The Gith Pit

Lurking near the southeastern corner of Balic, not far from the docks, is The Gith Pit, a two story building of yellow Balic stone. All street level windows have been bricked up, the outlines of these opening still visible through years of silt baked into the stone by the relentless sun. Above street level, the windows are open in the daylight hours, silt screens covering them to keep the worst of the flying dust out. At night, these windows are shuttered and bolted. The roof is constructed of yellow slate tiles, slightly sloped. A trapdoor leads to the ceiling, barred from the inside and rarely used, but present in case of... emergencies.

Entering The Pit can be a dangerous activity in and of itself. Only those who live by the sword are welcome here - guards, fighters, gladiators, and mercenaries will all find a drink ready for them. Others will be greeted by a building full of unwelcoming glares and verbal abuse, followed quickly by the physical removal of the unwelcome visitor if the not so subtle hints to leave are not followed immediately.

Visitors who are allowed to remain inside will see an unusually designed interior. The building itself is sixty feet wide and one hundred feet long. The center of the stone floor has been removed, and exposed to those on the first floor is a basement level gladiatorial pit ten feet deep. A stone railing prevents those from watching the battles from accidentally falling below during the excitement of the bouts, but it is not unheard of for spectators to toss other spectators into the pits as a form of practical joke. A stone staircase at the far end of the pit allows for warriors, as well as the clean up crew, to enter the arena,

The second floor is not a complete floor (i.e. the floor of the second level does not form a complete ceiling for the first level.) The second floor is supported by dozens of thin stone pillars that keep the central section - which is detached from the outer walls of the building but connected to the ceiling - above the ground floor. Between the outer walls and the inner walls of the second floor is open air, though a thin wooden walkway runs along the outer walls so that the windows can be shuttered and barred at night. During daylight hours, ample light comes through the second story windows, though additional light is provided by raised stone fire pits. During nighttime hours, additional fire pits are lit.

Dozens of tables, both those for sitting at and those for standing around, dot the main floor. A bar against the east outer wall serves various types of beers, ales, and harder drinks to the often rowdy, dangerous patrons. Every one of the bartenders and servers are either ex-gladiators or ex-mercenaries, and all are armed with clubs. A little pushing and shoving is acceptable, as is the occasional punch, but out and out brawls are not tolerated. The only time the tavern is truly quiet is when it's closed late into the evening / early morning.

A wooden staircase leads up to the second story. No one except employees or those invited by them are allowed upstairs. A central hallway has a half-dozen doors leading from it. The largest room is the storeroom. There are three meeting rooms that can be rented out by patrons looking for a bit of privacy, and the rest are private rooms for the owner - a bedroom and two guest rooms.

The owner of The Gith Pit is Kartolus (N male mul Gladiator 9) who gained his freedom after the fall of Andropinis. After a bit of revenge on several of templars that had treated him poorly during his time as a slave, Kartolus had enough money to purchase and refurbish an old building as a tavern for his fellow fighters. The mul is highly respected in the warrior community and his establishment is known across the Tablelands for it's atmosphere and unusually strong drinks.

Nightly fights are the centerpiece of entertainment at The Pit. All fights are voluntary and are non-lethal in nature - no bladed weapons are allowed. The rules of a bout are established before the contest begins - fists or clubs, teams or solo fights, etc. Betting is a certainty during these fights, and awards are often given to the winner, though sometimes the fights originate from disagreements a few minutes earlier.