Have you ever used them in your game? As for I, never. I have always overlooked them. Until now.
I haven't find anything on them aside of what's in the ECS (pp. 192, 212, 227).
Rekko
Imagine, the Ghallanda Halflings are the best medics in the world, but the Aurum Ghallanda is times and times better.
They might also be seen as the DWARVES OF ZURICH, unscrupulous money-lenders who fund criminal enterprises, revolutions, and assorted villainies. They don't personally get involved, but they are the ones who make evil men so dangerous.
They might be a CULT OF MAMMON, an elite worshipping the Keeper, or one of the Rajahs. Their objectives is to turn the world into their deity's personal fiefdom, and to control the world.
Or, they might simply be MISUNDERSTOOD. In an economy dominated by the Guilds and above them, the Dragonmarked Houses, competition is thwarted by the gangster-like practices sanctioned by the Edicts of Korth. The Aurum intends to destroy the Edicts, and the Guilds, and create an environment where true competition exists, where the small businessman can set competitive prices and produce superior goods without fear of reprisal from the reactionary Guilds and their Dragonmarked masters. Long simply a dream for House Soldorak and a few, far-flung allies, the Aurum intends to destroy the stagnant, millenia-old Galifaran economy and replace it with one where innovation and hard-work are rewarded above personal connections and birthright.
Needless to say, with the last option, they would be demonized by the Dragonmarked Houses, particularly those with the most to lose--Ghallanda, Cannith, Sivis, and Lyrandar... and perhaps viewed with at least some sympathy by others like Tharashk, and certainly by those rulers whose relationships with the Houses are strained.
the Aurum could be seen as EVIL CORPORATE MASTERS, like those working with Max Zorin in A View to a Kill, who use their money and influence to destroy their competition.
They might also be seen as the DWARVES OF ZURICH, unscrupulous money-lenders who fund criminal enterprises, revolutions, and assorted villainies. They don't personally get involved, but they are the ones who make evil men so dangerous.
They might be a CULT OF MAMMON, an elite worshipping the Keeper, or one of the Rajahs. Their objectives is to turn the world into their deity's personal fiefdom, and to control the world.
Or, they might simply be MISUNDERSTOOD. In an economy dominated by the Guilds and above them, the Dragonmarked Houses, competition is thwarted by the gangster-like practices sanctioned by the Edicts of Korth. The Aurum intends to destroy the Edicts, and the Guilds, and create an environment where true competition exists, where the small businessman can set competitive prices and produce superior goods without fear of reprisal from the reactionary Guilds and their Dragonmarked masters. Long simply a dream for House Soldorak and a few, far-flung allies, the Aurum intends to destroy the stagnant, millenia-old Galifaran economy and replace it with one where innovation and hard-work are rewarded above personal connections and birthright.
Needless to say, with the last option, they would be demonized by the Dragonmarked Houses, particularly those with the most to lose--Ghallanda, Cannith, Sivis, and Lyrandar... and perhaps viewed with at least some sympathy by others like Tharashk, and certainly by those rulers whose relationships with the Houses are strained.
Or all of the above.
Elite corporate masters who buy into the teachings of some dark higher power and believe in survival of the fittest. They see an economic situation where the dragonmarked houses rule, but through privilege and birthright rather than actual strength. So they use their money and influence to destroy them and other competition by inciting revolutions, funding criminal enterprises, and facilitating villany from behind the scenes.
In the end they believe they will rule because they are the strongest, and in doing so, bring about a new age for their malevolent master.
Or all of the above.
Elite corporate masters who buy into the teachings of some dark higher power and believe in survival of the fittest. They see an economic situation where the dragonmarked houses rule, but through privilege and birthright rather than actual strength. So they use their money and influence to destroy them and other competition by inciting revolutions, funding criminal enterprises, and facilitating villany from behind the scenes.
In the end they believe they will rule because they are the strongest, and in doing so, bring about a new age for their malevolent master.
This has to be the most comprehensive and thought out description that I have come across. Good job.
In my eye, the Aurum would be the ones who call the political and economical shots on the continent. They would not only be investors, but would gather intelligence as well. I see them a bit like the Trust but spread across the whole Khorvaire and with way more money in their coffers.
