Svogthir
| Svogthir | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Colors |
  |
| Species | Elf Lich |
| Job | Necromancer |
| Affiliation | Devkarin |
| Birth, Life & Death | |
| Birthplace | Ravnica |
| Lifetime | Post-Mythohistory |
| Sources | |
| Ravnica, Dissension | |
Svogthir, called the "god-zombie," was the parun of the Golgari Swarm on the plane of Ravnica.[1] [2][3]
Description
At the time of his fall from power, the god-zombie was said to have the right arm of a giant gorilla, a species he had personally helped make extinct; the left claw of a massive scorpion; legs made of pythons woven with oak vines; and the torso of a giant cyclops. His head was the only original part left, and many past matka had opined through the scrolls that this was certainly a major factor in the degenerative madness Svogthir suffered, that eventually allowed the gorgons to seize control.[1]
1000 years later, his broken form blended into the slimy walls of his prison, long since grown into a once-grand seat made of vine and bone. It was impossible to tell where the god-zombie ended and the grimy, calcified throne began. His voice was an agonized rasp that wheezed through a torn, rotten neck, and despite his decomposing bulk, the shattered god-zombie sounded for all the world like a withered, asthmatic old man. His shriveled white head was the only part of Svogthir that seemed capable of any movement at all.[1]
After he had been given a new body by Savra vod Savo, tiny eyes flashed within his withered skull, the only part of the god-zombie that remained unchanged, immune even to Savra’s magic. He had been given a pair of swollen gray arms, with wooden spikes lining his arms, legs, and back, clacking together as he moved. He had torn himself free of the bone chair that had been his funeral slab for a millennium, and became free-roaming once more. The thick, leathery trunks that were his legs were wrapped in pulsing green vines that made them look like a pair of twisted swamp trees. The god-zombie stood with a full, enormous height, and a smile cracked his undersized face. His rumbling voice boomed and reverberated off the cell walls.[1]
History
Rise and fall
As the guild's parun, Svogthir participated in the Signing of the Guildpact, when he signed his name third, after Azor and Razia. The Golgari started as an army of elves and outcasts that Svogthir had united, but most importantly, were the undead legions Svogthir himself had raised. Svogthir fought in the name of chaos, but when the war came to a standstill, the paruns of the guilds came together. Azor proposed the Guildpact, and Svogthir was instrumental in convincing the forces of chaos to become signatories of the pact. He remained in charge of the Golgari for thousands of years, surviving through his mastery of necromancy, which he used to become a lich. Over time, he improved his physical form, and his body was comprised of the remains of various powerful individuals, including the torso of Cisarzim, the Gruul parun. The only original part of his body was his head, which became indestructible thanks to his magic. Eventually, Svogthir was overthrown by five gorgons, the Sisters of Stone Death. Although he managed to kill two of them, the other three were able to rot away his body and then sealed him inside an ancient tomb that came to be known as Svogthos. There Svogthir remained for over a century.
Reappearance
However, the parun reappeared at the time of the Decamillennial anniversary of the Guildpact's signing due to the conniving of Savra, who wanted to use him to overthrow the Sisters of Stone Death. She freed Svogthir from his tomb and constructed a new body for him, which he used to defeat the Sisters, killing another two of them in the process. However, Savra betrayed him, taking over the leadership of the guild herself by taking control of his replacement body, cutting off his head, and consuming his essence to empower herself. As she had previously sworn to him that she would do, she mounted Svogthir's skull on her staff to be carried as a symbol of his power.[1]
Last sighting
But Svogthir still survived. When Szadek betrayed and murdered Savra, Svogthir's spirit took over the treacherous elf's corpse. He made an alliance with the Simic guildmaster Momir Vig and the two planned to wipe Ravnica clean using Project Kraj.[4] However, Svogthir's mind was overpowered by that of Agrus Kos, who possessed Savra's body and used it to kill Vig. After that, Kraj destroyed Vig's lab where Svogthir was. His fate after this is unknown, but given the tenacity the necromancer had, he likely still exists.[2]
Story appearances
In-game references
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
- Savra, Queen of the Golgari (skull)
- Quoted or referred to:
References
- ↑ a b c d e Cory J. Herndon (2005). Ravnica Cycle, Book I: Ravnica, Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ a b Chas Andres (October 3, 2018). "A Flavorful Guide to the Guilds of Ravnica". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ James Wyatt and Jeremy Crawford (November 2018). "D&D Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica". Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Cory Herndon (2006), Dissension. Wizards of the Coast.
