Otaria

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Otaria
Information
Plane Dominaria
Demonym Otarian

Otaria is a long and thin continent, running North-South, on Dominaria. It lies east of Jamuraa, south of Shiv and west of Terisiare.[1] It is the primary location for the Odyssey and Onslaught blocks.

Description

Inhabitants and wildlife

At least four groups of humans called Otaria home, including the nomads of the Daru Plains, the Pardic barbarians, the Krosan druids, and the people of the Cabal.

Besides humans, Otaria was also home to many races, including dwarves, goblins, centaurs, giants, ogres, and gorgons, as well as several found nowhere else, such as nantuko, cephalids, and the various species of aven. Viashino are native to Otaria's subcontinent Tamingazin, but are a reclusive species and were not referenced in Odyssey or Onslaught blocks.[2] After the Invasion, numerous other races migrated to the continent in search of new homes, among them elves and minotaurs.

Many of Otaria's people were mutated into bizarre forms by the Mirari's influence. It's unknown if all of these mutations bred true, though crookclaws at least survived into the Time Spiral era.

The continent also had an incredibly diverse (and spectacularly dangerous) range of wildlife. Dragons, wurms, firecats, anurids, griffins, lhurgoyfs, orggs, and a vast array of other beasts menaced Otaria's people. Zombies, vampires, specters, and other undead were disturbingly common thanks to the Cabal. Later in Otaria's history, a plague of slivers was unleashed on the continent thanks to the Riptide Project. In addition to these monstrous creatures, normal animals (squirrels, bears, elephants, etc.) were also common.

Locations

  • Acapistan (or Acapiston) - a place of deserts and jungles somewhere south of Tamingazin and not very close to the city of Berimish, that makes rings and bracelets out of gold.[3]
  • Cabal Holdings - the remnants of Cabal lands, formerly in control of the continent's eastern region with most of Otaria's large cities under its influence, later mostly depopulated wastelands.
  • Cape Paradise - a cape on the coast which borders the Aboshan Trench.[7]
  • The Cave of Knives - a stalactite cave north of Cabal City which Laquatus used as a meeting place.[6]
  • The Cliffs of Onara - the sheer cliffs above the Otaria Chasm, separating the northernmost island from the rest of the continent.[10]
  • The Corian Escarpment - a long break in the terrain, a great spine of granite that thrusts up from the sands and separates the southern forests and swamps. It is the former site of the city of Sanctum.[8][9][5]
    • Deepwash Valley - the valley a the bottom of the escarpment where the Deepwash River ran through.[9]
      • The Deepwash River - the green river running through Sanctum.[9]
    • South Pass - a pass through the escarpment, ten leagues from the coliseum swamps.[9]
  • The Daru Plains {W} - the plains of tall, reedy grass sprawling across the southern edge of the continent.[11]
  • The desert {C} - a wide stretch of former plains that became arid dunes. Former site of Topos, realm of Ixidor.[8][9][5]
  • Kard - a place bordering the Pardic Mountains[10]
  • Krosa {G} - a large forest reaching from Balshan Bay on the east to the continent's western coast. Inhabited by centaurs, nantuko, druidic humans, and a wide variety of beasts.[6]
    • Gorgon Mount - a corrupted hill that rose where Kamahl had left the Mirari in the ground.[8]
      • Well of Spirits - a cavern inside Gorgon Mount, where the Mirari sword stood, impaled in the bloated corpse of Laquatus.[5]
        • Lake Laquatus - a lake of eels in the cavern where the island of Laquatus's corpse was located.[5]
    • Nantuko Monastery {G}{W} - the sacred center of Krosa, from where Thriss ruled the woods.[10]
  • Landshome - a northern port[12]
  • Lordsburg - a sleepy village that was turned into a pit fighting arena.[9]
  • The Northern Plains {W} - the plains east of Krosa and north of the Cabal Holdings.[6]
  • The Otarian Sea {U} [13]
    • Balshan Bay {U} - a wide inlet toward the northeastern reaches. A breed of griffins is native to the area, as well as some aven and human communities noted for their wizards.[14]
    • The Mer Empire {U} - a huge undersea power encircling the entire continent. The Empire was led by the Cephalids, having conquered the previous empire of Berbous.[13][6]
      • Aboshan Trench {U} - the wide stretch of former continental land which was smashed beneath the waves when Aboshan used the Mirari. Former site of the town of Borben.[6][10]
        • The Otaria Chasm {U} - an underwater ravine below the cliffs of Onara, stretching across northern Otaria. Was briefly a functional prison for Laquatus.[7]
      • Breaker Bay {U} - a relatively calm part of the Mer Empire bordering the shores of the land-dwellers. Commerce through Breaker Bay was overseen by its own Director, such as Rillu Veza.[15][16][7]
      • Llawan City {U} - formerly called "the Southern Cephalid Palace", the capital city of the Mer Empire was renamed after Llawan was exiled there.[7]
        • The Coral Throne {U} - the throne of the southern Mer Empire[13]
      • Mer City {U} - The northern Mer capital from where Aboshan ruled until his death, when Llawan took over.[7]
    • Riptide Island {U} - a sliver hive, former site of the Riptide Project.[17]
  • Pardia or Pardic Mountains {R} - a mountainous country stretching along the continent's western reaches from Krosa in the north to Wirewood in the south. The northern peaks were inhabited by dwarves and human barbarians.[6]
  • Skirk Ridge {R} - a collapsed mountain range in southern Pardia, teeming with goblins.[19]
  • Stonewood {G} [20]
  • Tamingazin - the northern subcontinent of Otaria. See the Tamingazin page for more specific locations.[3]
  • Ulbion - a kingdom on the east coast of Otaria, allied with Topos.[9]
  • The Vonic Fields - plains on the southeastern coast of Otaria.[5]
    • Eroshia - a city on the far east edge of the continent, a place of magical learning, full of libraries.[9]
    • The Vonic Gorge - a gorge outside the gates of Eroshia.[5]
    • The Vonic Hills - a series of hills beyond the gorge.[5]
  • Wirewood Forest {G} - an open, airy birch wood forest to the south of the Pardic range. Many elves immigrated to the forest from elsewhere on Dominaria after the Phyrexian Invasion.[21]

