Condemned to die upon the sands.

I have been sentenced to death for the crime of being born; of winning the Hasran's war for them. But my death has purchased the freedom of my people, and so I go to it gladly, ready for whatever final torture they might have in mind.

The Imperator has decreed that I will be sacrificed in the Great Games, a sacred ritual that will magically empower the Gateway Arena. It requires five god-souled, the reincarnations of gods, divine shards that can be fed to the Arena, and used to increase its size.

It means my life has narrowed to one purpose: live. Each day I train, and each week I fight harder and harder challenges until I die. For there is no escape, no reprieve. Once the ritual begins it can only end with my death.