Basics
My Vision. My Evolution. My Guild.
The Simic Combine is Ravnica’s steward of nature and the wild; its mission is to preserve and advance the natural world even as Ravnica’s cities continue to grow. The guild seeks to protect the elements of the plane that are incompatible or mutually exclusive with its overpopulated, urban conditions. This is not easy, of course, because the forces of civilization are so prevalent on Ravnica that they threaten to subsume anything that runs counter to them. But the Simic practice a strange combination of detachment and holism that provide a kind of separation from the larger urban systems—a separation on which their conservation mission depends.
Look beyond, to the vascular awareness that all life is a map to greater knowledge."
—Momir Vig, Biomancy, vol. I
Prime Speaker Zegana
The regal and reticent merfolk called Zegana is the current guildmaster of the Simic Combine. She is the Speaker for Zonot One, the first of the mysterious sinkholes to emerge on Ravnica, and she delivered the Fathom Edict that declared a new beginning for the Combine. Zegana is quick to point out, however, that she speaks at the discretion of the Speakers’ Chamber, a secretive body of all nine of the zonots’ speakers. She claims that the Chamber can revoke that status, at which time another Speaker would replace her as the guildmaster. Many outside the Simic believe this is false modesty, however, and that Zegana controls the Chamber—if it actually meets at all.
Zameck
The Simic guildhall is not a particularly ceremonial or celebratory place. In Zonot Seven, within the Tenth District, a huge chamber just below the surface has been cleared of debris and serves as the gathering place for all the Speakers, as well as a place where non-Simic visitors can meet with Zegana or other Combine emissaries. The roof of Zameck contains many openings to the sky, covered over with an Æther-infused organic material known as plax to create opalescent skylights, which makes the chamber seem almost as though it’s underwater. Thick cords of kelp buttress the walls of the huge chamber, and algae cakes the corners and edges of walls and floors. The main chamber floor is clear with the exception of a large table in the shape of a loose spiral, with a slightly elevated podium at its center.
Vorel
Vorel of the Hull Clade is a human / merfolk hybrid, biomancer from the Simic Combine on Ravnica. He was chosen as the Simic maze runner for the race in the Implicit Maze to restore the Guildpact.
Vorel used to be the human leader of a small Gruul clan. But when he gave the order to concede territory to a growing Boros garrison in order to secure his own clan’s turf, the clan turned on him. He was nearly killed before escaping. He then brought his shamanic skills and mindset to the Simic, discovering that his strategic mind actually suited that guild better. Experimented on, he received some merfolk traits. His emotionally charged background still shines through from time to time, leading him to be a bit more emotionally driven than others in the Combine.
„I used to hurl rocks and eat scraps of meat burned over a fire. Look at what I’ve become and tell me Simic does not hold infinite possibility."
-Vorel
Inside the Combine
Everyday life with the Simic
Vast sinkholes called zonots are the primary geographic divisions among the Simic. Each zonot pierces layer upon layer of crumbled city as it descends deep below the surface and connects to ancient, long-forgotten ocean waters. A zonot is a distinct Simic habitat with its own culture and ecosystem, as well as a leader called a Speaker. The Speakers of all nine zonots form the Speakers' Chamber, and they elect a Prime Speaker from among them to serve as the Simic guildmaster. Zegana, the current Prime Speaker, is the Speaker of Zonot One, which is located in a remote, sparsely inhabited part of Ravnica far from the political activity of the Tenth District.
The Simic guildhall, Zameck, is located in Zonot Seven within Precinct Five of Ravnica's Tenth District. A huge chamber just below the street serves as the gathering place for all the Speakers, as well as a location where non-Simic visitors can meet with the Prime Speaker or other combine emissaries.
Members
Everybody is welcome to join the Combine, at least as a research object. Especially former Gruul-Members come to the Simic looking for a new life. Among the Simic you frequently encounter Elves, Humans, Vedalken and of course Hybrids.
