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1: The Gambling Den

Two Dice: Two dice are carved into the stonework above a sturdy nondescript door located halfway down a shadowy alley. Two guards linger outside.
The Gold Coin: This upmarket establishment charges an entry fee of 1 gp to keep out the riff-raff. The games here are for the wealthy and well-connected.
The House: Unimaginatively named, this small operation was once a merchant’s house. The merchant had gambling debts and used the house to pay off his debt. Now the House runs small, exclusive games for wealthy folk. Isto Toiva (N male human) opens to invited guests only a couple of times a week.
Winners: Optimistically named, Winners leaches money from its customers in every possible way. Tiina Mieho (N female human) provides food, drinks, games of chance (of course) and “companions” for her customers. Customers can pay normal prices or pay double to get preferential treatment.

2: Major Locale Features

The gambling den fills the extensive cellar below an abandoned building. The owner of the den owns the building above and keeps it empty on purpose.
The gambling den has a fighting pit, and nightly bouts are put on for the customer’s entertainment. Unsurprisingly, betting on the fights is rampant.
A small church dedicated to the goddess of luck is adjacent to the gambling den. A secret door links the two establishments.
Once plush, now worn rugs cover the floor, and garish paint covers the walls in (tacky) imitation of opulence.

3: Minor Locale Features

Several rough and ready-looking bouncers stand about the gambling den, ready to eject anyone getting in the way of their boss’s profit.
A bar runs along one wall of the gambling den. Weak ale is free, but everything else on offer is more expensive than normal.
The gambling den features a small shrine dedicated to the goddess of luck. Customers often leave small offerings here to curry her favour.
Tables dot the floor; all are set far apart from each other and can seat four to eight people.

4: What’s Going On?

An irate and unlucky customer is being escorted to the door by two large, unsympathetic bouncers.
An irate and unlucky customer is being dragged to the door by three large bouncers. The customer is convinced they have been cheated out of their winnings—and they might be right!
A small troupe of singers and musicians has been hired to entertain the den’s customers. They are performing cheery, jaunty songs.
An argument breaks out at a table over a dropped die. A heaped pile of coins is at stake, and the argument gets increasingly heated.

5: Other Folk

Noora Ilakka (CE female human) gets a thrill from watching other people lose. She is a beauty and uses her charms to encourage gullible men to bet big. If they win, they often buy her a gift; if they lose, she gets the thrill of watching them suffer—either way, she can’t lose!
Iikka Kalpio (LE male human) drinks heavily and is in danger of being ejected. Iikka is angry—he lost much money here recently, and he thinks he was cheated. He is working up to doing something terrible: setting fire to the place in revenge for his loss.
Frans Lemmäs (CN male human) plans to make his fortune by cheating. Sadly for him, he is not very good at cheating, and he is about to get a good beating from his fellow gamblers. This quill-thin man has short black hair, a small moustache and furtive eyes.
Paanu Mielitty (NE male human) works with the local thieves’ guild. The guild wants their cut of the gambling den’s profits but has thus far been frozen out. Paanu is here to “find a way in”. He is gambling, but perceptive characters may notice he seems more interested in general goings on than the game.

Credit

This is a short system-neutral extract from Urban Locale #09: Gambling Den by Robert Manson. The book is available from DriveThruRPG and Raging Swan Press’s own web store.

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Urban Locales: Gambling Den