Bellow is the write up for a bar I plan on making a semi regular meeting spot in an upcoming campaign. The idea was for it to be a cheap discreet place for runners, smugglers, and others to do their business under the cover of being a gang hangout. I have histories for Softcore, Rachel, Rabbit, and the Devil Rats but haven't put them to paper yet. I'm looking for feedback on if it makes since in the SR universe, if it is cheesy/cliche, and general comments.
On the edge of town, beyond the reach of Knight Errant sits a decrepit bar housed inside the remains of a former Shiawase office building. The building was built in 2038 but decommissioned only two years latter after the Night of Rage left it burned and gutted. Despite this the building infrastructure has survived mostly intact. The company title has fallen apart and an "ft" has been spray painted next to it. All together they warn would be patrons that they are entering the “Sh a ft”. A view from AR is even less welcoming, the place is covered in virtual Devil Rats who will attack anyone who attempts to approach the building, their are no access codes outside of the admin account and the network its self is disconnected from the buildings security. From the astral the bar is also a mess. A haze of violence and twisted need covers the building with an intense angry glow forming a shaft down the middle. A careful study though will reveal that the glow seems to wrap its self around the third floor instead of penetrating.
The bar is run by a burned out runner who goes by the handle of Softcore and an aged cat girl who claims the name of Rachel. Softcore is a wiry older human with a penchant to refer to any violence that doesn't end in death as "Softcore". Rachel's left cyber cat ear twitches constantly, making a slight screeching noise and the stub of her once tail is a noted mass of flesh. However Rachel's body belies a much more hardy spirit. Finally being her own person has strengthened her resolve and the new "family" she has made from her boys and girls has given her a purpose. Anyone caught abusing them, without consent, will meet a swift end. Softcore's chief bouncer and resident hacker is Rabbit. A troll best known for his love of violence and perma grin. The bar's security and atmosphere is augmented by the local Go-Gang and part time smugglers, the Devil Rats. A gang who earned their name from their love of using Devil Rats as torture and execution devices.
On the first floor can be found the entrance in what use to be the lobby. A patron is first confronted by the security booth where Rabbit, and two mounted light machine guns sit. No obvious weapons are allowed beyond this point. The security desk is connected to a metal cage on the side, shaping the lobby into an L shaped corridor. Across from the cage is the elevator shaft from which the bar gets its name.
Once past Rabbit a patron can partake of any of the services the cage offers, observe the bars name sake, take the stairs, or continue on into the bar. At the cage a patron can pay for the services of any of Rachel’s girls or boys, place a bet on one of the Shafts pit fights, or sign up to be a fighter in the pit. The shaft it’s self is the remains of of the buildings main elevator shaft and is the source of the bars name. The bar has few rules but those who break them will find them selves beaten and hanging within it. If Softcore is in a practically nasty mood a car battery and set of jumper cabals can be had for 1 nuyen a use, this is a popular past time among the Devil Rats. Beyond the shaft is the bar its self.
The bar is housed within the remains of the offices cafeteria. The kitchen and counter still function serving beer and bar food. The beer isn’t complete piss, the furniture can survive a troll, and if the patron knows the right phrases high quality booze can be purchased.
If you head down the stairs you will find the hollowed out remains of the gym. A metal cage occupies most of the room and the floor is covered in a dull red haze of debris. The caged fights are rarely to the death but accidents do happen.
On the second floor is a set of offices that have been upgraded with used mattresses. At the back of the floor four of the rooms have been marked with special placards. The first bears the image of a pair of blood shot orc eyes and is characterized by a large glass window with several chairs in front. The room next to it bears the image of a bullwhip, the door locks from the outside. The next room shows the image of a razor blade covered in dried blood. The final rooms picture is simply black. A careful examination of the last two rooms reveals that they are seldom used and posses locks well beyond what should be in a brothel.
The third floor is completely clean, the windows have been covered to block any light, strange plants grow along the edge, and an ambient buzzing/hissing noise can be faintly heard. AR reveals a strange library of solid locked metal books. If the client has the right key the book can be opened revealing information on a service or commodity that that can acquired through Softcore. Additionally the third floor network has access to the buildings external security cameras and with some probing and hacking external security measures. From the astral the environment appears sterilized of emotion with walls generated by the plants blocking access to the individual rooms. It is within these offices that the buildings primary business is conducted and an actual profit is turned.
Edited based on comments