I wasn't entirely on board with the slight retcon the Bloodsands got smashed with going from 1.0 to 2.0 but it's a nice point to use for storytelling. In the original game, the Gladiator's Guild was straight-up your entry ticket to the 'Sands and the class quests (once they got implemented!) actually had you instanced in the arena itself, beating up fools and cajoling to the audience to make them hurl gil at you. Nowadays it's much more relaxed, but I was happy to work the Armorer leves and Gladiator quests into Warren's backstory.
As far as formalized fighting goes nowadays, there's this event that happens weekly where folks form up to beat each other up. It's been a decent facsimile of a proving grounds even if it isn't lore-bound outside of Balmung.
As far as formalized fighting goes nowadays, there's this event that happens weekly where folks form up to beat each other up. It's been a decent facsimile of a proving grounds even if it isn't lore-bound outside of Balmung.
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
