I am working on making a youtube series about the mythos/storyline of Magic. I plan to take a couple years to cover up to, what will be, the current events. I plan to start Chronologically and follow by storyline of individual characters/groups up till whatever events kill/divide/change them.
I have all of the comics (minus Serra Angel, that's way too pricy for a comic book) and am working on getting all of the novels and Duelist Magazine as well.
My first episode will be about the Dragon Wars but I'm having a hard time tracking down any information on them in published or posted information by Wizards or Acclaim. I found some basic information from the Dragon Wars comic but that appears more to cover the conflicts of the dragons well after the Dragon Wars took place. Understanding most if not all of it is Pre-revisionist and thereby not always cannon unless verified by WOTC, what are going to be my best resources to study to verify I put forth an accurate representation?
After the release of the Onslaught block, I compiled relevant quotes relating to the rise of the Primevals. I have it on file here somewhere. Give me a few days when I have time to locate it and I will post what I have.
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Dominian Scholar of the Old Guard, specializing in pre-revisionist (Armada comics) and revisionist (Brothers' War through Apocalypse)history
I only started caring about the story when I got back into MTG during Innistrad, so while I cannot help you out, I'm definitely interested in seeing the finished project.
After the release of the Onslaught block, I compiled relevant quotes relating to the rise of the Primevals. I have it on file here somewhere. Give me a few days when I have time to locate it and I will post what I have.
The thing about that is the fact that the Primevals rose about 10,000 years after the Elder Dragon War and only on Dominaria.
There was a story in Dragons of Magic that talked a little about their civilization.
The Elder Dragon War has far fewer sources available as to what transpired, but there again, there were always far fewer details about them to start with.
Below is an annotated history of the Primevals and Numena, culled from various sources (cited). At the end is a brief summarized history which includes reference to the Dragon War, followed by some lists.
Now, this information was compiled in approximately 2007, so anything since then has not been adjusted to the information. However, it should provide a rather detailed overview.
The History of the Primevals and Numena
“I was old before this world was even born. I watched my brothers rule for a thousand years until little worms like you overcame them. But I am not my brothers. I am older than they are, greater. I have devoured stars and shattered worlds. I have sired whole races, populated entire planes, and then hunted them to extinction for my amusement. I have bathed in the blood of gods and used their bones to build my nest.
“I am the mind-ripper, the deathbringer, the winged dark that terrifies your dreams. I was the first to witness the sun rise on this world [Dominaria], and I will be the last to watch it set for the final time. I have no beginning and no end. I have always been, and I shall always be. My name is the foundation of all that is, and those who hear it will obey or become as nothing…
“…I am Nicol Bolas…Planeswalker, elder dragon, the oldest and most powerful being that has ever or shall ever exist.”
- Emperor Nicol Bolas to Ramses Overdark; Emperor’s Fist, pages 307-308
“We lived before all that [the distinction of the colors of magic]. We lived when power was raw and elemental. You must tap the primeval power.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 104
“Before mortals had ruled the world, there had been the time of immortals, of dragons. Dominaria was ours, divided equally among five great beasts. These rulers were the Primevals. Though separately powerful, in company their strength multiplied upon itself. Together the five Primevals were omnipotent, and their nations ruled the world.”
- Tevash Szat to Darigaaz; Planeshift, pages 58-59
"I am the one who violates your trap. I, Rith, your sister god."
- Rith, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 222
"That is the crux of your trap, Brother," Rith said.
- Rith, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 222
"Come, Brother. Live."
- Rhammidarigaaz, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 223
'In dying, we will awaken our final brother.'
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 266
'Darigaaz's time had come to rule - he and his sibling gods.'
- Planeshift, page 268
Circle of Five Primevals:
-Rhammidarigaaz, Primeval of Shiv – “Conception”
-Rith, Primeval of Yavimaya – “Childhood”
-Treva, Primeval of Argive – “Youth”
-Dromar, Primeval of Vodalia – “Adulthood”
-Crosis, Primeval of Urborg – “Death”
During the Time of Dragons, as the five Primevals ruled as gods, five mortal dragons took control of the dragon nations:
-Pizoondertanx (white)
-Varuna (blue)
-Macumba (black)
-Heptane (red)
-Siliq (green).
“Humans, I am called Pizoondertanx, and you shall consider me your ruler. You shall consider all dragons your rulers. The Primevals have decreed it so, and this plane, this world, belongs to us.”
- Pizoondertanx, to the people of Mitrokin village; The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 50
‘The cavern he had awakened in was but a bird’s nest compared to this chamber. Overhead, dragons flew circles above domed-shaped buildings and an intricate series of waterways. Bridges crossed the rivers in regular locations for as far as Rokin could see. Flat-topped spires reached into the sky from some of the larger buildings, and tall pillars billowed steam into the air. Dragons of all colors, sizes, and shapes walked casually through the streets like those in Mitrokin village – only much larger.
‘…Huge glowing blue orbs, just like the ones he had seen before, were suspended in the air. Past the orbs, Rokin could make out only darkness. On the street level, posts jutted from the ground with other, smaller orbs stationed on top. The whole city was lighted with these strange creations.
‘…The domed buildings below contained intricate carvings of five colored dragons. Each picture depicted the dragons in a different pose but showed the same five dragons. One dome showed the dragons in a circle, joining claws in the center and holding up what looked like a small blue globe with large brown patches in irregular shapes. Another depicted the five different colored dragons each sitting in thrones and holding scepters. Still another showed the dragons in battle, each devouring a large section of what appeared to be a human village.
‘Also from this height, Rokin could see that the flat-topped spires allowed dragons easy access to the buildings via the air. They must have huge doors on the ground level and platforms on the roofs, thought Rokin. It made perfect sense for a race of creatures that could fly.
‘At the center of the city was a large arena. Dragons of all persuasions sat in oversized stands watching some sort of contest below.
