Roll of Honor: Iyslander, Stormbind

It hadn’t taken very long for Volcor to rip apart at the seams.

Like shreds of parchment in a furnace, centuries of order, dominion, and tradition - all consumed in flames with the single precise flick of a dagger. To be fair, Iyslander hadn’t known what exactly to expect when she returned to the realm of the Dracai, but she certainly hadn’t anticipated the sudden fall of the empire. Volcor had been reduced to a playground for squabbling factions who tore at each other's throats, desperately scrambling to seize control of the crumbling royal estate. It only meant more pain and hardship for innocent civilians unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire.

Iyslander wasn’t one to take sides, but she had extended an icy palm wherever she encountered injustice. The stranger’s mask had only granted so much anonymity before her interference had built a notorious reputation - on both sides of the conflict. She couldn’t fight the urge to stem the tide of cruelty, betrayal, and bloodshed. It made her sad, it made her angry, but most of all - it made her realise the truth. There were larger forces at play. She could taste in the air something terrible and all-encompassing, and if Volcor was to stand a chance at surviving it would need to stand united with fire in its heart, not ruptured and smouldering as it was now.

She could do it - she could just wipe away the warring factions with a flick of her wrist. Her power had evolved immensely since her youth, to the point where she could easily extinguish everything with the unbridled wrath of Winter itself. But coming back here had taught her a valuable lesson. Hers was not the role of raw destruction - it was one of renewal. Just as the frost consumed Rathe, so too would it thaw out and nurture new life. Volcor’s fate was not branded in cinders, it was simply obscured by the smoke of an ancient dynasty. She would eventually guide them down the right path, but first the last choking embers of the old power needed to drift away for new flames to rise from the ashes.

Until then, she would wait…

Although originally appearing in Everfest, Iyslander's official Classic Constructed debut was in Uprising on June 24th 2022. The lone Ice hero caught between two Draconic siblings, Iyslander would come to face her fiery foes many times at Premier tournaments. Her extremely potent instant-speed disruption kept aggressive heroes at bay, while also utilizing the slow encroaching cold of Frost Hex to combat control heroes.

Iyslander reached her highest peak at the 2022 World Championship, where Michael Hamilton piloted her all the way to first place with an innovative build using overlooked cards like Wounded Bull. The ability to threaten large chunks of damage to force the opponent to give up crucially valuable resources or risk their life dropping into lethal range proved to be extremely effective, and would set the popular standard for Iyslander decks moving forward. While her popularity tended to wax and wane, she remained a constant threat in the metagame, defining how other heroes would build their decks. The Elemental Wizard nearly went two for two at the 2023 World Championship, piloted to second place by Shing Tsang.

Iyslander, Stormbind officially reached Living Legend status in Classic Constructed on December 1st 2023. Congratulations to all the players who wrapped Rathe in the chilling grasp of Winter. Your names will bring a shiver to the spine for generations, proudly displayed in the Roll of Honor!