#bvbfightingpit

After a full day of complaining, she’d finally buckled under Neyon’s insistent begging. He’d been overly excited about attending the first open fights of the pit, but she hadn’t wanted any part of it. The location of the pits was basically Wolfgang’s back yard and without question the Blood King would be present as host of the event. She didn’t want to see him, nor speak to him, nor breathe the air he inhaled, but after throwing her friend multiple excuses as to why she couldn’t attend, and being countered with each one, she finally caved.

Here she was, at the farthest edge of the crowd, looking down on the bustle of Sanctuary inhabitants surrounding the pit. Neyon had tried to get her to move for a closer spot, but she’d declined. He’d finally went down to the front on his own, leaving her alone with her thoughts and the roaring of the crowd. She made sure to keep a little distance from the back row of spectators, not wanting to be swept up in their excitement as she looked down into the pit.

Wolfgang had just done his introduction of the pits, seeming as confident as can be, fully within his element. His voice roared above the crowd, being easily heard all the way in the back. His voice.... her brows furrowed ever so slightly, recalling the last time they’d spoken. The way his tone had been almost devoid of emotion, cold, formal. The way he had addressed her as if she were nothing. A twinge of hurt stabbed her from deep within, causing her fists to clench at her sides.

Perhaps this had been a mistake? Maybe she should’ve never come. She folded her arms as a challenger emerged from the crowd, wanting to face Wolfgang in the opening round. The young man swaggered towards the pit, seeming very confident about himself. The dark hair and clearly trained body seemed familiar someho-- wait. Nadya’s brow rose as she recognized the young challenger as Noah. They boy she’d met during the last festival. Her head tilted curiously, taking in the Blood King’s reaction to Noah. He also seemed familiar with him, cause his demeanor was a tiny bit playful, yet it could be due to this excitement about this opening... He really did seem excited about this.

Nadya wasn’t sure whether she was glad to see him happy, or annoyed about it. For a split second she considered taking her leave. Neyon was somewhere within the crowd, he wouldn’t even notice if she slipped back home. Just as she was about to turn around, someone appeared by her side, making her glance up in surprise. The one standing there only bringing a bit more confusion to her gaze. ‘’Reginmund?’’ she uttered, blinking up at him. ‘’Uh, hey...’’

They had expected her to be the voice acting in opposition against the Pits. Milena could see it in their eyes, hear it in their tones and the way Wolfgang presented the idea to her alone. They hadn’t expected her to agree so suddenly. But creatures of violence were creatures of violence no matter who they were; upyr, vampires, and humans alike.

The first few fights were... there’s a word less than impressive, but Milena can’t find it at the moment. The Bone Court isn’t home to such violence but Sanctuary had made the Queen accustomed to it. Even if the fighters were pathetic weaklings... weaklings to needed to see what real power looked like.

“Who will enter next?” called out the Child of Wolfgang, the one the Kind held close but who refused to fight this night.

Silence fell as Milena rose from her seat.

“I will,” announced the Queen. Her eyes scanned the crowd with little concern. “Should anyone find themselves bold enough to fight me.”

                                          THE FIGHTING PITS                                               A “PLOT EVENT”                                   & ADDITION TO THE LORE

A History—

The Vampire Territory is a vast landscape, and those under her domain are equally spread across the terrain. Despite their speed, the surging Vampire population growth in the recent decades has made it difficult for the Blood Court to be the centerpiece of justice and punishment. Rather than bring all disputes, large or small, to the Blood King himself, the Vampires have instead adopted their own method of settling affairs without the need for an impartial figure--a method far more suited to their carnal natures.

Across the Territory, Fighting Pits are one of the few staples created solely by Vampire culture. They serve as a way to air grievances and settle arguments without starting Clan wars. It’s far easier to take two fighting Vampires and shove them into a hole to beat each other bloody, as opposed to getting every Maker and Child in a bloodline involved in a war. Whether one person yields, someone fights to the death, or the sun comes up on them both, the Pits ensure a solution is found with the least amount of bloodshed.

For Sanctuary’s Vampires—

Blood King Wolfgang Arcturus-Child first brought the idea of the Fighting Pits to Sanctuary for Vampires only. Seeing his people forced into a half-starved state for the sake of cooperation, the King wished to grant them a place to air out their frustrations without the risk that any of his subjects might break one of the town’s Laws.

With the vote of the Tribunal, a massive Pit was dug behind the King’s Manor at the farthest reaches of the Vampire District. Two tunnels, one on either side of the Pit, were created for fighters to enter and leave the Pit on guard. And for protection a massive net of woven rope was made and anchored across the top of the Pit -- a safeguard insisted by Keeper Cadeyrn.

The Fighting Pit became a massive success among the town’s Vampires. It became not only a place to fight off disputes, but a way to train their bodies back into predatory shape. The difference could be seen not only in the Vampires, but in the rest of Sanctuary as well; in fewer confrontations involving the Vampire citizens, and more diligent Night-Workers. It didn’t take long for word to spread that the Fighting Pit was violence for the greater good.

Open For All—

Now others across Sanctuary want in on the action. The Vampires aren’t the only supernaturals with pent-up frustration, nor are they the only citizens with disputes to settle. After several petitions from different species groups to the Tribunal about opening the Fighting Pits for all citizens of Sanctuary, it could no longer be ignored. With thorough discussion among the Tribunal members and the agreement of the Blood King, the Fighting Pits have been opened to all.

The First Open Fights—

In celebration of this new addition to Sanctuary, special “celebratory matches” will be held on the 3rd Day of Fallun at midnight. These matches will be hosted and presided upon by the Tribunal, and all citizens of Sanctuary are welcome not only to attend, but to elect themselves as combatants.

                                                       Let the games begin.

“The Fighting Pits” is not a plot drop, nor an event, but merely a new addition to our lore and a creative new venue for future storytelling. There is no start/end date to this drop, but we welcome you to join us in participating!

Those who wish to bring their character into a fight can post an open starter in the tag: #bvbfightingpit. From there, starters can be taken and plots can be made as you all please!

If your character has no desire to fight but still wishes to observe the fights, you are free to post in the tag as well but please specify you will not be competing.

As a final note: we would like to give special accolades to our Cast Member Gina ( @wolfgangarcturus ), without whom this idea would not exist. She has done an incredible job contributing to our lore and with her we’re excited to bring this into the BVB World!

BELOW THE CUT ARE THE OFFICIAL TRIBUNAL-AGREED RULES FOR COMBAT WITHIN THE PITS.