Blood and Sand at the Sunpit

The party is entered in the founding-day games of a frontier town. They arm themselves in the undercroft, then walk out onto the sand to face a champion, his rivals and whatever the governor lets loose.

The frontier town of Dustmere celebrates its founding with blood games in the Sunpit, its sandstone-and-timber arena. The party has been entered in the day's great bout, by debt, by bargain or by the governor's decree. A purse of 500 gp, and their freedom, ride on the result.

The Undercroft (the starting scene): the party begins in the gladiators' barracks under the stands, their own gear locked away. Varro the lanista gives them until the second horn to arm themselves from the armoury's racks and stands and to make an offering at the shrine. Brica the armourer fits their gear and, for a few coins, shares what she knows about the champion.

The Sunpit: at the second horn the guards march them up the tunnel and the portcullis rises onto the sand. Kestus the Red and three rival gladiators wait by the far gate. Partway through the bout the governor releases a lion from the north gate, then a bear from the south, to please the crowd. Winning the crowd's favour matters as much as winning the fight: at full favour the governor frees the victors with the whole purse.

For 4 characters of level 5.