The Helical Stair
At Zonot Five, an enormous column of marine plant matter has been coaxed by magic to grow steadily up the walls of the zonot in a gentle spiral. Stairs have been carved in the spiral (and de-slimed), forming a long path by which surface dwellers can walk down to sea level. This is a Simic outreach to the people of Ravnica—a place where its denizens can see, touch, step into, and even swim through the cold oceans they forgot millennia ago.
Jezeru, the Lake District
In recent years, the sentient among the Simic have collectively realized that they risk over-isolation in their zonots. In an effort to increase relevance and visibility, the Simic have made conscious efforts to bring their guild aboveground. The most dramatic example of these efforts is Jezeru, an entire district that now lies underwater. The water is only several feet deep in most of this shallow, natural valley area, although at its deepest it reaches forty feet or so. Terrestrial creatures can navigate the district via flying Simic "ferry" creatures as well as by stone walkways kept afloat by oversized pneumatocyst growths.
Shadows of the Past
Almost 100 Years ago the former Guildmaster Mormir Vig worked on an experiment named Project Kraj. This enormous rampaging cytoplast could not be controlled and went on a rampage into the city. It destroyed big parts of the plane until the demon lord and parun of the Cult of Rakdos, Rakdos himself turned his attention to this monstrosity. Rakdos defeated Kraj, and the Simic learned from their failure. With the rediscovery of Ravnica's long gone oceans, through the sinkholes known as Zonots, the Simic were remade from scratch. Embracing long-gone spiritual and holistic concepts of the reappeared merfolk, they rejected Momir Vig's corrupted philosophy and focused on advancing nature through purely magical means. Because of their new focus on the oceans, their philosophy revolves around principles applied to sea-life.
Goals of the Simic
Philosophy of the Simic
Two philosophical principles, in tension with each other, combine to give the Simic Combine its unique approach to science and nature. In traditional Simic thought, these principles are called the Holdfast and the Upwelling.
The Holdfast Principle
A holdfast is a biological structure that kelp and sponges grow on to anchor themselves to rocks or other objects on the sea floor too heavy for currents to move. In the Simic context, this structure has inspired a philosophical dogma that advises guild members never to stray so far from nature that they become "adrift"—a veiled warning against the excesses and ambitions of the guild's previous iteration. The Simic guild rank and file tends to stay close to their zonots for this reason, and Simic forays into city life are generally shorter than those of other guilds. The zonots themselves are sort of huge columns of sea grass or kelp in negative space, and the ocean far below is the object to which they are "anchored." It espouses the idea that nature left undisturbed will evolve toward adaptive traits and increased strength. Nature will flourish and grow, and every creature will find its proper niche in the ecosystem where it can thrive.
The Upwelling
The Holdfast Principle doesn't mean the Simic are isolated or xenophobic, however. The opposing idea, stronger in Simic culture, is that of the Upwelling. In science, upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon in which nutrient-rich water moves toward the surface, replacing depleted water. For the Simic, this is a spiritual concept that bridges disciplines and pursuits. The return of the deep creatures to the surface, the birth of ever-larger organisms, the pursuit of natural science and understandings, the slow addition of new zonots... all are upwellings. The new and enlivened replace the old and depleted, and that replacement is cyclical. This principle accounts for the combine's analytical bent and its emphasis on knowledge as a means of transformation. Learning the secrets of the universe lets you shape the world as you desire. The Upwelling encourages every creature to discover its full potential.
The Holdfast encourages the Simic to promote nature; the Upwelling urges them to perfect nature. The end result is the same: a hastened system of evolution that brings out the best in every creature's nature. But different factions within the Simic Combine interpret these principles in their own ways.
