Guilds of Ravnica as Told by Flavor Text

"Watch carefully. The gap between death and victory is thinner than your blade."

"Lately I've seen the biggest bounties of my career—and for the biggest names."

Selesnya guildmages do not sleep so the rest of the conclave can.

"Oh, you fellas are going to love the lockup. Excellent gruel. Very low ceilings."

"Reports of Gruul rioters in four districts. Start with the big ones and work your way up." ~ Libuse, Boros sergeant

The Izzet mage knew she would neither get her thermoinverter back nor have the satisfaction of exploding it herself.

"To wage war, secure peace within yourself." ~ Emmara

There's no greater honor than joining your chosen guild, and no greater shame than failing it.

The angels appreciated the offer but politely declined to eat any birdseed.

"Yes, there's competition between our equenauts and the Boros skyjeks. At least they think it's a competition."

"You won't need the sword drills, your shields, or my blessing. You'll fight for Sunhome with the truth in your heart." ~ Aurelia

Ravnica's convoluted power structure often boils down to who can muster the most swords on a given block.

The wounded see the glow of its vials long before they see its wings diving out of the clouds.

He ferried weapons, spells, exotic animals—but his most dangerous cargo was the truth.

There are two lives: The life you live before you see a unicorn, and the life you live after.

Good at carrying things. Really good at knocking them down.

"I've raised her since she was a pup, and she's raised me since I was a recruit."

"Article 5.8.2. Ensure proper restraint of any and all arms, legs, claws, jaws, tails, tentacles, and tendrils as appropriate." ~ *Azorius Arrester Procedure*, Appendix B.

"Too many have disappeared in these dark days. I am the light that will lead them home."

"The Golgari believe they should be given what they deserved. On this we agree." ~ Tajic

Rocs' innate fearlessness makes them ideal mounts for emergency response.

"Sometimes an angel passes by and gives me a little nod, like, 'You're a daring one!' That always makes my day."

"Before I let you wield one of these, let's see you dodge one!"

"The trouble with youths these days is that, in outright defiance of their elders, they refuse to be bought." ~ Karlov of the Ghost Council

In the quiet before a battle, Boros soldiers whisper prayers that steady their nerves and focus their minds.

"The Tenth has always been my home. This city is constantly embroiled in one crisis or another, but I'm determined to protect my piece."

"My speciality is theoretical universal limits and ways to circumvent them."

All those who trade in questions must answer to the Dimir.

First, dispose of the evidence. Then dispose of your knowledge of the disposal.

The letters arrive, all sealed and read.

"Laws apply only to those who lack the vision to see past them."

Beneath Ravnica's streets runs a layer of tunnels, then caverns, then waterways, then terrors and nightmares.

"Who are the agents of the Dimir? No one and everyone." ~ Lazav

In a climate of suspicion, Isperia gathered the guilds to propose a radical idea: cooperation.

"Most compete for insects at street level. Some dwell near Izzet laboratories and ride the thermal updrafts." ~ Yolov, Simic bioengineer.

Rumors float through the city like crows, alighting on citizens seemingly at random.

A composer wrote a symphony based on the drakes screeching outside her window. Reviews were mixed—except among the drakes.

"What bait do you cast to catch a dream?" ~ Ravnican riddle

"We're on the fortieth floor, with one window, no balcony. No one could possibly get in." ~ Minosz, Orzhov chief of security

She memorized every arcane text in the Ismeri Library by the time she was sixteen. Now she quizzes sphinxes in her spare time.

"My doors are called trespassing, my signatures, forgeries. They don't respect my talents, and I don't respect their labels."

"My greatest creatio ~ me!"

Genius is finding the edge of what's possible, then jumping over it.

"How thoughtful of the Legion to train its soldiers to fit our spell's specifications." ~ Nefara, Dimir agent

"We have intel that some guilds have fallen under an invader's influence. Until we're sure, no venture succeeds." ~ Lazav

The first thing the mist chills is the mind. Victims never cry out or even murmur in surprise.

"There's no need to sound the alarm. You are minding your post admirably. I am authorized. All is well."

