The Setting

D&D/Ravnica are owned by Wizards of the Coast. Most characters in this story are original; canon characters cameo throughout. Some of the information below is from the Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica, the official D&D Sourcebook for the setting, including the map. The art below is fan-art, used with permission and credited to the artists. The cover is art from the Magic: The Gathering card Enthralling Victor, owned by Wizards and created by Winona Nelson.

Ravnica: City of Guilds

In all their fantastic diversity, the cosmopolitan citizens of Ravnica go about their daily business in bustling markets and shadowy back alleys. Shambling pack animals carry loads through the streets. These beasts of burden include mammals, reptiles, insects, and bizarre hybrids. Untamed wild things lurk in verdant greenbelts, rubble-strewn ruins, and sewers. Though all of this, ten guilds vie for power, wealth, and influence.

https://www.deviantart.com/elizabethpl/

Map of The Tenth District, Capital of Ravnica

The Guilds

More than ten thousand years ago, endless war ravaged Ravnica. Ten armies battled for domination. This conflict was put to an end with the creation of the Guildpact, a magically binding law signed by the leaders of each faction. This magical treaty assigned each guild an essential function and forced an uneasy peace between rivals. The Guildpact prevents large-scale violence between the guilds, but smaller skirmishes, machinations, and intrigues continued.

During the decamillennial Guildpact Day celebrations of 10,000 ZC, commemorating the ten-thousandth anniversary of the Guildpact’s signing, the pact was broken by the actions of a Boros Wojek officer, Agrus Kos. The ancient balance shattered, and Ravnica was thrown into chaos. It didn’t take long for wealthy power-mongers to seize control of elements in the city, turning the guilds to their service instead of the other way around. Before long, however, ten-thousand years of ingrained 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.

Rumor has it the guildpact has been restored through a magical failsafe created by the original Guildmasters. Tensions remain high as guilds form a variety of alliances small and large to gain power and influence for themselves, and increase pressure on rival guilds.

Azorius Senate:

Ravnica’s government and legal sectors. They function through three columns of government, including legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Azorius guild is overseen by Isperia, the sphinx Supreme Judge. The Azorius maintain some police forces, including arresters and lawmages, some with precognitive abilities they use to prevent crime before it happens. The Azorius remain in charge of the Guildpact, which may or may not be currently personified in the unstable and flighty planeswalker, Jace Beleren. Despite being the living Guildpact, Jace is usually absent from the plane, leaving Ravnica to fend for itself.

Boros Legion:

The Boros Legion is led by the angel Aurelia. In their role as Ravnica’s standing security force, constabulary, and army, they pursue the cause of divine justice throughout the plane, not mere law enforcement.

Cult of Rakdos:

Ravnica’s entertainment, food industry, mining, and other blue-collar, manual labor, and pink-collar service sectors. They serve and worship the demon lord Rakdos, who slumbers in a pit of lava deep within Rix Maadi. The jesters of Ravnica, they use satire and performances to skewer the powerful and embolden the weak. This parody is a necessary outlet for the people of Ravnica, and many attend street performances, pain shows, and debauchery clubs owned and operated by the Cult. Unsurprisingly, the Rakdos are also commonly involved in criminal activity and civil disorder, including frequent riots.

Golgari Swarm:

Ravnica’s agricultural and waste management sectors. The Golgari are led by an elf lich, and they live almost exclusively in the dark undercity where they process waste and cultivate new life and undeath amid the death and decay of the undercity.

Gruul Clans:

Ravnica’s foresters and gamekeepers. The Gruul were never formally organized and are really a collection of fractured tribes and clans with no central authority. Generally, they follow the cyclops Borborygmos. Many have adopted an anarcho-primitivist ideology and became Ravnica’s defenders of nature, intent on destroying civilization.

House Dimir:

The guild of secrets, little is known of House Dimir. They are in the business of information, and operate an espionage organization behind a facade of messengers, investigators, and archivists. Their connections are many, and you never know who may secretly be a Dimir agent. They may be your friends, your family, maybe even YOU!

Izzet League:

Ravnica’s formative and physical scientists and engineers. The Izzet League builds and sustains Ravnica’s infrastructure, in addition to conducting bold experiments with mizzium and raw magical energy. They create machines and devices under the leadership and direction of Ravica’s only intelligent dragon, the Great Niv-Mizzet. Explosions and accidents are common when working with large amounts of barely-controlled elemental energy.

