| Orzhov Syndicate | |
|---|---|
| Alternative Names | |
| Church of Deals | |
| Lore Information | |
| Parun | Obzedat |
| Guild Leader | Obzedat |
| Guild Champion |
Teysa Karlov (Guildpact) |
| Guild Hall | Orzhova |
| Game Information | |
| Colors |
  |
| Mechanics | {{{mechanics}}} |
| Featured Sets | |
|
Guildpact Gatecrash | |
| Signet Flavor Text | |
| "The form of the sigil is just as important as the sigil itself. If its carried on a medallion, its bearer is a master. If its tattooed on the body, its bearer is a slave." — Orzhov Signet | |
| Scryfall Search | |
| watermark:"{{{search}}}" | |
The Orzhov Syndicate is the Ravnican guild of business, where the values of white and black meet, where the dead exist solely to rule. Nearly every business in Ravnica ties back to the Orzhov in some devious way or another. Whilst they bear the facade of a religious group and may well have been a true faith at the signing of the Guildpact, they now worship only profit and power.
Background
Their white flavor can be seen in that they have a strong sense of tradition and community, reflected by the fact that they still go through all of their ancient rituals and customs despite not truly worshipping any gods, and by that they hoard all their wealth to themselves but will gladly share with family members or close friends. Their black flavor can be seen in that they regularly deal with the dead, they never give to charity if they can help it, and continually violate the spirit of the law solely to meet their own ends.
The Syndicate is famous for dealing with ghosts. They are presided over by a council of ghosts, the Obzedat, in Orzhova, the Church of Deals. Should somebody be in debt to them (as many are), that person must work off their debt even beyond the grave. The Orzhov work so thoroughly with death that they even know how to make thrulls out of the remains of the dead.
The high-ranking members of the Orzhov use magical means to extend their lives, and are mutated in many ways that they pass 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 she learned to walk.
In the game
Guild mechanics
Guildpact: Haunt
The Orzhov game mechanic is "haunt": when a card with haunt would be put into a graveyard, it is removed from the game "haunting" a creature. When that creature is put into the graveyard, the card with the haunt mechanics controller gets the cards effect a second time. [1]
Gatecrash: Extort
The Orzhov game mechanic in Gatecrash is Extort, which, in the reminder text, reads "Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay Template:Bw. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain life equal to the total life lost this way." [2] [3]
Creature types
Species and races
Species and races associated with the Orzhov Syndicate include: Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
- Angels
- Bats
- Gargoyles
Template:Col-break
- Humans
- Spirits
- Thrulls
Template:Col-end
Classes
- Advisors
- Clerics
- Wizards
Notable members
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break
- Garn
- "Uncle" Karlov
- Melisk
Template:Col-break
Template:Col-end
Gallery
Ravnica block Orzhov crest.
Sources
- Playing By Their Own Rules by Mark Rosewater
- Precious Gold by Matt Cavotta
- Haunting Your Dreams by Aaron Forsythe
References
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe (March 31, 2006). "Losing My Religion". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 25, 2013). "Designing for Orzhov". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Billy Moreno (March 29, 2013). "Developing Orzhov". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
External links
- Guildpact: Orzhov Syndicate Minisite — Wizards of the Coast
- Return to Ravnica: Orzhov Syndicate Minisite — Wizards of the Coast
- Gatherer watermark search for Orzhov, Gatherer — Wizards of the Coast
Template:Guilds of Ravnica