I haven't written these up yet.
The general idea is that the Atlantean Clubs are based on the Gentlemen's Clubs of London.
Some clubs are for the very wealthy, while others are for aristocrats. Almost all are for Atlantean citizens only. Membership is very exclusive, and player characters are amongst those excluded.
There are a few exceptions, which I may describe in due course.
If the players feel left out, so much the better. They're not really left out of anything interesting, but let their natural paranoia lead them into thinking they are.
Essentially, a club exists so that people can enjoy the company of like-minded people. In the clubs for very rich merchants, very rich merchants meet other very rich merchants and converse about things which interest very rich merchants, such as ways of not paying quite as much tax as they ought while not actually breaking any laws. In the clubs for aristos, aristos meet other aristos and whinge about how dreadful it is that aristos no longer have any political power. It's hardly the stuff of which adventures are made.
Eventually, the player characters will have twigged that nothing of interest ever happens in the clubs. Then, and not before, feel free to start a conspiracy. Perhaps the aristos, tired of whinging, are preparing to do something violent to regain power.
If a player character does join a club, the costs are slightly higher than those of joining a Learned Society, while the benefits are similar but not as useful:
Some obvious clubs do not exist, for good reasons:
It is very easy for player characters to misconstrue what happens at the Indoor Sports Club.
The club owns a building just to the west of the fishing docks,
in a rough part of Atlantis well to the west of the city centre.
Anyone observing the building will note that most of the people who go in our out
are attractive young women dressed (I use the term loosely) in bikinis.
If you use the right tone of voice, player characters will hear inverted commas around "Indoor Sports".
If they enquire at reception, they will be informed that the Indoor Sports Club
is a venue at which young women can play table-tennis.
This is almost entirely true
(the game is not exactly the same as table-tennis, but it is near enough).
Male player characters will be asked to leave.
Female player characters may be admitted.
The standard of play is very high:
visiting adventurers sometimes turn up and play, and almost always lose.
The reasons the club is where is are that
(firstly) land in this part of the city is relatively cheap, and
(secondly) that, as a result of the proximity of the fishing docks,
the nearby sashimi restaurants are the best in the city - the fish is really fresh.
Player characters will be told this if they enquire.
This explanation is also almost entirely true.
Female player characters interested in table-tennis may ask to join the Indoor Sports Club.
Those with dexterity 16 or higher and charisma/appearance 15 or higher will probably be accepted
(particularly if they look good in bikinis).
The costs are slightly lower than those of a typical gentlemen's club,
as one would expect given that the clubhouse is some way from the city centre.
The reality only gradually becomes apparent:
this is one of the most subversive organisations in Atlantis.
The regular members are sirines,
descendents of those sirines who were displaced when the city of Atlantis expanded to the west.
They do not mind the city as such - even humans have to live somewhere -
but they are really annoyed about the way pollution from the city centre
always flows west through "their" waterways.
If matters get any worse, they may be forced into "non-violent direct action".
Sociological note:
sirines have been part (a small part) of Atlantean society for several generations,
and for the most part have been assimilated.
They have human-style names, including surnames inherited from their fathers.
The club is organised and run by Francina Thanikhan,
who also happens to be the best table-tennis player.
[AD&D-Specific]
Francina Thanikhan, sirine female,
Str 10 Dex 18 Con 13 Int 16 Wis 16 Cha 16 Align N Hp 75.
Druid, level 8; Bard, level 8.
Assume that sirines cast clerical spells at their actual level (in Francina's case, 8th)
but cast wizard spells at a minimum of 11th level.
Other notable and active members include
Fraja Peketin, Adhura Letegre, Nauerne Anikhan, Taali Damelzulny and Rolniri Bericteaux.
All have, on occasions, gone adventuring with parties of human adventurers.
[AD&D-Specific]
Fraja Peketin, sirine female,
Str 13 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 15 Wis 16 Cha 15 Align CN Hp 68.
Cleric, level 7; Bard, level 8.
[AD&D-Specific]
Adhura Letegre, sirine female,
Str 12 Dex 18 Con 12 Int 17 Wis 16 Cha 14 Align CN Hp 56.
Cleric, level 7; Transmuter, level 7.
Adhura is a paid-up member of the
Learned Society of Alteration and Alchemy.
[AD&D-Specific]
Nauerne Anikhan, sirine female,
Str 14 Dex 18 Con 13 Int 17 Wis 15 Cha 13 Align N Hp 57.
Thief, level 8; Illusionist, level 8.
[AD&D-Specific]
Taali Damelzulny, sirine female,
Str 13 Dex 18 Con 14 Int 18 Wis 11 Cha 15 Align CN Hp 51.
Song Mage, level 9.
[AD&D-Specific]
Rolniri Bericteaux, sirine female,
Str 12 Dex 18 Con 16 Int 16 Wis 9 Cha 18 Align N Hp 63.
Bard, level 8; Enchantress, level 7.
Rolniri is a paid-up member of the
Learned Society of Conjuration, Binding and Enchantment.
Several other club members are standard sirines with no additional adventuring skills.
There are also a few token humans.
Eakosta,
Krylona and
Zalixa
turn up at the club sometimes.
They are not full members, but they like playing table-tennis and look good in bikinis.
They are well aware of what else is going on, and sympathise.
They think that "non-violent direct action" sounds like fun,
and want to be involved when it happens.
Indoor Sports Club
Leading Members