Welcome back, Lore Seekers! Over five years ago, I wrote Preparing for Ravnica for CoolStuffInc. I cover so much there, there's no way I'll be able improve on a lot of that, so here's what I'm going to do: this is effectively going to be a 'Part II' to that original article, revamping some of the timeline stuff after the original Ravnica block and expanding on what happened on Ravnica after the War of the Spark. This article will give you a great idea of the state of Ravnica as we enter Murders at Karlov Manor. Let's dive in!

The Detective Foundations of the Guilds

Murders at Karlov Manor Key Art

While detective work may not seem like something that's a natural fit for Ravnica, I think the flavor is a slam dunk here. While I may never forgive the murder mystery set for not being on Fiora, it only took me a few minutes to remember that the entire original Ravnica block's story was about a detective. The whole thing. Of course, this makes sense on Ravnica.

The original Magic block positioned the Boros as the plane's police force, with the Wojek being the bulk of the beat cops and detectives. They employed Simic and Selesnyans as scientists and medical personnel to support the Wojek mission, and also commissioned weapons and technology from the Izzet. After the events of the Decamillennial (the original Ravnica: City of Guilds story), the Boros' Wojek ranks were thinned out to such a degree that they were forced to rely on part timers from other guilds, bringing in Selesnya Ledevs (essentially, highway patrol) and other guild members with useful skills on a part-time basis to fill the gaps. There were also independent sheriff-like organizations called Haazda that kept the peace in places the guilds held no sway.

When we came back in Return to Ravnica, the Azorius had moved in on the law enforcement of Ravnica to a significant degree, relegating the Boros to largely a standing peacekeeping military force. One of the three pillars of the Azorius was dedicated to enforcing the law, leading to some confusion as to jurisdiction. Now we have the Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations, a new independent agency founded in the wake of the Phyrexian Invasion, and made up of both former guilded investigators as well as guildless ones, in an attempt to make criminal investigations a neutral endeavor in a time when tensions are high and Ravnica is till recovering.

Fixing the Timeline

When I wrote Preparing for Ravnica back in 2018, I was not yet Magic's loremaster, nor was I in charge of the official timeline. Now that I'm both, I feel obligated to go back and fix the timeline errors of that article. Everything before The Broken Guildpact should still work just fine, as we had actual dates for those things back then!

10,016 Z.C. - The Broken Guildpact

Agryem splits off from Ravnica again during the Mending, leaving the fate of the ghosts there unknown. Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier shows us modern Boros angels (with two wings instead of four) indicating he made it through this transition and remained a ghost on Ravnica proper. The fate of Szadek's ghost is still unknown. Without the Guildpact, the power of the Guilds begins to fade. Teysa attempts to hold it together with her own, non-magical guildpact, but war seems inevitable. (Dissension)

10,056 Z.C. - The Duskend Purges

The gorgon Vraska the Unseen is tortured after a corrupt Azorius raid signed off on by Isperia the Inscrutable. She is used by her own people, the Golgari, as a weapon against the prison guards. Her spark ignites in a prison riot, and when she returns, she becomes an assassin, killing with poetic justice and getting her revenge on the corrupt officials who imprisoned her (The Shadows of Prahv, Part 1, The Shadows of Prahv, Part 2).

10,061 Z.C. - Tezzeret's Coup

Tezzeret the Seeker kills everyone who knows that the Infinite Consortium, an interplanar syndicate headquartered on Ravnica, secretly belongs to the elder dragon Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, taking control for himself (Agents of Artifice, Test of Metal).

10,069 Z.C. to 10,072 Z.C. - Agents of Artifice

Jace Beleren, a young mind mage with amnesia, is recruited into the Consortium with the promise of training on how to use his powers. His friend Emmara Tandris warns him about the Consortium, but he doesn't listen. Jace finds himself more and more morally compromised as he works for the Consortium, culminating in two major failures: a mission to Kamigawa that goes awry, burning down Nashi, Moon's Legacy's village, and failing to keep Nicol Bolas out of Tezzeret's mind. Tezzeret's abusive personality becomes apparent, and Jace flees the Consortium with his partner, Kallist.

