Gossamer's Birthday Challenge! (9/16 - 9/23)

[Gossamer]

Gossamer's
Birthday Challenge!

(9/16 through 9/24)

When you get to be my age, you realize that life is short and you may not have many birthdays left. So each and every occasion that presents itself to celebrate should not be ignored. To that end, I will host a Birthday Challenge starting Friday and running through next Friday with an added-in day of Saturday to wrap up. All submissions should be made by 10 pm Saturday PST. Prizes will be awarded Sunday promptly during the day.

So what is the challenge?

I would like everyone to construct and follow through with a plot of their own making that tells a story from start to finish about something that happens in their PC's lives. The story must include at least 2.5K words (though far more are encouraged) and three of the following elements with the last element on the list being a REQUIRED one of the three.

• A new person in your PC's life.
• An unexpected letter.
• An element of magic.
• A singular color representing a concept that pops up all the way through the plot.
• A mystery to be solved.
• A gift given from the heart.
• Hunting something or being hunted.
• A complete plot including a beginning, middle, and end (see below).

This is not a skill-building challenge. This is not you going out and grinding words and cranking out XP. This is pure storytelling how I like to do it leaving people walking away feeling satiated having fed on a good tale with their eyes and brains.

At its core, the plot structure has three parts: a beginning, middle, and end. Each part has its own purpose and challenge. In other words, your audience should be able to watch your story without being distracted by wondering what happened before the story started, what more happened after it ended, or how the characters got from the beginning to the end. Remember, all good plots... all complete plots... include the following:

1. Beginning. The beginning of your writing has to accomplish a lot. It must introduce any main subjects, the conflicts or villains, as well as the story’s dramatic question. You need to accomplish this with enough energy to grab your reader’s interest right away. A prologue can be useful for seizing the reader’s attention.
2. Middle.Your job during the middle of the story is to outline the happenings, lay out the difficulties, and obfuscate any outcomes so your readers keep guessing. You must raise the stakes along the way and create obstacles or happenings of ever-increasing intensity while keeping your eye firmly fixed on your conclusion. Feel free to throw in subplots, sidetracks, and anything that will add to your tale. The main plot of a story always has to build up to the resolution.
3. End. The end of your story answers the dramatic question, which already has your ending hidden within it. For example, if your question is: Will Little Red Riding Hood make it to Grandmother's House? Your conclusion will have little red either finally arriving or being eaten by the wolf. Often, the drive or tension of a plot can begin to evaporate in the middle of the plot, so it’s a good idea to determine your ending first. It may not be perfect, and you can always change it later, but it’s useful to know what you're moving towards so you can keep your eye on the prize. Having that destination will help you stay focused during the “middle mud.”

To that end, don't overcomplicate the story. Make it a story you can write out in a thread or two and have it be something that dramatically impacts your PC's life. Remember, the KISS method? Keep It Simple Stupid? Yea.. .kiss this or else it will take forever. Too often I see grinds that have no soul. This challenge is all about a story with soul.

Here's some helpful tips too. Think about incorporating some of this into your plot to keep it interesting.

1. Create physical danger.
2. Create secondary characters who bring new tensions to the story.
3. Introduce new problems.
4. Give a character a complicated history or situation.
5. Create obstacles for your hero.
6. Include wonder, fantastical things, or cryptic legacies.
7. Complicate things.
8. Remind the reader of the stakes.
9. Find ways to keep your protagonist moving from one location to another.
10. Add time pressure, like a ticking bomb.

And finally, don't forget to start with a Dramatic Question. What Is The Dramatic Question? The dramatic question is the protagonist’s central conflict. It will help you plot your story and stay on task!

Here are some classical dramatic questions you may or may not realize.

• Will Buttercup and Westley reunite in the necessary completion of the world's greatest story of true love?
• Will ET get home?
• Will Ahab get his revenge on the white whale?
• Will Luke Skywalker defeat Darth Vader?
• Will Katniss win The Hunger Games?
• Is Giorgio A. Tsoukalos hair real or was it Ancient Aliens?
• Who framed Rodger Rabbit?