‘…The stone was the first of many spiraling steps that led partway down the side of the tower into a large archway. Inside, the building was hollow. A narrow stone ledge circled the space. Beyond it, a drop off fell hundreds of feet to the floor below. At the bottom of the tower sat a circle of huge dragons.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” pages 61-64
‘…the Obsidian Well. Every blue orb that lit the city was magically linked to this ancient artifact.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 70
‘Dragons did nothing in supporting or maintaining their own basic needs. If a human could do the task, a human did the task, leaving the dragons to pursue leisure activities like art, sport, philosophy, and magic.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 71
“The circle of Primevals is the magical center of all dragon power. Without them, all but a few of our kind will lose their magical abilities. We will lose control of the slave belts, and our city will suffer.”
- Varuna; The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” pages 74-75
‘She had brought him there and named him Lowallyn, and on that same day they had brought the other two, born at the right time, bound together in consecration, destined to rule.’
- Legions, 292
“But the youngest of the Primevals – this very beast trapped here in the lava wall – thought to befriend mortal creatures. He was lured into an alliance with a human ruler, King Themeus. Themeus pretended at friendship, though he really meant only to destroy dragonkind. With his fire mages, Themeus tricked the Primeval to this spot and awakened the volcano to engulf him in stone.
“…After King Themeus imprisoned the beast, he sought and trapped the other four Primevals one by one. Each conquest weakened the remaining beasts.”
- Tevash Szat, to Darigaaz; Planeshift, page 59
‘Elves had entombed her in the heart of a great tree. For ages of ages, the ancient forest serpent had been a captive to the wood. Magnigoth sap had pasted down her scales. It had permeated her flesh and coursed into her blood and leached every rebellious impulse from her mind. This dragon, who had breathed forests into being and had flown in a world where mortals were caged birds, this beast was a prisoner of the trees.’
- Planeshift, page 102
‘In ancient days, the green Primeval had been entrusted to them. For epochs, these treefolk had faithfully guarded their prisoner. Even before the forest of Yavimaya grew, they had kept Rith captive. The Thran-Phyrexian War could not shake her loose, nor the Argoth event, nor even the great Ice Age. Now, though, after ten thousand years, Rith was free.’
- Planeshift, page 275
‘A temple of knowledge. This was once the single greatest library on the face of Dominaria…
‘…and they destroyed every last book.
‘Yes, but they did not find the library’s greatest treasure.’
- Planeshift, page 170
“Everything that mortals have, they stole from us. First, they stole dominion over fire, which they used to capture the Primeval of Shiv. Next, they stole dominion over plants – what they call agriculture. With that power, they imprisoned me in Yavimaya. Their greatest weapon they gained next, dominion over words. Stories, histories, sciences – writing is the magic that allows the dead to instruct the living. Books are no less than the memory of the world. Once mortals tapped that memory, they knew exactly how to trap the third Primeval…She is Treva, and she lies pinioned beneath the foundation drums of the library.
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 171
‘She [Treva] was buried deep within the lime mortar of the floor. She had been crucified. Her forelegs were stretched out unnaturally beneath a pair of massive pillars. Her hind legs were similarly splayed. Her tail formed a large curve beneath the feet of the dragon lords. Her head jutted into the apse beyond. A pair of wide, graceful wings swept into each transept.’
- Planeshift, page 172
“Yes, this is the first library, in fact a monastery, no larger than these crossed transepts. It was leveled and rebuilt in the time of the Thran. That library was destroyed in the cataclysm of Yawgmoth. A university then took this site, only to be destroyed in the Argoth event. So have passed the ages. Knowledge comes and goes, but the foundation of knowledge…remains.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz on the location of Treva’s prison; Planeshift, page 172
‘King Averru sat upon a throne that stared out over a thousand miles. To one side, where the mountains fell into the inland sea, he could see the realm of his brother-king, Lowallyn. To the other side, where the mountains dropped away to immense everglades, there ruled King Kuberr. These three were numena. They had been mere sorcerers but through great magic became kings and through great kingship became gods. They headed the three great dynasties that ruled Otaria and all the world. Indeed, they had named Dominaria, for the world was their dominion.
‘King Averru lifted his hand and stared into the ruby ring on his finger. It was a scale from the great Primeval Rhammidarigaaz. The ring held no true power, but it reminded Averru of the origins of his might.
‘When a mere sorcerer in the service of King Themeus, Averru had battled and imprisoned the ancient dragon Rhammidarigaaz. King Themeus gained all the lands of the Primeval, but Averru gained all the spell lore. The king sent the rest of his sorcerers to hunt down the other four dragon gods, and thus Lowallyn had gained the power of water magic and Kuberr the power of death magic. Averru was jealous of their power, and jealous that no others would become numena. Two brothers in magic were enough, and the three numena banded together.”
- Legions, page 301
‘Once this great merfolk city had ruled a whole ocean. Now, its sunken palaces and pearly halls were ruled by barnacles. First had come caste wars, then cold waters, and last Homarids. The Vodalians had escaped the crab folk by retreating to a kingdom across the sea. They had abandoned their capital city to hammerheads and octopi.
‘Of course, one resident remained – a beast so ancient that even the Vodalians had thought him dead. From his deep caves beneath the ruined city, the blue Primeval called to Darigaaz and the other dragons. Through rocks and water, air and centuries, Dromar called them.’
- Planeshift, page 217
‘Then they saw a dim light spilling from a cave. It was no mere cave. This was a grand entranceway carved from the very rock – an enormous and elaborate façade. What armies of mortal beings had slaved to fashion the great gates of ivory? What patient creatures had carved the colonnade beyond? How many score years had the Vodalians worked in these killing depths to create this underwater palace? And why?
‘…This was no palace but a tomb. Between the columns, wide niches were carved, stacked from ceiling to floor. Those spaces held dead merfolk. Their bodies had been preserved by the cold and depth, and even their clothes remained intact. They wore simple tunics, and their foreheads were marked with signs of servitude. No doubt, the had carved these walls not knowing they fashioned their own graves. It was the wicked privilege of the gods that they bury thousands of their people with them.’
