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Ojutai
Ojutai DOT
Details
Race Elder Dragon
Birthplace Tarkir
Lifetime unknown
Colors
{W}{U}
Scryfall Search
lore:"Ojutai"
watermark:"Ojutai"

Ojutai (/oʊdʒʊtaɪ/ OH-juu-teye),[1] a.k.a. the Soul of Winter or the Great Teacher is one of the five elder dragons of Tarkir. He is a lithe, feathered winged creature with an icy breath. He is considered to be insightful and wise, though several of his actions in-story are motivated by spite.

History[ | ]

Ojutai's Brood[ | ]

Ojutai and his brood emerged full-fledged from Ugin's dragon tempests and were drawn to Tarkir's cold peaks. Like their progenitor, Ojutai's brood breathe streams of ice.[2]

Original timeline[ | ]

Ojutai and his brood were revered by the Jeskai Way for their cunning. Dangerously treacherous, they forced the Jeskai into a battle of wits for their survival. However, after Ugin's death, they lost the battle against the clans of Tarkir. No new brood was created and all died. Ojutai never reached elder status.

Alternate timeline[ | ]

Ojutai and his brood established themselves as exceptionally dogmatic individuals after taking over the Jeskai, when they attacked the meeting of the khans. Accepting Shu Yun's terms of surrender, Ojutai ordered the execution of every Jeskai ghostfire warrior.[3]

Clan Ojutai[ | ]

As the new leader, Ojutai demanded that the records of the Jeskai were edited to rewrite history in his favor, declaring himself ruler and founder of the clan.[4] The humanoids of his clan revere the dragons as the epitome of age, wisdom, and martial strength, seeking their guidance and believing that, by following Ojutai's edicts, that they will in another lifetime be reborn as dragons. The elites of the clan are the long-lived Skywise dragons. They are aloof, solitary, and graceful. The teachings of the dragons (and of Ojutai in particular) are seen as the pinnacle of attainable wisdom and the entire clan is structured around gaining enlightenment from the Great Teacher himself. Leadership among the humanoids is earned by martial prowess and spiritual teaching rather than by heredity. Each humanoid member of the Ojutai holds both a martial rank and an academic rank. Any given individual may pursue either or both, and the two exist in parallel. The highest-ranked martial artist in a sanctuary commands the sanctuary's fighters, and the highest-ranked scholar teaches and leads the sanctuary in peacetime. The dragons rarely involve themselves in the lives of their subjects, preferring to tend to their own, inscrutable affairs. Attempts to deviate from Ojutai's teachings, including seeking records of the past, result in the person being declared a heretic and executed.

The dragonlord himself resides in the mountain sanctuaries, concerned with enlightenment and teaching, not with the mundane details of humanoid society. Ojutai himself seems to have gained a soft spot for his best and favorite student: Narset. He not only allowed her to live after she discovered the existence of the original clans, but he also encouraged her to continue seeking knowledge.

Phyrexian Invasion[ | ]

Though he had been harassed and beset by dragons throughout his life, Zurgo was the first to understand that dragons and non-dragons would not be able to survive without each other's help and would have to work together if they were to save Tarkir. Swallowing all his bitterness and pride, he approached the one dragonlord he thought would be the most likely to listen to reason: Ojutai. With the dragons' numbers decimated by the invaders, Ojutai agreed. Together, the partnership of dragonlord and despised outcast set an example that others soon followed, leading to unprecedented cooperation between dragons and their scions.[5]

Story appearances[ | ]

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
Khanfall Kelly Digges 2015-02-18 Fate Reforged Tarkir Shu Yun, Quan, Alesha, Reyhan, Daghatar, Yasova Dragonclaw, Tasigur, Ugin, Sarkhan Vol, Silumgar, Ojutai, Ikra Shidiqi, Beril, Jagun Wingmate, Doshiyn Eye-Piercer, Kolaghan, Anchin, Atarka, Yeran
The Great Teacher's Student Kimberly J. Kreines 2015-03-04 Dragons of Tarkir Tarkir Narset, Taigam, Ojutai, Ishai

In-game references[ | ]

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

Depictions of Ojutai's brood

References[ | ]

  1. Wizards of the Coast (March 31, 2015). "Here's a pronunciation guide for some of the names that were requested earlier today.". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
  2. Doug Beyer (February 25, 2015). "Breath weapon rundown". A Voice for Vorthos. Tumblr.
  3. Kelly Digges (February 18, 2015). "Khanfall". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. The Magic Creative Team (March 11, 2015). "Planeswalker's Guide to Dragons of Tarkir, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Emily Teng (April 13, 2023). "The Legendary Team-Ups of March of the Machine". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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