Tarkir is a war-torn plane ruled by five clans. For thousands of years, it was controlled by five draconic broods led by tyrannical Elder Dragon Lords. With two histories and varied ecosystems, the plane boasts many mysteries and much lore.
Ugin first arrived on Tarkir after his rebirth on the meditation plane sometime between c. -25,000 and c. -17,000 AR.[3] Seeing a half-born Tarkir, Ugin sought to form the plane to "fulfill the promise of its nascent soul." In his creative process, he formed the geo-scape, the fauna, and the peoples of Tarkir, and his wing beats birthed the dragonstorms.[3]
Thousands of years later in 3279 AR, Ugin's twin Nicol Bolas tracked his brother to Tarkir. The two planeswalkers waged a titanic battle, leaving Ugin mortally wounded.[4] In the original timeline, a remnant of the dragon's spirit found its way into the mind of the planeswalker Sarkhan Vol. Sarkhan was plagued by Ugin's whispers in his head, 1,280 years after the dragon's death.[5]
A remnant of Ugin's spirit was able to transport Sarkhan through the Nexus of Fate back in time to prevent the dragon's death after his battle with Bolas. Ugin was preserved in a hedron cocoon as he regained his strength. During this time, the dragon tempests grew in intensity, with the dragons growing more numerous and powerful and eventually overtaking the clans in an event known as the Khanfall. In the aftermath, five dragonlords and their broods rose to dominate the humanoid races, forming new clans over the remains of the old, even outlawing the word "khan," though knowledge of the clans persisted.[6]
The dragonlord broods fought with each other for centuries over territory and ideology, each seeking to become the dominant force on the plane.[7] Over time, they became complacent, confident in their power and authority over the humanoids of the plane. Life for the non-dragons in these broods was harsh and unfulfilling — whispers and sparks of rebellion stirred within the people of Tarkir.
When Sorin's Restoration awaoke Ugin from his hibernation, and the spirit dragon departed Tarkir in 4559 AR, the dragonstorms, no longer empowered by his essence, finally lessened.[7]
Original timeline
In the original timeline, Ugin was killed in the confrontation with his brother. When he died, the elemental storms that gave birth to the dragons ceased and no new dragons were born, changing the tide of the war. Ultimately, the warriors of the clans were able to destroy them all.
In the centuries that followed, the five warrior clans claimed dominion over Tarkir and were fighting over every scrap of territory.[8] While some khans were content to rule their homelands, some wished to rule all of Tarkir. The clans co-opted ancient draconic magic to disguise their strength and best their foes.
The Phyrexian Invasion, combined with the reduced dragonstorms, sufficiently weakened the dragonlords' grip on power.[7] The humanoid rebellions were able to gain traction, evolving from scattered militias and guerilla operations to overt and open rebellions under the banners of the old clan names.
The former Planeswalker Narset hoped to find a way to end what she saw as a perpetual battle of attrition that would leave Tarkir as little more than ruins. With the help of Alniul, the Twice Whisperer of the Temur, she uncovered a spell scroll for the Stormnexus Ritual, or Storm Ritual.[10] Though worn and faded, it appeared to describe a spell perhaps as old as the Multiverse itself that would "call forth the soul of Tarkir." Narset, hesitant to use the ritual due to its potential dangers, was convinced by the other rebellion leaders that this was the best way to ensure a unified Tarkir.
The rebellion leaders gathered at the remains of the Crucible of the Spirit Dragon, hoping to finally put an end to the dragonlords' reign.[7] The magic called up a massive dragonstorm, and in its swirling energies, five dragon forms emerged, untethered spirits brimming with raw undirected power. Narset was the first to act; she leaped into the air and landed on the back of a spirit, using her willpower to shape the final nature of the dragon as it coalesced into a semi-corporeal form. Each of the other rebellion leaders followed in their manner. In a flash of power, the dragon spirits and what would become the new clan leaders were bound.
