I've see a lot of comparisions between the Great Kingdom and the Roman Empire. Perhaps they both share a similar taste for bloodsport, as well?
Originally posted by Yamo
Just curious. I've always loved gladiators.
I've see a lot of comparisions between the Great Kingdom and the Roman Empire. Perhaps they both share a similar taste for bloodsport, as well?
According to the Player's Guide to Greyhawk and the Adventure begins, there is a guild of Gladiators, Wrestlers and Professional Combatants in the City of Greyhawk.
PGTG - 30
TAB - 103
Hrmm, Wes. I seemed to interpret that "the Pit" (F8 on most maps) is not so secret and pits human vs monster on occasion.
it is not a well kept secret at any rate ;)
Dorakaa and Molag would have arenas.
um Pumjab ... pum---
what ever, it's the setting for the Slaver's series, ... they would probably have gladatorial pits.
In that article, I decided to inject a little life into Greyhawk's "Free City Arena," which previously had been a place for inter-collegiate soccer matches and peformances. Fine, for all that, but a little too pedestrian for the greatest city of adventurers in all of D&D history.
The location write-up begins "Oeridians have been obsessed with bloodsport since before the migrations, and a common truism throughout the Flanaess holds that one can determine the influence of oeridians upon a given city by measuring the size and resplendence of its coliseum."
In fact, what the hell. Here's the entire write-up.
C12: Free City Arena
Oeridians have been obsessed with bloodsport since before the migrations, and a common truism throughout the Flanaess holds that one can determine the influence of Oeridians upon a given city by measuring the size and resplendence of its coliseum. Originally built during the reign of Ponjes the Bull, when Greyhawk was considered a de facto outpost of the Great Kingdom, Greyhawk’s once-impressive arena was allowed to degenerate throughout the years, as the city swelled with autonomy and individualism. In ruins by the time the infamous Zagig Yragerne came to power, that worthy figure made improving the arena a crucial part of his early agenda. “We can still ignore the arrogance of the Overkings,” he once said, “without ignoring the fact that it’s amusing to watch two gladiators kill each other for the adoration of a loving public.”
Zagig employed a cadre of architectural virtuosos to craft one of the most spectacular arenas in modern times. After Zagig’s disappearance, the Directing Oligarchy forbade lethal combat in the arena, preferring to focus on athletic competitions between the city’s many colleges (the brutal sport of jumps remains popular, no doubt in part because its players occasionally manage to suffer lethal injuries on the field). Last year, Mayor Gasgal reinstated lethal combat in the arena as a means to deal with overcrowding in the city’s workhouses. Hardened criminals are now given the opportunity to do battle against imported creatures or each other at biweekly day-long festivals of violence. The irony that vicious criminals now rank among some of Greyhawk’s most popular residents is not lost upon the cynical inhabitants of the city.
In addition to sport and gladiatorial combat, the Free City Arena sees action as a home to militia and city watch drills, countless open-air performances, musical concerts, and holiday celebrations. At least once a year, guild wizards seal the field’s two entrances with walls of force and flood the lower levels of the structure, allowing for simulated naval battles that draw observers from as far as Nyrond.
The arena holds up to 20,000 spectators, and consists of fifteen sections situated around an ovular field of play. Four large gates at the east, west, and south of the arena allow large crowds to enter and exit the structure on a timely basis. Players and gladiators enter the arena from smaller gates at the east and west, which are in turn connected to a vast understructure of caves, animal pens, and storage chambers. Seats along the northern side of the arena command greater prices, with the most expensive section being that situated just left of the western gate. This section bears the Grand Box of the Lord Mayor, where Gasgal and his honored guests admire the competition under the shade of an elaborately columned roof. In addition to space for dozens of cronies and functionaries, the Box contains an elaborate wooden throne known as Zagig’s Seat, which to this day is left empty should the city’s infamous mayor drop by for a bit of sport.
