The Reciprocators/Citadel of Defiance
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
The Citadel of Defiance is the name given by the Reciprocators to their current headquarters. The Citadel was found by Static Bolter and Black Starbeam while hunting a Circle of Thorns coven. The Paragon City council did not initially intend for the Citadel to grow as much as it has, and continue to authorise permits which allow further excavation for expansion. The original area granted to the group is now the Entry Hall, Information Commons and Great Hall. The Citadel of Defiance is currently undergoing expansion to add additional training facilities and living space, improving on the third iteration of the facility.
The Citadel of Defiance base map.
Location and Facilities
The exact location of the Citadel of Defiance is unknown, though it is believed to be beneath northern Steel Canyon. It was discovered when Black Starbeam and Static Bolter stumbled across an abandoned series of rooms after becoming lost in the sewer tunnels. Upon their return to the surface, they requested the site as a base and with no clear owner of the site, the City of Paragon granted full ownership of the facility to the Reciprocators. The Citadel is most likely a former corporate research facility beneath Steel Canyon which was damaged during the Rikti War, though this has yet to be confirmed.
The Citadel is only accessible from the portal networks, using a five digit access code, as the Reciprocators have yet to implement a method of directly accessing the surface, the original entrance having been walled off again. The Citadel houses a teleporter array for both mobilisation of heroes and for transporting goods into the Citadel. Medical resources are available and a complete mechanical workroom is available for the technologically savvy. Arcane libraries and resources have been organised for those members inclined towards magical pursuits. Over time, the Citadel has been extended to allow space for more creature comforts, and is now the primary residence of a small number of the 'Cips.
The Citadel Computer System
The Citadel is a highly networked base, with all non-magical systems monitored and coordinated through the Citadel's central supercomputer. The physical core of the supercomputer is built into an alcove that extends above the ceiling of the Security Centre and behind the room's back wall, with the only protrusion into the Citadel's living space being the Hub, the rotating sphere above the Operations post. This supercomputer however is only the core of the Citadel's computer system, harnessing and coordinating the processing power of many tiers of computers into a large and powerful centralised network. Wiring and power conduits for the network run behind the walls and beneath the floors throughout the whole of the Citadel, which protects the system from direct physical attack but means that maintenance of the physical computer requires panels to be removed from the walls of the base in order to provide access.
The original system was built and programmed largely by Black Starbeam, though over the years there have been many upgrades and additions to the basic system, several of which have come from the technologically-minded heroes who have operated out of the Citadel. There are two direct interfaces to the central computer: one, a virtual computer which can be activated only from Black Starbeam's personal workstation in his office, and the other being the workstation at the Server Archive in the Security Centre; both require the highest level of access which is currently restricted to the Primary Tier and those officers who have specific need of such direct access.
The major function of the Citadel computer system is to administer the Citadel's primary systems. This includes running the power generator, managing life support (providing light, heat, water and air, none of which are automatically available given the Citadel's location deep underground), coordinating the security systems, powering and syncing the teleporters (which provide the only way in and out of the Citadel), and maintaining the massive Reciprocator information databases. All these systems are managed automatically, with human intervention only required if something goes wrong which the computer system cannot correct. The only systems not integrated into the central system are those of a magical nature, such as the Arcane Sanctum's ley tap and Flux's arcane wards, though these are still monitored indirectly.
Every computer and computerised system in the Citadel is linked to the central computer, from the massive power generator to the Break Area's entertainment centre. While a system as closely networked as this is exceptionally strong, resilient and efficient, it is also vulnerable to attack, as cracking any point in the system potentially grants access to the whole; for this reason security at all levels of the system is extremely rigorous, with higher-level access strictly controlled.
Security
The Citadel of Defiance is the base of operations for a significant, veteran supergroup, and as such needs solid defences. The base teleporter, as the only means of entering the Citadel, requires a five-digit code to be entered; failing to do so will result in being teleported to a holding cell, or the 'porter simply failing to function, depending on the situation. The corridor immediately leading from the 'porter is magically warded. Security cameras monitor all internal activity in all locations around the base, and internal sensors scan for traces of particular energy signatures or particularly suspect activity and send warnings to officers. Key locations, such as the Security Centre and the Holding Cells, are guarded by automated guns as a last resort in case of an attack. The Arcane Sanctum is heavily warded against all manner of threats, internal and external. Magical wards throughout the Citadel are maintained by Pariah Flux, while Police Inspector Zap monitors mundane security.
The Citadel's greatest security feature, however, is simply its location: being at unknown coordinates protects it from unwanted teleporters, and its distance underground prevents it being pinpointed by either energy emissions or signal beacons. The Citadel has no real physical defences, since it cannot realistically come under physical assault.
