Difference between revisions of "Styx and Stones/Introduction"

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Decades of hard use have left their mark on the Styx and Stones pool hall. Regulars come to rack up around a legion of battered pool and billiards tables. Heavy bolts lock the scratched wooden tables to the poured cement floor, and cheap metal racks are hammered into the sheetrock as a precaution. Cigarette smoke has yellowed the ceiling and leaves an oily residue on all the fixtures, despite there being plenty of ash trays available. Peeling posters advertising cheap Mexican and Ukrainian beers faded out long ago, their logos an arcane assortment that defies easy recognition.
=Update: 07/06/20=
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*<b>Cooler:</b> Dawson has hired someone to lead the bouncers at the Styx. The guy's name is [[Levi]] and is responsible for keeping the peace in the bar - which usually means getting trouble to leave before it BECOMES trouble.
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Clusters of new metal bar stools belly up to high-top tables from the Soviet era. Thick shellac protects the washed-out photographs, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia from 70s and 80s-era Eastern European rallies and concerts. Generally they still serve the same vile drinks by the can or the bottle, nothing more than two bucks, and no tabs tolerated. Low rock music plays from blown-out speakers on a continuous track regardless of day or not, melting into the droning hum of overhead fans cursed to stir up the greyish-blue miasma of cigarette smoke filling the air.
*<b>A Family Affair:</b> Dawson's Latino bartender, Danny, has family who work in all corners of the city. From his cousin that runs the construction company that did the renovation of the bar's loft into an office, to his other cousin who runs a power cleaning service. If you need it done, chances are he's got a member of the family, somewhere, who can do it.
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[[File:StyxAndStonesBar.jpg|center|400px]]
=Update: 07/05/20=
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*<b>Streetwise:</b> Additional information has been added about how things work, what's available and some fun additions to rp at the Styx. Just jump over to the bar and type .street. it will give you loads of rpable information to add to your scenes at the bar. So, if you're some criminal type head over and check it out.
 
 
 
=Update: 04/24/20=
 
[[File:Wraith-plot-02.png|150px|right]]
 
*<b>Styx and Shadows:</b> The Styx has always had rumors surrounding it as a 'haunted bar'. Whether it was from weird stuff moving when no one was near it, or strange words scrawled in the fogged mirror behind the bar or sudden spurts of boiling hot water in the bathrooms. No one's given it much attention but recently some Wraith have begun an investigation into the supernatural history of the bar.
 
*<b>Stones and Specters:</b> Then, a curious pair of Wraith seemed to take an interest in the bar and started to poke around. It took them into the back room with all of its strange, calligraphic writing on the walls and down to the basement with its own secrets. Their investigations revealed more than one secret buried below the bricks of the basement and caused quite a [[2020.04.24 Styx, Stones and Spectres|stir]] for the bar's owner.
 
*<b>Spirits and Lives:</b> The bar is now host to a few wraith who wish to further their understanding of the bar and its connection to their world. (<b>[[Plot:Shadows_and_Bones|Closed-Plot]]</b>)
 
 
 
=Update: 04/19/20=
 
*<b>New Meat:</b> Apparently someone else took the offer and has put on the t-shirt of a piece of fresh meat at the bar. The girl's name is <b>Imogen</b> and who's to say how long she'll last.
 
 
 
=Update: 03/08/20=
 
*<b>Cook Out?:</b> Rumors in and around the Styx start circulating that the boss,<b>[[Dawson]]</b>, has started ordering large quantities of beef. Originally Tommy, the cook and master of the kitchen thought that there must be some kind of big event coming up and that the freezer was just getting stocked in advance. Nope. Now sides of beef aren't small, nor are they cheap. So when one showed up in the walk-in freezer Tommy's eyes started to gleam with the possibilities of what he could do with all that meat. And then another showed up - well, maybe there was an error in the order. And then a third and finally a fourth; two whole cows of beef got ordered and stuck into his freezer. But when he could finally ask the boss what was up - the beef was gone and Dawson just told the cook that it must have been a mistake and he'd look into it.
 
