Boros Legion

Fueled with righteous fire from their angelic leader, the Boros Legion enforces their swift brand of military justice.

The Boros Legion is the guild of righteous law and fierce justice. The most formidable military force on Ravnica, the Boros are efficient, self-assured, and zealous in the pursuit of their ideals. The Boros believe passionately in law; to them it is the structure by which society functions and the road map for the community’s health and safety. Anything that violates the letter of the law, threatens the spirit of the law, or obstructs the enforcement of the law is considered an enemy of the Boros Legion. In effect, anyone who disagrees with the Boros is an enemy of the Boros.

The Boros Legion believes in a higher law - one in which righteousness is fire, and justice the light that shines from it. The Boros are Ravnica's most formidable military force, and the enforcers of its laws. In practice, they tend to enforce whatever laws they feel like enforcing, not to mention a few that don't exist, except in their own hearts and minds.

The Boros guild combines community devotion (and occasional autocratic over-zealotry) with emotional fervor (and occasional blind rage) - a potent combination, given the fact that the Legion holds the position of law enforcement in Ravnica. It is a guild about combat, more than all others - but combat to defend and preserve the higher law spoken down from its archangel guild-leader, Razia.

The look and feel of Boros stems from its militaristic nature -- its creatures are heavily armored from head to toe, yet decorated in sun-symbols, reflecting the guild's power structure and devotion to the angel at the top. Boros doesn't just employ humans and fighter-types, however. Its military order applies equally to its wizards and clerics, and more exotic beasts such as its order-following (but still combat-feral) giants, minotaurs and rocs.

Boros, unlike the other guilds of Ravnica, has a top to bottom chain of command. From the tips of the wings on Razia's helm to the armored foot of the Boros Recruit, there is a power structure. This structure is an element of White that the Legion absolutely needs to contain and focus the passion and fire of its Red side. It is a lot like Razia's sword, crackling and dancing with chaotic flame, but held straight and true by her sharpened blade.

Angels exist in a separate echelon that supersedes all Boros or Wojek hierarchy. Though they do not involve themselves in the day-to-day doings of the guild, the angels are there as inspiration, direction, and occasional righteous muscle. Any angel of any status outranks all mortal Boros members and may utilize any Boros magical ordnance.

The angels are organized into several ranks.

Warleaders are the Angelic Strategists. In the past, this tier of ancient angels comprised the meta-tacticians who created millennia-spanning strategies for the Boros. Despite the scope of their knowledge, they were divorced from the everyday planning of battle or logistics of the guild. Aurelia has changed their focus to more practical implementations of war.

Firemanes are the Paragons of War. The firemane angels are holy champions who specialize in single combat. While a firemane can outfight almost any single opponent, she will rarely give or follow orders, preferring to fight alone.

Battleforce Angels actively participates in maneuvers and the formations of skyknights. Some command their own legions and work in conjunction with generals and commanders. Under Razia, this would have been an unthinkable mingling of ranks, but Aurelia believes this is a more effective way to achieve Boros ideals while still maintaining the rank system.

They reside in a great aerial hall called the Parhelion. During times of crisis and war on the Ravnican surface, the Parhelion docks itself upon the flattened roof of Sunhome.

The highest power band among Boros mortals is that of the guildmage. For the Boros, guildmage is a profession that merges religious devotion, arcane mastery, and military might. The guildmage receives word from above and passes it along to the commanders of the Boros Army and the League of Wojek. Guildmages have access to all Boros spells and equipment, though combat magic is their mainstay. According to Boros tradition, guildmage is the only rank that may initiate contact with angels. However, Aurelia has recently relaxed this restriction, as she believes in effectiveness above historical precedent.

At this point, the power structure splits in half. Below the angels and below the guildmage, the League of Wojek is formed. The League is the official law enforcement arm of the ten districts of Rav, the Manhattan of the city-plane of Ravnica. Ranks within the Boros Legion and the League of Wojek may be on the same power band, but a Wojek cannot issue orders to the lower ranks of the Boros. The Boros can issue orders to outranked Wojek.

Skyknights are mounted Boros soldiers on rocs or griffins that function as Ravnica's air force. They are well loved by most Ravnicans. Many have become near-celebrities, celebrated for their bravery and daring. They are counterparts to the Wojek League's Skyjeks. The skyjeks ride rocs to patrol and are a frequent sight in the skies above Ravnica. They do not do investigative work and instead focus on patrolling and keeping the peace.

