Ravnica Allegiance as Told by Flavor Text

"If we cannot have peace, we will have justice." ~ Aurelia

A ray of hope breaks through the shroud of rain.

Law is the light of civilization.

"In you go, big guy. Watch your head."

"These are your streets. Defend them! This is your neighborhood. Honor it! This is your city. Save it!"

"What makes a frog lizard any worse than a bird horse? Prejudice against the Simic, that's what! It's unfair!" ~ Thados Arquef, Guardian Project biomancer

"Lies cannot long withstand the harsh light of day." ~ Lavinia

"You will respect the dead."

"You two, cover the alley! You, with me! Eyes on windows, balconies, and rooftops. Who knows what a fish-octopus-crab can do!"

When the established order falters, what remains are ordinary people and their struggle to survive.

In times of unrest, the crowd is eager for the comfort of strong convictions.

With the new guildmaster's innovations, arresters can arrive on the scene moments before a crime is committed.

The helmet reveals no eyes to witness your penance, no mouth to offer absolution.

When the price of your sins comes due, the Church of Deals is there to collect.

A hunter in the city requires the utmost cunning to survive. It must pounce only if the kill is certain, and leave the remains where no one will see.

The guildmasters loom large in the political sphere, but in the end, the rulers of Ravnica are its people.

A friend in good times, a guardian in bad times, and a savior when all else fails.

"If you can't control your mount, I will control it for you." ~ Mirela, Azorius hussar

"I await your donation." ~ Dasha, Orzhov priest

She breathes fair winds to tired griffins and lifts songbirds beyond the reach of stalking cats.

Any challenge to Azorius authority is met with swift and potent retribution.

"Many wings haunt the skies these days. Few of them bear good tidings." ~ Lavinia

"I keep reminding myself we do this because others can't, because we love this city. If we don't save it, no one will."

A pet that can hunt both flesh and spirit is precious in a place where smiling assassins keep company with ghostly shadows.

Loitering is not only illegal but unwise, since those who stay too long in one place are apt to be stepped on.

Law is the voice of reason.

"I am my life's work."

If you can see your breath, it's too late to run.

"The best way to keep a secret is to forget it." ~ Lazav

Few Ravnicans are aware of the vast reefs in their world's hidden ocean. Far beneath the great sinkholes, where the light is blue and dim, merfolk tend the coral labyrinths that feed the benthic ecosystem.

"It's not enough to defeat our foes. W must learn from them, too." ~ Vannifar

"They've got eyes inside my head!"

Faeries are easily offended and quick to exact a quirky revenge.

"I've been through every guild gate in this city, and no one sees me come or go."

Searching the city for Fblthp felt like sifting the rain for a single drop of blood.

Those who cross the Dimir find enemies everywhere they turn.

"To control the present we must master the future."

"Citizen! Your crime has been recorded. Cease movement and await arrest, or further penalties will be immediately imposed."

"When properly invoked, the plasma globule encloses the offensive spell with a satisfying slurp.

The streets of Ravnica are full of former guild members now using their institutional skills for personal gain.

"This Dovin Baan came from nowhere. Watch him. Read his letters. He is more than he appears." ~ Lazav

"There's something peculiar about the rain today." ~ Janoc, Tin Street tinker

"A better Ravnica begins with a better Simic." ~ Vannifar

"Life has no mistakes, only experiments." ~ Yolov, Simic bioengineer

"Relax. It's quite harmless. And it will dissolve completely in a month or two." ~ Navona, Simic field tester

"I do not understand the future I see: the guilds subverted, the world at war, armies bent to a cruel conqueror's will."

"Oops!" ~ Grupgrup, sluiceway technician

"I can think of no greater punishment than answering your question in full." ~ Lazav

"Here, there is only truth." ~ Barvisa, Azorius emissary

Those who intrude upon the Dimir seldom remember that they have done so.

Drakes become especially voracious as they prepare for their autumn migration, hunting the city's thoroughfares from dawn to dusk.

In preparation for the conflict all foresaw, the Golgari called upon an army that had slept for millennia beneath the city.