 
 
=Update: 03/04/20=
 
*<b>Blue Dragons:</b> After [[Naomi]] wandered into the bar and had a few drinks, her exit was noted by the Blue Dragon Gang (see [[MoGui]]). The woman left the bar with three of the Dragon boys following but was fast enough to outrun them at first. By the time they got back to their bikes to run her down she was already lost in the streets and alleys of downtown.
 
*<b>OOC: Theme:</b> New code was added to the bar to help convey the theme of the place. It details things like music, decorations, the clients and the general feel of the place. Once you're in the main room just type .theme
 
 
 
=Update: 02/04/20=
 
*<b>Bombing:</b> Rumors fly wildly that some kind of weird, metal cylinder was found in the mysterious Lost and Found box by the bar. The metal tube was sealed, with no apparent openings, and baring a Bio hazard symbol on one end. [[Evonnia]] seems to have found it in the box and was trying everything she could think of to open it. Unable to force it open, she threw it at someone ([[Joel]]) and it exploded in mid-air. The detonation cloud covered people at one of the booths in a shower of stripper glitter.
 
 
 
=Update: 12.13/19=
 
*<b>Missing Gang:</b> Rumors are circulating wildly from Imperial Beach all the way up to Oceanside that a biker gang has vanished. The gang is/was called Los Lobos Locos and was located in Chula Vista. The group was small, numbering only about a dozen or so riders, and was just getting themselves established when they heard of someone encroaching upon their claimed territory from Tijuana. Armed to the teeth and wearing their colors proudly, the gang headed south one night and was never seen again. What's more interesting is that their roost - an old country house just outside of Chula Vista - looked like it was hit by a tornado the next night. Every window was broken, every door was practically ripped off its frame. Furniture was tossed around inside like it was nothing but no one was found.
 
 
 
*<b>Almost a Ruckus:</b> It seems as though some ladies came in the bar and started buying shots and food for people. You'd think that this would have been a great thing but somehow things quickly spiraled into a near drunken brawl as someone was heard screaming about roots and trees and ...well, it gets a bit hazy at that point.
 
 
 
=Update: 11/19/19=
 
*<b>Trouble on Two legs:</b> Another in a series of drop-dead, nearly unbelievably gorgeous women just wander into the Styx and the bikers are starting to pick up on the trend. Before they got overly friendly, Dawson encouraged the woman that if she's just there for a drink that she should finish up and get out before they start to surround her. (Log: [[2019.11.18:_Trouble_on_Two_Legs|Trouble on Two Legs]]) and new +view to help people understand what they should expect within the Styx. ([https://pastebin.com/hfKynqCp Pastebin])
 
 
 
=Update: 8/10/19=
 
*<b>Midnight Special:</b> Word is circulated among the tradition mages through whatever means is common and reliable for information to be spread for each group: Dawson, the owner of the Styx and Stones bar and leader of the Harbingers Biker Club, has made an offer of hospitality and refuge to the members of the Traditions.  Should someone need temporary refuge from the dangers on the street, he explains that they only need to contact him through the Styx. His offer includes at least three nights of shelter, showers, laundry and and plenty of bar food to hold them over. Anything beyond the three nights or the confines of his basic offer will require further negotiation. And, as expressed, this is an offer of hospitality and all those wishing his aid will abide by the ancient traditions. Just go to the bar and ask for a "Midnight Special".
 
 
 
=Update: 8/9/19=
 
*<b>Window Fixed:</b> The large window by what was the booths in the bar has been repaired - this time with the safety glass that doesn't shatter on the first impact. The owner, [[Dawson]], reportedly threw a brick at it to test the claims and it didn't break. Not saying that it will hold up against a bullet but it should last them a while at least.
 
