| Almaaz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | Dominaria |
| Part of | Terisian Isles |
| Status | Current |
| Formerly part of | Terisiare |
Almaaz is the third largest of the Terisian Isles on Dominaria, and the only nation to survive through the Brothers' War, the Dark Age and the Ice Age of Terisiare on without crumbling, although it was ruled by both Mishra and the Rigida during certain periods.
Description[ | ]
The island of Almaaz is located east of Lat-Nam, south of Gulmany and west of Yavimaya and New Argive.[1] It is bordered in the south by the South Sea, in the west by the Lat-Nam Straits, in the north by the Sea of Almaaz, and the in the northeast by the Sea of Laments.[2]
Prehistory[ | ]
Almaaz before the War was both a nation and a culture that spread over the southwestern portion of Terisiare. Some say it was a place of rich culture and fine craftsmanship.
The Brothers' War[ | ]
Almaazan songmages that lived in the capital city Sumifa surrendered to Mishra and offered their powers to the Fallaji Empire in the war to avoid the destruction of their nation. Ashnod was sent to Almaaz by Mishra to oversee iron and lumber harvesting afterward, although civil war eventually broke out[3] after the Fall of Sumifa.[4]
The Dark Age[ | ]
After the Brothers' War, then the Time of the Erg Raiders came. Almaazan cities were attacked by dune raiders or thirst-crazed military tribes from the Erg Desert.
The Ice Age[ | ]
During the Ice Age, most of Almaaz was ruled by the Glacial Kingdom of ancient ice beings called the Rigida,[5] while much of the western part of Almaaz, including the former Halquina Mountains, were buried underneath the Great Glacier. In 1300 AR, a new Sumifa was established slightly west of the original site of old Sumifa.[4]
After the Thaw[ | ]
After the Flooding of Terisiare, the rule of Almaaz was reestablished, with Sumifa as its capital. By that time, Terisiare was broken up into several islands, with Almaaz as one of the largest. Several smaller islands, including the Borderlands, were located where the Great Glacier had ground the land into the sea. In 3050 AR, the buried ruins of old Sumifa were found in the desert. This discovery led to unearthing efforts, with a growing digsite revealing the buried ruins bit by bit.[4] The song-mage Thabit of Almaaz played an important role in the rebellion of Epityr against Sheoltun.[6]
Known locations[ | ]
- The Borderlands - bordering Lat-Nam Straits, later forming a separate island after the Thaw[4]
- The Chimes, a magical valley inhabited by Sarrazan elves. Destroyed in 3050 AR upon the release of the Beast of the Hours.[4]
- Sarraza - the mountain where the Beast of the Hours was bound[4]
- The Sarrazan River, a river flowing past Sarazza[4]
- The River Kingdom - a small nation of Selkies, formed during the Flooding of Terisiare.[4]
- The Silver Sea - an inland sea that formed during the Thaw, later submerged by the ocean[4]
- The Erg Desert in the western half of the island.[7]
- Fallajia, the Fallaji nation of the eastern deserts and plains. A tiny remnant of the ancient mighty Fallaji Empire.[8][9]
- The Halquina Mountains - the southern, mountainous province of Almaaz, later buried under the Great Glacier and ground into the Shielded Sea, forming an archipelago of islands.
- The Nantas River - a slow-moving silty river which dries up in the summer months, but turns the surrounding valley green during winter.[4]
- The Nessian Cliffs desert cliffs which brought refuge to the fleeing people of old Sumifa when it was destroyed.[4]
- Sumifa, the capital.[4] After the Fall of Sumifa in the Brothers' War, a new city of the same name was built after almost 1300 years. The new city was a bit west of the old one, across the Nantas River. [4]
- A Yavimayan colony on the eastern tip of the island. Connected to Yavimaya by a Magnigoth Mangal.
Gallery[ | ]
Almaaz at the time of the Brothers' War.
In-game references[ | ]
- Referred to:
Notes and references[ | ]
- ↑ Martha Wells (March 21, 2018). "Return to Dominaria, Episode 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (April 20, 2018). "Dominarian Cartography". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (1998). Magic: The Gathering - The Brothers' War.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r First named in the Song of Time novel
- ↑ Teri McLaren, Shadows of Time, the unpublished sequel of Song of Time. HarperPrism
- ↑ Monty Ashley (October 21, 2010). "From the Library of Leng: Serra Angel". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ As Erg in the Song of Time novel. Not to be confused with the Erg Mirab
- ↑ As Fallajian territories in the Song of Time novel.
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (SEptember 10, 2022). "The New Argive Megathread". Twitter.