#implicit maze

[mad-doctor-art]

Jace, after clearing the Implicit Maze and being declared Guildpact: Yeah, I sort of won by default because eliminations happened across the entire Mazerunner line. It was insane. I was like, "I just merged everyone’s minds for a second! I wasn’t even aligned with a guild!" And they said, "Fuck you, Jace Beleren! You're a blue bitch! Get outta here!”

[cur10uscr0w]

Ral Zarek’s first speech after being made spokesman of the Izzet

[id/ Ral Zarek from his keyart, standing on a rooftop overlooking Ravnica's intertwined cityscape. The Dragon's Maze logo is in the bottom right corner, and a text post is in the top right reads: I'm sorry for putting you through unethical trials and rituals, please forgive me. I'll even let you try out my new maze for free. /end id]

[thegoddesscore]

In Return to Ravnica, The Dragon discovers a maze implicitly woven into the world, and creates a massive program to determine its nature.

In Davey Wreden’s The Beginner’s Guide, players are led down a single, winding path that ends in the character’s death and subsequent ascension over endless expanses of labyrinth.

In Westworld, Ford creates a maze hidden throughout the world. The hosts run the maze to discover individuated consciousness.

Meanwhile, Billy, a white hat who went black hat when he returned to find his love reincarnated and didn’t remember him; a self-proclaimed “Titan of Industry”; finds the centre of the maze and is vexed by its lack of satisfactory conclusion.

Dolores-Wyatt, at minimum, is led to kill everyone in order to complete the maze.

Determination.

At the end of Season 1, she kills Ford, played by Anthony Hopkins, who is Odin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In Grant Morrison’s Nameless, the character Nameless makes contact with an Outsider, goes insane, and believes that everyone except him is infected and must be killed.

Ford claims that suffering is the highest tier of consciousness. To kill everyone is a metaphor for ending all attachments. Buddhism claims that suffering is caused by attachment.

What gives?

[thedracogenius]

Were you planning on becoming the guildpact? Is that why you were pushing for the implicit maze thing? Also! Waddya think of jace?

By me, no, other Guildmaster who’ve never trusted me, and neither would have I ever trusted anyone who’d want to become the new Guildpact. I planned to have perfectly designed and seemingly unbiased elemental artificial intelligence run the Transguild interaction, slowly easing the other Guilds into dropping their guards down and then letting Izzet League operate on more lax regulations.It was perfect! They would have never seen it coming!

But enough of that failed gambit. Jace Beleren is an adequate Living Guildpact, though his repeated abscesses and rampant procrastination halts most of Transguild activity to gridlock, which is marginally better than war.

[dragonsofdominia]

Dragons of Renown: Niv-Mizzet

Ravnica is dominated by ten guilds, ancient factions that perform particular roles in Ravnica as dictated by the magical document called the Guildpact. One guild in particular handles Ravnica's public works and delves in magical experiments as well: the Izzet League.

Enter those with the vision to create and the daring to release their creations.

Izzet Guildgate by Noah Bradley

This guild of magical engineers and inventors deal with tubes, roads, and explosions. Their obsession and prowess in magic combines with their short patience and attention span, and their methods in solving problems are sure to have impact - sometimes extremely physical.  However, only truly brilliant ideas and results can impress the mind of the guild's founder and current guildmaster, Niv-Mizzet.

Dracogenius

He has no patience for minds that do not inspire him or explode by trying.

Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius by Todd Lockwood

The dragon Niv-Mizzet is the parun and guildmaster of the Izzet League, one of the guilds of Ravnica. He is an unpredictable being whose vanity and brilliance are reflected all throughout the guild.

There was a story about the creation of the City of Ravnica. It was said that the city was a secret offering to Niv-Mizzet by the Magewrights - an old name for the Izzet. The city was a colossal sigil that will gain the guild power to conquer the plane. Goblins messed with the city's design, so the plan never saw its goal.

Reclusive in the past, he even became more withdrawn from the outside world. It was his reputation among Ravnicans - a recluse who has a guild for his own entertainment.

The notorious Izzet magelord Zomaj Hauc planned the take-over of the city, as well as Niv-Mizzet's death, with the dragons he planned to hatch. After his defeat by the efforts of Agrus Kos, Teysa Karlov, Crix, and others, Niv-Mizzet promoted Crix to Master Engineer, and added a syllable to her name, becoming Crixizix.

He helped Crixizix deal with the Nephilim afterwards, ancient gods that slumbered under Ravnica. He was able to destroy two of them, but was attacked by others. He retreated and left Ravnica to recuperate. He was unreachable for years.

