Major Characters

A

Agnomakhos

Agnomakhos was the most notable of the Archon tyrants of Theros, who in ancient times held a massive empire and tyrannized the world in an effort to impose strict justice. Agnomakhos used the leonin as an army, and ruled a particularly brutal regime that extended into the mountains in the north and the forests in the east, using the pretext of a war against the giants. Eventually, the Archon empire fell, being instead replaced by the poleis. Agnomakhos was defeated by the citizens of Meletis.   The kings Kynaios and Tiro lead the rebellion against Agnomakhos due to their love of freedom and for each other.  

Alirios

A narcissist known for staring longingly at his own reflection in a pond, Alirios has somehow been able to magically empower his reflection to battle for himself.  

Anax

Anax was the legendary king of Akros on Theros, a brilliant tactician and warrior. He was the husband of Cymede. Anax was a follower of Iroas, but in his later years, he turned to Purphoros as he steered his people through the creation of a small empire. This shift was reflected in the Akroan artistry. Swords and armor were decorated. Pottery, clothing, wall paintings, and weaving showed ancient Akroan patterns and symbolism handed down for generations.   When Xenagos and his forces laid siege to the city of Akros, King Anax went forth in combat against Rhordon the Rageblood, an oracle of Mogis. In their battle, Anax gained the upper hand, but as Keranos provided aid to Cymede, the God of Slaughter gave a boon to Rhordon. Elspeth declared treachery as she sensed Mogis's interference. The Rageblood quickly defeated Anax by impaling the king through the stomach. Elspeth stepped forward and saved Anax, but before Elspeth could declare victory, the Rageblood threw himself into the advancing river elemental of Keranos and was washed away. Although King Anax was gravely injured, he supposedly survived and insisted that the victory celebration continue on without him.   During the war between the gods, Purphoros reforged Anax into a demigod who can't think of anything but victory. Nevertheless, he repeats a single word: "Cymede".  

Anikthea

Before becoming a demigod, when Anikthea walked among the living, she was known as an ambitious monster slayer whose thirst for greater prey never seemed to wane. She served on the Council of Warriors and was groomed by its councilors, veterans, and advisors to lead the polis of Setessa. As part of this mission - and to prove herself to her fellow warriors - she set out to slay Cirkis, a witch living in the despairing lands who had cursed the fields of Setessa with blight. Their fight was said to be legendary and decisive and in the end, Anikthea claimed the witch's head as proof of her success. Unbeknownst to her, however, the witch had been working in the service of Erebos, who saw Anikthea's deed, and before she could return triumphant to Karametra, stole her away to Agonas, dragging her down through the mouth of Cirkis as she slept.   In the Underworld, Erebos pitted his champions one after the other against Anikthea, allowing no rest between bouts as punishment for her crime against him, but she refused to fall. Erebos, entertained by this, eventually came before Anikthea and offered her a deal: fight her way to the surface and win her freedom. Anikthea obliged. She cut a swathe through the Underworld, leaving a trail of monsters that remains to this day, known as The Wall of Anikthea. For what would be five days and five nights on the surface, she fought all manner of terrible beasts. Over time her desperation to get home waned: each monster was a greater opponent than any she had encountered in life. As she slew them, she saw in their accursed eyes the same desperation that burned in her: reach the surface. Be free. Only, they desired to free themselves to consume her home, not to return to a peaceful life. One by one Anikthea slew Erebos's beasts, and once she stood before the gate to the surface, she called upon Erebos to offer him a deal: she would serve Erebos as long as she could return home to protect her people when they needed her most. Now she eternally quells the riots of the deceased hordes in The Underworld, granted partial divinity by Erebos to help her accomplish her mission. Alone, Anikthea serves Setessa from the shadows, battling the greatest foes that the mortal world could ever offer her, to protect the mortal world from the monsters that lurk below the surface.  

