| Harald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | Elf |
| Birthplace | Skemfar, Kaldheim |
| Lifetime | Mending Era |
| Parents | Tyvar Kell (brother) |
| Sources | |
| Creating Tyvar Kell | |
King Harald the Elder is an elf warrior from Skemfar on Kaldheim. Harald managed to unite both of his plane's elf tribes, the wood elves and shadow elves. His younger brother is the planeswalker Tyvar Kell.[1]
Description[ | ]
Harald is a natural-born leader. When he speaks, even his most-hated enemies wait to hear what he has to say.[2]
History[ | ]
Youth[ | ]
As a young wood elf, after eating the fruit of a Jaspera tree and sleeping beneath its boughs, Harald had a vision foretelling the rise of a great elven dynasty that would unite all descendants of the Einir under a single banner.[3] Harald became convinced that it was his destiny to bring this vision into reality. After long years of struggle, wood and shadow elves were joined together at last and Harald proclaimed himself king of the elves, ruler over all Skemfar.
Some elves believe the Einir imprisoned in the Jaspera tree is guiding Harald's actions. Some even claim that Harald is possessed by the spirit of this ancient elf god. Among those who believe such things, opinions are divided as to whether the involvement of this Einir spirit bodes good or ill for the destiny of the elves.[4]
Under Harald's leadership, the elves are held together by a shared desire to reclaim the power of the Einir and what they believe to be their rightful place as rulers of all the realms. Despite this shared goal, though, old antagonism still simmers just beneath the surface, and it seems clear that Harald is the only tie that truly binds the two elf factions together. If he dies, the shadow elves and wood elves will almost certainly split once more and resume their ancient war.[4]
Tibalt's machinations[ | ]
Tibalt (disguised as Valki) visited Harald, subverting him with his lies and prompting him to prepare his army for a war.[5] Suspicious of this "Valki", Tyvar Kell began to follow and investigate the god through the realms.[6]
With the opening of the Omenpaths during the Doomskar initiated by Tibalt, Harald marched with his army to invade the other realms. In Bretagard Tyvar, who was helping Kaya bring the Sword of the Realms to Halvar and end the Doomskar, separated himself from the Kaya and went to meet his brother. Tyvar explained Tibalt's machinations to Harald, after which the Elven King decided to help fight the invading army of Immersturm and Karfell. Harald helped Kaya find Halvar and deliver the Sword. When Varragoth managed to overtake the elven army and attacked, Harald used his magic to summon snakes from the ground and trap the demon, but Varragoth easily broke free. The demon was only stopped by Kaya who killed him. After the great battle and with the closure of the Omenpaths, Harald and the leaders of the human Clans of Bretagard made a deal, where elves and humans must live in peace until the elves would be able to return to Skemfar.[7]
Fighting the Phyrexians[ | ]
During New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse, Harald and his brother led the defense of all ten realms of Kaldheim against the intruders.[8]
Trivia[ | ]
- Harald may have been based on Harald Fairhair, who unified the Norwegians and became Norway's first king.
Story appearances[ | ]
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 5: The Battle for Kaldheim | Roy Graham with contributions by Jenna Helland | 2021-02-03 | Kaldheim | Kaldheim | Kaya, Tyvar Kell, Arni, Fynn, Inga, Sigrid, Alrund, Hakka, Varragoth, Cosima, Harald, Halvar, Koma, Niko Aris, Esika, Vorinclex |
| March of the Machine - Episode 4: Beneath Eyes Unblinking | K. Arsenault Rivera | 2023-03-17 | March of the Machine | Kaldheim, Kaladesh, Capenna | Tyvar Kell, Harald, Pia Nalaar, Saheeli Rai, Atraxa |
| March of the Machine - Episode 10: The Rhythms of Life | K. Arsenault Rivera | 2023-03-28 | March of the Machine | Kamigawa, Kaldheim, Kaladesh, Zhalfir, New Phyrexia | Nashi, Tamiyo, Tyvar Kell, Harald, Pia Nalaar, Karn, Teferi Akosa, Kaya Cassir, Thrun, Koth of the Hammer, Ajani Goldmane, Nissa Revane, Chandra Nalaar, Melira, Saheeli Rai, Elspeth Tirel |
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
- Depicted in:
References[ | ]
- ↑ Gerritt Turner (December 14, 2020). "Creating Tyvar Kell". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (March 17, 2023). "March of the Machine - Episode 4: Beneath Eyes Unblinking". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ari Zirulnik and Jenna Helland (January 21, 2021). "The Legends of Kaldheim". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Ari Zirulnik and Jenna Helland (January 14, 2021). "Planeswalker's Guide to Kaldheim, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (January 20, 2021). "Kaldheim Episode 3: The Saga of Tibalt". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (January 13, 2021). "Episode 2: Awaken the Trolls". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Roy Graham (February 03, 2021). "Episode 5: The Battle for Kaldheim". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ K. Arsenault Rivera (March 17, 2023). "March of the Machine - Episode 4: Beneath Eyes Unblinking". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.