History
Black Starbeam and Static Bolter, an heroic duo, first stumbled upon what appeared to be a heavily damaged and abandoned corporate research facility in April of 2006, while lost in the sewers beneath Steel Canyon. The whole area had been badly hit during the Rikti invasion, but the facility was well located, secure and out of harm's way, as well as being far too deep underground to be reclaimed by either the city or the original owners, whoever they may have been, and so Starbeam and Bolter approached the Paragon City Council and asked that the land be let to them as a base of operations under the Hero Act. Although it wouldn't be named until October, fully six months after its discovery, this facility would go on to become the Citadel of Defiance, the headquarters - and home - of the Reciprocators.
Over these first six months the original facility was excavated and repaired as much as possible. This original base was small, occupying the area that currently makes up the Great Hall and the north-eastern wing of the Citadel. At this time the base was little more than an office, without the extensive teleporter network that dominates the Citadel today, drawing mains power, and consisting largely of a meeting space and a few basic facilities.
October of 2006 saw the excavated but still new base - and the fledgling supergroup that inhabited it - face their first major assault, as the alien Arcadians stormed the newly-named Citadel of Defiance in pursuit of Reciprocator Ace McGwain. This resulted in the first security upgrade of the Citadel, with the installation of internal monitors, early warning systems, a base lock-down function and encryption of the base teleporter. The new security system required sophisticated automatic monitoring, and so the security system was linked into a new, advanced computer system which would, after many years of upgrades and tweaks, become the supercomputer at the core of the Citadel computer system.
Over the course of 2007 the Reciprocators expanded their membership significantly, as well as the scope of their activities in Paragon City, and the Shield of Paragon gained several new allies which would become the core of the Shield over the coming years. To match this increased activity, and as a reward for the many critical services the heroes had provided to the city in the year since their inception, the Reciprocators were granted planning permission to extend the Citadel significantly. By the end of 2007 the modern Citadel of Defiance had taken shape, with the Meeting Hall and Teleporter Array forming the backbone of the heroes' HQ, a generator being installed to supplement mains power, and the Break Area taking shape to provide some creature comforts to the heroes who made their home in the Citadel. A secure vault was added to store the dangerous and significant artefacts and items the Reciprocators were recovering in the field. Basic medical facilities were installed and then upgraded by Reciprocator System Down, the base supercomputer began being networked with other systems to form the basis of the current advanced computer system, and shafts were cleverly devised to allow plants to grow in the base under natural sunlight. The Security Centre was constructed in late 2007 as a monitoring station for activity in the city. A small Arcane Sanctum was constructed for magically-inclined 'Cips. Officers and core members of the group began to take rooms in the Citadel, signalling the transition of the Citadel from base of operations to home for many 'Cips, and a hub to their coordinated, united heroic work.
2008 was a year of high activity for the 'Cips, and for the Citadel as well. High levels of recruitment and a high turnover of Fists led to increased use of the Citadel as a base of operations and a place from which the large membership of the group could be coordinated. Although not increasing much in size, all of the base facilities were upgraded, most significantly the Medbay AIs which were improved by Alexus Apollo. The break and relaxation areas were expanded and refurbished, reflecting the new social role that the Citadel was taking in the lives of the Reciprocators. Many new personal rooms were added for the 'Cips who were working heavily out of the Citadel. The Information Commons computer workstations were upgraded to allow unique logins and speedy access to the ever-growing digital databases stored on the Citadel computer system. The base generator became the primary source of power, with use of mains power remaining at the same levels as in 2007 but constituting a much reduced percentage of total consumption. With the vast increases in power requirements, Mr Mundane spent six months working on finding ways to make power usage more efficient, streamlining the base processes significantly. This allowed for further upgrades of the computer network. Security systems were also tweaked, integrating Pariah Flux's arcane wards into the conventional defences, while automated guns were installed in the Security Centre and Holding Cells.
In December of 2008, the Reciprocators took advantage of a general lull in villain activity caused in part by the bizarre zombie risings across Paragon and the Etoile Isles throughout October and November to upgrade the Citadel of Defiance. As well as streamlining of some of the existing facilities, a Tertiary Annex was created as a central location for the Tertiary Tier officers; the living spaces were consolidated and a much-needed Barracks was constructed as a place for heroes to crash when they needed to spend the night in the base (as had been happening consistently since the Citadel had been unearthed). In order to expand the training facilities in the Citadel beyond merely a fighting dojo, a VR facility was installed, allowing 'Cips to partake in virtual, interactive training games. Along with this a danger room was constructed near the firing range to allow for advanced combat training within the base. Significantly, the Arcane Sanctum received a long-overdue upgrade; what had previously been little more than a storage house for magical artefacts and occult texts was now expanded by the creation of a separate Arcane Library, the warding of a small space dedicated to ritual spellcasting, and the manifestation of a ley tap to power facilitate magical wards around the Citadel and to provide support for the more powerful magicks several 'Cips were dabbling in.