Anthousa

Anthousa is a legendary warrior known throughout Theros. A devout worshiper of Karametra, Anthousa serves as Leina Tower's leader, as well as commander of the goddess's Council of Warriors. When Karametra is away from Setessa, Anthousa acts as the ruler in her stead.   During a conflict between Karametra and Keranos, Anthousa was caught in a deadly storm. Keranos, knowing of Karametra's favor for her close advisor, awoke an ancient titan to kill the warrior. With Nylea's assistance, Anthousa managed to slay the creature. Karametra then bestowed supernatural strength to Anthousa, allowing her to cut the titan's head from his body.  

Aphemia

A Nyxborn creature, Aphemia lurks around the necropolis of Asphodel. She sings a mystical song to enthrall the undead inhabitants of the necropolis, manipulating them like puppets to assist her in raids against the living.  

Arasta

Arasta was originally a beloved dryad under Nylea's care, who treated her as a sister. She was warped into a monstrous spider creature by the envious god Phenax. According to him, Nylea's interest in Arasta was due to beauty rather than true kinship. Resentful of her treatment by the gods, Arasta made her home deep within the Nessian Wood. There, she is served by countless arachnids who act as her spies and enforcers, and rarely, her own armor. They say that her webs, spun from her own hair, reach from Nyx to the mortal world and even into the Underworld.   Pained by the loss of her dryad companion, it is said that Nylea sends her champions in a mission to learn Phenax's secrets to this very day.  

Arixmethes

Obscure legends say that Arixmethes was a major polis that once existed on Theros, and that Heliod smote this coastal city with Khrusor and cast into the sea. In fact, Arixmethes is a massive kraken with the entire city built upon it.   Arixmethes is so large that he is frequently mistaken for an island. While he slumbered, an entire city was built on his back. When he awakened, as the planeswalker Kiora battled the sea god Thassa, he wrought destruction beyond any the hapless citizens of the "island" had ever known.  

Atris

Atris is an oracle whose origins are shrouded in mystery. He is presumably associated with Phenax, and he is known to give out false prophecies at a moment's whim. Oracles such as Atris and Kydele are occasionally known to bestow supernatural gifts to various heroes of Theros.  

B

Brimaz

Brimaz is the current leonin "king" of Oreskos. Each year, on the day of the first full moon after the autumn equinox, matriarchs from all the leonin prides gather at Tethmos to select a monarch, who acts as a representative of the prides in the wider world. While terms like “queen”, “general” or "king" are often applied to this leader by outsiders, the meaning of the leonin title, zibynth, is closer to “speaker.” The leonin speaker is both a warrior and a spiritual leader for his people. Each speaker is considered the manifestation of nature's animus on earth.   Traditionally, the speaker reigns for a single year. As the leonin have grown less isolated, though, they have come to explore greater continuity in their leadership and Brimaz has held the office for several years. One of the few men to ever be speaker, he is broadminded, humble, and determined, with a deep connection to the land. He is quick to seek opinions from the matriarchs of the leonin prides, and often defers to their wisdom. While his focus has largely been within the grasslands’ borders, he cautiously explores engaging in trade with the human poleis. Furthermore, while Brimaz is a capable warrior and an inspiring leader, he has private doubts about the isolationism of leonin culture.  

C

Callaphe

Callaphe was a human trickster from Meletis who sailed a ship called The Monsoon. Now she is Thassa's chosen demigod. Callaphe was the most skilled mariner to ever sail the seas. She was also the first mortal to decipher the secret patterns of the winds (thus provoking Thassa’s ire), and she sailed over the edge of the world and into Nyx to claim her place among the stars. Her adventures are recounted in the epic poem known as The Callapheia.   When Heliod instructed his champion, Daxos, to remove all trace of the other gods from the city of Meletis, Thassa and the other gods, refusing to stand for such an affront, called upon their own champions from the Underworld and made them demigods.   In life, Callaphe has gained Thassa's respect by outmaneuvering her krakens, and because of that respect, Thassa chose Callaphe as her champion.  

Cymede

Cymede was the queen of Akros on Theros, a devote follower of Keranos and wife of Anax. Cymede was a skilled warrior but a more powerful seer. Having herself been struck by lightning and given a glimpse of the future, Cymede was seen by some as being partly responsible for her husband's effectiveness as king.   Cymede became aware of the power of godly creatures such as nymphs. She saw abstract glimpses of their power and could feel the gods' ability to bestow gifts upon the faithful. Because of this, the cult of Keranos gained a foothold in the Kolophon. Cymede even had a special temple built on a distant mountain summit where the storms were particularly severe. During the storm season, she visited there, meditating on a silver platform.   Although Cymede had the ability to hear “god-speak,” she had never proclaimed herself an oracle or allowed any god to claim her. The only god that Cymede had ever considered serving was Keranos. Since Cymede was a powerful mage who could manipulate the elements with ease, Keranos had longed for her to be at his side.   During the siege of Akros by the forces of Xenagos, Cymede and Daxos worked together to raise the Deyda River in their attempt to flood the minotaur encampment. As Daxos began to lose concentration, Cymede offered herself to Keranos in exchange for his assistance. Keranos came forth and transformed the river into a raging elemental that consumed the minotaurs in their encampment. Afterwards, Cymede was claimed by Keranos as she transformed into a pillar of fire and crimson light and ascended into Nyx.  

D

Dalakos

Dalakos is a famous Triton inventor. Dalkos once considered himself a triton like any other – curious, quick-minded and blessed by the gods with exceptional cleverness – but he was unfocused and easily distracted. It wasn't until a kraken rose from the ocean's depths and began a rampage that threatened Dalakos's community that he was forced to focus. As the monstrosity drew closer, Dalakos sought ways to turn it from its path. He worked day and night, but ultimately his plans failed. All that he knew was obliterated by the kraken. Amid the ruins from his home, the triton had a revelation. Working desperately, he crafted a miraculous device that he ultimately used to defeat the kraken.   Today, Dalakos resides inside the kraken's shell, where he works day and night. His heart is broken, but his mind is forever focused on bringing his creations to life.  

G

Gallia

Gallia is an infamous female satyr and self-styled Lord of Misrule. She wears bright flowers wound around her horns and carries a mock scepter topped with a goblet. She is fickle and loves novelty, and her main goal is to hold a never-ending party.  

Gnostro

If you find yourself wandering the mountains of Theros and you hear a cacophony of voices, it is highly recommended that you run as fast as you can. Those voices likely belong to Gnostro, a three-headed chimera that considers the entirety of the Katachton Mountains its hunting grounds. Each head takes on the appearance of a different animal and has its own ability. The owl head lets out a bone-chilling hoot that reverberates throughout time, allowing Gnostro to glimpse the future movements of its prey. The howls and snarls of the wolf head bring forth fire that can melt even the strongest Akroan steel. The whinnies and snorts of the horse head are said to contain the power to heal any wound. Anyone able to get close enough to test it has been torn to shreds by the other two heads.  

H

Hixus

Hixus was a human prison warden at the Kolophon on Theros. Hixus trained the prisoner Kytheon Iora in hieromancy. When the Kolophon came under attack by harpies and cyclopses, Hixus freed the prisoners that were willing to defend the keep.  

Hythonia

Hythonia is a gorgon who resides on the plane of Theros. She is known by others as "Hythonia the Cruel," as she delights in transforming living creatures to stone in order to add them to her throne.   When the massive gorgon first appeared on the island of Skathos, the citizens believed her to be an avatar of the god Pharika. Finding herself surrounded by worshipers, Hythonia decided to form her throne out of the petrified bodies of her followers. She often exchanges her secrets for beautiful individuals to join her victims as part of her throne.   Unlike other gorgons, it is believed that Hythonia has the ability to transform her skin into stone and shed it, rejuvenating herself from any fatal wounds or even slight scars.  

K

Kalemne

Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas is a legendary Giant Soldier.   Usually, the giants of Theros are born from the land itself, and draw their strength from the ancient rocks of the hills, the roots of old-growth trees, the surging waters of great rivers, or even the darkness of echoing caverns.   Kalemne, however, has chosen a different source to refine and hone her power: she offers her devotion to the god of victory and heroism, mighty Iroas. Anything but a savage brute, Kalemne is a disciple of the soldier's god, and leads superhuman troops — giants, dragons, and even angels — to glorious triumphs through strategy and superior skill.  

Kestia

As with other nymphs, Kestia was created by the gods. However, they bestowed to her the role of the cultivator of fertile fields, crop growth, and irrigation. She is considered by many to be a benevolent creature.  

