Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221 
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Post by Locke on Apr 12, 2015 8:08:21 GMT -7
In the back of a nondescript restaurant in a private room a group meets every Sunday night; this eclectic collection of amoral and ambiguous individuals has only one goal in mind, profit and the conquest of the world for their desire. Though strong alone this group understands that to truly bring the world to heel cooperation is in order, and so they unite to profit and in some cases bring their nefarious goals to fruition.
Its Sunday night and the back room of the the Evening Red is once again packed by the diverse membership of the RavenHeart Syndicate. Leon scans the room and smiles from behind his hand, the group is growing swiftly. After the waiters place the platters of food and wine onto the ebony table of the backroom Leon stands and calls the room to attention be tapping a sharp nail onto his wine glass. " My dear friends" he says, " it brings me such pleasure that our little social club has grown so swiftly, however with the speed of our growth it occurs to me that perhaps you are not all yet acquainted with one another, thus i would ask you to introduce yourself." Leons eyes sweep the room " Trust is everything in our business, get to know your allies here comrades for the road we walk has great rewards but also, great peril. Now without further ado, my name is Leon Machievelli and let me be the first to welcome you to the first official meeting of the Ravenheart Syndicate!" Leon takes a long swig from his wine and Sweeps off a red cloth covering the wall behind him and reveals a white sigil of a raven above which are inscribed the words raven claw syndicate and underneath the words foreboding words " Do Unto Others" _  Members list 1. Lanward Level 4 summoner (shadowsharp) 2. Leon Level 5 oracle (Locke) 3. Alistair Level 5 sorcerer (constantine) 4. Ilzan level 1 monk(feroffs) 5. 6. 7. 8. Please message me the name and level of your character in the ravenheart to be added to this list
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Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221
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Post by Locke on Apr 12, 2015 8:08:35 GMT -7
Events in the Ravenheart Syndicate (will be updated when possible please place things your character did for or to the Ravenheart in the thread if you want it added to this main list) - Ravenheart Representative Leon offered a group of troglodytes to act as brokers and contacts in their efforts to sell the coal they gathered from the mine, he offered them a business card and a location to meet, along with a promise to meet again.
- Ravenheart member gham begins the construction of an alchemical lab with ties to the syndicate
•Leon manages to establish a trade route with the troglodytes of the brimstone cave which focuses upon coal production through his "Black Talon organization" |
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Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221
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Post by Locke on Apr 12, 2015 8:08:48 GMT -7
The meeting on vent as per the poll will take place on sunday at 7:00 PM GMT as sadly vent is under maitenance on potato
Designated post for the explanation of poll topics
Now a lot of really interesting stuff has been discussed in this poll but i have heard gotten a bit concerned about various gaps in our current roleplay as well as the piecemeal fashion of the creation of this syndicate which has ended with many of the council not really having much say in the foundation of this organizations basic principles, such as how we where founded, whether or not we have a leader or we are a council, how anonymous we wish to be and our organizations drive, ideals and limits etc...
Now we could solve this via an extended wall of forum posts but this is as i see it both a laborious, inefficient and difficult process to track and discourages quick development of RP, now while this is fine for the future development of the Ravenheart i feel in the interests of fun, transparency and the sanity of everyone trying to crack the code of this gigantic wall of text that we do a soft reset of the stuff that has happened in this thread and attempt to roleplay the beginning of this syndicate within a ventrillo session that will allow all of us to participate in this evil empires origin story, from the way we discovered it to the way we roleplay the initial meeting. Note this does not need to be a full reset, much of the great roleplay and context seen in this meeting will still be possible and indeed encouraged however hopefully in a less chaotic fashion so everyone has the chance to make their epic intro speech. Finally i hope to include a second meeting after the intro meeting where everyone can really hash out what they want from the syndicate. of course this is all subject to change based on what the players want.
