You stop at Issar Roon`s study to find a note pinned upon the door.

“You can find me in the buttery.”

Surprised that the old man has left his place of solitude, you contemplate on what you should do. If the old man is drinking, he may be more willing to tell you a story. Of course, a drink could also inflame that scary temper of his. In the end, your curiosity at what the old man could be doing in the buttery compels you to find him.

As you descend the dank steps below the main structure you are unable to discern any human habitation. Drops of water from a recent storm spatter upon the dirt floor, creating the only sound in the dark space. You find the door to the buttery open, but fail to discover anyone within the room. There is, however, an old book lying on the main table. Upon closer inspection you see that the book is covered in dust and would easily fit in among the books of Issar Roon`s study.

“Ancient Creatures of Dominaria”

Though the title seems a bit uninspiring you decide to see what kinds of creatures are considered ancient on Dominaria. You open the book to a random page and begin reading.

“Lhurgoyfs are a very rare and powerful species. They prefer eating…”

Uninterested, you turn a couple more pages.

“Goblins of all sizes reside here. They tend to…”

Everybody hears stories about goblins.

“The oldest of all dragons were called the Elder Dragons. In a time long forgotten, the Elder Dragons could be found in many parts of the Multiverse. Their power was the equal of any planeswalker, and their race enjoyed using it freely. But like many powerful races without enemies, they eventually turned upon themselves, and a great war, called the Elder Dragon Wars, erupted across the planes.”

You wonder why the writer was unable to think of a better name for the war. Surely, someone must have been able to create a more imaginative name.

“When the war ended the Elder Dragons found themselves severely lacking in numbers. The losers were stripped of their power and sent to live on Dominaria as Elder Land Wurms. There they spawned the lesser races of wurms, living their lives wingless and on the ground. The winners, though few were left, continued traveling the planes, siring the races of dragons found across the Multiverse.”

The text seems a bit childish, but the topic intriguing. Excited to learn more, you turn the page.

“There were five remaining; four siblings known as Arcades Sabboth, Chromium Rhuell, Nicol Bolas, and Palladia-Mors, and their cousin, Vaevictus Asmodi. There is a rumor of a sixth Elder Dragon, but be careful to whom you say such things. Some believe the sixth name to be heresy, and will stamp out any attempt to prove otherwise. The sixth went by the name of Piru.

Arcades Sabboth was most likely the least powerful of the brothers. Little is known about the Elder Dragon, as many historians have concentrated on his brothers and cousin. However, one piece of information has appeared, though no one knows if it lies within the realm of legend or truth. The planeswalker Leshrac summoned a nameless Elder Dragon during a duel with Kristina of the Woods, but she defeated him easily. Even more unclear is whether the Elder Dragon was destroyed in the battle. Most believe the nameless Elder Dragon to be Arcades Sabboth.

Chromium Rhuell was the life partner of Piru, a possible sixth Elder Dragon. Together, they traveled the planes, and eventually found themselves bound into the servitude of the planeswalker Geyadrone Dihade. Under her control, the two dragons were forced to fight Dakkon Blackblade. Chromium managed to weaken the man, but was sent across the planes before he could kill Dakkon. Piru met a much worse fate, stabbed by the Blackblade itself. Chromium later returned to Dominaria, but was destroyed by Tevesh Szat at the Summit of the Null Moon.

Ahh… Bolas. Who hasn`t heard the name of the most powerful dragon in the Multiverse? This Elder Dragon deserves his own shelf of books, for there is much to tell about him. One of the first planeswalkers, Nicol Bolas is said to be the oldest living being in the Multiverse. He has had a hand in many conflicts and periods of strife throughout the millennia, including that of the Elder Dragon Wars, Madara - where he once ruled – the Great Mending, Shards of Alara, and even the recent release of the Eldrazi scourge on Zendikar. Though he has purportedly been killed many times over the years, some believe he will never truly vanish from this existence.

Palladia-Mors, the only female sibling, has mostly disappeared from known history since the Elder Dragon Wars. It is known, however, that at one time she slept under the town of Mors Ridge, most likely named after her. Upon being awakened, she became the center of a conflict that destroyed the town. The few who believe in her power have said that she ascended like her brother, Nicol Bolas, but no one has confirmed this claim. If she has ascended, she seems to desire keeping it a secret until a time of her choosing.

Finally, the last of the Elder Dragons, Vaevictus Asmodi. Vaevictus held an unremarkable life for many years after the Elder Dragon Wars. He traveled the planes and encountered many planeswalkers along the way. One such encounter was with Faralyn, who turned Vaevictus into a dragon whelp before departing. Angry that he had lost his old form and much of his power, Vaevictus concocted a successful plan to restore himself. Unfortunately for him, he was soon exiled during a battle. No one knows for sure whether he was merely banished to another plane, or permanently destroyed.”

With the end of the passage you stop and look up. Though the gloom in the buttery remains unchanged you realize that time has passed since your arrival. Realizing that the old man is not there and will most likely not appear, you slowly make your way up the stairs. As you shove the door to the cellar closed, you idly wonder what the dusty old book was doing in the buttery.

This is a work of fiction based on the stories and entries provided by Wizards about some of the early characters. The author takes some liberty with the story for dramatic purposes. So the story portrayed here may not be the exact story according to Magic Canon. The author has found references and art to use in the following locations: Encyclopedia Phyrexianna and the MTG Salvation Wiki. Written by Brendan Weiskotten.