Colosseum of Halexia

       The Colosseum of Halexia has been built twice, first on the outskirts of the city of Midmore during the reign of the Trade-Prince before it was destroyed during Bolvax's Eruption. Once the city of King's Fall had been established, work began to rebuild the Colosseum within the new city, although significant changes were made to the architecture and purpose of the structure.  

A Tyrant's Amusement

     The original Colosseum was built under the order of Trade-Prince Vanidicus, who claimed the directive came from the Red Tyrant, Bolvax. Criminals were imprisoned within the bowels of the structure, and brought out to fight for the amusement of the audience and the dragon himself, although the great beast never appeared at the Colosseum personally. Gladiatorial fights were held where prisoners would fight great beasts or sometimes, each other. Over time, such an amount of blood had been spilled within the pits that it stained the sands of the Colosseum, turning the ground to a ruddy color that was praised to honor the dragon king by supporters of the events.        Not everyone was a fan of the violent displays within the Colosseum, but there were many incentives to participate in the gatherings. When events were to be held within the Colosseum, the citizens of Midmore were ordered to leave work for the day to spend the day in celebration, and food would be passed out during the day to ensure the stands stayed filled from dawn until dusk. For those that still spoke out against the practice, the same thing happened to them that usually followed disparaging the current regime: to speak out against the Red Tyrant, and by extension the Trade-Prince, was a crime, and criminals were made to fight within the Colosseum. One way or another, everyone in Midmore would end up attending, but it was up to them if they were in the seats or in the sands.         During the Elemental Conflict, once the Trade-Prince was slain and Bolvax freed from his control, the great dragon burst forth from his mountain prison and savaged Midmore and the surrounding land before moving on to the rest of Halexia before being confronted by the Silver Vanguard and the Shadowed Serpent. Although the Tyrant would ultimately be slain, the fury he unleashed upon Midmore had ruined the land for years, including the massive construction. Unfortunately, this extended to the hundreds of "criminals" that had been imprisoned beneath the structure. Amid the destruction, the scale of lives lost within the Colosseum alone was a harrowing punctuation on an already bloodstained legacy.   

Defiant Reclamation

     When Tulvo Aremus proposed to recreate the Colosseum, he was initially met with denial and outrage from almost all of his advisors. Yet when he explained his reasoning behind the project, people began coming around on the idea. While the original building was used to imprison and execute the Trade-Prince's political rivals and troublemakers, Tulvo's plan was to reframe the entire project to be for the people rather than against them. The architect for the original Colosseum still lived, and was able to draw up new plans while incorporating Tulvo's ideas, helping to convince his advisors of the potential of his plan.         While the Trade-Prince used the Colosseum to imprison and execute those he branded as criminals, Tulvo's performers would all be willing volunteers, and he would use it as a chance to expand the arts to the entire city and eventually, the world. Battles may still be held, but by real gladiators who earned their pay in the ring, not prisoners forced to fight for their lives. With the advances in magical and medical knowledge, it would also be far safer within the Colosseum for those that did fight. Beyond the gladiatoral arena, he also championed the construction of large stages designed to expand upon the potential for plays and performances. In addition, the structure would be grand and sturdy enough that, in the event of a disaster a vast portion of the populace could seek shelter within the Colosseum itself, whether the city was defending against a besieging army or a natural disaster. The idea of turning the once-dreadful building into one seen as a place of shelter was praised by all but the most determined of Tulvo's critics, and the construction was finally approved.         Where the first building held tunnels and cages below, the new Colosseum would remove any hint of restraints or imprisoning implements and turn the system into a form of "backstage" sections where performers could move around unseen by the audience above. Steel doors and portcullises that sought to act as visual barriers were removed to open the space up, enlarging the structure overall, and allowing for grander events to take place within. Yet the final detail that cinched the plan was perhaps the most dramatic of all: rather than continuing the legacy of entertainment for a king, the bones of the same tyrant would be used to build the grand project. Following in the legacy that King's Fall was writing for itself, massive bones and scales from Bolvax's corpse were used in the construction of the Colosseum, turning their once-oppressor into the supporting structure that now brought entertainment to the masses.   

Remembering the Lost

Omnes Reges Cadunt"
 Inscription upon the Colosseum's capstone  

     The Colosseum of Halexia was first built as an object of oppression, but its legacy has been reclaimed by the settlers of King's Fall, turning it into a true heart of culture and connection. Gone are the blood-stained sands and the pile of corpses from a day's events, instead replaced by celebrations of life and beauty, and even the battles that take place within its walls are far safer now than they once were. Although the rebuilding was heavily debated among city officials and citizens alike, ultimately the construction was begun with respect and care to ensure the traumas of the first construction would not be repeated. For the grand opening, Tulvo Aremus himself placed the capstone of the Colosseum at its front entrance: a stone recovered from the ruins of the original Colosseum. Upon it was inscribed a message honoring those who had lost their lives to the Trade-Prince's tyranny and serving as a reminder to all who entered of how the story had been told, and the determination of those who sought to change for the better.