Founded by the mysterious Lady Aranea, the Arena Sanguis exists somewhere beneath a modest tavern that stands in the shade of the palace at sunset. This grandiose, underground coliseum pits brave heroes against a wide variety of deadly foes, but fear not! Revival services are available for a measly 300 gold fee, to be paid at the time of such revivifying service being rendered. In addition to gold rewards, contestants may also qualify for certain secret achievements, unlocking Sanguine Tokens that can be used to purchase fine and powerful magic items.

There is, however, a catch.

Participants must agree to drink a Blood and Sand, a particular cocktail that only this tavern serves. As our heroes eventually learned through investigation, these cocktails were mixed with Somnos Plants, an herb native to the Astral Plane that blends dreams with reality. For this reason, competitors were unable to remember the path to the arena, and even occasionally encountered enemies who should have been dead, if they'd ever even existed in the first place.

Sensing that something was wrong, our heroes decided to try to take the arena down, investigating the tavern further to find a portal and also infiltrating the sewers adjacent to the tavern. After losing one of their own, they eventually discovered a secret entrance in the sewer system that led to a long, deep staircase. At the foot of this staircase was a brightly lit room of panels, one of which was a trap door that led into the arena's barracks. There, they also met Huey, a palace attendant who had found a connecting pathway from the palace to the arena. Taking great pains to penetrate the arena security measures, the party repeatedly encountered vicious drow and driders, even a high-ranking Drow Inquisitor!

What could possibly be lying at the heart of all this? Who is Lady Aranea del'Autunno, really, and how did her retainer, Stevanus Ragno, come to be so powerful? What is their end-game?

Lady Aranea

Class: Noble

Lady Aranea is a relatively introverted noble who founded the Arena Sanguis as an outlet for nobility and heroes who may be frustrated with their circumstances in Bella Noche. She seems to delight in the proceedings. Although she has held a bank account with Belle Nuit for some time, little else is known about her past.

Stevanus Ragno

Class: Echo Knight Fighter

Race: Human

Stevanus is the servant and ward of Lady Aranea. He is responsible for seeking out and hiring contestants for the Arena, as well as overseeing the distribution of Sanguine Tokens to those who achieve certain secret accomplishments during matches.