As such, I am curious as to how many members there would be in the Copper, Silver, Gold and Platinum concords. Most of their agents (ears, eyes and arms) would be hired mercenaries. However, a few trustworthy agents could be "glorified" with actual membership and given decisive power within their concords. I'd say that the actual number of people included in the Shadow Cabinet would be quite small, a dozen or so to the max.
The Aurum could be a distant investor funding the PCs' first adventures. Then, they could hire them directly. At some point, the PCs could be framed by the Aurum for the murder of some notable figure or a disastrous event. Then they could want to take them down, and in the process of doing so, they can figure out that the Dreaming Dark or Lords of Dust are the real puppeteers behind the Aurum.
The DD could have a few mind seeds spread into the Shadow Cabinet, while the LoD could try to awake the Greed Rajah binded in the Ironroots.
I really like these two ideas, but let me know if you can make the Aurum a Pagaron or Epic Threat.
Rekko
This has to be the most comprehensive and thought out description that I have come across. Good job.
Yakman did the work.
I just noted the differences between motivation, method, and goal and combined them all.
Also, it just so happened to be similar to a tiefling led merchant dynasty I'm working on in a homebrew.
The Aurum could be a distant investor funding the PCs' first adventures. Then, they could hire them directly. At some point, the PCs could be framed by the Aurum for the murder of some notable figure or a disastrous event. Then they could want to take them down, and in the process of doing so, they can figure out that the Dreaming Dark or Lords of Dust are the real puppeteers behind the Aurum.
Having the Aurum as the puppeteers paying the PCs to do work for them only to have it serving some other purpose is a great idea .... the machinations invloved .... it would be like a plan within a plan within a plan .... perfect.
They see an economic situation where the dragonmarked houses rule, but through privilege and birthright rather than actual strength. So they use their money and influence to destroy them and other competition by inciting revolutions, funding criminal enterprises, and facilitating villany from behind the scenes.
I seem to recall a mention somewhere that the Aurum has a lot of members who hold high ranks in the Dragonmarked houses. If anything there is a common interest between the Aurum and at least a dominant aspect of the Dragonmarked housed.
As for the Aurum being a paragon or epic level threat, I would see it as highly likely that they are currently plotting on restarting the war, which could certainly set the stage for a paragon tier conflict. I think the central point about the Aurum is, that they operate in secret. If you actually manage to find out enough about their plots to confront them, then they have already lost. This could make for an interesting campaign, where it would only be revealed in the very end, that the Aurum had been behind everything.
I seem to recall a mention somewhere that the Aurum has a lot of members who hold high ranks in the Dragonmarked houses. If anything there is a common interest between the Aurum and at least a dominant aspect of the Dragonmarked housed.
And many members of the Aurum are nobility, and as such, the interests of the nobility are to a certain extent, their own. The Shadow Cabinet that leads the Aurum, however, don't seem to like the idea of power and wealth being a birthright.
It's like any political thriller where the person planning to assassinate the president and plunge the country into civil war just happens to be the Secratary of Defense, or discovering that it was the CEO that orchestrated the magnificent collapse of his own company as part of some plot with a higher goal.
They use these things as tools despite despising them. I used a member of the Aurum as a sponsor/BBEG once. He was an accomplished artificer and petitioned to enter the Twelve and the Arcane Congress, but was turned down by both in preference for individuals with better pedigrees. He eventually rose to power as a guild master associated with house Cannith, but the idea of being denied previous opportunities simply because he didn't have the right pedigree, and only getting this far by being a kiss up for house Cannith instilled him with a lot of bitterness.
He used the PCs as his instrument of revenge- pointing out corrupt individuals in the power structure and letting the PCs put an end to their shenanigans- which the PCs happily did. What the PCs weren't aware of was the fact that these corrupt individuals and their acts were stabilizing influences that were critical to the continued existence of certain dragonmarked house operations and the relationship between noble families that threatened to spark a new war.
He worked for house Cannith, but wanted more than anything to see Merrix and all the other scions of the house laying face down in a gutter.
Anyways, that's my two scents.
something stinks ... LOL
The Aurum and Dragons aren't much different from one and other. They are both powerful in strength and influence. However, it is not their brute force or what they know that makes them similar, it's the hoard of valuable treasures they like to sit on. As such, Dragons on Khorvaire and Xen'drik are one of the worst enemies that the Aurum can have. Especially rogue dragons, they are savage enough to risk their lives trying to break in the secure vaults of the Aurum. But the same could be said about the Aurum. They, too, have tried to steal from dragons' hoard.
