Thraben

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Thraben
Thraben Parish
The High City of Thraben
Information
Plane Innistrad
Colors White manaBlack mana
Part of Gavony
Scryfall Statistics

Thraben is the largest fortified city on the plane of Innistrad and serves as the primary religious, administrative, and military center for humanity. Located in the province of Gavony, Thraben was historically home to the Church of Avacyn and its ruling Lunarch Council, who governed faith and order across the plane. Built as a layered fortress on a high limestone mesa overlooking the Lake of Herons on one side and the ocean on the other, Thraben was long regarded as the safest refuge from the supernatural horrors that plague Innistrad’s countryside. However, repeated sieges and conflicts in recent years have damaged the city and weakened its reputation as an unbreachable sanctuary.

Description

Thraben is the name of both a parish and its central city in the province of Gavony on Innistrad. The city is built on a high limestone cliff island at the Lake of Herons, overlooking the ocean. Thraben is the largest walled city on the plane, although parts of Nephalia's seaports are more densely populated.[1]

Thraben is the administrative and religious center for humans on Innistrad. It is the seat of the Church of Avacyn and contains the Thraben Cathedral, the main fortress-cathedral of the church. The cathedral houses the Lunarch Council, which oversees church leadership and governance, and has historically been the residence of the Lunarch, the church's highest authority.

The city was planned as a layered system of walls, gates, and watchtowers to protect its population from supernatural threats such as vampires, werewolves, and undead. While most rural settlements are exposed to constant attacks, the inner city and the cathedral have long been regarded as the safest areas on the plane. This relative security often resulted in the church's upper leadership underestimating conditions in more vulnerable regions.

During the Siege of Thraben and the later Battle of Thraben, the city's defenses were breached by hordes of undead and cultists, and parts of the city were damaged or destroyed. These events ended Thraben's reputation as completely secure and forced the Lunarch Council to withdraw to Ollenback.

The parish of Thraben extends beyond the city and includes the Lake of Herons and the Kappel Road, which links the city to smaller farmsteads and villages scattered throughout Gavony's moors and hills. These settlements have limited protection and rely on local Avacynian wards, locked doors, and church patrols by cathars and inquisitors based in Thraben. The parish border with Nearheath lies a few miles to the south of the city.[1]

Residents

Most of the upper class resided in Thraben or manorial estates in Nearheath.[2] The three most important families were House Cecani (with strong ties to the Church), the scholars of House Galan, and House Lieva (known for elegant salons in town and decadent parties in the country).

Thraben's middle class was mainly clergy, merchants (known as metzalar), and artisans. The common folk had little chance for upward mobility. With the church's influence, the city maintained a high standard of cleanliness and order. There was a standing militia, and the church paid a host of workers to keep the streets swept, the public gardens and grafs tended, and the riff-raff off the street. Begging was strictly prohibited, and there was a street curfew enforced by the militia. Several almshouses existed just outside the main walls of Thraben, and the church regularly sponsored "caravans" to take the needy to the seaports, where they would ostensibly be able to find employment or trade work more easily.

Locations in Thraben parish

Thraben Cathedral and Courtyard
  • Kappel Road - a road on the outskirts of Gavony.[3]
  • Lake of Herons Blue mana - a long lake, with Thraben at one end. The lake's waters run off the cliff and into the ocean by the former site of the Helvault.[1]
    • Thraben White manaBlack mana - former High City of Avacyn on the shore of the Lake of Herons, on a massive island cliff mesa overlooking the ocean. The Walls of Thraben are a complex system of bulwarks and defense lines. There are still remnants of older walls, which have crumbled and lost their effectiveness. But even the old walls demarcate the city into sections, some of which have a penal or ceremonial function.[1]
      • The blessed grafs - entire city blocks devoted to burial sites, functioning much like city gardens where the citizens can rest and reflect.[1]
      • Bloodless Wall - when vampires are caught, they are chained to this wall and left to starve to death.[1]
      • Child's Wall - the inner wall that surrounds the grounds of the Old Cathedral. Nearly as strong and tall as the outer wall, the Child's Wall has not been altered in ages. It is inscribed with the names of every child born in Innistrad. Many parents make a pilgrimage to the wall in the year after their child's birth, believing that having their child's name written on the wall will add protection to its life.[1]
      • Fang Wall - when werewolves are caught, they are executed in front of this wall. Then their fangs are removed and shoved between the crevices of the stones.[1]
      • Merchant's Wall - a complex of fellowship halls that forms the outer edge of a substantial market square. This is the center of commerce in Thraben.[1]
      • Outer Wall - the main defense of Thraben. A thick, high wall that rings the perimeter of the city. The Church has approved the expansion of the wall several times to keep the city from getting too crowded.[1]
      • Thraben Cathedral - a towering church on the eastern tip of the Thraben mesa, destroyed in the Battle of Thraben. It was the spiritual center of Innistrad and the former home of Avacyn. The cathedral had a forked shape reminiscent of Avacyn's spear, with two wings forming a triangular courtyard just above the waterfall.[1]
        • Avacyn's Tower - the former site of Avacyn's aerie.
        • The Chapel of Noble Peers - the chapel where Gavony's noble class came to worship Avacyn.[1]
        • The courtyard - the triangular-shaped open-air square formed by the two wings of the cathedral. Formerly lush with gardens, now a barren and lifeless space where nothing will grow. Even so, it remains a holy site closed to anyone but the Lunarch Council.[1]
          • Kirch Falls Blue mana - the water from the Lake of Herons runs through Thraben and forms a waterfall in the cathedral's courtyard, which plummets down to the ocean.[1]
          • The stone promontory - former site of the Helvault, now merely the site of a blackened circle.[1]
          • Tree of Perdition Black mana - a tree that could formerly absolve the souls of those hanged in it, now a twisted version of its former self.
        • Fal Seminary - a separate building formerly used for training members of the clergy.
        • The Lofts - the large perch of Avacyn's angels, where they stayed to rest when not out on missions.[1]
        • The Midvast Hall - a large, cloistered room where the commoners came to worship Avacyn.[1]
        • Tomb of the Lunarchs - where past Lunarchs, including Mikaeus Cecani, were interred.[4]
        • Vault of the Archangel White manaBlack mana - a crypt in the lower level of the cathedral, where Avacyn was created and unmade.

