything she touched would rot, and because of this, the only fabric that she could touch was silk, and she could only touch inorganic items like stone and steel. She built the Grand Coliseum and killed Ixidor's love, Nivea, and was able to expand the influence of the swamps around Aphetto all the way to the Corian Escarpment.[7][6]
After a three-way bout with Kamahl and Akroma in the Grand Coliseum, where the angel lost her legs and Kamahl was declared the victor, Phage joined her brother in marching on Topos, the realm of Ixidor. The Nightmare War escalated when Ixidor sent sprites into the mind of each of his attackers, creating their worst nightmare. Each person that Phage had killed formed the seed of a Deathwurm inside of her, and when touched by Ixidor's dream magic, those deathwurms were sent out into the world, leaving her once again Jeska. To save the land from being destroyed by the deathwurms, she pulled them back into herself, damning herself to a life as Phage. One wurm survived; the one that contained the essence of Nivea, Phage's first kill, and that wurm consumed Ixidor, so he could rest with his love forever.
Phage left the Cabal and joined Zagorka in Sanctum, where she was tracked down by Akroma for killing Nivea. Phage fought loyally for the Patriarch, and due to the unique nature of their relationship, bore him a child. This child turned out to be the reincarnation of the Kuberr. Phage's existence ended when Kamahl intervened in her battle with Akroma, and with one swing of the Soul Reaper, he killed Akroma, Phage, and accidentally slew Zagorka.[8] The essence of the three women blended into a new being - Karona, goddess of magic.[9]
Planeswalker
Later, when Sash and Waistcoat killed Karona, the three women separated; Zagorka and Akroma were dead, but Jeska's latent planeswalker's spark ignited, and she ascended. It was her dormant spark that saved her from death when the Mirari, embedded in Kamahl's sword, killed Karona, and following these events, she visited many worlds of the Multiverse under the tutelage of her mentor Karn.
Centuries later, during the temporal rift crisis, Jeska appeared on Dominaria while searching for Karn. She demanded to learn of Karn's fate from Teferi and his company. When she realized the gravity of the situation, she decided to help, but upon her terms, claiming that Teferi's methods were no method at all. She was then visited by the planeswalker Leshrac Nightwalker, who offered her an artifact of power, the Mask of Night's Reach, to help her in her mission. She refused but unknowingly fell under the mental control of the insidious Leshrac, who planned to use her dormant Phage powers to defeat Nicol Bolas.
She started in Keld, where she defeated and took Radha to use her as a mana lens for closing the rifts without the need to sacrifice herself. In Zhalfir, she closed the local rift without consulting Teferi, causing the irrevocable loss of the phased-out lands.
Jeska then took Radha to Yavimaya to close the rift there. Multani used his powers to try and influence her mind and change her aggressive thoughts, but an intervention from Leshrac's side (dreadful visions of a brutal and bloodthirsty Kamahl killing his Krosan allies) caused Jeska to break the connection and immolate Multani's physical form. Moments later, she used Radha and Multani's power to close the Yavimayan rift, seemingly annihilating Multani's essence in the process.
She proceeded to Madara. Here, Leshrac ambushed her, and using the Mask of Night's Reach, he stripped her of her legacy as Phage, her powers having lain dormant all this time, and attempted to order her to battle Bolas. Jeska refused, with Bolas's subtle assistance, and Leshrac encased her in stone to keep her from interfering. When Leshrac was defeated by the elder dragon and his essence spent to close the Madaran rift, Bolas freed Jeska but assured her that the Otarian rift could not be closed, being too immense and powerful.
Jeska, still determined, prepared to face her final challenge. The last rift covered the whole of Otaria's skies, and was tied to her personally - it was a direct result of Karona's birth and death.
Venser and Radha assured her that they would stand by her and help her to face her nemesis. Jeska and the two planeswalkers teleported into the heart of the rift. Here, Jeska faced an image of Karona, the embodiment of the rift. Drawing power from willing friends, she changed the image of the goddess and shattered it. She spread her planeswalker essence over the rift and further beyond, over all of the rifts and fissures of the multiverse connected to it. In one huge discharge of her power, she closed them all, allowing the Great Mending to begin.
Immediately after her sacrifice, Jeska appeared in a white void, where she was welcomed by her beloved long-dead brother Kamahl. With the two siblings finally reuniting, Jeska's mind happily welcomed the oblivion.
Creature type
The original Phage card featured just the Minion creature type. The Grand Creature Type Update happened during Lorwyn with a small additional update during Morningtide. The extra Morningtide update changed her to a Zombie Minion. The card was changed for the reprint in Conspiracy because the creative team felt Zombie was factually inaccurate and as the card had never been printed with the word "Zombie" on it they felt okay making the change from Zombie to Avatar.[10]
Story appearances
Planeswalkers met
Planes visited
Gallery
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Jeska, Thrice Reborn variant art by Chris Rallis. -
-
Phage Magic: The Gathering Arena avatar.
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
References
- ↑ Will McDermott (June 03, 2002). "Caught in the Mirari's Wake, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Will McDermott (May 13, 2002). "Snap (Shots of) Judgment". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik and Ethan Fleischer (October 30, 2020). "The Legendary Characters of Commander Legends part I". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Scott McGough (2002) - Chainer's Torment, Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 6, 2003). "Card of the Day - June, 2003". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021.
- ↑ a b J. Robert King. (2002) Onslaught, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2801-8.
- ↑ a b (2002). Onslaught Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ (2003). Scourge Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik and Ethan Fleischer (November 6, 2020). "The Legendary Creatures of Commander Legends, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 03, 2014). "Ask Wizards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Emrakul & Chatterfang!? Koma & Toski!? 62 Unknown Magic Cards! (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (May 10, 2023).
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 13, 2003). "Phage Against the Machine". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Brandon Bozzi (August 29, 2003). "Legends Among Us". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (July 01, 2003). "Style Guide: Phage". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (January 1, 2007). "Ask Wizards - January, 2007". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 20, 2009). "The Silver Lining". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (June 13, 2006). "Akroma-in-Art Quiz". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-02-03.
