Orzhov Syndicate

Ravnica's Financial Sector and Prominent Religious Order

Overview

The Orzhov Syndicate is the Ravnican guild of business, where the values are based off of wealth and the dead exist for slave trade as well as to rule within the lavish hierarchy itself. Nearly every business in Ravnica ties back to the Orzhov in some way or another. While they bear the facade of a religious group and may have been a true faith at the signing of the Guildpact, they now worship only profit and power.

Wealth is power, and you absolutely can take it with you if you're an undying spirit living in decadent luxury on the ruling council of the Syndicate. Built on the crushed dreams and broken bodies of citizens deeply indebted to the Syndicate's banks and loan sharks, Orzhov's elaborate hierarchy of syndics, priests, and oligarchs exists for the single purpose of funneling wealth to the top. Beneath the twin facades of religious hierarchy and banking operation, Orzhov is an organized crime syndicate with its fingers in businesses and personal lives across the city.

Purpose

The Syndicate's original function was both religious and financial, with the two functions remaining closely related. As Ravnica's dominant church, the Syndicate continues to preach an oppressive message that equates sin with debt and promises forgiveness to those who make tithes and donations. As Ravnica's principle bank, it stores and secures the riches of the city, collecting interest at high rates to expand its own wealth. Its members truly believe that their work is necessary to the proper functioning of Ravnica. Although most other Ravnicans see the Syndicate for the corrupt organization that it is, many people are still dazzled by the guild's promises of wealth, prestige, and longevity.

Core Values

The Orzhov guild is founded on the beliefs that wealth is power, that structure breeds wealth, and that guilt creates structure. The guild is a combination of a religion, bank, credit-lending agency, and crime syndicate. An ostentatious hierarchy of priests, enforcers, and ghostly councilors rules over a congregation of guilt-bound traditionalists, indebted ghosts, and thrull servants. Should somebody be in debt to them, that person must work off their debt even beyond death. Many Orzhov guild members believe that their actions are necessary for making Ravnica the best it can be, and they are unscrupulous in their methods of seizing power. Most Ravnicans see the Orzhov as a corrupt organization, but many are attracted by promises of wealth, prestige, and longevity.

Loyalists to the guild have a strong sense of tradition and community, reflected by the fact that they still partake in all of their ancient rituals and customs despite not worshiping any gods besides the idea of wealth. It believed by he population that they hoard their wealth, but a great deal of them are known to share with family members or close friends. Besides this stroke of decency, they never give to charity if they can help it, and continually violate the spirit of the law merely to meet their own ends. The Orzhov know also how to create Thrulls out of the remnants of past debtors and those that specialize in doing so are known as Fleshmages.

Goals

The Syndicate is dedicated to the quest for power. It sees the value in an organized, structured, law-abiding community, because it is adept at exploiting laws and structures for its own gain. It sees itself, in a perfect world, as the arbiter and enforcer of a social order that keeps everyone in their place and the Orzhov in the highest place.

Hierarchy

The Syndicate is presided over by a council of ghosts, the Obzedat, in Orzhova, the Church of Deals. Below the Obzedat stood the Olicharchs, elite families who have belonged to the Orzhov for generations, and the Pontiffs (executive managers). Most Orzhov aristocrats move slowly from magically prolonged life to semi-undeath to ghosthood. Ministrants are the priests and practitioners of Orzhov's religion. This is the highest position anyone can hope to obtain without being born within the guild. On the same level stand the Knights. who provide the muscle for collecting money on time and in an orderly fashion. The lowermost position in the guild is taken by the Syndics (attorneys, advisors, accountants, couriers etc.). Borrowers are not part of the guild, but they can't escape their debt even after their death.

The Cartels

Reporting to the Obzedat is a web of competing cartels, which are individually owned units of the Syndicate that operate independently of the church. Each cartel claims different territories and markets across Ravnica, and each has its own internal hierarchy of Priests, Advokists (lawmages), Enforcers, and other miscellaneous roles. Each cartel is ruled by a Cardinal, a kingpin whose role is somewhere between gang leader, bank manager, and high priest.

Long Lived

The high-ranking members of the Orzhov that fill all of these important positions usually do so for a long period of time by using a magical means known as the Orzhov Blood to extend their lives; however, this can result in degenerating mutations that they risk passing on to their offspring. For example, one of Teysa Karlov's legs is practically useless, and therefore she has been forced to use a walking cane since she learned to walk. Members of the Obzedat were called the Deathless, as they had managed to cheat mortality, maintaining their consciousness (and their greed) beyond the threshold of death. They are each different, but coming from the Orzhov, they all crave wealth, respect, and loyalty.

Making an Orzhov Character

Orzhov Spells

Syndicate magic tends to manifest as swirling shadows, brilliant light, or the momentary presence of shadowy spirits. Their spells might draw the blood of their enemies, or even directly touch their souls.

Cantrips