The Coliseum

Overview:
The Coliseum at Nova Carthago is the grandest arena in the world and has been an establishment of Illian culture since its construction during the Primum Aevum. The sands of its arena floor have seen more blood than arguably any other single battlefield in history, if only for its continued use across the centuries. Following the Vendilyrian Schism, it maintained a staple of Illian culture as fighters from all around the world come every year from their regional arenas to compete for the title of Coliseum Champion.

It rises above the plains of the Flatlands, within the Quiddam of Nova Carthago. The complex built around it is like a small city, complete with blacksmiths, ferriers, stables, and anything else that could possibly be needed for the games hosted there. There is even a shipbuilder.

While it hosts other events such as chariot races, combat is the primary draw. Mosts fights are not to the death as they have been in centuries past, the general population find it more distasteful as time progresses.

Specifications:
Constructed of pure white marble just like the city it sits in, the coliseum rises 220ft from the ground and encompasses twenty stories. Its exterior facade consists of arches that allow air to flow through the stands. It sits as a perfect circle, covering an area of nearly 300,000 square feet and includes seating for nearly 40,000 people.

Huge canvas sheets, akin to sails are drawn out over massive wood masts that jut inward from the peak of the structure--called the velarium--it is used to shield spectators from wind and rain, as well as catch the breeze to further assist in keeping spectators cool. So akin to a sail is the velarium that sailors are employed to maneuver its deployment.

The arena itself consists of massive marble blocks; packed tightly together and covered in a foot of gravel followed by a foot of tightly packed sand, the surface of which is raked before each event to provide traction. It has a diameter of 300 feet, encompassing a total area over 70,000 square feet. Its circumference is lined by a twenty foot tall marble wall that is four foot thick, that shields the hallway combatants emerge from that wraps around the arena. Glyphs pulse and glow across this facade, a symbol of the magic in place to shield the stands from any misplaced shots or rogue projectiles.

Two iron gates stand at the North and South cardinal directions in the shield wall, that allow for combatants to enter the arena floor; each molded to represent scenes of past champions across its ferrous visage.