Nothing is guaranteed. Everything must be earned. Yesterday's glory means nothing without today's validation.
The Proving Grounds
The Proving Grounds is where careers are made and erased in real time. Fifteen blocks of industrial concrete and metal bleachers, built around one ruthless idea: nothing carries over. You earn what you get, or you get nothing.
Culture
Performance is currency. The Draft Board tracks rankings and people live and die by the numbers, not because they love the system, but because the system decides who gets access to facilities, coaches, and opportunity.
Territory
Warehouses converted into training floors. Chain link fences that function as bulletin boards. Diners where prospects celebrate or mourn. Everything is functional, loud, and slightly desperate.
Reputation
People talk about The Proving Grounds like it is punishment. It is. It is also the only honest doorway to legitimacy left in the city, which is why the Syndicate tried to rig it and why the Resistance fought so hard to rebuild it.