I would like everyone to pause and thank Traesha for the wonderful job she does with the monthly art challenges. So much time and effort goes into each one. I asked her to describe the process for our benefit. Here's what she said:
The time consuming thing for me is setting up the Monthly challenge based on the theme chosen by the winner, writing it all up, submitting it to the God for approval, creating an image for the initial challenge and getting it all posted on the site. I usually have 3 days to get that all done, so sometimes it's a bit stressful due to the time guidelines. I usually check out the challenge arena once a day to field any questions or problems that arise. I give the artists 3 weeks to complete their renders and get them posted to the thread. I also try to create another render to submit to the challenge too. Then I set up a poll for the voting to begin and select the winner. Then, I contact the winner to find out what the next months theme will be and start the process all over again.
Thank you, Traesha!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Shadow Guard Artisan Contest 1 - Family Portrait
As I've been rambling about for several days now, the Shadow Guard has grown immensely in the last few weeks. I believe it is therefore time to have a family portrait made. I will try to remember all the rules and record them here, but forgive me if I forget to define something. Since I'm in question, answer mood, I'll run this that way.
What's going on?
Terees is going to launch a whole series of monthly art contests. They will hopefully run like the Art challenges Traesha has been doing such a lovely job with, minus the initial example as I don't think we'd get any inspiration from my horrible little blotchy-penned stick figures. The artsy parts of me must have walked off the current plane with my memory.
Who can participate?
Any registered member of Mernac may participate. If you don't have an account, but still love doing art and want to partake in this free contest simply sign up for an account, read a bit of the Shadow Guard background and about the current members... then give it all you've got.
Where do I submit my picture?
I will open a thread in the general discussion forum. You will initially submit here. Eventually, the art must be submitted to the Shadow Guard Lore story.
What kind of picture should I make?
As this is a family portrait, your picture should include Mother Terees and at least two of the guards. If you can get all five in, wonderful. If you can make it a scene where they're not just staring out at people, wonderful. But if you want to go for traditional "family portrait" style, that's wonderful as well.
Are there any stuffy rules I should be aware of?
Yes. Mother Terees wishes all pictures to be rated PG-13 or less. That means the characters should be wearing decent clothes and there shouldn't be too much gore/violence/other questionable material. Now, I don't think you could show too much gore in a family picture of the Shadow Guard, but hey, you never know... and this rule applies to all the monthly SG contests.
Why are there stuffy rules?
Because I'm old-fashioned, a goddess, and I said so:-)
Is there a prize for all my hard work?
Of course. At the very least, there will be silver. The exact amount will be determined at a later time, depending on how many submissions we have. I'd love to give at least one silver to everyone who enters and 25 silvers to the winner of each monthly art contest, as determined by a poll.
Is there a deadline?
Yes, I would like the submissions to be posted to the thread by the 21st of each month. Then, I will create the poll and let it run for a week. That should let everyone know who the winner is by the 29th-ish of each month. The winner will be acknowledged on the thread. Please note, to receive their prize of 25 Mernac silvers they must be a registered member. I will also send a PM, so the winner should also be an active member... meaning you show up more than once a month:-)
What's going on?
Terees is going to launch a whole series of monthly art contests. They will hopefully run like the Art challenges Traesha has been doing such a lovely job with, minus the initial example as I don't think we'd get any inspiration from my horrible little blotchy-penned stick figures. The artsy parts of me must have walked off the current plane with my memory.
Who can participate?
Any registered member of Mernac may participate. If you don't have an account, but still love doing art and want to partake in this free contest simply sign up for an account, read a bit of the Shadow Guard background and about the current members... then give it all you've got.
Where do I submit my picture?
I will open a thread in the general discussion forum. You will initially submit here. Eventually, the art must be submitted to the Shadow Guard Lore story.
What kind of picture should I make?
As this is a family portrait, your picture should include Mother Terees and at least two of the guards. If you can get all five in, wonderful. If you can make it a scene where they're not just staring out at people, wonderful. But if you want to go for traditional "family portrait" style, that's wonderful as well.
Are there any stuffy rules I should be aware of?
