Silent Guard Headquarters

Jhessail trod carefully along the wide corridor, thick stone arches low enough to touch even at the center. Her mother may have been able to stride through these halls like she belonged, but even with her training at her back, Jhessail felt overwhelmed to be standing in the labyrinthine complex. This was the best-kept secret of Hemos, and one day, she would lead it. For now though, she ducked through a small doorway, and entered the heart of the Hemian information network.
Cabinets upon cabinets, filled to the brim with neatly filed paperwork, greeted her as she entered the medium-priority active file room. Even the large desk at the center was flanked by three cabinets on each side, an aging clerk scribbling notes in the margin of one file before he looked up at her. "Princess Jhessail, a pleasure. Please, sit, familiarize yourself with the Redsteel files while I finish up here, and then we'll begin. Second group on the right, bottom drawer in the leftmost cabinet."

Purpose / Function

Originally converted from a collection of cellars and storm drains under the palace, the headquarters has been discretely expanded multiple times, and serves both as the seat of power for the Silent Guard, and as a last-ditch fallback position and escape route from the Palace. Fairly large portions of the facility are dedicated to administration and storage, as it serves as the hub for the Watchers, in addition to housing the vast majority of the Protectors, both on and off duty.

Alterations

Many parts of the upper levels originally served as various cellars and storm drains, before being converted. The complex has since been expanded downwards in stages, with many hidden entrances and escape routes hidden throughout the city.

Architecture

The complex is almost uniformly a mix of utilitarian stonework and plain stone carved from the bedrock. The ceilings are low, with a lot of roman arches, and doors tend to be dense wood or iron. Only a few meeting rooms and the royal suites have any decorative features, although sometimes experienced agents or sergeants will add a few knick-knacks to their offices in an effort to improve the work environment. The corridors purposefully eschew signage, and are designed to look almost functionally identical, no matter where in the facility one is.

History

While some of the cellars date back to the 3900s, the base was first used for its current purpose in 4354. Since then, it has been expanded fairly regularly every five to ten years, with hidden entrances being built and moved more regularly to shift alongside the city above.

Type

Military base / complex

Parent Location

Hemos

Owner

Jhessail Auris

Owning Organization

The Silent Guard