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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 09:43:03
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I'm looking for a "lions club-substitute" in the realms:
Small organizations of business people (most of them rich or at least well to do). They have an interest in charity - or at least, that's their public appearance; it doesn't have to be the real truth in all cases. Apart from helping the poor or "unlucky", they use their network of contacts for their individual businesses - the main reason most of them joined the prestigious clubs.
I think the concept should translate well into the realms with them seeing so much trade and business. One idea is to link such an organization to one or more religions, but I am unsure whether or not this is such a good idea (and haven't yet thought about which gods to chose), since "charity-organizations" without divine links are somewhat rare in the realms.
Another question is whether the individual cells (clubs) would know eath other: are they isolated clubs? Each town and city having one or more cells, who might know and cooperate with each other - or not - which would make an interesting scenario: different "charity organizations competing for public admiration and prestige. There might also be a kind of "meta-organisation" that links the individual clubs Faerun-wide...
...any ideas?
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Brenigin
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
117 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 12:46:25
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| Cult of the Dragon? ;) |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3567 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 14:14:37
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| The Knights Templar / Freemasons model might fit the realms better for your needs! |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 14:22:31
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| I'm not sure about the free masons. I'm looking for something less philosophical and more... let's say "oriented towards charity and a network of business contacts". |
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freyar
Learned Scribe
Canada
220 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 15:25:52
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When I saw your thread title, I immediately thought about the church of Nobanion... 
Cult of the Dragon could work, if you want to go down the creepy side. Sembia is certainly a good place for this kind of organization, at least. Or you could try looking to Amn for information; I seem to recall some slightly less nefarious organizations in the 2e supplement Lands of Intrigue (free on the WotC downloads page).
In general, I'd guess these things would likely be pretty localized, but maybe trade costers link them. |
My DnD Links and Creations |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12221 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 15:37:20
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| Knights of the Shield scream this type of thing. Only the upper eschelon knows the true motives, and its considered a great organization for business folk to join. Granted, its not realms wide, but... |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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MerrikCale
Senior Scribe
USA
947 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 15:44:51
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
Knights of the Shield scream this type of thing.
that was my initial reaction as well |
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight. |
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 16:04:39
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hmmm, knights of the shield might be an option, but I'm looking more for an organisation withing the heartlands (dales, cormyr, perhaps sembia).
I definitely don't want to go to the creepy side, so cult of the dragons is out of question. The role I want such organisations to fill is that of a bunch of rich "do-gooders" who have an not-so-overly-deep hidden motive that is different from charity (namely, furthering their own businesses by a network of contacts).
Of course they would make a great front for dark cults or evil organisations, but I think not EVERY organisation should be that way. Sometimes a chicken is just a bird, so DMs sometimes need good organisations that stay good even under the players scrunity. Even so, giving the players a few red herrings to raise their suspicion sounds might be a great idea. Watching their faces when they find out that they were wrong and this group is exactly what it pretends to be sounds like sooo much fun! *g*
Waukeen feels like it would do such things: building up networks of business contacts sounds natural for them, plus it has the added advantage of spreading the religion by doing charity stuff, so that even poorer people come to venerate the merchants friend. what do you think? |
Edited by - tauster on 05 Sep 2007 16:25:29 |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 17:59:31
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I am really to cynical for this, but I would think a group of younger idealistic nobles/traders interested in building a name for themselves might work. the sons of sembian nobles interested in bettering their families reputation in the Dales and Cormyr for example. As for Waukeen, the clergy's love of wealth might get in the way of this. Sune or Ilamter might be involved if the clergy could get some young traders into their faith.
No, sorry, I am to cynical to do this.
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 18:14:25
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@jorkens: I don't think you're too cynical. Improving their reputation might very well be one of the goals of realmsian lions club members. They wouldn't even have to hide that goal, because if they help someone and gloat about, they still help. Heck, I can even imagine them hiring bards to spread the news. :)
I come more and more to the conclusion that most of the time in the realms, "charity-stuff" would be linked to religions. Yes, I think mostly it's the temples and shrines. That's why I want to create some "nonreligious counterweight" to make that field of realmsian life a bit more interesting: Temple-based charity is what players see every day (or at least, are supposed to see when they notice it). Seing a nonreligious group being generous to the poor might get the players interest (and suspicion *g*). |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12221 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 19:17:32
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| Some of the trading costers might work, and seeing the Knights of the Shield spreading from Tethyr to Cormyr isn't too much of a stretch (the dales and Sembia... yeah, that'd be a little more of a stretch). |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2007 : 20:44:50
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The cynical comment had more to do with me having problems seeing a charitable group that do its work without hidden agendas. As the group you are seeking should do it out of the goodness of their hearts I am having some difficulties coming up with ideas.
If you were to use such a group, one spin on it would be to make them sembians, with every single merchant in Sembia trying to find their angle and what profits could be made. The good-doers would have a heard time having any one believe them. |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2007 : 04:13:25
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| how about some of the different merchant guides in waterdeep. I could envision a few of them doing community good deeds, in order to promote their orgizinations and gain prestige |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 06 Sep 2007 : 05:06:39
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quote:
Originally posted by scererar
how about some of the different merchant guides in waterdeep. I could envision a few of them doing community good deeds, in order to promote their orgizinations and gain prestige
That's what I was thinking, the guilds that are in different cities, at least the cities that have guilds.....
If someone didn't want to use the different divine organizations, which would also help give to the poor, etc. |
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 11 Sep 2007 : 18:05:29
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How about the church of Waukeen? The church is upfront about helping businesses AND giving to the poor (it helps the economy when everyone has some money to spend...).
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"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 12 Sep 2007 : 16:42:08
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I think the most fitting is: Knights of the Shield, if you want to go darker i would suggest Iron Throne or Zhentarim (the trading part of them)
The church of Waukeen (or fractions/cults of it) is a briliant idea as stated above |
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Topic |
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Lions Club in the Realms?