Yes. Mother Terees wishes all pictures to be rated PG-13 or less. That means the characters should be wearing decent clothes and there shouldn't be too much gore/violence/other questionable material. Now, I don't think you could show too much gore in a family picture of the Shadow Guard, but hey, you never know... and this rule applies to all the monthly SG contests.
Why are there stuffy rules?
Because I'm old-fashioned, a goddess, and I said so:-)
Is there a prize for all my hard work?
Of course. At the very least, there will be silver. The exact amount will be determined at a later time, depending on how many submissions we have. I'd love to give at least one silver to everyone who enters and 25 silvers to the winner of each monthly art contest, as determined by a poll.
Is there a deadline?
Yes, I would like the submissions to be posted to the thread by the 21st of each month. Then, I will create the poll and let it run for a week. That should let everyone know who the winner is by the 29th-ish of each month. The winner will be acknowledged on the thread. Please note, to receive their prize of 25 Mernac silvers they must be a registered member. I will also send a PM, so the winner should also be an active member... meaning you show up more than once a month:-)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
From Terees's Private Journal 2 - Shadow Guard Gifts
Will the Twenty Gifts I sought, fought for, and sometimes bought serve my Shadow Guard children well? I called their spirits up to fight with their full strength during those awful days while the War for Mirdoren raged in the heavens. Whenever I remember those moments I am in awe of the sheer power they unleashed there, but now I forget how I got them to that point. I know I trained them, sometimes harshly, in Resh'karitas, but I cannot even remember when. I think Pyroglyph will remind me, but I cannot be certain for she is, as always, perfectly neutral.
While I remember, I shall record the Gifts already allocated. These I may or may not have remembered eventually, but logically they fit best. In all cases, I always gifted the Guards based upon their own strengths.
Ember already knew many weapons, so I gave her the Gift Tellen prepared: Martial Weapons Proficiency. She can pick up nearly any weapon invented for soldiers and use it as if she'd been trained specifically on that weapon for three decades or more. Some exotic weapons might lay beyond the Gift's capabilities to cover; however, Ember's natural talents with weapons should allow her to use the weapon without harm to herself or allies. The only difference is that she would not be considered a "master" with such weapons.
Arleas already knew much about books and learning. She would have known more too, had she not been killed so abruptly. The potential for vast learning still lay within her, so when I gifted her with Divine Shared Knowledge, she learned to know what I know. Unfortunately, for both of us, my memory has rather large gaps. Since Arleas has a wonderful memory, whenever I do perchance stumble across a memory, I send it to her. She may not even know it, but sometimes, I think she's my literal sanity.
Shanyaks struggles with himself far more than is healthy. His questionable heritage, his sometimes dark tendencies... these things hit him far deeper than many beings. I think his biggest problem is forgiving himself. In short, he draws trouble upon himself. Therefore, I believe I gave him Gorb's Gift of Trouble Greed.
Naysia Ebberon is a very introspective young woman when she wants to be. I do not think she spoke much even as a child, but that natural instinct to deal with everything internally and always alone grew even more pronounced once she went to one of Elsen's temple. Sometimes I wonder why I picked such internally conflicted people to become my Guards. She's such a sweet girl, fire obsession aside. Who am I fooling? I love her partially because of that fire obsession, for it is a sign of the pure passion within her. One who thinks so much for herself could hardly help but naturally take to a Gift like Foresight. Sola's gift upon her own Race of Elves.
Kataryna Vaelryn trained for many, many seasons to become a seductive and highly successful assassin. Her natural beauty and well developed sense of how to handle people made her perfect for Quont's gift of Complete Attraction. Quont could always get whatever he wanted from any of us.
While I remember, I shall record the Gifts already allocated. These I may or may not have remembered eventually, but logically they fit best. In all cases, I always gifted the Guards based upon their own strengths.
Ember already knew many weapons, so I gave her the Gift Tellen prepared: Martial Weapons Proficiency. She can pick up nearly any weapon invented for soldiers and use it as if she'd been trained specifically on that weapon for three decades or more. Some exotic weapons might lay beyond the Gift's capabilities to cover; however, Ember's natural talents with weapons should allow her to use the weapon without harm to herself or allies. The only difference is that she would not be considered a "master" with such weapons.