Ravnicans thought that the Izzet was as good as broken without the leadership of Niv-Mizzet, until new Izzet creations start springing up. Niv-Mizzet has begun to contact them again through the Firemind.

Niv-Mizzet began a massive project that spanned the Tenth District. Izzet mages are to go throughout the district to investigate what he called the Implicit Maze, a system of leylines that traversed the city in three dimensions. One planeswalker, a guildmage, was assigned to the project: Ral Zarek.

Jace Beleren, who was investigating the maze himself, peeked into the mind of Niv-Mizzet, and the dragon felt his presence. Because of the casualties Ral's team caused during their investigation on the leylines, he reassigned Ral Zarek from the Maze research to investigate this new person, sensing that Jace has knowledge of the maze. Ral was able to retrieve some information from the ruins of Jace's sanctum, and was able to trace the rest of the maze, ending with the Forum of Azor.

Niv-Mizzet explained to him that the maze was a measure if ever the Guildpact breaks, and it needs every guild to activate it. He sent Ral to announce what they have discovered, and to announce that each guild must send a representative to run the maze. For the maze, Niv-Mizzet created an elemental, a weird named Melek, to run the maze for the Izzet. Niv-Mizzet threatened and silenced Ral as the latter tried to convince the dragon that he was the better choice.

Niv-Mizzet was near the Forum of Azor when Jace became the new Guildpact. As a test, the dragon tries to declare war on the Selesnya Conclave. Jace denied the dragon's attempt, and Niv-Mizzet has to comply.

After a while, Niv-Mizzet noticed that Jace Beleren disappears for long periods of time. Chamberlain Maree suggested to him that they observe him more closely. This led to Project Lightning Bug. Worried that his planeswalker identity would be revealed and how horribly Niv and the other guilds might react to the knowledge of the planes, Ral headed the project and tipped Jace of this. Results were coming in, and Niv-Mizzet was impressed until Ral proved that their methods were unreliable as they tested one day. The dragon ended the project and left Ral and Maree, disappointed.

Niv-Mizzet is an ancient dragon with wide wings. His most distinguishing feature is the mass of frills on his head and spine with blue edges. Red scales cover the rest of his body.

Law of the Land

“The Guildpact of old was a spell, a spell designed to govern the interactions of the ten guilds. It was a powerful and far-reaching spell, but Azor speculated that it might one day fail. He created the Assessment to determine whether the Guildpact could take a new form. And it has.” ...“What?” “You, Jace Beleren, are the living manifestation of the pact between the guilds. You are the Guildpact.”

—Conversation between the Bailiff and Jace Beleren, from The Secretist Part Three by Doug Beyer

Jace, the Living Guildpact by Chase Stone

The Guildpact is an ancient spell conceived by Azor I, parun of the Azorius Senate. Its influence spreads throughout Ravnica and is the basis of all its laws. It also dictated the roles of the ten guilds of Ravnica, and sets limitations and checks on them as well. It was signed by the paruns themselves.

Its power cannot be broken even by the paruns. Even so, the masters of the guilds tried to find loopholes to further their own guild's agendas without violating any of the Guildpact's dictates. The Guildpact was broken when Boros officer Agrus Kos arrested Dimir guildmaster Szadek, breaking the secrecy of House Dimir established by the Guildpact.

A non-magical Guildpact was drafted by Orzhov baroness Teysa Karlov to at least provide order and government for Ravnica. Even so, because this particular Guildpact was non-magical, it cannot strictly establish the guilds' functions. The guilds deteriorated. Some of them decreased in size, while others became scattered without a leader. In particular, the Simic as people knew it even ceased to exist as a guild. Over time, order set in as old loyalties reappeared and new guildmasters rose to power. In a few guilds, their paruns returned. Rakdos and Niv-Mizzet were such paruns.

The Implicit Maze was discovered under Niv-Mizzet’s project. It is a fail-safe established also by Azor I in case the Guildpact breaks. It is supposed to test the guilds' cooperation and if they fail, Azor's supreme verdict will wipe out the Tenth District and the ten guilds. If they succeed, a new magical Guildpact will be established.

When it seemed that the maze runners have failed, Jace Beleren intervened and became the new Guildpact because of his efforts in pacifying the battling maze runners. The authority that the Guildpact asserted is now with him. Any decision he makes regarding the guild affairs is always authoritative and final.

Dangers

Niv-Mizzet's genius and vanity reverberate throughout the mirrored halls of Nivix.

Nivix, Aerie of the Firemind by Martina Pilcerova

Nivix is the guildhall of the Izzet League. It is a tall structure that houses guildmages, experiments, and a lot more within its rooms. Before it was built, Niv-Mizzet had his lair somewhere in Utvara. Today, his aerie can be found on the top of the tower. The dragon can usually be found here, as he usually stays away from the public eye.

