#gruul clans

[gay-little-izzet]

Redesigning our old Ravnica DnD party!!!

These two are my own characters, and I could rant for ages about them, but I don’t want to make this post too long. (But if you’re curious, I’d love to share!)

These chaotic little anarchists belong to the lovely @doodles-and-oodles and @lochness-angel!

I might be back with the rest of the party, if I can summon up the energy 🫠

[sun-3-160]

Here are all of my guild playlists lol

[1llus1on1st]

Ravnica

Izzet: the future is now whether you want it or not

Orzhov: give us all of your money

Selesnya: one with nature

Golgari: one with psilocybin specifically

Gruul: aren’t you tired of being nice?

Boros: the fun police

Simic: i’m not like other girls. i have crab legs

Rakdos: man, prostitutes cost an arm and a leg these days

Azorius: my dad works at azorius and can get you banned from ravnica

Dimir: what are you talking about? there are only 9 guilds of ravnica. you’re just imagining things again

[beastmuther]

I’m back, Tumblr! :3 Let’s see how this goes. This is a mini from a project I’ve been working on for entirely too long, Ravnicagrave! I’m obsessed with the setting Ravnica so I had to make a Frostgrave warband themed after my favorite guild, Gruul. This is Ultragota, a giant (rules-wise she’ll be run as a summoned bear) who’s less interested in treasure, and more interested in feeding her clan.

[not-so-innocent-bi-sander]

Sanders Sides/Magic the Gathering

Today on “Combining extremely different things I really like” I was thinking how the colors in MTG (almost) line up with the sides pretty nicely, but the guilds (in universe groups based on two of the colors) don’t exactly match up with the boys just because of the colors alone. So I made two little.. Things. Just for the hell of it. 

They aren’t perfect.. But I did as I could.

[niseag-arts]

More food from the MtG cookbook!

I made Gruulash!

[racefortheironthrone]

fantasy sometimes doesn't afford itself the ability to fantasize about a better world with many of the same problems of real life. thankfully ive found fantasy thatfantasize about things like gender roles, orientations, social status, etc. being more accepting, and the world kinder more often than not. question is, as hard as it is to find solid urban fantasy, are there anyworks you know of that use itself to imagine a optimal city for us urban nerds? magic public works, free dragon transit?

So there is a real problem in the fantasy and sci-fi genres that they often have a failure of revolutionary imagination, as I’ve termed it. We’re so used to not just the world as it is but also the public historical imagination of how change happens, that even in art that’s supposed to be about radically reimagining our world or new worlds, we often revert back to the familiar. (I find this tic particularly annoying in alternate history, which is supposed to be about imagining how the world could have evolved differently, but often reverts back to a retelling of (often bad) history with the numbers filed off.)

(A sadly rare counter-example.)

You raise a fascinating question about the potential for urbanist fantasy. This is often quite rare in urban fantasy, because often out of a desire to maintain the verisimilitude of urban life, they default to a masquerade scenario which renders it impossible to explore the impact of magic on transit, housing, and other aspects of urbanism because the central conceit is that people with magic are trying to hide and thus have no impact on the mundane world.

However, it does crop up sometimes in Magitech settings, because their central conceit is all about how magic would function in place of science and lead to new ways of organizing societies, urban and otherwise. For a popular example, look at how Arcane examines the social impacts of Hextech and Shimmer. My personal favorite example of urbanist fantasy is the plane of Ravnica from Magic the Gathering.

Ravnica is a ecumenopolis, a city-state that covers the whole planet. The city is governed by a guild council, each of whom are responsible for an aspect of the city’s physical and social infrastructure:

The Azorius Senate is responsible for running the courts and the legal system, and sometimes they run the police as well (although they have a jurisdictional dispute with the Boros Legion on that front).

House Dimir are couriers, messengers, journalists, private investigators, spies, assassins, thieves, and librarians, as well as the city’s clandestine intelligence service - if it deals with information in any way, the Dimir have a hand in it…or do they?

