Spencer Estate Arena - Test Drive

The Spencer Estate





The tributes are dressed for function this arena. Khaki-colored combat pants feature multiple pockets, and neoprene short-sleeved shirts wick away moisture and sweat. Sturdy hiking boots and finger-less gloves complete the ensembles. The only difference between the sexes are color: males get green shirts, the females, blue.

Once dressed, they're pushed into the tubes for the slow ride into the arena. It's a dark ride, even more so than usual and as they near the surface a cool, wet breeze begins to drift into the tubes, carrying the soft sounds of insects and the rustling of vegetation.

They break the surface and find themselves in a moonlit courtyard, facing the great Cornucopia and there, beyond the horn and its plenty, a massive house. Elegant and sprawling, watching over them with dark windows like vacant eyes. Those close enough might be able to tell that the heavy double-doors at the front of the mansion are sitting open by several invitations as if in invitation, a small light painting the floor from somewhere inside.

To the sides and behind them a dark forest looms, the trees large and thick together, what hides in their depths hidden from view. A pale, thick fog lays near the ground, drifting toward the tributes like a tide.

10--9--8--

As the countdown reaches the halfway mark, clouds begin to roll in, the shining face of the moon disappearing from view. The darkness gathers as the first rumble of thunder breaks in the distance, as from somewhere from the forest around them a call goes out.

A beastly howl that's soon joined by a chorus of others.

5--4--3--

The cannon booms in time with a crack of lightening, arching across the black sky.

Better move fast tributes.

The Gamemakers won't wait forever.

Supplies:

Your first and foremost source of supplies is the Cornucopia. For this arena tributes who brave the elements and each other have the chance to walk (hopefully) away with the following:

Possible Weapons-

12 Combat knives
10 Flash-bang grenades
8 Tasers
2 Broad-swords
1 Morning Star

Possible Equipment-

12 small, water-tight side-packs, each containing - a lighter, anti-venom dose, 2 energy bars and a map of the estate (The Cornucopia, The Bar, The Kitchen, and The Cemetery are labeled)
Canteens
Fire starting materials
Lighters
Rope
Sleeping bags
Energy bars
Small med-packs
Anti-venom, one dose

Setting

Welcome, Tributes, to the Mansion.

Bigger even than it looks from the outside it features two floors (not including the dusty attic and the dank basement) of fun and surprises of the Gamemakers design. Dozens of rooms, winding corridors, secret passages. Rich, dark woods, plush carpets and velvet curtains, marble, gold-leaf.

Muted lighting if not outright darkness. Dust, inches thick. Strange sounds that could be across the grounds... or just a room away.

You might feel like you're completely, entirely alone, even knowing your fellow tributes are out there.

You might feel like secret things are happening all around you.


The Bar (First Floor)- Off of the dining room on the first floor, is the bar. Fully stocked with a variety of wines and liquors, as it is it's a room of tantalizing possibilities, but it also holds a secret. In the center of the room is a grand piano seemingly just begging to be played. Hidden somewhere in the estate are pieces of sheet-music that when played correctly will open a secret room in the bar. A room stocked with all the supplies a tribute could ask for and that very well mean the difference between life and death - baring they don't get greedy. After five minutes of looting, the secret door will shut again and any tributes inside will be treated to a slow, suffocating death.

The Kitchen (Basement)- In the basement is a fully stocked kitchen. The canned goods will last, but the fresh fruits, breads, and meats certainly will not. You'll want to hit up this room before the stench gets bad and before your fellow tributes make off with all the good stuff. Just... keep in mind as you come down here, there are more hungry mouths in the arena than just those of the tributes....

The Cemetery (Courtyard Behind the Estate)- Amongst the crumbling, moss covered tombstones here there is a variety of edible plants. As well as some poisonous ones. You can tell the difference, right? You won't want to dally here long though, the only thing separating you from the forest here is an old iron fence, rusted and leaning with age. And there's something, foreboding about the crypt at the back of the courtyard....

The Bathrooms (First and Second Floors)- Not all that much to see here, but you should be happy at least that the plumbing works. All the water you could ask for - if you don't mind the risk of bumping into your fellow, equally thirsty, tributes.

Hazards:

Dogs - Fast, strong, smart, and highly aggressive, these ravenous beasts patrol the grounds surrounding the estate in packs of two and three. Skinless, rotting on the bone, they're as fearsome to look at as to encounter. Staying out of the woods is your best bet with these beasts, but mind those first floor windows - a thin pane of glass isn't as much of a deterrent as you'd like.

Spiders - They're creepy, they're crawly, they're capable of spitting venom at distances up to five feet away - and did we mention the adults are roughly the size of German Shepards? Good thing they're not very bright, and easy to avoid - given you don't mind going hungry. These monsters prefer the damp and the dark of the basement areas of the estate.

The Coffin - At the back of the cemetery behind the house is a grand, marble crypt. At first glance, it might seem like a fine place to set up camp, but there's a surprise inside. Upon opening the door tributes will find a descending staircase that leads to a burial chamber beneath the house. Hanging from the ceiling in this cavernous room is a vast metal coffin, suspended from the ceiling by rusted chains. Those who dare to draw near will trigger a flurry of activity, the coffin quaking excitedly, the chains rattling and threatening to give.... How long with the chains hold? What lurks inside? Only the Gamemakers know.

The Rain - The weather this arena is both a boon, and a burden. The rain is fresh and clean, fine for drinking and for a bit of light cleaning if you feel the need. But it's also near constant, cold, and comes with deadly lightning and booming thunder. Movement outside during the storms will be unpleasant at best, deadly at worst. For the first night of the arena, the storm will rage unbroken, from then on it will break every few hours for brief respites.

The Dark - Eternal night. That's what the Gamemakers are treating you to this arena. Not much of a concern at first, the psychological effects will be slow to build, but likely impressive when they manifest.