NPCs by Guild

This section describes various nonplayer characters that belong to each guild. These characters can serve as enemies, rivals, allies, or contacts. In addition to the NPCs presented here, you can customize the NPCs in the Monster Manual and other sources to make them feel like part of a particular guild.

Also included in this chapter are statistics and descriptions of the guildmasters of Ravnica. Without exception, these are powerful creatures. In most campaigns, the guildmasters will come into play more often in negotiations and other social settings than in combat. Thus, each guildmaster’s ideals, bonds, and flaws are included. As a general rule, a guildmaster’s personal agenda is in line with the guild’s goals described in chapter 2, so the guild entries there provide additional direction for roleplaying these individuals.

Several other named guild members are highlighted in sidebars.

Soldier

Soldiers are found in many of Ravnica’s guilds. The soldier stat block represents a typical member of the rank and file, though weaponry and armor can vary.

Azorius NPCs

The Azorius Senate’s activities focus on maintaining public order. For example, the Lyev Column acts as the police force for all of Ravnica. The Azorius NPCs table summarizes key roles within this force. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Azorius NPCs

Lavinia, Steward of the Guildpact

Arrester Lavinia, an Azorius arrester (use the veteran stat block in the Monster Manual), is straightforward and stern. To her, justice is a bird you have to catch, not a dog that willingly walks toward its master. She worked alongside Jace, the Living Guildpact, scheduling appointments and relaying messages. The work was beneath her, but Lavinia’s allegiance was to the soul of her city. Jace’s disappearance worries her, but she has steadfastly refused to violate the law of the land by stepping into his duties.

Supreme Judge Isperia

Isperia is the current guildmaster of the Azorius Senate. As a sphinx, she is aloof and values solitude above all. However, she has been forced to give up her privacy to deal with the increased crime and chaos on Ravnica.

Isperia is devoted to her guild’s belief that law is the ultimate bulwark against chaos, and it is her steady hand that guides the Azorius through these uncertain times. As guildmaster, Isperia serves as the supreme judge, a role that takes advantage of her encyclopedic knowledge of Ravnica’s labyrinthine legal system.

If an encounter turns violent, Isperia refrains from using lethal force if possible, preferring to subdue a wrongdoing so that the legal system can mete out justice.

Isperia’s Traits

Ideal: “The law provides direction for every arena of life; it is the only compass I need.”

Bond: “I can’t stand by and watch disorder spread through the city. Without the Azorius, Ravnica would collapse. In the absence of order, we must establish it.”

Flaw: “If Ravnica didn’t need me, I would prefer to live a life of solitude and contemplation.”

Lawmage

The Azorius Senate has spellcasters who are trained to capture lawbreakers and bring them to justice. A lawmage’s magic is focused on restraining criminals and on protecting bystanders from becoming casualties when arresters are pursuing malefactors. A significant proportion of the guild’s vedalken are lawmages.

Precognitive Mage

Precognitive mages, a rarity among Azorius spellcasters, are capable of capturing glimpses of the future. They are typically employed to anticipate the actions of wanted criminals, thus aiding in their capture.

Geetra

Geetra is a precognitive mage who first put her gifts to use as a young thief on the streets of Ravnica. While still a teenager, she was apprehended and then pardoned in exchange for agreeing to use her talents in the service of the Azorius Senate. For decades, she worked in almost complete anonymity, her gifts unappreciated. But with the senate displaying an increased interest in the talents of precognitive mages, Geetra has been given a more prominent position, which she has embraced with enthusiasm. She worries about the impact that her guild has on the rest of Ravnica but believes in her heart that she is helping the people. Chaos can only destroy, and her visions are a tool to ensure that society can live in safety in all variants of the future.

Boros NPCs

The Boros Legion attracts those who believe justice is the highest ideal and that it’s worth fighting for on behalf of all Ravnica’s citizens. From its angelic commanders down to its raw recruits, everyone in the legion wages war against corruption, exploitation, and lawlessness.

The Boros Legion has its own soldiers, and the elite Sunhome Guard protects the legion’s headquarters. The Boros NPCs table summarizes key roles within these forces. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Boros NPCs

Warleader Aurelia

The angel Aurelia leads the Boros Legion. During the years of her leadership, she has shown a strong appreciation for the ordinary citizens who are often caught in the middle of interguild violence.

