The Dwelling of Guests was a small building in the planet Quethold's Red City that was built by 8 ABY. The circular building was filled with artwork owned by the ruler of the City, the Queen of the Red, which was replaced by the Storm-hair species', whose leader was the Queen's ally, Warlord Nuso Esva, in 8 ABY. The monarch's bowlcarrier, Trevik, was tasked with recording the Storm-hair artwork so that Empire of the Hand Grand Admiral Thrawn—who could read a person's "hidden heart" by studying their artwork—could determine if the Queen was a willing ally of Esva's.
Esva had in fact selected paintings that would confuse Thrawn and therefore prompt him to execute a strategy adapted to the artwork that would give the warlord the upper hand in the coming battle against the Grand Admiral. However, the Imperial knew of the other's plot, and changed his strategy mid-battle, shortly before Esva feared the Queen of the Red was a traitor and killed him in fear within the Dwelling.
The Dwelling of Guests was a circular building situated in the center of the courtyard of the Palace—inhabited by the Quesoth species' ruler, the Queen of the Red—in the Red City of the Unknown Regions planet Quethold. Built by 8 ABY, it was small, containing a central gathering area on the ground floor and ten small quarters on the Dwelling's second floor. The Queen possessed several meditation which she planted in several chambers and walkways within the Dwelling. Objects also hung from the patterned walls. The building's furniture was built for the Quesoth's comfort, as their insectoid body required specifically shaped furniture.
In 8 ABY, when the species known to the Quesoth as the Storm-hairs became the Queen of the Red's allies, her previous allies, the Stromma species, left the Dwelling so that the Storm-hairs could move in. As the Storm-hairs were humanoid and the Quesoth furniture were built for insectoids, they changed the furniture to their own, and changed the building's decoration significantly. One day, as the Queen's entourage entered the Dwelling, a Storm-hair Chosen warrior pledged his life to the Queen of the Red as mandated by Quesoth customs, and the leader of the Chosen, Warlord Nuso Esva, then spoke with the monarch.
Grand Admiral Thrawn, who attacked Quethold's Red City.
After leaving the Dwelling, the Queen's bowlcarrier, Trevik, who carried a bowl of nectar for her, the bowlcarrier was intercepted by a Circling, one of the Queen of the Red's advisors. The Circling, along with Trevik's brother, Jirvin, convinced the bowlcarrier to record the Storm-hair paintings within the Dwelling so that Empire of the Hand Grand Admiral Thrawn—known for his ability to learn an enemy's strategy or intentions by studying their art—could determine if the Quesoth ruler was not being forced to ally herself with Esva. Unbeknownst to Trevik, the warlord had tasked Jirvin and the Circling to convince him to do so so that Thrawn's strategy would be made according to the paintings that Esva had chosen, and the Grand Admiral's coming attack on the Red City would fail.
The Chiss planned the strategy as the Storm-hair desired, and used it in his attack; however, during the battle that erupted between the Quesoth Soldiers and the Imperial stormtroopers, he changed his strategy, leading to his opponent's defeat. After killing the Queen and her entourage, including Circling Borosiv, Esva was killed inside the Dwelling by Thrawn's forces.
The next morning, Thrawn's forces attacked the city as Esva desired, however, Thrawn had predicted his opponent's plot and changed his strategy during the battle, defeating the warlord after he killed the Queen and several Quesoth officials including Borosiv. Shortly after, Esva was killed inside the building by Thrawn's stormtroopers.
The Dwelling of Guests appeared in the novella Crisis of Faith, written by Timothy Zahn and published in 2011 as part of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire.
- The Essential Reader's Companion