Purgatory

**Purgatory**--commonly referred to casually as **Upstairs**--is the central hub through which most spirits pass on their way to their next destination, be it Reincarnation or Judgment. Overseen by Abel, Purgatory acts as the main office for the guardians, and is home to most of them, and to the souls of the spirits that arrive their naturally or are taken into custody.

## Nature of Purgatory

Purgatory exists within its own dimension, the layout and structure an ever-changing rotation of halls and rooms that adapt based on the needs of those who frequent them. There are a handful of consistent locations to be found on the premises, but to those unaccustomed to navigating the halls (or who are unwelcome), Purgatory quickly becomes a maze. It is possible for spirits wandering out of designated areas to become hopelessly lost, often requiring rescue by a seasoned guardian. To those unwelcome in its halls, the serpentine nature of its ethereal architecture is more akin to a prison.

Without the proper ability to adapt the surrounding area through will, one could easily disappear into the depths, never to be seen again.

Time passes differently in Purgatory than in the waking world. What seems as an hour to a living person can be two in Purgatory, or it can be a handful of minutes, depending on what is going on, and where it is. Certain areas have their own time-scales. This can make judging the passage of time for spirits and guardians difficult, as it rarely relates to Earth-time at all. A handful of minutes can be hours in Purgatory, and weeks can be months. There is no real method of time-keeping available there, aside from general instinct.

## Persistent Locations

### Research and Development

Also referred to as the labs, R&D is manned by two people: Devin Wrightwood, and his (volunteer) assistant, Josh. Most of the spells, clones and demons taken into custody end up in the lab for examination. Devin's forgetfulness, however, often leads to these things never being addressed, doomed to become part of an ever-growing collection of specimens. Devin invents most of his tech here. Due to his experiments with energy manipulation, the labs often double as a hospital ward for injured guardians.

### Offices

Most of the higher-ranking guardians have their own offices. From here, the supervising guardians can watch their charges and subordinates, between rounds of filing paperwork. Some of the senior guardian supervisors have secretaries. Most have to do the paperwork themselves.

### Mail Room

A massive room full of desks, manned by ghosts for one reason or another, the mail room produces much of the dreaded paperwork regarding cases and spirits who pass through, as well as incident reports and departmental memos. The Purgatory filing system is also located here. How exactly the mail room operates is unknown, but a number of the people assigned to this room are there as punishment. A few are even chained to their desks. Unassigned guardians and volunteers are also known to assist, largely to pass the time.

### Training Grounds

A series of chambers that range from classrooms to gyms. Guardians-elect are brought here to discover, learn about and master their abilities, while full-fledged guardians often return here for personal improvement training. Time passes in the training grounds much slower than in the rest of Purgatory, rendering hours to days at a time, a day to weeks or even more. Head of training is the Master Reaper, Teacher.

### Fashion Department

A set of work-rooms occupied by the like-named girls of the fashion department. This room is always busy, as there are always people dying inappropriately dressed. Guardians who damage their clothes or are likewise under-dressed can file requests for new clothes, tailored specifically for them. Due to demand, these requests can take years to fulfill.

### The Seer's Hall

Home to Frederike, the seer of Purgatory, the Seer's Hall is meant to keep her in, though it rarely does. An endless dark room with a padded pedestal at the center, the Hall receives those who seek answers, though the limit is one question per day. (When she's actually in.)

### The Council Chamber

Home to the Council, Purgatory's administration board. From here, the Council presides over guardian assignments, threat assessment and decisions regarding the running of Purgatory in general. The Council almost never leaves this room.

### Abel's Chambers

Consists of Abel and Mathias' offices, and Abel's chambers. Only a handful of people can enter this space at all, and none can do so without Abel's leave. It is the most secure area in Purgatory.