Executioner's Run

Executioner's Run was a long pit in which the criminals of Port Nyanzaru, Chult were sentenced to die by being eaten alive by beasts. The spectacle of their executions also served as cheap amusement for the city's citizens.
==Location==
Executioner's Run was the centerpiece of Port Nyanzaru's Old City. The main road through the Old City split to pass along both sides of the long pit. 
==Structure==
It was a and rectangular trench that was about deep. It was lined with stone and encircled by a low wall to prevent spectators from toppling in, and the only way out of the pit was a series of knotted ropes at one end. The bottom of the trench was littered with the bones and some meager belongings of those who had died within.
==Activities==
Port Nyanzaru's criminals were placed into the pit for execution, although with the tantalizing promise that they would be exonerated of their crimes if they were able to escape alive. Crimes as petty as theft or buying something on the black market could get someone sentenced to the Run, as could offending one of the merchant princes or beggar princes.
Prisoners were dropped into one end of the pit, and had to make it to the opposite end and climb the ropes to be released. However, the pit was first filled with hungry beasts, such as panthers, velociraptor, or the occasional young allosaurus. The condemned had to scramble and dodge to avoid the predators, all to the cheering delight of the onlookers lining the pit. Those who escaped earned not only freedom, but the cheers and adoration of the crowd. Meanwhile, anyone who attempted to escape by other means—or was aided by someone from outside the pit—was met with boos if not hostility from both onlookers and guards.
Folk of all social classes and walks of life from across Port Nyanzaru came to watch the executions, and would cram four-people deep against the walls to watch. These spectators would also place bets on the outcome of the runs, with bookies happy to accept gambles on everything from who would live or die, to how many people a given beast would kill, to how far a criminal would make it down the length of the pit. Naturally, gamblers were especially loathe to see anyone interfere with the events in the pit. Bets were heaviest on repeat offenders, and failure to pay up could result in the bookie hiring adventurers to collect the money owed.
On occasion, one of the beasts would manage to escape the pit and cause terror among the crowd. Putting down one of these rampaging beasts was a guaranteed way to become a local hero.
==History==
The pit was constructed by Port Nyanzaru's Amnian colonizers, although it was originally meant as an arena for a competitive ball game.
As of the late 15 century DR, some criminals were known to have become celebrities after surviving multiple runs through the pit, and it was speculated that a few of them committed their crimes simply for the chance to run again.
The beggar prince Pock-Marked Po was known to throw people into Executioner's Run when they refused to answer his questions.
Coinciding with the events of the death curse, a gladiator named Taban refused to pay his gambling debts to an Executioner's Run bookie by the name of K'lahu, prompting her to hire muscle to force him to pay. Around the same time, a man named Draza was sentenced to the Run despite his claims of innocence. His husband, Belym, tried to hire adventurers to secretly protect Draza from the sidelines.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Arenas
Category:Locations in the Old City (Port Nyanzaru)
Category:Locations in Port Nyanzaru
Category:Locations on the Bay of Chult
Category:Locations in Chult
Category:Locations on the Chultan Peninsula
Category:Locations in Southwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril