Sheoldred

Sheoldred's History

Sheoldred, known as the Whispering One was the Praetor of the Black Faction of the Phyrexian Invasion on Mirrodin. The black-aligned faction, led by Sheoldred, had one goal: enslave. Believers would serve. Unbelievers would be made to serve. All would bow to Phyrexia.

Besides her rank as a praetor, Sheoldred was part of a unique affiliation in Phyrexianised Mirrodin, known as the Seven Steel Thanes. The thanes served little more than as warlords of the Black faction, with no observable utility for the rest of Phyrexia, and actually, each thane intended to take over the plane. Using knowledge and secrecy to advance herself, Sheoldred intended to become omnipotent, but being in direct competition with equally ruthless thanes like Geth it was equally possible that she would fail. She outsmarted Roxith when he failed to access one of her coffers and was killed. She established her territory in the Dross Pits and ran a grand coliseum there.

Ultimately, Elesh Norn laid waste to her domain. Sheoldred would go on to serve Norn in Phyrexia's multiversal invasions. Despite her defeat, Sheoldred remained a powerful rival to Norn, which is why the Grand Cenobite sent her on these missions to distract her.

At some point, Sheoldred traveled to Dominaria, attempting to obtain ancient artifacts as well as possibly conquer the plane. Arriving in the Caves of Koilos, she recuperated from wounds sustained by traveling through the Blind Eternities and was discovered and rebuilt by Rona and the Society of Mishra. She now possesses the ability to separate her humanoid torso into an array of spiderlike constructs to escape pursuers. She was responsible for the mass production of sleeper agents, which infiltrated all Dominarian societies and weakened them, allowing her to build an actual army, the largest New Phyrexian operation outside of the plane. During this, she made use of old Phyrexian artifacts, resurrected Ertai, and compleated the planeswalker Ajani Goldmane. She led the attack during the Battle of the Mana Rig while affixed to a dragon engine and captured Karn, returning him to New Phyrexia. Upon her return, Tezzeret carried Sheoldred back to her layer in the Dross Pits.

Within a few weeks of her return to New Phyrexia, Sheoldred moved against Elesh Norn in a bid to seize power. She allied herself with Urabrask's rebellion against the Mother of Machines, as did the Thanes Geth, Roxith, and Vraan. Norn declared her an apostate, and she was later captured by Ajani as her rebellion collapsed.

While Norn began to conduct the Invasion of the Multiverse, a defiant Sheoldred was brought before her. The Mother of Machines declared that there was no place in New Phyrexia for those who would seek power over unity, and ordered Ajani to decapitate her with his axe. He obliged Norn's wish, leading to the first known death of a New Phyrexian praetor.