 
 
*<b>Kwazy Koreans:</b> The Khang Pae biker club, the Korean bikers that shot up the bar a while back, have apparently gone crazy. One night, their members seemed to turn on themselves in a massive shot-out that left no one standing. Those sources close to the gang suggest that their internal politics finally boiled over into a jealousy-fueled fight for new leadership. Other sources claim that three lieutenants seemed to "suddenly" turn on their leaders and all those who supported them. Then, to eliminate potential rivals, began trying to kill one another that left them all dead.
 
 
 
*<b>Bronze Tigers:</b> Possibly to fill a potential void left by the Khang Pae, the Chinese Tong has decided to start mingling in and around the bar occasionally. Never in small groups, the tigers have been dispatched by the higher-ups in Chinatown to locate and destroy anyone attempting to do illegal business in or near their territory without permission. Why they're at the Styx is anyone's guess.
 
 
 
=Update: 7/30/19=
 
*<b>Reconstruction:</b> [[Dawson]], owner of the Styx, has been heard saying that he's already in the process of repairing and reconstructing the damage caused by the gang fight the other evening. The large window that was above the booths is still covered by the large hunk of plywood. Rather than leaving it natural wood in color, Dawson had it painted black with the message "Still Open" in neon green spray paint. The booths by the window have been demolished and the remains hauled away so that he can make space for their replacements. The large mirror, however, couldn't be salvaged, neither could the bust of Charon that was blown to bits by gunfire. No word on whether he's planning on replacing either of them.
 
*<b>Deaths:</b> One of the Fresh Meat, a guy named Freddy, died in the gunfight - hit by one of the first bullets as he emerged from the kitchen. No family or other connections were known for the man. Dawson was reported to say that those who are thought to be responsible will be sure to hear from him soon. Alternately, a single member of the attacking force was killed by parties unnamed, and this lends people to look to the Khang Pae Gang - though the authorities are still "looking into the matter".
 
 
 
=Update: 7/29/19=
 
[[File:Fatal-shooting.jpg|250px|right]]
 
*<b>Fire Fight:</b> Members of the Kkangpae gang decided to try and take out their enemies, the Bjorning, in the late hours of the night. Molotov cocktails broke through the window near the booths and made a curtain of fire that prevented anyone from getting out through the front. Then they started shooting at the viking-like bikers inside and their enemies fired back. Bullets and fire broke the large mirror behind the bar and killed the lights inside. Damage is reported to be moderate to the front of the bar and someone sealed it up with plywood sheets until they can get the mess cleaned up. [[Lin]], [[Sharon Donovan|Sharon]], [[Raise]], [[Shane_King|Shane]] and [[Elijah (Changeling)|Elijah]] were present when the attack happened and rumors circle wildly that [[Dawson]] took a bad shot to the shoulder and went down.
 
 
 
*<b>Fatal Shooting:</b> Rumors swirl around the Styx like flies as word circulates around the city that at least one person was killed during the attack possibly more. Onlookers swear that they saw some of the bikers in the bar hauling a body away before the authorities arrive. Also, though unconfirmed, the owner of the bar - a man named [[Dawson]] - was shot during the exchange and hasn't been seen since.
 
 
 
*<b>Damage to the Styx:</b>  A recent attack by one of the gangs has damaged the bar. The large window by the booths (see +view here/Map) was broken by hurled flaming bottles. The booths have been burnt to the point of destruction and the closest pool table was seriously scorched by the fire. Decorations like the Ferryman statue on the wall and the large mirror behind the bar was also broken by incoming small arms fire.  Plywood has been anchored to the outside of the bar to block off the broken window and most of the damage has been removed (but not replaced). The booths are gone, the mirror is gone and the ferryman is gone. The smell of smoke is still in the air and the lights are being repaired - and tend to flicker a lot).
 
 
 
=Update: 7/19/19=
 
*<b>Raw:</b> [[File:Raw-Stamp.jpg|right|200px]] It seems that [[Dawson]] has given the door man at the Styx a new stamp to mark the underage folks who are foolish enough to enter into the bar. Following in the theme that he 's created at the bar: new employees are called "Fresh Meat" and they have to complete a week-long audition known as "Meat Week" he's definitely got a /carnal/ sense of humor. Either way, tagging someone as "raw" has definitely gotten a rise out of the Bikers in the Back (tm). One patron equated the idea to tossing a bucket of chum to a swarm of sharks. Dawson just smiled.
 
