Darien

Darien
Details
Race	Human
Birthplace	Kjeld, Kjeldor, Terisiare, Dominaria
Lifetime	~2954 AR
Sources
Prerevisionist: Ice Age on the World of Magic: The Gathering Revisionist: The Eternal Ice, The Shattered Alliance''

Excerpt from The Eternal Ice

There were many kings to go by the name of Darien. One of the most important ruled over Kjeldor at the end of the Ice Age of Dominaria, when he fused his land with Balduvia into New Argive.

Darien the First

A historical event involving Darien the First is mentioned in the short story "For Want of Ink" in The Secrets of Magic.

Darien the Great

Darien the Great, also known as Darien the Good, was the king of Kjeldor during the final stages of the Ice Age and the first years of the Flood Ages. He was generally thought of as a weak king for the splintered factions of the nation all worked for their gain.

This all changed after the Archmage Eternal Jodah and Jaya Ballard prevented an attack on his life by the Knights of Stromgald and revealed that Lim-Dûl was behind this. After the treacherous members of the military were removed from their place, Darien grasped control of the remaining groups and formed them into a single army under General Varchild. Bullying the merchants under his control and gaining the support of the mages via Jodah, Darien made the position of the king stronger than it had been in generations. This allowed him to make an alliance with the Balduvians and lead an army against Lim-Dûl alongside Jodah and Lovisa Coldeyes.

Twenty years later Darien and Lovisa, once again aided by Jodah, planned for their two nations to be merged into New Argive.

During the Thaw this new force fought the battle of Kjeldor against the forces of Stromgald. Darien fought a duel against the zombie leader Haakon that lasted from dusk till dawn. The duel ended when Darien's men rushed Haakon out of fear for their King's safety. Haakon cut many down but was overwhelmed. His army quickly retreated upon his death, ending the battle of Kjeldor.

Later Dariens

Darien the Great's grandson became known as Darien the Bald. His son became known as Darien the Foolish.

Then Darien disappeared as a name for a few dynasties until it came back into fashion. It also became the favored name for another nation's royal house. At this point, most historians have given up trying to name them and started numbering the Dariens for no other reason than to preserve their sanity.

Darien XLVIII

As of 4562, King Darien XLVIII rules New Argive. With the emergence of Phyrexian sleeper agents, the conflicted Darien wanted to withdraw from the world and put up walls until the invasion ran its course. His loyal advisor Baird convinced him otherwise, and he steeled himself to face this threat head on. He unwittingly appointed the Phyrexian sleeper agent Stenn to lead this effort, leading to the downfall of Argivia.

In-game references

Represented in:

• Darien, King of Kjeldor
• King Darien XLVIII

Depicted in:

• Kjeldoran War Cry
• Time of Ice

Quoted or referred to:

• Captain's Call (Dominaria United)
• Carrier Pigeons
• Enslaved Scout
• Errand of Duty
• False Demise (Alliances)
• Field Marshal (Coldsnap)
• Kjeldoran Escort
• Noble Steeds
• Reinforcements (Alliances)
• Reprisal (Alliances)
• Royal Herbalist
• Seasoned Tactician
• Shield Sphere
• Unlikely Alliance
• Varchild's Crusader
• Veteran's Voice
• Wild Griffin (Tenth Edition)