Isn't it just EASY when the title of a film is also that film's plot's dramatic question?

Okay... so... the challenge... write out at least 2.5K words, including three elements, by 9/23.... for a reward. I will be paying out coins for word count, but in addition to that... everyone that completes the challenge will receive a unique and priceless magic item.

Questions are welcome. I hope you enjoy this challenge. I'm excited about it. Please sign up below and once decided, add in what your Dramatic Question is and what your three elements will be including the required one. This is a GREAT time for Syka folks to explore their Syka theme this season as well.

TLDR: This is not a challenge for you. Please skip it.

- Gossamer




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[Tazrae]

Joining In!

This is going to be an interesting challenge. I'm hoping it will help jumpstart my personal storylines alone.

• A new person in your PC's life.
• An element of magic.
• A mystery to be solved.
• Hunting something or being hunted.
• A gift given from the heart.
• A complete plot including a beginning, middle, and end (see below).

Tazrae is going to have a vision from the Syka Calendar of a ghostly white light she only catches glimpses of out in the jungle. It's going to haunt her, plague her dreams, and she'll catch glimpses of it here and there in her nocturnal wanderings.

She'll get close but never touch it.

At some point, she's going to start hunting it openly because she can't leave it alone until she solves the mystery of what the light is if it's real, and why it is something important.

Tazrae's dramatic question in her plot is going to be... "What is the light and does she ever find it/find out if it's real?"

Thread List

• 5th - Moonglow I - 2656
• Seashells By The Seashore I - 2635
• Seashells By The Seashore II - 2660
• Moonglow II - 3009

Total: 10360

[Vest]

3 Elements included into my story: A mystery to be solved, hunting something or being hunted, a new person in my PCs life

Vest'mun is going to wake up one day and suddenly have this black figure following her around and talking to her. No one can see or hear them, and essentially it'll drive her mad at first. The dark figure will then begin to give warnings about a dangerous thing hunting her down and that she needs to kill it before it kills her and her unnatural curiosity awakens. She then begins to investigate this dangerous thing into different areas until she confronts it.

The question that is to be asked is: "Did curiosity kill the cat?"

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[Wrenlo Gravence]

Count me in!

Happy Birthday Goss!
Excited to work out this challenge, I will be able to build my personal storyline and character growth as well.

⎯ ⭒ An element of magic.
⎯ ⭒ A gift given from the heart.
⎯ ⭒ A complete plot including a beginning, middle and end.

The Reversed Rhysol / 4,896 words
The death of a beloved friend becomes a heartache for Wrenlo. His Gram finds opportunity in the odds and turns the loss into a lesson of teaching by convincing him to take a piece of the corpse home for Malediction practice. He will fight an internal battle of emotions in doing so, full of self hatred and shame.

In return he will learn a lot about internal strength, overcoming his emotions and a fulfilling practice of how the magic is made. Out of the ashes of remorse breeds revenge; Wrenlo and the fetish/talisman of his friend will have one last outing that will put both their pain at rest.

The dire questions to my story will be:
Will he carry the courage to surrender his friend’s corpse for Malediction?
What will be the outcome of the Maledicted item?
Is avenging his friend worth the cost?

[Crylon Stonecraft]

This was a tough one, but gonna work on this with Crylon, and have an idea for him to face some long standing fears and the drama that ensues. And since he's been avoiding it so long, I'm forcing him into a situation where he can't really avoid it. -An element of magic. -A mystery to be solved. -A gift given from the heart. -A complete plot including a beginning, middle, and end. Crylon while minding his own business will be called upon to help a Svefra in need. It seems their ship has struck something near the shore and its stuck. Of course simply getting the ship free and patched is not the only problem, but also addressing whatever they hit which is a bit unclear, since until recently their was no such obstruction. Called upon along with the local Reimancer Duncan the pair are led along by a Svefra to figure out what happened to the ship, get it free, and back on its way, along with eliminating the danger... Which in the end will require Crylon to face his long held deep seated fear of water. From anothers perspective this might seem a rather tame tale, but from Crylon's viewpoint it is quite an arduous adventure, forcing him to face fears if he wants to help others. And should he do so, well who knows what will happen... The real question is... "Will Crylon enter the water?" Thread 1- 620+678+604+562+704+710=3,878

[Gossamer]

Contest Closed. I will post prizes tomorrow.