As the ritual was enacted, the dragonlords and their remaining broods attempted to stop the rebellion's plans.[7] A fearsome battle ensued between the dragonlords and the newly formed spirit dragons, the storm raging around them. In the end, the dragonlords were defeated and seemingly swallowed up by the massive storm.
New dragonstorms and revival of the clans
After the battle, it became apparent that the spell had also strengthened the dragonstorms, resulting in thousands of a new, powerful kind of wild dragon spawning.[7][11][10] While a handful of the dragons that emerged would listen to the call of the spirit dragons, most wild dragons refused any form of authority. The storms also rendered places on Tarkir uninhabitable, their scale causing environmental shifts across the plane. Despite these new threats, the people of Tarkir persisted and adapted, each clan developing its strategies to thrive.
Without the oppression of the dragonlords, the clans reformed as new iterations.[7] Though they draw traditions and ideals from their earlier incarnations and the dragon broods they rebelled against, the modern clans of Tarkir are new and distinct. Narset proposed an accord between the clans, but disagreements about the terms between the other khans left the compact stalled.[12] While a fragile peace persists between the clans, maintained through diplomatic arrangements and a delicate balance of power, it is common for ideological disagreements to escalate into full-scale conflicts between clans. Additionally, the environments of Tarkir can be harsh and unyielding; alongside the increasing dragonstorms, the clans are often pitted against each other in battles for territory and resources.
By performing a distorted version of the Stormnexus Ritual, Sarkhan Vol gained control of the wild dragons, but he was defeated by the timely return of Ugin. Ugin also took control over the dragonstorms again.[13]
Geography
Tarkir ranges from arid desert plains to humid tropical jungles to frigid snow-covered tundra. According to Sarkhan, Tarkir has no oceans. In the original timeline, dragonbones littered the landscape.
See the individual areas for more detailed locations.
Known locations
The Gudul delta - a massive area of waterways and vast, lush, tropical jungles and swamps. The Sultai Brood reside in large city temples, necropoleis, and pleasure palaces hidden here. Former Silumgar domain.[14]
Tiansun - a mountain range with tall volcanic peaks and lowland planes dotted with large lakes. Most Jeskai Way territory is in the eastern part where they control the waterways. Former Ojutai domain.
Culture
Clans
Clan Symbols
Tarkir has ever been a plane of five warring clans, each revering one aspect of a dragon.[16][17][18] After the takeover by the dragonlords, the clans continued to war and continued to revere the same aspect, but with more active influence from the five different broods. Following the defeat of the dragonlords, the clans reverted to their original identities.
The Sultai Brood are known to drink tea and coffee in many forms, including magically chilled and topped with sweet cream or seasoned with cardamom and cinnamon.[19] Their coffee can be made not just cold but also sweet and lavishly seasoned with cardamom and cinnamon.[20] They eat fish curry, braised pork, sticky rice, and fermented noodles.[19] The Abzan are known to eat flatbreads and pastries topped with gold flakes.[21]
Tarkir has a unique, "dracometeorological" ecosystem.[22]Dragons are born from Ugin's elemental storms, known as dragon tempests or dragonstorms, fully-formed.[23][24] There are no dragon eggs or baby dragons on Tarkir.[25] The storms are heavily influenced by Ugin: during his hibernation they increased, when he left the plane they decreased, and in the original timeline when he died they ceased.[26]
Broods of the Dragonlords
Five types of dragons, each led by a prominent and eponymous figure, existed:[27]
Dromoka's Brood were revered by the Abzan Houses for their endurance. They were robust, ankylosaur-like beasts well protected by scaly armor, and breathed beams of light. They were drawn to Tarkir's hot and sunlit deserts. They attacked the Abzan over their "necromantic" ways, seeing their summoning of the spirits of the ancestors as an affront to nature and life, and thus massacred them until their khan, Daghatar, was brought before Dromoka years after Ugin's injury. Learning why she acted as she did, he ordered the end of the Abzan kin-tree traditions, installing instead a pact with the dragons.
