As everyone knew, the Ravnica plane was jointly ruled and managed by ten guilds that had originally signed contracts with the Ancient Planeswalker Azor, each representing a different ideal.
This meant that no faction here could overwhelm the other guilds and achieve unity of thought, power, or ideology.
Even the Azorius Senate, which ostensibly served as the government, law enforcement, and judicial system, was no exception.
When multiple guilds joined forces to resist or even rebel, even the Azorius Senate could only bow its head and compromise.
Niv-Mizzet had temporarily seized control of all Ravnica through this very method, forcing every other guild to cooperate in building an enormous defensive system.
In other words, it was essentially the small-government, liberal ideal so highly praised by capitalists.
Every guild was responsible only for the fields it found interesting and excelled at, seeking cooperation through mutual games of power and eventually achieving a delicate balance.
Because of the highly binding magical contract Azor had left behind, even guilds led by exceptionally powerful figures could not cross that boundary.
As perhaps the oldest and most ancient creature on the Ravnica plane, Niv-Mizzet had remained obediently within the Izzet League for all these years without expanding in any form. That was the best proof.
Because even he would suffer an unimaginably severe punishment the instant he violated the contract's terms, perhaps even dropping dead on the spot.
It was precisely because of the lack of authority, ideological consensus, and a strong ruling group that the ten Guildpact guilds of Ravnica had remained locked in endless internal strife.
The grudges between certain guilds and factions had continued for centuries, even millennia, and had long since become a tangled, knotted mess.
Unless one side was completely wiped out, the other would never let the matter rest.