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=== Races | Economy | Buildings & Organizations ===

====== THE RED WHEEL ======

{{:the_red_wheel_scenic_2d.png?direct&400|}}
===== Overview =====

  * **Location:** Public Services Ring [[firetown|Firetown]]
  * **Address:** NE Public Service Ring Road 3
  * **Surroundings:** Nestled in Firetown’s Entertainment District, adjacent to the [[nebula_fight_arena|Nebula Fight Arena]]

The Red Wheel was Firetown’s most infamous gambling saloon during the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], known for hosting high-stakes card games and the deadly attraction called "Space Roulette." Founded in 2626 by [[colm_mckeegan|Colm McKeegan]], a handicapped former weaponsmith confined to a wheelchair since the crash of the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] ([[day_zero|Day Zero]]), the bar drew both professionals and desperados. Patrons gathered around smoky tables to play games like [[twenty_one|Twenty One]], [[frostpunkt|Frostpunkt]], or Space Roulette — a twisted version of the classic roulette wheel that added real danger to the gamble.

Its centerpiece, the Space Roulette Ring, featured a blindfolded marksman who fired live ammunition at a spinning roulette disc mounted on a reinforced steel board. The bullet decided winners and losers, and sometimes grazed bystanders. The saloon flourished despite the risk, drawing both curious tourists and hardcore gamblers.

As the operators focused on the gambling business, the bar operations were outsourced. Colm leased a “XL Bar‑Desk‑as‑a‑Service” package from [[space_drinks_inc| Space Drinks Inc]], complete with a prefab counter, refrigeration coils, four [[butler_bots|Butler Bot]] barkeeps, and stocked exclusively with Space Drinks labels. 

In 2631, after the [[great_war|Great War]], the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] and [[communards|Communardist]] reforms, the Red Wheel was closed permanently and Colm Mc Keegan decided to retire as he turned 71 in that year.
===== Architectural Significance =====

  * **Construction Materials:** The Red Wheel was assembled from stacked cargo containers, reinforced with rough-cut timber beams, welded steel braces, and salvaged hull plating from the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]]. Mismatched panels, riveted patches, and visible weld seams gave the building a deliberately improvised appearance.
  * **Floors:** One-and-a-half levels including a mezzanine with VIP booths and security posts.
  * **Design Purpose:**  Built to withstand violence, debt disputes, and occasional gunfire, the Red Wheel prioritized survivability and control over comfort — a gambling hall designed for a frontier where losses were paid in blood as often as coin.
  * **Geothermal Feed Vents:** Insulated steel stacks and vent assemblies integrated into the rear façade, channeling heat and hot water from the [[geothermal_power_plant|Geothermal Power Plant]] to maintain interior temperature
  * **Air Vents / Heat Recovery Ventilator:** The building's air exchange was managed by a centralized, mechanical ventilation system with a central intake on the exterior of the building.
  * **Power Supply:** [[quantum_fusion_batteries|Quantum Fusion Battery]]
  * **Lighting :** Dim lanterns, red-glass bulbs, and recycled filament lamps,

===== Building Structure =====

**Interior**

  * **Space Roulette Ring:** A 5-meter circle with an armored steel wall and a central spinning roulette disc. A blindfolded marksman stood in a fixed booth and fired a live bullet at the spinning board to determine the winning number and color.
  * **Game Tables:** Six Twenty One and Frostpunkt tables, staffed by dealers and overseen by security.
  * **Dealer Pit:** A long U-shaped pit where dealers stored cards, chips, and sidearms.
  * **Bookmaker’s Counter:** Patrons could place side bets, buy drink tokens, or settle debts.
  * **Cash Cage:** Behind reinforced glass, where large bets were registered and winnings tallied.
  * **Banking Counter (Gambling Credit Desk):**  A narrow steel booth operated by Maria Reuter, where patrons could take out short-term gambling loans of at least 100 Kourou. Collateral items were logged in the ledger and transferred to the Security Office for storage. Every transaction was witnessed and recorded by a Butler Bot, ensuring no disputes over debt, identity, or repayment deadlines.
  * **VIP Balcony Booths:** Four semi-private rooms overlooking the floor for high-rollers, off-duty officials, or gang leaders.
  * **Space Drinks Bar Counter:** Styled in [[space_drinks_inc|Space Drinks]] livery. Staffed by a Butler Bot that taps kegs of Space Beer, Gravity Grog, and other Space Drinks Inc. labels.
  * **Security Office:** A locked room behind the cash cage equipped with ledgers, safe, and a sidearm locker.
  * **Restrooms (4):** Four genderneutral rooms with [[aurorasan_system|AuroraSan]] fixtures and one stall reinforced against brawls.

