First, let me preface this little article with a big THANK YOU to Patrick for his wink-wink/nudge-nudge about this little gem of an Easter Egg in Funcom's Age of Conan. Without him there'd be no exposing one of the game's many little secrets.

Patrick sent us an e-mail a little while back containing information on a discovery he had made one night during his regular adventures through Hyboria. We decided that what he uncovered was too good not to share, especially since it's very likely that many of our readers have no clue of its existence. What am I referring to, you ask?

Well, the Age of Conan Fight Club of course. No, this isn't about the Arena that can be found in the Armsman's Tavern in the Noble District of Old Tarantia (that is for another time). This is about a mystical tome hidden in the Fields of the Dead that will transport you to an area appropriately labled as "Fight Club".

Now, I know what you're thinking to yourself: "JoBildo! The first rule of Fight Club is not to talk about Fight Club!" I know, I know but I hardly think Tyler Durden is going to come after me for sharing this with you. I seem to recall that he has his own problems to worry about. Now, moving on!

As you wander around the Fields of the Dead (a level 40+ zone in Age of Conan) you will stumble across a great many things from angry wildlife to hostile Ymirish. But some things are stranger than others. Some ways east into the Fields you'll find a large and ornate totem, with smoking emanating from its base. Our friend Patrick's gone ahead and marked the location for you by taking a screen of the map, which you can see to the right. The screens below show both the entrance point to the Arena and where you come out when you're done.

You may notice that said totem can be interacted with much like any quest item or door in the rest of the game. In doing so you'll be transported from that spot in the world into a large underground cavern with a skylight illuminating the are and a large pool of water around the bottom of the dwelling. In the center of this pool of water lies a wooden platform, surrounded by onlookers from all corners of Hyboria. This... is the Fight Club Arena.

When you walk to the center of this wooden platform, a boss NPC will spawn and begin to taunt you. No matter your level, this boss NPC always remains on par with you, the player. Fighting the boss will more often than not net you a green level or higher item of the appropriate level. It seems from our limited experience with the Fight Club that you can go back as often as you'd like and each time you might face a different type of boss character. It can be a soldier type, a healer, a mage, and even a rogue. And each time the boss will be your level and should drop you some nifty loot as well.

What are the downsides? There doesn't seem to be a quest tied to this instance, and the loot alone may not be attractive enough to visit the place more than once or twice. On top of that, when you leave the arena you will be ported some distance away from the totem that got you there in the first place (though thankfully still in the Fields of the Dead. So we're not exactly sure how to rate the importance of using this little gem, but we still thought it pertinent enough to let our readers in on one of Funcom's many hidden Hyborian secrets.

Worst case scenario? You lose a few teeth while fighting a boss, but leave with a green item to put up on the trader. And if you ask me, the glory you'll get from whipping some poor ego-maniacal wretch into shape is nearly reward enough. Thanks again go out to Patrick for pointing this feature out to us. Cheers, my fellow followers of King Conan. May your hearts not burst under the heat of battle, and may your swords stay ever sharp.









Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Ten Ton Hammer network or staff.