Sorin's Betrayal

[["Information",[{"data":"[[War with Phyrexia]]","label":"Era"},{"data":"3560 [[AR]]","label":"Date"},{"data":"[[Thraben Cathedral]], [[Thraben]], [[Gavony]], [[Innistrad (plane)|Innistrad]]","label":"Location"},{"data":"[[Avacyn]], [[Sorin Markov]], [[Nahiri]]","label":"Characters"}]],["Outcome",[{"data":"\n*Sorin betrays the [[vampire]]s of [[Innistrad (plane)|Innistrad]] by creating [[Avacyn]] to defend [[human]]ity\n*Sorin also creates the [[Helvault]] to entrap particularly dangerous or unkillable foes of humanity, mostly aimed at [[demon]]s who would otherwise be reborn at the [[Ashmouth]].\n*Sorin betrays his friendship to [[Nahiri]] by imprisoning her in the Helvault"}]],["[[Timeline]]",[{"data":"[[The Parting]]\n\n[[Sorin's Betrayal|Sorin's Betrayal]]\n[[Feroz's Ban]]"}]]]

Sorin's Betrayal
Information
Era	War with Phyrexia
Date	3560 AR
Location	Thraben Cathedral, Thraben, Gavony, Innistrad
Characters	Avacyn, Sorin Markov, Nahiri
Outcome
Sorin betrays the vampires of Innistrad by creating Avacyn to defend humanity Sorin also creates the Helvault to entrap particularly dangerous or unkillable foes of humanity, mostly aimed at demons who would otherwise be reborn at the Ashmouth. Sorin betrays his friendship to Nahiri by imprisoning her in the Helvault
Timeline
The Parting Sorin's Betrayal Feroz's Ban

Sorin's Betrayal was a pivotal event on Innistrad in 3560 AR during which Sorin Markov enacted measures to protect humanity that alienated him from both his fellow vampires and from his old ally Nahiri. Sorin created the archangel Avacyn and the Helvault to safeguard humanity from extinction, and soon after used the Helvault to imprison Nahiri.

Description

Over centuries of prolonged absence from his home plane, Sorin Markov observed that vampires were noticeably pushing humanity toward extinction. As humans were driven back and vampire predation increased, Sorin concluded that his kind could not survive without their mortal kin. When his grandfather Edgar Markov dismissed his concerns, Sorin acted unilaterally. Drawing on local beliefs about the moon and afterlife and using the plane's pre-existing archangels as a model, Sorin created Avacyn to stand as a guardian of humanity. Through her, the magic of faith would manifest as real power against supernatural threats. Under Avacyn's leadership, angels struck down vampires, routed werewolf packs, banished hostile geists, and destroyed ghouls, restoring the balance of power in humanity's favor.

But Avacyn was only part of Sorin's plan. Using the limited lithomancy he learned from Nahiri, Sorin also forged the Helvault from a piece of Innistrad's silver moon. The Helvault served as a prison for powerful or unkillable threats, especially demons that would otherwise return at the Ashmouth. While some vampires understood Sorin's motives, many viewed the creation of Avacyn and the Helvault as a betrayal of their race.

During this period, the kor lithomancer Nahiri faced a crisis on Zendikar when that world's vampires built a shrine on the nexus of the hedron network, destabilizing the Eldrazi's prison. She called for aid from Sorin and Ugin, but neither responded. Nahiri restored the prison on her own and, seeking answers, traveled to Innistrad to find her ancient friend, Sorin. Nahiri tracked Sorin down at the Helvault site, still weakened from its creation. Sorin explained that Nahiri's summons may have been absorbed by the Helvault, but expressed no remorse for this fact. When Nahiri confronted him about the gravity of his failure, Sorin took offense, reminded her of his role in her upbringing as a planeswalker, and told her to seek Ugin instead. Nahiri saw this as a personal betrayal and attacked Sorin. Avacyn, sensing Nahiri as a threat to Innistrad, intervened and fought her. Weak and unable to intervene in other ways, Sorin halted the battle by sealing Nahiri within the Helvault, where she remained for nearly a millennium until the Sundering of the Helvault. Her time inside the prison would do little to dampen her rage.