Jade Dragon Syndicate (Grisaire Supplement)
Jade Dragon Syndicate[edit]
| “ | We are the ones who opened our eyes. We are the ones with the power who spared you, dear brother. Never forget that your life is entirely dedicated to our cause. Otherwise, only an unpleasant future awaits you, as well as a swift death. | ” |
| —Zen Lenliu, Yut Lung, leader of the Lunar faction | ||
Mysterious and classy, the jade dragon is a symbol of prosperity and majesty in Lozor. The syndicate makes use of its mysticism to spread both fear and prestige. Based centrally in Lozor, the syndicate manages a legitimate trading company that spans to the Endix continent. Using the funds from this successful trade, however, they engage in shady activities on the underside. The syndicate started originally as a small family business named Jade Dragon Trading, created by a family of panda dragon brothers. As they expanded, they came to take bribes and commit white-collar crimes, engaging in illegal shipments and such. Now, they run much of the Lozorian underground, almost like a mafia sort of operation.
Inside the Jade Dragon Syndicate[edit]
The syndicate is comprised of two visible factions and one invisible one. The visible factions of Earth and Sky handle ad facie matters, like diplomacy and politics. The Lunar faction is the shadowy side of the syndicate, handling unsavory matters like assassinations, intimidation, and the occasional kidnapping. Under each faction are splinter cells that take care of the grunt business. Faction heads are called Lung, one of the Lozorian dialect words for dragon. The head of the Sky Faction is Tian Lung (sky dragon), Earth is Di Lung (earth dragon), and the Lunar Faction head is Yut Lung (moon dragon). These heads of the Syndicate are descendants of the original panda dragons who started the business and they are all called brothers. The grunts under them can be of other races, but the top are always panda dragons.
Goals of the Jade Dragon Syndicate[edit]
Having witnessed the moral grays of the world below the clouds, the panda dragon who started the syndicate desires control and power above all else, having become disillusioned with the former pacifist teachings of their race. This desire remains unchanged. The syndicate thrives off its legitimate and illegitimate business, which has allowed it to amass a fortune sufficient to be called a king's ransom. With this money, they have sown allies into the higher ranks of government and have their sights set on creating a mercantile empire with the Lozorian emperor at their feet. They command much of the business sectors throughout central and south Lozor, and they have no intention of ceding territory to upcoming rivals.
Jade Dragon Syndicate Characters[edit]
Alignment: Usually evil, sometimes neutral
Suggested Races: panda dragon, dragonborn, yuan-ti, human
Suggested Classes: Bard, Rogue, wizard
You might enjoy playing a Jade Dragon Syndicate character if any of the following sentences describe you:
- You love money and are willing to hurt others if it means enriching yourself.
- You enjoy lording power over the weak in ways more than one.
- You believe your syndicate to be the fortress for Lozor from the Endix continent influences.
Joining the Jade Dragon Syndicate[edit]
Highly rooted in tradition and custom, the Jade Dragon hosts a series of meetings with those who wish to join, and these vary based on what a person wants to do. There are wide differences between a mercenary who wants to join, versus a merchant who wants their protection, for example. When dealing with recruits of the combat sort, the syndicate has some of its master fighters and spellcasters evaluate the budding candidate. If the master so approves after an initial bout, the recruit is invited to a small meal with plenty of alcohol, where they will meet with a representative to discern their intentions. The meal closes in two ways: either with a cup of wine for those who succeed in joining, or a cup of acid for failures who are then eliminated on the spot.
For relations of the soft power kind, the syndicate usually prepares a series of errands for the recruit to accomplish, usually with requirements of either diplomacy or wiles to accomplish. After these tasks are done with, there is a tea ceremony held with representatives to test the recruits palate, requiring them to distinguish different liquids by smell, taste, and coloration. Different cups of tea and other fluids will be bought out in succession. The last cup will always be filled with an opaque liquid, which the recruit must drink. If they find a claw at the bottom of the cup, they are to be killed on the spot by the representative and the goons hiding around the ceremony. If they find a coin, then they have been accepted into the syndicate. The verdict of this is largely predetermined by the middle of the ceremony, during which either the claw or coin will be prepared in the final cup.