Die Führung des Simic Combine repräsentiert die traditionelle Philosophie der Utopier. Ihre Vision ist eine ideale Welt, in der Natur und Zivilisation im Gleichgewicht sind, in der sich das natürliche Leben an das Leben inmitten der modernen Zivilisation anpasst und die zivilisierte Welt sich an diese Kreaturen anpasst. Utopisten interpretieren das Holdfast-Prinzip im Allgemeinen so, dass es darum geht, in der Natur verwurzelt zu sein, und, dass das Upwelling sich eher mit langsamer, vorhersehbarer, zyklischer Verbesserung befasst. So bleiben sie in ihren subaquatischen Laboratorien verborgen und forschen weiter, während sie von den unbeständigen Wechselbeziehungen zwischen den anderen Gilden isoliert sind. Premier Speaker Zegana ermutigt zu dieser isolierten Haltung.
The leadership of the Simic Combine represents the traditional philosophy of the Utopians. Their vision is of an ideal world in which nature and civilization exist in balance, in which natural life adapts to life in the midst of modern civilization and the civilized world adapts to accommodate these creatures. Utopians generally interpret the Holdfast principle as being about staying rooted in nature, and the Upwelling as concerned with slow, predictable, cyclical improvement. So they remain hidden in their subaquatic laboratories, pursuing their research while isolated from the volatile interrelationships among the other guilds. Prime Speaker Zegana encourages that isolationist attitude. At the same time, a growing faction within the Simic believes that an all-out war among the guilds is inevitable, given the growing unrest in the city. These members, the Adaptationists, believe that the guilds exist in a fragile ecosystem in which the slightest imbalance can have cascading effects. With an absent Living Guildpact failing to maintain the balance, only catastrophe can result. The Simic must change in order to survive, and slow, small steps in pursuit of an ideal vision aren't enough. The future of the guild is in imminent danger, and the Simic need to focus on survival. Adaptationists tend to interpret the Holdfast as being about defense and security, and the Upwelling as a call for sudden, disruptive growth.
As befits members of a guild of scientists, the Adaptationists' preparations for war include the creation of soldiers that are magically and biologically adapted. The Guardian Project has yielded hybrids that combine human, elf, or vedalken stock with the characteristics of crabs, fish, jellyfish, and a variety of other creatures to give them natural armor and weapons, gills, venomous stings, and other combat-focused adaptations.
Krasis
Any Simic hybridized lifeform is called a krasis, the catch-all term for such creatures. The new Simic Combine is careful not to repeat the mistakes of Vig and his bioengineers, but the guild still uses magic to coax new morphologies from existing creatures, as well as to combine traits from multiple organisms in one. Some of these are unique creatures that can't reproduce. A few multiply and become part of the guild's fabric.
Simic Guild Structure
Zonots
A zonot is a huge sinkhole that leads all the way down to the Ravnican oceans, and each serves as a distinct Simic habitat—sort of an oversized, inverted skyscraper. Each zonot has a different culture, ecosystem, and racial distribution, as well as a speaker.
Zonot One
The first to open, Zonot One appeared in a remote area far away from the Tenth District. This is Speaker Zegana's home zonot, although she spends most of her time in Zonot Seven, where the Simic main guildhall is located. Zonot One is the smallest zonot and has a somewhat somber feeling compared to others.
Zonot Four
The largest of the zonots has the marine troll Trifon as its speaker. The culture here is more brutal and direct than elsewhere, and the residents are larger on average, too.
Zonot Five
The Simic tend to be insular, but this zonot has become a tourist destination—a place where the guildless can come to see the ocean as well as to observe Simic life. Rather than discourage this, the Simic created the Helical Stair here to draw more visitors.
Zonot Seven
The only zonot inside the boundaries of the Tenth District, Zonot Seven is home to the guildhall, the Zameck. As one would expect, this is the busiest and most densely populated zonot.
Clades
Simic guild members are organized by clade rather than by species, role, or caste. Each clade is the natural-world equivalent of a project team: diverse individuals adapted to different tasks, yet related by a common goal. Clades often exist solely within a single zonot, but they need not do so, and large clades span two or more Simic communities. Some of the clades include: Simic-Gemeinschaften. Einige der Clades sind:
- Hull-Clade: This clade's focus is on protection, defense, durability, and the like. Its projects range from the strengthening of exoskeletons to the stabilization of zonot walls.
