Raven's House

Raven’s House’s Decor

GENERAL

All doors are automatic sliding doors, except for security doors which require proper identification first. Non-sub-level doors have 1-inch thick panelling to make them seem like real wooden doors, not ostentatious, just nice. Security doors are heavily reinforced under their disguise and are noticably thicker.

The outer walls are four foot thick reinforced and have large bay windows set into the outer wall running the length of each room to let in the view. The windows are of blast proof materials and are ray shielded as well.

Interior walls where of moderate thickness are 2 feet thick and reinforced. Walls in the upper levels are off white unless otherwise noted, and floors are wood over reinforced materials.

Ceilings contain non-glaring ceiling panels giving off light simulating her native sun instead of normal pure blue-white. Their light is very bright at maximum levels, but can be changed locally.

The roof is shielded and reinforced as are the other exterior walls. Under the decorative ceramic tiles are concealed several defenses, both for internal and external use. Air scoops are concealed under the eaves to allow fresh air inside. In the event of detection of undesir-able additives, these close and the air is circulated through the internal purifiers in the sub-level.

The center court contains a pool for laps or games, a smaller pool, and a lounging pool that doubles as a jacuzzi. The plants on their walls (c. 7’-12’ high) provide fresh air and a semblance of privacy. The floor here is made of small tiles shading from amber to green to blue in random patterns. The pools themselves are of blue-green marble. The overall effect is not dark, but meant to mimic nature.

Stairs are wood and have simple rails. Walls beside stairs are soundproofed so as not to bother the guests. They are 7’ wide. There is no Force-damping equipment here except component parts that could be built into one from technical stores.

Corner rooms are 60X40 with 25X25 bathrooms and 15X20 entryways. Normal rooms on upper floors are 40X40. Side rooms vary.

There are NO droids inside.

GROUND FLOOR

The Living Room has various tables, chairs and couches scattered about the room. Art on the walls is primarily landscapes. There is a large holo-vid screen on the east wall.

The two side rooms off the living room are the same sans screen.

The Front Hall, South and East Entrances are empty. There are closets for outer garment storage.

The Dining Room has a long tablecloth covered table of redwood with matching chairs. It can serve twelve. There is a large persian rug in shades of brown on the floor and more landscapes on the walls.

The Library is a large room carpeted in dominately red persian rugs. Dark wooden bookshelves reach to the ceiling. Two tables near the windows, one near the south wall and one near the east wall, are provided with four comfortable chairs each. In the drawers of the table are writing materials and various equipment for games of intelligence like Chess, as well as a Sabaac deck and a few normal decks of cards. The north wall has a large holo-vid unit set into the wall and the cabinets to it’s left contain a video library of mostly informational tapes. It can be used as a television, but only on a low volume.

The Exercise Room has floor to ceiling cabinets along the west wall containing practice mats, targets and a variety of other equipment. Extending partway along the north wall under the windows are locked chests containing melee weaponry, no ranged weaponry except throwing daggers. This room is soundproofed.

Raven’s Study is a darkly furnished room. It is panelled in dark wood and oontains a large desk, a black leather chair, a vibrant red oriental rug on the floor, maps of the environs, B’yss, Purgatory and spacer star charts line the walls. Behind her along the east wall is a small concealed safe. On the south wall is a large holo-vid screen that normally projects a map of the Empire. From here she can access the Communications Center screens and monitor them. The computer on her desk is directly tied into her security net.

The Kitchen is state-of-the-art, all stainless steel hi-tech and rust flecked cream colored stone work areas. In the center is a big table. Counters and cabinets line the walls. No cooking droids allowed but guests are encouraged to participate and show off any culinary ability, even if it’sonly popcorn.

The Examination Room is also state-of-the-art. There are two examining tables with restraints, a desk and chair, a medical computer tied into a medium sized wall screen. Along the walls behind wall to ceiling partitions are medical diagnostic devices of all kinds. This room is capable of making a full physical examina-tion. It is soundproofed.

