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