"There was no long-term, and trying to cling to one would only spoil it all."
This article contains spoilers regarding the ending of Worm and plot of the sequel.
| “ | Can you imagine? You have ungodly power, access to untold knowledge, you can cross between multiple worlds, access a half-dozen Earths worth of culture and knowledge, and you make bland. White floor, white ceiling, no art, no life, no love, no humanity at all. | ” |
—Chastity to Breakthrough and Imp's team, Dying 15.6 | ||
The Cauldron Compound is the base of operations for Cauldron, and later Teacher and The Wardens.
Geography/Description[]
Legend claimed that it was too large to explore in one lifetime.[1] Wings of the structure were on separate continents, linked only by the Doormaker.[2] When Battery took a GPS device to the complex, it showed that she was around the Ivory Coast, on the west coast of Africa.[3][4] Doctor Mother's headquarters was located in a different building to the basements and Number Man's office.[2]
Overall, the decor tends toward a plain, spartan white. Most areas have a white tiled floor and white-painted walls. For a long time it was completely, eerily spotless.[2][3]
In the hallways the ceiling was all glass, hiding a smooth distribution of fluorescent lights that made it all glow evenly. There were innumerable matching doors and no windows.[3] They were brightly lit.[5]
There was at least one "interview room" used for Cauldron customers. There was a desk of white marble with a white leather chair, and two plastic chairs facing the desk. A modestly sized monitor sat at one corner of the desk, with a compact keyboard placed in front of it, and no mouse, used for displaying diagrams. One drawer contained a binder listing the details of various vials. Again, there were no windows.[3] Doctor Mother had another interview room, one with a window, desk, and chairs.[2]
Somewhere in the compound, there was equipment for blood tests, stress tests, MRI, CAT scan, radiographic scans and "Torsten DNA sequencing".[3]
Main Building[]
The part of the building containing prisoners in the basement and Eden was eighty-eight stories tall.[6] Normally only individuals like Contessa, Number Man and the Custodian have unrestricted access here.[2]
Number Man's office is located here, made the same white as the rest of the facility. On one wall there was a large print of the Golden Mean in gold against black paper, with mathematical notation surrounding it. On the other, Dali's Crucifixion, blown up to one-and-a-half times the size; behind it was an alcove containing his old costume. The rear wall was a floor-to-ceiling window, which Doormaker caused to open onto other Earths, changing it regularly. It had touch screen computers he used to redistribute money. There were no chairs, Number Man having judged them to be a health hazard.[2]
The basement levels weren't white. It had heavy metal doors separating it from the rest of the facility. The floors were dark gray tile, and there were windows and fluorescent lighting. The basement levels contained cells for Case 53s, with large metal plates on the walls engraved with their serial numbers. These areas were rebuilt to prevent the Simurgh opening another portal to them.[2]
Some of the cells did not appear to have doors,[5] just three walls and a white line along the floor,[2] but the individuals within were all too aware of the dangers of moving or using powers beyond the perimeters of their cells.[2][5] Others had windows to keep the occupants within,[2] they also had various furnishings for comfort.[7]
The first basement level contained new test subjects on the left, and long-term staff members in larger, isolated cells on the right.[2] The second basement level contained 2048[2] Case 53 prisoners.[8]
The third floor basement contained "interesting" powers, which Cauldron was researching.[2][8] Their cells were more spacious and isolated, and they were given a name.[2]
The fourth floor basement contained parahumans whose transformation had been "abstract", much like a typical deviant but without their shards having used patterns taken from plants, animals or objects to reinforce the damaged host. These cells were huge, and far apart in the dark basement. Countermeasures for their powers were maintained in the space between cells. Showers were provided, but few partook of them, the isolation taking its toll.[2]
The Meeting Hall[]
Created for the Khonsu Meeting and for subsequent events.[9]
Allegedly located on an alternate earth to make it easier to force people to move.
Residents[]
- Clairvoyant
- Contessa
- The Custodian
- Doctor Mother
- Doormaker
- Number Man
- The Slug
- William Manton
- At least one psychiatrist and one doctor.[3]
Points of Interest[]
- Vial Storehouses and Vaults[10]
- Panic Room - a room in a column of steel, which could be lowered into the ground.[8]
- Eden's chamber
History[]
Background[]
First created in the early 1980s, then expanded.