The Communications Center is not locked, but is kept closed. Inside on the north wall is a bank of monitors over a console. Sitting on watch is always at least one servitor, normally two. They monitor all activities and conversations going on in the surveillance area which are also recorded and stored in the computers. All communications barring those originating in Raven’s room go through this room and are set up by the servitors if approved, not by direct dialing. All calls are monitored if not recorded. This board also controls, barring use of the override from Raven’s room or the sub-level, the defense net. There is a holo-pad in the southeast corner should visual communication be required.

SECOND FLOOR

The second and third floors contain only guest rooms at present.

Color schemes vary from room to room to suit a variety of tastes, but are always tasteful and designed not to conflict with the outside view. Windows have blinds and curtains and can be polarized as well.

Each corner room has an entry room and a small 20X25 bathroom equipped with most anything one could wish, including a large tub suitable for lounging and a separate shower. The floor is tiled, each in a different design and color combination.

Normal guest rooms also have a bathroom, but it is comfortable standard, not deluxe.

THIRD FLOOR

Raven’s bedroom suite is by far the most elaborate set of rooms in the house and is decorated in blues and greens with light colored wood panelling. A lot of big pillows and very little furniture, and what there is is comfortable and of the type one can lounge on and look out the window. Often though, she sits in the window bay itself with cushions to make it comfortable. The carpet on the floor looks like what you’d see looking into the water on Pergitory. A large desk is in one corner facing out into the room. It has a computer she uses for personal business, and sometimes for extremely classified business as well. With it she can tap into the house computer.

In the enclosed wall section is a fully hyperspace capable transmission rig. It is the only external com-munication device in this room and is intended for important business only. The access panel is concealed. The screen can access the Communications Center’s screens, or the Computer Room. If necessary, she can control her Security net from here.

Raven’s bathroom has deceptively realistic murals of the swamps of Pergitory on the walls, and a green and blue mosaic floor with images of fish and other creatures from Pergitory. The tub is blue with dark green striations. The fixtures are silver.

Raven’s suite is soundproofed and only hers or the servitors’ code can open the security door.

The other guest rooms on this floor are like the ones on the second floor.

SUB-LEVEL I - CLASSIFIED INFORMATION (consider out of character)

The walls are all light gray metal with dark gray metal sliding doors and floors of the same. Think Death Star or Star Destroyer decor and you’ll get the idea.

Doors are not easily broken. Security doors are four inches thick reinforced with a laminate heat dis-persing coating. To the left of each security door is a concealed sliding panel hiding numbered code keys. Not all codes open all doors, and the cover plate also has a palm plate.

The Interrogation Rooms are huge, 60X40, and apparently devoid of any contents. They can be subdi-vided into smaller cubicles. Set into the walls behind concealed plates are attachments for manacles, power leads and communications or other equipment. There are water fixtures in the ceilings and grating on the floor to facilitate cleaning up. Fumigation occurs through ceiling and wall vents. These rooms can double as execu-tion chambers quite easily. These four rooms can be hermetically sealed.

The Cell Blocks are entered through the main security door. At the other end of the holding room is a servitor in a sealed chamber who opens the inner security door or activates the various extermination programs.

Inside the cell block, the cells are somewhat larger than average and are supplied with a fairly comfort-able wide bunk, a small table and chair. The same arrangements as in the Interrogation rooms are here as well.

The Surveillance Room is the war room. All functions of the Communications Center on the ground level are duplicated here and can be overidden here. The walls are covered in large screens for displays, and a small table is in the center of the room. Main control is handled at the south end of the table. The black leather seats are comfortable as they may have to be used for long stretches. A small food processor is in the northwest corner.

Technical storerooms contain everything necessary to build an entire genetic laboratory capable of producing and sustaining a viable clone. They also can replace or repair any piece of equipment in the house. Normal storerooms contain normal medical and interrogation supplies, and normal items of all kinds.

Surgery contains two operating tables side by side and four holding cells usable for monitoring the patient’s recovery or holding prisoners. Each has full diagnostic capabilities.

The Storeroom off the Surgery contains everything necessary for surgery as well as the dangerous drugs and toxins Raven experiments with. Noone is allowed in here but her.

The Power Rooms contain the main power generators for the house and defenses. Number 2 is the backup. Power cables run along the walls and ceilings. The generators fill the rooms.

The Computer Room handles processing and temporary or unimportant functions such as the musical and video reference library. Computers are behind a removable wall to the east.