Kunoros

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos, is the guardian dog of the god Athreos on Theros. He is a three-headed cerberus that guards The Underworld.  

Kydele

Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix is a legendary human oracle.   The Chosen of Kruphix is a beautiful woman with long, black hair and two other arms, diaphanous, half-real which are the mark of Kruphix, Theros's enigmatic god of horizons and mysteries. Kydele serves as the primary oracle to Kruphix, in his temple in Meletis. For her, there is no greater virtue than seeking and facing the truth. However, when she was in danger, she was spirited away by Kruphix himself. From her seat among the branches of Kruphix's temple on the edge of the world, Kydele has seen truths that would unravel the minds of lesser mortals. After witnessing the ascension and fall of Xenagos, and the betrayal of Heliod against his champion, Elspeth, Kydele started to wonder about Nyx and the true nature of the gods. Kruphix personally revealed to Kydele that the gods did not create the mortals of Theros, but that the gods were products of mortal belief and faith, reversing the commonly held doctrine and belief of mortals across the plane.   Seeing that her god was still troubled, she desired to know what he had learned from the visitors of the plane. He told her that Theros is only one among many worlds where the Theros' gods hold no sway, and there are powerful beings that can travel among them at will. He also told Kydele that there are menaces so great that even the gods couldn't be able to defeat them.   Kydele returned to Meletis and decided to keep this new knowledge for herself, a sight she can never unsee.  

Kynaios and Tiro

In the age of antiquity, the humans of the region that would one day become Meletis, the largest polis on Theros, were ruled by the tyrant Agnomakhos, an immortal archon. Unchecked for generations, his power grew as he carved out a mighty empire. Kynaios and Tiro, joined by their love for one another and for freedom, rose to challenge him. The people rallied to their cause, and Agnomakhos was defeated. The legend says that the god Ephara granted humans magic to help them overthrow the archon and cast out his leonin guard.   The polis of Meletis was founded on the ruins of Agnomakhos's empire as a beacon of freedom and enlightenment, and its people chose Kynaios and Tiro to be its guardians. Two great statues were built in their honor. Their real story, however, would be lost to the ages. Instead of peaceful lovers, they would be remembered as two feuding rulers whose deaths were celebrated and whose monuments symbolized the end of their wars.   Their tomb is found in the center of the settlement of Oxus, located in the Meletian holdings.  

M

Medomai

Medomai the Wandering Oracle is a male sphinx and a seer from Theros. The wise and ancient sphinx Medomai is usually seen in Meletis, but he is not a consistent resident of the city. Instead, he appears a few times a year during moments of historical import, such as religious ceremonies, coronations, and the onset of wars. Medomai has been part of Meletis's history for many decades, seeming to possess cryptic knowledge of future events. His arrival is not necessarily seen as a good omen, as his predictions can be dire.  

P

Polukranos

Polukranos, also known as World Eater, is a gigantic legendary Hydra from Theros. As the mortal manifestation of the eternal ideal of a hydra, it emerges when the magic that holds the pillars of the world is shaken. It is a herald of terrible times when the fate of the poleis and civilization are in the balance.   First resting in a celestial lair, the monster fell to Theros because of the battle between Purphoros and Heliod. It was sealed under the Nessian Forest by Heliod and Nylea, where it dwells, growing and devouring all who wander into its territory.  

R

Ravos

Ravos was an oracle of Athreos, the god of passage, and as such knew the fleeting nature of life. Nevertheless, watching his beloved perish in battle was too much for Ravos to bear, and he struck a deal with the god. Ravos swore to help Athreos guide the dead to the Underworld in exchange for seeing his dead lover once each year. However, in the interim, Ravos plots her rescue and secretly defies Athreos by escorting his wards back to the land of the living.  

Renata

It is said that when Renata threw her spear, she could hit a boar half a mile away. She was always accompanied by her servant Karados. According to an Akroan tale, the god Keranos sought to test Renata by creating a beast so deadly that even she would balk at trying to hunt it. When Renata slew this lion-ram-dragon creation effortlessly (the first Chimera of Theros), Keranos created another combination of deadlier beasts to challenge her. She slew that beast too, and all the other countless Keranos' creations.   Some of Renata's exploits were recounted by Luphea of Setessa in the Histories book. Among Renata's greatest achievements, was the hunt to bring down the Nessian Boar, the terror of Setessan wilds.  

