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<blockquote data-quote="Rossbert" data-source="post: 7761849" data-attributes="member: 6922357"><p>I want to preface this lore dump by saying it is based on what I remember of the first set of books and some of the R&D design background. It has been many years and I am too tired to dig out the books to reference. Plus time has progressed since then.</p><p></p><p>In the beginning the forces of order and chaos warred across the plane. When it became apparent there would be nothing left one person convinced the most powerful leaders on both sides to agree to a magical contract that will ensure safety to the plane while still leaving room for their own beliefs. This was called the Guildpact and anchored the magic and structure of the society and plane at large, while cutting it off from the rest of the multiverse in the name of protection (as a side effect ghosts linger here more often than almost anywhere else).</p><p></p><p>Each leader became the head of Guild in charge of vital duties as stated in the Guildpact.</p><p></p><p>The Azorius Senate became the embodiment of the letter of the Guildpact, they interpret and judge the law of the realm. They are the legislators and judges, the record keepers and to a lesser extent investigators. The create the laws of the world and sit in judgement over the law and the Pact. </p><p></p><p>The Boros Legion was tasked to protect the plane, led by the angels they became the military and police force, bringing breakers of the laws before the Azorius judges and protecting the people from major threats. They are rigid and regimented and not above the use of force if that is what it takes to preserve the peace.</p><p></p><p>The Golgari Swarm was tasked to feed the people. The dark elves and monstrous races (referred to as Teratogens) took to the lower levels of the city, masters of necromancy they use zombies (mostly sentient) to harvest huge fields of fungi and rot-grown food to feed the needy. Their understreets are dark, dank and dangerous because there they may hunt freely.</p><p></p><p>The Gruul Clans are the guardians of nature, tasked to ensure progress and civilization doesn't overtake all the wild places of the world. They gather in the abandoned areas, the reclamation districts and the dangerous edges of civilized space, working with and respecting the beasts that lurk where people no longer tread. As civilization took over more and more of the plane the tribes splintered and many of them now just work to destroy the trappings of civilization where they can.</p><p></p><p>The House Dimir is not to be mentioned, by dictate of the Guildpact. This group of spies, saboteurs and assassins pick at the Guildpact from the edges, built from the principal that something untested will weaken. They are dictated to break the Guildpact so the remaining forces must be vigilant to its maintenance and keep it strong.</p><p></p><p>The Izzet League is tasked to create and maintain the infrastructure of the city. They invent new technologies and magic, creating ducts and plumbing for water, heat and magic as well as designing roads and buildings. They are also masters of demolition and responsible for most major magical research mishaps (the slogan of their observation corps is "Die Trying"). Their labs are always busy, and often exploding. It is rumored they sometimes weave spells into the very layout of the city.</p><p></p><p>The Orzhov Syndicate is to protect the people from the law. The "Guild of Deals" provides the lawyers to the Azorius judges and hold sway over all forms of contracts and offer protection and insurance to the business interests throughout the plane. Their members strive to be worthy to join the ghost council that rules the guild upon their death. They live lush and opulent lives with many servants to do their bidding.</p><p></p><p>The Cult of Rakdos forms the backbone of manual labor and provides an outlet for the stresses of life. A group of hedonists who work hard and play hard they provide hard physical service from labor to murder and have wild carnivals that can cater to any taste, no matter how depraved. If you're in a neighborhood that seems dark, hot and weirdly full of spikes and barbs, you might be in Rakdos territory.</p><p></p><p>If the Azorious are the letter of the law the Selesnya Conclave is its spirit. They embrace the unity of all beings being connected and seek to fulfill the spiritual needs of the world. Their progenitor lives encased in the great Life Tree in the center of the capitol connecting all beings who care to work for the benefit of all.</p><p></p><p>The Simic Combine are meant to care for the bodies of the people. Masters of Biomancy they invent great cures to plagues and injury as well as creating new creatures to aid in life and improve the bodies of those who wish it, though their mistakes (and sometimes their intentions) create many of the worst beasts and diseases that plague the world.</p><p></p><p>The world itself has been built up then built over. Layers and layers of history are built, toppled, demolished and built again. The entire plane is a continual construction project as locations wear out and change ownership. Frequently large districts are abandoned due to one disaster or another, often dangerous virulent plagues that leave the are uninhabited and quarantined for centuries to ensure such diseases die out, which creates opportunity for whoever holds the contract to resettle it.</p><p></p><p>Built into the Guildpact is a cycle of constant interdependence and struggles for advantage between the Guilds with balance constantly shifting, causing constant intrigue and low-level strife but preventing too much devastation, except for the occasional riot when the demon Rakdos gets too restless and leaves his home and base of operations in the lava pit Rix Maadi. </p><p></p><p></p><p>I hope that gives people a rough start, it isn't as comprehensive as I intended (I am tired and becoming increasingly incoherent, you should see all the edits I made while writing what little this is), I might do another dump based on questions later this week, most likely on my day off.</p><p></p><p>I will say I tend to love to play with the Lore of any system I am playing with and of the 4 or 5 Magic settings I know anything about Ravnica was my favorite. Which is part of why I am interested in seeing how they take the ideas and lore of the setting and translate it to a system where they are freed from the requirements of the original game's mechanical systems (and of course have new ones to work within).</p><p></p><p>Feel free to ask more questions or bring up things that you would like more detail on, I will be happy to try to help, as long as we all go in knowing I do not work for or represent WotC and like everyone else have no idea what translated into the actual book, just enjoy fantasy worlds.