 
 
=Update: 6/20/19=
 
*<b>Dungeon:</b> A scandalous rumor has started to float around that there's some kind of creepy sex dungeon below the bar. Fresh Meat that doesn't make it through their initiation week are taken below to be reeducated. When asked, the owner and most of the staff just laugh at the idea, but a few people who tried to work there and quit before their Meat Week was up said that they heard strange sounds coming from down there. Men, women...girls...and sometimes boys would go down for hours. No one was allowed down there either. Could be just a rumor spread by an ex-employee that couldn't cut it. Might have some element of truth, but Dawson ain't talking and no one gets in there. So who knows.
 
 
 
=Update: 5/30/19=
 
*<b>A Wake:</b> Word gets out that there's another wake planned at the bar. It seems that [[Devon_Oliver|Devon]] has been tapped to join the [[Harbingers]] and her initiation is scheduled for 'soon'.
 
 
 
=Update: 5/21/19=
 
*<b>More Meat:</b> [[Devon_Oliver|Devon]] did her first hire - after some interesting exchanges - and pulled in [[Kaori]], one of Miss Eva's girls that's looking for more vertical work.
 
 
 
=Update: 5/17/19=
 
*<b>Floor Lead:</b> [[Devon_Oliver|Devon]] was promoted to stand with Tommy and Danny as one of the three leaders of the bar. Tommy leads the Back, Danny Leads the Bar and now Devon leads the Floor (leader of the wait staff). Since there's plenty of Fresh Meat running around, Dawson needed to pull in someone with the skill to get the job done, wrangle the newbs and take some of the work off his shoulders.
 
 
 
=Update: 5/15/19=
 
*<b>The Last Walk:</b> Tonight was a good night. [[Wendy Mullen]], one of the pieces of meat, was called up to the bar to make her last walk. [[Dawson]] had been watching the blonde girl work and approved of her performance enough to flick the switch. The sounds of <b>Highway to Hell</b> was heard as a call-to-perform. At the end of the number she was announced, by name, as the newest member of the crew and given her name (other than just yelling "hey meat"). From then on, Wendy was a real person. ((Think of this like the Coyote Ugly Bar Dance + Intern Graduation))
 
 
 
=Update: 5/9/19=
 
*<b>Back from the Dead: </b> The party for [[Sumter]]'s initiation into the [[Harbingers]] was held at the bar. Lots of people came to mourn the loss and celebrate his revival. The motorcycle club continues to grow. (link to follow)
 
 
 
=Update: 5/6/19=
 
*<b>Wake Set:</b> The final phase of [[Sumter]]'s initiation into the Harbingers at the Styx and Stones. Details of the wake on the Harbinger's Wiki. Expecting roughly a 2 hour scene for roasts and toasts before Sumter is brought back to life by the Angel of Death. After then it's up in the air (freeform Rp). (Details of the wake to be found here: [[Harbingers]]). <br><br>Guests to include:
 
**Friends of Sumter
 
**Patrons of the Styx
 
**Harbingers
 
 
 
=Update: 5/4/19=
 
* <b>New(er) Meat: </b> <b>[[Dawson]]</b> was approached by a gang banger named <b>[[Grinch]]</b> who just got out of prison. He's covered in ink and probably one of the Aryan Brotherhood and asked for a job. They talked for a while and Dawson had some concerns about the man's temper. He told him that if he couldn't hold onto it, he'd have <b>[[Sierra]]</b> beat his ass in front of everyone and throw him out afterwards. The two came to terms and Grinch became the next candidate for Meat Week.
 
