The Club Cassiopea

 In the deepest parts of the Hala'ib Triangle lies a nameless town, buried behind miles of thick rock and shrubland.

The plants here grow in inconceivable ways; dry grass crawling up abandoned homes like vines in a swamp, tall reeds engulfing doorframes and windows. It is a dead place where mud bricks make up shattered homes and lambasted doors. 

But it is in this place that an entryway hides in plain sight. An old cathedral, home to a God far older than the nation it resides in, buried in the sands of time. This is the door, and like all places with the same door, one only needs a key to enter.

Accessibility

The Club Cassiopea is a lounge of monsters made by creatures of the night for creatures of the night. It is a safe space for beings of all races and creeds, an extradimensional corner of the universe reserved just for them. Vampires, werewolves, ghouls and ghosts from every denomination imaginable by human minds, not to mention those which man are better off living without.

There is only one Club Cassiopea but multiple entrances. A pub in Fermanagh, an abandoned distillery in St. Louis, and a tunnel system in Serangoon. Hundreds of locations across dozens of countries.

The intention is more important than location when it comes to accessibility. So long as you have a key, finding your way inside is relatively easy. Invites usually involve silver disks wrapped in leather kites, like origami. Most creatures can at the very least handle the presence of silver, even if unnerved by it.

An aesthetic not too dissimilar to fancy saloons.
By Erica Werner

Miscibility

Technology is a bane to existence. A crutch given to those who were not born with the power to protect themselves and incapable of handling the strain of taking it. But there are hypocrites in all facets of the world, even those ruled by monsters.

It is a rule that no ordinary human be allowed on the grounds of The Club Cassopea, lest they be invited with an accord. This is a broad rule but a tight one, as many of The Club's patrons include Wizards, Psychics, and other extraordinary humans. An ordinary man in their halls is the same as a rat among grains. 

No forged weaponry is allowed on the premises; no swords, no hammers, and especially no guns. Such tools are seen as anathema to the collective consciousness of The Club, another sign of mankind's inability to fend for itself. 

Every piece of technology is constructed with the vaguest imitation of the human form in mind. The Club's interior most commonly resembles an old pub, candlelight flickering beneath the glass cover of braziers and lanterns. Chairs are made in the design of man's most extraordinary sculptures, manipulated every slightly to avoid humanoid ire. Walls, tables, bricks, and stone are all crafted in an uncanny valley between human and deranged.

Lightbulbs shake in their plugs because they aren't full of electricity, but bioluminescent bugs. That wall feels like it's staring at you. It is.

Culpability

Most go to The Club Cassiopea to relax; rewinding is a rare art in the field of intelligent monsters, so a universal location for all serves as an essential part of the social ecosystem. Vampires often recruit loyal, willing servants from around the world here, as do wizards find new thralls to experiment on.

The design changes, but the goal remains the same.
By David J. Crewe

Agreements are made in parchment and blood, signed and shaken upon while surrounded by witnesses. Such agreements often fall through from betrayal or loopholes in contracts, but enough are maintained for the concept to matter. The Club Cassiopea is an exception, not the rule, and many would see that things remain this way. 

Violence isn't forbidden in the halls either. Many have been killed after a troll was spoiled by their drink, or when a demon finally had enough of some wizard's attempts at concubining. The only proper laws are those against forged weaponry and humans, and wizards alone have abstracted both, but a series of good-faith rules have sprung in their place. 

Violence is looked down upon, but accepted if it can be justified.

Sex, substance abuse, and chicanery are all tolerated in moderation. Devils who always go back on their word rarely get to make another in The Club.

No Phones. No laptops, no digital watches, and don't carry something in the open that can obviously harm another patron. A Lycanthrope eyeing your silver sword will take it as a threat. A challenge, perhaps.

The Lady

The Lady is the owner of The Club Cassiopea, serving as its caretaker and primary guardian in all situations. She is the reason for The Club's creation and its anti-humanist laws, having made her disdain for mankind a sort of brand for The Club. 

The Lady is a stockbroker, handling all business transactions that bleed through The Club Cassiopea. She is open to admitting her considerable hand in the bounty hunting business, putting up contracts for dangerous or interesting individuals of every race. Her spy networks are massive, stretching across most of the known world on the earth's surface.

Every job posted by The Lady is financed directly from her coffers. This serves both as a reminder of her seemingly endless wealth and an excuse to involve herself. She has a penchant for eavesdropping.

Very few know of The Lady's true appearances. Her private chamber within The Club is often obscured in veils and smoke, its aesthetic hinting at the very least to some middle-eastern genesis point. Any accords she may hold with visitors are usually between a thick sheet of silk, with only the vaguest outline of The Lady visible. Ironically, the shape she most commonly presents with this shadow is that of a humanoid woman, a detail she openly despises.

Humans sometimes make deals with The Lady. Unlike her many patrons, she has no patience or insincerity for her honest thoughts about mankind. Regardless, they sometimes serve as an excellent last resort when getting things done, much to her dismay.

The Lady's Wishes

1. Government Special Forces have implanted themselves in a specific region, searching for an object of The Lady's interest.
2. An object of importance has been stolen from The Club Cassiopea, belonging to an influential patron of The Lady herself.
3. The laws of The Club Cassiopea have been violated, and now an ex-patron threatens to allow dangerous humans access to its halls.
4. A pact has been made under The Lady's watchful eye, which you are now tasked with ensuring.
5. A door has been broken, and its magic unleashed on the nearby populace.
6. The Lady hungers for excitement. She will point you in the right direction and ask you to bring her something interesting.