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Overview
Founded by their Parun and namesake Rakdos, an ancient demon, the cult attends to the entertainment and services industry, which includes some less-than-savory offerings, such as assassination, loan sharking, drug dealing, and deviant pain clubs, as well as more agreeable ones, such as ore-mining, catering, theaters, circuses, and owning or working in storefronts, venues, and comedy clubs. Members of this demon-worshipping guild are referred to as cultists, no matter how little they actually worship their figurehead.
Like extreme utilitarians or hedonists, the Cult of Rakdos are a guild that places a premium on personal pleasure, or "fun", even if it cruelly causes pain and suffering to others and themselves. Some of the crueler, more evil, and more sadistic members of the cult directly and intentionally inflict pain on others. Other than being a guild of miscreants, the Cult of Rakdos does have a civic function in Ravnican society per the Guildpact; some members work as manual laborers and even slaves, and the guild overall has a niche as Ravnica's entertainment industry, such as clubs.
Purpose
As laid out in the Guildpact, the guild was intended to fill roles concerning entertainment, mining, and manual labor. Some argue that any effort to give a demonic cult a respectable role in society was doomed to failure, but the cult remains part of Ravnica's social fabric nevertheless. The Guildpact prohibits the cult's extermination, and its entertainments - even the ones that are dark and destructive - hold broad appeal. From rowdy mobs who love to see the cult skewer the powerful elites to decadent socialites who come to the Rakdos for illicit amusements, most of Ravnica's people don't really want the Rakdos to go away, as much as they might publicly protest otherwise when the ugly side of the cult shows itself.
The cult has a wide variety of performers that fill the odd niches Ravnican culture has created for entertainment; spikewheel acrobats, lampooners, fire jugglers, puppeteers, pain artists, noise musicians, dark clowns, and hellbent riders form the heart of the cult's bizarre diversions, putting on shows in guild-owned speakeasies and on portable stages in the streets. Performers called uncagers tend to - and unleash - the variety of the beasts and horrors used in Rakdos shows. Other Rakdos performers are spell casters of spectacular sort, using expressive, free-wheeling, and dangerous magic. They can be equally gratified by howls of laughter or howls of horror - any attention, in their minds, is good attention.
The cult's hedonism, and willingness to risk their lives in its pursuit, is an acceptance of death's inevitability and an embrace of the precious gift of life they have been given - as well as a reminder to others that life is both fleeting and precious, and thus should be treated as the gift that it is, no matter how harsh or short it may be. The Cult of Rakdos was originally recognized as a guild as part of an effort to channel the impulses of demons, giants, ogres, and humans into an acceptable direction. The effort, some would argue, has never been completely successful.
Core Values
Tomorrow is an illusion; everything is ridiculous. Members of the Cult of Rakdos have witnessed the grandiose speeches and self- important plans of other guilds and concluded that their rivals take themselves far too seriously. Since death comes for everyone, and since order tends inevitably toward chaos, the Rakdos believe that unrestrained, moment-to-moment hedonism is the only sane way to live. Of course, few other Ravnicans would describe the cult as sane. The cult's chaotic nature fuels its passion, impulsiveness, and obsession with freedom. A guild of unbridled hedonism, it does what it wants, driven by base desires and a strong streak of cruel expressionism.
The Cult of Rakdos' worldview is centered on a demon lord who exemplifies the concepts of chaos and evil. At its worst, the cult is driven by a lust for power, extreme selfishness, and a lack of compassion, with some cultists taking delight in causing pain to others to make sure they know their place, which is subservient to those who live unfettered by the bonds of law. At its best, the cult is driven by a desire to create and share art, in a variety of different mediums, in order to make a point about what they consider meaningful, with some cultists busking on street corners, performing scathing comedy routines, or even curating an acrobatic performance for a circus show.
Goals
As tension builds in Ravnica and several guilds attempt to crack down on chaos and criminal activity, the Rakdos cult reacts to this growing pressure with increasing violence, with several particularly wild sects seizing the opportunity to sew discord.
The cult already serves a megalomaniacal demon of chaos, so its members have no interest in seeing any other ambitious figure achieve supreme rulership over Ravnica. They fear that any other guild might gain enough power to overwhelm all the others and impose its own values on the entire city. For this reason, those among them who have a mind to change things, they focus their efforts on subverting other guilds' schemes, by undermining popular and powerful leaders and interfering - sometimes violently - with any effort to build a centralized concentration of authority.
