Elari Games
A classic Elari matchup of an agile, dexterious Elf facing an imposing strong Human.
Before the match even begins, the build-up is crucial to heighten excitement. The rivalry between the Elari combatants is often part of a long-running storyline, carefully crafted by arena organizers. These narratives can involve personal grudges, factional disputes, or betrayals, designed to hook the audience into the outcome. Announcements are made in the city, with posters and heralds proclaiming the match, detailing the fighters' past victories or defeats, and teasing the next dramatic turn. Elari fights often featured archetypical match ups, a common example featuring the classic rivalry of a large, strong Human pitted against a lithe, graceful Elf, playing on the stark contrast between brute strength and finesse. Often times matches in this vein would be advertised as a historical re-enactment of
The Duel of Fiannor and Rurik. This matchup was designed to highlight the differences in fighting style and physicality between the two races, often drawing from deeper cultural relations and audience preferences.
On the day of the match, the Elari enter the arena with theatrical grandeur. Each gladiator’s entrance is a significant part of the spectacle, designed to show their personality or role in the story. Some may be clad in elaborate costumes, representing noble champions or ruthless villains, while others may arrive accompanied by fanfare, music, or even magical pyrotechnics.
The heroic Elari, known for their grace and honor, might be showered with rose petals or cheered by the crowd, while villainous Elari are often met with boos or jeers, building the tension for the upcoming fight. These entrances establish the emotional stakes of the match, with the audience already divided in their loyalties.
Once the match begins, the combatants engage in a carefully choreographed series of moves, designed to showcase their skill while avoiding serious injury. The fighters use real weapons—blunted or tipped for safety—but they pull their strikes or aim to land them in less vulnerable areas. The key to a successful match is making the fight appear dangerous and unpredictable while maintaining control over the action.
To keep the crowd invested, most matches feature pre-planned twists. This could involve one combatant faking an injury, only to make a sudden comeback, or a “surprise” betrayal where an ally intervenes. These moments are designed to provoke strong reactions from the audience, with the commoners of Varenthia often unaware that the matches are scripted.
The match builds to a climactic finish, where the predetermined victor executes a carefully choreographed final blow or move that decisively ends the fight. Whether it's a heroic figure knocking out their opponent or a villain landing a deceptive strike, the ending is meant to evoke strong emotions from the crowd.
After the fight ends, the loser may perform a ritual gesture of submission or defiance, adding to the drama. Sometimes, post-match confrontations or declarations are staged, setting up future matches and rivalries.
Nethari Games
An Elven Thaelari faces down a creature of the Wastes.
A Nethari match is always treated with heightened anticipation, and its announcement stirs excitement and fear among the people of Varenthia. Posters, heralds, and town criers proclaim the coming contest, emphasizing the danger and savagery of the beasts to be faced. Rumors often spread about the origins of the creatures, with exaggerated stories about how many men it took to capture the beast or how many have died in its wake.
The Nethari gladiators chosen for these matches are promoted as heroic, almost mythic figures, celebrated for their bravery and strength.
Before entering the arena, Nethari gladiators undergo intense preparation. They are often blessed in private ceremonies by priests of the city’s deities, most commonly invoking protection from the Sea Goddess Mirrath or other local spirits. Some Nethari are also given magical or enchanted weapons—gifts from patrons or relics from past victories—meant to tip the balance in their favor.
The beasts are often chained and paraded into the arena before the match begins, allowing the audience to get a glimpse of the creatures that the gladiators will soon face. The sight of these twisted monsters, sometimes scarred from earlier fights or bred for war during the Mortal Wars, heightens the tension. The Nethari gladiators enter the arena with all the flair of legends. Unlike the Elari, their entrances are less about showmanship and more about their readiness to face death.
Once the match starts, the combat is completely unscripted. The Nethari use all their training, weapons, and wits to survive, but unlike in an Elari match, there is no guarantee of victory. The crowd watches in awe as the gladiators clash with the beasts, with each blow, slash, or counterattack bringing real consequences.
When a Nethari gladiator emerges victorious, the triumph is visceral and often bloody. The kill is brutal, and the crowd erupts in celebration, recognizing the true risk involved. Unlike in Elari matches, where the outcome is known, the death of a beast in a Nethari match is a moment of raw achievement. The fallen beast is often dragged out of the arena as a trophy, sometimes with parts of its body paraded through the streets as a symbol of Varenthian strength.
If a Nethari falls, however, the atmosphere shifts. The arena falls silent as the slain gladiator is honored, their body removed with solemnity. The death of a Nethari is treated with respect, and the gladiator is remembered as a hero who faced down the horrors of the Wastes. Their name is often etched into the stone walls of the arena, immortalized for their bravery.
Healing Magic
A Healer treats an arena wound.
Elven healing magic played a crucial role in the post-match recovery of Thaelari, especially in the brutal Nethari matches. Initially focused on natural remedies and basic restoration, healing magic advanced rapidly due to the severe injuries sustained in the games. The need to treat deep wounds, broken bones, and venomous or magical afflictions pushed Elven healers to develop more powerful and precise spells, such as accelerated tissue regeneration and advanced poison-neutralization techniques. These innovations not only allowed combatants to recover quickly and return to the arena but also had lasting impacts beyond the games, enhancing medical care throughout Varenthian society and influencing military medicine.
