OLD NETTER’S REST

• Location: Hope
• Address: Seedway 5
• Surroundings: Adjacent to Hope Funeral Parlor

Founded by Hank Basta — a notorious excessive drinker and former inmate of the Last Frontier Prison Module, infamous for aggression, public nudity, and cafeteria brawls — Old Netter’s Rest prides itself on being Hope’s roughest watering hole.

Its doors are always open to heavy drinkers, shady Twenty One-gamblers, and notorious misogynists, and every evening the central Brawl Ring hosts high‑stakes fights that draw side bets from the crowd, prompting at least one Guarding Troopers intervention weekly for bar fights or brandished weapons. Yet despite the mayhem, service runs like clockwork: no patron waits more than a minute for a refill, and those too broke to pay can simply sign the “Old Netter’s Book” behind the bar.

The Old Netter's Rest got shuttered after the Great War when the Federal Confederation’s Communard reforms outlawed private bars and excessive alcohol consumption, bundling all leisure dining and drinking into a single Federal Hostel and Saloon per settlement — and strictly limiting patrons to one alcoholic drink per day.

• Construction Material: Reinforced timber planks salvaged from logging camps and abandoned farm structures, crudely patched with bent metal plates, scrap container panels, and scorched starship fragments. Repairs are visible and uneven, reflecting constant damage from fights, weather, and heavy use.
• Floors: 1 (single expansive hall)
• Façade: Weather-beaten timber beams bolted directly into a mud-stabilized foundation. A crooked, hand-painted signboard depicting a grinning skull hangs above the entrance, flanked by flickering neon letters spelling “REST,” several tubes cracked or dim. Electrical cables and drink lines sag openly along the exterior wall.
• Design Purpose: Built to endure violence rather than weather — absorb fists, boots, and thrown bodies. Everything serves durability, fast repair, and intimidation. The building feels temporary, but stubbornly so — patched rather than replaced.

Main Hall – Bar & Brawl Ring

• Bar Counter: Heavy timber slab scarred by punches and tankard dents
• Stools & Tables: Scrap‑metal frames with wooden tops—bolted to the floor to prevent easy tossing
• Brawl Ring: Central, cleared area made of reinforced planks - used for fights with fists, knives or cheap melee weapons patrons can bet on.
• Restroom: One dimly lit unisex stall; no AuroraSan — patrons improvise

Exterior Grounds

• Stoep: Rough-hewn porch
• Tie‑Rings: Rusted iron hooks for Hoos — some splintered by drunken patrons

Inside, the light is harsh and uneven. Bare bulbs swing slightly from exposed cables, casting hard shadows across scarred tables and the central brawl ring. The air is thick with stale smoke, spilled alcohol, wet clothing, and the sour tang of sweat. Every surface bears marks of past fights: gouges in timber, dents in metal, dark stains scrubbed but never fully erased.

Classic Earth pop crackles from a battered shortwave receiver tuned to Weber Broadcasting Services, the signal warping and distorting whenever a fight erupts or someone slams into the wall. Laughter, shouting, and the dull impact of fists drown out the music more often than not.

Hank Basta commands the bar with brutal efficiency, sliding refilled tankards across the counter faster than patrons can empty them. The bar never slows — even during fights. Especially during fights.

Outside, amber lantern light spills into the muddy street, reflecting off puddles, metal scraps, and trampled straw. Hoos snort and shift at rusted tie-rings, uneasy but accustomed to the noise.

This is not a place for comfort. It is a pressure valve — where exhaustion, resentment, and excess are burned off nightly, so the fields can be worked again tomorrow.

• Hank Basta (Owner & Innkeeper): Serves drinks, arbitrates bar fights, and patrols the brawl ring armed with a Windtstrike Rifle and an arsenal of improvised melee weapons.
• Facility Manager: A somewhat battered looking Cleaning Bot takes care of beer, blood and garbage.
• Regulars: A rotating cast of sluiced‑behind‑the‑ears gamblers and brawlers who’ll back Hank up—if you can spare the coin.

• Public Access: Open to all adults; no questions asked, no ID checks
• Opening Hours: Daily 16:00 – 04:00

The heart of Old Netter’s Rest isn’t the bar — it’s the central Brawl Ring, a ritualized spectacle that plays out every evening. Here’s how it works:

• A patron declares themselves First Fighter by placing a 100 K bill on the Nail driven into the ring’s planks and alerting Hank.
• From that moment, every guest (including the First Fighter) must drop a 10 K “fear fee” into the pot by the bar whenever they place or renew a drink order.

• Any other patron may refuse to pay the 10 K fee — signaling a challenge — instead of adding their coin to the pot.
• They step into the ring opposite the First Fighter. No upfront stake beyond withholding the fee is required.

• Combatants fight with agreed‑upon weapons or bare fists under Hank’s watchful eye.
• On victory, the Challenger claims the entire pot of fear fees and the First Fighter’s 100 K stake.
• If the Challenger loses, the First Fighter retrieves both their initial 100 K bill and the accumulated fear‑fee pot — then may choose to continue as First Fighter or exit the ring.

• If no one dares to challenge before the First Fighter leaves the bar, they simply pocket the pot and reclaim their 100 K, walking out richer without throwing a single punch.

This system makes both roles lucrative: First Fighters rake in steady fear‑fees, while Challengers risk nothing upfront for a shot at a big payday.

• Innkeeper on Guard: Hank wields a Windstrike Rifle and several makeshift melee weapons — enough to keep worst offenders in line.
• Bolt‑Down Furniture: Tables and stools are affixed to the floor; fights stay contained.
• Patrol Visits: Regular sweeps by Guarding Troopers — often the only thing to restore order.

• Order a drink
• Place a high‑stakes bet in a card game
• Challenge a veteran brawler in the central ring (wager optional)
• Negotiate debts in the Old Netter’s Book behind the bar
• Convince Hank to back you in a local dispute — if you can earn his respect

• Plant contraband under the bar or in an unsuspecting patron’s coat
• Incite a brawl to distract troopers while you slip away
• Forge debts in the Netter’s Book to bilk unwitting drunks

Old Netter’s Rest thrives on chaos — perfect for ambushes, tense gambling scenes, or desperate negotiations under threat of violence. PCs might need to parley with Hank, dodge flying chairs, or forge alliances with the bar’s hardened regulars.

• Beta Age
• Free State of Settlers
• Hope
• Hank Basta
• Twenty One (Card Game)