Planeswalker (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Planeswalker
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Lynn Abbey
illustrator =
cover_artist = R. K. Post
country = United States
language = English
series = Artifacts Cycle
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Wizards of the Coast
pub_date = September 1998
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 359 pp
isbn =
preceded_by = The Brothers' War
followed_by = Time Streams

"Planeswalker" is a novel written by Lynn Abbey, and published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Planeswalker takes place on the fictional world of Dominaria, within the 'multiverse'. It tells the story of the Urza and his need for revenge against the Phyrexians, who he believes are responsible for his brothers death.

Plot summary

The story begins with Urza becoming a Planeswalker. After the cataclysm at the end of The Brothers' War, the 'walker spark within Urza, giving him the ability to traverse between worlds, as well as immortality. He swears to avenge his brother by destroying the plain of Phyrexia. From within Phyrexia, he saves a newt by the name of Xantcha, and brings her to live with him on Dominaria. Together, they plan attacks and moves against the Phyrexian hordes.

Xantcha is sent on a mission to Efuan Pincar, where she buys a slave boy by the name of Ratepe. When she brings him home to Urza, he believes that Ratepe is his brother Mishra reincarnate. Ratepes family and village had been destroyed by the Red Stripes, and they soon find out that the Red Stripes are under the control of Phyrexian sleepers.

Urza invades Phyrexia with several Dragon Engines, but is defeated without being able to cause severe damage to the core of the world. He manages to Planeswalk away, and slinks back to Dominaria to recover his losses.

During a visit to Efuan Pincar, Xantcha and Ratepe see a group of men who they believe to be sleepers leaving for the forest, and follow them to stop them from opening a portal to their home plane. They engage in battle, and Xantcha slays the sleepers, but not before a Phyrexian priest comes through the portal. She defeats the priest, but has much more trouble destroying the portal. Using an incendiary artifact that Urza constructed, she blows the portal apart, and severely injures herself. As a newt however, she does not have nerves, and is able to stay alive.

While Xantcha is unconscious, Urza takes her to Serra's Realm, a haven of Angels and White mana, where the air sustains your hunger. Urza is injured from his endeavours with the Phyrexians, and is given use of Serra's cocoon, a healing device. Xantcha, however, is labelled as evil due to her Black Mana source, and is sentenced to be killed by exile. She survives her ordeal, and is returned to Serra's palace by a group of Archangels by Urza's command. She too is healed in Serra's cocoon, and the two soon return to Dominaria.

As the Phyrexian occupation in Efuan Pincar is getting out of hand, Urza constructs devices (called spiders) which cause the destruction of glistening oil (a Phyrexians Lifeblood) by emitting a high frequency sound. He begins to build thousands of them, to spread all throughout Dominaria. They are created to be set of at the peak of the Glimmer Moon. Ratepe also helps to create the devices, as well as creating a few variations. One of which is made to destroy stone.

Urza and Xantcha begin to deposit these devices throughout the land, and Ratepe begs Xantcha to deliver his stone destruction spiders to the church and Red Stripes Barracks. While inside the church, Xantcha is led down to a lower chamber. Here, she encounters Gix, the supposedly destroyed Demon Lord of Phyrexia. She escapes, but is not able to distribute spider through the rest of the building or the barracks.

Afterwords, Urza and Xantcha seek out a world called Equilor, near the edge of the universe. It is said that all the knowledge of the universe can be found here, and Urza wants to find out the origins of the Phyrexians. When they arrive, they find out that the Phyrexians were descendants of the Thran, an ancient artifact race, not a rebel Planeswalker. Urza tries to take control of the plane, saying the knowledge they have could make them ultimately powerful, but the people refuse, and Urza is forced to go back to Dominaria.

Urza and Xantcha finish distributing the spiders, and the night of the Glimmer Moon draws near. Ratepe and Xantcha, who have fallen in love, stay within Pincar City to watch the destruction of the Phyrexians. When the Moon begins to rise, sleepers begin to scream as their glistening oil boils within them. When the Moon strikes its Zenith, the oil explodes, killing all the Phyrexians within the town, except one. Gix emerges from the temple, and begins to exact his revenge upon the citizens. Urza comes to destroy him, and engages in a battle of Sorcery. Losing, Gix flees and hides within the confines of the Temple. Urza follows, along with Xantcha and Ratepe. Urza begins strongly, but Gix focuses all his power into a beam, which sucks Urza's eyes (Mightstone and Weakstone) from his head and begins dragging them towards a Phyrexian portal. If the eyes were to go through the portal, Urza would lose his power, and become defenseless.

Ratepe and Xanctha, who have just reached the bottom chamber, reognize the peril. Together, they step into the beam, breaking the link between Gix and the stones. Urza regains his power, and quickly vanquishes Gix. Ratepe and Xantcha, are stuck within Phyrexia, sacrificing themselves to save the entire plane of Dominaria.