History

Siege of Thraben

Main article: Siege of Thraben

In the absence of Avacyn, the sibling necromancers Gisa and Geralf Cecani dared to besiege the city. Geralf snuck into the city before the attack to kill Lunarch Mikaeus. Later, he met up with Liliana, who shortly thereafter brought Mikaeus back as a zombie. Gisa was left with tending to the siege, having gained control of Geralf's Skaabs along with her conventional undead. The army broke the outer wall of the city before being pushed back by the fire, causing Gisa to abandon the siege. Odric, a champion of the church, captured Gisa and held her imprisoned in Rider's Lock.[5] Shortly thereafter, Liliana caused the Sundering of the Helvault, and Avacyn was free. The archangel then cast the Cursemute, curing the plane of the curse werewolves by creating the Wolfir.

Unmaking of Avacyyn

Main article: Unmaking of Avacyn

During the Travails, Avacyn became corrupted by the lingering presence of Emrakul, just beyond the veil of the Blind Eternities. Her descent into madness culminated in violent attacks against humanity and a final confrontation in the Cathedral of Thraben with her creator, Sorin Markov, who ultimately destroyed her to prevent further devastation.

Battle of Thraben

Main article: Battle of Thraben

Thraben was the focal point of the battle between Olivia Voldaren's vampire army and the Order of Saint Traft on one side, and Emrakul's Eldrazi and Nahiri's cultists on the other side. Olivia's and Thalia's forces were reinforced by the Gatewatch and Liliana's zombie army.[6][7] The battle was won by the coalition after Sigarda killed Brisela, and Emrakul was imprisoned within Innistrad's Moon.[8]

Midnight Hunt

After the Battle for Thraben, the city was left in ruins. Cathars still patrol them but the city isn't as safe as it used to be.[9] Gisa Cecani has taken control of the zombies left behind by Liliana Vess, and all citizens left. Gisa lives in the least-destroyed building.[10] At some point during this period, Wilhelt arrived at Thraben with a zombie army to try and win Gisa only for her to reject him once again. He tried to besiege the city, but the ghoulcaller's forces proved to be superior. Wilhelt then left Thraben, defeated. Realizing how boring her life as the 'self-proclaimed Queen of Thraben' is, Gisa plans to abandon the city and move in with her brother Geralf.

Meanwhile, Thalia, Odric, and the cathars of the Order of Saint Traft have refused to abandon the ruined city, and still wage war on the zombies that prowl the streets.[11]

Gallery

In-game references

Associated cards:
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References

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q James Wyatt 2016, "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad".
  2. ↑ James Wyatt 2016, "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad".
  3. ↑ Ryan Miller, Jenna Helland, Matt Tabak, Bruce Cordell, and Josh Brauer (October 24, 2011). "The Cursed Blade". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13.
  4. ↑ Jenna Helland (January 16, 2012). "Preview Article: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ Jenna Helland (June 26, 2012). "Odric, Master Tactician". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ James Wyatt (July 13, 2016). "Saint Traft and the Flight of Nightmares". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Nik Davidson (July 20, 2016). "Battle of Thraben". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Ken Troop (July 27, 2016). "The Promised End". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ Flavor text for Odric's Outrider
  10. ↑ Doug Beyer and Ari Zirulnik (September 9, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Innistrad: Midnight Hunt". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09.
  11. ↑ As seen on Odric's Outrider and Thalia, Guardian of Thraben.
 
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