| Elenda of Garrano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | Vampire |
| Birthplace | Ixalan |
| Lifetime | Mending Era |
Elenda of Garrano, also known as the first vampire, the Dusk Rose or Black Rose,[1] and Saint Elenda the Venerable is the legendary ancestor of the vampires of the Legion of Dusk on Ixalan.[2][3][4]
Appearance and character[ | ]
Elenda has been described by Mavren Fein as being nine feet tall with hair like a raven's wings and nails like lightning's edge,[3] but in truth, she is of average height, with long curling locks and a youthful face that belies the deadly nature of her kind.[5] She has a wisp of gray in her long dark hair, and a gentle spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose.[6] She carries herself with the posture of royalty. Her eyes glow a soft, warm gold, and her voice is light and quiet. The thin light of a crown of beads appears to float behind the back of her head, the sign of a Venerable.
Elenda has the magical ability to travel by vanishing into a dark slice in the air.[5]
History[ | ]
Warrior nun[ | ]
Elenda was born mortal, a warrior nun charged with her brothers and sisters of faith to guard the Immortal Sun in the mountains of Torrezon. The monastery was raided by Pedron the Wicked who killed most of its occupants. Elenda survived and ran outside to fight Pedron, but the Immortal Sun had been stolen from the fiend by a winged beast in the sky. The beast took the Immortal Sun to the west, and Elenda followed it.
Vampire[ | ]
In the west, Elenda resorted to dark magic and took on the burden of immortality until the Immortal Sun could be retrieved once again.[7] She searched for centuries and returned to Torrezon to teach her Rite to the nobles so that they could take up the sacrifice and join her in her search. Mavren Fein was one of her early converts. Long ago, he watched as she sailed back into the west. She had never been seen since.[2]
Return[ | ]
It turned out that Elenda had found the Immortal Sun at Orazca, but the city had been deserted and was heavily protected. Awaiting the awakening of the city, she put herself in an enchanted sleep in a tomb of the bat-god Aclazotz.[5] This event had been preserved as the tale of "The Bat of the East" in the Sun Empire. When Kumena awoke the city, Elenda reappeared as well. She first met the planeswalkers Angrath and Huatli, and was appalled to hear that the Legion of Dusk had become cruel invaders in her absence. She had left the Church with the knowledge of the ritual to take on her burden, learn humility, and search for salvation for all. She decided to teach them what they had forgotten.[5]
Elenda arrived in the Sanctum of the Sun to see the Immortal Sun vanish. Mavren Fein asked her aid to retrieve it again, but Elenda refused, telling the vampire that they were finally free from their ancient duty. An angry and confused Vona asked her why she had left them and denied them immortality. Elenda answered that immortality was not the purpose of her gift, but protection. Deference to forces greater than themselves and humility would lead them to salvation, not the Immortal Sun. She said that she had found the sun and decided to become its sentinel within the Golden City while awaiting the arrival of other members of her order. She asked to be brought to Queen Miralda. Vona denied her, but Mavren Fein punished her for speaking ill of the living saint. After reprimanding Vona, the three left.[8]
After returning to Torrezon, Elenda began preaching a message of humility and restraint that some of her vampiric brethren, such as Vito, refused to heed.[9][10]
Elenda fought alongside Azor in defense of Ixalan during New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse.
Lost Caverns of Ixalan[ | ]
A year after the Invasion, Saint Elenda and a cadre of soldiers travel to the continent of Ixalan where they meet with Huatli, her partner Saheeli Rai and Caztaca Huicintli, aunt of the current child emperor of the Sun Empire, to negotiate an alliance.[6] The meeting is interrupted by Admiral Beckett Brass who demanded these powerful political figures of Ixalan support her efforts to secure a free country for the Brazen Coalition.
Story appearances[ | ]
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glimpse the Far Side of the Sun | Alison Luhrs | 2018-01-17 | Rivals of Ixalan | Ixalan, Kaldheim | Huatli, Angrath, Elenda, Jace, Vraska, Zetalpa, Azor |
| Who Tells the Stories | Alison Luhrs | 2018-02-07 | Rivals of Ixalan | Ixalan | Huatli, Tishana, Vona, Angrath, Mavren Fein, Elenda, Zacama |
| Rivals of Ixalan Magic Story Alternate Endings | R&D Narrative Team | 2018-02-21 | Rivals of Ixalan | Ixalan | Tishana, Vona, Mavren Fein, Elenda |
| The Lost Caverns of Ixalan - Pawns | Miguel Lopez | 2023-10-20 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Ixalan | Saheeli Rai, Huatli, Apatzec Intli IV, Caztaca Huicintli, Chitlati, Elenda of Garrano, Beckett Brass |
Gallery[ | ]
March of the Machine art with Azor
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Quoted or referred to:
References[ | ]
- ↑ Valerie Valdes (October 20, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan - Episode 5". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Explore the Planes: Ixalan
- ↑ a b R&D Narrative Team (October 11, 2017). "The Race, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Chas Andres (October 25, 2017). "Ten Burning Questions from the Ixalan Story". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d R&D Narrative Team (January 17, 2018). "Glimpse the Far Side of the Sun". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Miguel Lopez (October 20, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan - Pawns". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ R&D Narrative Team (November 8, 2017). "Planeswalker's Guide to Ixalan, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ R&D Narrative Team (February 2, 2018). "Who Tells the Stories". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (June 8, 2020). "The Lore of Core Set 2021 on the Cards". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Valerie Valdes (October 20, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan - Episode 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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