Barbarian Riftcutter

On the plane of Ravnica, every detail of the great city’s basic functions is controlled and planned out by one of the ten guilds. Because of the power they wield within Ravnican society, becoming a member of any one of the guilds is an attractive prospect, and for many it is the only way to survive the dangers which the plane-spanning city presents on a regular basis. Despite this, some of the citizens of Ravnica remain guildless by choice, a small gesture of their independence in a world where many play as pawns in the games of greater powers. Rarely do these guildless create their own organizations, for fear of what might befall them should they attract the attention of a formal guild; the Riftcutters on the other hand revel in the attention their activities recieve, fighting against the control of the guilds with their every breath.   Citizens of Anarchy The Riftcutters are a group which loudly and strongly shout their hatred of the guilds, pushing every day citizens to work against the machinations of the ten ruling classes in any way that they can. Rarely are these virtues extolled in street-side sermons, as the Riftcutters prefer to show their hatred of the guilds in other ways- namely, by attacking and destroying their works. Wielding magical axes imbued with the strength of lightning, the Riftcutters regularly smash and crash guild-owned property with every chance they get, in the hopes that seeing the monuments of guilded life strewn on the street will push other guildless to fight back as they do. Few normal citizens understand the difference between the anarchy peddled by the Riftcutters and that shown by the Gruul or the Rakdos, but the Riftcutters insist all the same that what they do is far different, and much more noble.   The Controlled Chaos of Lightning The magical axes which the Riftcutters use to destroy the property of the guilds are powerful items, charging the air with static in every swing they make. The lightning that fills these axes also race across the Riftcutter’s skin, lashing out at anyone who gets too close, making it hard for the normal guards of the Wojek Legion or the Lydev Patrol to get close enough to stop them in the middle of a demonstration. Once a Riftcutter has built up enough charge in the air, they can bring their axe down with a powerful blow, strong enough to shatter armor, break bones, and even cleave through stone support columns. The source of the design for these axes comes from the Izzet, who were contracted by the Riftcutters ages ago to make a weapon that would suit their needs. The irony of this interaction seems lost on the Riftcutters, but when asked about it, an Izzet who happens to be drunk enough will explain the reason for granting the Riftcutter’s request. So long as the Riftcutters continue to demolish their public works, such as the boiler engines which keep the power running, since the Izzet are the only guild with the knowledge to repair the damage, they’ll always have a steady stream of work, and the money that goes with it, brought in by the Riftcutter’s activities.