=== Races | Economy | Buildings & Organizations === ====== DARK SIDE HOTEL ====== {{:the_dark_side_hotel_scenic2d.png?direct&400|}} ===== Overview ===== * **Location:** Public Services Ring, [[firetown|Firetown]] * **Address:** NW Public Services Ring Road 7 * **Surroundings:** Nearby the [[firetown_darts_club|Firetown Darts Club]] Founded in 2629 by notorious entertainment impresario [[Tina Bonanno|Tina Bonanno]] — dubbed the “Puppet Master” for her covert [[Cartel|Cartel]] networks — the Dark Side Hotel was the [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers’]] largest lodging, boasting 102 opulent rooms, a high-class restaurant, a sprawling gambling hall, and the celebrated New Venetian Palace showstage. Beneath its veneer of glamour lay the Cartel’s clandestine drug market, theft rings, and contract-killing operations. Tina Bonanno was gunned down in an unsolved ride-by shooting in January 2631, three months before the [[great_war|Great War’s]] end and the [[federal_confederation|Federal Confederation’s]] closure of the Dark Side Hotel (it failed to secure the [[communardism|Communardism]]-era exemption that salvaged [[saloon_gloria|Saloon Gloria]], [[firetown_billard_saloon|Fire Bill]] and the [[firetown_darts_club|Firetown Darts Club]]). Her heir, son Alfonso Bonanno, slaughtered himself in one of the hotel’s luxury suites upon receiving news of the license denial — marking a tragic coda to the Bonanno empire. ===== Architectural Significance ===== * **Construction Materials:** The structure consists of vertically stacked cargo containers, reinforced with salvaged starship hull segments, docking clamps, and industrial truss frames recovered from the Last Frontier wreckage and decommissioned mining platforms. Exterior surfaces are patched with mismatched metal plates, ceramic heat shields, and reclaimed bulkhead panels. Decorative wooden elements — balconies, canopies, and interior wall cladding — were added to soften the harsh industrial core. * **Floors:** 12 stacked levels, making it the tallest structure in Firetown — and visibly unstable compared to its surroundings. * **Design:** A towering, asymmetrical vertical block with protruding container balconies, external maintenance ladders, and exposed reinforcement beams. The hotel’s silhouette resembles a repurposed orbital freight tower rather than a traditional building. * **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:** Electric light, candles, torches—the typical Firetown mix. ===== Building Structure ===== **Interior and Atmosphere (Beta Age)** * **Lobby & Reception:** A cavernous ground-floor space assembled from merged containers. Floors are layered steel plating covered by worn carpets. Reception desks are built from polished hull panels; hidden access hatches and false walls conceal Cartel drop points and service shafts. * **Guest Rooms (102):** Ranging from standard quarters to penthouse suites * **Restaurant “Stella Nera”:** Constructed from widened container modules with wooden floors, velvet-lined dividers, and suspended lighting rigs made from starship components. Private alcoves double as negotiation rooms. * **Gambling Hall:** Dozens of gaming tables for [[frostpunkt|Frostpunkt]] and [[twenty_one|Twenty One]], carpeted walkways muffled the click of concealed holsters * **Showstage “New Venetian Palace”:** A dramatic fusion of container shells and theatrical scaffolding. Hydraulic lifts, retractable catwalks, and rigging systems are visibly improvised but meticulously maintained. **Exterior** * **Façade:** A towering stack of containers wrapped in neon ribbons, exposed braces, and docking hardware. The massive “DARK SIDE” marquee is mounted on a repurposed landing gantry. * **Exterior Stall:** A heated outdoor stall seating up to 300 [[hoos|Hoos]], warmed by geothermal vents. ===== Look and Feel ===== ==== Beta Age ==== Entering the Dark Side Hotel feels like stepping into a vertical illusion of excess — luxury welded onto industrial survival. Neon light spills across metal walls, reflecting endlessly in polished panels and mirrored partitions. Music, laughter, and hushed deals bleed between levels as elevators grind upward through the structure. Velvet, wood, and warm light attempt to mask the ever-present reminder beneath your feet: this place was never meant to stand so tall. ==== Gamma Age ==== After its closure, the Dark Side Hotel becomes a hollow monument. Neon is dark. Corridors echo with the creak of cooling metal. Dust settles on carpets once soaked with spilled champagne. Only the occasional flicker of illegal light or the scrape of scavengers’ boots breaks the silence. The structure still looms over Firetown — a frozen testament to ambition, corruption, and collapse. ===== Roles and Responsibilities ===== * **Tina Bonanno (Founder & Cartel Matriarch):** Oversaw hotel operations and Cartel networks. * **Alfonso Bonanno (Heir & Show Director):** Curated performances and managed VIP clientele. * **Hotel Manager (1):** Ran day-to-day lodging, reservations, and guest services. * **Butler Bots (20):** The [[butler_bots|Butler Bots]] were serving guests throughout the hotel and waiters in Stella Nera. * **Cleaning Bots (20):** The [[cleaning_bots|Cleaning Bots]] maintained cleanliness of all 102 rooms, public areas, and the restaurant. * **Head Chef & Sommelier (2):** Curated the Stella Nera menu and rare spirit list. * **Sous Chef (1):** Assisted the Head Chef, managed kitchen operations. * **Kitchen Helpers (10):** Supported food preparation and kitchen logistics. * **Hosts (12):** Managed and hosted Frostpunkt and Twenty One tables — handling wagers, guiding players through the rules, and ensuring fair play. * **Showmasters (3):** Directed and hosted performances on the New Venetian Palace stage. * **Security Team (20):** Armed guards at entrances and roaming patrols. * **Stallhands (10):** Staffed the Exterior Stall—serving refreshments, seating guests, and managing crowd flow during large events. ===== Illegal Activities ===== ==== Beta Age ==== * **Cartel Operations:** Drug distribution, contract hits, and high-value theft orchestrated from hidden suites. * **Money Laundering:** Restaurant and gambling profits funneled through shell corporations. ==== Gamma Age ==== * **Smuggling Runs:** Occasional midnight shipments of narcotics through service tunnels. * **Black-Market Auctions:** Secret sales of contraband artifacts in closed VIP rooms. ===== Public Access, Operating Hours & Operational Rhythm ===== * **Public Access:** Open to high-rollers, performers, and registered guests only. * **Operating Hours:** 24/7 ==== Operational Rhythm: Bookable Rooms ===== All rooms at the Dark Side Hotel are windowless and insulated against the region’s frigid darkness. | **Room Category** | **Features** | **Price (per night)** | | Standard Room | One double bed, geothermal heater, en-suite bathroom | 100 K | | Deluxe Room | Two double beds, seating alcove with glass table, mini-bar, installed [[short_wave_communications_device|Short Wave Communications Device]] | 250 K | | Executive Suite | Separate living area, secure credenza, personal Service Bot access (with rare Entertainment Module), luxury bath with heated floors | 1000 K| ==== Operational Rhythm: Shows in the New Venetian ==== | **Day** | **Show** | **Features** | | Tuesday | Magic Night | Illusionists, elemental displays, audience participation tricks | | Wednesday | [[earth_pop|Earth Pop]] Grandezza | Cover bands from [[weber_broadcasting_services|Weber Broadcasting Service]], dance troupe interludes | | Thursday | Magic Night | Illusionists, elemental displays, audience participation tricks. | | Friday | Earth Pop Grandezza | Repeat of midweek’s top-tier cover-band showcase | | Saturday | New Frontier Revue | Acrobatics, dance, music, light eroticism | | Sunday | New Frontier Revue | Matinee and evening reprises | ==== Operational Rhythm: