Avacyn is a white-aligned angel that inhabits Innistrad, and plays a central role in the Church of Avacyn, who gives the humans of Innistrad a chance to survive in a sort of balance between the prey, the humans, and the predators, vampires, werewolves and other malevolent forces of Innistrad.
Need for Balance[]
Long ago the vampire planeswalker Sorin Markov noticed that the humans of Innistrad were being hunted relentlessly by his ravenous brethren. Knowing once humanity went extinct on the plane the vampires would turn on each other.
Sorin knew he would have to do something drastic to prevent this from happening, humanity didn’t just need a way to defend itself it would also need a symbol to rally behind. Using existing legends about the moon Sorin created the archangel Avacyn.
Disappearance[]
With Avacyn and the balance she created in place Sorin returned to his interplanar affairs but even while away from Innistrad he monitored it from afar. While her creator was away the Church of Avacyn was established through which protective wards and holy magic was created to protect the humans.
The arrival of Avacyn and her angels caused vampires to fall out of their position in Innistrad clearing way for a greater evil, once only whispered about, to take form. In the power vacuum demons came into existence on Innistrad. Avacyn worked with her angels and inquisitors killed vampires, werewolves, devils and demons, although some demons were too powerful to be destroyed and were imprisoned in the Helvault by Avacyn.
One day the demon Griselbrand landed on top of the Helvault and challenged the archangel Avacyn in an act of defiance. The ensuing battle lasted for days and was witnessed by Avacyn’s host, Mikaeus the Lunarch and his most trusted bishops. In a final act of desperation Avacyn gathered her remaining strength and attempted to use a binding spell to drive Griselbrand into the Helvault.
While being pulled into the Helvault Griselbrand impaled Avacyn through her heart with her own spear causing her spell to rebound and she was pulled into the Helvault as well. In her absence the protective wards and holy magic began to fail and the darkness of Innistrad began to gather in strength and the humans began being hunted. The secret of her imprisonment in the Helvault was kept a closely guarded secret to prevent a panic and the last remaining person who knew what happened to Avacyn, Mikaeus, was killed by the stitcher Geralf.
Liberation from the Helvault[]
The planeswalker Liliana Vess arrived on Innistrad searching for one of her demonic debtors Griselbrand. Gathering information about his whereabouts she was directed to the city of Thraben when the stitcher siblings Geralf and Gisa were leading a horde of unhallowed ghouls against the city.
Liliana raised Mikaeus from the dead and learned about Griselbrand’s imprisonment within the Helvault. She entered the chapel where the Helvault was kept where she was confronted by Thalia and her squad of cathars. Liliana put a spell on the Helvault and another on Thalia’s men which made them unable to defend themselves from Liliana’s ghouls and she gave Thalia an ultimatum. Either Thalia would allow the Helvault to be destroyed or her men to be killed, crestfallen Thalia chose the Helvault.
Cracks began to appear across the surface of the Helvault and spread until it shattered. In a helix of gold light Avacyn flew out of the Helvault.
Return of Balance[]
With Avacyn freed the protective wards and holy magic of Innistrad were restored allowing the humans and angels to begin driving back the darkness of the plane. In a wave of spells called The Cursemute Avacyn used her power to turn werewolves into Wolfir who would be used to protect and serve humans rather than hunt them.
Unfortunately Avacyn was not the only being released from the Helvault, all of the demons she had imprisoned within it were also released.
In-Game References[]
Represented in the Following Cards
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Associated Artwork
Cloudshift
Endless Ranks of the Dead
Increasing Devotion
Seraph Sanctuary
Associated Cards
Moonsilver Spear
Reforge the Soul
Scroll of Avacyn
Quoted or Referred To
Angel of Flight of Alabaster
Archangel‘s Light
Avacyn‘s Pilgrim
Bonds of Faith
Bower Passage
Cathars‘ Crusade
Cloudshift
Devout Chaplain
Disciple of Griselbrand
Divination
Faithless Looting
Favor of the Woods
Favorable Winds
Goldnight Redeemer
Joint Assault
Loyal Cathar/Unhallowed Cathar
Midnight Duelist
Midvast Protector
Moon Heron
Nevermore
Niblis of the Breath
Primal Surge
Reaper from the Abyss
Reforge the Soul
Rite of Ruin
Smite the Monstrous
Vault of the Archangel