of Custody

The Chain of Custody was established during the Bureau's Great Documentation Reorganization, when competitive records became too numerous to track through standard filing systems. The tag emerged as a way to mark files that had passed through multiple processing stages, ensuring no document was lost in transit. Now, when a player's file has been routed through enough hands, the tag simply appears—tracking each link in the chain. The tag follows the player, not the other way around. It's the Bureau's most honest form of documentation: proof that the scorecard traveled, even if the scorecard won't say where it went or what it saw.

The Chain of Custody manifests as an actual rusted chain wrapped around the player's bag tag, with each link representing a different stage of documentation processing. Links vary in material—some brass, some steel, some an alloy the Bureau has never officially acknowledged. Each link is stamped with department codes and timestamps from the Great Digital Migration onward. The chain grows heavier as more links are added, with each link representing a different Bureau department that has touched the player's file. The final link bears the stamped word 'ARCHIVED' in Bureau script, while earlier links display processing codes that change based on current system status.

Chain of Custody marks players whose competitive records have been routed through multiple Bureau processing stages. It serves as both documentation and warning—other players know the holder's file has been examined by many departments but cannot determine what was found or what attention the examination attracted. The longer the chain, the more processing the file has undergone. Short chains indicate new players or minimal Bureau interaction. Long chains mean extensive examination. In a world where 'the scorecard is the only evidence that matters,' the Chain of Custody proves that evidence traveled—but in a 'Trust No One' world, you can never be certain what it carried back.