The Cult of Rakdos run the city’s entertainment, food service, retail, and labor recruitment (lots of shanghaing and press ganging goes on in Ravnica) - and they’re also a crazed juggalo bdsm blood cult who are responsible for keeping an ancient arch-demon entertained so he doesn’t try to destroy the city, again.

The Gruul Clans are an anarchist collective responsible for the planet’s wilderness areas, which they try to maximize by violent raids that tear down developed areas any chance they get - which also makes them Ravnica’s main demolition industry. The Boros Legion spends a lot of time defending built-up areas from Gruul rampages.

The Selesnya Conclave are a hippie nature cult commune who manage the city’s parks and other green spaces, as well as providing basic welfare services (food, “shelter,” clothing, etc.) to the city’s poor. They also use magic to do weird hivemind brainwashing in the name of harmony and unity, and they can raise giant Ent-Kaiju to defend the city in times of need.

The Orzhov Syndicate are a vampire banker mafia, and also one of the city’s biggest religions. They believe in debt on a spiritual level, and their religion fully embraces indulgences to their logical conclusion. The Orzhov preach that you can literally buy your way into heaven, and that debts to the (Catholic by way of Prosperity Gospel Evangelical) Church or its many front organizations and legitimate businesses will carry over into the next life; the Orzhov practice debt slavery on both living people and ghosts. And lest you think it’s all a cover for profit-making, they can summon dark angels to conduct rituals, lead services, and make war on their enemies. Something above is answering their prayers…

My personal favorite is the Izzet League, an institute of mad scientists and engineers and elementalist wizards who combine science and magic to research, build, and maintain the city’s infrastructure (as well as funding all tech R&D and theoretical and experimental research in physics, chemistry, and engineering) - the power grid, water and sewer systems, heating and gas lines, as well as the city’s mass transit and transportation/freight system, are all powered by their steam and fire and lightning and Magitech gadgets and robots and cyborgs made out of a magic metal named mizzium. Yes, a lot of their devices explode, and yes their golems and robots and elementals have a tendency to go rogue, but that’s the price of progress!

The Golgari Swarm are a subterranean necromantic cabal who run the city’s waste disposal, burial services, and do the bulk of the agricultural production for Ravnica’s hungry masses. All of Ravnica’s citizens are entitled to a food dole provided by the Golgari’s fungi farms as a form of basic income. Just don’t think too hard about what went into the compost heaps or what your rations might be made of…

The Boros Legion is Ravnica’s main police and military, led by a literal host of warrior angels. Imagine the combination of a police force entirely made up of noir detectives and loose cannon Dirty Harry-esque cops and an army with flying fortresses led by fiery angels who are all deeply dramatic lesbians. True believers one and all, the Boros are here to mete out justice and divine wroth upon evildoers wherever they hide. If they had their way, the Orzhov would all be in prison along with the Gruul and the Rakdos, but the damn bureaucrats in the Azorius Senate keep trying them up in knots with paperwork.

The Simic Combine are responsible for the city’s environmental quality, ensuring biodiversity and sustainability in a global metropolis; they are also the city’s universal health care providers. All Ravnicans have access to free health care, as long as they consent to the Combine’s biomantic research. See, the Simic are the other group of mad scientists/mages in the city, except they went into genetics, environmental science, and (marine) biology and they believe in individual and societal evolution through the use of augmentation, cloning, and splicing. After all, why stop at curing someone’s respiratory illness when you could also give them gills? Or giant crab claws? Or tentacles?

I love the world-building and the attention to urban systems and infrastructure in Ravnica. More than most, they’ve thought about what urban life needs to function and made it magical.

