Ravnica's intricate history

Ravnica's intricate history is woven from the ambitions, failures, and sacrifices of its most prominent figures. Beyond the faceless masses and guild machinations, a handful of key characters have defined the plane's destiny, often with stakes reaching far beyond the city's spires.

### Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and the Living Guildpact

Niv-Mizzet is perhaps the most iconic and longest-standing character in Ravnica's history. As the ancient dragon and Parun of the Izzet League, he is a being of immense intellect and insatiable curiosity. For ten millennia, he has been the driving force behind the city's technology and magical innovation. His genius is matched only by his vanity, and he views the other guilds with a mix of condescension and annoyance. He rarely gets involved in mundane affairs, preferring to run the guild from a distance, orchestrating bizarre and often destructive experiments to satisfy his own curiosity.

Niv-Mizzet’s grand ambition came to a head in the aftermath of the original Guildpact's destruction. He, like others, sought to understand the magical resonance of the Implicit Maze. He entrusted this task to his prodigy, the planeswalker Ral Zarek, while secretly observing the entire event. He saw the potential in the Living Guildpact and, after a period of self-imposed exile, returned to lead his guild into the **War of the Spark**. During the war, he was killed, but his spirit was preserved. The guilds, in a desperate gambit to save their home, used a powerful ritual to resurrect him, imbuing him with the power of the Living Guildpact. Niv-Mizzet now rules Ravnica, not as a guildmaster, but as the supreme authority. His word is law, and his plans for the plane extend to making Ravnica the central hub of the entire multiverse, connected by the newly formed Omenpaths.

### Jace Beleren, the Reluctant Ruler

Jace Beleren, a telepathic planeswalker from the plane of Vryn, found a new home on Ravnica. He was drawn to the city's intricate network of secrets and found a perfect place to use his mind magic for personal gain. His history on Ravnica is one of a gifted but irresponsible young mage who matured through forced responsibility.

In the **Return to Ravnica** block, Jace became a key figure in the race to solve the Implicit Maze. He was an "unaligned" competitor, but his intellect and planeswalker abilities made him uniquely suited to the task. He won the race and was unwillingly bound to Ravnica as the Living Guildpact. This title made his word the law of the plane, and he was burdened with the immense responsibility of maintaining balance between the ten guilds. He struggled with this role, often feeling trapped by the very city he had come to love. His duties as a planeswalker frequently took him away, but he was always pulled back, a constant presence that hovered over the city's political landscape. During the **War of the Spark**, Jace's role as the Living Guildpact was critical. He used his authority to organize the guilds against Nicol Bolas's invasion, but was ultimately forced to relinquish his title, a burden he was relieved to finally shed.

### Vraska, the Gorgon Queen of the Undercity

Vraska is a gorgon planeswalker from the Golgari Swarm. Her character arc is one of an outcast seeking vengeance and finding a new purpose. As a young gorgon, she was unjustly imprisoned by the Azorius, an experience that left her deeply resentful of Ravnica's rigid social structure. This led her to believe in a form of justice that prioritized the oppressed over the law. Her planeswalker spark ignited during her time in prison, and she returned to Ravnica with a renewed sense of purpose: to dismantle the systems that had wronged her.

In her quest for vengeance, she rose to become the guildmaster of the Golgari Swarm. She assassinated the Azorius Guildmaster Isperia, and during the **War of the Spark**, she found herself in an impossible position. She was working for Nicol Bolas, who promised her control over the Golgari in exchange for her assistance. However, she secretly worked with other planeswalkers like Ral Zarek and Kaya, a ghost assassin, to dismantle the Obzedat of the Orzhov Syndicate, thereby securing a key ally against Bolas. Her time with Jace Beleren on the plane of Ixalan, where they formed a romantic relationship, gave her a newfound sense of trust and a path toward redemption. Her journey from vengeful assassin to a leader who genuinely cares for her people is one of the most compelling in Ravnica's lore.

### Aurelia, the Warleader

Aurelia is the current guildmaster of the Boros Legion and a powerful archangel. She ascended to her position after deposing the disgraced angel Feather, believing that the Boros needed a strong, untainted leader to restore their honor. Unlike her distant predecessor Razia, Aurelia is a hands-on leader who is directly involved with her soldiers. She is a firm believer in the Boros ideal of "justice through fire" and views any weakness as an unacceptable liability.

Aurelia’s role in Ravnica’s history has been defined by her zeal. She led the Boros in the tumultuous aftermath of the Guildpact's breaking, clashing with the Azorius over law enforcement and pushing for more aggressive police action. During the **War of the Spark**, she was at the forefront of the fight against Nicol Bolas’s army. Her military prowess and leadership were instrumental in organizing the ground forces of the guilds, providing a crucial unified front against the invaders. She is a symbol of the Boros Legion's fiery determination and unwavering commitment to what they see as righteous law.

### Gideon Jura, the Selfless Guardian

While not a native Ravnican, the planeswalker Gideon Jura had a significant impact on the plane. A warrior sworn to protect the innocent, he first came to Ravnica during a period of chaos, searching for allies to help him fight the Eldrazi threat on his home plane of Zendikar. He ended up aiding the Boros Legion and was instrumental in helping Jace Beleren become the Living Guildpact.

Gideon’s story reached its tragic climax during the **War of the Spark**. He was one of the central figures in the resistance against Nicol Bolas. Wielding the powerful Blackblade, a weapon capable of killing planeswalkers, he was the primary physical threat to the elder dragon. However, his defining moment came not in battle, but in a selfless act of sacrifice. To save his ally and friend, Liliana Vess, from the death clause of her contract with Bolas, Gideon used his unique invulnerability to take the curse upon himself. His death was a pivotal moment in the war, demonstrating the depth of his devotion to his friends and his sworn duty to protect others.

### Teysa Karlov, the Ghost-Maker

Teysa Karlov is a member of the Orzhov Syndicate, a ruthless and ambitious oligarch and lawmage. She is a master of political maneuvering and has played a long game to gain power within her guild. Born into the influential Karlov family, she was a fierce critic of the Obzedat, the ghostly council that ruled the Orzhov. She saw them as an inefficient, stagnant force that was holding the guild back.

Teysa's ambition led her to secretly ally with the Planeswalker Kaya. Together, they orchestrated the assassination of the Obzedat, a feat that would have been unthinkable for a mortal. This act not only cemented Teysa’s power but also gave her the influence to rebuild the Orzhov Syndicate in her image. While her methods are often ruthless and self-serving, Teysa’s actions are always calculated and aimed at solidifying her own position, making her one of the most cunning and dangerous figures in Ravnica's history.