True justice, Aurelia argues, isn’t merely the enforcement of the letter of existing laws (let the Azorius fret over that), but the establishment of equitable and compassionate relationships among all of Ravnica’s people. That means protecting the weak from the depredations of the strong, sheltering the innocents who are threatened by war, and ensuring that enforcement of the law doesn’t become oppressive. Aurelia actively supports efforts to establish a lasting peace among the guilds in the absence of the Guildpact.

Aurelia prefers to lead the Boros Legion from the front. She brings swift and unrelenting punishment to the wicked, and her temper is legendary.

Immortal Nature. Aurelia doesn’t require food, drink, or sleep.

Aurelia’s Traits

Ideal: “Justice. We must do whatever it takes to establish fair and merciful relationships among Ravnica’s people—through force of arms when necessary.”

Bond: “The entire legion obeys my commands, and I am therefore beholden to every one of my soldiers.”

Flaw: “I charge into battle with little heed for my own wellbeing.”

Firefist

Boros firefists combine potent magic with peerless fighting ability, inspiring all who serve alongside them. They often act as the point of contact between the Boros Legion and the angelic leaders.

Frontline Medic

The soldiers of the Boros Legion depend on skilled healers to keep them on their feet. Frontline medics use a mix of magical healing and mundane medicine to keep their compatriots alive.

Reckoner

Boros reckoners combine physical power and magical prowess, serving as the shock troops of the legion. They are adept at breaking up mobs and organized lines of defense. Sometimes described as living thunderstorms, reckoners charge their bodies with lightning that bursts forth in their spells and lashes out at enemies who harm them. Many reckoners are minotaurs.

Dimir NPCs

The Dimir are a collection of individual agents and secretive cells woven subtly throughout the fabric of Ravnica and across all the guilds. Dimir agents excel at information gathering, covert operations, and assassination. They collect secrets, relay intelligence, and sow discord—all in obedience to the sometimes cryptic orders of their mysterious leaders.

The Dimir NPCs table summarizes key roles within House Dimir. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Dimir NPCs

Lazav the Faceless

Lazav is uniquely qualified to be the Dimir guildmaster: he is a shapechanger whose mysterious genius is informed by agents from the entire Dimir network. He takes on a tremendous variety of guises as his needs and plans require. He might step out into the Ravnican streets as an elderly widow to eavesdrop at the bazaar, become a vedalken hussar of the Azorius Senate to sidestep a checkpoint, or transform into a Tin Street merchant to deceive a passing noble. His true form might be that of a doppelganger or some other creature; no one has ever seen it.

Lazav’s Traits

Ideal: “Knowledge. To know a thing is to have power over it.”

Bond: “When the time is right and my plans have come to fruition, all of Ravnica will be mine.”

Flaw: “I can’t trust anyone.”

Mind Mage

Dimir mind mages are among the most feared spellcasters in Ravnica, thanks in large part to the aura of mystery that shrouds them and their work. Their ability to read and alter memories commands respect from the other members of House Dimir and makes them useful in the full spectrum of the guild’s activities. Many mind mages lead cells of their own.

Thought Spy

Thought spies form the backbone of House Dimir’s covert operations. They are trained in stealth and infiltration, tactics that they supplement with rigorously developed mental abilities. To ensure that no secrets slip through Dimir’s fingers, they infiltrate rival guilds. In addition to traditional means of gathering intelligence, thought spies use their magic to spy on the thoughts of their targets.

Golgari NPCs

In its embrace of death and its claim over fetid, rotting environments, the Golgari Swarm appeals to those who are comfortable in a world of fungus, rot, and monsters.

Every member of the Golgari Swarm has a function, working together like the parts of a single, larger organism. At the same time, internal factions vie for authority. The most prominent faction is the Devkarin elves, whose spiritual leader, Izoni, is no friend of the guildmaster, Jarad. The medusas are still struggling to coalesce as a faction. The kraul are slowly gaining more influence in the guild under the leadership of the death priest, Mazirek. These faction leaders can serve as patrons for Golgari characters. They might send characters on missions to interfere with a rival or to increase the power and influence of their own faction. They can also serve as major adversaries for adventurers who oppose the Golgari Swarm.

