The Cornucopia looks like a huge golden horn, cone-shaped and with a curved tail. The mouth is about twenty feet tall, and it has been carved to look as though it were woven. At the beginning of the Games, it is stocked with supplies for the tributes to fight over- food, medicine, weapons, and so on; supplies are also scattered around it, decreasing in value the farther they get from the Cornucopia itself. The tributes are released here, each an equal distance away from it. After that, it mostly becomes a landmark, unless the Gamemakers stage a feast or similar event here, to draw the tributes together.

In the north of the Arena there is a mountain. Largely covered with snow and scattered with boulders, this is a tricky place to maneuver; avalanches and rockslides are not wholly uncommon, and while you can hide in the caves and behind the boulders, so can those who might not wish you well. Besides that, the cave you run to to take cover might already be occupied by something that thinks you’re either a threat, dinner, or both. Mountain goats and other prey live here, but so do bears and cougars, so be on your guard- as though we should have to remind you.

To one side of the mountain lies a cliff. Be careful not to fall off- you could break something, and unless it’s your neck, if you do that you’ll find yourself in for a long, slow death. There is also a meltwater slide here; something of a cross between a waterfall and a mudslide, it’s made of melted snow mixed with dirt and dust, with any pebbles and other such bits of material being carried along in the mud. Be careful not to get caught- you could drown, or get dragged over the edge and smashed into the ground, followed by having gallons of muddy water dumped on you. Not fun, unless you happen to be a masochist, in which case you’re probably having the time of your life in the Games even without the meltwater slide.

Just to the east of the cliff is a fissure, formed long ago by the same tectonic activity that powers the craters to the south. No one knows how deep it is- most people have better things to do with their time- but a fall will probably kill you. That said, if you need a place to hide and can climb down, feel free to do so. However... it might be a better idea to just go around.

Directly to the west of the Cornucopia lies a lake. Those tributes who can break open the layer of ice frozen over the top will find a valuable source of water and, if they are patient enough to wait, fish. This is a dangerous place; surrounded by tundra and plains, there is nothing to block you from your enemies’ view, no trees or boulders to use to your advantage, nothing to put between you and your doom but the lake itself. If you must come here, watch your back.

If you turn east or northeast from the Cornucopia and run, you will soon come to a forest. Made primarily of pine trees and other evergreens, it provides some cover from weather, plenty of pine needles for fires and bedding, food, and a bit protection from fellow tributes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe place. While you hide behind or in the trees, another tribute may use the layer of pine needles to muffle their footsteps as they sneak up behind you. Even if your enemies weren’t to be contended with, there are other dangers here; while some animals, like rabbits and squirrels and, if you can bring one down, deer, are valuable sources of food, others, like the bears and wolves that make this forest their home, may see you as the food source- most likely they’ll leave you alone, but if you make the mistake of threatening one, they won’t hesitate to attack.

Deep in the forest lies a small clearing. There are no trees here, but there are a few wildflowers and some bushy plants, which can provide food and medicine if you know what to look for. Some are poisonous, some not, so be careful before you put something in your mouth. While this is a nice place, and while it can be useful, it also leaves you more vulnerable than the forest, so look out.