Sweet Dreams Gambling House
Drugs, drink, lust, greed, jealousy, these are just some of the vices that fill the sails of Scurvytown. The Sweet Dreams Gambling House caters to all of them. Palatial, it is the very picture of aristocratic wealth and privilege. What Sweet Dreams sells are in fact dreams dreams of hope, of the possibility of climbing out of the city’s foulest district through the elusive promise of newfound wealth.
Just how often do people win in the district’s most famous gambling establishment? Only often enough to spread the word and keep them coming back for more. Glajren Helkerna, the house’s operator, insists that there be a winner every three to six weeks, and that the win be big enough to draw public attention. After all, a constant stream of testimonials and “win big” success stories can only improve business. Some winners have gone on to become minor celebrities within Freeport for their rags-to-riches tales. Of course, many of them find themselves right back in the streets a few months later, after squandering their money on more gambling, booze, or other excesses.
For Glajren, the gambling operation creates two desirable outcomes at once: Not only is he giving the poor hope and thus making them contented and pliable, but he is also keeping the rest of them destitute in the process. Many Scurvytown locals now owe the house considerable sums of money, and in this he has procured favors, servitude, even the rights to property throughout Scurvytown. In short, he has effectively taken control of a large segment of Scurvytown for his family.
Architecture
The Sweet Dreams Gambling House is a large, well kept mansion, formerly in poor condition but now fully renovated and restored. There is no sign designating its name or purpose, just a small statue of Veris that overlooks a barred iron gate. The gate is guarded at all times, and the security team frisks patrons for any items not permitted in the gambling den (weapons are forbidden, among other things). Belongings can be reclaimed when one leaves the premises. A stone wall, topped with a foot-high spiked iron fence, encircles the property. It is patrolled constantly.
A number of hostesses greet customers inside, ushering them onto the gambler’s floor, where a wide selection of gaming tables can be found. Flagons of ale and cups of wine, sold for just coppers, are brought out on trays by serving girls, their dresses matching the red pattern on the carpet. In the winter time, several large fireplaces are fed to keep the various areas of the lower level cozy and warm. The gaming tables feature everything from cards to dice and even a game not dissimilar to roulette. There is a bookie on hand who will take bets on special sporting events from around Freeport, including the occasional schooner race or duel held at the Field of Honor or the One Ring.
The upper level is not open to the public. It has been modified into a wraparound balcony where pit bosses look down onto the gaming floor for signs of any cheating or impropriety. There are three staircases that allow access. At the back of the second level are a number of offices for management and accounting.
Defenses
The Helkernas keep a battery of thugs on payroll to deal with any trouble, as well as several spies out on the streets watching for anything suspicious. At any given hour while the house is open, three to four bouncers and a pair of swordsmen protect the establishment; at night, a pair of armed guards walks the perimeter and another patrols inside the house.
The other staff of the gambling house, croupiers and servers, number nearly 20 in all. The management runs a very tight ship. No amount is too small to be counted, and people’s fingers have been lost if the ledger is out by more than a single copper.
History
The rise of the Helkerna family in the past three years has been quick and decisive. They acquired the gambling house through a debt, and it has since become an excellent source of income and influence in its own right. Rather than envy the success of the Mouth of Hell, Glajren prefers the competition. Besides, his place is far classier, with a good reputation amongst serious gamblers. Where the Mouth of Hell is full of cheap promises, Sweet Dreams is in the business of exploiting greed and creating dependency by giving away large, public prizes (but always the house takes more overall than it gives away, of course). Glajren is confident the business will continue to prosper.
The gambling house was formerly a failing estate with a private gambling den, once owned by a down-and-out merchant. The man offered up his holdings as collateral against his debt to E’elruen Helkerna, and then the ship he bought was sunk just a few months later, before he had made even a fraction of the payments he owed. Glajren, ever the schemer, immediately suggested that they move into gambling as an alternative revenue stream. His father agreed, and Glajren took over the operation completely, from the renovation of the mansion to staffing. His first act after opening was to take a large sum of money and pay half to Finn and the other to Mister Wednesday, “out of respect for their positions”; knowing full well that neither of them controlled Scurvytown, his peace offering was really more of an announcement that there was a new player in town.
Now, the revenue feeds back into the family business, all the while building their network and their power base in Scurvytown. He still pays Finn and Mister Wednesday a small tithe each month, out of professional courtesy. The Helkernas may be brutal and violent, but no one ever accused them of not being classy. Of course, given the open warfare between Finn and Wednesday in some parts of the city at present, the days of these tithes are nearly at an end, one way or another: One of the two will likely be dead soon, and the Helkernas plan to finish off the victor and thus rule all the crime in the city.
Type
Casino
Parent Location
Owner
Owning Organization
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