To this effect i am putting up a poll which will cover these things,
The date and time of play
whether this will be an official session run by DG or an informal one on vent (either way we will still be in the standard roleplay set up of gm and players otherwise it gets hectic)
and the level of reset people want on the events of this thread a soft reset (we keep the basic stuff like the evening red back room, Leon there with his intro speech etc and you will most likely have a chance to make the speeches you made here, if slightly altered) or a complete hard reset (everything goes, theres no more evening red back room, no more leon to act as convenient exposition start straight from scratch essentially and the things done on this forum probably wont apply much)
You will have the chance to check off multiple poll questions so please check off all that you agree with that are convenient such as multiple dates that work for you.
as the person suggesting it i would be more then happy to run the vent as the GM but if any feel like they would rather do it then please post in the thread to that effect,
for any other questions, complaints or death threats against me regarding this poll and vent meet please post them in this thread,
And as always
Do unto others
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Post by Constantine on Apr 12, 2015 9:16:52 GMT -7
A man dressed in dusty travel clothes leans back in his chair, his masterfully-crafted greatsword propped up next to him. His green eyes travelthe circumference of the table, taking in the faces of everyone present, "Well, I guess I'll start then. Name's Alastair Woade. Mercenary mage. I'm here because this little group sounds like something I could get behind. Also, the word profit is music to my ears."
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Post by shadowsharp on Apr 12, 2015 9:27:54 GMT -7
At one of the chairs sits Lanward, a blond haired half elf wearing a light purple suit. Behind him stands a large cloaked figure with few distinguishable features. Standing up, the half elf looks around the table measuring everyone at the table. “I have little care for your organization or your goals.” Lanward begins, “The fate of nobility or peasantry matter little to me. I will however offer this. If you provide me with the funds and resources to continue my work, I can build you an army of creatures the likes of which few have seen.”
Lanward then motions to the cloaked figure. “Some of you might scoff at my claims but allow me to show you proof.” Lanward explains and the figure shrugs off his cloak. Under the cloak is a massive bear like creature that stands on two feet. Dark brown fur cover its entire body and sharp claws decorate its massive forearms. “With only a minimum amount of funds I have created this little monster. The power and defense of a bear combined with the wits and knowledge of a man. It is only the start of my plans but I assure you, the ones coming after will be no less impressive and far more deadly.”
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Post by Gafgarion37 on Apr 12, 2015 10:26:20 GMT -7
More standing on his chair than sitting, when it comes to his turn this goblin stops his muttering and drawings, and in rather fluent common states "I am called Gham. I specialize in alchemical substances, from poison to medicine, and my favorite, explosives. Profit and Control is the Goal." When he's finished, the goblin simply goes back to his drawings.
If you look at his drawings, you would see sticking different things inside round objects, like what looks like nails in one.
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feroFFS
Players
"Orcish battle rage / Calm garden of peace endures / Yet war he must wage"
Posts: 10
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Post by feroFFS on Apr 12, 2015 13:47:04 GMT -7
Large tall figure of a Half-orc dressed in a dark red kimono with black&gold leaf embroidery speaks in a soft yet firm tone that hints that this man has had formal education involved in his upbringing. He does not appear to carry any strong emotions when addressing the others. You can tell from his posture that he has places to be and other tasks to carry out, nevertheless he seems focused on the conversation at hand with a calm and professional attitude.
"My sword is at your services, I honor my contracts and expect to be honored in turn, my motivations are mine to keep, as are yours. However know that if this ever becomes a fool's errand I will have no qualms about abandoning this enterprise. I am here to support logical and reasonable criminal undertakings, not mad men."
He pauses for a moment, considering whether to share this life's truth with the group, but then decides that they could benefit from the wisdom and so he leans in, puts his hands on the table and speaks with a modicum of focus, force and intensity not previously apparent. He makes sure to make eye contact with each and every member while delivering this ultimatum of his.
"I chose a half measure once, when I should have gone all the way... I'll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, gentlemen. Either we go all in or not at all."
He gives everyone time to take in the situation and stares down any resenting looks that are cast in his general direction. Perhaps this could help him amass the resources to continue his search, perhaps this could indeed turn out to be his way of establishing his own clan, or perhaps this is simple desperation and false hope. Who knows?
As the time for the toast comes he smiles. . .
"The Cups have been raised
All our spirits are held high
Raven shall be praised.
Limit is the sky
To profitable future
Gentlemen kampai!"