"Your spirits can rest in peace, for your debts are paid."

"The pain of searing iron and razor edges pales beside the pleasure of performance." ~ Judith

Blood seeks blood, and nothing shall hold back its hunger.

No scrap of nutrition goes to waste in the undercity.

"I am sewer-king!" said Rat. "I am quick and cunning and I know every tunnel."n"No, I am king!" said Zombie. "I am cold and deadly and no rot can harm me."nThen Croc came and ate them both.

"Make way! It's time for the final act!"

First your whole life flashes before your eyes. Then you have considerable time to reflect on every regret as you plummet.

If your ears bleed, it's a party. If your eyes bleed, it's a Rakdos party.

You're only as dead as you feel.

By design, the sarcophagus muffles the debtors' moans but does not silence them.

Never boring.

"No worthwhile reward is easily gained." ~ Nicol Bolas

"A debtor's soul has little value, except as a warning to others who might consider defaulting on their loans." ~ Ubea, Orzhov ministrant

"Down here, things don't stay dead." ~ Lavinia

"The suffering of others is not my concern."

"Behold the groodion! Ichor-slurper, oozing fiend. Foulest wonder underground. Grandest vermin of them all!" ~ Zalin the Gutter Bard

"You'll pay what you owe, with your money or your life."

"Looks like you need protection."

Its stench corrodes steel. Its miasma sickens angels. Its finality ends hope.

For some goods, the best couriers are the dead.

The Orzhov are not the only religious tradition on Ravnica, nor the oldest.

"The louder their performance, the quieter we become in comparison. They are the perfect distractions, for only fools ignore the Rakdos." ~ Lazav

Its mandibles can leave a rider in the clouds astride a headless griffin.

"Your life is a blinding light, your breath a gale, your pulse a deafening drum. Be still. Be still." ~ Dahlya Trul, "Irbitov Lament"

"We grow strong by feasting on failure." ~ Izoni

The undercity is always hungry.

In theory, the Guildpact keeps guild feuds form spiraling out of control. Personal feuds, however, are not covered.

Seen through Rakdos eyes, a cruel betrayal is a hilarious stunt.

"From a great bonfire at the dawn of time, the first Gruul kindled their rage. The same flame burns in you." ~ Kroshkar, Gruul shaman

The ostentatious splendor of the Orzhov church was just asking to be smashed.

Let the Dimir worry about witnesses. For the Rakdos, screams count as applause.

"Little goblin. Big noise." ~ Ruric Thar

"Keep coming. I have knives enough for everyone."

"Leave no stone unturned." ~ Ruric Thar

"Basically, we turn a bunch of little lightnings into one big lightning."

"Lost are the lush meadows and verdant forests, where maaka prowled and lammasu soared. Lost are the wilds, where our hearts were free." ~ Daiva, Gruul storyteller

"Fire will cure a multitude of ills."

When the Izzet's spirit of invention extends to the city's infrastructure, the results are sometimes explosive.

"Today the Rubblebelt is a bit larger. That's a good day's work."

Two's a party. Three's a felony.

"No peace accord will save Ravnica. You don't build on rot. You burn it down and start again." ~ Domri Rade

"Hello, kindling."

"Places, everyone!" ~ Judith

Gruul oracles see omens in all forms of destruction: the entrails of maaka's prey, the flight of vultures over a battlefield, the scattering of toppled stone.

Joining a guild, even the Gruul, would mean giving up some of his independence. He'd rather smash what he wants to smash.

The Rubblebelt grows restless.

"Have you seen your face? Trust me, this will be an improvement."

Going to a Rakdos show is dangerous. Trying to leave early can be fatal.

"Come in, yes? Is warm!"

"Don't waste time aiming, you lazy gob-slug! Fire!" ~ Krenko, mob boss

"Every street's a stage, and every screaming bystander's an audience."

"My shout is thunder and my fist is lightning!"

"That giant didn't even see me, let alone catch me! And I was close enough to smell him! Of course, that's not saying much."

