Description
A metropolis of shining marble, filled with statues and huge buildings. The entrance ways to the city are all marked with triumphal arches engraved with stallions in honour of
The Changebringer.
People and Organisations
Queen Vaso Allagi
Vaso was thrust into power at a young age, and has adapted to it flawlessly. To her people she is wise and fair, capable of captivating a crowd with her announcements and enacting justice whenever needed. To those who know her more closely, she has somehow held onto a mote of her youth, taking some delight in pranks set out for the soldiers who guard her.
Queen Ulpha Allagi
A half-orc with auburn hair and blood-red eyes, Ulpha was born into an orcish clan which viewed these features as signs of great power within. The first chance they had, they brought her into the company of mages in the area. After many years of relative solitude, she met Vaso and quickly the pair were married. As the Queen Consort, Ulpha has shown herself capable of dealing with the many threats from both within and without the city, and is trusted implicitly by her other half to dole out punishments and give advice as she sees fit.
Asimina
A promising young gladiator master who has begun building a new empire with shrewdness and the little funds her parents left her after leaving their own school to ruin. In addition to her remarkable ability to navigate the streets and people of the city, Asimina is known for being quite tightly wound whenever strange or unexpected things happen.
The Strong Bros
Asimina's premier gladiator group, consisting of Baragon the Strong, Veokane the Strong, and Frug the Strong; a leonin, minotaur, and orc in order. Each alone has the strength of 10 men, but together they seem able to carry any burden and battle any foe.
Tecton
An aged gladiator master who had his start as a champion many decades ago. Despite his obvious skill with both combat and training, his school has been on the decline in recent years. In an almost stereotypically old-man mindset, Tecton blames the younger generation for being "weak-willed" and "only pretending to fight so long as it impresses their women."
Vasilio
One of Tecton's greatest gladiators, and possibly his last hope. Vasilio is a large and rugged man in his late fourties, having fought in the Colosseum since he was a teenager. But age catches up with us all, and after being largely outclassed in the festival of 673, he has finally decided to retire. With the money he saved over 3 decades he bought a plot of farmland outside the city, and has repeatedly refused Tecton's requests to return and train up new gladiators to replace him.
Merigold
A young woman who works as a baker in the city, perhaps most notable for her avid adoration of
The Exotics. She seems to be their biggest fan, having created a group where folk can share information and discuss these heroic gladiators.
Places and Landmarks
The Colosseum
A truly gargantuan amphitheatre, The Colosseum is the largest of its kind in The Varolian and quite possibly the entire world. Entry to the Colosseum is free most days, with free refreshments provided while the teeming crowds witness daily events.
The Queen's Villa
A three-storied villa of painted marble, the Allagi estate is relatively modest in comparison to the city itself, and compared to the homes of other people of equal importants across The Varolian. Most notable is the inner courtyard, which is a verdant garden filled with exotic plant life, and most unusually crowned with a glass ceiling that turns the area into a greenhouse of sorts.
Grand Statue of Aesk
Finished by a master dwarven craftsman in 673 MA, this sculpture of the shapeshifting immortal stands 20 feet tall and has such lifelike detail passersby have sworn they can see a pulse moving through the marble veins. In design the features are bizarre at first glance, until one approaches closer to see Aesk's chimeric body mid-transformation.
Wolf-like legs, each individual hair seeming complete and unique. Gradually the fur gives way to scale in the torso - grand overlapping plates that reflect the light of the sun like metal. Both arms end in the terrifying claws of a lion, and extending from their back are the splayed wings of an eagle mid-flight - the feathers so delicate and detailed folk might imagine plucking one and have it feel soft instead of sturdy. Finally the face is largely nondescript aside from the hair, flowing down in the shape of a vine covered in leaves, and the eyes glowing a light blue as if powered by magic.
Asimina's School of Resurrection
Asimina has recently moved the school from her parent's old estate to a brand new area closer to the Colosseum. It features a large multi-story villa complete with bathing rooms, chambers for all her gladiators, and a huge courtyard to grant plenty of training space.
Tecton's School of Excellence
Tecton's estate is in a slow decline to match his school's reputation. A massive rectangular area mostly devoted to training is bordered by a once fancy villa that has seen better days over its long history. One noteworthy part of the estate which helps it to stand out from much of the surroundings is a small zoo of sorts - large cages hold whatever frightening animal his hunters or gladiators brought in this week, for much of his revenue comes now from providing beasts to the Colosseum rather than fighters.
Mausoleum of Na'zuk
The final resting place of a beloved Colosseum champion who died in 670 MA. Nicknamed "The Lucky Orc", many visit his shrine every year, seeking a blessing of luck or power before a fight.
The Bread Company
A small but highly popular taverna which specialises in making sandwiches, a relatively niche concept for the area.
History
Battle of Chyreum - 658 MA
The last great siege in the constant war against Praelos (for now at least.) A fleet of over 100 Praelos ships arrived to Chyreum's harbour, setting anything within reach to the torch. The battle lasted most of a week, killing untold thousands. Amongst the dead were counted the previous Queen of Chyreum, and both the rulers of Praelos.
A Young Ruler - 661 MA
Just a few years after losing the Queen, Vaso's father died of some unknown illness. Many claimed it was simple heartbreak, but regardless of the cause, it left his only daughter to take over as monarch of the city while still in her teens. Perhaps to the surprise of many who doubted her age, she has proven to be a good ruler, ensuring the damaged Chyreum was rebuilt better than ever over the years.
Festival of Change - 673 MA
Every year, on the first day of Summer, a grand week of events is held at The Colosseum, bringining in tens of thousands of people from all across The Varolain. Each event tends to be different from the last, with the magics of The Colosseum allowing gladiators to battle amongst jets of fire one day and a swirling sea the next.
The festival last year was one of the most exciting in recent times, especially after a plot to kill The Queens by summoning an Ashen Rider was uncovered. The plot was stopped thanks to the combined efforts of teams who would go on to fight for the crown the following day; The Champions,
The Exotics, and many others. The victor would end up being The Champions, though all agree it was a close battle.
Festival of Change - 674 MA
Many favourites from the previous year returned to this Festival, all bringing along with them a miriad of dangerous beasts from the wilderness of The Varolian. This year the battles would be different; not fought between gladiators, or even gladiators fighting monsters, the events would all be based around having the creatures make war on each other!
While this led to many impressive sights, on one of the nights all the monsters were set loose, leading to a night of pandemonium until it could be put down. That night, along with the handing out of bizarre, dangerous, potions and a climactic finale that could have endangered the lives of everyone in the city, ensured that this festival would be one that is never forgotten.
The victors this year were The Exotics, stepping in to slay a seemingly unstoppable creatured hand-crafted by Aesk after it had already bested all the beasts sent to kill it. After the creature was killed, a
man of mithral threatened the city, declaring that this would be the final year in which blood is drawn during a festival. He was laughed off by many, but The Exotics, The Champions, and Queen Vaso herself have seemed to take this stranger seriously.
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