The Azorius Senate currently stands as the greatest threat to the Rakdos way of life. The cult targets Azorius senators and arresters for ridicule, harassment, and occasionally assassination. The Boros Legion zealous pursuit of order and justice poses a similar threat, although their attention is focused on the Gruul Clans as of late. However distracted they are, violent cultists are well aware that any sufficiently disruptive performance with a high enough body count could bring the wrath of the Legion down on their heads. The overreaching of the Azorius and the self-righteous wrath of the Boros engender true fear in the cultist's anarchic hearts, and the less sane of the Rakdos respond to fear with mayhem and bloodshed.
Organisation Structure
As one of Ravnica's original guild founders, known as Paruns, the demon lord Rakdos has lead the cult and been a part of the great city for over a millennia. Members of other guilds know the infernal showstopper through his reputation for capricious cruelty and megalomania, but most of those who join the guild idolize him for his magnetic presence, which inspires art and encourages utter wantonness. Because Rakdos finds destruction entertaining, his more dedicated cultists incorporate deadly acts into their performances in hopes of catching his eye and earning his favor.
The aggressive tormentors known as Blood Witches are the closest thing the cult of Rakdos has to ranking officials. The necromantic rituals and cannibalistic practices of this coven are a mysterious and not very well known, but they all serve as the acting leadership of the guild while Rakdos slumbers. What is known is that, when one completes the ritual to become a Blood Witch, they enter a state of demonic undeath and are assigned an enemy of the guild to torment. This enemy can be an individual, a family, an organization, or even an abstract concept. If a Blood Witch dies or can no longer be useful to Rakdos, she is devoured by her sisters so that no power is lost among the coven.
Examples of Blood Witch designations include the Judge of Judges, who targets the Azorius Guildmaster; the Tormentor of Wojek, who confounds Boros military intelligence efforts; and the Disintegrator of Law and Order, who undermines all efforts to uphold the law.
Most of the guild works together as part of a troupe, with an individual's artistic talents being used in service to a ringmaster's vision; however, this relationship is often misunderstood by the city at large. Ringmasters don't order around those beneath them in their troupe or provide them with a script / performance ideas, they all work together eclectically, often only being guided by the ringmaster only through suggestions and tips. Each cultist's performance is their own and it is up to them to find a troupe that can benefit from their particular talents.
The Cult of Rakdos encourages independent action on the part of its members. Its goal, besides entertainment and making enough money to keep upping the ante, is fomenting chaos, and it firmly believes in putting its own house in disorder before carrying that mission into the city at large. The only thing that is expected out of each member of the cult is to execute their own vision of grand satire and disruptive performance art, and to constantly outdo their last show; in fact, one of the few taboos this hedonistic cult has is going through a performance without doing something new.
Recruitment
The cult of Rakdos attracts a myriad of misfits and malcontents who can't abide the civilized norms of Ravnica, as well as wayward souls eager to idolize an ancient demon lord and partake in riots. However, what Ravnicans like most about the guild is that it has evolved into a roving circus that attracts hedonistic, anything-goes, performers who really know how to put on a show.
The recruitment process itself is often spontaneous and informal, requiring little red tape and fanfare to get to work. The most important part of fitting into the guild and earning enough money to live off of is to find a troupe that not only genuinely plays to your strengths, but also puts you to work doing something that you enjoy. Some troupes put on circus like performances, while others do small scale concept art. Others still might only perform comedy routines or spoken word poetry. The size, scale, and medium that each troupe uses is unique and varies widely between groups, providing a myriad of niches for the people of Ravnica to fill.
Although the cult lacks a rigid hierarchy, new recruits still have to prove themselves to whatever troupe that catches their eye. Earning your place on the stage or in the ring means first doing your part backstage to keep the show running. In Rakdos terminology, "backstage" also means "out in the city" and carrying out a variety of errands for people who have more pull than you is a common practice for new recruits. Of course, for the Rakdos, such errands tend to look more like adventures than shopping trips. Stages for Rakdos performances appear on streets and plazas throughout Ravnica every night, and they're gone by morning - usually carried to and fro on the backs of giants.
