The Circle Infernal

Current Information

The Circle Infernal (Il Dakeem Bhedel in the Infernal Tongue) is a bar on the lowest public level of the Parisa building in the city of Il Bheshad. Often considered a hidden gem of Celea due to its understated atmosphere but rich history, the establishment's past is steeped in illicit dealings and cold-hearted plots, having been a den of criminal activity for most of its existence. Like the rest of Il Bheshad, the bar has resisted any and all attempts at gentrification or preservation, instead remaining a living, changing symbol of the city's diversity and culture.
Those in control of the Circle are almost invariably criminal in nature, but a willingness to deal in the most bloody trades of the Underworld has not deterred the bar's many owners from maintaining a consistent air of class and opulence within the dark stone walls.

Historical Information: Late 11th Century

Groups of all kinds meet in the Circle, from Overworld rebels plotting their latest strike against the Phoenix Empire to Dark Elf sailors charting their next course into the Void. All are welcome in The Circle Infernal, as long as they can pay.
The Circle Infernal is currently owned by the Demon criminal dynast Kassandra bat Rei, and though a trained staff of bartenders is always readily available, no face is better known than that of the Nyoka Sarisa Beaumont, who serves customers with signature flare while gathering information for her boss.

Alterations

The basic structure of The Circle Infernal, including its iconic circular bar, has remained a constant throughout the centuries. Alterations have been made, however, including various refurbishments, numerous seating changes, and, most interestingly, a hidden escape tunnel in the subbasement. This passage initially led to a safe house used by the owner at the time, but most proprietors since then have carved out new tunnels to suit their needs, often blocking or even destroying the older tunnels as a safety measure. The result is a confused network of half-connected tunnels sprawling under Il Bheshad, many of which intersect with the city's ancient, and mostly unmapped, catacombs. This close connection with the so-called "Underworld's Underworld" has occasionally ended in disaster.
In the first months of Dynast Bharkin ben Ahitu's reign, before any new tunnels had been excavated, the Circle came under rare attack by a rival crime syndicate. Facing overwhelming numbers, Bharkin fled into the tunnels with his staff and guards. With no safe houses secured or escape routes cleared, however, he decided to journey into the catacombs instead of risking a perilous exit into possible enemy territory. His party stepped into the darkness, and Bharkin was never seen again. The group's only two survivors emerged a week later, nearly dead and half-mad. One had gouged his eyes out, and the other was missing her hand. Of what had happened they said little, only that none should ever venture so deep again.

Architecture

The Circle Infernal occupies the semi-basement of the Parisa building. On the south side of the building, a modest sunken split staircase below a stone overhang leads down from the street into the bar. A circular bar sits in the middle of the main room, from within which such acclaimed drinks as the Prince Draco and the Red Lady are served. Fresh oyster geodes, aged to perfection, strongly shaken to ensure internal liquefaction, sliced open with precision, and topped off with the alcoholic fizzing seeds of the cerasus vitae berry are also a favorite, especially due to the impressive performance that their preparation requires on the bartender's part.
In the center of the bar is a spiral staircase, which leads to a subbasement supply room filled with glasses and kegs. The shelves below the bar are attached to a pulley system, along with rails for stability, so that they can be lowered into the subbasement and restocked. The subbasement is also slightly larger than the semi-basement, with an extension to the north holding a service staircase for staff to access the upper levels, though the patrons of the Circle rarely mingle with those above.
Tinted windows at the top of the south wall provide little light, only revealing the passing silhouettes of cloaked citizens. The most striking source of light within the bar comes from below; through a halo of glass on the floor that tightly hugs the outside of the ringed bar, beneath which lies strong blue lights created from magically-enhanced bioluminescent mushrooms found throughout the Underworld.
The architectural stylings of The Circle Infernal, along with The Parisa as a whole, maintain common Demonic aesthetics like dark stone tightly bound by a metal frame. The crosswise metal reinforcements, akin to the bands around a barrel, are much thicker than on most commercial buildings, owing to The Parisa's construction under the strict safety regulations of Governor Trie. Such requirements were fueled by ongoing fears of a Second Dragon Uprising; fears which, luckily, have not yet been realized.

History

The ownership of The Circle Infernal has changed hands numerous times, and the often underhanded or outright illicit nature of these exchanges makes tracking the history of the establishment with any exactness exceedingly difficult. It is known that it was constructed in 868 AP, along with the rest of the Parisa, but little else is clear.

Tourism

Ancient, central, and well-regarded, the bar has been a constant in Il Bheshad for centuries. Equal parts famous and infamous, a patron of the Circle could just as easily rub shoulders with a king as with a killer. Galactic tourists to Celea rarely visit the city, let alone the bar, but those that leave the beaten path and find themselves within the Circle Infernal are sure to have the experience of a lifetime; for better or worse.

Founding Date

868 AP

Alternative Names

Il Dakeem Bhedel, The Circle

Type

Bar

Parent Location

Parisa

Connected Rooms

• Sovereigns Summit