In this video, we take a look at Feldon, an archeologist and mage who decided not to take either side of the war between brothers Urza and Mishra, instead choosing a third path.
In this video, we take a look at Feldon, an archeologist and mage who decided not to take either side of the war between brothers Urza and Mishra, instead choosing a third path.
Video Transcript:
Welcome back to Who Is on Magic Untapped. I’m Barry White.
You know, Dominaria’s Brothers’ War – like most all wars – doesn’t just involve those in the center of the conflict. And that was certainly the case for an archeologist and glaciologist mage named Feldon.
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Born at the foot of the Ronom Glacier on the continent of Terisaire, Feldon found he had a fancy for archeology. While exploring the nearby glacier, he discovered a number of artifacts, most notably a metallic cane and a piece of pottery that would become know as the Golgothian Sylex.
Once Feldon grew into early adulthood, conflict swept the land as the war between the artificer brothers, Urza and Mishra, continued to escalate. The mage and a contingent of others decided to not align themselves with either brother’s interest, forming a third path.
The Third Path took up a position in the enlightened city of Terisia City as they hoped to find a way to defeat (or, at least, withstand long-term) the brothers’ strife. It’s here that Feldon met and fell in love with a scholar within the group named Loran.
Terisia City was found to be a very welcoming place as people of all cultures flocked there to escape the chaos elsewhere or, in the case of a hand-selected few, infiltrate. Thanks to the archmandrite of Terisia City’s Ivory Tower now recognizing their affiliation, the Brotherhood of Gix was invited to join the city’s Council of Mages – a mistake that would prove disastrous for not just the city, but for the Third Path as well.
The betrayal from Gix’s followers was absolute. With assistance from the Brotherhood, a battalion of juggernauts and dragon engines let by Mishra’s second-in-command, Ashnod, sacked and destroyed Terisia City. Despite the devastation and the constant assault from the war machines, one of the mages who founded the Third Path, a woman known as Hurkyl, conjured a spell that vaporized three of the attacking dragon engines.
Although she perished shortly after, her efforts allowed many of the Third Path to flee from Terisia City. This included Feldon and his lover, Loran, along with a handful of important artifacts, as the began to make their way up to Feldon’s childhood home at the foot of the Ronom Glacier.
Loran, who was carrying the ancient Golgothian Sylex as the pair fled the chaos, however, found herself separated from Feldon. She was captured and interrogated by Ashnod, the cylex confiscated.
Eventually, the scholar managed her escape, albeit without the powerful artifact that now resides with Mishra’s forces.
She then manages to travel up to the Ronom Glacier whereupon she was finally reunited with Feldon. The two lived happily in a small cottage and frequently visited the nearby glacier.
It was on one of these trips to the edge of Ronom that the Golgothian Sylex blast occurred. Sensing the war over, Loran locked a tired gaze with Feldon. “Good” was all she said about it.
In the ten years that followed Urza’s war-ending blast, Loran deteriorated. Between the changing climate and injuries sustained while being held prisoner by Ashnod years prior, she eventually passed away.
Mad with grief, Feldon found himself in his workshop, pouring over Loran’s various books on artifice. After months of feverish work, he was finished creating a true-to-life copy of his late love. Only, it wasn’t her.
It was simply an automation.
Realizing that it just wasn’t the same as having her there with him, he removed the powerstone that gave his creation life and placed the now-dormant automation beside Loran’s grave as a statue.
Still missing his late wife, Feldon traveled the continent seeking magic that could bring her back.
He first came upon a hedge wizard, a crazy hermit living in some ruins, but his green magic had no effect on the dead. The wizards suggested to Feldon that he travel to Ronom Lake and speak with the sorceress living there. Unfortunately, the sorceress’ blue magic was only capable of creating an illusion of Loran.
She sent Feldon to a nearby swamp to speak with the black wizard living there. The man promised to teach Feldon a spell that would bring his wife back, but only in exchange for his ancient cane.
Feldon agreed, but after having learned the spell soon discovered that all he had done was create a zombified version of his late love. Disgusted, the archeologist unsummoned the aberration.
Still determined to see his Loran once more, Feldon visited a scholar of white magics. Here, the archeologist learned magic that could, at the very least, summon a magical copy of a person rather than bring a person back from the dead.
Back home at his cottage, Feldon gathered all of his memories of his lost love, then performed the magic the scholar had taught him.
He then finally was able to gaze at Loran’s face once again. With all of the love in his heart, the aged archeologist said a proper goodbye, then let the summoned simulacrum go.
Feeling free from grief for the first time in years, Feldon lived out the rest of his days in happiness.
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Late in life, Feldon opened his library to visitors, allowing the knowledge of both he and Loran had gathered to flourish as magical research on Terisaire was still very much in its infancy at the time.
Thank you for watching this episode of Who Is on Magic Untapped. Please visit again next month as we take a look at another of the Brothers’ War characters.
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