Boros Legion

Ravnica's Security Force, Constabulary, and Standing Army

Overview

The Boros Legion was founded by Parun Razia, a militant flaming-sword-wielding Archangel capable of using flame and light magic who fervently and firmly believed in harmonious coexistence on Ravnica, even if lives were lost and blood was shed in achieving this. The Legion functions as the righteous and zealous constabulary and standing army of Ravnica, as the League of Wojek and Boros Army, respectively, and enforces Ravnican laws created by the Azorius Senate. The Boros Legion is known to utilize many fire and light spells in their efforts.

Purpose

Clad in shining armor and fueled by righteous zeal, the soldiers of the Boros Legion take up steel against the corruption and lawlessness that gnaw at the soul of Ravnica. Combining the force of law with the military strength to back it up, the Boros work to forge Ravnica into a just society, a safe and healthy community for all. From garrisons throughout the sprawling city, disciplined, stalwart soldiers are dispatched to stand firm against Gruul raids, Dimir infiltration, Golgari insurrection, Orzhov corruption, the subtle influence of the Guildless movement, as well as threats that include more nefarious or monstrous foes.

Core Values

Wherever criminals exploit others, petty tyrants make grabs for power, or violence erupts and leaves devastation in its wake, Boros soldiers are fighting to make things right.

The Legion is defined by the tension between its goal of establishing order and harmony and the fiery zeal that drives many of its members. The guild stands for peace and justice, which can be established only through the rule of law. Its moral stance is fundamentally good, as it strives to protect the innocent and powerless from oppression and exploitation. At the same time, the members of the Legion are passionate about their pursuit of justice, spurred by their righteous wrath into action against evil and injustice. Ironically, this means that individual members sometimes break the rules they are charged with enforcing, leaning on the spirit of the law when the letter no longer serves justice.

Goals

There is only one reason why every genuine Legionnaire, angelic or not, gets up every morning and dons the red, gold, and white armor: to fight the good fight. They know that the world will never be perfect and that strife will always exist; in fact, the very existence of the Boros Legion is an acceptance of that fact and a pledge to stand in the gap no matter how many times dangers comes to the threshold and no matter what form it takes. It's an exhausting, endless, low paying, and largely thankless marathon, but nothing else matters. This is a large portion of the Boros worldview and there are even official positions for priests and places of worship within garrisons so that soldiers can reflect on the why they fight the good fight, so they can get up and fight some more.

Organization Structure

Back during the days of Razia's leadership, over seventy-five years ago, the Legion had a complex hierarchy of Powerbands up and down the chain of command. The primary theme to the system was Angels in command with the Boros Army and the League of Wojek following commands. Under the Parun's orders, Angels were not allowed to fraternize with the mortal members of the Legion.

After Aurelia assumed the office of guildmaster, she established several changes to the way the guild was run. While she maintained both the Army and the Wojek, Angels were now encouraged to mingle with the lower ranks and Aurelia enforced practicality over tradition among them.

In addition, Aurelia did away with the Powerband system and split leadership of the bulk of the legion into four "theatres" that mainly deal with threats to the public order:

Theatre of Order: tasked to fight against Gruul incursions and Rakdos clubs.
Theatre of Integrity: tasked to find the sleeper agents and hidden refuges of the House Dimir and root any members of this subversive guild out. A subdivision of this theatre, the Dead Brigade, is tasked to neutralize spirits.
Theatre of Fortification: tasked to increase Boros weapons and battle effectiveness. Its commander is Tajic. One distinct branch of this theatre, called the Warmind Initiative, is a conjoined effort of the Izzet and the Boros to develop new technologies for the Legion to use to keep the peace.
Theatre of Recruitment: having the objective to find and indoctrinate members among the guildless that seem suitable to serve in the Legion.

The most sweeping recent change has been the reorganization of the guild into countless small local forces. Boros forces are now distributed into garrisons, each of which performs all the functions of the theaters in their own district. Each garrison has little knowledge of the activities of the others, and secret plans are not shared. Thus, if one garrison is infiltrated by spies from another guild, the caused damage is limited to that garrison alone. The Warleader Angels coordinate the efforts of the garrisons, with the Battleforce Angels as their liaisons. Firemane Angels walk regularly among the soldiers, rooting out any hint of deception or corruption.