 
 
=Update: 5/3/19=
 
* <b>New Meat: </b> Last night <b>[[Dawson]]</b> hired a new piece of meat for the bar. She's a shy girl named <b>[[Wendy Mullen]]</b>. Who knows if she'll make it through the first night or her <b>Meat Week</b>
 
 
 
=Update: 5/1/19=
 
* <b>Famous Visitor: </b> Yup, you heard it right, Raise (Fame 4) stopped by the bar. You don't know who Raise is? What - you been living under a rock? Raise "The Devil" Devlin is a known name to anyone who follows the UFC. He went undefeated and held the title for a while a few years back. He is still seen pretty often in TV commercials. Yeah, -THAT- Raise. All 7+ feet and 300+ pounds of muscle. The bikers in the back (tm) nearly crapped themselves when he walked in.
 
* <b>Bathrooms Fixed: </b> Thanks to a plumbing problem, leaky toilets and more than a few angry looks from Denise - Dawson had the bathrooms renovated and they're finally back up and working (as places). So ya can stop using the alley like a bunch of heathens.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/30/19=
 
* <b>New Art: </b> A half-bodied, wall-mounted statue (like the figurehead of a ship) has been installed in the bar. the skeletal figure is covered in robes and holding a bell in one hand. The wall figure is mounted behind the bar (above the mirror)
 
* <b>Midnight Bell: </b>  Charon's Bell is rung at Midnight by the bar staff as a signal to those gathered - since there's not a single clock in the place. It's sort of a warning to those gathered that the night is progressing.
 
* <b>Charon's Court: </b> (Potentially a weekly event) whereby Charon (someone in the bar) will sit up in his chair and people can ask for favors, help, assistance "from beyond". This is all about exchanging one thing for another. Maybe you need money for rent, a different car, a job, an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend dealt with, etc. Nearly anything can be asked for - it all depends on what you're willing to pay the Ferryman.
 
*<b> Wake for the Dead: </b> (upcoming event). It's the final stage of initiation into the Harbingers. It's an open event where by people can roast/toast the person as they rest in a raised coffin before they're "resurrected" by an "angel of death" (read as: stripper).
 
 
 
=Update: 4/26/19=
 
* <b>Meat Week: </b>Styx and Stones is looking for Fresh Meat; that is to say that they're looking for people who want to work the floor as a waitress and/or bartender. All new employees are put through a week long audition during which they're considered as 'fresh meat' because of the nature of the people who tend to frequent the bar. Bikers, Drug dealers, Gangsters, etc. If you can survive your first week you're hired. This is a cash-for-service gig. You get paid nightly during your "Meat Week" (resources 1 level). Interested people should contact the owner, [[Dawson]].
 
 
 
=Update: 4/25/19=
 
* <b>A Very Bad Idea:  </b> Dawson had an idea to help improve business and relations with the local gangs. He thought that he'd have a wet t-shirt contest but rather than making it an /actual/ contest, he'd just hire some local talent from Miss Eva to put on a good show for the guys. The women get paid, the guys get a good show - what's the worst that could happen? <b>[[2019.04.25:_A_Very_Bad_Idea|Log Here]]</b>
 
 
 
=Update: 4/24/19=
 
* <b>New Merch: </b> For reasons defying explanation, Dawson has got t-shirts made for the pool hall. When asked, he said he's got a plan. Not sure what's up with that.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/22/19=
 
* <b>Lack of Fresh Meat:  </b>[[Devon_Oliver|Devon]] went and got herself hired by [[Dawson]] and "Turbo" was fired from the floor. So they're now looking for more Fresh Meat to see if they'll work out.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/20/19=
 
* <b>Auditions: </b> It looks like this week's Fresh Meat is working out, but more importantly the other audition - the one out in the alley - has gotten people's attention. One guy, [[Ken]], apparently took on a dozen bikers from two different clubs. He challenged the whole pool hall saying that he could beat the baddest MF in the room. The bikers thought they'd oblige. He trashed three of them and =scared= off the rest. Yeah, def. got the owner's attention. <b>[[2019.04.20:_Auditions,_Part_2|LOG HERE]]</b>
 
