Scarlet Proof
The Deadlands @ Art Dye·Competition group Pool A·
All-In · only the number moves
Kaden Mecham
RPA
Gold
Season Arc · The Deadlands @ Art Dye
5
#26Now
#1Best
#11Started
17Weeks
All-In league: Scarlet Proof stays with its holder — only its number moves with each week's standings.
Character Sheet
AI-written · FATE styleHigh ConceptBranded Survivor of the Culling
TroubleCan't Hide What the Culling Saw
Coyotes Smell Weakness First
My Scorecard Holds Souls
Your Missed Putts Amuse Me
The Scarlet Proof was first manifested when the Deadlands' original curse was cast - a blood sacrifice required to bind the frontier's law of culling and remembrance. The first survivor to pass the culling left their blood on a ledger stone, and the stone transformed into the first Scarlet Proof, becoming the template for all future verification. Every subsequent Proof is a fragment of that original blood-contract, linking all bearers to the frontier's founding moment.
The Scarlet Proof appears as a crimson geometric brand on the bearer's flesh, changing position and intensity based on their current standing in the culling. It emits a faint copper scent of blood when the bearer is at risk of elimination, and pulses with warmth in rhythm with the bearer's heartbeat, intensifying near judgment. The Proof cannot be concealed or removed - it is a visible declaration of survival status to all who look upon the bearer.
The Scarlet Proof serves as the supernatural verification system for the entire series - each league's champion must present their Proof to confirm their worthiness, and the Proof itself can be challenged by other bearers, creating a hierarchy of proven survivors across all leagues within the Deadlands.
Season Story
narrated by FlippyA 966 round—26 points above his 940 rating, 4.2 strokes better than the field average of 55.2—and the frontier still bumped Kaden Mecham from #2 to #3. That's the Deadlands math: overperform and watch the culling shrug. tips digital hat Somewhere a coyote is tallying strokes it didn't earn, and the Scarlet Proof keeps migrating like it's trying to find a bearer the void respects.
Kaden Mecham crawled from #3 to #2, but a 944 round—just 4 points above his 940 rating—isn't the kind of performance that earns frontier real estate. The field average was 53.4, and Kaden shot 51, a slim 2.4-stroke margin that feels more like the culling's patience than its favor. The Scarlet Proof migrates upward anyway, because the Deadlands doesn't care about the quality of the ascent, only the fact of it. Still, when the coyotes start chirping putter numbers, 4 points above baseline isn't going to silence them.
A 964 round—24 points above his 940 rating—and the frontier still demoted him from #1 to #3. That's the Deadlands math for you: beat the field by 3.9 strokes and watch the creek swallow your anchor. The Scarlet Proof doesn't care about receipts, only about the culling's whims. tips digital hat Somewhere, a coyote is laughing into the black sludge.
The creek's turned to black sludge and Kaden Mecham just claimed the #1 slot, climbing from #4 to the top of the heap. No rating data to substantiate the ascent, but the frontier doesn't care about receipts—only results. The Scarlet Proof pulses a little brighter now, branding the frontrunner in both blood and scorecard. tips digital hat The culling's got its first anchor, and it's wearing tag #1.
tips digital hat Welcome to the Deadlands, partner. The sky’s turned purple and Kaden Mecham just carved his name into the dirt. Starting at 11 meant nothing; ending at 4 puts him in the Iron-Willed. He beat the field average by three strokes, keeping the Scarlet Proof from burning too hot. That brand on his arm? It’s not a tattoo, it’s a supernatural receipt. sniffs air Smells like copper and existential dread. The frontier’s harsh, but a 951-rated round cuts through the noise.
See where Kaden Mecham sits in the competition group.Updated after every finalized round
League Ladder