The Blinding Spire
It is advisable not to look directly at the White Spire on a sunny day. Not because, as some claim, it is covered with images that imprint themselves into your mind (although that could still be true), but simply because the White Spire is incredibly reflective, and so is rather like staring into a bright torch for too long. Unlike the neighbouring Red Spire, the White Spire is built as tall as it can be, the peak standing nearly level with the Third's Spire. A single set of double doors is visible to those looking at it, guarded by two of the largest Soldiers available.
The inside of the Spire is a mystery to the citizens, and the Fifth likes to keep it that way. Somewhere in there it is assumed the main barracks of the city must exist, as well as the headquarters of the Subjects, but that's about it. The few who have been brought into the Spire and who have returned can be persuaded to confirm that there are interrogation rooms, but they couldn't tell you where. The inside of the Spire is nearly pitch black, lit when needed by a few candles, orange flames flickering as if the darkness within the Spire is attempting to extinguish the light. The smell of iron with an undercurrent of something unpleasant you just can't trace fills the air.
The Fifth
The Fifth, in contrast to the inside of her Spire, is a jovial, out-going creature who relishes her public appearances. At all times she wears a veil, as white and reflective as her spire, but you can tell even through that that below it she is smiling, and that she has far more teeth than she likely should do. At her hip rests a sword; she can be seen at the Soldier's training grounds sparring with the troops occasionally. She is worryingly good. Her Soldiers and Subjects refer to her as their Queen, either of Steel or of Shadows, titles she seems to enjoy.
If you get a chance, feel free to engage her in conversation. She often lies, or speaks in riddles, but there is value hidden in her words none the less. She acts as if she knows all your secrets, and as far as you know, she just might.
The Soldiers
The Soldiers are the most visible form of influence the White Spire possesses. Heavily armoured and well trained, they are usually seen patrolling the Spiral Hill, or else on the top of the city walls. The standard equipment, at least in the city, is a short sword and shield, along with gleaming white armour.
The Soldiers, as a rule, are defined by loyalty to the Six, the Fifth in particular, and a willingness to fight. The latter has caused some troubles, recently, and has resulted in tensions between the Officers of the Fifth and the Soldiers. It is common for those who leave the Soldiers to say that they left due to finding themselves falling down this path; the culture encourages it, down from the top. Former Soldiers are common guests at the Tranquil River Centre.
The city is not at war, nor can people remember when it has been at war. Still, recently the White Spire has increased it's recruitment efforts, and more and more Soldiers are being seen walking the streets.
The Subjects
Far less visible (indeed, it would be counter-productive for them to be visible at all) are the Subjects of the Queen of Shadows. These are the spies of the Six, those who lurk in the shadows. The walls have ears, the hills have eyes, and all of them report back to the Fifth. At least, that's the image they would like to project.
The Subjects mainly rely simply a web of informants scattered throughout the city. Every faction has at least one person desperate enough to accept the help of a friendly stranger in a bar, someone who just needs the money and will sell secrets and documents to obtain it. The Subjects themselves seem to work alone. Traditionally they have communicated via coded messages left in plain sight as graffiti or objects damaged in a very particular way and left in a very particular case, but between the Ink rewriting the graffiti and the Seekers of the Cabala grabbing every even vaguely mysterious object they can, the Subjects have had to diversify their methods.
Exactly what the secrets are used for isn't clear. The Subjects seem to have no interest in, say, anti-Six movements in the City. Disappearances aren't exactly rare in the City, but those who have been grabbed and taken to the White Spire say that the questions they are asked there often seem bizarre and unimportant. Some suggest that the Fifth merely collects them. Some suggests she feeds on them.
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