Information Distribution Institution
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
General
The Information Distribution Institution (here after the I.D.I.) is a Paragon City based organization founded by Postino. The primary goal of the organization is to compile and make available information from Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. The I.D.I. is neither a heroic or villainous organization, and therefore is not a Super Group in any sense of the word. In fact, it is required for all members of the I.D.I. to be neutrally aligned with no or limited good or evil leanings. The necessity for neutrality is required as a result of the fact that the I.D.I. deals data to both good and evil forces alike with little or no preference. However, due to the I.D.I.'s nature, it mistaken as both a good and evil force in the world, and sometimes is required to fill the role.
Creator's Notes
The events that follow are non-canon and fictitious. All character mentioned were created by me. The SG does exist, but has only recently started open recruiting. Also the group should be viewed as a device for RP purposes, and not as a SG as of yet.
History
Timeline
Late 2004: Postino makes his first appearance in Paragon City.
March 2005-October 2006: Postino starts taking missions from various organizations and groups to gather intelligence.
June 2006: Postino begins interviewing heroes and villains around Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.
November 2006: Postino freely gives information to heroes and villains alike for free.
December 2006: Postino goes into hiding briefly after being accused of aiding villains in a plot to overthrow the heroes in Paragon.
March 2nd, 2007: The Information Distribution Institution is formed and begins recruiting researchers. Jeice Lacour, Lorant, and Emrick Hazard join.
June 2007: The I.D.I. begins compiling data for it's project codenamed "Unknown Matter."
November 2007: The I.D.I. officially opens shop, selling information at high premiums to heroes only. Postino is revealed as the founder. Escalon and Lady Glass joins as a researcher.
December 2007: Aleta D'pire is rescued by Postino in a research mission regarding The Lost. Aleta D'pire becomes Postino's apprentice and joins the I.D.I. officially on December 15th 2007.
January 2008: Last known researcher to join the I.D.I. under the codename "Levanna."
Febuary 2008-August 2009: General activities unknown, still dealing information to a select few wealthy individuals.
September 20th, 2009: Aleta D'pire appears in the Pocket D for the first time and begins to update the "Persons" section of the now titled "The Living Encyclopedia" project.
September 22th, 2009: Postino and the I.D.I. begin researching the activities of the X-1 Corporation. Begins looking for new recruits.
Postino
Before the I.D.I. was formed, a man in a brown duster appeared in Paragon City. Ironically, despite his chosen profession of dealing in information, virtually no information on him exists prior to his appearance. He assumed the name Postino (Italian for "Postman")in a way to advertise his work to the public: he was in the business of delivering information. In the early days, he worked as an errand boy for various contacts around Paragon City, delivering messages of varying kinds to varying kinds of people. Soon his name was getting around Paragon City as a reliable source and deliveryman of data, so he in early March of 2005 Postino began taking espionage missions. His work was valued for its accuracy, expedience, and discretion.
During this period of time, Postino began compiling information on all of the heroes and villains that he encounter. He built himself a private database. This database would be the foundation for a latter project known as "Living Matter."
For about a year, Postino worked exclusively for Vanguard and the other heroic organizations of Paragon City, but in November 2006 he decided it would be more profitable to expand his services to the Rogue Isles as well. He began doing reconnaissance for both sides of the field. While his work was still respected and generally understood, his dealings with both Paragon City and Rogue Isles caused tension to rise between him and the forces in Paragon. As a result, Postino was forced to stop his activities in December of 2006 and went briefly into hiding.
The Formation of the I.D.I.
March 2nd, 2007 marks the formation of the Information Distribution Institution. At the time of its creation, the founder was unknown. The initial researchers were Lorant, Jeice Lacour, and Emrick Hazard. It immediately began recruiting researchers for a project known as "Unknown Matter." Upon its appearance, the I.D.I. made it clear that they did not work for either the Heroes of Paragon or the Villains of the Rogue Isles; they would not do missions for anyone directly. Their approach would be entirely different.
Through their project "Unknown Matter," the I.D.I. would compile its own data neutrally on everything they could possibly get their hands on. They conducted their own espionage missions, along with various other forms of cataloging including confiscation of technology, observation, and direct interview. The only case in which the I.D.I. would aid anyone in acquiring data was A. If they needed it to complete a file of their own, and B. It would not make them appear to be something they are not.
Their policy on the distribution was, as Lorant said, "one of equal distribution of needed data to all interested parties... at a premium." The I.D.I. began catering to only the most wealthy and influential members of the society of heroes and villains. In addition to paying an extremely high fee for data bought, the client agreed to leave it to the I.D.I. to select what information was relevant to the situation that they presented, thus assuring that the information wasn't abused. Also, they required each client to give them a unique and valuable piece on information about themselves or their projects, thus ensuring the I.D.I.'s safety through the potential force of blackmail or subversion.
Postino the Founder
After a few months of operation, the I.D.I. revealed that Postino was the founder of the Institute. While the exact reason for this exposure is unknown, it is assumed that they did it to make Postino's work easier and less secretive. Surprisingly, there was no ill response to this news due to the I.D.I.'s policy of neutrality. Under Postino's guidance, the I.D.I.'s information store grew exponentially in many fields throughout the course of the "Living Matter" project.
The I.D.I. at Present
The I.D.I. has continued to operate as they always have, though the number of researchers have grown. Their information has become more specialized in all fields due to the expansion in research topics allowed by having more researchers. Through necessity, the I.D.I. formed its own team of combatants. The I.D.I. made a policy of hiring only the most neutral researchers to their team in order to avoid conflict, but from time to time the I.D.I.'s hand has been forced and they have come to the aid of their clients (usually the heroes of Paragon) in efforts to collect more data, and to ensure the overall balance.
The "Unknown Matters" Project ended early in 2009 and was replaced by a more intricate projected titled "The Living Encyclopedia." That project continues to the present, and all current researchers are involved with compiling data for it.
Projects
Unknown Matters
"Unknown Matters" was the title of the I.D.I.'s first project. The oldest piece of data collected for it was information on all the heroes and villains of the city, which remained largely unedited and un-updated throughout the course of the project. The information in the project largely pertained to the activities of the local high profile groups, their technology, origins, and habits. Much of that data was carried over into its successor project "The Living Encyclopedia." The data was gathered with an aim toward of specific audience, and was not of much use to the general public, or smaller organizations. The information was also completely unaffordable to anyone but their target audience.
The Living Encyclopedia
After a change in policy, the I.D.I. finished "Unknown Matters" and opened "The Living Encyclopedia" project. The primary change in policy resulted from a desire to reach a more general audience, and the desire of the researchers to have the freedom to explore their various expertise. While many of the aspects of "Unknown Matters" are maintained through the current project (i.e. focus on high profile groups), "The Living Encyclopedia" includes more general knowledge on various topics ranging from literature to physics.
This project allows the public to access some of the information housed by the I.D.I. free of charge, or at minimal charge. However, in all transactions a piece of information is still required at a fee. As the information in their database grows, the I.D.I. has a team of researchers sifting through it in an effort to find price ranges for the information based on importance, relevance to current events, historical value, and the person asking among other criteria. "The Living Encyclopedia"'s primary goal is to reach as many people as possible, truly allowing access to information for anyone who would seek information.
Researchers
(More data to come. Please stand by while this section is edited)
Research Applicants
The I.D.I. is currently looking for new researchers to help with their ever expanding "Living Encyclopedia" project. If you are interested in applying for the position, please contact Aleta or Postino. They will give you the information you'll need to see if you qualify for the position.
