The Arena Efreetum or the Djen Arena was a gladiatorial arena located in the city of Calimport in Calimshan. It and the Arena Sabam were known collectively as the Djen Arenas, a pair of arenas dedicated to entertaining the rulers of the city and the common folk alike and among the most important structures in the City of Slaves.[2][3] It was half-destroyed in 1479 DR.[1]
Location[]
A grandiose four-story building, the Arena Efreetum lay in the city's Trades Ward, within the Shomuz Drudach of the Larau Sabban and not far from the Arena Sabam.[2][3]
Formerly, the Djen Arenas were part of the Games Sabban,[4] before Syl-Pasha Ralan el Pesarkhal established the system of wards in the Year of the Sword, 1365 DR.[5]
Structure[]
Like slightly larger Sabam, the arena was huge: four stories in height and visible across almost the whole Trades Ward, being seen from atop the sabban walks up to three sabbans distant.[2][3] It was only a little less prominent on the skyline than the nearby temples of Tempus (the Arms House) and Bhaelros (the Plaza of Divine Truth).[3] It had seating capacity for up to 50,000 people.[2][3] It had an elongated oval shape, which formed the basis for the Larau Sabban's mark.[6]
For the nobility, the Arena Efreetum was entered from the byways, with wide ramps leading up to between the second and third levels.[2] Its entrances were marked by many huge pillars carved to resemble great jets of flame.[2][3][7] Entry ramps led up to the upper levels; beggars would take shelter beneath these.[7]
Beneath both of the Djen Arenas was a tunnel formed from an old sewer line that linked the staging areas to the Arms House, a barracks and temple to the Lord of Battles. Favored gladiators who were unlikely to try to escape were permitted to live and train there; they used the tunnel to reach the arena to prevent escape attempts regardless.[8][7]
Interior[]
In the Arena Efreetum, the majority of the upper-class spectators sat in the second and third levels.[2]
Around 1479 DR, illumination was provided by massive floating lamps.[9]
Activities[]
This arena presented battles fought between slave gladiators, a wide variety of wild animals, and captured monsters.[2][3] These were held on the 10th of each month and the major holidays of the Calendar of Harptos: Greengrass, Midsummer, Shieldmeet, Higharvestide, the Feast of the Moon, and Midwinter. It was open to all.[2]
There were no admission fees;[2][3] instead, the arena turned a profit on a peculiar tradition: spectators "voted" on the outcome by hurling coins at the one they wanted to see lose a match, and avoided the one they wanted to see win. The higher the value of the coin, the higher the social status one wished to display to fellow spectators. Thus, the arena had takings of no less than 3,200 gp for a day of games. Of course, being pelted with coins distracted gladiators and aggravated beasts and monsters. The coins and blood on the arena only made the ground more slippery, especially by the end of the day. A gladiator could win their freedom by catching three coins—silver pieces or higher values—out of the air, winning their match, and finally presenting their three coins to the syl-pasha's vizar, provided the vizar was present.[2]
History[]
The newly built Djen Arenas received 1,480 enslaved warriors captured when Calimshan's forces reconquered Calimaronn and Artrimmar in the Year of Loss, −230 DR. The majority of these gladiators died fighting one another or against monsters for the entertainment of the people.[10][11]
Under the Shoon Imperium, the eastern Djen Arena was dubbed the Efreetum by Qysar Shoon II (74–107 DR) for its flame-shaped entry pillars.[2][3] The syl-pashas of the Larau family were the biggest supporters of the Djen Arenas in these days.[6]
True to its name, though, the Arena Efreetum was burned in the Arena Fires of the Year of the Leering Orc, 1168 DR. A wizard attempted to escape by causing fires in both the arena and audience, which spread to the surrounding slave and gladiator barracks and beyond into the Games Sabban. The resulting inferno killed 5,600 slaves and gladiators, whose deaths went unrecorded, and another 3% of the city's population, and destroyed 1% of Calimport.[4]
In the Year of the Dragon, 1352 DR, riots broke out at one of the Djen Arenas, leading to an escape of slaves.[12][note 1]
A man named Bashir was sentenced to fight in the Arena Efreetum for failing to pay his debts. He died fighting, and his sons, Rasaad and Gamaz were left orphaned.[13][7]
