MTG: Lore of the Multiverse – Vorinclex’s Great Hunt
All of the New Phyrexian Praetors are deadly enemies, but the bestial Vorinclex might be the worst one to meet in the dark.
Welcome, Praetors and Planeswalkers, to our ongoing series about the people and places that help make MTG incredible. From great heroes and deadly villains to gorgeous locales and important events, the Multiverse constantly evolves to keep the game fresh. Even if you don’t know anything about the story, all the background drives your favorite cards from place to place. You can check out all the previous MTG goodness over here.
When the plane of Mirrodin was infected with Phyrexian oil after the birth of the Green Sun, each color realm gave birth to a Praetor. In the savage Tangle, where monsters stalked amongst the copper trees, a perfect predator was born. Vorinclex is the least intelligent of the Praetors, but he cares little for that. His greatest desire is the death of sentience, where only instinct survives. But who is this massive monstrosity? What effect did he have on the Plane, and what was his role in the invasion?
The Copper Hunter
Vorinclex was born in the twisted copper jungle of the Tangle. He was a creation of sinew, bone, and blood-red copper. He resembled a terrifying beast of prey, with a bony crest adorning his head and shoulders. Vorinclex had massive, strong arms, with a smaller pair of arms coming out of his chest. He was the perfect monster, and the Tangle suited him well.
The beasts of the Copper Forest proved an admirable sport for the predator, and they were no match for his superior hunting skills and intellect. Though his intelligence was nothing compared to that of his brothers and sisters, his instinct and tactical mind were honed to a razor’s edge. He completed many of the monsters of the Tangle, as well as most of the Tel-Jiliad elves.
Even the peaceful creatures of the Tangle were twisted into predatory monsters, and the Copper Forest became a deadly, twisting labyrinth. His greatest accomplishment, however, was the compleation of the elven pariah Glissa Sunseeker. She would become one of the deadliest agents of the Phyrexian cause and represented Phyrexia’s final hold on the metallic world.
His presence also changed the Tangle. A sickly moss began to creep along the forest floor, infecting the trees and causing them to leak a yellowish pus. Vines and creepers twisted the ground, and the trees became tall and twisted. Only the largest and strongest creatures could navigate the floor, so many smaller organisms were forced into the higher trees. The Tangle was no more; the Hunter’s Maze was born.
The First Invader
When Elesh Norn was sending out emissaries to the other planes, Vorinclex was the first. He traveled across the Planar Bridge to the plane of Kaldheim, home of the World Tree. However, his body could not survive the Blind Eternities, and his organic parts were annihilated. He was spat out of the Planar bridge as a skeleton of copper and bone. That might have been the end of the deadly predator, had a curious stag not sniffed the corpse. Reconstituting himself from the creatures he killed, he began hunting Kaldheim for the source of the Omenpaths.
He tricked the Planeswalker Tibalt into causing a distraction and set about on his great hunt. He was able to compleat many of the inhabitants of Kaldheim before Kaya and the Omenseekers hunted him down. Faced with their might and the arrival of the god Alrund, Vorinclex retreated in the form of oily sludge. However, in the chaos that followed, he was able to infiltrate the sanctum of Esika.
He attacked the goddess, very nearly killing her, and escaped with a sample of tyrite from the World Tree. His body was still unable to withstand the return trip, but on his own plane, it was much easier to reconstitute himself. The tyrite sample was given to Elesh Norn, who used it to grow the Realmbreaker tree.
The Invasion
After his trip to Kaldheim, Vorinclex was content to leave the governance of the Hunter’s Maze to Glissa, his favorite disciple. However, when a cadre of Planeswalkers invaded New Phyrexia, Vorinclex was attacked by Lukka and Nissa. He likely would have been slain if not for Glissa’s presence and the quick thinking to compleat Lukka. Lukka had foolishly bonded with a Phyrexian beast, making the process much easier. The completed bonder captured Nissa, and she was given to Norn to maintain the Realmbreaker.
During the Realmbreaker’s attack on the multiverse, Vorinclex’s Copper Host was at the forefront of many fights. He had completed several of the great beasts of the planes, including the world serpent Koma and the storm avatar Etali. Vorinclex himself stayed behind on New Phyrexia to keep the World Tree safe. When Elspeth, Koth, Wrenn, and Chandra attacked Norn in her lair, she broke off one of Vorinclex’s horns to wield as a weapon.
When Zhalfir began to shift with New Phyrexia, Vorinclex viciously attacked the Zhalfirin forces. He was a monster to face and even successfully unhorsed Teferi. However, he was ultimately beheaded, though with his power to regenerate, it is unknown if that will be enough to slay him permanently.
Vorinclex isn’t the only Praetor. There are four more foes on the way!