Each of Ravnica's ten districts is guarded by a Sentinel Titan, a colossal statue that can be activated by a Boros or Wojek of power band 7 or higher.

Theaters of War

Aurelia imposed a superstructure of command divided into "theaters." There are four theaters, each under the command of one of her close advisors. This shift caused some surprise among the commanders of the Wojek and army, although no significant opposition to her decision exists. Each theater is a subdivision of the guild dedicated to a particular project valuable to the Boros.

Theater of Order

A male minotaur soldier, Commander Grozdan is assigned to arrest or eliminate Rakdos assassins and spree killers. Aurelia's orders state that the threat of random violence is a community-killing disease and must be eradicated. Grozdan's strategy is to target Rakdos locations and hotspots rather than focus on tracking individuals. In the past, the Boros have left the Rakdos pleasure clubs alone until there was a killing or other mayhem that spilled beyond its doors. But now, Grozdan's forces are targeting the clubs - even the ones that make a pretense of being legal establishments. So far, this hasn't affected the Rakdos all that much. Most of their clubs move around so frequently that the Boros can't stamp them out. But Grozdan is very aggressive, even to the point that the Rakdos are getting quite annoyed with him. They are headquartered in Kamen Fortress.

Theater of Integrity

Lieutenant Anksa, investigator of corruption, is a female Wojek - the youngest ever to reach her rank. She has been placed in charge of a task force to end the criminal activities of Dimir. She is also tasked with investigating the web of crime that extends into the Orzhov and possibly other guilds as well. At the behest of Aurelia, Anksa has appointed a special group to look into a new Izzet invention - part of the Warmind Initiative - that neutralizes spirits. Internally, the group is called the Dead Brigade. Aurelia is paranoid about ghosts, particularly the Orzhov Ghost Council, and wants to eliminate the threat. They are headquartered in Zelzo Base.

Theater of Fortification

Advisor Tajic, First Guildmage of the Legion, is the highest ranking Boros guildmage. He's in charge of the Warmind Initiative, which is an effort to collaborate with the Izzet to increase Boros weapons and battle effectiveness.

One of their current efforts is the Warmind Initiative. At Sunhome, the Boros view collaborating with the Izzet as a necessary compromise to achieving ultimate soldiers, ultimate order, and ultimate discipline. Aurelia believes it is through the advancement of the means of war that the Boros will be able to achieve the perfect society. Some of the Warmind Initiative projects currently under way include:

Using Izzet alchemy to build electrified walls, checkpoints, and warning systems around the Smelting District.
Enhancing Boros soldiers with elemental-infused steamsuits.
Developing more powerful armaments for flamekin soldiers.
Animating stone titans and creating other elementals to serve as city guardians.
Using Izzet magic to fashion more powerful siege machines, weapons, and battlefield traps.

Theater of Recruitment

Commander Yaszen, recruiter of the youth, is a male human skyknight who ascended through the ranks based on bravery and strategic thinking. He is now commander of the forces at Horizon Military Academy as well as its superintendent. Aurelia believes that to create the perfect Boros society, the guild must target the young, so while the other military branches have their own training centers, Aurelia has intentionally made this the flagship of their educational efforts.

One of Yaszen's significant efforts is overseeing the skies. Yaszen has established watches and outposts in outlying districts. He has expanded the mounted divisions and encouraged the breeding and training of rocs and griffins. Almost all the Boros's handlers and riders of flying mounts are now based at Horizon. Under Yaszen, at least ten squadrons of skyknights are patrolling the skies at all times.

Breaking of the Guildpact

Razia is killed in a battle between the Boros angels and the spirits of Agyrem. The angel known as Feather becomes the next guildmaster of the Boros. Feather was the Boros guildmaster for a time, but was ousted by the war leader Aurelia, who gained leadership of the guild.

Aurelia challenges Feather's ascendancy, arguing that a disgraced angel can't command authority or respect. Many agree, and the few who don't are quickly shamed into silence. Now that her hold is secure, Aurelia engenders the same respect and awe as Razia, the original parun. But while Razia was more of a figurehead, aloof and untouchable, Aurelia is an active, forceful leader who is directly involved with her troops.

Groups within Boros Legion

League of Wojek: The Wojek is a special division of the Boros Legion. They are the main foot soldiers in the Boros cause; every district has a permanent garrison of Wojek to protect it.