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Sheoldred
Sheoldred
Details
Race Phyrexian
Birthplace Mirrodin
Lifetime Mending Era; deceased

Sheoldred (Phyrexian: gOcdrd, IPA: [ʃøldrd]), known as the Whispering One was the Praetor of the Black Faction of New Phyrexia.[1][2] In the year 4562 AR, she led an invasion of the plane of Dominaria, where she attained several important military objectives in preparation for New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse. After her return to New Phyrexia, however, she lost a power struggle against the Mother of Machines, Elesh Norn. Sheoldred was subsequently captured by Norn's forces and beheaded by Ajani Goldmane.[3]

Description

Sheoldred concept art

Concept art

The black-aligned faction, led by Sheoldred, had one goal: enslave. Believers would serve. Unbelievers would be made to serve. All would bow to Phyrexia.

Sheoldred appeared as a feminine humanoid torso emerging from a huge-mouthed, many-jointed fiend. Her movements were spiderlike in their grace, her limbs finding purchase among the mycosynth and metallic structures of the Core. Her body was covered with plates of oily, corroded metal. Her voice was a soft, grinding whisper, and she was kept informed at all times by a constant stream of informants, spies, and underlings.[4] Sheoldred could separate her body into two pieces. Her relatively humanoid torso was locked into an access inlet built into her monstrous lower half. Though few had seen it happen, Sheoldred could shed her large, predatory, more motile lower body and slither-skitter to a new home. While connected to her lower body, she spoke through its mouth.[5]

She was graceful, cruel, and the cleverest of the thanes. Her tactics were primarily covert and underhanded, frequently leveraging lies or misinformation. She earned her praetor position by manipulating the other thanes against each other. She hid her knowledge in irregular, whispering puzzle boxes known as "astral coffers".[6]

Sheoldred's philosophy was the closest to Old Phyrexia of the praetors.[7] Sheoldred believed in acquiring power through any means necessary. One of her main tools was the creation of sleeper agents.[8]

History

Mirran-Phyrexian War

Besides her rank as a praetor, Sheoldred was part of a unique affiliation in Phyrexianised Mirrodin, known as the Seven Steel Thanes. The thanes serve little more than as warlords of the Black faction, with no observable utility for the rest of Phyrexia, and actually, each thane intends to take over the plane. Using knowledge and secrecy to advance herself, Sheoldred intended to become omnipotent, but being in direct competition with equally ruthless thanes like Geth it was equally possible that she would fail. She outsmarted Roxith when he failed to access one of her coffers and was killed.[9] She established her territory in the Dross Pits and ran a grand coliseum there.[10]

Ultimately, Elesh Norn laid waste to her domain.[11] Sheoldred would go on to serve Norn during Phyrexia's multiversal invasions. Despite her defeat, Sheoldred remained a powerful rival to Norn, which is why the Grand Cenobite sent her on these missions to distract her.[12]

On Dominaria

At some point, Sheoldred traveled to Dominaria, attempting to obtain ancient artifacts as well as possibly conquer the plane. Arriving in the Caves of Koilos, she recuperated from wounds sustained by traveling through the Blind Eternities and was discovered and rebuilt by Rona and the Society of Mishra. She now possesses the ability to separate her humanoid torso into an array of spiderlike constructs to escape pursuers.[13] She was responsible for the mass production of sleeper agents, which infiltrated all Dominarian societies and weakened them, allowing her to build an actual army, the largest New Phyrexian operation outside of the plane. During this, she made use of old Phyrexian artifacts, resurrected Ertai, and compleated the planeswalker Ajani Goldmane. She led the attack during the Battle of the Mana Rig while affixed to a dragon engine and captured Karn, returning him to New Phyrexia.[14][15]

Upon her return, Tezzeret carried Sheoldred back to her layer in the Dross Pits.[16]

Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Within a few weeks of her return to New Phyrexia, Sheoldred moved against Elesh Norn in a bid to seize power. She allied herself with Urabrask's rebellion against the Mother of Machines, as did the Thanes Geth, Roxith, and Vraan.[17] Norn declared her an apostate, and she was later captured by Ajani.[18]

Death

As Norn launched the Invasion of the Multiverse, a defiant Sheoldred was brought before her. The Mother of Machines declared that there was no place in New Phyrexia for those who would seek power over unity, and ordered Ajani to decapitate her with his axe. He obliged Norn's wish, resulting in the first known death of a New Phyrexian praetor.[3] The effects this might have on Phyrexia's black faction are currently unknown.

