[Rahden Katheg]

Rahden Katheg had heard the rumors floating around Fort Incolumnitas. The soldiers seemed quite excited at the possibility of a spectacle at the Colosseum of Nexus Prime. The commanders and officers may have had a different opinion, but many of the soldiers of the West Wardens filled with excitement about the prospect of witnessing, or even participating in, a hand-to hand tournament at the infamous Colosseum. Rahden had heard more than one group of soldiers making plans to place bets and enjoy the spectacle of fighting. The dwarfen recruit, too, was caught up on the excitement. It had begun with a faintly remembered conversation in the mess-hall between two youthful, arrogant soldiers debating the possibility of a trainer training gladiators in the art of fighting with their hands, known almost mythically as Rhingorda.

Rahden, at first, had considered the rumors of the impending tournament with the same skepticism which he had considered the arguments of those two youths. Now, the dwarf was as excited as any other soldier. The dwarf had left the confines of Fort Incolumnitas to investigate and confirm or deny the rampant rumors for himself. Arriving at the Colosseum of Nexus Prime, Rahden had approached the imposing structure for the first time, taking in the magnificent sight for an extended moment. The dwarf had lived in Nexus Prime for quite some time, almost two full seasons, but still there was much of the city which he had never been to, and parts of it would always remain foreign to him. The dwarf had pushed his way through the busy cobblestone streets of Nexus Prime to gain a little space in front of him. Rising high above him was the Colosseum, nestled on a gentle rise overlooking the Fang Horn Drop district. The imposing structure drew quite a number of citizens to its doors, mused the dwarf.

Various statues of past gladiators dotted the streets leading to the fabled Colosseum, but it was a large sign in front of the doors that drew the largest crowd. Pushing into the mob of citizens for a better view, Rahden was faced with the large sign announcing the tournament. It seemed that the rumors had been true. The dwarf stood at the front of the crowd, reading and re-reading the sign. The soldier, too, wondered when the tournament would begin. Like his fellow recruit, Verus, Rahden had left Fort Incolumnitas on his free time, spending his time in Nexus Prime as he might have done on any other brightening. Facing the sign, however, Rahden could not help but feel drawn to the spectacle. The dwarf was enticed by the prospect of fighting, fighting in front of a crowd of cheering spectators, fighting for crowns – a heft sum for the top three in each weight class, but mostly for fighting. The dwarf thought, “I’d be a good chance ta practice brawling. Never know when you’ll be caught wifh out a weapon.”

Rahden had made up his mind. Leaving the gawking citizens to make what they would of the sign, the dwarf searched out the entrance to the Colosseum. Rahden was bound and determined to sign up for the competition. The dwarf had just entered the doors of the Colosseum when he was handed the parchment and directed to sign up for the tournament. Rahden did not need any encouragement, but it seemed that the buzz created by the prospect of the tournament had drawn all sorts of citizens to the Colosseum. The dwarf looked the sign-up sheet over twice before absorbing all that he needed to do with it. Rahden was still working on improving his literary skills, having come from the countryside with a marginally adequate education.

The dwarf began to fill out the sheet with a pen offered to him. It took him a moment to count out a few of the patterns on his fingers, since it had been almost a full season since he had bothered to recall his age. Looking over the information, Rahden paused to consider what he considered he should write for his hometown. The dwarf had grown up in the southern Midlands, but had long since considered Nexus Prime and Fort Incolumnitas his new home. Finally, Rahden considered what he should call himself. The nick-name was not something that was to be given to him, but something for him to adopt for this tournament. Rahden decided to honor his grand-father by adopting his former nickname.

Dipping the pen into the ink blot, Rahden began to write out the necessary information:

Name: Rahden Katheg
Sex: Male
Patterns: 178
Height: 4’
Weight: 285lbs
Hometown: Nexus Prime
Nickname: Ogre-fighter
Signature: Rahden Katheg

Finished with the sheet, Rahden returned it to one of the various people directing the fighters in the tournament. The dwarf waited for instructions that would explain what the fighters would do. The dwarf expected that they would begin soon, perhaps in a brightening or two, but not immediately. Waiting, Rahden stood out of the way of the entrance, letting other potential fighters enter the Colosseum and sign up for the tournament.