**Exterior**

  * **Front Appearance:** A neon signage with a crimson wheel hung on the wall above the frontdoor. The wall featured scratched bullet marks—  intentional or not, no one knew.

===== Look and Feel =====

Inside the Red Wheel, the frontier stripped away all pretense. The air was thick with smoke, heated metal, and stale alcohol, hanging low beneath container ceilings scarred by dents, patched bullet holes, and exposed wiring. 

The Space Roulette Ring dominated the hall: a reinforced steel circle bolted directly into the floor plating, its scarred metal surface pitted by years of live fire. When the marksman raised his weapon, conversation died instantly. The gunshot cracked through the room like a verdict, followed by cheers, curses, or stunned silence as the bullet decided fate.

Card tables crowded the floor, their surfaces stained with spilled drinks. Chips clattered, debts were whispered, and sidearms rested within easy reach.

Above, the mezzanine booths loomed like watchful scars cut into the containers — half-hidden spaces where deals were made, lives were bought, and repayment terms quietly sealed. Red-glass bulbs bathed everything in a constant crimson glow, making it hard to tell where blood ended and shadow began.

The Red Wheel was a place where luck was temporary, debts were permanent, and every night promised that someone would leave poorer, broken, or not at all.
===== Roles and Responsibilities =====

  * **Owner (Colm McKeegan):** Managed roulette operations, inspected the bullet chamber, and approved VIP guests.
  *  **Freelance Accountant (1):** [[maria_reuter|Maria Reuter]] managed financial ledgers, payroll, and covert “off-the-books” funds.
  * **Croupiers (6):** Ran Twenty One and Frostpunkt tables, ensuring fair play and enforcing buy-ins.
  * **Roulette Marksman (1):** A blindfolded ex-[[guarding_troopers|Guarding Trooper,]] trained to shoot precisely at the spinning disc.
  * **Bookmakers (3):** Took bets, distributed drink tokens, and recorded side wagers.
  * **Bouncers (3):** Armed guards monitored booths, broke up fights, and ensured no cheating occurred.
  * **Butler Bots (4):** The [[butler_bots|Butler Bots]] served drinks and delivered snack trays
  * **Cleaners (2):** Two [[cleaning_bots|Cleaning Bots]] ensured spotless tables and blood-free roulette stations.

===== Menu =====

| # | **Label**                   | **Style & Flavour Note  ( ABV )**                    | **Quick-Play Table Quirk**                                                                           | **Price** |
| 1 | **[[Space Beer|Space Beer]]**          | Light, foamy lager; faint citrus (5 %)         | First pint grants +1 temp HP; drinker emits a joyous shout audible 30 m                        | **4 K**      |
| 2 | **[[Red Dwarf Firewater|Red Dwarf Firewater]]** | Cinnamon-hot liqueur that self-warms (45 %)     | Resist cold damage 1 h; must pass Con DC 12 or take 1 fire dmg                                     | **2 K**     |
| 3 | **[[Gravity Grog|Gravity Grog]]**        | Heavy amber ale   (8 %)                       | Move speed –1 m for 30 min; Advantage on Intimidation checks                                   | **6 K**     |
| 4 | **[[Starshine Schnapps|Starshine Schnapps]]**  | Virel Spice-infused schnapps (30 %)                     | Breath fog glitters; Stealth checks –2 for 1 h                                                     | **4 K**     |
| 5 | **Water**       | Glass of Water from a [[mistspring_water_inc|Mistspring Water Inc.]] jerrycan             | Removes one level of exhaustion; advantage on saves vs. dehydration for 2 h; regain 1d4 HP if below half max HP     | ** 1 K**     |

===== Illegal Activities in the Club =====

  * **Rigged Roulette Guns:** Rumors swirled about bullets magnetically steered to favor house bets.
  * **Debt Repossession:** Patrons unable to pay often signed exploitative contracts (e,g, as "Gladiator" in the [[nebula_fight_arena|Nebula Fight Arena]] next door) or disappeared after a visit upstairs.
  * **Private Backroom Deals:** VIP booths often hosted arms talks, drug exchanges, or espionage.

===== Public Access, Operating Hours & Operational Rhythm =====

  * **Public Access:** Open to adults with entry tokens (5 [[kourou|Kourou]] or more).  
  * **Opening Hours:** 16:00 – 04:00 daily.  
  * **Game Rhythm:** Roulette games every 30 minutes; card tables run continuously; side bets escalate throughout the night.  