Art by Karl Kopinski

On the run, they meet Liliana Vess, who worked as a sort of contractor for the Consortium. She seduces Jace and attempts to turn him against Tezzeret, but when Jace proves intransigent, she manipulates him into continuing the conflict by selling out all of Jace's known associates to Tezzeret. Jace falls for the trap, but when he realizes she was working to give the Consortium back to Bolas (in exchange for help with her demons), he leaves Tezzeret for dead and abandons Liliana. Nicol Bolas reclaims Tezzeret in the aftermath of their conflict and rebuilds him. (Agents of Artifice).

Before 10,075 Z.C. - Before Return to Ravnica

A new kind of angel emerges, no longer a copy of Razia. One of these, Aurelia, the Warleader usurps Leadership of the Boros from Feather, the Redeemed, decreeing that a former penitent angel can't be the Guildmaster. Lazav, Dimir Mastermind hires Krenko, Mob Boss to steal a feather from Feather, and the goblin succeeds, freeing Feather in the process only to raise the alarm at her escape (Krenko, Mob Boss).

The young Gruul Domri Rade's spark ignites during a coming of age ceremony, transporting him to Naya on Alara. He returns to his clan with a greater understanding of the multiverse and a love of the giant creature of Naya (The Burying, Part 1, The Burying, Part 2).

Fblthp gets lost (Fblthp).

After discovering the horrors of the Eldrazi on Zendikar, Gideon Jura allies himself with the Boros Legion. He would find dividing his time between the two planes would begin to wear on him (The Greater Good, Battle for the Ninth).

10,075 Z.C. - Return to Ravnica

The Izzet begin researching the Implicit Maze, believed to be a secret of great power hidden on Ravnica. Jace finds himself researching the same mystery from a different angle, which brings him to the attention of Niv-Mizzet. The dragon sends his lead researcher, Ral Zarek, to investigate what Jace knows. Jace is pursued by Lavinia of the Tenth, an Azorius investigator who wants to bring him in for crimes committed in his attempt to cover up what he knew. Despite Jace's best efforts, the Implicit Maze's secrets are laid bare for all the Guilds. Behind the scenes, Lazav manipulates events to push the Guilds to the verge of an all-out war. With the secret now known, Niv-Mizzet organizes a race to follow the Implicit Maze.

Jace learns that the Maze was a failsafe left by Azor, the Lawbringer, and that if the Guilds don't learn to cooperate, the Supreme Verdict will be unleashed, wiping out all life from the Tenth district. He aids Emmara Tandris as she runs the race, but Ral's vendetta against Jace causes problems for the mind mage. As all the runners make it to the Maze's End in the Forum of Azor, Lazav sows some final discord among the racers. Before the Bailiff can unleash the Verdict, Jace connects all the runner's minds, calming them and allowing them each to see from the other's point of view. This act earns him the power of the Living Guildpact. (The Secretist Parts I, II, and II).

Jace, Architect of Thought and Vraska the Unseen by Slawomir Maniak

10,075 Z.C.* to 10,076 Z.C.* - Era of the Living Guildpact

Jace, the Living Guildpact comes into conflict with Vraska, who wants Jace's help in righting the wrongs of the Guilds, and will kill to get it. Jace defeats her, revealing the assassin (The Gorgon and the Guildpact). Vraska's scheming would continue, with her allies in the Golgari helping her plot against guild leader Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord (Pride of the Kraul). She takes an assignment from Nicol Bolas to recover The Immortal Sun and spends months on Ixalan (The Talented Captain Vraska).

