The Abomitorium, Entertainment, Thistle Hold

The Abomitorium

The term Fight Day is for most of the Hold’s residents associated with rising tensions, heated debates and an almost consuming longing for the sun to set. Of course, the excitement is especially intense to the three hundred souls who have been able to afford a presale ticket (3–10 thaler depending on the seat). But others besides the lucky ones place bets on their favorites and many more than the two hundred allowed in are queuing on the Queen’s Square long before the gates are opened. Those who are forced to remain outside usually stay to listen to the roars and commotion from the arena, and most of them use what money they have left to place a final bet.

Inside the Abomitorium the show usually starts off with fights between human adversaries, one on one or in groups – fights which are stopped once one side admits defeat. Traveling gladiators and those with their main base in other towns, battle against Thistle Hold’s own favorites, as for instance the Sun Maiden with her golden locks or the aged but still powerful war veteran Madrago. The fight when the Sun Maiden took on the master gladiator Hadaro “Scalp Crusher” from Yndaros and where both of them almost bled to death before the local hero managed to land a decisive blow is legendary.

The Fight Day always ends with something extra spectacular, preferably related to Davokar. Fights against, or sometimes between, wild beasts are common occurrences but if the audience gets to decide they would prefer other kinds of combatants. Three shows that are still talked about at the taverns in town are the ones that were announced as The Goblin Rebellion, The Barbarian Uprising and Attack from the Abyss.

In the first case Ambrian gladiators fought a ferocious goblin tribe, in the second they pounded the members of a rebellious group from clan Karohar who had been caught after a failed assault on Kastor. And during the Attack from the Abyss the audience got to see (likely for the last time) fifteen gladiators take on a captured and gravely blight-marked Aboar. Only four of them survived and nearly twenty reckless spectators were added to the list of dead and maimed.