These changes culminated, in April of 2009, in the moving of the Security Centre to a more central location in the base to allow speedier and more fluid access to its facilities and functions, along with the relocation of the temporary Server Archive to it's permanent home, a less accessible nook at the rear of the officer wing of the Citadel. The communal areas of the base - the Break Area, bar, kitchen and Barracks - were also refurbished courtesy of Bolter, who felt that these much-used areas were due for a make-over.
More expansions for the base are planned for later in 2009, as the Citadel of Defiance forever evolves to match the needs of the heroes - and the family and friends - who live within it.
Areas in the Citadel
Arcane Sanctum
The Arcane Sanctum is a secluded area of the Citadel to where those few magically-inclined heroes on the Reciprocators roster can retire to study in peace, meditate or work with the various magics and items of power that are the tools of their trade. Many items in the Sanctum visibly radiate magical energy, though this is only a fraction of the power stored in this room. Some heroes with a more mystical origin who yet lack the ability to manipulate magical energies come here just to relax in the quiet, magical hum and solitude of the series of great stone rooms.
The Arcane Sanctum received a complete redesign at the end of 2008 to allow it to better facilitate the growing magical needs and abilities of the Reciprocators. The Arcane Sacntum itself is now dominated by a massive ley tap, a source of occult energy which can be harnessed by magical heroes for the purpose of spellcasting, and which also powers many of the magical effects and defences active in the Citadel. A significant fenced-off and warded section of the room has been set up to allow magical duels for those arcanists with a more martial bent; this area is insulated so that the majority of the energies unleashed in combat do not extend beyond the limits of the duelling stage. The remainder of the Sanctum is given over to the storage of various tools of the magical trade, equipment and artefacts. Flux's Den has also been relocated to adjoin the Sanctum, to afford her both better access to the arcane resources of the Reciprocators and a chance to supervise activities in the upgraded and far more powerful Sanctum.
Arcane Library
Over the course of the few years leading up to the end of 2008 the Reciprocators' stores of magical texts and tomes of power greatly increased, necessitating the expansion of the magical library from a set of shelves in the Arcane Sanctum to a room in its own right. Many books previously shelved in the mundane library or to be found in the offices or homes of the magically-inclined 'Cips are now accessible in the Arcane Library. While the most powerful of occult tomes - those deemed to be too dangerous for unchecked access - are stored privately or in the Vault, the Arcane Library's contents range from magical histories and introductory texts on arcane theory and practice to hidden knowledge, rediscovered Oranbegan secrets and powerful incantations.
Although not on the same scale as the magical libraries of dedicated magical groups and organisations like the Midnighters and MAGI, the Citadel's Arcane Library contains quite a few rare and unique texts, several books and scrolls that are many hundreds of years old, and even a few curios with an extra-dimensional providence. And, like all good libraries, the Arcane Library is always expanding as the 'Cips continue to unearth more texts during their activities in Paragon City.
Ritual Chamber
The least used and yet perhaps the most important of the spaces in the newly redesigned Arcane Sanctum, the Ritual Chamber is specially designed for the performance of powerful incantations and dangerous conjurations. The process of setting up a warded space for powerful magical evocations is lengthy, costly and prone to errors which could be disastrous, which meant that prior to the creation of the Ritual Chamber it was difficult for the more powerful Reciprocator sorcerers to engage in their trade within the safety of the Citadel of Defiance. However with the creation of the ley tap it became possible to permanently ward and protect a small area the base so that it could be used for ritual magic.
Though the room appears inert when not actively in use, some of the most powerful wards and protections - both magical and technological - are in place in the Ritual Chamber, and though the Chamber is infrequently used and there have been no accidents within it (thus far), this room ensures that the most powerful magicks can be practised in the confines of the Citadel without jeopardising the safety of the Reciprocators or the integrity of the base.
Atrium
With a wide variety of plant life and a small pond, the Citadel's atrium is the perfect place for a hero looking to relax. The wide range of flora is tended to by Justice, who ensures that the plants are always in peak condition. Many Reciprocators enjoy reading a book in this room, which is one of the few in the Citadel lit by natural light, filtered through a small crack in the ground above, magnified and reflected through the skylight. The pond has been claimed by some of the more spiritual members as a peaceful place to meditate, although recently the serenity of the area has been slightly broken by the introduction of a large group of white rabbits, rescued from a Crey testing lab.
Barracks
The Barracks is a fairly spartan area lined with beds and some comfortable seating, set up to cater for members without better arrangements, or those who need to get their head down in between long patrols and don't have time to get home. It also houses lockers, for members to keep their personal belongings while out in the field, and adjoins the Information Commons and the Break Room, making this a very practical area for heroes who value the Citadel of Defiance as an HQ rather than a home.
