Page 245 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

0RZHOVNPCs 0BZEDAT, THE GHOST COUNCIL
Every person in the Orzhov Syndicate, living or dead, The ghosts who make up the Obzedat are traditionally
has a place in the guild's rigid hierarchy. From the called patriarchs, though they can be male or female.
undead spirits that make up the ruling Obzedat to the They are the oldest, wealthiest, and most influential
lowly undead borrower spirits at the bottom, along with oligarchs of the Orzhov Syndicate. They have been dead
the ranks of the living in between, everyone knows for centuries, but they refuse to let go of the fortunes
where they stand: who is above them, who is below they amassed in life. Addicted to power and prestige,
them, who owes them, and whom they owe. these patriarchs continue to dominate the guild and ac-
The Orzhov hierarchy includes advokists who find cumulate even larger fortunes.
loopholes in the law to exploit, knights who enforce the Mostly Unanimous. The ghosts of the Obzedat func-
guild's will, and indentured spirits. The Orzhov NPCs tion as a unit, driven by their shared desire to accumu-
table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statjstics late ever more wealth for the gujld. In times of disagree-
for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless ment, the eldest of the council exerts his seniority to
the table states otherwise. bend the council to his will.
Grandfather Karlov. The head of the council, who
ORzHov NPCs gives final approval to its decisions and breaks ties
within the group, is Karlov, known as Grandfather. In
Role Appropriate Stat Block
life, Karlov was the greediest of Orzhov oligarchs, and
Advokist Mage
his many centuries as a spirit have not diminished his
Indentured spirit Indentured spirit*
hunger for more wealth.
Knight Knight
Undead Nature. An Obzedat ghost doesn't require
Oligarch Noble air, food, drink, or sleep.
Pontiff or ministrant Priest or acolyte
TuE GHOST COUNCIL'S TRAITS
*Appears in this chapter
Ideal: "Influence is measured in power, status, and
money, but mostly money."
Bond: "Gather as much as you can while you can, for
when you die, you will take it with you."
Flaw: "Everyone has a price."

T EYSA KARLOV
Under the authority of the Obzedat, Teysa Karlov (a mage
with access to Orzhov guild spells) formerly held the title
of grand envoy, serving as the representative of the Orzhov
when interaction with the leadership of other guilds was
necessary. A defining characteristic of the Orzhov for de-
cades was the tension between Teysa, living in the complex
political realities of the world, and the inflexible, avaricious
Obzedat. Teysa argued strenuously that the Obzedat's
isolationism and their reluctance to forge alliances that
could make them reliant on other guilds would lead to the
syndicate's downfall.
That tension reached its boiling point when Teysa en-
TEVSA KARl.OV listed the help ofTajic, Blade of the Boros legion, in an
attempt to seize power from the Obzedat. Her attempt
failed, and the Obzedat imprisoned Teysa, eliminated the
role of grand envoy, and canceled all dealings with other
guilds. Teysa remains in prison to this day, and the Ghost
Council extorts corrupt officials to make sure they keep her
locked away.