Background: Jade Dragon Member[edit]
|
|---|
| Symbol of the Jade Dragon, by Yanied |
While jade is a gemstone of auspicious meaning in Lozor, its meaning has nonetheless been used and perverted by shady organizations like this one. Members within the syndicate are highly reverent of prosperity, but only for themselves. They thus engage in economic swindling, kidnapping, assassination, and all that dirty stuff while assuming the appearance of legality and even nativism to protect Lozor from foreign interests. As with any organization this expansive, of course, there are rats and spies that seek to do the dirty work of other dark forces. As a member of the Jade Dragon, you have a plethora of options as to what you do and why you do things within this syndicate. When creating a character within the Jade Dragon Syndicate, consider what monetary motivations your character has, first and foremost. There are slim differences from the Gilt Society in this aspect. However, the Jade Dragon is also a place for many patriotic and violent nativists who see their means as just so long as they protect Lozor from other interests, not just monetary gain.
So, it is a mix of Lozorian culture and nationalism that sets the Jade Dragon apart from a group solely focused on money. The Jade Dragon, for example, is highly discriminatory of how it deals with foreign business, imposing higher "protection" fees and tariffs, as well as always looking for ways to copy and manufacture new items to drive the originals out of business. With fellow Lozorians, they are notably much more lenient. However, if anyone fails a payment or betrays the syndicate, they will usually meet a swift and messy end, no matter who they are. Loyalty is paramount, if not equal to, cunning and utility. If your character plans to pull a double-cross on the syndicate at anytime, they should show great reluctance to do so, as powerful consequences lie in wait. So, is your character solely money or country driven? Were you maybe raised in the syndicate as an orphan, trained to kill? Maybe you are a merchant who sought protections and ended up coerced to sign your life to the syndicate. Either way, you have ended up as a part of the Jade Dragon, who knows even the number of scales on its gigantic body.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Investigation
Tool Proficiencies: Poisoners Kit
Languages: Shou and Undercommon
Equipment: A poisoner's kit, a case of needles, a bag of decent quality tea, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch with 10gp
Feature: Shadow Movement[edit]
No stranger to the shadows you move through them with ease giving you the upper hand in darkness leaving no footprints. Most will think you are a tingle to their senses until you strike upon them giving you advantage on stealth at night and in the shadows.
<--insert guild name--> Spells[edit]
Prerequisite: Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature
For you, the spells on the Lollipop Guild Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, these spells are added to all of them.)
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrips | ' |
| 1st | ' |
| 2nd | ' |
| 3rd | ' |
| 4th | ' |
| 5th | ' |
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
There is no right way to use your abilities or a good or bad reason you lurk around in the darkness. Mold yourself around what you see fit for yourself.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I prefer not to talk unless it's necessary |
| 2 | I hunt people like animals |
| 3 | I don't like killing at all, so I regularly question my actions. |
| 4 | I'm a bit of a show off. |
| 5 | I am uncomfortable in open spaces, where I'm too exposed. |
| 6 | I have trouble trusting people, except for those I consider family. |
| 7 | I will do everything I can to help people when I can. |
| 8 | I tend to get bored easily. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to ideals, and everyone else can fade away for all I care. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Greed. I am always around if there is money involved. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any) |
| 4 | Others. I help people who help me; that's what keeps us alive. (Good) |
| 5 | Brutality. I'm a predator, and everyone else is my prey. (Evil) |
| 6 | Death. Most people deserve to die. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My passion is driven from my past and I carry it so that I will never forget my roots. |
| 2 | I must keep my identity a secret. |
| 3 | Family means everything to me. |
| 4 | Someone close to me was hanged for treason. My helplessness to aid still haunts me today. |
| 5 | I fell in love with someone who is dangerous to everyone around them. |
| 6 | I must abide to my family's teachings. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am overconfident. |
| 2 | I have a tendency to steal, what are you going to do catch me? Good luck. |
| 3 | Once someone has challenged my ability I will not back down no matter how dangerous the situation. |
| 4 | Violence is my answer to almost any situation. |
| 5 | I judge others harshly, and myself more severely. |
| 6 | I never forget an insult, and I bide my time for revenge. |
Contacts[edit]
fluff
Contacts[edit]
| Contact | Description |
|---|---|
Non- Contacts[edit]
| Contact | Description |
|---|---|
How Do I Fit In?[edit]
fluff
Party[edit]
fluff
Rank and Renown[edit]
fluff
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → Grisaire