Has the Aurum been forgotten? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Has the Aurum been forgotten? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kensan_Oni
03-19-07, 11:19 AM Now, I haven't used them yet in any of my games, and part of me really would like to. However, what surprises me is that I have never heard them referenced in the Novels yet.

The Aurum, the spy hook for the Eberron universe. These people should be just as scary as, say, the Cult of the Dragon Below in terms of what they are going around and doing. However, I have read no reference to them, although I haven't read all their books.

Does anyone know why this group seems to be unpopular? Is it cause they lead the Orginizations section, and no one reads the first page of the chapter? By Forge, we need to give these people a plot!.. I mean, we got to get these people plotting!

Does anyone use them in your home games, and what are they doing?
Hellcow
03-19-07, 11:31 AM However, what surprises me is that I have never heard them referenced in the Novels yet.
Perhaps you're not looking hard enough; an Aurum concordian plays a significant role in City of Towers, and I'd certainly like to do more with this character in the future. The trick is that ranking members of the Aurum rarely come out and say "Hi! I'm in the Aurum!" - but a critical clue is there, if you look closely.
Yakman
03-19-07, 11:32 AM in my germinating home campaign, I intend to make them the Big Bad. Mega Big Bad. Like, they own the Dreaming Dark big bad. They can boss Vol around Big Bad. They caused the Mourning AND negotiated the Treaty of Thronehold Big Bad. Most of the D-marked Houses are actually owned by them. Even the daelkyr scared of the Aurum.

(I have to make some of them uber-powerful, but not too many)
DarkWarriorKarg
03-19-07, 11:36 AM As far as 'secret evils' go, they're relatively benign. So they're a bunch of corrupt industralists who are out for profit and power.

Like the illuminati in the last Lara Croft movie.

Unless a group stumbles upon one of their member's plots that threaten grave consequences, or they ally with one of the other power groups, they are relatively harmless.

They are not as scary as a bunch of people gathering toi release an elder evil.
Kid SixXx
03-19-07, 11:44 AM Looking at the title of the thread, the Aurum probably prefers to be forgotten.

Can't make money when every hero with a purpose is trying to thwart your schemes. :D

Anway, one of the alternatives in Keith's Dungeon magazine adventure, Fallen Angel, is to make the initial contact an Aurum member.

Actually, one of my minor plot links in my campaign is a Boondock Saints inspired story of two changeling twins turned vigilantes stumbling onto an Aurum plot to make money via arming all sides of the current gang war (Boromar Clan <-> Daask <-> Tyrants) going on in the Sharn slums.
Nived
03-19-07, 11:57 AM What are you talking about? There is no such thing as the Aurum, its an urban legend.

Or at least thats how they want it. Though I haven't used them in a game if I did I would run it like an organization of Kaizer Soze's. Rich, connected, smart, ruthless, invisible.

I wouldn't have them controling everything, but they'd be able to influance anything. Everyone has a price and they have their ringed fingers in everything, yeah the Dragonmark Houses, The Trust, The Shadow Network and the Serpintine Table, the Dark Lanterns, everywhere they have someone bought and paid for.

This doesn't mean they control those organizations, far from it, they just have eyes and ears there and can exert influance and plan accordingly. This might give the illusion of control, as they've planned for the actions of the local athorities, houses, and even you the heroes. That illusion of control is something they gladly let people believe, but they do not actually have direct control over such large organizations.

Conversely I'm sure that the Trust, Shadow Network, and Serpintine Table are equally aware of the Aurum, the Aurum just has more money.
cancerousmango
03-19-07, 10:53 PM Hilarious thing is, my first game of my previous campaign, the Aurum got the PC's into Dreadhold for a mission, free of charge. Those players got too big for their britches, and an awesome way to curb their money surplus would be to have the Aurum freeze their assets. Just make it so that their money is useless. That's evil.
InfinityStar8
03-20-07, 12:04 AM I am acually useing the Aurum in my game I am running now. They are the ones who got the PCs together and gave them there first job. Now the PCs are starting to figure out they may not be that great of people, but I have them stuck between the Aurum or the Lords of Dust, hehe. If they stop helping the Aurum, the LoD wins, if they help the Aurum, who knows what could happen...
Charles Phipps
03-20-07, 01:49 AM I play them like a combination of SPECTRE (which they are for all intents and purposes) and the Hellfire Club from the X-men.

