Dirkandor

The middle act of Dragon Quest II follows a structure much the same as its successor. After obtaining a ship, you have free reign of the map and must seek out a series of artifacts - five crests, in this case - in order to access the next area. Probably the simplest of these to obtain is the Moon Crest, which is located in the Kingdom of Dirkandor.

Dirkandor is a large island to the south of Lorasia. The only site of interest we see in-game is the capital city, which I am calling Osterfair after the name used for the location in the original English NES release. The dominant feature of Osterfair is its large colosseum, where the King has a box to observe the games. The game refers to this as both a colosseum and a castle, but there don't appear to be any living quarters or rooms besides the arena depicted. If we assume this design is merely a matter of gameplay convenience, the King's personal residence must be elsewhere, though it's possible that he has a palace connected to the arena, as several Roman emperors did with the Circus Maximus.

Art by Travis Lacey

A few towns in Dragon Quest III also feature arenas, but at the time of 2 they hadn't figured out how to make this system work. Instead of being able to bet on fights between computer-controlled NPCs, this colosseum is a scripted event in which the King has you fight a lion in order to prove that you're worthy of holding the Moon Crest. This is a pretty pulpy quest - heroes being forced to compete in gladiatorial combat is a staple of sword and sorcery adventure stories, so there are definitely opportunities to work this into a tabletop adventure. However, keep in mind that the heroes of DQ2 are princes, and other PCs without such high status might not have as much say in the matter when it comes to their bouts. A campaign could involve the PCs being captured (you need to be doing that more!) and sold as slaves to the colosseum of Osterfair, forcing them to fight for survival and freedom - or else plot an escape, or even a revolt!

We don't see much of Dirkandor beyond its capital, but there are some inferences that can be made from the geography. The island is surrounded by high cliffs and rocky shoals, and the only safe entrance is through a central bay. It's not exactly the most appealing location for trade, even with the lands of the former Ortegid Empire to the north. Considering the island's size, the kingdom probably grows enough of its own food to sustain itself. Combine this with the fact the people are bloodthirsty enough for their main claim to fame to be an arena, and I can see a martial culture taking hold in Dirkandor. The rough terrain and isolation could give rise to a spartan ethic where the people are used to relative scarcity, and this tempers their attitudes toward pursuing strength in battle and succeeding by exerting power over others in their way. The strong are the ones who can claim the resources for themselves.

In fact, I'd like to note that Dirkandor's terrain makes it very defensible. The harbor is the only reliable entrance, and even from there the route to the capital is blocked by mountains. If we assume that northeast Torland was once the domain of sea raiders, I can see Dirkandor being a natural citadel from which raids could be launched without fear of retribution. The first kings of Dirkandor were likely powerful jarls lucky enough to claim the territory as their own and exert their power from there. If they were used to a life of fighting and raiding, and if this was a mark of status for them, this could well explain where their martial culture came from.