Easily dwarfed by the many skyscrapers of the city and far from ostentatious, the House of Dark Steel is a rather modest eight floor building. Built to remind onlookers of the Spider's duty to serve as the dark mirror, the façade of the embassy has been crafted from black glass and alloys of steel that seem to reflect no light. This causes the building to stand apart from the brightly lit buildings that surround it, many of the locals refer to the embassy simply as 'black house'. However, the Spider have a rather good reputation among the many ronin living in the city; the Dark Mirror being known for paying fair wages and respecting its obligations to the letter. In fact, many of the Spider samurai guarding the embassy are former street wolves, now bearing the Daigotsu mon with pride.
The many halls of the embassy are devoid of the sculptures or other arts found in most diplomatic offices. Banners portraying the Daigotsu mon along with religious texts flank most doorways, the scriptures used to give a cue as to what lies behind the door. Thus people entering the mess hall can read how 'the devout soul is an abstemious one' and how 'samurai are honor-bound to remain healthy', the meals served are plain, but nutritious. While some courtiers might balk at the quality of the offerings, bushi will find these meals a huge improvement to what is served on Spider warships and planetary barracks.
The large common room located on the topmost floor of the embassy serves as a gathering place, as the uncomfortably small four-person sleeping rooms provided to guests are entirely unsuitable for social occasions, lacking both cushions and tea pots. Frugally furnished and almost ascetic in nature, the Spider common room consists of half a dozen, small low tables surrounded by flimsy cushions along with somewhat flimsy sofas and chairs surrounded by another half a dozen tables. In an effort to make the space feel at least a little homely, some ambassadors have imported plants from their home worlds. The common room is now hot and humid as a consequence of the irrigation system keeping those tropical plants alive, humidity condensing on the darkened windows that offer a view to the sprawling city.
Location special rules: Many of the monks serving at the shrines dedicated to Dark Fortunes are former Spider samurai and, while those who join the Brotherhood are expected to cast aside their former loyalties, some consider this more a guideline than a binding oath, willingly serving as the eyes and ears of the Spider. While the Scorpion are somewhat aware of this, there is only so much the Clan of Secrets can do without invoking the ire of the Brotherhood. Once per day, Spider characters may spend a time slot at the embassy contacting the clan's informants. If they do so, they gain a Free Raise on any one Lore: Underworld or Lore: History roll the following day (the skill to which the Free Raise is applied must be decided on the day the character spends the time slot at the embassy).