. . .and takes a long swig of some variety of strong alcohol taken on the rocks.
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xemadus
Leadership Council
Sure
5000
Posts: 798
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Post by xemadus on Apr 12, 2015 18:42:42 GMT -7
After grumbling to himself for quite some time, a rather tall and stately looking dwarf with green eyes stands up.
"OI! Me name's Thraum Malachite. Last time we had one o' these here groups in Rook they all ended up dead or missing. Wee lass named Azziel, or somethin' like that, was their leader, ain't seen much o' her these days. I'm here ta see how long all o' ye can manage ta hold it together... maybe sink me blade and horns inta somethin'."
At that, horns explode from Thraums head and his eyes turn blood red. He smiles wildly as he looks around the room, and 6 seconds later the horns sink back in to his head, and he returns to whatever semblance of normalcy can be applied to such a being.
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Post by Constantine on Apr 12, 2015 18:58:14 GMT -7
Alastair drinks from his tankard, his claws scraping small lines into the metal. He keeps a wary eye on the dwarf, "It will last as long as it lasts, Master Malachite."
Setting his drink down, the sorcerer sits up in his chair, "In any case, I can offer my house as a meeting place for the short term. It would, at the very least, offer a bit more of a private setting for such discussions. Though I would ask you to be discrete with your visits. I may be a threat to bandits and kobolds, but I have no desire to have the city guard or some delusional vigilante come kicking in my front door."
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zzan
Players
Posts: 29
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Post by zzan on Apr 13, 2015 8:51:12 GMT -7
After taking his share for the Brimstone small interlude Sevastian (that half elf warpreist with the greatsword) turn to Leon and ask" this operation you are forming, how much fighting will i get to do if i join you?"
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Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221
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Post by Locke on Apr 13, 2015 18:55:36 GMT -7
Leon looks around the room, obviously impressed by growth of the social club, the waiters he paid off had been surprisingly efficient in their choices. "Friends it brings me great pleasure to see you all here at this the first meeting of our new syndicate, now that introductions are out of the way, lets get into the nitty gritty" Leons eyes sweep the room making sure to make lingering eye contact with each and every one of those sitting around here. "Now as im sure most of you know, most of the things we will be doing in this order shall be unpleasant, without going into details, we may be doing some very dark things, things that can have us executed or imprisoned eternally if they are discovered. Now we will not do this things stupidly and the chances of us getting caught if we act wisely are low, but there are risks."
Leon's eyes again sweep the room this time lingering on each member. "By joining this order you agree to keep our secrets, you may leave at any time you wish by simply informing the syndicate council in person, However you may never under any circumstances speak of the secrets of the Ravenheart, any who do not feel they are up to this secrecy I ask to please leave the room right now, any who stay agree that they will be targeted and killed by our members if they ever reveal secret information regarding the syndicate without the approval of a full meeting of the council. ((meta wise you consent to pvp with the syndicates members ,if and only if you betray us, by joining the syndicate, so please dont betray the order, it ruins the fun of all the other PC members, you can leave at any time but revealing secret information about the order at any time after joining it invokes the consent to PVP clause above, dont worry this will never be invoked unless you betray and screw over the RavenHeart by leaking our secrets willingly)). In the interests of rooting out spies all the membership including everyone in this room who does not leave permanently right now will be subjected to a zone of truth every 2 weeks with the entire available council present to ensure no misconduct. The zone of truth test will be conducted naked to avoid the interference of magic, do not worry about your privacy there will only be 1 question asked "have you betrayed the Ravenheart Syndicate" the only acceptable answers are yes or no, any other answer is unacceptable and any answer other then no will lead to you imprisonment and interrogation, no other questions will be asked so once more please do not worry about privacy friends. If a member does not show up for this test for a period of a month they will be searched for by the orders members and tested and or killed. Members who leave the syndicate will be subjected to the test on an annual basis." Leon pauses briefly for his words to have full impact.