Golgari NPCs include reclaimers, who scavenge and recycle corpses and other detritus, and assassins, who belong to a secret society called the Ochran. The Golgari NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Golgari NPCs

Izoni, Devkarin Matka

The spiritual leader of the Devkarin elves holds the position of matka. Izoni, a Golgari shaman, has recently risen to her position after the suspicious death of her predecessor, Zdenia. Izoni is known for her ability to control insects and spiders, and she is never encountered without the company of one or more swarms of insects crawling over and around her. When she walks, she appears to glide over the ground.

Jarad Vod Savo

The Golgari guildmaster is a Devkarin necromancer and lich named Jarad Vod Savo. In life, Jarad was an archer and accomplished hunter, as well as the brother of the previous guildmaster, the ambitious Savra. Jarad mastered the ways of necromancy so he could rise as a lich after he sacrificed himself to save his son from the demon Rakdos.

As head of the Golgari Swarm, Jarad commands elf and medusa assassins, legions of kraul, brutish trolls, and masses of undercity-dwelling creatures. Thanks to the necromantic power he wields—and with the support of his loyal guards and soldiers—he has survived a number of assassination attempts from various upstarts.

Undead Nature. Jarad doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Jarad’s Traits

Ideal: “Death. There’s wisdom to be gained in it, whether it be your own or someone else’s.”

Bond: “Ravnica, with all its structures and institutions, will eventually rot away, and it will be time for the Golgari to bloom from the carcass.”

Flaw: “I am beyond life and death and can’t be harmed.”

Golgari Shaman

Golgari shamans are the spiritual leaders of the Golgari Swarm. They teach the guild’s beliefs about the cycles of nature, using their necromantic magic to show how life sprouts from death.

Golgari shamans paint their faces so they appear to have extra eyes on their cheeks and chins. They sometimes use magical moodmark paint to allow them to communicate by means of these marks. They wear clothing adorned with beetle carapaces, spiderwebs, or shelf fungus.

Golgari Lairs

Members of the Golgari Swarm have an intimate connection to their territory. When at least six Golgari defend their territory together, they can call on the environment to aid them. The group must include Jarad Vod Savo or at least one Golgari shaman, kraul death priest, undercity medusa, or Devkarin lich. When determining the difficulty of such an encounter, consider the lair to be one additional creature of challenge rating 1.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Golgari group takes a lair action, causing one of the following effects; the Golgari can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• If the Golgari can see any sewer openings, they can cause sewage to overflow. Any creature within 20 feet of such an opening must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and pushed up to 20 feet in a straight line away from the opening.
• Spore-laden fungi release a cloud that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the Golgari choose within 120 feet of any member of the group. The cloud spreads around corners and remains until one of the Golgari dismisses it as an action, the Golgari group uses this lair action again, or all the members of the Golgari group die. The area within the cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud when it appears must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Any creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10 (3d6) poison damage.
• Tendrils of creeping fungi reach out to ensnare the enemies of the Golgari. The Golgari choose a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60 feet of any member of the group. Each creature in the area that isn’t allied with the Golgari group must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained until the Golgari group uses this lair action again, all the members of the group are slain, or no member of the group is within 60 feet of the effect. A creature restrained in this way can use an action to make a DC 15 Strength check, ending the restrained effect on itself with a success.

Regional Effects

The region containing a Golgari lair is infested with mosses and strange fungi. This habitat accounts for one or both of the following effects in the surrounding undercity (the effects don’t spread to the surface):

• Moss, fungi, and other growth covers every underground surface within half a mile of the lair.
• Fungal spores drifting throughout the lair have the power to animate corpses. Whenever a Small or Medium humanoid dies within the lair, roll a die. On an odd number, the dead creature rises up as a fungus drudge (use the zombie stat block in the Monster Manual) 1d8 hours later, unless its body is destroyed.

If all the Golgari in the lair die, the regional effects fade over 1d10 days.