During 2008, when the City of Heroes was a hive of activity and the Reciprocators saw a very rapid uptake of new heroes and their just as speedy departure, the Barracks were created out of necessity as a small, conveniently-located area of the Citadel where new recruits - many of whom had no home in Paragon City, and some of whom had arrived from other cities, countries, planets and even dimensions - could find a safe and secure place to bed down for the night until a more permanent solution could be arranged. In early 2010, with the Alliance Arms still being rebuilt and refurbished, the Barracks saw new activity as heroes whom Bolter would usually put up in her apartments now had to be housed either in the Citadel or in the Misfit Mansion. The Barracks is now less militaristic and ad hoc and a lot more warm and homely than it was originally, though it is still a barracks.
Subtractor and Sean Casus are two of the better-known 'Cips who have at one time or another been resident in the Barracks.
Information Commons
Attached to the Barracks, the Information Commons is a series of computer workstations, networked to the Citadel computer system and with web access. All 'Cips have unique and secure logins with various levels of data access appropriate to their security clearance. Originally intended as both an interface for searching out information from the extensive Citadel databases and as a location from which mission reports and the associated paperwork could be filed, it has sufficient computer terminals for thirteen Reciprocators to be filing paperwork simultaneously, though it is rare to see more than one person using this room at a time, and even rarer for them to be using it for paperwork.
Break Room
Boasting a wide range of 'relaxation aids', the Break Room is a frequent host to all manner of parties as well as heroes trying to relax after a hard day on the streets, alleys and rooftops of Paragon City. It boasts a fully stocked bar, a kitchen, a variety of comfortable seating areas and a large entertainment area with a large plasma screen television and full surround sound. This area is possibly the most frequently used location in the Citadel. Justice can often be found here, tending bar, restocking the alcohol and food or cleaning up the area after the latest party.
Conference Centre
This room is a more formal meeting room than the Great Hall. It is able to hold an incredible number of heroes. The room uses a circular shape, giving all heroes a view of the speaker and the ability to see others in the room, with a raised gallery for those wanting to get a birds eye view. The conference centre has served in the past as a lecture theatre, briefing room, and large meeting hall. It has to date hosted six meetings of the.
Containment Cells
The containment cells are a fully secured area of the Citadel, with complete security camera coverage at all times. The containment cells are equipped with an intercom and a clean area, which can only be opened by one side at a time. This clean area is used to pass food and drinks to a prisoner, without putting the person supplying the means in any danger. The walls are made out of a solid, transparent material, allowing for full observation of prisoners at all times.
The containment cells are most often used for prisoners who are strategically important to Shield of Paragon operations or those who are handed over by Longbow. It has also been occasionally used to hold fellow heroes charged with criminal activities, while discussing their status with the appropriate authorities.
Dojo
This area is set aside for Reciprocators who tend towards more close range combat styles. A pair of square rings are allotted for for sparring when a partner is available. Combat dummies are made available for those preferring to train alone. Seating is arranged along with surveillance equipment to create an optimal training situation, where the practitioner can be monitored closely by more experienced combatants, or record their performance in order to observe their own technique - recorded sessions can be played back through the Citadel computers or accessed by Resistance.
Occasional sparring matches are held here for training purposes, but you are far more likely to find those heroes with martial arts training practising their katas.
Entrance Corridor
The entrance to the Citadel is a short corridor leading from the access portal to the Great Hall. In this corridor are a wide range of passive security measures, which scan an entering individual's height, weight and biological composition. This information is then cross-referenced with Shield Personnel databases, denying further access to the Citadel if the individual is not recognised as an ally. This room also houses magical defenses, implemented by Pariah Flux, most of which consists of warding devices.
Firing Range
The Reciprocators maintain a training area for those wanting to improve their skills at range. This firing range caters for traditional weaponry such as firearms as well as individual powers. The walls of the firing range are designed to dampen powers and projectiles, and keep them contained within the firing area. A viewing platform with comfortable seating is provided behind a solid bulletproof glass panel, so that training exercises can be reviewed by more experienced heroes, providing guidance to those seeking it. Training dummies are resistant to most kinds of injury, though many spares are kept in storage, just in case.
Generator Room
The high-powered generator stored in this room is responsible for meeting energy needs across the Citadel. It is stored in a separate room, with specialised monitoring systems and a custom-designed cooling system to ensure maximum power output. A complex overflow system allows the generator to produce close to an additional 10% energy above the system maximum for short periods of time when absolutely necessary, though fortunately no circumstances have required this booster system to be activated as yet.
