Kotara

Kotara
Details
Race	Angel
Lifetime	War with Phyrexia
Died	c. 3850 AR
Colors
(originally) (fallen)

Kotara was an angel who was summoned by the sorcerer Sabul Hajeen to Zhalfir while it was part of the contient of Jamuraa on the plane of Dominaria.

Description

Kotara carried an unearthly splendor with her. Her feathers were iridescent, and she had a fluid grace about her slender alabaster form and radiant crystal eyes. She wore a helm, breastplate, vambraces, and greaves, light as mist, strong as steel, and lustrous as mother-of-pearl on her willowy form, while an augmented strength sang within her limbs. The armor and her newfound might were enchantments, cast by Sabul Hajeen, manifestations of the magic of law and sanctity no less than she. Yet they were strange and indeed almost dangerous to her. Had Sabul's will not allowed her to bear them, she would have dissolved them away.

However, as Kotara kept following Sabul's increasingly harsh demands, the lustrous glimmer faded from her wings. Her eyes lost their glow and took on a steely, predatory appearance. Her features sharpened, and she started giving in to hatred and rage, which she could not cleanse from herself.

History

In c. 3850 AR, years before Mangara's Harmony, Kotara arrived in Ki'pamu, the capital of Zhalfir. She learned from her summoner Sabul Hajeen that his younger brother, Axdan Hajeen, had been murdered. Sabul sent Kotara out to kill the murderer, who had escaped Zhalfirin justice. When she battled Multam Ilmiera, he cast dark magic over her and did not deny the murder of Axdan, but still, she felt sick at heart, her only relief at working as an assassin being that her mission was finished.

However, Sabul had not had enough, and he was not satisfied with Multam's quick death. He ordered Kotara to kill Multam's cousin Yirtag Ilmiera slowly, and she did his bidding, although it tore at her soul and she wept for half an hour afterward. Sabul proceeded to have her kill other accomplices and relatives of the killer. Eskander Ilmiera was naked and defenseless, begging for his life, while Otori Ilmiera tried to trap her. She killed them both. These evil acts started affecting Kotara, who changed both physically and mentally, losing her radiance and her connection to the Divine Will. Eventually, this weakened Sabul's summoning spell enough for her to almost kill him then, before reconsidering. Then, when Sabul sent her to kill Ferren Tynlo, a man who was not even born as part of the Ilmiera family, Kotora felt the summoning break entirely. She was no longer a creature of white mana, and thus unaffected by Sabul's spell.

Kotara abandoned her mission and returned to Sabul, intending to kill him for what he had done to her. But Sabul had realized the error of his ways, and repented, accepting his death at her hands. Once again, something stopped her from slaying him, but she left him to be killed by a demon summoned by the Ilmieras as their last defense. As she soared through the sky, she knew the demon would not be satisfied with only Sabul and would go on a rampage through Ki'pamu afterward. The deaths of so many innocents at last turned her around, and she returned to Sabul to intervene in the battle. The demon, a knight of the Pit, was stronger than her, but she abandoned her defenses to wound it grievously, allowing Sabul to exile it, though it cost Kotara her life.

Story appearances

Title	Author	Publishing date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
The Colors of Magic	Jess Lebow and various	February 1999	Dominaria	Kotara, Sabul Hajeen, Axdan Hajeen, Multam Ilmiera, Tartesk Hajeen, Yirtag Ilmiera, Eskander Ilmiera, Otori Ilmiera, Ferren Tynlo, Finroy, Rhindle, Evara, Jerod, Duke Devareux, Thaddeus, Shaboo, Lord Rothchild, Lady Rothchild, Lord Barsus, Sir Udo, Ariel, Jorgensen, Joren Homdallson, Edgur, Artulle, Riliana, Meckie, Embric, Dare, Phreus, Perrick, Aga, Penkin, Tanton, Varno, Adal, Temken, Gwenna, Armand Ar-basinno, Latavino Bar-bassanti, Squee, Sarapinna Machieve, Krank, Fizzer, Druze, Quilk, Farf, Elkan, Groth Jonar, Varchild, Lavash, Jel, Tramas, Michand, Tayva and Loria, Brucius, Tomaya, Ebnezzer, Winton, Crucias, Gheiri, Elgia, Nunieve, Biggs, Damon, Sabra, Jervis, Annarais, Wane, Dumoss, Annise, Feldon, Loran, Drafna, Hurkyl (mentioned), the Archimandrite (mentioned)