Gruul NPCs

Like the creatures that fight alongside them, warriors and shamans of the Gruul Clans are wildly aggressive.

True to their name, the Gruul Clans include a number of different groups with their own leaders and traditions. Beyond the six most prominent clans (the Burning Tree, the Ghor, the Scab, the Slizt, the Gravel Hide, the Zhur-Taa, and the Bolrac), countless small clans—some little more than war bands—claim territories throughout the rubblebelts.

Gruul NPCs fill various clan roles. The Gruul NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Gruul NPCs

Borborygmos

For decades, the enormous cyclops Borborygmos has commanded the respect and obedience of the Gruul Clans by defeating all who challenged him. He embodies the raging fire that the Gruul believe burns in their bellies, and his wrath toward the civilization of Ravnica knows no bounds.

Mightiest of the Mighty. Borborygmos leads the Burning Tree clan, which is the largest and most diverse of the Gruul Clans. He is almost always accompanied by other members of his clan—not because he needs their protection, but because they might need his. His companions include creatures ranging from burly giants to cowering goblins.

The Gruul follow strength, and Borborygmos holds his position only because he has proved stronger than any challenger.

Borborygmos’s Traits

Ideal: “We fight!”

Bond: “I will bring the wilds back.”

Flaw: “I don’t have to listen to anybody.”

Anarch

The rank-and-file members of the Gruul Clans, called anarchs, despise civilization and have sworn to tear down both its physical structures and its institutions.

Anarchs scavenge everything, from the hide armor they wear to the weapons they wield. As they pick through the refuse of the rubblebelts, they sometimes come across magic items and other valuable treasures.

Druid of the Old Ways

The druids of the Old Ways are the keepers of ancient Gruul traditions devoted to the primal ferocity of animal gods such as Ilharg the Raze-Boar and Kashath the Stalker.

The End-Raze. The druids of the Old Ways believe that civilization will never be eradicated by scattered raids and petty skirmishes. They cling to the idea of a coming apocalypse, the End-Raze, when Ilharg’s hoofs will trample every brick and stone of Ravnica’s soaring skylines to rubble. The world will return to a state of nature in which the lawless code of muscle and savagery will reign once again.

Nikya of the Old Ways

The Zhur-Taa leader, Nikya, is a powerful centaur druid of the Old Ways. In fact, she considers herself to be the last of the true Gruul druids. Though raised to be a warrior, Nikya soon discovered her natural gifts with magic. She can summon enormous constricting vines from the ancient layers of Ravnica’s crust. She has little love for Borborygmos, and she believes that another leader—one who is loyal to the Old Ways—will arise among the Gruul before the End-Raze begins.

Rubblebelt Stalker

Rubblebelt stalkers are scouts and skirmishers for the Gruul Clans. They excel at moving over challenging terrain, whether they’re picking their way through treacherous ruins or clambering across rooftops. They favor ambush tactics and avoid confrontations with stronger forces, relying on their superior mobility to make their escape.

Izzet NPCs

Though the Izzet League officially serves the function of maintaining the city’s public works, most of its members join the guild to indulge their insatiable curiosity for magical knowledge. Using the guild’s extensive resources and sturdy facilities, researchers pursue their studies through reckless experimentation, which often ends in destruction of property, loss of limb, or at the very least, a loud boom. Nearly all Izzet members have some capability with magic.

Izzet NPCs include chemisters, who work extensively with the magic alloy mizzium, and their attendants. The Izzet NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Izzet NPCs

Master Chemister Grozgrox

Master Chemister Grozgrox is a viashino (lizardfolk) mage with a talent for shaping mizzium. His genius has earned commendations from Niv-Mizzet himself on two separate occasions, a fact that Grozgrox tries to work into conversation as often as possible.

Niv-Mizzet

Possessed of arrogance and vanity that matches his vast intellect and tremendous power, Niv-Mizzet is the ancient dragon who founded and continues to control the Izzet League. From his private laboratory at the top of the Izzet guildhall, Niv-Mizzet directs the research and experiments of his countless underlings. He coordinates a tremendous number of apparently unrelated projects, working toward some mysterious end.

