The First and Only Commencement Speech for the Grand Melee on Serpents Bay

Hello, and welcome, to that start of the first Annual Gladitorial Games here in the newly constructed Floating Colusium of Serpents Bay. As the contestants for the Grand Melee make their way to the arena floor let us get a few things out of the way.
First we would like to thank Lord Damien for his outstanding contributions to the design and construction of this truly wonderous building. Without his backing and ingeniuity none of what you see here today would have been possible. It may have seemed like a thankless task but with its completion i'm sure our town will soon be spoken of in the same breath as Favortown and Thunder Dunes.
For the audience, please know that you are perfectly safe, there are magic barriers seperating you from the arena floor, for we will feature not just hand-to-hand and weapon combat, but also duels between wizards and other magical fighters. Nothing from inside the arena can get to you, likewise nothing from outside can get into the arena while the wards are active during a match.
Now, watch one of our greatest achievements, as we flood the arena floor and let in some of the adolescent serpents for which this bay is named. Thats right, this is no simple melee but will be taking place on floating rafts connected by perilous walkways over waters filled with bloodthirsty beasts.... _{the water isn't stopping}. The winner shall be the last one standing, collecting a pot of over 10,000 gold and recieving a Golden Acorn so that he may share his tale with the bards at The Troubadours' Jamboree. _{seriously, why isnt the water stopping.}
LET THE MELEE BEGIN!

So began the single greatest loss of life at a spectator event ever. The colliseum on Serpent's Bay was designed by the vampire clans to channel a massive blood sacrafice, while at the same time getting rid of a great number of heroes and other pesky problem people in the surrounding area.
There was never any intention to stop the water, and the mentioned barriers were designed to keep the crowd from evacuating once the building started to flood. By the time people realized something was wrong it was too late for nearly everyone inside. Baby sea serpents swarmed and devoured anyone withing their reach, which was everyone in the slownly sinking building. Even the floating platforms the melee was to take place on weren't safe forever, chained as they were to the tunnels beneath the arena floor.
The only reason anyone survived wat thanks to a fast thinking druid who had managed to qualify for the melee thanks to his skills with his shillelagh. Once he realized what was happening he started gathering up the wood from the floating platforms and crafting it into a fortefied floating raft. Once some fighters with polearms got aboard they were able to rescue nearly 30 people before the top of the arena walls sunk low enough below the waves that they were able to flee. They did not head back to the town Swordswallow Bay, for its great floating market was already burning. Rather, they fled out to the open sea, where the currents eventually carried them to Autumnrise.