[incorrect-mtg]

Doomed by the narrative in a Gruul Clans kind of way

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Ghor-Clan Rampager

"The Simic come from the cold slow depths. How could they understand the fire in a wild heart?" —Kroshkar, Gruul shaman

Artist: Charles Urbach TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[dimestoretajic]

THE MAGIC THE GATHERING FACTIONS BRACKET

HELLO EVERYONE! Oh, this is gonna be a fun one! I have semi-randomly set up a 32-faction bracket to see who is the greatest faction in all the Multiverse. What does "greatest" mean? That's up to you! I'm just here to facilitate the squabbles and watch with popcorn in hand, honestly. Can't wait to see what you all decide!

And... yeah, reblog if you like. No pressure, but this is so much more fun when more people participate!

Here are the seeds!

Quandrix College vs. Clan Atarka

House Dimir vs. The Mirrans*

Lorehold College vs. The Sultai Brood

Simic Combine vs. Silverquill College

The Cabaretti vs. The Jeskai Way

Boros Legion vs. The Maestros

Clan Dromoka vs. Izzet League

Selesnya Conclave vs. Clan Kolaghan

Abzan Houses vs. Cult of Rakdos

Orzhov Syndicate vs. Prismari College

Obscura vs. Gruul Clans

The Phyrexians vs. Witherbloom College

Clan Ojutai vs. Golgari Swarm

Brokers vs. Temur Frontier

Mardu Horde vs. Azorius Senate

Clan Silumgar vs. The Riveteers

Have fun, everyone! I know I will! Get voting!

*I know there's a typo on that one. You can't edit polls after you post them and there's SIXTEEN and I was doing them in reverse order, okay? :P

[markrosewater]

Hi Mark! We’ve been to Ravnica a bunch of times now, but we still lack cards directly depicting some Paruns, like Cisarzim of the Gruul Clans, Mat’Selesnya, Svogthir (outside of the Restless Tomb) and Simic. What would you say the likelihood is of those legendary creatures getting a card in the not-too-distant future?

I assume we'll get to them one day. I don't know if it will be soon.

[raakdos-battlemap]

[Ravnica Battlemap]Gruul Turf - Scab Clan Territory 32x56

The Scab Clan is made up of a variety of races, including minotaurs, centaurs, ogres, and goblins. Scab clan warriors despise pretentiousness and false airs. They believe that the body is the outward form of the spirit and that the more maimed the appearance, the more authentic the warrior. The Scab have engulfed or destroyed several clans in recent years, but the leader of the clan, a corpulent giant known as Narbulg Nine Fingers, has not yet designed to challenge Borborygmos or the Burning Tree.

More variations of this map:

[fellwar-finch]

Why does Yarus not have a tag on here? Man’s amazing! He dedicated himself to waking the old gods*, succeeds, possibly puts into motion the pale bear prophecy on ravnica**, was kind and thankful that team detective didn’t kill the rampage mole, then proceeded to almost stab oba in her own world tree with just a random rafter he grabbed.

"I dare for the Clans!" shouted Yarus. "I dare for Ravnica! You are not the world, you're a gardener, and I have never accepted your authority over me." He spat at Oba.

Like how’s this not the coolest character?

Courteous, honest (straight-up admitted on multiple occasions to detectives that he would’ve released anzrag from custody if he could’ve), willing to attend a meeting of the guild leaders as the gruul representative without claiming to be its leader, he was even bitten by massacre girl! I just think he’s neat! Not sure if he’s on the level of kitt kanto my favourite, but he’s pretty close!

I know I say it a lot, about so many different cards, but after getting me my first prerelease victory, being one of the best characters this story, and finally giving me a playable historic brawl deck on arena, I think yarus has earned his place as my newest commander.

* A member of the Zhur-Taa Clan and a druid of the Old Ways, Yarus witnessed the awakening of Ilharg, the Raze-Boar, a moment that filled him with awe and has stayed with him. Since then, he's been attempting to summon the rest of the ancient Gruul gods into existence. So far most of his attempts have failed, but after months of trial and error, he finally succeeded in summoning one other member of the Utmungr: Anzrag, the Quake-Mole.

