The Arena (Post only if referenced by a moderator!)

[Zion]

The Arena hardly fit its name. It was not the arena one might expect to see outside- a magnificent coliseum, walls towering at the sky as if to challenge the gods themselves, rows and rows of raised seats, a thousand spectators cheering for the strongest fighter to defeat his opponent; under the dome of Aetheria, to the scorching light of the suns and the judgement of both the crowd and the gods... No, the Arena under Narim's streets, where deceit and mockery of the law were abundant was far from what its name suggested...

It was quite dark, for one. The only light visible emanated from the eight mammoth torches perched on the eight corners of the octagonal ring, mounted on massive iron bars which extended from the thick, rough stone walls. The walls themselves were raised to a considerable height of 15 feet; above and beyond them, blurred shadows moved, talked and laughed in expectation of the upcoming battle. The ceiling was a mass of black, unseen with the feeble light which lit the ring itself. The stands beyond the ring were cleverly concealed by the setting of light, masking the shadowy figures while allowing them to view in detail what was taking place within the ring- none of the fighters ever knew who was watching. They only knew the spectators were rich. And corrupt. Their voices echoed strangely, as if the Arena was set within some sort of hull- another clever trick, causing the voices to turn unintelligable over a distance, making them utterly impossible to fit for a person. Creating the Arena was obviously hard, and costly- despite the actual craftsmanship being hidden by shadows.

But the ring itself was the sight. It was here where the Arena stood equal to all grand coliseums. The perfectly octagonal plain was sixty feet across. The torch setting lit it perfectly, without a single shadowy spot. The floor was roughly cut stone; on top of it was a thin layer of dust, sand and tiny rocks, creating an environment very similar to actual ground- the only difference would be felt, not seen- and all the warriors felt it, sooner or later. It was less than unpleasant to land, flat on your back, on the ring's floor- the feeling was exactly like being slammed into solid rock. Every warrior knew how it felt. And they wouldn't forget the first time.

The walls were places of death. Iron spikes jutted out of the stone walls in random locations and in random heights; they were covered in a suspicious, reddish-brown dust- perhaps the rusty cover was caused by simple, innocent moisture... The walls, having been roughly cut, bore many bulges, some with naturally sharp, grainy surfaces; some with smooth, marble-sleek areas, which shone in a manner which made them seem extraordinarily tough. On three spots, each ten feet up a wall, were perched a longsword, a hammer and an axe, shining, taunting, as if saying, "Grab us, and your win is guaranteed..." The last noticeable feature was the sturdy, heavy iron door through which entered the warriors of the Arena. Simple. Effective. Whenever the door opened with a squeak, all knew- a battle ensues...

OoC: You may post here only if (at least) one of the following has been done:
A. You have been referred here by a moderator in one of your threads.
B. You have received word, IC, of the Arena and have worked IC to find it (and your efforts have been confirmed by a moderator).