Coralla

Coralla is an island in the southern section of The Second Circle . It is often referred to in an unofficial capacity as the capital of the Second Circle, due to its unusually high population density and the way its delegates are so often favoured within The Congregation .

The island itself is relatively large. Much of it is taken up by the city of Gambis, which is a large and cramped metropolis. Other notable structures on the island include the Coralla Coliseum, which sits about a mile outside of the city, and the Coralla Circuit, a racetrack that encircles a large amount of the island's landmass. These two locations are used for the dangerous games that Coralla is primarily known for.

Geography

Coralla is very flat, with its highest point being only a few metres above sea level. This highest point has a marker indicating it, and stands just outside of the Coralla Coliseum, called the Coralla Cairn. If it were not for this marker, it would be almost impossible to tell that the island holds any incline at all.

Many years ago, there were forests on Coralla. However, aggressive construction practices over the centuries led to the forests being almost completely destroyed, with only a couple of small patches of trees remaining in order to satisfy the Congregation's forest conservation efforts.

Another well-known part of the island is Coralla Cove - technically it is a lake and not a cove, due to the fact that it is not at all connected to the sea, but the people of the island like all of their landmarks to begin with the letter C, and so it stuck. The cove is one of the few places where nature actually does thrive - legends say that Coralla Cove is a place where Ul, God of the Depths created the first of her followers, and so it is considered illegal to pollute the cove or to harm any of the creatures from living there. This does not, however, stop the Games Masters of the island from getting to use it for sea battles and races for the sake of entertainment purposes. They use a series of clever loopholes in the law to get around this, and Lord Briggs is willing to allow this to happen due to bribes.

History

Coralla used to be part of a collective of islands known as the United Flats (this name is the only one that has been recorded and is thought to have been a joke name) along with several other islands just to the north that have a similar topography. What is known, is that sometime during the 600s Coralla sought independence. This caused a short war, which it won. It is certain from the records of the Congregation that Coralla gained membership in the year 631. However, due to the lack of recorded history from the time, it is unclear whether Coralla was able to win the war on its own or with the aid of the Congregation.

During the 1100s, Coralla first gained its reputation as a gambling town when it hosted a racing tournament. According to local legend, the Grand Arbiter of the time, one Aigor Phelps, was in attendance. The large retinue that supposedly travelled with him made large bets on the horse races, which brought a great deal of income to Coralla. As Aigor Phelps was famously averse to gambling, rumours that he had partaken made it seem as though Coralla would be the best possible place for one to gamble. The subsequent six hundred years built on this, leaving Coralla with dozens of casinos, as well as hosting games every few days on which people can place ludicrous bets.

The problem was that at first there was little regulation of gambling, besides the rather lax ones put in place by the Congregation. Therefore in 1417 Coralla created a group called the Game Masters - a group of five who would have absolute power over all gambling and related institutions within the city and beyond. Any place that did not conform to their rules would lose license to operate, on a three strike system. Furthermore, breaking the rules enough times carries a death sentence. Game Masters serve until their death, and they are seen as wielding more power than the island's lord.

The first Game Masters established three rules, which could not be changed by any subsequent holders of the position. These rules are:

1. All gambling houses and other gambling locations must ensure that any and all bets and their results are upheld, even in such a case where they would lose money. Bets between patrons on the grounds must also be enforced by the organization.
2. No gambling house may serve any individual who is not of an age, by the standards of their own species, at which they are considered old enough to be financially independent.
3. Bets may not be placed or accepted using children, servants, wives, or any other intelligent lifeform (the definition of which is specified below).
   

Most Game Masters also enforce their own rules, though these can be repealed by any subsequent Game Masters.

Tourism

Most tourism is based around the gambling on Coralla, for several reasons. First of all, lobbying in the Congregation means that gambling within Gambis is allowed to give higher odds than any other place within the archipelago. Furthermore, the types of gambling allowed on Coralla, which includes gladiatorial combat, is not permitted in any other place closer than the Outer Lands, thus making it effective for those who wish to satisfy their bloodlust.

While this is the main reason that people visit Coralla, the other reason is that, thanks to its high population density and the general lack of people answering questions, it is a good place for one to go to disappear should they be in trouble with the law. This has unfortunately led to a rather high criminal population.

Alternative Name(s)

The Capital of the Second Circle, The Gold Hole,

Location under

The Second Circle

Included Organizations

• Coralla Game Masters

Owner/Ruler

Lord Briggs

Additional Rulers/Owners

• Arsine Zeroth

Ruling/Owning Rank

Lady/Lord

Owning Organization

The Congregation

Characters in Location

• Arsine Zeroth