The White Palace - The Reception Hall
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The White Palace - The Reception Hall

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1. Guest Hallway. This hall is used for guests of the White Palace and visiting dignitaries to use. It is ornately decorated with bas reliefs and intricate paintings, mainly scenes from the desert. The largest painting is a sunrise over the Silt Sea, the sun being a relief painted yellow with paler shades of yellow and beige for the silt. A hallway splits off to the left which leads to the guest quarters.

2. Statue gallery. Eight empty niches border the end of the hallway. They hold statutes of Andropinis and powerful, successfuly templars and nobles from Balic's past. Behind the head  rays of sunlight are carved, which would give any statue the appearance of radiance.

3. Guard Room. Four plain stone desks with chairs to match furnish this room. The guards use this as a post to document the coming and goings of the guards as they leave for their shifts. This post also makes sure no unauthorized people enter the barracks. Sayings of fealty and obedience to Andropinis are carved into the walls.

4. Archives. This room contains documents from the entrance hall and the guard post, tracking documentation of the visitors to the White Palace. It also holds manifests of goods that reach the palace. This is a temporary storage. Documents older than a year are moved into other storage facilities. There are typically two or three clerks here at any given time during the day.

5. Entry Hall. This large hall was often used as a reception area, either as a precursor to larger events in the grand ballroom, or as a location for small gatherings. The high, arched ceiling is painted as a slightly cloudy day. Skylights are at either end of the room to allow natural light to enter. The walls are pale yellow with very slight swirl patterns. The floor is an off white marble. During events, table, chairs, and light fixtures would be brought out from storage. Large double doors of a rich brown wood seperate the entry hall from the grand ballroom.

6. Grand Staircase. This circular room holds the grand staircase, which curves up to the second level. The stairs are white marble with a polished brass railing. The same white marble is used for the floor. The walls are an off-white stucco with a relief of the city that curves with the staircase. Natural light fills the room from the windowed landing above and mirrored globes jut from high on the walls to light the room at night.

7. Grand Ballroom. This is where the largest events were held. This two story room has balconies to either side of the room, with staircase near the door to ascend to them. Pillars line each side of the room, holding up the balconies, which have a intricately curved brass railing. Scenes from Balic and the desert are painting on each wall. A throne dominates the end of the room opposite the doors. It is made of alabaster and white marble and sits on a dais of amber colored stone. Behind the throne is a carving on Andropinis standing radiant and triumphant at the head of an army. Three enormous globes of decorative cracked glass hang from the ceiling and provided a constant, magical light.

8. Offices. There are multiple offices surrounding the Grand Ballroom. These are the personal offices of templars or were rooms for interviewing witnesses. Lamps and lanterns are often used to offset the dimness of the room in the later hours of the day.

9. Storerooms. These large rooms hold chairs, tables, and lighting fixtures for the grand ballroom and the entry hall. They also contain decorations for the various festivals that would be held. 10. Leisure Areas. These open area are for Wavir employees (once used by templars) to relax outside their offices. Tables and chairs are provided for eating. Potted plants add to the atmosphere. Slighly larger window allow for more light to enter than the average office.