RIOT
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| R.I.O.T. | |
| Founder: Bubble Wrap | |
| Basics | |
| Side: | Hero |
|---|---|
| Motto: | None |
| Leader(s): | Bubble Wrap, Mental Image, Nuclear Power |
| Logo: | Unknown |
| Group Colours: | Red and White |
| Playerbase | |
| Levels: | All |
| Play style: | Casual |
| Roleplay: | RP |
| Timezone(s): | Europe |
| Recruiting: | Not at this time |
| Contact: | Group leader |
| No additional information available. | |
Except where noted, the information on this page is easily available IC to anyone with contacts in the FBSA, Vanguard or Longbow. It is also likely available to Arachnos and other major villain groups. Further, Bubble Wrap and Shield Bash regularly patrol Paragon City and anyone is welcome to say they have seen them in action. Villains may claim to have seen clones operating in the isles. This is fine. This will likely be denied IC for reasons.
Contents |
Project RIOT
Rikti Intelligence and Operations Taskforce
Founded shortly after the first Rikti Invasion, Project RIOT was created under the nominal direction of Vanguard as an attempt to create a unit capable of infiltrating the Rikti and gathering information. Genetic material from an anonymous donor was used to create thirteen ‘genetic templates’ – essentially artificially grown clones kept at a biological age of one year for collecting DNA. Each template was modified to include the ability to control its aging artificially, essentially freezing the body at any desired age until a chemical was applied to trigger rapid aging. In this way, the templates could be held unaging indefinitely, while the test clones could be accelerated to useful ages. A baseline age of approximately seventeen was established, depending on the specifics of the generation. A side effect of the aging control is mild regeneration, which allows them to heal virtually all non-fatal injuries given sufficient time.
Templates one to ten were stored at the primary research facility, and used for the creation of the first twenty four generations of clones. As the donor was a psychic, so too were all the clones and this was the basis for their powers: devices know as Psycho-Kinetic Energy Convertors used their raw psychic energy to power a wide range of abilities. In addition, the third generation onwards established a psychic network amongst the clones. While a side-effect and not part of the initial program aims, the network was utilised to issue orders remotely from one clone to another.
Each of the ten templates was used to create one clone per generation, considered to be a ‘bloodline’. Template seven contained, from the fourth generation onwards, additional alterations to allow for more control over the psychic network, which otherwise treated all clones as equal. By the time the project stabilised in generation 20 onwards, the command network worked such that clones considered older generations to be their superiors, outranked by their own command clone, who was in turn outranked by older command clones.
Each generation was tested extensively, and clones terminated as and when they failed to meet expectations. This process worked until the planned termination of 217, who was carelessly allowed to overhear the plans for her execution, and was able to teleport herself out of the facility. She subsequently located and destroyed both the primary clone facility and two associated research facilities. Numerous clones were killed and the survivors defected from the project. It is believed that all ten templates were terminated by project staff to prevent them being recovered.
At this point, the project went completely dark, divorcing itself entirely from Vanguard and its cover organisations. A new series of clones was designed and produced using template 13 at the beta facility, located on an island in international waters. Generation 25 was considered operationally ready, and was planned for introduction into Paragon City with the dual goals of defeating the Rikti and infiltrating Vanguard and associated superhero organisations; however the existence of the facility became known to the renegade clones. A small group of heroes was assembled and they stormed the facility, arresting the last members of the projects administration and returning them to Paragon City. Template 13 was retrieved and adopted by Susan Bright, who named her Emma.
The island became the base of operations for the clones. Approximately 200 of the 250 clones in generation 25 remained on the island, with the remainder listed as either terminated pre-liberation, or missing at the time of the assault. Under the leadership of the older generations, they began to establish themselves. Longbow originally provided defence for the island; however they were evicted in late 2013 by Mental Image and replaced by Vanguard forces. This military presence, combined with the clones themselves and the island’s original automated defence network, makes it a formidable site to assault.
