Teferi, a Jamuraan native, was selected by the planeswalker Urza to attend the Tolarian academy, built in a secret location. Because of Teferi's great potential as a wizard, he went there very early, at the age of nine.

Teferi was a capable wizard-in-training but was very disruptive. He often acted immature and got into trouble. When a sentient silver golem was created and allowed to go to the rest of the Academy, Teferi helped name the golem Arty Shovelhead, promising a smile to anyone who hears it. Arty's name was later changed to Karn by another student.

Karn's mission was to go back through time via one of Urza's creations. The machine exploded, creating distorted time bubbles throughout Tolaria. The Academy lay in ruins and hundreds of Dominaria's most promising wizards were killed. Teferi was trapped in a slow time bubble (where time passed extremely slowly relative to "normal" time).

The student Jhoira had an idea for a machine to rescue Teferi. The mission was a success, but Teferi found himself in a time now many years after the disaster. The second Academy was built and Teferi later chose to go back to his homeland in northwest Jamuraa to help out.

Teferi helped his nation of Zhalfir and later got his own island to work on his experiments. Teferi became a planeswalker, one in a billion to have the chance alone, and fewer less to actually achieve it.

Teferi experimented with time and developed phasing (matter leaving for awhile and then coming back into reality). To be continued with Prophecy . . . .