Ravnican guild

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In the game of Magic: The Gathering, guilds are represented by two-colored pairings of Magic's five colors and have, to date, been predominantly featured in the Ravnica, Return to Ravnica and Guilds of Ravnica blocks.[1][2][3]

The ten guilds[edit | edit source]

The guild crests and their place in the color pie

The guilds are:[4]

Each guild has a Parun, which is the founder of a guild and first guildmaster. Besides a guildmaster, each guild also features its own guildmages[5] and a champion.

Some characters from Ravnica, such as the unguilded Krenko[6] and Yeva of the Selesnya Conclave,[7] are not featured in any of the cards from those blocks, but still bear the indelible influence of the guilds of Ravnica.

History[edit | edit source]

Collectively, the guilds of Ravnica have ruled the plane for 10,000 years, since the signing of the ancient and magically potent Guildpact, a binding spell, document, and contract, that details the specific role and responsibilities of each of these guilds.

Prior to the events of the novel Dissension, guilds would try to find loopholes so as to increase their power without breaching it. Following Dissension, however, guilds are no longer bound by the document; and, although the guilds themselves did not completely collapse, their influence on the city and plane of Ravnica diminished, as demonstrated in the Return to Ravnica block storyline arc.[8]

After the breaking of the Guildpact, Teysa Karlov of the Orzhov Syndicate drafted a new, non-magical document amongst the guilds in the interest of cooperation and stability for Ravnica;[8] however, the powerful and wealthy became even more powerful and wealthy and, by and large, the guilds had disappeared.

Gradually, the general populace's distrust of the guilds diminished and, once again, the guilds returned and became ascendant.[9][10][11] Old guild and factional loyalties rekindled, and new guildmasters assumed the mantle of a majority of the guilds;[8] only the Izzet League, Orzhov Syndicate, and the Cult of the Rakdos retained their original guildmasters.

In the events of the Return to Ravnica block, planeswalker Jace Beleren collaborated with Niv-Mizzet of the Izzet League,[8] while planeswalker Gideon Jura was in alliance with Aurelia, commanding Boros Legion soldiers.[12]

Guilds of Ravnica[edit | edit source]

Guild Crest Guildhall Parun Other Guildmasters Mazerunner Notable members Formal Guildpact civic function Notes
Azorius Senate
Azorius Logo.png
Prahv / New Prahv Azor I Augustin IV
Dovin Baan
Lavinia Ravnica's government and legal sector.
House Dimir
Dimir Logo.png
Duskmantle Szadek Lazav Mirko Vosk Circu
Ravnica's couriers, information brokers, and librarians. In practice, little information on the Dimir is known. It is, however, known that the Dimir are involved in assassinations, criminal activity, and espionage on a contractual basis.
Cult of Rakdos
Rakdos Logo.png
Rix Maadi Rakdos Izolda/Lyzolda[note 2] Exava Judith
Massacre Girl
Ravnica's entertainment, food industry, mining, and other blue-collar manual labor and pink-collar service sectors. In practice, the Cult of Rakdos is also involved in criminal activity, civil disorder, and slave trade industry.
Gruul Clans
Gruul Logo.png
Skarrg Cisarzim Borborygmos
Domri Rade
Ruric Thar Ulasht
Ravnica's foresters, gamekeepers, park rangers, wildlife officers, and wildskeepers. The Gruul Clans were not formally organized and, with time, became increasingly unorganized and fractured, with no central authority. With the wilds declining, the role of the Clans has also diminished, and many Gruul Clans members and entire groups, or clans, have adopted an anarcho-primitivist ideology and become Ravnica's defenders of nature, intent on destroying civilization.
Selesnya Conclave
Selesnya Logo.png
Vitu-Ghazi Mat'Selesnya Trostani Emmara Tandris Tolsimir Wolfblood
Conservationists and charities, as well as a nature cult that competes with the Orzhova faith. The Selesnya Conclave parun, Mat'selesnya, is an elemental formed from the fusion of numerous dryads, and powers the Guildpact.
Orzhov Syndicate
Orzhov Logo.png
Orzhova Obzedat Kaya Teysa Tomik Ravnica's dominant religious order, as well as its largest bank. The parun of the Orzhov Syndicate, the Obzedat, is a council of the ghosts of Orzhov patriarchs and matriarchs, not a singular individual. In practice, the Orzhov Syndicate is also involved in slavery, both in life and in the afterlife.
Izzet League
Izzet Logo.png
Nivix Niv-Mizzet Ral Zarek Melek Tibor and Lumia Ravnica's formative and physical scientists and engineers.
Golgari Swarm
Golgari Logo.png
Svogthos/ Korozda Svogthir Sisters of Stone Death
Varolz Izoni
Ravnica's agricultural and waste management sectors.
Boros Legion
Boros Logo.png
Sunhome Razia Feather
Tajic Agrus Kos Ravnica's security force, constabulary, and standing army.
Simic Combine
Simic Logo.png
Novijen / Zameck Simic[note 3] Momir Vig
Vorel Project Kraj
Ravnica's life scientists and conservationists.

Graphical evolution[edit | edit source]

The older crests from the Ravnica block
Guild flags from the Return to Ravnica block

Sources[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. Supposedly, or at least according to the Ravnica block novels, all Ravnican angels other than Razia, the parun and one-time guild leader of the Boros Legion, are created in her image. As such, a Firemane Angel is technically a depiction of a legendary Ravnican; Razia.
  2. In the Dissension novel, Izolda/Lyzolda is the acting guildmistress of the Cult of Rakdos while the parun and guildmaster Rakdos hibernates.
  3. Cory J. Herndon, author of the Ravnica Cycle novels, has stated that the parun of the Simic Combine is a vedalken biomancer with the surname Simic.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Mark Rosewater (October 03, 2005). "Getting Your Philosophy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (September 12, 2005). "City Planning, Part II". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Chas Andres (October 3, 2018). "A Flavorful Guide to the Guilds of Ravnica". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Planes of Existence, Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Trick Jarrett (November 08, 2012). "Guildmages Then and Now". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Jenna Helland (July 18, 2012). "Krenko, Mob Boss". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Monty Ashley (July 20, 2012). "Tracking Down the Legends". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. a b c d Adam Lee (August 29, 2012). "Ravnica, Then and Now". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Monty Ashley (October 23, 2012). "Guild Symbols Are Everywhere". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Monty Ashley (December 04, 2012). "Guild Symbols Are Still Everywhere!". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. Monty Ashley (March 05, 2013). "Guild Symbols in Gatecrash". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Adam Lee (February 6, 2013). "The Greater Good". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.