Roddacember Day 1: Introduction

"Though many areas of the Shadowlands remain shrouded in mystery even today, the Shadow Arena is surprisingly well-documented. There are, of course, the myriad accounts of the survivors who were rescued from the Arena by King Lief in the first year of his reign, many of whom spoke in detail of the chilling nature of the Arena: the distant screams carried by the winds, the blood caked into the stone from years of battles, the laughter and jeers of the Shadow Lord's "guests" as they watched the fights. But their accounts suffer from the confusing and often self-contradictory nature that plagues all memories of those who undergo intense trauma, and historians have had difficulty drawing decisive conclusions from them.

Far more accurate accounts, darkly enough, come from the Enemy itself. The Shadow Lord employed at all times a small group of clerks--low-ranking Ols or human collaborators--to record the fights: the participants, the victors, the injuries and moves used. It's difficult to say why; perhaps for research purposes? Or maybe the records were only a reflection of Lord Malverlain's famous obsession with order and control. Either way, they provide an objective, almost clinical insight into the Arena that no other account does. Through this lens, we can observe history unfold as thousands of lives are lost.

In the records, we see the Vraals evolve from the humble Green Monsters, with 'kill rates' of 20-30%, to their final forms, where fatality was nearly assured no matter what enemy they fought. We can see the moment when Jarred, also known as Doom, referred to only as subject #57489, escapes confinement in a move that will change the course of Deltoran history.

Of especial note is a single fighter. The Shadow Lord's protégé, Paff, is mentioned repeatedly in the records. None of the other Guardians are seen in the books, but Paff was repeatedly featured in the Arena for reasons unknown. Perhaps to test the limits of the power Lord Malverlain had given her? Certainly, records of those who fought her in Del would seem to indicate that of all the Guardians, she was the most powerful.

Regardless of the reasons for her appearances, Paff is mentioned as a fighter twenty-seven times, pitted against everything from a Jalis warrior to a Vraal. Each entry marks her as the victor. And, it should be noted, each entry marks a 'kill'.

-Yzetli Sombrum,

First Royal Librarian

Deltora Annals, Volume 986, Chapter 5