The generator area has been through several upgrades in the life of the Citadel, to meet the continuously growing needs of the Citadel's electrical systems. It has been moved twice as well, in order to provide enough space for improved generators. Even recent streamlining of the Citadel's systems and power usage by Mr Mundane has not kept pace with the increase in the Reciprocators' base, roster and responsibilities and the energy these require, and so the current version of the Generator Room is much expanded on previous versions to deal with the vast increase in power requirements. Although there are safety features in place to make the area as safe as possible, the Generator Room has the potential to be hazardous, so warning signs are posted and both Reciprocators and their allies visiting the Citadel are advised to stay clear of this room whenever possible. As a consequence it is usually empty aside from the attentions of Resistance who occasionally enters this room to monitor power output and secure the system, and the presence of Megaton Titan, whose recharge station is connected to the Generator.
Great Hall
The Great Hall is one of the most recognisable rooms of the Citadel. This large meeting room houses a large circular table and a podium for mustering troops and briefing before field missions. The meeting table is also used for very infrequent officer meetings, and has been used as sleeping quarters at various times in the past, most notably by Lady Equilibria, Black Starbeam and Sylphi.
The meeting room's primary purpose with respect to the layout of the Citadel is to act as a hub, allowing access to the rest of the Citadel. As the first major room upon entering the Citadel, the Great Hall is most often host to parties. For some of these, the room has been decorated, a notable example of this being the Shield of Paragon's 2007 Christmas Party.
The Great Hall is also host to the Reciprocators' few trophies, most of which were presented as gifts for outstanding service. A section of the trophy area's wall contains a plaque commemorating Colonel Stryfe's service with the Reciprocators. Behind this plaque is one of Stryfe's spare uniforms and rifles.
Information Commons
Medical Centre
The Medical Centre is designed to accomodate emergency surgery, intensive care, rehabilitation, quarantine, and long-term monitoring of medical conditions. The Medical Centre is connected to the city's MedCom network via five emergency teleporters. Each of the facility's seven beds are monitored by the Citadel's medical computer subsystem. A VaulTek Auto-Doc Mk XIII robot assists with surgery, diagnostic tests, and other clinical tasks. Since the departure of System Down, the Reciprocators have been without a fully qualified medical doctor on staff, though thankfully other members with some knowledge of medicine have stepped up to the task, most notably Alexus Apollo and Neutron Light. Doctors at Crowne Memorial Hospital in Kings Row, most notably Dr Gregory Coetzee, have volunteered their time and resources on many occasions when complex surgery or advanced medical knowledge have been required.
Prayer Garden
Heroes take their relaxation in many different ways, and for some the focus to be found in meditation, prayer or quiet contemplation is essential to their health, balance and performance. The Prayer Garden has evolved over the years, incorporating elements representing the many hands that have been involved in its creation. Inspired by the clear, simple lines of Eastern mysticism, the cool, bubbling water and the vibrancy of the plants that have slowly grown in from the adjoining Atrium help heroes to relax, find their inner focus and, in some cases, fall asleep. The small shrine here can be reached by crossing a path of floating stone steps, providing a literal island of serenity for those who need it.
Fumiyo can often be found floating in the Prayer Garden when she manifests in the mortal realm, enjoying the vitality and tranquility of the space.
Security Centre
The Security Centre of the Citadel houses some of the most advanced monitoring and surveillance equipment outside of the military. In times of major conflict or when significant large-scale operations are under way the central Operations post allows someone to monitor all data coming in and out of the Citadel easily and efficiently, facilitating the central coordination of all Reciprocators in the field and ensuring that split-second decisions can be made with a full awareness of all the information available. The workstations allow for heroes to work collaboratively here, processing data and analysing events as a team during critical and large-scale operations; however heroes are far more likely to use the Info Commons adjacent to the Barracks for individual access.
The rest of the time the Operations post stands idle, though Mr Mundane can often be found here monitoring comms and activity when Paragon City is rife with activity.
Server Archive
Secreted in the officer wing of the Citadel, the Server Archive serves as both a backup of the copious amounts of information stored in the Reciprocators' enormous digital databases as well as a direct access station for the Citadel's supercomputer and network. System reboots and restores can be run from here, and as such only the very highest level secure logins can access the Server Archive - typically this means Black Starbeam and only those officers who have a specific reason to access the servers.
The room itself is small, and was added during the general Citadel upgrade towards the end of 2008 as an adjunct to the Security Centre, but due to the increased use that facility saw during that hectic year the Archives were moved to a less public area as an added security precaution. Prior to this the servers and storage were built into panels in the walls of the Citadel, around the Security Centre, but a memory upgrade and the decision to maintain a second database backup necessitated the creation of a central server space. The Server Archive access station is rarely used, and so has low lighting to reduce power consumption; given its location and its potential importance the Server Archive is a very secure location.
Teleporter Array
Extending beyond the Meeting Room is the Teleporter Array. The Reciprocators maintain teleport beacons for all the major locations within Paragon, and a single large teleporter for use by the entire team in crisis situations. The teleporter array is split between two rooms, one for main city areas and another for those requiring security clearance, to prevent accidents.
