One Ring
The One Ring is a stone-lined fighting ring situated just off the southeast end of Port Square. Every 5th day of the week (Veris) at night, just as the merchants in the Seaside Market are securing their goods and packing up their tents for the night, the One Ring plays host to some of the most brutal conflicts ever seen outside of battlefield (or a dungeon). The crowds come from all over the city to watch the fights and place bets on the contestants.
The ring is a circular platform made of stones, stacked and mortared, about three feet high. It has been repaired several times over the years, but it has stood essentially unchanged for over a century. Spectators stand packed tightly around the ring, looking up at the combatants. Those sitting too close are soon spattered with blood, and there are plenty of tales of people being injured or even crushed by contestants flung from the ring. Rey has had a set of boxed seats on wooden scaffolding affixed to the walls of nearby buildings to give those with enough gold an opportunity to see the fights from an unobstructed and generally safe vantage point.
Most fights are bare-knuckle matches, although the Ring does offer at least one armed fight (usually short swords or knives) each week. Nothing brings in the crowds like the sight of blood, which flows freely during such matches. It’s not uncommon to see a loser or two at death’s door in the course of an evening. While there are few rules for the fights, the ones that are in place are enforced strictly. These are honest fights, so there’s no magic allowed of any kind. The One Ring has been permanently enchanted with a spell that causes any magic items brought into the ring and any contestants under the effect of a spell or who cast a spell during the fight to glow brightly. If anyone or anything in the ring glows at any time, the fight is suspended and the perpetrator grabbed and summarily tossed into the harbor.
Rey makes his money by charging for the good seats and by booking bets before every fight. Besides the regular Veris night fights, he also hosts special events on many holidays, including Swagfest, Raidfest, and even Captain’s Day. The Sea Lords have generally been fans of the fights, attending often, with the exception of the current Milton Drac. Even those who have not cared much for the fights have acknowledged their usefulness in keeping Freeport’s populace from attacking one another in the alleys instead.
History
Fighting pits pop up and vanish all over the city, from darkened alleys in Drac's End to abandoned basements in Scurvytown, as well as the semi-permanent bloody arenas in Bloodsalt, but none hold a candle to the success and appalling violence found in the One Ring. Sure, other venues have their share of death and maiming, but the One Ring makes a spectacle out of these contests, drawing Freeporters of every class and station.
Dahn Rey opened the One Ring for business during the days of the last Sea Lord. A veteran gladiator, Rey brought a sense of style to pit fighting, recruiting some of the best warriors the city had to offer and promoting the fights. Rey has enjoyed incredible success in this venture, and the blood of countless champions stains the stones that form the ring.
Until a few years ago, the fights in the One Ring were often fixed, with each side negotiating which fighter would take the fall. There were plenty of tricks that could make a fighter take a dive, including poison, blackmail, or simple threats. Unfortunately, this trend attracted the attention of some of Freeport’s gangs, and it wasn’t long before the One Ring became a battlefield for rival groups. After one night of violence killed a dozen spectators, Rey reined in the corruption and now tries to run an honest business, though he’s still willing to fix the outcomes from time to time—the promise of gold is often too much to resist.
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