The Argus Institute

'''“Audio. Vigilo. Opperior.”'''

''-The motto on the Argus Institute crest; roughly translating to “I listen. I watch. I wait.”''

The Argus Institute is an academic institution dedicated to researching the esoteric and paranormal; researchers dedicated to revealing knowledge of the unknown. It was established by Jonah Argus in 4518 AR, during the Age of Enthronement by Jonah Argus as a way to collect and archive accounts of the paranormal for personal and academic research purposes. However, in a world where magic is commonplace and the impossible is often possible, very little that is considered “the paranormal” is beyond explanation. As such, the Institute has faced ridicule from within the Pathfinder Society, as well as obscurity from without, and is seen by most Society members as a dead-end in their adventuring careers.

However, despite the Institute’s relative obscurity, it has collected countless statements and reports in the two-hundred years since its founding. Unfortunately the Institute does not have the manpower to follow up on the statements it receives. This is an issue that the Institute’s current Head Archivist, Jonathan Sims, has been trying to rectify by sending repeated requests to venture-captains throughout the Society, asking for a dedicated team of Pathfinders to be assigned to the Institute. While these requests have finally been answered – leading to the arrival of our Party – they have been filed against the wishes of the current head of the Argus Institute: Elias Bouchard.

Current Argus Institute Personnel

Elias Bouchard: human, mid-50s, Head of the Argus Institute (4902 – present)

Jonathan Sims: human, mid-30s, Head Archivist of the Argus Institute. (4920 – present)

Loz: changeling, late-20s, Lead Archival Assistant of the Argus Institute.

Martin Blackwood: half-elf, early-20s, Archival Assistant of the Argus Institute.

Rosie Caskridge: halfling, early-40s, Receptionist and Assistant to Elias Bouchard.

THE ARGUS INSTITUTE LAYOUT

The Grand Lodge is built on the grounds of what used to be Millbank Prison, although over the course of its centuries-long history the area is no longer recognizable as that. The only remaining evidence of the history of Millbank Prison is beneath the towers of Skyreach, the central building on the grounds. These three sub-basements were retrofitted when the Argus Institute folded into the Pathfinder Society, and leaves the organization largely forgotten about and neglected.

1st Floor (Sub-Basement One) – Offices and Meeting Rooms: upon taking the freight elevator down from the Main Hall (located between the two eastern towers of Skyreach), visitors will find themselves stepping into the reception area where they can wait until someone is available to see them and take their statement. Behind the reception desk runs a long hallway leading left and right in either direction. Facing out of the elevator, the rooms to the left of the reception desk are a series of interview rooms (formerly rooms for questioning and interrogation), and the bathrooms. The rooms to the right of the reception desk include offices for the head of the Institute, as well as a break room and a briefing room. At either end of this hallway are stairwells descending to the lower levels.

2nd Floor (Sub-Basement Two) – Living Quarters: Although they’ve been somewhat refurbished from their original use as holding cells, there’s still something vaguely formal and prison-like about this floor. Like the floor above, this level consists of one long hallway with rooms on either side, elevator access at the center, and stairs at either end. Where there were once twenty small cells (four on either side of the elevator and twelve on the far wall), walls have been broken down during refurbishing to make every two cells into a single small living space (now two on either side of the elevator and six on the far wall).

Each living space has a bed, private bathroom (consisting of a sink, toilet, and standing shower, and mirror), small desk, and limited shelf space. The original doors – which featured heavy locks, a viewing window, and a slot for passing food and items through – have been replaced with standard wooden doors.

 Room Assignments 

Room 2: Rayen

Room 3: Willow

Room 12: Ellery

Room 14: Felix

Room 15: Emir

Room 19: Halston

Room 20: Kazuo

3rd Floor (Sub-Basement Three) – Research, Filing, Artifact Storage: Much, much larger than the two upper levels of the Institute. This level was originally built with multiple functions in mind, and now serves the Institute in multiple capacities as well. Evidence storage has been converted into an expanded artifact storage area, what was once the morgue has been turned into filing and records storage. A small office for the Heard Archivist is located on this level as well. Given the disparity in size between this level and the other two levels, the staircases lead to: outside of the Head Archivist’s office (righthand staircase) and to the back corner of artifact storage (lefthand staircase). The freight elevator opens up directly into artifact storage for ease of intake.

NOTE: Although the freight elevator runs from the Main Hall of Skyreach down to Sub-Basement Three, special keys are required to take the elevator down further than Sub-Basement One. Everyone employed by the Argus Institute is given a key which allows access to Sub-Basement Two, but only the head of the Institute and the Head Archivist are given the keys that allow travel directly to Sub-Basement Three. Copies of the keys are kept locked away at the receptionist desk in the Main Hall.