Scarlet Proof

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.