Fog haunts the streets, rendering familiar as otherworldly, changing neighbors into shadows, and muffling cries for help.

"What wishes do they grant? Mostly pinching-related ones." ~ Omik, superintendent of waterworks

The Dimir rarely make statements, but when they do, the message is clear.

"Bats are welcome to eat thousands of my pets. I have multitudes more that will ultimately eat the bats." ~ Izoni

"Even rats hoard their treasures. Are your precious thing so different?" ~ Izoni

No guilds—that is her rule. The House vampires unnerve her. The Combine would dissect her, the Legion burn her, the Conclave "cure" her. The shadows are all the family she needs.

All things considered, his first day on patrol could have gone better.

The sound of every twisted secret tempts you to hear another.

The party of Rakdos revelers cackled and capered as the thing approached. It hissed, and they jabbed their torches at it, giggling when it recoiled. Then, one by one, the torches went out—and the screaming began.

"Variety is also the spice of death." ~ Covraya, Golgari shaman

"They don't even feel the cut. I'm ordering a drink in a nearby tavern before anyone notices something's wrong."

The hive has a long memory. It knows how every member has died, and tow home it owes the grudge.

"I prefer the big and looming to the small and skittering." ~ Cevraya, Golgari shaman

Ravnica's safest strongholds are often neither.

No one welcomes his visit, yet all must grant him tribute.

The assassins of Ochran distill toxins from the remains of the previous victims.

Dimir assassins have the precision to slay a single memory.

"My power is generosity, in a way. I give my survivors an appreciation for their lives."

Only the patrol's armor was found, so tainted with the acrid smell of sudden death that it could never be worn again.

"I've seen Ravnica's fate. Believe me, I'm doing you a favor."

The Golgari adorn themselves with the exoskeletons of iridescent insects. It's only fair the insects do likewise.

In its territory, living is an affront.

"I sang songs of sorrow for my lost love. Imagine my horror when, one night, they were answered." ~ Milana, Orzhov prelate

"The alliances were already frayed. All we do is find the loose threads and pluck." ~ Lazav

"Sure, I hear things. I hear plenty. But how am I to talk with this parched throat?"

Some storms never blow over.

"Don't stop till your horns come out their back."

"Not my first edition of *The Advokist and the Urchin*!"

In the wake of Niv-Mizzet's disappearance, Ral found himself leading the guild. He had dreamed of this day, but couldn't help feeling like a pawn in someone else's game.

"This sort of innovation occurs when you set out to improve an electric tea kettle and misplace a decimal."

"It's both an ingress-denial mechanism and an attractive hallway light!" ~ Daxiver, Izzet electromancer

"The League accepts no responsibility for former members and the damage they may cause." ~ Maree, Izzet chamberlain

Turns out coffee is the weird aunt of invention.

"I spent some time in the Legion, but I'm done taking orders all day."

Rain runoff in the Smelting District is known to spontaneously burst into flame.

The Boros banner stands tall even if its bearer doesn't.

"He's got more finesse than most goblins. He smashes windows with his fist rather than his forehead." ~ Arrester Polgar

"They play by spitting fire at each other. Don't be offended if one gives you a love-scorch." ~ Esfir, Rakdos dragon wrangler

"The Izzet are blamed for every little disaster, which is unfair because we only cause most of them." ~ Mizzix of the Izmagnus

"Commander, we caught the Dimir spy and took her ashes into custody." ~ Kramm, Wojek security officer

"They tell us the wilds are ours, then they brick them over. They can lie to our faces but not to our fists." ~ Ghut Rak, Gruul guildmage

"Nobody ever listens to my complaints! Not even when I use the listening stick."

Some Gruul druids believe that boars are spawn of the great Ilharg, the mighty Raze-Boar who will one day rise and level the city.

"Don't arrest him—enlist him!" ~ Commander Yaszen

"They said obey and you'll be happy. They said you'll be safe. But we're not safe. We're not happy. And we will not obey." ~ Domri Rade

"I packed three more electroconduits into each test wand. You'll experience a brief tingling sensation."