World domination and all that rot.
DarthMidget
03-20-07, 11:30 AM Perhaps you're not looking hard enough; an Aurum concordian plays a significant role in City of Towers, and I'd certainly like to do more with this character in the future. The trick is that ranking members of the Aurum rarely come out and say "Hi! I'm in the Aurum!" - but a critical clue is there, if you look closely.

Err...would that be the devious Gnome lady?
The Dreaming Duck
03-20-07, 12:00 PM Err...would that be the devious Gnome lady?
As I recall... There's a scene where Alina is specifically described as wearing a platinum ring on every finger. Beyond that, she's a person of great wealth and apparently international influence. I can see the point here that we DON'T know all of the schemes she's involved in; all we know is that she has money, influence, and a platinum ring on every finger.

Personally, I use DarkWarriorKarg's approach. The Aurum AREN'T on the level of the Lords of Dust or Dreaming Dark, and that's the point of them. They are sinister manipulators, but on a level we mere mortals can understand. They are driven by greed and a desire for personal power, not by a quest to dissolve the world into cosmic horror. They are bankers, politicians, crimelords, guildmasters - but not demons. They don't understand the full scope of the Prophecy, though some may realize its power. The Shadow Cabinet may want to control Khorvaire, but they'll control Khorvaire through political and economic manipulation, not through open conquest... and many of the common Concordians are merely interesting in expanding their collections, defeating mercantile enemies, and so on. They are the Illuminati - clever, influential, wealthy, but NOT dragons who have been manipulating the world since the dawn of time.

