|Name:||Rafiq of the Many|
|Card Type:||Legendary Creature — Human Knight|
|Rules Text (Oracle):|| Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gains double strike until end of turn.
|Flavor Text:||Many sigils, one purpose.|
|Other Info:||Gallery · Rulings ·|
In the Shards of Alara block novel, Alara Unbroken, Rafiq is a legendary knight with a world record for collecting the most sigils of any knight to walk on Bant. At the beginning of the book, he is in a duel against three Jhessians, and is forced to nearly kill them because they broke many of the rules of dueling, and they were hired to kill him. Despite the crowd being shocked, the judges at the match said that is what he was "supposed to do." This deeply troubles him for weeks, however.
During the Conflux Edit
Shortly before the Shards of Alara collided, Rafiq and his Rhox friend, Mubin, arrest the manipulating Gwafa Hazid. They were ordered to do this because Hazid accidentally destroys a nearby castle, and reveals the obelisk of bant (A device later used by Bolas to retrieve the Maelstrom during the war). On their way back to civilization, a huge wind and a storm is seen in the sky. Rafiq gets worried and suspecting that something is happening to Bant. However, this is foretold in Asha's prayer, and Rafiq is worried this is true.
Battle Against Esper Forces Edit
Shortly following the Conflux, all five nations of Bant unite to defeat a common enemy. Rafiq is given the honor of being the general of this new army. While Bant follows a caste system and the idea of "fair play" in war, Esper does not share his views and instead uses such things as mind magic and more blue styles of combat. This magic is used on Rafiq's friend Mubin, and Mubin is made to strike down Bant soldiers, and nearly strikes down Elspeth Tirel. Rafiq retaliates and brings down Mubin the only way he can, by taking out his legs. Mubin is rendered unconcious, both his legs crippled for life.
Journey to Esper Edit
A few days after Mubin had somewhat recovered, he is still paralyzed and doesn't blame Rafiq but does not wish to speak to him either. Rafiq manages to rally a small battallion of humans and avens and leads them into Esper in search of etherium, which he had seen on enemy forces and thinks that etherium legs would allow Mubin to walk once more. They soon capture a vedalken artificer, as well as a red stone called Sangrite (Which is later revealed to be one of the ingredient needed to create Etherium.) They start to head back to Bant when an Aven scout returns from a reconissance mission and reveals that there are humans in a castle surrounded by the undead (Which is actually into the plane of Grixis). Rafiq and his forces move to save the castle and defeat the surrounding zombies. A son of one the families is turned during the battle. Rafiq and the father catch the undead boy and attempted to bring him back to life. Rafiq uses a prayer to the angels to bring the boy back to life, but nothing happens, which reveals that the zombies are not "dead" but simply bodies without souls. The undead boy is soon killed by the mother. Rafiq and the surviving forces return to the Plane of Bant.
Defeat of Malfegor Edit
During Rafiq's siege in Esper and Grixis, Nicol Bolas had instructed Malfegor the demon dragon to lead an invasion of the undead into Bant to ignite the last obelisk out of the five and cause the Maelstrom to form. Mubin is visited by Elspeth Tirel just as Malfegor's forces are reaching the tip of Bant, and Mubin realizes he has no use in battle. Mubin had spent his time reading during the Esper siege and deduced that the lost shards of Asha's sword lay under a number of holy trees. With Elspeth's help, they dig up the shards and manage to reform them. Rafiq returns with the Sangrite and the Vedalken. Mubin gives the sword to Rafiq and tells him to use it. Rafiq, seeing that Malfegor is more important at the moment, rushes with Elspeth Tirel to meet the demon at the Shard of Bant. Malfegor manages to ignite the obelisk just as the two armies strike. Elspeth momentarily gives Rafiq golden wings (A reference to Knight Errant's second ability ((+3/+3 and flying until end of turn)), which allows Rafiq to meet Malfegor and stab him in the chest with the sword of Asha. Malfegor is defeated, along with the undead army, and the shard of Bant is put to peace for the moment.
Death of Mubin Edit
Rafiq returns from the battle and tells Mubin that the Etherium should heal his paralysis (Which was actually not the Sangrite they retrieved but the reformed etherium attatchments of the vedalken. Mubin is unsure, because the process for being "perfected" by Etherium requires incisions where the Etherium is to go, and then boiling Etherium is poured into the incisions. The cleric who performs the procedure starts, and soon Mubin is in terrible. Rafiq tells the cleric to stop and to take the Etherium out, but the cleric can't do anything while the Etherium is "weaving" itself into it's natural look. Mubin is getting sick fast, and Rafiq apologizes to Mubin, saying that all he wanted to do was make things right. Mubin says that Rafiq is a good man, and that he forgives him. Mubin then closes his eyes, and is dead.
End of the Story Edit
The end of Alara Unbroken has Rafiq getting into a ceremonial robe to go to Mubin's funeral, and his maid who is dressing him asks which robe he wants to wear. Rafiq gives a bitter reply, saying he doesn't care. This implies that he will probably never forgive himself for Mubin's death.