The Fighting Environments

     In the year 2003, a new aspect was added to the sport of Melee: Combat
Environments. No longer was dueling to be limited to the Arena Sands. Under
the lobbying of the Combatants' Guild, specialized combats like Blood
Matches and certain challenges, could be held in any of the following six
different arenas.

THE ARENA SANDS
     This was the original terrain upon which all combats were held, in
honor of the traditions of ancient Rome. The Sands are relatively neutral,
favoring no warrior, or weapon type, or armor type more than any other.

THE BEAM
     A stylized one-man bridge, The Beam was the first special environment
added to Melee. Raised twenty-five feet up in the air, The Beam provides
only an eight inch width to the combatants. Below, depending on the
combatants' agreement, could be sand, water (deep or shallow, occasionally
with sharks, crocodiles, or piranha), spikes, or predatory mammals. In
some combats, being knocked from the beam could mean little more than a
loss, in others it was fatal.
    The Beam favors Warriors who use thrusting weapons and wear heavy
armor. A large, heavy, strong Warrior will often have a decisive advantage
over one who is small and wiry, although experience will often tell.

THE ALL WEATHER SURFACE
     This white, rubberized mat, was introduced three months after The
Beam. Laid over a network of stiff leaf springs, the traction and rebound
of this surface produces the most exciting combats of any of the terrains.
It favors the wiry, agile Warriors who wear light armor and employ quick
weapons. Even the less athletic Warriors can usually manage five foot
vertical leaps and double flips. Warriors who specialize in this terrain
are breathtaking to watch and often draw incredible crowds.

THE MUD PIT
     Introduced just last year, The Mud Pit is little more than hole in the
ground that is four feet deep and fifty feet across. It is filled with
artificial muck to a depth of two-and-a-half feet which makes maneuvering
an exhausting ordeal. A Warrior who specializes in The Mud Pit must have
extraordinary endurance and, ideally, a constitution that will allow him to
recover faster than his opponent.

THE CAGE
    The fighting environment of the insane, bloodthirsty, or fearless, The
Cage terrifies almost all Warriors who can boast even a touch of sanity.
Only seven feet high, and with dimensions of eight feet by eight feet, combats
held in The Cage tend to be quick and bloody. Obviously, large, slow weapons
are almost useless in its confined space. Warriors who can withstand wounds
that might disable another opponent stand the greatest advantage.

FUTURE ENVIRONMENTS
     Currently, the Combatants' Guild is lobbying to add underwater combat
and blindfolded combat to the current list of fighting environments.