Recruitment

Whether they are scouted or sign up voluntarily, new recruits to the Legion are sent to an academy, usually Horizon Military Academy, for training. All would be members are tempered in the forge of discipline, devotion, and zeal. The training is deliberately harsh to weed out the weak and uncommitted. Those that make it to the end get the chance to put everything they learned to use in the Legion's service. Mentors measure the ability of each recruit as they pass through the academy, placing them on a route that best utilizes their talents. Depending on whether new members focused on martial training, studied magic, or both, their path after the academy could look fairly different.

The next step up the ladder for the martial path is becoming a soldier. The vast majority of the Legion are soldiers and, as such, there are several ranks and hierarchies within the soldier designation. Some are designated as guards, others have patrols, while others still stand on the frontlines against the enemies of justice. A subsection of this portion of the army is the Legion's vanguard unit called the Swiftblades. These elite soldiers specialize in assault and occupation, and squads of Swiftblades are often used as commandos or guerrillas. They can rush ahead of the primary force and pick off enemy archers and spellcasters to soften the front lines before the rest of the Legion marches in.

There are two types of mages in the Legion, Embermages and Medics. The larger of the two by far are the Embermages, who use fire to burn through front line defenses and light to clear the way for combat troops. Medics tend to the well being of their troops, both in and out of the heat of combat, and with a combination of magical and mundane medicine to close wounds and restore strength.

Recruits that excel in both combat and magic can earn the rank of Firefist, tactical thinkers trained to lead battalions, execute large scale combat maneuvers, and devise pre-battle strategies. Firefists command a great deal of respect from the rest of the legion and are usually looked at first for promotion up the chain.

Public Relations

In general, the Boros find some common ground with other guilds that value order and structure, such as the Azorius, Selesnya, and the Orzhov to a lesser extent. The Rakdos, Gruul, and Izzet might share the zeal and energy of the Boros, but they represent the more chaotic aspect of those qualities, which threatens the stability of Ravnica. This guild is dedicated to eradicating crime and injustice and any guild that has a hand in perpetuating those things can expect the Legion on their doorstep. Conversely, any guild can become their allies in their quest for justice so long as their interests remain aligned. The at times hot-headed leadership at the top of the guild means that the other guilds can go from friends to foes and back again in a matter of weeks.

Ravnica's Opinion of the Legion

The opinion that the city at large has of the Legion and its various parts tends to change sharply depending on how they handled the most recent major event in their neighborhood. No matter what, they are favored higher than Azorius troops despite technically following the same laws. While most Boros soldiers are well liked by everyone on the right side of the law, the Legion does have a history of over-zealous and misguided soldiers that act brashly or try to take the law into their hands. These incidents can leave a bad taste in the mouth of certain neighborhoods and people regarding the Legion.

The Legion's Opinion of the Other Guilds

The Boros are committed to justice and order, and they are convinced that virtually every other guild is just as committed to undermining both. Therefore, the Legion generally rely only on their comrades for support and view everyone else with suspicion or distain.

Azorius: "Legalism. Arrogance. Hot air. The law in their hands is a bludgeon, and they use it to seize more power than they deserve."

Dimir: "Snakes lurking in the shadows. They should be rooted out so they can shrivel in the light."

Golgari: "If they limited themselves to their intended purpose, repulsive as it is, they could be allowed to survive. But they are growing into a dangerous menace, and we need to flush them out of the sewers while we still can."

Gruul: "They are lost in violence and savagery. Only occasionally can their energy be channeled in directions that benefit the greater good."

Izzet: "They don't understand the concept of limits. If they kept their spellcraft under control, they could truly benefit society."

Orzhov: "The Orzhov care only about the Orzhov. If it were up to them, all of Ravnica would follow an orderly process designed to funnel wealth in to their grasping hands."

Rakdos: "They make destruction into a spectacle, but they're more than blood and fire. They're termites gnawing away at the heart and soul of Ravnica."

Selesnya: "I almost envy the naïveté that leads them to retreat into their little communes and pretend they've built a just society."

Simic: "They have stepped out of their place, with all their experiments, their tinkering with the nature of life. They're a waste, a drain on Ravnica, and a danger to the public good."

