Siren's Halls

The Siren's Halls are a secretive wing of the Drowned Palace, the seat of the King of Tenebron. When the palace was originally built by the settling Elves from Annwyth, the wing that later became the Siren's Halls was originally meant for the housing of guests or persons of great importance. It was converted after the rise of the Kingdom of Tenebron to be a luxurious home to the King's many lesser wives and women, and has remained functioning in that duty to this day.
Entrances to the Siren's Halls are themselves as enigmatic as the place itself. There is no door or entrance to the Siren's Halls directly in the Drowned Palace, not even through the King's own chambers. The court is only accessible through strange magic known only to House Vredroth, rumoured to be some sort of old Elven portal. No matter the way one accesses the court, once a woman is invited to the Siren's Halls, she is only expected to leave them in death. The majority of women within the harem are lowborn women invited from across the Kingdom to serve the King, however some of the more highly-regarded women may be lesser scions of Tenebronian nobility, seeking to curry favour for their family from within this secret world.
The Halls are overseen by the Queen of Tenebron and, if one lives, the Queen Mother, however it is informally overseen by The Coterie. It is the Queen's duty to watch over her husband's other wives and their children, as they are legally her children as well, and she must see to their education. The King is the only man permitted to enter the Halls, and the lesser wives of the King are therefore protected and served by other women. Magic is not permitted within the Siren's Halls.
Descriptions are very few and far between, but the Halls are said to be vast columned rooms of light and water, mostly made up of shallow walking pools of warm sea water with elevated paths connecting each part of the court to another. There are said to be at least six floors to the Siren's Halls, with interior balconies ringing huge, humid rooms with falling water and creeping vines. From these balconies, individual sleeping rooms for up to fourty women are accessed.
There are many gardens and alcoves for gossiping and relaxing, and a library home to copies of some of House Vredroth's oldest books and treatises. There are no external balconies or windows, however, and the only true source of natural light is a massive skylight in the middle of the largest room of the Halls. The lowest floors are dedicated to the children of the harem, with rooms for tutoring and courtly education. The King also has an impressive suite in the Halls, where he resides when visiting his harem.
To provide for themselves, the women of the Siren's Halls learn to spin linen or weave tapestries that are then sold to the wider court. They are said to be of exceptional quality, as it is one of the only pastimes permitted of the King's women and they have refined their art over generations of girls.
It is unsurprising that many view the rumours of the Siren's Halls with disdain or disbelief. Many in particular cite it as a particular cruelty, seeing as the women enshrined there are never allowed to leave, and that they trade their freedom for the hope their child might one day be crowned King. Others merely see it as the result of an extreme political climate.

Type

Room, Outdoors, Court

Parent Location

Drowned Palace

Ruling/Owning Rank

King of Tenebron

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Tenebron