The Byzantium Games

A parasitiod that is added to each gladiator that goes into the  ring. Each  implant records everything  & increases the psionic sensitivity of the warriors entering the ring 

Within the shadow of Gods Men Die For The Entertainment Of Others 
Monsters Monsters Every Where - Grab thy Sword & Bath It In Blood !
The chant is familiar & the refrain of the crowd echoes through the walls surrounding the gladiators. Each warrior hears the psionic echo through his head & reacts as the crowd feeds off of him & he off of them.

 They are the finest warriors from some of the pirate worlds that train at one gladiatorial school or guild. The price to compete in the games is fierce & dangerous. There is as much danger inside the ring as outside. Jealous nobles, angry priests, greedy merchants, & bizarre cults all have a stake in the games! Warriors are trained in guilds & stables for as long as 2-7 years. The investments are huge but the rewards are very high indeed.

As the sun dims & the stars rise the games begin & the sheer entertainment is incredible. There isn't an alien species, an opponent that hasn't graced the ring. The scientist who head some of the stables & insure the quality of their warriors are also known as warlocks. These powerful scientists look after every facet of their charges. They adjust blood flow, body temperature, etc. & even take command of the physical  aspects of their charge if injures become too much.

Gladiatorial weaponry is traditional but there are power versions of familiar  weapons. Each  powered version adds +2 to the damage of all weapons.
Heavy Combat, vicious politics, weird occultism, alien secrets, & the unknown are all part of the games. These games also serve as a sacrament to the gods of stability. 

Sometimes the games can disrupted local ecologies and banished most of the local flora and fauna with vast psionic backlashes that echo throughout the cities themselves. Games can last a day, a week, or even a month. 

The weapons of the champions of games past sit in the lobby of the grand arena . Some await new masters 

The games are more then simply another diversion of pleasure but a real sacrament that is seen as simply another cog in the machinery of the Gods of stability The games are seen as matters of life & death by the general populace.The arena is seen as the center of the universe ,every action can affect worlds far distant - or endanger even the Emperor's hard fought reign. Church priests run the games & determine the time of challenge. They supply the coin that keeps the spectacles running. They can't be bribed or reasoned with. Many may want to enter the games but few due except for the flow of prisoners of war whose blood stains the sand.

Armor & weapons below the Grand Arena waiting for the crowd s & VIP's to gather round in the  trophy rooms to discuss the events of the evenings entertainment

There are those who insist that the priests themselves are nothing more then monstrous undead who have rejected their humanity. Since the 23 century that these bestial creatures waged a holy war of blood & shadows against humanity & the Human Empire itself!
  There are rumors that the priests are nothing more then an expansion of undead who have been hiding behind the religious dogma of their gods since the Great Atomic Wars!
The Familiar Chant Is Heard Echoing Through Out The Grand City 
Prepare Yourselves! The Way You Fight The Game Is About To Change Forever! Will Forever Wait For You Or Will You Embrace Eternity! 
Part II Coming Soon!