Planes visited

Similar to her fellow praetors Vorinclex, Jin-Gitaxias, and Urabrask, Sheoldred could travel to other planes using the Planar Bridge.

Gallery

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, Sheoldred, Rona
Episode 5: A Whisper in the Wind Langley Hyde 2022-08-18 Dominaria United Dominaria Teferi, Karn, Jhoira, Ertai, Ajani Goldmane, Jaya Ballard, Radha, Danitha Capashen, Sheoldred, Darigaaz, Jodah, Saheeli Rai, Elesh Norn
March of the Machine - Episode 1: Triumph of the Fleshless K. Arsenault Rivera 2023-03-15 March of the Machine New Phyrexia Elesh Norn, Kaya Cassir, Kaito Shizuki, Himoto, Tyvar Kell, Lukka, Rothga, Ajani Goldmane, Sheoldred, Jace Beleren, Nahiri, Nissa Revane, Tamiyo, Atraxa, Ephara

In-game references

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Depicted in:
Quoted or referred to:
^† Scryfall does not record flavor text for digital cards. See Alchemy: Phyrexia/Flavor text

Trivia

  • Sheol is Hebrew for Pit or Underworld. It is mentioned in the Torah and is a neutral underworld where all dead go regardless of the deceased being good or evil in life.
  • Sheoldred was originally planned to appear as the "Whispering Witch" in the never-realized second set of the Eldraine block.[15]
  • Sheoldred preferred to use a sentence ending hook different from the standard . that was more commonly used in old Phyrexia.[7]
  • Sheoldred may be the narrator of the Scars of Mirrodin trailer.[7]

References

  1. Magic Creative Team (April 13, 2011). "A Planeswalker's Guide to New Phyrexia: The Steel Thanes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. The Lore of Jumpstart On the Cards. magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast (June 22, 2020).
  3. a b K. Arsenault Rivera (March 16, 2023). "March of the Machine - Episode 1: Triumph of the Fleshless". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Savor the Flavor (May 11, 2011). "Getting to Know the Praetors". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. The Vorthos Cast (March 13, 2023). "240 - Phyrexian Language with Bella Guo". Soundcloud. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023.
  6. Grace Fong (January 31, 2023). "Planeswalker's Guide to Phyrexia: All Will Be One". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. a b c Phyrexian Phylology in Phylly (Video). Magic: the Gathering. YouTube (February 17, 2023).
  8. Hipsters of the Coast (October 30, 2022). ""She's the foremost of the Steel Thanes, dross pits of New Phyrexia.". Twitter.
  9. Wizards of the Coast (June 3, 2011). "On the Mirrodin Site: Roxith, Thane of Rot". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Building Worlds (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (January 12, 2023).
  11. Jenna Helland (September 11, 2013). "The Lost Confession". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Jay Annelli (2022), Magic: The Gathering - The Visual Guide, DK.
  13. a b Langley Hyde (August 10, 2022). "Echoes in the Dark". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. Langley Hyde (August 18, 2022). "A Whisper in the Wind". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. a b Mark Rosewater (August 29, 2022). "Dominaria United States of Design, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Reinhardt Suarez (October 25, 2022). "The Brothers' War - Chapter 3: Nemesis". Magicthegathering.com.
  17. Seanan McGuire (January 14, 2023). "Assault on New Phyrexia - Episode 3: Inconceivable Losses". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  18. Reinhardt Suarez (January 17, 2023). "A Man of Parts". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  19. My 62 Secret Magic Playtest Cards! (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (February 20, 2023).
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