The Horta Quadrangle is the headquarters of the Wardens in New York City. Designed by Belgian architect Victor Horta, the Quadrangle (known as “HQ” by the New York Wardens) the building is outwardly home to a first-floor antiquities shop as well as a gentleperson’s club on the second through fourth floors. The building has three sub-levels, including a traditional basement and an auto-pool.
This cover has served the Wardens well; most consider it to be just another high-end establishment catering to the city’s rich and powerful. A privileged few suspect that the Wardens are more than than they appear, and call on them for discreet help with difficult (and often arcane) problems.
The building is overseen by Randall Sinclair, an intelligent, disciplined, and well-armed butler. He was trained at the esteemed Albright Academy in the Netherlands and makes it a point of personal honor to insure that the building runs smoothly.
Rooms
Antiquities Store (1st floor): Much of the 1st floor is given over to an antiquities store. The store’s proprietor is good friends with the Wardens, and has been known to pass on strange artifacts to the group when they come into his possession (for a substantial finder’s fee of course).
Auto Pool (Sub-floor 1): The Auto Pool houses a half-dozen vehicles and a maintenance bay. It is administered by Head Mechanic Frederick Cartwright.
Interview Room (Sub-floor 2): At first glance the Interview Room is as finely decorated and high class as the rest of HQ with beautiful art deco tiles and handcrafted wooden chairs. An eye with a finer attention to detail will take in the room’s two iron chairs, which are bolted to the floor, and the stainless steel drain cover on the floor between them.
Hoffman Room (2nd-3rd Floors): The Hoffman Room is the Wardens’ library. It extends from the 2nd to 3rd floors at the rear of the building. It is replete with histories, philosophical treaties, log journals, and the occasional arcane tome. The head librarian is Maggie O’Donough, a diminutive woman of gray hair and silver-chased spectacles, held by a chain around her neck. Primarily the collection deals with subject near to the heart of what the organization does: archaeology, history, natural sciences, but also a respectable and diverse collection on mythology, and a few rare books. Strangely, some old texts on Atlantis have recently turned up in the stacks. Maggie didn’t complain, however…
Private Rooms (4th floor): Much of the fourth floor is given over to living area in the form of private rooms. There are 12 such rooms, and at any given time about half of them are in use either as a permanent residence for an esteemed member, or as temporary quarters for visiting Wardens.
Robeson Room (2nd Floor): The semi-public area of the Horta Quadrangle is a large room occupying most of the 2nd floor. This is the “club” area is used to entertain guests, host small balls, and generally keep up the club’s gentlemanly appearances.
Smoking Room (3rd Floor): A beautiful, wood-paneled room with several humidors containing a fine collection of cigars. It contains plush, comfortable rooms, and decanters of expensive scotch, bourbon, and other fine spirits.