- Fin-Clade: The study of movement is this clade's focus—both literal movement of creatures (especially flying creatures) as well as, for example, movement of resources through systems.
- Crypsis-Clade: This secretive clade develops strategies for obscuring other guilds' views of the Simic. This includes literal camouflage as well as magic designed to hide knowledge or operations.
- Gyre-Clade: Cyclical patterns and metamagic are this clade's specialization. Projects include finding ways to redirect or nullify magic and advancing nature.
The Simic and other Guilds
Enemies and Allies
The Simic Combine has an affinity for guilds that care for the forces of nature, and as such it has worked alongside the Selesnya, Gruul, and Golgari in the past. To a lesser extent, the combine also has a rapport with the other scientific guild, the Izzet. But overall, the Simic attitude toward other guilds is one of healthy caution bolstered by a general tendency toward isolation.
Any guild could break the peace and send the entire world spiraling into war, so all the guilds are potential enemies—particularly if they direct their aggression at the Simic Combine. The Golgari Swarm has launched a direct attack against Zonot Four (located in the Sixth District), and they could expand that attack to other zonots at any time. Azorius arresters are prying into all the zonots, looking for evidence of wrongdoing. Thus, the Simic efforts at preparing for war are in danger, and the need for those efforts to be brought to fruition could arise at any time.
Your most obvious allies are those who seek to restrain the ambition of other guilds and maintain the balance of power. At various times, that category could include members of any other guild, particularly the Selesnya Conclave. Everyone (with the possible exception of the chaotic Rakdos and Gruul) has an occasional interest in maintaining the status quo, no matter how revolutionary that notion might seem at other times.
The Simic View on Other Guilds
The most insular members of the Simic Combine avoid interacting with other guilds entirely. No one but another Simic scientist could ever fully grasp or appreciate the work of the guild, and too many of the other guilds react with fear to what they don't understand.
Azorius Senate:
"An absurd and inelegant construct, forever trapped in a maze of their own making. They would outlaw evolution if they could. And if any of them truly seek utopia, the rest are far too busy shuffling papers to notice. Avoid their attention at all costs."
Boros Legion:
"They style themselves the agents of 'justice.' But the law is no better excuse for aggression than any other."
House Dimir:
"We need not compete. Let them be, and they will let us be—but observe them closely."
Golgari Swarm:
"Less an organization than an infestation. They are nearly as adaptable as we are, and they seem intent on competition. More than any other guild, they pressure us to improve."
Gruul Clans:
"The Gruul conceive of nature only in terms of savagery and privation. But their ways are no less a response to civilization than our own. They will survive, barely, and perhaps one day they will understand."
Izzet League:
"The Izzet have spent ten thousand years mimicking the appearance of research, producing more pyrotechnics than progress. Surely that is a performance to rival the Rakdos."
Orzhov Syndicate:
"They hoard their treasure throughout their pointless lives and lengthy afterlives. With such riches, we could swiftly bring about a future in which gold is as irrelevant as death."
Cult of Rakdos:
"Camouflage, mimicry, resilience, and versatility. If the guilds were species, we would count the Rakdos among the most impressive. But they aren't, and that makes the Rakdos far more erratic—and dangerous."
Selesnya Conclave:
"Like us, they seek a synthesis between 'natural' and 'artificial' systems. Unlike us, they wish to achieve it by unconditional surrender. They are adequate partners in stable times, but in the present climate they have little to offer."
Presence in the Tenth District
Precinct 5
As the home of prestigious universities, ancient libraries, and hidden laboratories, Precinct Five is the hub of information and learning in the Tenth District. People of all ages flock to this precinct to spend time learning, whether by poring over texts and scrolls or finding a mentor who will guide a student. It's also the place to find information brokers, who sell specialized or secret knowledge available nowhere else. Multilevel buildings set next to each other with little regard for planning give way to an occasional square or open campus where socially minded residents congregate during daytime hours. At night, many continue their studies while others tinker with their latest creations or intellectual endeavors. Taverns and pubs tend to be more urbane than in other parts of the district and often feature poetry readings, storytelling, and musical performances.