This is why the Aurum employs a team of Dragonslayers trained in hunting down dragons, locating their hoard and bring it back to the Aurum coffers. Moreover, they can also be summoned to defend the hoards of the Aurum against any intruder, a human thief wouldn't be such a challenge for those used to kill dragons.
Recently, the Chamber has gain a certain interest in the Aurum. The organization has dragonmarked members, they have killed a few dragons and they have acquired some secrets about the Prophecy. Moreover, they could be a pawn in the Lords of Dust schemes, or puppets of the Dreaming Dark. If anything goes worst, the Eyes of Chronepsis might want to bench the Chamber agents and step into the conflict.
The Dragonslayers might need to extend their numbers...
As of now, there are two dragonslayers working for the Aurum. One on Khorvaire and the other on Xen'drik. However, it is said that there is a third slayer working to protect the Aurum from being infiltrated by disguised dragons, and protecting the vaults.
Rekko
I seem to recall a mention somewhere that the Aurum has a lot of members who hold high ranks in the Dragonmarked houses.
And many members of the Aurum are nobility, and as such, the interests of the nobility are to a certain extent, their own. The Shadow Cabinet that leads the Aurum, however, don't seem to like the idea of power and wealth being a birthright.
I've found that one of the difficulties with using the Aurum is that they're more of a club than most of the other organizations. It is almost impossible to imagine a member of any standing who could be completely uninvolved with one or more of the other organizations. One simply doesn't get into the Aurum without some kind of influence- wealth is merely a large component of it all.
Individual members of the Aurum will be very different, with various plots and schemes designed to increase their own wealth. That might include starting the War again (good for everyone from arms dealers to healing houses), preventing War (better for those in transportation or agriculture), discovering ancient magic (to monopolize on the benefits), or preventing discoveries (which could potentially end a profitable monopoly).
Virtually any adventure could be justified by creating an Aurum member with an interest in the result.
The leadership of the Aurum is a different story. The Shadow Cabinet has been around for a long time. It must possess wealth in inconceivable amounts. It isn't going to care about short term gains. And it isn't going to be interested in making "just" another million gold. Their concerns are going to be things that could change the status quo on a massive scale: devaluing gold or other trade goods, groups or entities with comparable wealth (Dragons of Argonessen or the Lords of Dust), and so forth. Their schemes are going to be massive: shifting the political climate of entire countries, bribing and blackmailing dragonmarked houses and noble families, and putting rulers on the thrones of nations.
What do you think of the dragonslayers?
Rekko
In the Aurum is double level secret society. First and not so secret level of the society is the Concords. Divided by rank, the Concords are mostly after profit. The Concords aren’t evil in the dramatic sense, but they are ruthless and participate in efforts of market control that in our world has lead to the end of liaise faire markets: monopolies, trusts, insider information.
Behind the Concords is the Shadow Cabinet. Secret even to most members of the Aurum, the Cabinet works to bring the world under their control. Think antimonarchy conspirator and James Bond capitalist pig mixed together and you’ll get the idea.
What interests me the most about the Aurum isn’t their potential as villains, but as sponsors. They’re mostly individuals after all, and even members of the Shadow Cabinet might have the people’s best interest at heart. In particular I’ve been working on a Kalashtar member of both the Silver Concord and Shadow Cabinet. This apparently socially responsible business woman appear to be working for the good of society when she really has the good of the Aurum at heart, which turn is really motivated with undermining the plans of Riedra in mind.
In her business as a member of the Silver Concord, this Kalashtar is slowly but surely bringing the Karrnith farmland to life, feeding the bellies of the people and the coffers of the Aurum while at the same time weakening the need for Karrnath to purchase Riedran grain. Within the Shadow Cabinet she aids her fellows while preaching to be wary of the Dreaming Dark. Of course, she gives her tales the proper spin for her audience. She tells them that Riedran is really ruled by immortals from the realm of dreams, whose long term goal is similar to the Shadow Cabinet only with those immortals in charge rather than the Aurum. She provides the Cabinet with the psychic protections against the Dreaming Dark and helps them analyze the actions of Riedra with the view of the entire country being a rival to the Aurum rather than just another market force.
What are their motivations? What do they know and own? With whom are they working, or have influence over? Who's a member of the organization? Who are their enemies?
