The Codex
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
OOC Information
Summary
The Codex is a fictional, role-playing supergroup for City of Heroes on Virtue. The group is a shadowy organization that operates far from the limelight and pursues an agenda unknown to most outsiders, and as rumour would have it, even the members themselves.
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Information
The Codex is a worldwide organization made up of different sects or chapters. Each is completely out of communication with the other, but all report to a benefactor identified as Riverdene. Who/what Riverdene is and what their ultimate goals are remain to be seen, even for the members within the Codex. Though it's difficult, the Codex team in Paragon has essentially had to trust the the missions Riverdene sends them on is for the greater good.
The Codex acts on their own as they see fit until they're appointed specific tasks from Riverdene. These missions are aimed to have long-lasting consequences. Codex is more about striking at critical moments than a full-on assault.
In the CoX universe, they aren't widely know... at least not yet. The Codex chapter in Paragon is new. The "Codex" itself is known througout history by obscure references, but it isn't public knowledge that they're active in today's world. The Midnighter Squad would probably know of their existence and it is indeed conceivable that some sect of Codex has worked with them at some point. The Paragon group has not yet had the pleasure of working alongside them.
The members of the Paragon chapter are very much in the dark about the greater plan which Riverdene seems to be directing. They run the local chapter, but don't know much about the organization outside of their own actions. This story will unfold as we develop.
As a rule, Codex and Riverdene have a "need-to-know" policy. Whenever possible Riverdene leaves the assignment as vague as possible. Something like, "make sure the scientist doesn't deliver the intel" could be interpreted a lot of different ways. While Riverdene may be primarily focused on the intel, it's up to the agents in the Codex to decide the fate of the scientist. The Paragon directors frown on killing for sport, but assassination isn't ruled out as a tactical option. Other chapters of the Codex may operate differently.
Coalition
The Codex has absorbed CORE and now seeks a closed, RP-driven coalition.
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Events
Check our calendar for details on upcoming events.
IC Information
History
Initially the Codex was primarily an esoteric order, concerned with humanity's spiritual wellbeing, trying to fund a way to bring Utopia into existence. Born in 1653 in Western Europe, it flourished as a secret society, much as the Rosecrucians and Templars, for approximately seventy years until it was suppressed as heretical by the Church.
It would lay dormant or off the radar for another eighty-two years, until the first traces of its continued existence would be found in England in 1805, during that nation's war with France. It was back, but somehow it had become more bellicose, no longer content with trying to be humanity's wise teacher. Although no firm proof has ever come to light, the noted Admiral Jervis of the time has long been suspected to have been associated with the reborn Codex.
Historians of the occult have long argued which key figures in the Industrial Revolution which followed that war were or were not members of the Codex, but again, no proof has ever been found to confirm or deny their membership. All that is clear is that the order had somehow transformed from a purely intellectual organisation into one that seemed more willing to actively intervene in affairs.
Traces of it have surfaced during the American Revolution, The First and Second World Wars and more recently in the conflicts in Vietnam and the Falklands; but again, it has only been a long suspicion with no firm proof.
The Codex Today
The modern-day Codex is comprised of several factions around the globe, each operating in complete autonomy from one another. All branches take orders from a single head entity known as Riverdene. While the exact origins and motives of Riverdene are unknown, they appear to be ultimately altruistic (albeit sometimes morally grey). No member to date has knowingly had a face-to-face meeting with Riverdene.
Each regional branch has an on-going mission to use counter-intelligence and covert tactics to assess threats to the area before they become dire and to resolve them. Occasionally, Riverdene will issue down direct orders. The context of these orders is rarely given, so Codex branches are asked to react without question.
Lore
The information of the Codex is mostly rumours or hearsay, but it is often portrayed in a mystical or almost religious light. There are whispers of the four pillars - or four elements - upon which the Codex is founded. To date, little is known what might be meant by this.
The Paragon Division
Beginnings
In spring of 2008, four heroes known as Alarcity, Rose Paladin, Phaize and Tipscout were approached through various means and agents of Riverdene. Their methods and actions had been monitored for some time, and they had been deemed fit to establish a new Codex chapter in Paragon since the last had failed years before.
