Transguild Promenade
| The Transguild Promenade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Plane | Ravnica |
| Colors |
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| Part of | Ravnica City |
The Transguild Promenade is a renowned thoroughfare on the plane of Ravnica, serving as a neutral meeting ground and travel route for all ten guilds of the city-plane. It is famously lined with towering arches and stone pillars engraved with guild insignias, a testament to the city's deep-rooted guild system.
Description
The Transguild Promenade is a broad avenue that runs through all ten districts, making it the most notable landmark for navigating the city's heart. Across its vast distance, it's lined with markets, small parks, and colonnades. The Promenade is a commercial thoroughfare used to transport cargo loads. On celebration days, it becomes the city's most popular parade route. Even when guild conflicts run hot, Ravnicans respect the sanctity of the Promenade as neutral ground.[1]
The Promenade is one of the few places in Ravnica where all guilds are equally welcome. Stretching through a serene, park-like setting of orchards and open sky, it contrasts with the often claustrophobic architecture of the city. The path is paved with ancient stone and flanked by monumental arches that catch the light at dramatic angles, lending the Promenade a cathedral-like grandeur. The sunlight filtering through the arches illuminates the emblems of the ten guilds carved into the stonework, an enduring symbol of uneasy cooperation.[2][3]
Within the Tenth District, it stretches from the outskirts of the Rubblebelt in Precinct Four down to the southern gates of Precinct One.[1] Its northern section is watched closely by Boros patrols, and caravans from that direction usually travel with well-armed guards to pass safely through the damaged zones. Along its route through Precinct One, the Promenade is flanked by bustling markets and small parks.[1]
Despite Ravnica's frequent inter-guild conflicts, the Transguild Promenade is regarded as a diplomatic space. Members of the Izzet League, Cult of Rakdos, Selesnya Conclave, and others can often be seen walking its length, whether for official business or informal parley.[3] The Promenade facilitates both literal and metaphorical connections between the guilds. While its practical function is as a safe, centralized route between districts, it is also a favored venue for cross-guild negotiations and ceremonies.
History
In 10,076 ZC (4559 AR), the Azorius arbiter Relov met with the Wojek investigator Javy on a bench along the Promenade. Relov noted the light filtering through the soaring ceremonial arches. At the same time, a gentle breeze rustled the adjacent trees—the promenade functioning as an urban sanctuary rarely marred by the city's chaos, thanks to Azorius noise wards. Javy warned Relov that someone was out to kill him, not divulging that she was that someone, working on behalf of Vraska, who later turned Relov into a statue.[4]
Later that same year, Jace Beleren paused on the edge of the promenade, observing as beings of all guilds and walks of life passed him by — a Simic biomancer walking a ten-legged monstrosity, a Golgari trader with wares from the undercity, and an Orzhov noble surrounded by thrull attendants. Amid this dynamic traffic, Jace struggled to solve the mystery of a memory of the Implicit Maze that he had erased from his mind. The promenade's many branches, leading to guild halls and beyond the Tenth District, reflected the labyrinthine puzzle he had set for himself.[5]
An intersection on the Transguild Promenade was part of the Implicit Maze. Jace sent the location to Emmara Tandris as part of his mental transfer of the maze's map to her. Later, all the guilds and their runner representatives met at this intersection of the Promenade for the race's start. Here, Ral Zarek announced the names of the ten runners, and when Melek, the chosen Izzet representative, spoke up to confirm his role as runner, Ral quickly blasted him with lightning, dispersing his energy. Ral then announced himself as the Izzet runner, and the guilds all ran off in different directions to follow their maze routes.[6]
2 years later, shortly after Nicol Bolas erected Bolas's Citadel in the Tenth District Plaza, Teyo Verada had his first planeswalk, and landed, covered in and coughing up sand, in the middle of the Transguild Promenade. He noticed Araithia Shokta staring at him and asked her for his help, much to her surprise. She aided him off to the side to avoid being run over by thrull-pulled carts.[7]
After the war was over, Rat disappeared and Teyo went looking for her. He searched many places, but finally found her again at the Transguild Promenade, the exact same spot where they had met. Not wanting to say goodbye, Rat had snuck off, but Teyo told her Kaya appeared to have a plan for how they did not need to say goodbye. Teyo and Rat walked off together, arm in arm.[8]
In-game references
- Represented in:
- Associated cards:
References
- ↑ a b c James Wyatt and Jeremy Crawford (November 2018). D&D Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ As seen on Transguild Promenade.
- ↑ a b Monty Ashley (November 29, 2012). "Walking the Promenade". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
- ↑ Jenna Helland (April 9, 2012). "The Shadows of Prahv, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (2013) Gatecrash: The Secretist, Part Two. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (2013) Dragon's Maze: The Secretist, Part Three. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Greg Weisman (April 2019). "War of the Spark: Ravnica". Del Rey.
- ↑ Greg Weisman (Novemmber 2019) - War of the Spark: Forsaken, Del Rey.
