The Gladiatorial Coliseum of Nibenay (CGH)

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This ancient structure predates all visible buildings within the city. The coliseum remains as the last surviving structure from the original city.
Located in a rundown part of town, the exterior edges of the coliseum dwarf the small ramshackle homes and huts of the transients who live there. Born of an ancient time, the intricate construction in no way resembles the current architecture of the city. Ornate drawings and illustrations are etched into every facet of the coliseum s stonework. Colorful gilded mosaics, worn and tired from time, are found alongside rugged weathered carvings.
The coliseum itself is of monstrous proportions. Seated on four city blocks, the coliseum surely dominated its surroundings when all of the structure was visible. No one, save the Shadow King, is sure when the coliseum was constructed or by whom.
The coliseum was originally designed to ascend from ground level to a stunning height, towering above the surrounding area. Hundreds and hundreds of years later, the constant wear of blown sand, coupled with generation after generation of buildings erected atop the ruined foundations of their predecessors has given the coliseum its sunken appearance.
Traveling from the city, visitors walk the Great Way on their trip to the arena. The Great Way is a huge pedestrian mall, 80 feet wide and 4,000 yards long. Its edges are lit by ever burning lights. Vendors and barkers line its expanse, offering cool dips of water or exotic refreshments to those traveling to or from the arena. The Great Way is guarded by the Shadow King's templars. It is the only (relatively) safe place to walk at any time, day or night, in the city.
From a distance, the coliseum is a sight to behold. Only up close, however, can its true size be realized. Viewed from close to any corner, the building appears to run on infinitely. Although the building stands only six stories high from the exterior ground level, it still commands a feeling of greatness and veneration. Its true enormity cannot be grasped until one enters the structure.
New spectators entering from the current ground level of the city draw an involuntary breath, for the coliseum is the largest known structure in the Tablelands. Almost a quarter of a mile across, the stadium is an inverted ziggurat. Seven separate levels rise, above the playing field. Many of the arenas of the Tablelands could be placed within the gladiatorial playing field.
Although the stadium is built of an excellent hard stone that has endured the weathering of many generations, the seats themselves are carved from a softer sandstone. Every individual seat of the arena is carved with a small oval depression for comfort. Each seat is etched in exquisite detail. No known structure rivals this arena for its beauty and meticulous stonework. Not even a square foot of stone is without some sort of decoration.
Many of the entrances and exits of the coliseum that extend below the level of the city are filled with rubble and debris. A few of the areas in the lower part of the arena have been reclaimed. These areas include animal pens, barracks, and gladiator training facilities. A peculiar set of rooms connects to the gladiatorial rooms. These contain myriad basins and troughs. It is believed these rooms were once part of an ancient set of baths, but this is merely speculation by some local scholars.
The current dilemma facing the arena is that with the depth of the combat field, it is difficult to introduce creatures into the arena. Captured beasts must be brought in and lowered down ramps to the coliseum floor. More than one creature and several handlers have died during this dangerous transport. Slave gladiators are known to call the Coliseum "the thousand steps to death," for it takes a thousand steps to descend from ground level to the gladiatorial floor. The majority of those who make the trip never walk out.