MTG: Lore of the Multiverse – The Wanderer Unmasked
The mysterious snow-haired Emperor of Kamigawa has had quite a journey, crossing the Blind Eternities like another might trip on a root.
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.
The Emperor of Kamigawa has appeared in many recent events in Magic’s lore, but no one knows her name. As a part of her station, she is forbidden from sharing it with anyone, lest evil gain power over her connection with the Kami spirits. She is also a powerful White-aligned Planeswalker, but her spark is damaged, causing wild bouts of planeshifting that require extreme focus to control. However, a mysterious swordsman will appear when innocents are in danger, smiting the foe before disappearing in a flash.
The Empress and the Ninja
The Wanderer was born on the plane of Kamigawa, where she was destined to be Emperor from a young age and bound to Kyodai, the living heart of Kamigawa. Light-Paws the kitsune was selected as her tutor, and while they trained, she met a young ninja named Kaito Shizuki. They became fast friends and sparring partners, and though she could not share all her secrets with him, they shared a close bond.
Light-Paws also gifted her a puppy, Yoshimaru, and told her to raise him by hand. The lesson was to teach the Wanderer how to care for something so she could better care for Kamigawa in the future. The Wanderer went above and beyond with this lesson, and Yoshimaru became the court’s most intelligent and loyal dog. The Wanderer also loved having someone she could truly connect with and share all her secrets.
When she was fourteen, the planeswalker Tezzret attempted to gain control of Kyodai by fusing the Wanderer with an incomplete Reality Chip. The event activated her latent Planeswalker spark but left it damaged and unstable and severed her connection with Kyodai. She was prone to wild bouts of Planeswalking and could barely control her destinations. However, this gave her an extraordinary connection to the Blind Eternities, and she could track other Planeswalkers better than any of her fellows.
Chasing the Seeker
Chasing the spark signature of Tezzeret, the Wanderer was waylaid by the Interplanar Beacon. Upon her arrival in Ravnica, she was trapped by the Immortal Sun by Nicol Bolas. She joined the other trapped Planeswalkers to fight Bolas’s Dreadhorde and chose to stay behind when Chandra destroyed the Beacon. She assisted the Gatewatch in their final battle against Bolas and joined Ral Zarek to hunt down Tezzeret.
The Wanderer’s unique abilities allowed her to track Tezzeret’s Planar Bridge. She and Zarek chased him to his sanctum on Esper but were waylaid by his etherium gargoyles. The two Planeswalkers defeated all but the lead gargoyle and made their way inside. They circumvented several traps until they reached Tezzeret. However, the lead gargoyle knocked her out, and she Planeswalked away. When she returned later, she found the sanctum abandoned. The Wanderer returned to Ravnica and reported what she saw, telling the council she believed Tezzeret wanted to be followed.
Trapped in the Maze
The Wanderer returned to her home plane of Kamigawa and regained her connection to Kyodai with the help of a perfected Reality Chip. She was also able to reconnect with Kaito and her beloved dog, Yoshimaru. However, she knew her spark would become unstable again eventually, so she named Light-Paws Kamigawa’s regent until she could regain control of her abilities.
She and Kaito joined the Gatewatch in their assault on New Phyrexia, hoping to sever the impending invasion at its source. Unfortunately, a planar shield disrupted her abilities. She had only enough time to deliver Kaito and the Kor Planeswalker Nahiri to a Mirran camp before she was pulled away.
She was finally able to return to the Hunter’s Maze, Vorinclex’s realm on New Phyrexia. Lukka and Nissa were already there, fighting off Phyrexian beasts, and the Wanderer assisted them before being pulled away again. She returned shortly after and met them at the Maze’s center. While Planeswalking around the plane, she had found Vorinclex’s location, and guided her two allies to his sanctum.
She was pulled away again, and when she returned, Lukka was completed. The Wanderer was able to give Nissa just enough time to escape. When she returned to the camp where she’d left Kaito and Nahiri, she found only a burning ruin.
Wandering No More
After fleeing the failed invasion of New Phyrexia, the Wanderer found herself on the lost plane of Zhalfir. She was briefly locked in an Amber Prison but was freed by Teferi. However, the Realmbreaker invasion called her home.
The Wanderer arrived on Kamigawa just as the completed Tamiyo was about to finish Kaito and Nashi. Using her powerful kinetic blade, she slew the moonfolk Planeswalker and agreed to take her son Nashi under her care.
In the aftermath of the invasion, she spent time traveling her plane with Kaito. Although she had lost her spark, she took it as a blessing. With Light-Paws maintaining the regent position, she could see the full extent of her realm.
Kellan has an exciting adventure ahead in Thunder Junction!