"Imagine a gigantic pine cone that's extremely territorial and always in a foul mood." ~ Zhosmir, urban huntmaster

"To survive exceptional times we must adapt by exceptional means." ~ Vannifar

"Smash this city to pieces." ~ Domri Rade

"There's no time to calm it down! Run!"

So-called "battering rams" pale in comparison to the real thing.

"When the sky screams, when the ground groans, the End-Raze will soon begin." ~ Nikya of the Old Ways

Simic's strength comes from its diversity.

"The good news is that the migrating drakes are no longer a problem." ~ Bell Migellic, Azorius hussar

"If you don't have a destination in mind, the route is all that matters." ~ Tamina, district guide

"Rage! Rage until the whole world burns!"

Tumult is its natural habitat.

"When you get right down to it, the difference between death and life is just a membrane-enclosed environment maintained by a metabolic process." ~ Gulistan, Simic biomancer

The roots run deep under stone and street, with strength that needs but a whisper to awaken.

"My bowstring hums in tune with the song of the Worldsoul." ~ Alcarus, Selesyna sagittar

"I hold the seed of our new beginning."

"Within each of us, the potential for great power waits to be released." ~ Zija, Simic mutationist

"Stay close! It's just a little farther."

"If the Fin Clade cannot produce a reliable venomous krasis, mobile in both air and water, then the Guardian Project will absorb its resources." ~ Vannifar

"What you build, we will destroy . . . and bury you in the rubble!"

The mournful lowing of brushstriders warns of changing weather and ill winds.

"The presence of the strong will make you stronger." ~ Yeva, Nature's Herald

Whoever wins, the neighborhood loses.

"We've been practicing for this all our lives. This is the final test!" ~ Korun Nar, Rubblebelt hunter

His favorite food is kraul.

"Walls crack. Buildings fall. Always the wilds return." ~ Domri Rade

"The best construction makes the most satisfying destruction." ~ Domri Rade

"In your misguided attempt to subvert the law, you have eloquently explained why the law must exist."

"The absence of binocular vision imposes certain challenges for a flying creature, which are overcome via echolocation." ~ Simic research notes

Thanks to the magic of his Writ of Passage, alms beasts lumbered aside, anarchs bowed their heads, and even Rakdos acrobats rolled their spikewheels out of his way.

"These new thopters are all well and good, but four eyes are better than none."

You can hear their tolling only when your debt is due.

"It's easy to get taken in by the spectacle, to enjoy a bit of naughty amusement. But make no mistake: the Cult of Rakdos is a danger." ~ Tajic

Jaharg discovered that the shapes and symmetries so pleasing to the sculptor's eye also yielded a well-balanced bludgeon.

Dovin ticked the Planeswalkers off on his fingers: himself, Domri, Kaya, Ral, Vraska...and Bolas made an even six.

"Time to let the dead be dead." ~ Kaya, to Teysa

There's nothing quite like the feeling of paying off a large debt.

"Let's find out what kind of audience you are. Festive? Fearless?"

"Your arrival was expected...and unwelcome."

"I might have overfed him." ~ Gulistan, Simic biomancer

"Vraska sees the grandeur in death but misses the hilarity." ~ Judith

"Debt due! Debt due!" The thrull's screeching makes children flinch and debtors quail. "Debt due!"

Cyclical and spiral patterns are the specialty of the Gyre Clade, which seeks to revitalize the cycles of nature.

She displays her scars with pride.

"As I contemplate what is, I dive ever deeper into the depths of possibility. Then I set an experiment in motion and watch the truth rise to the surface."

"They all want to see me fall."

Havoc is a small price to pay for data.

The rights of ghosts are strictly protected under Orzhov bylaws, and those who enforce them can count on the ghosts' assistance.

At the end of the show, she stands alone on a stage brilliant with blood.

Teysa convened the meeting of the Obzedat. Kaya ended it.

"I told Jace that Ravnica would fall apart if he didn't take his responsibilities seriously. I didn't want to be right."

The Rakdos put the "fun" in "funeral."

