Mairsil

Mairsil, known as the Pretender, was a power-hungry wizard, who was a member of the Conclave of Mages during the post-Brothers' War Dark Age of Dominaria.Commander 2017 CommandersJeff Grubb (1999), "The Gathering Dark", Wizards of the Coast
==Description==
Mairsil wore fine clothes, usually a dark silk shirt and dark pants. He was festooned with a gold brocade vest with large crystalline buttons, a wide-brimmed hat with a golden feather, and a rapier at his side. He was calm and self-assured, with dark hair and a thin mustache. His mouth was hard and unyielding, and he wore a jeweled cuff in the right ear and a huge ruby-stoned ring on his right index finger. He had a golden capelet hanging halfway down his back and used a walking stick of dark russet wood with the polished white head of a carved skull on the end, although he did not need it.
==History==
Lord Ith was the ruler of the Conclave until Mairsil usurped his power and imprisoned him below the Conclave's citadel, installing himself as the First Among the Equals. Ith was imprisoned in Barl's Cage, an artifact created by the artificer Barl. It was made of watersilver and hung directly over a bottomless pit, siphoning off his mana and driving him mad. If Lord Ith hadn't managed to summon a Rag Man, the cage would have killed him. The Rag Man eventually led the powerful young wizard Jodah to Ith.
Later, the conclave was attacked by a Church of Tal army led by Primata Delphine. Mairsil faced the Primata directly, and after draining away her magical defenses with the Wand of Ith, he stabbed her to death. However, in the chaos surrounding the assault, Jodah freed Ith, who was almost completely mad by that point. An enraged Ith destroyed Mairsil before Jodah cured his mind. Ith then went on to cause the Fall of the Conclave of Mages.
However, Mairsil had imbued his life into a small ruby ring, and his essence survived for the next 2,000 years. The artifact was found during the Ice Age by a soldier named Lim-Dûl, who gained vast necromantic abilities thanks to the power of the ring. In the service of Leshrac, he terrorized Ice Age Terisiare with undead hordes until being defeated by an alliance between Kjeldor and Balduvia. 
Because Jodah was magically still alive, the spirit of Mairsil attempted to take control of Lim-Dul so that he could use the necromancer's powers against his archenemy. Before this was possible, Leshrac, seeking extra power himself, cut off the necromancer's hand with the ring. The Pretender was plunged into darkness once more.
The ring's next wearer was a task mage named Jaya Ballard — Jodah's trusted confidant. Mairsil spent the next decade poisoning her mind, eventually willing her to betray her master and slit his throat. But Jodah fought back, managing to ignite Jaya's planeswalker's spark with his magical mirror. Jaya's ascension, and the energies it released, eradicated all traces of Mairsil's soul within her.
Later, the ring found its way to an ancestor of Liliana Vess, who buried it under the family estate. From its position under Vess Manor, it corrupted Liliana in the form of the Raven Man, a fragment of Lim-Dûl's essence. She later realized that she had been intended as one more link in a line stretching back to that first, now-nameless mage, her will subsumed to the remnants of his, her soul remade in the image of those who had come before her.
==Story appearances==
Title 	Author 	Publishing date	Set 	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Distant Planes 	Kathy Ice and various	June 1996 	Fourth Edition	Dominaria 	Grover, Loot Niptil, Sopti Borth, Kyyrao Grrenmw, Windgrace (mentioned), Malkean Feorr, Vlorik, N'ciczli, Haspian Chastoril, Gormank, Boxx, Dolores, Eorra, Frenna, Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, Vincent, Peter Langwynd, Vram, Mao, Peft, Vetro, Dobeh, Mendil, Ladric, Ruannon, Alandrah, Nimbys, Ingvik, Firal, Dovroder, Rafthrasa, Gillmin, Grex, Milos, Torya Longshanks, Rogan, Jess, Delly, Lacjsi (mentioned), Mairsil (mentioned), Ith (mentioned), Leaf, Shade, Busjaw, Kruuna, Helana, Koborah, Rorsa, Gohrah, Illith, Gerheart, Boris Devilboon (mentioned), Somilar, Verus, Kinekin, Kalin, Spenggra, Kebwin, Teeka, Andros, Gospor, Hendron, Xavis, Hamu, Ikenet, Makura, Malanai, Herhoona, Uharoo, Arnam, Huharna, Amahu, Joerrin, Thirran, Vacu, Farnip, Garrac, Shen, Spirokai, Ophelia, Teeth, Cleatin, Methos, D'Bray, Markus
The Gathering Dark 	Jeff Grubb 	June 1999 	The Dark 	Dominaria 	Arkol, Ith, Mairsil, Rag Man, Vervamon (mentioned), Jodah, Voska, Jarsyl (mentioned), Thargrin (mentioned), Tanar, Delphine, Michelle, Dobbs, Sima, Togath, Fendah, Tivadar, Barl, Lucan, Drusilla, Alex, Betje, Shannan, Ophenia, San-Lo, Dorine, Dervish, Jonko, Orm, Nedastophalites, Remarin, Ingles, Wode
The Eternal Ice 	Jeff Grubb 	May 2000 	Ice Age 	Dominaria 	Arkol, Márton Stromgald, Lim-Dûl, Darien, Jodah, Zur (mentioned), Freyalise, Chaeska, Jarkeld (mentioned), Tevesh Szat (mentioned), Leshrac, Marit Lage (mentioned), Sima, Jaya Ballard, Gustha Ebbasdotter, Gerda Äagesdotter, Belenda Danisdotter, Mairsil, Jonte, Aliana, Shannan, Lovisa Coldeyes, Avram Garrison, Varchild, Arcum Dagsson, Thadior Glandesson, Klausson, Klazina Jansdotter, Kolbjörn, Kaysa
The Shattered Alliance	Jeff Grubb 	December 2000 	Alliances 	Dominaria 	Arkol, Gerda Äagesdotter, Jodah, Jaya Ballard, Chaeska, Lord of Tresserhorn, Ozmar Starkaadison, Glissenda, Tissellia Hannasdottir, Lothar Lovisason, Lovisa Coldeyes, Zur (mentioned), Darien, Alexandrite, Gundarsson, Kartha Shockfist, Koravis Darkeyes, Pova, Varchild, Relj, Karthon, Arcum Dagsson, Sorine Daabson, Mairsil, Lim-Dûl, Freyalise, Xantcha, Ratepe, Urza
==In-game references==
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Wizards
Category:Deceased