Selesnya Conclave

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Selesnya Conclave
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Selesnya Logo.png}}|150px]]
Alternative Names
The Conclave
Lore Information
Parun Mat'Selesnya
Guild Leader Chorus of the Conclave (former)
High Council (former)
Trostani (incumbent)
Emmara Tandris (acting)
Guild Champion Bayul (as Living Saint)
Kel (as Living Saint)
Tolsimir Wolfblood
Emmara Tandris
Guild Hall Vitu-Ghazi
Game Information
Colors {G}{W}
Mechanics Convoke
(Ravnica: City of Guilds
and Guilds of Ravnica)
Populate
(Return to Ravnica)
Featured Sets
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Return to Ravnica
Guilds of Ravnica
Signet Flavor Text
The symbol of the Conclave is one of unity, with the tree supporting the sun and the sun feeding the tree. — Selesnya Signet
Scryfall Search
watermark:"Selesnya"

The Selesnya Conclave is a green/white guild from the plane and city of Ravnica.[1] Introduced in Ravnica: City of Guilds,[2] the guild is also featured in Return to Ravnica and Guilds of Ravnica.[3]

Selesnya basic lands from Guilds of Ravnica

Description

Founded by parun Mat'Selesnya, a female humanoid elemental formed via the fusion of dryads, the Selesnya Conclave is a decentralized collective variably described as a "selfless, nurturing, spiritual group" or a "brainwashing nature cult." It involves itself in the establishment and maintenance of peace, life, and unity in Ravnica.[4] Its purpose is to preserve the city's history.[5] The territories held by the Selesnya are open and sunny, full of green spaces and gardens, with white stone buildings which are often open to the air. The towering world tree of Vitu-Ghazi serves as the guild's Guildhall.

Despite their appearance of being "good" and "peace-loving", in truth the guild has a sinister streak.[6] The Conclave used to employ its quietmen and other members to silence the civilians of Ravnica. The defenders of the Selesnya are the Ledev Guardians. Equenauts ride pegasuses, combining the role of mounted warriors and scouts. Sagittars are an order of elven archers that defend key guild locations.[7]

The Conclave is organized in enclaves called vernadi, which are communes built around central trees, like smaller versions of Vitu-Ghazi.[8] A dryad, called a voda, is called forth to be the leader of the community, connecting the vernadi to the Worldsoul and the will of the entire Conclave. The vernadi is a harmonious union of nature and civilization. Their houses are created by woodshapers and are like living gardens without doors, carefully tended and abundantly fertile. The Selesnya are proud of their wurms, which are used by shamans called wurmcallers to travel underground. The wisest clergy (including many Loxodons), are sometimes called hierarchs, although there is no official hierarchy in the religion. Spellcasters fill both military and religious roles, calling their magic Doruvati ("The gift" of Mat'Selesnya).

Leadership

Selesnya leadership is composed mainly of dryads. The "guild leader" of Selesnya in the Ravnica: City of Guilds set was a collective mind known as the Chorus of the Conclave, with the top members of the guild as figureheads.[6]

After the decamillenial, the Selesnya gradually lost their connection to the World Tree and had to rely on their high priests organized as the high council. During this time the high council consisted of the following members:[9]

Mat'Selesnya now resides, dormant, within Vitu-Ghazi, having offered herself to preserve order in Selesnya. Suniel helped three Dryad sisters to fuse into Trostani to function as the direct voice of Mat'Selesnya and as the new guildmaster. After the Resurgence, the Selesnyans are reorganized into vernadi, small communes led by dryads who speak for the Worldmind. However, while Trostani was in discourse during the events leading up to the War of the Spark, it was upon Emmara Tandris to run the daily affairs of the guild.[10]

History

Conflict and redemption

The main seat of Selesnya's power in the region of Utvara was Vitar Yescu, an enormous living tree that produced pollen that served as an antibody to the local plague. The head of Selesnya in Utvara was an elven shapeshifter Wrizfar Barkfeather.

After the Decamillennial, the decimated Wojek League turned to other guilds' similar organizations for temporary help. Many Selesnyan Ledev thus served as "apos", i.e. auxiliary patrol officers, with the Wojeks. After the Decamillennial, a new half-military sub-organization was also founded - the Knight Order of Mat'selesnya.