- Planeshift on Dromar’s tomb, pages 218-219
“This is a trap, a gilded cage. The merfolk created it for Dromar. They lured him here with slaves, with grandeur, with gold. They enthroned him on the seat where he has sat trapped ever since. It was the next science mortals stole from us, the science of desire. They learned our hearts and turned our hearts against us.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz, on Dromar’s prison; Planeshift, page 220
“The deepest magic of all…Desire. The merfolk gave him [Dromar] everything he could wish for. They sated his desire, removing it. Desire is life. Without it, a creature is dead.”
- Treva, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 221
‘In Urborg’s deepest, darkest slough rested the last Primeval [Crosis].’
- Planeshift, page 264
“When all five had been trapped, Themeus roused his coalition of mortals – humans and dwarves, Viashino and elves, goblins and minotaurs. They hunted our people and slew us and shattered our eggs. We fought back, yes, but these creatures were everywhere, just like the crawling vermin here. Without the five Primevals, the dragon nations splintered and dwindled. Mortals drove us into hiding. They stole the world from us.
“But the Primevals were not truly killed. If ever the dragon nations of Dominaria could be brought again into an alliance, they could reawaken the Primevals. Should all five Primevals awaken, nothing – not Phyrexian or human or elf or dwarf – could stand against them. The time of immortals would be upon us again.”
- Tevash Szat to Darigaaz; Planeshift, page 58
‘When the final two Primevals were trapped, the numena were waiting, and they attacked and slew the other sorcerers. They then turned on their king. Themeus, who enslaved dragonkind and freed humanity, was himself slain.
‘The ruby ring remained pristine, but Averru’s hand had grown old and feeble. Even sorcery could not stoke the fires of life eternally. Averru had worked a great spell that would incarnate him in a new, immortal body, but for the spell to work, he needed a war.
‘Rising from his throne, Averru strode to the glass windows and peered down. All around him, his glorious city spread. Red towers rose a thousand feet from the foothills to the heights of the mountain. His magic had shaped this glorious metropolis. It was perfect, a maze made for war.
‘He remembered such a maze of rock and mud, remembered his mother’s eyes. She had been dead a thousand years. She had been his physical mother, but his spiritual mother was Magic. She had given birth to him once and would again.
‘Averru would bring his brothers here. He would incite a war that none of them would survive. In time, though, they would return, born of their Mother Magic. Averru would rise from rocks and war, Lowallyn from waters and art, and Kuberr from swamps and greed. They would rise again to rule the world.’
- Legions, pages 301-302
‘Old Averru lay on a litter beside the waters. He was dying, and his city already had been destroyed. Still, a proud smiled filled his lips. Attendants waved feathered fans above him, keeping him cool. Averru shoved the fans aside and stared up toward the brow of the escarpment. There, the carvers worked feverishly, transcribing the final runes of his spell.
‘“Tell them to work faster. They must be done before I die,” Averru said. A messenger boy rushed toward the cliff above. The old man muttered, “War is life, and stories of war are immortality.” He read the words written large above him and nodded his approval. “When they are read again, I will live again.”
‘Zagorka understood. The Glyphs were the words of a great spell. When those words came to life, they made a new body for their god – the city itself. It was his body, and war was his life.’
- Legions, page 282
‘The presence was like Akroma – an angel who had lain with a beast and birthed a numen: Lowallyn, lord of waters.
‘He had been born out of the highest and the lowest, the worst and the best. In him was the seed of beauty, for he created streams in the wilderness, lush places out of desolation, and majestic dominion from ignominious defeat. In him also was the seed of truth, and it was the opposite of beauty. The truth was ugly and beauty was a lie. The world as it should be was not the world as it was. Most folk abandoned the ugly truth to live the beautiful lie or abandon the beautiful lie to live the ugly truth. Lowallyn abandoned neither but held them both in his mind, and therein lay his madness.
‘Opposites. Terrible and tremendous, they had made him – the angel and the beast, the beauty and the truth. They had unmade him, and all the while, his angel mother could only watch his demise.’
Legions, page 291
“You are the first Primeval. The Phyrexians only destroyed your corpse. They did not know you were already reborn. For a thousand years, you have lived, Rhammidarigaaz. For a thousand years, you could have awakened us…You were hatched as mortal dragons are hatched. You had to learn to eat, to fight, to believe. You could not have known your destiny and should not have known it until the fullness of time. The invasion cut time short. Szat became your teacher. He showed you your grave and taught you the stories you had forgotten. He sent you out to awaken us, and you have.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 266
‘One final sacrifice would break the circle of Primevals, would free the dragons from their bondage and make the dragon gods mortal once more.’
- Planeshift, page 294
“It can be hurt, yes, but not killed – never killed.”
Karn, to Sisay whil fighting the Primevals; Planeshift, page 304
‘Sanctum was not a city but a maze – a place founded for war. Its soaring towers and wide walls were designed for epic battle. The last time armies met and fought in this maze, most of the escarpment had been leveled. Only a few buildings had remained in the lee of the cliff. Zagorka and her friends had found them, ignoring a sign that clearly read, “Battlefield of the Numena,” had made it their sanctuary.’
- Legions, pages 281-282
“Put first in their ranks the oldest of the undead – many who lay in their watery graves even when I last walked the world. Among them are lieutenants and commanders of mine. When they enter the ancient city, they will return to their glory, and the war that abandoned them twenty thousand years ago will be joined anew…
“…Averru is already there, for it is his city, grown from the heart of the escarpment. He is the games-man and his game board is the metropolis that bears his name, and his game is war. He draws us – me and Lowallyn – to make endless war in his city, for this is his pleasure, but the war will not be endless. This time I will win. I will be the first among brothers…”
- Kuberr, to the First; Legions, pages 266-267
“The Mothers of the numena gather for war. You must lead my armies. You will begin the battle for me, as every mother begins every battle for her son.”
