[OFTHEHILLPEOPLE]

So I was relistening to the Harry Potter audiobooks lately and I was trying to figure out what Gringotts Wizarding Bank (http://tinyurl.com/56fp5j) would be like in the grim Cyberpunk world of of 2070.  It probably wouldn't be run by Goblins since the Goblins of Shadowrun are a bit more crazy and would probably have a hybrid of magical and technological security for the miles and miles of underground storage.  I kinda imagine it being something like the tower in Ptolus of D&D lore.  But if a giant archive-like banks like Gringotts was in the Shadowrun universe how would you represent it?

[Mantis]

Since money is SR is mostly data it would be much like the other data havens that exist already (Zurich Orbital, The Nexus, etc). They already have archive banks in SR but they are all in the matrix. Except for the guards and maintenance, no one ever goes to them in the meat. Z-O requires a space craft of some sort to get to, The Nexus requires knowing where it (Denver) getting past both the PCC and Ghostwalker's  ZDF and then the actual people running the Nexus and then you still would have access it via the matrix anyway.
So what that means is you can have one of those places look like Gringotts if you like or like the tower in Ptolus or whatever. It's in the matrix so the only limit is the designer's imagination and the sponsor's budget. Take a look at the UV systems in Unwired for some examples of what is possible that way.

[OFTHEHILLPEOPLE]

But I think that's the whole point.  This is a storage place in the Meat and maybe keeps physical worth or secret things that can't be accessed and downloaded from the Matrix.  It would be guarded, fortified but still inconspicuous, and the contents almost eerily secret, ALL in the Meat. 

[JustADude]

But I think that's the whole point.  This is a storage place in the Meat and maybe keeps physical worth or secret things that can't be accessed and downloaded from the Matrix.  It would be guarded, fortified but still inconspicuous, and the contents almost eerily secret, ALL in the Meat.

So, essentially a vault full of artwork, valuable antiques, gold, gemstones, offline backups of blackmail files, and other such negotiable trade-goods which would still require a place to physically store them?

I'd say definitely either deep underground or in orbit, first off. Probably underground, since you want Gringots. Secondly... many, many redundant sets of massive, hardened bank-vault style doors that only open in "airlock" sequences (aka, they won't open the next until the one behind you is closed), and a severely high level of sensor presence, not even counting the Security Checkpoints, with it all hard-wired and the WiFi access permanently removed on a hardware level.

Oh, yes, and don't forget Turrets with Mk 74 Smartlinks, all running Pilot 6, Targeting 4, and hooked up to a Rating 4 TacNet. At least 4 per room, and backed by some very talented, very highly paid, and very well-equipped "live" security, also subscribed to the TacNet.

All WiFi access points are on 24-Hour Strong Encryption (if not Plot Encryption) running at Rating 10, and there's multiple Spiders present for each shift, backed by an infinite number of Agents (aka, an Agent Program with no Copy Protection), and a complete suite of fully Optioned Rating 10 Programs.

Magically, we're looking at at least one significantly Initiated Magician per shift, Wards, widespread use of telltales, and the constant presence of multiple high-force Spirits on patrol.

Not a "fun" place to break into, but that's rather the point. Banks, especially high-profile places like Gringotts, don't mess around with the security of their secure storage.

Of course, if a group can pull it off they'll have gotten enough money to not only buy a SIN and retire to a Luxury Lifestyle, but probably also buy enough stake in a AAA to get a seat on the Board of Directors... or at least a personal invitation to major social events.

That is, of course, assuming they live to spend it, that is, since the Corporate policy of "cut your losses" doesn't apply to a place whose reputation for security is their main asset.

[Xzylvador]

Some of those airlocks and/or interections would possibly be rigged so they can be sealed airtight and flooded with airborn toxins, acid or even demolisher nanites.

[OFTHEHILLPEOPLE]

I like that.  In keeping with the theme of the Harry Potter Gringotts having a tram system that transports clients or security to the vaults would probably be automatic with several redundancy programs to prevent complete hacked control (if any at all).  Or if it was magically themed it could pass through several unseen portals on the way to a vault so the precise location of a particular vault is never known to anyone.

[JustADude]

Some of those airlocks and/or interections would possibly be rigged so they can be sealed airtight and flooded with airborn toxins, acid or even demolisher nanites.

Good point... but I think "most" or "all" would be a more appropriate word than "some."

Probably also with options ranging from Breathtaker to Ringu, based on the level of response desired.

I like that.  In keeping with the theme of the Harry Potter Gringotts having a tram system that transports clients or security to the vaults would probably be automatic with several redundancy programs to prevent complete hacked control (if any at all).  Or if it was magically themed it could pass through several unseen portals on the way to a vault so the precise location of a particular vault is never known to anyone.

You're right! Totally forgot about the Tram!

Chasms and caverns... lots of chasms and caverns... with security doors on either side and bridges that retract whenever a tram isn't actively using them.

And don't forget some massively nasty paracritters at the bottom of the chasms.

[Valashar]

And speaking as someone who is completely on board with your mention of it being like a Shadowrun version of not only Gringots, but the Tower of Ptolus as well, there are a couple ideas on location: 1) Baghdad (Babylon) because it's a farking huge space-tickling tower and that place hasn't had one of those in far too long (or) 2) Anywhere in the latitude band where a second space elevator could be built, since that tower looks very much like the base station for such a thing already (or hell, if it's CC backed, make it into the base station for the one already being built... it's not like anyone would expect a place like that to be a pushover on security).

For the folks who don't know what said Tower of Ptolus (known simply as The Spire in that setting) looks like (for scale, the city's horizontal dimension is about 10 miles):

[OFTHEHILLPEOPLE]

Nice, Valashar.  Yup, The Spire was like Azkaban and Gringotts put into one for all the over powers monsters, items, and other things of mass chaos.  I am not sure how The Spire itself could be implemented into Shadowrun either, at least not with the history the Spire has.  But perhaps it could be something like the Fanum from White Wolf lore where it's a forty story corporate building acting as a spiritual locus for a powerful magical entity.  Also massively protected and worth implementing in anyone's game if they can.