The regional arena for the Delarquan Federation. Any warrior invited to the Isle who is from a Delarquan city is eligible to fight here, unless inducted into Primus.

Like the other ADM arenas, it is on the Isle of the Eye. The construction of the Darkholm arena was accomplished with Delarquan Federation funds, in the little village of Willow Beach, on the south shore of the Isle of the Eye.

The original inhabitants of Willow Beach were (and are) primarily fishermen, whose ancestors moved to the Isle many generations ago to escape the frequent wars on the mainland. They are good sailors and fairly tough fighters (they have to be, to deal with some of the creatures found in the Lake of Mists), and are quite tolerant of magic and other strange things because of the colony of wizards that has formed around the Grey Tower. Though proud that their village has been chosen as the site of an arena, they are not particularly happy about that arena's dark reputation. Anyone referring to the community as "Darkholm" is likely to be forcibly reminded by a villager that Darkholm is just the name of the arena; the town is named for the beautiful willow trees that grow along the shore, trailing their graceful fronds into the swirling gray waters. There is an actual beach, near the docks, but it is small and rather rocky.

Willow Beach is growing rapidly, as tradesmen move in to serve the gladiators and the crowds they attract. The new construction includes guildhouses, two bordellos, several taverns (the Goodeve is the one the fishermen go to), three inns (the Krakenholm is by far the largest, a brooding stone edifice, surrounded by dark pines, on a bluff overlooking the mist-shrouded lake), two nightclubs (the Black Chalice and Eve's Palace Casino), and two armorers (in addition to the old smithy).

Encyclopedia Alastaria

Copyright © by Duel2.Com - (1626 reads)