As a general rule, they are an alliance of individuals. Each Aurum Concordian has his OWN motivations and areas of influence. The leader of the Boromar Clan is a member of the Aurum; his areas of influence, motivations, and influence are quite different from, say, the archmage of Arcanix who seeks ever greater wealth to fund his efforts to recreate the Mourning. The Shadow Cabinet is a specific subset of the Aurum interested in breaking the power of the monarchies of Khorvaire, but many concordians simply trade favors in order to acheive their own goals.
They're really more of an "Old Boy's Club" of folks who go "Screw The Rules, I Have Money!" If they have any one goal in common, it is a common desire to maintain their wealth, and acquire more wealth. They associate with one another as equals, because they see no-one else as being even remotely equal to them, and cooperate as best as powerful, ruthless men (and women) of business can manage.
Forget dark meetings in poorly lit rooms around a table. Members of the Aurum gather in plain sight, meeting for lunch at Sharn's Celestial Vista, or in a private booth at the Sharn Opera House, or in a nice "soiree" on one member's private Ship. And they plot their horrible, profit-increasing crimes around a bottle of superb (and vanishingly rare) Cyran wine.
As a side note, Alina from the novel City of Towers is an Aurum concordian (her platinum rings are called out at one point).
How could I have missed that!?As a general rule, they are an alliance of individuals. Each Aurum Concordian has his OWN motivations and areas of influence. The leader of the Boromar Clan is a member of the Aurum; his areas of influence, motivations, and influence are quite different from, say, the archmage of Arcanix who seeks ever greater wealth to fund his efforts to recreate the Mourning. The Shadow Cabinet is a specific subset of the Aurum interested in breaking the power of the monarchies of Khorvaire, but many concordians simply trade favors in order to acheive their own goals.
Thanks Keith for the input.
I believe I haven't been clear in my original post, but I understand what the Aurum is, an alliance of individuals with their own motivations. What I was aiming with the thread is more of a *''How do you use them in your game'' and ''List the Aurum members and their profiles''
The Leader of the Boromar clan, the Archmage of Arcanix, the Kalashtar against the DD and the Dragonslayers are examples of what I would like people to share on this thread. Moreover, we can discuss of adventures related to the Aurum, their enemies, what could be a common goal for all Aurum members, and such.
Speaking of which, Famoth83, I really like that Kalashtar character. I might use it in my own game since I was playing with the idea that the Aurum would have been plagued by a few mind seeds.
Rekko
Anyone wants to share their ideas?
As a side note, Alina from the novel City of Towers is an Aurum concordian (her platinum rings are called out at one point).
Hah! It's neat to see this confirmed. I'd suspected as much, but now I know your intent for certain.
I havent really decided how much I'm going to elaborate on the whole deal. It depends a bit on what my players find interesting.
I plan on having an adventure in my campaign revolving around members of the Aurum getting killed. They PCs are supposed to figure out who is doing the killing, and why.
Of course nobody in the Aurum truly trust each other, and everyone suspects somebody for being responsible. The PCs are going to be an outside force trying to solve what's essentially going to be a pretty classic murder mystery.
So, in my game, I will soon be introducing the Aurum as a power group. Their importance to the metaplot I have established is to seem to be the threat for high Heroic and low Paragon, but by mid-Paragon, the Aurum will be revealed to be merely pawns.
My problem, though, is how to go about the slow reveal, giving a glimpse of the Aurum, then showing their wealth, and otherwise developing their perceived threat to the PCs.
My players have already figured out (correctly) that someone wants to restart the Last War, and currently they're looking at Cannith (who would profit more than the ironmonger?). I've yet to decide if/how much of Cannith is in the Aurum, but the Chessmaster using the Aurum as pawns is the real baddie, not Cannith.
So, fellow Eberronians....DISCUSS!
Is it possible that Merrix d'Cannith is a member of the Aurum and is just fine with restarting the war in order to increase profits and introduce new Warforged?
How deep does the Aurum penetrate into Cannith? Or is it that Merrix and his top cronies are higher up in Aurum, without having the Aurum control Cannith too much. House Cannith is one of their "legitimate businesses" so to say. I see the Aurum as being a mix of the Mafia and the Illuminati. They know who the other Aurum members are, but they certainly don't advertise it anywhere in the public. Officially, the Aurum doesn't exist.
