Arena (Faction)



The Arena is the main form of public entertainment in Imperial City. Located on the eastern side of the city, the Hero either has the option of betting on fighters in gladiatorial combat, or joining the Arena and fighting in it themselves.

They gain one rank for every three fights they win. The Arena houses two teams, the Yellow Team and the Blue Team, pitted against each other in a never-ending series of fights.

History of the Arena
The Arena was founded by one of the greatest warriors known to Tamriel, Gaiden Shinji, during the First Era. There is not an exact date, but the Arena was constructed sometime during the tenth century of the First Era before 1E 980, the year that marked the end of the 30-year Siege of Orsinium that killed Gaiden Shinji and many other great heroes.

Gaiden Shinji was a member of the Order of Diagna. His most famous quote was "The best techniques are passed on by the survivors," which was made in 1E 947.

Description
The Arena consists of the Bloodworks (contains the Red Room and the practice room), and the Arena itself. The Arena Bloodworks is headed by Blademaster Owyn. Ysabel Andronicus is the Battle Matron and serves as the Grand Champion's trainer and manager. Grand Champion Agronak gro-Malog is practicing his swordsmanship skills. There is also find a Blue Team Gladiator, who is either practicing archery or hand to hand, and the Yellow Team Champion, who is practicing melee.

There are various iron weapons scattered around the Bloodworks and four bedrolls for resting. There are also two Raiment Cabinets which contain both the Arena Light Raiment and the Arena Heavy Raiment, should the Hero lose track of their own.

To begin competing in the Arena, simply talk to Owyn and wear the chosen Arena Raiment. After the Hero tells him they are prepared to battle, proceed through the Red Room to the Arena. When returning from battle, be sure to replenish health, magicka, and fatigue at the Basin of Renewal.

Battle rules

 * A match in the Arena can only be registered from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
 * The provided armor must be worn while fighting in the arena until the Hero becomes Champion rank or they will be disqualified. If the Hero gets disqualified twice, Owyn will prohibit him from fighting in the arena.
 * There is a choice between light or heavy raiment.
 * The Hero may choose any weapon, shield, helmet, rings, or amulets to wear in addition to the provided armor.
 * Fights may take as much time as needed, but all fights are to the death.
 * Opponents' equipment is not lootable, (with the exception of fired arrows), until the Grand Championship match.
 * As long as the rules regarding the armor are kept, the combatants may fight using whichever way they choose.
 * Prizes for each win range from 50 to 500, depending on rank.

Opponents and victory rewards
"PC Level Offset" refers to how many levels higher the opponent will be compared to the Hero of Kvatch's level. Some opponents' weapons and armor will also be leveled appropriately.

Championship
Once the Hero has achieved the rank of Champion, they are given the option of challenging Grand Champion Agronak gro-Malog. Speak to the battle matron, Ysabel, for more information. She will let them choose an Arena Title from a list and people will then call them by this name after they become Grand Champion. The available names are as follows (some choices depend on the Hero's sex):
 * The Spellslinger
 * The Butcher
 * Shadowstep
 * The Black Arrow
 * Skullcrusher
 * The Divine Avenger
 * The Messenger of Death
 * The Crimson Blade
 * The Iron Maiden (female only)
 * Lady Luck (female only)
 * Man o' War (male only)
 * Sir Slaughter (male only)
 * The Tamriel Terror
 * Dragonheart

Unlike other fights, they are allowed to wear any equipment they wish, and upon victory, they can loot the longsword, shield, and heavily enchanted armor their opponent wears. To finish the quest, they must give gro-Malog's enchanted armor to Ysabel, who then rewards them with their own version with identical enchantments, again giving them the choice of a heavy or light version.

Although an uncommon issue, if one completes Origin of the Gray Prince for Grand Champion Agronak gro-Malog before they fight him, it might count as a murder. Many have asked why this is, and that is because he does NOT fight back. He discovered the truth about his father who was a vampire, now he despises himself knowing he's half vampire.

