View source for Coliseum (Maerimydra)

{{Building
| image         = [[File:Coliseum_of_Maerimydra.jpg|350px]]
| caption       = 
| name          = Coliseum in Maerimydra, Blood Coliseum<ref name="IAitB-p35">{{Cite adventurers league/It's All in the Blood|35}}</ref>
| type          = Arena<ref name="CotSQ-p74">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|74}}</ref>
| location      = [[Maerimydra]], [[Deep Wastes]], [[Upperdark]]<ref name="CotSQ-p74"/>
| owner         = [[Hledh Hellspawn]] ([[1479 DR]] - ?)<ref name="FRCG-p220">{{Cite book/Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide|220}}</ref><br />[[Kurgoth Hellspawn]] ([[1372 DR]])<ref name="CotSQ-p75">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|75}}</ref> <br/> Master of Games (? – [[1372 DR]])<ref name="CotSQ-p75"/>
| staff         = 
| services      = Entertainment<ref name="CotSQ-p74"/>
| worship       = 
| tankards      = 
| coins         = 
| daggers       = 
| inhabitants   = Inhabitants of the Coliseum (Maerimydra)
| locations     = 
| organizations =  
}}
The '''Coliseum''' was an enormous structure built by the [[drow]] of [[Maerimydra]] to entertain the masses with battles between slaves, prisoners, and exotic beasts.<ref name="CotSQ-p74">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|74}}</ref>

==Location==
Located in the southern end of [[Maerimydra]], the coliseum was more than half a mile from northern entrance to the city.<ref name="CotSQ-p69">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|69}}</ref>

==Structure==
===Exterior===
The Coliseum of Maerimydra was an enormous oval building with its outer walls reaching a height of {{SI|60|ft|long=yes}}. The top of the outer walls were lined with crenelations and windows peppered the sides. Along the north-eastern side of the coliseum, six great double doors opened for the public to enter. On the opposite side of the arena lay a smaller public entrance.<ref name="CotSQ-p74">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|74}}</ref> Two more sets of double doors lay either end of the coliseum to provide access to the arena directly.<ref name="CotSQ-p75">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|75}}</ref>

===Interior===
Beyond the six large doors that formed the public entrance, a public gallery, nearly {{SI|200|ft|long=yes}} in length and {{SI|40|ft|long=yes}} wide, was situated beneath the coliseum's stands. Impressive staircases led up to the seating area above at three points. Torches of flickering ''[[continual flame]]'' hung from the ceiling to illuminate the chamber.<ref name="CotSQ-p74" />

Numerous inner rooms housed and supported the staff and inhabitants of the coliseum. These included an armory with a variety of exotic and gladiatorial weapons, slave pens for keeping dozens of prisoners and monstrous denizens of the [[Underdark]], holding pens for larger animals or slaves to be shepherded into the arena, a kitchen to feed the captives and staff, and guard quarters to house the guards who tended the slaves held nearby.<ref name="CotSQ-p76">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|76}}</ref> In addition, the coliseum held quarters for the [[Master of Games]] within an extravagant suite decorated with murals of arena battles and ancient weapons displayed on the walls.<ref name="CotSQ-p75" />

The arena itself was ringed by a steep seating gallery fully {{SI|40|ft|long=yes}} wide and starting {{SI|20|ft|long=yes}} above the arena floor before rising to about {{SI|60|ft|long=yes}} at the rear. Three staircases from the lower levels rose up to punctuate the eastern side of these stands while another set was centered on the western side.<ref name="CotSQ-p77">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|77}}</ref> At either end of the arena floor, enormous {{SI|20|ft|long=yes}} [[iron]] portcullises sealed the arena during fights and provided access for prisoners and beasts from the cells.<ref name="CotSQ-p75" /><ref name="CotSQ-p76" /> It was possible to hear the sounds of battles in the arena from outside of the coliseum, especially when the crowd filled the seats.<ref name="CotSQ-p74" />

==Services==
Built primarily to entertain the [[drow]] of Maerimydra, the coliseum was also used as a means of dealing with prisoners who had crossed the drow.<ref name="CotSQ-p74" /><ref name="CotSQ-p76" />

==Defenses==
Intimidatingly large and sporting battlements along the length of the outer wall, the coliseum was well protected against threats, both outside and inside.<ref name="CotSQ-p74" /> With two rooms to quarter guards, and dozens of slaves, prisoners and exotic beast fit for fighting, the coliseum could muster some highly dangerous opponents for any who assailed it.<ref name="CotSQ-p76" />

In addition, heavy iron portcullis' and large double doors could be sealed against even especially strong creatures.<ref name="CotSQ-p75" /> However the open-air arena meant that flying attackers could easily enter the heart of the coliseum.<ref name="CotSQ-p77" />

==History==
For centuries, the coliseum of Maerimydra stood as the crowning achievement of their drow culture. Through the arena thousands of exotic beasts, prisoners, and slaves fought and died for the amusement of their drow masters.<ref name="CotSQ-p74" /> Yet in [[1372 DR]], during the [[Silence of Lolth]] that threw the city into chaos, the [[half-fiend]] [[fire giant]] [[Kurgoth Hellspawn]] stormed Maerimydra with an army of [[goblinoid]]s, [[giant]]s, and [[demon]]s.<ref name="CotSQ-p3">{{Cite book/City of the Spider Queen|3}}</ref> The conqueror of Maerimydra made the coliseum the seat of his power while he laid siege to the last bastion of drow defiance at [[Castle Maerimydra]].<ref name="CotSQ-p75" /> 

While he waited, Kurgoth continued to use the coliseum as a source of entertainment for himself and his troops. He would send captured drow to their deaths in the arena and punished his disobedient soldiers by forcing them to fight his [[fiendish]] [[elephant]], [[Tusk]].<ref name="CotSQ-p77" />

In [[1490 DR]], Kurgoth's daughter [[Hledh Hellspawn]] held an event in the coliseum known as "The Strangling," during which the fire giants reenacted their conquest of Maerimydra. For the ocassion, the [[incubi]] [[Oromoth]] purchased hundreds of slaves.<ref name="BABB-p10">{{Cite adventurers league/Blood Above, Blood Below|10}}</ref>

==Notable Inhabitants==
*[[Kurgoth Hellspawn]]
*[[Stamkk]]
*[[Tusk]]

==Appendix==
===Appearances===
:;Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
::''[[Blood Above, Blood Below]]
===References===
{{Refs}}
[[Category:Arenas]]
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Locations in Maerimydra]]
[[Category:Locations in the Deep Wastes]]
[[Category:Locations in the Middledark]]
[[Category:Locations in the Underdark]]
[[Category:Locations in Faerûn]]
[[Category:Locations on Toril]]
[[Category:Locations]]