Tertiary Annex
The Tertiary Annex was built towards the end of 2008 to house the personal rooms of the Tertiary Officers of the Reciprocators. The intention was to allow for the Tertiaries to be better coordinated, to make them easier to locate for new recruits, and to reinforce the bonds of friendship and solidarity that make these heroes such a strong and cohesive group.
The Tertiary Annex currently houses the offices of Cyberette, Mr Mundane, Tom MacPhal and Yuki Frost. The four offices are linked by a common area complete with a small conference table. Tom has converted a part of his office space into a communal relaxation area, with a large comfy sofa and a widescreen television, where the officers can sometimes be found relaxing. The Annex is adjacent to the offices of Black Starbeam and Static Bolter.
Library
The Reciprocators maintain a moderately sized library adjoining the Tertiary Annex and covering a wide range of topics ranging from law and history to politics and modern technology, though the selection of texts tends to focus on information pertinent to heroes. In this way the Citadel Library is intended as a practical resource to aid heroes in their development and the execution of their duties. However as the Citadel has become more of a home and a retreat for many of the 'Cips a small but growing fiction section has been added to the library, compiled from requests by team members. The library is maintained by Resistance. With the creation of an Arcane Library, most of the books on occult topics previously shelved here have been moved to the Sanctum.
VR Facility
Created through the combined genius of Akechi Masatoshi and Black Starbeam, the Virtual Reality Facility is a space designed for running practice simulations through use of VR headwear, surround sound and screens, and holographic displays. As an amusing side effect it has also given members the opportunity to stroll through Paris, or combat polygonal dragons from the comforts of home.
Workshop
The Workshop is to the technologically-minded 'Cips what the Arcane Sanctum is to the magical - except that where the Sanctum is a secluded place of solitude and mysticism, the Workshop is a frequently noisy and busy place full of the sounds of manufacture and maintenance, cries of triumph and occasional exclamations of frustration as some new invention has failed to come together as intended. The Workshop is fully equipped with most of the tools needed to develop, maintain and enhance battle suits, weaponry, traps and gizmos and all manner of technological aids to the fight against villainy. Materials and components are stored here, as well as blueprints and specifications for the construction of certain types of technology and guides to improving and maintaining items. Racks by the walls allow the technologically savvy to practice their craft and then store the results where their fellow heroes can make use of them.
Offices
The Citadel has a series of areas reserved for private office space, which is granted to Reciprocators who have received special mention from the City of Paragon. This usually implies that city funding was approved due to the exemplary work of the mentioned hero.
Offices of the Tiers
Black Starbeam's Office
Black Starbeam maintains a small office for his own personal use. The main area of the office is an open room with two glass walls which is for his own use and for entertaining guests. This area contains a small kitchenette, a custom designed sound system which is hooked up to a vinyl record player, with speakers embedded in the walls of the room. Starbeam's record collection is also stored here in a custom designed bookshelf and contains mostly classic rock titles. Starbeam can often be found with the stereo at full volume listening to one of them while looking out at the small garden area he shares with Static Bolter. A painted image of a scene from World War II is hanging on the wall in this area. There is also a seperate area which is used for sensitive meetings. This area is completely free of recording equipment despite Starbeam's previous claims to the contrary, due to the sensitive nature of most meetings which go on here. The primary charging unit for Starbeam's faceplate is kept in a biometrically locked safe in this room.
Static Bolter's Office
Static Bolter quite often finds herself cursing the small office space she has been provided with. While it has been finely appointed and fitted out, and also affords a fine view of the small garden she shares with Black Starbeam, Bolter's office has become a dumping ground for the mountainous piles of paperwork and field reports which require her attention. The floor and large desk are covered in forms, making it difficult to move around, and as time goes on the piles of paper only get bigger, Bolter considering herself totally unequal to the task of dealing with administration duties. In stark contrast to the rest of the Citadel, the fittings in Bolter's office seem to be either remarkably old fashioned, or oddly made from wood and plastic. The most obvious of these is the large plasma screen TV at one end of the office encased in wooden paneling. Part of a small relaxation area with some couches grouped around it, the television also sports a chunky plastic control panel and accompanying wooden stick for poking the buttons on it. The office has a private area where more delicate files are kept locked away, along with any scrolls or dangerous components Bolter has for her research. This area also serves as a hallway to Bolter's pride and joy, her executive bathroom. The novelty of being able to immediately take a shower after each disgusting sewer crawl has yet to wear off, and a comfortable divan has also been placed in there for catnaps between patrols.
Kitsuki Kaijuko's Office
As an officer who spends much of her time offering support and advice to the Fists as well as to her fellow officers, Kit's office is designed to be both welcoming and private at the same time. A small atrium serves as a relaxing waiting room, complete with a good selection of shady plants. The office itself is cleverly partitioned to allow for private conversations to be conducted without fear of intrusion, while still feeling like a cosy, friendly space.