History

The earliest known humans to occupy Terisiare were the subjects of the cruel and powerful Primeval Dragons. These people overthrew their draconic masters and formed a huge empire based in Otaria.[22]

Otaria did not figure into other tales until after the Phyrexian Invasion (save for its northern subcontinent Tamingazin).[23] It had survived that war relatively unscathed and was one of the first areas to recover and grow powerful once more. As a result, many of the survivors from other regions of Dominaria sought refuge on the continent. Despite all of this, many of Otaria's cultures were warlike and barbaric, ruled by terror and arena combat.

A century after the Invasion, the Mirari appeared there, initiating a series of destructive wars that devastated much of the continent. The Battle for the Mirari led to the Nightmare War, which in turn led to Karona's War. This massive destruction sent Otaria's aven population fleeing to Benalia and New Argive.[24][22]

Maps of Otaria

  • Map of Otaria. Copyright © 2018 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved
    Map of Otaria. Copyright © 2018 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved
  • Outdated map of Otaria. Copyright © 1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved
    Outdated map of Otaria. Copyright © 1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Rights Reserved
  • Otaria fan-map by Varghedin
    Otaria fan-map by Varghedin

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Depicted in:
Referred to:

References

  1. ↑ Martha Wells (March 21, 2018). "Return to Dominaria, Episode 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Ethan Fleischer (April 20, 2018). "Dominarian Cartography". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ a b Mark Sumner. (1995) The Prodigal Sorcerer. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0061054761.
  4. ↑ Steven E. Schend, J. Robert King, ed. (2003). "An Atog Comes to Aphetto", The Monsters of Magic, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2983-9.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i J. Robert King. (2003.) Scourge, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2956-1.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h Vance Moore. (2001) Odyssey, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-1900-0.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f Scott McGough (2002) - Chainer's Torment, Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ a b c d J. Robert King. (2002) Onslaught, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2801-8.
  9. ↑ a b c d e f g h i J. Robert King. (2003) Legions, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2914-6.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f Will McDermott. (2002) Judgment, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2743-7.
  11. ↑ Flavor text on Unified Strike
  12. ↑ a b Will McDermott, J. Robert King, ed. (2002) "Journey Home", The Secrets of Magic, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2710-0.
  13. ↑ a b c Vance Moore, J. Robert King, ed. (2002). "Stolen Harvest", The Secrets of Magic, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-2710-0.
  14. ↑ Balshan Beguiler, Balshan Collaborator, Balshan Griffin, and Thought Nibbler
  15. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (November 5, 2002). "Sketches: Quicksilver Dragon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30.
  16. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 9, 2002). "Sketches: Nameless One". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30.
  17. ↑ As seen on Riptide Island and Uncontrolled Infestation
  18. ↑ Will McDermott & Daneen McDermott, Jess Lebow, ed. (2000) "The Lady of the Mountain", The Myths of Magic, Wizards of the Coast
  19. ↑ Flavor text on Goblin Brigand
  20. ↑ Stonewood Invocation and Stonewood Invoker
  21. ↑ (2003). Legions Player's Guide. Wizards of the Coast.
  22. ↑ a b Ethan Fleischer (September 10, 2022). "The New Argive Megathread". Twitter.
  23. ↑ Doug Beyer (September 02, 2009). "The Planes of Planechase". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29.
  24. ↑ James Wyatt (2018). "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Dominaria". VIZ Media.
  25. ↑ Ethan Fleischer (August 23, 2022). "I led the design process for the box toppers". Twitter.
  26. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (March 29, 2018). "Dominaria Card of the Day: The Mirari Conjecture". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2018-04-18.

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