Public Relations
A cult of demon worshipers doesn't make a lot of friends. Ideologically, the Rakdos have the most in common with the Gruul Clans and the Golgari Swarm; all three guilds have a desire to topple the structures of power in Ravnica. Of course, these guilds disagree about what (or who) should replace the existing structures.
Making the powerful look ridiculous lies at the heart of the Rakdos performance philosophy. The bulk of the guild's aggression is directed toward guilds that have power and abuse it or guilds that make blatant bids for power. That's particularly true when powerful guilds - especially the Azorius Senate - try to use their power to suppress the cult.
Making the ridiculous powerful is the flip side of the cult's philosophy. Usually, this means elevating the status of the Rakdos - or themselves as individuals - at the expense of others, but circumstances might lead a cultist to cooperate with members of other guilds in pursuit of a common goal. For example, a power struggle in another guild can be an opportunity for the cult to install a sympathetic (or ineffectual) leader in that guild. Beyond that, other chaotic guilds have grudges against the law-enforcing guilds and would be happy to join the cult's efforts to strike a blow against them.
Ravnica's Opinion of the Cult
Ravnica's actual opinion of the cult can be hard to discern. In more poor, blue-collar, or downtrodden neighborhoods, the cult can be the only consistent source of joy and catharsis that the denizens there experience, with many friends and family part of the performances they watch every night. The more white-collar, upright, and wealthy communities decry the cult for their eccentricity, recklessness with public safety, and the constant ridicule they sling at the organizations, or the high ranking officials within them, that many of their friends and family are a part of. However, this is just the public opinion of the cult; behind closed doors, some of those in downtrodden neighborhoods are terrified to criticize the Rakdos for fear of deadly retaliation, while some of those in upright neighborhoods who publicly decry the cult are actually anonymous attendees at some of the guild's darkest attractions.
The Cult's Opinion of other Guilds
The cult of Rakdos serves a demon lord who is feared, if not respected, by most citizens of Ravnica. Though filled with somewhat normal people, its more dangerous cultists express their zeal through riotous, bloody, and deadly performances and revels. To other guilds, they are a fearsome threat to the city. To the Rakdos, the other guilds invest too much effort in a vain search for meaning and might.
Azorius: "Insufferable killjoys, and every artist's eternal enemy. Everyone thinks we are the guild of ultimate evil, but we're not the ones who want to monitor, legislate, and control your every move."
Boros: "We love a parade, but their demonstrations always come across as stiff. They're the deserving straight man for our every punchline."
Dimir: "They crave secrets, but there's nothing they can get by eavesdropping that we won't freely shout at the top of our lungs. They lurk in the shadows trying to look mysterious, practically inviting our mischief and mockery."
Golgari: "We know they're tired of being the downtrodden, misunderstood misfits. If they're truly ready to anger the powers that be rather than lick boot soles, we invite them to run away and join our circus."
Gruul: "Our well-meaning cousins in chaos! We want to take society down a peg, and they want to raze civilization to the dirt. That's practically common ground! Although one can never be sure if they feel the same way."
Izzet: "Every performance benefits from prop masters and pyrotechnicians. They can be useful backstage, but lack the charisma for the spotlight. Because their inventions make the people of Ravnica more connected, we are free to perform to a wider variety of different audiences."
Orzhov: "The more the Orzhov try to coerce free people to act against their desires, the easier it is for Rakdos to gain recruits. Besides, jokes about their ludicrous traditions, manners, and customs practically write themselves."
Selesnya: "Such crowds! If they weren't such a tight-knit community, they would scarcely notice if they were missing a few by night's end. They'd make the perfect audience, if only they had a better appreciation for the bleeding edge of art."
Simic: "Imaginative creators who nevertheless fail to appreciate the meaning of their living creations - nor do they appreciate the tragic irony of not knowing how funny that is. Because of the eccentricity of some of their high ranking members, they can't seem to shed the reputation for being Ravnica's boogymen; something we can relate with all too well."
History
Although Rakdos himself is the undisputed Guildmaster of the cult, he spends most of his time in a deep hibernation beneath the magma of Rix Maadi. During the sometimes long stretches of time that the demon spends asleep, an Acting Guildmaster is appointed, usually from the coven of Bloodwitches, whenever the need arises. The acting leader for the last 200 years was the Bloodwitch Lyzolda until she died in the events of 10,012 ZC.
