Szadek
| Szadek | |
|---|---|
| Lord of Whispers | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Colors |
  |
| Species |
Spirit Formerly Vampire |
| Birth, Life & Death | |
| Birthplace | Ravnica |
| Lifetime | Time of the Thran or before - Rift Era |
| Born | Before -5517 AR (0 ZC) |
| Death | c. 4483 AR (10,000 ZC) |
| Sources | |
| Ravnica, Dissension | |
The vampire known as Szadek (/zɑːdɛk/, ZAH-dehk[1]) was the parun (founder) of House Dimir, the blue-black aligned guild of Ravnica.[2][3] He was the first Mind Drinker vampire and considered their progenitor, sharing its secrets only to those willing to join House Dimir.[4]
Description
Szadek was a being of chilling majesty and dark seduction, a vampire of ancient power whose mere presence bent the will of those who followed him. His voice, a whisper in one's mind, was at once seductive and terrifying, a symphony of dark promises that cut through doubt and filled its target with purpose. Tall and imposing, Szadek stood robed in black, his face pale as bone, with long, elegant fingers and sleek black hair that tumbled like silk over his shoulders. His silver fangs glinted in the dim light, and his eyes, polished and reflective, were like twin mirrors in which his supplicants see themselves — reshaped, remade, consumed by his will.[2]
History
As his guild's parun, Szadek participated in the Signing of the Guildpact. The last of an ancient race of psychic vampires, he resided in the shadows for ten millennia to eventually seize control of the entire city. This plan had him eventually attack the Decamillennial ceremony and, with the aid of his lupul and Savra, he almost destroyed the Guildpact. In the end, he was arrested by Agrus Kos for crimes against the Guildpact, which annulled the guildpact in itself since the pact dictated House Dimir's goal as opposing the Guildpact, making it impossible for Szadek to be legally arrested for crimes against it.
Death and reappearance
Augustin IV, finding Szadek in the Azorius' prisons, killed him and enslaved his ghost.[5] He then sent Szadek to Parhelion to kill the Boros angels and their guildmaster, Razia. Later, during the Dissension, Kos threw a grounder containing Szadek's spirit. Szadek broke out of the container and killed Augustin by removing his soul. Szadek plotted to destroy Ravnica using his newfound powers to control the spirits of the dead. It was also revealed that he had taken over the Agyrem district, which had fused with the rest of Ravnica. Kos, now a ghost himself, was appointed as his warden to make sure that he did not escape.
The overlay of Agyrem remained on Ravnica until the Mending, when the Ravnican ghost-world anomaly was dissolved, and the trapped spirits were able to pass on to the aether.[6]
Even after the Agyrem vanished, Lazav, the new guildmaster of House Dimir, claims to have contacted Szadek's spirit and used that knowledge to reestablish the guild.
Trivia
- 'Dziadek' is Polish for 'Grandfather', and Ravnica characteristically uses Slavic languages for its names. This suggests that no one, even the players and members of House Dimir, knows Szadek's true name and that his known name is a title, much like 'Godfather' or 'Don' for a mundane mob boss.
- Szadek appears in the trailer for Ravnica: City of Guilds.[7]
Story appearances
Gallery
-
Szadek in the Ravnica: City of Guilds commercial
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Depicted in:
- Thespian's Stage (by an actor)
- Well of Lost Dreams
- Quoted or referred to:
References
- ↑ Matt Cavotta (November 9, 2005). "The House That Lies Built". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017.
- ↑ a b Cory J. Herndon (2005) - Ravnica Cycle, Book I: Ravnica, Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Cassie LaBelle (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.
- ↑ James Wyatt (January 2019). "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Ravnica". Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Magic: The Gathering Ravnica Block Commercial (Video). paradoxdreamer5. YouTube (March 19, 2011).
