Selesnya Conclave
SELESNYA TROOPS POURED INTO THE STREETS,
emptying the nature temples, wildlife preserves, and other
green spaces controlled by the conclave. The centaurs'
hooves clattered on the cobblestones and the wolf-rid-
ers bounded over stone bridges. Human and elf infantry
flooded through the arteries of the district. streaming past
intersections and flowing around buildings. Criffons and
their riders swooped down out of a blanket of low clouds,
strafing past the spires. Emmara rode on the shoulder of
a massive creature made of a snarl of marble, wood, and
vines, her hand resting on its great head. Two more of the
nature behemoths strode ahead of her. swinging their limbs
in slow motion, indenting the streets with their footfalls as
the other Selesnya troops ran between their legs. Below her,
Captain Calomir led the Selesnya army. He rode his white
war rhino, driving the Selesnya ranks forward, guiding
them through the streets toward the Rakdos horde.- Doug Beyer, Return to Ravnica: The Secretist
Like a thriving garden, carefully tended and abundantly
fertile, the communities of the Selesnya Conclave are
a harmonious union of nature and civilization. The
members of the conclave dream of embracing all of
Ravnica in their peaceful union. In the meantime, they
are growing an army, preparing to resist the ambition
and destructive impulses of the other guilds and fight to
defend their way of life.
At the heart of the Selesnya faith and philosophy is
the Worldsoul, called Mat'Selesnya, which its devotees
believe to be a manifestation of nature itself. At the
signing of the original Guildpact, Mat'Selesnya was
embodied in an elemental form and acted as the guild's
first guild master. The current guildmaster, Trostani-
three dryads fused together with Mat'Selesnya into a
s ingle being- is said to embody the will of the Worldsoul8.j CllAPnR2 c;u11uso1 k\Sl<A
in a similar way. The original mission of the conclave
involved conservation and charity, but its focus has long
been on expanding its community, in which all members
are cared for and nature is preserved in harmony with
civilization.INSIDE THE CONCLAVE
The Selesnya Conclave is organized into enclaves called
vernadi, which are communes built around central
trees. The vernadi are smaller versions of the guildhall,
the great city-tree Vitu-Ghazi. A dryad, called a voda,
is called forth from that central tree to be the leader of
the community, connecting the vernadi and its devotees
to the Worldsoul and uniting them with the will of the
entire conclave.
A voda is accessible to all the guild members in her
care. You have regular contact with your voda. who
knows your name and has a good idea of your interests,
goals, and strengths. And since your voda is mystically
linked to the guildmaster, Trostani, through communion
with the Worldsoul, it's safe to assume that Trostani
knows who you are as well.
In addition to the voda, military and religious leaders
in each vernadi regularly communicate with its mem-
bers. Ordinary members of the conclave spend a few
hours every day training with a military instructor and
studying with a religious teacher.GOALS OF THE SELESNYA
Despite the growing tensions that now grip the world,
in the long view of the Selesnya Conclave, not much
has changed. Ravnica is troubled, but Ravnica has
always been troubled. The Living Guildpact is absent,
but the Guildpact comes and goes. The Worldsoul has
not changed, nor has the will of Mat'Selesnya: the con-
clave's main goal is to grow, as it has always been. fts
strength lies in its numbers.
The conclave clings to the ideal of a peaceful collec-
tive in which individual desires are subordinate to the
good of the whole group. The guild wants to see this
beloved community grow, flourish, and thrive in peace.
But as much as it values peace within the community,
it displays incredible ferocity when that harmony is
threatened.
Selesnya's vision is centered on the idea of harmony
between civilization and nature. To advance the cause
of civilized society, the conclave believes in the need
for an ordered structure that orients the group toward<C z
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