Golgari Swarm (gol-GAR-ee)
The Golgari Swarm is the embodiment of life and death. The teeming masses of the Swarm believe that life and death are both natural and equally essential too. To them, life and death are natural elements of a cycle with no intermediary break. Growth is power that comes slowly, but it is also ruthless and inevitable, and this makes growth a key virtue of the Swarm's power with their dead being planted and regrown as plant–zombies. Their necromantic magic (death magic) has made the Golgari the largest Ravnican guild. Much like a swarm of insects, the Golgari often seem to behave more like a single organism than as a group of individuals. The whole Swarm is driven by a primal instinct to survive and reproduce.
The Golgari Swarm consists of many sub-factions, each with its own agenda. Their revered parun is the legendary necromancer Svogthir, the "god-zombie".
Public Agenda
The Golgari Swarm manages food production and organic waste disposal.
Demography and Population
Teratogens
Up until the Decamillennial, the Teratogens were the ruling class of the Golgari. It consisted mostly of non-humanoids such as plants, mutants, harpies, nagas, griffins, and centaurs. Nowadays they are of no importance anymore.
The Devkarin
The Devkarin are a brooding, winsome, and often ambitious race of elves. Of all of Golgari's factions, the Devkarin press most for the expansion of Golgari territory. The Devkarin are presided over by their "Matka", a high priestess (currently Izoni, Thousand-Eyed).
The Cilia
A council of Devkarin shamans and rogues called the Cilia acts as a combination of Jarad's advisory parliament and spy agency and rarely all convene publicly or together at once.
The Lotleth
The Lotleth are the Golgari's irregular faction of undead, necromancers, fungus-binders, and other members associated with the restless dead. Although most Golgari undead are mindless fungal constructions maintained by necromantic magic, the Lotleth do have some more or less intelligent undead among them, plus a few higher-ranked necromancers who speak for the faction. Generally, the Lotleth serve as a labor force for the Golgari's constant program of reclamation and expansion. The current leader of the Lotleth is Wratislav, a skilled but conceited human necromancer.
The Kraul
The Kraul lived for ages on the periphery of the Swarm, but are now an ascendant group with the Swarm. These six-legged insectile beings are hard-headed and literal-minded. Under Mazirek, the Kraul are loyal to Vraska, rather than to the Swarm as a whole. Their military are known as the Krunstraz.
The Street Swarm
The Street Swarm form Golgari's labor class. This faction includes corpse scavengers, low-ranking street shamans, rot farmers, tunnel trolls, various elementals and fungal horrors. Each neighborhood of Ravnica tends to have its own chapter of the Street Swarm, and each chapter is led by a local swarm-boss. Spore Druids specialize in fungi, moss, molds, and other decomposers. Reclaimers are elf and kraul scavengers who patrol the city and gather the dead to be recycled.
The Ochran
Although many discount them as an urban legend, "the assassins of the Ochran" are a Golgari cult of mercenaries operating out from the Undercity and specializing in vengeance killings. The cult is said to be led by the gorgon Vraska. The Ochran, most of them Devkarin elves, are known for the virulence of their poisons.
The Erstwhile
A delicate and sophisticated race of elves known as the Erstwhile once was an important faction in Ravnica. They were laid to rest in coffins in Umerilek, Mausoleum of the Erstwhile. They returned thanks to the kraul Death Priest Mazirek as Zombie Attendants of Vraska. In contrast to the regular fungus-animated zombies of the Golgari, they retain a higher degree of intelligence and agency. They continue to wear their stately attire, despite its moldering and rot.
Angel's Bane Fungus
Poison
Uncommon
Description: This fungus uses living creatures to spread its spores, by overriding their brains with a fascination with heights. When the infection has fully possessed a creature, it compels them to the highest peak they can find, from which they promptly leap off to their demise. Since the creature is already thoroughly colonized, it is a short time before the splattered corpse blooms fruiting bodies. These consequence of these colonies create attractive environments to scavengers, which start the cycle anew. Appearance: Long thin stems, which occasionally end in rounded heads. Habitat: Beds of rot and areas that have high peaks. Effect: If a living creature inhales the spores of a zombie fungus, it must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw (DC 21 if consumed). On a failed save, the gains the following effects after 1d10 days:- The creature ignores any threats to it.
- The creature cannot be charmed or frightened.
- The creature focuses on climbing the nearest tall structure, and gains advantage on all Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb. When it reaches the highest point, the creature hurls themself to the ground below.
- If the creature has a fly speed, it uses it's action to dash directly up until it becomes exhausted, until there is no longer enough oxygen to breath, or it collides with an obstacle.
- When the creature dies, fungus sprouts from its remains, releasing spores over an area of 50 feet.
