The Natural Arena at Raam (CGH)

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The climb is hard up the narrow pathways that lead to the arena at Raam. Cresting the final hillock, the natural amphitheater lies wedged between the vertical rust colored rocks below. Spectators to the gladiatorial games descend to the seating area below.
The arena of Raam is a natural amphitheater, carved by time from the sandstone and bedrock of the hillside. The spectator portion of the arena rises in a gradual slope from the arena floor. The fierce winds of the Raam region have carved layers in the hillside forming natural seating areas. The sides of the spectator section have overhanging outcroppings where the templar guards stand, watching the crowd. At the bottom of the natural amphitheater is the oval-shaped arena known for its reddish sandy floor.
A great natural fissure called "The Maw of Raam" separates the seating area from the arena. This ravine acts as a natural barrier, protecting the spectators from the combatants (and vice versa). The Maw is several hundred feet long, 37 feet across, and 173 feet deep. Woe to any combatant who is pushed into the yawning abyss of the Maw, for it is filled with jagged rocks and wild bramble weed that act as thousands of rapier-tipped teeth, ripping the skin of the falling gladiators. Their screams echo through the arena as they fall. No one is known to have ever reached the bottom alive. Reports persist that the Maw is also haunted by dwarven banshees, cursed to remain there for all time due to the unfulfillment of their focus.
The natural curvature of the amphitheater amplifies the acoustics so the screams, grunts, and groans of the combatants can be clearly heard, even in the last row of seats. This is a real crowd pleaser and inflames the blood- thirsty throngs.
At the back of the arena, a granite wall rises, curving to 100 feet in height This natural granite wall, carved by the same forces that created the arena, extends back for a distance of 400 feet, gradually descending to the desert floor. The granite encircles the back of the arena and is shot through with semi-precious stones, amethyst, and garnet. Attempting to remove any rough gems from the arena is punishable by death.
The back wall of the arena is riddled with myriad tunnels and secret passages. The passages lead to hundreds of small observation slits cut into the rock Each narrow fenestration is covered with a thin piece of black gauzy fabric.
Due to the paranoia rampant in the city-state of Raam, it is from these areas that the sorcerer queen Abalach Re and her templars view the gladiatorial games. So great is their fear of regicide and reprisal that they hide away deep within the rock. The gauze prevents anyone from seeing who is behind a viewing station at any given time. It is said that the templars shift to different viewing areas during each tournament, lest someone discover their individual hiding places. The queen has her own special set of catacombs that allegedly connect her temple to the rock viewing areas, although this has never been proven. Because the queen and her templars stay hidden for the entire day's match, no appeals of mercy are heard in the gladiatorial arena of Raam, as there is no one in the hierarchy who will step forward to save a mere gladiator's life. All matches are fought to the death.
Because the erosion process that built this natural amphitheater is ongoing, the arena caretakers fight a daily battle to keep sand from filling the arena and the amphitheater. Twenty slaves spend the day in the hot Athasian sun brushing and shovelling sand from the arena. It is thought that at one time, the Maw of Raam was several hundred feet deep, but over time, has filled with sand and bramble weed.
The gladiatorial games of Raam offer an interesting dilemma for its fighters. Not only must they pay attention to the attacks of their foes, but they must constantly be aware of their physical proximity to the Maw of Raam. Untrained gladiatorial slaves will occasionally choose the depth of the crevasse over the blade of an onrushing gladiator. Many a gladiator has fallen to his death when pushed or driven to the edge.