Menu of the Restaurant Stella Nera ==== | **Menu Item** | **Description** | **Price** | | **Hoof-Steak Medallions** | Grilled [[hoos|Hoos]] tenderloin served with [[mirel_leaf|Mirel Leaf]] purée and[[bilax_root| Bilax Root]] mash | 55 K | | **Moka Pith Curry** | Spiced [[moka|Moka]] breast simmered in a [[zelor_grain|Zelor Grain]] coconut broth with Tandora Fruit chutney | 45 K | | **Skyweaver Ceviche** | Cured [[skyweaver_eels|Skyweaver]] slices with [[nulberry|Nulberry]] salsa and [[lunor_wheat|Lunor Wheat]] crisps | 55 K | | **Odo Pot Roast** | Slow-braised [[odo|Odo]] flank in a [[rizon_barley|Rizon Barley]] gravy, served with [[helik_oats|Helik Oats]] risotto | 60 K | | **Misttail & Quorra Crab Bisque** | Creamy stew of [[misttail_crab|Misttail]] and [[quorra_crabs|Quorra Crabs]], finished with Mirel Leaf chiffonade | 48 K | | **Beverages** | | | | **[[slivovitz_superior|Slivovitz Superior]]** | Double-pot plum brandy, oak-smoked (48 %) | 18 K / glass | | **[[Krupnik Gold|Krupnik Gold]]** | [[Nano-Honey|Nano-Honey]]–clove -clove liqueur, silky heat (42 %) | 20 K / glass | | **[[Lebensfreude Lager|Lebensfreude Lager]] ** | Crisp, mineral-bright pilsner-style lager (5.8 % ABV) | 18 K / glass | | **[[Starshine Schnapps|Starshine Schnapps]]** | [[virel_spice|Virel Spice]]-infused schnapps (30 %) | 8 K / glass | | **Tandora Nectar** | Fresh-pressed [[tandora_fruit|Tandora Fruit]] juice with a hint of Zelor Grain syrup | 15 K / glass | | **Water** | From a [[mistspring_water_inc|Mistspring Water Inc.]] jerrycan | 5 K / glass | ==== Operational Rhythm: Available Games ==== | **Game** | **Description** | | [[frostpunkt|Frostpunkt]] | Frostpunkt is a straightforward and dynamic dice game originating on the Ralar Region| | [[twenty_one|Twenty One]] | Twenty One is an Exohuman card game of chance widely played on VOI 700 D, originating from the French card game Vingt-Un | ===== Security Measures ===== * **Entrance Checkpoints:** Two armed checkpoints verifying guest status and searching for concealed weapons. * **Emergency Escape Routes:** Hidden stairwells and service shafts known only to Cartel leadership. * **Armed Security Personnel:** Screened and patrolled the entire facility continuously. ===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters ===== Use the Dark Side Hotel as a multifaceted set piece — lavish social intrigue, hidden criminal underworld, and vertical exploration: ==== Beta Age Hook Example ==== * **Vanished Farmer –** Late one evening, Jacob Lenz, a devoted father and farmer from [[Hope|Hope]], slipped away with a friend for a quick night out in Firetown’s Entertainment District. Their bar‑hop ended at the neon‑lit dive known as [[kittens_from_space|Kittens from Space]], where Jacob’s last coherent words were “I need to chat with Madama Talara.” When he didn’t rejoin his friend, panic set in. Another witness places Jacob, Madama Talara, and an unknown man entering the notorious Saloon Gloria. Now his desperate wife has hired you to retrace his steps through Firetown’s seedier spots, unearth what happened behind those swinging doors, and bring her husband home — alive, if he still is … ==== Gamma Age Hook Example ==== * **Ghosts of Glory –** Rumors of lost Bonanno treasure lure the PCs into the sealed hotel, where they must evade federal locks and fend off desperate squatters to uncover hidden caches. ===== Related Pages and Further Information ===== * [[beta_age|Beta Age]] * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]] * [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]] * [[firetown|Firetown]] * [[tina_bonanno|Tina Bonanno]] * [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] * [[communardism|Communardism]] **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):** * [[saloon_gloria|Saloon Gloria]] * [[firetown_billard_saloon|Firetown Billiards Saloon]] * [[firetown_bowling_alley|Firetown Bowling Alley]] * [[firetown_darts_club|Firetown Darts Club]]