--- "The Crimson Sands" Under-Arena Complex Map ---
[Dusty Alley Entrance (1) - Entrance] --- [Fight Promoter's Den (2)] --- [Gladiator Barracks (3)] | | [Training Cages (4)] --- [Armory & Kit (5)] --- [Holding Pens (6)] | | [The Bloodied Sands Arena (7) - Objective]
--- Area 1 (Dusty Alley Entrance - Entrance) --- Description: Tucked away in a forgotten, refuse-strewn alley behind the grand arena, a nondescript, heavy iron door is almost entirely obscured by graffiti and grime. The air here is thick with dust and a faint, metallic tang. Distant, muffled roars hint at the brutal entertainment beyond. This is the covert entry point Kaelen arranged. Exits/Connections: To Fight Promoter's Den (2) (North).
--- Area 2 (Fight Promoter's Den) --- Description: This cramped, smoke-filled room is dominated by a rickety desk overflowing with betting slips, stained contracts, and a few discarded coin purses. The air is stale with cheap tobacco and stale sweat. A large, gruff man (the promoter) sits behind the desk, his eyes darting suspiciously. Exits/Connections: To Dusty Alley Entrance (1) (South), To Gladiator Barracks (3) (East). Creatures: It has creatures (type: gladiators - minor enforcers/staff).
--- Area 3 (Gladiator Barracks) --- Description: This large, unkempt chamber serves as the living quarters for the lower-tier gladiators. Crude cots line the walls, and the air is thick with the scent of unwashed bodies, stale ale, and fear. Scars mar the stone walls from countless impromptu brawls. Exits/Connections: To Fight Promoter's Den (2) (West), To Training Cages (4) (South). Creatures: It has creatures (type: gladiators).
--- Area 4 (Training Cages) --- Description: This chamber features several heavy iron cages, some containing basic training dummies, others with crude, bloodstained sparring equipment. The floor is packed earth, churned by countless footsteps. The metallic clang of weapons on shields seems to echo perpetually here. Exits/Connections: To Gladiator Barracks (3) (North), To Armory & Kit (5) (East).
--- Area 5 (Armory & Kit) --- Description: Racks of various weapons – battered swords, dented shields, rusting spears – line the walls of this disorganized armory. Piles of worn leather armor and frayed gambesons lie haphazardly on the floor. The smell of oil and old steel is potent. Exits/Connections: To Training Cages (4) (West), To Holding Pens (6) (South). Secret Passages/Areas: A loose stone in the wall behind a large weapon rack (Perception DC 16 to find) conceals a small, hidden compartment containing a few valuable but illicit drugs or a stash of smuggled gold.
--- Area 6 (Holding Pens) --- Description: A series of grim, iron-barred cells line this claustrophobic corridor. The air is cold and carries the stench of despair and unwashed bodies. Scratches and desperate messages are carved into the cell walls. A few subdued figures (prisoners or future gladiators) might be visible within. Exits/Connections: To Armory & Kit (5) (North), To The Bloodied Sands Arena (7) (West via a large, heavy gate). Creatures: It has creatures (type: gladiators - guards/handlers).
--- Area 7 (The Bloodied Sands Arena - Objective) --- Description: The ground here is compacted earth, stained dark with countless battles. High walls soar overhead, partially obscured by heavy canvas tarpaulins. The roar of a hidden crowd can be faintly heard from above, along with the chilling clang of steel. The air is surprisingly still, hot, and heavy with the scent of blood and anticipation. This is the venue for the "grudge match." Exits/Connections: To Holding Pens (6) (East). Encounter Type: BOSS FIGHT! Objective: This area is designed for the final, treacherous "grudge match." The "boss" here is not just a single individual but the rigged nature of the fight itself, possibly involving multiple waves of increasingly dangerous gladiators, environmental hazards (spikes, pits), or even the subtle intervention of a shadowy "magnate" or their agents. The objective is to "survive the rigged odds and prove your worth in blood," winning the fight and thereby gaining the "substantial purse" and "a rare audience with a reclusive magnate."