The symbols of the broods of the dragonlords were reminiscent of the clans they had conquered.Ojutai's Brood were admired by the Jeskai Way. They were lithe, feathered winged creatures drawn to Tarkir's cold peaks, and with an icy breath. They were cunning and treacherous, forcing the Jeskai into a battle of wits for their survival. Though Ojutai's motivation to kill the Jeskai was never made entirely clear, he and his brood established themselves as exceptionally dogmatic individuals after taking over the Jeskai, when they attacked the meeting of the khans. Accepting Shu Yun's terms of surrender, Ojutai ordered the execution of every ghostfire Jeskai warrior. Finally, as the new leader, he demanded that the records of the Jeskai be edited to rewrite history in his favor, declaring himself ruler and the Jeskai abolished. With time, Ojutai calmed and became much kinder and closer to the humanoids of his Clan. Even when Narset discovered the secret of his rewriting Tarkir's history, the dragonlord simply smiled and encouraged her to seek further knowledge and enlightenment.
Silumgar's Brood were inspirational to the Sultai Brood. They were snake-headed creatures with a corrosive, venomous breath, associated with the misty jungles and swamps, stealing treasure and spreading death everywhere. The Sultai Khan offended the Rakshasa and the Nagas, prompting them to abandon the clan, and forcing them to make a pact with Silumgar and his brood. Tasigur betrayed the other khans by revealing to Silumgar the location of their meeting, under the promise of a special place of power under Silumgar's regime. His "reward" was to become a pet for Silumgar to display his dominance over.
Kolaghan's Brood were imitated by the Mardu Horde. They were slim creatures with four feathered wings and an assortment of frills and spines, capable of conjuring lightning. Taking dominion over the hills and steppes, they fought viciously against the Mardu. Kolaghan and her brood initially established themselves as the sole non-tyrannical dragons, not interested in enslaving the Mardu. In time, however, the dragonlord became a fearsome leader, using violence, cruelty, and her trademark unpredictability to keep the clan in line. Unlike the Mardu, the Kolaghan followed no code of honor. Their ambitions were to raze the other Clans down and bring ruin wherever they went. The Kolaghan pined for freedom, from civilization, from limits, and any form of honor or law.
Atarka's Brood were honored by the Temur Frontier. They were robust, bestial dragons with antlers and horns and fur, breathing green flames. Preferring the cold slopes, they were driven by hunger alone. Atarka's barely sapient mentality proved to be the salvation of the Temur, as Yasova satiated her hunger by feeding her mammoth carcasses, distracting the dragons from attacking her clan. In exchange for feeding Atarka, the humanoids were tolerated by Atarka's Brood as long as they stayed useful to her.
Following the rise of the dragonlords and the passage of time, the dragons matured to new levels of power, gaining the additional title of Elder. While these five dragons were no doubt the most powerful on Tarkir, the term was used separately from the Elder Dragons that once waged war across the Multiverse, making them a distinct breed of dragon rather than dragons of the same caliber as those ancient creatures.[28]
Clan dragons and wild dragons
Since the Stormnexus Ritual destabilized the mana of the dragonstorms, two major breeds have formed:
The clan dragons consist of survivors that once followed the dragonlords and new dragons that retain many of the same features of the previous dragon broods.[7] Most notably, these dragons recognize the power and authority of the spirit dragons and have chosen to follow them, living alongside the humanoid clans. Many clan dragons value the freedoms, stability, and protection they gain through clan life. Others stay among the clans out of loyalty and familiarity.
The wild dragons, in contrast, are beholden to no one.[7] Most live independently as apex predators in their territory, though there have been instances of small groups of wild dragons working together. Wild dragons are visually distinct from each other, with no two dragons looking the same. Wild dragons also have a variety of breath weapons. Rarely the same as clan dragons' breath weapons, these can be anything from a hail of thorns to swirling mists.
Other sapient races
Human: The most prolific humanoid creature that is found in all five clans.
Aven: Tarkir Aven comes in the shape of different birds, including vultures, ravens, rails, and falcons. They are found in all clans except for the Mardu and appeared mostly in the Ojutai and Dromoka clans.
