The Orzhov Syndicate lore and key people

The Orzhov Syndicate is a guild built on the pillars of power, wealth, and spiritual control. Part church, part bank, and part crime syndicate, the Orzhov believe that true power lies in the accumulation of both money and influence. Their philosophy is that all life is a transaction, and that the more you owe to the Syndicate, the more secure your place in the afterlife. They are not merely a guild of bankers and priests; they are a a ruthless plutocracy that uses debt to bind its followers to its will, even beyond the grave.

### The Foundation of Greed

The Orzhov Syndicate was founded on a simple principle: profit. Its original Parun, a human named Orzhov, was a powerful patriarch who believed that the true measure of a person's worth was their wealth. He built the Syndicate on a system of tithing and debt, convincing his followers that by giving their wealth to the Syndicate, they were securing their place in the afterlife. Over time, the Syndicate's power grew, and it became a full-fledged religion, with a hierarchy of priests, cardinals, and ghostly council members who all profited from the faith of the common people.

The Orzhov’s power is rooted in the **Obzedat**, a council of powerful, ghostly patriarchs who have cheated death to continue their rule. The Obzedat are the ultimate expression of the Orzhov philosophy: they believe that the soul is a form of currency, and that by enslaving the spirits of their debtors, they are not only accumulating power but also ensuring their own continued existence.

### Debt as Currency

The Orzhov's main tool of control is debt. They offer their followers loans, spiritual salvation, and protection in exchange for a vow of servitude. The debt can be paid in coin, in labor, or, most terrifyingly, in the promise of servitude after death. The Orzhov have a vast army of ghostly thralls—the spirits of debtors who failed to pay their debts—who are bound to the Syndicate for all eternity.

This system of spiritual and financial control allows the Orzhov to exert immense influence over every aspect of Ravnican society. They control the city's banks, its markets, and its churches, and they are masters of political intrigue and manipulation. They are not just a guild; they are an economic and spiritual force that cannot be escaped.

### Key People of the Orzhov Syndicate

The Orzhov have a long and complex history, and a number of key individuals have shaped the guild's destiny.

* **The Obzedat:** The ghostly council that has ruled the Orzhov for ten millennia. The Obzedat are a collection of ancient patriarchs who have used their power to cheat death and continue their rule from beyond the grave. They are the ultimate expression of the Orzhov's greed and their belief that power is eternal. The Obzedat are a ruthless and calculating group who see every person as a potential investment, and they are willing to do anything to maintain their control.

* **Teysa Karlov:** A brilliant and ambitious Orzhov lawmage who is the true power behind the Syndicate. Teysa is a master of political manipulation and has spent her life fighting to dismantle the power of the Obzedat. She saw them as an inefficient, stagnant force that was holding the guild back, and she believed that the Orzhov's true potential could only be realized if they were led by a living, breathing leader. In a complex and daring plot, she allied herself with the planeswalker Kaya and orchestrated the assassination of the Obzedat, finally freeing the Syndicate from their ghostly rule.

* **Kaya:** A ghost assassin planeswalker who was hired by Teysa Karlov to assassinate the Obzedat. Kaya is a powerful assassin who specializes in killing ghosts and other ethereal beings. She has a deep hatred for the Orzhov's system of spiritual enslavement and saw the assassination of the Obzedat as a way to free the souls of those who were trapped by the Syndicate's debt. Kaya's actions not only freed the Syndicate from its ghostly rulers but also gave Teysa the power she needed to take control of the guild.

* **Karlov Family:** The Karlov family is one of the oldest and most powerful families in the Orzhov Syndicate. They are a family of oligarchs and lawmages who have a long history of rivalry with the Obzedat. They are a constant presence in the Syndicate's politics, and their influence is felt in every corner of the guild.

### The Syndicate in a New Era

Following the assassination of the Obzedat and the end of the **War of the Spark**, the Orzhov Syndicate is in a state of flux. With Teysa Karlov at the helm, the guild is no longer ruled by a council of ghosts but by a living, breathing leader who is as ruthless and as ambitious as any of the Obzedat. Teysa's goal is to modernize the guild, to make it more efficient and more profitable, and to secure its place as the most powerful force on Ravnica.

The Orzhov are a constant reminder that in Ravnica, power is a currency, and that even the most sacred of institutions can be bought and sold. They are a guild of liars, thieves, and hypocrites, but they are also a force of order and stability, a necessary evil that ensures the city's economy continues to run, even if it is built on a foundation of debt and spiritual servitude.