Belgrave theorised that Antares had come to Doomtrek in order to use the Arena and its inexhaustible source of gladiators for nefarious purposes. Antares had come alone, but within weeks, had amassed a larger and larger following of armour clad warriors and moving north through Brandor. They had been tracking him since his mysterious arrival from Eldor Hath several years before. Seeking audience with The Nameless, he explained the Church’s suspicions of Antares. Soon after, the noble young knight Sir Belgrave of the Templar Church arrived in Doomtrek. When Antares’ thugs killed the candlemaker and burnt down his shop, The Nameless realised he was being watched. Investigating further, The Nameless discovered a vast subterranean labyrinth of crypts, stone pits and dark altars – though he could not guess as to their true purpose. Early on, he befriended a local candlemaker who told him tales of Doomtrek citizens being pressed into slavery, forced to dig tunnels under the arena. Not so The Nameless,he would quickly rise, winning renown by defeating Arena Champion after Arena Champion. A stoic gladiator with a quiet disposition and great gift for battle, he advanced quickly through the ranks and won fame by defeating local meat merchant John the Butcher in combat in his first day in the Arena. One such slave, a recent capture known in popular folklore as The Nameless, won his freedom when he showed potential as a fighter. Each gladiator received some gold and a basic dagger, but most would die within days of their release. With so many of Brandor’s greatest fighters dying on the sands so fast and so often, Emperor Antares pressed slaves into gladiatorial service with vague promises of their freedom. These slaves were kept in terrible conditions in a catacomb of tunnels under the Imperial Colosseum. Even more were brought to the island as slaves, shedding blood and sweat building the mighty colosseums. Gladiatoral combat took place day and night, drawing thousands to the island in search of glory on the arena sands. Antares had six new arenas built, each grander than the last. Under the rule of the enigmatic Emperor Antares, the island of Doomtrek’s popularity and notoriety exploded.
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