During the 2010 Simurgh assault on Madison a large amount of materials for the compound were transported to the Earth Bet.[11] This included numerous Vials meant to be delivered to customers[10] and several deviants.[12]
Post-Echidna[]
With the emergence of a fourth endbringer and the promise of a fifth. A new addition was revealed, a building for which the great parahumans powers could meet, discuss, coordinate and hopefully save the world for the second time.[13]
Gold Morning[]
It was planned to launch and coordinate most of Cauldron's plans from this location.[8]
Was attacked by The Irregulars.[14] Certain sections became temporarily inaccessible with Doormaker's incapacitation.
It was shortly thereafter devastated by Zion.
Post-Gold Morning[]
The building and it related infrastructure has been seized by Teacher's Group.[15] It was mostly restored thanks to the efforts of The Custodian, it became a staging ground for the reconstituted Cauldron.[16]
Post-Time Bubble Pop[]
After their agent was discovered the Overseer made her rounds and held discussions, the complex was linked with Earth Cheit and operations were carried out to subsume the world.[16]
A large scale operation was enacted, where the major hero teams banded together to invade the compound and take Teacher out.
Post-Attack on Teacher[]
The building was yet again partially destroyed, and The Wardens relocated part of their operation inside to secure and sort out the remaining thralls and equipment.[17] They also started housing some refugees from The City here.[18]
The Ice Breaks[]
The complex was invaded by The Simurgh sending the inhabitants into a disarray.[19]
References[]
- ↑ "I'm as mystified as you are. If it would assuage your suspicions, you can examine this complex," the Doctor suggested.
"You and I both know this place is far too large to explore in one lifetime," he answered. - Interlude 14.y - ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Interlude 21.x
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Interlude 12.5
- ↑ However, if it was offshore in this region, it could imply a GPS malfunction. This comes from the fact that Null Island is located nearby. - Interlude 12.5
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Interlude 15.z
- ↑ Venom 29.9
- ↑ The cell was empty, but it featured a double bed, a television, a computer, a small bookshelf of cases with stuff to watch or play, and an odd little double-layered glass window that looked out onto a wall of gravel. - Excerpt from Venom 29.4
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Venom 29.6
- ↑ Scarab 25.5
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Picture a game set in Madison, WI, just after the Simurgh attack. The quarantine area is walled in, people are going nuts, there's monsters everywhere and the city is littered with vials with sporadic paperwork, from when one of Cauldron's storehouses were dropped on the city. - Excerpt from a Reddit comment by Wildbow.
- ↑ When the Simurgh had attacked Madison, she’d copied Haywire’s technology to open a gate to a building much like this one. A research facility. The portal had dumped the buildings, soil, plant life and all the residents into the city on Earth Bet, costing Cauldron a horrific amount. Even a stockpile of formulae had been lost. - Excerpt from Interlude 21.x
- ↑ Cauldron capes were explicitly more stable. Case 53s (barring Shamrock, Madison and Dealer C53s) all had a reason for being dropped where they were, with individual programming. - Excerpt from a Reddit comment by Wildbow.
- ↑ Scarab 25.5
- ↑ Interlude 28
- ↑ There were no portals. They couldn’t speak a word and request a doorway to any place or alternate earth. The act of getting to the old headquarters was… arduous. The way to the old Cauldron headquarters was to travel to Cote D’Ivoire and use the spare portal there. It was easier to situate themselves in the city.
Besides. The old base had been commandeered.
[...]
“By a man. A month or two ago. He called himself Teacher. I didn’t even slip up, he just- he appeared. And he had a small army of people with powers with him.”
[...]
“He has other avenues of access, then,” Kurt said. “He has the old base, and what was empty is now fully staffed. Now he has an army.” - Excerpt from Interlude 5x II - ↑ 16.0 16.1 Black 13.x
- ↑ From Within 16.1
- ↑ From Within 16.2
- ↑ Last 20.1
[]
| Earths | Earth Bet • Earth Cheit • Earth Gimel • Earth Nun • Earth Shin |
|---|---|
| Continents | Africa • Antarctica • Asia • Europe • North America • Oceania • South America • Gimel.US |
| Countries | Australia • Canada • Chinese Union-Imperial • India • Indonesia • Ireland • Japan • Russia • Switzerland • United Kingdom • United States of America |
| Cities | Anchorage • Atlanta • Austin • Baltimore • Boston • Brockton Bay • Cedar Point • Chicago • The City • Detroit • Ellisburg • Flint • Houston • Las Vegas • Los Angeles • Madison • Minneapolis • New York • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Raleigh • San Diego • San Francisco • San Jose • Seattle • Vancouver • Washington |
| Schools | Arcadia High • Clarendon High • Immaculata High • Winslow High |
| Other | Ruby Dreams • The Firmament • Quarantine Sites • The Well |