Arleas already knew much about books and learning. She would have known more too, had she not been killed so abruptly. The potential for vast learning still lay within her, so when I gifted her with Divine Shared Knowledge, she learned to know what I know. Unfortunately, for both of us, my memory has rather large gaps. Since Arleas has a wonderful memory, whenever I do perchance stumble across a memory, I send it to her. She may not even know it, but sometimes, I think she's my literal sanity.
Shanyaks struggles with himself far more than is healthy. His questionable heritage, his sometimes dark tendencies... these things hit him far deeper than many beings. I think his biggest problem is forgiving himself. In short, he draws trouble upon himself. Therefore, I believe I gave him Gorb's Gift of Trouble Greed.
Naysia Ebberon is a very introspective young woman when she wants to be. I do not think she spoke much even as a child, but that natural instinct to deal with everything internally and always alone grew even more pronounced once she went to one of Elsen's temple. Sometimes I wonder why I picked such internally conflicted people to become my Guards. She's such a sweet girl, fire obsession aside. Who am I fooling? I love her partially because of that fire obsession, for it is a sign of the pure passion within her. One who thinks so much for herself could hardly help but naturally take to a Gift like Foresight. Sola's gift upon her own Race of Elves.
Kataryna Vaelryn trained for many, many seasons to become a seductive and highly successful assassin. Her natural beauty and well developed sense of how to handle people made her perfect for Quont's gift of Complete Attraction. Quont could always get whatever he wanted from any of us.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
From Terees's Private Journal 1 - Reflections on the Shadow Guard
The Shadow Guard grows rapidly. Part of me fears for them. Mernac's futures, all of them, look so grim. I have currently withdrawn from my Guards for a brief moment to feel this pain alone. I cannot let them know the sheer depths my fear run, especially Arleas. She's a wonderful Disciple, but a bit headstrong. With our close connection she would feel everything, and I want to protect her from that.
Naysia, also a headstrong young lady, possesses so much passion, so much anger. I'm not sure where it comes from. Surely, her training in Elsen's temple could not have been that thorough, could it? I knew all once, but that was long ago. I'm not sure how best to help her. She hesitated before joining, and I felt it. The battle within her ran deep. I have not felt such inner conflict since the Fathers made their decisions in 666, or if I had, I had also forgotten.
Kataryna Vaelryn could move mountains with a smile, yet there are fragile parts of her, places she keeps locked from all, even herself. Her beauty and natural charm serve her well, but they also hold her back. She knows her strengths, so she uses them, sometimes overmuch. She also hesitates to forgive herself. I've not yet spoken with her on these matters, but a time will come soon when she faces herself fully.
Ember tor'Ravenwing has a wonderfully refreshing directness about her. She hides her fragile pieces well. I can feel her every worry when I tune in to her thoughts, but her inner strength and resilience astounds me.
Shanyaks, probably the most troubled of my young Guards, always wishes to be better than his past. Sometimes, I think he tries to apologize for his entire Race of Orcs, yet the world will have none of it. Tis true that sometimes the blackest, coldest hearts come from the Races of Light. I wish I could fight all his battles for him, but Shanyaks needs those struggles to learn survival.
Naysia, also a headstrong young lady, possesses so much passion, so much anger. I'm not sure where it comes from. Surely, her training in Elsen's temple could not have been that thorough, could it? I knew all once, but that was long ago. I'm not sure how best to help her. She hesitated before joining, and I felt it. The battle within her ran deep. I have not felt such inner conflict since the Fathers made their decisions in 666, or if I had, I had also forgotten.
Kataryna Vaelryn could move mountains with a smile, yet there are fragile parts of her, places she keeps locked from all, even herself. Her beauty and natural charm serve her well, but they also hold her back. She knows her strengths, so she uses them, sometimes overmuch. She also hesitates to forgive herself. I've not yet spoken with her on these matters, but a time will come soon when she faces herself fully.
Ember tor'Ravenwing has a wonderfully refreshing directness about her. She hides her fragile pieces well. I can feel her every worry when I tune in to her thoughts, but her inner strength and resilience astounds me.
Shanyaks, probably the most troubled of my young Guards, always wishes to be better than his past. Sometimes, I think he tries to apologize for his entire Race of Orcs, yet the world will have none of it. Tis true that sometimes the blackest, coldest hearts come from the Races of Light. I wish I could fight all his battles for him, but Shanyaks needs those struggles to learn survival.