The four, dubbed the Sentinel, the Sentry, the Scout and the Spy, all had their own misgivings about entering an arrangement in which they were left so completely in the dark. However, be it for power, control, love or justice, they all finally agreed to join.
Over the next few months, the Codex began to grow. Riverdene would send recommendations on potential assets for the Directors to pursue and recruit. A base, known as the Sanctuary, was built in an abandoned underground bunker in Talos as a covert headquarters for their meeting. They began to thrive.
Falling from Grace
Tensions began to swell between the members as unexplained events began to occur. Many members, including some of the directors, began to question the merits of blindly following Riverdene, with no knowledge about the consequences of their missions.
Rose Paladin was the first director to leave. Personal issues began to take hold as his own morality began to coincide less and less with the shades of grey around him. Shortly after, Alarcity left as well, deciding it was time to try a normal life. The two remaining directors, Phaize and Tipscout, promoted Katarina Ivanov and Julie Surace to the rank of Principle in an attempt to fill the void left both personally and professionally by losing two of the founders.
The Elements
Some time passed before Tipscout mysteriously went missing. When she returned a few days later, she gradually began to realize she'd changed. She began to develop the ability to ride the winds and breathe in the most toxic of gases without incident. She had vague flashbacks to some sort of procedure, but with no clear recollection.
Phaize, her now-husband, was troubled until he was approached by an operative of Riverdene. He claimed to have taken Scout to imbue her with the powers of one of the four elements, air, so that she could become a true avatar of the Codex principles. The man played of Phaize's insecurities and concern over Tipscout to get him to agree to the procedure. A few days later, Phaize returned. His shape shifting powers had grown stronger and he could hold his breath underwater indefinitely. By appearances, he became the Paragon Division's avatar of water. To date, nobody has been called upon to represent earth or fire.
Chapter 1: Intercession
For months, the Codex operated in relative anonymity throughout Paragon. As planned, they struck from the shadows. Gathering intelligence on virtually every major villain organization in the city, they followed Riverdene's orders to the letter. They were untouchable.
On July 21st, 2008, that changed. The team's youngest member, Fluke, was attacked by swarms of Council agents. Though others from the team responded quickly, a few Council managed to escape with Fluke's Codex pin. The message was clear: somebody knew the Codex existed. The group who thrived in the shadows was being pushed into the light.
In a surprise move that nobody anticipated, the Council traced the signal back to the Sanctuary, attacking the Codex at their own headquarters. The resulting battle left several wounded, including Fluke, who had been shot in the chest.
The able members of the Codex immediately went on the offensive, searching their contacts for clues. The evidence eventually leading to a warehouse full of Council, they managed to locate Fluke's pin. It was hidden in the frame of a painting of the Codex's La Rousse in Florence by Raphael Sanzio... dated April 12th, 1511 A.D.! In the corner of the frame was a curious symbol.
Taking the pin and the painting back to the Sanctuary, the team analyzed the evidence. The painting was dated, and to the shock of everyone, revealed that La Rousse had in fact been in Florence circa 1511. Also, the symbol had begun cropping up all over Paragon the last several months. It was graffitied on walls, sewn into tents belonging to the Carnival... it was even seen etched into Nemesis' armour!
Realizing that they were out-gunned, ill-informed and clearly targeted, the Codex split up. Each went his or her own way, taking to the shadows. The Sanctuary stood, powered down and empty for several months. Even Phaize and Tipscout, who were married, stayed apart to protect one another. It seemed that the Codex had just up and vanished from Paragon...
This was exactly what they wanted people to think.
Rebuilding
When enough time had passed, the Directors returned. They reached out to those who still had their pins and gradually began to re-establish their network. A new Sanctuary was built in a sub-basement floor of a commercial building in Steel Canyon. When the Riverdene sent its first broadcast to the new location, it became official: the Codex had survived. Even the warlock Alarcity had returned to their ranks. A new member, Kitai, was promoted to Principle to assist.