"Light a torch and deliver this letter" were his instructions, which he unfortunately reversed.

"By all means, take another step toward the captain."

The problem isn't the indrik's enthusiasm, it's Ravnica's lack of guardrails.

"The tiniest mouse speaks louder to me than all the festival crowds on Tin Street."

"I am the very soul of battle, but even I would never advise open war with the Conclave." ~ Aurelia

"The shortest path between two points is not always the safest." ~ Tamina, district guide

"The Dimir may look all they want. We never grow tired of swatting their bugs." ~ Heruj, Selesnya hierophant

"This is Mileva, in the Tenth. We've got an elf in the plaza with a chip on her shoulder. Actually, it's more of a morningstar."

"The route is direct but challenging. Incidentally, how are you with heights?"

Cats place their gifts with care, so that a bare foot will step on them in the middle of the night.

What the Golgari can't claim through patient undercity expansion, they seize in brazen topside sorties.

Some rooftop gardens attract bees; others capture dragons.

Nearly invisible strands of web reach for beyond its lair to alert it of the approach of prey.

"Please don't feed the beetles." ~ Promenade warning sign

Feed on food, you eventually rot. Feed on rot, you live forever. ~ Kraul saying

"There is nothing stronger than many hearts united for a single cause." ~ Emmara

Selesnya grows its ranks in more ways than one.

Nature's way of saying "take the long way home."

"Light up the dark to find your way, and the dark may seek you out." ~ Zalin the Gutter Bard

Suddenly, all the haggling didn't seem so important.

Ravnica's diversity produces blossoms of opinion in a rich soil of perspectives.

Golgari crops bloom in strange soil, touched only by long-traveled light.

"Be like the grazers of the Saruli. Keep your herd close, and stay alert for encroaching danger." ~ Lalia, Selesnya dryad

Once part of a wealthy merchant's private zoo, the herd roams feral throughout the Tenth, where it will remain until the guilds can agree to relocate, cull, or befriend it.

Dimir assassinations are choreographed like dance routines. Each challenge is anticipated and countered with graceful ease.

A power vacuum for the Azorius. A keepsake for Vraska.

The Izzet love replicating results.

"Send your champion. I could use a light workout."

"Within the song of Mat'Selesnya, one becomes all." ~ Heruj, Selesyna hierophant

"Please accept this offering. I sincerely hope to leave my mace at my side."

"It is not your time. The Legion still needs your blade."

"Just as leaves fall and the tree blooms again, one day I will fall and the Conclave will endure."

"I've seen your house, and you've been a lovely, if unwitting, host. But at last it's time for farewells."

"Commander, what's the signal to attack?"n"You'll know."

Just assume every conversation is on record.

"People would sooner savor sweet lies than chew plain truths." ~ Lazav

"Whatever hatred destroys, a single act of trust can revive."

"The Erstwhile—rotten of body and outmoded in dress, but unfailing in loyalty." ~ Vraska

In the Legion, no flagpole is merely decorative, and every ceremonial sword bears an edge.

From death she grows living grandeur.

"Result 752: Rapid mass redistribution.n"Result 753: Calamitous reverse synthesis.n"Result 754: Acute disarrayment." ~ Izzet research notes

"We gather the past from surface dwellers and sell it right back to them."

Giants know a solid hit is one part strength, four parts leverage.

"It's like blowing up an arcane library in a thermobaric explosion. But in a good way." ~ Bori Andon, Izzet blastseeker

"Countermagic is a simple process of breaking matter into its elementary particles."

"We are the shield that never breaks, the bough that never burns, the song that can never be silenced."

"Those who show no mercy to the weak deserve no mercy from the strong." ~ Firemane Kavrova

"Our forces number more than the leaves of Vitu-Ghazi. Do not provoke us."

"Three daggers left in an angel's back, three enforcers with memory loss, three keys stolen from my own belt—and you talk of peace?" ~ Tajic, to Aurelia

City air is a constant drizzle of private thoughts.

"The dagger is just a distraction. I carry the real killer in a vial at my side."

