Success or Death.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
The Shadow Gate: (Entrance point)
The First Hall:
Living Quarters:
Hall of the Pale:
Creatorium:
Path of Pain:
The Athenaeum:
The Mazes:
The Bay:
DEFENSES
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
When Darth Ophidia first joined the Sith Assassins, their intelligence and training was centralised on a single location: Malif Cove. After Malif Cove was raided by Jedi Shadows, it became apparent that the shady organisation's intelligence had to be decentralised in order to safe-guard their secrets. The first plans for separate institutes were developed.
As there are four iconic heads of the assassins, there was an agreement that there would be four bases. Each base would be a carefully guarded secret. Its location shared from master to apprentice when access is earned. After all, mystery is the first line of defence.
[member="Matsu Xiangu"], the Mistress of Maena, reached out through old contacts and contacted the Sith Assassins with an offer of participation on her world. The Sith Assassins were to conduct their business as they wished, so long as they aided in defending the planet's independence. Finding the contract agreeable, the deal was struck and [member="Darth Ophidia"] received the honour of overseeing the Maena Institute as headmistress.
Following the agreement, there was an extended period of geological surveying and gathering of materials. The Institute needed to be able to sustain itself for extended periods of time without external supplies. The wastes were chosen as a primary location. The living shun it and the dead are easily deterred. A sufficiently remote yet geologically stable area was eventually found. The construction required constant watch, lest the undead overrun the workers. Much of the living-quarters were constructed from refined battleship-salvage, hence their spartan comforts and high sustainability. Of course, the gathering of materials was excruciatingly laundered, preventing a material trail.
The construction of the Maena Institute was a matter of outmost discretion. Only the Assassins' Council ( [member="Krest"] [member="Darth Lykos"] [member="Darth Abyss"] and [member="Darth Ophidia"] ) and the mistress of Maena, [member="Matsu Xiangu"], knew the location of the institute. Only the Council knew the full scope of the operation, with Ophidia holding the most detailed information.
The Sith Assassins appreciate innovation as much as anyone and Maena is a haven for sithspawners, crawling with necrotic abominations from the Mistress' labs. This is why the Maena Institute was installed with a state of the art Creatorium, featuring laboratories and forges where assassins can create the future of their trade and path undisturbed. The Athenaeum facilitates innovation and individual development by giving residents access to a wide array of information, and it gives the order a place to store their most prised artefacts, and their carefully hoarded intelligence. The mazes were more of a bi-product of the construction, turned into a feature by labelling and equipping the tunnels. Now, the mazes are a key feature of the institute's defences.
In order to ensure that no structural information was leaked, the craftsmen and engineers were under constant surveillance. When the structure was complete, the workers were silenced for good. Some say, the hands in the Hall of the Pale are made from petrified workers.
- Intent: To create a secret stronghold for the Sith Assassins and Darth Ophidia.
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- Canon: [N/A.]
- Links: [N/A]
- Military Base Name: The Manea Institute.
- Classification: Stronghold.
- Location: Maena, The Wastelands, inactive volcano.
- Affiliation: The Sith Assassins, overseen by The Pale Assassin, [member="Darth Ophidia"].
- Population: Populated primarily by members of the Sith Assassins.
Max population: 100 (plus cleaning and service droids)
Typical population: 50 (plus cleaning and service droids) - Accessibility: The Maena Institute is a carefully guarded secret and only open to Sith Assassins. It is expertly hidden in the volcanic rocks and isolated from society by an ashen wasteland where only the dead wander.
- Description: At a glance The Maena Institute appears as nothing but a blackened rock-formation in the Wastelands. However, for those who know, there is a path on the south side that takes one past the facade and through a narrow alley carved into the rock. Laser-turrets line the sheer sides of the rock and heavy metal doors seal the entryway. On either side of the door there is carved the figure of a demon to frighten away any who should happen upon it, unlikely as that may be. The door itself is a thick slab of blackened metal
The Shadow Gate: (Entrance point)
Only visible from a select point of view due to a natural trick of perspective, the Shadow Gate appears to those who know what they are looking for. The narrow alleyway takes one to the outer gate: A black metal slab between two demonic figures. The walls above the door features a camouflaged laser turret, and the statues are set with cameras and recording devices.
