The Hourglass Rite

"'My blood across the Sand, I bind three years to the Arena.'"The Hourglass Rite began in the dark age of the Arena, but continues today.

Champions spill their own blood into the sands of an hourglass, wagering time in their next Arena fight. The loser of that fight will disappear into the Arena Sands for the time they wagered, instead of emerging at sunset. It may be days, weeks, months, even years. It's a custom of high-level Arena Champions who want to fight for titles and hold them for a long time.