Arekthon - City of War

Type: City-State
Role: Militaristic Polis, Arena-Centric Society, Seat of Ares
Location: Southern Coast of Hellenara

Overview
Arekthon is a crimson-walled city where might is law and the arena is king. Forged in the image of Ares, God of War, every stone and soul within its boundaries bows to combat. Life here is ruled by blood trials, warrior cults, and endless competition. To rise in Arekthon is to fight. To fall is to die or fight harder. Duels settle debts. Combat determines governance. Even marriage proposals are sealed in the Bloodring.

At its center looms the Bloodring, a coliseum so vast it swallows the horizon, flanked by bronze statues of champions long passed. Here, the faith of Ares is lived, not preached. Its thunderous chants echo daily, binding the city in ritual violence and honor.

Once a coastal fortress, Arekthon has grown into a sprawling metropolis dedicated to martial perfection. Its docks brim with warships; its forges belch divine flame. Prisoners of war are not jailed—they are entered into the Bloodroll and made into fodder or legends. Even now, its banners rise high in perpetual war against the arcane bastion of Myrrdin, whom the warriors of Arekthon deem cowardly sorcerers.

Founding & History
Legend tells that Arekthon was founded where Ares himself descended after the First Divine War, leaving behind a broken spear that struck the earth and birthed the Bloodring. The first Chosen of Ares built a stronghold around this sacred crater and called it the Spearhold, now buried beneath the modern coliseum.

In time, the cult of Ares grew, attracting mercenaries, veterans, exiles, and glory-seekers. Arekthon became a proving ground, a city where any warrior could rise by right of strength. Kings have been crowned and dethroned in single combat. Even now, its government is ruled by the Council of Iron, a war-chosen senate where only those who have earned titles in the arena may speak.

When Myrrdin rose to magical dominance in the north, Arekthon saw a foe worthy of conquest. The War of Broken Wards began and has never truly ended. Arekthon sees Myrrdin not just as an enemy, but as an antithesis—magic without muscle, wit without courage.

Core Philosophy

  • Strength is truth.

  • All oaths are bound in blood.

  • Victory grants voice; defeat demands silence.

  • Only the untested need law.

  • All roads lead to the Arena.

In Arekthon, justice, inheritance, and power are earned in open combat. All citizens are trained in basic martial rites. The devout seek to become Bloodsworn — warriors who sacrifice one weapon to Ares in exchange for divine favor. Gladiators are saints. Weaponmasters are priests.

Notable Locations

🌺 The Bloodring (Central Arena)
The city’s colossal coliseum, a relic of divine origin. Capable of seating 100,000 spectators, it houses duels, tournaments, executions, and ceremonies. Beneath its sands lie the Chambers of Echoes, a catacomb where past champions are entombed and still whisper guidance to the faithful.

🛡️ The Warforge Enclave
Where divine smiths labor day and night, forging weapons imbued with echoes of past wars. Smoke stacks belch prayers in the form of soot. The Forge-Matriarchs here answer only to Ares's war-priests.

🏛️ The Crimson Citadel
Temple-fortress of Ares. Its outer walls are engraved with the names of every citizen who died in sanctioned combat. Blood rites are held here weekly, with war-seers divining fates from blade patterns.

🔹 The Gladiator Barracks (Broken Legion)
Training ground and home to the Broken Legion—an elite guild of gladiators, veterans, and ex-champions who now mentor the next generation. The barracks house arenas of every size for preparation and honor duels.

🍽️ The Emberhelm
A tavern built within a shattered war-helmet of a fallen Titan. War-stories are traded like coin. Its hearthfire is said to never extinguish, fueled by drops of divine ichor.

🎪 The Bloodmarket
A sprawling bazaar where every item has seen battle. Minotaur hides, manticore tails, weapons from fallen foes, enchanted gauntlets—sold only to those who can prove their strength.

⛓️ The Chain of Oaths (Judgment Square)
An obsidian plaza where oaths are sworn and traitors judged. Duels fought here are blessed by Ares and watched by war-priests. Blood spilled on its stones cannot be washed away.

Factions & Figures

The Council of Iron
Nine warlords, each a champion of a different martial discipline, form the ruling body. Admission requires victory in the Bloodring and surviving a ritual known as the Iron Climb.

The Broken Legion
Former champions, now mentors and enforcers. Tasked with training prisoners, enforcing arena law, and serving as a neutral peacekeeping force in civil disputes—by sword.

The Bloodsworn
Chosen of Ares marked by divine scars. They channel divine power through martial discipline alone. Often serve as emissaries, executioners, or wrathbringers beyond city walls.

The Thorned Fangs
Arenaborn assassins who operate only within legal combat. They duel in silence, faces veiled, and rarely leave survivors. Said to answer only to the Crimson Citadel.

Society & Customs

  • Birthright means little. Lineage earns no privilege without combat. Children are trained from age six.

  • Marriage Combat is a custom where prospective couples spar publicly before pledging vows. The loser offers their weapon as a dowry.

  • Trial by Steel is the preferred method of conflict resolution. Even minor disputes may be settled in the arena.

  • Blood Festivals are held monthly to honor fallen champions and summon new contenders.

All public offices, from judge to baker's guildmaster, are filled via combat tournaments known as Ascension Trials.

Enemies & Conflicts

Myrrdin the Arcanopolis
A rival city of magical might, seen as Arekthon's antithesis. While Arekthon sees valor in combat, Myrrdin prizes intellect and arcane mastery. Their war is philosophical, political, and literal—with border skirmishes occurring frequently.

Prisoners of War
Captured enemies are not kept in cells. They are added to the Bloodroll and must fight in the arena. If they survive three victories, they earn their freedom and a citizen mark. Some choose to remain.

Wandering Champions
From across Hellenara, warriors come to earn names in the Bloodring. These outsiders are both welcomed and watched.

Rumors & Hooks

  • The buried Spearhold still holds Ares’s first weapon, cursed with endless battle lust.

  • A child has won five straight Bloodring duels. Some say she bears divine blood.

  • A Myrrdin assassin is fighting through the Bloodroll to reach the Council of Iron.

  • One of the Councilors has not fought in years—and some whisper of cowardice.

Theme & Tone
Arekthon is brutal, proud, and deeply spiritual in its devotion to strength. It is a city where the sword is scripture and the arena is altar. All roads here lead to conflict—and only the victorious may write their names into legend.