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[D&D 5E IC thread - Introducing the Cooperatives of Ravnica]
Draconiclast
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Registered User regular
[DM note: We will keep any table talk in the other thread. I want to encourage everyone in the game to write in whatever style is most comfortable for them; however much inner monologue you want to include, reactions to events, etc, is up to you. As long as you include any checks you want to make and the necessary rolls in your post, it's cool with me. Hit me up in the thread or in my inbox with any of the usual questions you'd have for a DM. This is a casual game too so I'm not going to freak out if any of these rules are violated, it's just a guideline to keep things straight for all of us. For clarity's sake I'll put any of my instructions in brackets like this.]
An empty space sits awaiting its new tenants, located in the 10th district in the most inconspicuous location imaginable, flanked by a discount market for general goods and supplies and a small cafe that caters mostly to the students at a nearby art school. It is a nondescript place, the sort that has likely had a variety of uses in the past - offices for a fly-by-night business, classrooms for a small school, living space for a motel. Early morning sunlight streams in through the front windows, and we can see that the place has not been occupied - or cleaned - in some time, as there are empty boxes and bags left behind by the previous tenants and a great deal of dust hanging in the air. A large counter sits in the back-center of the main room with a series of objects sitting next to a terminal on the far left side. There are several doors in the room, one of which, we assume the entrance, opens.
[Roll initiative to see who arrives first. EDIT: Post all of your rolls unless there's something you're doing in secret that you don't want the rest of the party to know about for whatever reason, but I encourage even that kind of stuff to be done openly so everyone reading this thread can appreciate the character work.]
An empty space sits awaiting its new tenants, located in the 10th district in the most inconspicuous location imaginable, flanked by a discount market for general goods and supplies and a small cafe that caters mostly to the students at a nearby art school. It is a nondescript place, the sort that has likely had a variety of uses in the past - offices for a fly-by-night business, classrooms for a small school, living space for a motel. Early morning sunlight streams in through the front windows, and we can see that the place has not been occupied - or cleaned - in some time, as there are empty boxes and bags left behind by the previous tenants and a great deal of dust hanging in the air. A large counter sits in the back-center of the main room with a series of objects sitting next to a terminal on the far left side. There are several doors in the room, one of which, we assume the entrance, opens.
[Roll initiative to see who arrives first. EDIT: Post all of your rolls unless there's something you're doing in secret that you don't want the rest of the party to know about for whatever reason, but I encourage even that kind of stuff to be done openly so everyone reading this thread can appreciate the character work.]
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Uldin: You there, half-orc… what is your business here? My name is Uldin and I have been sent here by the Simic Combine. Surely you must be mistaken and are not in the correct place.
Uldin: To me it means that you my dull witted friend, may actually be here for the same reasons as myself. As odd as that may seem.
[Uldin grabs a stool, dusts it off and sits across from Rawk.]
Uldin: But I dare venture to say that you are not the person in charge. So I shall wait here along with you...
*perception check: 13 + 3*
[Looks around at the envelopes and at Uldin]*perception 18+ 3*
Rawk grabs the envelope off the table and rips it open at the end and looks inside suspiciously. A document falls out that reads:
CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE COOPERATIVES OF RAVNICA.
YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO BE THE DIPLOMANCER FOR THIS GROUP. NO DOUBT THE SKILLS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THE GRUUL WILL HELP YOU BE EFFECTIVE AT NEGOTIATING THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES FOR YOUR COOPERATIVE.
I HAVE INCLUDED A KIT FOR YOU TO HELP YOU IN YOUR WORK BENEATH THIS STATION. I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION SHORTLY.
BEST OF LUCK - JACE
[Uldin grabs and opens the envelope bearing his name]
[*Perception 11+3 to see if I notice a new person walking in or not*
???: No... nope... not in the slightest chance... YES! THIS IS THE ONE FOR ME!
[A heavy pack is suddenly thrown through the open door and lands in the middle of the room, amazingly avoiding hitting anyone in the process. There's a pause as the speaker continues talking to himself, unseen outside the building]
???: ...oh. Whoops. Sometimes you have to declare where you plan to be, and this place is now mine to work from, so excitement happens and you just have to throw your pack in response, and well... here we are.
[A green scaled Dragonborn clad in a mixture of chainmail and common clothes appears in the doorway. With a greatsword on his back and a handaxe on each hip, he saunters into the room without a care in the world, which makes for an odd and unnerving sight. The unnamed fighter snatches his pack up off the ground and slings it over his shoulder as casually as possible, exhaling as he takes a look around.]
???: That... could have gone poorly- I'm glad no one got hurt. The name's Norixius Jorah, or Jorah Norixius if you're not bound by tradition concerning clan names and such. Some of us are clanless by choice. Anyway, I'm here for... an adventure.
[Jorah pauses, taking in the sight of all of those gathered.]
JN: Are you all here for one too? You've all got the glowering faces for it, so...
[Jorah shrugs, as if to say "what the hell". He then notices the envelopes, and grins... which is pretty damn frightening due to all of his teeth.]
JN: Oh, so this is an official adventure? Well, I'm doubly in now.
Jorah guy!! He has spunk and style! Come friend! Drink with me!! [Takes a sip from his flask]
Delveed: You're late.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE COOPERATIVES OF RAVNICA. I HAVE NO DOUBT YOUR ENHANCEMENTS WILL SERVE US WELL.
YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED THE SECRETARIAN OF THIS PARTICULAR COOPERATIVE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE ACTIONS OF THE COOPERATIVE, DOCUMENTING YOUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES, KEEPING TRACK OF THE PERSONS YOU INTERACT WITH, AND GENERALLY MAINTAINING A LIVING HISTORY OF THIS PARTICULAR BRANCH OF THE COOPERATIVE.
THE ORB YOU HOLD IN YOUR HAND IS ATTUNED TO YOU SPECIFICALLY AND WILL ALLOW YOU TO -- ON OCCASION -- VIEW EVENTS HAPPENING AWAY FROM THE COOPERATIVE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING YOUR RECORDS. IT IS ALSO MY WAY OF SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOUR BRANCH. IT MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER PROPERTIES I HAVE NOT YET DISCOVERED AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH IT.
BEST OF LUCK - JACE
JN: I appreciate the offer, but apparently I'm late, so... no drinks.
[Jorah turns his attention to Delveed.]
JN: Sullen One, what time are we leaving?
Uldin: Well at least the intelligence level in here has increased [looks over at Rawk with slight grin] No offense meant. I believe you two should open your envelopes.
He takes Uldin's advice, and takes his letter from the counter.
CONGRATULATIONS ON JOINING THE COOPERATIVE OF RAVNICA, AND WELCOME TO YOUR NEW PLACE OF WORK. I TRUST THAT YOU SEE THE POTENTIAL IN THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH YOUR OWN CAREER AND FOR THE SAFETY AND STABILITY OF RAVNICA.
YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO BE THE GEKKONOMIST OF THIS BRANCH. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAINTAIN THE PARTY TREASURY AND DISTRIBUTE GOODS YOU COLLECT DURING TH COURSE OF YOUR WORK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AS YOU SEE FIT. AT YOUR FEET YOU WILL FIND YOUR ASSISTANT, A PARTICULARLY INTELLIGENT LIZARD.
BEST OF LUCK - JACE
[Note from me - for game purposes, the Gekko is your familiar and he provides +1 to persuasion checks, for right now. He doesn't have a name yet. The orb that Uldin has can be used to scry under the right circumstances with a high enough roll.]
He pauses a moment, deep in thought, until he recalls the memory of a Viashino merchant he had befriended many years prior.
There's an almost undetectable emphasis on his last word, as he slowly shifts his gaze to the raucous Gruul already trying to get everyone else inebriated.
Rawk: I'll have to introduce you to Daisy later, seems there is a mysterious box here with my name on it.
[Picks up the box and opens it]
TO ASSIST YOU IN YOUR ROLE AS DIPLOMANCER, I LEND YOU THIS FINE TEA SET. MAY IT BRING YOU MANY SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS.
JACE.
[Mechanic for the tea set: it gives Rawk advantage on any relevant check made during negotiations over tea (insight, persuasion, perception), and also gives disadvantage to anyone drinking tea with him against any similarly relevant checks. The trick is trying to get people into position to drink from them. Yes, I am very excited to gift a half-orc barbarian a tea set.]
Rawk: Anyone for some "tea"? [Slurps from the bowl]
Uldin: Delveed, I can only ascertain that we have been placed in the highest positions of regard within this cooperative. The brains above the braun.. [tilts head in the direction of Rawk and Jorah] What dubious position has been made your calling here?
The giant hunches down, turning slightly sideways to make it through the door. Before you stands a seven and a half foot tall Loxodon.
"Greetings! I am Vaamuj! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"
While the other inhabitants of the room move to respond, Vaamuj leans down, kneeling. The floor boards creak under his weight and he leans forward offering one of the small finger like protrusions at the end of his trunk to... the gekko...
JN: Welcome. In lieu of actual business to attend to, we're all waiting around and idly sniping at each other. As Delveed would say by way of greeting, "you're late".
[Jorah grins, adding...]
JN: ...you're not really late, everyone's just rooted in casually caustic, isolating behavior until the fighting really begins. This happens everywhere.
Vaamuj turns back to the lizard.
"I'm so sorry for the interruption, where were we?"
JN [muttering]: No more greetings. Gonna let that gekko do the talking.
[Jorah sits down and starts rummaging through his pack.]
"I know you all have your own reasons for agreeing to this experi--" he reconsiders his words "this new approach to addressing the politics and problems and assorted crises of our beloved city. And I'm certain you have come with your own marching orders from your guildmasters and your own healthy skepticism. I do trust that you will approach this work earnestly, or else I will have to replace you - and no one wants that, especially me."
"Your task is to be a force of stability in Ravnica, helping the helpless, seeking out those who would do harm or sow chaos--" he pauses again, considering the two representatives from the Gruul "--an unreasonable amount of chaos, at least. I will use this orb that I have gifted to Uldin as a method communicating with you directly whenever possible, though not always visually, as I am a busy man. Being the Living Guildpact is an awfully demanding job and my attention is required throughout the multiverse and the various planes of existence. Someone always needs something. You understand. In any event, think of yourselves as my representatives on the ground in the day to day matters concerning the city, when there aren't more pressing matters that I need you to address. Which brings me to my first request of you."
"A constant concern in the city are those items which the Izzet manufacture that, mysteriously--" is it possible for a being like this to be sarcastic? "--go missing, that, in the wrong hands, could allow people to become agents of that unreasonable amount of chaos I mentioned. I need you to seek out one such item, a staff with the head of an angry cyclops, infused with some sort of Izzet magic that has it crackling blue. It --"
Before he can continue, there is a scream outside. Jace stops abruptly, cocks his head to the side, and his image disappears.