Page 8 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

RANDOM GU ILDS HISTORY OF RAVNICA
Sometimes you might want to choose a guild at random.
Here's a table you can use in those situations. More than ten thousand years ago, a war tore across the
world of Ravnica. Ten armies battled for control of the
dlO Guild world in a conflict that ended with the creation of a mag-
1 Azorius Senate ical contract of immense power known as the Guildpact.
2 Boros Legion The leaders of each of the ten armies-ancient beings
known as paruns- were the signatories to the Guild-
3 House Dimir
pact, and they became the first guildmasters of Ravnica.
4 Golgari Swarm
The text of the Guildpact spelled out specific roles for
5 Gruul Clans
each guild within the infrastructure of Ravnica, allow-
6 lzzet League
ing the city to grow while the guilds coexisted in relative
7 Orzhov Syndicate peace. But the true power of the Guildpact was the
8 Cult of Rakdos strength of its magically binding force, which absolutely
9 Selesnya Conclave prevented large-scale violence among the guilds.
10 Simic Combine For ten millennia, the city grew and flourished under
this structure as the guilds evolved into unique and
powerful forces, often venturing far from their origi-
Golgari Swarm. An elf lich named Jarad guides the nal purpose.
Golgari Swarm's masses as they lurk in the undercity, The signing of the Guildpact marked the beginning
where they process the city's waste and see to the new of the modern Ravnican calendar. Years prior to that
life that emerges from death and decay. pivotal event are denoted as "Al Concordant." or AC, and
GruuJ Clans. Raging against civilization and its defile-
counted backward from I AC. Years after the signing
ment of the natural world. the loose alliance of the are "Zal Concordant," ZC. The current date is 10,076
Gruul Clans is led by the cyclops Borborygmos. ZC, usually referred to as '76.
Izzet League. Led by the dragon Niv-Mizzet, the Izzet
League is a guild of scientists and engineers who THE GUILDPACT
build and sustain Ravnica's infrastructure while con-
ducting wild experiments in magic-efforts that usu- During the Decamillennial Celebration of 10,000 ZC,
commemorating a monumental anniversary of the
ally involve barely controlled elemental energy.
Orzhov Syndicate. A sinister combination of church, Guildpact's signing, the pact was broken, the ancient
bank, and organized crime syndicate, the Orzhov Syn- balance was shattered, and Ravnica was thrown into
dicate is controlled by the Obzedat, a cabal of ancient chaos. It didn't take long for wealthy power-mongers to
spirits often called the Ghost Council. begin seizing control of elements in the city, turning the
Cult of Rakdos. The demonic Cult of Rakdos is the guilds to their service instead of the other way around.
jester in Ravnica's culture, using satire and perfor- Eventually, the ten-thousand-year-old guild culture
mance to skewer the powerful and embolden the and division of duties reasserted itself. The ten guilds
weak. But it is a cruel and bloodthirsty jester, in the regained their dominant positions, but without the
manner of its demonic leader, and it supplements par- magically binding force of the Guildpact to maintain the
ody and levity with blood and fire. balance among them.
Selesnya Conclave. The Selesnya Conclave is led by Years later, in 10,075 ZC, the lzzet guildmaster dis-
Trostani, three dryads who are fused together with covered that Azor, founder of the Azorius Senate, had
one another and with Mat'Selesnya. a manifestation of created a contingency plan that would take effect if the
the soul of the world. The guild seeks to bring nature magic of the Guildpact were ever broken. An intricate
and the city into balance. network of ley lines sprawling across the districts of
Simic Combine. Under the leadership of Prime Ravnica, called the Implicit Maze. offered a test to the
Speaker Zegana, the biomancers of the Simic Com- guilds: if they could cooperate to solve the maze, they
would secure the power of a new Guildpact. That power
bine apply magic to the life sciences. Striving to create
a harmonious future where creatures of all kinds are was eventually bestowed- incarnated, actually-in the
perfectly adapted to their ever-changing environment, person ofjace Beleren, who became the Living Guild-
the Simic magically hasten the process of evolution pact. His word became the binding law ofRavnica. Any
and adaptation of life. law he verbally confirmed became magically unbreak-
able, and the responsibility of keeping the guilds in bal-
These ten guilds stand as the foundation of power on ance fell to him.
Ravnica. Each maintains a distinctive identity and civic
function, a diverse collection of creatures, and a sub- A PRECARIOUS PEACE
culture of its own. The guilds' history is a web of wars,
intrigue, and political machinations stretching over the jace is a Planeswalker, with the ability to travel from
millennia during which they have vied for control of the world to world, and his attention never remains focused
world. Their roles were established thousands of years on Ravnica for long. Thanks to his involvement with
ago in a magical treaty called the Guildpact, which not other Planeswalkers, he spends extended periods of
only assigned each guild a function, but also enforced an time away from Ravnica. During his absences, Ravnica
uneasy peace among them. has to fend for itself, and that means that the guilds re-
turn to their old habits of fighting with each other over

VillCOM'fTO RA\NICA 7