"Comrades as long you do not betray the order there is absolutely nothing to fear from us at all, any who do not wish to go through the processes needed to ensure security, are encouraged to place their objects or leave now. Any who stay automatically agree to the previously mentioned terms." Leons eyes sweep the room one final time and he makes a sweeping motion encompassing the rooms occupants with his right hand "Friends we can profit greatly from each others but only if we can trust each other, I ask that we as the council agree to these conditions for the sake of our sanity and our mutual security, a compromise of the order is a compromise of us all after all." His voice drops and becomes solemn "Friends as was previously said by a much more eloquent man then I we cannot afford to take half measures, the battles and struggles we must face cannot afford them." Leon takes a deep breath and raises his a clenched fist into the air in front of him " Now i ask you my comrades, Shall we begin this war! shall we do unto others!" Leon sits back into his chair, looking far calmer after his passionate speech, he leans back and seems to wait for his comrades replies
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Post by Gafgarion37 on Apr 14, 2015 6:50:01 GMT -7
After listening to the rather overbearing demands for security, Gham decides to add his own ideas to the pot.
"Security is a must. We are all here for our own gain, and we all know this about each other. With this, we all need to be sure of our own safety, and these regulations do just that."
He seems to pause for a moment, as if to let someone else speak, but then starts back up again with a spark in his eye.
"Also, an Idea for recruitment. Prospective Members, no matter if we approach them or, when word of our organization begins to spread across the underworld, they us, We follow these simple steps: First, we gather information on the interesting or interested party. Past affiliations, work, what skills they have, so on. Secondly a number of us, I'd prefer half plus one, so five currently, must go on an.."Adventure" with this person in matters not directly related to the Syndicate. After these, we present our opinions within a zone of truth, and then we vote as a council on whether we allow the party to join us if they so wish, or to not allow them in. If accepted, they will be subjected to a Zone of Truth to question if they have any ties to any of the Syndicates enemies, with the Yes or No only permitted answers as Leon stated before me. Eventually this system will need to be revised, of course, but it seems sufficient for the time being."
Finished speaking, Gham leans back in his chair, taking a small drink of tea.
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xemadus
Leadership Council
Sure
5000
Posts: 798
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Post by xemadus on Apr 14, 2015 11:31:28 GMT -7
Thraum perks up after something finally clicks within his addled mind, "Yer a damned fool if ye think I'll strip fer ya. Even a moron knows you magic types don't need gear ta cast yer thrice damned spells. Ye want ta be sure that someone doesn't mess with yer fancy spells, then ye gotta do that thing with yer sight so ye can see magic... and take my advice kid, earn yerself a reason ta be threatening before ye start throwin' out nothin' but threats. Ye won't last long in this world like that."
Once again, the clarity in Thraum's eyes dissipate, as he returns to whatever world he lives in within his mind.
((Stepping away from being a sadistic chaotic evil psychopath, I'm quite interested in seeing where this ends up. Quite some time ago, I want to say November, a player named Nox tried to get a sort of shadow guild going using his PC Azziel. It was quite the interesting concept so I'm truly hoping this works out well.))
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Post by shadowsharp on Apr 14, 2015 12:39:38 GMT -7
Lanward raised an eyebrow. "The dwarf makes a point. There is no point in striping down just to make sure we do not have any magic items on us. A simple magic detect spell can tell you the number of items one has plus an identify spell on any unusual items will detect any falsifications. You will also find more people willing to under such a ritual then the one you suggested. Either way I do not care, I have little to hide and nothing to gain by betraying the group. As long as I have bodies to work with, then we could run a daycare center for goblins children for all I care."
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Post by Constantine on Apr 14, 2015 14:08:04 GMT -7
Alastair raised an eyebrow, "A Zone of Truth can be resisted or tricked with half-truths, so really, there is no point. It may eventually keep small-time do-gooders out of our ranks, but even an average adventurer can scoff at it. The very people that can pose a threat to us can bypass the countermeasures we would have put in place to stop them."
"That being said," the sorcerer hummed, "I do agree to an initiation of some kind. It has to be an act, that if admitted, would get them into trouble with the guard even if they turned against us. Of course, the problem with that is that the kind of people who are willing to do that on a stranger's word aren't exactly the type of people that you want watching your back."