S

Siona

Siona is a legendary soldier in Theros.   Captain Siona is known throughout Theros for her seafaring adventures to mystical islands aboard her ship, the Pyleas. During one adventure, Siona and her loyal crew were saved from storm waves by the god Thassa.  

Sythis

Sythis, Harvest's Hand, is a Nyxborn nymph from Theros.   Sythis was originally created by Karametra to watch over harvests and the threshing of grains, but over time, Karametra grew so fond of her that Sythis came to be an advisor and companion to the god herself.   Karametra has bestowed the nymph with more of her own power than she ever has for any of her agents and often refers to Sythis as "daughter." As Karametra's most powerful agent on Theros, Sythis now travels the land, enacting the god's will upon the world.  

T

Taranika

Taranika is a legendary soldier and the current regent of the polis of Akros, on the plane of Theros.   Taranika is the niece of the famous King Anax of Akros. With her uncle dead and his wife, Queen Cymede ascended to Nyx, with no direct heirs, the Akroan monarchy has passed to Taranika, closest in the line of succession, as regent.  

Thrasios

He is a triton, one of the few living alongside the humans in the massive coastal polis of Meletis. Meletians saved Thrasios's family from a pack of marauding minotaurs, so he now fights for the honor of Meletis. An accomplished warrior, his prowess in battle is said to be miraculous; no blow ever seems to land on him.   He believes he possesses the divine sanction of Thassa, god of the sea, and for this reason he has left his home and has embarked on a pilgrimage to the ocean's depths at the edge of the world. He claims to have visited the ruins of the fabled polis of Olantin on his most recent expedition, but few believe him.  

Tromokratis

Tromokratis is a particularly cantankerous nadir kraken that has claimed all of the sea of Theros as its territory.   While most krakens roam the seas, Tromokratis vents its wrath on coastal settlements. Whether it acts at the command of the sea god Thassa or to sate its own hunger, Tromokratis numbers among the most feared threats in the sea, having no fixed lair and wandering where it will. Recently, the massive kraken rose from the waves to topple the Pyrgnos, Meletis’s repository of scholarly knowledge. Since that day, the polis keeps a watch specifically for Tromokratis.   A tumultuous sea is often attributed to Tromokratis battling another kraken to assert its claim. Often, before a journey, sailors blow conch-shell horns in the belief that the sound will soothe nearby krakens. Legend also speaks of a magic horn that the hero Humenades used in ancient times to summon Tromokratis to lay waste to a cursed city lost to evil ways. The horn was so powerful that, after the city was destroyed, Humenades took it to Tizerus and buried it under a stone near Erebos' palace.  

Tymaret

Tymaret, known by the humans of Theros as The Murder King, is an undead warrior and the de facto leader of Odunos, the polis inhabited by the more violent Returned who have escaped the clutches of the plane's Underworld and its God Erebos.   Tymaret commands its best warriors in organized raids against the living. Their raids are small but effective, and almost always nocturnal.   An unremarkable dead soul and sole witness to Phenax's escape from the Underworld, Tymaret was given a cursed blessing from Erebos, the God of Death: he was restored to the mortal world as a Returned, with the task of slaying Phenax and returning him to the Underworld. As Phenax wears a mask and can disguise himself, Tymaret began slaying any mortal he came across in hopes of finding the escaped Returned. When Phenax ascended to godhood, he escaped Tymaret's clutches, but the Murder King continued to kill with impunity.  

Tymna

Tymna is among the few mortals on Theros to have mastered the magic of the Fates. She once served among the Battlewise of Meletis, an order whose members take pride in changing the flow of a battle through tactics and not force. A career already filled with victories was cut short by a chariot accident, leaving her blind. After becoming a weaver, Tymna meticulously twines the strands of destiny, the threads vibrating beneath her fingertips as her machinations play out.

Articles under Major Characters