Officer Zap's DÅketsu
Accessible through the Atrium, the personal space of Akechi tells much about it's owner to the casual observer. The most obvious aspect of the office is the authentic Japanese styling of the walls, ceiling, and features that define the office. A simple wooden bridge spans a small space that, through some fairly well hidden technology, continually recycles the water and creates a permanently flowing river which splashes gently against an ancient rock platform set in the middle of the river. Nearby this platform is a small, well-appointed Shinto shrine, flanked by banners with various names inscribed upon them.On the far side of the bridge lies a relaxing garden that contains a solitary sakura tree, which in turn leads into the main part of the office. This section contains a professional level kitchen and a large dining table, offset by a large plasma screen TV and comfortable seating, lined with various gaming consoles and server racks containing thousands of movies.One step further in, with a clear delineation between relaxation and serious business, is a small study lined with hundreds of books on various topics, a low-key computer terminal, and many piles of neatly organised paperwork.Akechi has recently been spending a lot more of his time sequestered in his office, seeking the clarity of thought that isolation brings when dealing with several weighty matters.
Pariah Flux's Den
As the Reciprocators' premier arcanist and primary authority on all things magical, Flux has relocated her office to be adjacent to the newly-expanded Arcane Sanctum, partly to give her greater and easier access to the magical resources of the Citadel but also to supervise activities in the now much more powerful Sanctum, and to be on hand should anything go wrong. The 'Cips tend to stay out of Flux's room, partly out of respect for her and partly out of a fear of what she may be keeping in there.
Cyberette's Noise Shoppe
Cyberette's office, deemed by herself as the 'Noise Shoppe', is located in the Tertiary Annex near the Information Commons. It is a cluttered mash-up of a wide array of technologies and inventions organized chaotically about the entire space and is generally, as the name states, a noise factory. There's always something making some kind of whirring, bleeping, screeching, whining, clanking, pounding, whooping, grinding, ticking, tapping, warbling, exploding, imploding, crashing, tinkling, breaking noise being produced within the sound dampening field surrounding the workspace. One will notice there are at least two fire extinguishers and a fire hose readily available at a moment's notice, and with good cause. The Office in its entirety can be described as 'experimental' at best and at worst mildly unstable. Dealing mostly with Soundwaves, Electromagnetism, Particle acceleration, Crystalline Cultures, and other wavelength phenomena, the office comes equipped with Particle shielding, the afore-mentioned sound dampening fields, adequate ventilation and lighting, and a veritable gaggle of monitoring equipment; it's apparent that Cyberette has taken more than a few precautions to ensure her workspace does not endanger the lives or comfort of her fellow Reciprocators. In passing, one will note that the space is designed to make ample use of vertical space as well as horizontal; the walls being lined with cabinets filled with all kinds of tools and materials for her experimentation and repair work for her armours as well as cork boards and white boards with notes and calculations scribbled and tacked upon them, respectively. The only items of comfort in the space seem to be two couches and a coffee table, usually draped with discarded items of clothing, empty plates of food, and a few books or magazines for those nights where she's worked herself to exhaustion. Despite its visage of chaos, Cyberette seems more at home there than say... out in public. Just don't touch anything. Especially her Ferrofluid sculpture or her Rubens' Tubes.
Mr Mundane's Office
Towards the end of 2008 a Tertiary Annex was created in the Citadel of Defiance to help coordinate and centralise the efforts of the newest officers of the Reciprocators. John, who had operated from his desk in the Security Centre prior to this, set up an office alongside the relocated offices of his fellow Tertiaries - Tom MacPhal, Yuki Frost and Cyberette - and despite his protests that he doesn't really need an office and is only taking one for the sake of efficiency, he's actually thrilled to have a little space alongside his much loved and respected colleagues and friends in the Tertiary Tier.
John's office is a mess of books, papers, files and reports. Three large whiteboards are home to statistical precepts commonly used in his modelling; although his computer workstation is equipped with much of the tools and data he used to monitor from his desk, John can still often be found in the Security Centre monitoring the feeds when there is a lot of activity. He can sometimes be found sleeping on the sofa in his office. The broad-leafed potted plant which he cares for assiduously is called Rupert.
Tom MacPhal's Office
Tom MacPhal, as the longest-serving of the Tertiaries, has converted fully half of his office into a communal relaxation space to share with his fellow officers. Complete with a large television and comfortable couches, the space sees use by the Tertiaries when they want to kick back and relax. The remainder of Tom's office is his personal retreat from which he does a lot of his work, and comes complete with a small bar.
Yuki Frost's Room
The youngest of the officers, Yuki's office reflects her priorities, with a small desk and bookshelf from which she can do her homework and study, and a very large television in the middle of the room with a plush sofa perfectly placed in the prime viewing position.