Up until mid-2016, the island was largely considered to be a protectorate of the United States, however there was no formal agreement of any kind in place regarding this status. The clones were reluctant to let the island become part of the United States, or any other country, while the United States in turn was unhappy at having a rather heavily armed group in a fortified base off their coast and wanted to annex the island as an overseas territory. Despite attempts to mediate the dispute, resulting in widespread reductions in the island’s automated defences and the stationing of a US destroyer in the seas around the island, the differences have yet to be resolved. In June, Nuclear Power went to the United Nations and applied for membership as an independent state, further straining relations.
While the US has continually threatened to veto any actual vote on UN membership, they have actively participated in the ongoing debates on the issue, debates which often include representatives from the island itself. In January 2018, a motion was passed granted the island limited UN observer status, formally recognising the assistance the clones have provided to UN relief agencies, and allowing them to be integrated fully with them on future operations. Various questions have been raised and debated regarding the island, some of which have been settled, others which lie unresolved. The actual status of the clones themselves has been called into question numerous times, with one debate even discussing whether they were actually assets of the now-defunct company that created them, and thus legally property rather than people. Another considered that they were really little more than a mercenary outfit, ruled by a self-appointed totalitarian oligarchy with no plans to ever change, and whether recognising such groups as nations was in the best interests of the UN.
Since the island is not formally recognised at present, none of the clones are officially citizens of any country. Despite this, the US has a visa arrangement with them, allowing a small number of clones to operate in the country as licenced heroes. A further twenty clones operate on US territory as part of Vanguard. Following the granting of observer status, the clones working with the UN have been issued travel documents to make it easier for them when operating abroad.
Current Known RIOT Clones
Note, generations 1-24 use the form GGT, where GG is the generation number and T is the template number. Generation 25 uses the form GGBT where B is a letter representing the batch. For the format of Epsilon Beta clone IDs see that dimension's page.
This table lists counterparts in alternate dimensions - only the Primal Earth column is easily available IC, the remainder are for OOC reference only
| ID | Primal Earth | Epsilon Beta 21-7 | Psi-Omega 23-3 | Praetoria |
| 21? | Dawn 21 | |||
| 217 | Bubble Wrap | 21-7 | Sound Bite | |
| 221 | Dark Reflection1 | |||
| 224 | Red Heart1 | |||
| 235 | Little Amethyst2 | |||
| 236 | Shocking Thought | Shocklet Orange | ||
| 238 | Nuclear Power | |||
| 241 | Strike Fast | |||
| 247 | Mental Image | 24-7 | Make Believe | Seer 4032 |
| 25B4 | Faraday Cage | |||
| 25B7 | Shield Bash | |||
| 25N7 | Squirt Gun3 | |||
| 25O3 | Hollowpoint3 | |||
| 25O9 | Bullet Trick | |||
| 25P5 | Liquorice Twist3 | |||
| 25?? | Sugar Rush | |||
| 25?? | Cutting Edge | |||
| ??? | Titan 12 | |||
| ??? | Devoured | |||
| ??? | Dancing Duellist4 |
1: Not on official FBSA records
2: Defected to Primal Earth, officially listed as a Primal clone
3: Third-party clone - not run by @BubbleWrap, ask if you want to join this awesome exclusive club
4: Defected to the carnieverse (if you don't know what this means, you'll have to find out IC)
The Collective
After taking control of the island, the collective had three overlapping command chains within it. All clones were subject to all three, however they were able to express a preference order for the three commands, allowing them to resolve conflicting orders.
The primary command chain was headed by Bubble Wrap, and was derived from the original network as it existed in generation 21. Bubble Wrap designated Shield Bash as her second in command, and she primarily led the clones operating within Paragon City.
The secondary command chain was headed by Nuclear Power, a non-command clone who has assumed administrative responsibility for the clones and their assets. Following the taking of the island, she had essentially taken control of day to day running of it, and all clones resident there.
The shadow command chain was headed by Mental Image, with Faraday Cage as her second in command. Unlike the other two, clones were only inducted into this chain by Mental herself, with the others being aware of its existence but largely unaffected by it. Mental Image and Faraday Cage still carried the same command authority as their counterparts in the other chains, but the structure below them was entirely private and restricted.
Both the primary and secondary chains deferred directly to Susan Bright, though she did not interfere in the day to day running of the island or any of its operations. While Mental Image did consider Sue to be in overall command of the clones, she maintained a much higher level of independence for those she has selected for her shadow command.