"The dead gain new purpose here. What is strange in the eyes of other guilds is harmonious in ours." ~ Devesh, Golgari shaman

"I long for peaceful times, when I may tend to my garden instead of our borders."

Squadrons of skyknights are available for deployment around the clock, capable of reaching any district in the city within minutes.

He heard stars and saw thunder.

"Now do you understand what we meant when we said *disperse*?" ~ Eksari, Boros patrol leader

A swiftblade is an artist, each fiery trail of their blades a fleeting masterpiece traced on the air.

"It's truly the highest honor, isn't it? To be remembered? Pity for you."

Ral's storm crackled with mystical detections: Planeswalkers were infiltrating Ravnica.

"Now it's your turn to hide." ~ Vraska

"You've strayed, overworlder."

A well-chosen word can restore a mind or snap its tethers.

"Something's causing electrospheric disruption in the blazekite's spire-vanes. Find the cause, and tell them to keep it up!" ~ Juzba, Izzet tinker

"Hold on to your ideals. They'll be tested more than your armor or the edge of your blade." ~ Tajic

Its hyperpneumatics can punch through a wall and the spy on the other side.

"The reign of the Swarm begins. Let us rise now and dress ourselves in vengeance."

"Selesyna's soil is sacred, and you're about to meet it with your face."

He has a job to finish, and it's you.

"We pass these along to our fellow soldiers to recognize deeds of valor. It won't stay with you for long." ~ Alovnek, Boros guildmage

By guild tradition, any puddle of multicolored light on the cobblestones can serve as neutral ground.

"Wear this, and take your place among the shadows—wise, lethal, and unseen." ~ Ivrelya, Dimir spymaster

Each night it visits a different guildgate around the city, digging its talons into fresh stone.

"Wear it at all times. It will guide our reanimators to your corpse." ~ Mazirek, kraul death priest

"Remember to discharge your locket every seven hours. Unless you prefer the spontaneous aether overload, of course." ~ Daxiver, Izzet electromancer

"Be advised: suspect is nine stories tall, marble hair, answers to Saint Gusztav."

"Think of the locket as a seed you bear, spreading life from Vitu-Ghazi across all of Ravnica." ~ Heruj, Selesnya hierophant

"These terms are acceptable to House Dimir. Shall we shake on it?"

Made by the mad for the work of the wicked.

"The more trust breaks down, the more we must throw open the front gates." ~ Aurelia

"It is our duty to protect all those in need. But the other guilds have never shown themselves worthy of that protection." ~ Tajic

"Every guild dreads infiltration. I should know—I've been a member of all of them." ~ Lazav

"You've found this place only because you were summoned. Pray you're worthy of the invitation." ~ Etrata

The Chamber of the Guildpact stands as a reminder that even the bitterest struggles can end in cooperation.

"Shut the gates. In the Underrealm we will outlast the coming doom." ~ Vraska

"Jarad was a friend to the Devkarin. Now we slink through neglected tunnels, befriending those who crawl them." ~ Izoni

Every laboratory buzzes with new experiments, each a piece of Ral's ambitious project.

"Yesterday I didn't recognize my own guild. Today I see why. And for tomorrow I must be prepared." ~ Niv-Mizzet

Cradle of the Golgari's new kingdom. Grave of those who wronged its queen.

"You will not be trained here. You will be forged." ~ Commander Yaszen

"Everyone who crosses that threshold is our most cherished friend. Everyone who crosses it again is our bitterest enemy." ~ Trostani

"We leave our gardens open, so all may know wonder, but guarded, so all may know peace." ~ Emmara

"A massive new Izzet building project with an unstated purpose? Probably fine." ~ Zija, Simic mutationist

"Where the roots reach, there the temple rises." ~ Niszka, Selesnya evangel

Few believe Duskmantle exists. Fewer find it. None live to bear witness.

Ral had wielded lightning all his life but had never harnessed the power of an entire guild.

The kraul once skulked in the outskirts of Golgari society, but with Vraska's rise, the became valued forces of the Swarm.

When the Erstwhile were unearthed from their tombs, they became a ready-made army for Vraska.

The ultimate answer to intrigue and subtlety.