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