There’s a couple of oldies from Dominaria, another from Kamigawa, one powerful one from Jund, one from Theros, and one that can help Scion of the Ur-Dragon kill with infect from Skithiryx.
Before mortals had ruled the world, there had been the time of the immortals, of dragons. Dominaria was ours, divided equally among five great beasts. These rulers were the Primevals. Though separately powerful, in company their strength multiplied upon itself. Together the five Primevals were omnipotent, and their nations ruled the world.
Tevesh Szat, to Darigaaz (from Planeshift by J. Robert King)
Phyrexian general Tsabo Tavoc leading the Phyrexian forces during the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria, and an attempt to bring down the Shivan dragon Rhammidarigaaz, leader of the Dragon Nations.
The plane of Dominaria was once ruled by mighty godlike dragons who were called the Primevals. However, their reign was not to last. They were imprisoned by mortals, and they remained dormant for a long time.
“Rule through fear, Darigaaz. Only if the dragons feel terror will they truly be your servants.” —Tevesh Szat
Malicious Advice by Glen Angus
One planeswalker knew of the Primevals: Tevesh Szat. In the fiery realm of Shiv, he taught a dragon that was to be leader over the dragons, a dragon named Darigaaz. Unknown to the dragon, he would be the one to awaken the ancient Primevals.
The Igniter
Darigaaz, the Igniter by Mark Zug
The ancient Shivan dragon Rhammidarigaaz, also known as Darigaaz, was the leader of the dragon nations. Unknown to him until the latter part of his life, he was the reincarnation of the ancient red Primeval. His name means “conception” in Old Draconic.
He was the son of the dragoness Gherridarigaaz. When he was young, he spent his time with the viashino of Shiv. He became their champion, which angered his mother. Darigaaz met and lost to Urza when the planeswalker came to Shiv for the Mana Rig, which was maintained by the viashino.
Darigaaz chose to fight alongside Urza as he prepared for Serra’s Realm. The planeswalker used this to get Gherridarigaaz to fight for him and he succeeded, saying that he will regain the dragoness her son. They were both brought into a disintegrating Serra’s Realm, with the mage Barrin riding Darigaaz. Here, Gherridarigaaz shielded Urza from Radiant’s killing spell and died.
A millennium has passed. Darigaaz was lord of the dragon nations by the time of the Phyrexian Invasion. He and his dragons defended Shiv from the Phyrexians’ first attack on the region. He had the dragon nations behind him as they rose for battle. They didn’t win at Urborg, but won in Koilos, closing the last Phyrexian portal.
The Rathi Overlay began, transporting hordes of Phyrexians onto Dominaria. Tevesh Szat led the dragon forces away to a broken Shiv as Phyrexians tore through viashino and goblins. When the invaders were defeated, Szat led Darigaaz and a few other dragons to a hidden chamber.
Szat declared that they were too late. The planeswalker told Darigaaz of the Primevals, and that the red Primeval’s corpse has already been destroyed by the Phyrexians. Knowing that the Primevals have the power to stop Phyrexia, Darigaaz proceeded to awaken them.
The dragons went to Yavimaya. Darigaaz, out of his right mind with a voice whispering to him, defeated dragon lord Rokun and then killed him out of rage. Through this death, the Primeval dragon Rith the Awakener was revived. Rith then proceeded to lead the dragons to awaken the other Primevals. Next to awaken was Treva the Renewer in New Argive. The Primeval Dromar the Banisher was awoken next from his slumber under the Vodalian seas. Reawakening the Primevals took the lives of hundreds of dragons. Darigaaz was enraged, but he was not able to stop it. After all of this, he tried to make Rith swear to him that they will fight against Phyrexia.
It was before freeing the Primeval in Urborg that Darigaaz’s nature was revealed: he was the last Primeval reborn. For the last Primeval to be awakened, the four others have to die first. Darigaaz plunged towards the tar pit of the last Primeval without thinking, and in the death of the four Primevals did the last of them rose. The Primevals with their powers restored flew to the skies as gods, and the last Primeval, Crosis the Purger, joined them.
The Primevals saw the Weatherlight and Darigaaz led the attack. On the engine of the ship, Darigaaz was stopped by Karn who made him remember his memories and brought him back to his senses. Realizing what he had become, Darigaaz threw himself into a volcano. With his death, the other Primevals were weakened and they fell one by one.
