Kolaghan
| Kolaghan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Colors |
  |
| Species | Elder Dragon |
| Birth, Life & Death | |
| Birthplace | Tarkir |
| Lifetime | From before the Khanfall (the Thaw) until present |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Kolaghan (/koʊlʌɡɑːn/ KOH-luh-gahn)[1] is one of the five elder dragons of Tarkir.[2] She is titanic, covered in spines, features four feathered wings and can breathe lightning. Feral and brutal, she enjoys the hunt and the kill more than the resulting meal[3]. Unlike the other dragons, Kolaghan does not appear to speak draconic, only communicating in lightning flashes and violence.
Kolaghan's Brood
Kolaghan and her brood emerged from Ugin's dragon tempests armed with lightning breath and unmatched speed. They were drawn to Tarkir's arid hills and steppes. Like their progenitor, Kolaghan's brood breathe lightning.[4]
Original timeline
Kolaghan and her brood were revered by the Mardu Horde for their speed. However, after Ugin's death, they lost the battle against the clans of Tarkir. No new brood was created and all died. Kolaghan never reached elder status, instead smashing against the cliff at Wingthrone, and her skull was used as the throne of the Mardu khan.[5][6]
Current timeline
After Ugin was saved by Sarkhan Vol, the brood thrived. The brood uniquely did not seek to tyrannically dominate their subjects, instead preferring simply to fly freely across the plains, striking down enemies and moving on. Even then, Kolaghan participated in the ban on the words "khan" and the names of the old clans as part of the Khanfall of Tarkir.
Clan Kolaghan
The dragonlord became a fearsome leader, using violence, cruelty, and her trademark unpredictability to keep the clan in line. Under her reign, the Mardu name was forgotten, and the group became known as clan Kolaghan. Since the dragonlord rarely took interest in the clan except to express her dominance, the Kolaghan followed other dragons from her brood that were born from the storms. The reckless Kolaghan took what they wanted when they wanted it, including power and dominance within the clan. The strongest dragons, the aggressive Warkites, were huge, strong, and battle-scarred. Non-dragon members of the clan were known to suffer from a powerful bloodlust called "the Crave". Cannibalism was not unusual, and the Blood-Chin orcs and humans sought out humanoid flesh. The Foul-Tongue Shamans of the Kolaghan used dark magic by perverting the Draconic language of Ugin into something sinister.
Unlike the Mardu, the Kolaghan followed no code of honor. Their ambitions were to raze the other Clans down and bring ruin wherever they went. The Kolaghan pined for freedom, from civilization, from limits, from any form of honor or law.
Defeat
The New Phyrexian Invasion resulted in substantial casualties for the dragons, which, combined with reduced dragonstorms, sufficiently weakened the dragonlords' grip on power.[7] The humanoid rebellions were able to gain traction, evolving from scattered militias and guerilla operations to overt and open rebellions under the banners of the old clan names.
The former Planeswalker Narset hoped to find a way to end what she saw as a perpetual battle of attrition that would leave Tarkir as little more than ruins.[7] In her research, she uncovered a spell scroll for the Stormnexus Ritual. Though hesitant to use the ritual due to its potential dangers, was convinced by the other rebellion leaders that this was the best way to ensure a unified Tarkir.
The magic called up a massive dragonstorm, and in its swirling energies, five mighty spirit dragons emerged.[7] In a flash of power, the dragon spirits and what would become the new clan leaders were bound. As the ritual was enacted, the dragonlords and their remaining broods attempted to stop the rebellion's plans. A fearsome battle ensued between the dragonlords and the newly formed spirit dragons, the storm raging around them. In the end, the dragonlords were defeated and seemingly swallowed up by the massive storm.
Story appearances
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Quoted or referred to:
- Arid Mesa
- Blood-Chin Fanatic
- Blood-Chin Rager
- Boltwing Marauder
- Butcher's Glee
- Defeat
- Foul-Tongue Invocation
- Hordeling Outburst
- Impact Tremors
- Kiddie Coaster (Unfinity, #219f)
- Lightning Shrieker
- Screamreach Brawler
- Shambling Goblin
- Shockmaw Dragon
- Sorin's Guide
- Sparktongue Dragon
- Territorial Roc
- Twin Bolt
- Ukud Cobra
- Vandalize
- Verdant Catacombs
- Virulent Plague
- Kolaghan's brood:
References
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2015). "Here's a pronunciation guide for some of the names that were requested earlier today.". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
- ↑ Kelly Digges (February 18, 2015). "Khanfall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21.
- ↑ The Magic Creative Team (March 18, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-03-21.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (February 25, 2015). "Breath weapon rundown". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
- ↑ Kimberly J. Kreines (February 25, 2015). "A Tarkir of Dragons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2015-02-25.
- ↑ Magic Creative Team (September 10, 2014). "Planeswalker's Guide to Khans of Tarkir, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30.
- ↑ a b c Lauren Bond & DK Billins (February 21, 2025). "Planeswalker's Guide to Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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