The “Computer Room” off the Surveillance Room is a small room with a central turbolift leading to the Computer Core Sub-level and not a computer in sight.

The Laundry contains on the west wall two industrial size washers and driers. Along the southern wall are shelves for unused towels and bedding etcetera. Raven’s is kept separate as it is black silk.

The Incinerator is an empty room with a hatch on the west wall leading to the incinerator.

The Kitchen is utilitarian but has everything necessary to produce any last meal imaginable.

The Carbon Freezer looks like the one on Cloud City, only better kept up. Grating radiates from a hole in the center of the room. Power cables and things run along the ceiling.

The segregated Bathrooms contain showers and toilets. In the cabinets above and below the sink most anything commonly used in a bathroom is kept, including several spare toothbrushes.

COMPUTER CORE SUB-LEVEL - CLASSIFIED INFORMATION (consider out of character)

This level, accessed through a turbolift from the ‘Computer Room’ on the Sub-level, is a half mile straight down in the bedrock of B’yss. The level is small and contains the actual computers that run all systems in the house and surrounding environs. Because of its importance, the heavy walls are shielded as are the conduits and the turbolift tube. Noone has been allowed down here since it was built.

The available space, one room (15 X 15) is decorated in plain light blue walls, utilitarian light panels in the ceiling and glowstrips along the wall edges. There is a tool cabinet along one wall and a plain, shielded door in the east wall leading to the actual computers.

There is a utility closet in the west wall of Room I designed to hold specific items only (one air mattress, 2 heavy survival type blankets, water purifier, air recycler, power generator with spare fuel cells, 6 month supply of iron rations, medical supplies and communications equipment, various portable weaponry, including 4 lightsabers). This room is designed to be living quarters in the event of an extreme emergency. The actual computer room is light gray with static-proof floors to protect them. Floor space is 10x10.

THE LANDING ZONE

Out the East Entrance is the landing platform. It can hold one shuttle at a time, but usually after dropping off its’ passengers it is transferred into the hanger under the landing platform which can hold three. Landing lights and approach beacons are at each corner. Directions to incoming craft originate from the Communications Center on Level One.

The underground facility can refuel landing craft and has a small tool room in case repairs need to be made. Some spare parts, fifteen jump harnesses, eight swoops and twelve speederbikes are also kept here.

No attempt has been made in this section towards beautification. It is severely utilitarian and efficient.

RAVEN’S HOUSE--MISCELLANEOUS

Surveillance equipment is extremely well hidden and was usually built right into the walls during reconstruction. There are minimum 3-5 visual bugs per room, in every room but Raven’s. There are enough audio bugs to pick up any conversa-tion at any volume anywhere in the house. They go through a computer and are amplified for sound if necessary, to produce a steady volume and filtered for background noise. Visual bugs handle standard light, lR and UV.

There are motion sensors installed in all entrances and outside, installed in the first week of April. There ARE medical sensors, more later.

Most vents and ducts wind up in the sub-level if I remember. Power leads go to the 2 power rooms, there is an air purifier down below, and there is a huge underground reservoir built into the hill the house sits on. The reservoir is fed by the stream to the east through underground pipes and things, and one of the outbuildings has a water purification system in the basement that the pipes go through. Short of the fresh air coming into the center court, nothing gets into the house as is, and even that can be cut off. The place IS self sufficient.

There are weekly food supply deliveries Saturday mornings. Imperial Supply personnel handle that and the occasional crates of equipment. Raven knows them by name and they are always offered a chance to raid the kitchen. She likes them and is friendly with them, not bothering to be formal. Wilder or Raven handles the mainfests and signs for the stuff.

Guards change at 4 AM, noon right after lunch is served, and 8 PM, always in the Communications Center, and if there is any procedure to it, guests haven’t found one. They usually come in and sit down, talk over what the relief should be aware of, any phone calls that have been approved or expected arrivals, the latest sports scores and weekend passes into the capital, that sort of thing.

All guests have their vital signs monitored by a medical computer. Anything abnormal triggers a response in the Comm Center if it isn’t corrected within about 30 seconds or so, depending.

