As the Silent Brothers carefully carefully keep the secrets of their city , most Shadowhunters know even less about ther Adamant Citadel. THe home of the Iron Sisters in many ways it is the simpler of the sourse since it is a single fortess rather than an entire city. On the other hand its mysteries are such that for all we know it could extend as extensively and as deeply as the Sielnt City; its inner chambers may be walked by only the Sisters themselves. The Adamant Citadel stamds on a volvanic plain, a stretch of dried lava beds black and forbidding; a narrow river of molten lava rings it like a moat. It is reached like the Silent City through one of a number of entrances scattered around the world. The oldest of which resides on the lowest floor of the Armory in Alicante. The volcanic activity serves as a conveint defense for the Citadel of course but the location was probably selected to provide the Sisters with extreme heat that they reqquire for their forges. 

The Portrals that lead to the Citaldel will not take you directly into the fortess but rather to the volcanic plain outside ther walls. A ring of smooth unbroken adamas many times taller than a person surrounds the Citadel; this ring which appears to be a single continous band of adamas with no signs of mortaring or structural engeneering is an imposing sight. A reminder that the Iron Sisters are not simple blacksmiths but rahterare workng with seraphic forces that we can barely comprehend. In the walls is set one gate, formed of tow gigantic blades that cross each other to form a pointed arch. This gate is normally left open but can be closed and sealed in times of emergency. 

Through the gate; however the fortess is sitll well protected. The actual Citadel building can be reached by crossing the drawbridge which can be lowerd only by a small sacrifice of blood from a female Shadowhunter. The bridge is strewn with knives embedded blade-upward which must be carefully avoided. It is therefore not possible to approach the Adamanat Citadel in haste; its gates cannot be stormed and its walls cannot be laid siege to. 

The fortress is a dramatic structure soaring into the gray skies above the lava plain with a ring of towers around it that call to mind the demon towers of Alicante. Though these are more regualr and less graceful having been glittering electrum, but otherwise the whole structure is of adamas glowing gently with white-silver light. Once in the fortress a visitor would find herself in the ante-chamber and this is all of the Adamant Citadel that those other then Iron Sisters are permitted to see. The ante-chamber is a simple room; the walls glow with adamas as does the floor and ceiling far above. In the floor is a black cirlce in which is cared the sigil of the Iron Sisters: a heart pierced by a blade. THere are no furnishings or comforts; the Iron Sisters do not appreciate visitors and  will endeavor to complete their business as rapidly as possible. 

The walls of the Adamanat Citadel are like the lives of the Iron Sisters themselves: hard, unyeilding, and storng. There motto, and the motto of the Citadel, makes this clear: "Ignis Aurum Probat" meaning "Fire Tests Gold" 

At first, there was no need for Institutes. For a few dozen years after the birth of the Nephilim all the Shadowhunters in the world could reach the gates of Alicante in at most two or three days. But, the Institutes were created to be a global organization and it quickly became necessary for outposts to be built, places of Angelic Powere where Shadowhunters could oragnize and remian safe. So with that the local power bases of the Nephilim where created. Institutes function like the embassies of mundane governments. They are Nephilim homes as much as Idris itself is. Crossing the threshold into an Institute you are no longer in teh country or state or city that Institute's building stands in but rather in Nephilim land where our Law is predominant. 

The corollary to this is that Institutes are the responsiblity of all Shadowhunters, not just the Shadowhunters who are stationed at a particular Institute or who are a part of the Conclave of that Institutes region. The oaths we take to protect our lands extends to all Institutes aroudn the world, no exeptions. There are some features common to all Institutes as they are all build on hallowed ground and are hevily warded. They are constructed to repel demons and to prevent the unhallowd from entering. Their doors remain locked to anyone lacking Nephilim blood. The mortar for the buildings' stones are mixed with the blood of Shadowhunters, the wooden beans are of rowan and the nails are of silver, iron and electurm.

Aside from these commonalitites one can find Institutes of all shapes and sizes from the single-story sprawling villa of the Mexico City Instituto to the Eastern Carpathian Mountain fortess Institut high above Cluj in Romania. Each continent has an Institute that contaisn the Great Library for that region of the world; each of these is the largest Institute on its respective continent. These are: London in Europe, Shanghai in Asia, Manila in Oceania, Cairo in Africa, Sao Poulo in South America and Los Angelous a the time was the biggest but come resent events, New York is now the biggest Institute in North America. Each of these larger Institutes has the capacity to house hundreds of Shadowhunters although most Shadowhunters do not permanently live in an Institute. Normally even the largest of Institutes has only a small number of permanent residents who are respoinsible for maintianing the premises and equipment. 

All local Shadowhunters will be called to their local Institute for Enclave meetings, to discuss local affaris that need not invlove the Clave or Council. In some parts of the world the head of the loval Enclave is alwyas the head of the largest local Institute. Local traditions and history dominate; the only requirement is that the region be adequatley represented in the Clave, however the local organization is structured.