Orzhov Syndicate:

Ravnica’s dominant religious order and largest bank. The Syndicate is a major crime organization, controlled by the Obzedat, a ghost council of ancient and corrupt spirits. The Orzhov are also involved in slavery and indentured servitude both in life and in the afterlife.

Selesnya Conclave:

Conservationists and charities, and a nature cult that competes with the Orzhova faith. Their Ledev Guardians patrol the wilds on giant wolf companions, and their Equinauts patrol the skies with the Boros Skyknights. The Conclave is led by Trostani, a life form comprised of three dryads fused with Mat’Selesnya, the magical tree which manifests the soul of the world. The Selesnya seek to bring nature and civilization into balance with each other. Selesnyan gardens are legendary for their beauty.

Simic Combine:

Ravnica’s life scientists. The Simic Combine experiment with living matter, responsible for the creation of the many hybrid creatures in Ravnica, sentient and otherwise. Much like the Izzet, they usually discover first if it can be done, and only consider if it should be done later. The Combine is led by Prime Speaker Zegana. They strive to create a harmonious future where creatures of all kinds are perfectly adapted to their ever-changing environment. Simic biomancers hasten this process, and often use themselves and each other as experimental test subjects.

The Calendar

Ravnica’s year of 365 days mirrors the Gregorian calendar, with 12 months in a year and 7 days in a week. This uniform calendar system was created alongside the Guildpact. The story begins in the year 10.075, which is ten thousand seventy-five years after the signing of the Guildpact.

Ravnica Month

IRL Equivalent

Number of days

Seleszeni

March

31

Dhazo

April

30

Prahz

May

31

Mokosh

June

30

Paujal

July

31

Cizarm

August

31

Tevnember

September

30

Golgar

October

31

Quaegar

November

30

Xivaskir

December

31

Griev

January

31

Zuun

February

28

The days of the week are as follows:

Matsday: The Ravnican Sunday, the day of connection, named for Mat'selesnya, leader of the Selenyan Conclave. The festivities of the weekend are mostly over, so Ravnicans use the day to engage in communal activities, be it worship or simple acts of harmony.

Obzsday: The Ravnican Monday, the day of obligation as Ravnicans return to their daily work routines. Named for the Obzedat, ruling ghost council of the Orzhov Syndic.

Nivsday: The Ravnican Tuesday, the day of inspiration. With the weekend in the past and Obzsday out of the way, Ravnicans put new energy into work with new ideas and energy. Named for Niv Mizzet, leader of the League of Izzet.

Svogsday: The Ravnican Wednesday, the day of exertion. It's the middle of the week, and only the grind remains. Nivsday's brilliant ideas seem so long ago, and yet the weekend is so far away. Named for Svogthir, former guildmaster of the Golgari Swarm.

Azorsday: The Ravnican Thursday, the day of unification. Ravnicans work hard to complete projects and finish work to avoid scrambling to meet deadlines on Raksday. Named for the former parun and founder of the Azorious Senate, Azor.

Raksday: The Ravnican Friday, the day of celebration. The end of the work week and beginning of weekend revels. Ravnicans throw off responsibilities to live life by their own rules for a short time. Named for the demonlord Rakdos, parun of the Cult of Rakdos.

Razisday: The Ravnican Saturday, the day of liberation. Ravnicans often spend this day with friends. Named for the former parun of the Boros Legion, the archangel Razia.

(Thanks to Reddit user Gabrosin: https://www.reddit.com/r/RavnicaDMs/comments/ajgadm/lets_name_some_days_of_the_week/)

The People

Loxodon

https://www.deviantart.com/enterry

These humanoid elephants called loxodon are often oases of calm in the busy streets of Ravnica. They hum or chant in sonorous tones and move slowly or sit in perfect stillness. If provoked to action, loxodon are true terrors - bellowing with rage, trumpeting and flapping their ears. Their serene wisdom, fierce loyalty, and unwavering conviction are tremendous assets to their guilds.

Minotaur

https://www.deviantart.com/evonia

https://www.deviantart.com/diegogisbertllorens

https://www.deviantart.com/msee-artichoke

The minotaur of Ravnica are strong in body, dedication, and courage. They are at home on the battlefield, willing to fight for various causes. They combine burning fury in battle with keen tactics that make them excellent commanders as well as valuable shock troopers. There are many varieties of minotaur in Ravnica, including bull-headed and goat-headed variants.