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rossbert, post: 7761849, member: 6922357"] I want to preface this lore dump by saying it is based on what I remember of the first set of books and some of the R&D design background. It has been many years and I am too tired to dig out the books to reference. Plus time has progressed since then. In the beginning the forces of order and chaos warred across the plane. When it became apparent there would be nothing left one person convinced the most powerful leaders on both sides to agree to a magical contract that will ensure safety to the plane while still leaving room for their own beliefs. This was called the Guildpact and anchored the magic and structure of the society and plane at large, while cutting it off from the rest of the multiverse in the name of protection (as a side effect ghosts linger here more often than almost anywhere else). Each leader became the head of Guild in charge of vital duties as stated in the Guildpact. The Azorius Senate became the embodiment of the letter of the Guildpact, they interpret and judge the law of the realm. They are the legislators and judges, the record keepers and to a lesser extent investigators. The create the laws of the world and sit in judgement over the law and the Pact. The Boros Legion was tasked to protect the plane, led by the angels they became the military and police force, bringing breakers of the laws before the Azorius judges and protecting the people from major threats. They are rigid and regimented and not above the use of force if that is what it takes to preserve the peace. The Golgari Swarm was tasked to feed the people. The dark elves and monstrous races (referred to as Teratogens) took to the lower levels of the city, masters of necromancy they use zombies (mostly sentient) to harvest huge fields of fungi and rot-grown food to feed the needy. Their understreets are dark, dank and dangerous because there they may hunt freely. The Gruul Clans are the guardians of nature, tasked to ensure progress and civilization doesn't overtake all the wild places of the world. They gather in the abandoned areas, the reclamation districts and the dangerous edges of civilized space, working with and respecting the beasts that lurk where people no longer tread. As civilization took over more and more of the plane the tribes splintered and many of them now just work to destroy the trappings of civilization where they can. The House Dimir is not to be mentioned, by dictate of the Guildpact. This group of spies, saboteurs and assassins pick at the Guildpact from the edges, built from the principal that something untested will weaken. They are dictated to break the Guildpact so the remaining forces must be vigilant to its maintenance and keep it strong. The Izzet League is tasked to create and maintain the infrastructure of the city. They invent new technologies and magic, creating ducts and plumbing for water, heat and magic as well as designing roads and buildings. They are also masters of demolition and responsible for most major magical research mishaps (the slogan of their observation corps is "Die Trying"). Their labs are always busy, and often exploding. It is rumored they sometimes weave spells into the very layout of the city. The Orzhov Syndicate is to protect the people from the law. The "Guild of Deals" provides the lawyers to the Azorius judges and hold sway over all forms of contracts and offer protection and insurance to the business interests throughout the plane. Their members strive to be worthy to join the ghost council that rules the guild upon their death. They live lush and opulent lives with many servants to do their bidding. The Cult of Rakdos forms the backbone of manual labor and provides an outlet for the stresses of life. A group of hedonists who work hard and play hard they provide hard physical service from labor to murder and have wild carnivals that can cater to any taste, no matter how depraved. If you're in a neighborhood that seems dark, hot and weirdly full of spikes and barbs, you might be in Rakdos territory. If the Azorious are the letter of the law the Selesnya Conclave is its spirit. They embrace the unity of all beings being connected and seek to fulfill the spiritual needs of the world. Their progenitor lives encased in the great Life Tree in the center of the capitol connecting all beings who care to work for the benefit of all. The Simic Combine are meant to care for the bodies of the people. Masters of Biomancy they invent great cures to plagues and injury as well as creating new creatures to aid in life and improve the bodies of those who wish it, though their mistakes (and sometimes their intentions) create many of the worst beasts and diseases that plague the world. The world itself has been built up then built over. Layers and layers of history are built, toppled, demolished and built again. The entire plane is a continual construction project as locations wear out and change ownership. Frequently large districts are abandoned due to one disaster or another, often dangerous virulent plagues that leave the are uninhabited and quarantined for centuries to ensure such diseases die out, which creates opportunity for whoever holds the contract to resettle it. Built into the Guildpact is a cycle of constant interdependence and struggles for advantage between the Guilds with balance constantly shifting, causing constant intrigue and low-level strife but preventing too much devastation, except for the occasional riot when the demon Rakdos gets too restless and leaves his home and base of operations in the lava pit Rix Maadi. I hope that gives people a rough start, it isn't as comprehensive as I intended (I am tired and becoming increasingly incoherent, you should see all the edits I made while writing what little this is), I might do another dump based on questions later this week, most likely on my day off. I will say I tend to love to play with the Lore of any system I am playing with and of the 4 or 5 Magic settings I know anything about Ravnica was my favorite. Which is part of why I am interested in seeing how they take the ideas and lore of the setting and translate it to a system where they are freed from the requirements of the original game's mechanical systems (and of course have new ones to work within). Feel free to ask more questions or bring up things that you would like more detail on, I will be happy to try to help, as long as we all go in knowing I do not work for or represent WotC and like everyone else have no idea what translated into the actual book, just enjoy fantasy worlds. [/QUOTE]
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