Tertius Valerius

In the gladatorial arena, skill is only half the requirements. Where people crowd the stands to watch familiar faces and cheer their personal favorites, showmanship is nearly as important. Tertius' real personality has done equally well as his persona for nearly ten years: cunning, silent, grim, precise, and, when the battle requires, heartlessly brutal. The records state he has only ever lost 12 fights, rumors say those were staged. In the dust stirred up by countless feet and a restless, sullen breeze, colored golden by the westering sun, you face this deadly champion. His eyes are intense, his sword moving in controlled idleness. You are no gladiator. You are the enemy of a politician far removed from the realm of the arena, sent here to die in a gruesome show for the entertainment of a bloodthirsty audience. They watch from the stands, shifting, the tides of conversation rising and falling as they watch for the first move.