There can be little doubt that this ancient dragon is one of the most intelligent beings on Ravnica and one of the world’s most powerful spellcasters. He is just as acquisitive as any dragon, but his treasure is scientific and magical knowledge. His ambition is a looming threat in the minds of all the other guildmasters, but confronting him directly is almost unthinkable thanks to the combination of his awesome magical power and the sheer physical threat of a fire-breathing, sword-toothed dragon.

Niv-Mizzet’s Traits

Ideal: “Innovation. Don’t just have an idea—have all of them.”

Bond: “I have spent more than ten thousand years researching the mysteries of the world around me, but there is much more to discover.”

Flaw: “I find it tedious to converse with simpletons who lack vision.”

Blastseekers

While chemisters focus on inventing new tools, weapons, and other devices for the guild to use, the role of a blastseeker is to put those devices to work. Despite the name, not all such devices produce explosions, but all the most interesting ones (from the Izzet perspective) do.

Mizzix of the Izmagnus

Mizzix is a goblin galvanic blastseeker who began her Izzet career as a lowly attendant. But she quickly earned her a place at her own magical forge with a squadron of attendants. Through a combination of natural talent, calculated political moves, and fortunate accidents, Mizzix has now risen to the highest position in the Izzet League’s court, occupying a seat of the Izmagnus.

Orzhov NPCs

Every person in the Orzhov Syndicate, living or dead, has a place in the guild’s rigid hierarchy. From the undead spirits that make up the ruling Obzedat to the lowly undead borrower spirits at the bottom, along with the ranks of the living in between, everyone knows where they stand: who is above them, who is below them, who owes them, and whom they owe.

The Orzhov hierarchy includes advokists who find loopholes in the law to exploit, knights who enforce the guild’s will, and indentured spirits. The Orzhov NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Orzhov NPCs

Obzedat, the Ghost Council

The ghosts who make up the Obzedat are traditionally called patriarchs, though they can be male or female. They are the oldest, wealthiest, and most influential oligarchs of the Orzhov Syndicate. They have been dead for centuries, but they refuse to let go of the fortunes they amassed in life. Addicted to power and prestige, these patriarchs continue to dominate the guild and accumulate even larger fortunes.

Mostly Unanimous. The ghosts of the Obzedat function as a unit, driven by their shared desire to accumulate ever more wealth for the guild. In times of disagreement, the eldest of the council exerts his seniority to bend the council to his will.

Grandfather Karlov. The head of the council, who gives final approval to its decisions and breaks ties within the group, is Karlov, known as Grandfather. In life, Karlov was the greediest of Orzhov oligarchs, and his many centuries as a spirit have not diminished his hunger for more wealth.

Undead Nature. An Obzedat ghost doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

The Ghost Council’s Traits

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.”

Teysa 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 decades 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 enlisted the help of Tajic, 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.

Rakdos NPCs

The Cult of Rakdos attracts thrill seekers. Some of its members are lured by promises of hedonistic pleasure; others are drawn like moths to the spectacle of the fiery stage. They come to join a twisted community where no impulse is unacceptable, no act is too vile, and all that matters is the excitement and pleasure of the moment. They come for a chance at the spotlight—some slim hope of fame, even if it is the infamy of going down in flames. And they come for fellowship, an easy companionship without the earnest spirituality of the Selesnya, the regimented discipline of the Boros, or the hierarchy of the Orzhov.

Not every member of the guild is a performer; some members simply tag along to witness the guild’s mayhem. The Rakdos NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Rakdos NPCs

Rakdos

Rakdos, the demon for whom his cult is named, embodies hedonism. He is also the consummate entertainer, whose mere appearance is an act of grisly performance art. A monstrous figure standing thirty feet tall, spreading enormous wings, crowned with fire and swinging a flaming scythe, Rakdos demands the spotlight. His every entrance is a showstopper.

Sometimes after his grand entrance, Rakdos crouches to witness the performances of those who adore him. To them, his opinion is the only one that matters, but he is a demanding spectator. He has seen thousands of years of circus tricks and has no patience for performers who don’t give their all. His flaming scythe has brought more than one tepid show to a sudden and spectacular close.

