The Gruul Clans lore and key people

The Gruul Clans are not a unified guild in the traditional sense, but a collection of disparate, nomadic tribes. They are defined by their rage, their primal connection to the land, and their utter contempt for Ravnica's suffocating civilization. They exist on the fringes of the city, in the "rubblebelts"—the ruined, overgrown, and forgotten sections of Ravnica—where they tear down buildings and fight for the freedom of the wild.

### From Park Rangers to Anarchists

The story of the Gruul is a tragic one of a guild whose purpose was stolen from them. When the Guildpact was first signed, the Gruul were a noble guild, their purpose being the protection of Ravnica's natural spaces. They were meant to be the guardians of the wilderness, ensuring that the city's growth was kept in check and that civilization did not completely consume the world.

However, as the millennia passed, the other guilds, driven by greed and a relentless ambition, encroached upon and ultimately paved over every single patch of wilderness on the plane. The Simic Combine claimed the few remaining forests for their biological experiments, and the Selesnya Conclave brought nature under their artificial control within their spiritual enclaves. The Azorius Senate, seeing the Gruul as a guild without a purpose, began to write them out of the law, and the Boros Legion, without a legal reason to protect them, turned on them. The Orzhov Syndicate, ever opportunistic, took advantage of their newfound vulnerability to enslave many Gruul members for labor.

Stripped of their purpose, the Gruul devolved. They became a bitter, fractured collection of clans, united only by their shared hatred of the city that had wronged them. Their goal is no longer to protect the wilderness, but to destroy the city and return Ravnica to a state of natural, untamed chaos. The Gruul see the other guilds not as rivals but as "cobble roaches," a disease on the plane that must be eradicated.

### "Might Makes Right" and the Clan Structure

The Gruul have no formal leadership structure. Their society is based on the law of the wild: might makes right. The strongest, fiercest, and most charismatic individuals lead their respective clans, and if a leader shows any sign of weakness, they are quickly challenged and replaced in a bloody confrontation. While there is no single guildmaster who can command all the clans, a few individuals have managed to gain enough respect through their brute strength and inspiring rage to become de facto leaders.

### Key People of the Gruul Clans

* **Borborygmos:** The most well-known and respected of all the Gruul leaders, Borborygmos is a massive, one-eyed cyclops and the leader of the **Burning Tree Clan**. He is not a guildmaster in the traditional sense, but his sheer size and power inspire awe and loyalty from the other clans. When Borborygmos decides to lead a raid, the other clans usually follow, not out of duty, but out of a shared sense of purpose and a desire to be a part of his destructive rampage. Borborygmos's leadership is a direct expression of the Gruul philosophy: his power speaks for itself, and his actions are the ultimate statement of their goals.

* **Ruric Thar:** A two-headed ogre who leads the ferocious **Ghor Clan**. Ruric Thar is known for his incredible strength and his barbaric cruelty. He is one of the few Gruul leaders who has faced Borborygmos in combat and survived, though one of his heads was hideously deformed in the process. Ruric Thar’s clan is one of the most violent and is known for its audacity in setting up encampments dangerously close to heavily populated districts of Ravnica, terrorizing the populace with their chaotic assaults.

* **Domri Rade:** A goblin planeswalker who, despite his small stature, managed to earn a place in the Gruul Clans through his mastery of beast magic. Domri was driven by a deep-seated inferiority complex and a desire to prove himself to the larger, stronger Gruul warriors. He was a master of summoning and controlling large, ferocious beasts, and his ability to command these creatures made him a formidable force. However, Domri was eventually corrupted by the influence of Nicol Bolas and became a puppet for the elder dragon's schemes during the **War of the Spark**. His betrayal and subsequent death are a cautionary tale about the perils of seeking power at any cost.

* **Nikya of the Old Ways:** A centaur shaman who is the leader of the **Zhur-Taa Clan**. Nikya and her followers hold a more spiritual and ritualistic form of the Gruul philosophy. They believe in the imminent arrival of **Ilharg, the Raze-Boar**, a primordial god who will one day awaken and lay waste to all of civilization, returning Ravnica to a true, wild state. Nikya and the Zhur-Taa perform guttural chants and rituals to honor this god, and their magic is deeply connected to the primal forces of the earth.

### The Clans and Their Purpose

While all Gruul clans share a common goal of tearing down civilization, they each have their own unique methods and philosophies:

* **Burning Tree Clan:** The most fearsome and powerful clan, led by Borborygmos. They are the most representative of the Gruul’s anarchic spirit and are the ones most often seen leading large-scale raids on the city.

* **Ghor Clan:** Led by Ruric Thar, this clan is known for its savagery and for its brutal, up-close assaults on Ravnican citizenry.

* **Scab Clan:** Members of this clan are covered in self-inflicted scars and body modifications, which they see as a way to express their inner rage and hatred for the city.

* **Slizt Clan:** A clan of cunning and stealthy warriors, mostly composed of viashino and goblins. They are considered "cowards" by other Gruul for their use of ambushes and ranged attacks from high ground, but their tactics are effective.

* **Bolrac Clan:** Composed entirely of enormous creatures like giants and ogres, the Bolrac specialize in bringing down large structures and smashing through fortified defenses.

The Gruul Clans represent a fundamental paradox of Ravnica: they are a vital part of the city's ecosystem, a force of destruction that ironically prevents the plane from becoming stagnant. Their rampages clear out old slums and derelict districts, making way for new growth, a testament to the inescapable cycle of life and death that even the most stubborn of cities cannot escape.