Azorius Senate

Azorius Senate
[[File:{{#setmainimage:AzoriusCrest.jpg}}|150px]]
Alternative Names
The High Judges
Lore Information
Parun	Supreme Judge Azor I
Guild Leader	Grand Arbiter Augustin IV (Ravnica block; now deceased) Isperia (Return to Ravnica block)
Guild Champion	Isperia the Inscrutable
Guild Hall	Prahv, Spires of Order (Ravnica block) New Prahv (Return to Ravnica)
Game Information
Colors
Mechanics	{{{mechanics}}}
Featured Sets
Dissension Return to Ravnica
Signet Flavor Text
The maze-like design embodies the core of Azorius law; strict structure designed to test wills and stall change.
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The Azorius Senate is a white/blue guild from the plane and city of Ravnica. Introduced in Dissension, the guild is also featured in Return to Ravnica.

Founded by parun Supreme Judge Azor I, a human lawmage who authored a majority of the original Guildpact, the Azorius Senate functions as the government of Ravnica and creates Ravnican laws.

Description

Believing that their legislation to be the singular force that prevents Ravnica from descending into chaos, the Azorius Senate mediates and regulates the activities of all of the other guilds and of the plane despite numerous of their decrees being ignored. The Azorius Senate are characterized as being aloof, bureaucratic, excessively formalistic, and fastidious, spending hours upon hours with legal documents and ensuring action, if any should occur, stringently adheres to protocol. For such reasons, the Azorius are deeply loathed by Ravnicans, whom the Azorius believe will effect a change and subsequent crime, chaos, and general decline in civility.

The Azorius Senate works alongside the Boros Legion and Selesnya Conclave to see to the enforcement of the law and the Orzhov Syndicate, to the provision of advocates and lawmages for accusers/claimants/complainants/plaintiffs and defendants. Ultimately, however, the Azorius advocates for blind justice, peace, and the status quo, doing so via their intrinsic involvement in all affairs on Ravnica and with their legions of knights and paladins as well as mages adept in countermagic, magic to disable and hinder those who would break the law, and other law magic.

History

Ravnica block

During the majority of the Ravnica block storyline, the Azorius Senate was presided over by human lawmage Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, who is later killed by an explosion while being attacked by then Dimir guildmaster Szadek's spirit.

The seat of Azorius power in the Ravnica block was Prahv, the Spires of Order, a large castle-like structure of white marble; in Dissension, Prahv was destroyed by the explosion following the collision between it and the crashed Parhelion, the fortress ship of the Boros angels.<ref=name="Dissension"/>

Return to Ravnica block

Following the death of Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, Leonos II has become the Grand Arbiter of the Azorius Senate and the sphinx Isperia, whom Grand Arbiter Augustin IV often consulted, has reluctantly become the Azorius guildmaster.

Isperia is advised by three arbiters, each representing one of the "columns" of the Azorius: the Jelenn Column, which makes the laws; the Lyev Column, which enforces the laws; and the Sova Column, which judges the law-breakers. These columns approximately correspond to the arms, or branches, of government in numerous real-world nations; the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, respectively.

In the game

Head Magic designer and design team member Mark Rosewater said on the blending of White and Blue, "Philosophically, the largest overlap between the two colors stems from a similar motivation. Both colors want to improve the world. White does this in its quest to promote peace, while Blue does it out of its interest in reaching perfection. The end result is the same. Both colors like to force its rules and ways upon all those around them".

Guild mechanic

Dissension: Forecast

Forecast is an activated ability you can play only from your hand. Only cards from the Azorius guild (white, blue, or white-blue) have forecast. Each forecast card has an ability you can play once per turn during your upkeep by revealing it from your hand and paying a cost, somewhat similar to casting a spell with built-in buyback.

Creatures and races

Creatures and races associated with the Azorius include the following:

• Elementals
• Griffins
• Humans
• Loxodons
• Sphinxes
• Spirits
• Vedalken

Notable members

• Agrus Kos (temporarily, in ghost form)
• Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
• Grand Arbiter Azor I
• Borbin
• Frej Ralinu

• Grand Arbiter Leonos II
• Isperia the Inscrutable
• Modar Bejiri
• Nhillosh
• Obez Murzeddi

• Senators Illindivossk, Pollotorus, Yindervac and Natt Vinloskarga

Gallery

• File:Guild azorius styleguide2.jpg

See also

• Azorius Ascendant

External links

• Dissension: Azorius Senate Minisite — Wizards of the Coast
• Azorius Fiction: "The Hussar's Last Mission" — Wizards of the Coast