Subsequently, the command network has evolved into separate branches as the clones’ day to day operations changed. At present, there are six branches of the network, five of which are known as Operational Units and the sixth being a general network for those not assigned to one of the others. Cross-communication between the networks is normal, and command clones in any branch are still considered to outrank non-command clones in other branches, but they rarely exert this authority outside of emergencies, instead submitting requests through the branch command chain.
Operational Unit 1 is the main island defence force, with eight squads permanently assigned to it, along with any clones currently resident on the island. It is headed by Nuclear Power with Energy Shield as her second in command.
Operational Unit 2 are the clones operating in Paragon City as licenced heroes. It is the smallest group, numbering about a dozen, but the one most people in Paragon City see. It is headed by Bubble Wrap with Shield Bash as her second in command.
Operational Unit 3 are the clones assigned to Vanguard. At present there are around twenty such clones, primarily operating in the Rikti War Zone in Paragon City, however they are sometimes assigned to assist other operations. During the evacuation of Praetoria, squad 25E supported Vanguard forces in Praetoria, while squad 25F helped handle the incoming refugees in Primal Earth. It is headed by Strike Fast, with Insert Clone Name Here as her second in command.
Operational Unit 4 operates under Mental Image with Faraday Cage as her second in command. There is no information on its members or operations, but it is essentially a direct descendent of Mental’s previous Shadow Command.
Operational Unit 5 contains the fifty clones currently assigned elsewhere in the world, helping UN relief agencies in the aftermath of natural disasters, or handling the collateral from large metahuman battles. Since the granting of UN Observer status, the unit has adopted standard uniform colours based on those of the UN to make themselves more easily recognisable in their role. It is headed by Insert Clone Name Here with Insert Clone Name Here as her second in command.
Any clones not attached to one of the above are considered to be on Free Release, and form the sixth part of the network. This section exists solely to fulfil the need to have a network, though it has no assigned head. Mental uses this branch for her experiments on removing the need for a network, though with limited success so far.
Disposition of Forces
Table entries are either a full clone ID number (eg 238, 25B7), or a 25th generation squad (eg 25A) representing all 10 clones with that prefix
| Island Defence Force (Operational Unit 1) |
| 238 |
| 242 |
| 25A |
| 25C |
| 25D |
| 25G |
| 25J |
| 25K |
| 25L |
| 25M |
| Paragon Taskforce (Operational Unit 2) |
| 217 |
| 235 |
| 25B7 |
| 25N7 |
| 25O3 |
| 25O9 |
| 25P5 |
| 25V (Partial squad) |
| Vanguard Taskforce (Operational Unit 3) |
| 241 |
| 25E |
| 25F |
| International Relief Taskforce (Operational Unit 5) |
| 25Q/R (Hybrid formation, partial squads Q and R) |
| 25T |
| 25U/X (Hybrid formation, partial squads U and X) |
| 25W |
| 25Y |
Dimensional Counterparts
R.I.O.T.
Rikti Intelligence & Operations Taskforce (Epsilon Beta 21-7)
The project on Epsilon Beta 21-7 is, essentially, the same as on Primal Earth however due to temporal manipulation the project went live and was able to take control of the world through the use of a psychic dampening field.
H.E.A.R.T.
Hostile Environment Assault & Recon. Taskforce (Praetoria)
On Praetoria, the clones were developed as an experiment in reclaiming parts of the world overrun by Hamidon. Operating from a well defended facility outside the city, they had some limited success but the project was eventually shelved as plans for the invasion of Primal Earth began to take shape. Failed cloned were transferred to the Seer program rather than being terminated, some of who subsequently defected to the resistance. The remaining clones continue to operate from their facility, though to what end is currently unknown.
P.A.C.T.
Pyschic Anti-Clockwork Taskforce (Psi-Omega 23-3)
The clones of Psi Omega 23-3 were produced to fight against the Clockwork King when he began his war against superheroes. After some initial successes, the entire force defected en-masse when their progenitor, Susan Bright, allied herself with the Clockwork King. With Susan and the King easily winning the war, they now stand on the frontline, fighting off the Occupation Force from Epsilon Beta 21-7.