** First spotted roaming the Rubblebelt after a failed summoning rite by Yarus, Duskana is clearly not a normal bear. Rumors abound of her ability to appear out of seemingly nowhere, and those who see her often find themselves filled with a bestial rage that prompts them to go on destructive rampages. Some have speculated that she might be the "pale bear" of Gruul prophecy that will herald the rise of old gods. She is invariably seen with her three cubs, whom she guards fiercely.

[justavulcan]

Backgrounds With Class: Dimir Operative

I'll be honest: Ravnica has always fascinated me. I was a high schooler when the first set came out, and I was immediately consumed creating characters for the setting. Now that we've actually received my long-awaited crossover, I thought it would be nice to write a love letter to the setting in the form of another Backgrounds with Class series. After all: some guilds have natural class choices tied in, from a conceptual standpoint. Boros and Fighter, Izzet and Wizard, Selesnya and Druid. But guilds aren’t class-restricted, and so I wonder what it would look like if you paired every class with every guild background, even the ones that seem at odds, like Izzet and Barbarian, or Gruul and Artificer.  So I thought about it, and this is what I came up with.  Some character concepts for each class, and each Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica background for each class.

Dimir Operative

The Dimir Operative Artificer tried to play it straight as a member of the Izzet League, he really did.  He joined the league to leave his days as a guildless criminal behind him, but the costs of an apprenticeship to one of the League’s metallurgists are not insignificant, so he took his own armor- lightning throwers and sound dampeners and all- and sought work.  That he fell in with a House Dimir crew stealing from rival magisters’ labs wasn’t what he thought would happen, but he’s rolled with it so far.

The Dimir Operative Barbarian wishes he was somewhere else than slumming it with the Gruul.  Passing himself off as a trog interested in joining their clan had been easy as falling asleep, and the ruse itself takes a bare minimum of effort, but he’s quickly growing tired of the ‘freedom’ of the Clans.  Sleeping on the hard earth, scrounging for food, and getting involved in a fistfight every other day wasn’t what he had wanted to do for the House, and despite his best efforts it’s starting to show.  His rage isn’t furious and burning like many of his ‘tribe,’ but chill and detached, a thing of winter and cold.

The Dimir Operative Bard came to the House’s notice after exploiting her librarian’s covert liasons for her own career’s advancement.  Contacted telepathically and charged with retrieving a major barrister’s court notes, she proved her skill at deception quickly and the House taught her the rest.  She’s remained in that place, lying low as a member of the Azorius beaurocracy and feeding confidential records to her masters moonlighting as a pulp horror writer- under a pseudonym, of course.  That the stories double as hidden messages is nobody’s business but the House’s.

The Dimir Operative Cleric has been a ‘member’ of the Cult of Rakdos for decades.  Gifted with a Silhana’s long lifespan and the matching practice as a party animal, it’s only recently that he’s been called upon to do much more than pass on information about various figures comings and goings.  In truth, the change of pace is exciting- if only because it promises access to both deeper secrets and the opportunity to put more of his true guild’s mind-magic to use.

The Dimir Operative Druid has never met another member of House Dimir.  Embedded in a Selesnyan vernadi as a healer and prospective evangel, they’ve always received their orders and assignments by dead drop or telepathic message.  They’ve done all manner of things in service to the House, and some of them have weighed heavily on their conscience.  The lack of contact from their mysterious handler or handlers has exacerbated the guilt, and they’ve started to wonder if they’re just mad.

The Dimir Operative Fighter owes the Dimir much for getting him out from under the threat of the debtor’s pillory.  Originally indentured to a powerful oligarch for his family’s debts, the Dimir saw an opportunity and recruited him, using their mental magic to erase the woman’s mind and leave her easy prey for a binding contract of debt-absolution.  He’s switched masters a few times, always leaving their service just before their finances or some other secret of their keeping passes cleanly from their heads into the House’s hands.  Among the Syndicate he’s starting to be considered bad luck, and his masters are contemplating shuffling him into the Legion- with a new identity, of course.