The next few months flowed quickly. Potential assets came and went as the team learned more of the new threat that had attacked them. By all appearances, they had been targeted by a group as shadowy and secretive as their own. This other organization seemed to have ties in nearly ever group within Paragon. It appeared that nobody could be trusted.
Chapter 2: Redemption
When a member of the Codex, Areximacha, went missing, the team clamoured to her rescue. Led by her closest friend, Kitai, the team managed to recover her from crime lords. However, they soon discovered that a chip had been installed in her head, causing her to lose chunks of time. As the team worked to determine the implications, the chip was activated, causing Areximacha to download the entire Codex database and deliver it to an unknown source.
The Codex was terrified. Along with all of the intelligence they had ever gathered, the server contained the identity of all the members of the Paragon branch, their next of kin and so on. They tracked the chip down to a government facility and managed to recover it, but at a cost. Areximacha was caught in the blast as the facility was destroyed, seemingly vaporized in the process.
The threat seemingly passed, the team tried to recover but soon found themselves spread thin. Alarcity's child was kidnapped, and she borrowed the assistance of fellow member Proust in an attempt to rescue her. Julie Surace was called away into deep space for days due to a fake distress call. Ade Telluala was recaptured by the Carnies, who sought to remake him into a slave.
On top of it all, the Directors Phaize and Tipscout were expecting a child. They worked with the Midnighters, arranging to spend nine months in the past to have their son, Ryan, and return to the exact point in time they left. However, they were tricked and became locked in the past with no way home and nobody knowing where to look.
Fluke was recalled to the UK by Riverdene. As she was waiting, however, the shadowy group that had been chasing the Codex approached her. They identified themselves as Logrus and told her much about her past and her father. They told her that Ade was kidnapped and offered her a way home, which she took.
With so many distracted and captured, a new server room was installed in the base to increase security. Additionally, a new Director arrived, known as Favorable Odds, claiming he was sent by Riverdene. Though many were skeptical, he gave Alarcity a signet ring, which had an arcane resonance that matched the Codex.
As Fluke and others sought to rescue Ade, Kitai began to look into the disappearance of Phaize and Tipscout. She managed to find a lead, discovering Logrus had blackmailed the Midnighters into locking the duo in the past. With the help of others, she managed to reclaim the Directors and their child. In the process, they captured a Logrus operative known as Bishop.
Upon their return to the base, it was discovered that Favorable Odds had vanished. No records of him existed on any of the security feed and all his belongings were gone. An announcement from Riverdene soon informed the team that Odds had been a spy for Logrus. He is currently at large and the standing orders are to kill him on sight.
A few days later, as the searched continued, Alarcity took it upon herself to interrogate the captured operative, Bishop. During the session, it was revealed that Logrus had tricked Favorable Odds into infiltrating the Codex and diverting communications. Since the the directors had originally disappeared, the Codex had not been recieving orders from Riverdene, but rather Logrus itself! Before Alarcity could tell anyone, Bishop self-destructed and Logrus, still posing as Riverdene, declared Alarcity a traitor and she went into hiding.
Meanwhile, a man claiming to be from the Dublin Codex branch, known as Reflect, had recently made contact with local agent Kamiseen. He states that he actually arrived in Paragon a month before, assigned to fill in for Fluke when she was taken back to the UK. However, upon reaching Paragon, all conventional Codex channels were apparently blocked so that he could not make contact. In fact, every time he tried to use them, he soon found his position compromised by mysterious agents, presumably Logrus!
Suspecting foul play, Kitai took Reflect's Dublin pin outside the confines of Paragon City. Free from Logrus's dampening field, she discovered their duplicity and raced back to warn the others. She burst into the middle of the Sanctuary during movie night, where she told the others what she had learned. Immediately, the base locked down as Logrus initiated the self destruct. The operatives in the base worked together and were able to shut it down in time, but not before Logrus was able to cover its tracks.
Currently
With the immediate threats behind them, the Codex has worked to re-establish contact with Riverdene and Alarcity. They have relocated to the new Sanctuary 4.0 in the heart of Founder's Falls, hidden within the Arcanus Public Library. Every day, they search for new leads which might bring them closer to finding Logrus.
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