The Coliseum (District)

The Coliseum is the name of the district and the structure which dominates it. This smaller district has relatively few residents when compared to the other districts but makes up for it by being one of the most heavily trafficked. Between the Coliseum and Arena where regular events are held, the Circus Maximus which features daily shows and weekly chariot races, and the Irdas Theatre which regularly performs shows to massive crowds, this district is the entertainment heart of Surket. While it is often scoffed at by the elite and noble, the masses can’t seem to get enough of it.

The Coliseum and the smaller Arena are the main draws of the district, with daily shows ranging from gladiatorial combat, acrobatics shows, animal battles, and they even occasionally fill the pit with water and reenact naval battles. The Arena is a pretty standard fighting pit, but the Coliseum is filled with trap doors, elevators, platforms, and all kinds of mechanics for their shows.

The Circus Maximus is a massive half-mile wide circuit that is most famous for being where the weekly chariot races occur. Ever since the Aquian Empire, chariot races have been a regular feature of the Circus Maximus. These races are brutal and bloody affairs, and death is a regular feature of the event. So many people are drawn to this event every week that Surket becomes noticeably quieter in the other districts. Aside from the chariot races, the Circus also hosts jousting, a more recent phenomena, horse racing, dog racing, and several other less popular and less common kind of races.

The other notable attraction in the Coliseum district is the Irdas Theatre, a large theatre where the stage sits in the center and is surrounded on three sides by the audience. This theatre performs comedies and dramas for the crowds at least once a day, but usually several times more. The theatre has food and drink vendors and the entire theatre is sunken in and has balconies so that as many people as possible can enter and enjoy the shows. It is a cheap and entertaining alternative to the often brutally violent affairs of the Coliseum, though the shows never shy from sex and violence themselves.

The Coliseum itself is owned by retired gladiator “Rowdy” Rodney Pipestone. He is considered the father of modern gladiatorial combat, is one of the founding members of the WGF (World Gladiator Federation) and even started his own school to teach gladiatorial combat to the next generation. He is often credited with bringing the Coliseum into a new golden age in the last twenty years or so, and he also acts as the Consul for the Council of Surket for this district.

Notable Locations

 * The Coliseum (Location)
 * The Arena
 * Circus Maximus
 * Pipestone Gladiator School
 * Irdas Theatre
 * Merry Manticore Brewing Company Coliseum Branch

Notable Factions

 * World Gladiator Federation
 * The Guiding Thread
 * The Drivers