The Dimir Operative Monk appears on the surface to be just another one of the many knife-wielding toughs aspiring for rank in the Golgari Swarm.  Plain and forgettable save for a distinctive scar on the left hand, he’s a talented knife fighter and sneak, and does work for both guilds as a scout, messenger, and spy when asked.  His contact has only ever come to him in the garb of a Golgari shaman, but he trusts the woman implicitly even if he doesn’t know what she really looks like.

The Dimir Operative Paladin has a fine grip on the way that people think, and has a manner about them that makes them inclined to talk.  Useful as these talents are as a counselor and spiritual consultant for the Selesnya, they’re even more useful for an agent of the Dimir, who serves as a finger on the pulse of their entire vernadi.  The oath of redemption they pursue is in service to this goal as well, as they seek to weaponize advanced persuasive speaking alongside their actual training in arms and armor.

The Dimir Operative Ranger roams the Undercity tracking the movements of both prey and hunter alike, disguised as the former.  Home in the twisted depths of the undercity’s collapsed buildings, buried streets, and raw cavern complexes, this minotaur has joined hunting party after hunting party.  There, he builds his skills and keeps his eyes open for anything the House might find of interest, be it places, things, or secrets his fellow hunters try to hide from their comrades.

The Dimir Operative Rogue learned her crafts from a variety of sources: quiet movement as a small child among the Gruul, backstabbing from a Tin Street tough, and mind-reading and espionage from a Dimir recruiter who ‘heard’ a natural talent.  She’s come a long way from her urban-hating roots, now skulking with the best and proudly proclaiming the mind a greater weapon than the blade.  This point of view makes her a natural fit among the Orzhov, where she’s been installed as a messenger and euthanist-in-training, set to pass off any useful intelligence to her contact telepathically.

The Dimir Operative Sorcerer was mutated as an infant in the womb from an illegal experiment’s dumped contaminants, she lost her power of speech but gained so much more.  Recognized by a Dimir mind-mage as a natural talent with potential, she was inducted into the House’s service and sent to observe the Simic Combine, who find her telepathic talents to be of considerable interest.  Part lab assistant and part experimental subject, she’s had ample opportunity to flex her metaphysical muscles in controlled conditions, but she longs for the test only the real world can give her.

The Dimir Operative Warlock has been a spy for the House for most of her life, and through a deal she struck with a mysterious entity on a starless night she’s acquired the tools for psychic trickery.  Indeed, she’s acquired them repeatedly- her natural aptitude, shapeshifting familiar, and magical pact mean she’s in high demand on highly confidential missions, and much of her work for the House has been scrubbed from her memory.  The gaps didn’t bother her much when she was young, but now that she’s getting older, having nothing to look back on with pride has started to chafe.

The Dimir Operative Wizard knows that power over the mind is a tool to be used for the betterment of those who wield it- whether in her cover as a lawmage of the Azorius Senate or as a mind-mage of House Dimir.  Contacted nearly thirty years ago as a youth by a Dimir operator, she’s put her education in enchantment magic to the kind of single-minded focus that few but a vedalken can.  While her assignments have been innocuous so far- guiding this arrest, putting a suspect to sleep at an opportune time, and the like- she knows that won’t be the case forever, and awaits greater tests eagerly.

[askkrenko]

It’s weird that “races” still exist on Ravnica

Ravnica is an extremely cosmopolitan society, probably the most in the multiverse, and has been for at least 10,000 years. We know from the novels that Goblins, Humans, and Elves can crossbreed, others probably can, too, and of course we know that Humans can breed with other Humans... so how is it that after all this time there are still distinct races?

Now, we know that with Goblins, their own races are delineated by guild partially due to a strong stigma against marrying outside your guild, but within the Gruul Clans, Goblins, Elves, and Humans should’ve fucked their way into a single species by now, and at the very least after 10,000 years of cosmopolitan society humans should no longer have the same dark and light skinned extremes as the real world.

Now, obviously I’m overthinking this, that’s not even a little in question, but it’s definitely weird, right?