| “ | A Downworld salon in the early 1900s, the center for every scandal in London. | ” |
The Hell Ruelle is a Downworld artistic salon in London that mainly caters to Downworlders; however some Shadowhunters are allowed in, given approval. It was originally owned and operated by Hypatia Vex in the 1900s. As of 2014, it is now owned by Zebulon Spoon who shifted the club from its scandalous roots to a more sophisticated, respectable type club.
Information[]
The building is located in an alley called Tyler's Court off of Berwick Street. The door to it is glamoured so that the opening would be completely invisible to mundanes.
The shape of the building is like a star: it has a large octagonal room in the center with hallways and rooms branching off from it. Though the decor and set up of the rooms often change, the center room has a large stage in the middle of it for performances.
Among the many other rooms, Hypatia has a golden bedroom in the far back of the Hell Ruelle, a wine cellar, and a room called the "Whispering Room" which appears to be a parlor or some kind of office.[1]
In modern day, there is a heavily warded Dark Magic Room where left behind dark magic items are stored. The old larder room acts as both a Lost and Found and a hideaway from Shadowhunters.[2]
History[]
In 1903, Anna Lightwood, Matthew Fairchild, and Cordelia Carstairs attended the salon in hopes of learning more about the strange demon attacks they were experiencing. Though Hypatia Vex and Malcolm Fade initially did not plan to help or share information, they relented after Cordelia stopped Arabella from poisoning them. They agreed that these attacks were everyone's problem and while sharing a rumor they had heard, Hypatia agreed to contact Ragnor Fell for them.
The group later returned, alongside James Herondale, in an attempt to steal from Hypatia. They had Anna seduce her while Cordelia distracted the room on stage. During Cordelia's mesmerizing performance, Anna and Hypatia snuck off to her bedroom. While Hypatia was sleeping, Anna grabbed her Pyxis box and passed it to her friends before returning back to a calling Hypatia.[1]
As of 2014, the club has changed quite a bit. It came into the ownership of Zebulon Spoon and, while it is still an artistic salon, it's no longer a place of scandal. Spoon felt peace and quiet was a rarer commodity than adventure and wanted to give Downworlders a place they could go to get away. According to Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn, it's clientele is mostly old men reading newspapers and playing bridge.[2]
Known attendees[]
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Workers
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Trivia[]
- The salon did not take place every night. On the nights it was not hosting a salon, it was a gaming house.
- There is a trapdoor in the roof for gamesters to escape during a police raid.[1]
- A 'ruelle' is the space between a lady's bed and the wall, considered to be a scandalous place. Informally, an artistic gathering run by a woman is known as a ruelle.[1]
- By present day, it is suspected that there are a number of ghosts in residence.[2]