Vedalken

https://www.deviantart.com/silverskeejee

https://www.deviantart.com/dimasardhito

https://www.deviantart.com/elizabethpl

Vedalken are tall and slender, standing almost a head taller than humans on average but weighing about the same. Their skin comes in a range of blue tones. Their eyes are generally darker shades of blue or violet. Vedalken lack external ears, and they are partially amphibious. Most are hairless, but some grow hair naturally due to recessive human or elvish ancestry. Their hair is usually blond or white.

Vedalken are cool and rational, though excited by work. They keep their personal lives to themselves and apply their superior intellect to the pursuit of perfection in myriad forms. The vedalkens’ predilection to logic causes many other Ravnicans to incorrectly assume they are emotionally devoid.

Angels

https://www.deviantart.com/sharasellarine

The angels of Ravnica are powerful immortal creatures; physical manifestations of justice and righteousness. All were originally created in the image of the founder of the Boros Legion, the late Guildmaster Razia. In form, they resemble human women with large feathered wings, and have a full range of coloration. Some are crowned or glow with angelic light, have hair like living flame, or other divine attributes. Originally, all angels served in the Boros Legion. Over time, individual angels interpreted their principles differently and joined other guilds to pursue their divine calling. Most angels remain in the Legion, though many have joined the Orzhov Syndicate. These are known as deathpact angels.

Sphinxes

https://www.deviantart.com/agiantsalamander

https://www.deviantart.com/nathanrosario

The sphinxes of Ravnica are sentient and powerful creatures. They are aloof and prefer solitude. Azor, founder and namesake of the Azorius guild was a sphinx, as is the current Azorius Guildmaster, Supreme Judge Isperia. As a result, most sphinxes serve in the Azorius guild, and they are treated with great respect and honor. They play significant roles in the leadership and operation of the Guild of Laws. Many sphinxes are known as Sphinxes of Judgement, and wield law magic to imprison criminals and compel truth from them.

The Creatures

Maaka

https://www.deviantart.com/peterdonahue

https://www.deviantart.com/liberlibelula

Maaka are large feral tigers that prowl The Red Wastes and other rubblebelts. They usually have four legs and six eyes, though the Simic may have gifted the plane with hybridized versions of these large predatory felines, like the ones above.

The Raze-Boar

https://www.deviantart.com/wild-fowl

The Raze-Boar, Ilharg, is a mythical creature. Many in the Gruul clans believe he is the herald of Ravnica’s destruction and wild rebirth. Prophecy foretells he will bring about the End-Raze, an apocalyptic event when Ilharg will manifest and trample every brick and stone of Ravnica’s soaring skylines to rubble. After the End-Raze, the world will return to a state of nature, and the lawless code of muscle and savagery will reign supreme.

The Places

Rix Maadi

https://www.deviantart.com/cryptos13

Rix Maadi, or the Dungeon Palace, is the guildhall of the Cult of Rakdos. Located in the undercity below Precinct Six, immense stone staircases lead through ancient caverns, tunnels, and a hellish atmosphere to the lava pits where the Demonlord Rakdos himself slumbers.

The Red Wastes

https://www.deviantart.com/dav0512rt

https://www.deviantart.com/cactusplate

A plane covered entirely by a single massive sprawling city, Ravnica is divided into many districts, which are subdivided into precincts. In an eternal state of decay, over the course of centuries, various areas of the city fall into ruins and are reclaimed by nature, until eventually civilization again encroaches. These overgrown ruins are called rubblebelts. The Gruul and other outcasts from the city dwell in these dangerous areas, along with many monsters and strange beasts. The most famous rubblebelt in District Ten is called The Red Wastes. The Wastes are located directly north of Precinct Four. Otherwise, the rubblebelts around District Ten are a discontinuous archipelago of wasteland zones, occupied by numerous Gruul Clans. The Red Wastes are home to the Gruul’s equivalent of a guildhall. Skaarg, the meeting place of the Gruul Clans, is housed within the cratered remains of a large palace. The Clans keep a continuous bonfire lit, and often battle each other here over petty grudges. Outsiders are never welcome.