It's good to have cosmic horror and world-shaking manipulators... but I feel that it's also important to have the more human foes. In my mind, Gutman from The Maltese Falcon is a perfect example of an Aurum Concordian (though not a member of the Shadow Cabinet) - wealthy and influential, with a scheme in mind, but not planning to conquer the world.
Kensan_Oni
03-20-07, 12:41 PM I want to thank everyone for their thoughts. I feel much better that they have not completely been ignored, and that there are devious underhanded people that occasionally find a place for them in their games.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kensan_Oni 03-19-07, 11:19 AM	Now, I haven't used them yet in any of my games, and part of me really would like to. However, what surprises me is that I have never heard them referenced in the Novels yet. The Aurum, the spy hook for the Eberron universe. These people should be just as scary as, say, the Cult of the Dragon Below in terms of what they are going around and doing. However, I have read no reference to them, although I haven't read all their books. Does anyone know why this group seems to be unpopular? Is it cause they lead the Orginizations section, and no one reads the first page of the chapter? By Forge, we need to give these people a plot!.. I mean, we got to get these people plotting! Does anyone use them in your home games, and what are they doing?
Hellcow 03-19-07, 11:31 AM	However, what surprises me is that I have never heard them referenced in the Novels yet. Perhaps you're not looking hard enough; an Aurum concordian plays a significant role in City of Towers, and I'd certainly like to do more with this character in the future. The trick is that ranking members of the Aurum rarely come out and say "Hi! I'm in the Aurum!" - but a critical clue is there, if you look closely.
Yakman 03-19-07, 11:32 AM	in my germinating home campaign, I intend to make them the Big Bad. Mega Big Bad. Like, they own the Dreaming Dark big bad. They can boss Vol around Big Bad. They caused the Mourning AND negotiated the Treaty of Thronehold Big Bad. Most of the D-marked Houses are actually owned by them. Even the daelkyr scared of the Aurum. (I have to make some of them uber-powerful, but not too many)
DarkWarriorKarg 03-19-07, 11:36 AM	As far as 'secret evils' go, they're relatively benign. So they're a bunch of corrupt industralists who are out for profit and power. Like the illuminati in the last Lara Croft movie. Unless a group stumbles upon one of their member's plots that threaten grave consequences, or they ally with one of the other power groups, they are relatively harmless. They are not as scary as a bunch of people gathering toi release an elder evil.
Kid SixXx 03-19-07, 11:44 AM	Looking at the title of the thread, the Aurum probably prefers to be forgotten. Can't make money when every hero with a purpose is trying to thwart your schemes. :D Anway, one of the alternatives in Keith's Dungeon magazine adventure, Fallen Angel, is to make the initial contact an Aurum member. Actually, one of my minor plot links in my campaign is a Boondock Saints inspired story of two changeling twins turned vigilantes stumbling onto an Aurum plot to make money via arming all sides of the current gang war (Boromar Clan <-> Daask <-> Tyrants) going on in the Sharn slums.
Nived 03-19-07, 11:57 AM	What are you talking about? There is no such thing as the Aurum, its an urban legend. Or at least thats how they want it. Though I haven't used them in a game if I did I would run it like an organization of Kaizer Soze's. Rich, connected, smart, ruthless, invisible. I wouldn't have them controling everything, but they'd be able to influance anything. Everyone has a price and they have their ringed fingers in everything, yeah the Dragonmark Houses, The Trust, The Shadow Network and the Serpintine Table, the Dark Lanterns, everywhere they have someone bought and paid for. This doesn't mean they control those organizations, far from it, they just have eyes and ears there and can exert influance and plan accordingly. This might give the illusion of control, as they've planned for the actions of the local athorities, houses, and even you the heroes. That illusion of control is something they gladly let people believe, but they do not actually have direct control over such large organizations. Conversely I'm sure that the Trust, Shadow Network, and Serpintine Table are equally aware of the Aurum, the Aurum just has more money.
cancerousmango 03-19-07, 10:53 PM	Hilarious thing is, my first game of my previous campaign, the Aurum got the PC's into Dreadhold for a mission, free of charge. Those players got too big for their britches, and an awesome way to curb their money surplus would be to have the Aurum freeze their assets. Just make it so that their money is useless. That's evil.
InfinityStar8 03-20-07, 12:04 AM	I am acually useing the Aurum in my game I am running now. They are the ones who got the PCs together and gave them there first job. Now the PCs are starting to figure out they may not be that great of people, but I have them stuck between the Aurum or the Lords of Dust, hehe. If they stop helping the Aurum, the LoD wins, if they help the Aurum, who knows what could happen...
Charles Phipps 03-20-07, 01:49 AM	I play them like a combination of SPECTRE (which they are for all intents and purposes) and the Hellfire Club from the X-men. World domination and all that rot.
DarthMidget 03-20-07, 11:30 AM	Perhaps you're not looking hard enough; an Aurum concordian plays a significant role in City of Towers, and I'd certainly like to do more with this character in the future. The trick is that ranking members of the Aurum rarely come out and say "Hi! I'm in the Aurum!" - but a critical clue is there, if you look closely. Err...would that be the devious Gnome lady?
The Dreaming Duck 03-20-07, 12:00 PM	Err...would that be the devious Gnome lady? As I recall... There's a scene where Alina is specifically described as wearing a platinum ring on every finger. Beyond that, she's a person of great wealth and apparently international influence. I can see the point here that we DON'T know all of the schemes she's involved in; all we know is that she has money, influence, and a platinum ring on every finger. Personally, I use DarkWarriorKarg's approach. The Aurum AREN'T on the level of the Lords of Dust or Dreaming Dark, and that's the point of them. They are sinister manipulators, but on a level we mere mortals can understand. They are driven by greed and a desire for personal power, not by a quest to dissolve the world into cosmic horror. They are bankers, politicians, crimelords, guildmasters - but not demons. They don't understand the full scope of the Prophecy, though some may realize its power. The Shadow Cabinet may want to control Khorvaire, but they'll control Khorvaire through political and economic manipulation, not through open conquest... and many of the common Concordians are merely interesting in expanding their collections, defeating mercantile enemies, and so on. They are the Illuminati - clever, influential, wealthy, but NOT dragons who have been manipulating the world since the dawn of time. It's good to have cosmic horror and world-shaking manipulators... but I feel that it's also important to have the more human foes. In my mind, Gutman from The Maltese Falcon is a perfect example of an Aurum Concordian (though not a member of the Shadow Cabinet) - wealthy and influential, with a scheme in mind, but not planning to conquer the world.
Kensan_Oni 03-20-07, 12:41 PM	I want to thank everyone for their thoughts. I feel much better that they have not completely been ignored, and that there are devious underhanded people that occasionally find a place for them in their games.