#1 – Arena: Barbarian
Rome, AD 41. Pavo, the son of a disgraced Roman officer, is condemned to gladiatorial service and placed under the supervision of the veteran soldier Macro. Claudius’s insecure new regime uses the arena to display authority and punish enemies, making Pavo’s survival politically useful to several…
#2 – Arena: Challenger
Rome, AD 41. Pavo’s success in the arena attracts rivals who see him as both a threat and a profitable spectacle. Macro attempts to prepare him for a new opponent while officials around Claudius interfere with the contest for their own purposes. The challenge tests Pavo’s…
#3 – Arena: First Sword
Rome, AD 41. Pavo competes for the standing of first sword as the imperial court seeks a public victory that will strengthen Claudius. The ranking promises status but places him in direct conflict with experienced fighters and the men who profit from them. Macro must keep…
#4 – Arena: Revenge
Rome, AD 41. Pavo gains an opportunity to confront those connected to his family’s disgrace, but revenge inside the arena is controlled by officials who can change the terms of combat. Macro recognises that the promised contest may be designed to remove them both. Their attempt…
#5 – Arena: Champion
Rome, AD 41. Pavo’s rise brings him to a final contest in which his reputation, freedom and family honour are at stake. Claudius’s advisers and their rivals use the games to settle political scores, while Macro works to uncover the last threat before the combat begins.…