Urza's Destiny chronicles the
planeswalker Urza's attempts to prepare
Dominaria for the invasion from
Phyrexia. He is attempting to create a
conscious, organic component to his
legacy, after learning from records at the
Tolarian Academy written by the
Thran about how to steer
evolution. He starts his project using people in areas such as
Benalia and
Jamuraa.
Another tutor at the academy, Gatha, is intrigued by Urza's experiments and efforts, and begins working in the land of Keld, attempting to do similar things with those people. However, these new people Keld helps to create are more bloodthirsty and warlike, eventually taking control of the land, and attracting the attention of the Phyrexians. Therefore, Urza must stop Gatha's experiments.
When Urza gets involved, a small group of Phyrexians that have been hunting him for a long time come after him. Urza manages to destory them - all but one, who escapes through a portal into another plane. Urza follows him, and ends up in the plane of Rath. He surveys the land, and figures out how it is involved in the Invasion.
By the time he returns, Phyrexia has begun attacks on Dominaria, and Urza tries to save the bloodline he had been working on, in Benalia. He discovers an entirely destroyed village, with only one infant survivor. This infant, Gerrard, is taken to a land in distant Jamuraa for safety.
Urza's Destiny was released on June 7, 1999, and completed the Urza's Saga cycle. The 143 card set was printed with black borders, and the expansion symbol was a flask. The standard symbol color scheme was used - black for common, silver for uncommon, and gold for rare. The foil cards started in the previous set were also continued.
There was a strange collation error in the printing of this set. Around the same time, Wizards of the Coast was printing special foil version of other cards, such as Stroke of Genius, Serra Avatar, and Lightning Bolt for rewards for their Arena league and other DCI giveways. Somehow, some of these cards made it into some Urza's Destiny booster packs in the uncommon slot.
Artifact
Black
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Red
White
Land
Sources:
Urza's Destiny Backstory, http://www.wizards.com/magic/expert/urzas_destiny/UD_Backstory.asp