Jaded as he is, Rakdos attends his cult’s performances only rarely. He often retreats into his lair below the cult’s guildhall for months or years at a time, but his followers know that he might emerge at any time to witness the latest spectacle.

Rakdos’s Traits

Ideal: “Everyone should pursue their greatest desire.”

Bond: “If you want my favor, show me a performance I’ve never seen before.”

Flaw: “What is joy?”

Blood Witch

Blood witches imagine themselves to be the intermediaries between Rakdos and his cult—the pinnacle of his priesthood, his trusted advisors, and the messengers who communicate his will to the scattered troupes and ringmasters. The Cult of Rakdos recognizes no authority but Rakdos, and the demon lord requires no advisors. Nonetheless, the blood witches are smart, charismatic, and powerful, so their voices do carry some weight.

Blood witches strive both to protect the cult from external interference and to punish those who bring harm to the guild. They claim grandiose titles, such as Tormentor of the Wojek, as a way of mocking their intended victims.

Rakdos Lampooner

One of the most effective weapons in the Rakdos cult’s arsenal is satire, and a Rakdos lampooner is a virtuoso of that art. Lampooners generally reserve their mockery for people and guilds that have seized an outsized measure of power, those who need to be taken down a peg, rather than piling further humiliation onto those who are already struggling. They use masks, marionettes, or effigies to caricature public figures, or sometimes play pranks on those individuals directly in the streets.

Rakdos Performer

By offering a place for those of many different talents, the Cult of Rakdos has seen its numbers swell with performing artists, including blade jugglers, fire eaters, and high wire acrobats. Performers carry the message of Rakdos out into the streets: cut loose, free yourself from the bonds of society’s mores and expectations, and indulge your desires.

Judith, the Scourge Diva

Judith appears at Rakdos clubs and street shows as a singer and performance artist, combining dark soliloquies and bizarre pain stunts. She’s the grand dame of the Rakdos, and what she says backstage goes. Judith covets the adoration heaped on Rakdos by his cultists. She does countless performances a week, but the big demon gets all the praise. She has begun to assemble a small entourage of fans, toadies, and understudies who echo her complaints about the guild’s leader.

Rakdos Carnival

As lumbering giants put up makeshift stages and cackling devils ignite the footlights, the first performers begin to gather the crowds. Exuberant music with erratic rhythms draws spectators from the surrounding neighborhood, and cheers of approval greet the more accomplished performers—along with gasps and shrieks as the acts get more risky and the first blood is drawn. Acrobats cavort through the streets while sword swallowers and knife throwers flash bright steel. The crowd gets larger and wilder, the shouts and screams get louder, the fires burn brighter, and blood glistens red in the torchlight. The spectacle is gruesome but captivating; the crowd hates to watch but can’t look away. Soon madness takes them, and they—devils and ogres, acrobats and spectators—are caught up in a frenzy of violence. Only when it is over does the horror of the event sink in.

A Rakdos carnival is more than the sum of its performers and its audience. It is a frenzy that grips those present, a fiendish madness that comes on suddenly and departs just as quickly, leaving gore in its wake. The carnival, in fact, has a life of its own—and when adventurers face the Cult of Rakdos in the midst of a revel, the carnival is one more foe arrayed against them.

When at least six Rakdos performers perform together in public, they can call on the carnival to aid them. When determining the difficulty of such an encounter, consider the carnival to be one additional creature of challenge rating 3.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the carnival takes a lair action, causing one of the following effects; the carnival can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Fire erupts from the ground at up to four points of the DM’s choice in the carnival. The fire lasts for 1 minute or until this action is used again. Each jet of flame is a 20-foot-tall cylinder with a 5-foot radius. Each creature in the cylinder when it first appears must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Any creature that starts its turn in the flames must also make the saving throw.
• Whirling blades, spiked chains, or other implements of agony appear for a moment to menace 1d6 random creatures in a 20-foot cube. Each target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8) force damage.
• Blood splashes all creatures in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within the carnival. Each creature in that area becomes the target of a confusion spell (save DC 15).

