Adapted From: The Brutal Philosophy of Jund
The Starfall Galaxy’s devotion pie is an inherently complex thing. Sure, each of its five devotions are rigid and easy to define, but the magic happens when you begin to combine these devotions to create something new. This wonderful setting of ours has leveraged this complexity to craft many unique factions and characters; however, when it comes to three-devotion combinations known as shards and wedges, the definitions become less apparent, and the examples less available.
Black-Red-Green Devotion
I aim to clear up what drives each of them at a fundamental level, starting with The Savage Symphony. This combination of Black, Red, and Green is a set of devotions that has so much more to it than people give it credit for.
The Rhythm of the Wilds
The best way to understand the devotion pie is to first observe it, then use those observations to extrapolate different ideas. When it comes to the Savage Symphony, there are two main factions that you need to understand first in order to see how varied this combination can be.
The first is that of the miniature plane of The Sulphurous Swath, the source of this combination's name. Here we have a world defined by vicious strength, one where power is leveraged to take what one wants. It's a world of hunters and apex predators, a land where the weak are culled as a matter of nature and only the most vicious may thrive. This plane is something that takes Black's ruthlessness and pairs it neatly with the Wildfire Guild's wild, almost animal nature, lending itself to a philosophy devoid of sympathy for those who are not strong enough to justify their existence.
The other example comes to us from the streets of Nova Prime and the faction called the Forgeborn Clan, a faction whose hands built the great towering spires of the plane and by whose hands each building may fall. It's said that the Forgeborn Clan's hands are calloused by hard work and even harder play. To me, they represent a form of this combination that falls into the restless need to keep the body busy, born from a core in Red, all while reveling in this cycle of creation and destruction found in the Wildfire Guild.
Now, with this understanding of these two factions, it's then important to observe what sort of creature types or classes are most common in the combination you're studying. And what I found to be the most common creature type in the Savage Symphony was that of Cosmic Aether-Dragons. Cosmic Aether-Dragons, especially those of the Swath, are devourers of all that stand in their way. They fear no one and count themselves at the top of the food chain. It is here that they exist for their own sake, but what can we learn from them applied to ourselves? It tells us that we must exude strength, and if we do so, we will not fear the other, nor will they be able to take advantage of us.
With these examples pulled straight from the Starfall Galaxy, you begin to see what I mean: that there is something deeper here. So let's go deeper still as we discuss three potential variations of this combination by focusing on one of the three devotions present more than the others.
Core Philosophies
1. Strength is a State of Being
What does strength mean to you? To the Savage Symphony, strength is a state of being, a way of carrying oneself which provides a means to take from this life what it wishes. Strength has always separated those who feed from the best stock and those who watch from the sidelines, but do not think of this simply as mere physical prowess, but a fortitude of personality. It is the willingness to stand tall and proud, to puff one's chest and proclaim that "life is mine."
In this version of the Savage Symphony, one that focuses on Black Mana, the way one carries itself is the determining factor in the quality of one's life. Every choice, every action is a test of one's resolve, a challenge to prove that you are not merely surviving, but thriving. It's not just about towering might, but the cunning to seize opportunities as they arise, the resilience to endure and adapt, and the instinct to know when to strike and when to bide your time. This is where Black Mana thrives. It teaches us that survival is not guaranteed but earned. There are no apologies and no regrets. The Savage Symphony’s philosophy is that of the predator, and in the wilds, only the fiercest and the most resourceful hold sway. The Wildfire Guild, meanwhile, fuels the primal engine of this relentless force. It's the raw, untamed energy that surges beneath the surface, the howl of the star-wolf, the stampede of the cosmic beast, the breaking chains that seek freedom at any cost. In the Savage Symphony, you don’t ask for your place in this world, you claim it.
2. The Rhythm of Motion
This version of the Savage Symphony represents the restless dichotomy of creation and destruction, of working hard and playing hard, of loving and fighting. It is the salt-of-the-earth sentient beings who get their hands dirty building something tangible. They may be construction workers, space-farmers, and the like—simple in action, but hardy in constitution. We see this sort of circle play out in the Wildfire Guild, who often represent the cycle of life and death, of growth and decay, but when anchored to Red, there's a simplicity to it, rather than some deeper philosophical meaning. It’s that push and pull of their heart that makes them never sit still. There is no overthinking, no existential crisis, just a rhythm, a pulse that drives the heart to act.
Life must be lived through the body, through muscle and grit. It’s a philosophy that finds meaning in motion—to build, to fight, to laugh, and to love. All of it comes from the same primal core. It's not about pondering the why but about feeling the satisfaction in the doing. Anchored in Red, the Savage Symphony’s soul is restless, always pushing forward. It's the spark that fuels every swing of the hammer, every footfall in the fields, and every roar of laughter shared over a hard day’s labor. There's a purity in this drive, something raw and simple. It's not concerned with legacy or preservation, but the act of living fully in the moment. The farmer who tills the land, knowing that what grows today will wither tomorrow, doesn’t lament the cycle but embraces it. The worker who builds a home understands that time may one day wear it down, but that's not the point. The point is in the doing, in the creation, in the satisfaction of bringing something to life, however fleeting. In the Savage Symphony, it's about living in that endless push and pull, that constant motion. The Savage Symphony doesn’t need to sit still because in its restlessness, it finds peace.
3. Unshakable Self-Awareness
“I am, therefore I am.” A statement of self-confidence born from the wisdom to know oneself in one's place. To be confident in one’s existence because of the connection we hold to the ground we lay our feet on and the awareness to understand it. The Savage Symphony may come off as a mindset for those who act with bravado, but there is a level of introspection there, even if it may not go deeper than a feeling. In these quiet spaces, the Savage Symphony finds peace within itself through the turbulence of life.
Look to the wisdom that Green provides and the calm that washes over when we understand our place. Then, pair that with the Infernal Hegemony, and the Savage Symphony becomes a way of thinking that is pure in who it is, one that never questions what its place is and where it belongs, and in that space, it thrives. This wisdom is instinctual, raw, and immediate—a recognition of self that does not need the affirmation of others. To be a part of the Savage Symphony is to be unshaken by doubt when one understands that they are both part of the world and a force that shapes it. Somehow, they find balance, but balance does not mean passivity. It's still a philosophy with a zest for life that is expressed through action. Where Green grants understanding, the Infernal Hegemony supplies the will to act on that understanding without hesitation. When you bring these devotions together, they form a worldview that does not flinch, does not waver. The Savage Symphony knows its place and it claims it without question. There is no need to wonder or second-guess when you know deeply and truly that you belong, and in that knowledge, the Savage Symphony thrives—wild, untamed, and unshakable.
Conclusion
The Savage Symphony is a force that thrives on instinct, action, and an unshakable sense of self. It is a way of life that refuses to be confined to one definition, embracing the contradictions of creation and destruction, of introspection and of ferocity. Whether it's the strength to take from the world what you need, the tireless energy to keep moving forward, or the deep connection to your place in the grander scheme of things, the Savage Symphony is a way of thinking that never falters. It is the philosophy of the devourer, the builder, and the apex predator. There's a freedom in this, a release from overthinking and doubt, because in the Savage Symphony, you do not just live, you thrive, and in doing so, you become as unyielding as the Aether-Dragons themselves. This is the way of the Savage Symphony: fierce, relentless, and unapologetically alive.
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