Naabeth is ruled by an Assembly of diverse voices – holders of traditional offices both ceremonial and practical, the heads of aristocratic families, and elected representatives of the free people of the various districts of the city. The city holds dominion over a large area of lesser cities, villages, and several nomadic bands, none of whom have direct voices on the Assembly, but are nonetheless considered to have some influence through those of their kin resident in the city's districts.

Unique to Naabethi gladiatorial culture are the Sacred Sands – blessed earth scattered upon the field of combat and imbued with life-preserving magic. Only the most grievous of blows will truly fell a combatant in a Naabethi bout, though particularly bitter opponents may agree to fight without this facility and chance the death of their rival – or themselves. The most famed gladiators fight in great arenas, of which there are three in Naabeth. The premier of these is on the grounds of an ancient temple, the cult of which is long forgotten, but it is here that the earth for the Sacred Sands must be gathered, and from here that they draw their power. This arena, known to Naabethi as the Temple of the Sands, is where the final combat in the annual Games takes place. While in other cities, a single style of combat may be favoured – wrestling, or spear fighting, or duelling with daggers and whips – in Naabeth, combatants of all disciplines can be found in the ring.

The gladiators are figures of public fame and renown among the Naabethi, often far more than their own politicians and elders. Indeed, the politicians and the gladiators may often form alliances – political factions seek the support of popular athletes and stables of successful gladiators in exchange for sponsorship. The current Grand Champion however, Gsuta, is known for her relative indifference to politics.

Visitors to Naabeth are advised to attend a gladiatorial bout, if not at the Temple of the Sands or the other two great theatres, then the lesser combats that may take place in marketplaces, temple yards, or other diverse locations. Some fans of blood sports in other cities are known to express that the reduced chance of death in Naabeth's arenas makes for a less skillful bout or less exciting spectacle. It is wise to keep such opinions unexpressed among the Naabethi.

Behind the Scenes

Naabeth is a city I created for an idea I had for an RPG campaign. It's currently setting-neutral, and could be adapted for any world or used in any game system.

My idea was to run a campaign where the players play as gladiators – but rather than slaves, as is typical in most such stories, the PCs would be professional athletes. As well as fighting in the arena, they would have to seek sponsorship, manage their careers, and probably get involved in intrigue. I was taking inspiration from the history of gladiators in the Roman world, from real-life combat sports and, more importantly, films and stories based on boxing, wrestling, or MMA.

I've outlined some details and facts about Naabeth below.

Naabeth

Population: ~200,000 people (primarily human, small numbers of other races)

Government: Assembly, led by Cyl Tsem.

The Assembly is made up of sixteen Speakers (publicly elected from each of the city's districts, representing the common people), twelve Houses (appointed representatives of the city's noble families, usually the head of the house or the heir), and twenty Officers (holders of titles and offices, including the High Priest of the Sun Temple, the commander of the Army, and the heads of trade groups).

There are three main political factions in the city.

The Wheel Party are seen to represent the common people, particularly the merchant classes and tradesmen. Their most radical members want to grant positions in the Assembly to the other towns and bands under Naabethi dominion.

The Tower Party are the party of aristocratic power and tradition. They finance large works to improve the lives of citizens, sponsor many of the largest games, and encourage naval trade.

The Cup party are the faction of labourers, and are supported by many of the ethnic factions in Naabeth. They seek to ensure work for the people of Naabeth and are opposed to punitive taxes.

The city government is not limited to these forty-eight people. The individual districts may have their own small councils, Assembly members have their staff, and there is a large bureaucracy within the Assembly Halls that carries out the day-to-day running of the city.

There is no official religion in Naabeth. Though most citizens nominally venerate the Sun, many religious enthusiasms as well as periods of relative apathy have overtaken the city. Most regional religions have a presence here.

Characters

The current Leader of the Assembly, Cyl Tsem, was a successful general in Naabeth's army before being elected as Speaker for the East Gate district. He represents the Tower Party.