- Kuberr, to Phage; Legions, page 278
“You are not our mother, but you are the mother of our brother, Kuberr. These are our nephews and nieces, and they are welcome.”
- A Glyph, to Phage; Legions, page 289
‘The three mothers had joined. They who gave bodies to the numena now gave their own bodies to the true Mother of them all…
‘“Behold, Otaria. Behold, Dominaria,” she said, and her voice was like a choir, manifold and magnificent. “I am Karoma. I am magic.”’
- Legions, page 312
According to the planeswalker dragon Nicol Bolas, the Elder Dragons were the first dragons of the multiverse, perhaps spawned from the being known as the Ur-Dragon. Nicol Bolas had two brothers – Chromium Rhuell and Arcades Sabbath – and one sister – Palladia-Mors – as well as a cousin, Vaevictus Asmodi. Other Elder Dragons—or at least close descendants—included the siblings Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar, and Crosis.
As the dragons traveled from world to world, Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar and Crosis dominated the world of Dominaria and ruled for somewhere between three hundred and one thousand years. These (Elder) dragons named themselves the Primevals, and set the dragons Pizoondertanx, Varuna, Macumba, Heptane and Siliq in charge of the dragon nations on Dominaria.
When King Themeus and his wizards imprisoned the Primevals, the dragon nations lost power. By this time, Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, and Vaevictus Asmodi were on Dominaria (if they had ever left).
After the rule of the Numena, but before the height of Thran glory, the dragons of Dominaria fell to war with one another. The cause may have been simple – some dragons wanted their glory back, others accepted that their time had passed. Scarzam, Palladia-Mors and Vaevictus Asmodi no doubt battled for draconic dominance while other dragons, including Rhuell and Piru battled to stop these Elders from enslaving the other races again. Nicol Bolas was probably not on Dominaria during this war.
By the end of the war, the triumphant Elders who kept their great magic were Nicol Bolas, Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, Vaevictus Asmodi, and Arcades Sabbath, as well as the five imprisoned Primevals.
Since the end of the Dragon War on Dominaria, Arcades Sabbath has not been seen. Rhuell and the sub-Elder Piru became mates before she was killed by Dakkon Blackblade. Nicol Bolas left Dominaria for a time on his travels as a planeswalker. Rhuell trapped his sister Palladia-Mors when she began to kill humans. Vaevictus Asmodi was turned into a dragon whelp by the planeswalker Faralyn, freed by Palladia-Mors, and then possibly killed by her. Rhuell was killed during the Summit on the Null Moon, and the planeswalker Ravidel turned his corpse into a planeswalking barge.
**Why could Scarzam planeswalk? Or was it Sivitri who could do this? Scarzam is only a sub-Elder. It may even be that Scarzam himself did not travel with Sivirti.
**Perhaps the Elders who called themselves the Primevals had the ability to planeswalk – not necessarily planeswalkers, but could open gates. So, perhaps these five also gave the other Elders this ability, just as they gave other dragons magical capabilities. That gives a way for Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, and Vaevictus Asmodi to reach Dominaria, and then gives them a reason to stay there – with the Primevals captured, they could not planeswalk on their own.
Elder Dragons: Primary Elders (siblings are cousins to Primevals) - Nicol Bolas (brother)
- Chromium Rhuell (brother)
- Palladia-Mors (sister)
- Vaevictus Asmodi (cousin)
- Arcades Sabbath (brother) Primevals (cousins to all the Primary Elders) - Rhammidarigaaz (brother)
- Rith (sister)
- Treva (sister)
- Dromar (brother)
- Crosis (brother)
According to the planeswalker dragon Nicol Bolas, the Elder Dragons were the first dragons of the multiverse, perhaps spawned from the being known as the Ur-Dragon. Nicol Bolas had two brothers – Chromium Rhuell and Arcades Sabbath – and one sister – Palladia-Mors – as well as a cousin, Vaevictus Asmodi. Other Elder Dragons—or at least close descendants—included the siblings Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar, and Crosis.
The primevals are not Elder Dragons, nor even Lesser Elders. They are a full generation descended from even the Lesser Elders.
As the dragons traveled from world to world, Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar and Crosis dominated the world of Dominaria and ruled for somewhere between three hundred and one thousand years. These (Elder) dragons named themselves the Primevals, and set the dragons Pizoondertanx, Varuna, Macumba, Heptane and Siliq in charge of the dragon nations on Dominaria.
The fall of the Elder Dragon Empire predated the very existence of Dominaria. One of the very first events on the world was the duel between Bolas and the Demonic Leviathan that formed the Talon Gates.
By the end of the war, the triumphant Elders who kept their great magic were Nicol Bolas, Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, Vaevictus Asmodi, and Arcades Sabbath, as well as the five imprisoned Primevals.
The Elder Dragon War was 10,000 years before the rise of the Primevals.
**Perhaps the Elders who called themselves the Primevals had the ability to planeswalk – not necessarily planeswalkers, but could open gates. So, perhaps these five also gave the other Elders this ability, just as they gave other dragons magical capabilities. That gives a way for Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, and Vaevictus Asmodi to reach Dominaria, and then gives them a reason to stay there – with the Primevals captured, they could not planeswalk on their own.
The Primevals could not traverse the planes, nor were they Elders or Lesser Elders.
Primevals (cousins to all the Primary Elders) - Rhammidarigaaz (brother)
- Rith (sister)
- Treva (sister)
- Dromar (brother)
- Crosis (brother)
None of this section is true.
You've stitched together two different events that took place over a VAST period of time.
Though a lot appears to be stitched together, the cited sources are going to be a huge help for me. I already possess "the Dragons of Magic" and will see what else I can pull from it as soon as I finish reading "The Thran". Is there any resource I can look to for information on the battle of Nicole Bolas and the behemoth that became the talon gate?