During the events of Agents of Artifice, the Selesnya were lynched en masse due to the citizens realizing their role in forcing the oppression of the guilds. However, they have returned as of the events of Return to Ravnica. The new Selesnya were officially more concerned with preserving nature, creating places to illuminate the wonders of nature and inspire contemplation — hopefully on the blessings of Mat'selesnya — for all of Ravnica.

However, later the Conclave began growing an army again, preparing to resist the ambition and destructive impulses of the other guilds and fight, if necessary, to defend their way of life.[8]

War of the Spark

During the unrest before the War of the Spark, the three heads of Trostani were in discord.[8] While Harmony remained mysteriously and utterly silent, Order argued in favor of a peace treaty with the other guilds, and Life wanted to focus on building the strength of the Conclave. The fact that the dryads were divided meant that Trostani was virtually paralyzed and faded into the background of events. Emmara Tandris stepped forward to fill the void in leadership, after glade-master Garo was revealed to be in league with Nicol Bolas.[10] She was committed to pursuing peace between the guilds with all her heart, even as Trostani hesitated in self-conflict. As a friend of Jace Beleren, she understood that he was never going to be able to settle on Ravnica, so she believed the world needed a replacement for the Living Guildpact. As one of the most active advocates of cooperation among the guilds, she relied on personal connections with members of other guilds to help that effort.

Emmara and Trostani met with Kaya, Teyo, and Rat when they sought the cooperation of the Selesnya to revive Niv-Mizzet.[11] Emmara spoke to them first and declined to participate in their plan because Selesnya had always been a victim in Izzet plans. But the party argued that Bolas's victory would bring about end of all life, and Harmony, the middle Trostani, finally woke up and decided that Selesnya would be joining the other guilds to defeat Bolas.[12]

Phyrexian invasion and aftermath

The Selesnya fought just as hard as anyone else in Ravnica's defense during the Phyrexian invasion. However, after its partial destruction at the hands of the God-Eternals in the War of the Spark and further damage during the Phyrexian Invasion, Vitu-Ghazi was no longer able to sustain itself.[5] Oba, the dryad of life, became the primary aspect of Trostani, lending her strength to the tree and taking on the suffering of each Ravnican slain or compleated by the Phyrexian forces. Immediately following the end of the Invasion, the Conclave closed in on itself, shutting itself off to outsiders.[7] Throughout the rebuilding efforts, it refused any offers of aid or assistance from other guilds, obstinately self-sufficient. It also refused to help anyone outside the guild, focusing all its efforts on restoring itself first.

Vitu-Ghazi was replanted in a Selesnyan park, and Trostani continued to lead the guild with Mat'Selesnya's voice.[5] However, they soon revealed a more sinister streak by committing a series of murders of Ravnica's prominent figurines via mind-controlling spores.[13] Oba herself claimed that the victims deserved it for "failing to protect Ravnica."[14] After Oba was subdued by her sisters, Trostani stepped back to confer with Mat'Selesnya, returning control of the guild to Emmara Tandris.[15]

In the game

Guild mechanics

Creature types

Species and races

Species and races associated with the Selesnya Conclave include:

Classes

Classes associated with the Selesnya Conclave include:

Notable members

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 20, 2012). "Selesnya Conclave". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ Magic Arcana (October 04, 2005). "Ravnica Style Guide: Selesnya". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Chas Andres (October 3, 2018). "A Flavorful Guide to the Guilds of Ravnica". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ Chris Gleeson (October 31, 2018). "Building the guilds – Selesnya Conclave". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ a b c Seanan McGuire (January 11, 2024). "Murders at Karlov Manor - Episode 5: Chains of Expectation". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ a b Cory J. Herndon (2005). Ravnica Cycle, Book I: Ravnica, Wizards of the Coast
  7. ↑ a b Emily Teng (February 1, 2024). "Planeswalker's Guide to Murders at Karlov Manor". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ a b c James Wyatt (January 2019). "The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Ravnica". Wizards of the Coast
  9. ↑ Adam Lee (October 23, 2012). "The Great Concourse". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ a b Django Wexler (July 3, 2019), The Gathering Storm, Chapter Five.
  11. ↑ Greg Weisman (April 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica". Del Rey.
  12. ↑ Greg Weisman (May 29, 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica – Desperate Operatives". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 16, 2024). "Episode 8: Gods of Chaos". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 17, 2024). "Episode 9: Beauty in Destruction". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ Seanan McGuire (January 18, 2024). "Episode 10: Roots of Decay". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links

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Ravnica block
Return to Ravnica block
Later sets
Related games
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Publications
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