Gsuta came to Naabeth at a young age to become a gladiator. She has reigned as the Grand Champion for several years now, and though she no longer competes regularly she has yet to be defeated in the annual Games.

Albec is the Speaker of the East Market district, allied to the Wheel party. He was narrowly elected after the death of the previous speaker, a staunch Tower man. His next election is coming in the next year and he is not certain to win.

Baniar represents House Temon in the Assembly. She took over from her uncle as he grew old and focused more on his own affairs of House and business, and Baniar is expected to assume these responsibilities to on his death. She's a member of the Tower faction but allied closely with many members of the Cups.

Tred Lam runs the most famous gladiatorial school in Naabeth. Near the city's docks and its western gate, it's often the first school newcomers to the city encounter. Lam charges a high price for enrollment, but is known to sponsor promising prospects if they impress him.

Locations

The Temple of the Sands is an ancient temple, dating to before the city of Naabeth was founded, and outside the original limits of the city. The blessed energies here are what give the Sacred Sands their life-preserving power. It's located in the north east of the city.

The High Field is located in the north of the city, overlooking much of Naabeth. It alone of all the Great Arenas stages fights between gladiators and wild beasts, and the owners are always on the lookout for new exotic creatures to use.

The Speaker' Arena is located in the south west of the city, It was built a century ago, after a campaign of public finance led by Speakers who would go on to be the basis of the modern Tower faction.

The East Market holds regular combats, some of the most popular lesser bouts in the city.

The Assembly Hall is on a square in the south of the city, not far from the docks. Several temples and aristocratic villas can be found in the neighbourhood.

Rumours and Hooks

Gossip in the west end of the city is saying that a great fighter, a champion among the nomads and the outlying forts, is preparing to make a move to the city and start a career in earnest.

A noble family is holding a feast tomorrow night, and their scheduled entertainment got badly injured.

A new cult recently arrived in the city is opposed to blood sports and is forbidding its members to attend the fights.

A Speaker and an army officer somewhere in the Old districts got in a brawl over the outcome of a fight. Some are saying the Speaker had gambling debts, some are saying the match was fixed.

They are roughly humanlike in appearance – possessing two legs, a trunk, two arms, and a head, in approximately similar proportions to those of humans. The head is where the greatest variation is seen, both in dissimilarity to human features and in variation with the species, as Arrukae facial features range from coarse and bestial to almost serene. Their skin may be a range of colours - including all shades of skin found in humans, but more commonly grey or a greyish-green. Approximately four in every five Arrukus possesses a set of tusks, either upper or lower, with rare individuals possessing both. Asymmetric horns and other growths are sometimes reported, though it is unknown whether this is a natural, inherited feature, or developed otherwise. They possess far greater strength than humans of a similar size.

While primarily reproducing among themselves, Arrukus are capable of interbreeding with humans. Offspring born in this manner typically appear as the species of the mother. Children born of Arrukae seed carried by human women thus often appear as entirely human; however it is apparent that Arrukae seed may infect human bloodlines for at least three generations – atavistic Arrukae have been birthed in regions where no full blooded Arrukus has been seen for over fifty years.

For these reasons, it is commonly believed that Arrukae and humans share a common primordial ancestor, less ancient than that we share with the apes. What caused the divergence is unknown. Some scholars speculate that Arrukae may be able to breed with the higher species of ape, as they can with humans. Arrukae reproduce prolifically. Their gestational period is six months, and an Arrukus typically reaches maturity in a mere ten years. It is unknown how long the natural lifespan, excluding deaths from violence or illness, of an Arrukus is.

The Arrukae possess speech, reason, and craft. Little is known of their languages, though it is certain that they do not all share a single common tongue. Arrukae are capable of learning human language, though their physiology may render their speech difficult to understand. They have knowledge of crafts including pottery and metalwork. They do not build, mostly preferring a nomadic lifestyle or to inhabit human cities seized by force.