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Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221
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Post by Locke on Apr 14, 2015 15:32:06 GMT -7
Leon looks at the stately dwarf, with a look on history says he is contemplating a reaction " Ah Mr. Thraum you show great wisdom, you are correct perhaps myself and even the other members are not all that threatening, however" Leon wiggles his finger a little, his eyes recede deeply into him as his face splits open to reveal a grotesque maw full of grinding gnashing teach which seem to be made of the stingers of wasps , the visage contorts in order to recreate a semblance of speech "people they can change yeshhh, this order will instill fear, yessh someday all shall fear is, and respect is yeshhh (random gibberish in infernal for about 3 seconds)" Leon wiggles another finger and his face returns to that of a handsome half elf after a half second transformation, he acts calm as though nothing had occurred " your comments have merits and indeed I had planned to utilize the incantations of detect magic on our members though those are never quite as accurate or informative as one would wish" Leon looks thoughtful " I can assure you that things will work out quite well for us, with my infernal powers I'll make sure that none break the contract without punishment, on my honor;and indeed it is in all of our interests to band together when traitors and enemies are at our doors" Leon turns away from the door and raises and eye at Alastair " you are correct a zone of truth may be resisted and though I do not fear half truths since the question is simple and the answer is yes or no the first concern is quite pressing. I however see no other option for us, perhaps with serveral zone of truths we can weed out a larger percentage of liars, my spells are personally quite difficult to resists for people of equal strengh after all but I am not quite that studied in magic. Perhaps we would be better served with spells such as dominate person or geass but I do not have the knowledge to cast those, I'm open to other ideas but in the meantime a zone of truth seems like a workable stop gap. You are a mage Alaistar in the interests of safeguarding the sanctity of our profit I would ask you to please assist the council in the endeavor of safeguarding our profits security." Leon looks at gham with respectful eyes " the group appreciates your wisdom gham, it is true we must find a more suitable recruitment process, bribing the waiters to find interesting individuals to interview isn't going to cut it anymore, we must speak more on this issue in the future but for now I personally agree with Ghams suggestion and im interested in hearing the rest of the councils opinion on the matter" Leon looks around one last time before sitting down and saying " and your all quite right no clothing was a bit extreme, at the very least id ask that you leave your magic items at home or somewhere before these tests and we can do the tests after a detect magic is cast." Leon takes a sip of his before suddenly spitting it out " I am such a fool i cannot i forgot it, the clerics of abadar they had a spell similar to the zone of truth but different, with it they could touch a creature, if the creature was unable to resist the spell there being flashed and they looked like some sort of angel for a second, but when they resisted it they didnt get that neat transformation, if we can get our hands on that spell that we can verify that we are telling the truth without any issue" Looking satisfied Leon calls for a waiter to clean up his mess and leans back into his chair, taking another sip of wine. "oh and as a final point let me please rephrase the words of the test they will now be " have you ever betrayed the ravenheart" followed by the question "do you ever plan to betray the ravenheart syndicate" there will of course be a list of defined betrayals before the truth telling" seemingly exhausted Leon sits back in his chair ((for reference www.archivesofnethys.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Abadar%27s%20Truthtelling)) |
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Post by dragonus45 on Apr 14, 2015 15:54:09 GMT -7
Tall, constantly shirtless and heavily muscled Ragotmourne the Half-Orc steps into the room and gives Leon and appraising look. "You the guy I'm looking to talk to ere? I heard some people were wanting to settle into the city and that's what I'm ere for myself. I'm what you might call, natural born muscle so to speak. Just know that If I join up in your little clubhouse I'm not looking for minion work. I'm in this for real power or not at all."
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feroFFS
Players
"Orcish battle rage / Calm garden of peace endures / Yet war he must wage"
Posts: 10
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Post by feroFFS on Apr 14, 2015 17:13:02 GMT -7
Ilzan smirks a bit as he takes in what was said, but it's more of an amused smile than a condesending attitude towards the less wise and more prone to violence members of this gathering.
He starts to consider his alternatives as he listens to the ultimatum, but then he remebers his own words about half-measures and appreciates how enthusiastic some of the members are. To do unto others huh? It allways comes back to that, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, deep inside he knew, he felt the ever present law of the jungle woven into the very fabric of his being. He was a predator, this was a jungle and yet he hoped for civil society of reasonable people respecting themselves without the need for violence.