Personal Rooms
The Androgyne's Cell
After the Reciprocators thwarted the Androgyne's plot to murder Countess Crey for the near ruin her machinations left both the Reciprocators and eir own life in during mid-to-late 2009, e spent several weeks imprisoned in one of the Citadel's containment cells coming to terms with eir actions, reconciling them with what e really would choose to do with eir life if given the freedom to do so again. After Black Starbeam released em from that confinement to roam the Citadel, e found emself frequently returning; not only as an alternative to the barracks, but simply to sit and dwell on eir decisions in the silence of the secure chamber, unmatched elsewhere in the Citadel.
One condition of eir reinstated clemency accord, requested by the FBSA, is that the Reciprocators install facilities for eir containment on the off chance that Vanguard's own choice of contingency plan for eliminating eir threat should malfunction. To satisfy this, a third cell with more extreme subdual measures has been installed, including a power suppression pod designed for storing and keeping nourished the most dangerous super-powered individuals. Pending a relapse on the Androgyne's part, the cell is also suitable for storing any meta-human captives whose abilities may pose a more serious threat to the Reciprocators or the structural integrity of the Citadel itself.
Above this cell, a large open space was blocked off so the construction would not interfere with the Citadel's ventilation systems. The Androgyne noticed this during construction and since has claimed the space as eir own, over time bringing up a variety of amenities piece by piece in eir arms as e teleports past the reinforced ceiling to a secret "treehouse" of sorts shared only with eir closest friends.
Ed's Office
Besides the usual chair, table and workstation, Ed's office is largely given over to display cases stocked with various weapons - some his, some of sentimental value, and some taken from fallen allies and defeated foes.
Lady Equilibria's Alcove
Situated in one of the quieter areas of the Citadel, Lady E has her own small private fern garden. When not in the field or out on the town she can be found in peaceful contemplation there, either reading a book or playing on her piano, whose soft tones can be heard wafting down the corridors.
Markus' Room
Markus' room is hidden away in the back of the base, barely furnished, with a straw pallet on wooden floorboards and several bookcases stocked with some of the books he brought from home. A large pillar dominates his room, and Markus is often seen training on the platform above - he considers getting up on the platform his first challenge, and staying on top of it while training his second. A simple straw mat, patterned with the Reciprocator's Defiant Fist, and a training dummy (Which he often has to replace) complete the room. Aside from a bit of greenery, his room is simply furnished and decorated, as spartan as the man himself. When not training with the dummy or on the pillar, he can be found resting on the straw pallet or reading a book.
Megaton Titan's Charging Station
Tucked away in a corner of the generator room, Titan the robot ferrets away scrap metal and spare parts, along with any other doodad he finds along the way that might be useful. This space also houses the great electrical shell which he retires to in order to recharge his systems and restock on ammunition. On the occasions when Titan is working in there the surrounding area can become unbearably noisy, and more than a little dangerous.
Ron's War Room
Captain Ron Clemens maintains a very militaristic office complete with video conferencing wall and a conference table.- though still sparse on things that would be considered 'personal'items. His desk has pictures of his wife and friends as well as several wanted posters on his wall, including one autographed wanted poster of his best friend the Androgyne
Subtractor's Office
Subtractor keeps a small and simple but functional office near the Atrium, allowing him efficient access to the kitchens and the teleporters. He can sometimes be found here, but it is more often the abode of his three-legged dog, Pythagoras.
Synsynth's Studio
Kipp's studio is tucked away in the quietest and most secluded corner of the Citadel of Defiance, a place where Kipp can calm his senses and avoid sensory overload. It is assumed that, however he experiences them, the large collection of plants he tends in his office provide some stimulus which helps him relax.
Tegan Morris' Dojo
Prior to Tegan's involvement with her first boyfriend, former PPD Officer Mike Stone, she taught kickboxing at the local Y to the youth of Paragon City. A few turn of events, however, forced her to quit teaching altogether. After Mike's strange disappearance, Tegan's step-father signed her up for hero work, specifically with the Reciprocators. After achieving the status of Hero of the City, Tegan decided to re-start her teaching and requested permission for a private studio within the Citadel--a bastion of safety. Just off the main teleport bay, there is a small room that is simply furnished. Two benches for spectators act as a shield to the hallway. Two cabinets house the awards and certificates she gives her students. A whiteboard displays her schedule of appointments and upcoming tournaments and on either side of the whiteboard are two pictures: the left is a black and white of her father, Diego Salvatore, in mid-fight strike; the other is of her first class of Kickboxing Champions (2005). A row of changing rooms is on the right wall between a drinking fountain and a water cooler. Shelves with various books and magazines line the back wall--everything from vegetarian cooking to a Zen lifestyle to weight lifting, cross-training, and Better Homes & Gardens.