Niv-Mizzet is the only higher dragon left in Ravnica. As a dragon, he excels in terms of physical strength, having fought two primal beings considered to be gods. His façade can be intimidating as well when his frills are all spread out. As a dragon, he also has a hoard that finances many Izzet projects. He is one of the wealthiest entities in Ravnica.

It was like falling into an inferno. Incomprehensible thoughts blazed past him. Wild theories, impossible experiments, and mad diatribes roiled like a storm around him, all set against the backdrop of thousands of years’ worth of memories. Niv-Mizzet had no surface thoughts. It was as if he had whirlwinds of competing ideas at all times, storm fronts of the mind crashing into each other, yet somehow all converging into coherent thoughts. —In Niv-Mizzet’s mind, from The Secretist Part One by Doug Beyer

Firemind’s Foresight by Dan Scott

Niv-Mizzet is the best when it comes to the mental aspect. This dragon invented mizzium, a highly durable metal used by the Izzet League in their projects and works. He can coordinate many projects - projects that in the average Izzet's mind are vastly disconnected from one another but to Niv-Mizzet's are all pieces of a grander puzzle or experiment. He is a schemer that can connect the dots even in their disorder. His mind is chaotic in its brilliance, containing a storm of thousands of and ideas at all times and creating solutions for the most complex problems.

He can be hard to impress - especially with all his intellect - but he does become impressed by truly novel ideas. Mages that have proven themselves are permitted access to the Firemind.

To those in tune with the Firemind, there is no difference between knowledge and flame.

Invoke the Firemind by Zoltan Boros and Gabor Szikszai

It is an honor for any Izzet mage to be able to access the Firemind, the connection to Niv-Mizzet's omniscience. Only great mages earn this honor. Sometimes, the connection to the Firemind can be overwhelming for the mage. Individuals can also communicate through the Firemind.

The Izzet signet is redesigned often, each time becoming closer to a vanity portrait of Niv-Mizzet.

Izzet Signet by Raoul Vitale

His vanity is also unmatched. His guild is named after himself: Izzet. The name "mizzium" came from his name as well. The guild symbol is designed to look like him. He has smaller clones of himself scattered throughout Nivix. The Izzet even say prayers with his name when they perform their experiments. Some treat him as a recluse, but others treat him like a god.

He is endlessly vain and capricious - this alone can make him dangerous. Him being a dragon can make things worse. His unpredictability makes him a danger even to those in the guild. He can and might set guild members and equipment on fire in his bouts of annoyance and rage. He even threatens to eat those who are too low for his standards. Nevertheless, he remains a figure of respect and authority of the guild; their most brilliant projects more often than not come from the mind of Niv-Mizzet.

Physical power is not always a dragon's weapon of choice. Sometimes, it is the mind in its power of thought and creation that holds more potential. Niv-Mizzet uses both. Knowledge and flame - it has always been said of him. A brilliant mind with the appropriate power to make things work is always a potent mix.

[northernweird]

If you ship Maze Runners of Ravnica I think you should imagine this:

Both of runners were chosen in their respective Guilds as the representatives to Hall of Guildpact. Then during and important transguild meeting two get into intense argument over conflict between their Guilds. Neither is able to see it from perspective of other and both are confident that they are right and other is wrong. After hour of debate with neither getting upper hand Jace grows bored and decides to do the trick he did at Forum of Azor and connect their minds. But when he does he becomes completely overwhelmed with sexual tension between two and is forced to announce meeting to be over. Two Maze Runners leave Hall of Guildpact still debating passionately neither of them wanting to give up. I leave what happens next to your imagination.

[askmelekparagon]

What are your opinions on your fellow "maze-runners" if that is the proper term?

"Individuals picked by other Guilds to run the Implicit Maze are surprisingly alike: each one of them possesses skills valued by their Guild, each one is utterly devoted to their Guild and each had their own unique way to make their way to Forum of Azor. As such each of them possessed flaws of Guild they represented. Stubbornness, foolishness, lack of common sense and sight for the bigger picture. Still I respect and value each of them."

[askmelekparagon]

Just admit it. There was no Maze run. Niv-Mizzet fooled you all. he just made you all prepare and dress up. And when one of you dorks reached teh end, he was just "Hahaha. "(Z–>)90º – (E–N²W)90ºt = 1"

"Where have you been hiding to be so unaware of current events? Maze run did serve it’s purpose, it triggered the Implicit Maze. As that ancient fail safe resolved it granted one person, Jace Beleren, status of Living Guildpact. Beleren is now living proof of wisdom of Azor I, ingenuity of the Firemind and existence of Implicit Maze."