Tall Johnny's
Roll the Dice & Fight for your Life __________ |
Tall Johnny's is a casino.
However, to simply call it 'just' a casino is a vast understatement.
In all of Sunberth it is the premiere place to test ones luck. Be it with a card game, the roll of the die, or with a display of martial prowess in the fighting arena. Tall Johnny's is a well-kept building with an immaculately maintained brick exterior. There are three sets of double doors flanked by a pair of unsmiling Akalak loyal to Tall Johnny. There is no charge to enter the building, but the bouncers jobs are to ensure peoples safety
The building is split in half which means depending on which set of double doors you enter, you'll be greeted by two different worlds.
The right-hand side of the building held the games of chance.
As soon as you enter, all people are greeted with the sight of a large seven foot tall gold
plated statue of an upturned palm with six fingers. It is a statue that all people pray to when they need to sacrifice something to Ovek for good fortune; a sacrifice made by tossing something up into the palm. As with Ovek's nature, even praying to him takes a bit of luck. The hand is slightly slanted, meaning that anything may slide off of it, and freshly thrown items may knock other past sacrifices off in a grand display of bad luck.
The Casino side itself is a temple created by Johnny to honor Ovek. And the gods followers gladly take the alms in the palm at the end of the day. These alms are never a thing Tall Johnny takes for himself, but maintains uses them to further the gods domain.
On more than one occasion, Ovek himself can be found playing cards for those who truly wish to pit their gambling skills against the true master of games. And tournaments are often held to find the one person worthy of playing the god. Most often ending with Johnny himself coming out the winner to challenge Ovek.
Everything inside of the casino is made of dark mahogany wood furnishings which are often surrounded by the most well dressed members of Sunberth. The smoky, noisy, and crowded interiors inviting all to play a game. Muscular men and scantily-clad women smile and run the games, while waiters ran back and forth bringing drinks to the customers. This is where Tall Johnny is often found, mingling with the crowds and keeping an eye on the card games. There are a set of stairs leading up to the second floor where private games are held, often between the gangs, or involving Johnny himself.
The entire left side of the building was turned into an arena for bloodsport.
The ground floor area is a square twenty feet on each side, surfaced with hard-packed dirt. It was set below the first floor level of the building, and completely surrounded with a metal fencing along the walls of the pit that are ten feet high. This "caged pit" was in turn surrounded by rows of amphitheater-style seating that all have a clear view down into the below ground level pit from above, so that the spectators could look down at the action.
There was only one practical use for such a setup: blood sport. And indeed, that was the purpose. Fights of various kinds were constantly arranged, and occurred several times daily. They weren't always to the death, but they were invariably brutal, and even when it wasn't the goal, fatality was a common side effect among the participants. It was free to watch, but betting was encouraged, and staff members roamed through the seats taking wagers. The "Champion of Sunberth" is often Tall Johnny's best undefeated fighter.
It is a title chased by both the gangs and the general populous, because it is a title of pride within the city.
The third floor of the building, is where people can find Johnny's personal living quarters.
All employee, servant quarters, and general storage can be found down on the basement floor level; the same ground level as the fighters pit. Even deeper still, in an area further below ground made from a tunnel of old Sunberth is the Vault of Tall Johnny's. It is said only one person has ever broken into it...
However, to simply call it 'just' a casino is a vast understatement.
In all of Sunberth it is the premiere place to test ones luck. Be it with a card game, the roll of the die, or with a display of martial prowess in the fighting arena. Tall Johnny's is a well-kept building with an immaculately maintained brick exterior. There are three sets of double doors flanked by a pair of unsmiling Akalak loyal to Tall Johnny. There is no charge to enter the building, but the bouncers jobs are to ensure peoples safety
The building is split in half which means depending on which set of double doors you enter, you'll be greeted by two different worlds.
The right-hand side of the building held the games of chance.
As soon as you enter, all people are greeted with the sight of a large seven foot tall gold
The Casino side itself is a temple created by Johnny to honor Ovek. And the gods followers gladly take the alms in the palm at the end of the day. These alms are never a thing Tall Johnny takes for himself, but maintains uses them to further the gods domain.
On more than one occasion, Ovek himself can be found playing cards for those who truly wish to pit their gambling skills against the true master of games. And tournaments are often held to find the one person worthy of playing the god. Most often ending with Johnny himself coming out the winner to challenge Ovek.
Everything inside of the casino is made of dark mahogany wood furnishings which are often surrounded by the most well dressed members of Sunberth. The smoky, noisy, and crowded interiors inviting all to play a game. Muscular men and scantily-clad women smile and run the games, while waiters ran back and forth bringing drinks to the customers. This is where Tall Johnny is often found, mingling with the crowds and keeping an eye on the card games. There are a set of stairs leading up to the second floor where private games are held, often between the gangs, or involving Johnny himself.
The entire left side of the building was turned into an arena for bloodsport.
There was only one practical use for such a setup: blood sport. And indeed, that was the purpose. Fights of various kinds were constantly arranged, and occurred several times daily. They weren't always to the death, but they were invariably brutal, and even when it wasn't the goal, fatality was a common side effect among the participants. It was free to watch, but betting was encouraged, and staff members roamed through the seats taking wagers. The "Champion of Sunberth" is often Tall Johnny's best undefeated fighter.
It is a title chased by both the gangs and the general populous, because it is a title of pride within the city.
The third floor of the building, is where people can find Johnny's personal living quarters.
All employee, servant quarters, and general storage can be found down on the basement floor level; the same ground level as the fighters pit. Even deeper still, in an area further below ground made from a tunnel of old Sunberth is the Vault of Tall Johnny's. It is said only one person has ever broken into it...
NPC's & Services __________ |
Tall Johnny
Age: 52
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Title: Owner
Skills: Gambling, 86. Negotiation, 66. Persuasion, 55. Subterfuge, 77. Boxing, 64.
Gnosis: 2nd mark of Omaru.
Info:Everyone in Sunberth knew Tall Johnny.
He was a hard person to miss, to be sure -- an elegantly-dressed human, with a carefully waxed mustache. He was tall, thin, and spoke with a charming accent of uncertain origin. He was the sort of person who infallibly came to the aid of the elderly, bought toys for small children, and opened doors for people carrying packages.
Of course, this was Sunberth, and so that wasn't the only side to Tall Johnny's character. He was also the owner and proprietor of Tall Johnny's Casino & Cage Fights, Sunberth's premier establishment for dissipation and gambling.
Credit for this NPC goes to Liminal
Gang Ties
Neutral