Once inside the gate, one is met with a metal statue of a slender woman in heavy robes. Her features are shrouded, but one can feel it peering down on anyone who crosses its path. On the socket, the words "Pay tribute" are engraved. Here, first-time visitors will need to pay a toll in the form of a token given to them by a senior assassin. Next, they will pass over a narrow bridge, spanning a wall-to-wall chasm, faintly lit by the molten rock at its bottom. Should intruders attempt to pass, the bridge will break in the middle and drop whoever is on its back.
On the far side of the bridge stand the Sentinels: Two serpents of carved stone rising up and looking down upon those who pass over the bridge, between them is a second metal door. Through this door is The First Hall, which is the central hub of the Maena Institute.
Once inside the gate, one is met with a metal statue of a slender woman in heavy robes. Her features are shrouded, but one can feel it peering down on anyone who crosses its path. On the socket, the words "Pay tribute" are engraved. Here, first-time visitors will need to pay a toll in the form of a token given to them by a senior assassin. Next, they will pass over a narrow bridge, spanning a wall-to-wall chasm, faintly lit by the molten rock at its bottom. Should intruders attempt to pass, the bridge will break in the middle and drop whoever is on its back.
On the far side of the bridge stand the Sentinels: Two serpents of carved stone rising up and looking down upon those who pass over the bridge, between them is a second metal door. Through this door is The First Hall, which is the central hub of the Maena Institute.
The First Hall:
Central chamber, leads to different rooms. Second-story parapet. Tall space. Staircase to the Hall of the Pale, elevators (and emergency-ladders) leading up to dorms and down to the basements where one can find laboratories, training rooms, etc. It is functional in its form, with clean cut, angular shapes and a simple colour-scheme of greys broken up by accents of red or black.
Living Quarters:
The living quarters provide beds, kitchens, storage-space, and some shared social-quarters for the inhabitants of the Mane Institute. One interesting, albeit perhaps unintentional necessity was supplying the living-quarters and dealing with the waste of those living within the Institute. The base needs to survive isolated for extended periods of time, and therefore it is equipped with some of the best recycling systems in the galaxy, modelling that of larger starships. The living-quarters in the Maena Institute are far from comfortable, but they more than suffice for survival as long as one can cope with a spartan way of life. In order to combat claustrophobia and depression, fake windows are supplied to the social-quarters and bedchambers, these windows show a pre-recorded image of Maena's surface, and will change with the daily cycle.
Hall of the Pale:
Straight ahead and up wide stairs of the First Hall lies the Hall of the Pale. The double-doors at the top are smooth in texture and coated in a paint that seemingly absorbs all light., The rim of the doors are decorated with runes of sith writing; a spell of warding and seeing. Similar runes crest the corners of the hall itself, running along the outline of the floor, ceiling, and around every door. However, the runes are not what draws attention: Down the middle of the hall is a wide walkway of thick transparisteel, splitting open the black stone floor. It is lit from beneath by a pale green light, and petrified hands press against the glass like support-pillars. The bases of these pillars and the source of the faint light is obscured by a rolling carpet of smoke. At times, it is said one can faintly see the shape of a head or a shoulder in the smoke.
At the far end of a hall is a wide table, set upon a dais. Behind the table is a tall chair, crested by smaller chairs. Each is comfortable in its design and elegantly shaped, expressing authority without being ostentatious. To the left and right of the dais are doors, one leading to the Headmistress' office and private quarters, the other to staff rooms and offices, as well as guest rooms for the more esteemed visitors.
Each of the walls has a basic grey colour, but is decorated with vast murals that depict the history of the Sith and the Sith Assassins. The far wall, behind the headmistress' seat is decorated with a carving of enormous, black serpents coiling over each other. Four sepentine heads peek out from the shape, staring down upon those who enter, their eyes set with pale crystals. The installation is set with an ambient light in order to accentuate its form and give it a more lifelike appearance.
