Colosseum of Fools

The Colosseum of Fools is an underground arena complex built in the Meridan Underdark a little east of New Hallownest.

Purpose / Function

The Colosseum serves as venue for all comers to prove their combat skills and win prizes and recognition from the adoring crowds. Combatants face wild or combat-trained beasts, other contestants, and the dangers of the ever-shifting and creative arenas.
While the original Colosseum, located in the now-faded dream of Hallownest, operated with the expectation that all combatants would fight to the death, in this new world King Knight of New Hallownest decreed that the refugee population was too small and endangered to support such waste. The Colosseum now works diligently to minimize fatalities while maintaining the sense of danger that makes it worth attending.

Architecture

The Colosseum is built in a vast Underdark cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites. The Colosseum covers only a small portion of this space, but it makes good use of the natural terrain features and has expanded into several alternate arenas built on interesting cave formations.
The buildings themselves are made from an eclectic mix of stone, bone, metal, and wood. Colorful cloth and leather accents are frequent. The entrances are typically decorated with the largest beast skulls the Fools can find. Barred windows and retractable metal gates are common, typically with a convex shape to match the dome-shaped arena designs the Fools favor.

Defenses

Given the dangers of the Underdark, some safety measures have been constructed to prevent interruptions of the entertainment. Guard towers allow watchbugs to keep an eye out for incoming trouble, and the walls and gates of the arenas are exceptionally sturdy. More than anything, though, the arenas rely on their constant supply of armed, skilled, and enthusiastically bloodthirsty contestants for defense.

History

This Colosseum of Fools is the second of its name, the first having faded into nothing along with the rest of Old Hallownest. The population of that dream was led to refuge in Renedge by King Knight of New Hallownest, and the new Colosseum was founded alongside the rest of Darkhome in April of 23 ARL.

Tourism

Visitors to the Colosseum primarily come in two flavors: spectators and Fools.
Spectators are those who just come to observe and enjoy the festivities. They watch and bet on fights and buy food from concession stands. They are the source of much of the Colosseum's funding.
Fools, meanwhile, are the prospective gladiators. They come hoping to win great monetary prizes or put their names in the championship records. They pay a fee to participate, and many pay for some of the Colosseum's standard gladiatorial gear as well. Most will never win a serious arena trial, but all who survive gain valuable combat experience.

Founding Date

April, 23 ARL

Type

Arena

Parent Location

Darkhome, region

Owning Organization

Darkhome