0RZHOV SYNDICATE
REPRESENTING THE ORZHOY WAS A TALL, WELL-DRESSED
noblewoman face didn't recognize. The identities of the
On:hov knights around her were concealed by full helmets;
instead of faces they bore only the Orzhov's black sunburstsymbol. Small. ugly. gray-skinned servant creatures at-
tended to their black capes.- Doug Beyer, Return to Ravnica: The Secretist
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 Orzhov 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 orga-
nized crime syndicate with its fingers in businesses
across the city.
The Orzhov's original function was both religious
and financial, with the two functions closely related.
As Ravnica's dominant church, the Orzhov continues
to preach an oppressive message that equates sin with
debt and promises forgiveness to those who make tithes
and donations. As Ravnica's principal bank, it stores
and secures the riches of the city, collecting inte rest
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 Orzhov for the corrupt organization it is, many
people are still dazzled by the syndicate's promises of
wealth. prestige, and longevity.
The Ghost Council, also called the Obzedat, that leads
the Orzhov founded the guild and s igned the Guildpact,
but it is n't clear which members of the original Obz.edat
might have faded from existence since then and which
current members have joined since.INSIDE THE SYNDICATE
The Orzhov are ruled by the iron-fisted Obzedat, a coun-
cil consisting of the oldest and most powerful undead
oligarchs. A vast hierarchy stretches out beneath them,
so most of your interactions with the leadership of the
guild are with people (or spirits) who occupy the rank
just above yours. This hierarchy has corruption in it
at every level, and at any time your superiors might be
passing instructions down from on high or just using
you to pursue their own agendas of greed and ambition.
Orzhov churches and basilicas are scattered across
the city, each one led by a ministrant with a staff of
knights and syndics. These sites are centers of com-
merce clothed in the trappings of religion, where lowly
borrowers come to seek atonement for their s ins - atone-
ment that is given in the form of debt and obligation.
Orzhov attorneys and advokists maintain offices near
New Prahv and other Azorius courts. Despite their prox-
imity to law enforcement, these offices are centers of op-
eration for Orzhov protection rackets and other criminal
activities.GOALS OF THE 0RZHOV
The Orzhov 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 s tructures for its own gain. It sees itself. in a
perfect world, as the arbiter and enforcer of a social or-
der that keeps everyone in their place and the Orzhov in
the highest place.
Increasing tensions in Ravnica have led to an atmo-
sphe re of instability, and to counter this, the Orzhov
Syndicate promises the trappings of a stable, ordered
life amid the chaos-for a price. The Orzhov believe that
adherence to hierarchy is the key to success, and they
find great comfort in the rigid structure of their guild.
To boost their declining profits in a vacillating econ-
omy. the Orzhov have begun offering protection ser-
vices, promising to shield their "customers" from both
physical ha rm and fiscal disaster. These operations
amount to racketeering, bringing with them the unde r-
lying threat that those who refuse to pay for protection
become targets of the Orzhov's thugs and enforcers.
The Azorius are the greatest threat to Orzhov's opera-
tions. In times past, the Orzhov danced along the edges
of the law and presented an appearance of legality, but
the combination of an ever-expanding legal code and the
guild's move into racketeering and other explicitly illegalHAPTER 2 UILDS OF RA\. ICA^71