Darigaaz was a huge dragon, and he was muscular. His powerful wings grew near his thick neck. His horns were adorned with gold circlets and chains. He had sharp claws on his hands and large toes on his feet. He had a long tail, and his back was lined with webbed spines.
Ancient Gods
Centuries ago, five dragons conquered death to rule the living.
Primevals' Glorious Rebirth by Noah Bradley
In the distant past, Dominaria and its dragon nations were ruled by a quintet of godlike dragons called the Primevals. They were powerful on their own and unstoppable when together. Their power relied on the continued existence of each other: as long as all of them live, they will not be weakened. This strength was also their weakness, as breaking the circle of Primevals will weaken them.
There were five Primeval dragons: Darigaaz (”conception”), Rith (”childhood”), Treva (”youth”), Dromar (”adulthood”), and Crosis (”death”). Each of them was said to have presided over a certain art - fire, agriculture, writing, desire, and death. They were defeated when each of these arts were used against them: Darigaaz was encased in lava, Rith was imprisioned in a great tree, Treva became the foundation of a monastery, Dromar was lured with treasure and slaves in a tomb under the sea, and Crosis was buried in a tar pit.
Their fall from power began with the fall of Darigaaz. The red dragon, wanting to make friends with the mortals, was lured into friendship by a human king named Themeus. He had the dragon imprisoned in molten rock by his mages. With the Primeval imprisoned, the others became weak enough to be defeated. They remained imprisoned until they were awakened during the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria.
Darigaaz had the ability to be reborn. It was the reincarnation of the Primeval that began the restoration of the others during the Phyrexian Invasion. However, they suffered the same fate as they had thousands of years ago, and for the second time it was the red Primeval that broke the circle. Crosis fell back to the tar pit and Rith was imprisoned again by the treefolk of Yavimaya. Dromar and Treva fled, and the Primevals were not heard of ever since.
Dangers
Down upon the Phyrexian dragon engines soared real dragons— Rhammidarigaaz and his dragon nations. The ancient Shivan wyrm led four other dragon lords, one for each of the colors of magic. They flew wing and wing, one time foes turned stolid allies. In the wake of these five great dragons flew whole serpentine nations. They poured from the sky as the Phyrexians had geysered from the ground.
—from Invasion by J. Robert King
Art by Matt Stawicki
In life, Rhammidarigaaz was mighty. As lord of the dragon nations, he commanded respect and loyalty from those under him. He didn’t need to say anything; where he led, the dragons followed. He can break through enemy forces easily, tearing them with his claws and trampling on them with his feet. He was also knowledgeable in spells. On his head and neck he wore charms and pendants that helped him in casting spells of fire, lava, and lightning.
“Sacrificing mortal dragons to satisfy your immortal hunger ends here.” —Darigaaz, to Rith
Insolence by Carl Critchlow
His fierceness in battle hides a kind soul who cared about his dragons. He will sacrifice himself for the sake of others. He was horrified when he defeated Rokun, having been urged by Rith. He was horrified when Rith didn’t cast the spell on time that was supposed to reawaken Treva, leaving the four dragon lords burn with mana. He wanted to rule the dragon nations through faith and respect, not through fear. Through Rokun’s death, he felt that he had failed himself. When he showed compassion, the other Primevals showed indifference.
Honestly, he was a danger only to those who dared harm his homeland. Unfortunately, he became a danger to everyone else.
He didn’t want to think like the Primevals, even if he was one himself. Despite this, he was unable to resist the Primevals’ pull as they awoke one by one. He can only follow his primal mind and the hunger for power. His memories began to fade, until he himself even thought of sacrificing his dragons.
As a full Primeval, he was even more powerful. His scales shone like rubies, and any attack bounced off him, leaving no trace.
Like his mother before him, Darigaaz gave his life defending Dominaria from the tyranny of self-styled “gods.”
Terminate by DiTerlizzi
Crosis warned Darigaaz of the mortal flaw of altruism. Mortal Gherridarigaaz suffered death through her sacrifice. Godly Rhammidarigaaz chose to follow the same path. To save his dragons from the tyranny of the Primevals, the immortal Rhammidarigaaz embraced the mortal flaw.
