Bertheim Hall
Bertheim Hall, otherwise known as VANGUARD Headquarters, is a building located in Dross, Magnesia. It is eight stories tall, featuring seven floors and one basement area. It has been standing in its location for nearly 300 years, having been used for all manner of things in the past before the VANGUARD took it to use as their main base of operations. From this building, the VANGUARD conducts all of its business operations on the Magnesian continent, as well as coordinates with its other chapters across the Terrandt side of Eon.
Purpose / Function
Bertheim Hall serves as the central base of operations for the VANGUARD Organization in Magnesia, especially within the city limits of Dross. From here, they plan every course of action regarding the hunting of Daevahs and Voidseeds, tracking down dangerous fugitives, assisting the Queen's Lance whenever necessary, and any other issue within their jurisdiction. It also houses every agent that is part of the Drossian chapter, serving as their primary residence should they wish it to. Patrons seeking resolution with any issues involving Daevahs, criminal deeds, protection, or missing persons are welcome to enter the building, as it is open to the public during the day.
Alterations
Over the numerous years during which it's stood, Bertheim Hall has undergone plenty of changes. Most notable is the construction of new floors, with the building starting with two and each subsequent floor (and the basement) being constructed roughly every 30 years or so until reaching its current height. In addition, the interior of the building was gutted before the VANGUARD took over, meaning it was a blank slate for them to work with. It has also been reinforced a few times over the course of its existence, with the most recent instance being not long after the VANGUARD moved in. Said reinforcements have always been done magically, as it is safer and more cost-effective to do it this way as opposed to doing it physically. The VANGUARD also installed two training arenas in the basement area, expanding it appropriately to do so.
Defenses
Owing to the magic used in the process of doing so, the reinforcements made to the building's structure have made it incredibly durable, easily able to resist any basic kind of attack. In fact, most moderately powerful weapons have almost no effect on it, either, meaning either heavy-duty weaponry or extremely powerful magic must be employed to damage the building in any capacity.
Security cameras are used quite liberally all throughout and around the building, with a central security office being located on the very top floor which oversees all of them. The VANGUARD values the safety of both its patrons and employees, and so they need to have a visual of as much of the building as possible to ensure that this is possible at all times.
There are also exterior guns which can be activated in the event of a siege, though it has thankfully never come to this.
History
Originally, Bertheim Hall was built as a meeting place for town officials. At that point, it was a mere two stories tall, and meetings only happened once or twice a month. This meant that it stood empty for much of the time, and it was prone to being used as a space for criminals to hide out in. Once it was realized that this was the case, the political leaders of the town of Dross at the time began to station people there regularly in an effort to deter these elements from squatting.
After 100 years or so, another meeting place was built, and Bertheim Hall was turned into a more debaucherous location for about a decade and a half. In that timespan, it housed a brothel famed for supposedly hosting Divine children as some of its employees, though this claim was never officially confirmed or debunked. This brothel was a very successful business, all things considered, only closing down because the madam in charge moved the location to elsewhere on the Magnesian continent.
Following this, Bertheim Hall was used as a storage facility for some years. It was primarily those who were much more well off that housed their belongings in this facility, though it was open to the public in general. Nobody knew who owned the facility in that time, though there are some now who speculate that it may have been run by the mob or a cult. Regardless, the Hall stood as a storage facility for some 30-40 years before it eventually changed hands again.
The last notable thing which Bertheim Hall housed was a prestigious science lab, which was cutting edge for the time. It featured equipment that most other labs could only dream of having, such as a prototype temporal displacement device and an atom splitter. Whereas nobody knew who owned the storage facility, it was no secret that the Drossian government yet again owned the building, as they were the only ones with the money and power to get such equipment. This lab was also suspected of harboring foul experiments, some supposed attempts at creating super soldiers or bioweapons, but this could never be proven by anyone. The lab remained in the building for 75 years before all the personnel within mysteriously vanished, leaving many unsettling questions unanswered and tons of equipment abandoned.
After the equipment was privately auctioned off to buyers undisclosed, Bertheim Hall went through a long string of owners and purposes that never lasted longer than four years at most. It changed hands so many times that the deed was actually lost before the Longham family of Velvet Road Industries found it again and took ownership of the building. They gutted the interior and cleaned it from top to bottom before letting it sit for a while, unsure of what to do with it. It wasn't until they were approached by Bynd and Biste, the two leaders of the VANGUARD, that they knew how to proceed with reconstruction. It was filled out according to the two women's specifications and the deed was passed along to the VANGUARD, though the family still likes to stay in contact with them to ensure the building is up to snuff and has everything they need.