As a result, the Dark Brotherhood may visit the Hero (if they are not already part of the faction) with the message: "Your murder has been seen by unknown forces". If one wishes to kill Agronak when he gives up via the console (see Cheats), it will not count as a murder and the Dark Brotherhood will not visit them.

Life of the Grand Champion
After becoming the Grand Champion, they are given the option of fighting a selection of monsters gathered from around Cyrodiil once a week. The selection of monsters and the gold prize depends on the Hero's level. They can use whatever armor and weapons they wish, and the corpses can be looted.

The total amount of gold earned is as follows: the lower level, the lower amount of gold. The fewer monsters fought, the lower the amount of gold. The less damage taken, the lower the amount of gold. For the most gold, fight 3 Minotaur Lords and take as much damage as possible.

Easy arena fights
When the fight starts, run to the right side where there is a gray pillar near the closed fence and hop up on top of it. It might take a couple tries, but once on top of it, they can stand there without worrying about being hit. Sit there and simply use ranged attacks, such as spells.

While on top of the pillar explained above, just go into sneaking mode and they will end up turning around and lose sight of them. This way, they can deal extra damage with stealthy attacks for easier killing.

For melee-focused characters, melee fighting is fairly straightforward, and health potions / Restoration spells can be very useful.

When using either a one-handed weapon and a shield, or a two-handed, it's recommended to wait for an incoming enemy attack, block it, strike twice while the enemy is staggered, block again and so on. They can also do the same thing but when attacking, run around while hitting their opponent when he/she is staggered.

Thieves and stealthy Heroes
For thieves and the stealthy types, assuming they have points in Acrobatics and/or Athletics, a good tactic is to hit-and-run. This involves attacking with a few attacks and then stepping back to avoid the incoming enemy attack. If they're an archer, shooting a couple of arrows and then running when the opponent gets closer is also effective.

If they're low on arrows, wait for a fight with a single archer enemy. Begin the fight and walk backwards down the hallway they entered from. The enemy will follow down and attempt to shoot them repeatedly with his/her bow. The enemy will never run out of leveled arrows and when they see one coming, sidestep slightly, letting it stick into the wooden door behind. Then, whenever one wants, turn back and collect all the arrows.

Acrobatics
If they have high points in Acrobatics, it is also possible to jump up on the walls and behind the fences (it may take an extra nudge by their opponent to get them up there) around the arena, where most enemies will be unable to reach them. Simply shoot them down with a bow, or use magic to take enemies down.

Enemy archers and spellcasters may be a bit more difficult to fight this way, since they are ranged and can shoot them. It is best to simply rush them. When the Hero becomes the Grand Champion, the fences in the arena are open, so they can no longer hide behind them. Use the fences as a good place to heal, it will help conserve healing potions and increase their restoration skill. They can also aim through the crack between the wall and the fence, though it is quite difficult to accomplish this. Also, unless they master hitting the opponent through the crack or have a high acrobatics skill, you're stuck.

Mages and thieves
For mages and thief/mages, a good combination is to use Conjuration to summon a monster and then use Invisibility (or Chameleon if their stealth is reasonably good) to skulk around in stealth mode. Summoning in conjunction with Illusion can even be used to train their stealth and backstab skills.

Combatants rarely pay any attention to conjured monsters so in general one can just sit back and re-summon, re-invisible as needed. Best of all, stealth, conjuration, and illusion are skills that are quickly trainable, the former by sneaking behind friendlies (do it with a summon, for instance) and the latter with simple spells. It is possible to beat the three-on-one fights without taking a hit using this method.

Spells and staves
Some spells, such as Black Winter (Frost Damage + Paralyze), can be very useful against single opponents. Just paralyze them and then rush. For multiple enemies, use Fireball, or other splash-damage spells.

Some of the staves found around Cyrodiil provide potent effects. However, be sure to check that the opponent isn't resistant to the staff's effects.

