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Tributes for the Games reside here until the games actually begin. Their training sessions are held here as well. Even though the games are only held once a year, other capitol residents are permitted to visit the place once in a while.

Since the very first Games, the center of each Arena has been marked by a huge golden Cornucopia filled with weapons, food, and other supplies. This year is no exception; as always, the massive structure will be the first thing to greet the tributes as they rise from the ground, and its supplies will be the salvation or the demise of those who participate in the Bloodbath. However, this year running toward the main supply cache may not be the best idea. Under the constant, unrelenting sun of an Arena near the equator, the Cornucopia is painful to look at. Unlike the tabletop cornucopias of old, this is reflective metal that can blind you from the wrong angle, making those who need to look at it vulnerable to those who are more interested in getting a head start on the Games.

One of the largest regions in the Arena, covering the upper half of the eastern regions, this is perhaps the most merciless of the 58th Arena's rough landscapes. While that means travelers here are more likely to be alone, it also means that there are a variety of ways for them to die without a single fight. Plants do not grow here, the only animals are those that wandered in from the south or west, and water is a defunct dream. Worst of all, perhaps, is the endless sand. Dunes pepper the landscape, but don't trust them as landmarks; they shift with the wind, burying your footsteps and any supplies you're stupid enough to turn your back on for more than a short time. There is no shelter. Not from sun, not from burning days and freezing nights, and definitely not from the prowling tributes or the desperate animals- assailants that may or may not be there in the first place, for the monotony of sand can do strange things to the mind.

If particularly intrepid tributes (or tributes who are particularly good at getting lost) wander far enough into the North Desert, they may just be lucky enough to find a haven from their troubles. In the far northeast of the Arena sits a tiny oasis, a spot in the desert where water wells from the ground often enough and in great enough quantities to form pools and support plants. Of course, even here there are sure to be dangers, and the tribute who lets shade and water lull them into comfort is likely the next tribute to die. Even so, this is definitely one of the most inviting places in the Arena- so long as you're not too disturbed by the obviously unnatural spring, of course.

For tributes who made it through the North Desert without fatal harm, the South Desert is a momentous relief. Occasional rainfall gifts this southeastern portion of the Arena with scattered vegetation, some of which could feed a clever tribute. Should one wait patiently near such greenery, they might also find lizards or even, with great luck, a rodent, rabbit, or other small animal. However, don't think that this makes life in the South Desert easy. Water is absorbed quickly, leaving little for any humans wandering through, and few of the animals are worth trying to eat. Moreover, there is only slightly more cover here than in the north, leaving tributes almost completely vulnerable to attack and the painfully extreme temperatures.

Though the South Desert is much kinder than its northern counterpart, its unique section is much less useful than the oasis due north of it. Rather than a sanctuary of cool water and fruit trees, the only things to be found here are mysterious buildings that can no longer quite be identified. Perhaps they were once living places- one looks rather like a cabin- but it's hard to say beneath the grime and decay. While much shade and concealment is available here, it can be tricky to get in and out of (the structures are given to fall apart with little provocation), and the utility of this eerie place ends there. No convenient pools of water can be found, the only plants are unappetizing-looking ivies that sneak through the grunge, and tiny animals carry who-knows-what diseases through what's left of walls and floors.

For any tribute whose vision is not obscured by trees or some other obstacle, the semi-mountainous region in the southwestern quarter of the Arena's border are a near-constant sight. Should one approach this place from the Arena's edges, they will be met by only a shallow slope; however, that slope steadily becomes steeper and steeper, quickly turning into a sheer climb that creates those soaring heights. Tributes who are spirited and strong enough to make it over the edge will find themselves on a plateau of sorts, and should they move along this toward the center of the Arena they will eventually find themselves faced with not another slope but a sharp precipice and a heart-stopping fall. Those who can make it will find relative safety in the highlands, while those who can't may be lucky enough to find sheltering caves if they search, making this one of the safest areas in the Arena.

Aside from being intimidating, the cliffs serve another purpose: their shade plays a direct role in supporting the lively grasslands directly to their northeast. Some grasses can be found further north, where sunlight beats directly on the ground, but these are pale green and stunted- with the exception of those surrounding the large watering hole slightly to the north of the area's approximate center, which are shorter than but almost as vibrant as the grasses in the shaded region. Useless as cover to anything larger than a (possibly poisonous- this is the Arena) rabbit, the regular vegetation is nonetheless a welcome relief from the dry desert and rocky cliffs nearby.

