Page 34 - Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

shows of the Rakdos (in part because the Azorius are Arresters. As a martial character, you can serve as an
frequently ridiculed by Rakdos performers) and attempt arrester in the Azorius Senate. You might be a fighter (of
to curb them with new decrees about public perfor- any martial archetype) or a paladin who has sworn the
mances. In response to attempts by other guilds to edge Oath of Vengeance, for example. Arresters maintain the
their way around the system, the Azorius routinely cre- peace by removing threats-both actual and potential-
ate new laws to support or countermand old ones. identified through regular patrols, citizen reports, and
occasionally alerts from the precognitive mages. As you
A ZORIUS CHARACTERS gain the respect of your superiors, you can be promoted
to the rank of officer or imperator.
Alignment: Usually lawful, often neutral
Suggested Races: Human, vedalken BUREAUCRACY
Suggested Classes: Bard, cleric, fighter. paladin, wizard Bureaucracy might seem like the opposite of adventure,
You might enjoy playing a character who belongs to the but it is possible to immerse yourself in the life of a civil
Azorius Senate if one or more of the following state- servant in the Azorius Senate and still live an adventur-
ments are true: ous life. You might be a mild-mannered judge's clerk or
scribe who got caught up in a whirlwind chain of events
• You're drawn to the idea of a hard-bitten police officer beyond your control, or you might moonlight as a vigi-
trying to impose order on a chaotic world. lante in defiance of the law you are supposed to uphold.
• You like the idea of using magic to control enemies. Or you could serve a diplomatic function as an elocutor.
• You like playing enchanter wizards, clerics of law, or
Elocutors. As a skilled orator and diplomat (perhaps
unbending paladins.
a bard of the College of Lore), you can put your talents
to use in the guild as an elocutor. The Azorius are
j OINING THE AZORIUS SENATE
known for their measured, patient speech, and the elo-
As a recruit to the Azorius Senate, you were quickly cutors are the primary voice through which the senate
immersed in the law. You might have clerked for a judge communicates with the other guilds and the people of
or a legislator, been an apprentice to a practitioner of Ravnica. Thus, you might serve as an emissary from the
law magic, studied rhetoric with diplomats, or trained to Azorius to another guild, working to settle trade or ter-
patrol the streets and enforce the law. As your training ritorial agreements, temporary alliances, and the like.
comes to an end and your adventuring career begins, You might have the task of securing the support of key
you must decide whether to focus on law enforcement senators for a particular piece of legislation or treaty.
or to operate primarily within the bureaucracy of Well-established elocutors can be rewarded with the
the senate. rank of scribe or emissary.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKGROUND: AZORIUS
Most Azorius adventurers belong to the guild's police
force. They are soldiers or spellcasters who patrol the FUNCTIONARY
city in teams or singly, preventing crimes or stopping The brutes are at the gate, chaos is looming, and the
them in progress. If you want to pursue a career in law only thing standing in the way of disaster is the founda-
enforcement, choose the path of the Iawmage, the pre- tion of law and order- as embodied in the Azorius Sen-
cognitive mage, or the arrester. ate. You're a proud member of the Azorius guild, which
Lawmages. As a spellcaster in the Azorius Senate, both enacts and enforces the laws that make Ravnican
you use your magic to compel or restrain malefactors society function smoothly and safely.
and scofflaws (perhaps as a wizard specialized in the
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Intimidation
School of Enchantment). You might also use your magic
Languages: Two of your choice
to protect Azorius soldiers and innocent bystanders
Equipment: An Azorius insignia, a scroll containing the
from harm (perhaps as a wizard specialized in the
text of a law important to you, a bottle of blue ink, a
School of Abjuration or as a cleric of the Order Domain,
pen, a set of fine clothes. and a belt pouch containing
which is described in chapter 1). In any case, you're
10 gp (Azorius-minted 1-zino coins)
called a lawmage, and you can aspire to the title of jus-
ticiar and then deputy as your standing within the guild FEATURE: LEGAL AUTHORITY
increases. You have the authority to enforce the laws of Ravnica,
Precognitive Mages. If you are a spellcaster with and that status inspires a certain amount of respect and
some ability to glimpse the future (perhaps a wizard even fear in the populace. People mind their manners in
specialized in the School of Divination or a cleric of the your presence and avoid drawing your attention; they as-
Knowledge Domain), you can use this ability to try to sume you have the right to be wherever you are. Show-
prevent crime before it occurs, serving as a precognitive ing your Azorius insignia gets you an audience with
mage. These mages occupy a small niche on the periph- anyone you want to talk to (though it might cause more
ery of the guild, and the guild hasn't developed a bureau- problems than it solves when you're dealing with incor-
cratic structure to accommodate them, so they advance rigible lawbreakers). lf you abuse this privilege, though,
through the same ranks as lawmages. you can get in serious trouble with your superiors and
even be stripped of your position.

CU\PlER~ <,UILDSOI R\\NIC,\ 33