Surgical Bay
| Surgical Bay | |
|---|---|
| The fifth sphere of New Phyrexia | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | New Phyrexia |
| Colors |
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| Type | Sphere |
| Formerly part of | Quicksilver Sea |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
The Surgical Bay is the fifth sphere of New Phyrexia, dominated by the blue-aligned Progress Engine of Jin-Gitaxias. A nightmarish blend of science, cruelty, and artifice, it was once part of the Quicksilver Sea of Mirrodin, transformed by layers of glistening oil and restructured as Phyrexia grew. Today, it is a vast reservoir of corrupted fluid, riddled with sterile laboratories and cruel observation towers where inhumane experiments unfold under ever-watchful eyes. Originally created in the early days of Phyrexia's rise, the bay has since become the heart of Jin-Gitaxias’s domain and the crucible of many horrific innovations.
Description
The Surgical Bay is a region of clinical precisicion, an artificial sea of quicksilver tainted by glistening oil. Sterile, metallic laboratories rise from small islands in this toxic sea, connected by scaffolding and cables. The air is hazardous; even inhaling the fine spray from the bay’s fountains can begin the process of phyresis.[1] Everywhere, mechanical eyes observe intruders and residents alike, installed across walls, equipment, and even embedded in the bodies of Phyrexians.
The sphere serves as the epicenter of surgical experimentation and technological modification. Many of its facilities are underwater or semi-submerged, with aquatic laboratories designed for the development of engineered sea creatures and biomechanical constructs. These experiments, often painful and performed without regard for sentience, exist to further the ambitions of the Progress Engine, the faction of Phyrexians devoted to advancing knowledge and efficiency at any cost.
History
Before it became the fifth sphere of New Phyrexia, the region now known as the Surgical Bay was part of Mirrodin’s Quicksilver Sea, one of the first surface biomes to fall to Phyrexian corruption after the spread of the Mephidross.[2] Glistening oil mixed into the quicksilver, transforming it into a corrosive medium that broke down both flesh and metal into components for repurposing.
In the early stages of New Phyrexia’s layering, this area was originally envisioned as Kraynox’s so-called Fourth Sphere - a layer of glistening oil below the surface. It was later overtaken by Jin-Gitaxias, who repurposed the region entirely. Draining the Quicksilver Sea from above, he pooled its contents into this subterranean reservoir and converted it into a domain of experimentation. Thus, the Surgical Bay was created. During their search for Karn, planeswalkers Elspeth Tirel, Koth, and Venser traveled through the Surgical Bay, witnessing firsthand the horrors and perversions of natural law wrought there.[3]
With the creation of nine official spheres, the original surface of Mirrodin became the Mirrex, and the Quicksilver Sea was effectively relocated to this new fifth sphere.[4][5] Over time, the sphere solidified as the stronghold of the Progress Engine, and Jin-Gitaxias made it the seat of his faction’s anatomical, mechanical, and psychological experimentation. Though these experiments were often brutal and fruitless in practical terms, they served to maintain the ethos of cold progress that defines Jin-Gitaxias's rule.
The Fathom Ward, a submerged sea monster installation, held the last doses of blinkmoth serum.[5]
In-game references
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References
- ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 14, 2023). "Assault on New Phyrexia - Episode 3: Inconceivable Losses". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (October 6, 2010). "Spreading the Infection". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Robert B. Wintermute (2011) - Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn, Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Jay Annelli. (2022.) Magic: The Gathering - The Visual Guide, KBB
- ↑ a b Grace Fong (January 31, 2023). "Planeswalker's Guide to Phyrexia: All Will Be One". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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