Soltari Monk

The Soltari Monk was originally printed in the 1997 Tempest expansion, a set that introduced the shadow mechanic, a form of phasing that restricted interaction to other creatures with the same ability. Designed as a flavor-rich exploration of the plane of Rath, the set focused on the conflict between the Soltari, Dauthi, and Thalakos. The Monk serves as a quintessential example of the white-aligned Soltari's design philosophy, prioritizing defensive utility through protection from red and black, which effectively rendered the card a formidable blocker in the competitive environment of its time.

The art was rendered by Janet Aulisio, a prolific illustrator who contributed hundreds of pieces to the game throughout the nineties and early two-thousands. Aulisio utilized a detailed, painterly style to capture the ethereal, translucent nature of the Soltari, emphasizing their existence in a shifted reality. The card has since appeared on The List, a curated selection of reprints included in Set Boosters, allowing players to encounter this piece of late-nineties mechanical design within the context of modern game releases.