Arena City

        Almost as large as Sin itself, Arena City is the epicenter of Tamara's gladitorial industry. Second only to the slave trade (and often crossing over), the many arenas that are the city's namesake attract hundreds of thousands in any given week. By Tamaran law, each of these arenas must comply with the rotating schedule of themes provided by the Decider, each 'theme' being the style of execution or the featured species of monster displayed. For instance, 'Conflagration Week' features any number of gruesome incindiary executions, along with fire beasts, fire mages, and other such combatants, while 'Dismemberment Week' focuses on more physical gore and monsters known to tear their prey limb from limb. Every year, the least popular week is replaced with a new theme, and all combatants associated with the discontinued theme are horribly killed (generally in the style of the newly-invented theme). As such, both the arena managers and the combatants will always try to put on the best possible show for the masses. Some of the most popular themes - those that have been running for years or even decades - include 'Dragon Week', 'Giant Week', and 'Champions Week', the last theme week of the year (and the most popular), during which the reigning champions of each arena assemble to do battle in a non-stop bloodbath that can last for days. The emerging victor is crowned Grand Champion, and the sponsoring arena receives a prize of one thousand Tamaran crowns (roughly one million coin). This purse is paid not by the Decider, as many believe, but by the arenas whose champions fell to the final victor.

        The city is located on the rolling, windswept plains of the Tamaran midlands, and forms a sort of nexus point between twelve major roads that branch out over the northern portion of the island. This facilitates the frantic import of slaves, animals, and monsters for the arenas, and the city is often referred to as 'The Last Stop'. Every day, hundreds of beings, sentient and beastial, are killed in the arenas for the delight of the Tamaran spectators. These bloody spectacles have little, if any, nobility to them, and most are simply graphic displays of death and carnage. Slaves who are too old, too young, or otherwise unable to work are slaughtered here, often en mass. These slaves, known as 'sluf' (slaughter fodder), are then used to feed the more valued arena beasts, or even the spectators during 'Canibalism Week'.

        Most of the arenas, like so many other business establishments in the empire, are owned by wealthy gorg merchant costers. The gorgs aren't especially fond of blood sports, though they have taken full advantage of the humans and their love of violence in order to create arenas of exceptional splendor, and spectacles that spare no expense. Of course, in order to put on such shows, magical manipulation is frequently employed to extend the fights or fix the betting odds so that the house wins a greater share - all done subtly of course. The gorgs are also into merchandising, auctioning off monsters, weapons, and even arranging private shows for their wealthier clientel. Needless to say, Arean City is one of their largest operations, and the competition between merchant houses is quite fierce. Equally fierce is the rivalry between fans of oposing champions, and riots have been known to errupt after the death of especially popular gladiators, often spilling out into the surrounding streets.

The Atlas Coloseum

        The largest and certainly the most prestigious of the city's arenas is the Atlas, a circular arena that seats up to seventy thousand, with standing room for another twenty. It is here that that greatest battles are fought, with creatures too large or too dangerous for the other arenas, or events attended by the Decider herself. The famous Atlas Beastiary, a sort of dungeon below the arena itself, contains hundreds of exotic and deadly creatures from all over Rym, and slavers make considerable money on any captives that the arena masters deem worthwhile. The money is so good, in fact, that the slave trade has exploded into epidemic proportions, and few places on Rym are safe from the appetites of the Tamaran spectators. The owner of the Atlas, a gorg merchant lord named Ono Glunt, has recently taken over the operation from his senile father, and set his sights on the islands of Cekus and the phoenix that is reputed to live there. He is certain that such a creature would bring crowds the likes of which the Atlas has never known; a creature that could be killed, only to rise again for the delight of the spectators. A recyclable monster. He personally offers a reward of one hundred Tamaran crowns for her capture.

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