Stories from RhyDin & The Rings

Matt was kind enough to find the description of the IFL Garden arena so it could be added to the new room for IFL. Here is the full detail. A more condensed version will be located on the chat.
------
Enter the Garden

The Iron Fists Garden is a new sporting facility built in the heart of Rhy'Din City along the river shoreline. It has two major entrances: The larger of the two is for spectators and fans to purchase tickets and reach their assigned seats within the stands. At the opposite end of the Garden is the second entrance that is reserved for teams, referees and VIPs on their way to their designated locker rooms and the ringside floor.

The stadium itself is open-air with no ceiling and a modest seating capacity. Spectators sitting near the back of the stands, although farther away from the action, have a nicer view of the river. While the Garden staff may sometimes set up a canopy high above the rings when anticipating stormy weather, it does little to protect fighters from sideways rain, and is no help for anyone outside the rings.

The Garden floor can fit up to ten rings. The rings are situated in a single row, with ten feet separating each from the one or two adjacent rings: This space is typically reserved for referees and special media personnel, although opposing teams have been known to use this area to "debate" the outcome of a match. Between each ring and the stadium seats is a team-designated bench; the opposing team is reserved the bench on the opposite side of the ring.

2006 season ring description: Each ring is a standard, 25 in. x 25 in. fighting ring enclosed by four ropes; the area within the ropes is approximately 24 ft. x 24 ft. The ring is elevated 42 inches with steps provided at two corners. Ropes are attached to the ring posts through turnbuckles, the lowest rope being 18 inches from the ground and the top rope being 52 inches, and are kept taut during bouts. The ring floor is made of 3/4-inch material, reinforced with 1-inch thick cell-foam padding and a top covering of canvas, and provides an audible thump that can be heard throughout the stadium each time a fighter smacks against it, much to the delight of spectators.

With the start of the 2007 season, the raised, square rings were removed and replaced with ground-level, matted rings outlined with a four-inch-thick circle of chalk. Due to spectator complaints that the ring ropes were obstructing their view, the ropes, turnbuckles and ring ropes have been removed.

In the winter of 2007, using the proceeds from the Iron Fists League's inaugural season, the Iron Fists Academy opened next door to the Garden. There, the less fortunate children and adolescents of Rhydin can learn the benefits of discipline and self-confidence from free martial arts training. Many of the Academy's students volunteer their time to provide the fighters of the Iron Fists League equipment and refreshments throughout the season.

http://ifl.duelingzone.org/2007/whoarewe.php

Midway though the 2015 season a construction crew was brought in to make some slight modifications to the garden. The first row of seating was removed to create more arena space and a second line of nine rings added to the floor. It would take all of the last week in November to complete, though workers and wizards would be absent during the Garden's normal operating hours. They'd been instructed to clean up between shifts as best as possible, but throughout the week some construction debris was sure to be seen.

The new rings differ slightly from the existing ten and are split into three sections of three, with the space saved from the missing 10th ring used as a buffer between each set.

The first three are, in truth, identical to the what the Garden already offered except that their boundary is marked with a yellow chalk. In the stands closest to these rings, four chairs have been marked reserved, two of which have name engravings Matt Simon and Kheldar Drasinia.

The second set of three have raised boundaries circling them, perhaps an inch high. A core of wizards retained to extend the protections of the Ward of Gondar to the Garden for these three rings, the boundary circles are composed of sand from the arena and bound into place through their talents. Seating has been reserved for Raye and Kal to the edge as well as two unnamed others.

The third set of new rings also required some significant work from the wizards, though this was to protect those outside the rings rather than those within. A dome of force erected around each creates a slight shimmer in the air, but should not overly obscure the action from those spectating. The final set of reserved seating includes a chair for Claire and Rena.