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Rona
Rona
Details
Race Phyrexian
Formerly Human
Birthplace Dominaria
Lifetime Mending Era
Colors
{U}{B}

Rona is a human artificer from Dominaria and follower of Gix.[1]

Description[ | ]

Rona is a young woman with platinum-brown skin[note 1][2] and dark umber curls who wears the cloak of the Tolarian Academy with an added circular star chart motif bisected by a line to make the symbol of New Phyrexia.[3] She has a mechanical eye featuring a miniaturized ray cannon. She carries a glaive and has other Phyrexianized enhancements, including a device in her leg.[4]

After her full compleation, Rona's torso was mounted atop the lower body of a Phyrexian Obliterator. She has massive claws in place of human arms, theropod-like digitigrade legs, and a long tail. At the waist level, a set of sharp pedipalps extend a short distance from her body.

History[ | ]

Rona has trained in the Tolarian tradition of magical study, and as the leader of the Society of Mishra, she has strayed from those traditions in her pursuit of forbidden Phyrexian lore. She has used her biomechanical magic to replace one eye and make a few other modifications to her body in pursuit of improving and transcending her merely human form. In her studies, she draws inspiration from Gix, an ancient Thran rebel who became a Phyrexian Demon, "compleated" and perfected by augmenting his body with metal. [5]

As an acolyte of Gix, Rona led a series of clandestine excavations deep in the Caves of Koilos, searching for buried Phyrexian technology — and discovered the charred but still living form of the Phyrexian praetor Sheoldred. Rona led the operation to restore Sheoldred's flesh, and was her second-in-command in staging the Second Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria.[4] She bested Karn in a direct confrontation, and piloted a dragon engine from the ruins of Kroog in an attack on the elves of Yavimaya.[6]

After the Battle of the Mana Rig, Sheoldred named Rona the new head of operations for the invasion.[7] She and the scattered remains of the Phyrexian invading force regrouped in Shiv's Cometia Crater, where she further augmented herself. After being rejoined by Tezzeret, they attacked Urza's Tower, where Teferi Akosa and other planeswalkers were constructing the Temporal Anchor, and she seriously wounded Jodah with her glaive. However, she was wounded by Elspeth Tirel in return, and Tezzeret spirited her away.[3]

Tezzeret brought the charred endoskeleton of Rona to New Phyrexia, and Elesh Norn ordered her to be sent to Jin-Gitaxias for reconditioning.[8] After being rebuilt and returned to Dominaria, she was compleated by the black-aligned Etched Host.[9] In the wake of the Invasion, she was presumably killed or rendered inert as with the other Phyrexian invaders. The other members of the Society of Mishra were placed into custody by Tolarian mages.[10][11]

Planes visited[ | ]

After she was defeated by Elspeth, her remains were transported to New Phyrexia by Tezzeret, where she was compleated.[8]

Story appearances[ | ]

Title Author Publishing date Set Setting (plane) Featuring
Episode 1: Echoes in the Dark Langley Hyde 2022-08-10 Dominaria United Dominaria Karn, Jhoira (mentioned), Sheoldred, Rona
The Brothers' War - Chapter 3: Nemesis Reinhardt Suarez 2022-10-25 The Brothers' War New Phyrexia Karn, Ajani, Tezzeret, Elesh Norn, Rona
The Brothers' War - Chapter 4: The Dark Reinhardt Suarez 2022-10-25 The Brothers' War Dominaria Elspeth, Wrenn, Seven, Chandra, Nissa, Heliod (mentioned), Daxos (mentioned), Jodah, Jaya (mentioned), Venser (mentioned), Calix (mentioned), Kaya, Saheeli, Teferi, Rona, Tezzeret, Ashiok
Phyrexia: All Will Be One - A Man of Parts Reinhardt Suarez 2023-01-17 Phyrexia: All Will Be One New Phyrexia, Alara, Kamigawa Tezzeret, Rona, Elesh Norn, Jin-Gitaxias, Estel, Nashi

In-game references[ | ]

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Quoted or referred to:

Notes[ | ]

  1. Behind the scenes, Rona is referred to as "Black."

References[ | ]

  1. Wizards of the Coast (April 22, 2018). "Tricksters, rogues, and forbidden magic!". The Official Magic: The Gathering Tumblr. Tumblr.
  2. Harless Snyder and Natalie Kreider (March 13, 2023). "Dominaria United #1: Echoes in the Dark". The Magic Story Podcast.
  3. a b Seanan McGuire (October 26, 2022). "The Brothers War - Chapter 4: The Dark". Magicthegathering.com.
  4. a b Langley Hyde (August 10, 2022). "Echoes in the Dark". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. James Wyatt (2018), The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Dominaria. VIZ Media.
  6. Langley Hyde (August 15, 2022). "A Brutal Blow". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Reinhardt Suarez (October 25, 2022). "The Brothers' War - Chapter 3: Nemesis". Magicthegathering.com.
  8. a b Reinhardt Suarez (January 17, 2023). "A Man of Parts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. March of the Machine: Debut Aftershow (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (March 31, 2023).
  10. WeeklyMTG - March of the Machine: The Aftermath (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (May 2, 2023).
  11. Jay Annelli (May 2, 2023). "What is happening in tolarian contempt art and card?". Ask Jay. Tumblr.
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