Briarport Casino

Tucked just off the main promenade of Porto Radica, past a pair of ornamental iron gates and down a lantern-lit marble lane, stands the Briarport Casino; a den of velvet glamour and whispered deals. It's not hidden, exactly – everyone knows where it is – but one doesn't simply stumble across it. You arrive. And those who don’t belong rarely feel tempted to linger.

Situated in a quieter, more refined quarter of New Briarport, conveniently alongside the mainland access to Rosa di Rovo, the casino offers an experience of curated luxury. The exterior is understated: dark stone veined with silver, draped in climbing ivy, its signage is subtle gold script carved into obsidian. Within, however, the mood shifts – soft music, gilded chandeliers, and rich carpets soaked in reds and blacks. A vaulted ceiling gives space for balconies for security to watch over the patrons. Here, fortunes change hands at dice tables, card games, and private salons sealed by invitation.

To the public, it is a place of taste and temptation. To the Thorn Syndicate, it is a vital artery in their network; a front for laundering illicit gains, run by Boella, one of their own. High rollers and politicians rub elbows over fine wine and falsified ledgers, while backroom vaults keep coin and secrets alike under lock.