8/28/07 Busy Week - highlights
Terees’s Report:
- Helped Serapella and Shanyaks with character stories
- Edited Jy’s
- Wrote Quest for Celnadon ch 19 Soolin Leaves, Ch 22, edited/ published QFC 6, published QFC 7
- Sent PM to psycha (got reply), tkrain (got reply), Purrdey (got reply) goxen, coalcrystal
- Fiddled with Outlook (evil thing); got template set…still not sure its sending messages right
- Announced Serapella and Shanyaks as Shadow Guards
- Wrote more detailed outline for SG training novel
- Things to write: (secret)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
How to Become a Mernac Scribe... then Sage
Scribe (taken from On Being a Mernacian Scribe) - writer with one Legend, Character story, and a secondary story (Lore, Place, or Item)
Sage - writer with three consecutive Legends in a particular Book approved by the God of the Age the legend takes place in.
The Legends of Mernac seeks fine writers to join the ranks of our dedicated scribes. For those of you who know nothing about us, Mernac is a fantasy world, hence we seek fantasy writers. Don't let that discourage you if you've never tried fantasy before, I'm a semi-converted sci-fi fanatic.
Step-by-step how to become a Mernac Scribe:
Step One: Read. The world practically bursts with interesting Characters, Legends, Places, Lore, and Items.
Here are some Recommended Reads and the Rationales:
Mothers and the Fathers - a summary of Mernac's 20 gods (7 Mothers, 13 Fathers); these characters come up again and again throughout history, so you might as well get used to their pretty names
Map of Cathall - one of the main continents and home to a whole slew of Races of Light and Races of Dark; makes an interesting setting for nearly any story
Time and Calendar Guide - Moon = month, season = year, [OCC: learn our lingo or go away:-); kidding] "There are 26 hours in a day, 32 days in a moon (or month) and 14 moons (months) in a Season (year)." You should know this if you're writing stories set here.
Bella (Spring)
Della (Spring)
Troval (Spring)
Clina (Summer)
Tropsy (Summer)
Teevil (Summer)
Smarten (Summer)
Fivo (Fall)
Trivo (Fall)
Boolan (Fall)
Tazar (Winter)
Bruda (Winter)
Moroven (Winter)
Himple (Winter)
The God Ages - If you're placing a story in Mernac, you'd better know what Age you want to place it in. For that, you'll need to know which gods are taking stories. This story is a touch out of date - Terees Age (2000-2499) is open
Other tips:
Read - we don't expect you to know everything, but do a bit of research on the place you want to write in, the god(s) you want to serve, etc
Use the search button - it's helpful despite the fact that it doesn't do words under 4 letters
Ask questions - If you have a general question, you can either start a thread about it in the "general discussion" forum or PM a god (Oh, dangerous to say. PM Terees, she'll not bite yer head off; sorry, only one I can guarantee.)
Sage - writer with three consecutive Legends in a particular Book approved by the God of the Age the legend takes place in.
The Legends of Mernac seeks fine writers to join the ranks of our dedicated scribes. For those of you who know nothing about us, Mernac is a fantasy world, hence we seek fantasy writers. Don't let that discourage you if you've never tried fantasy before, I'm a semi-converted sci-fi fanatic.
Step-by-step how to become a Mernac Scribe:
Step One: Read. The world practically bursts with interesting Characters, Legends, Places, Lore, and Items.
Here are some Recommended Reads and the Rationales:
Mothers and the Fathers - a summary of Mernac's 20 gods (7 Mothers, 13 Fathers); these characters come up again and again throughout history, so you might as well get used to their pretty names
Map of Cathall - one of the main continents and home to a whole slew of Races of Light and Races of Dark; makes an interesting setting for nearly any story
Time and Calendar Guide - Moon = month, season = year, [OCC: learn our lingo or go away:-); kidding] "There are 26 hours in a day, 32 days in a moon (or month) and 14 moons (months) in a Season (year)." You should know this if you're writing stories set here.
