The Fraternity of Order

These folks are sure that everything's got laws. Mankind's got laws. Sigil's got laws. Even the Lower Planes got their laws. Now, once a body's got the laws down, he does pretty well, right? He knows how to use them to his advantage, and how to break them without getting caught. If everything's got laws, then there are laws for the whole birdcage -- the planes and all that. And if everything's got laws, then those laws can be learned. See where this is going? Learn the laws of the planes and learn how to break 'em, how to use 'em to best advantage. Get to be a real blood, a pro, and a basher'd have real power. Think of the things a body could do with the laws of the multiverse under his thumb. He could manipulate the very heart of things! It'd make magic seem like a lousy put-up, make a fellow who knew the dark of things a real high-up man. He could find the loopholes of the multiverse, the little spots not covered by any rules, where he could do what he wanted. He'd be tougher than the powers themselves! 'Course, it ain't that easy. The multiverse keeps its laws dark, where a body's not likely to find them. More than a few cutters have got themselves put in the deadbook trying to learn it all. Then there's the powers -- it ain't likely they want any sod getting the secrets of more power than them. So let all the other berks run around, looking for the meaning of the multiverse. It doesn't matter what it all means, because that won't tell a body how it all works. Knowing the operation of things - that's what's important. Who cares what it means when a blood can make it do what he wants? So how's a fellow to find out? Knowledge -- knowledge is power. It takes study, it takes searching. Sometimes a body's got to go out into the planes and look for the answers. Sometimes it takes science, study, and research. There are millions of laws to make this thing go, and the more a body knows, the more he can do.

The cog-wheeled plane of Mechanus, where everything aspires to perfect order, is the stronghold of The Fraternity of Order, or The Guvners, if you prefer. In Sigil, their headquarters is the City Courts.

With their knowledge of laws, Guvners are considered useful by many. They're strong allies of the Mercykillers, who uphold laws, and they're close to the Harmonium. At the other extreme, the Xaositects and the Revolutionary League are both opposed to the Guvners. The Doomguard, while not an enemy, remains suspicious that the Guvners are trying to prolong the life of the multiverse.

Note: The Fraternity of Order originally appeared in the Planescape AD&D campaign setting from TSR. Additional information can be found in In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.