Dancing Prince Casino
ToC
The Prince is throwing a party that will last a generation.
At a Glance
The Dancing Prince Casino, with its sprawling expanse and numerous offerings, is a sight to behold in the heart of North Market. This unique establishment, taking up an entire city block, is a conglomeration of various merchant stalls, gambling halls, and more. There's something for everyone at the Dancing Prince Casino, if one knows where to look.
Services
Anybody can set up inside the Casino, either to sell their wares or offer services – usually gambling, entertainment or hospitality. Anybody who has money, that is. To buy a spot inside the Casino, one has to pay Kethryl quite a lot of cash. On top of that, Kethryl also gets fifteen percent of everybody’s earnings, as a form of rent. In such conditions, the most established businesses survive – grumbling about rent all the while – but many merchants and businessmen end up losing their money after a couple of months. This matters little to Kethryl though, since there are always newcomers eager to buy up a spot.Most establishments inside the Casino cater to gambling, as the name implies. While most of them offer the standard array of games, a handful are more specialized. For example, Sigurd’s is run by a hulking human from the north, and offers its visitors a chance to bet on wrestling matches – Sigurd himself often joins in as a competitor.
There’s also The Big Game, an establishment that offers its patrons the chance to bet on games of skill. Each day, the establishment’s owners – a pair of halflings called Biver and Brent – bring in experts in a different sport or skill. For example, there are archery competitions, fencing competitions, even sprint races.
There are also establishments catering to specific races, offering traditional goblin or elven games of chance. While most of the Dancing Prince Casino’s clientele visits to have a good time and most likely lose some money, professional gamblers also frequent the various establishments. While many do so only to earn enough money to see out the month, there is another motivator.
Heart of the Prince
Every first of the month, Kethryl puts out a list, pinning it on the door of the Prince’s Heart. The list catalogues the past month’s top earners throughout the Casino’s establishments. Everybody whose names are on the list is allowed inside the Prince’s Heart, to take part in high stakes games. Those who do enter the Heart usually emerge with considerably lighter pockets, but on occasion some gamblers have been known to win big. As to what games are played within the Heart, nobody is telling – Kethryl makes sure the happenings inside the building stay secret.Security
While there are no guards in the Casino’s entrances, Kethryl has a force of dozens inside the Casino, to ensure that everything is in order. Each one of them is trained to spot cheaters and escort them off the premises. Moreover, they are there to ensure the various owners do not cheat their customers too, as any such illicit behavior would reflect badly on Kethryl and could risk the Casino’s closing.Who’s Who
Kethryl
The Prince or the Dancing Prince The owner of the Dancing Prince Casino, Kethryl is ever-present. When not inside the Prince’s Heart, one can find him walking the Casino, talking to guests and vendors alike. He cares deeply about the Casino, not just as the place where he makes his money, but also as a place of entertainment.Of course, Kethryl has another reason to not want crime inside the Casino – to cover up his own tracks. The list he puts up every month on the Heart’s door doesn’t just contain the best gamblers. It also has the names of various black market merchants, as well as buyers looking for incredibly rare or exotic items.
Kethryl has forged many connections with the underworld, acting as an intermediary for various illegal items and contraband. Although the Ptolus city guard has come close to implicating him a dozen different times, he’s always been able to weasel out of such predicaments, maintaining a squeaky-clean reputation all the while.
Sigurd
Sigurd came to Ptolus a decade ago, laden with gold. His story is easy to find out, as he loves telling tales about himself. Before coming to Ptolus, he was a renowned warrior in the north. Once he’d made his fortune by bring down a powerful monster – the monster changes each time he tells the story – he came to Ptolus to “Teach you weak southerners how to fight”.Biver & Brent
Biver and Brent are cousins. They opened up The Big Game together, roughly six years ago. According to them, they funded the establishment with the money their old grandma Gilby left them. Rumors abound, however, of them being involved in various criminal enterprises in their homeland, far from Ptolus. Some say they left because they were about to be caught, taking their earnings and opening up a business here. So far, it seems they’re following the law in all things.Rumors & Secrets
While rumors fly about how the Prince gained all the building in one place there does not seem to be any concrete information available. The prevailing rumors involve the Prince making deals with demons, being in league with slavers or backing from crime families.
Dancing Prince Casino 02 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
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Dancing Prince Casino 01 by Graylion on MidJourneyAI
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