History

From the Legion's founding ten of thousand years ago, all the way up to seventy years ago, the Boros were lead by their Parun, the Archangel Razia. She was mysterious, aloof, aggressive, and believed that the angelic ranks should be kept separate from the mortal ones. The respect she held with the guild was one of awe and righteous fear. The Legion will forever mourn her loss and remember the day she and many other high ranking angels met their end in the aftermath of the Decamillennial at the hands of House Dimir's Guildmaster, Szadek, whose spirit was being controlled by Augustin IV, the Guildmaster of the Azorius Senate at the time. The power gap was filled by the angel Aurelia who quickly reformatted and decentralized the Legion's organization structure, placing angels in regular contact with mortal races and encouraging camaraderie between the two. Since then, the guild has operated smoothly, especially considering the Guildpact hasn't been functioning for the past three-quarters of a century and tensions in the city at large are on the rise.

Culture

Boros society is upright and kind in their fervent effort to make life better for the people around them. Even guildless family of Legionnaires make great neighbors and love to uplift one another. A vast majority of the culture is religious and reveres justice and those who fight for it, including angels and archons. The spontaneous occasions where wrongs are righted and people are brought to justice is when people of Legion culture celebrate, along with birthdays and accomplishments of course. Members of the group play hard, but they work harder. Good work ethic is a vital personality trait for people in Legion society and is something considered heavily by this culture when choosing a mate or partner. Although the bedrock of this culture is a kind, understanding, and encouraging support system of traditional family values, parents can sometimes expect too much of their children and might be slow to come around after finding out someone they know has broken the law or left the Legion.

Fashion: Most folks in the Legion are hard working, honest, and don't put much stock in looks or fashion, usually wearing their white, silver, gold, or crimson clothes until they break or fray and opting to sew them back together rather than get new ones. However, there is always one outfit of 'nice' clothes that these people keep in good condition, whether it's a sterling suit of armor with crimson trim, an officers uniform complete with badges pinned on the chest, or just a nice set of casual clothes like trousers, a button up shirt, and leather boots, that they keep free from the blood, sweat, and tears of their daily job.

Diversions: When your job is protecting the city from hellkites and axe wielding madmen, you're going to need a way to relax. In the Boros, letting loose and relaxing or having a good time after earning it is expected, whether it's just a drink with the squad, tickets to the next pugilist competition, a night on the town, or even a trip to the dromad races. As long as it's legal and it wears off by the time they're on the clock, the Legion won't care; this is also true for diversions offered by other guilds.

Demographics: The bulk of the Boros Legion consists of soldiers, primarily Humans, Minotaur, Viashino and Goblin, with a large amount of Giants and Angels as well; however, members of nearly every race have been a part of this guild at some point. Historically, dogs, rocs, and griffons have been the Legion's favored pets and transportation methods both on and off the battlefield.

Making a Boros Character

After attending a training camp and charting your course through the ranks, you are assigned your post and your adventures as a Legionnaire begin. Life can look a lot different depending on where you are or what you do for the guild. Those in the Boros Army leave for extended tours of service abroad or locally at garrisons that actively clash with dangerous forces daily. When the tour is up, they go on leave until their next assignment. Those in the League of Wojek are assigned a department that is in charge of a portion of the city, a partner, and a beat to patrol / location to guard. Wojeks who show sharp intuition become investigators or task force leaders, tracking down some of the worst Ravnica has to offer.

Boros Classes

All things considered, the criteria to join the Legion isn't that extensive. All someone needs is the ability to follow orders, hold their own in combat, an extreme sense of justice, and the zeal to enforce it. This leads to many different walks of life lending their blade to the Boros Legion and these are the ways that the traditional classes that fill the ranks generally fit into the guild.

Barbarian - A zealous standing army needs its Barbarian members to instill fervor in their allies and crush the skulls of their enemies. Boros Barbarians are famous among other barbarians for their restraint; most of them won't fly into a battle rage until commanded to do so. This doesn't mean they are restrained when it comes to general barbarism though, once they go all out, they can rip through the enemy lines like bulldozer. It doesn't matter what race you are, as long as you can listen to your superior officers and want to stomp out evil and injustice, they take your mettle and sharpen it into a razor point for the good of the Legion.