When the Guildpact collapsed during the Decamillennial Celebration (10,000 ZC), the cult knew that the other guilds would soon begin their grasps at power. 12 years later, to get ahead of the other guilds in this race for power, Lyzolda joined forces with Momir Vig, the Guildmaster of the Simic Combine at the time, in an attempt to wake Rakdos and bind him to her will. Unbeknownst to Lyzolda, Momir Vig was only helping her summon their Parun to give his new weapon, Project Kraj, a chance to kill him. The serum required to awaken the Lord of Riots needed the blood and sacrifice of a Guildmaster, so the pair kidnapped the child of the Golgari Swarm's new Guildmaster, Jarad Vod Savo, in order to draw him to them. Their plan worked like a charm and Jarad was sacrificed to awaken the demon.
With Lyzolda in control, Rakdos went to battle against the now out of control Kraj. Just when the demon had the upper hand, the ancient Nephilim appeared nearby and took him by surprise. Rakdos was severely wounded, but still managed to take out the Nephilim only to be seized by Kraj immediately after. The cytoplast monstrosity absorbed the demon within itself; however, instead of evolving like it was designed to do, it died. The demon's comatose body was returned to his magma pit, but it was unclear if he would ever rise again. The Bloodwitch Lyzolda suffered a painful magical backlash when Kraj absorbed the Parun and, sensing her failure, the rest of her coven summarily devoured her.
Several decades later, Rakdos returned anew and his guild set forth with renewed vigor in their attempts to prevent other guilds from gaining a foothold during the Guildpact's absence.
Culture
The people of the cult are usually fun, loose, and eclectic in style, personality types, and interests. It's important to remember that the cult is one of the largest guilds and as such, there are several different microcosms of culture within it. The prevailing subculture is the one that worships the demon, commit murders in his name, and are generally dangerous to be around. For example, some of these devout members consider a Rakdos signet to be incomplete until it's used as a murder weapon. There are niches in the guild that are less violent and more artistic who think that the cult is about calling out dominating forms of government, con artists, and exploitive religions / traditions for what they are. In their eyes, the side of the guild that commits random acts of violence for little to no reason is way off base from the true Rakdos purpose and are just using the loose nature of the cult to do whatever they want to do. Due to the sheer amount of ruffians that commit crimes in the name of the cult, the guild as a whole is viewed as shady from the more upstanding peoples of Ravnica, no matter how much they might enjoy Rakdos shows.
Fashion: Cast iron, spikes, black leather, and fancy blood red clothes are the most common form of stage outfit in the eclectic Rakdos community. Backstage, the cult wears whatever they need to for their jobs or whatever they like the most. The sheer size and variation of the cult ensures that their fashion community shifts in style depending on the time, district, and current events. Big name troupes are always attempting to make statements and set trends with their costumes and uniforms, but the cult's fashion culture also responds to the current trends beyond their own guild, creating their own take on the fashions of guildless celebrities, musicians, and cultural figures.
Diversions: It's anything goes in the Cult. Illegal or not, if you want to do or see something, there's probably someone within your own guild that does it or knows someone who hosts a club that does. That said, the people of the cult do what they do because they love it, so the favored performance and service diversions of the Rakdos are usually the same ones that they take part in producing, such as circus acts, plays, music, comedy, or tending bar / preparing food. More quiet ways of spending their time might include reading, writing, collecting, or playing different kinds of games with one another, anything to have fun. Of course 'fun' has a broad definition to the eclectic ranks of the cult, and some consider stalking, killing, hunting, or any flashy variation of it to be more fun than anything else.
Holidays: Ragefest is the premier yearly Rakdos festival, taking place over multiple nights with events across the guild. One of these events, known as Mockturne, features impressions of other guilds and their leaders, prominent members, and recent blunders. The entire event is a club-crawl, with different events taking place between different clubs, featuring side acts, street food, and music scattered throughout the path between locations.
Demographics: Beyond Humans, the cult utilizes and accepts all races, most commonly attracting Goblins, Giants, and Undead. Some Devkarin deserters find their way here as well. The guild commonly uses hounds, rats, and fiends as partners and co-conspirators.
Information Source: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/ravnica-grandarchivist/a/cult-of-rakdos-article
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