The Hall of the Pale is large enough to hold all of the Institute's population for assemblies and ceremonies and can cater to many needs.
At the far end of a hall is a wide table, set upon a dais. Behind the table is a tall chair, crested by smaller chairs. Each is comfortable in its design and elegantly shaped, expressing authority without being ostentatious. To the left and right of the dais are doors, one leading to the Headmistress' office and private quarters, the other to staff rooms and offices, as well as guest rooms for the more esteemed visitors.
Each of the walls has a basic grey colour, but is decorated with vast murals that depict the history of the Sith and the Sith Assassins. The far wall, behind the headmistress' seat is decorated with a carving of enormous, black serpents coiling over each other. Four sepentine heads peek out from the shape, staring down upon those who enter, their eyes set with pale crystals. The installation is set with an ambient light in order to accentuate its form and give it a more lifelike appearance.
The Hall of the Pale is large enough to hold all of the Institute's population for assemblies and ceremonies and can cater to many needs.
Creatorium:
What makes the Maena Institute truly remarkable is not its interior design, as one would be justified in assuming, but its creatorium. The creatorium is a place for Sith Assassins to create, as the name implies. Its main features are:
- The Forge: A workshop with the basic tools needed for the creation of prototypes and personal gear, but not large scale manufacturing.
- The Chamber: A sound-isolated room fitted with a geological compression chamber that has been especially attuned for the creation of synthetic lightsabre crystals.
- The Cauldron: Here, assassins will find the basic tools and components needed for enchanting their gear with Sith Alchemy, should they wish.
- The Laboratory: If the Creatorium is the Institute's sword, then the laboratory is its pointy end; here they explore the subtle art of creating monsters, or sithspawning, if you will. This takes up the most room and is kept relatively separate from the remainder of the creatorium. Creatures made here can be set loose in the maze (see entry below).
Path of Pain:
One of the more basic, but equally necessary features of the Maena Institute is the so-called Path of Pain. While serving as the Institute's armoury, housing the basic weapons and some of the alchemical creations of the Sith Assassins, it also provides space for private tutoring. These rooms vary by use, but tend to have ambient lighting, rough wall-texture with little decoration, and sand or stone floors.
The Athenaeum:
One of the purposes of the Maena Institute is to store portions of the Sith Assassins' intel. This is anything from contracts, informants and registers, to holovideos of lightsabre forms and covert techniques. As such, the Institute (like its co-fortresses) has an extensive and highly protected record. The Athenaeum can be divided into four sections:
- Library: Here, residents of the Institute may find generic information about the galaxy as well as training modules in the most rudimentary force disciplines. This is open to visitors and residents alike.
- Records: Through a concealed door in the library, a select few can access the records. These are the secrets of the Force and the galaxy the Sith Assassins have stored in the Maena Institute for safe-keeping. Only trusted Sith Knights and above are allowed entrance. The Records are always guarded.
- Treasury: A locked vault for the keeping of precious items and artefacts kept by the Sith Assassins. A master must be present for all business conducted in the treasury. The treasury is always guarded.
- Servers: Through a secret door inside the treasury, one can access the server room. In this room, a quarter of the Sith Assassins' intelligence is stored. As such, it is constantly guarded. The Overseer possesses a code that will launch a self-destruct sequence of the servers, should she fear they fall into enemy hands. Only a master with a sanction from one of the four heads (The Pale, the White, The Black and the Red Assassin) can enter the server room directly.
The Mazes:
The Mazes are a network of interconnected, underground tunnels. Some lead to escape points, others lead only deeper into the earth. The mazes have several pitfalls and some secret doors. In case of emergency, the sithspawn of the laboratories will be emptied into the mazes. There is also a secret passage leading from the Overseer's office, through the mazes, to the surface. However, it requires the Overseer's key to open and is virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the mazes.
