Simic Combine
THE SIMIC REPRESENTATIVE WAS A STERN-LOOKING
mage whose parentage appeared to be part!Y human and
part/y aquatic, possib!Y merfolk: he rode astride a creature
that seemed the offspring of a giant, blue-carapaced crab
and an irate squid. The Simic squad was rounded out by a
host of mages clad in scale armor, and improbable hybridfusions of scaled, finned, and shelled creatures.
-Doug Beyer, Return to Ravnica: The Secretist
The secrets of life are revealed in the laboratories of
the Simic, and their research notes plumb and catalog
nature's wonders. Their original mission was to oversee
issues of public health, but the Simic came to beUeve
that complete health-of individuals and of society as a
whole-depends on the mutual adaptation of nature and
civilization to one another. T hus, biological experimen-
tation has always been among its primary concerns.
Historically, the guild's approach to its mission has
been one of incremental progress toward a utopian ideal
of thriving biology, and it remains more aloof from poli-
tics than other guilds. Its fundamental mission remains
unchanged by the current political instability, and the
isolation of its laboratories protects most Simic guild
members from immediate harm.
Little is known about the combine's founder, except
that this individual's first or family name was Simic.INSIDE THE COMBINE
Vast sinkholes called zonots are the primary geographic
divisions among the Simic. Each zonot pierces layer
upon layer of crumbled city as it descends deep below
the surface and connects to ancient, long-forgotten
ocean waters. A zonot is a distinct Simic habitat with its
own culture and ecosystem, as well as a leader called
a Speaker. The Speakers of all nine zonots form theSpeakers' Chamber, and they elect a Prime Speaker
from among them to serve as the Simic guildmaster.
Zegana, the current Prime Speaker, is the Speaker of
Zonot One, which is located in a remote, sparsely inhab-
ited part of Ravnica far from the political activity of the
Tenth District.
The Simic guildhall, Zameck, is located in Zonot
Seven within Precinct Five of Ravnica's Tenth District.
A huge chamber just below the street serves as the
gathering place for all the Speakers, as well as a loca-
tion where non-Simic visitors can meet with the Prime
Speaker or other combine emissaries.GOALS OF THE S!MIC
Two philosophical principles, in tension with each
other, combine to give the Simic Combine its unique
approach to science and nature. In traditional Simic
thought, these principles are called the Holdfast and the
Upwelling.
The Holdfast principle, named for the biological mech-
anism that keeps kelp and sponges anchored to the sea
floor, advises members of the Simic Combine never to
stray so far from nature that they become "adrift." It es-
pouses the idea that nature left undisturbed will evolve
toward adaptive traits and increased strength. Nature
will flourish and grow, and every creature will find its
proper niche in the ecosystem where it can thrive.
The Upwelling principle, named for the phenomenon
of nutrient-rich water rising to the ocean surface, advo-
cates that the new and enlivened should replace the old
and depleted in an unending cycle, bringing constant re-
freshment and renewal. This principle accounts for the
combine's analytical bent and its emphasis on knowl-
edge as a means of transformation. Learning the secrets
of the universe lets you shape the world as you desire.
The Upwelling encourages every creature to discover its
full potential.
The Holdfast encourages the Simic to promote nature;
the Upwelling urges them to perfect nature. The end
result is the same: a hastened system of evolution that
brings out the best in every creature's nature. But differ-
ent factions within the Simic Combine interpret these
principles in their own ways.
The leadership of the Simic Combine represents the
traditional philosophy of the Utopians. Their vision is of
an ideal world in which nature and civilization exist in
balance, in which natural life adapts to life in the midstCHAPTER 2 I GUlLDS OF RAVNICA 91