Any signs of Force use or Psi in a guest's area, being used on you or used by you, will get you in a Force damped room in about 4 minutes elapsed time. Maybe less.

Raven’s Servitors and their Chips
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION (consider out of character)

Servitors are usually chosen based on physical performance and combat effectiveness, and are generally the best physical specimen that was available. They have faster than average reflexes and better than average coordination, balance, strength and pain tolerance, or the potential for a trait if it can be gained later through physical training.

Once selected, usually from among the numerous prisoners and criminals in the Empire, their current memories are totally removed, and the chips that will regulate them are implanted in the brain. Surgery takes approximately 6-10 hours and is performed almost exclusively by Raven’s specially programmed surgeon droids. Afterwards, standard servitors are able to enter service immediately. Having no memories, they are fairly docile and follow orders well as the new personality is built up through conditioning and service.

Non-standard servitors may receive cybernetic enhancement or other procedures at this point, usually combat related, to increase the servitors effectiveness. The chip series is implanted in the brain* in the nerve centers. Electrical thought impulses must all go through the chips, and each is examined by the chips. Any thought impulse contrary to the chip’s programming is stopped dead and does not continue. The servitor can’t complete the thought, and it will never become action. Standard chips cannot initiate thought, they merely regulate them.

Other chips still in testing can stimulate certain brain paths and cause reactions or actions. Their capability is limited, however, combined with mental programming, can be effective when the path is a specific action such as a berserk rage, or an emotion, such as fear or patriotism.

The other chips provide basic knowledge; combat knowledge, various skills and databases necessary to the servitors function.

The last chip is a tasp** and is tied into the brain’s pleasure and pain centers. When triggered by the proper stimulus, a command from the main regulating chip, it releases a small current producing pure pleasure or pure pain, enough to override outside pain or other considerations. A person high on a tasp is a deadly fighter because they feel NOTHING but pleasure. They react to the outside world, but it does not affect them. They don’t realize they’ve been shot.

Tasps are used in the conditioning process. When a servitor willingly follows the programming implanted in the regulatory chip, a small burst of pleasure rewards him. When he fails, or acts contrary to the programming, pain results. The tasp is automatically triggered when the servitor goes into combat, as are the relevant information chips. They act as a rolodex of options, increasing the servitors combat capability.

The standard base regulatory chip can be programmed for three prioritized basic commands, and cannot normally be modified unless removed. Tasp chips and memory chips are standard for normal servitors. Other chips may be included as well, or left out, depending on the final duties of the servitor. Regulatory chips-are based on crystalline technology, and Force users or psionicists can, if specially trained to do so, directly program the chips. The correct security codes or passwords are required to access the chip and begin modifying.

Standard chip programming, in this order of priority:

  • 1) Loyalty to Raven
  • 2) Obey Raven and (the person for whom the servitor was created)
  • 3) Loyalty to Raven's children.
  • 4) Loyalty to Raven's other Servitors

    Knowledge chips are available for any non-classified subject found in the Imperial databanks. Standard chips contain combat skills, navigation and piloting skills, paramedic skills, and survival skills.

    Chips are normally made of non-reactive substances that will not damage the brain or nerves, but some chips in use are coated with other materials that react on contact with air, or can release materials harmful to the surrounding tissue.

    No chips contain explosives. That would waste a good servitor and can be accomplished in other ways.


    * See Battlefield: Earth. The process is similar to the Psychlo implants.
    ** See Ringworld and the sequel for examples of the tasp in operation.

    History. Servitors are [out of character knowledge] some of Raven’s experiments in behavior, and successful ones at that. Newer Servitors are totally bald until the hair grows back in. You can generally tell their newness by their hair length, and also by the extent of personality they have redeveloped. Wilder is the first successful Servitor model and he is complete, with a fully developed personality. Walsh, Marx and Myers have a pretty full one too by Port Lansing (1994?). As the elder servitors develop and interact with the younger and as Raven’s skill increases, the development time takes shorter periods

    Originally there were Wilder and his sibs, selected from the prisons after their failed assassination attempt against Raven herself. Wilder is now Raven’s trusted aide and assistant. The other three siblings were made into Lady Aurelia’s guards, but Wilder is special. It takes approximately 6-8 hours to create each Servitor, and their creation has tended to always be in clumps.