Ainok: Canine humanoids that thrive in the harshest environments of the plane. Affiliated with the Temur and Abzan and formerly the Dromoka clan.
Demon: known as Sidikur, are summoned by the Sultai, the Silumgar, and the Mardu clans through rituals gained through deals with the Rakshasa.
Djinn: Inhabitants of Tarkir's high peaks, affiliated with Jeskai and formerly the Ojutai clan.
Efreet: Inhabitants of Qadat, the Efreet are aligned with the Jeskai Way and formerly the Atarka clan.
Goblins: Pack creatures aligned with the Temur and Mardu and formerly the Kolaghan and Atarka clans.
Loxodons: Mammoth-like humanoids primarily native to the Qal Sisma Mountains.
Naga: Serpentine humanoids that make ancient deals with the Rakshasa, the Naga aligned with the Sultai and Silumgar clans.
Orcs: Savage humanoids which are found primarily among the Mardu, Temur, and Abzan clans and formerly the Kolaghan clan.
Ogres: Feral humanoids aligned with the Mardu and Temur and formerly the Atarka clan.
Rakshasa: Cat-like demons, that are masters of dark pacts. They also wield devastating Dark Magics.
Vampires: broken into two types introduced and native. The native variety can be found in the Kheru swamps, in the Sultai territories. They feed off the living's mind or body. The other type was introduced to Tarkir by Sorin Markov.
Zombies: Known as Sibsig, they serve the Sultai and formerly the Silumgar as servants and main forces in their armies.
Wildlife
Amalgam: creatures of the makeup of multiple creatures, mostly with snakes
Hydra: a deadly creature that upon death births snakes
Dinosaur: known as Deathmist Raptors, they seem to have a knack for using the mists to beguile their prey.
Apes
Apes: Mandrills can be found in the jungles and palaces kept as undead pets.
Beasts: the massive creatures fall into the classification of megafauna.
Mauler
Krushok
Charger
Colossodon
Birds: Roc, Falcons, Owls, and Flocks of all types can be found throughout the lands.
Racing falcons, or riding raptors, are large birds used as mounts by the Mardu. They are faster than almost anything else on land but not built for climbing, and their fragile bones are easily broken.[30][31]
The design of Tarkir is influenced by the history and cultures of Asia. The five clans follow influential Asian civilizations across various eras. The Abzan are based on the Persian Empire in modern-day Iran, the Jeskai on Shaolin Monks of China, the Sultai on the Khmer Empire of Cambodia, the Mardu on the Mongols, and the Temur on Siberian shamanists.
Some subtypes were reused from the previous Asian-inspired settings of Rabiah and Kamigawa. Djinns and Efreets are from Arabic mythology and Kirin are from East Asian mythology; new additions were the Rakshasa from Hindu mythology, Lammasu from Assyrian, and Nagas from Buddhist and Hindu mythology. The Jeskai Aven may be inspired by the Wikipedia:kinnara, while the Ainok dogfolk may be a reference to the lupine Turkic or Mongolian origin myth. The presence of Orcs follows Tolkien's depiction of them, which brings with it the contested racial caricatures of Mongol tribes.
Tarkir was built from the plane Mongseng from Planechase 2012.[43] After the decision was made to use Mongseng as the setting for a full block, legal hurdles led to the renaming of the plane.[44] After Mongseng became off limits, R&D chose a new name, Khanar (the first set was going to be Warlords of Khanar), one which almost made it to print, but had to be changed at the last minute to Tarkir.[45]
- a massive area of waterways and vast, lush, tropical jungles and swamps. The Sultai Brood reside in large city temples, necropoleis, and pleasure palaces hidden here. Former Silumgar domain.[14]
- inhospitable mountains where the nomadic Temur Frontier spend much of the year hunting. Former Atarka domain.[15]
The Stormnexus Ritual in the Tarkir: Dragonstorm trailer.
The Ritual summons the Spirit Dragons.
