As we approach preview season for Dominaria United, you might be curious about this plane’s deep history. More sets have taken place on Dominaria than anywhere else in Magic’s multiverse, and its past is instrumental to understanding what’s happening today. Whether you’re new to Magic’s story or just looking for a refresher, let’s take a quick look at the history of Dominaria.
The History of Dominaria
In their recent Building Worlds – Dominaria United video, WOTC gave us a sneak peek into Dominaria’s present, as well as a brief summary about its past. Dominaria is a plane defined by its past, so understanding the plane’s stories will provide the context for Dominaria United.
Below, you can find a quick history on Dominaria’s storied past. This article is meant to get you up to speed on Dominaria’s story, so we won’t be going into every detail of every era.
Mythohistory (-20,000 to -15,000 Argivian Reckoning)
Dominaria’s ancient past was defined by powerful beings known as Elder Dragons. They ruled over the plane, engaging in warfare for several millennia as Nicol Bolas schemed for power. The Elder Dragon War ended when Ugin defeated Bolas, causing the latter’s planeswalker spark to ignite. Only seven Elder Dragons survived the war:
- Arcades Sabboth
- Chromium
- Nicol Bolas
- Palladia-Mors
- Piru, the Volatile
- Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
- Vaevictis Asmadi
Time of the Thran (-15,000 to -5,000 AR)
After the era of Elder Dragons, the Thran Empire became the most dominant force on the plane. The Thran achieved great technological advancements through the use of powerstones, which fueled their machines but poisoned their people.
At this time, a physician named Yawgmoth rose to power in the Empire. He conducted experiments to combine humans with machines, and his rise to power and foul experiments led to civil war. The Thran Empire tore itself apart, but Yawgmoth managed to flee to a plane called Phyrexia where he continued his work.
The Antiquities War (0 AR to 63 AR)
The beginning of the Argivian Reckoning was marked by Urza’s birth. Both Urza and his younger brother, Mishra, were sons of an Argivian noble, and both were gifted artificers. Each found one half of a Thran powerstone, and they waged war with the other to possess both halves.
Their war, also known as the Brothers’ War, destroyed the continent of Terisiare, as they pillaged natural resources to construct their war machines. Eventually, Mishra became controlled by the Phyrexians, and Urza destroyed him using the Golgothian Sylex. The resulting blast ignited Urza’s spark and altered Dominaria’s climate.
The Ice Age (450 AR to 2934 AR)
As Dominaria was covered in snow and ice, two nations battled for power on Terisiare: Kjeldor and Balduvia. Despite their previous wars, they joined forces to stop the necromancer Lim-Dul, and would eventually form a nation called New Argive.
Invasion (4305 AR)
Centuries later, Yawgmoth would invade Dominaria with the results of his experiments: the Phyrexians. The Phyrexians are a combination of organic life and machinery, and their goal is to convert all life into Phyrexians (“compleating” them).
The forces of Dominaria defeat this threat, but not without dire consequences. In addition to the tremendous loss of life, the events of the war left rifts in space and time across Dominaria.
The Rift Era (4306 to 4500 AR)
The rifts wreaked havoc on Dominaria. The plane’s mana escaped through the rifts, destroying environments and life alike. Dominaria was becoming unihabitable, and so its most powerful planeswalkers sacrificed their sparks, and in some cases their lives, to heal both the plane and the entire multiverse from the rifts.
The Great Mending (4500 AR)
When Jeska gave her life to seal the final rift, the Great Mending began. It healed all of the rifts in both Dominaria and across the mutliverse, and it changed the previous rules of the multiverse.
Technology for interplanar travel no longer worked, and planeswalkers became far weaker. They were no longer immortal with godlike powers, and they could no longer planeswalk other beings with them.
Present Day (4562 AR)
In the present day, Dominaria’s mana has become stable. The landscape is filled with rusted machines, reclaimed by nature or recovered by a new generation.
As Dominaria recovers from its past, new countries are rising. New Benalia, Tolaria West, New Argive, and more civilzations look to their past to help guide their future. We seem to be entering an era of peace between the nations of Dominaria, but an outside force threatens the plane. The Phyrexians have returned to Dominaria, and its people must once again stave off the apocalypse.
RELATED: Dominaria United Story Summary
End Step
With that, you know all the basics you need for Dominaria United. There will likely be more obscure references for long time fans, but this breakdown has given you the major history of Dominaria.
