Cult of Rakdos (rack-DOSE)

Founded by parun Rakdos, an ancient demon, the Cult of Rakdos attend to menial labor and the services industry, which includes some less-than-savory offerings, such as assassination, as well as more agreeable ones, such as the catering (i.e., food service) and entertainment industries. Members of the demon-worshipping guild are referred to as cultists.
Like extreme utilitarians or hedonists, the Cult of Rakdos are a guild that places a premium on personal pleasure, or "fun", even if it cruelly causes pain and suffering to others and themselves. Some of the crueler, more evil, and more sadistic members of the Cult directly and intentionally inflict pain on others. Other than being a guild of miscreants, the Cult of Rakdos does have a civic function in Ravnican society per the Guildpact; some members work as manual laborers and even slaves, and the guild overall has a niche as Ravnica's entertainment industry, such as clubs.
Rakdos is the undisputed center of attention of the Cult when he is awake; when the demon is hibernating, however, there is an acting guildmaster. At the time of the Decamillennial, the acting guildmaster was the human sorceress Izolda (or Lyzolda).

Public Agenda

The Cult of Rakdos considered a necessary evil by some, is composed of thrill-killers who provide the heavy labor force, catering, and entertainment of the plane

Demography and Population

Bloodwitches The Bloodwitches are a cadre of powerful witches who reside in Rix Maadi and are the closest thing to advisors Rakdos has. Most of the political maneuvering that happens in the Rakdos cult happens among these witches, most of whom are female. Rakdos prizes chaos and cruelty, so the bloodwitches cultivate these qualities while downplaying their own aspirations for power and privilege. Exava currently wields the most power, although she has to work hard to keep it. Other known bloodwitches are Lyzolda (Izolda) and Hekara.
Rings Formally, the guild has no structure, and is not organized; however, members used to be affiliated with loose groups referred to as "rings", each of which was led by a ringmaster and with its own sphere of influence, commodities, and cult followers There were nine major Rings of Rakdos. The Rings had territories based around the physical locations of their clubs, and they enforced their control over these territories with violence when necessary. Each Ringmaster employed spiker gangs to handle any violence — whether it was controlling it or instigating it.

• Five Rings serviced diversion clubs. The clubs sold all manner of food and drink, and provided twisted circus entertainment, bathhouse amenities, and burlesque revues.
• Roustabouts were the cult members who staffed the diversion clubs and debauchery clubs or assist riot mages during festivals.
• Madcaps were the entertainers of Rakdos, often smaller humanoids who couldn't survive in the Rakdos cult on their own.
• Three Rings serviced debauchery clubs or carnariums. These offered a variety of entertainment, tattooing and scarring, pit fighting, and erotic services.
• One Ring was composed of the pain-inflicting Torturers, controlled by bloodwitches and their masochistic minions and toadies. This was the most depraved Ring, with sacrificial murders both voluntary and involuntary.

Troupes As the Orzhov have bought up more and more of the city's profit center, the rings have given way to troupes, informal casts of fanatical stage performers. The Cult's performances range from satire and mocking the leaders in their shows to having special shows that end with the killing of the individual.
Uncagers The Rakdos have a reputation for unleashing monstrous horrors onto the streets of Ravnica, and the uncagers are their wranglers. They sometimes work with the performers to provide animals or monsters to participate in performances, but they also do the bidding of the Bloodwitches of Rakdos himself.
Fiends Given the intense presence of black mana, it is unsurprising that the cult has an even more intense fiendish presence. Demons abound within the ranks, sometimes the centre of a show, sometimes those orchestrating them to their own ends. Interestingly, there are very few devils within the ranks of the cult. Where demons worship absolute chaos, devils are creatures of order and structure. Some do take advantage of the thirst for power some members possess, and some more exploitative devils offer deals to victims of the cult who desire revenge.

Foreign Relations

Festivals Riot Mages lead Rakdos festivals. These festivals are dearly loved by Rakdos members and hated by the general public, who are left to clean up the rubble and hold the funerals afterwards. Rakdos festivals are not only a reward to cult members, but also a pretense for Rakdos thieves to steal anything they can get their hands on while the residents are distracted.

Carnage. Revelry. Freedom.

Maps

• 

  Palace of Pain's Pleasure

  As you make your way down Tin Street, you see Nivix, the massive guildhall of the Izzet dominating the eastern sky. On the street in front of the tower, stands a three story stone structure. The outer walls of this monstrous construct are crafted of stone. The front gate looks like an enormous skull. A long stage, lined with barbed wire extends from the gaping maw.

Type

Religious, Cult

Capital

Rix Maadi

Alternative Names

The Kill-Guilders

Leader

Rakdos

Official State Religion

Cult of Rakdos

Permeated Organizations

• Cult of Rakdos

Deities

• Rakdos

Divines

• Rakdos

Location

Undercity

Controlled Territories

• Gore House
• Palace of Pains Pleasure
• Rix Maadi

Notable Members

• Rakdos

Related Historical Events

• 10012
  10,012 ZC - Project Kraj Catastrophe
• 1006
  Rakdos leads the Cult of Rakdos