By
J. Robert King
Wizards of the Coast (December 1999)
Product Number: TSR21600
ISBN: 0786916001
Mass Market Paperback
311 Pages
0.89" x 6.88" x 4.23"
Before the Brother's War
Before the five colors of magic.
Before history iteself, the plane of Dominaria was ruled by the Thran. They built machines and artifacts, the likes of which have never since been seen. But amid this civilization, a shadow took root, one that would stretch its arms across space and time.
The hideous evil of Phyrexia was born.
This book, which chronicles events that take place thousands of years before The Brother's War, is an excellent work of fiction. King takes scattered references from the card game and backstory, and combines them to form a spectacular tale. He sets the mood by describing ancient Dominaria, and the arrogant Thran civilization that resided there. Colossal airships that sail through the sky, cities taller than they are wide, and temples that literally float among the clouds.
The premise of the story is that the great city of Halcyon, home to hundreds of millions, is slowly dying. A plague has become present, uncurable by standard Thran rituals. The city's great engineer, Glacian is the most recent victim of this disease. Unsure of what would happen should the planner die, drastic measures are taken to ensure his survival. Yawgmoth, a practicioner of medicine, is called back from exile. His dark schemings are the begining of an epic conflict that will last millenia.