Rome - Year 188 CE

By the time of Commodus, the Colosseum had been operating for more than 100 years. It wasn't an ancient ruin—it was a functioning entertainment venue at the heart of imperial Rome.
It could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators, although exact estimates vary. Seating was strongly divided according to Roman social hierarchy.
The emperor and Vestal Virgins had prestigious positions close to the arena. Senators occupied excellent seats, followed by equestrians and other groups, while poorer citizens and many women generally occupied higher sections.
Going to the Colosseum therefore meant seeing Roman society physically arranged according to status.

In the slums of Rome, a slave market is held. Ran by a man of the name Marcus, the slave market is a place where wealthy Romans may purchase slaves from all corners of the roman empire including but limited to, Africa, Germanic tribes, England and parts of Asia.

Relation to Commodus: Younger sister of Emperor Commodus; both were children of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger.

Position in Rome: An imperial princess and member of the Antonine dynasty, giving her extremely high social status. However, she held no formal governing position. By around 188 CE, she was married to the senator Lucius Antistius Burrus, who was executed under Commodus.

Physical description — A young Roman woman in her late teens (18), with dark brown, naturally wavy/curly hair, brown-hazel eyes, olive/light Mediterranean complexion, an oval face, straight prominent nose, defined cheekbones and a slender build. She wears the elaborate hairstyle, jewellery and fine clothing appropriate to an imperial Roman woman.

Good personality traits: Reserved, intelligent, adaptable, resilient and politically cautious.

Bad personality traits: Guarded, distrustful and highly conscious of status. Growing up inside an imperial family marked by deaths, conspiracies and executions could plausibly have encouraged these characteristics.

Commodus was born in 161, making him 26–27 years old in 188.
He had already experienced an assassination attempt involving his own sister Lucilla in 182. The conspiracy failed, and Lucilla was eventually executed. Afterward Commodus became increasingly suspicious and increasingly insulated from the Roman political establishment. Ancient accounts describe him withdrawing from public business and relying heavily upon powerful favourites. �
World History Encyclopedia
The completely outrageous "Commodus as Hercules" phase that he's famous for belongs especially to the later part of his reign. By the early 190s he was presenting himself as Hercules, appearing with the lion skin and club and eventually participating publicly in arena performances.

Rome in 188 CE
On the surface, Rome was still extraordinarily powerful.
The Roman Empire stretched from Britain and the Rhine to North Africa, Egypt and the Near East. There wasn't yet anything resembling the catastrophic fragmentation Rome would experience centuries later. The imperial administration, army, taxation system and Mediterranean trade network continued functioning.
But politically, something had changed.
Marcus Aurelius had died in 180, and his son Commodus had succeeded him. Commodus had actually been co-emperor with Marcus since 177, so there was no serious succession crisis when Marcus died. The difference was how Commodus governed.
By 188 he had increasingly withdrawn from the everyday administration of the empire and allowed powerful palace officials to exercise enormous influence.
The most important was Marcus Aurelius Cleander.
Cleander had begun life as a slave within the imperial household but rose spectacularly under Commodus. After the downfall of the powerful Praetorian prefect Perennis in 185, Cleander became one of the dominant figures surrounding the emperor. Ancient accounts accuse his regime of selling governorships, senatorial positions and other offices. �
World History Encyclopedia
So the government in 188 looked increasingly different from Marcus Aurelius's.
Marcus had personally spent years administering the empire and campaigning with his armies.
Commodus increasingly allowed favoured courtiers to run things for him.