The Bay:
In order to receive supplies and make transportation possible, a hangar bay was made. The bay is situated on the southwestern part of the mountain. There, the mountainside has a rather pronounced lip that serves for unloading goods. In order to hide the hangar itself, it features metal blast-doors that are textured and painted to look like the mountain-side. These doors will only open for a select few ships. Others must contend themselves with parking elsewhere.
The bay itself is small by galactic standards, holding no more than a dozen small ships at a time.
The bay itself is small by galactic standards, holding no more than a dozen small ships at a time.
DEFENSES
- Obscurity: The structure is entirely subterranean. Its entrances and exits are hidden from view. It relies first and foremost on obscurity for its defence.
- 2x Laser Turret: Mounted on wall near entrance.
- The walls surrounding main entrance is rigged with thermal detonators to explode upon command. Which would bury the main entrance under rock and soil.
- 2x Missile turret, by the hangar bay.
- 10 x Floating Mine. Will deploy from hangar to surrounding area in case of a large-scale enemy deployment.
- Server-room is protected by laser trip-mines (Codes for disarming known only by trusted members of the Sith Assassins).
- Collapsing bridge inside main entrance. A long drop and a sudden stop.
- Maze: A labyrinth, if you don't know how to find your way out, you may be lost forever. The mazes contain several pitfalls and dead ends as well as a few secret doors. Some of the corridors are laced with anti-personnel mines.
- Denizens: The Maena Institute is a home to members of the Sith Assassins. They will retreat from advancing forces and use the known terrain to divide, then attack from the shadows.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
When Darth Ophidia first joined the Sith Assassins, their intelligence and training was centralised on a single location: Malif Cove. After Malif Cove was raided by Jedi Shadows, it became apparent that the shady organisation's intelligence had to be decentralised in order to safe-guard their secrets. The first plans for separate institutes were developed.
As there are four iconic heads of the assassins, there was an agreement that there would be four bases. Each base would be a carefully guarded secret. Its location shared from master to apprentice when access is earned. After all, mystery is the first line of defence.
[member="Matsu Xiangu"], the Mistress of Maena, reached out through old contacts and contacted the Sith Assassins with an offer of participation on her world. The Sith Assassins were to conduct their business as they wished, so long as they aided in defending the planet's independence. Finding the contract agreeable, the deal was struck and [member="Darth Ophidia"] received the honour of overseeing the Maena Institute as headmistress.
Following the agreement, there was an extended period of geological surveying and gathering of materials. The Institute needed to be able to sustain itself for extended periods of time without external supplies. The wastes were chosen as a primary location. The living shun it and the dead are easily deterred. A sufficiently remote yet geologically stable area was eventually found. The construction required constant watch, lest the undead overrun the workers. Much of the living-quarters were constructed from refined battleship-salvage, hence their spartan comforts and high sustainability. Of course, the gathering of materials was excruciatingly laundered, preventing a material trail.
The construction of the Maena Institute was a matter of outmost discretion. Only the Assassins' Council ( [member="Krest"] [member="Darth Lykos"] [member="Darth Abyss"] and [member="Darth Ophidia"] ) and the mistress of Maena, [member="Matsu Xiangu"], knew the location of the institute. Only the Council knew the full scope of the operation, with Ophidia holding the most detailed information.
The Sith Assassins appreciate innovation as much as anyone and Maena is a haven for sithspawners, crawling with necrotic abominations from the Mistress' labs. This is why the Maena Institute was installed with a state of the art Creatorium, featuring laboratories and forges where assassins can create the future of their trade and path undisturbed. The Athenaeum facilitates innovation and individual development by giving residents access to a wide array of information, and it gives the order a place to store their most prised artefacts, and their carefully hoarded intelligence. The mazes were more of a bi-product of the construction, turned into a feature by labelling and equipping the tunnels. Now, the mazes are a key feature of the institute's defences.
In order to ensure that no structural information was leaked, the craftsmen and engineers were under constant surveillance. When the structure was complete, the workers were silenced for good. Some say, the hands in the Hall of the Pale are made from petrified workers.
