Boros vs Rakdos

In the Magical city of Ravnica, there are ten great guilds, all of which are locked in an endless struggle for control, but instead of naming and describing each of the ten guilds of Ravnica, I'm going to focus on just two: Boros and Rakdos.

The Boros Legion is, with one notable competitor, perhaps the most Paladinic guild in Ravnica. Led by an angel named Aurelia, the Boros Legion is composed mostly of soldiers who battle against the forces of evil and chaos, holding those dark forces at bay.

One of those dark forces the Boros Legion holds back is the Cult of Rakdos. Led by the demon after which their cult is named, the Cult of Rakdos poses as some kind of morbid circus, causing as much pain, suffering, and chaos as it can while providing the less-morally-inclined with all the guilty pleasures a city can offer.

These two guilds provide excellent stand-ins for the ultimate battle between good and evil, at least in my own heart, and these two guilds in particular work very well for me in particular for a few specific reasons.

As I've already said, the Boros Legion is one of the most Paladinic guilds in Ravnica, and Boros narrowly beats out its closest competitor, at least in my mind, by embodying not only the devotion to goodness that I hope to emulate but also the fiery energy that is simultaneously one of my better and worse traits. Like me, the Boros are soldiers who fight against evil. Like me, the Boros possess a good deal of energy, but sometimes let their rage get the better of them. I fit well amongst the ranks of the Boros Legion.

Meanwhile, the Rakdos fit well as my main antagonists. Not only are they the most unapologetically evil guild in Ravnica, but they also mask that evil under the guise of fun. A handful of my faults involve what sorts of entertainment I seek and how much time I spend consuming it.

The Rakdos are also a good antagonist for me because they're not subtle. I've been fighting Satan long enough to know what tactics he uses against me. Those tactics don't involve stealth or cunning because, unfortunately, they don't have to. I know how Satan fights me, but I have yet to find and implement effective countermeasures again him. So far, my best response has been to fight harder, which is a very Boros answer.

The most encouraging and discouraging thing about this conflict involves something called the Guildpact. Over ten thousand years ago in Ravnica's history, the ten guilds of Ravnica ended a bloody conflict by signing a binding magical contract that prevents the guilds from attempting to destroy one another. The Boros cannot completely eliminate the Rakdos and the Rakdos cannot completely destroy the Boros. They can, and frequently do, have violent skirmishes, but unless the Guildpact is changed or broken (again), their conflict will be eternal.

And so will mine.

I cannot destroy Satan and he cannot destroy me. The best either of us could hope to do is bind and repress the other, but neither of us will ever stop fighting for freedom and control. This is encouraging because it means I cannot lose, but it's also discouraging because it means I can never really win. I can never stop fighting. I can never set my sword or shield down. I will be stuck fighting my demon for at least the rest of my mortal life, barring some sort of miracle. Because of my Savior's Atonement, I will never be hopeless, but because my foe is immortal, I will never be safe.

So, I go on fighting, and I will keep on fighting for my entire life. We might change tactics, as I probably should, but just like the conflicts that play out in Ravnica, the conflict inside me will never truly end.