The Vethsmärholm Arena

One of the many gladiatorial arenas in the Revolving Sea, as the name suggests it is located on the island of Vethsmärholm. It is even said by some to date back to before the reforms made by Brytthofthi, when the battles were a form of ritual sacrifice, instead of the present where battles to the death are strictly forbidden and harshly punished.

Organizational Structure

Leading the arena is the fight master, who sets the schedule for the fights and makes all major decisions regarding the arena. All requests to use the arena in any way go through him. The position of fight master is an elected one. Beneath the fight master are the gladiator managers, who work with both gladiators and free fighters. Then there are other less high ranked yet vital positions, including those in charge of maintaining the arena and selling the tickets.
Thralls owned by the arena are considered thralls of Vethsmärholm itself. This gives them a few more rights than the average thrall, but not much.

Importance

Gladiatorial combat is more than just public entertainment. Sometimes it is used for private affairs, such as a duel between two nobles. At other times the fights are done as part of a religious festival, with seating free for everyone.
Even in terms of pure entertainment, the gladiatorial arenas represent a major economic and cultural force. It is the gladiators owned by the arena itself who serve as one of its major draws, with some developing sizable fanbases. When a gladiator's career ends they are put up for a 'graduation auction', and many nobles will pay more than a fair sum to get their favorite gladiator.

The Night Market

Most don't like talking about it, but the arena has a solid source of revenue through the night market, where customers can 'rent' a gladiator for the night. To put it lightly, the intentions behind these transactions are rarely wholesome.

From the Author

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