DM’s Notes: The catacomb of passages under the arena contains dozens of beasts and creatures from all over the Flanaess, and even a few from the outer planes. A current champion brawler, known locally as Vorrex the Bear-faced Mangler, has ravaged all opponents in the four months since he was first introduced. The ursine figure is in fact a guardinal, a normally chaotic good outsider dedicated to contemplative philosophical pursuits. In late 591 CY, a group of adventurers from Safeton known as the Crimson Cadre sold the creature to the arena for a pretty penny, claiming to have captured it in an expedition to the Pomarj. In fact, the beast’s name is Abulax the Even-Handed. Captured by the cadre after he foiled their attempt to unleash the demon lady Ahrimanes to assist the forces of Turrosh Mak, the creature now suffers under a powerful magical compulsion. Abulax outwardly revels in his new destructive role while inwardly seething with rage at his current status. If released from his ordeal he might be able to point his benefactors in the direction of the Crimson Cadre, who no doubt plan to renew their demonic quest.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dungeon Magazine
Originally posted by abysslin
Hrmm, Wes. I seemed to interpret that "the Pit" (F8 on most maps) is not so secret and pits human vs monster on occasion.
I concur, tAB and the Player's Guide don't really give any notion that the pit or the pro-wrestling type spectacles that go on there are secret. It is entirely possible that more lethal and serious duels and sortees are held there in secret though.
While it's a bit silly the way it was laid out in canon, I've had a fair bit of fun with the Pit, allowing the PCs in one sidetrek chapter of the campaign to form their own 'battle troupe' and engage in some pretty wild matches in between their delving into the dark secrets of the city and the infamous castle nearby. This even included an NPC cleric of St Cuthbert who was talked into dressing in drag and calling himself the 'Queen of Pain' as his stage persona by the PCs, in exchange for a hefty portion of their winnings (both officially from the bouts and their gambling proceeds related to the action) being donated to the Cuthbertine shrine down in shacktown. We had some fun with it and it was a decent tension breaker when the main storyline bogged down, so I'd encourage anyone wanting some similar lighthearted fun to consider implementing their own GCF (Greyhawk Combatants Federation) in the Pit.
Well, maybe not the elf...
Later on,
Ghorrin
The rules of jousting are fairly simple and as far as game term rules one could go with an optional "called shots" type deal and perhaps some modifiers dependant on what type of horse the participant is riding, ie.. riding or war horse.
The only thing is that historically, Jousting competitions were only open to nobles. However, it is *my* campaign.
Now, that all being said.. where in the heck would jousting go on? No country really seems to fit that type of culture, perhaps Furyondy or the Urnsts?
Thoughts?
Other places around Oerth could have arenas as well, even tightly controlled or religious nations like the Pale could have underground gladiator organizations that cater to the wicked....
Jousting is a more "civilized" sport, and so would probably be accepted in just about every nation in one form or another.
Two more coppers for the pile.
-wn
the demon lady Ahrimanes
Ah-hah! I knew I remembered reading a reference to Ahrimanes as a female demon somewhere!
The Hold of the Sea Princes should also hold gladatorial bouts in my view as a sort of combination of Keoish duelling culture, piratical hobbies, and worship of Kelanen.
I don't recall seeing an arena on the map of Leukish from the fate of Istus (can someone help out here?) or in any write ups on Nyrond or Furyondy so maybe the western Oerid states just practice fights in low class taverns and underground groups like in Fight Club.
Just curious. I've always loved gladiators.
I've see a lot of comparisions between the Great Kingdom and the Roman Empire. Perhaps they both share a similar taste for bloodsport, as well?
Well, aside from the already quoted Free City Arena (prominent in the AoWAP on Dungeon magazine), I put a smaller arena in Radigast City (County of Urnst) as response to the malcontent (generated by the overpopulation of the Wars refugees).
My two players are going to be there soon to investigate a serie of murders...
I think it's ruled by orcs.
Thanks for sharing it with us. As usual, it is a good piece. However, don't you think an arena for an audience of 20.000 to be too large compared to the overall population of the City of Greyhawk?
there is gladiatorial combat in the city of greyhawk (in a secret location known as "the Pit")... most of it is non-lethal however (similar to pro wrestling)
That's funny!
When Living Greyhawk was still in it's infancy (i.e Triads were still laying the ground work, no LG Journals were released yet, and 3.0 had yet to be released), I was helping set up some maps for communities for the Duchy of Urnst and I made a map of town called Sete in Urnst's southern reaches near the Bright Desert. In this rough-n-tumble town was a tavern/brothel/inn by the name of "The Pit" that had gladitorial combat, including a place where trouble makers were sent as punsihment to breaking the law (or simply just running afoul of it).
A lot of Bar/Gladiatoral combat places seem to be known as the Pit ;)