But thanks to everyone for what you have posted to help me thus far!!
Though a lot appears to be stitched together, the cited sources are going to be a huge help for me. I already possess "the Dragons of Magic" and will see what else I can pull from it as soon as I finish reading "The Thran". Is there any resource I can look to for information on the battle of Nicole Bolas and the behemoth that became the talon gate?
But thanks to everyone for what you have posted to help me thus far!!
Bolas's battle with the Leviathan was outlined, very sparsely, in Time Spiral. Though it might also have been Future Sight. I can't recall exactly right without going to check.
@Maraxus: None of the older comics are available as anything more than single issues and those are hard to find. There were only 2 issues dedicated to Palladia Mors's plan to free herself.
Thanks Barinellos, I'll be sure to read up on those as well before I post my first episode. With so many resources to check into it looks like I won't be able to get a functional script and recorded episode until around M15. I know it's gonna get easier though because most of the other stories will be presented in a dedicated medium will less scattered information (especially the longer I go as there will be fewer resources that could cover newer topics).
@Maraxus of Keld - the best place to get some of the older comics is either online at comic book retailers or at local comic book shops. I was lucky and found a couple local shops that have been open since the beginnings of Magic and don't host magic tournaments so they never had a large demand for what was in stock.
Once I get a script figured out I'll post it here for 'peer review' as I can't think of a better place to find experts on the topics.
I have all of the comics (minus Serra Angel, that's way too pricy for a comic book) and am working on getting all of the novels and Duelist Magazine as well.
My first episode will be about the Dragon Wars but I'm having a hard time tracking down any information on them in published or posted information by Wizards or Acclaim. I found some basic information from the Dragon Wars comic but that appears more to cover the conflicts of the dragons well after the Dragon Wars took place. Understanding most if not all of it is Pre-revisionist and thereby not always cannon unless verified by WOTC, what are going to be my best resources to study to verify I put forth an accurate representation?
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The thing about that is the fact that the Primevals rose about 10,000 years after the Elder Dragon War and only on Dominaria.
There was a story in Dragons of Magic that talked a little about their civilization.
The Elder Dragon War has far fewer sources available as to what transpired, but there again, there were always far fewer details about them to start with.
Now, this information was compiled in approximately 2007, so anything since then has not been adjusted to the information. However, it should provide a rather detailed overview.
The History of the Primevals and Numena
“I was old before this world was even born. I watched my brothers rule for a thousand years until little worms like you overcame them. But I am not my brothers. I am older than they are, greater. I have devoured stars and shattered worlds. I have sired whole races, populated entire planes, and then hunted them to extinction for my amusement. I have bathed in the blood of gods and used their bones to build my nest.
“I am the mind-ripper, the deathbringer, the winged dark that terrifies your dreams. I was the first to witness the sun rise on this world [Dominaria], and I will be the last to watch it set for the final time. I have no beginning and no end. I have always been, and I shall always be. My name is the foundation of all that is, and those who hear it will obey or become as nothing…
“…I am Nicol Bolas…Planeswalker, elder dragon, the oldest and most powerful being that has ever or shall ever exist.”
- Emperor Nicol Bolas to Ramses Overdark; Emperor’s Fist, pages 307-308
“We lived before all that [the distinction of the colors of magic]. We lived when power was raw and elemental. You must tap the primeval power.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 104
“Before mortals had ruled the world, there had been the time of immortals, of dragons. Dominaria was ours, divided equally among five great beasts. These rulers were the Primevals. Though separately powerful, in company their strength multiplied upon itself. Together the five Primevals were omnipotent, and their nations ruled the world.”
- Tevash Szat to Darigaaz; Planeshift, pages 58-59
"I am the one who violates your trap. I, Rith, your sister god."
- Rith, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 222
"That is the crux of your trap, Brother," Rith said.
- Rith, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 222
"Come, Brother. Live."
- Rhammidarigaaz, to Dromar; Planeshift, page 223
'In dying, we will awaken our final brother.'
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 266
'Darigaaz's time had come to rule - he and his sibling gods.'
- Planeshift, page 268
Circle of Five Primevals:
-Rhammidarigaaz, Primeval of Shiv – “Conception”
-Rith, Primeval of Yavimaya – “Childhood”
-Treva, Primeval of Argive – “Youth”
-Dromar, Primeval of Vodalia – “Adulthood”
-Crosis, Primeval of Urborg – “Death”
During the Time of Dragons, as the five Primevals ruled as gods, five mortal dragons took control of the dragon nations:
-Pizoondertanx (white)
-Varuna (blue)
-Macumba (black)
-Heptane (red)
-Siliq (green).
“Humans, I am called Pizoondertanx, and you shall consider me your ruler. You shall consider all dragons your rulers. The Primevals have decreed it so, and this plane, this world, belongs to us.”
- Pizoondertanx, to the people of Mitrokin village; The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 50
‘The cavern he had awakened in was but a bird’s nest compared to this chamber. Overhead, dragons flew circles above domed-shaped buildings and an intricate series of waterways. Bridges crossed the rivers in regular locations for as far as Rokin could see. Flat-topped spires reached into the sky from some of the larger buildings, and tall pillars billowed steam into the air. Dragons of all colors, sizes, and shapes walked casually through the streets like those in Mitrokin village – only much larger.
‘…Huge glowing blue orbs, just like the ones he had seen before, were suspended in the air. Past the orbs, Rokin could make out only darkness. On the street level, posts jutted from the ground with other, smaller orbs stationed on top. The whole city was lighted with these strange creations.
‘…The domed buildings below contained intricate carvings of five colored dragons. Each picture depicted the dragons in a different pose but showed the same five dragons. One dome showed the dragons in a circle, joining claws in the center and holding up what looked like a small blue globe with large brown patches in irregular shapes. Another depicted the five different colored dragons each sitting in thrones and holding scepters. Still another showed the dragons in battle, each devouring a large section of what appeared to be a human village.