 
 
=Update: 4/19/19=
 
* <b>Fresh Meat: </b> Dawson pulled in a few pieces of Fresh Meat for the weekend. One's a guy named Josh but he likes people to call him 'Turbo' (NPC) and the other is a blonde named <b>[[Devon_Oliver|Devon]]</b>. Josh, since no one's calling him by that other name, is helping to keep the bar stocked while Devon is waiting tables. Who's to say which one will last.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/18/19=
 
* <b>Open for Business: </b> All of the renovations have been completed and the blue tarps have been taken down. The front end of the bar / hall haven't been touched much but the back end has had some work done.
 
* <b>New Hours: </b> Now that the construction is done, the hours of the pool hall / bar have been adjusted so that the place is usually only open for business in the evening. Crews report in the morning to clean up from the night before and prepare for the following night.
 
**<i><b>Nightzone</b></i>: The bar is now a nightzone with the occasional rp during daylight hours.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/17/19=
 
* <b>Almost Done</b>: The construction and renovation to the back of the place is almost done. The blue tarps still hang to keep the dust and things to a minimum. The old plywood bar has been replaced by something made of riveted steel and the old bar stools replaced by metal versions to keep them from falling apart after every Friday night fight. Repairs continue and should be done soon.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/15/19=
 
* <b>Biker Bar</b>: The place may have had its fair share of bikes parked out in front back in the day but there seems to be a consistent presence of them now. Even though the place is still being renovated, the half-dozen or so bikes switch out throughout the day suggesting that the place has become a lot more biker-friendly.
 
 
 
*<b>Have you tried the food?</b>: One of the weirdest things to come out of the new owner's control has been the quality of the food served there. Previously you'd have to be stupid to try eating anything that could be served out of that place but with the new guy, a big boy named Tommy, in the kitchen the stuff is alright. It's simple: burgers, fries and your typical bar food but the man loves his food and people love his cooking. This ain't no Applebee's but Bikers gotta eat too, right?
 
 
 
*<b>Locked Up Tight-ish</b>: Because of the recent renovations, the place is only open - hell, the doors are only unlocked when the owner is there with the work crew. If you're wanting to check the place out before it gets finished you'll have to try and find him around.
 
 
 
=Update: 4/13/19=
 
* <b>Under New Management</b>: The Pool Hall has been recently purchased by someone and they're doing renovations. He's not from the area and is rumored to have come in from Vegas.
 
 
 
* <b>Under Construction</b>: Word has it that he's slapping new paint over old walls, improving the back so that they can serve some simple bar food and trying to make the place slightly better than its reputation.
 
 
 
* <b>SSDD</b>: The place has always been a spot for criminals to gather and do business and there's no threat of that changing. The owner just seemed to want to change the look of the place if only so that it was cleaned at least once this year.
 
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Latest revision as of 14:03, 15 April 2023

StyxAndStones.jpg


Decades of hard use have left their mark on the Styx and Stones pool hall. Regulars come to rack up around a legion of battered pool and billiards tables. Heavy bolts lock the scratched wooden tables to the poured cement floor, and cheap metal racks are hammered into the sheetrock as a precaution. Cigarette smoke has yellowed the ceiling and leaves an oily residue on all the fixtures, despite there being plenty of ash trays available. Peeling posters advertising cheap Mexican and Ukrainian beers faded out long ago, their logos an arcane assortment that defies easy recognition.

Clusters of new metal bar stools belly up to high-top tables from the Soviet era. Thick shellac protects the washed-out photographs, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia from 70s and 80s-era Eastern European rallies and concerts. Generally they still serve the same vile drinks by the can or the bottle, nothing more than two bucks, and no tabs tolerated. Low rock music plays from blown-out speakers on a continuous track regardless of day or not, melting into the droning hum of overhead fans cursed to stir up the greyish-blue miasma of cigarette smoke filling the air.

StyxAndStonesBar.jpg