The Clear Keep

Location • Reinforced‑Glass Manor & Control House • Central Glassworks “The Vitreum” Rishama

A palatial reinforced‑glass manor perched above the Furnace Spine—Suleiman Qadr al‑Zujaji's residence, showroom, and command post—equal parts engineering demonstration and lightning rod for union ire.

Quick Facts

Architecture & Engineering

• Laminates & Ribs. Walls are triple‑ to quintuple‑laminated glass bonded with resin interlayers, braced by bronze ribs and tension bands. Every pane bears a Proof‑stamp (batch/flux/date).
• Sand‑Fall Cooling. Vertical sand curtains run within double walls; wind‑towers draw air across the falling grit to wick heat, dumping it into subterranean galleries.
• Shock Shutters. Chain‑driven bronze lattice shutters and mica screens drop on red cadence to protect load‑bearing panes from blast or mirror flash.
• Light Management. Exterior anti‑glare louvers and prismatic cowls steer furnace glare away from the Habitation Rows; interior floors use wired glass over shaded voids for weight without heat.
• Qanat Underworks. A cooled qanat gallery (stone‑lined) carries spring water beneath the manor; inspection sumps double as cisterns.

Interior & Notable Rooms

• Hall of Proof. Glass‑walled chamber for audits and contract signings; acoustics tuned so every oath is heard. Union observers sit in a raised gallery.
• Mirror Gallery. A corridor of experimental blends—salt‑glass/desert‑silica samples set as small windows with etched tags.
• Ledger Rotunda. Suleiman’s counting room: circular desk ring, skylight with sand‑fall veil, and a locked case of historic Proof‑stamps.
• Sunwell Atrium. Multistory void lit by a heliostat shaft; dangling cullet orbs track the day’s light.
• Roof Promenade. Guarded walkway with sextant posts for checking mirror alignment; red‑flag mast for emergency cadence.

Operations & Protocols

• Control House. During drills or incidents the Clear Keep serves as the coordination tower—white/amber/red cadence horns, dispatch boards, and messenger runs to the Furnace Spine.
• Audits. Quarterly Safety & Proof inspections convene here; Oath of Uncolored Ink hearings are recorded against the glass for public record.
• Visitors. Coastal buyers and foreign brokers tour the Mirror Gallery; photography/drawings by permit only (design secrets).

Security & Safety

• Cadence System. White = shift; Amber = heat hazard / glare; Red = breach/fire. Shutters drop on red; sand‑fall valves open to quench radiant heat.
• Remnant Wards. Threshold sigils discourage Fixed echoes forming along patrol routes; any persistent echo is reported to Wardens for sealing.
• Fire & Glare. A dedicated fire‑sand crew drills weekly. Mirror‑field misalignment alarms repeat to a roof bell the workers call “the birdcage rattle.”

Reputation & Tensions

• “The Birdcage.” Workers mock the manor’s transparency; Suleiman calls it “honest architecture.”
• Union View. The LSFW Local 7 bulletin names the Clear Keep “where prices are decided,” though price caps are posted at the Proof Office and store. Demonstrations have marched past the ridge.
• Patronage. Suleiman hosts visiting dignitaries here to showcase reinforced glass architecture—a soft‑power play that irks the Hall.