‘Also from this height, Rokin could see that the flat-topped spires allowed dragons easy access to the buildings via the air. They must have huge doors on the ground level and platforms on the roofs, thought Rokin. It made perfect sense for a race of creatures that could fly.
‘At the center of the city was a large arena. Dragons of all persuasions sat in oversized stands watching some sort of contest below.
‘…The stone was the first of many spiraling steps that led partway down the side of the tower into a large archway. Inside, the building was hollow. A narrow stone ledge circled the space. Beyond it, a drop off fell hundreds of feet to the floor below. At the bottom of the tower sat a circle of huge dragons.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” pages 61-64
‘…the Obsidian Well. Every blue orb that lit the city was magically linked to this ancient artifact.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 70
‘Dragons did nothing in supporting or maintaining their own basic needs. If a human could do the task, a human did the task, leaving the dragons to pursue leisure activities like art, sport, philosophy, and magic.’
- The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” page 71
“The circle of Primevals is the magical center of all dragon power. Without them, all but a few of our kind will lose their magical abilities. We will lose control of the slave belts, and our city will suffer.”
- Varuna; The Dragons of Magic: “Hero of the People,” pages 74-75
‘She had brought him there and named him Lowallyn, and on that same day they had brought the other two, born at the right time, bound together in consecration, destined to rule.’
- Legions, 292
“But the youngest of the Primevals – this very beast trapped here in the lava wall – thought to befriend mortal creatures. He was lured into an alliance with a human ruler, King Themeus. Themeus pretended at friendship, though he really meant only to destroy dragonkind. With his fire mages, Themeus tricked the Primeval to this spot and awakened the volcano to engulf him in stone.
“…After King Themeus imprisoned the beast, he sought and trapped the other four Primevals one by one. Each conquest weakened the remaining beasts.”
- Tevash Szat, to Darigaaz; Planeshift, page 59
‘Elves had entombed her in the heart of a great tree. For ages of ages, the ancient forest serpent had been a captive to the wood. Magnigoth sap had pasted down her scales. It had permeated her flesh and coursed into her blood and leached every rebellious impulse from her mind. This dragon, who had breathed forests into being and had flown in a world where mortals were caged birds, this beast was a prisoner of the trees.’
- Planeshift, page 102
‘In ancient days, the green Primeval had been entrusted to them. For epochs, these treefolk had faithfully guarded their prisoner. Even before the forest of Yavimaya grew, they had kept Rith captive. The Thran-Phyrexian War could not shake her loose, nor the Argoth event, nor even the great Ice Age. Now, though, after ten thousand years, Rith was free.’
- Planeshift, page 275
‘A temple of knowledge. This was once the single greatest library on the face of Dominaria…
‘…and they destroyed every last book.
‘Yes, but they did not find the library’s greatest treasure.’
- Planeshift, page 170
“Everything that mortals have, they stole from us. First, they stole dominion over fire, which they used to capture the Primeval of Shiv. Next, they stole dominion over plants – what they call agriculture. With that power, they imprisoned me in Yavimaya. Their greatest weapon they gained next, dominion over words. Stories, histories, sciences – writing is the magic that allows the dead to instruct the living. Books are no less than the memory of the world. Once mortals tapped that memory, they knew exactly how to trap the third Primeval…She is Treva, and she lies pinioned beneath the foundation drums of the library.
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 171
‘She [Treva] was buried deep within the lime mortar of the floor. She had been crucified. Her forelegs were stretched out unnaturally beneath a pair of massive pillars. Her hind legs were similarly splayed. Her tail formed a large curve beneath the feet of the dragon lords. Her head jutted into the apse beyond. A pair of wide, graceful wings swept into each transept.’
- Planeshift, page 172
“Yes, this is the first library, in fact a monastery, no larger than these crossed transepts. It was leveled and rebuilt in the time of the Thran. That library was destroyed in the cataclysm of Yawgmoth. A university then took this site, only to be destroyed in the Argoth event. So have passed the ages. Knowledge comes and goes, but the foundation of knowledge…remains.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz on the location of Treva’s prison; Planeshift, page 172
‘King Averru sat upon a throne that stared out over a thousand miles. To one side, where the mountains fell into the inland sea, he could see the realm of his brother-king, Lowallyn. To the other side, where the mountains dropped away to immense everglades, there ruled King Kuberr. These three were numena. They had been mere sorcerers but through great magic became kings and through great kingship became gods. They headed the three great dynasties that ruled Otaria and all the world. Indeed, they had named Dominaria, for the world was their dominion.
‘King Averru lifted his hand and stared into the ruby ring on his finger. It was a scale from the great Primeval Rhammidarigaaz. The ring held no true power, but it reminded Averru of the origins of his might.
‘When a mere sorcerer in the service of King Themeus, Averru had battled and imprisoned the ancient dragon Rhammidarigaaz. King Themeus gained all the lands of the Primeval, but Averru gained all the spell lore. The king sent the rest of his sorcerers to hunt down the other four dragon gods, and thus Lowallyn had gained the power of water magic and Kuberr the power of death magic. Averru was jealous of their power, and jealous that no others would become numena. Two brothers in magic were enough, and the three numena banded together.”
- Legions, page 301
‘Once this great merfolk city had ruled a whole ocean. Now, its sunken palaces and pearly halls were ruled by barnacles. First had come caste wars, then cold waters, and last Homarids. The Vodalians had escaped the crab folk by retreating to a kingdom across the sea. They had abandoned their capital city to hammerheads and octopi.
‘Of course, one resident remained – a beast so ancient that even the Vodalians had thought him dead. From his deep caves beneath the ruined city, the blue Primeval called to Darigaaz and the other dragons. Through rocks and water, air and centuries, Dromar called them.’
