Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Niaslos FireCrow 04-19-05, 02:04 PM	One of my player is actually a member of the copper concord and I was thinking of giving her the set of laws which all the Aurum members must respect but I don't have that much time now to think about it. Don't forget one thing however: she's in the copper concord sp she doesn'r know about the real goals of the organisation so the laws must not reveal it. Anyway, thanks a lot for your help and your creativity.
Niaslos FireCrow 04-19-05, 02:21 PM	I also has to say I love the Aurum and the concept around it. I'll post my idea later anyway... I forgot to say that in my campaing the Aurum is quite close to a international version of the Skulls (for those who've seen the film) so it's another thing to keep in mind. Thanks a lot in advance for all help.
Setherial 04-20-05, 01:59 AM	I haven't looked into the Aurum much yet so I have little to offer regarding their rules, structure and way they would opperate but as for your player being a low ranking member of such an organization she would at all times have her own agenda. She would have secret meetings with her contact in the Aurum or send back and forth messages occasionly. The Aurum would probably have her manipulate the other players to make decissions in their best interrest. This means talking to this player and feeding him some extra information in between game sessions so the other players would not be aware of it.
JohnnyONeal 04-20-05, 10:02 AM	At lower concords, I would expect most of the rules of the Aurum to be pretty simple: Secrecy: Other than wearing the rings, do not advertise your membership in the organization or reveal any accurate information about it. Information Sharing: After every adventure, provide an Aurum contact with information about the places you've traveled, the enemies you've fought, and any valuable items the party has encountered or acquired. Collaboration: If another Aurum member requests reasonable aid, you must provide it. That includes casting spells on their behalf, loaning money with minimal interest, and even completing adventure sidequests. Intervention: You must use your position and authority to perform favors for other Aurum members. This may be as simple as helping a young member find a job or as complex as providing an accused criminal with a false alibi. Self-Interest: We believe that our members are most successful if left to pursue their own ends. You are expected to work to increase your own wealth and prestige. While #5 is probably the most important, #2 is really the fun one. The Aurum contact who asks the PC for information should change from time to time, and they should always be particularly interested in information about issues related to wealth: ruins where the PCs have found powerful magic items, political issues within dragonmarked houses, and the corruption of prominent nobles. As the DM, consider sending the PCs on an artifact-hunting mission for the Aurum, but in the guise of another patron; only the Aurum member will know what's really up. I'm interested in how you've positioned the Aurum's goals. I use them as a wealthy elite who have banded together to form a plutocracy. Their primary goal is to accumulate power through wealth, and lower-level members are generally Neutral merchants and dragonmarked nobles. Such members may be generally good people, but they have a tendency to embrace greed as a positive force. They believe that wealth is an indication of merit; hardworking and clever people deserve to enjoy the wealth they've earned, and the poor deserve the poverty they've brought upon themselves. As members advance through the ranks, however, they embrace a more Lawful Evil outlook on life: the way to maximize wealth is to keep money in the hands of a few. After all, the only two ways to become more powerful than someone are to increase your own wealth or to decrease theirs. My Aurum are all about keeping the poor poor and the rich rich, and they thrived on the economic inequality produced by the Last War. In fact, the Aurum in my campaign are interested in a return to widespread conflict, and subtly encourage tensions between the nations of Khorvaire.
Urko 04-20-05, 10:14 AM	I imagine the Aurum being somewhat of a cross between the Mafia and the Masons. Yes, they can be ruthless and would not hesitate to have someone who crosses them whacked, but they are also a conspiracy of rich business men and prefer to manipulate things quietly. The most important thing for the Aurum is to promote one another's business interests, so their rules would be along those lines: Always defer to higher ranking members. Whenever possible, do business with other Aurum members. Whenever possible, cut deals with and do favors for other Aurum members. Use your position to gain senstive information and share it with Aurum members who can profit from it. Use your influence to get other Aurum members put into positions of power. An excellent model for how the Aurum operates would be the Skull and Bones society. A google search should turn up a lot of resources that will give you inspiration.
Urko 04-20-05, 10:14 AM	Or, you can go with what Johnny said much more clearly than me...
polt 04-20-05, 11:04 AM	If i remember correctly, the Aurum isn't a secret orginization. But everyone else but the members thinks that it's just kind of a social club for wealthy people.
DarkerDreams 04-21-05, 01:20 PM	the first rule of fight club is... seriously, I'd agree with what johnny said with one caveat; responsibility is to higher order members. even in this kind of club power flows upward- expect cordility and some aid, but the higher in the pyramid you are the more you expect (and recieve)- mostly from those below you.