Needless to say the dwarf's words break his thoughtfull musings as he can't help but laugh at the situation presented here. He sees the disarray presented here, he notices how quickly this could all end, but somehow something gives him the impresion that great things can be built from this. And so he gets up from the chair and addresses everyone with a loud, but still respectfull announcement.
"I think we have all drunk our share, some even laid our thoughts bare, but let's avoid the emotion's snare, and talk tomorow . . . . but where?"
After this he offers few times and places as he is sure others will too. He makes it clear that he will show up and discuss all the issues with a bit less humor than this time, but does not apologize for his words or actions. Once this meeting reaches its end he respectfully bows and leaves.
However the incoming half-orc catches his attention and while it comes as no suprise that he seeked them out on a premise of paid for violence, something he said about wanting real power made Ilzan a bit hopefull that in this day and age there are still aspiring half-orcs that know the score. A nod of respect is given to the half-orc as Ilzan leaves for the next meeting, but the gleam in his eyes already hitned that planning of the next move on the board has already begun.
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Post by dragonus45 on Apr 14, 2015 22:05:30 GMT -7
I would like to argue against the auto PvP clause. It is going to cause way more trouble than its worth, and would be very very difficult to enforce anyways. Plus it would generate a lot of bad blood, which I feel will in a worse case scenario lead to the Leadership banning the clause directly. Instead if we fear betrayal from within we should instead aim for strong entry requirements and enforce the idea of in character knowledge vs out of character knowledge. This would also require abandoning the idea that the level one newbie who wanders into the Syndicare has an equal say and knowledge of activities as the senior members. I propose that instead we move to a tiered system of leadership where the tiers are limited by numbers and have strict requirements requiring service to the guild. This will ensure that people with access to Syndicate knowledge have proven their value and loyalty, avoid issues of the group being tied up by inaction be ensuring the command structure is uncluttered, and provide incentive to be in the Syndicate. Higher tiers come with more benefits, which will have to be defined when we understand more of the proposed guild rules, and the ability to vote in issues. Now this is just a preliminary proposal but I feel it has the framework of a well manageable idea.
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zzan
Players
Posts: 29
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Post by zzan on Apr 15, 2015 0:15:05 GMT -7
...this is starting to sound more and more like a pyramid scam...(jk)
but actuly Sevastian would more likely be happy with being an asset connected to the Ravenhearts then a member.
(actuly since im at gmt+3 and in 3 weeks i only got to two sessions ,and that if the last post is taken on to, for higher levels to have higher rank. id hate to see new characters again and again blaze past me on ranking because im lagging it back in the xp department. i allready know of at least 3 characters that started after me and are on their way to 4th level. im still shay of 2nd.
also the meating times.. are about 2 am for me.
but you guys have fun. and if and when i hit my prc class 2nd level,in 6 more levels, id be starting to craft magical items using souls..yep there is an obvius asset there to have ; )
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Locke
Approvals
Objectively Evil
Posts: 221
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Post by Locke on Apr 15, 2015 3:49:27 GMT -7
Dragonus of course brings up some very poignant points, they are definetly worth discussing and giving serious consideration at our vent meeting, after all our examples of evil organizations like the mafia and the galactic empire all had a structured power hierarchy. We do have quite a weird power structure currently and it doesn't really make sense for everyone who joins to be on equal par with long term members. If possible I'd like to submit to the council a suggestion that we have the tiers determined by time in the syndicate and activity rather than on metagame stuff like level. We wouldn't want our dedicated members to be put lower on the tiers just because they can't make it to certain games as quickly as others.
Certainly a discussion of leadership will be worthwhile to have on the vent and I look forward to it being discussed
Do unto others
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Post by dragonus45 on Apr 21, 2015 5:46:17 GMT -7
Way back when another player went to do this I came up with a few ideas for a series of sessions involving setting up new protection rackets and battling other thieves guilds to keep your turf and the like. For anyone interested I could have the time to run a game for a Syndicate Plotine relatively soon, probably as soon as we finish deciding on a hard or soft reset.
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