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Progenitus
Hydra-God
Progenitus
Details
Race Hydra Avatar
Birthplace Alara

Progenitus is the Avatar of the Alaran Worldsoul.[1][2] It is a being of enormous power and worshiped as a Hydra-God.[3][4]

History[ | ]

The Sundering[ | ]

Millennia before the Conflux, Progenitus, the five-headed Soul of the World, had grown tired of creation and unleashed five storms to consume it: Wildfire, Earthquake, Windstorm, Flood, and Void.[5] A young Cylia climbed to the top of the mountain armed with a vial of poison and a small dagger carved from a thorn and begged Progenitus not to destroy the plane. Furious at her impudence, the worldsoul blinded the young elf. With blood from her mutilated eyes dripping into the vial, Cylia dipped the dagger into the vial and flung her weapon into the being's heart. The poison revealed Progenitus's true nature: a five-headed hydra avatar, and all life was saved on Alara, though it had already separated into the Shards.[6] This tale may be an apocryphal account of the events that took place during the Sundering.

Due to the lack of blue and black mana in the Valley of the Ancients, the place where Progenitus rested, two of its heads withered away, and the hydra was doomed to slumber under Naya's soil for many years.[7]

The Second Stirring[ | ]

Fifteen years before the Conflux, Progenitus began to awaken, tearing the vegetation from its roots and ripping off huge sections of nearby mountains in an event later known as the Second Stirring.[5] The elves believe that only the close connection of the Anima and quick sacrifices kept Progenitus under the ground.

The Conflux[ | ]

In the leadup to the Conflux, Progenitus appeared to Mayael, the newly-appointed Anima, and asked to speak with Cylia, unaware that she had perished millennia ago. The image of Progenitus was soon co-opted by Nicol Bolas before the Conflux to tell Mayael to build up an army to counteract Sarkhan Vol's invasion of dragons, thereby creating a greater expenditure of mana to fuel the Maelstrom.

Regardless of Bolas's plans, the reunification of Alara reawakened Progenitus.

Gallery[ | ]

In-game references[ | ]

Represented in:
Associated cards:
Depicted in:
Quoted or referred to:

References[ | ]

  1. Jenna Helland (January 21, 2009). "The Soul of the World". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Doug Beyer (February 18, 2009). "The Vorthos Awards: Conflux Edition". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Magic Arcana (January 22, 2009). "Sketches: Progenitus". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Magic Arcana (February 24, 2009). "Forebodings of Progenitus". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. a b Doug Beyer & Jenna Helland (2008). A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara, Wizards of the Coast. ISBN-13 978-0786951246
  6. Jenna Helland (January 19, 2009). "The Soul of the World". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Magic Arcana (February 23, 2009). "Ask Wizards: Twitter Edition". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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