Volrath

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Volrath
Vuel
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Volrath.jpg}}|250px]]
Details
Race Phyrexian Shapeshifter
Formerly Human
Birthplace Jamuraa, Dominaria
Lifetime 4174[1] or 4178[2]-4205 AR
Parents Kondo
Relatives Gerrard Capashen (adoptive brother)
Colors
{B}{G}{U}
Sources
Rath and Storm, Mercadian Masques, Nemesis

Volrath, born as Vuel[3], was a human from Dominaria, who later became the shapeshifting and phyrexianized leader of Rath. He was one of the main antagonists in the Weatherlight Saga.[4]

Description

While evincar of Rath, Volrath was six feet tall.[5] He had absolute belief in himself, which caused strong self-confidence bordering on arrogance. He was ingenious, cunning, and completely ruthless, and mastered the ability to shape flesh and bone with sinister artistry.[1]

History

Youth

Vuel was born as the son of Sidar Kondo, within a north Jamuraan war-clan. When the young Gerrard Capashen was accepted into his family, Vuel initially expressed contempt, but they later became good friends.

One of the rites of passage for Vuel was to face the challenge of climbing a harsh, sizable plateau. His trial was doomed to fail, as Starke il-Vec added poison to the ritual paintings applied to his body. Gerrard chose to save his life, but Vuel was cast out of his clan as a failure, with even his father rejecting him. Volrath, therefore, resented Gerrard for not simply letting him die.

As he wandered out alone in despair, Starke comforted him and whetted his ego and need for revenge. Vuel rallied other barbarians from surrounding tribes to attack his former clan. This led to the deaths of many of Vuel's people, including his father. During this time, Vuel managed to deactivate Karn and steal the Legacy artifacts.

Rath

As his lust for power became unbound, he was transported to the strange world of Rath through Starke's portal. Hearing Yawgmoth's words of power, he gave himself to Phyrexia, becoming Volrath, the new evincar of Rath, a shapeshifter and master of flowstone manipulation.

Years later, Volrath hatched a plan to get revenge upon Gerrard and destroy the Legacy. He organized the kidnapping of Captain Sisay to lure Weatherlight to Rath, where his skyship, Predator, ambushed them. In the chaos of battle Tahngarth, Karn, and the Legacy artifacts were taken captive, and Gerrard fell to his apparent demise over the Skyshroud Forest. However, Volrath knew that Gerrard would survive and launch a rescue attempt.

Volrath watched over Gerrard as he tried to infiltrate the Stronghold. He gradually had his minions wound the other crew members until only Starke and Gerrard were left. Volrath then appeared to confront them along with Sisay and Takara, who were under his mental control. However, after releasing Sisay and Takara, Gerrard killed "Volrath," who was just a shapeshifter. In reality, Volrath had shapeshifted into the form of Takara, which enabled him to stow away aboard Weatherlight as it fled the Stronghold.

Mercadia

Arriving in Mercadia, Volrath used his disguised form to influence the crewmen so they turned against each other. He then took his revenge by murdering Starke and attempting to steal Weatherlight. Gerrard eventually confronted Volrath and was able to beat him in combat, leaving the evincar seemingly dead. However, Volrath survived and pursued Weatherlight aboard Recreant, but once again he was defeated and was forced to retreat to Rath.

Death

Upon his return, Volrath found that his throne had been deemed abdicated by the Phyrexians and was being contested over by Greven, Ertai, and Crovax. Volrath entered the contest himself and challenged Crovax's accession in a duel to the death. Volrath's experience was apparent, but Crovax drew extra strength by killing the spectators. Volrath gained the upper hand, but his near-victory was mysteriously cut short as he collapsed in his moment of triumph. Ertai had intervened on Crovax's behalf, off-balancing Volrath, and allowing his opponent to secure his victory.

At the center of Evincar Crovax's coronation was the execution of Vuel, which Volrath had been reduced to following the removal of his Phyrexian implants. Vuel was injected with a vial of liquid flowstone, which Ertai manipulated within his bloodstream to disassemble Vuel from the inside out. As he died, Vuel's last sight was the sky of his homeland of Dominaria as the Rathi Overlay began.

Legacy

Centuries later, the Demonlord Belzenlok would take control of The Cabal and make his home in the ruins of Volrath's stronghold. Belzenlok rewrote Dominaria's history, claiming that he had been Evincar instead of Volrath.

Trivia

  • Volrath was written as a shapeshifter to enable the proposed murder mystery story of Mercadian Masques, although originally he would have murdered Starke at the beginning of the story.[6]

Planes visited

Story appearances

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
Destiny Rei Nakazawa February 27, 2007 Planar Chaos Rath Gerrard, Crovax, Selenia, Sisay, Mirri, Starke, Tahngarth, Karn, Orim, Volrath

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Depicted in:
Quoted or referred to:

References

  1. ↑ a b Tempest Characters (archived)
  2. ↑ Peter Archer, ed. (1998.) Rath and Storm, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 0-7869-1175-1.
  3. ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 12, 2014). "Volrath got his name because he was Vuel (his birth name) of Rath.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 3, 2007). "Weather(light) Report". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ Pete Venters (March 1998). "Dominian Chronicles: The Lurker's Guide to the Stronghold." The Duelist #24, 26-27
  6. ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 16, 2024). "Getting Away with Murders at Karlov Manor, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. ↑ Magic Arcana (December 16, 2003). "Jinxed artifacts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
Story publications
Blocks and Sets
Weatherlight crew
Nine Titans
Other characters
See also
Sets
Rathi storyline
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