Regional Effects

The carnival exerts a powerful influence over those who come close to the festivities:

• When a creature that is outside the carnival sees or hears it, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or use its movement each round to move toward the carnival. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
• If a creature attempts to leave the carnival, the creature must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature instead moves toward the center of the carnival. On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.

If all the Rakdos performers in the carnival die or leave its area, these effects end immediately.

Selesnya NPCs

Those drawn to the Selesnya Conclave find the guild’s mission of inclusion and harmony appealing. They gain comfort and fulfillment from the guild’s peaceful coexistence with civilization and untamed nature. But the guild’s drive isn’t only to draw people into a peaceable community: the Selesnya aim to build an army. They aren’t naive; they realize that the ambitions of other guilds will lead to violence, and they plan to be prepared for it.

Despite the guild’s atmosphere of peaceful quietude, many of its members have military roles. The Selesnya NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Selesnya NPCs

Trostani

The Selesnya guildmaster is an amalgamation of three dryads in body, will, and soul. Each dryad’s body extends from a central trunk, so while they possess independent minds, they share a single name—Trostani—and a single life force. Usually Trostani communicates the will of the Worldsoul with one voice, but she retains three distinct personalities that embody the three parts of the Selesnyan ideal: order, life, and harmony. In the midst of increasing tensions on Ravnica, the three personalities have recently been at odds over how best to navigate the conclave through such difficult times.

Trostani spends most of her time in the towering tree of Vitu-Ghazi, the Selesnya guildhall. There she communes with Mat’Selesnya and with the dryads who lead individual Selesnya communities across Ravnica.

Trostani’s Traits

Ideal: “In each of us is the strength of all of us.”

Bond: “All will come to the warm embrace of the Conclave.”

Flaw: “I have nothing but anger for those who break the bonds of the community and leave our embrace.”

Horncaller

Specialized shamans called horncallers use their magic to call wild beasts to fight alongside Selesnya troops. In quieter times, they tend the animals associated with Selesnya enclaves and parks.

Emmara Tandris

An elf priest, Emmara Tandris is committed to pursuing peace between the guilds with all her heart, even as Trostani hesitates in self-conflict. As a friend of Jace Beleren, she understands that he’s never going to be able to settle on Ravnica, so she believes the world needs a replacement for the Guildpact. Emmara plays an active role in her community, and she has many non-Selesnya friends aside from the Guildpact. One of the most active advocates of cooperation among the guilds, she is relying on personal connections with members of other guilds to help that effort.

Simic NPCs

Curiosity about the manifold wonders of life—as well as the magical science involved in modifying it—leads inquisitive and ambitious minds from across Ravnica to join the Simic Combine. Grouped together in clades and projects, Simic scientists look for new ways to speed the nature’s processes of adaptation and evolution, preparing organisms of all kinds that can thrive in the dangerous and ever-changing urban environment.

Most Simic researchers are humans, vedalken, elves, and merfolk, or at least they were born that way. During their careers, they might give themselves such a wide variety of adaptations and augmentations that their heritage is hard to ascertain. The Simic NPCs table summarizes key roles within the guild. Statistics for these NPCs are found in the Monster Manual unless the table states otherwise.

Simic NPCs

Prime Speaker Zegana

The regal and reticent Prime Speaker Zegana is the merfolk guildmaster of the Simic Combine. She upholds the traditional ways of the guild and its utopian philosophy, which espouses a vision of an ideal world in which nature and civilization coexist in perfect balance. Some people in the guild—members of the Adaptationist faction in particular—argue that her ways are outdated and the guild requires more practical leadership. In response, Zegana maintains that she serves as prime speaker only at the sufferance of the Speakers' Chamber, and if the other speakers wish to replace her, they are certainly within their rights to do so.

Zegana’s Traits

Ideal: “Nature’s patterns are the schematics for how to improve.”

Bond: “I will use all the resources at my disposal to see that Ravnica becomes the best it can be.”

Flaw: “I can’t understand how progress could ever be the wrong goal.”

Biomancer

Nearly all the innovation and advancement in Simic bioengineering comes from the work of biomancers. Specialists in hybridizing and altering creatures through a mixture of science and magic, they have spawned countless hybrids and krasis in search of the perfect union between nature and civilization.