"Your debt is erased." ~ Hilgur, Orzhov euthanist

"The hooves of the Raze-Bore will trample the weak—and their city—to dust!"

"Pay in gold. Pay in blood. Pay with the servitude of your spirit kin. But pay you must."

Ever wonder why you never see an old Rakdos Cultist?

"That one has a bright future—perfect instincts for the rhythm of mayhem." ~ Judith

"Entertain me."

Some view Domri's unlikely ascent as a sign of Ilharg the Raze-Boar's imminent return.

The sly, stealthy warriors of the Slizt Clan survive by hiding in high ground and ambushing their enemies. Other Gruul call them skulkers and cowards, but only from a safe distance.

A Gruul berserker is never unarmed.

Azorius sphinxes are loyal to the precepts of the law, not to any particular guildmaster—even one of their own kind.

"Do not think me blind to your true mission...or your true master, Grand Arbiter."

"You take our wilds, we take your city."

While Kaya is guildmaster, Teysa waits patiently at the center of the Orzhov web of power.

Among the Zhur-Taa Clan, goblins are the first to enter battlefury. When the battle is over, the survivors are still frothing at the mouth, looking for someone to hit.

"This footlight's broken. Get me a stagehand!" ~ Judith

"Tear down the city, lie by lie. Then throw it back at the liars, stone by stone." ~ Domri Rade

"The Senate griffins overhead used to make people think of order and safety. Not anymore." ~ Lavinia

Orzhov vampires look for allies in unlikely places in case their new guildmaster turns on them. The fate of the Obzedat is proof of Kaya's power and her hatred of the living dead.

"Mandatory lockets enable the tracking of all Senate personnel for improved security and efficiency." ~ Dovin Baan

"Counterbalanced forces sustain this city. No faction above others. A beautiful idea." ~ Emmara

"In life, it was a cunning survivor, fearless and quick. May its power pass to you as you wear its skull." ~ Gna, Gruul shaman

"Hey, wait! That's my boot!" ~ Darijo, Ivy Street ruffian

"It looks expensive, doesn't it? You have no idea..." ~ Milana, Orzhov prelate

"This trinket will gain you admittance to some painfully exclusive gatherings." ~ Exava, blood witch

Feel it steel. Feed it gold. Feed it bone. In the belly of the furnace, the flames know no difference.

Shhh . . .

"Like our guild itself, this locket can stand for many things. You must discern what it means for you." ~ Vannifar

"Reading it has given me a glimpse of what makes this deeply flawed city so very magnificent." ~ Dovin Baan

"If the populace fears our authority, then I'd say we have an appropriately sensible populace." ~ Dovin Baan

"If you want to know what's really going on in any building, you don't walk in the front door. You stake out the back." ~ Lavinia

Life is a show, and death its final performance.

"One beginning, many paths." ~ Vannifar

The Chamber of the Guildpact has fallen silent, its bright promise broken.

Sin is debt, and absolution is paid in tithes of gold and blood.

"Beyond this gate there are no citizens, only predators and prey." ~ Domri Rade

"Old turf. Powerful turf. Much good blood spilled here." ~ Ruric Thar

The ever-watchful center of a growing web of eyes.

"So much wealth. So much splendor. So much temptation to believe the gilded lie." ~ Kaya

"If you think the cathedral is impressive, you should see what's down below." ~ Teysa

"My servants take pains for your pleasure, and take pleasure in your pain!" ~ Rakdos

"Slip in the back if you don't want to be recognized. Don't worry—we'll make sure you're never found." ~ Judith

"Mystery is beauty. Within the unknown we plumb revelation." ~ Vannifar

"When the Prime Speaker goes too far, I will be here in the safety of the deeps to correct her." ~ Zegana

"What we begin, the End-Raze will finish. Then we will dance in Ravnica's rubble." ~ Nikya of the Old Ways

"Hold it! I need to see your papers."

"We're finished here."

It was made for battle, but that doesn't mean it's unsophisticated.

"Your precious laws can't save you now!"

"Good girl."

It drains vitality from those it touches.