Bard - The versatile and adaptable Bard can find many niches within the Legion. They need impassioned orators to rouse the troops, a clever mind to deliver concise orders and strategies, and skilled bodies that can handle a blade. In addition, this class's ability to improvise and their niche areas of expertise make them versatile agents. The Bard fills all of these slots and more and, as a result, usually find themselves excelling to a member of leadership in the guild after putting in their time as grunts. Though the Legion doesn't have any Bardic Colleges under its purview, their ranks are still full of the spunky spokesmen.

Cleric - When someone's strong sense of justice and devotion to their ideals allows them to tap into the leylines of mana within Ravnica, a Boros Cleric is born. The existence of a Cleric who uses justice as their motivation is a celebration to the Legion. From dedicated healers to fierce fire casters, Clerics of nearly every domain are a valued part of the Legion. A smart general would never send a battalion of troops into battle without a handful of this class. Some Clerics serve simply as priests and acolytes in places of Boros worship, while others promoted to positions of authority and are recognized by the Angels even before that point.

Druid - The Legion is a guild of steel weapons and decisive action, and Druids usually have a problem with that lifestyle. On the occasions where they don't, the Legion welcomes them and puts their prowess in the mana of nature to use as fire casters and ember mages and their affinity for nature to use as scouts and emissaries. Although this is a rare occurrence, the diversity that a justly minded Druid would bring to the Legion would be more than celebrated.

Fighter - The most common class is alive and well in the Legion. Some of the most famous Fighters that have ever lived have had a home in the Boros Legion. They can fill so many different roles within the Legion and the sharpest among them have been known to rise to the level right beneath the Angels, the highest role a human in the guild can reach. From leaders to grunts, Fighters are completely at home with the Boros in a menagerie of positions.

Monk - Because of the religious side to the Legion, they have inspired a few fervent Monastic Traditions. Admired for their cunning as well as the complete dedication to their craft, like minded Monks fit right into the Legion and make fierce shock troops as well as cunning admirals and generals. The martial arts inspired by the Legion are both renowned and feared, far and wide.

Paladin - Boros Paladins are world famous for their stalwart nature and powerful righteous magic. The Legion oaths almost always involve protecting and helping the weak, preventing injustice, and stomping out evil at its roots. Many of the most recent Champions within the guild have been Paladins. If the Boros Legion could be defined with one class, it would probably be the Paladin; they symbolize everything that the guild stands for and, as such, can fit in almost every single role the Legion has to offer.

Ranger - While not as prolific within the guild as say the Paladin, Rangers are still of great use and importance to the Legion. Scouts are a vital limb to the body of war, and Rangers know the city the best from spire to sewer. Especially with the recent advent of squadrons that venture into the Undercity for mapping and rescue expeditions, Rangers with righteous mind have never been more in demand by the Boros.

Rogue - This class isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when people think of a Legionnaire, but, they can be skilled specialists, ambassadors, and, much like the Ranger, the Rogue can be quite valuable as Scouts. The Legion makes sure that, by the time a recruit finishes training, they know that recruits moral fiber, so it's less likely that the usually shady Rogue will become a crooked Legionnaire. Even less motivation, the pay for being a member of the Legion is quite paltry; those who make a living from it do it because they are passionate about making a difference.

Sorcerer - Throughout history, the most common Boros Sorcerer's have had an Angelic bloodline to draw inherent magic from. Though there haven't been many others, the Legion has a strict open door policy to anyone with a righteous mind and the power to make a difference. As far as niches that this class can easily fill, the list is a mile long. Sorcerers are very charismatic, so they make great agents, diplomats, and ambassadors. Their magic is fearsome and a cut above the other casters in raw talent, so they make amazing Ember Mages and even sublime healers if so inclined.

Warlock - Most Warlock pacts within the Legion are between Angels and Mortals. These pacts are strong, righteous, and looked upon favorably from all parts of the guild. Some members resent the inherent nepotism that comes from the, quite literally, gifted warlocks, but a pact with a powerful being earns some points in the Legion only if you put that gift to good use. Warlocks, with their unique abilities, have no problem finding a way to aid the Legion in quite literally almost any area of the guild.

