[Nogrod]

Group E

The Arkenstone Arena, Erebor


First of all the AKM wishes to make sincere apologies, mainly to the Erebor Craftsmen Union, for suggesting that the dwarves would have been greedy to cash in most of the nice revenue they made last year with Mr. Moneybags’ happy acceptance. But seeing the renovated stadium inside the Lonely Mountain just dazzles the wiever – and it is easy to see immediately that it has not been a cheap venture to build something like that.

Happily the Erebor Craftsmen Union won last year by themselves about 6 million, and if you added what they “saved” by cutting the costs this year, around 5 mil (on their part of the lowered budget), then you get 11 million for investment in total just for the new arena – only from the dwarven investment house. Judging by the commercial-banners flying around the field itself one could notice that the Celduin Corporation (Dale-based group of investors) and Moneybags Monetary Management (investment house residing in Laketown) had been involved in the renovations with considerable sums as well.

So the King under the Mountain was rebuilding the "Stadium under the Mountain" and renaming it into the "Arkenstone Arena" for the greater glory of Erebor – but as wise bussines-dwarf had made it as safe an investment possible using the money pouring in from the football-related investment groups. That means, that if the kingdom of Erebor itself invested, let’s say five million, they got a twenty million renovation for five million investment of their own.

Dwarves are great engineers, but they seem to have sense for bussiness as well.

From the skills and tradition of engineering seems to follow an eye for overall beauty and proportion as well as awe-inspiring sense for imagery and detail. And the jaw-dripping creativity.

The centerpiece of the stadium is a huge “replica” of the Arkenstone itself – only some hundred times bigger from the original – hanging from the center of the roof, from the focal point of the four arches climbing towards it from the corners of the arena. With an ingenious system of narrow tunnels and mirrors the dwarven engineers have been able to direct the light from outside in hundreds of beams that are focused on the “Arkenstone” – which then spreads the light all over the arena in the weird but beautiful set of different shades of light from pure white, silmaril, silver and gold to hints of all emerald, turqoise, ruby and topaz.

And if that was not already breath-taking, the “Arkenstone” turns slowly around it’s axis making the general mood of the lightning to change all the time, but slowly enough that it isn’t disturbing (like the mirrored Disco-balls are) but rather creating a mood of intense expectation – and tension.

What is even more remarkable is their system for late-games when there is not enough sunlight from outside to light the "Arkenstone". Burning different metals like natrium and magnesium added with more standard sources of light like burning coal, wood, oil and different gases in their light-tunnels and focusing them to the “Arkenstone” they are able to produce even more intense lightning fit for stronger feelings in comparison to the quite mellow shades of light during daytime.

All that engineering is of course out of the sight of a spectator and all s/he can see is the marvellous light reflecting and being distributed by the huge “Arkenstone” hanging from the ceiling.

Some players had complained about Erebor’s “plastic pitch” after last year’s tournament – and the hosts had accepted the criticism as valid. Sadly without the magic of the Ainur – or elves having close relations to them – there was no way the dwarves could make grass grow under the mountain (of which they envy Menegroth). But they had put their brightest engineers to the task and had produced a revolutionary artificial turf made from synthetic materials created in their labs with infills of sand and rubber.

The players have been surprisingly pleased with it if one considers how fake-grass is generally despised. Even those who disliked it openly held it to be superior to any “Astro Turf” they had played on before. But the spectator is even more taken by it’s slightly emerald-green and ruby-red colour-combination which makes the whole game look somewhat different – and has an impact on the general athmosphere in the closed space of the Arkenstone Arena – even if you could still say it is green.


Group C

Menegroth Stadium, Doriath


A lot of ink has been spilled – as well as I’s and 0’s run through electric data-systems – to hail the great Stadium of Menegroth which has seen a lot of games during it’s history – including some memorable ones from Arda Cup as well; the 2008 finals as probably the most unforgettable event played there ever.

The stadium was built into Menegroth already when the Thousand Caves were given birth, hewn from the rock by the toughest dwarven and elven builders and supervised by the most learned and crafted masters of both races – only to be decorated into a huge single piece of art by the greatest artits of their time.

The AKM called Menegroth “the fairest dwelling of any king that has ever been east of the sea” and sees no reason to change its verdict a pitifully short five years later. And the exquisitiveness of the place still holds: the tickets cost a lot more than to many other venues – you still get the excellent wine and luxurious snacks for free as much as you want by showing the ticket. That actually makes the ticket worth a lot more than they are, but doesn’t in turn help the poorer football fans who are totally outpriced from any games played in Menegroth.

But even with the high prices it has never been a problem for the Doriath hosts to fill the stadium up to the last bench in the upper-rows. The real fans save money for a year or a few to experience just one evening’s games in there – and feel it is worth it.

And the AKM agrees: if you haven’t experienced Menegroth and a game in it’s Stadium you’ve not lived. Drinking the best wines around the fountains of silver and having a culinary piece of art as a snack beside the marble basins with all the fine folks and celebrities around, surrounded by the statues and woven hangings by the greatest artists from the time immemorial just sends you into a different plane of existence. Many people would feel they’re in heaven for just that – but then there are the games as well!

And the stadium is just marvellous. The ancient dwarven and elven craftsmanship is seen from the minutest detail (like the unique etchings on every seat, or the functional perfection and beauty of even the doorknobs to the lavatories) to the general athmosphere (like the acoustic panels which cut the highest pitches that normally make your ears suffer, and an add to the bass making even lesser roar of the crowds feel as a tremble in your guts). But that’s not all there is.

The field, or pitch, itself is a miracle. A grass-field blossoming a deep but light green, like the green of spring just awakening yet strong and enchanting, deep under the rock! It feels, well plain otherworldly.

Neither Thingol nor Melian have been willing to disclose the secret of it but it is easy to see Melian has something to do with that.

Be that as it is, the players love to play in Menegroth because they feel they get energy from the grass under their feet. Although some of the more poetic souls sometimes complain they have lapses of concentration to the game because it is so beautiful all around. That is of course the reverse with some evil players whom the athmosphere makes too annoyed and thusly distracts them in the worst case. So in the end the latter effect is also equal.