What about working with a schism within Cannith, such as one of the other house Leaders who have fallen from favor. Perhaps there's a House Scion that wants to use their abilities to help Khorvaire, rather than supply weapons for wars. I'm thinking of the Tony Stark vs Obadiah Stane route from Iron Man. Sticking with this connection, The Aurum is the Ten Rings, and Merrix is Stane, in control over House Cannith/Stark Enterpises. The PC's would be guys working for Tony Stark, since it's no fun to have Iron Man join the party when he can do all this by himself.
Not sure what level you're at, but I've always loved the "Heart of the Forbidden Forge" adventure, for lvl 7-8. You could twist that to the Aurum wanting to take over the Forge, and I always viewed it as trying to create Terminator units: Warforged with a skin-like substance over the wood and metal that would make them spies and duplicates without having to go to Changelings. Not sure what to do with Calmachia though, perhaps she's the one pulling the strings with the Aurum to get her a new body.
Who would be your Chessmaster? Someone high enough to use both House Cannith and The Aurum to further his/her goals.
The Aurum is not necessarily a total villain in our games. They have an amoral fixation on wealth, but are not always immoral. In fact, we often see the Aurum doing the right thing, if not always for the right reasons. I compare them to a lot of the successful wealth chasers that I have met, they are not always bad people at heart, but have managed to blind themselves to the effects of their professional acts.
In all honesty, the same is true in my opinion for the Aurum. I share IHeartSharn's opinion that they are just a loose organization of individuals ruthlessly striving for more wealth. Individual members certainly would be of the type who favor war and who would go out of their way to restart it, wether to increase their own profit or to get the authorities busy with something else than their own criminal organization. As such I would not make the organization as a whole an enemy, but individual particularly nasty NPCs the villains - a conspiracy within a conspiracy so to speak. These individuals sponsor illegal laberatories and factories, both alchemical and weapon development, or even legal ones. Paper work makes them the leaders, but they always have the plausible deniability ready. They did not know what their underlings were doing. At some point, they are likely to get a bit frustrated, and simply break and enter or infiltrate into the villains own house where they can actually find some solid proof of more people being involved (but whom?) and their ultimate goals.
MadFox: I believe we have discussed the profitability of Last War versus Cold War in one of the other threads where we overanalyzed things. As for your idea about a conspiracy within a conspiracy....I think I like it. Its like the difference between some of the Aurum engaging in like insider trading, whereas others are engaging in far more sinister and harmful activities.
Here's the link: http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Downloads/167_forbiddenforge.pdf
How connected is your Aurum? I mean, how often do they meet to discuss their overall goals and schemes?
Would it work to have some members just in it for the money, wanting to spread fear of the war restarting in order to sell more weapons and defenses? That goes directly against the member who wants to really start the War anew in order to make his money, or by denouncing the Treaty of Thronehold and creating new Warforged or other items that would otherwise be against the code.
If you go by the Forbidden Forge route, what if the public knew of the Forge, and knew Cannith was trying to get it started again, but they say it's not for creating Warforged, but for parts or a non-weapons grade power source. "We're not making nuclear weapons, just trying to get nuclear power up and running." Or even better, telling folks that maybe this will help clear the Mournland.
Your Cannith scion could truly believe that, but he's brainwashed and controlled by someone who really wants Calmachia reborn and loose in the world. That could play into paragon tier- who has the power to set all this up, and why?
Concerning the Aurum....I haven't really done much with it. I've introduced a few characters whose descriptions included the rings on each finger, but that's about it.
Recently, my players have voted that the next one-shot we do when we don't have a full group should be one where the PCs play villians. I'm trying to decide if that means the PCs play as the Swords of Liberty, or as thugs for the Aurum. I'm thinking I could arrange something for before or after a one-shot vignette that covers one of my PC's main character backstories, involving the transportation of an artifact from Xen'Drik to Sharn. If they're doing it after.....the PCs could totally play thugs trying to steal the artifact.....
I'm thinking that I might have a good way to introduce the Aurum. My PCs have figured out two of the players in The Big Conspiracy, and they're both in the Aurum. I'm thinking that I can have a friendly PC tell them a bunch of things they have in common, and then add in, "and they're also part of some history society." at the end. Once they start looking at the society, they see the wealth....and eventually, they'll see the scheming.