Wizard - Because wizards are so prominent within Ravnica itself, of course there are a plentiful amount within the Legion serving as Ember Mages, Healers, and some even as strategic leaders, ambassadors, or specialists. Many view the Wizards within the Boros as some of the most daring and hard headed out of all the other Wizards in Ravnica simply because the Legion is so out of a Wizard's natural wheelhouse that it is an uphill battle from the moment they are recruited. Wizards that take to the lifestyle and conquer the demanding physical training while also finding time for their studies are almost always recognized by the leadership of the guild. Many people ask why these wizards do it and the answer is simply because they believe in Justice so much and want to help keep the city safe, and that, in turn, makes them truly powerful and feared.

Artificer - Although the Legion doesn't have a vast amount of this Class on their roster, they will absolutely never operate without a handful of Artificers at the helm of their Forges and Foundries and at the strategy tables lending their nuanced take on resources to the Angels making the final decision on attack strategies. In times of war, the Boros Legion puts all of their very skilled Artificers to work making structures and machines of war. In more recent times, Boros Artificers have teamed up with the Izzet League to aid in the creation of electrical focal points that summon elemental soldiers to defend predesignated areas at a moments notice. Although the common Artificer will have to prove themselves to the Legion and climb through the ranks, this process is meant to turn them into fully fledged Legionnaires with a mind for war by the time the guild plans to put them in a position of leadership.

Blood Hunter - One of the least common classes found in the Legion simply because the source of their power is questionable to the Angels leading the guild, the Blood Hunters have to go the extra mile to prove themselves worthy of entry. Although it's rare, some of the most powerful members in the Legion's history have been Blood Hunter specialists, given the all important task of tracking down and eliminating unrighteous defectors of the Legion that besmirch its good name. These righteous hunters are feared because of their immense willpower that allows them to bend potentially dark forces to the will of justice. There have even been times that Angels have entered into a pact with Blood Hunters, similarly to Warlocks, both to train them, curb them, and to vouch for their place within the Legion.

Legion Background: Boros Legionnaire

As a member of the Boros Legion, your life is devoted to the service of angels and consecrated to the work of establishing justice and peace on the streets of Ravnica. You might be a true believer, inspired by the example of the angels, moved by the plight of the downtrodden, and devoted to the cause of justice. Or you could be a cynic in the ranks, perhaps because you reluctantly followed in the footsteps of a parent, succumbed to the persuasion of a charismatic recruiter's lofty promises, or were drawn in by the prospect of a life of action.

Taking this background means you are a member of the Legion and have been for a considerable amount of time. You know your responsibilities, who / what rank you answer to, and what locations are important to you. Unless otherwise ordered by a commanding officer, you are required to keep your Legion identification on you at all times, even when you're off duty. The most zealous officers always wear an open locket or signet loud and proud, but others choose to conceal it when off duty. Whether you choose to display or conceal your identification, you can usually be identified as a member of the Legion with enough scrutiny.

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set
Languages: Choose one out of Celestial, Draconic, Goblin, or Minotaur
Equipment: A Boros insignia, a feather from an angel's wing, a tattered piece of a Boros banner (a souvenir from a famous battle), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 2 gp (Boros minted 1-Zino coins)
Feature: Legion Station
You have an established place in the hierarchy of the Legion that outlines your responsibilities as a Legionnaire. You can requisition simple equipment for temporary use, and you can gain access to any Boros garrison in Ravnica, where you can rest in safety, for any amount of time, and receive the attention of medics. You are authorized to stop crimes that you see in progress, but are expected to alert the appropriate authorities in the area to make an official arrest. People may thank you for your service on the street or even give you small discounts on goods or services. You are also paid a salary of 1 gp (a Boros minted Zino coin) per week, which (combined with free lodging in your garrison) enables you to maintain a low income (poor) lifestyle in between missions.

Boros Spells

Legion magic often features dramatic bursts of flame or radiance. When they cast beneficial spells on their allies, they appear momentarily surrounded with halos of bright fire. Gathering their mana often causes mages of the Legion to glow with a golden aura or burn with righteous fire. A Legionnaire's guiding bolt might be an intertwining helix of gold and crimson light, and their aid may give the target a temporary halo of light.

Cantrips