Teysa, likewise, wants to subvert the Obzedat, Ghost Council lording over her Guild. She enlists the aid of Tajic, Blade of the Legion and uses Jace's inattentiveness to create loopholes in the law magic of the Guildpact to break into the Obzedat's most secret vaults and destroy their corpses (and their tethers to reality). She discovers the Obzedat have a room that defies the Guildpact, and Tajic is hauled away as she is forced to submit to them once more. (Teysa Karlov, Family Values)

Ral Zarek is forced to ally himself with Jace as the Izzet launch a project that can detect planeswalkers, Project Lightning Bug. Together, they fool the device to make it appear as if it's malfunctioning, and Niv-Mizzet cancels the project. The two planeswalkers attempt to discover the identity of a third, mysterious planeswalker, but Gideon gets the drop on them, learning the Guildpact is a planeswalker (Project Lightning Bug). Gideon splits his time between his struggle on Zendikar and aiding the Boros on Ravnica, but finds he can't manage both. Krenko, Mob Boss kills one of the Shattergang Brothers, igniting a goblin gang war, and Gideon is wounded by Krenko as he apprehends the goblin (Limits). He recruits Jace Beleren to help with Zendikar, leaving Liliana behind (Catching Up).

Off-Plane - The Gatewatch's Story (Kaladesh through Dominaria)

When they return, it is with new allies. Chandra Nalaar, Nissa Revane, and Liliana Vess have all joined their new organization, the Gatewatch. Jace becomes even more inattentive as the Living Guildpact, much to Lavinia's (his deputy) chagrin as he is pulled away for months at a time by the Gatewatch's adventures. First to Kaladesh where they discover Tezzeret still lives, and later to Amonkhet to confront Nicol Bolas. It ends very poorly (Battle for Zendikar through Hour of Devastation web fiction).

An amnesiac Jace winds up on Ixalan, where he meets and bonds with Vraska. As his memories return, he finds himself a changed man, finally whole for the first time in his life. He finds Azor trapped on Ixalan after giving up his spark to power The Immortal Sun, and uses his power as the Guildpact to banish the Azor to a remote island... but not before learning of Nicol Bolas' plans for Ravnica from the sphinx.

Afterward, he and Vraska concoct a plan to undermine Nicol Bolas's schemes for their home, planning to enlist Niv-Mizzet and use Jace's increased mental control to convince Bolas that Vraska is still a willing agent. It doesn't go well (Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan web fiction).

Jace returns to his Gatewatch allies on Dominaria, but continues on when they insist on aiding Liliana. When the Gatewatch finally arrive on Ravnica with new allies in the fight against Bolas, including Jaya Ballard, Karn, Scion of Ugin, and Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, the others are distraught to see Liliana having abandoned them. In truth, by freeing Liliana of her demon deals, she's fallen In Bolas's Clutches, forced to serve or rapidly age to her death (Return to Dominaria web fiction).

10,076 Z.C. - The Gathering Storm and War of the Spark

Storm the Citadel by Grzegorz Rutkowski

Meanwhile, in the weeks leading up to the War of the Spark, Vraska returns - her memory wiped - and it turns out that Bolas made good on his deal. She is given Jarad's location and assurances that he will be more-or-less defenseless, and she assassinates him and with the kraul at her back, assumes control of the guild.

Kaya, Ghost Assassin arrives on the plane, having been hired by Teysa Karlov to assassinate the Ghost Council once and for all, giving control of the guild over to Teysa. Kaya succeeds, but with every member of the council killed, their debt-chains transfer to Kaya instead of Teysa, leaving Kaya as the de facto leader of the guild.

Aware of an impending invasion and after a close call with Tezzeret, Ral Zarek is tasked with creating the Interplanar Beacon and securing the other guilds' cooperation to make Niv-Mizzet the new guildpact. He is also given control of the guild as Niv-Mizzet prepares for Bolas' arrival. Along the way, Ral falls deeply in love with Tomik, Distinguished Advokist, who is also Teysa's assistant and a high ranking Orzhov. Kaya, Vraska, and Ral slowly build trust and even friendship with one another.

