This colossal building, which proudly stands above the Great Emporium, impresses with its architecture and dimensions. The amphitheater rises on the site of the former Grand Theater, an iconic monument of Laelith, which unfortunately met a tragic fate.

The old Grand Theater, already very significant in its size and capacity, was a historic place, centuries old and many times renovated. It consisted of a semi-circular stand that could accommodate nearly 20,000 spectators, which was already considerable, and a stage enclosed by a building serving both as a sound barrier and backstage.

The Theatre was repeatedly the victim of fires throughout its history (notably in the edifice enclosing the stage), as well as a slow and inexorable degradation due to its age and the natural erosion of its stones.

In this famous place, comedies and tragedies were performed, and the famous oral jousts were held. Moreover, the stage could be modulated with movable platforms, according to specific scenic needs. The semi-circular proscenium could also be flooded to host aquatic shows of the most beautiful effect.

It is important here to mention these famous aquatic shows, which were renowned and favored by an audience eager for unusual sensations.

These performances staged naval battles, using small ships imitating the great galleys of the Lake, as well as simulations of battles against imaginary creatures. This aquatic stage was supplied with water using underground reservoirs (which still exist), located upstream of the Theatre, which filled with rain and spring water, and allowed, with a system of conduits, the flooding of the scenic space at will.

Unfortunately, this aging ensemble (two centuries old at the time of Theaphanrys XIV), became increasingly difficult to maintain and use. Shortly after Nin I's accession to the royal-divine throne, the theater's hydraulics failed severely, on the eve of a very important performance showcasing water jets and aquatic feats, highly demanded by the public.

The theater's stewards had the idea to call upon magicians to intervene on the system and bring water to the stage nonetheless… But this quickly degenerated during the performance… The water, pumped using rather powerful spells (of the kind strictly forbidden within the city walls!) came from below, that is to say… from the Cloaque! And, of course, it wasn't just water that was brought up from the depths, but also some creatures delighted with the opportunity to surface and feast on some surprised and defenseless actors! Then the spectacle continued for a moment in the stands, mixing both terror and jubilation in an audience that thought all this was part of the staging.

Obviously, the damage was as grand as the event: colossal and magnificent! Despite the number of casualties to mourn, what remained in memory were the battles between these creatures and the guards who had to intervene. The Theatre was ruined, but for a few months, people talked of nothing but this “unprecedented spectacle,” which made more than one city official reflect. In the days following this disaster, a fire ravaged the backstage, causing the collapse of part of the back wall of the stage… once again!

Unthinkable to leave Laelith without a theater… In short order, a temporary stage was set up on the esplanade of the Great Emporium, to host oral jousts and some musical performances. The Theatre was deemed too damaged, and already quite aged by the passage of time, to be restored. It was decided to demolish it entirely to rebuild a new building.

The question arose of whether to rebuild it identically, or on the contrary, to take this opportunity to construct an even larger theater. An initial project planned to build a circular amphitheater, with a central stage, which would extend the initial semicircle to the south, into a perfect circle. But this would have required the demolition of part of the Great Emporium, and this idea met with strong opposition. The idea of maintaining this circular theater by “flattening” the circle to make it an ellipse allowed for the preservation of a central versatile scenic area and stands all around, offering the possibility of not taking up more ground space than the old theater.

At the same time, the Opera, called “Nin I,” was built to host lyrical and theatrical performances.

The amphitheater caters to the taste for shows featuring combat and performances that require a lot of space and participants. Moreover, it can also be flooded to recreate those famous aquatic shows, with a new hydraulic system, of course!

The Temples organize in this place performances that reprise themes dear to them. The amphitheater takes on the role of the old theater, enhancing the scenic effect and significantly increasing the capacity. In this regard, it was once considered to widen the ladders and the streets around to facilitate crowd movements.

!– Validated by Garnulf –

<!– Validated by Garnulf –>