„The unnatural pressures of life in this city are best withstood by lifeforms that adapt with unnatural swiftness."
—Momir Vig
Neighborhoods and Landmarks
People who live in Precinct Five have a zeal for learning and tend to be inquisitive. Getting into a heated debate or touting a recent success to your neighbors is part of showing your worth. Good neighbors keep their projects and research hidden until a result can be displayed; it is considered uncouth to allow others to view a work in progress.
Zonot Seven, the home of the Simic Combine's guildhall, is located on the western edge of the precinct. The Izzet League maintains a network of laboratories and workshops close to Nivix (in Precinct Four). House Dimir agents are seen and unseen all around the district, and they secretly run the Ismeri Library. Some members of the Azorius Senate who prefer to study disciplines aside from the law make their homes here as well.
Goods and Services
Specialty items that are commonly used by scribes, researchers, and inventors can be found in many small shops in the precinct, usually run by a tinker or academic. Precinct Five also has the best apothecaries, alchemists, and magic-mongers in the Tenth District. On the other hand, mundane adventuring gear, weapons, and armor are harder to find. Information is an especially valuable commodity in Precinct Five. In addition to holding booksellers, the precinct is home to a variety of people who make a living (or at least a sizable side income) selling information, including private investigators, rumormongers, and spies.
Landmarks in Precinct 5
Life for residents in Precinct Five is spent mostly indoors, or in the case of the Simic, underwater. The precinct's occupants—including significant populations of students, instructors, researchers, scribes, and university staff—are crowded into dormitories and apartments squeezed in among laboratories, libraries, and magical machinery.
Zonot Seven:
The Simic Combine's watery habitat is made up of huge sinkholes filled with the overflow from a subterranean ocean. Zonot Seven is the only zonot within Ravnica City proper, and it contains Zameck, the Simic guildhall. In contrast to the rest of the precinct, the zonot is a bustling place, with activity at all hours. A huge chamber just below the street surface serves as a gathering place for all the Simic speakers, as well as a place where visitors can meet with Prime Speaker Zegana or other Simic emissaries. A Simic researcher might invite a land-dwelling colleague to visit the habitat, but such an occurrence isn't common. Canals lead from here farther into the precinct and to Precinct Six.
The Blistercoils:
A series of gigantic waterwheels, built and operated by the Izzet League, turns just outside Zonot Seven in the north end of the precinct. The system generates magical energy to power public works, Simic laboratories, and, of course, Izzet workshops. Blistercoils is also the name of the neighborhood near the waterwheels, which largely consists of workshops and private laboratories.
Hightower:
The western end of the precinct is packed with educational institutions of all sorts, from grand universities that cover a broad span of disciplines to specialized schools that instruct students in subjects ranging from theoretical metaphysics to fine arts. The neighborhood takes its name from the fact that most of these schools boast at least one tall spire among their structures. Students and staff live both on and off the various campuses, and several cozy pubs and small lecture halls are busy from afternoons through late in the night.
Prism University
A crystal-paned center of learning that concentrates on magical theory and application, Prism University draws potential wizards and other would-be mages who want to learn about all forms of magic, in contrast to the specialized and practical applications of magic espoused by the guilds. Even though the school maintains a formal state of neutrality, it's an open secret that many guilds have infiltrated the university and planted agents to woo prospective members. Partly as a result of this influence, many graduates of the university do go on to join a guild, finding a way to apply their broad experience to support the narrower focus of the guild.
Ismeri Library:
One of the greatest libraries on all Ravnica, the Ismeri Library is open to all citizens at all hours. Hundreds of thousands of books covering every conceivable subject are found here.