The Hero are allowed to do pretty much anything. Fight dirty. If they have an invisibility spell/potion/power, use it and hit their opponent from behind. Use poisons to drain his attributes, or use spells to disintegrate his armor. Use whatever resources they have at their disposal.

Fighting in the Arena at low levels
Strangely, it is entirely possible to become Grand Champion as low as level 1, though the fight against three simultaneous opponents can be very difficult. Against the Champion at low character levels, Porkchop may end up dealing a lot more damage than the Hero. The Grand Champion, and nearly all other single opponents, can be defeated with a simple block and swing strategy.

Another easy way to defeat opponents, is simply staying put and sneak attacking with a bow. If they have a stealthy character, this will make arena fights very easy, as one never have to do any actual fighting. This requires a very high sneak skill though, so don't expect to win any fights with a low level Hero this way.

After becoming Grand Champion at a low level, the enemy monsters will be scaled to their level, including their reward for defeating them.

A way to defeat Minotaur Lords (as Grand Champion) - Since the Minotaur Lords are so tall (especially due to the length of their horns), an easy way to defeat them is to simply retreat back down the stairs of the team entrance after the gate opens and wait for the Minotaur Lords to attack. Due to their size, they will not be able to get down the stairs and they will be able to use any ranged attack to defeat them. This allows them to fight 3 Minotaur Lords at once and get more money and experience as well as the possibility of acquiring their Grand Souls.

Betting at the Arena
Besides fighting in the Arena, there is also the option of betting on daily fights between the two teams, the Yellow Team and the Blue Team. Regardless of whether or not one have fought any fights in the Arena, one is able to bet on either team. To bet, one must speak to the gatekeeper Hundolin, a Wood Elf, at the entrance to the Arena.

Speak with him between 9am and 9pm in order to place a bet of 25, 50 or 100 gold. After that, enter either of the doors to his left and watch the fight. The Hero's Luck plays a small part in the outcome of the bet. At least one of the effects luck has is to modify the health of your chosen combatant upward.


 * For luck 50-59, health is increased by 5.
 * For luck 60-69, health is increased by 10.
 * For luck 70-79, health is increased by 15.
 * For luck 80-89, health is increased by 20.
 * For luck 90-99, health is increased by 25.
 * For luck 100, health is increased by 30.
 * For luck greater than 100, health is unmodified (bug).

If one's bet wins, the reward is double the amount of what one bet.

One can neither fight in an Arena match while one has an outstanding bet; nor can one bet on one's own match.

If you are over 400 in acrobatics, the Hero can jump over the invisible wall and kill the enemy combatant themselves.

If you steal the contents of his takings chest, he will attack you every time he sees you. This means you can no longer bet on the fights as he will not talk to you. However if you steal the contents while nobody is watching you can still bet on the fights. The chest has 500 gold in it when no bets are placed in it, but the contents never respawn even if you bet more and lose.

One can easily make a good amount of gold without doing any work at all by just saving before betting on a match, then if one loses, reload the saved game and repeat the process.

It is also possible to cheat using the console. Simply hit '~' to open the console, and select the NPC of the opposing team and type 'kill' into the console and hit enter. This will count as a 'win' and you will receive your holdings.

Arena
The Hero can join the Arena and eventually become the new Grand Champion. Ask Hundolin or speak to Owyn directly at the Arena Bloodworks. When talking to him, he will be a bit angry as he has other things to do. When asked about joining he will be delighted but still a bit condescending towards them.

Trivia

 * It is unknown if the arena still exists in the present day, as the Great War certainly destroyed the arena.
 * The Arena announcer was voiced by Wes Johnson.
 * The poster for the Arena slightly resembles the cover art for The Elder Scrolls: Arena.

Bugs

 * During the later stages of matches, the blue teams entrance light floating above the doorway will disappear sometimes, and not return.
 * Sometimes the Hero will get disqualified from a match for not wearing the Arena Raiment, when they actually are wearing the Raiment.