Challenge Combat: The Arena

One way to test your skills is to engage in hand-to-hand combat in The Arena. (To get there, ask any grizzled old warrior: most of them know the path so well that they can find their way in the dark without a torch. It's a very popular place, with spectators as well as the best fighters in the land.)

The Arena is a combat-sanctioned zone. All contests continue until all opponents are vanquished. If you emerge as the champion, you bear none of the usual karmic consequences: you won't answer to revenants, and you won't be labeled as an outlaw or murderer. If you get beaten, you will return to the stands and lose none of your items.

The Arena is presided over by the Watcher -- a sort of master of ceremonies/sports announcer/referee who makes sure the behavior of both combatants and spectators conforms to the standards below. If you're sitting in the stands, you can talk to the the Watcher. Sometimes, he may even respond in kind.

Challenging The Champion

Usually, when you enter the Arena, there is a reigning Champion taking on all comers. This champion must accept any challenge, or be dethroned.

• To challenge the current champion and step into the Arena, type say Challenge and press Enter.
• If the Champion refuses (by typing say renege and Enter), he or she automatically forfeits the Champion title to the challenger.
• If the Champion agrees, he or she types say accept in the text line, and presses Enter. Combat begins immediately.

Claiming The Title

Occasionally, you may enter an empty Arena, with no established Champion. In this case, the title is up for grabs: simply type say Champion and press Enter to claim the title for yourself!

The Arena has a great deal of spectator seating, and is a popular gathering spot. While you are encouraged to yell, cheer, and otherwise wallow in enthusiastic bloodlust with your fellow fans, house rules prohibit fighting or spellcasting in the stands.

Selecting a Style

There are four different styles of combat that the Watcher will oversee. To select a style, say the name of the style you wish to play. The Watcher will not change the style of combat while a bout is taking place or there is a champion still on the field (he must say Renege first).

• Traditional - In this style, only two combatants square off against each other. If no style is selected, Traditional is the used.
  
• Last Man Standing - Up to 25 warriors can join into this fray, yet there can be only one survivor at the end. After the Champion has declared the style, all others in the arena have 30 seconds to say Challenge if they wish to join in.
  
• Guild vs Guild - This combat style is used for when two guilds wish to challenge one another. Each guild may have up to 10 of its members participate. Once a member of one guild has used say Champion, all participants of both guilds have 30 seconds to say Challenge.
  
• Battle Royale - To truly show their merit, a guild may take on several other guilds in this grand arena battle. Each guild may enter up to 5 members. A number of guilds may participate, though the arena will allow only 25 total warriors on the field at once. The guild which still has members on the field at the end is declared the winner.