THE MEMORY OF THE CITY
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People
Atvôdslefa
Salkza
Personal Name: Atvôdslefa
Cultural Title: Salkza

Birth: 63532.207 lky
Death: 63664.418 lky
Lifespan: 158.65 tgc

Species: Slokdtaba (pre-Lilitu)
Gender: Female

Appearance: (picture: Kona Tuktanga Berilía in costume at the 364 lilpo Dzhemesselía pageant of Alestéa.)

Biography: A gladiatrice from the cities of the Dashro Oases, Atvôdslefa was famous for her skill with a rather peculiar weapon; a pair of blades worn on the outside of the forearm, which were strapped at the elbow at one end and held by a handle at the other. During the early days of Lilitic cohabitation gladiatorial combat was alarmingly common, as the Oksete had long held displays of combat between the enslaved, from both sentient and nonsentient species.

There is a folktale about Atvôdslefa, focusing on her escape and survival in the wilderness. Surprisingly and almost uniquely, this story was passed down not just by slokdtabasa but also by the Ksreskézai themselves, particularly in the eastern cities around Wemno, where it was recontextualised as a tale of anti-Tévopían sentiment. It was virtually unknown in the west until the Great Empire started mass assimilation of the culture of Wemno in the 16th millennium.

Atvôdslefa is partially identified with the later goddess Alestéa. It is believed the alestúra blades, a ceremonial weapon used in the ritual dance of Atvôdslefa even in the present day, were modelled on the actual blades she used, and thus named in her honour. Even amongst the Ksreskézai she was honoured: she was the first Egrekela to attain a social stature higher than "Merciful" in the Ksreskézaian honourific system; by the end of the tenth empire (at the time of the Exodus) this was a regular accomplishment for the servants of Tévopío, e.g. Moiléa Kedothía or Gegloka Íoyebéa, though not widely considered legitimate.

She participated in thousands of gladiatorial matches in her time, competing against other Slokdtabasa, Oksoi, Ksreskézaian wildlife, and both sentient and non-sentient aliens. Her incredible combat prowess earned her epithets such as "Merciless," "Inexhaustible," and "Unkillable," which have been since transferred to Alestéa.