| Vaevictis Asmadi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Race | Elder Dragon |
| Birthplace | Dominaria |
| Lifetime | -25,000 AR to Unknown (Before the Brother's War) |
| Parents | The Ur-Dragon |
| Relatives |
Lividus (brother) Ravus (brother) Rubra (brother) Arcades Sabboth (cousin) Chromium Rhuell (cousin) Palladia-Mors (cousin) Merrevia Sal (cousin) Nicol Bolas (cousin) Piru (cousin) Ugin (cousin) |
| Sources | |
| See references | |
Vaevictis Asmadi[1] was a big, ugly, and aggressive Elder Dragon. He had a characteristic fierce crest.
Vaevictis is sometimes described as a rampaging monster, but he is also called “the Serpent’s Tongue,” and tales are told of his subtle deceptions and twisted layers of deceit.[2]
History[ | ]
Youth[ | ]
Vaevictis was birthed in the second egg-fall by the Ur-Dragon on the plane of Dominaria.[3] With his marauding sibling gang, he furiously guarded a territory they claimed for their hunting grounds.[4] Because the humans in their territory evolved into dragon hunters after several years only three of Vaevictis' siblings were still alive: Rubra, Ravus and Lividus. At least four descendants had been killed, their skulls decorating the houses of the humans.[5]
Elder Dragon War[ | ]
The Elder Dragon War started when seven descendants of Vaevictis raided the lands of Nicol Bolas.[6] After defeating them with his army, using tactics previously employed by his dragon hunter subjects, Bolas was confronted by Vaevictis and his three siblings. Although Rubra was killed by a poisoned arrow, Bolas' army suffered a shattering defeat and had to retreat into the mountains. There, they were again confronted by Ravus and Lividus. Now, the sorcerers of Bolas' army managed to kill Ravus. Bolas himself overpowered Lividus' mind and turned him against Vaevictis. This was enough to escape.
Vaevictis survived the Elder Dragon War along with his cousins Palladia-Mors, Chromium Rhuell, Nicol Bolas, Ugin and Arcades Sabboth.[7]
Faralyn's spell[ | ]
Much later Vaevictis Asmadi was transformed into a dragon whelp by the planeswalker Faralyn.[8] He then found a human called Red Donald whose control he pretended to be under. He was manipulating the man to get to Mors Ridge and to start digging canals to undo the tickery magic that held Palladia-Mors there under a sleep spell. When his cousin was released, Vaevictus convinced her to return him to his previous state as an elder dragon after retrieving a black mana battery for her.
Death[ | ]
He then fought Chromium Rhuell, who had been the one to put the sleep spell on Palladia-Mors. It took a while, but Chromium managed to get him to understand that Palladia-Mors wanted to use Vaevictus to kill Chromium, leaving him in a weakened state himself to be easily killed later. So he attacked Palladia-Mors; in the fight, Palladia-Mors reversed one of his spells, and he disappeared into nowhere.[9] Nicol Bolas confirmed his death in a personal reflection during the War of the Spark.
Legacy[ | ]
Vaevictis Asmadi is said to be the ancestor of the Shivan dragons.[10]
Gallery[ | ]
Card art in Legends.
Vaevictis in the comics.
Trivia[ | ]
- Vaevictis' name comes from the Latin quote "Vae victis", reportedly said by the Gaul Brennus during the sack of Rome, which means "woe to the vanquished". "Asmadi" does not have a direct translation, but the Latin "asma" is for a lyrical song with "-ti" or "-te" a suffix for possessive, resulting in something along the lines of "hymn of/to the woeful vanquished".
Story appearances[ | ]
| Title | Author | Publishing date | Set | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronicle of Bolas: Things Unseen | Kate Elliott | 2018-06-27 | Core Set 2019 | Tarkir, Dominaria | Naiva, Yasova Dragonclaw, Baishya, Tae Jin, Fec, Mattak, Oiyan, Darka, Rakhan, Sorya, Ugin, Nicol Bolas, Vaevictis Asmadi, Palladia-Mors |
| Chronicle of Bolas: Blood and Fire | Kate Elliott | 2018-07-18 | Core Set 2019 | Tarkir, Dominaria | Naiva, Darka, Yasova Dragonclaw, Baishya, Fec, Atarka, Tae Jin, Nicol Bolas, Lividus, Ravus, Rubra, Vaevictis Asmadi |
In-game references[ | ]
- Represented in:
Notes and references[ | ]
- ↑ In the Elder Dragons (comic) spelled as Vaevictus Asmodi
- ↑ Core Set 2019 Player's Guide
- ↑ Kate Elliott (June 13, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: The Twins". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (June 20, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: The First Lesson". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (June 27, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: Things Unseen". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Kate Elliott (July 18, 2018). "Chronicle of Bolas: Blood and Fire". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Elder Dragons (comic)
- ↑ Art Holcomb (1996), "Elder Dragons", Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ It is possible that Vaevictus survived the duel, but there is no conclusive evidence, which may mean his cousin killed him in this duel. He likely died as a result of the fight, as Bolas has stated that none of his peers still existed.
- ↑ Squirle (January 29, 2019). "Core Set 2019 Player's Guide". Multiverse in Review. Tumblr.