Bella (Spring)
Della (Spring)
Troval (Spring)
Clina (Summer)
Tropsy (Summer)
Teevil (Summer)
Smarten (Summer)
Fivo (Fall)
Trivo (Fall)
Boolan (Fall)
Tazar (Winter)
Bruda (Winter)
Moroven (Winter)
Himple (Winter)
The God Ages - If you're placing a story in Mernac, you'd better know what Age you want to place it in. For that, you'll need to know which gods are taking stories. This story is a touch out of date - Terees Age (2000-2499) is open
Other tips:
Read - we don't expect you to know everything, but do a bit of research on the place you want to write in, the god(s) you want to serve, etc
Use the search button - it's helpful despite the fact that it doesn't do words under 4 letters
Ask questions - If you have a general question, you can either start a thread about it in the "general discussion" forum or PM a god (Oh, dangerous to say. PM Terees, she'll not bite yer head off; sorry, only one I can guarantee.)
Mernac Character Story: What is it? How do I write it?
What is a Mernac Character story?
As most people know, characters create stories, hardly the other way around. Characters are linchpins, the life-flow, akin to air for a story. While Legends are indeed our ultimate goal, we also want to know who these heroes, villains, and everyday people are, where they came from, and what drove them to act as they did. Thus, the need for a Character story. Mernac Character stories usually range from 500 - 1000 words; they should be no more than 2000 words.
Let's briefly examine a portion of Katarina Calis's Character story:
King Aaron and Queen Diana Calis of Solaris had six sons: Ryan, Cade, Mark, Evan, Collin, andDayton
The first paragraph does not eve mention the princess we're talking about. Is that... okay? Yes, this paragraph sets the stage for what is to come and answers a few questions yet to be asked? What in Katarina's past, defined her? Who were her parents? Where did she come from? What siblings did she have?
How do I write a Good Character Story?
The biggest mistake people make when writing stories for Mernac is simply trying to write the Legend first. (OCC: I made this mistake; my first story, The Black Axe, was written like the story I eventually wanted to write, albeit badly. Ahem, that aside, someone had to clarify for me that The Black Axe story needed to be about the weapon itself.) Even character stories are not immune from this mistake.
Character story should strive to answer some of the following questions:
What race do they belong to?
What is this person's main goal(s)?
Where did this person come from?
What do they look like?
What did they accomplish? invent?
Who bore them? Who fathered them?
What makes them unique? (ie. why should readers care about him/her?)
What weapon, if any, did they favor?
What moments in life defined them?
Who did they marry?
Who did they bear/ father?
What deity did they serve?
What wars did they fight in?
How did they die?
What was this person's general outlook on life and why?
As most people know, characters create stories, hardly the other way around. Characters are linchpins, the life-flow, akin to air for a story. While Legends are indeed our ultimate goal, we also want to know who these heroes, villains, and everyday people are, where they came from, and what drove them to act as they did. Thus, the need for a Character story. Mernac Character stories usually range from 500 - 1000 words; they should be no more than 2000 words.
Let's briefly examine a portion of Katarina Calis's Character story:
King Aaron and Queen Diana Calis of Solaris had six sons: Ryan, Cade, Mark, Evan, Collin, and
The first paragraph does not eve mention the princess we're talking about. Is that... okay? Yes, this paragraph sets the stage for what is to come and answers a few questions yet to be asked? What in Katarina's past, defined her? Who were her parents? Where did she come from? What siblings did she have?
How do I write a Good Character Story?
The biggest mistake people make when writing stories for Mernac is simply trying to write the Legend first. (OCC: I made this mistake; my first story, The Black Axe, was written like the story I eventually wanted to write, albeit badly. Ahem, that aside, someone had to clarify for me that The Black Axe story needed to be about the weapon itself.) Even character stories are not immune from this mistake.
Character story should strive to answer some of the following questions:
What race do they belong to?
What is this person's main goal(s)?
Where did this person come from?
What do they look like?
What did they accomplish? invent?
Who bore them? Who fathered them?
What makes them unique? (ie. why should readers care about him/her?)
What weapon, if any, did they favor?
What moments in life defined them?
Who did they marry?
Who did they bear/ father?
What deity did they serve?
What wars did they fight in?
How did they die?
What was this person's general outlook on life and why?
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