Imperial Research Alpha
History
Built about 750 BC to serve as the Western Empire's premiere bio-magical research facility, IR Alpha is buried in a mountain-side in the Spina Mountains that separate the Sea of Grass from the Jungle of Fangs. This was the location where Dragonborn were first produced in about 600 BC by forcibly combining fragments of draconic souls with unwilling human subjects. Thousands died before a viable, true-breeding race was created. When news leaked of this atrocity, the Empire entered a state of civil war. During that war, IR Alpha was thought to have been destroyed, although no traces were found.
Disappearance and Reappearance
IR Alpha was not destroyed. It was cut off from time and space. All the physical things in it were preserved as if in stasis, but all the souls experienced the full nearly 800 years of torment, locked in sensory deprivation with only their own thoughts. Only two survived once the facility re-entered the timeline in approximately ~185 AC. Those two survivors were driven insane by the experience, however.
It reappeared in 185 AC; 5 years later it was discovered by Corran Scalebender, a druid and a descendent of the head researcher. Obsessed with dragons, he used a key passed down through generations to reactivate the now-empty facility and conduct research into hybrid creatures using dragons as a source of souls. He spent most of 15 years doing so, and made several creatures. He was assisted by a race of golem-like cloned gnomes. Most are barely sapient; only a few have a significant sense of self.
Resolution and Destruction
Main Article: Tooth and Spell (Campaign) A two-person team of Sanctioned Adventurers arrived in late spring, 210 AC. They infiltrated the facility and began turning the inhabitants against Corran. They first allied with Fibbon (after disrupting the power flow throughout the facility), promising to deal with Corran so that he could transfer IULIA. They then proceeded toward the research wing, where they tricked Tony (Corran's failed red dragon experiment/chief bruiser) into attacking Corran. Corran fled at that point, fearing defeat. On his way, he implemented Code Internal Red Alpha, the distribution of potent knock-out gas throughout the facility. Seeking refuge, the team hid with Elvarg (his cage is exempt from the knock-out gas). With Elvarg's and IULIA's help, the team then infiltrated the central offices and slew Corran in his office as he prepared to sacrifice Tony for more power.
With Corran dead, they faced a choice. Kill IULIA (as she desired), destroying the facility in the process, or leave her alive, letting Fibbon transfer her to a mechanical body but not destroying the facility. They chose the third option--unweave the personalities, separating the Soulminder and the Chief of Security from Iulia and the Librarian. The two warped personalities would stay behind, expiating their guilt in the destruction of the facility. The others would transfer to a new body and accompany Fibbon into the wide world. This required significant research and feats of magical effort from both of them, which they accomplished with aplomb. Not only were the personalities separated but the worst of the memories were left behind, leaving Julia (as she's now known) to set off with a lighter heart. With this, they convinced Elvarg to leave with them; Fibbon and Julia left through the emergency escape tunnel through the south while the adventurers and the dragon left back into the valley. The self-destruct melted the whole facility, obliterating all trace of the evil within.
Current Personnel (circa 210 AC)
- Corran Scalebender, Head Researcher.
- Fibbon (#11235), Facilities Director.
- IULIA, Computing Core and Genius Loci. Survivor from original times.
- Elvarg, Dragon. Prisoner. Source of draconic soul fragments.
Power Source
IR Alpha was powered by a state-of-the-art anima reactor. It consumes the condensed souls of animals or sapient beings to maintain climate, light, and research functionality throughout the facility. It consumes 1 anima brick (composed of 5 normal animal souls or 1 average sapient soul) per week, and has about 300 reserve bricks at the present time. If approached by someone with proper authorization, it can consume all its stored anima to detonate in a searing blast that would cause the surrounding rock to collapse in on the facility (destroying it utterly) while having minimal effect on the surroundings.
See Also
[Category:Dawn of Hope]]