- Planeshift, page 217
‘Then they saw a dim light spilling from a cave. It was no mere cave. This was a grand entranceway carved from the very rock – an enormous and elaborate façade. What armies of mortal beings had slaved to fashion the great gates of ivory? What patient creatures had carved the colonnade beyond? How many score years had the Vodalians worked in these killing depths to create this underwater palace? And why?
‘…This was no palace but a tomb. Between the columns, wide niches were carved, stacked from ceiling to floor. Those spaces held dead merfolk. Their bodies had been preserved by the cold and depth, and even their clothes remained intact. They wore simple tunics, and their foreheads were marked with signs of servitude. No doubt, the had carved these walls not knowing they fashioned their own graves. It was the wicked privilege of the gods that they bury thousands of their people with them.’
- Planeshift on Dromar’s tomb, pages 218-219
“This is a trap, a gilded cage. The merfolk created it for Dromar. They lured him here with slaves, with grandeur, with gold. They enthroned him on the seat where he has sat trapped ever since. It was the next science mortals stole from us, the science of desire. They learned our hearts and turned our hearts against us.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz, on Dromar’s prison; Planeshift, page 220
“The deepest magic of all…Desire. The merfolk gave him [Dromar] everything he could wish for. They sated his desire, removing it. Desire is life. Without it, a creature is dead.”
- Treva, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 221
‘In Urborg’s deepest, darkest slough rested the last Primeval [Crosis].’
- Planeshift, page 264
“When all five had been trapped, Themeus roused his coalition of mortals – humans and dwarves, Viashino and elves, goblins and minotaurs. They hunted our people and slew us and shattered our eggs. We fought back, yes, but these creatures were everywhere, just like the crawling vermin here. Without the five Primevals, the dragon nations splintered and dwindled. Mortals drove us into hiding. They stole the world from us.
“But the Primevals were not truly killed. If ever the dragon nations of Dominaria could be brought again into an alliance, they could reawaken the Primevals. Should all five Primevals awaken, nothing – not Phyrexian or human or elf or dwarf – could stand against them. The time of immortals would be upon us again.”
- Tevash Szat to Darigaaz; Planeshift, page 58
‘When the final two Primevals were trapped, the numena were waiting, and they attacked and slew the other sorcerers. They then turned on their king. Themeus, who enslaved dragonkind and freed humanity, was himself slain.
‘The ruby ring remained pristine, but Averru’s hand had grown old and feeble. Even sorcery could not stoke the fires of life eternally. Averru had worked a great spell that would incarnate him in a new, immortal body, but for the spell to work, he needed a war.
‘Rising from his throne, Averru strode to the glass windows and peered down. All around him, his glorious city spread. Red towers rose a thousand feet from the foothills to the heights of the mountain. His magic had shaped this glorious metropolis. It was perfect, a maze made for war.
‘He remembered such a maze of rock and mud, remembered his mother’s eyes. She had been dead a thousand years. She had been his physical mother, but his spiritual mother was Magic. She had given birth to him once and would again.
‘Averru would bring his brothers here. He would incite a war that none of them would survive. In time, though, they would return, born of their Mother Magic. Averru would rise from rocks and war, Lowallyn from waters and art, and Kuberr from swamps and greed. They would rise again to rule the world.’
- Legions, pages 301-302
‘Old Averru lay on a litter beside the waters. He was dying, and his city already had been destroyed. Still, a proud smiled filled his lips. Attendants waved feathered fans above him, keeping him cool. Averru shoved the fans aside and stared up toward the brow of the escarpment. There, the carvers worked feverishly, transcribing the final runes of his spell.
‘“Tell them to work faster. They must be done before I die,” Averru said. A messenger boy rushed toward the cliff above. The old man muttered, “War is life, and stories of war are immortality.” He read the words written large above him and nodded his approval. “When they are read again, I will live again.”
‘Zagorka understood. The Glyphs were the words of a great spell. When those words came to life, they made a new body for their god – the city itself. It was his body, and war was his life.’
- Legions, page 282
‘The presence was like Akroma – an angel who had lain with a beast and birthed a numen: Lowallyn, lord of waters.
‘He had been born out of the highest and the lowest, the worst and the best. In him was the seed of beauty, for he created streams in the wilderness, lush places out of desolation, and majestic dominion from ignominious defeat. In him also was the seed of truth, and it was the opposite of beauty. The truth was ugly and beauty was a lie. The world as it should be was not the world as it was. Most folk abandoned the ugly truth to live the beautiful lie or abandon the beautiful lie to live the ugly truth. Lowallyn abandoned neither but held them both in his mind, and therein lay his madness.
‘Opposites. Terrible and tremendous, they had made him – the angel and the beast, the beauty and the truth. They had unmade him, and all the while, his angel mother could only watch his demise.’
Legions, page 291
“You are the first Primeval. The Phyrexians only destroyed your corpse. They did not know you were already reborn. For a thousand years, you have lived, Rhammidarigaaz. For a thousand years, you could have awakened us…You were hatched as mortal dragons are hatched. You had to learn to eat, to fight, to believe. You could not have known your destiny and should not have known it until the fullness of time. The invasion cut time short. Szat became your teacher. He showed you your grave and taught you the stories you had forgotten. He sent you out to awaken us, and you have.”
- Rith, to Rhammidarigaaz; Planeshift, page 266
‘One final sacrifice would break the circle of Primevals, would free the dragons from their bondage and make the dragon gods mortal once more.’
- Planeshift, page 294
“It can be hurt, yes, but not killed – never killed.”
Karn, to Sisay whil fighting the Primevals; Planeshift, page 304
‘Sanctum was not a city but a maze – a place founded for war. Its soaring towers and wide walls were designed for epic battle. The last time armies met and fought in this maze, most of the escarpment had been leveled. Only a few buildings had remained in the lee of the cliff. Zagorka and her friends had found them, ignoring a sign that clearly read, “Battlefield of the Numena,” had made it their sanctuary.’
