The New York CHAPTER

NEW YORK CHAPTER

THE CITADEL (The Long Lines Building)

This is the main venue for the Order of First Light in our setting.

Located at 33 Thomas Street in Manhattan, Salvatore Avara's family were able to purchase several top floors of the building back in 1995, one of their many holdings in the west. After the Resonance it had been all but abandoned and the Order was able to gain control of the entire structure after the 'REBELLION OF 2015'.

In the beginning of 2016 the Order of First Light was ousted out of the Federal Reserve Building. The majority of their members had been influenced by the Rebel ARMA.  Accusations were made and were in fact justified and members of the Order still not fully convinced had to make a choice. They could side with ARMA and betray their Oath or remain loyal and be branded enemies of their fellow magi. Many chose to abandon the Order, believing that the only way to rid the corruption was to fight against them. The loyalists, disband and homeless congregated at the holding of the self proclaimed Chancellor

They dubbed the 'Long Lines Building', 'THE CITADEL', due to it's appearance and to send a message to ARMA that they weren't going anywhere and would continue to uphold the principles of the First Light.

HIERARCHY

OVERSEER: Dacia Setgrave

As of the beginning of 2019, Dacia was appointed the new Overseer of the New York Chapter. Her office is on the highest floor of the Citadel.

CHANCELLOR: Lucas Torrence

After the appointment of Dacia Setgrave, Salvatore was essentially demoted. He retained his title of Chancellor. But several months ago he went missing and without much time to debate, a new Chancellor was appointed. In the Overseer's absence the Chancellor is head of the chapter.

MINISTERS: Costa De Cerbo and Morellos Severin (Part of the original Inquisitor team) are considered ministers and perform various duties under Salvatore Avara.

DESCRIPTION

The former AT&T Long Lines Building at 33 Thomas Street is a 550 foot (167.5 meter) tall skyscraper in the Borough of Manhattan, New York, United States. It stands on the east side of Church Street, between Thomas and Worth Streets, in the Civic Center neighborhood of New York City. The building is an example of the Brutalist architectural style with its flat concrete slab facade.

The Long Lines Building was completed in 1974. As it was built to house telephone switching equipment, the average floor height is 18 feet (5.5 meters), considerably taller than in an average high-rise. The floors are also unusually strong, designed to carry 200 to 300 pound per square foot live loads. It is by all rights, a fortress.

The windowless exterior walls are precast concrete panels clad with flame-treated textured Swedish granite faces. There are six large protrusions from the rectangular base which house air ducts, stairs and elevators. The building is 29 stories and there are a series of large, protruding ventilation openings on the 10th and 29th floors.

It is often described as one of the most secure buildings in North America, and was designed to be self-sufficient and protected from nuclear fallout for up to two weeks after a nuclear blast.

Since 2016 the Order has modified the interior of the building's top floors. The 26th to 29th floors are functional space, offices, meeting rooms, training areas, archives, etc. The lower levels remain empty, though some areas are utilized for training and storage, among other things.

There is access to underground private parking at the corner of Church and Thomas Street.

SECURITY

Security is a combination of magic and conventional technology. Electronics and enchantments haven tendency to countermand one another and so areas of lesser importance are policed by standard security systems. Those areas of greater importance are protected by magical wards and enchantments which require counter spells to temporarily dispel them.

Entry into the building requires magic so no one without such knowledge can bypass the security. What of the human employees of the Order? The basic magical wards protecting the common areas require 'disarming enchantments' that can be employed by anyone. It takes time to learn the spells and various elements of them change monthly. A signet ring is also required. All members possess a ring which is inscribed with their name, chapter and rank. They are personalized to the person, meaning that no one else can employ them (of course there are always ways to countermand even the most fool proof forms of magic).

Security clearance requires formal identification, a signet ring and knowledge of the 'disarming enchantments'.

THE MAGUS OF NEW YORK

Those who have chosen to stay apart from ARMA have done so for many reasons but most prominent is the fact that they do not believe that the High Arch Magus of Rome are corrupt. The fact that such an all-powerful, all-seeing organization can succumb to the petty plagues of humanity is unacceptable. Many believe that ARMA has ulterior motives but all are under express orders not to break the fragile peace that exists between their humble chapter and the stronger rebels who now control New York.

Those of the Order that do suspect corruption in the ranks of the High Arches also tend believe that forming a rebellious faction was not in the best interests of the Order. While they do not condemn the members of ARMA for their beliefs they do disagree with their methods. It is these particular members that may be yet be swayed to their cause.

Their numbers are few. Roughly a third of the Magus remained a part of the Order and from 2016 and into the early months of 2019 Salvatore Avara has taken up the mantle of leadership.