Starting Backgrounds

There are currently seven starting backgrounds, each starting background has a victory condition.

Achieving the victory conditions of a starting background gives your game a permanent Buff.

Your starting background has a massive effect on the way you play the game and your chances of making it far, with arguably professional aspirant having the best chances of becoming a champion.

## Slave

*Fortune has never been on your side; you are the son of a slave mother, and have been a slave your entire life. With the stretched brandings of labour companies long scarred over, you were recently bought by a pitmaster and thrown to the pits to die in a spectacle. You’ve always been a survivor. Perhaps you can make it through this alive yet?*

* -----Challenge level: 💀💀💀
* Unlikely champion: every victory increases all match fame rewards by 5%.
* As a slave, your Scollo takes 50% of all gold you earn.
* As a slave, you start with one less battle option.
* ▲ Maximum Stamina: +15
* ▲ Stamina Regeneration: +10%
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 307+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 525+bonuses
* Slave - Awful starting gear, doomed to fail, every victory increases fame rewards by 5%, Scollo takes 50% of all Gold earned.
	+ Victory Condition - Win over the population of Terantia: attain freedom through fame. Cost: 100,000 Fame
	+ Legacy - Echoes of Greatness: Aspirants gain 1,000 fame after every rank up.

## Former Soldier

*You are a retired soldier. Having fought valiantly in many battles at the height of hanian expansion, you managed to escape an early grave. Years later, the skill in combat is not entirely gone and you have chosen to revisit combat in the arena one last time to secure a solid retirement.*

* -----Challenge level: 💀💀💀
* Some skills from your former profession.
* Some starting equipment from your former profession.
* ▲ Maximum Health: +20
* ▼ Maximum Stamina: -20
* ▼ Stamina Regeneration: -5%
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 732+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 1509+bonuses
* Former soldier - Has more weapon skills when starting, receives better starting gear then normal, +20 health, -20 Stamina, -5% stamina regen.
	+ Victory Condition - Retire having saved enough gold. Cost: 100,000 gold
	+ Legacy - Scollastic Reform: New Aspirants starts with an additional 0-10 in all skills.

## Criminal Scum

*You are a criminal sentenced to die in the arena. In the arena, all men are both innocent and guilty. Seek your absolution whether in death or in victory.*

* -----Challenge level: 💀💀
* ▼ It is harder for you to win over the audience during combat.
* ▼ Favour with Patrons increases slower. (50% slower)
* ▲ Deep Pockets: You start with an additional auxiliary inventory slot unlocked.
* ▲ Increased betting pay-out: +150%
* ▲ Bribery assessment is free.
* ▲ Bribery is less likely to critically fail.
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 47+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 669+bonuses
* Criminal scum - Benefits to bribery (Bribery assessment is free, bribery is less likely to critically fail), extra auxiliary slot when starting, 50% favor with patrons and harder to win over audience.
	+ Victory Condition - Win over the elites and Patrons of Terantia. Cost: 20,000 fame and reach 80% Favor with all Patrons
	+ Legacy - Amelioration: New Aspirants start with 15% Favor with all Patrons.

## Professional Aspirant

*Under the oversight of the scollo “Aspirants of the Morrow”, you have been training to be a contestant since you were a boy. Your time to shine is finally here.*

* -----Challenge level: 💀
* ▲ Starting specialist combat skills from training in the Scollo.
* ▲ Some starting equipment provided by the Scollo.
* ▲ It is easier for you to win over the audience during combat.
* ▲ Training gear at the Scollo is cheaper.
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 853+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 1983+bonuses
* Professional Aspirant - Training costs less, basic starting gear, scollo takes 50% of all fame earned.
	+ Victory condition - Reach ASPIRED rank.
	+ Legacy - Aspirants Autonomy: New Aspirants begin with an additional match option unlocked.

## Thrill Seeker Civilian

*You are a Hanian commoner who has been dying to enter the arena. Petty crimes simply don’t give you the adrenaline rush you need anymore. It’s time to step it up.*

* -----Challenge level: 💀💀💀💀
* ▼ You must pay your Scollo a service fee every week, when possible. Cost: 500 gold.
* ▲ Lower health increases Stamina Regeneration.
* ▲ Free man: match skips are 50% cheaper.
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 1244+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 1175+bonuses
* Thrill Seeker Civilian - lower health but higher stamina regen at low health, match skips 50% cheaper, must pay a fee of 500 gold the Scollo every week when able.
	+ Victory Condition - Kill 80 Aspirants
	+ Legacy - Roar of the Crowd: The audience fame multiplier maximum is increased to 2.5x.

## Desperate Politician

*Your father was a minor official, exiled in disgrace. You’ve inherited the disdain the public reserved for his failure, and you know to survive, your name must be greater than his. A spectacle then, blood for blood. Your leadership shall never be questioned once it’s been baptized in the rivers of the arena. Your enemies will tremble in fear as you prove you can lead with an iron fist; or die trying.*

* -----Challenge level: 💀💀
* ▲ Personal Guard: you start with the Entourage Scollo Upgrade unlocked and it is always active(regardless of whether the match has “Entourage” or not).
* ▲ Influential Connections: You gain weekly fame based on your total patron favor.
* ▼ It is significantly harder for you to win over the audience during combat.
* You start with no combat skills whatsoever and training gear is more expensive.
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 3962+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 0+bonuses
* Desperate Politician - Training costs more, starts off with more gold but almost no Fame, basic starting gear with a gold vase instead of a normal weapon, Personal guard (Entourage scollo upgrade), Internal connections (grants fame based off patron favor after each battle), Significantly harder to win over the crowd (resulting in less fame being gained from battles).
	+ Victory Condition - Majority Vote: Reach 90% favor or more with at least 3 Patrons.
	+ Legacy - Government Funding: Aspirants gain 1,000 gold after every rank up.

## Blacksmith's Apprentice

*A blacksmith’s indebted fifth apprentice, you’re little better than a slave, though you’re cunning with a hammer. A scheme, perhaps, to scavenge, to secret away the weapons you see discarded after bouts, to bolster your own inventory and earn your seat as a master blacksmith. Your quick hands have saved you from the flames of the forge – will they save you from the fires of battle?*

* -----Challenge level: 💀
* ▲ The blacksmith will repair 500-1,000 durability for free every week.
* ▲ Deep Pockets: You start with an additional auxiliary inventory slot unlocked.
* ▲ Maximum Bargains: The shop is discounted much more frequently.
* ▼ Scavenger: All items you buy from the shop have 10-20% durability.
* ▼ You cannot sell equipment, instead you gift equipment to the blacksmith.
	+ Starting gold: 🪙 526+bonuses
	+ Starting fame: 🌐 155+bonuses
* Blacksmith Apprentice - The blacksmith will repair 500-1,000 durability every week for free, you start with an extra auxiliary slot, decent starting gear (Including a hammer and some extra skill in one handed maces), The shop is discounted much more frequently, everything you buy from the shop has 10% to 20% durability, you cannot sell equipment instead it is given to the blacksmith.
	+ Victory Condition - Give the blacksmith equipment worth 100,000 gold.
	+ Legacy - Trickle Down Economy: Shop discounts are 25% more frequent.