Quite reminiscent of less flat Grasslands, this region is covered in pale green grass. Porous soil and slightly heavier rainfall, however, combine to create much more interesting scenery. Various darker shrubs and even some trees stand out sharply against the somewhat pallid grass. Because of this greater variety of flora, quite a few animals flourish here; their life isn't easy, but large herbivores and even some carnivores can make it if they're willing to work a little. This means that passing tributes have a better chance of finding something to hunt, but it also means a better chance of finding something that wants to hunt them. Rainfall is more likely here than anywhere else outside the jungles, but tributes who want to take advantage of that will need some kind of bowl, for the soil here quickly soaks up any moisture that hits it.

This may be the most agreeable location in the entire Arena. Home to the greatest variety of non-jungle plants, this region is dominated by grasses but also supports a high number of shrubs and even, should one know what to look for, numerous herbs. Unfortunately, land that is moist during winter is bone dry during summer, and the amount of vegetation makes fires particularly devastating here- even more so than in the Grasslands, though they are more likely there, or the Savanna, where slightly moister soil helps keep fires from starting. If lightning strikes or a careless match is left on the ground, the entire area could go up in smoke, frying everything inside to a crisp- but at least everyone will probably have a very nice time until then, right?

Once, there were tribes of people who lived in rainforests and knew their ways intimately. Those lifestyles were lost long ago, however, and for the tributes dumped into this year's Arena the Dense Jungle is all but impossible to live in for a day, let alone a lifetime. Every inch is crowded by so many trees that the agoraphobic might start to feel closed in, humidity reigns unchecked even though there are no aboveground water sources to be found, and the walls of foliage hold in every degree of heat that comes through them. Darkness is constant here; even during the day, very little light makes it through the thick canopy. Water does penetrate the leaves, but only enough to create a continuous, irregularly-spaced dripping noise. Combine this with the rustling of animals, and you have an environment that is not just harsh but positively unnerving. Sometimes it's hard to say whether that noise is a bit of rainfall or a shy herbivore or a tribute closing in for the kill. Watch your backs, tributes- it may make you crazy to stay on your toes so constantly, but such differences can mean life or death.

The North Desert is hard to survive in because it's so dry and empty, and anyone left dying on its sands might swear that the opposite extreme would be better. Regrettably for the tributes, the jungle territories prove that wet, vivacious landscapes are not necessarily any easier. Even in the Light Jungle, which sounds like it ought to be a pleasant place, close trees make it hard to walk and dangerous animals stalk the day and night alike. During the day light comes through in uneven patches, and at night it becomes an even more precious and hard-to-acquire commodity. Shelter can be found in hollow trees and holes in the ground, but untrustworthy bugs stalk these dark, damp places. Perhaps worse than all of this, even the most experienced horticulturists will have difficulty picking out the edible from the inedible here.

Much of the region directly southwest of the Dense Jungle feels uncomfortably like a cross between the deserts and the cliffs. Rocky but flat, this area is bone dry and offers little in the way of vegetation or cover. Fortunately, there is an exception: a large river runs from the edge of the Arena all the way to the Dense Jungle Little grows along the banks, but the water makes up for the lack of plants. Clear, cool, and shallow near the banks but deep in the center, it offers a haven from the heat, a source of diversion, and a possible drinking supply. Thirsty tributes should watch their back, though. Others might come here seeking relief from the heat, making the river a magnet for trouble. One never knows what might be swimming beside them, or lounging in the shallows while it waits for a tasty morsel to emerge...

This is not the hottest, driest, or least forgiving place in Panem's 58th Arena. While there is no water above ground, there is enough moisture in the land for plants to grow, and the sun's rays seem more indirect here. For tributes who still think it's too hot, it's very easy to find cover; indeed, even outside of the one cave near the center of the area, shade is so prevalent that it's almost impossible for a tribute to be exposed. However, this very attribute is what catapults the northernmost section of the Arena straight onto the list of least fun places to be. All the cover here comes not from trees, which faze out quickly as one leaves the jungle, but from massive bones. Once elephants came here in droves, but now only their sinister skeletons remain, ruining tributes' concealment by crunching beneath their feet and forcing them to wonder what horrible disaster could kill so many great beasts...