Devouring Angel Mushroom
Poison
Uncommon
Description: This mushroom causes vivid hallucinations in this who consume them, driving the imbiber to acts of extreme violence, then wearing off after an hour, leaving no memory of where the blood on the imbiber's hands came from. Appearance: White mushrooms with fanned caps, resembling the feathers of angels’ wings. The underside of the cap is black and rubbery. Habitat: Lichen beds, a habit shared by harmless Griffin's Paw mushrooms, which appear very similar. Identifying one from the other requires a successful DC 18 Intelligence (Nature) check. Effect: If a living creature consumes one or more caps of devouring Angel mushrooms, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature suffers from the following effects for one hour: The creature ignores any threats to it. The creature cannot be charmed or frightened. The creature must spend its movement in its turn to move towards the nearest creature, and spend its action in its turn making melee attacks against the nearest creature. If it can make additional attacks as a bonus action, it makes those attacks against the nearest creature. At the end of the hour, the mushroom's effect wears off, and the creature loses all memories of that hour.
Glowspore Mushrooms
Poison
Common
Description: These mushrooms are illuminated by thousands of glowing spores, and can be used as lanterns by undercity travellers. While they are safely edible, if incorrectly prepared they can confer the same properties to those that eat them. Appearance: Slender green mushrooms with long stems and small bell shaped caps. Habitat: Grow happily almost anywhere in the Undercity, often scattered in beds of other fungi. These mushrooms are known to form great beds in areas of plentiful biomass, and can overtake areas of rot-farm as a result. Effect: The mushrooms glow, providing bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. If the mushroom is picked, it ceases glowing after 24 hours. If a living creature consumes a lamplight mushroom it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature glows green for the remainder of the 24 hours since that mushroom was picked. The creature provides bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet, and has disadvantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks for the duration. This effect can be prevented by boiling the mushroom for one minute or more.
Wolf's Fang Fungus
Poison
Varies
Description: Named for its gory appearance, this bark fungus carries Ravnica's deadliest neurotoxin. The poison incapacitates one who consumes it, then continues to work through them until they are killed. If poisoned this way, and individual needs help nearby, as they will not be able to save themselves. Appearance: Triangular pale fungi covered in glistening red droplets that resemble blood. The underside is covered in pointed spines, which, combined with the blood-like droplets, give fungus its name. Habitat: Bark of large plants, such as tree stumps. While most common in the undercity, it often grows in above- ground woodlands, such as those tended to by the Selesnya, who quickly destroy it when they find it. Effect: If a living creature consumes wolf's fang fungus, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is incapacitated for the duration of the poisoning, taking 1d12 poison damage every 5 minutes. Whenever the creature suffers this damage, it may repeat the save, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Zombie Fungus
Poison
Rare
Description: This fungus uses living creatures to spread its spores, by overriding their brains with a desire to reach the ideal location to spread its spores. When the infected creature has reached the top of the nearest tall structure, the fungus grows out of the creature, nurtured on the victim's nutrients, until it is able to release spores that drift down to the ground, where they will eventually grow into more fungi. Appearance: Long thin stems, which occasionally end in rounded heads. Habitat: Deep undercity, anywhere dark, damp and with wide open spaces. Whenever this is seen closer to the surface, it is quickly erradicated. Effect: If a living creature inhales the spores of a zombie fungus, it must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the gains the following effects:- The creature ignores any threats to it.
- The creature cannot be charmed or frightened.
- The creature focuses on climbing the nearest tall structure, and gains advantage on all Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb. When it reaches the highest point, the creature locks itself in place, gaining the paralysed condition.
- Each hour, the creature's maximum hit points are reduced by 3d10. When its hit point maximum is reduced to zero, the creature dies.
- When the creature dies, its body remains locked in its current position, and zombie fungus sprout from its mouth, eyes, and any other weaker points in its body, releasing spores over an area of 500 feet. These spores do not have the same effect, but grow into new zombie fungus if they land in dark, damp areas.
Life. Death. Rebirth.
Maps
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Brobourg
The warm smell of fungus softly wafts from a large hole in the pavement. Peeking into it shows only a moss-covered ledge and darkness, complete and utter darkness. Some noises also climb their way to you, dripping of what you hope to be water, the buzzing and clicking of insects, but no conversations, birds or machinery. -
Moray Manor
A ruined building, appearing to be of ancient Orzhov design, sections of the wall crumble while great swaths are covered thickly in lush fungal blooms. It appears to once have been a grand centre of social esteem. On the top floor hosted a ball room and parlours. On the ground floor there is a gallery, 2 parlours, a dining hall and great kitchen. Below ground level are a series of bedrooms, for both the hosts and many guests. The house also is connected to a storehouse tower by both an upper floor bridge and underground tunnel. This tower is now infested with russet mould.
Type
Geopolitical, Colony
Capital
Alternative Names
Those Below
Leader
Government System
Hive-mind
Location
Notable Members
Comments