Orzhov Syndicate
Do you want to live forever? More importantly, do you want to be rich and powerful forever? The Orzhov Syndicate does, and they've got the infrastructure to make it happen . . . for themselves, at least. Maybe not for you. Fair warning: many who tangle with the Orzhov become permanently bound to them, either through debt or through guilt, forced to become a cog in their criminal empire.
The Orzhov began their life as a proper religious organization, and they still pay lip service to that idea from time to time. The Orzhov still employs priests, for example, and their guild hall is called Orzhova, the Church of Deals. Guilt is still one of their major weapons, especially when they can use the promise of atonement as means to gaining control over their followers.
These days, however, the "deals" part of that name takes precedence over the "church" part. There aren't many businesses on Ravnica that aren't either run by or in debt to the Orzhov, and the Syndicate's push into organized crime is only becoming more brazen. The Syndicate is organized into a loose affiliation of cartels, each of which is led by their own priest or kingpin. Maintaining a rigid hierarchy is important to the Orzhov, where your position in the guild is a matter of identity and power. Plus, the more power you have, the longer you might live. Elite members of the Syndicate are willing to do whatever it takes to extend their life, and many are even able to transcend death itself.
For thousands of years, the Orzhov Syndicate was led by the Obzedat, also known as the Ghost Council of Orzhova. Members of the Obzedat were the elite of the elite in life—patriarchs and autocrats of incomparable wealth and power. These spirits (known on Ravnica as the Deathless) didn't let a little thing like death stand between them and their desire to accrue more wealth and power. Cloistering themselves deep within Orzhov territory, the Obzedat rarely revealed themselves, instead choosing to rule through their Grand Envoy, an advokist named Teysa Karlov.
Recently the Angels within Orzhov have grown in power, changing the dynamics within the guild somewhat.
The Orzhov began their life as a proper religious organization, and they still pay lip service to that idea from time to time. The Orzhov still employs priests, for example, and their guild hall is called Orzhova, the Church of Deals. Guilt is still one of their major weapons, especially when they can use the promise of atonement as means to gaining control over their followers.
These days, however, the "deals" part of that name takes precedence over the "church" part. There aren't many businesses on Ravnica that aren't either run by or in debt to the Orzhov, and the Syndicate's push into organized crime is only becoming more brazen. The Syndicate is organized into a loose affiliation of cartels, each of which is led by their own priest or kingpin. Maintaining a rigid hierarchy is important to the Orzhov, where your position in the guild is a matter of identity and power. Plus, the more power you have, the longer you might live. Elite members of the Syndicate are willing to do whatever it takes to extend their life, and many are even able to transcend death itself.
For thousands of years, the Orzhov Syndicate was led by the Obzedat, also known as the Ghost Council of Orzhova. Members of the Obzedat were the elite of the elite in life—patriarchs and autocrats of incomparable wealth and power. These spirits (known on Ravnica as the Deathless) didn't let a little thing like death stand between them and their desire to accrue more wealth and power. Cloistering themselves deep within Orzhov territory, the Obzedat rarely revealed themselves, instead choosing to rule through their Grand Envoy, an advokist named Teysa Karlov.
Recently the Angels within Orzhov have grown in power, changing the dynamics within the guild somewhat.
Type
Guild, Professional
Subsidiary Organizations
Comments