Magic Untapped takes a look at the story of Asmira, the Holy Avenger of Zhalfir.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome back to Who Is on Magic Untapped as we take a look at characters from throughout the Magic: The Gathering multiverse. I’m Barry White.
This time around, we’re going back in time to the late 1990s and taking a look at the story of one of the characters of Magic’s Mirage War: The holy avenger, Asmira.
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Born in Femeref on the Dominarian continent of Jamuraa in the year 4176 AR was a girl named Asmira. Even at an early age, it was found that she was gifted with prophetic powers.
For example, one day when Asmira was a student, she foresaw a terrible accident happening to one of her teachers. Just before it was to occur, she called her teacher over to the schoolhouse doorway and showed her a pendent that she said would bring her luck. In doing this, Asmira saved her teacher from being trampled to death by a runaway horse that ran right through where her teacher had been standing not a moment before.
A little later in life, when the diplomat-mage Mangara ventured to Jamuraa to broker peace between the kingdoms of Suq-Ata and Zhalfir, she was able to meet with him and he quickly recognized her talents. She then moved to Ki’pamu, the capital of the kingdom of Zhalfir and began to wear mixed garments of Femeref and Zhalfir clothing as a symbol of those two Jamuraan states’ peace – a gesture that served to bring about a mutual understanding and respect between the teenager and Mangara.
Not too long after, as Kaervek, an invading warlock from Urborg, began to make movements against Jamuraa, the land experienced an earlier-than-normal harvest. Asmira recognized this as a sign that war was inevitable. She warned the religious heads of Femeref, but the theocracy didn’t believe her. In fact, many thought she was sewing the seeds of fear in order for her to further her own position among the Zhalfirin.
When war did break out, at first it wasn’t immediately noticeable as the only attacks were from wild animals and minor spirits. The war, however, would quickly escalate once Kaervek infiltrated the Femeref capital and summoned to the city the Spirit of the Night, a horrendous nightmare spirit from his homeland of Urborg.
The spirit quickly and quietly wiped out the Council of Voices, the ruling body of the Femeref.
Once the Council’s demise was discovered, the Femeref realized that Asmira was correct all along. War had come to the land, but they were too quick to not believe her warnings.
Asmira was quickly elevated to lead the Femeref and was appointed Sidar (or general) of the nation’s armies.
Despite now leading the land’s military against Kaervek, she still focused most of her efforts as the spiritual leader of Femeref and the Zhalfir. And, while her victories over Kaervek’s forces were narrow, they were won largely thanks to her faith and that of the Femeref people.
As what would become the late stages of the Mirage War came to be, the planeswalker, Teferi, began to aid the people of Jamuraa by providing them with visions, it was Asmira who understood them the best. Through one such vision she learned of how Mangara had become imprisoned in amber somewhere in the jungles of Mwonvuli at the hands of Kaervek. She promptly led a rescue effort for the diplomat.
While they would succeed in finding and freeing Mangara, the act would be Asmira’s last as she was assumed slain during the rescue effort by Purraj of Urborg, Kaervek’s right-hand general, whom had disappeared in a flash of light along with her the very second Mangara was released.
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As for Asmira’s memory to the people of Jamuraa, she was posthumously given the title of “Holy Avenger” for her brave sacrifice, as can be seen on the Mirage card Asmira, Holy Avenger, and a statue was erected inside the Great Chamber of Femeref’s new Council of Voices in honor of her legacy.
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