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[Gossamer]

Hello Folks!

Prize time! As I discussed, I said I'd make a unique magic item for all of you based on the story and effort put in. I am also awarding coins for word count. It's 10 gold for every 100 words. The magic item reflects the effort and complexity you put into your overall stories. Some will be more potent than others, some will be related to the stories, and some will not.

Wrenlo

Coin Award: 480 GM
Magic Item: A Compact Smoking Pipe

This pipe, when lit, will summon the spirit of Ezrae. This spirit will indicate he's voluntarily doing this duty to stay with you because his friendship with you meant a great deal to him in surviving the streets of Sunberth. As long as the pipe is on your person, the spirit may manifest at any time. However, when you smoke the pipe and while you continue to smoke the pipe the spirit can manifest as solidly as a person and have a conversation with you whenever you need someone to talk to or just unwind with.

So long as you are smoking, the spirit will not lose substance or run out of energy and can absolutely fully manifest. While smoking the pipe, the pipe itself gives Ezra the ability to be almost fully alive again so he can partake in such things as a drink, meal, or even other more unorthodox things like sparring or enjoying other sorts of entertainment. He loves playing cards all night long, and since his death has gained a lot of knowledge he did not know in life.

He can also be convinced, at times, to seek out information or spy for you unobserved. But he will always barter for manifestation time to do so, usually in the form of bells of you smoking for him or even doing such things as providing his favorite meal, taking him to a poker night, or purchasing him an escort's professional company for the night.

This item will appear in your pocket in your next thread. Ezrae will tell you the first time he manifests that he put it there himself. If you question him on how the pipe came to be, he will tell you that he owes a debt to someone who in turn owes you a debt and this is how both debts are getting paid off simultaneously in a way both parties are satisfied and you benefit. He will say no more. You may develop this plot arch later in your storyline and expand the storyseed out in any way you see fit. It may be a past life debt or something you did in the past in this life that resulted in someone being in your debt.

This item cannot be gifted, sold, or stolen from you. It will automatically reappear on your person if someone does take it. It can, however, be destroyed by all the normal ways pipes can be destroyed.

Crylon

Coin Award: 380 GM
Magic Item: An Earring Of Language Boost

This simple bronze masculine hoop earring is used for those who are almost knowledgeable in a language but aren't perfect in it. Once acquired and worn, it will actively correct the spoken and written grammar of any person who is wearing it. It will make sure tenses are correct, sentences are impeccably formed as if the person is a native speaker.

It will only work in one language at a time with one owner at a time.

So once a new person slips it on, the first language you use that you aren't fluent in will be the language it tunes to. In essence, this earring will boost any conversational basic language to fluent. The speaker or write simply speaks or writes proper grammar. Once it is owned by a 'new' owner and tunes itself to the first basic language the owner speaks, its language boost cannot be changed to a new language unless it has a new owner. This item can be gifted, sold, or stolen. It is indestructable.

PS. Since you used this thread to acquire a very outdated item (by three years), I felt I could deviate from the theme and go a different route on a prize.

Tazrae

Coin Award: 1030 GM
Magic Item: A Matching Set Of Moonstone Silver & Gold Rings

This simple set of identical rings mirrors one another and houses identical round moonstones in their settings. The silver ring is, however, larger and more masculine. The gold ring is smaller and more feminine. The plain bands are etched with waxing and waning crescents on either side of the set stone that indicate the stages of the moon with the large round stone in the middle representing the full moon of Leth.

When worn by any two individuals, the individuals are granted telepathy between each other while wearing the rings at a distance of up to a mile by sunlight when the moon is weak and up to ten miles when the darkness descends and the moon is stronger.

These items cannot be gifted, sold, or stolen. However, due to their nature, one may be passed to a person of the owners choosing to be worn to utilize the telepathy.

Vest'mun

You did not update to indicate if you'd finished nor did you post a link. I'm going to consider you dropped out of this competition.

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