Ral eventually pulls together a Guild Summit to address the issue of the Living Guildpact, but after the first day convenes, Vraska assassinates Supreme Judge Isperia, the Azorius guildmaster. This is partially in vengeance for the Duskend Purges, and partially due to Nicol Bolas maneuvering her into a corner. In the chaos that follows, Dovin Baan, Grand Arbiter assumes control of the Azorius. Lavinia, meanwhile, suspects something is wrong and goes into hiding, working with Ral in secret against Bolas' machinations.

Left with no other options, Ral hatches a plan to secure the nodes from the Implicit Maze to make Niv-Mizzet guildpact, but the plan fails and the firemind is forced to confront Bolas himself without a power boost. After a massive battle, Niv-Mizzet falls and Bolas is on the verge of commencing the invasion. Ral fights his way to activate the beacon, and Vraska assassinates the Bolas sympathizers within her guild, but the damage she caused is done as the invasion proceeds as planned. (The Gathering Storm web fiction)

Planeswalkers from across the multiverse arrive on Ravnica, and the guilds controlled by Bolas fracture after realizing what the dragon really attempts to do. Tezzeret, using the Planar Bridge, brings an undead army of Eternals to Ravnica and begins wreaking havoc. As the planeswalkers fight back, Bolas reveals his true plan, to trap the planeswalkers on the plane by using the Immortal Sun, and steal their sparks with The Elderspell, returning him to godhood.

Liliana Vess, in command of his Eternal army, eventually turns on Bolas. Together the Gatewatch, assembled planeswalkers, and Niv-Mizzet Reborn are able to stop his ambitions. Bolas's own spark is removed, and while everyone thinks him dead, Ugin secretly transports him off plane to the Prison Realm (the former Mediditation Realm) with Jace's help. (War of the Spark: Ravnica)

A few months later, Huatli and Saheeli have a second meet cute, when they realize they're the ones who've been sending flirty messages to one another. (Note for a Stranger)

10,078 Z.C. - The Phyrexian Invasion

Invasion of Ravnica // Guildpact Paragon by Leon Tukker

Tezzeret, having escaped from the War of the Spark with the Planar Bridge intact, discovers it is poisoning him. To get it removed, and get a new, indestructible darksteel body, he attempts to play the New Phyrexians. It goes badly, and after they discover the secret to completing planeswalkers with a spark, they capture a handful of planeswalkers and convert them to become generals of New Phyrexia. Vraska, captured during the unsuccessful attack on New Phyrexia, leads the Phyrexian armada to Ravnica. Forewarned of the invasion, Ral has prepared some countermeasures, but the sheer number of invaders is staggering. Vraska compleats most of the Golgari, and Realmbreaker's branches shatter the city layers that divide it from the undercity as completed Golgari stream out. Both the Izzet and the Simic find their curiosity gets the better of them and suffer early losses in the invasion, and the Boros Legion is decimated yet again. Ral eventually stops Vraska, but her body is never recovered. (Ravnica: One and the Same)

10,079* Z.C. - Murders at Karlov Manor

And that catches us up to now, which is a year or so out from the invasion! The exact timeframe hasn't been revealed yet, but it follows from Lost Caverns of Ixalan which was a year or so out from the invasion, so this is some time after that. In the very first episode, we learn that an Archon named Ezrim has formed the Ravnican Agency of Magicological Investigations, and brought a number of both guilded and unguilded investigators to the forefront. Here's how things have shaken up:

• Teysa has finally ousted Kaya from the guildmaster position, something Kaya isn't all that mad about since she didn't want it in the first place.
• Krenko, although always legitimate, has become recognized as such by the general public.
• Lavinia is the official guild leader of the Azorius (she was temporary last we saw her).
• The Golgari are in ruins, the Dimir haven't been heard from since the Invasion (although individual Dimir have been spotted), and the Izzet and Simic both have tarnished reputations. (MK | Episode 1: Ghosts of Our Past)

And you're all caught up! I'll start articles about Ravnica characters next time!