    When Raven became a Palpatine she created four more [Walsh, Marx, Myers, (deceased)] while her house was being converted to its present form. Hawkwood killed one of them and he was replaced by Hawkwood himself briefly, then Reath, the musician. Ross, Soth, and Ryan followed in very early April over a busy two days.

    Drew, Corby, Hart, Allison, Hendricks, Tyler, and Mitchell were created the week after, right before the assault in a marathon session it took Raven a few days to recover from. This batch was the first true specialty servitors. Besides the basic combat templates, they have each a specialty, for instance, Allison is a medic. Their reflexes are boosted, also strength, stamina and acuity. Some have implants, or cybernetics, both dermal and epidermal varieties.

    Servitor personalities: Basic personalities vary but are well adjusted and fairly decent. They aren’t unnecessarily cruel guards by any stretch. They like to talk, so long as it doesn’t interfere with their duty. When on duty even if they seem casual, they are still ‘on duty’ and it is fairly obvious. They are polite. Each has at least one hobby. All are loyal, based on a good job, being well treated and very well paid, plus a little helpful nudge here and there.

    They get days off and have a pretty good poker game every Saturday night, and pick-up games as it strikes them. On occasion guests are invited to join in, if they’ve made an effort to talk to them and treat them normally. The game is held in one of the empty third floor rooms and is an open secret.

    Hawkwood and Wilder worked out regularly and they will work out with other guests if they want.

    Any time a servitor is in close contact with a guest, there is another servitor watching, just in case the guest tries anything. Raven was extremely upset when Hawkwood killed one of her servitors in his escape attempt. Both she and the servitors are determined it won’t happen again, and if it does, they are guarunteed she will make the person responsible wish they were dead.

    All Raven’s people wear a red and black trimmed leather ‘uniform’.

    Concerning Guest-Right

    All of Raven’s ‘Guests’ have the opportunity for Guest-Right. This means free access within Raven’s house, barring security doors. Guests don’t have the codes. All security doors on upper levels leading directly to a room containing a turbolift are concealed. Consider them out of character knowledge unless the guest has passed through one while conscious.

    Guests are expected not to destroy anything or harm Raven’s servitors and to attend all meals. It would be preferred that guests be civil, but Raven would understand. Not appreciate it, but would understand. If the guest wants to stay in a cell, go right ahead.

    A limited variety of civilian clothing will be provided for each guest for the duration of their stay.

    Guests have free access to the computer terminal in the library and no access to the communications equipment (IE the telephone) without supervision and direct authorization. Guests ARE free to ask. Anything a guest pulls up on the computer will be recorded automatically in the main computer section on Sub-Level One, and this can only be countermanded there (of course).

    The information that can be garnered from Raven’s computer is up to you, barring classified material. Treat it as you would any computer. Her library contains a complete set of galactic encyclopedias in the computer, and a wide variety of other, physical reading material. Maps of the area can be found there, in various levels of detail.

    The exercise room is not off limits, but the weapons locker along the north wall is locked at all times. You need the codes to get in, or must break in. Breaking in will require a lot of work, a blaster, or the Force, particularly telekinesis. We can discuss it, assuming the guest even knows what’s in there. It contains no ranged weapons, only a variety of hand weapons, both blunt and bladed, energy, vibro, and steel, from a wide variety of worlds and cultures.

    Note that guests eat with real silverware, and there are enough ordinary objects in any house to kill someone with many times over. Raven is well aware of this and so are the servitors. You will never get a jump on a servitor, and Raven thinks if you want to try, you should be allowed to do so, but beware the consequences. Wilder once tried it, and as you’ve noticed, he’s now her trusted aide and very, VERY loyal.

    The servitors are combat trained and have chip implants giving them an even greater edge. They are combat ready at a moment’s notice and will hurt you.

    Good luck and enjoy your stay.

    Raven


  • World Notes:

    Star Wars is copyrighted, © Lucasfilm 2001. All rights reserved by Lucas or Lucasfilm. Raven Palpatine is my own creation, for use in the Forces of the Empire, a Star Wars roleplaying group. Ditto her servitors and house.

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