Simic Combine
The Simic representative was a stern-looking mage whose parentage appeared to be partly human and partly aquatic, possibly merfolk. He rode astride a creature that seemed like the offspring of a giant, blue-carapaced crab and an irate squid. The Simic squad was rounded out by a host of mages clad in scale armour, and improbable hybrid fusions of scaled, finned, and shelled creatures.The secrets of life are revealed in the laboratories of the Simic, and their research notes logging all of nature’s wonders. Their original mission was to oversee issues of public health, but the Simic came to believe that complete health — of individuals and of society as a whole — depends on the mutual adaptation of nature and civilization to one another. Thus, biological experimentation has always been among its primary concerns. Historically, the guild’s approach to its mission has been one of incremental progress toward a utopian ideal of thriving biology, and it remains more aloof from politics than other guilds. Its fundamental mission remains unchanged by the current political instability, and the isolation of its laboratories protects most Simic guild members from immediate harm. Little is known about the combine’s founder, except that this individual’s first or family name was Simic.
Inside the Combine
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.
Goals 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, named for the biological mechanism that keeps kelp and sponges anchored to the sea floor, advises members of the Simic Combine never to stray so far from nature that they become “adrift.” 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.
by Wikimedia Commons
The Upwelling principle, named for the phenomenon of nutrient-rich water rising to the ocean surface, advocates that the new and enlivened should replace the old and depleted in an unending cycle, bringing constant refreshment and renewal. 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.
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 defence 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 armour and weapons, gills, venomous stings, and other combat-focused adaptations.
Type
Guild, Mages
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