After the Second Era of Skyfire in the 15th century DR, the windsoul genasi and pasha Marod el Arhapan rose to power off the gladiatorial games. He had his flying palace fly constantly between the two Djen Arenas[14] and owned stables of slave gladiators.[15] In the Year of the Malachite Shadows, 1460 DR, Marod disposed of his former wife Valandra el Shelsper after the birth of their child Cephas by making her a slave beneath the Arena Efreetum. A tenday later, he ordered the untrained slave to face the great gladiator Azad in front of 18,000 spectators. Her death was inevitable, whilst Azad was granted his freedom.[16][15] The gladiatorial matches remained in full swing in the Arena Efreetum as of the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, with Cephas's friends Shan, Cynda, and Tobin forced to fight there.[14][15][9] After Cephas tampered with the magic, Marod's own flying manor ultimately crashed into the Arena Efreetum, obliterating one whole side of it. Although Marod hoped to escape and restart gladiatorial combats in the Arena Sabam, Cephas fittingly slew his evil father on the arena sands.[1][note 2]
Notable Gladiators[]
- Wagym, a wereboar who'd been enslaved and raised at the Djen Arena before escaping in the 1352 riots.[12]
- El Dyram, "the Arm," a powerful gladiatrix who'd earned her title for her headlocks and neck-snapping kills.[17]
- Azad the Free, a champion gladiator, considered the greatest of his day around 1460 DR, who was granted his freedom.[16][15]
Appendix[]
Background[]
Although they are two entirely separate and different arenas, the Arena Efreetum and the Arena Sabam, references in the sources commonly refer to them collectively as the Djen Arenas, or even singularly as the Djen Arena. The novel Sandstorm even renames the Arena Efreetum as the Djen Arena throughout, leaving the other as the Sabam. As such, it can be unclear if a given reference to a Djen Arena refers to one or the other or both. For example, it is unknown if Wagym and the 1352 riots were at the Efreetum or Sabam. However, in most cases, the two may be distinguished by the context: if gladiatorial combat is implied, then it is the Efreetum, as in the case of el Dyram. Thus, this article covers only the Efreetum and information pertaining to both.
Notes[]
- ↑ It is unknown which arena; the source refers only to a singular "the Djen Arena". Since the Arena Efreetum is called the Djen Arena in Sandstorm and the slave-turned-mercenary Wagym is most likely a fighting gladiator, it is presumed to be the Efreetum.
- ↑ The novel Sandstorm refers only to the Djen Arena(s) and the Arena Sabam. Given the focus on gladiatorial combat and a mention of the Sabam remaining in use after the other's destruction, the former is presumed to be the Efreetum of earlier lore. This earlier name is used here for clarity.
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Christopher Rowe (March 2011). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 16, pp. 272, 275, 276, 279. ISBN 978-0786957422.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), pp. 36–37. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 104. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 23. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 4. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 35. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Dave Gross (2019-02-27). Law and Order (Web). In Matt Chapman, Bart Carroll eds. Dragon+ #24. Wizards of the Coast. p. 17. Retrieved on 2019-02-27.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 37. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Christopher Rowe (March 2011). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 15, pp. 257–258. ISBN 978-0786957422.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend (October 1998). Calimport. (TSR, Inc), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-1238-3.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 172. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.
- ↑ Beamdog (November 2012). Designed by Philip Daigle, et al. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. Beamdog.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Christopher Rowe (March 2011). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 5, pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-0786957422.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Christopher Rowe (March 2011). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 14, pp. 230–232. ISBN 978-0786957422.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Christopher Rowe (March 2011). Sandstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 12, p. 207. ISBN 978-0786957422.
- ↑ Steven E. Schend, Dale Donovan (September 1998). Empires of the Shining Sea. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-1237-5.