16 Warriors to Battle This Week in the Lesser Colosseum

Dateline: 24 Bretranel's Month - Khazigur Lesser Colosseum, Revels District:
As the Spring Tournament moves into its final two weeks, the matches are becoming fewer and much more crowded as the elite 16 warriors of the world meet to claim the title of the year's greatest 1-on-1 combatant for 12090.
The remaining combatants, all from the Nobles Division, and all but three from within the Empire, each have a storied history and many accolades under their belts already, regardless of having made it this far in the competition; indeed several of them are best categorized as celebrities, rather than merely warriors.
The oval fighting grounds of the Lesser Colosseum, which normally seats 85,000 in the stands, are subdivided into 4 arena areas, each with floor seating for an additional 6,000 VIPs. The events are expected to sell out, as interest is especially high in several of the combatants. The Thri Kreen Monk Daggy Chihir has put on a clinic in every round so far with his combination of lightning speed, stout natural defenses, and extra set of arms, and seems well on his way to the round of 4 where he nearly won last year and would have likely gone on to win the tournament. Grims Angel, a newcomer to the games this year, seeks to surpass the newcomer record set by Aiden Artaud, an otherwise forgotten combatant only famous for having made it to the round of 8, but losing out to that year's champion, a bit over 200 years ago. If he wins his match, Grims will tie the record, and if he wins the next one as well, he will surpass it.
Angel will be facing his toughest challenge yet, a likely long-range fight against the famed Goblin outdoorsman and champion proxy of the duke, Lord Taggit Bonepiercer of Piot Alenky, and his double crossbows, animal companions, stout magical defenses and generally dour attitude.
Rounding out the other seven matches:

• Jonathan Maywell, the "Gentleman Barbarian" of Venen, going up against the Dwarven fighter and landed knight Kathra Tizna of Coal Vee, famous for defeating the White Dragon of Fishton two years ago and who made it to the semifinal round twice in previous years.
• Master Dagmar "Daggy" Chihir, the Thri Kreen Monk, Warlord's Guard and Martial Master of D'har, whose blistering 4-armed attacks and resilient chitinous armor have made quick work of most opponents, is facing an interesting opponent in Elera Truthspell, cleric of Aeneath, who is the only one left in the tournament who has won a round in a battle of wits rather than weapons. It's possible she can lure the famous monk into a lengthy philosophical debate, the winner of which would be anyone's guess.
• Valta Vibrondan, famed Raven Sorceror and Lord of Lower Sabretana, faces an interesting opponent in the Minonois Paladin Etienne Du'Marie, a captain in the Golden Lions who faces some unpopularity at home for having suspended his unit's activities against the Mlastinan incursions in order to participate in the games.
• Sir Josephus Gorlisz, a fighter of Arac, faces off against a potent hexblade threat, Androsis Meriot of Pilaan. Both men have previously made it as far as the round of eight in the past.
• Dakleh Ardeshir, third son of the Caliph of Toz, the last Wizard still in the tournament, and the highest-ranking lord remaining in the competition, will fight the popular and much-loved Lady Javiera Valdonez, a Baroness of Khafra famous as the winner of the Greatest Drinker consolation prize of 12088, and rumored to have connections to the mercenary gang known as the Fists of Implis.
• The actor, playwright and debonair bachelor Cristofor Leiden, Baron and bard of Kiraly, will be fighting a unique bareknuckles match on prior agreement with his competitor, Lord Thedeus 'Two-Tone' Corrabor, a Tiefling rogue and lesser Baron of Khafra, in a fight that's been dubbed 'The Abdominal Snowmatch' based on Androsis' origins in the north, Corrabor's unique white and black coloration, and both mens' extraordinary gymnast physiques, which led to their decision to fight each other unarmed and shirtless--much to the delight of the young ladies and more than a few young men who will be packing the Colosseum.
• Lord Jimin Shardrike, second son of Admiral Shardrike, will be swashbuckling against the man-mountain Um Taan, half-ogre lord of the Venen humanoid county of Upper Brack.