Simic Combine

The Simic Combine

Alternative name	The Biomancers
Colors:
Parun:	Simic
Guild leader:	Momir Vig (Ravnica block; deceased) Zegana (Return to Ravnica block)
Guild champion:	Experimental/Project Kraj Vorel (Return to Ravnica block)
Guild hall:	Novijen (Ravnica block) Zameck (Return to Ravnica block)
Mechanics:	Graft (Dissension) Evolve (Gatecrash)
Featured sets:	Dissension Gatecrash
Signet flavor text:
"For the Simic Combine, its sigil serves not as an emblem of honor but as a trademark. Its familiar image on any biological commodity attests to superb craftsmanship, ingenious innovation, and higher cost." — Simic Signet

The Simic Combine is a green/blue guild from the plane and city of Ravnica. The original purpose of the Simic Combine was to preserve the health of all Ravnican life-forms. They were devoted to the study of life, medicines, and biomancy. But just as life can adapt, so did the Combine. Momir Vig, the Simic guildmaster, was dissatisfied with this original purpose and formed a new purpose: to improve upon life-forms of Ravnica.

With the fall of Momir Vig, the Simic were left in desrepair, until Ravnica's subterranean merfolk emerged, and with them the new guildmaster, Zegana. The new Simic have returned to their hollistic, druid-like roots, embracing the Upwelling/Holdfast principles.

History

Ravnica block

Background

The emotionally distant relationship that the Simic biomancers have with the rest of Ravnica’s society makes the common man wary of the guild, thinking of them as crazy mutant makers. Even so, the Simic make up the physicians of Ravnica and so injuries and illness are taken to the reputable doctors.

Novijen is the genetics laboratory where the Simic design and perfect their biological experiments. It is a hybrid of living matter and sculpted stone held in place by thick cables designed to keep it isolated from the surrounding structures.

Cytoplasts

Cytoplasts are a bio-magical invention, of Momir Vig’s design. Cytoplasts are small masses of living tissue, magical in nature, appearing as blue-green globules. These globules convey genetic information to and from any life-form they come into physical contact with. For example, if a cytoplast in contact with a giant is transferred to a human, the cytoplast then begins to incorporate into the human the physical strength of the giant. Cytoplasts also tend take on the physical characteristics of their hosts somewhat camouflaging themselves.

Originally, cytoplasts were grafted onto hosts using surgery and magic. Momir Vig developed newer versions, however, that only needed to come into contact with a host in order to bond with it, but he did so planning to use them in his Project Kraj.

Return to Ravnica block

With the reemergence of the guilds and the rediscovery of Ravnica's long gone oceans, though the holes known as Zonots, the Simic were remade from scratch. Embracing long gone spiritual and hollistic concepts, they rejected Momir Vig's corrupted philosophy, focusing on natural advancing nature through purely magical experimentations. Because of their focus on the oceans, their new philosophy revolves about principles applied to sea-life: the Holdfast, the anchoring, isolationist motion, and the Upwelling, the expansive, upwards going motion. With this, they form a compromise between isolation and influence on ravnican society, preserving nature and allowing at least one spot of access to the underground oceans.

Zegana is the guildmaster, and the seven Zonots the focus of Simic activity.