- Legions, pages 281-282
“Put first in their ranks the oldest of the undead – many who lay in their watery graves even when I last walked the world. Among them are lieutenants and commanders of mine. When they enter the ancient city, they will return to their glory, and the war that abandoned them twenty thousand years ago will be joined anew…
“…Averru is already there, for it is his city, grown from the heart of the escarpment. He is the games-man and his game board is the metropolis that bears his name, and his game is war. He draws us – me and Lowallyn – to make endless war in his city, for this is his pleasure, but the war will not be endless. This time I will win. I will be the first among brothers…”
- Kuberr, to the First; Legions, pages 266-267
“The Mothers of the numena gather for war. You must lead my armies. You will begin the battle for me, as every mother begins every battle for her son.”
- Kuberr, to Phage; Legions, page 278
“You are not our mother, but you are the mother of our brother, Kuberr. These are our nephews and nieces, and they are welcome.”
- A Glyph, to Phage; Legions, page 289
‘The three mothers had joined. They who gave bodies to the numena now gave their own bodies to the true Mother of them all…
‘“Behold, Otaria. Behold, Dominaria,” she said, and her voice was like a choir, manifold and magnificent. “I am Karoma. I am magic.”’
- Legions, page 312
According to the planeswalker dragon Nicol Bolas, the Elder Dragons were the first dragons of the multiverse, perhaps spawned from the being known as the Ur-Dragon. Nicol Bolas had two brothers – Chromium Rhuell and Arcades Sabbath – and one sister – Palladia-Mors – as well as a cousin, Vaevictus Asmodi. Other Elder Dragons—or at least close descendants—included the siblings Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar, and Crosis.
As the dragons traveled from world to world, Rhammidarigaaz, Rith, Treva, Dromar and Crosis dominated the world of Dominaria and ruled for somewhere between three hundred and one thousand years. These (Elder) dragons named themselves the Primevals, and set the dragons Pizoondertanx, Varuna, Macumba, Heptane and Siliq in charge of the dragon nations on Dominaria.
When King Themeus and his wizards imprisoned the Primevals, the dragon nations lost power. By this time, Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, and Vaevictus Asmodi were on Dominaria (if they had ever left).
After the rule of the Numena, but before the height of Thran glory, the dragons of Dominaria fell to war with one another. The cause may have been simple – some dragons wanted their glory back, others accepted that their time had passed. Scarzam, Palladia-Mors and Vaevictus Asmodi no doubt battled for draconic dominance while other dragons, including Rhuell and Piru battled to stop these Elders from enslaving the other races again. Nicol Bolas was probably not on Dominaria during this war.
By the end of the war, the triumphant Elders who kept their great magic were Nicol Bolas, Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, Vaevictus Asmodi, and Arcades Sabbath, as well as the five imprisoned Primevals.
Since the end of the Dragon War on Dominaria, Arcades Sabbath has not been seen. Rhuell and the sub-Elder Piru became mates before she was killed by Dakkon Blackblade. Nicol Bolas left Dominaria for a time on his travels as a planeswalker. Rhuell trapped his sister Palladia-Mors when she began to kill humans. Vaevictus Asmodi was turned into a dragon whelp by the planeswalker Faralyn, freed by Palladia-Mors, and then possibly killed by her. Rhuell was killed during the Summit on the Null Moon, and the planeswalker Ravidel turned his corpse into a planeswalking barge.
**Why could Scarzam planeswalk? Or was it Sivitri who could do this? Scarzam is only a sub-Elder. It may even be that Scarzam himself did not travel with Sivirti.
**Perhaps the Elders who called themselves the Primevals had the ability to planeswalk – not necessarily planeswalkers, but could open gates. So, perhaps these five also gave the other Elders this ability, just as they gave other dragons magical capabilities. That gives a way for Rhuell, Palladia-Mors, and Vaevictus Asmodi to reach Dominaria, and then gives them a reason to stay there – with the Primevals captured, they could not planeswalk on their own.
Elder Dragons:
Primary Elders (siblings are cousins to Primevals)
- Nicol Bolas (brother)
- Chromium Rhuell (brother)
- Palladia-Mors (sister)
- Vaevictus Asmodi (cousin)
- Arcades Sabbath (brother)
Primevals (cousins to all the Primary Elders)
- Rhammidarigaaz (brother)
- Rith (sister)
- Treva (sister)
- Dromar (brother)
- Crosis (brother)
Dragon Lords (sub-Elders?):
- Pizoondertanx
- Varuna
- Macumba
- Heptane
- Siliq
Sub-Elders:
- Piru
- Scarzam
The fall of the Elder Dragon Empire predated the very existence of Dominaria. One of the very first events on the world was the duel between Bolas and the Demonic Leviathan that formed the Talon Gates.
The Elder Dragon War was 10,000 years before the rise of the Primevals.
The Primevals could not traverse the planes, nor were they Elders or Lesser Elders.
None of this section is true.
You've stitched together two different events that took place over a VAST period of time.
But thanks to everyone for what you have posted to help me thus far!!
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Bolas's battle with the Leviathan was outlined, very sparsely, in Time Spiral. Though it might also have been Future Sight. I can't recall exactly right without going to check.
@Maraxus: None of the older comics are available as anything more than single issues and those are hard to find. There were only 2 issues dedicated to Palladia Mors's plan to free herself.
@Maraxus of Keld - the best place to get some of the older comics is either online at comic book retailers or at local comic book shops. I was lucky and found a couple local shops that have been open since the beginnings of Magic and don't host magic tournaments so they never had a large demand for what was in stock.
Once I get a script figured out I'll post it here for 'peer review' as I can't think of a better place to find experts on the topics.
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You're welcome; I'm glad some of our references can be of assistance.
The Elder Dragon comics are set, as I recall, in the Age of Legends, so very little that the dragons do or say relate back to the Elder Dragon War.