===== Participation Policy & Gambling Credit System =====

The Red Wheel was never meant for silent observers. A crimson glass plaque above the entrance announced its philosophy with brutal honesty:  

> //“Winners play. Losers pay. Watchers walk.”//

Upon entry, a Butler Bot rolled forward, scanning newcomers with ice-cold neutrality:

> //“Welcome to the Red Wheel. This establishment requires continuous participation.  
> Guests must order at least one alcoholic beverage per hour and maintain active betting at a licensed table.  
> Non-participants may not remain on the premises//.”

Anyone who hesitated — or admitted they had no money — was immediately offered a "Gambling Credit", a signature system designed by founder Colm McKeegan to keep patrons playing no matter their financial state.

**Gambling Credit Rules:**
- Each registered guest may borrow at least 100 Kourou from the house to begin play.  
- All loans are logged by Maria Reuter in a handwritten ledger.  
- Borrowed money must be repaid within seven days.  
- Until repayment, the debtor must leave a collateral item (weapon, trinket, tool, jewelry, heirloom, etc.).  
- Collateral is locked inside the Security Office 
- Failure to repay in seven days grants the [[cartel|Cartel]] full authority to repossess the value — or the debtor.
- Some who failed to repay ended up as Gladiator in the [[nebula_fight_arena|Nebula Fight Arena]].
===== Security Measures =====

  * **Bulletproof Glass:** Cash cage and roulette disc shielded by poly-steel glass.
  * **Bouncer Patrols:** Three Bouncers, armed with Melee-Weapons, watched the audience for cheat signals, weapons, or pickpockets.
  * **Private Trooper Pay-offs:** Monthly bribes ensured few patrols or raids during peak hours.
  * **Emergency Exits:** Hidden passages allowed quick escapes for staff and VIPs during raids.

===== Player Interaction Possibilities =====

==== Legal Interactions ====

  * Play a game of Twenty One, Frostpunkt, or Space Roulette.
  * Order a custom drink from the Butler Bot.
  * Place side bets, observe high-roller disputes, or join the crowd for the roulette countdown.

==== Illegal Interactions ====

  * Smuggle in counterfeit chips or steal from the cash cage.
  * Sabotage the roulette booth to favor a friend.
  * Spy on high-stakes conversations in VIP booths.

===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

The Red Wheel provides a volatile yet elegant location for missions involving espionage, gambling, and deception. The Space Roulette mechanic can be gamified as a high-risk, high-reward encounter or narrative pivot. Hidden agendas, gunshots, and shifting fortunes can trigger anything from heists to hostage situations.

==== Adventure Hook Example ====

  * **The Lucky Mask –** For seven nights in a row, a masked gambler has won every single round of Space Roulette — defying every law of probability. The enigmatic figure always arrives alone, never speaks, and vanishes before dawn. Rumors swirl that it might be a telepath, or worse — a cheater with rigged tech. Colm McKeegan is furious, but strangely cautious. He hires the PCs to discreetly investigate, not confront, the masked player. The reason? Colm suspects the gambler is actually a Guarding Trooper from New Kourou … 


===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[Beta Age|Beta Age]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
  * [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]]
  * [[Firetown|Firetown]]
  * [[twenty_one|Twenty One]]
  * [[frostpunkt|Frostpunkt]]
  * [[Colm McKeegan|Colm McKeegan]]
  * [[maria_reuter|Maria Reuter]] (Freelance Accountant)

**Venues within the Firetown Entertainment District (Beta Age):**

  * [[kittens_from_space|Kittens from Space]]
  * [[nebula_fight_arena|Nebula Fight Arena]]
  * [[the_red_wheel|Red Wheel]] 
  * [[saloon_gloria|Saloon Gloria]]
  * [[firetown_billard_saloon|Firetown Billiards Saloon]]
  * [[Firetown Darts Club|Firetown Darts Club]]
  * [[Dark Side Hotel|Dark Side Hotel]]
  * [[German Imbiss|German Imbiss]]
 
**Venues within the Firetown Entertainment District (Gamma Age):**

  * [[firetown_billard_saloon|Firetown Billard Saloon]]
  * [[firetown_bowling_alley|Firetown Bowling Alley]]
  * [[Firetown Darts Club|Firetown Darts Club]]
  * [[saloon_gloria|Saloon Gloria]]